United States

Environment, Science & Technology

Politics

Science & Technology

On Inauguration Day, new U.S. President Donald Trump revoked a Biden-era artificial intelligence executive order that introduced requirements for developers of the most powerful AI systems to share safety test results and other critical information with the U.S. government prior to their release to the public, Reuters reported on Jan. 20.

U.S.: Trump Rolls Back Biden-Era AI Executive Order

Syria

Turkey

Military & Security

Syria's Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra rejected a proposal by the U.S.-backed Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces, or SDF, to maintain its own "military bloc" if it integrated into the Syrian Defense Ministry, Reuters reported on Jan. 19. 

Syria: Damascus Rejects SDF-Led Proposal for Partial Military Integration

Israel

Palestinian Territories

Yemen

Yemen's Houthi rebels said they would limit attacks on shipping in the Red Sea to Israeli-linked vessels if the Israel-Hamas ceasefire was upheld, although the group said it could resume broader attacks if the United States, the United Kingdom or Israel committed an "event of aggression," Reuters reported on Jan. 20.

Yemen: Houthis To Attack Only Israeli-Linked Vessels

Economics

In a Jan. 20 executive order, new U.S. President Donald Trump resumed the process for the United States to withdraw from the World Health Organization.

U.S.: Trump Revives Withdrawal From World Health Organization

Panama

China

Panama's government on Jan. 20 launched an audit of Hong Kong-based Hutchison Ports, which operates ports at both ends of the country's canal, amid U.S. President Donald Trump's threats to retake the infrastructure, the Financial Times reported on Jan. 21.

Panama: New Audit Hints at Higher Scrutiny of Chinese Companies in Latin America

Iran

Russia

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a comprehensive strategic partnership treaty that includes cooperation on trade, defense, culture and science, though specific details were not publicized, AP reported on Jan. 17.

Russia, Iran: Russia and Iran Sign Comprehensive Treaty in Moscow

Cyber

U.S.-China Relations

The U.S. Supreme Court rejected a free speech argument filed by Chinese-based TikTok owner ByteDance, upholding a law that will require the Chinese company to divest itself from the social media platform or face a nationwide ban by Jan. 19, NBC News reported on Jan. 17. 

U.S.: Supreme Court Upholds Law Paving Way for TikTok Ban

Taiwan

Taiwan's opposition Kuomintang and Taiwan People's Party legislators suggested amending the annual budget to introduce cuts of up to 44% on 38 defense projects, including the country's domestic submarine development program, drones and mine-laying vessels, Focus Taiwan reported on Jan. 16.

Taiwan: Budget Cuts Highlight Potential Wrinkle in U.S. Defense Cooperation

Assessments

Canada

Mexico

Europe

U.S. President Donald Trump holds up an executive order after signing it during an indoor inauguration parade at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C, on Jan. 20, 2025.

Energy

While some will face legal challenges, Trump's initial orders on immigration, trade, energy and climate issues lay the groundwork for his ambitious agenda.

What To Make of Trump's Day 1 Executive Orders

Indonesia

Germany

France

India

The West Front of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 17 in Washington. Donald Trump will be inaugurated as U.S. president on Jan. 20.

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: The Gaza Ceasefire, Trump's Inauguration

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: Jan. 16, 2025

Columns

On Geopolitics

Asia-Pacific

Australia

Japan

Malaysia

Philippines

South Korea

Vietnam

U.S. President Joe Biden gestures to reporters after landing on the South Lawn of the White House on Sept. 22, 2024, in Washington, D.C. 

Trump's more aggressive and transactional approach could deliver quick wins for the U.S.'s position in the region, though it could also strain ties with key partners. 

Trump's Asia-Pacific Approach Will Test Biden's Gains

Nation-states' growing use of hacktivist personas to obfuscate responsibility will increasingly enable them to attack targets they would otherwise avoid and spread propaganda.

Hacktivism Offers Plausible Deniability for State-Backed Cyber Actors

Trump's fiscal, deregulation and trade policies may initially boost U.S. economic growth, but potentially to the detriment of the rest of the world.

What To Expect From Trump's Economic Policies

Angola

Cote d'Ivoire

Ghana

Kenya

Nigeria

Argentina

Brazil

Ecuador

Algeria

Iraq

Jordan

Kuwait

Qatar

Saudi Arabia

Tunisia

United Arab Emirates

Ukraine

Belarus

Pakistan

World map on a dark digital background representing global communication and global finances.

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

RANE's Top 10 Risks for 2025 highlights high-impact, low-probability risks and trends from the annual forecast presented in more extreme terms.

RANE's Top 10 Risks for 2025

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

Sub-Saharan Africa

Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta, Guinea's President Alpha Conde, US President Donald Trump, African Development Bank President Akinwumi Adesina, Vice President of Nigeria Yemi Osinbajo and Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn pose on May 27, 2017 in Taormina, Sicily.

The Trump administration's more zero-sum approach to countering Chinese influence in Africa may find some success but risks alienating several African states, potentially enabling China to strengthen its foothold.

What to Expect From Trump 2.0's Approach to Africa

The Port of Houston Authority is seen during a strike among members of the International Longshoreman's Association on Oct. 1, 2024, in Houston, Texas. 

A dispute over port automation, along with the impending transition from Biden to Trump, will hinder progress in newly resumed talks between U.S. longshoremen and their employers, creating the risk of a highly disruptive strike.

The U.S. Braces for Another, Likely More Disruptive, Port Strike

Media

Podcasts

What is Salt Typhoon, and what happened in the recent hack against U.S. telecommunications companies? 

Essential Geopolitics: Unpacking China's Salt Typhoon Operation

U.S. Naval Update Map: Jan. 3, 2025

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.: Trump Rolls Back Biden-Era AI Executive Order

Syria: Damascus Rejects SDF-Led Proposal for Partial Military Integration

Yemen: Houthis To Attack Only Israeli-Linked Vessels

U.S.: Trump Revives Withdrawal From World Health Organization

Panama: New Audit Hints at Higher Scrutiny of Chinese Companies in Latin America

Russia, Iran: Russia and Iran Sign Comprehensive Treaty in Moscow

U.S.: Supreme Court Upholds Law Paving Way for TikTok Ban

Taiwan: Budget Cuts Highlight Potential Wrinkle in U.S. Defense Cooperation

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