The Decision Advantage

The 14th National Party Congress in Hanoi has just wrapped up, and To Lam has been reaffirmed as General Secretary. As we look toward the mid-March National Assembly elections, the country potentially faces additional political shifts. RANE’s Asia-Pacific Analyst Nate Fischler unpacks the broad national implications as well as the international impact of these changes. RANE is a global risk intelligence company that delivers risk and security professionals access to critical insights, analysis and support to ensure business continuity and resilience for our clients. For more information about RANE's risk management solutions, visit www.ranenetwork.com. Sign up to receive our complimentary weekly rundown, an email digest that highlights the geopolitical risks and opportunities that will shape the coming week, keeping you up to date on the key developments we're tracking and our most-read analyses. Subscribe to RANE's Weekly Rundown for free today by visiting https://go.ranenetwork.com/weeklyrundownrane.

As the situation in Iran rapidly evolved this weekend, RANE’s analyst team provided continuous, actionable intelligence to keep our clients ahead of the curve. Ryan Bohl RANE’s Senior Middle East and North Africa Analyst provides a rundown on  events of this past weekend and what to expect going forward.  RANE is a global risk intelligence company that delivers risk and security professionals access to critical insights, analysis and support to ensure business continuity and resilience for our clients. For more information about RANE's risk management solutions, visit www.ranenetwork.com. Sign up to receive our complimentary weekly rundown, an email digest that highlights the geopolitical risks and opportunities that will shape the coming week, keeping you up to date on the key developments we’re tracking and our most read analyses.  Subscribe to RANE's Weekly Rundown for free today by visiting: https://go.ranenetwork.com/weeklyrundownrane

Michael Metz, COO for V.I.P. Mortgage, Inc. and Ryan Bohl, RANE’s Senior Middle East and North Africa Analyst discuss current geopolitical dynamics and the effects of uncertainty and perception on the bond market.  Michael Metz is the Chief Operating Officer for V.I.P. Mortgage, Inc., a mid-sized residential independent mortgage bank based out of Scottsdale, Arizona, with a nationwide presence. He has been with the company for 16 years and runs the operations and forecasting to ensure the company can prepare for market shifts and help with community homeownership. RANE is a global risk intelligence company that delivers risk and security professionals access to critical insights, analysis and support to ensure business continuity and resilience for our clients. For more information about RANE's risk management solutions, visit www.ranenetwork.com. Sign up to receive our complimentary weekly rundown, an email digest that highlights the geopolitical risks and opportunities that will shape the coming week, keeping you up to date on the key developments we’re tracking and our most read analyses.  Subscribe to RANE's Weekly Rundown for free today by visiting: https://go.ranenetwork.com/weeklyrundownrane

In this episode of The Decision Advantage, South America Analyst Mario Braga breaks down how RANE analysts navigate dynamic geopolitical shifts, using the evolving U.S.-Venezuela relationship as a roadmap. RANE is a global risk intelligence company that delivers risk and security professionals access to critical insights, analysis and support to ensure business continuity and resilience for our clients. For more information about RANE's risk management solutions, visit www.ranenetwork.com.

In this episode of The Decision Advantage, RANE’s South Asia Analyst Misha Iqbal discusses the major players and pressures shaping the outlook for Bangladesh’s first election following the pro-democracy uprising that ousted Sheikh Hasina in 2024. Register here to receive a complimentary subscription to RiskBook, our curated email digest with the latest risk news and analysis, delivered every weekday morning.  RANE is a global risk intelligence company that delivers risk and security professionals access to critical insights, analysis and support to ensure business continuity and resilience for our clients. For more information about RANE's risk management solutions, visit www.ranenetwork.com.

In this episode of RANE Insights, Founder of RANE David Lawrence sits down with Dr. Sarah Church to explore the culture of online gambling and its societal effects.  Dr. Church is a clinical psychologist with more than 20 years of experience in research, program development, and treatment of patients with substance use and co-occurring mental health disorders. She is an expert in Mentalization Based Therapy (MBT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Community Reinforcement Approach (CRA), Community Reinforcement Approach and Family Therapy, (CRAFT), and Contingency Management. You can learn more about her work here. RANE is a global risk intelligence company that delivers risk and security professionals access to critical insights, analysis and support to ensure business continuity and resilience for our clients. For more information about RANE's risk management solutions, visit www.ranenetwork.com.

In this episode of Essential Geopolitics, RANE's Director of Analysis Adriano Bosoni and RANE’s Lead Europe Analyst Matteo Ilardo examine the current state of European politics and discuss the forces shaping the geopolitical landscape in Europe through 2026. Register here to receive a complimentary subscription to RiskBook, our curated email digest with the latest risk news and analysis, delivered every weekday morning.  RANE is a global risk intelligence company that delivers risk and security professionals access to critical insights, analysis and support to ensure business continuity and resilience for our clients. For more information about RANE's risk management solutions, visit www.ranenetwork.com.

