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The U.S. Senate passed first-of-its-kind bipartisan cryptocurrency legislation aimed at creating guardrails for "stablecoins," which are digital assets fixed to a fiat currency, CNN reported on June 17. 

U.S.: Senate Passes Landmark Cryptocurrency Legislation

A cyberattack targeting The Washington Post compromised several journalists' email accounts and was potentially the work of a foreign government, The Wall Street Journal reported on June 15.

U.S.: Washington Post Journalists Hacked

China

At the U.S.-China trade talks in London from June 9-10, the Chinese delegation made no commitments to easing curbs on exports of rare earths crucial to the production of U.S. fighter jets and missile systems, but appeared to link Chinese concessions on such rare earths to the reduction of U.S. export restrictions on advanced semiconductors to China, according to Reuters sources on June 15. 

U.S., China: Beijing Links Rare Earths to U.S. Chip Curbs, Extension of 90-Day Tariff Reprieve Discussed

India

India and China announced the resumption of direct flights to one another and efforts to strengthen bilateral communication, The Indian Express reported on June 13. 

India, China: New Delhi, Beijing Agree To Expedite Resumption of Direct Flights

Panama

Panama's President Jose Raul Mulino asked the U.S. government to abstain from publicly commenting on Panama's domestic issues and to avoid dragging the country into a geopolitical conflict, Bloomberg Linea reported on June 12.

Panama: President Mulino Protests U.S. Rhetoric as U.S. Replaces Chinese Telecom Towers

Brazil

Brazil's Supreme Court ruled that social media companies must be held accountable for some types of content users publish on their platforms, g1 reported on June 11.

Brazil: Supreme Court Ruling To Restrict Rules for Big Tech Companies, Sour U.S.-Brazil Relations

Myanmar

Military & Security

Myanmar's China-backed United Wa State Army, or USWA, controls Shan state's new rare earth extraction sites that were constructed from 2023 to 2025 and are now operational, Reuters reported on June 12, citing satellite imagery and local interviews.

Myanmar, China: Beijing-Backed Militia Takes Control of Rare Earths Mines

United Kingdom

Energy

The United Kingdom's Department for Energy Security and Net Zero announced on June 10 that it had selected Rolls-Royce SMR to build the country's first small modular reactors.

U.K.: Rolls-Royce To Build U.K.'s First Small Modular Reactors

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

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Australia

Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles and British Defense Secretary John Healey sit together for the AUKUS Defense Ministers Meeting at Old Royal Naval College on Sept. 26, 2024, in London, England.

Despite growing U.S. skepticism, strong imperatives to counter China's maritime presence will likely lead Washington to see a revised version of the AUKUS defense pact through.

U.S. Review of AUKUS Pillar I Puts Pact on Shaky Ground

U.S. President Donald Trump discusses his plans for a "Golden Dome" U.S. missile defense shield in the Oval Office of the White House on May 20, 2025.

The plan for a U.S. missile defense system will likely fall short of its expansive aims, but it threatens to accelerate an arms race with Russia and China, as well as hasten the commercialization of space.

The Feasibility and Risks of Trump's 'Golden Dome' Missile Shield

Snapshots

Cargo shipping containers are seen stacked at the Port of Los Angeles in San Pedro, California, on April 15, 2025. 

Global Trade

Regardless of any short-term concessions, the U.S. will likely eventually expand the scope of its technology restrictions against China, likely prompting Beijing to retaliate by once again restricting exports of rare earths or other critical raw materials.

U.S.-China Framework To Implement Trade Deal Will Only Temporarily Ease Tensions

U.S.-China Relations

A stock image showing industrial magnet parts.

China will likely continue to wield export restrictions on rare earth elements and related magnets in response to future U.S. restrictions, sustaining a high risk of supply chain disruptions, particularly for automakers.

In Trade War With U.S., China Finds a Pressure Point With Magnet Restrictions

Dunster House at Harvard University is seen on March 17, 2025, in Cambridge, Massachusetts. 

The Trump administration's latest salvo against elite U.S. universities highlights a broader campaign that will have lasting implications for domestic scientific research, innovation and competitiveness.

The Implications of Trump's Pressure Campaign Against U.S. Universities

Media

Podcasts

What role does AI play as both a disruptor and a tool in the risk management space? 

Applied Geopolitics: Leveraging AI To Anticipate and Mitigate Geopolitical and Supply Chain Risks 

Columns

On Geopolitics

Visitors walk down the inclined shaft at Steenkampskraal rare-earth mine on July 29, 2019, about 80 kilometers (about 50 miles) from Vanrhynsdorp, a town in Western Cape province, South Africa.

U.S.-China trade tensions are increasing the risk of supply chain disruptions for critical raw materials, but companies can take steps to mitigate this danger.

Corporate America Comes to Grips With Supply Chain Risks to Critical Raw Materials

Germany

France

Poland

Spain

Italy

NATO military forces during static display after the Steadfast Dart 2025 military exercises at the Smardan Training Area in Smardan, Romania, on Feb. 19, 2025. 

Europe is increasingly focused on achieving greater strategic autonomy in defense, but internal divisions and material constraints will plague this quest, even as the United States' role on the Continent continues to shrink, meaning NATO will likely remain the cornerstone of Europe’s security architecture. 

The Future of Transatlantic Security Cooperation, Part 2: The View From Europe

Israel-Hamas Conflict

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Social Issues

Intensifying trade wars, a potential ceasefire in Ukraine, continued volatility in the Middle East and consequential elections in key countries will shape the quarter.

2025 Second-Quarter Forecast: An Excerpt

Global Elections

U.S.-Iran Relations

A photo of the U.S. Capitol overlaid with a pixilated blue and red pattern.

The United States will continue to prioritize AI innovation over regulation, and the European Union is set to partially reconsider its rules amid a broader push to increase competitiveness. 

The Future of AI Regulation Under the West's New Leadership

CDU leader Friedrich Merz (left) and the party's secretary general, Carsten Linnemann, hold a post-election press conference in Berlin, Germany, on Feb. 24, 2025. 

Germany's new government will likely be more stable than its predecessor, enabling the CDU/CSU to pursue economic stimulus and a more assertive foreign policy.

German Election Results Position the Center-Right To Retake the Helm

While wars over water remain rare, its unequal distribution, growing demand and climate change-driven stress will increasingly shape global challenges and geopolitical tensions in the decades to come.

Environment, Science & Technology

SITUATION REPORTS

U.S.: Senate Passes Landmark Cryptocurrency Legislation

U.S.: Washington Post Journalists Hacked

U.S., China: Beijing Links Rare Earths to U.S. Chip Curbs, Extension of 90-Day Tariff Reprieve Discussed

India, China: New Delhi, Beijing Agree To Expedite Resumption of Direct Flights

Panama: President Mulino Protests U.S. Rhetoric as U.S. Replaces Chinese Telecom Towers

Brazil: Supreme Court Ruling To Restrict Rules for Big Tech Companies, Sour U.S.-Brazil Relations

Myanmar, China: Beijing-Backed Militia Takes Control of Rare Earths Mines

U.K.: Rolls-Royce To Build U.K.'s First Small Modular Reactors

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