United States

China

Japan

Economics

Military & Security

The upper house of Japan's Diet passed the general budget for fiscal year 2026 on April 7, with 122.3 trillion yen ($766 billion) in spending, up 6.2% from 2025. 

Japan: Budget Passes, Takaichi Prioritizes Defense Over Food Tax Cut

Politics

China on April 7 released regulations on the "security of industrial and supply chains," effective immediately, that outline an early warning system for industrial and supply chain security threats, the creation of reserves for key goods and emergency measures to mobilize reserves and supply chains.

China: Supply Chain Security Rules Retaliate Against Foreign Threats

New Zealand

India

India and New Zealand are reportedly set to sign a free trade agreement on April 24 to boost trade and investment, The Economic Times reported on April 7.

India, New Zealand: Governments Set To Sign FTA on April 24

Vietnam

Vietnam's National Assembly unanimously elected Communist Party General Secretary To Lam as state president and Le Minh Hung as prime minister for the 2026-31 term, AP reported on April 7.

Vietnam: Party and State Leadership Positions Merged

Argentina

An investigation shows wrongdoings in an Argentine public bank's concession of loans to high-ranking Argentine government officials, El Pais reported on April 6. 

Argentina: Corruption Scandals To Undermine Government's Capacity To Pass Pro-Business Legislation

Cuba

Energy

Cuba began releasing select prisoners on April 3, though all those released so far had been detained for common crimes, not for political reasons, El Debate reported on April 5.

Cuba, U.S.: Cuba's Prisoner Releases Begin With Common, Not Political, Criminals

Syria

Turkey

Ukraine

Russia

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Over the weekend of April 3-5, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky held talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul and with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa in Damascus, where the leaders agreed to expand security cooperation, including in defense, infrastructure and food security, Reuters reported on April 5. 

Ukraine, Turkey, Syria: Ukraine Takes Its War Expertise to Post-Assad Syria

Taiwan

Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen, who is a member of Taiwan's Kuomintang opposition party and a potential presidential candidate for the January 2028 election, said on April 6 that a reasonable special defense budget should be NT$800 billion-NT$1 trillion ($25 billion-$31 billion), much higher than the current KMT proposal, the South China Morning Post reported on April 4.

Taiwan: KMT Split on U.S. and China Ties, Support for U.S. Arms Sales

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

Assessments

Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi answers questions at a legislative budget committee session in Tokyo on April 7, 2026, while Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (left) looks on. 

Japan's ability to sustain increased spending on defense and other strategic investments in the coming years will be constrained by sluggish economic growth, high government debt and a challenging geopolitical landscape.

Reviewing Japan's New Budget: Balancing Spending Hikes and Fiscal Reality

Columns

On Geopolitics

The Geopolitics of Demographics

Geopolitics of Demographics

Demographic decline, driven by falling fertility rates worldwide, is likely irreversible but will also increasingly differentiate countries based on their ability to adapt through sound immigration, labor, technological and fiscal policies.

Adapting to Demographic Decline: Policy Tradeoffs and Global Divergences

Peru

The exterior facade of the Legislative Palace of Peru is seen in Lima.

With a record 35 candidates running in the April 12 race and no clear frontrunner, numerous scenarios remain possible, including a win by an anti-establishment outsider, a mainstream right-wing figure or another leftist.

Peru's Presidential Election: Potential Outcomes and Their Implications

Snapshots

Iran

Myanmar

Afghanistan

Nepal

Pakistan

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

Global Trade

New Delhi's decisions to permit specific imports and fast-track minority investments highlight its strategy of addressing critical manufacturing shortages, though relations are unlikely to extend beyond low-level confidence-building measures.

India Cautiously Opens up to Chinese Investment

Iraq

Iraqi women light candles in memory of the victims of the U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran and Lebanon during a rally in Baghdad's Tahrir Square on April 2, 2026.

Violent spillover from the Iran war will further complicate Iraq's government formation process, while disrupted oil exports will heavily strain Baghdad's finances and raise the risk of unrest.

Iraq Is Caught in the Crossfire of Another Destabilizing War

Rastriya Swatantra Party leader Balendra Shah is sworn in as Nepal's new prime minister in Kathmandu on March 27, 2026.

Prolonged global supply chain disruptions and threats to foreign remittances linked to the war will constrain the new administration's ability to deliver on its economic promises.


New Nepalese Government's Agenda Threatened by Iran War Fallout

U.S.-Iran Relations

Hungary

 A campaign billboard featuring a portrait of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is seen in Budapest's 3rd district on March 27, 2026.

Hungary's April 12 parliamentary elections are primed to be the country's most competitive national vote since 2010 and may remove Prime Minister Viktor Orban's Fidesz party from power.

Hungary's Upcoming Elections May Unseat Orban After 16 Years

This photo, taken in Lima in November 2024, shows Chinese President Xi Jinping (left) and Peruvian President Dina Boluarte attending the inauguration ceremony for the Chinese-built and operated "megaport" in the small Peruvian town of Chancay.

Environment, Science & Technology

As Washington formalizes a new hemispheric doctrine centered on security and supply chain dominance, regional governments face mounting pressure to align their defense and economic policies with U.S. geopolitical interests.

How the U.S.'s Anti-China Strategy for Latin America Could Unfold

U.S.-China Relations

The Geopolitics of Natural Resources

As competition for natural resources and critical raw materials intensifies, companies -- not just countries -- must be more mindful of risks in their physical supply chains.

The Geopolitics of Natural Resources: An Introduction

Israel

Yemen

Houthi loyalists chant slogans on March 27, 2026, in Sanaa, Yemen, as they participate in a protest staged to show support for Iran in its ongoing war against the United States and Israel.

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis will likely progressively expand their target set beyond Israel if the war intensifies, raising the risk of more economically disruptive attacks on regional shipping and energy infrastructure.

The Implications of the Houthis Joining the Iran War

Cyber

Israel-Hamas Conflict

The second quarter will test global resilience as lingering conflicts and energy shocks converge to heighten economic uncertainty and geopolitical volatility.

2026 Second-Quarter Forecast: An Excerpt

Media

Podcasts

How will the trajectory of China-U.S. trade conversations change in light of conflict in the Middle East?

The Decision Advantage: The Impact of the Iran War on the Asia-Pacific Region

Economics

SITUATION REPORTS

Japan: Budget Passes, Takaichi Prioritizes Defense Over Food Tax Cut

China: Supply Chain Security Rules Retaliate Against Foreign Threats

India, New Zealand: Governments Set To Sign FTA on April 24

Vietnam: Party and State Leadership Positions Merged

Argentina: Corruption Scandals To Undermine Government's Capacity To Pass Pro-Business Legislation

Cuba, U.S.: Cuba's Prisoner Releases Begin With Common, Not Political, Criminals

Ukraine, Turkey, Syria: Ukraine Takes Its War Expertise to Post-Assad Syria

Taiwan: KMT Split on U.S. and China Ties, Support for U.S. Arms Sales

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