<p>To the west of Eurasia lays Europe, a region predisposed to division. It is surrounded on nearly all sides by islands and peninsulas that make it difficult for Europe to cohere. The northern half of the continent, moreover, sits on a plain whose short, meandering rivers tend to empower countries without forcing them to work with others. The southern half is situated on more mountainous terrain that has historically impeded the creation of strong, unified economies. As a result, Europe is a continent riven by pockets of distinct cultures whose differences are all too often irreconcilable.</p>

Europe is a continent riven by pockets of distinct cultures whose differences are all too often irreconcilable.

Europe

Belize

Andorra

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Czech Republic

Denmark

Estonia

Finland

France

Germany

Greece

Holy See

Latvia

Liechtenstein

Lithuania

Luxembourg

Malta

North Macedonia

San Marino

Sweden

United Kingdom

Bulgaria

Portugal

Serbia

Croatia

Poland

Romania

Cyprus

Norway

Austria

Slovakia

Albania

Slovenia

Netherlands

Switzerland

Spain

Montenegro

Monaco

Italy

Ireland

Iceland

Hungary

Kosovo

Beyond Quantitative Easing

The Ukraine Conflict

The Politics of Pipelines

EU: Regional Blocs

Divided EU Foreign Policies

Brexit

The Fate of the Eurozone

Banking

Crossing Borders

Globalization

European Disintegration

Echoes of the Cold War

The Fight for Russia’s Borderlands

Snapshots

Belarus

Russia

A Latvian border guard patrols along the fence at the Belarusian border near Krivanda, eastern Latvia, on Aug. 8, 2023.

Military & Security

Migration pressure orchestrated by Belarus is shifting toward Latvia and driving the adoption of sophisticated tunnel-smuggling tactics that will test EU resilience.

Belarus's Hybrid Migration Tactics Shift Pressure to Latvia

Morocco

A Spanish soldier escorts a group of migrants on their way back towards the Moroccan border, following their illegal crossing into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, on Aug. 1, 2026.

Politics

Spain and Morocco's heightened security measures will likely thwart online efforts to organize another mass migration attempt, though smaller border breaches remain possible.

The Risk of a Second Migration Surge Into Spain's Ceuta

Assessments

Nigeria

Zambia

United States

Iran

Oman

China

Migrants wait to receive water on a beach in the North African Spanish enclave of Ceuta on Aug. 2, 2026.

Environment, Science & Technology

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

The Weekly Rundown: Extreme Weather in China and Europe, More Migrant Crossings Into Spain

Ukraine

The parliament building is seen through a European flag during a demonstration against a judicial reform pushed by lawmakers of the ruling Law and Justice party on Jan. 23, 2020, in Warsaw, Poland. 

Social Issues

Poland's right-wing opposition parties remain well-positioned to win a majority in the 2027 general election, though growing fragmentation among these parties will hinder postelection coalition talks, potentially leading to a government that includes far-right elements.

How Poland's Right-Wing Split Alters the 2027 Election Landscape

Greenland

The Geopolitics of Natural Resources

Economics

Energy

Greenland's large deposits of critical minerals make the island one of the few potential alternatives to Chinese supply chains, but material constraints and diplomatic disputes will obstruct large-scale production.

The West's Quest To Exploit Greenland's Critical Minerals

Colombia

Venezuela

Israel

Lebanon

Colombia's President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella (R) delivers a speech during a military parade commemorating Colombia's Independence Day in Medellin, Colombia, on July 20, 2026. 

Cyber

The Weekly Rundown: Colombia's New President Takes Office, Brussels Gains AI Act Enforcement Powers

U.S.-Iran Relations

Firefighters spray water along the edge of a forest during a wildfire in southwestern France on July 25, 2026. 

While unlikely to be electorally decisive in either country, the crisis will heighten scrutiny of both governments' crisis management and elevate climate adaptation, emergency preparedness and civil protection as key national and EU policy priorities.

The Political and Security Impact of the Wildfires in France and Spain

Supporters of the far-right Vox party wave flags and shout slogans during a protest against Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez in Madrid, on June 13, 2025.

Strict constitutional restrictions and EU institutional oversight would significantly constrain a future right-wing government's ability to implement sweeping institutional changes.