For this special episode of Essential Geopolitics, RANE's Senior Middle East and North Africa Analyst Ryan Bohl provides a brief, but substantive historical overview of U.S. involvement in the Middle East over the past 200 years.  Register here to receive a complimentary subscription to RiskBook, our curated email digest with the latest risk news and analysis, delivered every weekday morning.  RANE is a global risk intelligence company that delivers risk and security professionals access to critical insights, analysis and support to ensure business continuity and resilience for our clients. For more information about RANE's risk management solutions, visit www.ranenetwork.com.

Chinese nation-state actors were observed using Anthropic's Claude Code generative AI coding assistant in an espionage campaign first discovered in mid-September, according to a report from Anthropic released Nov. 13th. In this episode of Essential Geopolitics, RANE’s Cyber Intelligence Analyst Ali Plucinski explores the details of this campaign and discusses what it could mean for the future of state-sponsored espionage activity.  Register here to receive a complimentary subscription to RiskBook, our curated email digest with the latest risk news and analysis, delivered every weekday morning.  RANE is a global risk intelligence company that delivers risk and security professionals access to critical insights, analysis and support to ensure business continuity and resilience for our clients. For more information about RANE's risk management solutions, visit www.ranenetwork.com.

In this episode of Essential Geopolitics, RANE’s Asia-Pacific Analyst, Nate Fischler unpacks the motivations behind Indonesia’s interest in the Israel-Gaza conflict and explores the major constraints and defining factors impacting the country’s domestic policy.  Register here to receive a complimentary subscription to RiskBook, our curated email digest with the latest risk news and analysis, delivered every weekday morning.  RANE is a global risk intelligence company that delivers risk and security professionals access to critical insights, analysis and support to ensure business continuity and resilience for our clients. For more information about RANE's risk management solutions, visit www.ranenetwork.com.

In this episode of Essential Geopolitics, RANE’s Latin America Analyst Mario Braga and RANE’s Senior Middle East and North Africa Analyst Ryan Bohl explain the dynamics of the current situation between Venezuela and the U.S. and deep dive into the complex history of the relationship that shapes the outlook for various cooperative and/or conflict-ridden scenarios. Register here to receive a complimentary subscription to RiskBook, our curated email digest with the latest risk news and analysis, delivered every weekday morning.  RANE is a global risk intelligence company that delivers risk and security professionals access to critical insights, analysis and support to ensure business continuity and resilience for our clients. For more information about RANE's risk management solutions, visit www.ranenetwork.com.

In this episode of RANE Insights, Founder of RANE David Lawrence sits down with Dr. Mark Gold to discuss causes and implications of the recent increase of global cocaine production and use.  Mark S. Gold, M.D., is an author, inventor, and mentor who has had over 1,000 peer-reviewed publications since beginning his academic career at the University of Florida College of Medicine and Yale University School of Medicine in the 1970s. You can learn more about his work here.  Register here to receive a complimentary subscription to RiskBook, our curated email digest with the latest risk news and analysis, delivered every weekday morning.  RANE is a global risk intelligence company that delivers risk and security professionals access to critical insights, analysis and support to ensure business continuity and resilience for our clients. For more information about RANE's risk management solutions, visit www.ranenetwork.com.

In September 2025, Nepal’s government banned major social-media platforms, which ignited wider youth protests over corruption, unemployment, and elite privilege. After days of deadly protests, Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli resigned, paving the way for an interim leader to take charge and call for fresh elections for March 2026. This is the most recent political upheaval in South Asia and it’s reminiscent of the July 2024 protests in Bangladesh which erupted over a controversial job-quota system and broader discontent with governance. As a result, the long-time prime minister Sheikh Hasina stepped down and an interim government took leadership with elections scheduled for February 2026. It’s also not dissimilar to the widespread 2022 protests in Sri Lanka over the country’s economic collapse, fuel shortages, and soaring inflation that forced the President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to resign and flee the country. In this episode of Essential Geopolitics, RANE's South Asia Analyst Misha Iqbal explores the cause behind recent unrest in Nepal and unpacks the larger trend of political instability in South Asia over the past few years. Register here to receive a complimentary subscription to RiskBook, our curated email digest with the latest risk news and analysis, delivered every weekday morning.  RANE is a global risk intelligence company that delivers risk and security professionals access to critical insights, analysis and support to ensure business continuity and resilience for our clients. For more information about RANE's risk management solutions, visit www.ranenetwork.com.

