5 h. ago Ukraine could buy up to 150 Gripen fighter planes from Sweden

Ukraine could buy up to 150 Gripen fighter jets, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said Wednesday after the signing of a letter of intent on stepping up aviation cooperation between the two countries. Speaking alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at a press conference, Kristersson said the letter of intent would create the conditions for a “very large defence industry deal”. “Probably somewhere between 100 and 150 fighter jets of the model Gripen E that are now beginning to be...

Politics

13 h. ago Trade in Central Asia: China Deepens Influence, Europe Expands Presence, Region Seeks New Markets

Trade in Central Asia: China Deepens Influence, Europe Expands Presence, Region Seeks New Markets  The Times Of Central Asia

Politics

28 h. ago Europe, Ukraine prepare plan to end war, proposing peace board headed by Trump

European nations are working with Ukraine on a 12-point proposal to end Russia’s war along current battle lines, pushing back against Vladimir Putin’s renewed demands to the US for Kyiv to surrender territory in return for a peace deal. A peace board chaired by US President Donald Trump would oversee implementation of the proposed plan, according to people familiar with the matter. Once Russia follows Ukraine in agreeing to a ceasefire and both sides commit to halting territorial advances, the...

Politics

40 h. ago At China’s Canton Fair, exporters sense a warming trend in yuan settlements

At the ongoing autumn edition of the Canton Fair in Guangzhou – China’s oldest and largest trade exhibition – Chinese exporters are noticing a quietly spreading shift: an increasing number of overseas clients, particularly from emerging markets such as Southeast Asia, Central Asia and Africa, are proactively proposing to settle trade orders in yuan. Wang Lilin, sales director at diesel generator manufacturer Keypower, said the company had seen a clear rise in yuan settlements over the past two...

Events

61 h. ago Beneath the Silk Road: China’s Archaeological Diplomacy in Uzbekistan

Beneath the Silk Road: China’s Archaeological Diplomacy in Uzbekistan  The Times Of Central Asia

Politics

69 h. ago Hong Kong exchange sees further growth ahead for record ETF market

Bourse operator Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX) expects its exchange-traded fund (ETF) market to continue growing after hitting record turnover and new listings this year, according to a senior executive. Average daily turnover in ETFs doubled to a record HK$37.8 billion (US$4.8 billion) in the first nine months, as the exchange’s 225 ETFs drew an increasing number of investors from mainland China, Asia, the Middle East and Europe. ETFs are listed index funds that track the performance...

Politics

3 d. ago Trump urged Zelensky to cut a deal with Putin or risk facing destruction

US President Donald Trump urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to accept Russia’s terms for ending the war between Russia and Ukraine in a White House meeting on Friday, warning that President Vladimir Putin threatened to “destroy” Ukraine if it did not comply, the Financial Times reported on Sunday. During the meeting, Trump insisted Zelensky surrender the entire eastern Donbas region to Russia, repeatedly echoing talking points the Russian president had made in their call a day...

Politics

3 d. ago Trump urged Zelensky to make concessions to Russia in tense meeting: sources

US President Donald Trump pushed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to give up swathes of territory to Russia during a tense meeting on Friday that left the Ukrainian delegation disappointed, according to two people briefed on the discussion. Trump also declined to provide Tomahawk missiles for Ukraine’s use, and mused about giving security guarantees to both Kyiv and Moscow, comments that the Ukrainian delegation found confusing, added the two sources, who requested anonymity to discuss a...

Politics

5 d. ago Trump meets Zelensky, says he hopes Tomahawks won’t be needed to end war

US President Donald Trump appeared cool on Friday on the prospect of sending long-range Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine, suggesting to counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky during a White House meeting that they may not be necessary if he can broker a peace deal. Zelensky came to Washington looking for arms to bolster his country’s forces in Ukraine’s three-year-old conflict with Russia, but Trump frequently highlighted his peace summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in a matter of weeks, as Trump...

