Mexico

United States

Economics

Politics

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced that Mexican airlines had agreed to transfer some flight slots at Mexico City International Airport to U.S. carriers, El Pais reported on Nov. 17.

Mexico, U.S.: Concession on Air Traffic Dispute Underscores Mexico's Willingness To Appease Washington

Saudi Arabia

Cyber

Energy

Environment, Science & Technology

Military & Security

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington, D.C., pledged to invest $1 trillion in the United States and reportedly finalized a defense deal, while the United States plans to approve the sales of advanced artificial intelligence chips, The Guardian reported on Nov. 18.

U.S., Saudi Arabia: Saudi Crown Prince Meets With President Trump

Nigeria

The Nigerian government has yet to present the country's 2026 budget and its Medium Term Expenditure and Fiscal Strategy Paper for 2026-28, less than six weeks before the start of the new fiscal year, The Punch reported on Nov. 18.

Nigeria: 2026 Budget Yet To Be Submitted Amid Doubts Regarding Implementation of 2025 Budget

South Africa

Chief of the South African navy Vice Adm. Monde Lobese slammed the South African government's curbs on defense spending, questioning whether the decision had been "directly or indirectly" influenced by drug cartels and other criminal groups benefiting from weaker maritime security, Independent Online reported on Nov. 17.

South Africa: Navy Chief Slams Government Over Defense Budget Cuts, Questions Potential Criminal Capture

Japan

South Korea

The South Korean navy informed Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force that it would not participate in a joint search and rescue drill slated for late November, which would have been their first instantiation of that joint drill since it was halted in 2018, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported on Nov. 17. 

South Korea, Japan: Cancelled Joint Drills Show Tensions Slowly Rising

China

Indonesia

Japan and Indonesia's defense and foreign ministers held a two-plus-two meeting and established a new high-level framework to accelerate defense cooperation and equipment transfer discussions, Nikkei Asia reported on Nov. 18. 

Japan, Indonesia: Tokyo, Jakarta Deepen Security Ties

Georgia

Georgia's ruling Georgian Dream party announced it will introduce legislation to strip citizens abroad of their right to vote, abolish the Anti-Corruption Bureau and dissolve the provisional administration for the breakaway region of South Ossetia, Reuters reported on Nov. 17.

Georgia: Ruling Party Proposes Laws To Disenfranchise Voters, Solidify Power

Indonesian lawmakers passed a major revision of the Criminal Procedure Code, significantly expanding law enforcement powers and consolidating investigative authority under the national police, Bloomberg reported Nov. 18.

Indonesia: Major Overhaul of Criminal Procedure Code Passed

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

Assessments

Canada

The clock tower outside of Canada's parliament building is seen in Ottawa, Ontario.

Global Trade

Canada's push to revive its economy and diversify its trade and security ties beyond the U.S. will likely see slow progress and could prompt U.S. retaliation, while the associated deficit spending will risk long-term fiscal strain.

The High Stakes of Canada's Attempt To Pivot Away From the U.S.

Kazakhstan

Russia

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev address participants of the 21st Russia-Kazakhstan Interregional Cooperation Forum via a video link during their talks at the Kremlin in Moscow on Nov. 12, 2025. 

The deals signed during Kazakh President Tokayev's recent trip to Moscow will provide Astana with short-term stability but will limit its strategic autonomy and ability to further engage with the West, while heightening its exposure to Russian coercion.

What Russia's Courtship of Kazakhstan Says About the Shifting Balance of Power in Eurasia

Chile

Venezuela

Israel

Cambodia

Thailand

India

Pakistan

People watch the USS Gravely, a Navy warship, departing the Port of Spain on Oct. 30, 2025. The U.S. warship arrived in Trinidad and Tobago on Oct. 26, 2025, for joint exercises near the coast of Venezuela, as Washington ratcheted up pressure on drug traffickers and Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.

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

The Weekly Rundown: U.S.-Saudi Meeting, Military Escalation in the Caribbean

A 3D logo of Vision 2030 from the obverse side of 200 Saudi Riyal banknote. Facing ballooning costs and questionable viability, Saudi Arabia is scaling back giga-projects like Neom, signaling a new market-driven discipline that nonetheless leaves the state as the primary economic driver.

