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The ruling party in Georgia claimed victory in an election that the opposition denounced as fraudulent, potentially strengthening Moscow's influence in the former Soviet state. The election outcome could solidify Georgia's tilt towards Russia, reversing its previous trajectory towards the West. The election was closely watched by the European Union and the U.S., with concerns raised about alleged voting irregularities and the country's future relationship with the West. [Extracted from the article]

Byline: Georgi Kantchev and Akane OtaniJan 01, 2019 (The Australian - ABIX via COMTEX) -- The Dow Jones Industrial Average shed 5.6 per cent in 2018, while the S&P 500 [...]

Tens of thousands of protesters in Serbia have taken to the streets to oppose a proposed lithium mine, with suspected Russian disinformation fueling the protests. The US and Germany believe that Russia is playing a major role in stoking opposition to the project in order to undermine Europe's access to lithium and prevent Serbia from fostering closer ties with the West. The mine, owned by Rio Tinto, is expected to produce battery-grade lithium carbonate and contribute to Serbia's gross domestic product. However, concerns about the project's environmental impact have led to widespread opposition. [Extracted from the article]

Russia's attempt to rewire its global trade routes is facing challenges due to high costs and US sanctions, according to the Wall Street Journal. While Russia has successfully redirected its oil sales to China and India, it is struggling to find new routes for other commodities. Rerouting natural gas is proving difficult due to limited pipeline capacity and China's reluctance to approve a new gas link. Additionally, Russia's aging rail infrastructure is unable to handle the increased trade volume, causing delays in exports. The use of the Northern Sea Route and the North-South Transport Corridor also faces obstacles such as US sanctions and lack of infrastructure. [Extracted from the article]

Two and a half years after the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, a bizarre medal ceremony took place in Paris to award the figure skating medals. The ceremony was the result of a doping scandal that disqualified the Russian team and led to a lengthy arbitration process to determine the winners. Ultimately, the gold medals were awarded to the American team, who originally finished in second place, while the silver medals went to the Japanese team. The Russian team, who won bronze in the original competition, was not present at the ceremony. The event aimed to address criticisms of the treatment of athletes in medal reallocations, but the passage of time and changes in the skaters' lives added complexity to the situation. [Extracted from the article]

Brady Ellison, a top U.S. archer, credits a bioenergetics expert in Slovenia for helping him overcome injuries and chronic health issues to compete in the Olympics. Ellison suffered from a blood disease as a child and has experienced various injuries throughout his career. After seeking treatment from the Slovenian healer, Stanko Filipic, Ellison was able to shoot pain-free and went on to win tournaments around the world. While bioenergetics is viewed skeptically by many doctors, Ellison believes it has been instrumental in his success. He hopes to win an Olympic gold medal in Paris, but is content leaving the outcome to chance. [Extracted from the article]

The Russian military is experiencing a high-profile purge as several top defense officials have been detained on corruption charges. Lt. Gen. Vadim Shamarin, the deputy chief of the Russian general staff, is the latest official to be held, accused of large-scale bribery. This crackdown on corruption within the military comes as Russia is engaged in a long war in Ukraine. The purge is seen as an effort to address the chronic corruption that has plagued the armed forces and streamline Russia's war economy. However, the scandal threatens to create divisions within Russia's security establishment at a critical time in the war. [Extracted from the article]

Russian President Vladimir Putin has replaced his defense minister, Sergei Shoigu, with economist Andrei Belousov in a significant shake-up of the military's command structure. This move reflects the central role that the war in Ukraine has played in Russia's economic paradigm. Shoigu, who has faced criticism for his handling of the war, has been appointed as the new secretary of the Security Council. The appointment of Belousov, a loyalist with economic expertise, suggests that defense spending will remain high as Russia continues its military operations in Ukraine. [Extracted from the article]

The U.S. is using sanctions to hinder Russia's Arctic LNG 2 project, a major liquefied natural gas initiative led by Russian President Vladimir Putin. These sanctions have prevented Russia from obtaining the specialized tankers needed to transport the gas and have made it difficult to build alternative vessels domestically. The U.S. aims to ensure that Arctic LNG 2 is "dead in the water," according to Geoffrey Pyatt, the U.S. assistant secretary of state for energy resources. This contest between Russia and the U.S. over LNG comes at a time when LNG demand is increasing globally, and the U.S. has paused approval of new LNG exports due to environmental concerns. Russia, on the other hand, aims to triple its LNG exports to fund the war in Ukraine and offset a decline in its traditional gas export business. The U.S. sanctions have caused delays and challenges for Arctic LNG 2, and it is uncertain whether Russia will be able to achieve its ambitious LNG goals. [Extracted from the article]

Byline: GEORGI KANTCHEV LONDON -- Bulgaria's central bank on Thursday revoked the license of one of the country's biggest lenders and moved to open bankruptcy proceedings. The lender, Corporate Commercial [...]

