United States

Indonesia

Thailand

Vietnam

Economics

Politics

Facing a 36% U.S. tariff threat, Thailand proposed eliminating tariffs and nontariff barriers on 90% of U.S. goods -- up from 60% -- in a last-ditch bid to reach a deal before U.S. President Donald Trump's Aug. 1 deadline, Bloomberg reported on July 17.

Thailand, U.S.: Following Other Deals, Bangkok Races To Beat Tariff Clock

Israel

Syria

Military & Security

Syrian government forces began withdrawing from their positions in Sweida following another ceasefire agreement with the Druze community, CNN reported on July 17.

Syria, Israel: Syrian Forces Withdraw From Sweida

Nigeria

Former Nigerian presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar terminated his membership of the opposition People's Democratic Party, or PDP, through a letter dated July 14, citing the party's perceived divergence from its core principles, Vanguard reported on July 16. 

Nigeria: Atiku Resigns From PDP as Former President Buhari's Death Risks Fragmenting Ruling APC 

Germany

United Kingdom

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer signed a landmark bilateral agreement in London designed to deepen cooperation on defense, trade and migration, according to a joint press release on July 17.

U.K., Germany: London and Berlin Sign Bilateral Defense and Security Pact

Turkey

A Turkish court sentenced key opposition figure and Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu to one year and eight months in prison for insulting Istanbul's chief prosecutor, although he was not banned from running for office, Politico reported on July 16.

Turkey: Imamoglu Convicted but Not Banned From Running for Office

Ukraine

Russia

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Russia "continues to analyze" U.S. President Donald Trump's threat to impose a 100% tariff on countries purchasing Russian oil unless Moscow agrees to a peace deal with Kyiv by early September, Reuters reported on July 17.

Russia, Ukraine: Russia 'Continues To Analyze' Trump's Sanctions Threat

Iraq

Energy

The Iraqi government will resume budget transfers to the Kurdistan Regional Government after reportedly reaching an agreement with the KRG on its financial dispute, Rudaw reported on July 17.

Iraq: Federal Government and KRG Reach New Agreement on Financial Disputes

Mexico

Social Issues

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum signed a new telecommunications law into law, which will take effect on July 17, El Economista reported July 16. 

Mexico: Government to Expand Internet Access, Cut Costs with New Telecom Law

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

Europe

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

Snapshots

Containers are unloaded from a ship at a terminal of Tanjung Priok Port, the main seaport in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Jan. 24, 2025. 

Global Trade

In exchange for a lower U.S. tariff rate, Indonesia accepted significant concessions, including purchasing commitments and regulatory changes, that risk limiting its long-term autonomy and industrial policy goals.

To Avoid Steeper Tariffs, Indonesia Reaches High-Stakes Trade Deal With the U.S.

Assessments

Kenya

A demonstrator holds a Kenyan flag on a street in Nairobi, Kenya, during a pro-democracy protest on July 7, 2025. 

Growing anger over Ruto's economic policies and crackdown on dissent will hinder his efforts to reduce Kenya's fiscal deficit and portend recurring bouts of violent and disruptive protests.

No End in Sight to Kenya's Cycle of Deadly Protests

Columns

On Geopolitics

Bahrain

Iran

Oman

Qatar

Saudi Arabia

United Arab Emirates

Vehicles drive along a main thoroughfare past a billboard that reads in Farsi and Hebrew: "A severe blow... The vile and villainous Zionist regime (Israel) has made a grave mistake,” in central Tehran on June 24, 2025. 

Israel-Hamas Conflict

The war has weakened Iran, but has also shifted regional perceptions of Israel as a destabilizing force, prompting Gulf states to reassess alliances, Turkey to emerge as a rival, and raising the risk of nuclear proliferation in the Middle East.

Assessing the Regional Impact of the Israel-Iran War, Part 2

China

Diplomats attend the 32nd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Regional Forum during the 58th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Kuala Lumpur on July 11, 2025. 

Chinese, Russian and U.S. participation in the summit shows that the Southeast Asian bloc will remain a key venue for diplomatic hedging and potential great power friction in the years ahead.

