America and Israel’s War to Remake the Middle East
The United States and Israel launched a coordinated strike—codenamed Epic Fury and Rising Lion—marking the first fully integrated U.S.-Israeli combat operation against Iran. The joint effort combined American air power with Israeli intelligence and special‑operations assets, targeting Tehran’s nuclear and missile facilities. Analysts warn the operation could accelerate a broader regional conflict, drawing in Hezbollah, proxy militias, and rival powers. The partnership also tests the durability of the U.S.-Israel alliance amid divergent strategic priorities.
Congo-Kinshasa: Mineral Rivalry, Geopolitics and the Imperative of Peace in Eastern DR Congo
Eastern DR Congo’s eastern provinces sit atop lithium, gold, coltan and other critical minerals that power the global energy transition and digital economy. Rising demand has drawn a slate of international actors, from the United States to China, intensifying geopolitical...
Divergent Chinese PMIs Suggest Resilient External Demand, but Soft Domestic Environment
China's official manufacturing PMI slipped to 49.0 in February, matching a 33‑month low, while the private RatingDog index rose to 52.1, highlighting a split between domestic weakness and export‑driven resilience. Sub‑indices show production, new orders and employment contracting, even as...
China’s RatingDog Manufacturing PMI Climbs to 62.1 in February, Services PMI Rises to 56.7
China’s RatingDog Manufacturing PMI surged to 62.1 in February, up from 50.3 in January, while the Services PMI rose to 56.7, both beating market expectations. The strong readings signal a robust rebound in Chinese factory output and service activity. The...
Farm Worries Crop up as Fertiliser Companies Fear a Gas Crunch
India faces a looming gas crunch after Qatar halted LNG production, jeopardising the primary feedstock for urea manufacturing. The country currently holds only about two months of buffer stocks for urea and DAP, and prolonged shortages could force local plants...
Geopolitics Continues to Influence Demand From Canada to the US as Capacity Shifts Elsewhere
Canadian airlines are trimming U.S. leisure capacity and redirecting aircraft to Latin America and the Caribbean as geopolitical tensions and trade‑policy shifts dampen cross‑border demand. Air Canada signals that the decline may be bottoming out, while Porter Airlines adds new...
A Wartime Labour Market: The Case of Ukraine
Ukraine’s labor market has endured a massive shock since the February 2022 invasion, losing roughly a quarter of its pre‑war workforce due to displacement, mobilization and casualties. Despite a spike in unemployment above 20% in 2022, the rate fell to...
ISKP Attack in Kabul Punches Holes in Taliban Regime’s Claims
A suicide bomber from the Islamic State Khorasan Province struck a Chinese‑owned restaurant in Kabul on Jan. 19, killing seven and injuring dozens. The attack exposed the Taliban’s inability to guarantee security for foreign nationals, undermining its claims of a safe...
Toward New Political Model: Kazakhstan’s Constitutional Referendum
Kazakhstan will hold a March 15 referendum to adopt a new constitution, replacing the 1995 charter that anchored a strong presidential system. The draft revises more than 80 percent of existing law across 95 articles, aiming to modernize governance for a digital‑focused...
What's Next for Ukraine: The Labour Market
Ukraine has lost roughly a quarter of its civilian workforce since the 2022 invasion, with 3.5 million workers displaced, mobilised, or killed. Despite this shock, aggregate job‑matching efficiency declined only about 15%, a smaller drop than during the 2008 U.S. financial...
Oil Price Rise Might Push Peso Back to 59:$1
Rising crude prices, driven by the Iran‑Israel conflict, could push the Philippine peso past the 59 per‑dollar threshold. MUFG forecasts the PHP trading between 58.5 and 59.5 if oil steadies around $90 a barrel, while JP Morgan sees a modest global...
What Does Indonesia Get Out of the US-Indonesia Agreement on Reciprocal Trade?
In February 2026 President Donald Trump and President Prabowo Subianto signed a U.S.-Indonesia Agreement on Reciprocal Trade that obliges Jakarta to facilitate $10 billion of U.S. investment and import roughly $33 billion of American goods, mainly energy and agriculture. The deal was...
