Features
No economic crisis for Belarus as it has a Plan B
The IMF warned Minsk last November that it better have a “Plan B” ready if it could not persuade Moscow to pay it compensation for a change in the way oil exports are taxed. It's got one.
WEEKEND WHAMMY: Moody’s cuts Turkey deeper into junk
Ratings agency says risk of another balance of payments crisis is rising, meaning the risk of a government default down the line is also increasing.
Broadcaster warns of “slow strangulation” of media plurality in Serbia
The owner of N1, one of the few remaining mainstream independent media outlets in the Balkan country, has documented numerous incidents of hate speech and threats of violence against its journalists.
Western Balkans buck downward global trend in FDI
EU accession candidates Serbia and North Macedonia see largest increase in FDI inflows in Western Balkans — but investments in the region are vulnerable to political instability, says new report from wiiw.
Quant funds keeping It simple and effective
Yesterday’s quantitative investing has become today’s algorithmic trading, which has become more and more complicated. The best way to make these funds grow is to keep them simple
Tokayev declared Kazakh election winner as thoughts turn to whether new protest movement can snowball
Nazarbayev’s handpicked successor takes 71% of vote marred by hundreds of arrests. Demonstrators who claim it was a fake contest push Wake Up, Qazaqstan campaign.
Economic as well as political dismay fuelled Kazakhstan’s ‘rigged’ election protests
Kazakhs have long felt they’ve not been getting a fair deal from their oil-rich state. Officials raided the ‘rainy day’ fund ahead of the vote, but it was far from enough to quell the anger.
Radiant fatherland? Pull the other one
Kazakhstan’s choreographed presidential election will on June 9 distract from brewing discontent. Detention of activist for holding a blank banner nicely summed up the dispiriting reality.
Prague rocked by the biggest protests for democracy since 1989 demanding Prime Minister Andrej Babis's resignation
Wenceslas Square in the heart of Prague, a symbol of the fall of communism in 1989, hosted the biggest protests in the history of independent Czech Republic on June 4, as crowds demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Andrej Babis (ANO).
Poland’s feuding political camps celebrate 30 years since the fall of Communism by preaching to their choirs
The 30th anniversary of the partly free election that marked the end of the 45-year Communist rule in Poland was an overwhelmingly partisan affair.
ANALYSIS: Turkey technically exits recession but analysts fear double-dip's ahead
Bounce may not reflect underlying recovery. Trigger appears to be big credit expansion that destabilised the BoP and weakened the lira.
It’s now or never for an Uzbek gas boom
Tashkent has big ambitions in hydrocarbons, petroleum products, petrochemicals and pipelines. It is opening up to foreign investors. But there are still tensions with remaining elements of the planned economy.
Southeast Europe’s banking sector gets new investor geography
Hungary’s OTP in, Greek banks out, and a new crop of privatisations coming up in Serbia and Slovenia.
The Russian economy is stagnating
The Russian economy is stagnating and President Vladimir Putin’s plan to revitalise it with the 12 national projects is off to a very slow start. Growth was only 0.8% in 1Q19 and accelerating it to 3% in 2021 looks increasingly unlikely.
Eastern Europe's sustainable fashion designers embrace old traditions and new technologies
Solo designers and small creative companies are producing sustainable fashion lines in Central and Eastern Europe, embracing new technologies to reduce the industry’s environmental footprint and insisting on good conditions for their workers.
ANALYSIS: Turkey’s net FX reserves excluding swaps fell to minus as of May 17
bne IntelliNews’ calculations show the precarious situation the central bank faces as the unrelenting battle to defend the lira takes an alarming toll. No wonder Turks fear for their hard currency savings.
Why are Russian stocks so cheap?
Investors into Russian stocks have almost given up seeing any of the cash the country’s leading companies generate. Valuations are in the basement, as investors don't believe the management will share their billions of dollars in revenue.
Progress made towards creating of Russia's 5G network
Russia has made another step towards launching the fifth generation of cellular mobile communications (5G), as state-controlled telecoms operator Rostelecom transferred companies that tested the relevant technology to its subsidiary, Bashinformsvyaz.