Facing ballooning costs and questionable viability, Saudi Arabia is scaling back giga-projects like Neom, signaling a new market-driven discipline that nonetheless leaves the state as the primary economic driver.

The Mixed Record of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030

Pakistan's armed forces march in the country's National Day parade in Islamabad on March 23, 2024. 

Pakistan's new constitutional amendment threatens to sow political division over growing military powers, a weakening judiciary and reduced civilian oversight.

Pakistan's New Constitutional Amendment Reforms the Military and Judiciary

Thailand's Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul (C) after chairing a National Security Council on Nov. 11 in Bangkok. An armed clash on the Thai-Cambodian border raises the risk of escalations that unwind the two countries' recent peace accord, though a return to full-scale war is less likely due to U.S. economic and security leverage.

While the most likely scenario is recurring but contained flare-ups through early 2026, a more escalatory scenario remains plausible.

More Clashes, but Not Full-blown Conflict, Likely on the Cambodian-Thai Frontier

United Kingdom

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Nov. 12 at 10 Downing Street in central London. Growing internal divisions within the ruling Labour party over fiscal policy and declining popularity are increasing the likelihood of a leadership challenge against Starmer following the November budget or May 2026 local elections.

Growing internal divisions within the ruling Labour party over fiscal policy and declining popularity are increasing the likelihood of a leadership challenge against Prime Minister Keir Starmer following the November budget or May 2026 local elections.

Painful Upcoming Budget Likely To Amplify Starmer's Leadership Woes

Media

Podcasts

Why are Venezuela's relationships with Russia, Iran and China so important to the United States?

Essential Geopolitics: The Primary Drivers and Constraints of U.S.-Venezuela Tensions

Burundi

Kenya

Rwanda

Tanzania

Uganda

The Geopolitics of Trade

Kenya and Tanzania's infrastructure buildup will support East Africa's industrialization but will also depend on a range of other factors, including regional integration, shifts in the international trading system and technological changes.

The Geopolitics of Trade: The Race to Unlock East Africa, Part 2

Chile's presidential candidate Evelyn Matthei (C) poses with her team after registering her candidacy at the Electoral Service of Chile in Santiago on Aug. 16, 2025.

Far-right candidate Jose Antonio Kast is most likely to win, portending a shift toward pro-business policies and stricter security measures. But a leftist, center-right or ultra-right president could also be elected, each with different visions for Chile's future.

Chile's Presidential Election: Potential Outcomes and Their Implications

Global Elections

Uzbekistan

Tajikistan

Turkmenistan

Kyrgyzstan

U.S. President Donald Trump (C), joined by lawmakers and members of his administration, delivers remarks during a dinner with leaders of Central Asian countries in the East Room of the White House on Nov. 6, 2025.

The recent C5+1 summit highlighted the U.S.'s desire to boost cooperation with Central Asian countries on trade and critical minerals, but the region's geography, governance and reliance on China and Russia will ultimately limit the impact of such efforts. 

The Promise and Limits of Increased U.S. Engagement in Central Asia

Brazil

Iraq

Syria

Campaign posters Nov. 6 ahead of Nov. 11 Iraqi parliamentary elections in central Baghdad.

The Weekly Rundown: Iraqi Elections, a U.S.-China Deal Enters Effect

U.S.-China Relations

Politics

SITUATION REPORTS

Mexico, U.S.: Concession on Air Traffic Dispute Underscores Mexico's Willingness To Appease Washington

U.S., Saudi Arabia: Saudi Crown Prince Meets With President Trump

Nigeria: 2026 Budget Yet To Be Submitted Amid Doubts Regarding Implementation of 2025 Budget

South Africa: Navy Chief Slams Government Over Defense Budget Cuts, Questions Potential Criminal Capture

South Korea, Japan: Cancelled Joint Drills Show Tensions Slowly Rising

Japan, Indonesia: Tokyo, Jakarta Deepen Security Ties

Georgia: Ruling Party Proposes Laws To Disenfranchise Voters, Solidify Power

Indonesia: Major Overhaul of Criminal Procedure Code Passed

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