Russia & Caucasus

HSBC cited an "increasingly complex regulatory landscape" in its decision to halt corporate payments to and from Russia. 
Finance

HSBC to halt corporate remittances to and from Russia

Move aimed at limiting 'operational exposure' to country after Ukraine invasion

8 September 2023
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
4 September 2023
A paper mill outside St. Petersburg. Russia is a leading paper producer, thanks to its abundant forest resources.
Commodities

Deepening China-Russia ties revealed in paper products trade

Increased purchases, despite slump, are said to be 'de facto' support for Moscow

2 September 2023
Chinese President Xi Jinping, left, and Russian President Vladimir Putin shakes hands in Moscow on March 21. (Pool via Reuters)
International relations

Putin says he will meet with China's Xi soon

Russian leader stops short of confirming trip to see counterpart

2 September 2023
China's imports of Russian crude increased 25% in the first seven months of the year.  
Energy

China's PetroChina, Sinopec mum on Russian oil imports

Crude imports increase, but buyers are reluctant to speak up

1 September 2023
Great Wall has the second-best sales in Russia behind Lada, the iconic Russian brand produced by Avtovaz.
Automobiles

China's Great Wall Motor takes a bigger slice of Russian market

Sales of Chinese SUV maker soar as Western and Japanese peers exit

31 August 2023
Russian service members drive armored vehicles before a military parade rehearsal in Moscow in April. 
Ukraine war

Russia, Central Asia locked in tug of war over Ukraine recruiting

From Kazakhstan to Kyrgyzstan, states clamp down on mercenary activity

29 August 2023
An emergency services helicopter flies over the site of the crash of a private jet linked to Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin in Russia's Tver region on Aug. 24.
Ukraine war: Free to read

Ukraine from Aug. 21 to Aug. 28: Russia confirms Prigozhin's death in plane crash

Russian SU-30 plane escorted U.S. reconnaissance drone over Black Sea, RIA reports

28 August 2023
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman shakes hands with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy ahead of the Arab League summit in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on May 19. (Saudi Press Agency/Reuters) 
Comment

How Saudi Arabia's mediation efforts heap pressure on Russia

Riyadh-hosted talks on Ukraine highlight growing clout of major emerging nations

26 August 2023
Japan's Inpex sources supplies of natural gas from the Ichthys project in Australia. (Photo courtesy of Inpex)
Energy

How would a natural gas shortage affect Japan? 3 things to know

Importers eye long-term LNG contracts for stability as supply risks loom

23 August 2023
Malaysia is already a vital chip packaging, assembly and testing base for Intel, which employs 15,000 staff in the country. (Photo by Cheng Ting-Fang)
Semiconductors

Intel to quadruple cutting-edge chip packaging capacity by 2025

Top U.S. chipmaker expanding heavily in Malaysia to meet growing global demand

23 August 2023
Rescue workers at the site of a Russian rocket strike in Chernihiv, Ukraine.
Ukraine war: Free to read

Ukraine from Aug. 14 to Aug. 20: Russian missile kills 7, including 6-year-old

Dutch pledge to give U.S.-made F-16 jets to Kyiv; Putin meets generals in Ukraine

20 August 2023
A destroyed secondary school in the southern Ukrainian city of Mykolaiv, pictured on July 28. (Photo by Ilona Makedon)
Ukraine war

Ukraine schools: Shelters and online lessons keep classes going

But experts fear educational difficulties risk children's growth, postwar economy

20 August 2023
A ship carrying Russian crude anchored in Karachi in June: Pakistan's refinery says the oil was processed successfully, but experts and officials have cast doubt on the viability of the imports.
Economy

Pakistan eyes deeper discounts as Russian oil imports hit snag

Current deal economically infeasible despite official denials, insiders say

19 August 2023
Workers load grain at a port in Izmail, Ukraine, on April 26, before Russia pulled out of the Black Sea shipment deal.
Interview

Russia grain deal exit hurting 345m vulnerable people: WFP chief

Cindy McCain warns of climate risks to food supplies during Pacific visit

16 August 2023
The Palau-flagged vessel Sukru Okan transits the Bosphorus Strait through Istanbul on its way to the Black Sea on Aug. 13 in this screen grab from a video. 
Ukraine war: Free to read

Ukraine from Aug. 8 to Aug. 14: Russian warship fires warning shots at cargo ship in Black Sea

Russia says it destroyed 20 drones over Crimea; France condemns Russian strike that killed child

14 August 2023
From left to right, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Chinese Communist Party senior official Li Hongzhong attend a military parade in Pyongyang on July 27.
Comment

Pyongyang, Beijing and Moscow shift ties 70 years after Korean War

Photos from armistice parade hint at differing attitudes on North Korea

12 August 2023
Representatives from more than 40 countries -- including China, India and the U.S. -- attend talks on ending the war in Ukraine on Aug. 6 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. (Saudi Press Agency via Reuters)
8 August 2023
Although China is hurting from the collapse of the Black Sea grain deal, President Xi Jinping, right, appears determined to support Russian President Vladimir Putin. (Photos from Reuters and AP)
Ukraine war

China not expected to push Russian return to Black Sea grain deal

Initiative's collapse hurts China's economy, but Beijing focused on geopolitics

7 August 2023
Russian President Vladimir Putin with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in St. Petersburg on June 17. (TASS/Kyodo)
Comment

Will anti-Westernism sweep Global South?

Resentment against former colonial powers still festers in some emerging nations

5 August 2023
Chinese and Russian ships participate in joint exercises in the Sea of Japan in July. (Photo by the Chinese Defense Ministry)
Defense

China deepens military ties with Russia for 'non-Western' front

Military diplomacy with joint exercises aims to build counterweight to U.S. camp

4 August 2023
Russia recently struck a gas deal with Uzbekistan as President Vladimir Putin's government looks for new market opportunities and ways around sanctions. (Source photos by Reuters) 
International relations

Russia tightens Central Asia ties for gas sales, dual-use supplies

West tightens sanctions screws on Kyrgyz, other companies dealing with Moscow

4 August 2023
Lawyers in Hong Kong say the city is increasingly popular with Russian companies seeking arbitration services. (Photo by Kenji Kawase) 
International relations

Russian companies move legal battles to Hong Kong courts

Neutral jurisdiction with common law system attracts sanctions-hit businesses

3 August 2023
Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi meets with South African counterpart Naledi Pandor in Pretoria on Aug. 1. He will also visit Uganda and Ethiopia during his trip to Africa.
International relations

Japan foreign minister courts Russia's partners on Africa tour

Hayashi visiting South Africa, Uganda and Ethiopia to discuss Ukraine grain deal

2 August 2023
Crew members check the deck of a ship delivering Russian crude oil to Pakistan at the port of Karachi in June.
Economy

Pakistan lines up Saudi-backed refinery as it eyes more Russian oil

$10bn project in Gwadar draws skepticism but some experts see long game

1 August 2023