Afghanistan

Military & Security

Politics

Afghanistan's fiber-optic telecommunications network was restored the evening of Oct. 1, easing nationwide disruptions to internet, phone and other services that had resulted from the Taliban's shutdown of the network on Sept. 29, Tolo News has reported.

Afghanistan: Telecommunications Network Reportedly Restored After Taliban's Shutdown

United States

Ukraine

Russia

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

The United States agreed to give Ukraine targeting data to help guide long-range missile strikes against Russian energy sites, The Wall Street Journal reported Oct. 1.

Ukraine: U.S. Expands Intelligence Support for Strikes Inside Russia

Australia

China

Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister James Marape announced that his Cabinet had approved a mutual defense treaty with Australia, pending parliamentary approval, Reuters reported on Oct. 2.

Australia, Papua New Guinea: Defense Agreement Signed, Leaves Door Open to China

Cambodia

Thailand

State-owned Khmer Times stated on Oct. 2 that Cambodian officials had invited Thai forces to hold three Regional Border Committee (RBC) meetings between local border defense groups, scheduled for Oct. 4-6, Oct. 7-9, and Oct. 10-12 -- all to be held in Cambodian provinces. The report did not indicate any response from Thai authorities.

Thailand, Cambodia: Border Meetings Proposed Amid Eviction Deadlines

France

Economics

A new wave of strikes and demonstrations broke out across France on Oct. 2 in response to planned spending cuts in the government's 2026 budget, France24 reported the same day.

France: Budget Cuts Spark New Wave of Nationwide Strikes and Demonstrations

Haiti

The U.N. Security Council approved a U.S. proposal to transition the Multinational Security Support mission in Haiti to combat armed gangs to a "Gang Suppression Force" that would increase the mandated number of personnel from 2,500 to 5,500, Reuters reported on Sept. 30.

Haiti: U.N. Security Council Approves Larger Security Force Deployment to Haiti

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Rwanda

Joseph Kabila, who served president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 2001 to 2019, has been sentenced to death in absentia by the high military court in Kinshasa, Jeune Afrique reported on Sept. 30.

Congo: Former President Kabila Sentenced to Death in Absentia

Europe

French authorities opened an investigation into the Benin-flagged oil tanker Boracay, blacklisted by the European Union as part of Russia's "shadow fleet," over suspected links to recent drone incursions into Danish airspace that forced temporary airport closures, AFP reported on Oct. 1.

France, Russia: Paris Investigates Possible Russian 'Shadow Fleet' Involvement in Denmark Drone Incursions

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

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

Cyber

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

Columns

On Geopolitics

Israel

Palestinian Territories

Qatar

U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu participate in a press conference in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 29, 2025. 

The once-unshakable consensus on Israel within U.S. politics is fracturing under the weight of generational change, a growing values gap and a misalignment of geopolitical imperatives.

'A Little Sparta': Why the U.S.-Israeli Relationship Is Destined To Change 

Assessments

Japan

The candidates running in the leadership election of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party -- (from left to right) Takayuki Kobayashi, Toshimitsu Motegi, Yoshimasa Hayashi, Sanae Takaichi and Shinjiro Koizumi -- pose after delivering speeches at the kick-off of the campaign in Tokyo on Sept. 22, 2025. 

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party's Oct. 4 vote for party president and therefore prime minister will influence the trajectory of Japan's fiscal policy and foreign relations.

Japan's LDP Leadership Election: Potential Outcomes and Their Implications

Global Elections

Media

Forecast Webcast

Israel-Hamas Conflict

Join our analysts for this webcast recording exploring key topics identified in RANE's 2025 Fourth-Quarter Forecast.

2025 Fourth-Quarter Forecast Webcast

U.S.-China Relations

Iran

The U.N. Security Council holds a meeting on Iran at the U.N. headquarters in New York City, New York, on Sept. 19, 2025. 

Energy

The increased isolation will make Iran more reliant on China and Russia, while the added economic strain could fuel domestic protests and empower Iranian hard-liners calling for more aggressive action against the West.

U.N. Sanctions Snapback: What's Next for Iran?

U.S.-Iran Relations

A Polish-made FlyEye V3.0 drone is displayed during the Iron Defender-25 media day on Sept. 18, 2025, in Nowa Deba, Poland. 

European efforts to fast-track a sophisticated anti-drone system will unlock major contracts for defense firms, but the vast scale of the project will leave Europe exposed to Russian provocations for years.

EU 'Drone Wall' Plans Will Take Years To Materialize, Leaving Continent Vulnerable in the Meantime

The fourth quarter will bring shifting trade tactics, evolving wars, and pivotal elections and flashpoints worldwide that will test governments’ stability and market confidence.

2025 Fourth-Quarter Forecast: An Excerpt

Denmark

Moldova

Representatives are pictured ahead of a working session during the informal EU foreign ministers' meeting in Copenhagen, Denmark, on Aug. 30, 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: EU Leaders Meet in Denmark, Moldova Elects a New Parliament

Syria

Turkey

Israeli military vehicles drive along a border fence, near the town of Majdal Shams, in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights, on July 17, 2025. 

Syria and Israel will likely ink a security pact to ease border tensions before the end of the year, but the deal's likely narrow scope and other unresolved disputes will keep it fragile.

The Implications of a Syria-Israel De-Escalation Agreement

United Kingdom

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. 

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

On Security

An aerial view of the IAD71 Amazon Web Services data center is seen on July 17, 2024, in Ashburn, Virginia. 

Environment, Science & Technology

Social Issues

AI's displacement of workers, the environmental impact of data centers and fears of pervasive surveillance are creating a potent mix of grievances likely to fuel violent extremism against targets associated with the technology.

The Coming Violent Backlash Against AI

Egypt

Egyptian army vehicles are deployed along the border with the Gaza Strip on July 4, 2024, in the north Sinai Peninsula. 

While an all-out war remains improbable, Egypt's military buildup in the Sinai Peninsula will increase the risk of sporadic border incidents and could prompt Israel to suspend a major energy deal with Cairo.

Is an Israel-Egypt Conflict on the Horizon?

Guyana

The President of the 80th session of the U.N. General Assembly and former German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock speaks during a General Assembly meeting to vote on a two-state solution to the Palestinian question on Sept. 12 at the United Nations in New York. Countries including Australia, Canada, France and the United Kingdom will likely formally recognize Palestinian statehood over the next several days at the assembly.

The Weekly Rundown: Western Countries Recognize Palestine, the EU Discusses a 'Drone Wall'

Military & Security

SITUATION REPORTS

Afghanistan: Telecommunications Network Reportedly Restored After Taliban's Shutdown

Ukraine: U.S. Expands Intelligence Support for Strikes Inside Russia

Australia, Papua New Guinea: Defense Agreement Signed, Leaves Door Open to China

Thailand, Cambodia: Border Meetings Proposed Amid Eviction Deadlines

France: Budget Cuts Spark New Wave of Nationwide Strikes and Demonstrations

Haiti: U.N. Security Council Approves Larger Security Force Deployment to Haiti

Congo: Former President Kabila Sentenced to Death in Absentia

France, Russia: Paris Investigates Possible Russian 'Shadow Fleet' Involvement in Denmark Drone Incursions

Forecasts

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