Israel

Military & Security

Politics

Social Issues

Israel's Knesset advanced 63-53 a Basic Law measure that would declare Torah study to be foundational to the state of Israel, a move that would permanently shield yeshiva students from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) draft, the Times of Israel reported July 2.

Israel: Knesset Advances Ultra-Orthodox Draft Exemption in Basic Law

South Africa

Tens of thousands of protesters marched in anti-migration demonstrations June 30 across South Africa, following an informal deadline set by anti-immigration groups for employers to terminate the employment of undocumented foreign nationals by that date, RFI reported July 1.

South Africa: Migrant Homes and Businesses Targeted in Anti-Migration Marches, Over 900 Arrested

Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso's transitional Legislative Assembly adopted a controversial bill aimed at strengthening state oversight of religious practice to preserve public order, social cohesion and secularism, Jeune Afrique reported on June 22.

Burkina Faso: Junta Adopts Controversial Bill Regulating Religious Freedoms

Ghana

Economics

Majority leader of Ghana's Parliament Mahama Ayariga confirmed that protective amendments had been included in the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2025, which criminalizes the promotion of "non-conventional sexual relations" and was passed on May 29, Modern Ghana reported on May 30.

Ghana: Majority Leader Stresses Presence of Protective Amendments in Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill

United States

Energy

Environment, Science & Technology

U.S. President Donald Trump signed a presidential memorandum on Jan. 7 directing the U.S. withdrawal from 66 U.N.-backed and other international organizations, conventions and treaties that the White House said are "contrary to the interests of the United States."

U.S.: Trump Administration Orders U.S. To Pull Out of Dozens of International Entities

Chile

Far-right candidate Jose Antonio Kast was elected president of Chile after winning 58.3% of the vote in the Dec. 14 runoff, La Tercera reported on the same day. 

Chile: Kast Wins Presidential Election, Propelling the Far-Right to Power

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia is reportedly planning to open two new alcohol stores for non-Muslims in 2026, including one in Dhahran to serve foreign staff at an Aramco oil facility and one in the port city of Jeddah to serve foreign diplomats, Reuters reported Nov. 24, citing anonymous sources. 

Saudi Arabia: Alcohol Stores for Non-Muslims To Open in Dhahran, Jeddah

El Salvador

El Salvador's Legislative Assembly approved a constitutional reform that allows the president -- currently Nayib Bukele -- to be reelected indefinitely, Reuters reported on July 31.

El Salvador: Bukele Consolidates Power as Legislative Assembly Removes Presidential Term Limits

Columns

On Geopolitics

China

Chinese President Xi Jinping (center) and Premier Li Qiang attend a plenary session of China's National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People on March 9, 2026, in Beijing, China.

Beijing will prioritize employment and social stability over rapid economic growth in the coming years, pressuring businesses to boost hiring and expand benefits amid demographic pressures, rising youth unemployment and AI-related job disruptions.

China Plans To Stabilize Employment in an Age of Change

Assessments

Sub-Saharan Africa

Americas

Middle East and North Africa

Asia-Pacific

Europe

Eurasia

South Asia

Cyber

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

A fragile truce in the Middle East, persistent energy-driven inflation, shifting U.S. trade policy and escalating regional pressures from Europe to Africa will collectively shape geopolitical risk in the third quarter.

2026 Third-Quarter Forecast: An Excerpt

India

Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke (center) participates in a protest in Amritsar, India, on June 13, 2026.

While the Cockroach Janta Party has so far struggled to convert its online popularity into large street protests, worsening economic grievances among India's youth could catalyze the movement's growth.

Can India's Viral 'Cockroach' Party Mobilize a Gen Z Uprising?

Bahrain

Kuwait

Oman

Qatar

United Arab Emirates

The Geopolitics of Demographics

Gulf states' push to employ more local citizens in the private sector will help advance their economies and reduce public wage bills, but it will also create new risks for businesses that have traditionally relied on cheap foreign labor.

The Future of Work in the GCC: Localization, Competition and Business Risks

Flatlining population growth will leave the Gulf Arab states reliant on specialized, high-tech militaries that are supplanted by foreign forces, exposing them to various long-term security vulnerabilities.

The Demographic Drag on Gulf States' Military Strength

Demographic decline, driven by falling fertility rates worldwide, is likely irreversible but will also increasingly differentiate countries based on their ability to adapt through sound immigration, labor, technological and fiscal policies.

Adapting to Demographic Decline: Policy Tradeoffs and Global Divergences

Hungary

 A campaign billboard featuring a portrait of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is seen in Budapest's 3rd district on March 27, 2026.

Hungary's April 12 parliamentary elections are primed to be the country's most competitive national vote since 2010 and may remove Prime Minister Viktor Orban's Fidesz party from power.

Hungary's Upcoming Elections May Unseat Orban After 16 Years

Israel-Hamas Conflict

The second quarter will test global resilience as lingering conflicts and energy shocks converge to heighten economic uncertainty and geopolitical volatility.

2026 Second-Quarter Forecast: An Excerpt

While far from deterministic, demographics plays a key role in influencing a country's domestic and international politics, as well as its economic and financial development.

The Geopolitics of Demographics: Politics and Economics

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

The Geopolitics of Demographics: An Introduction

Nigeria

Colombia

Cuba

Mexico

Venezuela

Greenland

Iran

Taiwan

Norway

Ukraine

Russia

Pakistan

Global Trade

RANE's Top 10 Risks for 2026 highlights high-impact, low-probability risks and trends from the annual forecast presented in more extreme terms.

RANE's Top 10 Risks for 2026

U.S.-China Relations

U.S.-Iran Relations

Sudan

Syria

Yemen

Saudi-backed forces are seen on the outskirts of Yemen's Hadramawt province, where the UAE-backed secessionist Southern Transitional Council (STC) recently launched an offensive, on Jan. 3, 2026. 

The Gulf nations' growing battle for influence is straining bilateral ties and fueling proxy conflicts in places like Yemen and Sudan, though both sides will likely avoid any escalation that could harm their economies.

Social Issues

SITUATION REPORTS

Israel: Knesset Advances Ultra-Orthodox Draft Exemption in Basic Law

South Africa: Migrant Homes and Businesses Targeted in Anti-Migration Marches, Over 900 Arrested

Burkina Faso: Junta Adopts Controversial Bill Regulating Religious Freedoms

Ghana: Majority Leader Stresses Presence of Protective Amendments in Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill

U.S.: Trump Administration Orders U.S. To Pull Out of Dozens of International Entities

Chile: Kast Wins Presidential Election, Propelling the Far-Right to Power

Saudi Arabia: Alcohol Stores for Non-Muslims To Open in Dhahran, Jeddah

El Salvador: Bukele Consolidates Power as Legislative Assembly Removes Presidential Term Limits

Forecasts

ANALYSES

SECTIONS

Explore

Subscribe

Help & Support