Putin orders creation of buffer zone along Ukrainian border

Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a buffer zone to be set up along the border with Ukraine on May 22.

Intense Ukrainian drone attacks drive civilian flights out of southern Russian skies

Ukraine has launched some of its biggest ever drone attacks on Russia, which caused disruptions to civil aviation across the country on May 22.

LONG READ: Wanderlust wins: Russia’s travel boom defies the times

Russia’s $50bn+ tourism industry has been one unexpected beneficiary of the war in Ukraine.

Turkmen labour migrants turning elsewhere as Turkey is less welcoming

Uzbekistan and Belarus new, hot destinations.

Russian authorities release Green Admire tanker after seizure near an Estonian port

The Liberian-flagged tanker Green Admire, detained by Russian authorities on May 18 after departing the Estonian port of Sillamae, has been released and is now en route to its original destination, Rotterdam.

Military tensions rising as France deploys naval ship in the Baltic Sea for first time to monitor Russian shadow tankers

For the first time, the French Navy has deployed the 101-meter-long intelligence ship Dupuy de Lôme to the Baltic Sea to monitor Russia’s shadow fleet of oil tankers.

COMMENT: A protracted Sino-US trade war is good news for Russia

The United States and China may have agreed to a temporary pause in their escalating tariff battle, but the underlying trade war shows no signs of abating. While markets remain wary of further shocks, one country – Russia – is the big winner.

COMMENT: How Europe can win the digital nomad race

Record levels of immigration are dominating political debate in the world’s wealthiest countries. But there is a latent trend, still bubbling under the surface, which might soon occupy the minds of Western policymakers: emigration.

Rising waters will prompt “catastrophic” mass migration, says study

Even if global heating stays at today's level, the world could be headed for unstoppable sea level rise and mass migration, scientists have warned in a stark new report in the journal Communications Earth and Environment.

Rising waters will prompt “catastrophic” mass migration, says study

COMMENT: Vying for influence in Southeast Asia – Russia VS America

Although both nations have engaged with the region historically and continue to do so in the present day, their roles, influence, and staying power differ markedly.

Trump U-turns on $5bn offshore wind farm off New York in return for gas deal

The Trump administration has reversed its decision and is now allowing oil giant Equinor’s under-construction $5bn Empire Wind 1 project to proceed off New York.

Trump U-turns on $5bn offshore wind farm off New York in return for gas deal

The Trump administration has reversed its decision and is now allowing oil giant Equinor’s under-construction $5bn Empire Wind 1 project to proceed off New York.

Data centre power use expected to increase 20-fold in next five years

The first data centres consumed as much power as 20,000 homes, but the largest today use the same amount of power as100,000 homes, and are on track to burn up 5mn households' worth of power by 2030 – the same amount of power that Japan consumes.

EVs to account for one in four car sales this year

Global electric vehicle sales are expected to more than triple by 2030, reaching 45mn units annually, driven by expanding markets in China and strengthening policy support in advanced and emerging economies, according to the IEA.

EU approves seventeenth sanctions package

The European Union approved the seventeenth package of sanctions against Russia on May 20, further tightening restrictions in response to Moscow’s refusal to agree to a ceasefire.

Russia pushes to grow its influence in Africa’s nuclear future

Russia, under sanctions from the West over the war in Ukraine, is using nuclear partnerships to grow its influence in Africa.

Serbia negotiates new long-term gas deal with Russia

Serbia has increased efforts to diversify its energy sources but remains heavily dependent on Russian gas.

Tensions in the Baltic Sea: Russia detains oil tanker that left Estonian port

Russian authorities detained a Greek-owned oil tanker, Green Admire, on May 18 after it departed from Estonia’s Port of Sillamae en route to Rotterdam, and was transiting Russia’s territorial waters along a previously agreed shipping corridor.

Russia’s consumer price inflation at 10.2% in April

Inflation and the resulting high interest rates continue to be the principal concern of Russian policy makers.