WTO Meet: India Pushes Tech Transfer to Boost Developing Nations’ Trade
India has urged developed nations at the WTO ministerial to adopt concrete technology‑transfer measures that would help developing and least‑developed countries access advanced, environmentally‑sound inputs. The proposal highlights export controls on semiconductor chips and rare‑earth minerals, as well as rigid...
India-UK Trade Deal Faces Challenges Amid West Asia Conflict
India and the United Kingdom are set to activate the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) by early April, granting Indian exporters duty‑free access to 99% of the UK market. However, the ongoing West Asia conflict threatens to disrupt shipping...
NDAP Overhaul in Works to Handle Surge in Big Data
India’s National Data and Analytics Platform (NDAP) will undergo a major revamp as NITI Aayog seeks a private‑sector partner to redesign, operate and hand over the system. The upgrade aims to handle vastly larger data volumes, add advanced analytics and...
#AtlanticDebrief – What’s in Store for the Three Seas Summit? | A Debrief From Amb. Romana Vlahutin
The Atlantic Council’s #AtlanticDebrief interview with Croatia’s Special Envoy Romana Vlahutin outlines the agenda for the 2026 Three Seas Summit in Dubrovnik. Senior Fellow Ian Brzezinski and Vlahutin discuss how the summit will focus on strategic connectivity, energy diversification, and...
How a Crisis over a Stockpile of Uranium Created an Opening for US Reengagement in Niger
The failed December 7, 2025 coup in Benin has left Niger’s military government even more isolated, sharpening a diplomatic opening for Washington. Niger’s junta seized roughly 1,000 tons of uranium yellowcake from French firm Orano, but legal rulings and transit obstacles have frozen...
What the Iran-US War Means for Asia
The Diplomat’s Asia Geopolitics podcast examined the U.S. and Israeli bombing of Iran, framing it as a flashpoint that could reshape Asian strategic calculations. Hosts Ankit Panda and Catherine Putz highlighted how the conflict tests nuclear deterrence credibility and may inspire North...
IDB Invest Approves Financing for Genneia to Strengthen Argentina’s Energy Security
IDB Invest is committing up to $185 million to Genneia S.A. to develop four solar parks and 40 MW of battery storage across Argentina. The solar projects total 340 MW, with sites in Mendoza, San Juan and Buenos Aires, while the battery system will connect...
IDB Invest Approves Financing for Genneia to Strengthen Argentina’s Energy Security
IDB Invest is extending up to $185 million in financing to Argentine renewable leader Genneia to develop four solar parks and a 40 MW battery storage system. The solar projects total 340 MW across Mendoza, San Juan and Buenos Aires provinces, while the battery will...
Why Do Experts Think Emerging Markets Will Outperform?
Emerging market equities delivered a 33.6% return in 2025, the strongest since 2017, outpacing the MSCI World’s 21.1% gain. Analysts cite continued dollar weakness, lower valuations, and AI exposure as catalysts for further outperformance into 2026. Inflows are expected as...
Europe’s Pharma Trade with the US Remains Critical Despite Tariff Turmoil
U.S. pharmaceutical tariffs on EU imports have risen to 15% after a brief 10% measure, reviving trade tensions despite a prior MFN deal. Europe is pursuing alternative markets, notably a new EU‑India free‑trade agreement that could eliminate up to 11%...
A Middle Powers Club Would Make the World More Dangerous
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Davos speech called on Canada, India, Australia and Japan to form a middle‑powers club as the liberal order strains under U.S. pressure. The proposal marks a shift toward collective diversification away from the United States...
Peru and the Limits of Alarmism About Chinese Investment
The Port of Chancay, inaugurated in 2024, is a joint COSCO‑Volcan venture financed by a $975 million Chinese loan. In its first ten months of operation, the port moved $1.88 billion in trade and generated $234 million in customs revenue, moving toward a...
Payment Friction Wins in Africa
African ecommerce still wrestles with deep‑rooted trust gaps, turning checkout into a conversational process often mediated through WhatsApp. Local platforms like Paystack, Flutterwave, and Egypt’s Fawry have succeeded by offering instant bank transfers, mobile‑money protocols such as STK Push, and cash‑at‑kiosk...
