Canada

Mexico

United States

Economics

Politics

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer visited Mexico to meet with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Mexican Economy Secretary Marcelo Ebrard, with the governments agreeing to hold the first bilateral negotiations for the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement trade pact review the week of May 25 in Mexico City, Bloomberg reported on April 20.

Mexico, U.S.: Officials Meet in Preparation for USMCA Review

Kazakhstan

Russia

Energy

Kazakhstan's Atomic Energy Agency head Almasadam Satkaliyev said Russia will provide an intergovernmental loan covering about 85% of the $15 billion cost of Kazakhstan's first nuclear power plant, Kursiv reported on April 21. 

Kazakhstan, Russia: Russian-Financed Nuclear Project Is Unlikely To Deliver on Time

Europe

Hungary

Ukraine

Military & Security

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Ahead of a meeting between EU foreign affairs ministers in Brussels, Belgium, on April 21, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said ​she expected "positive decisions" on the 90 billion euro ($105.94 ‌billion) loan for Ukraine, Reuters reported.

EU, Ukraine: EU To Approve Long-Delayed Ukraine Loan in the Coming Days

Thailand

Thailand said it will accelerate a long-aspired landbridge project linking new ports on the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand across its Isthmus of Kra in the south of the country, arguing that the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz has underscored the value of controlling alternative transport routes, Bloomberg reported on April 20.

Thailand: Hormuz Shock Rekindles Bangkok's Landbridge Ambition, but the Project Still Faces Long Odds

China

Environment, Science & Technology

China's technology conglomerate Tencent acquired a 3.2% stake in Kazakhstan's financial technology company Kaspi.kz for about $518 million through the purchase of American depositary receipts, Bloomberg reported on April 20. 

Kazakhstan, China: China's Tencent Acquires Stake in Kaspi.kz

South Korea

India

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi, where both leaders pledged to boost bilateral trade from the current $27 billion to $50 billion by 2030 by strengthening supply chains, improving market access and increasing investment, Reuters reported on April 20.

India, South Korea: Bilateral Talks Prioritize Trade

Bulgaria

Bulgaria's former President Rumen Radev's Progressive Bulgaria party won the April 19 parliamentary election by a landslide, securing nearly 45% of the vote and at least 135 seats in the 240-seat National Assembly, Reuters reported on April 20.

Bulgaria: Radev Wins Bulgarian Election, Set To Form Stable Government With Russia Tilt

Romania

Romania's Social Democratic Party, or PSD, is set to hold an internal vote on April 20 on whether to withdraw support for Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan, citing his austerity-focused policies and coordination issues within the four-party coalition, Romania Insider reported the same day. 

Romania: PSD To Withdraw Support for Prime Minister, Risking Government Collapse

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

Snapshots

Romanian Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan delivers a speech to lawmakers in parliament in Bucharest on June 23, 2025.

The crisis could undermine fiscal consolidation and further empower far-right forces, potentially reversing Romania's EU alignment and harming its economic credibility.

Romania's Latest Political Crisis Threatens Fiscal Reform and EU Alignment

Cuba

A general view of El Capitolio and the Havana skyline on December 16, 2014, in Havana, Cuba.

A recent unannounced U.S. diplomatic visit to Havana bodes well for a deal that reduces tensions, but Washington's ongoing demands for political and economic reforms will sustain the risk of a U.S. military and/or law enforcement operation.

U.S.-Cuba Talks Progress, but Threat of Military Action Still Looms

Egypt

The exterior facade of the new headquarters of Egypt's central bank is seen at the New Administrative Capital megaproject about 45 kilometers east of the current capital, Cairo, on Aug. 1, 2023. 

Egypt will try to avoid submitting to another IMF loan program, which would likely require unpopular austerity and privatization measures. But the escalating economic impact of the Iran war may eventually force its hand.

Iran War Fallout Could Force Egypt to Seek Another Unpopular IMF Bailout

Assessments

Iran

Lebanon

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine speaks as he displays a map showing the U.S. Navy's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz during a press briefing at the Pentagon on April 16, 2026, in Arlington, Virginia. 

