Ethiopia

Somalia

Military & Security

Politics

The government of Somalia's South West state suspended all cooperation and relations with the federal government, accusing it of arming local militias seeking to remove the state's president, Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen, Reuters reported on March 17. 

Somalia: South West State Severs Ties With Federal Government Amid Reported Armed Clashes

United States

Iran

China

Economics

U.S. President Donald Trump late on March 16 told reporters that the United States had requested that China delay a summit in Beijing with President Xi Jinping by "a month or so," Bloomberg reported the same day.

U.S., China: Trump Delays Long-Sought Trip to Beijing Due to Iran War

U.S.-China Relations

Colombia

Ecuador

Colombian President Gustavo Petro alleged on March 16 that Ecuadorian authorities had bombed drug trafficking groups on the Colombian side of the countries' border, DW reported on March 17.

Ecuador, Colombia: Colombia Alleges Ecuador Bombed Group on Colombian Side of Border

Indonesia

Energy

Indonesia is weighing policy response options as oil prices tick above $100 per barrel, which is inflating subsidy costs and weighing on the state budget, AFP reported on March 17.

Indonesia: Oil Price Spike Forces Fiscal and Political Tradeoffs

Cuba

The Cuban government announced it will allow Cubans living abroad to invest in the country's private sector, El Pais reported on March 16.

Cuba, U.S.: Havana Further Relaxes Economic Rules Amid Grid Collapse and U.S. Pressure

Egypt

Environment, Science & Technology

Ethiopia's Ministry of Transport and Logistics has called to accelerate the country's transition to electric transport and reduce its reliance on imported fuels, Addis Standard reported on March 17.

Ethiopia: Government To Accelerate Transition to EVs, Alternative Energy Amid Iran-Linked Disruptions

Europe

Germany

Finland

United Kingdom

Netherlands

Finland, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom are exploring a new multilateral mechanism to jointly finance and procure weapons, munitions and other military equipment with the aim of accelerating defense investment and expanding demand amid Europe's broader rearmament push, according to a March 17 joint statement by the three governments.

U.K., Netherlands, Finland: Countries Explore New Joint Defense Financing and Procurement Mechanism

Israel

Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israel had assassinated Iran's Supreme National Security Council head, Ali Larijani, and Basij paramilitary force head Gen. Gholam Reza Soleimani in a strike, NBC reported on March 17.

Iran: Israel Claims Assassination of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Head

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

Assessments

Lebanon

Smoke plumes rise above a village in southern Lebanon following Israeli airstrikes on March 16, 2026.

Even if it engages in direct talks with Lebanon, Israel is unlikely to de-escalate its military operations in the country without major concessions on border security and Hezbollah's disarmament.

Hezbollah-Israel War Set To Intensify, Despite Lebanon's Diplomatic Push

The Geopolitics of Demographics

Social Issues

Demographics may not be destiny, but it does play a major role in questions of national power.

The Geopolitics of Demographics: An Introduction

Japan

Ukraine

A large plume of smoke rises March 7 over Tehran after explosions were reported in the Iranian capital during the night.

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

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 Iran War Continues, Takaichi Meets With Trump

U.S.-Iran Relations

Saudi Arabia

Pakistan

A digital illustration of Pakistan and Saudi Arabia’s national flags.

Despite having a mutual defense pact with Saudi Arabia, Pakistan will likely only provide the kingdom with low-level defensive and technical support, rather than direct military intervention against Iran, due to various constraints.

In a War With Iran, the Pakistani-Saudi Defense Pact Has Limits 

Smoke and flames rise at the site of airstrikes on an oil depot in Tehran, Iran, on March 7, 2026.

Limited commando raids are Trump's most viable option, as larger ground incursions in Iran would face severe logistical, political and strategic risks and remain unlikely without a major shift in regional and U.S. domestic support.

Strategic Risks and Political Hurdles for a U.S. Ground War in Iran

Canada

Australia

India

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney walks with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Canberra, Australia, on March 5, 2026. 

Canada's push to deepen economic and security ties with India, Australia and Japan faces constraints and may inadvertently strengthen the U.S.-led regional structure Ottawa is trying to hedge against.

The Promise and Limitations of Canada's Push to Diversify Strategic Partnerships

North Korea

South Korea

Russia

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un speaks during the Ninth Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea in Pyongyang, North Korea, on Feb. 22, 2026. 

Kim Jong Un's latest directives suggest a willingness to pursue high-level negotiations with the United States and China in pursuit of critical economic concessions.

North Korea's Party Congress Points to Diplomatic Window of Opportunity

Media

Vietnam

Podcasts

How will election results impact Vietnam's economic growth in the near term?

The Decision Advantage: What To Expect From Vietnam's Leadership Election Results

U.S. President Donald Trump greets Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa at his "Shield of the Americas" summit, a gathering with heads of state and government officials from 12 countries in the Americas at the Trump National Doral Golf Club on March 7, 2026, in Doral, Florida. 

The United States' increasing interventionism across the Americas has led to joint military operations with Ecuador, which, if sustained, could successfully reduce cartel violence there.

U.S.-Ecuador Military Operations Expand Washington's Regional Interventionism

Snapshots

Demonstrators wave Iranian national flags and hold pictures of the country's new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, at Enghelab Square in central Tehran on March 9, 2026.

The selection of hard-line cleric Mojtaba Khamenei to succeed his slain father will entrench Tehran's resolve to continue the war and preserve its ballistic missile and nuclear programs.

Iran's New Supreme Leader Will Strengthen Hard-Liner Influence

Iraq

Jordan

Syria

Jordanian Armed Forces, U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps forces and other international forces conduct a combined Arms Live Fire Exercise on May 23, 2024 in the desert near Azraq, Jordan. 

As the United States prepares to withdraw its final troops from Syria, Amman will likely expand cross-border security operations to counter Islamic State and disrupt drug smuggling networks.

Jordan Likely To Step Up Anti-Islamic State, Countersmuggling Operations in Syria

Chile

Greece

France

Cyprus

Spain

Italy

Plumes of smoke rise following reported explosions in Tehran on March 2, 2026, after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran on Feb. 28 killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other top military leaders, prompting a new wave of Iranian retaliatory missile attacks across the region. 

The Weekly Rundown: War in the Middle East, U.S.-China Trade Talks

Politics

SITUATION REPORTS

Somalia: South West State Severs Ties With Federal Government Amid Reported Armed Clashes

U.S., China: Trump Delays Long-Sought Trip to Beijing Due to Iran War

Ecuador, Colombia: Colombia Alleges Ecuador Bombed Group on Colombian Side of Border

Indonesia: Oil Price Spike Forces Fiscal and Political Tradeoffs

Cuba, U.S.: Havana Further Relaxes Economic Rules Amid Grid Collapse and U.S. Pressure

Ethiopia: Government To Accelerate Transition to EVs, Alternative Energy Amid Iran-Linked Disruptions

U.K., Netherlands, Finland: Countries Explore New Joint Defense Financing and Procurement Mechanism

Iran: Israel Claims Assassination of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Head

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