Botswana

Lesotho

Namibia

South Africa

Eswatini

India

Economics

Politics

India and the five-member Southern African Customs Union signed terms of reference to begin negotiations on a preferential trade agreement, Reuters reported on Aug. 12.

India: New Delhi Revives Trade Pact Talks With Southern African Customs Union

India's lower house of Parliament, the Lok Sabha, passed the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 by voice vote without debate, The Hindu reported on Aug. 12.

India: Lok Sabha Passes Bill Amending India's Mining Law

India's central government introduced a bill in Parliament that would tighten its authority over the mining sector by curbing state-level taxes and other charges on mineral resources and bringing mineral-bearing land under federal regulation, The Economic Times reported on Aug. 10. 

India: Government To Limit States' Powers To Tax Minerals and Mining

China

Environment, Science & Technology

Science & Technology

India is pressing China to resume sharing water-flow data, which Beijing has not provided since the bilateral data-sharing agreement expired in June 2023, as concerns grow over its construction of the world's largest hydropower project on the Yarlung Tsangpo, which flows downstream through India and Bangladesh, Bloomberg reported on Aug. 7.

India, China: India Raises River Data Concerns With China Over Tibet Dam

The Cockroach Janta Party youth group called off its nationwide protests after India's Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned amid criticism of leaks and other scandals linked to school exams in recent months, Reuters reported on July 25.

India: Education Minister Resigns, Prompting Protesters To Call Off Demonstrations

In his first public comments on the exam scandals that have fueled weeks-long demonstrations by the Cockroach Janta Party youth group, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi pledged to establish specialized courts that would bypass ordinary courts' more burdensome processes to prosecute those allegedly involved in leaking exam papers and ensure they face "swift and stringent punishment," Reuters reported on July 23.

India: Modi Pledges Low-Level Concession in First Public Comments on Student Protests

United States

On July 21, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that generic drugs imported into the United States will remain tariff-free for two years from Aug. 1, after which duties will increase to 100% for one year and then to 200%, Bloomberg reported on July 22. 

India, U.S.: U.S. To Impose Graduated Tariffs on Generic Drug Imports After Two Years

Military & Security

Addressing a parliamentary meeting of lawmakers from the country's ruling coalition, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for a "foolproof" public examination system and said authorities have taken "strict steps" to prevent future exam leaks, according to the parliamentary affairs minister, The Indian Express reported on July 21.

India: Modi Calls for Testing System Reform as Protesters Pledge Further Demonstrations

Assessments

Kuwait

Saudi Arabia

Turkey

Pakistan

People gather around an army air defense system on display at a military exhibition in Islamabad, Pakistan, on Aug. 14, 2025.

While they could unlock economic and strategic gains, Pakistan's new defense pacts with Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait will also increase its military's role in domestic policymaking and Islamabad's exposure to regional conflicts.

The Implications of Pakistan's Growing Defense Ties in the Middle East

Ethiopia

Brazil

Egypt

Iran

Russia

(From left to right) Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa attend a plenary session at the BRICS summit in Kazan on Oct. 24, 2024.

The bloc's push to develop an independent payment system for trade will not immediately undermine the U.S. dollar's global dominance, though it could reduce the effectiveness of U.S. sanctions.

The Implications of an Independent BRICS Payment System

Snapshots

United Kingdom

A giant Indian flag is displayed from the country's embassy in London on May 7, 2025.

While the agreement will support both countries' economic diversification efforts, U.K. regulatory standards and supply chain challenges will limit some gains for India.

What To Expect as the India-U.K. Trade Deal Enters Force

Bangladesh

Then-Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina arrives for a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on July 5, 2019.

The former leader's pledged return from exile risks triggering violent unrest and would likely do little to bolster her party's near-term political prospects, but it could eventually help ease tensions with India.

What Sheikh Hasina's Return Would Mean for Bangladesh's Political Future

The U.S. and Indian flags adorn the Eisenhower Executive Office Building of the White House in Washington, D.C., on June 20, 2023.

While the ban could prompt the U.S. to lower its proposed Section 301 tariff on India from 12.5% to 10%, unresolved concerns over manufacturing overcapacity will sustain the risk of broader, sector-specific tariffs.

India Imposes Forced Labor Import Ban to Reduce U.S. Tariff Exposure

Canada

Mexico

Japan

Cargo ships June 19 off the coast of the Khor Fakkan Container Terminal in Sharjah emirate, along the Gulf of Oman.

