Iran

Azerbaijan

Russia

Economics

Politics

Azerbaijan's Deputy Prime Minister Shahin Mustafayev announced that construction of the Horadiz-Agbend railway and highway, key links in the North-South and Araz transport corridors, will be completed by 2026, Azerbaijan State News Agency reported on Oct. 13.

Azerbaijan, Russia, Iran: Azerbaijan Positions Itself as Core of Russia-Iran Logistics Network

United States

China

U.S. President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social on Oct. 12 that Chinese "President Xi [Jinping] just had a bad moment," in reference to China's Oct. 9 expansion of rare earth export curbs, and that "The U.S.A. wants to help China, not hurt it." 

U.S., China: U.S. Open to De-escalation, But Deal Terms Growing More Contentious

U.S.-China Relations

Cote d'Ivoire

Military & Security

The Ivorian opposition coalition Common Front called for daily nonviolent demonstrations against the exclusion of key opposition figures from the Oct. 25 presidential election, despite a government ban on protests, Jeune Afrique reported on Oct. 12.

Cote d'Ivoire: Security Forces Arrest Over 200 Amid Calls for Daily Protests Despite Government Ban

Cameroon

Cameroon held a presidential election on Oct. 12 that was broadly peaceful in much of the country but saw clashes erupt between supporters of opposition candidate Issa Tchiroma Bakary and security forces in the northern city of Garoua, Radio France Internationale reported on Oct. 13. 

Cameroon: Ballot-Counting for Presidential Election Begins as Clashes Erupt in the North

Madagascar

France

The French military exfiltrated Malagasy President Andry Rajoelina from Madagascar on Oct. 12, Radio France Internationale reported on Oct. 13.

Madagascar: France Exfiltrates President After Army Corps Defects in Support of Gen Z Protesters

French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu announced his new Cabinet on Oct. 12, two days after being reappointed by President Emmanuel Macron following his resignation on Oct. 6, Le Monde reported the same day.

France: Lecornu Reappointed Prime Minister, To Present Budget and Policy Program to Parliament 

Israel

Palestinian Territories

Israel-Hamas Conflict

Hamas released the 20 remaining living Israeli hostages still held in Gaza and Israel began to release around 2,000 Palestinian prisoners in return, Reuters reported Oct. 13.

U.S., Israel, Palestinian Territories: Gaza Ceasefire Holds as Hamas Releases Remaining Living Israeli Hostages

U.S. President Donald Trump announced the United States will impose a 100% tariff on Chinese goods on top of existing tariffs, effective Nov. 1 or sooner, in response to new Chinese export licensing requirements announced the previous day, the president said in an Oct. 10 Truth Social post.

U.S., China: Trump Announces New 100% Tariff on China, Export Controls on Critical Software

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

Peru

Then-Peruvian President Dina Boluarte arrives to deliver her address to the nation on Peru's Independence Day at the National Congress in Lima on July 28, 2025.

The interim government will struggle to quickly reduce crime levels and pass major structural reforms, while the upcoming presidential election will fuel policy uncertainty due to the crowded field of candidates.

Boluarte's Impeachment Unlikely To Improve Peru's Political and Security Climate

Assessments

Japan

Palestinians on Oct. 10 on Al-Rashid road headed toward Gaza City. U.S. President Donald Trump said he might visit the Middle East just as 20 hostages are meant to be released by Hamas after surviving two years in captivity as the White House pushes for the solidification of a frail ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

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

The Weekly Rundown: Trump Tries To Solidify the Gaza Ceasefire, a Presidential Vote in Cameroon

Tetsuo Saito, the leader of Japan's Komeito party, attends a meeting at the Diet in Tokyo on Oct. 10, 2025.

The collapse of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's longstanding coalition with Komeito increases the likelihood of a fragile opposition government taking power, which could strain U.S.-Japan trade ties while improving Tokyo's regional diplomatic prospects.

End of an Era: Japan's 26-Year Coalition Government Falls Apart

Columns

President Donald Trump delivers remarks in the Oval Office of the White House on Oct. 6, 2025.