Politics

5 d. ago The Great Mall: how China is turning foreign tourists into shoppers

Foreign tourists in China are increasingly drawn to shopping, said Steven Zhao, CEO of China Highlights, a travel agency that organises tours of the country. “They’ll buy drones and take them back home,” he said, noting the trend has become “more obvious” over the past two years – especially among Middle Eastern travellers – as China produces an outsized share of the global total, with some devices small enough to fit in the hand. “Drone prices are cheap and the choices are numerous,” he said,...

Politics

5 d. ago Opinion | Trump’s approach to Middle East diplomacy won’t work with China

Opinion | Trump’s approach to Middle East diplomacy won’t work with China  The Washington Post

Politics

8 d. ago Zelensky strips Odesa mayor of Ukrainian citizenship over Russian passport claim

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday revoked the citizenship of Odesa’s mayor on the grounds that he also had a Russian passport, acting to end the tenure of a divisive figure who has run the Black Sea port city for 11 years. Hennadiy Trukhanov, 60, an elected official, said he would take his case to court, denying having a Russian passport and insisting that he remained mayor. Ukrainian officials are prohibited from holding dual citizenship. In his evening address, Zelensky said...

Politics

8 d. ago Russia strikes Ukrainian hospital, days before Zelensky meets Trump

Russian forces launched powerful glide bombs and drones against Ukraine’s second-largest city in overnight attacks, hitting a hospital and wounding seven people, an official said on Tuesday. The strikes came as European military aid for Kyiv dropped sharply and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky prepared to ask US President Donald Trump for Tomahawk missiles. The Russian attack on Kharkiv in Ukraine’s northeast hit the city’s main hospital, forcing the evacuation of 50 patients, regional...

Politics

8 d. ago CNBC Daily Open: A chance for peace in the Middle East and the U.S.

CNBC Daily Open: A chance for peace in the Middle East and the U.S.-China trade war  CNBC

Politics

8 d. ago From Ukraine To Central Asia, The Broad Impact Of China's Latest Rare Earth Restrictions

From Ukraine To Central Asia, The Broad Impact Of China's Latest Rare Earth Restrictions  Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

Politics

1 week ago Russian attacks on Ukraine’s power grid intensify as winter approaches

Russia attacked Ukraine’s power grid overnight into Sunday, part of an ongoing campaign to cripple Ukrainian energy infrastructure before winter. This came as Moscow expressed “extreme concern” over the United States potentially providing Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine. Kyiv regional Governor Mykola Kalashnyk said two employees of Ukraine’s largest private energy company, DTEK, were wounded in Russian strikes on a substation in the region. Ukraine’s Energy Ministry said energy...

Events

1 week ago From Belt and Road to Backlash: Edward Lemon and Bradley Jardine Discuss China in Central Asia

From Belt and Road to Backlash: Edward Lemon and Bradley Jardine Discuss China in Central Asia  The Times Of Central Asia

Events

1 week ago Digital Silk Road 2.0: How China Is Shaping Central Asia’s AI Ecosystem

Digital Silk Road 2.0: How China Is Shaping Central Asia’s AI Ecosystem  The China-Global South Project

Politics

1 week ago US imposes sanctions on China refinery over Iran oil purchases

The US imposed sanctions on about 100 individuals, entities and vessels, including a Chinese independent refinery and terminal, that helped Iran’s oil and petrochemicals trade, the administration of President Donald Trump said on Thursday. The US Treasury Department sanctioned the Shandong Jincheng Petrochemical Group, which it said is an independent teapot refinery in Shandong Province that has bought millions of barrels of Iranian oil since 2023. It also sanctioned China-based Rizhao Shihua...

Politics

1 week ago Putin admits Russian missiles downed Azerbaijan jet last year

Russian President Vladimir Putin told Azerbaijan’s leader that two Russian missiles had detonated beside an Azerbaijan Airlines plane last year after Ukrainian drones entered Russian airspace, and promised compensation to those affected. Flight J2-8243, en route from Baku to the Chechen capital Grozny, crash-landed on December 25, near Aktau in Kazakhstan after diverting from southern Russia, where Ukrainian drones were reported to be attacking several targets. At least 38 people were...

Events