Hong Kong SAR, China

Economics

Military & Security

Politics

Hong Kong's Security Bureau and Department of Justice proposed a bill to the legislature that would allow Chief Executive John Lee to declare any criminal case a national security case, which would allow the case to be tried in Hong Kong's handpicked national security courts, AP reported on June 8.

Hong Kong: Leader To Define National Security Crimes, Portending Legal Risks

China

North Korea

Environment, Science & Technology

Chinese President Xi Jinping met with North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang, North Korea, on June 8, Xinhua News Agency reported the same day. 

China, North Korea: Xi Talks Diplomacy, Development With Kim, Avoids Nukes

Peru

Electoral authorities have counted 93.5% of the votes cast in Peru's June 7 runoff presidential election, with right-wing candidate Keiko Fujimori receiving 50.03% and leftist candidate Roberto Sanchez receiving 49.97%, Reuters reported the same day.

Peru: Runoff Vote Count To Be Lengthy Amid Tight Race

Saudi Arabia

The 2026-30 budget for Saudi Arabia's Neom city megaproject includes 60 billion riyals ($16 billion) in penalty payments to terminate long-term contractor agreements, Semafor reported on June 7.

Saudi Arabia: Neom Megaproject Cuts Incur Penalty Payments

Eritrea

Ethiopia

The Tigray People's Liberation Front, or TPLF, accused Ethiopia's federal government of conducting a drone strike near the town of Sheraro in northeastern Tigray on the evening of June 5, Addis Standard reported on June 6.

Ethiopia: Federal Government Allegedly Conducts Drone Strike Against TPLF

Cuba

United States

The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control issued new guidance indicating that the United States has placed sanctions on Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel, his wife and former President Raul Castro's son and one of his grandsons, Bloomberg reported on June 4.

Cuba, U.S.: U.S. Treasury Sanctions Cuban Officials, Entities

United Kingdom

Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham confirmed he would seek to enter a Labour leadership contest if he wins the June 18 Makerfield by-election, speaking on June 4 on a BBC Question Time special alongside the other candidates for the vote.

U.K.: Burnham Confirms Labour Leadership Bid Against Starmer if He Wins Makerfield By-Election

Mali

Niger

Nigeria

Algeria

Morocco

Energy

Algeria's, Niger's and Nigeria's ministers of petroleum oversaw the start of construction works for the Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline, or TSGP, in Algeria's Adrar region, Jeune Afrique reported on June 5.

Africa: Algeria Kicks Off Construction of Trans-Sahara Gas Pipeline

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

Assessments

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Uganda

Red Cross volunteers wearing personal protective equipment lower the body of an Ebola victim into a casket at a health center in Ituri province, Democratic Republic of Congo, on June 8, 2026.

The escalating outbreak will likely persist for several more months, likely disrupting regional supply chains, mining investments in Congo and potentially Uganda's start of oil production.

Ebola Makes Deadly Comeback in Congo

Snapshots

Chinese President Xi Jinping (left) gestures to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un before a military parade in Beijing's Tiananmen Square on Sept. 3, 2025. 

North Korea's growing relations with Russia and potential reengagement with the U.S. appear to be driving China to pursue a rapprochement after years of diplomatic inaction.

Xi-Kim Summit Signals a Thaw in Long-Frozen Ties Between China and North Korea

Australia

Fiji

Japan

India

(From left to right) Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio hold a joint press conference after their Quad meeting in New Delhi on May 26, 2026.

The meeting proved the grouping is still functional, but it faces strong constraints in turning ambitious coordination frameworks into functional maritime, infrastructure, critical minerals and energy initiatives that blunt Chinese regional influence.

Takeaways From Quad Summit: New Initiatives, Enduring Constraints and Future Uncertainty

Bahrain

Kuwait

Oman

United Arab Emirates

Guests stand outside a model carriage of the "Dream of the Desert" ultra-luxury train on display during the Future Investment Initiative conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Oct. 28, 2025.