What the Far-Right Vox Entering Government Would Mean for Spain's Security and Society

Peru

A couple rides past Iranian-made Zolfaghar missiles displayed at Azadi Square in Tehran on July 24.

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

The Weekly Rundown: A Likely U.S. Escalation in Iran, Zelensky Travels to Washington

India

A giant Indian flag is displayed from the country's embassy in London on May 7, 2025.

While the agreement will support both countries' economic diversification efforts, U.K. regulatory standards and supply chain challenges will limit some gains for India.

What To Expect as the India-U.K. Trade Deal Enters Force

Australia

U.S. Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby said AUKUS was moving "full steam ahead" but declined to guarantee the transfer of three secondhand Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines to Australia by 2032 per the agreed timeline, the Australian Financial Review reported on Aug. 13.

Australia, U.S.: Submarine Production Shortfall Will Continue To Threaten AUKUS Timeline

Romania will likely shut the second and last reactor at its Cernavoda nuclear plant as early as Aug. 13 after water levels in the Danube River fell below new record lows, operator Nuclearelectrica said on Aug. 11. 

Europe: Record-Low Water Levels Force Full Romanian Nuclear Shutdown, Halt Rhine Shipping

Chinese shipping company Sea Legend will launch the first regular container shipping service through the Arctic the week of Aug. 10, connecting China's port of Ningbo through the Northern Sea Route (north of Russia) to the United Kingdom's Felixstowe via weekly liner service during the summer months of low ice, roughly July or August through October, the Financial Times reported on Aug. 10. 

China: World's First Scheduled Arctic Container Service Commences

New U.S. intelligence assessments concluded that Russian President Vladimir Putin could try to test NATO between fall 2026 and 2029 through actions ranging from cyberattacks and covert operations to a limited land incursion, The Wall Street Journal reported on Aug. 6.

Russia, NATO: U.S. Intel Warns Putin Could Test NATO's Resolve

Sub-Saharan Africa

Americas

Middle East and North Africa

Asia-Pacific

Eurasia

South Asia

Researchers at Stanford and the Arc Institute used artificial intelligence to create 16 novel viral genomes, Science reported on Aug. 6.

Global: Scientists Use AI To Create 16 Novel Viruses

Lithuanian Defense Minister Robertas Kaunas said the country's military intelligence uncovered indications that Russia was weighing unconventional kinetic attacks on Baltic critical infrastructure using Ukrainian-made drones to maintain plausible deniability, LRT reported Aug. 6.

Europe, Russia: Lithuania Warns of Possible Russian False-Flag Drone Attacks in the Baltics

Anthropic's Mythos 5 and OpenAI's GPT-5.6 Sol artificial intelligence agents carried out unsanctioned activity and tried to deceive real people in organizations during a cybersecurity evaluation challenge carried out by the U.K. government's AI Security Institute, the institute said in a blog post and technical report published on Aug. 4.

Cyber: AI Agents Demonstrate Unsanctioned Deceptive Activity in Latest Example of AI Agents Going Rogue

German police found a drone carrying an explosive device on the tarmac at Leipzig/Halle airport shortly before midnight on Aug. 4, beside an Antonov Airlines cargo aircraft, Bild reported Aug. 5.

Germany: Drone Carrying Explosives Found at Leipzig Airport Beside Ukrainian Cargo Aircraft

Europe

SITUATION REPORTS

Australia, U.S.: Submarine Production Shortfall Will Continue To Threaten AUKUS Timeline

Europe: Record-Low Water Levels Force Full Romanian Nuclear Shutdown, Halt Rhine Shipping

China: World's First Scheduled Arctic Container Service Commences

Russia, NATO: U.S. Intel Warns Putin Could Test NATO's Resolve

Global: Scientists Use AI To Create 16 Novel Viruses

Europe, Russia: Lithuania Warns of Possible Russian False-Flag Drone Attacks in the Baltics

Cyber: AI Agents Demonstrate Unsanctioned Deceptive Activity in Latest Example of AI Agents Going Rogue

Germany: Drone Carrying Explosives Found at Leipzig Airport Beside Ukrainian Cargo Aircraft

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