Pakistan

Military & Security

Politics

A Pakistani court sentenced former Prime Minister Imran Khan to 14 years in prison in a land corruption case, Reuters reported on Jan. 17.

Pakistan: Khan Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison Over Corruption

United States

Iran

Russia

Economics

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

Burkina Faso

Mali

Niger

Togo

Togolese Foreign Affairs Minister Robert Dussey refused to rule out Togo joining the Alliance of Sahel States, which Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso formed in light of their upcoming departure from the Economic Community of West African States, or ECOWAS, Jeune Afrique reported on Jan. 16.

West Africa: Togo Considers Joining the Alliance of Sahel States

Israel

Palestinian Territories

Israel-Hamas Conflict

Israel's security Cabinet voted to approve the three-phase ceasefire deal with Hamas, with the full Cabinet set to vote on Jan. 18, The Times of Israel reported on Jan. 17. 

Israel, Gaza: Ceasefire To Take Effect on Jan. 19 Pending Full Cabinet Approval

Mozambique

Mozambique's opposition leader Venancio Mondlane, who disputes his loss in the country's October 2024 presidential election, announced on Jan. 15 that he will present his proposed measures for his first 100 days of governance on Jan. 17, Club of Mozambique reported on Jan 16. 

Mozambique: Presidential Candidate Mondlane To Present 'First 100 Days' Measures

Vietnam

Vietnam's former government office chair and spokesperson for the Cabinet, Mai Tien Dung, went on trial for graft alongside eight other former central and provincial government officials, VnExpress reported on Jan. 16.

Vietnam: New Trials Highlight Deepening Anti-Corruption Campaign in 2025

China

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

Cyber

U.S. President Joe Biden signed on Jan. 16 an executive order issuing a litany of cybersecurity directives, including bolstering federal cybersecurity measures and improving AI-powered defenses.

U.S.: Biden Issues Sweeping Cybersecurity Executive Order

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

Below are our latest and most relevant military analyses. 

Sub-Saharan Africa

Americas

Asia-Pacific

Europe

Eurasia

Middle East and North Africa

South Asia

The Syrian Civil War

The Yemen Civil War

The Libyan Civil War

The Fight Against the Islamic State

The Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict

The India-Pakistan Rivalry

The Ukraine Conflict

Tracking U.S. Naval Power

The Battle for Mosul

Rebalancing Power in the Middle East

Coping With a Nuclear North Korea

The Jihadist Wars

Echoes of the Cold War

Instability in Central Asia

South Asian Militancy

Pakistan: A Military With a Country

Assessments

Egypt

Jordan

Lebanon

Saudi Arabia

Yemen

A smoke plume rises above destroyed buildings in northern Gaza on Jan. 13, 2025.

The truce will improve Israel's ties with Lebanon and Egypt, but eventual violations could reignite regional tensions, as could Israel's intensified counter-insurgency operations in the West Bank.

The Regional Implications of the Gaza Ceasefire

South Sudan

Central African Republic

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Rwanda

A Rwandan soldier walks in front of a burned truck near Palma in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado region on Sept. 22, 2021. 

Rwanda’s expanding troop deployments in other African countries seek to enhance its regional political and economic influence, but entail risks that could harm its operations and reputation.

Rwanda's Growing Military Influence in Africa: Opportunities and Risks

People celebrate while watching news coverage of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip on Jan. 15, 2025.

While it may de-escalate the current war, the deal does not address all drivers of conflict between Hamas and Israel, nor does it outline a post-war strategy for Gaza, portending a gradual return to violence.

A Ceasefire Eases the Gaza War, but Leaves Embers To Ignite the Next One

Columns

On Geopolitics

Australia

Indonesia

Japan

Malaysia

Philippines

South Korea

India

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

U.S.-China Relations

Syria

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

Afghanistan

Taliban security personnel inspect a car damaged by Pakistani air strikes in Afghanistan's eastern Paktika province on Dec. 26, 2024. 

While the TTP may not completely follow through on its recent threats, its attacks in Pakistan are set to escalate.

Afghanistan and Pakistan's Deadlock Portends Worsened TTP Attacks

Angola

Cote d'Ivoire

Ghana

Kenya

Nigeria

Argentina

Brazil

Canada

Ecuador

Mexico

Algeria

Iraq

Kuwait

Qatar

Tunisia

Turkey

United Arab Emirates

Ukraine

Belarus

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

Energy

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

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

A billboard depicting a Houthi military official who was killed during Yemen's civil war overlooks the Yemeni capital city of Sanaa on Jan. 2, 2025. 

When its increased attacks on Houthi targets in Yemen likely fail to deter the militants, Israel will escalate further, potentially spreading the conflict into the Gulf states and restarting the Yemeni civil war.

Israel's Expanding Campaign in Yemen Risks Reigniting the Civil War

Media

Podcasts

How do demographic trends impact military power?

Applied Geopolitics: Demographic Decline and Military Manpower: Understanding the Shifting Role of Troops in Conflict

Environment, Science & Technology

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

Essential Geopolitics: Unpacking China's Salt Typhoon Operation

Trade disruptions, shifting military conflicts and domestic political turbulence will shape global affairs in 2025. 

2025 Annual Geopolitical Forecast: An Excerpt

Military & Security

SITUATION REPORTS

Pakistan: Khan Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison Over Corruption

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

West Africa: Togo Considers Joining the Alliance of Sahel States

Israel, Gaza: Ceasefire To Take Effect on Jan. 19 Pending Full Cabinet Approval

Mozambique: Presidential Candidate Mondlane To Present 'First 100 Days' Measures

Vietnam: New Trials Highlight Deepening Anti-Corruption Campaign in 2025

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

U.S.: Biden Issues Sweeping Cybersecurity Executive Order

Forecasts

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