A look at what the coming week will bring -- and a list of recommended RANE articles from the week that was.

The Weekly Rundown: U.S.-Iran Diplomacy, Political Instability in the Balkans

U.S.-Iran Relations

Satellite imagery shows a broad view of the Strait of Hormuz between southern Iran and Oman's Musandam Peninsula on April 7, 2026.

Pledges to reopen the strait will support U.S.-Iran diplomatic momentum and reduce near-term escalation risks, but shipping activity will recover only gradually amid persistent tensions, with a continued risk of disruption until a durable agreement is reached.

The Operational vs. Diplomatic Impact of the Strait of Hormuz's Nominal Re-Opening

Israel

Afghanistan

Bangladesh

Maldives

Nepal

Pakistan

Sri Lanka

A passenger boat sails past the Indian-flagged oil tanker Kashimasan, which is docked near an offloading terminal at Butcher Island (also known as Jawahar Dweep) off the coast of Mumbai, India, on April 1, 2026.

Energy and fertilizer price shocks from the Iran war will increasingly threaten energy supplies, crop yields and economic growth across the region, pressuring governments' foreign exchange reserves and heightening unrest risks.

In South Asia, Iran War Fallout Risks Worsening Economic and Political Instability

Armenia

Russian President Vladimir Putin (center) and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan (left) hold talks at the Kremlin in Moscow on April 1, 2026.

Russia is actively calibrating pressure on Armenia to derail its pro-EU course, as the Iran war temporarily impedes Yerevan's push to reduce its reliance on Russia-linked trade corridors.

Armenia's Push for Autonomy Meets Russian Resistance

IMF officials participate in an economic outlook briefing in Washington, D.C., on April 14, 2026.

The sharp increase in global oil and fertilizer costs will force import-reliant, low-income nations in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa to choose between fiscal discipline and maintaining social stability.

Iran War Price Shocks Will Hit Low-Income Energy Importers Hardest

Nigeria

The Dangote petroleum refinery plant is seen in Lagos, Nigeria, on April 6, 2026.

Nigeria will enjoy a short-term revenue boost from elevated oil prices, but the potential for renewed instability in the Niger Delta could undermine efforts to increase oil production.

Nigeria's Oil Gains From Iran War Face Old Challenges

Columns

On Geopolitics

The Geopolitics of Natural Resources

Weaponizing raw material exports can provide short-term political leverage, but it often pushes the targeted nations to permanently restructure their trade relationships to reduce dependencies.

The Historical Lessons of Global Commodity Weaponization

Media

Podcasts

An in-depth, forward-looking examination of key risks and trends to watch as the legal, regulatory and compliance landscape continues to evolve.

The Decision Advantage: The Outlook for the Legal, Regulatory and Compliance Landscape

Yemen

U.S. Vice President JD Vance speaks as special envoys Jared Kushner (L) and Steve Witkoff listen during a news conference after a meeting with representatives from Pakistan and Iran on April 12, 2026, in Islamabad, Pakistan. 

The U.S. blockade may not immediately collapse the ceasefire with Iran, but it will further disrupt maritime shipping and the global economy.

After U.S.-Iran Talks Fail, Washington Moves To Blockade the Strait of Hormuz

Economics

SITUATION REPORTS

Mexico, U.S.: Officials Meet in Preparation for USMCA Review

Kazakhstan, Russia: Russian-Financed Nuclear Project Is Unlikely To Deliver on Time

EU, Ukraine: EU To Approve Long-Delayed Ukraine Loan in the Coming Days

Thailand: Hormuz Shock Rekindles Bangkok's Landbridge Ambition, but the Project Still Faces Long Odds

Kazakhstan, China: China's Tencent Acquires Stake in Kaspi.kz

India, South Korea: Bilateral Talks Prioritize Trade

Bulgaria: Radev Wins Bulgarian Election, Set To Form Stable Government With Russia Tilt

Romania: PSD To Withdraw Support for Prime Minister, Risking Government Collapse

Forecasts

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