LONDON -- Bulgaria's central bank on Thursday revoked the license of one of the country's biggest lenders and moved to open bankruptcy proceedings. The lender, Corporate Commercial Bank, also known [...]

Byline: GEORGI KANTCHEV Governments around the world, particularly in emerging markets, are raising taxes on information technologies, threatening to impede economic growth and slow consumers' adoption of smartphones and broadband [...]

Byline: GEORGI KANTCHEV LONDON -- The European Union's banking watchdog has warned that the authorities in Bulgaria have breached European law by continuing to block depositors' access to their money [...]

LONDON -- The European Union's banking watchdog has warned that Bulgaria's authorities have breached European law by continuing to block depositors' access to their money at a large troubled lender [...]

The explosions were so powerful that they annihilated the factory, leaving behind little but two yawning craters. All 15 people in the building were killed, and a mourning nation was [...]

LONDON -- In the Little Venice neighborhood of west London, the boats' names appear as colorful as their paint does. The crimson Mayflower bobs in front of the dark green [...]

Byline: GEORGI KANTCHEV LONDON -- In the Little Venice neighborhood of west London, the boats' names appear as colorful as their paint: the crimson Mayflower bobs in front of the [...]

LONDON -- In the Little Venice neighborhood of west London, the boats' names appear as colorful as their paint does. The crimson Mayflower bobs in front of the dark green [...]

Byline: GEORGI KANTCHEV SOFIA, Bulgaria -- What seemed at first to be a short-term banking crisis is looking more like a chronic condition. But the name of the affliction probably [...]

SOFIA, Bulgaria -- What seemed at first to be a short-term banking crisis is looking more like a chronic condition. But the name of the affliction probably does not matter [...]

Byline: GEORGI KANTCHEV ASTANA, Kazakhstan -- Seventeen years ago, when Kazakhstan moved its capital here, the city of Astana didn't even exist. Back then, it was a small town in [...]

ASTANA, Kazakhstan -- Seventeen years ago, when Kazakhstan moved its capital here, the city of Astana didn't even exist. Back then, it was a small town in the middle of [...]

Byline: GEORGI KANTCHEV Pressure is building on Bulgaria to deal with its worst banking crisis since the 1990s as the European Union and international investors have issued warnings about the [...]

Pressure is building on Bulgaria to deal with its worst banking crisis since the 1990s as the European Union and international investors have issued warnings about the fate of one [...]

LONDON -- When Jamie Spafford, a 27-year-old Briton, passed through airport passport control during a visit to New York a few months ago, the immigration agent seemed skeptical about Mr. [...]

Byline: GEORGI KANTCHEV LONDON -- When Jamie Spafford, a 27-year-old Briton, passed through airport passport control during a visit to New York a few months ago, the immigration agent seemed [...]

LONDON -- When Jamie Spafford, a 27-year-old Briton, passed through airport passport control during a visit to New York a few months ago, the immigration agent seemed skeptical about Mr. [...]

Byline: GEORGI KANTCHEV LONDON -- The fate of one of the biggest banks in the European Union's poorest country, Bulgaria, remains hostage to the political crisis that caused the government [...]

The fate of one of the biggest banks in the European Union's poorest country, Bulgaria, remains hostage to a political crisis, which caused the prime minister's government to resign on [...]

Byline: GEORGI KANTCHEV The future of Bulgaria's Corporate Commercial Bank, which experienced a run last month, has become murkier after officials failed to agree on a rescue plan, prolonging the [...]

Byline: GEORGI KANTCHEV The fate of Bulgaria's fourth-largest bank, which was hit by a run last month, has become murkier after officials failed to agree on a plan to rescue [...]

The fate of Bulgaria's Corporate Commercial Bank, which experienced a run last month, has become murkier after officials failed to agree on a rescue plan, prolonging the country's worst banking [...]

Byline: DAN BILEFSKY and GEORGI KANTCHEV PARIS -- Two years after a bomb in a tour bus at the Burgas airport in Bulgaria killed seven people, including five Israeli tourists, [...]

PARIS -- Two years after a bomb in a tour bus at the Burgas airport in Bulgaria killed seven people, including five Israeli tourists, Bulgarian prosecutors on Friday identified the [...]

Byline: GEORGI KANTCHEV After a tumultuous month for the Bulgarian financial sector during which thousands of fearful depositors lined up to pull their savings out of two banks, the country's [...]

Byline: GEORGI KANTCHEV After a tumultuous month for the Bulgarian financial sector that saw thousands of fearful depositors line up to pull their savings out of two banks, the country's [...]

After a tumultuous month for the Bulgarian financial sector during which thousands of fearful depositors lined up to pull their savings out of two banks, the country's central bank has [...]

Byline: JACK EWING and GEORGI KANTCHEV SOFIA, Bulgaria -- The lines of panicked depositors in this threadbare capital evaporated as quickly as they appeared in what may have been the [...]