News
Thai bank lending gains momentum as bad loans ease
The Bank of Thailand revealed that bank lending increased 2.0% year on year in the second quarter of 2026, accelerating from a 0.2% rise recorded in the previous quarter.
India’s banks emerge stronger as NPAs hit record low
India’s banking sector has emerged from a prolonged asset-quality clean-up in a much stronger position, with non-performing assets at their lowest level on record, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman says.
Laos finds two new rare earth zones across four provinces
Authorities have yet to release detailed information about the size, reserves or development potential of the newly identified areas.
Ukraine's Fedorov calls for wartime elections on eve of defence ministry vote
Ukraine's ousted defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov has called for elections while the war is still being fought, arguing Russia should not decide when Ukrainians choose a government.
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UAE says all trade and financial transactions with Iran halted
The UAE has halted all trade, commercial exchanges and financial transactions with Iran until further notice, citing regional escalation, in a sharp deterioration of ties between Tehran and one of its most important trading partners.
Origin of recent Central Asian blackout pinpointed
Outage highlights shortcomings in regional grid.
EBRD extends $75mn trade finance line to Iraq's Al Mansour Bank for Investment
The EBRD is providing up to $75mn in trade finance to Iraq's Al Mansour Bank for Investment, covering payment risks on cross-border deals and widening access to financing for Iraqi businesses and MSMEs.
MP calls for halt to intelligence reports to Slovenian president over suspected Russia links
Nataša Pirc Musar's office strongly denied claims she could be connected to a Russian spy network.
Britain's drones are hitting Russian refineries leading to retaliation fears
A British-built drone flying into a refinery outside Moscow is a different kind of object from a British-built missile doing the same thing, and both London and the Kremlin know it.
Croatian president summons parliament over illegal toxic waste dump scandal
30,000 tonnes of hazardous waste were illegally dumped at an industrial site in Gospić, central Croatia, sparking protests and a government investigation.
Colombia raises earthquake damage estimate to $9.6bn
Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella has put preliminary damage from the devastating earthquake that struck the country on August 10 at COP30 trillion (around $9.61bn), citing a private-sector estimate.
Yemen's Houthis claim strikes on Saudi navy vessels in Red Sea
Yemen's Houthi movement says it struck a Saudi military landing ship and four escort boats with ballistic missiles in the Red Sea off Mokha, claiming the ship was destroyed. The assertions could not be independently verified.
Iran says Hormuz will stay shut until US lifts oil sanctions
Iran's parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf says the Strait of Hormuz will not reopen until the US lifts oil sanctions, frees blocked assets and ends its blockade, tying the vital shipping route to a disputed accord he says Washington has failed
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Venezuela's Bank of England gold to be routed through US Treasury accounts
Venezuela's Bank of England gold reserves would be channelled through US Treasury accounts to fund reconstruction after June's earthquakes, a National Assembly deputy said.
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Myanmar’s Min Aung Hlaing seeks closer ties with Putin
Russia is one of the few major countries to have maintained close ties with Myanmar’s military rulers since the 2021 coup. Much of the West has instead isolated the government.
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4iG shares in freefall after Hungarian government launches sweeping review of state ties
Peter Magyar's government is reviewing 4iG’s ownership, financing and contractual ties with the state, putting the telecoms and defence group’s rapid expansion under the previous Orbán governments under scrutiny.
Dhaka says Hasina extradition necessary for PM's India visit
Bangladeshi diplomatic officials confirmed ongoing discussions regarding a potential visit to India by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, though authorities emphasised that favourable conditions must first be established before any official trip.
Hungary in race against clock to stabilise Danube water levels as Paks nuclear plant faces critical days
Government’s intervention aims to secure cooling water supplies after an exceptionally severe drought and heatwave pushed the Danube to historic lows.
Bank Indonesia launches domestic retail credit card network to cut reliance on Visa, Mastercard
Seeking to enhance the country’s financial infrastructure and lower transaction overheads across domestic commercial networks, Indonesia's central bank has launched its national retail credit card framework.
Singapore banks offset interest margin squeeze with record wealth management fee growth
Singapore’s domestic lenders are insulating overall earnings from global interest rate cuts by expanding their regional wealth management franchises.