Japan

Vietnam

Economics

Energy

Environment, Science & Technology

Military & Security

Politics

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh met in Hanoi, Vietnam, to reaffirm the two countries' comprehensive strategic partnership, Nikkei Asia reported on April 28.

Japan, Vietnam: Ishiba Visit Deepens Semiconductor, Clean Energy and Defense Ties

Mali

Senegal

Al Qaeda's Sahel affiliate, Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, or JNIM, has significantly expanded its operations in Mali's western Kayes region, intensifying attacks near the eastern Senegalese border and engaging in various illicit activities within eastern Senegal, Radio France Internationale reported on April 28, citing a report by the Dakar-based think tank Timbuktu Institute. 

Senegal: Al Qaeda Affiliate Continues Push To Infiltrate Eastern Senegal

United States

Iran

Israel

A huge port explosion in the Iranian city of Bandar Abbas on April 26 killed 45 people, injured over 1,000 others and temporarily led to the port's closure, Newsweek reported on April 28.

Iran: Government Refrains From Blaming Israel for Massive Port Explosion

Angola

Angolan Finance Minister Vera Daves de Sousa said the Angolan government held talks with the International Monetary Fund to "explore" financing options following a slump in global oil prices in early April, Bloomberg reported on April 28. 

Angola: Government Holds Talks With IMF Regarding Support Package Following Oil Price Drop

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Rwanda

The Rwandan-backed M23 rebel group seized the town of Kaziba in the Democratic Republic of the Congo's South Kivu province following clashes with the Congolese military and pro-government Wazalendo militias despite the group's commitment to advance a ceasefire, Radio Okapi reported on April 28. 

Congo: Fighting Continues Despite U.S.-Brokered 'Declaration of Principles' With Rwanda

Europe

Germany

Germany formally requested the activation of the European Union's "national escape clause" to exempt defense spending from deficit calculations and avoid triggering excessive deficit procedures under the bloc’s fiscal rules, Reuters reported on April 28, citing a letter from outgoing Finance Minister Jorg Kukies to the European Commission.

Germany, EU: Berlin Invokes Escape Clause in EU Fiscal Rules To Increase Defense Spending

U.S. President Donald Trump's administration is pressuring the European Union to jettison an artificial intelligence code of practice rulebook intended to create higher transparency and risk-mitigation standards for AI developers, Bloomberg reported on April 25. 

EU, U.S.: White House Pressures Europe To Abandon AI Code of Conduct

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will receive Congolese Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner and her Rwandan counterpart, Olivier Nduhungirehe, who are due to sign a "declaration of principles," Jeune Afrique reported on April 25.

Congo: U.S. Secretary Marco Rubio To Receive Congolese and Rwandan Counterparts for 'Peace Pathway Deal'

The world is connected, but even the broadest topics deserve an individual look. Below are our latest and most relevant economics analyses.

Below are our latest and most relevant economics analyses.

Sub-Saharan Africa

Americas

Asia-Pacific

Eurasia

Middle East and North Africa

South Asia

Beyond Quantitative Easing

The New Silk Road

The Fate of the Eurozone

South America: Split Decisions on Trade

Banking

Commodities: A Cautionary Tale

Social Issues

European Disintegration

Russia's Internal Struggle

China in Transition

A Japanese Awakening

East African Integration

Assessments

China

A digital illustration of the Chinese and EU flags.

Global Trade

Transatlantic trade tensions have created a window for tactical EU-China engagement, but structural constraints and unresolved disputes limit prospects for meaningful realignment.

Budding EU-China Rapprochement Amid U.S. Tariffs Will Have Its Limits

U.S.-China Relations

Media

India

Podcasts

Will India be able to stay on track for its growth goals?

Essential Geopolitics: The Outlook for India's Economy

Pakistan

An Indian paramilitary serviceman keeps watch in Pahalgam, south of Srinagar, on April 23, 2025, following a deadly attack in Indian-administered Kashmir. 

India and Pakistan's exchange of tit-for-tat diplomatic and economic moves is raising the risk of a military escalation, while also fueling domestic unrest due to rising nationalist sentiment in both countries.

