South Africa

Economics

South African Transport Minister Barbara Creecy announced that 11 train operating companies had met requirements to access South Africa's rail network and would now enter negotiations over commercial contracts defining the modalities of their access, Reuters reported on Aug. 22.

South Africa: Government Picks 11 Private Companies To Access Railway Network 

South Sudan

Ethiopia

Kenya

Sudan

Uganda

Egypt

Energy

Environment, Science & Technology

Politics

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty held phone calls on Aug. 21 with his counterparts from Sudan, South Sudan, Uganda and Kenya during which he stressed Egypt's "categorical rejection of unilateral measures" on the eastern Nile Basin and said "water security" was "existential" for Egypt, Addis Standard reported on Aug. 22.

Egypt: Cairo Courts Upstream Nile Basin States With Promise of Development Support  

United States

China

Nvidia ordered several suppliers and contractors for its H20 AI chip, including Amkor, Foxconn and Samsung, to suspend production, The Information reported on Aug. 21. 

U.S., China: Nvidia Tells Suppliers and Contractors To Halt Production of H20 AI Chip

U.S.-China Relations

Chile

Chilean Finance Minister Mario Marcel resigned and was replaced by Economy Minister Nicolas Grau, Reuters reported on Aug. 21.

Chile: Finance Minister's Resignation Unlikely To Result in Policy Shifts

Iran

Germany

France

United Kingdom

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi will meet with officials from France, Germany and the United Kingdom, known collectively as the E3, during the week of Aug. 24-30 to discuss nuclear negotiations and sanctions, Reuters reported on Aug. 22. 

Iran: Tehran To Discuss Nuclear, Sanctions Issues With Germany, France, U.K.

Canada

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced that the country would drop its retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods that comply with the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) rules of origin requirements, CTV News reported on Aug. 22, a day after Carney spoke with U.S. President Donald Trump. 

Canada, U.S.: Canada Scraps Retaliatory Tariffs on USMCA-Compliant Goods

Tunisia

Military & Security

Thousands of Tunisians marched in Tunis on Aug. 21 to demand union rights and broader civic freedoms amid escalating tensions between President Kais Saied and the country's most powerful labor union, The New Arab reported on Aug. 22.

Tunisia: UGTT and Saied on the Verge of a Clash

Slovakia

Hungary

Ukraine

Russia

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

The governments of Hungary and Slovakia sent a letter to the European Commission saying that Ukraine's recent attacks against the Druzhba oil pipeline "severely threaten the energy security" of both countries and are "totally unacceptable," Reuters reported on Aug. 22.

Hungary, Slovakia: Ukraine’s Attacks on Druzhba Oil Pipeline Labeled 'Totally Unacceptable'

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

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Mining and Industry Minister Bandar Al-Khorayef addresses the Future Mineral Forum in Riyadh on Jan. 10, 2024. 

Despite recent deals, the kingdom's mining sector will struggle to secure the level of investment needed to accomplish its Vision 2030 goals, though certain minerals adjacent to oil production, like lithium, are poised for greater growth.

The Challenges and Opportunities in Saudi Arabia's Mining Sector

Assessments

Bahrain

Kuwait

Oman

Qatar

United Arab Emirates

Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary-General Jassim al-Budaiwi and the foreign ministers from the six GCC countries (Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates) pose for a group photo during the GCC foreign minister meeting in Kuwait City on June 2, 2025.

Despite global economic uncertainty and oil price volatility, Gulf Arab states are expected to sustain solid economic growth, driven by strong fundamentals, substantial buffers and ongoing diversification efforts.

Solid Fundamentals Shield GCC Economies From Global Volatility

Argentina

Bolivia

Brazil

Paraguay

Uruguay

Venezuela

Lebanon

Indonesia

Japan

Singapore

South Korea

Vietnam

The Geopolitics of Trade

Global Trade

Mercosur is increasingly opening its markets in pursuit of free trade agreements with partners around the world, particularly as U.S. protectionism shifts global trade dynamics.

The Geopolitics of Trade: What Changing Trade Dynamics Mean for Mercosur

India

Workers at the Samsung plant in Sriperumbudur, India, stage a protest to demand higher wages and recognition of their union on Sept. 11, 2024. 

The labor reforms, aimed at streamlining regulations and attracting investment, face significant delays and uneven implementation due to political resistance, trade union opposition and state-level administrative challenges.

India's Labor Codes: Challenges to Nationwide Adoption

Tunisian President Kais Saied attends his swearing-in ceremony before the National Assembly in Tunis on Oct. 21, 2024. 

The government's focus on centralizing power and suppressing dissent over economic reform or liberalization will leave the Tunisian economy vulnerable to global downturns and reliant on uncertain foreign support.

Tunisia's Economy at Risk as President Saied Prioritizes Consolidating Power

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

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

Columns

On Geopolitics

Chad

Somalia

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

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

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

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

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

Economics

SITUATION REPORTS

South Africa: Government Picks 11 Private Companies To Access Railway Network

Egypt: Cairo Courts Upstream Nile Basin States With Promise of Development Support

U.S., China: Nvidia Tells Suppliers and Contractors To Halt Production of H20 AI Chip

Chile: Finance Minister's Resignation Unlikely To Result in Policy Shifts

Iran: Tehran To Discuss Nuclear, Sanctions Issues With Germany, France, U.K.

Canada, U.S.: Canada Scraps Retaliatory Tariffs on USMCA-Compliant Goods

Tunisia: UGTT and Saied on the Verge of a Clash

Hungary, Slovakia: Ukraine’s Attacks on Druzhba Oil Pipeline Labeled 'Totally Unacceptable'

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