Angola

Botswana

Burundi

Central African Republic

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Gabon

Mozambique

Rwanda

Sudan

Tanzania

Zambia

Zimbabwe

Qatar

Saudi Arabia

United Arab Emirates

Economics

Politics

Al Mansour Group chair and member of the Qatari royal family Sheikh Jassim bin Mansour bin Jabor al-Thani kicked off a tour of 10 countries across central and southern Africa, Radio France Internationale reported on Aug. 13.

Qatar: Prominent Royal Family Member Kicks Off Africa Tour 

United States

Europe

Ukraine

Russia

Military & Security

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

European leaders, meeting virtually with U.S. President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, agreed on five principles for the Aug. 15 summit between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, The New York Times reported on Aug. 13.

Ukraine, Russia: Allies Secure Ceasefire-First Pledge From Trump Ahead of Alaska Summit

Ecuador

Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa led a march attended by thousands of people in the capital, Quito, to criticize the country's Constitutional Court after it suspended articles from three security laws, Infobae reported on Aug. 12. 

Ecuador: President Criticizes Constitutional Court Over Suspension of Security Laws

France

New Caledonia's pro-independence Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front party, or FLNKS, announced that it rejected the July 12 draft Bougival agreement, which would have seen the territory become a new state but remain within France, Le Figaro reported on Aug. 13.

France: New Caledonian Independentists Reject Recent Agreement on Territory’s Institutional Future

China

China added Lithuania's UAB Urbo Bankas and AB Mano Bankas to its sanctions list in retaliation for recent EU measures against Chinese banks over alleged ties to Russia, according to an Aug. 13 statement by China's Ministry of Commerce.

EU, China: China Sanctions Two Lithuanian Banks Over EU Measures Against Chinese Banks

Australia

Nauru

Papua New Guinea

Vanuatu

The United States pledged $60 million to the Pacific island region under its 2022 U.S.-Pacific Partnership, and China secured a $651 million development deal with Nauru, the Australian Broadcasting Corp. reported on Aug. 13. 

Pacific Islands: Influence Competition Heats Up Ahead of Summits

Nigeria

Several local governments in northwest Nigeria, including Safana in Katsina state, struck community-led peace deals with bandits to ease farming, herding and residents’ movements, Sahara Reporters reported on Aug. 12.

Nigeria: Northwest Local Governments Reach Peace Deals With Bandits Amid Ongoing Military Operations

India

Energy

Environment, Science & Technology

In the latest sign of easing tensions between Beijing and New Delhi, China relaxed restrictions on urea exports to India, and the two countries are reportedly set to resume direct flights as early as September, Bloomberg reported on Aug. 12.

India, China: Eased Exports, Resumed Flights Show Continued Thaw in Relations

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

Iran

Armenia

Azerbaijan

U.S. President Donald Trump (center), Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev (left) and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan (right) hold up an agreement signed during a ceremony at the White House on Aug. 8, 2025.

The deal sidelines Russia and Iran while establishing a U.S. commercial presence in the South Caucasus, but it will remain fragile due to unresolved security guarantees and implementation challenges.

What To Make of the U.S.-Brokered Peace Deal Between Armenia and Azerbaijan

Snapshots

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during the "Winning the AI Race" summit hosted by All‑In Podcast and Hill & Valley Forum at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium on July 23, 2025, in Washington, D.C. 

Relaxed U.S. export controls on key semiconductors will enable Chinese companies to accelerate their advancement of AI-focused chips.

How U.S. Export Concessions Could Boost China's AI Ambitions

U.S.-China Relations

Columns

On Geopolitics

South Sudan

Chad

Ethiopia

Somalia

Uganda

Shipping containers are offloaded from a vessel at Berbera Port in Somaliland on Aug. 31, 2021.   (ED RAM/AFP via Getty Images)

The UAE is expanding its influence across East Africa through large-scale investments and security partnerships, aiming to consolidate its status as a global trade hub and counter regional competitors, at the risk of entangling regional states in broader geopolitical contests.