India-Pakistan Tensions Surge Following Deadly Kashmir Attack

Snapshots

Russia

People walk past an electronic panel, promoting the contract service in the Russian armed forces, with a sign that reads "Our profession is to defend the Fatherland" in a shopping mall on May 11, 2024, in Moscow, Russia. 

Russia is signaling it may welcome back Western companies, but strict conditions, ongoing sanctions and reputational risks are likely to deter a widespread return.

Russia Opens Door to Western Firms, But With Major Strings Attached

Mexico

Trucks travel by the U.S.-Mexico border after crossing the border into the United States at Otay Mesa, California, on April 2, 2025. 

Although U.S. tariffs will hurt Mexico's economy in the short term, they may eventually grant Mexico a competitive advantage over countries that face even higher duties.

The Buffers That Will Help Mexico Navigate Tariff Turbulence

South Korea

The Geopolitics of Trade

U.S. reciprocal tariffs will have major economic and political impacts on Japan and South Korea, particularly as both East Asian countries prepare for summer elections.

The Geopolitics of Trade: The Impact of U.S. Tariffs on South Korea and Japan

Columns

On Geopolitics

Lebanon

Syria

A Lebanese flag painted on a damaged building in the village of Meiss El-Jabal in southern Lebanon is seen from a position on the Israeli side of the border on Jan. 23, 2025, in northern Israel. 

Hezbollah's military losses and the formation of Lebanon's new government have opened the door to a new chapter in Lebanese history, although external pressure will complicate the country's next steps.

Hezbollah's Future in Lebanon

A crowd of men in 1930 wearing jackets and hats.

U.S. tariffs are throwing economies across the globe into disarray, just as they did in 1930, but lessons from the past could keep the world from tipping into a second Great Depression.

Lessons From the 1930s on Avoiding a Second Great Depression

Kuwait

Kuwaiti traders follow the stock market activity at the Boursa Kuwait stock exchange building in Kuwait City on April 7, 2025. 

The law will enable external borrowing to finance the country's deficits and Vision 2035 investments, but Kuwait's growing reliance on debt markets to increase capital expenditure could eventually prove problematic. 

After Eight Years of Gridlock, Kuwait Finally Passes a New Debt Law

Bangladesh

Sri Lanka

A general view shows Sri Lanka's Colombo port on April 9, 2025.

Textile exports from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Pakistan will suffer under new U.S. tariffs, worsening economic hardships and risking political instability.

South Asia's Textile Industry Reels From U.S. Tariffs

Argentina

Aerial view of 9 de Julio Avenue in Buenos Aires, Argentina, is seen on April 10, 2025, during a 24-hour strike called by workers' unions against the economic policies of President Javier Milei. 

The $20 billion bailout package will reduce financial risks amid Argentina's ongoing macroeconomic adjustment, but the threat of policy slippage will increase ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

What To Make of Argentina's Latest IMF Deal

Australia

Australian Labor Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (L) debates Liberal opposition leader Peter Dutton on April 8, 2025, in Sydney, Australia. 

While another Labor government would portend domestic and foreign policy continuity, a victory by the Liberal-National coalition would signal a shift toward fiscal austerity, loosened energy regulations, expanded defense spending and stricter immigration regulations.

Australia's Election: Potential Outcomes and Their Implications

Global Elections

Economics

SITUATION REPORTS

Japan, Vietnam: Ishiba Visit Deepens Semiconductor, Clean Energy and Defense Ties

Senegal: Al Qaeda Affiliate Continues Push To Infiltrate Eastern Senegal

Iran: Government Refrains From Blaming Israel for Massive Port Explosion

Angola: Government Holds Talks With IMF Regarding Support Package Following Oil Price Drop

Congo: Fighting Continues Despite U.S.-Brokered 'Declaration of Principles' With Rwanda

Germany, EU: Berlin Invokes Escape Clause in EU Fiscal Rules To Increase Defense Spending

EU, U.S.: White House Pressures Europe To Abandon AI Code of Conduct

Congo: U.S. Secretary Marco Rubio To Receive Congolese and Rwandan Counterparts for 'Peace Pathway Deal'

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