Kazakhstan

Economics

Energy

Karachaganak Petroleum Operating BV, the consortium operating Kazakhstan's Karachaganak oil and gas field, lost an international arbitration case, leaving it potentially liable to pay $2 billion to $4 billion in compensation for unapproved cost recoveries under the production-sharing agreement, Bloomberg reported on Jan. 26. 

Kazakhstan: Arbitration Ruling Raises Stakes for Energy Investors

Europe

India

The European Union and India finalized a free trade agreement after nearly two decades of talks, Reuters reported on Jan. 27.

EU, India: FTA Finalized, On Track To Enter Into Force in Early 2027

United States

South Korea

U.S. President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social on Jan. 26 that he was increasing "reciprocal" tariffs on South Korea as well as tariffs on South Korean automobiles, pharmaceuticals and lumber goods from 15% to 25% because the South Korean legislature has failed to "enact our Historic Trade Agreement."

South Korea, U.S.: Trump Raises Tariffs Over Seoul's Slow-Walking of Trade Deal

Brazil

Military & Security

Politics

U.S. President Donald Trump and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva held a 50-minute call on Jan. 26, g1 reported.

U.S., Brazil: New Call Between Presidents Indicates Room for Pragmatic Relationship, Despite Divergences

China

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom's Prime Minister Keir Starmer is travelling to China for a three-day visit starting Jan. 27, marking the first such trip by a British leader since 2018, Reuters reported the same day.

U.K., China: Starmer To Visit Beijing Amid Revival of High-Level Economic Engagement

South Africa

Changes announced by South African Energy Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa regarding the unbundling of state-owned utility company Eskom are facing mounting opposition from within South Africa's business community and parts of government, including the National Treasury, News24 reported on Jan. 26.

South Africa: Controversy Mounts Over Watering Down of Eskom Unbundling Plans

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia suspended the construction of another Vision 2030 project, the Mukaab, a tourist-trap giant cube in the center of Riyadh, Reuters reported on Jan. 27.

Saudi Arabia: Another Vision 2030 Project Bites the Dust

Cyber

Environment, Science & Technology

The European Commission is launching a new formal investigation into X (formerly Twitter) related to purported violations of the bloc's Digital Services Act, The New York Times reported on Jan. 26. 

EU: Commission Launches Formal Investigation Into X Over DSA Violations

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

Bangladesh

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) supporters gather for a rally in Sylhet, Bangladesh, ahead of the upcoming national election on Jan. 22, 2026. 

The Feb. 12 ballot could yield a government led by the conservative BNP, a coalition led by the Islamist Jamaat party, or a fragile BNP-Jamaat coalition -- each with distinct implications for Bangladesh's economic, political and foreign policy landscape.

Bangladesh's General Election: Potential Outcomes and Their Implications

Global Elections

Snapshots

Costa Rica

The candidates running in Costa Rica's 2026 presidential election participate in a debate at the Supreme Electoral Tribunal in San Jose, Costa Rica, on Jan. 11, 2026. 

Although the president cannot run for reelection, his hand-picked successor will likely win the vote, keeping the right wing at the helm.

Costa Rica's Upcoming Election Will Likely Yield Policy Continuity

The Federal Reserve's headquarters is seen in Washington, D.C.

Trump will soon be able to nominate a new Fed chair and governor. But unless the Supreme Court vastly increases the president's power to dismiss Fed governors, the bank will retain its independence, limiting the risk of market instability.

U.S. Fed Independence: Assessing Threats From Trump Nominations, Court Rulings

Iran

Israel

Palestinian Territories

A photo of Israeli banknotes.

While Israel's economy has proven remarkably resilient during the years-long Gaza war with Hamas, persistent security risks and an upcoming election will present new challenges.

How Israel's Economy Will Weather Persistent Political and Security Concerns in 2026

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio (right) meets with Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar at a hotel in New York City on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly meeting on Sept. 22, 2025. 

