Russia
Ukraine hits multiple Russian oil refineries, Trump calls for more EU oil sanctions
Ukraine is expanding its campaign of trying to cut the Kremlin off from its oil export income with a campaign of targeting Russia’s oil refining and pipeline assets, using its new long-range drones and missiles.
INTERVIEW: The rags-to-riches rise of Freedom Holding Corp's Timur Turlov
As he rang the Nasdaq exchange bell to start trading in his company’s shares, the childhood dream of this Wall Street movie fan from a poor Moscow suburb had come true.
Extreme poverty falling steadily – OWID
To track progress towards ending extreme poverty, the United Nations relies on World Bank estimates of the number of people living below a poverty threshold called the “International Poverty Line” (IPL), Our World in Data (OWID) reports.
Two thirds of Germans fear a Russian invasion fuelling far-right election gains in western heartland
Public anxiety over a potential Russian attack on Nato territory has surged in Germany following the recent drone incursion on September 10 into Polish airspace that coincided with sharp gains by the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD).
McFaul: Putin Is Making Trump Look Weak
It’s time for a new, effective, and credible response. Nearly two dozen Russian drones crossed into Polish airspace. Nato forces promptly shot them down - the first direct military confrontation between Russia and Nato since the Ukraine war started
Lukewarm support for Polish UN vote condemning Russian drone incursion
Only 46 out of 193 UN member states signed a joint UN declaration on September 12, denouncing Russia’s alleged involvement in a drone incursion into Polish airspace two days earlier.
Ukraine facing a financial cliff as IMF warns Ukraine may need an extra $20bn of external funding in 2025
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has concluded that Ukraine’s financing needs for 2026 and 2027 could be as much as $20bn higher than the government in Kyiv’s own estimates, as negotiations begin on securing a new aid package.
World GDP forecasts raised, but US slowdown anticipated - Fitch
Global growth is now forecast to be 2.4% in 2025, up 0.2pp since June but a sizeable slowdown from 2.9% last year and below trend.
Kremlin puts Russia-Ukraine ceasefire talks on hold
Negotiation channels between Russia and Ukraine remain formally open but the Kremlin has put talks on hold, as prospects for renewed diplomatic engagement appear remote. Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
Russia’s $0.5bn anti-drone defence market second only to US
Russia ranked second globally in the anti-drone systems market in 2024, according to RBC business portal citing estimates of SK Capital, part of the state development bank VEB.RF.
This year's historic heatwaves largely caused by 180 "carbon majors" - study
More than a quarter of over 200 heat waves recorded globally since 2000 were impossible without human-driven climate change, with emissions from the world’s largest fossil fuel and cement companies playing a significant role.
Russia's Zapad -2025 military exercises are a show of strength as military tensions in Europe rise
The joint Russia and Belarus military exercises get underway on September 12 that will be closely watched by Nato analysts to gauge how strong Russia’s military has become after more than three years of war.
#BREAKING: Belarus releases another 52 prisoners after talks with US
Belarus has released another 52 prisoners following negotiations with the US , with President Alexander Lukashenko granting pardons on what state media described as humanitarian grounds, the BelTA news agency reported on September 11.
COMMENT: What were Russian drones doing in Poland?
With no clear explanation from Moscow, theories have proliferated over how and why more than a dozen Russian drones crossed into Poland on September 10—and what this means for European security.
One in three Poles blame Ukraine for the drone incursion into Polish airspace
For the first time during the full-scale war in Ukraine, Poland has shot down multiple Russian drones in its airspace on September 10, but a third of Poles have blamed the strike on Ukraine, not Russia, according to a poll.
Hungarian foreign minister fails to condemn Russian drone attack during Belarus visit
Peter Szijjarto avoided blaming Russia for drones crossing Polish airspace and causing damage, a stance in line with Budapest’s longstanding reluctance to confront Moscow directly.
COMMENT: Need and loathing in Russia – unpacking the labour migration paradox
Central Asian guest workers face growing hardship.
Von der Leyen pledges unwavering support for Ukraine, unveils competitiveness reforms in EC state of the Union speech
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen used her annual EU State of the Union address on September 10 to reaffirm the bloc’s commitment to Ukraine, signal a tougher stance on Israeli settler violence, and outline reform
Poland to invoke Nato’s article 4 after Russian drones’ incursion into Polish airspace
PM Donald Tusk says overnight incursions were "incomparably more dangerous" than previous incidents since Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
COMMENT: France’s instability risks weakening Europe at a critical moment
The French government fell on September 8, facing a 5.8% of GDP budget deficit it can neither fund nor reduce, plunging the Fifth Republic into yet another crisis at a critical time for Europe.