BoI Approves B2.3bn Heat-Assisted Storage Project for WD Unit
Thailand’s Board of Investment has green‑lit a 2.3 billion‑baht research programme to develop heat‑assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) technology for Western Digital’s local unit. The initiative aims to produce hard‑disk drives capable of more than 100 TB of storage by 2029, leveraging laser‑heated media to overcome the magnetic recording trilemma. Collaboration with partners in the United States and Japan will drive the project, which could expand to a total investment of up to 10 billion baht. The plan also mandates over 60 % local content, reinforcing Thailand’s position as a global HDD hub.
Economy Has 'Left ICU', Says Finance Chief
Thailand’s economy posted a surprising 2.5% GDP expansion in Q4 2025, outpacing the finance ministry’s 1.8% forecast and the NESDC’s 0.3% estimate. The stronger performance lifted full‑year 2025 growth to 2.4%, above the 2% target, and the finance chief now aims...
'We Do Not Do Illegal Things': Inside a U.S.-sanctioned Stablecoin Issuer's Race to Build a Crypto Giant
A7A5, a Kyrgyzstan‑incorporated ruble‑pegged stablecoin, added roughly $90 billion to its circulating supply last year, outpacing USDT and USDC. The issuer’s affiliates and reserve‑bank partner are listed on the U.S. sanctions list, yet the firm claims full KYC/AML compliance and positions...
Dangote Drives Nigeria’s Domestic Fuel Supply Above 57% as Imports Retreat
Nigeria’s Dangote Refinery reached full 650,000 bpd capacity in January 2026, processing a record 40.1 million litres of crude per day and supplying 57 % of the nation’s fuel. Domestic output now provides 62 % of premium motor spirit, overtaking imports for the first...
The Promise and Peril of Trump’s Board of Peace
President Donald Trump’s newly created Board of Peace will hold its inaugural meeting on Feb. 19, promising to release $5 billion in humanitarian and reconstruction aid for Gaza. The board, established under UN Security Council Resolution 2803, will operate as a donor‑led, international...
RBI Eases On-Lending, Current A/C Rules in Final ECB Framework
The Reserve Bank of India released its final external commercial borrowing (ECB) framework, removing the mandatory "current account" condition for banks to become designated authorized dealers. While the RBI clarified that ECB proceeds may be used to purchase land and...
Niger Stockpiled 1,000t of Yellowcake at Military Base: FT
Niger's military government moved roughly 1,000 tonnes of uranium concentrate, known as yellowcake, to Air Base 101 near Niamey after seizing the Orano‑run mine. The stockpile remains unsold, with potential buyers from Russia, China, the United States and the UAE...
How Long Can Kyrgyzstan’s Economic Boom Keep Booming?
Kyrgyzstan’s economy surged, posting 11% GDP growth in 2025 after a 9% rise in 2024, driven by a logistics boom that rerouted Chinese goods northward following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The surge is reinforced by soaring gold exports, higher remittances...
India’s Game-Changing Digital Money Model
India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) has become the world’s largest real‑time payments network, handling billions of free transactions daily. Built on a public, open‑source infrastructure managed by the National Payments Corporation of India, UPI lets banks, fintechs and merchants interoperate...
Mapfre Re to Open India Branch
Spain‑based Mapfre Re Compañía de Reaseguros SA has secured regulatory approval to open a branch in Gujarat, India. The reinsurer plans to commence operations within weeks after completing pre‑opening procedures with local authorities. This marks Mapfre Re’s first dedicated presence...
Sundaram AMC Launches Mid-Cap Fund in GIFT City
Sundaram Asset Management Company has launched the Sundaram India Mid Cap GIFT, a USD‑denominated offshore feeder fund that gives global investors direct exposure to India’s mid‑cap equities. The fund is domiciled in GIFT City’s International Financial Services Centre and invests...
Jimmy Lai’s Sentence: The High Cost of Western Appeasement
Jimmy Lai received a 20‑year prison term, the harshest under Hong Kong’s National Security Law, just days after UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer visited Beijing. The sentencing coincided with a diplomatic overture framed as a “break‑the‑ice” meeting, highlighting a disconnect between...
