Vietnam

France

Economics

Environment, Science & Technology

Military & Security

Politics

France and Vietnam signed 14 cooperation agreements during French President Emmanuel Macron's state visit in Hanoi, covering defense, satellite technology, transportation, vaccine production and a $10.25 billion Airbus aircraft deal, Bao Chinh Phu reported on May 26. 

France, Vietnam: Countries Deepen Partnership With Defense and Investment Deals

United States

Global Trade

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

Europe

Cyber

The European Commission proposed amendments to the General Data Protection Regulation in the bloc's latest Omnibus Simplification Package, released on May 21. 

EU: Proposed GDPR Amendments Unlikely To Increase Competitiveness

United Arab Emirates

Abu Dhabi's Technology Innovation Institute released a new version of its Arabic-language large language model, Falcon Arabic, claiming that the model matches the performance of those 10 times its size, Bloomberg reported on May 21.

UAE: New Falcon AI Model Signals Ambitious Tech Goals

Energy

The U.S. Department of Interior's Bureau of Ocean Energy Management lifted its stop-work order on the $5 billion Empire Wind offshore project, project developer Equinor announced on May 19.

U.S.: Trump Administration Lifts Stop-Work Order on Empire Wind Project

India

Pakistan

India is reportedly exploring ways to significantly boost its use of water from a key river system that sustains agriculture in Pakistan, Reuters reported on May 16.

India, Pakistan: New Project on Indus River Could Sharply Reduce Water Flow to Pakistan

UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan reaffirmed the country's commitment to a 10-year, $1.4 trillion framework for investment in the United States, including in artificial intelligence and semiconductors, initially reached in March, Reuters reported on May 15.

U.S., UAE: United Arab Emirates Reaffirms AI Investment, Deepening Partnership

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has withdrawn plans for new rules that limit U.S. data brokers' ability to sell sensitive information, Wired reported May 14, based on a notice set to publish May 15 in the Federal Register.

U.S.: CFPB Scraps Plans to Protect Americans From Data Brokers

The world is connected, but even the broadest topics deserve an individual look. Below are our latest and most relevant science and technology analyses. 

Technology

Sub-Saharan Africa

Americas

Asia-Pacific

Eurasia

Middle East and North Africa

South Asia

Agriculture

COVID-19

Supply Chains

_Energy

Environmental Issues

Globalization

The 4th Industrial Revolution

Media

Podcasts

In this episode of Essential Geopolitics, RANE's Asia-Pacific Analyst Nate Fischler provides an overview of Australia's current political environment in light of the country's recent election and U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff plan. 

RANE is a global risk intelligence company that delivers risk and security professionals access to critical insights, analysis and support to ensure business continuity and resilience for our clients. For more information about RANE's risk management solutions, visit www.ranenetwork.com.

Essential Geopolitics: The Future of Australia's Political Landscape

Columns

China

Several major Western automakers are considering shifting more of their auto-parts manufacturing to China to avoid factory shutdowns due to an inability to source Chinese rare earth magnets, The Wall Street Journal reported on June 3. These reports come as China has been slow to approve export licenses for rare earths and rare earth magnets amid trade tensions with the United States.

columns: China: Limits on Rare Earth Exports Force Western Automakers To Consider Relocating Production

Assessments

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

What role does AI play as both a disruptor and a tool in the risk management space? 

Applied Geopolitics: Leveraging AI To Anticipate and Mitigate Geopolitical and Supply Chain Risks 

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

U.S.-China Relations

Germany

United Kingdom

Poland

Spain

Italy

NATO military forces during static display after the Steadfast Dart 2025 military exercises at the Smardan Training Area in Smardan, Romania, on Feb. 19, 2025. 

Europe is increasingly focused on achieving greater strategic autonomy in defense, but internal divisions and material constraints will plague this quest, even as the United States' role on the Continent continues to shrink, meaning NATO will likely remain the cornerstone of Europe’s security architecture. 

The Future of Transatlantic Security Cooperation, Part 2: The View From Europe

Israel-Hamas Conflict

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Social Issues

Intensifying trade wars, a potential ceasefire in Ukraine, continued volatility in the Middle East and consequential elections in key countries will shape the quarter.

2025 Second-Quarter Forecast: An Excerpt

Global Elections

U.S.-Iran Relations

A photo of the U.S. Capitol overlaid with a pixilated blue and red pattern.

The United States will continue to prioritize AI innovation over regulation, and the European Union is set to partially reconsider its rules amid a broader push to increase competitiveness. 

The Future of AI Regulation Under the West's New Leadership

CDU leader Friedrich Merz (left) and the party's secretary general, Carsten Linnemann, hold a post-election press conference in Berlin, Germany, on Feb. 24, 2025. 

Germany's new government will likely be more stable than its predecessor, enabling the CDU/CSU to pursue economic stimulus and a more assertive foreign policy.

German Election Results Position the Center-Right To Retake the Helm

While wars over water remain rare, its unequal distribution, growing demand and climate change-driven stress will increasingly shape global challenges and geopolitical tensions in the decades to come.

The Geopolitics of Water: Conclusion

The Geopolitics of Water

South Africa

While government reforms will help catalyze much-needed investments in water infrastructure, these are unlikely to rapidly resolve the country's water supply challenges, which threaten to undermine South Africa's economic growth amid more frequent droughts. 

The Geopolitics of Water: The Cascading Effects of South African Underinvestment in Water Infrastructure

South Asia's rising demand for water resources will exacerbate disputes over key waterways, particularly the Brahmaputra and Indus rivers.

Environment, Science & Technology

SITUATION REPORTS

France, Vietnam: Countries Deepen Partnership With Defense and Investment Deals

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

EU: Proposed GDPR Amendments Unlikely To Increase Competitiveness

UAE: New Falcon AI Model Signals Ambitious Tech Goals

U.S.: Trump Administration Lifts Stop-Work Order on Empire Wind Project

India, Pakistan: New Project on Indus River Could Sharply Reduce Water Flow to Pakistan

U.S., UAE: United Arab Emirates Reaffirms AI Investment, Deepening Partnership

U.S.: CFPB Scraps Plans to Protect Americans From Data Brokers

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