Uzbekistan

Armenia

Belarus

Kazakhstan

Russia

Kyrgyzstan

Economics

Politics

Leaders of the Eurasian Economic Union on Dec. 21 approved a "differentiated" framework for a common financial market and initiated customs data exchange negotiations with Uzbekistan during the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council meeting in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Russia: Moscow Scraps Plans for Common Eurasian Financial Market

Cambodia

Thailand

Military & Security

Thailand and Cambodia agreed to talks between their defense officials under the bilateral General Border Committee on Dec. 24 to resume the U.S.-brokered July 28 ceasefire; the decision followed a special meeting of Southeast Asian foreign ministers Dec. 22 in Kuala Lumpur.

Thailand, Cambodia: Ceasefire Talks To Resume Despite Ongoing Fighting

Taiwan

Several opposition Kuomintang lawmakers on Dec. 22 submitted criminal complaints against the five Constitutional Court justices who on Dec. 19 found unconstitutional December 2024 judicial reforms passed by the KMT and fellow opposition Taiwan People's Party that made the island's top court defunct.

Taiwan: KMT Responds to Court Ruling Ending Judicial Impasse

New Zealand

India

India and New Zealand on Dec. 22 announced that they had reached a free trade agreement aimed at deepening economic ties, Bloomberg reported.

India, New Zealand: Free Trade Agreement Announced

United States

Venezuela

Energy

The U.S. Coast Guard and Defense Department seized a second and third oil tanker Dec. 20 and Dec. 21, respectively, off the coast of Venezuela, AP reported Dec. 21.

Venezuela: U.S. Forces Seize Two Additional Tankers

Europe

Ukraine

Global Trade

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

On Dec. 22, the European Council officially extended the European Union's sanctions against Russia for an additional six months, until July 31, 2026, the institution announced. 

EU: Brussels Extends Sanctions on Russia for Further 6 Months

Spain

The conservative People's Party (PP) won the Dec. 21 Extremadura regional elections with 43.2% of the vote and 29 of the 65 seats in the region's legislature, up one from the 2023 election, El Pais reported the same day. 

Spain: Right-Wing Parties Perform Strongly in Extremadura Regional Elections 

Global Elections

Japan

Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev held talks with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Emperor Naruhito during his first official visit to Japan, Kazinform reported on Dec. 19.

Kazakhstan, Japan: Tokayev Visit Elevates Ties at Inaugural Central Asia Plus Japan Summit

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

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz addresses the Bundestag on Dec 17 in Berlin. Persistent internal divisions and narrow parliamentary majorities are forcing the dilution of key economic and defense initiatives, undermining investor confidence in Germany's capacity for reform.

Persistent internal divisions and narrow parliamentary majorities are forcing the dilution of key economic and defense initiatives, undermining investor confidence in Germany's capacity for reform.

Deadlock and Dissent Leave Merz's Reform Agenda Floundering

A U.S. Marine Corps AV-8B Harrier II on Dec. 15 taxis at Jose Aponte de la Torre Airport in Ceiba, Puerto Rico.

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

The Weekly Rundown: French Budget Deadlock, U.S.-Russia Talks in Miami

Israel

Saudi Arabia

United Arab Emirates

Yemen

YemenYemenis rally to show their support for the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council on Dec. 14, 2025.

Israel-Hamas Conflict

Escalating tensions and potential violence between the Southern Transitional Council and Saudi-backed forces create security vacuums that Houthi rebels will likely exploit.



Yemen's Anti-Houthi Bloc Is Fracturing

Algeria

People walk through a main square in Algeria's capital of Algiers on Sept. 15, 2024.

By introducing Sharia-compliant debt instruments, the Algerian government aims to tap into significant informal savings and diversify its funding sources while avoiding external debt. 

Algeria's Islamic Bonds an Incomplete Step Toward Diversifying Government Revenues

A container ship arrives Oct. 10 at the Port of Oakland, California. In 2026, political calculations among major global players will significantly shape international affairs.

Cyber

Environment, Science & Technology

In 2026, political calculations among major global players will significantly shape international affairs.

2026 Annual Forecast: A Global Overview

A stock photo shows banknotes of the Russian ruble. 

The European Union using immobilized Russian assets to fund financial support for Ukraine will probably not have major reputational or financial consequences for the eurozone.


Using Frozen Russian Assets To Fund Ukraine Unlikely To Majorly Impact the Euro

South Africa

Chile

France

The Ukrainian flag is projected on the facade of Berlaymont, the European Commission headquarters, in Brussels on Nov. 18 to commemorate the Nov. 18, 2024, Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The Weekly Rundown: A European Council Decision on Ukraine Financing, South Africa Braces for Commission Findings

Tunisia

Tunisia's President Kais Saied (top-R) waits to take his oath of office during his swearing-in ceremony before the National Assembly in Tunis on Oct. 21, 2024. 

Despite tensions with union leaders, Tunisia's controversial finance bill will introduce reforms that attract foreign investment and increase production in key sectors.

Strikes Loom as Tunisia's Government Undermines Labor Union

Eritrea

Ethiopia

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (center), flanked by his wife (left) and Djibouti's President Ismail Omar Guelleh (right), attends the official inauguration ceremony of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) in Guba, on Sept. 9, 2025.

Worsening tensions over sea access and Eritrea's ties to groups opposed to the Ethiopian government raise the risk of intensifying proxy clashes that could quickly escalate into a larger military confrontation.

Assessing the Risk of an Ethiopia-Eritrea War in 2026

Iran

Lebanon

Palestinian Territories

Israeli air defence systems are activated to intercept Iranian missiles over the Israeli city of Tel Aviv amid a fresh barrage of Iranian rockets on June 16, 2025.

If effective, the laser air defense system will significantly reduce the cost of intercepting short-range aerial threats and bolster Israel's multilayered protection against aerial attacks.


The Role of Iron Beam in Israel's Evolving Defense Architecture

Jordanian police close the entrance of a Muslim Brotherhood headquarters on April 23, 2025, in Amman, Jordan.

While the White House has initiated a review process to label the Muslim Brotherhood a Foreign Terrorist Organization, it is unlikely to result in a comprehensive ban on the group.

U.S. Unlikely To Broadly Designate Muslim Brotherhood as a Terrorist Organization

China

Philippines

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. delivers his third State of the Nation Address before lawmakers at the House of Representatives on July 22, 2024 in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines. 

A widespread corruption scandal is threatening to cause political instability in the Philippines, which could lead to policy paralysis and weaken the Philippines' posture against China.

A Corruption Scandal Threatens Political Crisis in the Philippines

Politics

SITUATION REPORTS

Russia: Moscow Scraps Plans for Common Eurasian Financial Market

Thailand, Cambodia: Ceasefire Talks To Resume Despite Ongoing Fighting

Taiwan: KMT Responds to Court Ruling Ending Judicial Impasse

India, New Zealand: Free Trade Agreement Announced

Venezuela: U.S. Forces Seize Two Additional Tankers

EU: Brussels Extends Sanctions on Russia for Further 6 Months

Spain: Right-Wing Parties Perform Strongly in Extremadura Regional Elections

Kazakhstan, Japan: Tokayev Visit Elevates Ties at Inaugural Central Asia Plus Japan Summit

Forecasts

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