Features
INTERVIEW: Kazakhstan repositions as a diversified investment destination
Kazakhstan is doubling down on its drive to attract high-quality foreign investment, said Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Alibek Kuantyrov in an interview with bne IntelliNews.
Europe mulls secondary sanctions as part of the nineteenth sanctions package for the first time
The European Union is considering the unprecedented step of adopting US-style secondary sanctions as part of the nineteenth sanctions package currently under review. The EU has never imposed secondary sanctions before.
Stumbling blocks hinder plan to build Trans-Afghan Railway connecting Uzbekistan to Pakistani seaports
Security risks, financing challenges, difficult terrain and lack of recognition for Taliban among headaches.
PANNIER: Tensions creep into rebuilt Tashkent-Bishkek relations as Uzbek border guards shoot dead two Kyrgyz men
What's known indicates victims were gathering medicinal herb unaware they had strayed across frontier.
Kosovo’s flawed electricity market liberalisation leaves businesses in the dark
Companies face disconnections, uncertainty and higher costs, Kushtrim Ahmeti, executive director of the Chamber of Trade and Industry of Kosovo, tells bne IntelliNews.
Poland faces political paralysis as leadership divide deepens
Poland’s mounting conflict between nationalist President Karol Nawrocki and pro-EU Prime Minister Donald Tusk is paralysing governance and undermining credibility abroad.
Raid at Hyundai’s Georgia plant sparks diplomatic tensions
On September 4, 2025, US immigration officers carried out what officials have called the largest workplace immigration enforcement action in the history of the Department of Homeland Security.
China accused of escalating Taiwan tensions with oil drilling in disputed waters
By placing energy platforms in contested waters, China is signalling both defiance of international rulings and a willingness to tighten the squeeze on Taiwan.
Fat payoff to Mourinho as Turkish football confirms status as eager member of big-spending league
Super Lig clubs splurge €321mn on buying players. Istanbul club Galatasaray Europe’s fifth biggest spender.
Central Asia and Afghanistan heading for “confrontation” over water-thirsty canal, warns analyst
Minimal progress seen in dealing with rightful Taliban claim to share of Amu Darya border river. Region’s water security dilemma worsening.
US and Taiwan quietly hold defence talks in Alaska as Trump balances China ties
Taipei has recently announced a record defence budget, proposing a 23% rise that would lift military spending to more than 3.3% of GDP next year.
LONG READ: Europeans face recession, financial crises, as they struggle to boost defence spending
US President Donald Trump has dropped the burden of supplying and supporting Ukraine’s battle against Russia firmly in Europe’s lap. But cash-strapped and with the UK and France on the verge of crisis, they are going to struggle to manage.
LONG READ: Europe can’t afford the Ukraine war
US President Donald Trump has cut off all aid to Ukraine and dumped the problem in Europe’s lap. But Europe can’t afford to pay for the Ukraine war, nor for the modernisation of its own defence sector.
Indonesia uncovers over $60mn in Hajj quota corruption
The Corruption Eradication Commission has intensified its investigation into alleged corruption surrounding Indonesia’s 2023–2024 Hajj quota.
SCO summit highlights India’s balancing act
For India, participation was both a bridge and a shield. It allowed New Delhi to remain engaged with Eurasian institutions while avoiding full alignment with Beijing or Moscow.
Japan’s Ishiba, and South Korea’s Lee – the best of frenemies
South Korean President Lee Jae-myung’s choice of Tokyo and not Washington for his first state visit since coming to power was no accident.
PANNIER: Uzbekistan, the population power of Central Asia
In around 10 years, country could boast as many as 50mn inhabitants. By the end of 2026, it could already overtake Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan combined for people.
Named after a former revolutionary, Ho Chi Minh is Vietnam’s buzzing economic capital and Southeast Asia’s boomtown
Ho Chi Minh City has become a city project impossible to ignore: a metropolis whose growth is both the measure of Vietnam’s ambitions and the embodiment of the region’s restless dynamism.
Can the SCO shield Iran from Western pressure?
As Tehran continues to face mounting pressure from the US and its European counterparts, the strategic value of other alliances is becoming more pressing following the so-called 12-day war with Tel Aviv and Washington.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization is coming of age
More than two and half decades after it was founded as a regional security organization to secure porous borders in the depths of Central Asia, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is coming of age as it expands its reach and agenda.