United States

China

Japan

North Korea

Economics

Military & Security

Politics

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi gave a speech outlining her policies on Feb. 20 to open a special session of the Diet that will last through July 17, according to a readout from the prime minister's office.

Japan: Takaichi Outlines Policy Plans for 2026

South Korea

Vietnam

Russia

North Korea's supreme leader Kim Jong Un gave a speech on Feb. 20 in Pyongyang to open the Workers' Party of Korea's quinquennial party congress, which North Korea's KCNA said began on Feb. 19.

North Korea: Kim Commences Quinquennial Party Congress

Indonesia

Thailand

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto signed the Agreement on Reciprocal Trade with the United States, lowering U.S. tariffs on most Indonesian exports from a threatened 32% to 19% in exchange for Indonesia eliminating tariffs on roughly 99% of U.S. exports and easing nontariff barriers such as import licensing and local content rules, according to a readout from the Office of the United States Trade Representative published Feb. 20.

Indonesia, U.S.: 19% Tariff Deal Includes Third Country 'Poison Pill' Safeguard

Australia

Mongolia

Russia's aluminum giant Rusal requested enforcement measures in its 100 billion ruble ($1.1 billion) claim against British-Australian mining company Rio Tinto, including seizure of a stake in an unnamed company widely believed to be Rio Tinto's 66% holding in Mongolia's Oyu Tolgoi copper project, Kommersant reported on Feb. 20, citing a Russian appellate court filing.

Russia, Mongolia: Russian Court Ruling Introduces Uncertainty in Mongolian Copper Mine

Colombia

Colombia's President Gustavo Petro issued a decree maintaining the 23.7% increase to the minimum wage his government announced in December, but which the country's top administrative court had suspended on Feb. 13, El Pais reported on Feb. 19.

Colombia: Petro Maintains 23% Minimum Wage Increase Following Court Challenge

Brazil

India

Environment, Science & Technology

After attending the India AI Impact Summit, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will hold bilateral talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Feb. 21, Bloomberg reported on Feb. 19.

India, Brazil: Lula Is Set To Meet Modi Amid Negotiations on Critical Minerals and Rare Earths

Iran

Israel

Saudi Arabia

Turkey

United Arab Emirates

Energy

A nuclear cooperation deal between the United States and Saudi Arabia may include provisions for the latter to domestically enrich uranium, Reuters reported on Feb. 19, citing congressional documents. 

U.S., Saudi Arabia: Saudi Nuclear Deal May Include Uranium Enrichment

U.S.-Iran Relations

Europe

The U.S. Department of Defense warned it would retaliate if the European Union amends its defense procurement directive in ways that restrict U.S. arms manufacturers' access to member-state contracts, Politico reported on Feb. 19.

EU, U.S.: Washington Warns Brussels Against Expanding 'Buy European' Defense Rules

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

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

Assessments

Germany

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the press Feb. 2 in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington. U.S. President Donald Trump will deliver the annual State of the Union address to Congress on Feb. 24.

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

The Weekly Rundown: Trump Threatens Iran, Pledges To Reimpose Tariffs on Different Grounds

U.S.-China Relations

Snapshots

Canada

Mexico

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a press briefing at the White House on Feb. 20, 2026, after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against Trump's use of emergency powers to implement international trade tariffs.

Global Trade

The Trump administration will use other trade authorities to replace many of the IEEPA tariffs struck down by the Supreme Court, meaning U.S. trading partners will remain incentivized to engage on trade matters.

What the Supreme Court Tariff Ruling Means for Trump and U.S. Trading Partners

Columns

On Geopolitics

France

United Kingdom

A digital illustration shows a nuclear launch map of Europe. 

Amid doubts about the U.S. security guarantee, Europe is considering using Franco-British nuclear arms to bolster its strategic autonomy within NATO, though this plan faces significant political and technical challenges.

