Europe

United Kingdom

Economics

Politics

Northern Ireland lawmakers voted to extend the region's post-Brexit trade rules for another four years in a 48-36 vote, The Guardian reported on Dec. 11. 

U.K.: Northern Ireland Votes To Extend Post-Brexit Trade Rules

Environment, Science & Technology

Science & Technology

The United Kingdom's competition regulator, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), is poised to launch a new probe into Apple and Google after an independent inquiry group found they are ''holding back innovation'' in mobile phone browser competition by maintaining an effective duopoly on mobile ecosystems, Reuters reported Nov. 22.

U.K.: Competition Regulator Initiates Inquiry into Apple, Google

United States

Israel

Germany

Military & Security

The International Criminal Court, or ICC, issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Nov. 21 on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel: ICC Issues Arrest Warrants for Netanyahu, Gallant

India

The United Kingdom will resume negotiations with India on a free trade agreement in the new year, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer's office announced on Nov. 18 following his meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the G-20 summit in Brazil, Reuters reported the following day.

U.K., India: Countries To Resume Trade Talks in 2025

France

Ukraine

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer met with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris, France, and discussed bilateral and broader European cooperation on a range of issues, including stemming illegal migration across the English Channel and the likely implications of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s second term on the war in Ukraine and Europe’s defense, the BBC reported on Nov. 11.

U.K., France: Starmer and Macron Pledge Unity on European Defense and Support for Ukraine

Canada

Russia

Western security officials suspect two incendiary devices found in July at DHL facilities in the United Kingdom and Germany were tests for a Russian-backed operation to send similar devices aboard planes bound for the United States and Canada, The Wall Street Journal reported on Nov. 4.

U.S., Canada: Russia Accused of Testing Incendiary Devices To Send Aboard Planes Destined for North America

British Treasury chief Rachel Reeves presented the new Labour government's first budget to the House of Commons, announcing a 40 billion pound (about $52 billion) tax increase to save the country's "broken" public services and public finances, BBC reported on Oct. 30.

U.K.: Reeves Unveils 40 Billion-Pound Tax Hike as Part of Labour's First Budget

British Treasury chief Rachel Reeves confirmed that she will modify London's self-imposed fiscal rules in her upcoming autumn budget on Oct. 30 to free up billions of pounds for public investment in infrastructure through increased borrowing, according to her op-ed for the Financial Times and interviews on the sidelines of the International Monetary Fund’s annual meetings in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 24.

U.K.: Treasury Chief Confirms Adjustment to Fiscal Rules in Oct. 30 Budget

Assessments

Portugal

Spain

People visit the 1627 Pilgrim Village at "Plimoth Plantation," where role-players portray pilgrims seven years after the arrival of the Mayflower, in Plymouth, Massachusetts.

On Thanksgiving, the United States celebrates the Plymouth Colony. However, few know that New England's colonization was a response to major geopolitical pressures -- particularly England's struggle against the Spanish both on the Continent and in the New World.

Thanksgiving and Puritan Geopolitics in the Americas

Snapshots

Debris lies in the courtyard of a damaged house following a missile attack at an undisclosed location in Ukraine's Odesa region on Nov. 17, 2024.

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

The U.S. decision to allow Ukraine to strike deeper into Russia with ATACMS missiles signals a policy shift but is unlikely to change the war's trajectory.

U.S. Greenlights Limited Ukrainian Strikes Inside Russia with Long-Range Missiles

Chile

Uruguay

Palestinian Territories

Japan

Georgia

Protesters hold Georgian flags during a pro-Europe rally in Tbilisi ahead of Georgia's parliamentary elections on Oct. 20, 2024. 

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

The Weekly Rundown: Key Elections in Georgia and Japan, Efforts to Resume Gaza Cease-Fire Talks

Italy

A Russian warship transits the Neva River in Saint Petersburg, Russia.

Cyber

Russia's risk tolerance for physical and cyber operations against Western targets appears to be increasing, raising the likelihood of more disruptive and/or violent attacks.

A More Brazen Russia Slowly Raises the Specter of a NATO Confrontation

Venezuela

Iran

Lebanon

Bangladesh

Nicolas Maduro on Aug. 7, 2024, in Caracas, Venezuela. The presidents of Brazil, Colombia and Mexico, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Gustavo Petro and Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, respectively, are considering a call with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Aug. 12 in a bid to promote negotiations with the opposition to cool the risk of further violent unrest.

