Kenya

Economics

Energy

Military & Security

Politics

Kenyan public transport operators suspended a nationwide strike for one week after the government agreed to talks on fuel pricing following a 23.5% rise in diesel prices in May and a 24.2% increase in April, AP reported on May 19.

Kenya: Fuel Strike Suspended After Deadly Nationwide Protests as Government Opens Talks

Japan

South Korea

On the first day of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's May 19-20 summit with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung in Andong, South Korea, the two signed a deal to cooperate on the supply and stockpiling of crude oil, liquefied natural gas and petroleum products, as well as on swap agreements for the same, Reuters reported on May 19.

Japan, South Korea: Leaders Pass Energy Cooperation Deal

Indonesia

Indonesia plans to create a state entity to tighten control over commodity exports, potentially affecting coal, palm oil, nickel, tin, copper and other major commodities that bring in foreign currency, particularly U.S. dollars, Bloomberg reported on May 19.

Indonesia: Rupiah Slump Pushes Jakarta Toward More Export Controls

United States

Europe

Negotiators from EU member states, the European Commission and the European Parliament are expected to finalize a compromise deal on legislation to implement the July 2025 EU-U.S. trade agreement on May 19, Politico reported on May 18.

EU, U.S.: Interinstitutional Negotiations Near Compromise on Legislation Implementing U.S. Trade Deal

China

Taiwan

Regarding a pending large U.S. arms sale to Taiwan, U.S. President Donald Trump said, "I haven't approved it yet…it depends on China. It's a very good negotiating chip for us," according to a Fox News interview aired on May 15.

U.S., Taiwan: Trump Calls Taiwan Arms Sales a 'Negotiating Chip' With China

U.S.-China Relations

China's Ministry of Commerce released a statement on May 16 confirming the terms of a new U.S.-China trade deal, including the formation of a Board of Trade and Board of Investments and an agreement to pursue reciprocal tariff reductions on goods of mutual concern.

U.S., China: Trade Deal Details Confirmed Following Xi-Trump Summit 

The European Commission is drafting rules requiring companies in sectors such as chemicals and industrial machinery to diversify supply chains by capping single-supplier purchases at roughly 30%-40% and sourcing the rest from at least three suppliers across different countries, the Financial Times reported on May 18, citing EU officials.

EU, China: Brussels Drafts Rules To Force Supply Chain Diversification Away From China

Iran

Uzbekistan

Ukraine

Azerbaijan

Kazakhstan

Russia

Kyrgyzstan

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev addressed the informal Organization of Turkic States summit in Turkestan, Kazakhstan, where he proposed new cooperation on artificial intelligence centers, cybersecurity, digital signatures, space, cultural heritage and Turkic terminology, while rejecting claims that the OTS was a military alliance, KazTAG reported on May 15.

Kazakhstan: Tokayev Says OTS Is Not a Military Bloc as Turkic Ties Deepen

The world is connected, but even the broadest topics deserve an individual look. Below are our latest and most relevant economics analyses.

Below are our latest and most relevant economics analyses.

Sub-Saharan Africa

Americas

Asia-Pacific

Eurasia

Middle East and North Africa

South Asia

Beyond Quantitative Easing

The New Silk Road

The Fate of the Eurozone

South America: Split Decisions on Trade

Banking

Commodities: A Cautionary Tale

Social Issues

European Disintegration

Russia's Internal Struggle

China in Transition

A Japanese Awakening

East African Integration

Assessments

A view taken on Dec. 13, 2023, shows pumping units at the grounds of a fuel tank farm of Russia's oil pipeline giant Transneft.

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

The intensifying drone strikes are unlikely to trigger an oil sector crisis or alter Moscow's war calculus, but they will financially drain Russian oil companies, even as high prices buoy the Kremlin's revenues.

Assessing the Impact of Ukrainian Strikes on Russia's Oil Sector

Egypt

Israel

Jordan

Lebanon

Palestinian Territories

Qatar

Saudi Arabia

Syria

Turkey

United Arab Emirates

Yemen

United Kingdom

Right-wing activists gather with Israeli flags outside the Damascus Gate of the walled Old City of Jerusalem on May 26, 2025, during a flag march for Jerusalem Day, commemorating the Israeli army's 1967 capture of the city's eastern sector during the Arab-Israeli war.

Israel's quest for middle-power status will be defined by its ability to unify its Jerusalem core, which has remained divided throughout the modern state's history.

