Mexico

United States

Economics

Military & Security

Politics

U.S. President Donald Trump said during an interview with Fox News on Jan. 8 that the United States would soon conduct operations targeting drug cartels on Mexican soil, The Hill reported the same day.

U.S., Mexico: Trump Says U.S. Will Conduct Operations Against Mexican Cartels

Venezuela

U.S. President Donald Trump posted on social media that he cancelled a "previously scheduled" second wave of attacks against Venezuela since the country's new government is cooperating with Washington, CNN reported on Jan. 9.

U.S., Venezuela: Trump Says He Cancelled Second Wave of Attacks After Caracas' Cooperation

China

Taiwan

Taiwan's more pro-China Kuomintang, or KMT, and the Chinese Communist Party, or CCP, are in the final stages of talks to revive the Cross-Strait Economic, Trade and Culture Forum in order to facilitate economic and cultural exchanges, the South China Morning Post reported on Jan. 9.

Taiwan: Opposition Seeks To Revive Controversial Forum With China

Nigeria

U.S. President Donald Trump said in an interview with The New York Times on Jan. 8 that while he would "love" for recent U.S. military action in Nigeria to be a "one-time strike," it would be a "many-time strike" if more Christians were killed in the country.

Nigeria: Trump Hints at More U.S. Strikes if More Christians Are Killed

South Africa

Iran

Russia

South Africa is scheduled to host the BRICS+ "Will for Peace" naval military exercises off the coast of Simons Town's naval base in the company of Chinese, Russian and Iranian vessels on Jan. 9-16, The Independent Online reported on Jan. 9.

South Africa: Pretoria's BRICS+ Naval Drills With Iran Set To Draw Trump's Ire

Mali

Energy

Residents in Mali's capital, Bamako, are increasingly aggrieved by severe power shortages, with many receiving just two to five hours of electricity per day and some areas experiencing blackouts lasting longer than 24 hours, Radio France Internationale reported on Jan. 8.

Mali: Anger in Bamako Rises Over Fuel Power Crisis Amid JNIM Blockade

Israel

Iranian demonstrators took to the streets of Tehran and several other cities on Jan. 8-9, with images circulating across social media showing government buildings set ablaze, Axios reported on Jan. 9.

Iran: Protests Expand, Become More Violent Amid Internet Blackout

Americas

Paraguay

Europe

France

Belgium

Poland

Austria

Italy

Ireland

Hungary

Global Trade

EU member states gave provisional approval for the European Commission to sign the long-delayed free trade agreement with South America's Mercosur bloc, Reuters reported Jan. 9.

EU, Mercosur: EU Member States Approve Mercosur Trade Deal

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

Asia-Pacific

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

Assessments

Uganda

Supporters of National Unity Platform (NUP) presidential candidate and opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi, also known as Bobi Wine, gather to attend a campaign rally in Kampala, on Nov. 24, 2025. 

President Museveni's expected reelection is set to trigger opposition protests, but a heavy-handed crackdown will likely restore order within weeks, enabling him to resume focus on infrastructure projects and mitigating intra-elite tensions.

Previewing Uganda's General Elections

Syria

Turkey

Soldiers ride atop an armored vehicle during a military parade in Idlib, Syria, on Dec. 8, 2025. 

Domestic political maneuvering and limits on foreign military support will constrain Syria's ability to rebuild its military following the end of the country's civil war.

Internal Divisions Will Hinder Syria's Military Modernization

Columns

On Security

U.S. President Donald Trump, alongside (left to right) Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, speaks to the press following U.S. military actions in Venezuela, at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida, on Jan. 3, 2026.

While Trump routinely portrays himself as unpredictable, his extensive use of U.S. military force abroad over the past year offers insight into the likely direction of his foreign policy for the remainder of his term.


Lessons From Trump’s Use of Force Abroad in His First Year Back in Office

Activists hold Iranian flags in support of the ongoing protests in Iran during a rally in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 3, 2026.

