Iran

China

Uzbekistan

Ukraine

Azerbaijan

Kazakhstan

Russia

Kyrgyzstan

Economics

Military & Security

Politics

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev addressed the informal Organization of Turkic States summit in Turkestan, Kazakhstan, where he proposed new cooperation on artificial intelligence centers, cybersecurity, digital signatures, space, cultural heritage and Turkic terminology, while rejecting claims that the OTS was a military alliance, KazTAG reported on May 15.

Kazakhstan: Tokayev Says OTS Is Not a Military Bloc as Turkic Ties Deepen

Canada

Energy

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith announced a deal on carbon pricing that sets out a schedule for Alberta to increase its headline carbon price from C$95 ($69) per metric ton to C$140 by 2040.

Canada: Alberta, Ottawa Strike Deal on Carbon Price To Unlock Federal Support for Pacific Pipeline

United Arab Emirates

India

During Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the United Arab Emirates, both sides agreed on a framework for a strategic defense partnership, Reuters reported on May 15.

India: New Delhi Signs Defense and Energy Agreements With UAE

India's state-run fuel retailers raised petrol and diesel prices by 3 rupees ($0.03) per liter, a little over a 3% increase, Bloomberg reported on May 15.

India: New Delhi Increases Retail Fuel Prices for First Time Since Iran War Began

Cuba

United States

CIA Director John Ratcliffe met with Cuban government officials in Havana and said Washington would only "seriously engage" with Cuba on economic and security issues "if it makes fundamental changes," Reuters reported on May 14.

Cuba, U.S.: CIA Director Visit to Havana Indicates Growing U.S. Pressure on Cuba

Australia

Solomon Islands

Solomon Islands lawmakers elected longtime opposition leader Matthew Wale as the country's new prime minister in a 26-22 secret parliamentary vote, Nikkei Asia reported on May 15.

Solomon Islands: Leadership Shift Recasts Pacific Security Competition

The UAE government said that construction of the West-East Pipeline, intended to double oil export capacity through Fujairah by 2027, would be fast-tracked, Reuters reported May 15. 

UAE, Iran: UAE Fast-Tracks New Oil Bypass Pipeline

U.S.-Iran Relations

Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted U.S. President Donald Trump at the Great Hall of the People for the first day of their two-day summit, where the two had a public banquet and a two-and-a-half-hour, closed-door meeting, according to state news outlet Xinhua on May 14.

China, U.S.: Trump and Xi Talk Trade and Managed Competition

U.S.-China Relations

The world is connected, but even the broadest topics deserve an individual look. Below are our latest and most relevant economics analyses.

Below are our latest and most relevant economics analyses.

Sub-Saharan Africa

Americas

Asia-Pacific

Europe

Eurasia

Middle East and North Africa

South Asia

Beyond Quantitative Easing

The New Silk Road

The Fate of the Eurozone

South America: Split Decisions on Trade

Banking

Commodities: A Cautionary Tale

Social Issues

European Disintegration

Russia's Internal Struggle

China in Transition

A Japanese Awakening

East African Integration

Snapshots

U.S. President Donald Trump (right) shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on May 14, 2026.

Despite a mutual desire to stabilize relations, Xi and Trump's meetings produced few tangible results, sustaining the risk of future tariff escalations, export restrictions and other coercive measures.

Xi-Trump Talks Fail To Move the Needle on Major Issues

Assessments

Tajikistan

Turkmenistan

Afghanistan

Pakistan

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

United Kingdom

U.K. Health Secretary Wes Streeting arrives at the University of Kent in Canterbury, England, on March 19, 2026, as students receive the Meningitis B vaccine.

While a leadership transition would prolong market volatility, any new prime minister would likely maintain policy continuity and fiscal discipline, differing only on the specific execution of budget restraint and EU rapprochement.

Starmer's Days Appear Numbered After U.K. Health Secretary Quits

Israel

Saudi Arabia

Commercial vessels are seen offshore in Dubai on March 11, 2026.

