Colombia

Ecuador

Economics

Politics

Ecuador announced that it would raise tariffs on Colombian imports from 50% to 100% starting on May 1 due to "Colombia's failure to implement concrete and effective border security ‌measures," Reuters reported on April 9, citing a government statement.

Ecuador, Colombia: Ecuador Raises Tariffs on Colombia as Diplomatic Tensions Escalate 

Nigeria

United States

Military & Security

The United States has expanded its travel advisory for Nigeria, urging citizens to reconsider travel due to worsening security conditions and authorizing the departure of nonemergency government staff and their families from its embassy in Abuja, Reuters reported on April 9. 

Nigeria, U.S.: U.S. Expands Travel Warning in Capital Amid Worsening Insecurity

China

Taiwan

The chair of Taiwan's opposition party Kuomintang, or KMT, Cheng Li-wun, met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, where Xi pushed for the party to uphold its Chinese identity and support the "One China" principle, but he also welcomed Taiwanese agricultural and fishery imports, Xinhua reported on April 10.

China, Taiwan: Taiwan's Opposition Leader and China's President Meet

Australia

Singapore

Energy

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong agreed to accelerate a legally binding protocol under the two countries' free trade agreement, with Australia reaffirming liquefied natural gas supplies to Singapore and Singapore pledging continued refined fuel exports to Australia, according to a joint statement released by the two leaders on April 10.

Australia, Singapore: Countries To Undertake Treaty-Backed Energy Crisis Coordination

Bahrain

Iran

Kuwait

Oman

Qatar

Saudi Arabia

United Arab Emirates

Ukraine

Russia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said his country was discussing security cooperation with Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain, Reuters reported on April 10.

Ukraine, MENA: Kyiv in Talks for More Security Cooperation With Gulf Countries

Sri Lanka

The International Monetary Fund reached a staff-level agreement with Sri Lanka, paving the way to unlock approximately $700 million in financing and bringing total disbursements under the program to about $2.4 billion, Reuters reported on April 9. 

Sri Lanka: Government Reaches Staff-Level Agreement With IMF

Colombian President Gustavo Petro said he would ​submit a new tax reform bill to Congress ‌to balance the 2026 budget, El Colombiano reported on April 7.

Colombia: Petro Seeks New Tax Reform To Fund 2026 Budget, Threatens To Bypass Congress

South Korea

Kazakhstan

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev accepted an invitation to visit Seoul in September for the inaugural South Korea-Central Asia summit after meeting South Korean President Lee Jae Myung's special envoy Kang Hoon Shik, Qazinform reported April 8. 

Kazakhstan: Tokayev Accepts Invite to Visit Seoul for First South Korea-Central Asia Summit

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

Europe

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

Snapshots

Argentina

View of the Perito Moreno Glacier at Los Glaciares National Park near El Calafate, Santa Cruz province, Argentina, taken on June 8, 2025.

Environment, Science & Technology

By dismantling uniform national protections in favor of provincial oversight, Argentina aims to stimulate its extractive-export economy but will risk the long-term security of water-dependent sectors and the environment.

Argentina's Revised Glaciers Law Will Unlock Mining Investment, but Risks Environmental Degradation

Assessments

Israel

Lebanon

A satellite view of the Persian Gulf, with the Strait of Hormuz chokepoint seen on the right.

Global Trade

Fears that U.S.-Iran talks will collapse, along with Iran's ongoing efforts to formalize its authority over the strait by imposing transit fees and limiting traffic, will likely keep shippers cautious.

Strait of Hormuz Shipping Likely To Remain Disrupted, Despite Ceasefire

U.S.-Iran Relations

Japan

Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi answers questions at a legislative budget committee session in Tokyo on April 7, 2026, while Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (left) looks on. 

Japan's ability to sustain increased spending on defense and other strategic investments in the coming years will be constrained by sluggish economic growth, high government debt and a challenging geopolitical landscape.

