United States

China

Malaysia

Economics

Environment, Science & Technology

Politics

On a state visit to Malaysia, Chinese President Xi Jinping signed 31 cooperation agreements with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim spanning artificial intelligence, infrastructure, trade, agriculture, media and other subjects, The Edge Malaysia reported on April 16. 

China, Malaysia: Xi, Anwar Sign 31 Agreements

Cyber

The U.S. State Department is closing the Counter Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference Hub, also known as R/FIMI, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on X on April 16. 

U.S.: State Department To Eliminate Center Countering Foreign Disinformation

South Sudan

Sudan

Military & Security

Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, leader of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, or RSF, announced on April 15 the formation of a rival administration called the Government of Peace and Unity, AP reported the following day.

Sudan: Paramilitary Group Declares Formation of New Rival Government

India

India's Enforcement Directorate filed a money laundering case against senior leaders of the main opposition Indian National Congress party, including Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi, for allegedly using a shell company to illegally acquire assets worth $300 million from the publisher of the National Herald newspaper, Reuters reported on April 15.

India: Senior Opposition Leaders Accused of Money Laundering

China appointed its envoy to the World Trade Organization, Li Chenggang, as its point person for trade negotiations with the White House, and China wants U.S. President Donald Trump to appoint a U.S. counterpart negotiator, Bloomberg reported on April 16. 

China, U.S.: China Appoints Negotiator, Asks U.S. To Do Same, But Both Obstinate on Trade Talks

U.S.-China Relations

Comoros

Djibouti

Eritrea

Kenya

Madagascar

Mauritius

Mozambique

Seychelles

South Africa

Tanzania

United Arab Emirates

India is conducting its largest-ever naval exercise off the east coast of Africa, known as the Africa-India Key Maritime Engagement, or AIKEYME, with 10 other African countries on April 13-18, Radio France Internationale reported on April 16.

East Africa: India Holds Its Largest Naval Exercise With East African Countries

Singapore

Singaporean President Tharman Shanmugaratnam dissolved parliament, and the Elections Department called a May 3 general election on April 15, Channel News Asia reported the same day.

Singapore: Parliament Dissolved, May 3 General Election Called

El Salvador

During a meeting at the White House with U.S. President Donald Trump, El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele ruled out returning Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland man who was illegally deported to El Salvador, to the United States and expressed his ''eagerness to help'' the White House in facilitating further deportations, CNN reported Apr. 14.

U.S., El Salvador: Trump-Bukele Meeting Indicates Continued Cooperation on Migration, Deportations 

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

Below are our latest and most relevant politics analyses.

Sub-Saharan Africa

Americas

Asia-Pacific

Europe

Eurasia

Middle East and North Africa

South Asia

The Post-Apartheid Era Ends

Venezuela's Unraveling

The Saudi Survival Strategy

The Kurdish Struggle

Israel's Survival Strategy

Turkey's Resurgence

EU: Regional Blocs

Divided EU Foreign Policies

Brexit

Old Leaders in a New Africa

The U.S. and the Balance of Power

The Pulse of Political Islam

Broken Contracts in the Middle East

Russia's Internal Struggle

China in Transition

Southeast Asia: Burdened by Consensus

India's Own Worst Enemy

Pakistan: A Military With a Country

Snapshots

Kuwait

Kuwaiti traders follow the stock market activity at the Boursa Kuwait stock exchange building in Kuwait City on April 7, 2025. 

Energy

The law will enable external borrowing to finance the country's deficits and Vision 2035 investments, but Kuwait's growing reliance on debt markets to increase capital expenditure could eventually prove problematic. 

After Eight Years of Gridlock, Kuwait Finally Passes a New Debt Law

Assessments

Bangladesh

Pakistan

Sri Lanka

A general view shows Sri Lanka's Colombo port on April 9, 2025.

Global Trade

Textile exports from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Pakistan will suffer under new U.S. tariffs, worsening economic hardships and risking political instability.

South Asia's Textile Industry Reels From U.S. Tariffs

Iran

Iraq

Yemen

Mock drones and missiles are displayed at an exhibition on Nov. 13, 2024, in Sanaa, Yemen. 

Recent actions by Iran and its Iraqi proxies appear designed to appease the U.S. as the Trump administration weighs taking aggressive military action against them both.

