Energy Frontiers Azerbaijan’s state energy VP sets 2035 deadline for transition plan In partnership with Azpromo Azerbaijan’s state oil and gas firm SOCAR Vice President Afgan Isayev sets 2035 as a turning point in its drive towards net zero. 28/08/2025
Business Mediobanca shareholders reject bid to acquire Banca Generali The rejection could threaten Mediobanca’s independence as the Milanese lender seeks to fend off a takeover by Italian competitor MPS. 21/08/2025
Focus UN summit in Turkmenistan sets 10-year plan for landlocked nations In partnership with LLDC3 - Awaza, Turkmenistan In Awaza, Turkmenistan, the United Nations set a 10-year roadmap to tackle the economic, trade and infrastructure challenges facing 32 landlocked developing countries across four continents. 20/08/2025
Markets Pop Mart shares rise 12% as Labubu maker announces new mini doll The firm announced the launch of a new Labubu doll as the furry elf toys continue to take the world by storm. 20/08/2025
Business Japan's SoftBank to buy $2 billion stake in chip maker Intel The Japanese tech giant has been increasing its investments in the US since the beginning of US President Donald Trump's second term. 19/08/2025
Economy Growth fades in Europe: Is the recovery already running out of steam? The eurozone economy barely grew in the second quarter. Germany and Italy contracted, while Spain continued to shine. 15/08/2025
Economy The new 'Tiger economy': Vietnam's 2045 get rich quick plan Vietnam wants to follow in the footsteps of Taiwan and South Korea, but focusing on one single industry is no longer viable to build a strong and resilient economy. 13/08/2025
Economy Norway’s sovereign wealth fund sells its shares in 11 Israeli firms The fund held stock in 61 Israeli companies at the end of June this year, although public pressure to terminate the contracts has been mounting. 12/08/2025
Markets Gold futures rise after report Trump has placed tariffs on gold bars The futures reached a record high on Friday after the US reportedly placed tariffs on imports of one-kilo gold bars. 08/08/2025
East-West Connect Kazakhstan aims to turn tourism into a €10 billion business by 2029 In partnership with MDQ Kazakhstan wants to grow tourism’s output to €10 billion by 2029 and attract 15 million annual visitors. In this episode of East-West Connect we look at the government’s plan to achieve these goals. 05/08/2025
Focus Kazakhstan is drawing foreign direct investment, even as global FDI flows slow. Here’s how: In partnership with MDQ FDI in Kazakhstan is slowing, but multibillion-euro deals are still landing. Officials call the shift cyclical, not a sign of waning investor confidence. 25/07/2025
Business Azerbaijan’s SOFAZ invests in Italy’s solar future A sovereign wealth fund built on hydrocarbons is helping power Europe’s clean energy transition. 25/07/2025
Business Losses and job cuts at Intel as chipmaker drops projects in Europe Continued lay-offs and further spending cuts are part of the turnaround plan of the US-based chipmaker to save the company's future, as it has just reported further losses for the second quarter of the year. 25/07/2025
Business Sanofi buys UK’s Vicebio for over €1bn to expand vaccine portfolio French pharmaceutical company Sanofi said it is acquiring London-based Vicebio to expand its range of respiratory virus vaccines and add a non-mRNA vaccine to its pipeline. 22/07/2025
Business AstraZeneca pledges $50bn investment in the US amid 200% tariff fears British-Swedish pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca is expanding its presence in the US in a bid to boost sales in its largest market. 22/07/2025
Europe News Germany's top firms present investment push to revive economy Around 60 leading German companies pledged a major "Made for Germany" investment initiative on Monday, aiming to boost investor confidence in the country after two years of recession. 21/07/2025
Green News Portugal to enforce beach access rules amid luxury resort development Portugal has pledged stricter public access rules for a popular 45-kilometre stretch of its coastline amid concerns over rising housing prices and restricted beach access due to luxury resorts. 21/07/2025
Markets Shein files for Hong Kong IPO to speed up London listing, FT reports The e-commerce platform filed for a London IPO around a year and a half ago, but has been unable to secure regulatory approval, partly linked to its exposure to the Xinjiang region. 08/07/2025
Markets July's seasonal magic: European stocks' summer rally revealed European stocks historically shine in July, with the EURO STOXX 50 and STOXX 600 averaging strong gains and 70% win rates. French banks like BNP and Credit Agricole, along with luxury giants, show standout seasonal strength. 03/07/2025
Business Tech firms in Central and Eastern Europe chase the West’s progress The combined market capitalisation of the 100 largest tech companies in Central and Eastern Europe amounts to nearly $117 billion, according to the "Digital Champions CEE 2025" report, prepared by the Digital Poland Foundation. 03/07/2025