China

Military & Security

Politics

At China's fourth plenum from Oct. 20-23, Beijing appointed Central Military Commission (CMC) member Zhang Shengmin as the new CMC vice chair, Bloomberg reported on Oct. 23.

China: Party Frames Purged Military Generals as Challengers of Top Leaders

Haiti

Haitian electoral council president Jacques Desrosiers said on Oct. 22 that Haiti will not be able to hold a general election before the end of the transitional presidential council's mandate on Feb. 7, 2026, Reuters reported the same day.

Haiti: Government Confirms Elections Will Not Occur Before February Deadline

Economics

A communique summarizing the proceedings of China's Oct. 20-23 fourth plenum pledged to "seek progress while maintaining stability," expand domestic demand, stabilize employment and uphold manufacturing as the foundational "real economy."

China: Plenum Charts Steady Economic Plan, Trade Deterrence, Internal Security

Mali

Malian junta leader Gen. Assimi Goita dismissed several senior military officers for underperformance amid an economic blockade imposed by al Qaeda affiliate Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), which has caused a severe fuel shortage, Jeune Afrique reported on Oct. 23.

Mali: Worsening Jihadist Insurgency Exposes Divisions in Junta, Leading to Dismissal of Senior Officers

Indonesia

The Indonesian military has seized roughly 3.7 million hectares of private palm oil plantations and around 30% of national acreage, transferring nearly half to the new state-run agency Agrinas Palma Nusantara, Reuters reported on Oct. 23.

Indonesia: Militarization Deepens With Palm Oil Plantation Seizures

Cambodia

Thailand

Thailand and Cambodia will sign a joint declaration to de-escalate their border dispute on Oct. 25 at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations' leaders' summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in the presence of U.S. President Donald Trump, the Thai Enquirer reported on Oct. 23.

Thailand, Cambodia: Bangkok, Phnom Penh To Sign 'Peace Declaration' at ASEAN Summit

Ecuador

The Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador, or CONAIE, announced an end to the general strike that resulted in several violent anti-government protests in recent weeks, El Universo reported on Oct. 22. 

Ecuador: Indigenous Association Calls Off Protests After Government Threats To Use Force

United States

Israel

Palestinian Territories

U.S. President Donald Trump said the United States would withdraw "all of its support" from Israel should it carry out annexations in the West Bank, saying he had given his word to Arab countries that he would oppose such action, Time Magazine reported on Oct. 23. 

U.S., Israel: Trump Threatens U.S. Support Over Annexation

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

Assessments

Netherlands

A photograph taken on Oct. 10, 2025, shows Dutch election posters ahead of the Netherlands' Oct. 29 elections. 

Political fragmentation points toward complex negotiations and an ideologically unstable coalition, most likely led by either centrists or the far right.

Netherlands Election: Potential Outcomes and Their Implications

Global Elections

Syria

Turkey

Syria's interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa (right) meets with U.S. envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack, at the presidential palace in Damascus on July 9, 2025. 

The U.S. will leverage permanent sanctions relief to pressure Syria to finalize a security pact with Israel, but the Kurds will resist integrating with President Ahmad al-Sharaa's government. 

U.S. Engagement With Syria Will Promote Stability, but Kurdish Integration Will Continue To Lag

Argentina

Argentina's flag flutters at the Congress.

A weak result for the government is likely to trigger a significant peso devaluation and heightened political instability, effectively stalling the administration's pro-business legislative agenda.


The Stakes for Javier Milei in Argentina's Midterm Elections

The Geopolitics of Trade

Energy

Environment, Science & Technology

Global Trade

The recalibration of the European Union's sustainability framework will ease near-term compliance burdens and costs for businesses but preserve long-term uncertainty.

The Geopolitics of Trade: EU Steps Back From Ambitious Environmental Policies

Snapshots

Bangladesh

Representatives of various Bangladeshi political parties present the July National Charter at the South Plaza of the National Parliament in Dhaka on Oct. 17, 2025. 

The proposed reforms underscore efforts by some of Bangladesh's main political forces to curb the concentration of power, strengthen democratic institutions and ensure greater accountability and transparency.

Uncertainty Over Bangladesh Charter Implementation Will Sustain Risks of Unrest

Australia

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (left) and U.S. President Donald Trump speak to reporters during a bilateral meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House on Oct. 20, 2025, in Washington, D.C. 

Trump and Albanese agreed to tighten defense and supply chain integration as a way to reduce their countries' reliance on China, but industrial bottlenecks mean implementation will be slow.

U.S.-Australia Leadership Summit Yields Critical Minerals Pact, AUKUS Reaffirmation

Japan

South Korea

Japan's new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks during a press conference at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on Oct. 21, 2025.

Sanae Takaichi's appointment as prime minister will reduce short-term political instability in Japan and strengthen U.S. ties, but her conservative government will struggle to recover domestic support and could alienate neighboring countries.

New Premier Takaichi a Quick Fix for Japan's Long-Term Political Problems

Tanzania

Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan of the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party reacts on stage during a rally in Dar es Salaam on Aug. 28, 2025, to officially launch the CCM's campaign ahead of the Tanzanian general election. 

Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan is highly likely to be reelected in the Oct. 29 ballot, which is unlikely to turn violent but could portend wider governance challenges in the medium term.

Previewing Tanzania's General Elections

Venezuela

A poster displaying a photo of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is seen as members of the Bolivarian Armed Forces take part in a military exercise in Caracas on Sept. 20, 2025. 

The U.S. will most likely conduct kinetic attacks on cartel sites in Venezuela over the next three to six months. Other scenarios, ranging from a negotiated settlement to a decapitation strike on Maduro, are comparatively less likely.

U.S. Confrontation With Venezuela: Potential Scenarios

Iran

Russia

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Syria's interim president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, hold a meeting at the Grand Kremlin Palace in Moscow on Oct.15, 2025. 

Syria's outreach to Russia could lead to diversified economic and security ties, help de-escalate tensions between Russia and Turkey, and eventually facilitate small steps toward Syria's rapprochement with Iran.

Syria-Russia Reapproachment Reinforces Damascus's Non-Confrontationalism

Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (L) attends a lunch meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump (R) at the White House on Oct. 17, 2025, in Washington, D.C. 

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Recent statements by U.S. President Donald Trump suggest a significant U.S. pivot toward a negotiated settlement in Ukraine that prioritizes freezing the conflict and may involve territorial concessions favorable to Moscow.

Trump Signals Shift Toward Russian Position on Ukraine Ahead of Putin Meeting

U.S. President Donald Trump (R) and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Aug. 15, 2025, at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska. Delegations from the United States and Russia, including U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Affairs Minister Sergey Lavrov, respectively, will meet this week to resume conversations about their countries' bilateral relationship and the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Israel-Hamas 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: U.S. and Russian Delegations Meet, a Still-Fragile Hamas-Israel Ceasefire 

Politics

SITUATION REPORTS

China: Party Frames Purged Military Generals as Challengers of Top Leaders

Haiti: Government Confirms Elections Will Not Occur Before February Deadline

China: Plenum Charts Steady Economic Plan, Trade Deterrence, Internal Security

Mali: Worsening Jihadist Insurgency Exposes Divisions in Junta, Leading to Dismissal of Senior Officers

Indonesia: Militarization Deepens With Palm Oil Plantation Seizures

Thailand, Cambodia: Bangkok, Phnom Penh To Sign 'Peace Declaration' at ASEAN Summit

Ecuador: Indigenous Association Calls Off Protests After Government Threats To Use Force

U.S., Israel: Trump Threatens U.S. Support Over Annexation

Forecasts

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