To Placate the U.S., Iran Temporarily Scales Back Its Regional Proxy Strategy

U.S.-Iran Relations

Australia

Australian Labor Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (L) debates Liberal opposition leader Peter Dutton on April 8, 2025, in Sydney, Australia. 

While another Labor government would portend domestic and foreign policy continuity, a victory by the Liberal-National coalition would signal a shift toward fiscal austerity, loosened energy regulations, expanded defense spending and stricter immigration regulations.

Australia's Election: Potential Outcomes and Their Implications

Global Elections

Ecuador

Cambodia

Vietnam

Italy

Chinese President Xi Jinping attends the closing session of the National People's Congress (NPC) in Beijing, China, on March 11, 2025. 

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

The Weekly Rundown: Xi Tours Southeast Asia, Iran-U.S. Nuclear Talks Begin

Democratic Alliance leader John Steenhuisen holds a press conference in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Jan. 28, 2025.

Rising tensions between the ruling ANC and its key coalition partner over the 2025 budget are raising the risk of a coalition breakdown, which would threaten policy paralysis and a marked depreciation of the rand.

What the Democratic Alliance's Exit From Government Would Mean for South Africa

Columns

On Geopolitics

Germany

France

United Kingdom

Poland

Spain

NATO military forces during static display after the Steadfast Dart 2025 military exercises at the Smardan Training Area in Smardan, Romania, on Feb. 19, 2025. 

Europe is increasingly focused on achieving greater strategic autonomy in defense, but internal divisions and material constraints will plague this quest, even as the United States' role on the Continent continues to shrink, meaning NATO will likely remain the cornerstone of Europe’s security architecture. 

The Future of Transatlantic Security Cooperation, Part 2: The View From Europe

Pedestrians walk past a broadcast screen of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) in Mumbai on April 3, 2025, airing news of U.S. President Donald Trump unveiling sweeping new trade tariffs. 

If implemented, Trump's threatened 27% tariff would severely hurt certain Indian sectors (e.g., pharmaceuticals), though other sectors (e.g., textiles) could benefit if India's main competitors end up facing even higher tariffs.

For India, High U.S. Tariffs Offer a Mixed Bag

Taiwan

Taiwan's President Lai inspects troops taking part in the Rapid Response Exercise at the Songshan military airbase in Taipei on March 21, 2025.

Lai's policies to defend sovereignty and curb Chinese influence are prompting greater coercive pressure from Beijing.

In Taiwan, President Lai's Actions Toward China Will Speak Louder Than His Words

Armenia

Azerbaijan

Russia

Armenia's foreign minister (2nd R) speaks during a meeting with his Azerbaijani and Kazakh counterparts in Almaty on May 10, 2024. 

A peace deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan is edging closer, but political delays in Yerevan postpone its implementation and leave the risk of renewed border tensions unresolved.

Armenia-Azerbaijan Peace Deal Progresses, Though Hurdles Remain

Brazil

General view of the plenary session of Brazil's lower house in Brasilia during an April 2, 2025, vote on the reciprocity law, which allows the Brazilian government to retaliate against countries or economic blocs that impose trade barriers on products from Brazil. 

Although U.S. tariffs will hinder Brazil's economy and reduce foreign direct investment, unique opportunities for Brazilian exporters may mitigate the impact of the looming global trade war.

U.S. Protectionism Portends Opportunities and Hurdles for Brazil

Israel

Palestinian Territories

Palestinian men walk amidst the rubble of a destroyed building following an Israeli strike on a residential area of Gaza City on April 9, 2025. 

Israel-Hamas Conflict

With the U.S.'s tacit support, Israel will likely keep expanding its military operations in Gaza in the hopes of pressuring both Hamas and local civilians there to leave, thereby making it easier to reoccupy the Strip.

To Secure Gaza, Israel Pursues a Strategy of Occupation and Displacement

Politics

SITUATION REPORTS

China, Malaysia: Xi, Anwar Sign 31 Agreements

U.S.: State Department To Eliminate Center Countering Foreign Disinformation

Sudan: Paramilitary Group Declares Formation of New Rival Government

India: Senior Opposition Leaders Accused of Money Laundering

China, U.S.: China Appoints Negotiator, Asks U.S. To Do Same, But Both Obstinate on Trade Talks

East Africa: India Holds Its Largest Naval Exercise With East African Countries

Singapore: Parliament Dissolved, May 3 General Election Called

U.S., El Salvador: Trump-Bukele Meeting Indicates Continued Cooperation on Migration, Deportations

Forecasts

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