Colombia

United States

Military & Security

Politics

U.S. President Donald Trump and Colombian President Gustavo Petro met for two hours Feb. 3 at the White House and discussed cooperation to fight drug trafficking, El Colombiano reported.

U.S., Colombia: Trump-Petro Meeting Indicates Room for De-escalation 

China

Taiwan

Deputy Chairman Hsiao Hsu-tsen of Taiwan's opposition Kuomintang (KMT) met with Director Song Tao of China's Taiwan Affairs Office in Beijing on Feb. 3 to revive party-to-party talks that ended in 2016, the Taipei Times reported.

Taiwan: KMT Revives Dialogue With Chinese Communist Party

Palestinian Territories

Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas announced that the Palestinian Liberation Organization, or PLO, would hold direct elections on Nov. 1 for its parliament, the Palestinian National Council (PNC), Times of Israel reported Feb. 3.

Palestinian Territories: PLO Expected to Hold Legislative Elections in November

South Africa

Economics

Energy

South African state-owned utility company Eskom called for an urgent meeting with creditors Feb. 2 to discuss recently proposed changes to its unbundling strategy, News24 reported Feb. 2.

South Africa: Eskom Calls For Urgent Talks With Creditors Amid Pushback Against New Unbundling Plans    

Somalia

Clashes broke out inside Somalia's federal parliament when opposition lawmakers physically blocked a scheduled session to debate proposed constitutional amendments, leading to injuries and the cancellation of proceedings, Garowe Online reported Feb 2.

Somalia: Lawmakers Clash Over Controversial Constitutional Changes

France

French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu will face two more no-confidence votes Feb. 2 after invoking Article 49.3 of the French Constitution to pass the 2026 budget without a parliamentary vote, Le Figaro reported.

France: Prime Minister Lecornu Set To Survive Final No-Confidence Votes on 2026 Budget

Europe

United Kingdom

Senior EU and U.K. officials held meetings in London on Feb. 2 to discuss trade and broader post-Brexit relations ahead of a second bilateral summit tentatively planned for the spring, Reuters reported.

Europe: U.K. and EU Hold Talks in London as Starmer Calls for Deeper Defense Cooperation

Hong Kong SAR, China

Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee said on Feb. 2 in a media interview that Hong Kong would, for the first time, issue its own five-year plan and lead an interdepartmental task force to align the territory's economic policies with those in China's 15th Five-Year Plan for 2026-2030.

Hong Kong: Territory to Issue First Five-Year Plan in Line With China

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

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

India

A freight train on Aug. 26, 2025, in Ajmer India.

A U.S.-India trade deal will bring some relief to Indian exporters, but ambiguities over its scope, implementation timeline and myriad other flashpoints will risk undermining it.

An India-U.S. Trade Deal Will Face Ongoing Hurdles

Assessments

Iraq

Former Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki (center) delivers a speech during a campaign rally in Baghdad ahead of parliamentary elections on Nov. 7, 2025. 

If former Prime Minister al-Maliki overcomes challenges to form a new cabinet, it would likely deepen sectarian divisions, embolden Iran-backed militias and increase Iraq's exposure to U.S. financial and/or military pressure.

In Iraq, the Potential Return of a Divisive Leader Raises Alarm

Pakistan

A burned-out vehicle along a road on the outskirts of the Pakistani city of Quetta on Feb. 1, 2026, a day after an attack by Baloch separatists. The intensifying insurgency will exacerbate strains on Pakistan's security forces, worsening the country's security challenges and further constraining foreign investment interest.

The intensifying insurgency will exacerbate strains on Pakistan's security forces, worsening the country's security challenges and further constraining foreign investment interest.

With Coordinated Attacks, Pakistan's Baloch Insurgency Intensifies

Iran

A man walks past a mural painted on the outer walls of the former U.S. embassy in Tehran, Iran, on Feb. 1, 2026.

Despite recent momentum toward restarting talks, a deal will likely remain elusive due to the U.S.'s maximalist demands and Iran's red lines, sustaining the risk of U.S. (and likely Israeli) military action in the coming weeks. 