Reviewing Japan's New Budget: Balancing Spending Hikes and Fiscal Reality

Columns

On Geopolitics

The Geopolitics of Demographics

Geopolitics of Demographics

Demographic decline, driven by falling fertility rates worldwide, is likely irreversible but will also increasingly differentiate countries based on their ability to adapt through sound immigration, labor, technological and fiscal policies.

Adapting to Demographic Decline: Policy Tradeoffs and Global Divergences

Peru

The exterior facade of the Legislative Palace of Peru is seen in Lima.

With a record 35 candidates running in the April 12 race and no clear frontrunner, numerous scenarios remain possible, including a win by an anti-establishment outsider, a mainstream right-wing figure or another leftist.

Peru's Presidential Election: Potential Outcomes and Their Implications

Myanmar

Afghanistan

India

Nepal

Pakistan

A freight train carrying cargo containers rides along a railway track in Ajmer, India, on Aug. 26, 2025.

New Delhi's decisions to permit specific imports and fast-track minority investments highlight its strategy of addressing critical manufacturing shortages, though relations are unlikely to extend beyond low-level confidence-building measures.

India Cautiously Opens up to Chinese Investment

Iraq

Iraqi women light candles in memory of the victims of the U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran and Lebanon during a rally in Baghdad's Tahrir Square on April 2, 2026.

Violent spillover from the Iran war will further complicate Iraq's government formation process, while disrupted oil exports will heavily strain Baghdad's finances and raise the risk of unrest.

Iraq Is Caught in the Crossfire of Another Destabilizing War

Rastriya Swatantra Party leader Balendra Shah is sworn in as Nepal's new prime minister in Kathmandu on March 27, 2026.

Prolonged global supply chain disruptions and threats to foreign remittances linked to the war will constrain the new administration's ability to deliver on its economic promises.


New Nepalese Government's Agenda Threatened by Iran War Fallout

Hungary

 A campaign billboard featuring a portrait of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is seen in Budapest's 3rd district on March 27, 2026.

Hungary's April 12 parliamentary elections are primed to be the country's most competitive national vote since 2010 and may remove Prime Minister Viktor Orban's Fidesz party from power.

Hungary's Upcoming Elections May Unseat Orban After 16 Years

This photo, taken in Lima in November 2024, shows Chinese President Xi Jinping (left) and Peruvian President Dina Boluarte attending the inauguration ceremony for the Chinese-built and operated "megaport" in the small Peruvian town of Chancay.

As Washington formalizes a new hemispheric doctrine centered on security and supply chain dominance, regional governments face mounting pressure to align their defense and economic policies with U.S. geopolitical interests.

How the U.S.'s Anti-China Strategy for Latin America Could Unfold

U.S.-China Relations

The Geopolitics of Natural Resources

As competition for natural resources and critical raw materials intensifies, companies -- not just countries -- must be more mindful of risks in their physical supply chains.

The Geopolitics of Natural Resources: An Introduction

Yemen

Houthi loyalists chant slogans on March 27, 2026, in Sanaa, Yemen, as they participate in a protest staged to show support for Iran in its ongoing war against the United States and Israel.

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis will likely progressively expand their target set beyond Israel if the war intensifies, raising the risk of more economically disruptive attacks on regional shipping and energy infrastructure.

The Implications of the Houthis Joining the Iran War

Economics

SITUATION REPORTS

Ecuador, Colombia: Ecuador Raises Tariffs on Colombia as Diplomatic Tensions Escalate

Nigeria, U.S.: U.S. Expands Travel Warning in Capital Amid Worsening Insecurity

China, Taiwan: Taiwan's Opposition Leader and China's President Meet

Australia, Singapore: Countries To Undertake Treaty-Backed Energy Crisis Coordination

Ukraine, MENA: Kyiv in Talks for More Security Cooperation With Gulf Countries

Sri Lanka: Government Reaches Staff-Level Agreement With IMF

Colombia: Petro Seeks New Tax Reform To Fund 2026 Budget, Threatens To Bypass Congress

Kazakhstan: Tokayev Accepts Invite to Visit Seoul for First South Korea-Central Asia Summit

Forecasts

ANALYSES

SECTIONS

Explore

Subscribe

Help & Support