China

United Kingdom

Cyber

Environment, Science & Technology

Military & Security

Politics

Science & Technology

The United Kingdom and China established a forum to discuss cyber attacks, Bloomberg reported on Jan. 20. 

China, U.K.: Governments Set Up Cyber Dialogue

Ukraine

Russia

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

The United Kingdom's defense ministry launched Project Nightfall to procure a ground-launched ballistic missile system capable of striking targets over 500 kilometers (310 miles) away, specifically for the Ukrainian battlefield, Kyiv Independent reported Jan 12. 

U.K., Ukraine: London Initiates Independent Deep Strike Missile Pipeline for Kyiv 

Europe

Economics

The United Kingdom's government is preparing legislation to establish a legal framework for closer alignment with the European Union as part of Labour's promised post-Brexit "reset" of relations with the bloc, The Guardian reported on Jan. 6, citing British officials.

EU, U.K.: London Prepares Legislation To Increase Regulatory Alignment With EU

United States

Hong Kong SAR, China

A Hong Kong national security court found Jimmy Lai, the 78-year-old founder of shuttered pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily, guilty on two counts of conspiring to collude with foreign forces under the 2020 National Security Law and one count of sedition under a colonial-era law, Hong Kong Free Press reported on Dec. 15.

Hong Kong, U.S., U.K.: Jimmy Lai Convicted, Raises Dilemma for Trump, Starmer

Germany

France

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Kyiv will present a revised 20-point peace framework to U.S. officials on Dec. 9 following consultations with British, French and German leaders in London, United Kingdom, Reuters reported on Dec. 8.

Ukraine, Europe: Kyiv Prepares Counterproposal for Washington as Territorial Deadlock Persists

Australia

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, "At the direction of the president, AUKUS is full-steam ahead," Bloomberg reported on Dec. 8. 

Australia, U.S.: Rubio Confirms AUKUS Pact Is Pressing Ahead

The Hong Kong police arrested two individuals for calling for an independent investigation into the government's response to the Nov. 26 Wang Fuk Court apartment fire, which killed at least 156 people, The New York Times reported on Dec. 3.

Hong Kong: Dissenters Arrested Over Government Critiques Ahead of Elections

British Chancellor Rachel Reeves presented her Autumn Budget to Parliament on Nov. 26, outlining tax rises totaling 26.1 billion pounds (about $30.3 billion) a year by 2029-30, The Guardian reported.

U.K.: Chancellor Reeves Unveils Tax Hikes in Budget to Restore Stability Amid Weak Growth 

Assessments

Greenland

Finland

Denmark

Sweden

Norway

Netherlands

The HDMS Knud Rasmussen ship of the Danish Navy patrols the waters off of Nuuk, Greenland, on Jan. 20, 2026. 

Global Trade

Trump's threatened tariffs over his bid to acquire Greenland have turned the U.S.-EU trade dispute into a high-stakes geopolitical confrontation, raising the risk of a sustained trade war that would severely strain transatlantic economic ties and NATO cohesion.

Trump's Greenland Tariff Threat Escalates Transatlantic Tensions

Snapshots

The Sevington Inland Border Facility on April 29, 2024, in southeast England. Rejoining the EU customs framework would require London to accept a common external tariff and strict regulatory alignment, meaning a successful negotiation remains unlikely in the short to medium term.

Rejoining the bloc's customs framework would require London to accept a common external tariff and strict regulatory alignment, meaning a successful negotiation remains unlikely in the short to medium term.

Despite Growing Calls, U.K. Unlikely To Rejoin EU Customs Union

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

Angola

South Africa

Japan

South Korea

Banners bearing portraits of leaders of the G20 on Nov. 20 in Johannesburg. The South African government has focused the G20 summit's agenda on issues key to African countries.

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

The Weekly Rundown: A High-Stakes British Budget, South Africa Hosts the G20

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Nov. 12 at 10 Downing Street in central London. Growing internal divisions within the ruling Labour party over fiscal policy and declining popularity are increasing the likelihood of a leadership challenge against Starmer following the November budget or May 2026 local elections.

Growing internal divisions within the ruling Labour party over fiscal policy and declining popularity are increasing the likelihood of a leadership challenge against Prime Minister Keir Starmer following the November budget or May 2026 local elections.

Painful Upcoming Budget Likely To Amplify Starmer's Leadership Woes

Israel

Palestinian Territories

Dignitaries attend a U.N. Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East, including the question of Palestinian statehood, during the U.N. General Assembly on Sept. 23, 2025, in New York City. 

Israel-Hamas Conflict

Western countries' growing recognition of Palestinian statehood is largely symbolic and will likely galvanize Israel's push for West Bank annexation, risking further Israeli diplomatic isolation abroad and sporadic violence at home.

The West's Growing Support for Palestinian Statehood Will Have Limited Concrete Impacts

Chile

Qatar

Qatar's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani addresses a press conference following Israeli strikes in Doha on Sept. 9, 2025. 

U.S.-China Relations

The Weekly Rundown: Qatar Hosts an Arab-Islamic Summit, EU Announces New Sanctions on Russia

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer departs 10 Downing Street on Sept. 3 in London. The Labour Party's deputy leadership contest will intensify internal party criticism of Starmer ahead of a politically painful budget in November.

The Labour Party's deputy leadership contest will intensify internal party criticism of Prime Minister Keir Starmer ahead of a politically painful budget in November. 

The Contest for Deputy Leader of UK Labour Will Intensify the Party's Woes

Ethiopia

Brazil

French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou leaves after the weekly cabinet meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, on Aug. 27, 2025.

The Weekly Rundown: France's Bayrou Faces a Confidence Vote, Ethiopia Inaugurates Its Mega-Dam

Iran

Taiwan

Thailand

The Maanshan nuclear power plant is seen next to a beach in Pingtung, in southern Taiwan, on April 29, 2025.

Energy

The Weekly Rundown: Iran Meets With European Powers, Taiwan Holds a Nuclear Referendum

U.S. President Donald Trump on April 24 in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington. In an interview July 10, U.S. President Donald Trump suggested he would "have a major statement to make on Russia on Monday," perhaps representing a shift in his administration's policy.

The Weekly Rundown: Trump Speaks on Ukraine, Sweeping EU Budget Reform

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer (L) and French President Emmanuel Macron hold a press conference on July 10, 2025, in London.

The series of agreements will deepen cooperation between Europe's two nuclear powers at a time of strategic flux and institutional fragmentation across the Continent.

New U.K.-France Defense Deals Mark a Step Toward a European Nuclear Deterrent

<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

China, U.K.: Governments Set Up Cyber Dialogue

U.K., Ukraine: London Initiates Independent Deep Strike Missile Pipeline for Kyiv

EU, U.K.: London Prepares Legislation To Increase Regulatory Alignment With EU

Hong Kong, U.S., U.K.: Jimmy Lai Convicted, Raises Dilemma for Trump, Starmer

Ukraine, Europe: Kyiv Prepares Counterproposal for Washington as Territorial Deadlock Persists

Australia, U.S.: Rubio Confirms AUKUS Pact Is Pressing Ahead

Hong Kong: Dissenters Arrested Over Government Critiques Ahead of Elections

U.K.: Chancellor Reeves Unveils Tax Hikes in Budget to Restore Stability Amid Weak Growth

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