Indian Entrepreneur to Invest ₹214 Crore in AI-Powered Hydroponic Farming in Karnataka
Indian entrepreneur Vivek Raj is investing ₹214 crore to build an AI‑powered hydroponic farm on 16 acres in Moodbidri, Karnataka. The venture, Panama Hydro‑X, has filed four AI patents covering disease detection, smart lighting and crop monitoring after spending ₹146 crore on...
Exports Rise 0.61% to $36.56 Billion in January
India's merchandise exports rose modestly by 0.61% to $36.56 billion in January, according to Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal. Imports, however, jumped 19.2% to $71.24 billion, widening the monthly trade deficit to $34.68 billion. The fiscal‑year outlook remains positive, with total exports of goods...
Tamil Nadu’s $1-Trillion Economy Goal Could Be Delayed by a Year to 2031: Economic Survey
Tamil Nadu’s Economic Survey 2025‑26 projects its $1 trillion GDP ambition could slip from 2030 to 2031 if the rupee weakens faster than expected. The state posted a 16% nominal growth rate in 2024‑25, with manufacturing expanding 14.74% real and exports doubling...
India, UK Making Genuine Effort to See if FTA Can Be Operationalised in April: Commerce Secy
India and the United Kingdom are pushing to operationalise their Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) by April, aiming to grant duty‑free access to 99 percent of Indian exports. The pact still requires approval from the UK Parliament before it can...
IATA Expresses Concern over Suspension of Freighter Flights at Mumbai
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has voiced concern over a nine‑month suspension of dedicated freighter flights at Mumbai International Airport, slated from August 2026 to May 2027 for apron reconstruction. Mumbai handled 6.93 lakh metric tonnes of cargo between April...
No Question of Ethanol Inclusion in India-US Deal: ISMA’s Deepak Ballani
India’s sugar and ethanol sectors remain outside the India‑US trade talks, with ISMA Director General Deepak Ballani confirming that ethanol is explicitly excluded and sugar export quotas have been modestly raised to 20 LT for 2025‑26. He warns that the limited quota‑based...
India-US Trade Deal: Indian Chief Negotiator to Visit US Next Week to Finalise Legal Framework for BTA Deal
Indian chief negotiator Darpan Jain will lead a delegation to Washington next week to finalize the legal framework of the bilateral trade agreement (BTA) with the United States. The interim agreement announced on Feb 7 reduces U.S. tariffs on Indian exports...
Eaglestone Management: Experience Forged in Global Infrastructure Finance
Eaglestone Management’s leadership team combines deep project‑finance banking experience with hands‑on infrastructure execution. CEO Pedro Neto brings over 30 years and involvement in more than €50 billion of global projects across energy, transport and concessions. Managing Partner Nuno Gil adds 25...
From Pilots to Platforms: Nairobi Sets Out Africa's Practical AI Playbook
The Nairobi AI Forum 2026 gathered 650 delegates to move African artificial intelligence from pilots to scalable, affordable solutions. Co‑hosted by Kenya, Italy and the UNDP, the event announced 1.5 million GPU hours for 130 innovators and a €50 million Harmonic Africa...
Higher Imports Push India’s Trade Deficit to $34.68 Billion in January
India's merchandise trade deficit widened to $34.68 billion in January 2026, driven by a sharp rise in imports to $71.24 billion, especially petroleum, gold and electronics. Export value fell to $36.56 billion, with shipments to the United States slipping month‑on‑month despite overall annual...
Idle Oil and Gas Projects Risk Losing Licenses, Bahlil Warns
Indonesia’s Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia warned that 301 explored oil‑and‑gas areas remain idle and could have their licences revoked if operators do not commence production. He cited the long‑stalled Masela Block, managed by Japan’s Inpex, which only...
Busha Champions Stablecoins as a Catalyst for African Trade at Africa Tech Summit Nairobi
Busha, a leading African digital‑asset exchange, highlighted stablecoins as a catalyst for cross‑border trade at the Africa Tech Summit in Nairobi. COO Moyo Sodipo argued that the focus should move from speculation to infrastructure, emphasizing payroll, trade settlement and institutional...
