Features
TURKISH ELECTION LIVE: Presidential run-off
With Recep Tayyip Erdogan the clear favourite after first-round win, is there any room for a Kemal Kilicdaroglu shock victory?
Economic bombs could wreck Turkey under a re-elected Erdogan, warn analysts
Flashing red lights on lira, sky-high inflation, dwindling FX reserves and soaring cost of insuring debt against default. A currency crisis could be around the corner.
Weekend of rival protests looms in Belgrade
Government plans to show its strength amid growing calls for political change at mass anti-violence protests.
INTERVIEW: Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya
“Ukraine’s victory will trigger something big – a change of regime not only in Russia, but in Belarus too.”
Freedom House says Ukraine war threatens democracy across Emerging Europe
Democratic governance deteriorates in Emerging Europe and Central Asia, with worst declines in already authoritarian regions.
Erdogan victory set to trigger a new Turkish brain drain
New wave of disillusioned young Turks looks set to abandon country if strongman is re-elected on May 28.
Lira a ticking time bomb as Turkey’s 5-year credit default swaps surpass 700-level
With little expectation strongman Erdogan will be toppled in May 28 run-off vote, markets guard against economic calamity.
Uzbek capital markets development off to a slow start
The Uzbek government is planning to privatise several state-owned enterprises by floating their shares on the Tashkent Stock Exchange (TSE) and has turned its attention to getting them ready, but the market remains narrow and shallow.
Markets turn screw on Turkey ahead of run-off
Lira hits latest record low and cost of insuring debt soars. New data, meanwhile, shows central bank burnt through $17bn in weeks before polls attempting to prop up economy.
EBRD 2023: Uzbekistan aims for WTO membership to boost trade ties
The Uzbek government is going to continue to focus on economic stability, bringing inflation down, making the country more attractive to international investors and boosting trade with World Trade Organisation (WTO) membership.
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Milestone China-Central Asia ‘5+1’ summit pursues new blueprint for relations
Stans were eager for red carpet treatment. Notably, Russia was not invited.
New Development Bank: the Emerging Markets' very own development bank
Part of the reason the NDB was set up is that the inflow of investment to the emerging world has underperformed in the last few decades and the investment needs remain enormous.
EU looks to better implement measures targeting Russian energy in upcoming 11th sanctions package
The EU continues work to hash out an 11th sanctions package on Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine, which will require the approval of all 27 member states to be finalised.
EBRD 2023: EBRD meets in Samarkand as Central Asian transformation accelerates
Development bank holds its annual meeting in Central Asia for the first time in 12 years.
TURKISH ELECTIONS: May 14 vote (live blog, as it happened)
Updates throughout the day.
Narva: The EU's eastern output is still looking for an identity
Russia's invasion of Ukraine made Narva a symbol of the new “iron curtain” that had descended upon Europe. Now the Estonian city is trying to better integrate its Russian-speaking majority and reverse years of population decline.
TURKISH ELECTIONS EXPLAINER: Apocalypse soon?
Turkey goes to the polls on Sunday May 14. Any rational analysis says the Erdogan era must end. Country in days and weeks that follow the voting will not be for the faint-hearted.
Reward from Putin: Moscow cancels visas for Georgia and renews direct flights
The move is widely regarded as the Kremlin’s reward for the Georgian government’s restrained stance on the Ukraine war and its "anti-Western propaganda".
KSE’s plan for Ukraine to fight back against Russia’s weaponisation of gas
Russia's attempt to use its gas supply as a political tool against its neighbours and the EU has backfired, but gas supplies from Russia to Europe should be allowed to continue, but with some strict restrictions to defang Russia's energy weapon.
Pashinyan plays delicate balancing act with Moscow ahead of EU peace talks
The Armenian president cannot afford to alienate Moscow when his country remains so dependent on its big neighbour and at a time when the outcome of the peace talks remains so uncertain.
