Venezuela

Military & Security

Politics

Venezuela's interim President Delcy Rodriguez posted on X on March 18 that she had replaced Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez with Maj. Gen. Gustavo Gonzalez, the commander of the presidential honor guard and a former intelligence chief.

Venezuela: President Removes Long-Time Defense Minister

China

Kazakhstan

Russia

Economics

Energy

A preliminary hearing began in Astana on a lawsuit filed by China National Oil and Gas Exploration and Development Co., or CNODC, seeking to overturn Kazakhstan's April 2025 order that redistributed tariff revenue on Russian crude transiting to China via Kazakhstan, Kursiv reported on March 17.

Kazakhstan: Tariff Clash Over Russian Oil Puts Spotlight on Key China-Bound Oil Artery

Qatar

Saudi Arabia

Turkey

Afghanistan

Pakistan

Pakistan's information minister announced on March 18 a pause on strikes in Afghanistan beginning midnight the same day and extending through midnight on March 23, AP reported on March 18.

Pakistan, Afghanistan: Islamabad Announces Days-Long Pause on Strikes Following Foreign Pressure

Republic of the Congo

The Republic of the Congo's President Denis Sassou-Nguesso, aged 82, has been reelected for a fifth term with 94.82 % of the March 15 vote, extending his nearly 42-year rule, according to provisional results announced on state television, Reuters reported on March 17.

Congo: President Nguesso Extends 42-Year Rule With Resounding Election Win

United States

Europe

The European Parliament's trade committee is set to vote on March 19 on legislation implementing key elements of the 2025 EU-U.S. trade framework agreement after lead negotiators agreed to move ahead with the process, Politico reported on March 17.

EU, U.S.: European Parliament Negotiators Move EU-U.S. Trade Deal Toward Full Vote

Australia

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will visit Australia on March 23-25 to meet Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, with both sides indicating the long-negotiated Australia-EU free trade agreement is in its "final stretch" and likely to be finalized during the visit, the Australian Financial Review reported on March 18.

Australia, EU: Trade Deal Likely Imminent as Strategic Pressures Override Agricultural Deadlock

Ethiopia

Somalia

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

Iran

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

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

Malaysia

A man fills up his truck at a Petroleum Sarawak Berhad (Petros) station in Kuching, Malaysia, on June 20, 2025.

While fuel subsidies have so far cushioned the impact, if the Iran-related energy disruptions persist, the government may have to sacrifice economic reforms to preserve political support before the next election.

Malaysia's Ballooning Fuel Subsidy Costs Will Test the Government's Reform Agenda

Japan

Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi addresses a news conference at the Prime Minister's office in Tokyo on Feb. 18.

Global Trade

The Japanese prime minister may offer economic and security concessions during her upcoming summit with the U.S. president to avoid direct entanglement in the Iran conflict while preserving the relationship with Washington.

Iran War Heightens Stakes of Key Takaichi-Trump Summit

U.S.-Iran Relations

Israel

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

Environment, Science & Technology

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

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

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

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

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

Ecuador

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

Politics

SITUATION REPORTS

Venezuela: President Removes Long-Time Defense Minister

Kazakhstan: Tariff Clash Over Russian Oil Puts Spotlight on Key China-Bound Oil Artery

Pakistan, Afghanistan: Islamabad Announces Days-Long Pause on Strikes Following Foreign Pressure

Congo: President Nguesso Extends 42-Year Rule With Resounding Election Win

EU, U.S.: European Parliament Negotiators Move EU-U.S. Trade Deal Toward Full Vote

Australia, EU: Trade Deal Likely Imminent as Strategic Pressures Override Agricultural Deadlock

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

Forecasts

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