U.S.-Iran Relations

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

The Weekly Rundown: Japan's Takaichi Goes to India, an Unsteady U.S.-Iran Ceasefire

Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke (center) participates in a protest in Amritsar, India, on June 13, 2026.

Social Issues

While the Cockroach Janta Party has so far struggled to convert its online popularity into large street protests, worsening economic grievances among India's youth could catalyze the movement's growth.

Can India's Viral 'Cockroach' Party Mobilize a Gen Z Uprising?

View of the river in the mountains of northern Pakistan.

Reduced coordination on river data and forecasting will increase uncertainty in water management, while the potential expansion of Indian upstream infrastructure could portend faster, more unstable crises with Pakistan.

What To Expect if India Starts Halting Indus Water Flows to Pakistan

Australia

Fiji

(From left to right) Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio hold a joint press conference after their Quad meeting in New Delhi on May 26, 2026.

The meeting proved the grouping is still functional, but it faces strong constraints in turning ambitious coordination frameworks into functional maritime, infrastructure, critical minerals and energy initiatives that blunt Chinese regional influence.

Takeaways From Quad Summit: New Initiatives, Enduring Constraints and Future Uncertainty

Israel

Lebanon

Philippines

Armenia

Kazakhstan

A cargo ship anchored May 16 in the Strait of Hormuz near Larak Island, Iran. Major gaps in negotiations over the Strait of Hormuz and Iran's nuclear program persist, and the U.S.-Iran ceasefire will remain fragile over the next week.

The Weekly Rundown: Rubio Visits India, a Fragile U.S.-Iran Ceasefire

Uzbekistan

Tajikistan

Turkmenistan

Afghanistan

Afghan protesters burn a Pakistani flag during a demonstration in Helmand Province in 2016.

Gains from the Afghan Taliban's growing regional ties will be hindered by enduring disputes, logistical constraints, infrastructure security risks, and Pakistan's possible absence from future multilateral engagements.

How the Afghan-Pakistani Conflict Is Redrawing Regional Relations

Supporters of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) celebrate with the party flags in Kolkata, India, following state elections in West Bengal.

The ruling party's expanding control across state governments will likely gradually strengthen its position in Parliament and accelerate the implementation of citizenship and labor policies.

In India, the BJP's State Election Wins Set the Stage for National Reform

<p>India is endowed with favorable geographic barriers. Surrounded by oceans on three sides and the formidable Himalayan Mountains to the north, what is now modern India has been free of outside interference for much of its long history. Its large geographic size and population, coupled with weaker peripheral nations on much of its boundaries, have allowed India to become the dominant force in South Asia. Home to the world&rsquo;s second-largest population, India&rsquo;s 1.3 billion people are spread out across the peninsular nation, from the foothills of the Himalayas to the tropical south. India&rsquo;s population core is settled along the Ganges river basin, a densely populated swath of fertile land that extends across the northern Himalayan border. India&rsquo;s primary geographic challenge comes from a lack of strong internal boundaries. Modern-day India struggles to rectify the ambitions of a relatively weak national government that competes with the prerogatives of strong, diverse states &mdash; a legacy of a long history of domestic infighting between various dynasties uninhibited by mountains or other defining geography. A similar lack of defining geography still plagues India&rsquo;s northwest border. Waves of Greek, Persian, and Mongols invaded, culminating in the Mughal Empire, which united much of the subcontinent prior to British conquest. The northwestern border still poses national security risks, due to ongoing disputes with Pakistan. But rising domestic consumption means India is increasingly dependent on imported goods from distant suppliers. Surrounded by water or impassable mountains, New Delhi now faces the additional task of developing naval capabilities to secure its critical supply routes, risking maritime tensions with China in the broader Indo-Pacific basin.</p>

SITUATION REPORTS

India: New Delhi Revives Trade Pact Talks With Southern African Customs Union

India: Lok Sabha Passes Bill Amending India's Mining Law

India: Government To Limit States' Powers To Tax Minerals and Mining

India, China: India Raises River Data Concerns With China Over Tibet Dam

India: Education Minister Resigns, Prompting Protesters To Call Off Demonstrations

India: Modi Pledges Low-Level Concession in First Public Comments on Student Protests

India, U.S.: U.S. To Impose Graduated Tariffs on Generic Drug Imports After Two Years

India: Modi Calls for Testing System Reform as Protesters Pledge Further Demonstrations

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