The White House's expanding campaign of retribution against perceived political opponents threatens to weaken the rule of law and create lasting instability for domestic governance, foreign alliances and the investment climate.

The Risks of the Trump Administration's Campaign of Retribution

Egypt

Qatar

Turkey

People react at Hostage Square in Tel Aviv on Oct. 9, 2025, following news of a new Gaza ceasefire deal.

Violence in Gaza will almost certainly decrease as both Israel and Hamas are pressured to comply with the first phase of the ceasefire, keeping the truce intact in the coming days and possibly weeks.

After Two Years of War, a Permanent Gaza Ceasefire?

Morocco

Demonstrators lift banners during a youth-led protest demanding reforms to public healthcare and education in Casablanca, Morocco, on Oct. 6, 2025.

The government will likely make some, mostly symbolic, concessions to the youth-led protest movement, which already appears to be weakening, but ongoing grievances related to economic inequality will sustain the risk of future mass protests.

Moroccans' Socioeconomic Grievances Will Persist, Even if Current Gen Z Protests Abate

On Geopolitics

An antique map showing the area around modern-day Israel and the Palestinian territories. 

Current conflict dynamics suggest an uneasy ''one-and-a-half-state'' solution may emerge, where Palestinians are granted limited autonomy in reservation-style territories under Israeli control, potentially mitigating violence but leaving Israel more internationally isolated.

A Palestinian 'Half-State' Could Reduce Violence, but Deepen Israel's Isolation

Bangladesh

India

Nepal

Pakistan

Sri Lanka

Protesters gather at the Singha Durbar, the main administrative building for the Nepal government, in Kathmandu on Sept. 9, 2025. 

Widespread discontent with corruption and economic mismanagement is fueling movements that demand greater accountability across South Asia.

Political Instability Roils South Asia

South Korea

Sanae Takaichi, the newly elected LDP leader, on Oct. 4 in Tokyo.

Takaichi will lean into populism, spurring near-term growth but exacerbating long-term economic challenges, while her nationalism will bolster Japan's military and boost U.S. ties even as it strains those with Japan's neighbors.

Japan's Conservative Takaichi Set To Become Next Prime Minister

Outgoing French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu arrives to deliver a statement at the Hotel Matignon in Paris after submitting his resignation to French President Emmanuel Macron on Oct. 6, 2025. 

Lecornu's resignation leaves President Macron with few good options to ease the ongoing political gridlock over the budget, portending further market volatility, social unrest and, potentially, a fiscal crisis.

French Political Crisis Deepens as Another Prime Minister Resigns

Syria

Tajikistan

Georgia

The assembly hall of the Syrian parliament Oct. 1 in Damascus. An Oct. 5 indirect election for parliament will mark the first time Syrians have had an electoral say in their government since the 1960s.

The Weekly Rundown: Japan's Election, Syria's Political Transition

Bahrain

Kuwait

Saudi Arabia

United Arab Emirates

U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks to U.S. and Qatari military personnel at the Al Udeid Air Base in Doha, Qatar, on May 15, 2025.

The U.S. president's pledge to defend Qatar may deter future Israeli attacks, but it is unlikely to deter Iranian aggression or allay Gulf states' greater concerns about Washington's commitment to their security.

Trump's Security Guarantees for Qatar Unlikely To Offer Enough Reassurance

Politics

SITUATION REPORTS

Azerbaijan, Russia, Iran: Azerbaijan Positions Itself as Core of Russia-Iran Logistics Network

U.S., China: U.S. Open to De-escalation, But Deal Terms Growing More Contentious

Cote d'Ivoire: Security Forces Arrest Over 200 Amid Calls for Daily Protests Despite Government Ban

Cameroon: Ballot-Counting for Presidential Election Begins as Clashes Erupt in the North

Madagascar: France Exfiltrates President After Army Corps Defects in Support of Gen Z Protesters

France: Lecornu Reappointed Prime Minister, To Present Budget and Policy Program to Parliament

U.S., Israel, Palestinian Territories: Gaza Ceasefire Holds as Hamas Releases Remaining Living Israeli Hostages

U.S., China: Trump Announces New 100% Tariff on China, Export Controls on Critical Software

Forecasts

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