Can New U.S.-Iran Talks Avert a Greater Conflict?

U.S.-Iran Relations

Iranian newspapers one of them (R) with a headline in Persian reading "Iran is ready for a big response," Jan. 27 in Tehran in Iran. U.S. President Donald Trump is considering a range of military options against Iran.

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

The Weekly Rundown: The U.S. and Colombian Presidents Meet, The Threat of U.S. Strikes on Iran

Kazakhstan

The national flag of Kazakhstan waves in the wind.

Abolishing the Senate and reintroducing the vice presidency may curb the immediate risk of insider-led coups, but the measures are unlikely to resolve succession uncertainty before President Tokayev's term ends in 2029 and could ultimately increase political volatility.

Kazakhstan’s Constitutional Reforms Could Reshape -- and Destabilize -- Its Political Future

French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu speaks in parliament after surviving two no-confidence votes in Paris, France on Jan. 23 23, 2026. 

The budget's likely adoption will keep the minority government in office, but deep political fragmentation will limit policy action and sustain the risk of early elections, keeping France's fiscal trajectory uncertain.

The Risks to France's Fiscal Outlook Beyond the 2026 Budget

Columns

On Geopolitics

Syria

A Syrian flag flutters above crowds gathering in central Hama, Syria, during celebrations on Dec. 5, 2025, marking one year since the fall of former President Bashar al Assad's regime.

The third Syrian state, under interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, will likely emerge as a Turkish-aligned, authoritarian regime that prioritizes internal stability, reconstruction and regional neutrality, as it tries to avoid its predecessors' mistakes and excesses.

The Third Syrian State: Autocracy, Alignment and Al-Sharaa's Unique Neutrality

Australia

The Australian flag flies at half mast over Parliament House on Jan. 22, 2026, in Melbourne, Australia, to honor the victims of the Bondi shootings.

Passed in response to the Bondi Beach attack, the legislation will likely fuel legal and federal-state friction, deepen opposition fragmentation and entrench security policy as a persistent fault line in Australian politics.

The Political Impact of Australia's Gun Reform and Anti-Hate Bills

Bangladesh

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) supporters gather for a rally in Sylhet, Bangladesh, ahead of the upcoming national election on Jan. 22, 2026. 

The Feb. 12 ballot could yield a government led by the conservative BNP, a coalition led by the Islamist Jamaat party, or a fragile BNP-Jamaat coalition -- each with distinct implications for Bangladesh's economic, political and foreign policy landscape.

Bangladesh's General Election: Potential Outcomes and Their Implications

Global Elections

Costa Rica

The candidates running in Costa Rica's 2026 presidential election participate in a debate at the Supreme Electoral Tribunal in San Jose, Costa Rica, on Jan. 11, 2026. 

Although the president cannot run for reelection, his hand-picked successor will likely win the vote, keeping the right wing at the helm.

Costa Rica's Upcoming Election Will Likely Yield Policy Continuity

Zhang Youxia, senior vice chairman of China's Central Military Commission (CMC), attends the opening of the fourth plenary session of the National People's Congress on March 11, 2023, in Beijing, China. 

The removal of Xi's closest military ally signals an acceleration of his push to eliminate internal threats and heightens uncertainty about the president's decision-making on Taiwan, potentially raising the risk of future conflict.

China's High-Level Military Purge Raises Risk of a Miscalculation on Taiwan

Politics

SITUATION REPORTS

U.S., Colombia: Trump-Petro Meeting Indicates Room for De-escalation

Taiwan: KMT Revives Dialogue With Chinese Communist Party

Palestinian Territories: PLO Expected to Hold Legislative Elections in November

South Africa: Eskom Calls For Urgent Talks With Creditors Amid Pushback Against New Unbundling Plans

Somalia: Lawmakers Clash Over Controversial Constitutional Changes

France: Prime Minister Lecornu Set To Survive Final No-Confidence Votes on 2026 Budget

Europe: U.K. and EU Hold Talks in London as Starmer Calls for Deeper Defense Cooperation

Hong Kong: Territory to Issue First Five-Year Plan in Line With China

Forecasts

ANALYSES

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