While recent revelations about the airstrikes indicate a shift in both countries' risk calculations, the UAE's hawkish, Israel-aligned posture poses a greater threat of Iranian retaliation than Saudi Arabia's more restrained approach. 

The UAE and Saudi Arabia Enter the War Against Iran, but With Separate Strategies

Turkey

A digital illustration of the Turkish flag.

Continued high inflation, political uncertainty and bureaucratic hurdles will likely limit the overall effectiveness of the reforms, which come ahead of the 2028 presidential election.

Turkey Pursues Tax Reforms Amid Economic Fallout From the Iran War

U.S. President Donald Trump (right) and Chinese President Xi Jinping attend a bilateral meeting in Busan, South Korea, on Oct. 30, 2025.

Environment, Science & Technology

The May 14-15 meetings will likely yield a limited extension of the current U.S.-China economic detente while leaving core strategic disputes over technology controls, Taiwan and Iran largely unresolved.

Trump-Xi Summit Likely To Preserve Trade Truce, Test Strategic Fault Lines

Qatar

Part of the gas processing facilities of Europe's first helium production pilot plant in Saint-Parize-le-Chatel, France, on Sept. 11, 2024.

Qatar's halt of helium production due to the Iran war risks causing shortages that disrupt key manufacturing industries, particularly in Asia.

How the Iran War is Choking the World's Helium Flow

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Trucks haul away ore from a pit in the Chinese-owned Tenke Fungurume Mine, one of the largest copper and cobalt mines in the world, in southeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo on June 17, 2023.

Greater access to Congo's mining sector will likely help the U.S. further secure its cobalt and copper supplies, but ongoing security concerns in the Central African country and China's dominance over global mineral processing will limit the extent of these gains.

Trump Goes Hunting For Congo's Minerals

Algeria

Spain

Italy

A worker stands on the uploading dock of Cavaou LNG terminal in Fos-sur-Mer, France, on June 22, 2023, while the tanker boat "Lalla Fatma N'Soumer" arrives full of LNG ready to be delivered. 

Amid energy supply disruptions in the Middle East, Algeria's ability to capitalize on increased global prices and demand for energy exports will be constrained by limited spare capacity and bureaucratic obstacles.

Structural Constraints Will Limit Algeria's Ability To Capitalize on Tighter Energy Markets

Brazil

The Geopolitics of Natural Resources

If Flavio Bolsonaro wins in October, his right-wing administration would largely abandon Brazil's environmental and climate commitments, accelerate extractive investments and projects, and pursue strong geopolitical alignment with Washington.

The Balance Between Environmental and Extractive Policies in Brazil's Presidential Election, Part 2

If President Lula wins reelection in October, his administration would continue balancing the promotion of green initiatives with the expansion of mining and drilling, while retaining strategic neutrality in the U.S.-China competition.

The Balance Between Environmental and Extractive Policies in Brazil's Presidential Election, Part 1

An oil tanker is seen docked in the southeastern Iranian coastal city of Chabahar, on the Gulf of Oman, in February 2019.

Chabahar is poised to transition from an ambitious commercial venture to a symbolic strategic asset, as India seeks to maintain long-term access and regional influence until sanctions conditions become clearer.

Expired U.S. Sanctions Waiver Threatens India's Chabahar Port Project in Iran

Economics

SITUATION REPORTS

Kazakhstan: Tokayev Says OTS Is Not a Military Bloc as Turkic Ties Deepen

Canada: Alberta, Ottawa Strike Deal on Carbon Price To Unlock Federal Support for Pacific Pipeline

India: New Delhi Signs Defense and Energy Agreements With UAE

India: New Delhi Increases Retail Fuel Prices for First Time Since Iran War Began

Cuba, U.S.: CIA Director Visit to Havana Indicates Growing U.S. Pressure on Cuba

Solomon Islands: Leadership Shift Recasts Pacific Security Competition

UAE, Iran: UAE Fast-Tracks New Oil Bypass Pipeline

China, U.S.: Trump and Xi Talk Trade and Managed Competition

Forecasts

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