Political instability is on the rise in Africa, driven by a new wave of youth activism. Gen Z is increasingly vocal in demanding political and economic reforms, as seen in Morocco and Madagascar. In Morocco, the Gen Z 212 protests began in late September, criticizing the government's public service provision, corruption in the government and the current prime minister. In this episode of Essential Geopolitics, RANE’s Middle East and North Africa Analyst Kristin Ronzi unpacks likely geopolitical causes and implications of the recent rise in Gen Z protests. Register here to receive a complimentary subscription to RiskBook, our curated email digest with the latest risk news and analysis, delivered every weekday morning.  RANE is a global risk intelligence company that delivers risk and security professionals access to critical insights, analysis and support to ensure business continuity and resilience for our clients. For more information about RANE's risk management solutions, visit www.ranenetwork.com.

In this episode of Essential Geopolitics, RANE's Asia-Pacific Analyst Chase Blazek unpacks the results of Japan’s recent LDP leadership election and explores what the outcome means for the  country going forward. Register here to receive a complimentary subscription to RiskBook, our curated email digest with the latest risk news and analysis, delivered every weekday morning.  RANE is a global risk intelligence company that delivers risk and security professionals access to critical insights, analysis and support to ensure business continuity and resilience for our clients. For more information about RANE's risk management solutions, visit www.ranenetwork.com.

RANE recently published our Fourth Quarter Geopolitical and Threat Intelligence Forecasts which cover key trends we're following in the final months of 2025, including U.S. trade policy, the war in Ukraine and conflicts in the Middle East. In this episode of Essential Geopolitics, RANE’s Directors of Analysis Adriano Bosoni and Sam Lichtenstein share a brief overview of the report.  DOWNLOAD THE FORECAST SUMMARY HERE. RANE is a global risk intelligence company that delivers risk and security professionals access to critical insights, analysis and support to ensure business continuity and resilience for our clients. For more information about RANE's risk management solutions, visit www.ranenetwork.com.  

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has unveiled what she calls ODNI 2.0 — a sweeping overhaul that will cut nearly half of the agency’s workforce, eliminate or consolidate several intelligence centers, and slash more than $700 million in annual costs. RANE’s Cyber Intelligence Analyst Hayley Benedict explains the increased cybersecurity risks associated with the recent ODNI cuts.  Register here to receive a complimentary subscription to RiskBook, our curated email digest with the latest risk news and analysis, delivered every weekday morning.  RANE is a global risk intelligence company that delivers risk and security professionals access to critical insights, analysis and support to ensure business continuity and resilience for our clients. For more information about RANE's risk management solutions, visit www.ranenetwork.com.

In this episode of Essential Geopolitics, RANE’s Global Economy Analyst Markus Jaeger analyzes the risks associated with potentially compromised Fed independence in light of President Trump’s criticism of the organization. Register here to receive a complimentary subscription to RiskBook, our curated email digest with the latest risk news and analysis, delivered every weekday morning.  RANE is a global risk intelligence company that delivers risk and security professionals access to critical insights, analysis and support to ensure business continuity and resilience for our clients. For more information about RANE's risk management solutions, visit www.ranenetwork.com.

In this episode of Essential Geopolitics, RANE's Europe Analyst Matteo Ilardo provides his insights into the causes and implications of rising regional tensions in the Baltic.  Register here to receive a complimentary subscription to RiskBook, our curated email digest with the latest risk news and analysis, delivered every weekday morning.  RANE is a global risk intelligence company that delivers risk and security professionals access to critical insights, analysis and support to ensure business continuity and resilience for our clients. For more information about RANE's risk management solutions, visit www.ranenetwork.com.

In this episode of RANE Insights, Founder of RANE David Lawrence sits down with author Joseph Torigian to discuss authoritarian geopolitical dynamics and strategy.  Joseph studies the politics of authoritarian regimes with a specific focus on elite power struggles, civil-military relations, and grand strategy. He uses primary sources, rare books, and interviews to provide new accounts of historical milestones in two nations of crucial geopolitical importance: China and Russia. In particular, he investigates how leaders in those nations secure themselves against threats at home and abroad. His research agenda contributes to several fields and disciplines: international relations, comparative politics, security studies, history, and Chinese and Russian studies.  You can learn more about his work here.  Register here to receive a complimentary subscription to RiskBook, our curated email digest with the latest risk news and analysis, delivered every weekday morning.  RANE is a global risk intelligence company that delivers risk and security professionals access to critical insights, analysis and support to ensure business continuity and resilience for our clients. For more information about RANE's risk management solutions, visit www.ranenetwork.com.