Geopolitical Futures

Russian business. Russia’s manufacturing purchasing managers’ index rose to 54.4 points in May, up slightly from 54.3 in April. (A value above 50 points indicates growth.) Production output also accelerated to the second-fastest rate since January 2017. The uptick in new orders was attributed to increased advertising spending, new client acquisition and sustained demand. The […]

(click to enlarge) The Global Critical Minerals Outlook 2024, the second annual review from the International Energy Agency, offers medium- and long-term projections for lithium, cobalt, nickel, copper and graphite....

War and peace. China will not join the Swiss peace conference on Ukraine due to significant differences between the summit's conditions and China's demands, as well as global expectations....

From the war in Ukraine, instability in the Middle East, and the potential for conflict in the Pacific, the U.S. military is involved to a certain degree in a...

Death and taxes. Russia is planning tax hikes to help pay for its protracted war in Ukraine. The corporate tax rate will increase to 25 percent from 20 percent,...

South Africans go to the polls this week in one of the most significant elections in a generation. A leading power in Sub-Saharan Africa, they find themselves balanced between their BRICS membership and close cultural and economic ties to the West. Analyst Ronan Wordsworth joins host Christian Smith for a discussion on South Africa’s role in global geopolitics and the potential impacts of the election.