North America

The Arctic is becoming an increasingly important region due to climate change, opening previously inaccessible sea routes and creating new economic opportunities. Emerging shipping corridors could reshape global trade by reducing journey times between Europe and Asia, while competition increases between countries seeking influence over Arctic infrastructure. Growing activity in the Arctic is likely to create new security challenges, with implications for businesses oper

Canada is deepening ties with Saudi Arabia and the UAE as Ottawa seeks greater trade and investment diversification. Mark Carney's Saudi visit produced more than C$1 billion in commercial agreements across technology, infrastructure, mining and defence. The UAE's major investment commitment has highlighted the practical challenge of matching available capital with sufficiently advanced Canadian projects.

Hope Bay is expected to produce more than 400,000 ounces of gold annually, support close to 2,000 jobs and increase Canadian exports by C$2.6 billion each year. Canada increasingly views Arctic infrastructure, mineral development, clean energy and defence capability as connected elements of national sovereignty and economic resilience. The Arctic is no longer solely an environmental or security issue. It is emerging as a supply-chain frontier.

The G7 remains a relevant, minilateral forum capable of defending the liberal international order and its values at a time when it is under threat. It serves as an alternative to larger, often gridlocked global institutions, providing an informal structure for diplomacy. To protect G7 unity and avoid direct confrontation with the Trump administration, France has compromised on its agenda by omitting climate change.

NATO has made significant progress in strengthening deterrence since 2022 but European reliance on the United States for key military capabilities remains a structural vulnerability. Closer coordination between Russia and China is creating a more complex global security landscape, stretching NATO’s ability to respond in multiple regions. To maintain readiness, Europe must invest in transport networks, forward deployments, and joint defence production.

The United States is pivoting toward an aggressive and transformative maritime strategy because its domestic shipbuilding capacity has reached a critical point of decay, currently constructing less than one per cent of the world's commercial ships. For decades, the nation has suffered from a lack of strategic focus and a degradation of federal investment in the maritime industrial base (MIB), which has driven up costs and discouraged the operation of ships under the American

The January 2026 US military intervention in Venezuela has rasiedconcerns over Trump’s ambition to take over Greenland were renewed. The Trump administration reportedly does not exclude using military or economic force to take over Greenland, leading many European leaders to signal the end of NATO if the US were to intervene in the nation. The critical minerals found in Greenland are significant to US and private company interests in terms of defence and green technologies.

Electricity demand from AI data centres in the West is projected to increase 31-fold by 2035, potentially absorbing up to 20–25% of total annual electricity generation in the United States. Structural increases in electricity prices have already driven U.S. power costs up by around 50% since 2021, undermining competitiveness and the viability of new data-centre investments. The construction timelines for new power plants—up to ten years for combined-cycle facilities—are misal

Planning for the June-July 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America is well underway. As the world’s most-watched sporting event, addressing the challenges and threats associated with the tournament is a major focus. With the matches set to be played in 16 venues across the US, Canada, and Mexico, the tournament expanding from 32 teams to 48, and five million people expected to attend, risk planning is a complex, multinational undertaking.

On 31 July 2025, China raised concerns over potential security risks in Nvidia’s H20 artificial intelligence (AI) chip, casting uncertainty over the US company's sales prospects in China. In particular, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) took issue with the proposal for the chips to include tracking and positioning functions.

U.S. President Donald Trump hosted leaders from Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania and Senegal at the White House for a three-day summit that began with a working lunch in the State Dining Room on 09 July 2025. A high-stakes summit designed to reassess American influence across a continent. Each of these countries is currently facing a 10% tariff on exports to the U.S.

With growing political will, multiple countries are recognising and developing solutions to the challenges posed by grey zone warfare. However, the matter will require ongoing multilateral cooperation and investment. This will be made harder by actors who continue to refine new methods and technologies to undermine and neutralise countermeasures.

Recent US- China trade talks in London followed a rare 90-minute phone call between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping aimed at easing trade tensions. Since an agreement on 12 May 2025 to roll back the majority of the triple-digit tariffs, resolving trade tensions has emerged as a shared priority. One major reason for Washington’s interest in coming to the table is Beijing’s utilisation of export controls on a range of critical rare earth minerals and

As the death toll continues to rise, impatience with Israel is growing among the international community to end the conflict in Gaza. However, Netanyahu’s political and legal motivations, coupled with the US’ continued support for Israel, stand in the way. The recent killing of two Israeli embassy employees in Washington underscores the growing global threats facing Israelis, particularly those working in official roles. Risk mitigation strategies need to be taken to prote