China

Pakistan

Economics

Military & Security

Politics

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met with various Chinese officials this week during a six-day visit to China, resulting in the two countries signing $7 billion in memoranda of understanding as well as $1.5 billion in joint ventures across a range of sectors, including agriculture, renewable energy, health and steel, AP reported Sept. 5.

Pakistan, China: Countries Sign $8.5 Billion in Investment Deals, Renew Commitment to Starting CPEC's Next Phase

United States

Japan

Global Trade

The White House released an executive order late on Sept. 4 with details on the U.S.-Japan trade deal, confirming a 15% tariff on most goods, including automobiles, as well as tariff exemptions for pharmaceuticals and certain natural resources, though the deal only vaguely outlines their investment agreement, with no timeline or clarification on the allocation of profits, Bloomberg has reported.

U.S., Japan: Details of Trade Deal Revealed, but Disputes Still Likely

Thailand

Former Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul of the center-right Bhumjaithai Party was elected as Thailand's 32nd prime minister, securing 311 of 490 votes in the lower house, the Bangkok Post reported Sept. 5.

Thailand: Lower House Elects New Prime Minister, the Fourth in Two Years

Romania

On Sept. 4, Romania's right-wing Alliance for the Unity of Romanians (AUR) filed four separate no-confidence motions against Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan's government for Sept. 7, Balkan Insight reported.

Romania: Government to face four no-confidence motions 

Syria

Syrian interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa announced the launch of the Syrian Development Fund to promote the reconstruction of the country, Anadolu Agency reported on Sept. 4. 

Syria: Government Reconstruction Fund Reaches $30 Million in Minutes

Mexico

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and members of her cabinet in Mexico City on Sept. 3, during which they vowed to continue collaboration on cross-border security issues, including drug trafficking, AP reported the same day.

U.S., Mexico: Rubio Meets With Sheinbaum, Pledges Continued Security Collaboration

North Korea

North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong Un and Chinese President Xi Jinping held their first bilateral talks in six years on Sept. 4 in Beijing, Xinhua reported the same day, but the Chinese state news outlet did not disclose details of their discussion.

China, North Korea: Xi and Kim Hold First Talks in Six Years

Nigeria

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu confirmed plans to establish state police forces in the country amid worsening insecurity, saying that decentralizing policing would strengthen local responses to violent crime, Sahara Reporters reported on Sept. 3.

Nigeria: Rising Violence Sparks Push for State Police

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

Assessments

Ethiopia

Brazil

Israel

France

United Kingdom

French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou leaves after the weekly cabinet meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, on Aug. 27, 2025.

Israel-Hamas Conflict

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

The Weekly Rundown: France's Bayrou Faces a Confidence Vote, Ethiopia Inaugurates Its Mega-Dam

French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou arrives ahead of meetings with party leaders as part of political consultations at the Hotel de Matignon in Paris, on Sept. 4, 2025, ahead of the French National Assembly's vote of confidence.

Decisive action to significantly reduce fiscal deficits will remain elusive before and likely after France's next presidential election, given political fragmentation and polarization that will prevent a stable legislative majority.

French Debt Soars As Parliament Unlikely To Reach Fiscal Consolidation

Venezuela

The U.S. Navy warship USS Sampson docks at the Amador International Cruise Terminal in Panama City on Aug. 30, 2025. 

Energy

While further kinetic operations against Venezuelan drug trafficking groups are probable, the Trump administration's pressure campaign against Caracas is unlikely to escalate into a U.S. invasion or seriously threaten the Maduro regime.

Assessing U.S. Military Activity in the Caribbean and What It Means for Venezuela

Columns

On Geopolitics

A portrait of former U.S. President Ronald Reagan is seen in the background as U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., on April 22, 2025.

Environment, Science & Technology

In just seven months in office, the Trump administration has pursued a series of highly unconventional economic policies that, taken together, amount to the deepest government interventionism into the U.S. economy of any president since the Reagan era.

The Visible Hand: Trump's Interventionism Reshapes American Capitalism

U.S.-China Relations

Media

Lithuania

Germany

Finland

Latvia

Denmark

Estonia

Sweden

Poland

Russia

Podcasts

Why is the Baltic such a critical and complex region?

Essential Geopolitics: Remilitarization in the Baltic

Indonesia

A protest in front of police headquarters Aug. 31 in in Surabaya, Indonesia. Mass protests are poised to continue absent unlikely and large government concessions, but President Prabowo Subianto's position will remain secure.

While mass protests are poised to continue absent unlikely and large government concessions, President Prabowo Subianto's position will remain secure. 

Unrest in Indonesia Will Continue, but Not Dislodge the Government

India

A freight train carrying cargo containers rides along a railway track in Ajmer, India, on Aug. 26, 2025. 

While India will remain engaged in U.S. trade talks, a deal that secures relief from Trump's 50% tariff will remain elusive amid New Delhi's reluctance to reduce its agricultural protections and Russian oil purchases. 


U.S. Tariffs Strain India's Exports Amid Stalled Trade Talks

The Geopolitics of Trade

Geopolitical, security and environmental risks threaten to disrupt trade through crucial waterways, including the Bab el-Mandeb strait, the Suez Canal, the Danish and Turkish straits, and the Panama Canal.

The Geopolitics of Trade: Threats to Maritime Chokepoints Endanger Global Trade, Part 2

Ecuador

Ukraine

Helicopters fly in the sky during a rehearsal for a military parade Aug. 24 in Beijing.

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

The Weekly Rundown: An SCO Summit, Rubio Closes Security Deals With Mexico and Ecuador

Djibouti

Somalia

The flag of Somaliland is seen during a political rally in Hargeisa on Nov. 8, 2024.

The United States is growing more likely to recognize Somaliland's statehood to secure basing rights in the territory, which would likely roil U.S.-Somalia relations and risk plunging Somalia into crisis.

Assessing the Prospect of the U.S. Recognizing Somaliland's Independence

Snapshots

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping attend a meeting on May 14, 2015, in Xian, China. 

While Trump-era tariff pressures offer a new economic incentive for cooperation, Beijing and New Delhi are unlikely to fully normalize ties due to enduring strategic and security concerns.

Despite Modest Improvement, India-China Relations Face Enduring Challenges

The outside of the Federal Reserve Board building is seen in Washington, D.C.

If upheld, Trump's unprecedented dismissal of Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook could dent the U.S. central bank's credibility and fuel market volatility.

The Implications of Trump's Latest Attack on Fed Independence

Politics

SITUATION REPORTS

Pakistan, China: Countries Sign $8.5 Billion in Investment Deals, Renew Commitment to Starting CPEC's Next Phase

U.S., Japan: Details of Trade Deal Revealed, but Disputes Still Likely

Thailand: Lower House Elects New Prime Minister, the Fourth in Two Years

Romania: Government to face four no-confidence motions

Syria: Government Reconstruction Fund Reaches $30 Million in Minutes

U.S., Mexico: Rubio Meets With Sheinbaum, Pledges Continued Security Collaboration

China, North Korea: Xi and Kim Hold First Talks in Six Years

Nigeria: Rising Violence Sparks Push for State Police

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