Sri Lanka
India's many territorial disputes and their impact on its economic potential
For much of the 26 years since the beginning of the millennium, India has aimed at becoming a rising economic power by way of first becoming a service centered hub and gradually shifting towards becoming a centre of manufacturing.
Asia’s EV race speeds up as China’s champions challenge Tesla
As of mid-2026, China remains the centre of gravity in the EV world.
Asia’s coal comeback complicates energy transition across region
Taiwan has struggled to secure LNG supplies through May and finalised contracts covering roughly half of June demand, but additional procurement costs are expected to reach into the billions of US dollars to complete.
Fuel prices cast a dark shadow over Asia travel season
There will be no real winners in traditional tourism this summer – only airlines, tourist destinations and central banks left counting the cost.
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Sri Lanka’s economy rebounds in 2025, but risks persist
The country’s agriculture grew by 1.4% and industry witnessed robust expansion of 7.8%, albeit slower than the year before, reflecting normalisation from the crisis-era lows.
Argentina is the IMF biggest debtor followed by Ukraine
Argentina remains by far the largest debtor to the International Monetary Fund, underscoring the depth of its long-running financial crisis and its dependence on multilateral support.
Asia-Pacific defence spending hits post-2009 high as China-Taiwan tensions drive regional build-up
Military expenditure the Asia-Pacific region increased sharply in the last year, reaching a total of $681bn - an increase of 8.1% year on year and the largest annual expansion in military spending since 2009
Asia food inflation risks rise on fertiliser shock
Fitch Ratings has warned that emerging markets in Asia could face rising cost pressures across agribusiness sectors and food supply chains if a prolonged US-Iran conflict continues to disrupt fertiliser supplies further into the planting season.
Trump’s Iran gambit leaves APAC region ‘Quad’ dead in the water
The European Union has already, for all intents and purposes broken away from the US. It is only a matter of time before the Quad either ceases to function or decides to go its own way, without the US.
China quietly tightens its regional grip across Southeast Asia
Beijing and Hanoi are stepping up co-operation centred on internal security, in the process offering a preview of how China may deepen ties across south-east Asia despite longstanding differences with several countries in the region.
Russia markets discounted but sanctioned LNG to South Asia
Russia is again seeking to capitalise on the tightening global gas market by offering LNG from US-sanctioned facilities to energy-constrained buyers in South Asia at steep discounts.
ADB projects slower growth in all of Asia
According to an outlook forecast report by the Asian Development Bank, the broad Asia region including its many developing high growth economies are facing what can be best described as the most complex set of headwinds in years.
ASIA BLOG: China wins while Iran burns
The world needs a stable Asia – East and West – and would be better served by the removal of the current Iranian regime. Only in the removal of said regime will Beijing be forced back into a more constrained, less opportunistic global role.
Asia falls back on coal as LNG shortages drag on
From South Korea to Indonesia to Bangladesh, governments are increasingly turning back to coal-fired power generation to help offset a widening shortfall in LNG imports.
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Fuel shock in the fast lane: how Asia’s drivers are paying the price of war
The war involving the United States, Israel and Iran has sent a delayed shockwave through global energy markets and nowhere is the impact more acute than at petrol pumps across Asia.
Sri Lanka reveals it rejected US request to land warplanes, Iran request on warships
In an address to the Sri Lankan parliament, the country’s President Anura Kumara Dissanayake revealed that Washington and Tehran both came to Colombo with military requests on February 26, and both left empty handed.
Asia turns to Russian fuel in record volumes
China is also increasing its purchases from Russia, with imports estimated at 1.2mn to 1.5mn tonnes – primarily for use as a substitute feedstock in refineries.
Sri Lanka exposed to energy shock with price of oil threatening recovery
Sri Lanka’s fragile external position leaves it highly exposed to a sharp rise in energy prices, with the government’s decision to declare Wednesdays a public holiday for state-sector workers highlighting the immediate economic impact.
Sri Lanka declares weekly fuel holiday
Sri Lanka has designated every Wednesday a public holiday to conserve fuel as the country confronts the risk of supply shortages.