Sanctions Evasion, Statecraft, and the New Crypto Geography in the Asia-Pacific
The Asia‑Pacific is emerging as a pivotal arena where cryptocurrency intersects with sanctions enforcement and state strategy. Blockchain’s peer‑to‑peer settlement bypasses traditional banking chokepoints, allowing actors—from North Korean hackers to Russian entities—to launder stolen assets through mixers, cross‑chain bridges and...
Turkey’s Gas Diversification Strategy and Rising Share of LNG
Since Turkey’s 2016 energy policy, the country has transformed from a pipeline‑dependent gas importer to a diversified market anchored by rapid LNG expansion. Regasification capacity rose fivefold to 150 million cubic metres per day, driven by a fleet of FSRUs that...
Welcome to the ‘Gray Zone’ − Home to Nefarious International Acts that Fall Short of Outright Conflict
The article defines the “gray zone” as a strategic space where states apply coercive actions that fall short of open warfare, leveraging ambiguity and deniability. It highlights how Russia, China, Iran and even the United States employ cyber intrusions, disinformation,...
China Unveils Measures to Boost Tech Insurance in Push for Self-Reliance
China issued a 20‑point guideline to fast‑track a sci‑tech insurance system, positioning the sector as an economic shock absorber for innovation. The policy targets both flagship national projects and SMEs, creating a national coordination mechanism and dedicated risk‑reserve funds. It...
India’s Growth Is Structural, Not Cyclical
India’s growth is shifting from cyclical consumption to a structural, investment‑led model, driven by a surge in public capital expenditure that rose from roughly ₹4.4 lakh crore in FY 19 to over ₹11 lakh crore in FY 25. The government has paired this spending with tax stability, massive...
The Rare Earths Race Risks Environmental Disaster
Rare earth elements are critical for clean‑energy technologies, but the geopolitical push to cut China’s dominance is driving extraction in fragile ecosystems such as the deep‑sea Pacific mud, Brazil’s Amazon, Greenland, Mongolia and Madagascar. Mining and processing produce massive toxic...
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Saudi Arabia Condemns 'Cowardly' Iranian Drone Attack on US Embassy in Riyadh
Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry condemned Iran’s drone strike on the U.S. embassy in Riyadh as “cowardly” and a breach of international law, warning that such attacks could heighten regional escalation. The drones caused a fire and minor damage but no...
West Asia Tensions May Cloud India’s Coffee Export Momentum
Indian coffee exports are accelerating, with January‑February shipments up 40% to 80,931 tonnes and total 2025 sales surpassing $2 billion. The West Asia and North Africa region, accounting for roughly 20% of exports, is now a key growth market after Europe....
Kazakh Manufacturing Hit by Marked Fall and Elevated Inflationary Pressures in February, PMI Shows
Kazakhstan's manufacturing PMI fell to 48.1 in February, down from 49.8 in January, indicating sector contraction. The decline reflects weaker domestic demand, higher tax pressure from a January VAT increase, and firms cutting staff, purchases, and inventories. Despite the downturn,...
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Iran Says Intelligence Services Know Location of Netanyahu
Iranian Major General Yahya Rahim Safavi announced that Iran’s intelligence services have "complete oversight" of U.S. and Israeli targets and can pinpoint the locations of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s meetings on March 3. He accused the United States of serving Israel’s interests,...
War Risk Insurance Premiums for Ships Likely to Rise Amid West Asia Crisis: Experts
War‑risk insurance for vessels is set to rise sharply as insurers cancel coverage amid the West Asia conflict. Premiums for hull and cargo have jumped to about 1 % of cargo value, up from 0.25‑0.5 % previously. Shipping lines are rerouting around...
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IAEA Confirms Damage to Iran's Natanz Nuclear Site Entrance, No Radiation Leak Detected
The International Atomic Energy Agency verified that recent strikes damaged the entrance buildings of Iran’s Natanz Fuel Enrichment Plant, based on satellite imagery, but found no radiological release. The underground enrichment hall remains intact, limiting immediate safety concerns. Natanz, already...
