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Politics

U.S. President Donald Trump and new Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi met in Tokyo on Oct. 28, where Trump pledged to support Takaichi, adding, "We are an ally at the strongest level," Bloomberg reported.

Japan, U.S.: Trump and Takaichi Meet, Sign Critical Minerals, Tech, Trade Agreements

Mexico

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said U.S. President Donald Trump agreed to extend bilateral trade negotiations "for a few more weeks" and postpone an impending Nov. 1 deadline to increase U.S. tariffs on Mexican goods, Reuters reported on Oct. 27.

U.S., Mexico: New Tariff Reprieve Underscores Positive Bilateral Relations

Westinghouse and the U.S. government reached a deal to build at least $80 billion worth of new U.S. nuclear reactors, according to an Oct. 28 press release from Brookfield Asset Management, the owner of Westinghouse. 

U.S.: A Flurry of U.S. Nuclear Power Deals Announced, Including Some With Japan

Cambodia

Thailand

Military & Security

Thailand and Cambodia signed a joint declaration, overseen by U.S. President Donald Trump, broadening their July 28 ceasefire, with each agreeing to pull heavy weapons from their shared border, deploy additional neutral observer teams and release prisoners, Reuters reported on Oct. 26.

U.S., Thailand, Cambodia: Peace Declaration, Trade Agreements at ASEAN Summit

Malaysia

Vietnam

The United States and Malaysia signed a reciprocal trade pact that leaves in place Washington's 19% tariff rate on Malaysian goods but grants zero-tariff carveouts for more than 1,700 Malaysian export categories and "favorable consideration on semiconductors," while securing Malaysian commitments not to restrict exports of critical minerals (including rare earths) and magnets, The Straits Times reported on Oct. 26. 

U.S., Malaysia, Vietnam: Washington Secures Critical Minerals, Market Access

China

U.S.-China Relations

The U.S. and Chinese trade teams met Oct. 25-27 in Malaysia, with both sides suggesting they had agreed on a number of terms that could be turned into a formal deal when U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping meet Oct. 30 in South Korea, The New York Times reported.

U.S., China: Envoys Agree on Trade Terms Ahead of Xi-Trump Meeting

Brazil

U.S. President Donald Trump and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva agreed to launch trade talks during their first in-person meeting on Oct. 26, which occurred on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit in Malaysia, g1 reported.

U.S., Brazil: Trump and Lula Agree To Launch Trade Talks During First In-Person Meeting

Canada

U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters that he does not want to meet with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit later this week and said he does not anticipate reviving trade talks with Canada anytime soon, Bloomberg reported on Oct. 25.

U.S., Canada: Trump Rules Out Talks With Carney After Threatening New Tariffs

Assessments

Cameroon

Cote d'Ivoire

Tanzania

Argentina

South Korea

Netherlands

Supporters of Argentine President Javier Milei's Liberty Advances (LLA) party wave flags during a campaign rally in Rosario, Argentina, on Oct. 23, 2025.

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

The Weekly Rundown: Argentina Holds Midterm Elections, Trump Travels to Asia

Israel

Syria

Turkey

Syria's interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa (right) meets with U.S. envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack, at the presidential palace in Damascus on July 9, 2025. 

The U.S. will leverage permanent sanctions relief to pressure Syria to finalize a security pact with Israel, but the Kurds will resist integrating with President Ahmad al-Sharaa's government. 

U.S. Engagement With Syria Will Promote Stability, but Kurdish Integration Will Continue To Lag

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: Oct. 23, 2025

Australia

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (left) and U.S. President Donald Trump speak to reporters during a bilateral meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House on Oct. 20, 2025, in Washington, D.C. 

Trump and Albanese agreed to tighten defense and supply chain integration as a way to reduce their countries' reliance on China, but industrial bottlenecks mean implementation will be slow.

U.S.-Australia Leadership Summit Yields Critical Minerals Pact, AUKUS Reaffirmation

Snapshots

Japan's new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks during a press conference at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on Oct. 21, 2025.

Sanae Takaichi's appointment as prime minister will reduce short-term political instability in Japan and strengthen U.S. ties, but her conservative government will struggle to recover domestic support and could alienate neighboring countries.

New Premier Takaichi a Quick Fix for Japan's Long-Term Political Problems

Venezuela

A poster displaying a photo of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is seen as members of the Bolivarian Armed Forces take part in a military exercise in Caracas on Sept. 20, 2025. 

The U.S. will most likely conduct kinetic attacks on cartel sites in Venezuela over the next three to six months. Other scenarios, ranging from a negotiated settlement to a decapitation strike on Maduro, are comparatively less likely.

U.S. Confrontation With Venezuela: Potential Scenarios

Ukraine

Russia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (L) attends a lunch meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump (R) at the White House on Oct. 17, 2025, in Washington, D.C. 

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Recent statements by U.S. President Donald Trump suggest a significant U.S. pivot toward a negotiated settlement in Ukraine that prioritizes freezing the conflict and may involve territorial concessions favorable to Moscow.

Trump Signals Shift Toward Russian Position on Ukraine Ahead of Putin Meeting

Palestinian Territories

U.S. President Donald Trump (R) and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Aug. 15, 2025, at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska. Delegations from the United States and Russia, including U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Affairs Minister Sergey Lavrov, respectively, will meet this week to resume conversations about their countries' bilateral relationship and the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Israel-Hamas Conflict

The Weekly Rundown: U.S. and Russian Delegations Meet, a Still-Fragile Hamas-Israel Ceasefire 

U.S. Naval Update Map: Oct. 16, 2025

France

Palestinians on Oct. 10 on Al-Rashid road headed toward Gaza City. U.S. President Donald Trump said he might visit the Middle East just as 20 hostages are meant to be released by Hamas after surviving two years in captivity as the White House pushes for the solidification of a frail ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

The Weekly Rundown: Trump Tries To Solidify the Gaza Ceasefire, a Presidential Vote in Cameroon

Columns

On Geopolitics

President Donald Trump delivers remarks in the Oval Office of the White House on Oct. 6, 2025.

The White House's expanding campaign of retribution against perceived political opponents threatens to weaken the rule of law and create lasting instability for domestic governance, foreign alliances and the investment climate.

The Risks of the Trump Administration's Campaign of Retribution

Egypt

Qatar

People react at Hostage Square in Tel Aviv on Oct. 9, 2025, following news of a new Gaza ceasefire deal.

Violence in Gaza will almost certainly decrease as both Israel and Hamas are pressured to comply with the first phase of the ceasefire, keeping the truce intact in the coming days and possibly weeks.

After Two Years of War, a Permanent Gaza Ceasefire?

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

Japan, U.S.: Trump and Takaichi Meet, Sign Critical Minerals, Tech, Trade Agreements

U.S., Mexico: New Tariff Reprieve Underscores Positive Bilateral Relations

U.S.: A Flurry of U.S. Nuclear Power Deals Announced, Including Some With Japan

U.S., Thailand, Cambodia: Peace Declaration, Trade Agreements at ASEAN Summit

U.S., Malaysia, Vietnam: Washington Secures Critical Minerals, Market Access

U.S., China: Envoys Agree on Trade Terms Ahead of Xi-Trump Meeting

U.S., Brazil: Trump and Lula Agree To Launch Trade Talks During First In-Person Meeting

U.S., Canada: Trump Rules Out Talks With Carney After Threatening New Tariffs

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