ASEAN Meeting Provides an Arena for Multipolar Competition

U.S.-China Relations

The sun sets behind electrical grids in the southern Iraqi city of Nasiriyah on Jan. 3, 2021. 

Power outages will likely worsen this summer amid Iraq's inability to meet surging demand and reliance on unreliable Iranian gas supplies, raising the risk of larger and potentially more violent protests.

Iraq's Worsening Electricity Crisis Risks Fueling Bigger Protests

Bangladesh

The entrance to the International Monetary Fund headquarters is seen in Washington, D.C.

While Bangladesh is making progress in its IMF program, risks persist, including political uncertainty, low foreign exchange reserves and high U.S. tariffs on its vital garment sector.

Bangladesh's Economic Outlook: Progress and Persistent Challenges

Cameroon

Cameroon President Paul Biya (L) and his wife Chantal Biya react during a parade marking the 51st celebration of Unity Day in Yaounde on May 20, 2023.

Cracks in the ruling coalition risk fueling unrest and political instability as 92-year-old President Biya seeks an eighth term in the October election. 

Amid Growing Defections, Cameroon's Aging President Doubles Down With a Reelection Bid

Australia

U.S. President Donald Trump on April 24 in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington. In an interview July 10, U.S. President Donald Trump suggested he would "have a major statement to make on Russia on Monday," perhaps representing a shift in his administration's policy.

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

The Weekly Rundown: Trump Speaks on Ukraine, Sweeping EU Budget Reform

A Ukrainian soldier works on an AN/TWQ-1 Avenger anti-aircraft missile system on Nov. 28, 2023, in Kyiv, Ukraine. 

Despite Trump's impatience with Russia's failure to de-escalate in Ukraine, the White House is highly unlikely to dramatically ramp up pressure in a way that significantly alters the Kremlin's calculus.

What Trump's Growing Frustration With Russia Means for U.S. Policy

Lebanon

A collapsed water tank painted with the Lebanese flag is seen in the ruins of a village in southern Lebanon, located near the border with Israel, on Jan. 7, 2025.

Ahead of Lebanon's 2026 election, Hezbollah will try to portray itself as a nationalist resistance movement rather than an Iranian proxy, but the risk of renewed conflict with Israel will persist unless the group disarms. 

To Ease Pressure to Disarm, Hezbollah Pursues a Rebrand 

U.S. President Donald Trump arrives to speak during a rally at a steel plant in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, on May 30, 2025. 

For the rest of his term, Trump will continue to use tariffs to secure foreign policy concessions on both trade and non-trade matters, even if he starts shifting away from broad, global tariff threats to ones focused on specific countries or goods. 

A Look at Trump's Evolving Tariff Strategy

Japan

Leaders of eight political parties pose before a debate at the Japan National Press Club on July 2, 2025, in Tokyo, Japan. From left to right are Sanseito Secretary General Sohei Kamiya, Japanese Communist Party Chairperson Tomoko Tamura, Komeito Chief Representative Tetsuo Saito, Constitutional Democratic Party President Yoshihiko Noda, Japan's Prime Minister and Liberal Democratic Party President Shigeru Ishiba, Governor of Osaka and Japan Innovation Party Co-Representative Hirofumi Yoshimura, Democratic Party for the People Representative Yuichiro Tamaki and Reiwa Shinsengumi President Taro Yamamoto.

Japan's upper house elections will determine whether the ruling Liberal Democratic Party will stay in power and -- if so -- how easily it will be able to pursue its key policy goals.

Japan's Election: Potential Outcomes and Their Implications

Politics

SITUATION REPORTS

Thailand, U.S.: Following Other Deals, Bangkok Races To Beat Tariff Clock

Syria, Israel: Syrian Forces Withdraw From Sweida

Nigeria: Atiku Resigns From PDP as Former President Buhari's Death Risks Fragmenting Ruling APC

U.K., Germany: London and Berlin Sign Bilateral Defense and Security Pact

Turkey: Imamoglu Convicted but Not Banned From Running for Office

Russia, Ukraine: Russia 'Continues To Analyze' Trump's Sanctions Threat

Iraq: Federal Government and KRG Reach New Agreement on Financial Disputes

Mexico: Government to Expand Internet Access, Cut Costs with New Telecom Law

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