United States

Economics

Politics

A U.S. federal appeals court paused a lower-court ruling invalidating most of the Trump administration's tariffs implemented this year while it hears the government's appeal, CNBC reported on May 29.

U.S: Appeals Court Temporarily Allows Trump Administration To Keep Tariffs in Place

China

South Korea

Military & Security

A senior U.S. defense official, part of U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's delegation to Singapore, gave a press briefing in which he cited a desire to recalibrate U.S. Forces Korea to "reflect the realities of the regional security environment" in deterring China, Yonhap News Agency reported on May 29.

U.S., South Korea: Pentagon Confirms Aim To Reorient USFK Toward China

U.S.-China Relations

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio late on May 28 announced a campaign to "aggressively" revoke visas for Chinese university students with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or working in "critical fields," a category he did not define, The New York Times reported on May 29.

U.S., China: Rubio Pledges To 'Aggressively' Revoke Chinese Student Visas

Australia

Australia is pursuing a cautious approach to reclaiming the China-leased Port of Darwin, seeking to avoid a diplomatic backlash akin to the U.S.-Panama Canal handover dispute, Bloomberg reported on May 28.

Australia, China: Canberra Remains Intent on Port of Darwin Buyback From Beijing

South Africa

Energy

The South African government formally offered to buy 75 million to 100 million cubic meters of liquified natural gas a year from the United States under a 10-year contract in exchange for duty-free access to the U.S. market for automotive parts and duty-free annual quotas of 40,000 vehicles, 385,000 tons of steel and 132,000 tons of aluminum sold in the United States, Reuters reported on May 26.

South Africa: Pretoria Eyes U.S. LNG Imports for Duty-Free Trade Perks

Social Issues

A federal judge issued a temporary restraining order preventing the U.S. Department of Homeland Security from implementing its 22 May decision to revoke the certificate of the Harvard University Student and Exchange Visitor Program.

U.S.: Judge Blocks Trump Administration's Effort to Bar Harvard From Enrolling Foreign Students

Environment, Science & Technology

Global Trade

Science & Technology

In a May 23 post on Truth Social, U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to impose a 25% tariff on all imported iPhones, calling on Apple to manufacture the devices in the United States.

U.S.: Trump Threatens Apple With 25% Tariff on iPhone Imports

The Wall Street Journal claimed late on May 22 that White House officials are preparing a proposal to withdraw 4,500 out of the 28,500 U.S. troops stationed in South Korea and redeploy them elsewhere in the Indo-Pacific, including to Guam.

U.S., South Korea: White House Considering Drawdown of Troops in South Korea

Snapshots

Canada

Mexico

Japan

Europe

A U.S. courthouse facade with columns in lower Manhattan, New York.

The court ruling nullifies most -- though not all -- of the Trump administration's tariffs, giving U.S. trading partners temporary breathing room in negotiations while the White House searches for alternative trade measures.

The White House's Tariff Ambitions Bend -- But Do Not Break -- Under the Weight of a Court Ruling

Assessments

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: May 29, 2025

Dunster House at Harvard University is seen on March 17, 2025, in Cambridge, Massachusetts. 

The Trump administration's latest salvo against elite U.S. universities highlights a broader campaign that will have lasting implications for domestic scientific research, innovation and competitiveness.

The Implications of Trump's Pressure Campaign Against U.S. Universities

Malaysia

The ASEAN logo May 15 in front of the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Malaysia will host the first of the two annual summits of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations on May 26.

A look at what the coming week will bring -- and a list of recommended RANE articles from the week that was.

The Weekly Rundown: Trans-Atlantic Trade Talks Intensify, Malaysia Hosts Two Summits

The U.S. Capitol building is seen on the evening of May 20, 2025, in Washington, D.C. 

The bill could lead to higher U.S. yields by heightening concerns about large fiscal deficits and increasing debt levels, but it is unlikely to alone severely undermine investor confidence.

The Economic Upshot of U.S. Republicans' Budget Reconciliation Bill

U.S. Naval Update Map: May 22, 2025

Columns

On Geopolitics

Visitors walk down the inclined shaft at Steenkampskraal rare-earth mine on July 29, 2019, about 80 kilometers (about 50 miles) from Vanrhynsdorp, a town in Western Cape province, South Africa.

U.S.-China trade tensions are increasing the risk of supply chain disruptions for critical raw materials, but companies can take steps to mitigate this danger.

Corporate America Comes to Grips With Supply Chain Risks to Critical Raw Materials

Iran

Jordan

Syria

Supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan hold the movement's flag during a demonstration in the capital, Amman, on Nov. 28, 2014.

Militant factions of the Muslim Brotherhood will likely go underground in Jordan following the government's ban on the organization, but Iranian influence and persistent socioeconomic grievances will sustain risks of violence.

In Jordan, a Ban Pushes the Muslim Brotherhood Underground

For export-reliant developing countries that were already facing financial distress, the global uncertainty created by Trump's sweeping tariffs will sharply increase economic risks, as well as introduce political instability risks.

 Trump's Tariffs Will Hit Developing Economies Hard

U.S. Naval Update Map: May 15, 2025

U.S. President Donald Trump talks to reporters aboard Air Force One on May 14, 2025, as he flies to Doha, Qatar, for his first trip to the Middle East since returning to the White House. 

Trump's decision to lift sanctions will help kickstart Syria's war-torn economy and strengthen its new government, but sectarian infighting, Israeli aggression and a resurging Islamic State could still hamper progress.

In Syria, the Promise and Limits of U.S. Sanctions Relief

Philippines

Supporters of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. attend a campaign rally in Mandaluyong, the Philippines, on May 9, 2025, ahead of the midterm elections. 

President Marcos' diminished Senate majority could slow defense deals in the short term and tilt foreign policy back toward neutrality or a China-friendly stance in the long term.

Midterm Elections Deal a Blow to the Philippines' U.S.-Friendly President

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

U.S: Appeals Court Temporarily Allows Trump Administration To Keep Tariffs in Place

U.S., South Korea: Pentagon Confirms Aim To Reorient USFK Toward China

U.S., China: Rubio Pledges To 'Aggressively' Revoke Chinese Student Visas

Australia, China: Canberra Remains Intent on Port of Darwin Buyback From Beijing

South Africa: Pretoria Eyes U.S. LNG Imports for Duty-Free Trade Perks

U.S.: Judge Blocks Trump Administration's Effort to Bar Harvard From Enrolling Foreign Students

U.S.: Trump Threatens Apple With 25% Tariff on iPhone Imports

U.S., South Korea: White House Considering Drawdown of Troops in South Korea

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