Israel-Hamas Conflict

Social Issues

The Weekly Rundown: Awaiting Iranian Retaliation, Bangladesh's New Government

Columns

On Geopolitics

Ireland

Labour leader and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer (R) speaks with Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar (L) on July 07, 2024 in Edinburgh, Scotland. The July 4 general election laid bare evolving political dynamics in Scotland and Northern Ireland pushing the two nations' respective secessionist movements in different directions. 

The July 4 general election laid bare evolving political dynamics in Scotland and Northern Ireland pushing the two nations' respective secessionist movements in different directions.

The New British Government and Scottish and Northern Irish Separatism

Far-right activists gather in Sunderland, England, on Aug. 2, 2024, after misinformation spread via social media falsely attributed to a Muslim migrant to the recent murders of three girls in Southport.

The unrest following a fatal attack falsely blamed on a Muslim migrant underscores the growing threat of far-right extremism and disinformation in the U.K. and Europe more broadly, but the riots are unlikely to notably impact the new Labour government.

The New U.K. Government Faces Its First Test Amid Rash of Far-Right Riots

Ghana

Kenya

Nigeria

Uganda

Australia

China

Philippines

A motorcyclist looks at his phone in front of a National Electoral Council poster promoting the upcoming presidential election in Caracas, Venezuela, on July 23, 2024.

Global Elections

The Weekly Rundown: An Election in Venezuela, Economic Reforms in the U.K.

A swarm of drones make an Indian flag in the sky over New Delhi, India, on Jan. 29, 2022.

The U.K.'s new Labour government has pledged to ink a trade deal with India after its predecessor failed to do so, but disputes over immigration and climate policies could stall progress.

With Elections Behind Them, the U.K. and India Resume Trade Talks

The United Kingdom's Parliament building in London.

Energy

A likely Labour government would shift the United Kingdom's economic and energy priorities, but foreign policy would remain largely consistent.

After 14 Years, What Would a U.K. Labour Government Look Like?

U.K. Prime Minister and Conservative Party leader Rishi Sunak holds a campaign event on June 24, 2024, in London.

The Weekly Rundown: SCO Leaders Meet, France and the U.K. Hold Elections

The Labour Party is expected to comfortably win the July 4 general election, ending 14 years of Conservative Party rule. But a hung parliament where no party secures a majority cannot be ruled out.

2024 Elections: The United Kingdom

<p>The United Kingdom is located in Northwestern Europe and includes the island of Great Britain, surrounding islands and part of Ireland. The country is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea, the Irish Sea and the English Channel. The rugged coastline &mdash; around 12,500 kilometers long &mdash; and surrounding waters, covering important oil and gas reserves, offer the nation protection; particularly from rivals in continental Europe. The United Kingdom&#39;s main geographic challenge is the integration of the British Isles. The rugged topography of the islands fostered the development of strong regional identities. Competing regions like Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland make it difficult to maintain control from the core region in the fertile lowlands around London. When British governments overcome domestic divisions, they can turn their attention outward. Control over the surrounding seas was vital for dominance of the Mediterranean and Atlantic Ocean, and from there, the development of the British Empire. Substantial coal and iron deposits along with an intricate river and canal system were among the factors that drove the country to lead the Industrial Revolution in the 1800s. The dominance of the Royal Navy gave Britain control of the oceans and global trade. The United Kingdom&#39;s detachment from continental Europe offers protection since a united European empire could challenge the country&#39;s independence. Having a voice in the European Union and strong military and economic ties with the United States help London counter this potential threat.</p>

SITUATION REPORTS

U.K.: Northern Ireland Votes To Extend Post-Brexit Trade Rules

U.K.: Competition Regulator Initiates Inquiry into Apple, Google

Israel: ICC Issues Arrest Warrants for Netanyahu, Gallant

U.K., India: Countries To Resume Trade Talks in 2025

U.K., France: Starmer and Macron Pledge Unity on European Defense and Support for Ukraine

U.S., Canada: Russia Accused of Testing Incendiary Devices To Send Aboard Planes Destined for North America

U.K.: Reeves Unveils 40 Billion-Pound Tax Hike as Part of Labour's First Budget

U.K.: Treasury Chief Confirms Adjustment to Fiscal Rules in Oct. 30 Budget

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