The European Nuclear Umbrella: A Search for Strategic Autonomy

Algeria

The national flag of Algeria flies near the Bay of Algiers against the backdrop of the old town known as the Casbah and cargo containers in Algiers, Algeria, on Aug. 25, 2022.

Divergences between Algeria and the United Arab Emirates are poised to grow and may lead to a diplomatic break.

Algeria's Grievances With the UAE Deepen Amid Strategic Divergences

Brunei Darussalam

Cambodia

Laos

Malaysia

Myanmar

Philippines

Singapore

Philippine Foreign Minister Theresa Lazaro speaks at a press conference during a Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) meeting in Cebu City, the Philippines, on Jan. 29, 2026.

The coming year will test ASEAN's ability to maintain unity, manage crises and remain a credible regional forum amid rising internal security risks and a more fractured world order, particularly as the Philippines butts heads with China in the South China Sea.

Previewing the Philippines 2026 ASEAN Chairmanship

Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky attends a press conference at the European Commission's headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, on Aug. 17, 2025.

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Despite its strategic imperative to secure Ukraine's Western alignment, the EU remains unlikely to grant the country full or partial membership anytime soon due to numerous challenges, with the ongoing war being chief among them.

To Keep the Promise of Ukraine's Accession Alive, the EU Mulls Alternative Options

Palestinian Territories

Slovakia

Hungary

U.S. President Donald Trump (C) holds up his signature on the founding charter of the Board of Peace among other world leaders at the World Economic Forum on Jan. 22 in Davos, Switzerland.

Israel-Hamas Conflict

The Weekly Rundown: The Board of Peace Convenes, Russia-Ukraine-U.S. Talks in Geneva

Bangladesh

A man walks past campaign posters of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chairman and Tarique Rahman in Dhaka on Feb. 13, 2026.

The transition from an interim administration will likely restore political stability, though social and fiscal pressures will still pose constraints for the new center-right government.

Bangladesh Nationalist Party Wins Big in First Election Since 2024 Uprising

The U.S. and the EU flags are seen side by side on Nov. 21, 2025, in Brussels, Belgium. 

By replacing Russian gas with U.S. LNG, the EU risks becoming reliant on another systemically central external supplier at a time of growing geopolitical instability and transatlantic tension.

The Strategic Risks of Europe's Pivot to U.S. LNG

Argentina

An aerial photo shows Argentinian police using a water cannon truck against protesters opposing labor reforms on Feb. 11, 2026, in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Although the labor reform is likely to be approved and may incrementally improve Argentina's hiring climate, its short-term economic impact will be limited.

Argentina's Milei Secures Senate Backing for Market-Oriented Labor Overhaul

Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul arrives at the Government House in Bangkok on Feb. 9, 2026.

The incumbent conservative party's victory will improve short-term political stability, but governance will remain constrained by coalition dynamics, entrenched institutions and uncertain constitutional reform.

Thailand Approves Constitutional Reform, Re-Elects Conservative Party

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer leaves Downing Street on Feb. 2, 2026, in London. 

While the crisis could see Labour elect a new leader in the coming months, broad party consensus and fiscal constraints make sharp policy shifts unlikely, limiting the risk of sustained market volatility.

In the U.K., Starmer's Leadership Struggles Reach a Tipping Point

Politics

SITUATION REPORTS

Japan: Takaichi Outlines Policy Plans for 2026

North Korea: Kim Commences Quinquennial Party Congress

Indonesia, U.S.: 19% Tariff Deal Includes Third Country 'Poison Pill' Safeguard

Russia, Mongolia: Russian Court Ruling Introduces Uncertainty in Mongolian Copper Mine

Colombia: Petro Maintains 23% Minimum Wage Increase Following Court Challenge

India, Brazil: Lula Is Set To Meet Modi Amid Negotiations on Critical Minerals and Rare Earths

U.S., Saudi Arabia: Saudi Nuclear Deal May Include Uranium Enrichment

EU, U.S.: Washington Warns Brussels Against Expanding 'Buy European' Defense Rules

Forecasts

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