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Cyber

Environment, Science & Technology

Military & Security

Pro-Iran hacktivist group Handala claimed a cyberattack on U.S.-based medical technology company Stryker Corp. that crippled its operations, Bloomberg reported on March 11.

Iran, U.S., Israel: Pro-Iran Hackers Reportedly Cripple U.S.-Based Medical Technology Company

The White House released its National Cyber Strategy on March 6, outlining six pillars to guide U.S. cyber operations and calling for "unprecedented coordination between the government and the private sector."

U.S.: White House Releases National Cyber Strategy, Trump Signs Executive Order

China

U.S. investigators believe that Chinese state-sponsored threat actors are responsible for breaching computer networks linked to the FBI that hold information related to domestic surveillance orders, The Wall Street Journal reported on March 6. 

China, U.S.: Chinese Threat Actors Suspected of FBI Breach

U.S.-China Relations

The Israel Defense Forces said on March 4 that it conducted airstrikes against a facility in Tehran used as Iran's cyber warfare headquarters.

Iran, Israel: IDF Says It Struck Iran's Cyber Warfare Headquarters

U.S.-based artificial intelligence company Anthropic said three Chinese AI companies set up more than 24,000 fraudulent accounts with its Claude AI model to conduct "distillation" techniques that use data outputs to advance their own AI systems, The Wall Street Journal reported on Feb. 23. 

U.S., China: Anthropic Claims Chinese Companies Are Using Claude for Distillation

Economics

Politics

The European Commission issued a preliminary ruling Feb. 6 that found that TikTok's infinite scroll, autoplay features and recommendation algorithm constituted an "addictive design," and that it must make changes to its core features or face fines up to 6% of its annual global revenue, The New York Times reported.

EU: Regulators Say TikTok's 'Addictive Design' Violates Online Safety Laws

Poland

Slovakia

Russia

Researchers from Slovakia-based cybersecurity company ESET assessed with medium confidence that Russian advanced persistent threat, or APT, Sandworm was behind a failed cyberattack targeting Poland's power grid in late December 2025, according to new research published by ESET on Jan. 23.

Russia, Poland: Researchers Attribute Attempted Data Wiper Attack to Russian APT Sandworm

Europe

The European Commission is launching a new formal investigation into X (formerly Twitter) related to purported violations of the bloc's Digital Services Act, The New York Times reported on Jan. 26. 

EU: Commission Launches Formal Investigation Into X Over DSA Violations

<p>Individuals, companies, governments and militaries alike all depend on computers. And as is so often the case, these dependencies create vulnerabilities that have made cybersecurity all the more important as proficiencies in cyber warfare and cyber crime improve. That technology constantly improves only adds to the problem of staying safe in the internet age. How governments and their constituents attune themselves to this brave new world will ultimately shape their relationship with the internet &mdash; and with each other.</p>

That technology constantly improves only adds to the problem of staying safe in the internet age.

Americas

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Modernizing China’s Military

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China in Transition

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Social Issues

RANE's Top 10 Risks for 2026 highlights high-impact, low-probability risks and trends from the annual forecast presented in more extreme terms.

RANE's Top 10 Risks for 2026

U.S.-Iran Relations

Sub-Saharan Africa

Energy

Israel-Hamas Conflict

As elections reshape political incentives worldwide, 2026 will see major powers recalibrate diplomacy and conflict, raising the risk of fragile deals, regional instability and sudden escalation.

2026 Annual Geopolitical Forecast: An Excerpt

Benin

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Democratic Republic of the Congo

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Nepal

Flight routes.

As 2026 approaches, we look back at the previous year and consider the top five patterns and trends as measured by geopolitical impact.

2025: A Geopolitical Review

A container ship arrives Oct. 10 at the Port of Oakland, California. In 2026, political calculations among major global players will significantly shape international affairs.

In 2026, political calculations among major global players will significantly shape international affairs.

2026 Annual Forecast: A Global Overview

Media

Podcasts

How could advancements in AI increase the threat of state-sponsored cyber activity?

Essential Geopolitics: The Role of AI in State-Sponsored Cyber Espionage Campaigns

While countries will likely increasingly pursue trade deals with digital clauses, the slow pace of regulatory development, coupled with a global tendency toward protectionism, will impede the push toward building out more streamlined digital economy agreements.

The Geopolitics of Trade: The Role of Digital Trade in Modern Free Trade Agreements

Snapshots

Flag of China on a red-painted printed circuit board.

Advancements in China's semiconductor sector are reducing Chinese companies' reliance on foreign technology, enabling them to push back more firmly against Western hegemony.

China's Chip Advances Increase Beijing's Leverage in Talks With the U.S.

From left to right, Small Business Administration administrator Kelly Loeffler, U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and Environmental Protection Agency administrator Lee Zeldin listen as U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a Cabinet meeting on Aug. 26, 2025, in Washington, D.C. 

As federal agencies tasked with countering foreign threats are defunded and social media giants relax their rules, the U.S. information space is becoming significantly more vulnerable to state-sponsored manipulation.

U.S. Digital Defenses Weaken, Opening the Door for Nation-State Operations

Essential Geopolitics: What Gabbard's ODNI Cuts Mean for Corporate Security

The Geopolitics of Trade

Protectionist and security-driven data regulations are impeding digital and physical trade, potentially slowing global economic growth and innovation.

The Geopolitics of Trade: Diverging Digital Governance Threatens Data Flows

U.S. President Donald Trump prepares to sign the GENIUS Act in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on July 18, 2025. 

The United States has passed its first major federal cryptocurrency law, boosting institutional interest, but broader public adoption remains constrained by regulatory gaps and ongoing risks.

Cryptocurrency Legislation Advances, Sets New Course for U.S. Cryptocurrency Landscape

A digital illustration shows a digital human head overlaying the EU flag.

Growing internal and U.S. pressure will likely force Brussels to delay or amend its landmark AI law, fueling short-term regulatory uncertainty that could hinder the technology's development in Europe.

The Fate of the EU's Ambitious AI Act

Cyber

SITUATION REPORTS

Iran, U.S., Israel: Pro-Iran Hackers Reportedly Cripple U.S.-Based Medical Technology Company

U.S.: White House Releases National Cyber Strategy, Trump Signs Executive Order

China, U.S.: Chinese Threat Actors Suspected of FBI Breach

Iran, Israel: IDF Says It Struck Iran's Cyber Warfare Headquarters

U.S., China: Anthropic Claims Chinese Companies Are Using Claude for Distillation

EU: Regulators Say TikTok's 'Addictive Design' Violates Online Safety Laws

Russia, Poland: Researchers Attribute Attempted Data Wiper Attack to Russian APT Sandworm

EU: Commission Launches Formal Investigation Into X Over DSA Violations

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