News
Alarm for Russian banking sector as cash withdrawals spike
Russia’s share of cashless payments in retail turnover fell by 3 percentage points to 71.1% in January 2026, while cash withdrawals reached RUB1.6 trillion ($17.4bn), the highest since the 2022 full-scale military invasion of Ukraine.
Trump extends pause on US strikes against Iranian energy sites
Donald Trump has extended a pause on US military strikes targeting Iranian energy infrastructure. In doing so, the US president is now lengthening the initial five-day halt to a two-week period.
Czechoslovak Group reports 72% y/y rise in revenue in 2025 amid surging defence demand
CSG credited continued strong demand in the defence sector for the results as well as its integration of The Kinetic Group, acquired from Vista Outdoor in 2024.
Central Europe curbs gun trafficking but faces new risks from Ukraine war, report says
Firearm violence across Central Europe is among the lowest in the world, but the region continues to play a role in the illicit circulation of weapons, according to the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime.
Europe risks “strategic failure” without decisive push to scale global champions, business leaders warn
Speakers at Future 500 initiative event say Europe’s challenge is not a lack of capital, talent or ideas, but an inability to deploy them at scale.
More Moldovans support than oppose unification with Romania, survey shows
The findings show growing support for political unification with Romania, especially among the diaspora, coexisting with a Moldovan national identity.
Bulgaria arrests dozens in vote-buying crackdown ahead of April election
Bulgaria has long faced concerns over vote-buying, particularly in poorer regions, where cash or goods may be offered in exchange for ballots.
Iran drives US military out of all thirteen of its gulf military bases
Iran has driven the US military out of all thirteen of its Gulf military bases, The New York Times (NYT) reported on March 25.
Saudi Arabia boosts Red Sea oil exports to 4.4mn b/d
Saudi Arabia has sharply increased crude exports from its Red Sea terminals at Yanbu as it diverts shipments away from the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, where flows have been severely disrupted since late February, according to Bloomberg.
UAE advances alternative trade route to bypass Strait of Hormuz
The United Arab Emirates is accelerating efforts to establish a new trade corridor linking its eastern seaboard to Saudi Arabia, to bypass the Strait of Hormuz bottleneck.
Trump links US security deal for Ukraine with conceding Donbas to Russia
US President Donald Trump explicitly linked a US security deal to Ukraine’s conceding control of the whole of the Donbas to Russia, he said in an interview with Reuters on March 25.
Rosatom and Brazil's NBEPar launch joint venture for critical minerals extraction
Russia's state nuclear corporation Rosatom and Brazilian private holding company NBEPar have signed an agreement to establish a joint venture for the extraction and processing of critical minerals in Brazil, the companies said.
Iran claims 1,321 Israeli and 800 US troops killed since war began
Iran's armed forces spokesman has claimed over 1,300 Israeli and up to 800 US troops killed in the conflict, figures that cannot be independently verified and which neither Washington nor Tel Aviv has confirmed.
Iran formally responds to US proposals via intermediaries, demands war reparations
Iran has formally sent its response to a 15-point US proposal via intermediaries, demanding war reparations, a guarantee of no repeat strikes and recognition of its right to control the Strait of Hormuz.
Lukashenko and Kim Jong Un sign friendship treaty in Pyongyang on first-ever visit
Lukashenko and Kim Jong Un have signed a friendship treaty in Pyongyang, deepening ties between two of Putin's closest allies as both nations face western sanctions over their support for Russia's war in Ukraine.
Israel targeting civilians in southern Lebanon invasion
Israel is deliberately targeting residential buildings and populated areas in an attempt to depopulate southern Lebanon, according to reports.
Putin warns Russian business not to squander 'Iran war' oil windfall
Putin has warned Russian businesses not to fritter away oil windfall profits as commodity prices surge amid the Middle East conflict, cautioning that market conditions could reverse sharply.
Russian bloggers target Trump's mental fitness as president warns Iran time is running out
military bloggers are amplifying unverified claims about Trump's mental fitness as the US president says Iran is "strange."
Iran’s missiles, drones stored under impenetrable granite mountains
US President Donald Trump claims US forces have destroyed Iran’s missile and drone stockpiles. But since the first days of the war the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) triggered its Mosaic Defences and hid its weapons inside mountains.
Middle East conflict fallout to slow growth, push up inflation in Emerging Europe and Mediterranean region, EBRD says
Development bank says economic fallout is already spreading, through higher energy and fertiliser costs, damage to tourism and higher debt-servicing costs.