Global Trade

A trade deal could gradually reduce barriers in the tech, industrial and energy sectors, but progress will likely remain constrained by U.S. tariff uncertainty and India's reluctance to make concessions in sensitive sectors like agriculture.

Where Things Stand in U.S.-India Trade Talks

Vietnam

A man walks past a billboard for the 14th Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam outside the National Convention Center in Hanoi on Jan. 15, 2026. 

The five-yearly event will likely codify a more centralized, security-anchored governing model, while setting ambitious goals for economic growth and administrative reforms, though internal and external pressures will hinder implementation.

Previewing Vietnam's 14th National Party Congress

Greenland

Germany

Finland

Denmark

France

Sweden

Norway

Netherlands

The HDMS Knud Rasmussen ship of the Danish Navy patrols the waters off of Nuuk, Greenland, on Jan. 20, 2026. 

Trump's threatened tariffs over his bid to acquire Greenland have turned the U.S.-EU trade dispute into a high-stakes geopolitical confrontation, raising the risk of a sustained trade war that would severely strain transatlantic economic ties and NATO cohesion.

Trump's Greenland Tariff Threat Escalates Transatlantic Tensions

Columns

On Geopolitics

U.S. protectionism has dramatically weakened the rules-based, multilateral trade regime established after World War II, driving governments to increasingly view trade through a national security lens rather than purely an economic one.

The Geopolitics of Trade: Conclusion

Eritrea

Ethiopia

Somalia

Sudan

Egypt

Syria

Turkey

United Arab Emirates

Yemen

Residents wave Somali flags as they attend a rally denouncing Israel's recognition of the breakaway region of Somaliland at Mogadishu Stadium in Mogadishu, Somalia, on Dec. 30, 2025. 

Two regional alignments are coalescing along the Red Sea and in the Horn of Africa, risking the escalation of proxy conflicts and longstanding rivalries.

The Unfolding Regional Realignments Along the Red Sea and Their Implications

Venezuela

Taiwan

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (right) and Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil (left) attend a meeting in Beijing on May 12, 2025.

U.S. pressure on the new Venezuelan government will briefly cool China's engagement in Latin America and could renew trade tensions with Washington, though Maduro's removal is unlikely to affect China's calculus regarding Taiwan.

Assessing China's Response to the U.S. Capture of Venezuela's Maduro

U.S.-China Relations

Mozambique

Tanzania

A column of Tanzanian soldiers drives past electoral posters of incumbent Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan and Zanzibar President Hussein Ali Mwinyi in Stone Town on Oct. 30, 2025. 

The Tanzanian government's harsh repression of opposition voices will maintain risks of civil unrest and siphon security forces away from outer regions, creating power vacuums in the south for jihadists to exploit.

Ongoing Repression in Tanzania Shows No Signs of Letting Up

The flag of Greenland, known locally as "Erfalasorput," flies next to the Church of Our Saviour on March 30, 2025, in Nuuk, Greenland. 

The United States' aim to acquire Greenland risks triggering a NATO crisis if U.S. and European negotiators fail to reach a settlement.

Europe Weighs Responses to U.S. Pressure Over Greenland

Economics

SITUATION REPORTS

Kazakhstan: Arbitration Ruling Raises Stakes for Energy Investors

EU, India: FTA Finalized, On Track To Enter Into Force in Early 2027

South Korea, U.S.: Trump Raises Tariffs Over Seoul's Slow-Walking of Trade Deal

U.S., Brazil: New Call Between Presidents Indicates Room for Pragmatic Relationship, Despite Divergences

U.K., China: Starmer To Visit Beijing Amid Revival of High-Level Economic Engagement

South Africa: Controversy Mounts Over Watering Down of Eskom Unbundling Plans

Saudi Arabia: Another Vision 2030 Project Bites the Dust

EU: Commission Launches Formal Investigation Into X Over DSA Violations

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