The UAE's Long Game in East Africa

Media

Brazil

Podcasts

How will these recent developments influence the 2026 general election?

Essential Geopolitics: Brazil's Evolving Political Climate Amid Bolsonaro's House Arrest and Trump's Tariffs

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters near Air Force One at the airport in Allentown, Pennsylvania, on Aug. 3, 2025. Trump answered questions about his upcoming meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, among other topics. 

While the Trump administration's outreach to Russia may yield limited cooperation, a comprehensive ''reset'' is unlikely for the foreseeable future due to Moscow and Washington's diverging strategic interests.

Can Trump Reset U.S.-Russia Relations?

Eritrea

A Tigrayan flag waves at the entrance of a hospital in Tigray's regional capital, Mekele, on Oct. 10, 2024. 

The ruling TPLF's apparent rapprochement with Eritrea and the rise of anti-TPLF groups are raising the risk of an Ethiopian-Eritrean proxy conflict in Tigray that could eventually spur a larger military escalation.

Ethiopia's Tigray Region Faces a Brewing Storm Amid Shifting Alliances

Israel

Syria

Israeli military vehicles drive along the border fence into Israel, near the town of Majdal Shams, in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights, on July 17, 2025.

While the two countries may engage in limited security cooperation, Israel's continued military interventions in Syria and the lack of U.S. economic pressure on Damascus will make full normalization nearly impossible.

Despite Recent Talks, Syria-Israel Normalization Remains Highly Unlikely

U.S. President Donald Trump (left) and Russian President Vladimir Putin pose ahead of a meeting in Helsinki, Finland, on July 16, 2018. 

As Putin and Trump prepare to meet in Alaska, the main risk for Ukraine is a U.S.-Russia deal that cements major territorial losses while offering weak security guarantees, leaving it vulnerable to future Russian aggression.

Putin-Trump Summit: The Risks for Ukraine

Palestinian Territories

U.S. President Donald Trump (R) looks at Russia's President Vladimir Putin on Nov. 30, 2018, during the G20 Leaders' Summit in Buenos Aires, Argentina. U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are expected to meet in the coming days.

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: A Trump-Putin Summit, the Deadline for a U.S.-China Tariff Pause

South Africa

What does the country's latest corruption scandal mean for President Cyril Ramaphosa and South African politics? 

Essential Geopolitics: The Outlook for South Africa's Coalition Government

U.S. President Donald Trump (left) and Russian President Vladimir Putin arrive at a press conference after their summit on July 16, 2018, in Helsinki, Finland.

The meeting risks sidelining Ukraine and enabling Russia to delay sanctions, consolidate battlefield gains, and advance its strategic interests through a U.S.-Russia peace framework.

What To Expect From the Upcoming Trump-Putin Summit

On Security

Mexico

DEA New York special agent in charge speaks to the press in New York City on Feb. 28, 2025, after the former leader of a brutal Mexican cartel, Rafael Caro Quintero, described by the White House as the world's ''most evil'' drug boss, pleaded not guilty to narcotics charges in New York.

Despite the political and diplomatic risks, Trump is more likely than not to launch some direct operations against Mexican cartels before he leaves office, potentially ranging from light and sporadic U.S. drone strikes to more extensive ground operations.

The Outlook for Trump's 'War' on Mexican Cartels

Politics

SITUATION REPORTS

Qatar: Prominent Royal Family Member Kicks Off Africa Tour

Ukraine, Russia: Allies Secure Ceasefire-First Pledge From Trump Ahead of Alaska Summit

Ecuador: President Criticizes Constitutional Court Over Suspension of Security Laws

France: New Caledonian Independentists Reject Recent Agreement on Territory’s Institutional Future

EU, China: China Sanctions Two Lithuanian Banks Over EU Measures Against Chinese Banks

Pacific Islands: Influence Competition Heats Up Ahead of Summits

Nigeria: Northwest Local Governments Reach Peace Deals With Bandits Amid Ongoing Military Operations

India, China: Eased Exports, Resumed Flights Show Continued Thaw in Relations

Forecasts

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