Taiwan

Economics

Politics

Taiwan's Legislative Yuan Speaker Han Kuo-yu announced that the annual budget for fiscal year 2026 had finally passed its third reading, ending a delay of 266 days, UDN reported on Aug. 14.

Taiwan: 2026 Budget Passes as Opposition Differences Grow

Zambia

Military & Security

The Electoral Commission of Zambia announced that it suspended vote counting for the country's Aug. 13 general election following the theft of paper ballots and violence against some of its officials before resuming the count several hours later, Bloomberg reported on Aug. 14.

Zambia: Electoral Commission Briefly Paused Vote Count as Opposition Claims Victory 

United States

Iran

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the United States plans to unveil more extensive economic measures against Iran during the week of Aug. 17, Bloomberg reported on Aug. 14.

U.S., Iran: U.S. To Unveil Additional Economic Measures Against Iran 

U.S.-Iran Relations

Chad

Chadian President Mahamat Deby Itno on Aug. 14 signed two decrees granting a full presidential pardon to opposition leader and former Prime Minister Succes Masra and eight other political figures, following his announcement four days earlier that he would pardon certain prisoners, Jeune Afrique reported on the same day.

Chad: President Pardons Main Opposition Leader and Eight Other Political Figures

Israel

Lebanon

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced that the Israeli Defense Forces would not withdraw from southern Lebanon until Hezbollah is disarmed, Reuters reported on Aug. 13. 

Lebanon, Israel: Israel Ties Withdrawal to Hezbollah Disarmament, Eyes New Military Operation

China

Japan

North Korea

Russia

Energy

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Aug. 13 visited Etorofu/Iturup Island, one of the four Northern Territories claimed by Japan in the Kuril Islands, which Russia has occupied since just after World War II, Reuters reported.

Japan, Russia: Putin Visits Disputed Kurils, Highlights Worsening Ties

Botswana

Lesotho

Namibia

South Africa

Eswatini

India

India and the five-member Southern African Customs Union signed terms of reference to begin negotiations on a preferential trade agreement, Reuters reported on Aug. 12.

India: New Delhi Revives Trade Pact Talks With Southern African Customs Union

President of the U.S.-China Business Council Sean Stein told the South China Morning Post in an interview published on Aug. 13 that he had seen little evidence there would be a "sizable deliverable" pertaining to the U.S.-China Board of Investment at a planned summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Washington on Sept. 24.

U.S., China: Board of Investment Stagnating Ahead of Unambitious Summit

U.S.-China Relations

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

Brazil

Ukraine

Iranian flags flutter along the corniche seafront of the port city of Bandar Abbas, Iran, on Aug. 10, 2026. 

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.-Iran MoU Set To Expire, SADC Summit

Kuwait

Saudi Arabia

Turkey

Pakistan

People gather around an army air defense system on display at a military exhibition in Islamabad, Pakistan, on Aug. 14, 2025.

While they could unlock economic and strategic gains, Pakistan's new defense pacts with Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait will also increase its military's role in domestic policymaking and Islamabad's exposure to regional conflicts.

The Implications of Pakistan's Growing Defense Ties in the Middle East

Snapshots

Indonesia

Philippines

Crew members on a Chinese navy ship wave as they prepare to dock at Indonesia's Tanjung Perak Port on Aug. 2, 2026. 

China's recent naval drill with Indonesia appears aimed at asserting de facto jurisdiction around Taiwan, raising the risk of at-sea clashes and increased tensions with the U.S., Japan and the Philippines.

China's Latest Drills Near Taiwan Aim To Assert De Facto Jurisdiction

Colombia

Rescuers and volunteers search for survivors under a collapsed building in Pereira, Colombia, on Aug. 11, 2026, following a magnitude 7.4 earthquake.

Environment, Science & Technology

The magnitude 7.4 earthquake will test President Abelardo de la Espriella's nascent administration, while simultaneously exacerbating fiscal and security challenges and creating significant operational and compliance risks for businesses.

Colombia's New Government Faces an Early Test After Major Earthquake

Morocco

Spain

A Spanish soldier escorts a group of migrants on their way back towards the Moroccan border, following their illegal crossing into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, on Aug. 1, 2026.

Spain and Morocco's heightened security measures will likely thwart online efforts to organize another mass migration attempt, though smaller border breaches remain possible.

The Risk of a Second Migration Surge Into Spain's Ceuta

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva speaks during the Workers' Party national convention in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Aug. 2, 2026.

Regardless of who wins the presidency in October, Congress's growing control over budget allocation will likely increase institutional friction, fragment procurement processes and hinder pro-business policymaking.

Brazil's Presidential Race Reflects a Deeper Shift in Political Dynamics

Nigeria

Oman

Migrants wait to receive water on a beach in the North African Spanish enclave of Ceuta on Aug. 2, 2026.

The Weekly Rundown: Extreme Weather in China and Europe, More Migrant Crossings Into Spain

Media

Australia

Fiji

Solomon Islands

Tuvalu

Vanuatu

Podcasts

Who are the main players, and what are the primary frameworks holding it all together?

The Decision Advantage: The Security Architecture of the Pacific Islands

U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh holds a press conference in Washington, D.C., on July 29, 2026. 

Changes to the central bank's inflation, balance sheet and communication strategies could increase financial market volatility, though the Fed's commitment to price stability will remain intact.

Previewing Potential U.S. Fed Policy Changes Under Warsh 

Poland

The parliament building is seen through a European flag during a demonstration against a judicial reform pushed by lawmakers of the ruling Law and Justice party on Jan. 23, 2020, in Warsaw, Poland. 

Social Issues

Poland's right-wing opposition parties remain well-positioned to win a majority in the 2027 general election, though growing fragmentation among these parties will hinder postelection coalition talks, potentially leading to a government that includes far-right elements.

How Poland's Right-Wing Split Alters the 2027 Election Landscape

Greenland

Denmark

The Geopolitics of Natural Resources

Greenland's large deposits of critical minerals make the island one of the few potential alternatives to Chinese supply chains, but material constraints and diplomatic disputes will obstruct large-scale production.

The West's Quest To Exploit Greenland's Critical Minerals

Cambodia

Thailand

A Thai soldier stands guard at a damaged border crossing point between Surin province's Chong Chom and O'Smach town on the Thai-Cambodian border, on March 12, 2026.

The Thai-Cambodian ceasefire will likely hold throughout 2026, but competing territorial claims, domestic politics and stalled diplomacy will prevent broader normalization.

Thailand and Cambodia Maintain an Uneasy Ceasefire

Politics

SITUATION REPORTS

Taiwan: 2026 Budget Passes as Opposition Differences Grow

Zambia: Electoral Commission Briefly Paused Vote Count as Opposition Claims Victory

U.S., Iran: U.S. To Unveil Additional Economic Measures Against Iran

Chad: President Pardons Main Opposition Leader and Eight Other Political Figures

Lebanon, Israel: Israel Ties Withdrawal to Hezbollah Disarmament, Eyes New Military Operation

Japan, Russia: Putin Visits Disputed Kurils, Highlights Worsening Ties

India: New Delhi Revives Trade Pact Talks With Southern African Customs Union

U.S., China: Board of Investment Stagnating Ahead of Unambitious Summit

Forecasts

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