United States

Ukraine

Russia

Economics

Military & Security

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

The Kremlin issued unusually sharp warnings about the potential U.S. supply of Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine, Reuters reported on Oct. 12.

Russia, Ukraine, U.S.: Kremlin Issues Escalation Threats Over Potential Tomahawk Delivery

China

Politics

U.S.-China Relations

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

Australia

Australia is consulting miners on a proposed $777 million critical minerals fund that would be led by the government and could include price floors, offtake guarantees and government-backed loans to stabilize domestic producers, Bloomberg reported on Oct. 11.

Australia: Canberra Weighs Critical Minerals Reserve Ahead of U.S. Talks

Europe

Netherlands

Cyber

Global Trade

The Dutch government has temporarily taken control of Chinese-owned semiconductor manufacturer Nexperia, citing risks to national and European technological security, the Financial Times reported Oct. 12.

Netherlands, China: Dutch Government Seizes Control of Chinese-Owned Chipmaker 

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

U.S. President Donald Trump threatened in an Oct. 10 Truth Social post to levy high tariffs or export curbs on China in response to Beijing's recent expansion of rare earth export curbs. 

U.S., China: Trump Threatens Retaliation for China's Expanded Rare Earth Curbs

Egypt

Qatar

Turkey

Around 200 U.S. troops will oversee the implementation of the Hamas-Israel ceasefire, although reports conflict over whether these troops will be stationed in Egypt or Israel, the BBC reported Oct. 10.

US, Israel, Palestinian Territories: 200 U.S. Troops To Monitor Gaza Ceasefire

Assessments

Cameroon

Japan

France

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

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

Snapshots

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?

Tracking U.S. Naval Power

This map shows the approximate locations of U.S. Carrier Strike Groups and Amphibious Ready Groups.

U.S. Naval Update Map: Oct. 9, 2025

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

Bahrain

Iran

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

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Rwanda

The Geopolitics of Trade

Persistent conflict and armed group control in the Democratic Republic of the Congo will sustain significant legal, financial and reputational pressures on companies sourcing critical minerals from the region for the foreseeable future.

The Geopolitics of Trade: Due Diligence and Congo's Critical Minerals

On Geopolitics

U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu participate in a press conference in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 29, 2025. 

The once-unshakable consensus on Israel within U.S. politics is fracturing under the weight of generational change, a growing values gap and a misalignment of geopolitical imperatives.

'A Little Sparta': Why the U.S.-Israeli Relationship Is Destined To Change 

U.S. Naval Update Map: Oct. 2, 2025

The U.N. Security Council holds a meeting on Iran at the U.N. headquarters in New York City, New York, on Sept. 19, 2025. 

Energy

U.S.-Iran Relations

The increased isolation will make Iran more reliant on China and Russia, while the added economic strain could fuel domestic protests and empower Iranian hard-liners calling for more aggressive action against the West.

U.N. Sanctions Snapback: What's Next for Iran?

Denmark

Moldova

Representatives are pictured ahead of a working session during the informal EU foreign ministers' meeting in Copenhagen, Denmark, on Aug. 30, 2025.

The Weekly Rundown: EU Leaders Meet in Denmark, Moldova Elects a New Parliament

Syria

Israeli military vehicles drive along a border fence, near the town of Majdal Shams, in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights, on July 17, 2025. 

Syria and Israel will likely ink a security pact to ease border tensions before the end of the year, but the deal's likely narrow scope and other unresolved disputes will keep it fragile.

The Implications of a Syria-Israel De-Escalation Agreement

The United States encompasses territory spanning from the Arctic Circle and Central Pacific to the Gulf of Mexico and the North Atlantic.    The Greater Mississippi Basin is the United States' core and serves as the underpinning of its role as a global superpower.    The basin hosts an extensive network of navigable rivers that overlay the world's largest contiguous piece of arable land. This naturally interconnected river system facilitated integration among settlers and allowed for cheap transport of goods, providing the United States with the ability to feed itself efficiently and rapidly build up industry and capital to expand west. The Midwestern core gave early America strategic depth, while an expanding U.S. coastline, naturally indented with deep harbors, provided its opening to the world.    After reaching the Pacific coast in the mid-19th century, the United States found itself insulated by two oceans. On the continent itself, geography again has worked in the country's favor: lakes to the north and deserts to the south insulate the United States' population centers, with both Canada and Mexico facing too many natural constraints of their own to seriously rival it.    This unparalleled level of wealth and protection gives the United States options that few to no countries can claim. For one, the United States has used its wealth and security to build up the world's largest navy. Control of the world's major sea-lanes gives the United States the power to facilitate or deny trade to allies or rivals of the day. The onus therefore is on the United States to carefully manage its engagements abroad and build up strategic allies to protect its overseas interests and preserve its strength at home. 

SITUATION REPORTS

Russia, Ukraine, U.S.: Kremlin Issues Escalation Threats Over Potential Tomahawk Delivery

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

Australia: Canberra Weighs Critical Minerals Reserve Ahead of U.S. Talks

Netherlands, China: Dutch Government Seizes Control of Chinese-Owned Chipmaker

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

U.S., China: Trump Threatens Retaliation for China's Expanded Rare Earth Curbs

US, Israel, Palestinian Territories: 200 U.S. Troops To Monitor Gaza Ceasefire

Forecasts

ANALYSES

SECTIONS

Explore

Subscribe

Help & Support