Features
KSE: Russia’s military-industrial expansion may be unsustainable
Russia’s wartime economy has delivered a dramatic expansion in defence production since the start of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. But according to KSE, this growth could prove both unsustainable and destabilising in the medium term.
Saudi Arabia launches second phase of Art Bank initiative
Saudi Arabia's Social Development Bank has launched the second phase of its "Art Bank" initiative to support visual artists and freelancers across the kingdom.
Putin worked as a stuntman in 1970s Soviet movie industry – report
Russian President Vladimir Putin is reported to have performed stunt work in Soviet war films during the 1970s, according to former colleagues and a recently resurfaced caption in a St Petersburg university exhibit.
Kazakhstan’s big-hearted poster girl of philanthropy jailed as perfect villain who even cheated stricken people of Gaza
Perizat Kairat turned out to be an embezzler funding a jet-setting lifestyle.
Taiwan’s president, ruling party hit hard by failure in anti-KMT recall vote
On July 26, Taiwan witnessed the culmination of an unprecedented political moment - the largest recall vote in its history, which ended in a decisive failure for the ruling DPP and delivered a measure of political humility for President William Lai.
Russia pulling ahead of Ukraine in optical fibre drone arms race edge
Ukraine’s early advantage in battlefield drone technology is eroding as Russian investment, industrial scaling, and technological innovation reshape the aerial landscape of the conflict, particularly in the deployment of fibre-optic UAVs.
Ukraine’s top general Zaluzhnyi warns war could last a decade without systemic Western support
Ukrainian former top general and current UK ambassador Valerii Zaluzhnyi has given another controversial interview accusing Nato allies of “strategic infantilism” that could drag out the fighting for another decade.
Russia central bank governor Nabiullina says economy coming back on track, but big problems remain
Russia’s Central Bank of Russia has started easing monetary policy with a 200bp rate cut to bring down the interest rate to 18% on July 25. That is welcome relief for companies that have been increasingly struggling to cope with high rates.
Turkey denies finance minister Mehmet Simsek fed up and set to quit
Columnist reported ruling party sources indicating ex-Wall St banker is frustrated by “lobbying for privileged loans and special treatment for pro-government companies”.
China is supplying Russia with new decoy drones and engines to boost Russia’s production
China is covertly supplying a new decoy drone using entirely Chinese technology as well as engines sent to Russia’s state-owned drone manufacturer Kupol that has allowed russia to boost drone strikes to 500 per day, NV reports.
EXPLAINER: The high stakes behind the Zangezur Corridor
Proposed corridor linking Azerbaijan’s main territory with its Nakhchivan exclave across Armenia could slash transit times from Asia to Europe along the Middle Corridor but faces fierce opposition from Yerevan.
South Koreans face tighter homeownership rules as foreign buyers gain ground
Buying a home in South Korea is becoming increasingly impossible for many local residents, especially in the Seoul metropolitan area, as the government continues to tighten financial regulations aimed at cooling the housing market.
India’s sugar output set to rise 15% in 2026 season
This increase is due to the above-average monsoon, which has improved sugarcane acreage and yields in the main producing states such as Maharashtra and Karnataka.
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Indonesia caught in the crossfire of Huione-linked scam networks
Cambodia’s decision to revoke the operating license of Huione Pay, a subsidiary of the influential Huione Group, has sent ripples across Southeast Asia, but for Indonesia, it’s a troubling reminder of how deeply entrenched scam syndicates are.
PANNIER: Stakes in fight against terrorism raised as Uzbekistan discovers ISKP cell led by teenage woman
Suspect in custody allegedly radicalised at Islamic school in Turkey. Development is disturbing for authorities.
5G, AI convergence holds key to transformative growth in ASEAN
A new report from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy has called on ASEAN governments to seize a narrowing window of opportunity to drive transformative economic growth through the convergence of 5G and artificial intelligence.
€1bn EU energy crisis aid in Western Balkans largely untraceable, watchdog says
CEE Bankwatch research reveals only €163.1mn of €1bn spent could be clearly linked to advancing the Green Agenda.
Ukraine’s Prime Minister to ask IMF for new loan, as new team focuses efforts on bring US support back on board
Ukraine’s new prime minister, Yuliia Svyrydenko, said Kyiv will probably ask for a new International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan to plug a widening budget deficit.
Ukraine’s military death tolls underestimated, Russia recruits sufficient to cover its frontline losses
Ukraine’s official military casualty figures in the war with Russia may be vastly understated. Russia’s death toll is much higher.
EXPLAINER: Who fought in Syria’s Suwayda and where do things go from here?
The deep fragility of country’s post-Assad landscape was exposed as Druze, backed by Israel, clashed with Bedouin tribes.