Efforts to create new export routes via railways and pipelines will be hampered by regional mistrust, uncertain commercial viability and long construction timelines, ultimately keeping Gulf states reliant on the Strait of Hormuz.

All Roads Lead to Hormuz: The Limits of Gulf Infrastructure Diversification

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer (right) addresses journalists next to U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent following a new round of trade discussions with Chinese officials at the OECD headquarters in Paris on March 16, 2026.

The scope of the Section 301 levies and the rapid investigations underpinning them portend more legal challenges, but this will not deter the White House from continuing its broader push to more sustainably implement its global tariff regime.

Trump Tries Again To Impose Sweeping Global Tariffs

Switzerland

Citizens vote by raising their hands during the Landsgemeinde, a traditional public, non-secret ballot conducted by majority rule, in Appenzell, eastern Switzerland, on April 26.

Global Trade

If approved, the cap on the permanent resident population would compel Swiss companies to accelerate capital investment and automation initiatives to offset reduced EU migration.


Swiss Population Referendum Threatens Growth and EU Relations

Armenia

Azerbaijan

Russia

Thousands of Armenians participate in a rally in Yerevan's Republic Square on May 26, 2024. 

Prime Minister Pashinyan's likely reelection will empower him to finalize a peace treaty with Azerbaijan and deepen ties with the West, though Russian economic pressure and domestic opposition to constitutional changes could undermine these efforts.

What's at Stake in Armenia's Upcoming Election

Burkina Faso

Cameroon

Central African Republic

Chad

Mozambique

Rwanda

Sudan

The Geopolitics of Natural Resources

Control over critical natural resources is increasingly strengthening armed groups' durability and geographic reach, heightening their physical threats and their ability to create political instability.

Natural Resource Exploitation as an Engine for Insurgency in Sub-Saharan Africa

Turkey

A window view from Turkey's Eastern Express train. 

Improved relations could unlock strategic and economic benefits for both countries, especially if their border is reopened, though Russia's entrenched influence in Armenia remains a key constraint.

Russian Coercion Will Constrain Budding Turkey-Armenia Rapprochement

Colombia

Supporters of Colombian presidential candidate Ivan Cepeda wave flags ahead of his closing campaign rally in Barranquilla, Colombia, on May 24, 2026.

A left-wing victory would portend increased social spending and policy gridlock, a far-right win would portend austerity and decree-based governance, and a center-right win would foster market-friendly policies and stability.

Colombia's Presidential Election: Potential Outcomes and Their Implications

Global Elections

Ukraine

Technicians work at the main blast furnace at the Zaporizhstal Iron and Steel Works on Feb. 12, 2024 in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine.

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Part two of this report examines how either a comprehensive peace agreement or a severe escalation of the war would affect Ukraine's investment climate.



Scenarios for the Future of Foreign Investment in Ukraine, Part 2

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed delivers remarks during the official inauguration ceremony of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam in Guba on Sept. 9, 2025.

Prime Minister Abiy will likely be reelected without sustained unrest, but escalating tensions in Tigray could still fuel a worsening security crisis in the Amhara and/or Oromia regions in a less-likely, higher-impact scenario.

Previewing Ethiopia's General Elections

Economics

SITUATION REPORTS

Hong Kong: Leader To Define National Security Crimes, Portending Legal Risks

China, North Korea: Xi Talks Diplomacy, Development With Kim, Avoids Nukes

Peru: Runoff Vote Count To Be Lengthy Amid Tight Race

Saudi Arabia: Neom Megaproject Cuts Incur Penalty Payments

Ethiopia: Federal Government Allegedly Conducts Drone Strike Against TPLF

Cuba, U.S.: U.S. Treasury Sanctions Cuban Officials, Entities

U.K.: Burnham Confirms Labour Leadership Bid Against Starmer if He Wins Makerfield By-Election

Africa: Algeria Kicks Off Construction of Trans-Sahara Gas Pipeline

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