The Modern Geopolitics of Israel

Bahrain

Kuwait

Oman

The Geopolitics of Demographics

Gulf states' push to employ more local citizens in the private sector will help advance their economies and reduce public wage bills, but it will also create new risks for businesses that have traditionally relied on cheap foreign labor.

The Future of Work in the GCC: Localization, Competition and Business Risks

Snapshots

U.S. President Donald Trump (right) shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on May 14, 2026.

Despite a mutual desire to stabilize relations, Xi and Trump's meetings produced few tangible results, sustaining the risk of future tariff escalations, export restrictions and other coercive measures.

Xi-Trump Talks Fail To Move the Needle on Major Issues

Tajikistan

Turkmenistan

Afghanistan

India

Pakistan

Afghan protesters burn a Pakistani flag during a demonstration in Helmand Province in 2016.

Gains from the Afghan Taliban's growing regional ties will be hindered by enduring disputes, logistical constraints, infrastructure security risks, and Pakistan's possible absence from future multilateral engagements.

How the Afghan-Pakistani Conflict Is Redrawing Regional Relations

U.K. Health Secretary Wes Streeting arrives at the University of Kent in Canterbury, England, on March 19, 2026, as students receive the Meningitis B vaccine.

While a leadership transition would prolong market volatility, any new prime minister would likely maintain policy continuity and fiscal discipline, differing only on the specific execution of budget restraint and EU rapprochement.

Starmer's Days Appear Numbered After U.K. Health Secretary Quits

Commercial vessels are seen offshore in Dubai on March 11, 2026.

While recent revelations about the airstrikes indicate a shift in both countries' risk calculations, the UAE's hawkish, Israel-aligned posture poses a greater threat of Iranian retaliation than Saudi Arabia's more restrained approach. 

The UAE and Saudi Arabia Enter the War Against Iran, but With Separate Strategies

A digital illustration of the Turkish flag.

Continued high inflation, political uncertainty and bureaucratic hurdles will likely limit the overall effectiveness of the reforms, which come ahead of the 2028 presidential election.

Turkey Pursues Tax Reforms Amid Economic Fallout From the Iran War

U.S. President Donald Trump (right) and Chinese President Xi Jinping attend a bilateral meeting in Busan, South Korea, on Oct. 30, 2025.

Environment, Science & Technology

The May 14-15 meetings will likely yield a limited extension of the current U.S.-China economic detente while leaving core strategic disputes over technology controls, Taiwan and Iran largely unresolved.

Trump-Xi Summit Likely To Preserve Trade Truce, Test Strategic Fault Lines

Part of the gas processing facilities of Europe's first helium production pilot plant in Saint-Parize-le-Chatel, France, on Sept. 11, 2024.

Qatar's halt of helium production due to the Iran war risks causing shortages that disrupt key manufacturing industries, particularly in Asia.

How the Iran War is Choking the World's Helium Flow

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Trucks haul away ore from a pit in the Chinese-owned Tenke Fungurume Mine, one of the largest copper and cobalt mines in the world, in southeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo on June 17, 2023.

Greater access to Congo's mining sector will likely help the U.S. further secure its cobalt and copper supplies, but ongoing security concerns in the Central African country and China's dominance over global mineral processing will limit the extent of these gains.

Trump Goes Hunting For Congo's Minerals

Algeria

Spain

Italy

A worker stands on the uploading dock of Cavaou LNG terminal in Fos-sur-Mer, France, on June 22, 2023, while the tanker boat "Lalla Fatma N'Soumer" arrives full of LNG ready to be delivered. 

Amid energy supply disruptions in the Middle East, Algeria's ability to capitalize on increased global prices and demand for energy exports will be constrained by limited spare capacity and bureaucratic obstacles.

Structural Constraints Will Limit Algeria's Ability To Capitalize on Tighter Energy Markets

Economics

SITUATION REPORTS

Kenya: Fuel Strike Suspended After Deadly Nationwide Protests as Government Opens Talks

Japan, South Korea: Leaders Pass Energy Cooperation Deal

Indonesia: Rupiah Slump Pushes Jakarta Toward More Export Controls

EU, U.S.: Interinstitutional Negotiations Near Compromise on Legislation Implementing U.S. Trade Deal

U.S., Taiwan: Trump Calls Taiwan Arms Sales a 'Negotiating Chip' With China

U.S., China: Trade Deal Details Confirmed Following Xi-Trump Summit

EU, China: Brussels Drafts Rules To Force Supply Chain Diversification Away From China

Kazakhstan: Tokayev Says OTS Is Not a Military Bloc as Turkic Ties Deepen

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