Nearshoring and Logistics Upgrades Position the Caribbean as a New Regional Hub
The Caribbean is repositioning as a regional supply‑chain hub as nearshoring gains traction and governments fund logistics upgrades. High logistics costs—16 to 25 percent of GDP—have spurred port expansions in the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Guyana and Belize, backed by investors such as DP World...
Govt Aims to Revive Private Investment in Highway Construction
India’s government plans to award ₹1 lakh crore of highway projects to private developers by fiscal year 2027, aiming to raise private sector participation to 25 % of highway development next year from the current low single digits. The budget allocates ₹12.2 lakh crore to...
Fitch, Afreximbank, and Africa's Development Sovereignty
Afreximbank terminated its credit rating relationship with Fitch after the agency reclassified the bank as high‑risk for providing debt relief to Ghana. Fitch argued the support indicated a lack of preferred‑creditor status, a claim the bank disputes, citing treaty‑based protections...
What Happened on October 29 Just Won’t Go Away, PR or Not
Tanzania’s October 29, 2025 election has been condemned by all major African observer bodies as neither free nor fair, triggering international criticism and donor scrutiny. The government has hired the US‑based Ervin Graves Strategy Group at $45,000 per month to repair its...
India's Wholesale Inflation Rises to 1.81% in January
India’s wholesale price index (WPI) accelerated to 1.81% year‑on‑year in January, up sharply from 0.53% in December. The rise was led by higher food prices, while falling fuel costs provided a modest offset. Although the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)...
India Can Lead Globally in AI: Ahead of Delhi Summit, CEA Nageswaran Explains How
Chief Economic Advisor V. Anantha Nageswaran told the AI Impact Summit 2026 that India’s ascent to a global AI leadership position will not happen by accident. He emphasized that sustained political will, robust state capacity, and a national commitment are...
When Juntas Rise, Court Poets Bloom
The column warns that West Africa’s recent military coups, initially welcomed as a break from corrupt civilian rule, are evolving into authoritarian regimes. While street protests celebrated the juntas’ promises, African intellectuals have become “court poets,” praising the new leaders...
Myanmar Junta Expels Timor-Leste’s Top Diplomat Over War Crimes Case
Myanmar's military junta expelled Timor‑Leste's top diplomat after Dili opened war‑crimes proceedings. The case, filed by the Chin Human Rights Organization, accuses senior general Min Aung Hlaing of rape, murder and attacks in Chin State. The junta called the move a breach...
Demutualizing IDX to Deepen Market Trust
The Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) is moving to demutualize, converting from a member‑owned body to a shareholder‑owned company. The reform separates ownership from trading rights, aiming to reduce conflicts of interest and improve governance, transparency, and market liquidity. Concurrently, the...
A Family Fights to Keep Control of 157-Year-Old Firm in Japan
Sixth‑generation brothers Hironori and Takanori Aoki are battling Aeon and activist fund Oasis for control of the 157‑year‑old drug‑store chain Kusuri no Aoki Holdings. They have called an emergency meeting to adopt a poison‑pill that would dilute any shareholder acquiring...
Blackstone Backs Neysa in up to $1.2B Financing as India Pushes to Build Domestic AI Infrastructure
Neysa, an Indian AI‑infrastructure startup, secured up to $600 million of primary equity from Blackstone, giving the private‑equity firm a majority stake, and plans an additional $600 million in debt to expand its GPU fleet. The capital will help the company grow...
Thai Prime Minister Announces Coalition Agreement With Pheu Thai Party
Thailand’s Bhumjaithai party, after winning roughly 193 of the 500 lower‑house seats in the February 8 election, announced a coalition agreement with the Pheu Thai party. The partnership, together with three smaller parties, gives Prime Minister Anutin’s bloc a clear parliamentary...
Tajikistan: Rahmon Resurfaces, Looking Relatively Fit
Tajik President Emomali Rahmon reappeared after a 17‑day disappearance, confirming he had traveled to China’s Hainan Island for medical treatment. The brief silence, during which only sparse updates appeared on his official website, fueled speculation about his health and the...
