United States

India

Economics

Politics

The United States and India have reached a trade deal that will immediately lower U.S. reciprocal tariffs on India from 25% to 18% and will remove an additional 25% tariff the United States imposed on New Delhi last year for its purchases of Russian oil, Reuters reported Feb. 2.

India, U.S.: New Delhi and Washington Reach Trade Deal

Venezuela

Military & Security

Venezuela's interim president Delcy Rodriguez on Jan. 30 unveiled a proposed "amnesty law" that would benefit political prisoners and announced that the infamous Helicoide prison in Caracas would be converted into a hub for sports and social services, Reuters reported the same day.

Venezuela: Government Announces Amnesty Bill, Closure of Major Prison

Costa Rica

Laura Fernandez of the right-wing Sovereign People's Party won Costa Rica's presidential election in the first round on Feb. 1, earning approximately 48% of the vote with 94% of ballots counted, DW reported Feb. 2.

Costa Rica: Government-Supported Candidate Wins Presidential Election

Philippines

Two new impeachment complaints were filed against Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte, reviving a case previously shelved on procedural grounds, while separate impeachment complaints against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. have advanced into House committee review, Rappler reported Feb. 2.

Philippines: Parallel Impeachment Proceedings Go Forward

Environment, Science & Technology

U.S. President Donald Trump's administration is planning to launch a strategic critical raw material (CRM) stockpile for the U.S. private sector, known as Project Vault, with about $12 billion in initial funding, Bloomberg reported Feb. 2. 

U.S: Washington To Launch CRM Stockpile for Private Sector 

Taiwan

Taiwan's legislature sent a $13 billion supplemental defense budget proposed by the opposition Taiwan People's Party to committee for review, with the new bill a slimmed-down version of the $40 billion budget proposed by President William Lai that the committee has refused to review 10 times, the Taipei Times reported on Jan. 30.

Taiwan, U.S.: Opposition Efforts Unlikely To Sate Washington's Demands on Defense, Trade

U.S. President Donald Trump nominated Kevin Warsh, a former White House and Federal Reserve official, to replace Fed Chair Jerome Powell, whose term as chairman expires in May, the Financial Times reported on Jan. 30.

U.S.: Trump Nominates Kevin Warsh To Be Next Federal Reserve Chairman

Ukraine

Russia

Energy

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said a U.S.-proposed pause in Russian strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure had begun overnight and that Ukraine was reciprocating by refraining from attacking Russian energy targets, Interfax-Ukraine reported on Jan. 30.

Ukraine, Russia, U.S.: Narrow Energy Pause Takes Effect as Talks Face Uncertainty

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

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

Assessments

Colombia

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

France

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

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

China

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

Poland

The flags of NATO, the EU and Poland are seen next to each other. 

Despite achieving strategic indispensability and significant military power, Poland's political influence in the EU and NATO has lagged, creating a paradox in which it is critical to executing Western strategies but peripheral to decision-making.

Has Poland Missed Its Shot at Becoming a Major EU Power?

Israel

Palestinian Territories

Japan

South Korea

United Kingdom

Egyptian trucks and heavy machinery on Oct. 26, 2025, on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing with the Gaza Strip.

Israel-Hamas Conflict

The Weekly Rundown: A Gaza Border Reopening, EU Leaders Visit India

The Federal Reserve's headquarters is seen in Washington, D.C.

Trump will soon be able to nominate a new Fed chair and governor. But unless the Supreme Court vastly increases the president's power to dismiss Fed governors, the bank will retain its independence, limiting the risk of market instability.

U.S. Fed Independence: Assessing Threats From Trump Nominations, Court Rulings

Politics

SITUATION REPORTS

India, U.S.: New Delhi and Washington Reach Trade Deal

Venezuela: Government Announces Amnesty Bill, Closure of Major Prison

Costa Rica: Government-Supported Candidate Wins Presidential Election

Philippines: Parallel Impeachment Proceedings Go Forward

U.S: Washington To Launch CRM Stockpile for Private Sector

Taiwan, U.S.: Opposition Efforts Unlikely To Sate Washington's Demands on Defense, Trade

U.S.: Trump Nominates Kevin Warsh To Be Next Federal Reserve Chairman

Ukraine, Russia, U.S.: Narrow Energy Pause Takes Effect as Talks Face Uncertainty

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