When Businesses Are Free To Grow, Everyone Wins
The piece contrasts the Biden administration’s aggressive antitrust stance with the Trump administration’s pro‑merger agenda. It points to the blocked Spirit‑JetBlue and Amazon‑iRobot deals as regulatory missteps that resulted in bankruptcy and layoffs. It then highlights Kimberly‑Clark’s $48.7 billion acquisition of...
PH Looks Forward to South Korea's Continued Support for Infra Projects—Marcos
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. met South Korean President Lee Jae‑Myung in Manila, reaffirming Manila’s expectation of continued Korean support for flagship infrastructure works such as the new Dumaguete Airport, Samar Pacific Coastal Road, Jalaur River Multipurpose Project and Laguna Lakeshore...
Designing the Future
Philippine real estate is entering a new design era focused on regenerative, people‑centric environments that restore ecosystems and enhance wellbeing. Thought leaders highlight AI‑driven optimization, prefabricated construction, and material innovations such as engineered bamboo as key enablers. Mixed‑use, walkable neighborhoods...
China Rebounds to Become Asia’s Busiest Buyout Market – Deloitte
China has reclaimed its position as Asia’s busiest buyout market, according to Deloitte’s latest private‑equity report. A surge in domestic and regional fund activity offset a decline in Western capital, driving a 28% increase in deal volume year‑over‑year. The market...
IShares MSCI EM Swap UCITS ETF: BlackRock Lists Emerging Market Swap Instrument in London
BlackRock's iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Swap UCITS ETF launched in London on 23 February 2026, ticker ESWP, expanding its synthetic ETF suite. The fund tracks the MSCI Emerging Markets Index via unfunded total‑return swaps, offering a 0.14% TER, 4 basis...
India Starts Countervailing Duty Probe Against Chinese PVC Resins
India’s Directorate General of Trade Remedies has opened a counter‑vailing duty investigation into imports of Chinese PVC resins after domestic producers filed complaints. The petitioners, including Chemplast Cuddalore Vinyls, DCM Shriram and DCW Ltd, claim Chinese manufacturers receive government subsidies that enable...
February Brings Another Sharp Inflation Rise in Turkey
Turkey's annual inflation rose to 31.5% in February, driven primarily by a 2.96% month‑on‑month CPI increase. Food prices surged, with annual food inflation at 36.5%, while core inflation eased to 29.5%, its lowest since late 2021. Producer‑price inflation remained around...
Implications of Prolonged Unrest in Iran for Pakistan
The United States and Israel launched coordinated attacks on Iran after the February 27 assassination of Supreme Leader Ali Hosseini Khamenei, prompting Tehran to close the Strait of Hormuz and target regional airports. Iran’s resilient regime is now focused on defending its...
Safaricom's Ziidi Smashes Records on Nairobi Exchange
Safaricom’s Ziidi Trader, launched on the M‑Pay platform in early February, sparked a surge in Nairobi Securities Exchange activity, with daily equity trades climbing from under 8,000 to more than 25,000. The app gives roughly 38 million M‑Pay subscribers the ability...
China’s Undersea Great Wall Targets US Sub Supremacy
China is constructing a multi‑layered undersea warfare system, dubbed the "Underwater Great Wall," to counter U.S. submarine dominance and protect its nuclear deterrent. The People’s Liberation Army Navy now operates more than 60 submarines, including Shang III SSGNs with 24‑cell VLS...
What Are Biometric IDs? What Are the Risks?
Across Africa, governments are rolling out biometric digital ID systems to streamline access to voting, healthcare, education and social protection. A new report by the African Digital Rights Network, based on ten country case studies, finds millions excluded due to...
Trump Says Wars Can Be Fought ‘Forever’ With The U.S.’s ‘Virtually Unlimited’ Weapons Stockpiles
President Donald Trump asserted on Truth Social that the United States possesses a "virtually unlimited" supply of weapons, allowing it to fight wars indefinitely. He contrasted this claim with criticism of President Joe Biden for allegedly diverting resources to Ukraine....
Israel-Iran War to Discourage Investment Into India, Offset Trade Deal Positives: BMI
BMI warns that the Israel‑Iran conflict will increase policy uncertainty and deter foreign investment in India. The firm keeps its FY2026/27 GDP growth forecast at 7 % but flags geopolitical risks that could offset gains from new US and EU trade...