HOTEL INVESTMENT IN THE CARIBBEAN AND CENTRAL AMERICA KEEPS GROWING
Caribbean and Central America are experiencing a surge in luxury hotel investment in 2026, with a strong focus on sustainability and technology. The Dominican Republic leads the market, welcoming 11.6 million visitors and achieving over 70% hotel occupancy, which has attracted...
MEGA PROJECTS AND A CLEAR STRATEGY DRIVE EGYPT'S TOURISM BOOM
Egypt’s tourism rebounded dramatically in 2025, welcoming 19 million international visitors—a 21% year‑over‑year increase—and generating $18‑$24 billion in revenue. The surge is driven by flagship investments such as the Grand Egyptian Museum, which opened in November 2025, and ambitious Red Sea coastal...
India Has 100M Weekly Active ChatGPT Users, Sam Altman Says
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced that India now has 100 million weekly active ChatGPT users, making it the company’s second‑largest market after the United States. The milestone was disclosed ahead of the five‑day India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, where OpenAI...
Salaries Delay Hit Eala Lawmakers and Staff
The East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) has halted most operations because partner states have failed to remit their annual contributions, leaving the Assembly with only 38% of its budget. Salaries for MPs and staff have been unpaid since November, and...
Fox News’ Dana Perino’s Advice for Gen Z Graduates: Stop Waiting for the Perfect Job and Just Start Working
Gen Z is confronting one of the toughest job markets in recent memory, as AI‑driven cost cuts shrink traditional entry‑level positions. Fox News host Dana Perino, drawing on a non‑linear career that spans journalism, politics and media, advises graduates to...
India's Forex Reserves Drop $6.7 Billion to $717 Billion, Gold Reserves Dip, Reveals RBI Data
India's foreign exchange reserves slipped by $6.7 billion to $717.064 billion in the week ending 6 February, after a record high of $723.774 billion the week before. The decline was driven mainly by a $14.208 billion drop in gold reserves, which fell to $123.476 billion, while...
Ukraine’s Political and Military Presence in Africa
Ukraine is rapidly expanding its political and military footprint across Africa, building on decades of UN peacekeeping deployments and a post‑Soviet non‑aligned foreign policy. After Russia’s full‑scale invasion, Kyiv announced plans for roughly twenty new embassies and a Ukraine‑Africa summit...
Trump, Netanyahu Back Plan for US Pressure on Iran to Cut Oil Sales to China, Agree to Go ‘Full Force’...
President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have agreed to intensify economic pressure on Iran by targeting its oil exports to China, which account for more than 80% of Tehran’s sales. The coordinated effort is intended to force...
China Expanding Aid for Russia’s War, Western Officials Say
China has stepped up its support for Russia’s war in Ukraine, expanding exports of dual‑use components and critical minerals that fuel Russian drone production. Western officials say Beijing’s assistance is now essential for Moscow to sustain its military effort, describing...
Elbridge Colby: ‘NATO Is Actually Stronger Than Ever.’
Elbridge Colby, the U.S. undersecretary of defense for policy, told the Munich Security Conference that NATO is stronger than ever and is evolving into a "NATO 3.0" model that shifts conventional defense responsibility to Europe while the United States underwrites the...
Russia ‘Not Serious’ About Peace Deal, Lindsey Graham Says
Senator Lindsey Graham told reporters at the Munich Security Conference that Russia is not serious about a peace deal, contradicting President Donald Trump’s optimism. Graham argues Moscow believes it can win the Donbas militarily and will only negotiate after securing...
A U.S. ‘Debt Spiral’ Could Start Soon as the Interest Rate on Government Borrowing Is Poised to Exceed Economic Growth,...
The CBO projects publicly held U.S. debt will surpass 106% of GDP by 2030 and reach 120% by 2036. Average Treasury interest rates are expected to climb to 3.9% by the end of the forecast, outpacing nominal GDP growth that...
Cabinet Approves India’s First Underwater Road-Rail Tunnel Project in Assam
The Indian cabinet has approved the nation’s first underwater road‑rail tunnel, to be constructed in Assam across the Brahmaputra River. The project will link Assam with Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland, streamlining freight movement and lowering logistics costs. Officials say the...