The demonstrations could endure for several more weeks or months before they are ultimately suppressed, opening the door to risky Israeli and/or U.S. military or covert action against Iranian senior leadership amid the turmoil.

Protests in Iran Provide a Window for U.S. and/or Israeli Intervention

U.S.-Iran Relations

Canada

A 3D rendering of the Canadian, U.S. and Mexican flags.

The White House is expected to utilize threats of scrapping the trilateral pact in favor of bilateral agreements as a high-stakes negotiating tactic, creating a period of intense business uncertainty and market volatility.

The Outlook for USMCA Renegotiation in 2026

Media

Ukraine

Forecast Webcast

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Join our analysts for this webcast recording exploring key topics identified in RANE's 2026 Annual Geopolitical Forecast.

2026 Annual Geopolitical Forecast Webcast

U.S.-China Relations

Sudan

Saudi Arabia

United Arab Emirates

Yemen

Saudi-backed forces are seen on the outskirts of Yemen's Hadramawt province, where the UAE-backed secessionist Southern Transitional Council (STC) recently launched an offensive, on Jan. 3, 2026. 

Social Issues

The Gulf nations' growing battle for influence is straining bilateral ties and fueling proxy conflicts in places like Yemen and Sudan, though both sides will likely avoid any escalation that could harm their economies.

Saudi Arabia and the UAE Pursue Divergent Paths in a Multipolar World

Greenland

Denmark

The Danish-flagged DMS Lauge Koch, an offshore Royal Danish Navy patrol vessel, docks at the Port of Nuuk on March 12, 2025, in Nuuk, Greenland.

Scenarios for the coming year range from unilateral military action by the United States to a U.S.-Denmark agreement to expand Washington's capabilities on the island.


How Could the U.S. Seek To 'Take' Greenland?

Brazil

Colombia

Guyana

Venezuela's National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez (C) gestures during the official picture of the new National Assembly in Caracas on Jan. 5, 2026. 

Venezuela's acting president is most likely to cooperate with the United States to keep the country's regime intact, but other, more volatile scenarios remain possible. 

Venezuela's Post-Maduro Outlook: Potential Scenarios

Cyber

Environment, Science & Technology

Israel-Hamas Conflict

As elections reshape political incentives worldwide, 2026 will see major powers recalibrate diplomacy and conflict, raising the risk of fragile deals, regional instability and sudden escalation.

2026 Annual Geopolitical Forecast: An Excerpt

Snapshots

Fuerte Tiuna, Venezuela's largest military complex, after a series of explosions Jan. 3, 2026, in Caracas amid U.S. strikes.

The detention of the Venezuelan president creates a power vacuum that risks triggering violent unrest while establishing a precedent for further U.S. interventionism in Latin America.

U.S. Capture of Maduro Could Lead to Instability and Unrest in Venezuela, Wider Region

North Korea

South Korea

A U.S. Marine Corps F-35B fighter jet takes off from Jose Aponte de la Torre Airport on December 15, 2025 in Ceiba, Puerto Rico. If U.S. strikes escalate and cause significant casualties, it could make retaliatory measures -- including the arbitrary detention of U.S. citizens in Venezuela or the harassment of energy sector vessels in the region -- more likely.

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

The Weekly Rundown: South Korea's President Visits Beijing, U.S. Operations in Venezuela

Politics

SITUATION REPORTS

U.S., Mexico: Trump Says U.S. Will Conduct Operations Against Mexican Cartels

U.S., Venezuela: Trump Says He Cancelled Second Wave of Attacks After Caracas' Cooperation

Taiwan: Opposition Seeks To Revive Controversial Forum With China

Nigeria: Trump Hints at More U.S. Strikes if More Christians Are Killed

South Africa: Pretoria's BRICS+ Naval Drills With Iran Set To Draw Trump's Ire

Mali: Anger in Bamako Rises Over Fuel Power Crisis Amid JNIM Blockade

Iran: Protests Expand, Become More Violent Amid Internet Blackout

EU, Mercosur: EU Member States Approve Mercosur Trade Deal

Forecasts

ANALYSES

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