Colombia

Costa Rica

Guatemala

Honduras

Mexico

Panama

United States

Economics

Military & Security

Politics

Panamanian President-elect Jose Raul Mulino's appointed security chief Frank Abrego said the new government is considering establishing checkpoints along the northern Darien Gap in order to combat migration through the territory, Reuters reported on May 16. 

Panama: President-Elect Considers Implementing Checkpoints at Darien Gap

Kenya

Haiti

Kenya's opposition Thirdway Alliance Party filed a complaint to block the government's planned deployment of police officers to Haiti on May 16, leading the High Court on May 17 to order that the lawsuit be served to top officials, with the case to be heard on June 12, Reuters reported on May 17.

Kenya, Haiti: New Kenyan Legal Challenge Against Deployment to Haiti

Israel

Israel-Hamas Conflict

Trucks began moving humanitarian aid ashore from the U.S.-built temporary humanitarian pier in Gaza around 9 a.m. local time, U.S. Central Command reported via X, formerly Twitter, on May 17.

U.S., Israel: First Aid Arrives Through U.S.-Built Temporary Pier in Gaza

France

France's Interior Ministry is dispatching 1,000 more police officers to the French Pacific territory of New Caledonia following four days of consecutive riots, Le Figaro reported on May 17.

France: Authorities Dispatch 1,000 More Police Officers to New Caledonia  

Vietnam

The secretariat of the Vietnamese Communist Party (VCP) -- the fifth-highest ranking office in Vietnam's political system -- Truong Thi Mai resigned in light of unspecified "violations and shortcomings" likely related to the corruption of her subordinates, state-run VietnamPlus reported on May 17.

Vietnam: Another Top Leader on Shortlist for VCP Chief Forced To Resign

The Mexican government has increased apprehensions of migrants within its borders to prevent them from reaching the U.S.-Mexico border, apprehending 280,000 migrants in March 2024 compared with approximately 100,000 per month in early 2023, NBC reported on May 15.

Mexico, U.S.: Mexico Increases Migrant Apprehensions Throughout Country

Slovakia

Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico remains in serious but stable condition after he was shot and gravely injured on May 15 following a government meeting in the town of Handlova, about 150 kilometers (about 93 miles) northeast of the country's capital Bratislava, Reuters reported on May 16.

Slovakia: Prime Minister in Serious but Stable Condition After Assassination Attempt

China

Russia

Energy

Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, China, in multiple formats, and they signed 11 cooperation documents, the Financial Times reported on May 16. 

Russia, China: Xi and Putin Pledge Deepened Cooperation, But Major Breakthroughs Prove Illusive

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

Europe

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

Assessments

Ukraine

Ukrainian soldiers fire at a Russian position in Ukraine's Kharkiv region on April 21, 2024. 

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

While initially intended to draw Ukrainian resources away from the Donbas region, Russia's new front in the northeastern Kharkiv region will likely become core to Moscow's war efforts in 2025.

Russia's New Front in Kharkiv Raises the Stakes for Ukraine and the West

Dominican Republic

Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader delivers a speech to lawmakers in the National Assembly in Santo Domingo on February 27, 2024.

Environment, Science & Technology

President Abinader appears poised to win a second term, which will position the country for continued economic growth. But external threats risk complicating his pro-business agenda.

In the Dominican Republic, the President's Likely Reelection Bodes Well for the Economy, But Challenges Remain

Global Elections

Columns

On Geopolitics

Saudi Arabia

Then-Saudi Defense Minister and Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman holds a press conference in Riyadh on April 25, 2016, after unveiling the kingdom's economic diversification plan known as Vision 2030.

The kingdom's ambitious economic diversification plan has managed to survive the various geopolitical shocks that have emerged in recent years. But can it continue to do so?

Saudi Arabia's Adapted Vision 2030 Still Faces an Uncertain Future

Snapshots

Georgia

Georgian students protest the government's controversial ''foreign agents'' bill in Tbilisi on May 13, 2024. 

While the bill's passage may increase and radicalize supporters of the pro-Western opposition, the ruling GD party is still favored to win upcoming elections, ensuring the country's continued reorientation toward Russia.

Georgia Is Set To Adopt Its Controversial 'Foreign Agents' Bill. What Now?

Australia

Solomon Islands

The Solomon Islands' newly elected prime minister Jeremiah Manele speaks during a press conference in Honiara on May 2, 2024.

The leadership change will maintain the strategic Pacific Island nation's new pro-Beijing bent, driving the U.S. and Australia to scale up their own influence campaigns.

The Solomon Islands Elects Another Pro-China Prime Minister

Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Andrey Belousov visits the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on May 13, 2024, in Moscow, Russia. Belousov was named defense minister on May 12. 

The move to replace former Defense Minister Shoigu with a trusted economist signals an intent to better align Russia's military-industrial complex with the government's broader economic strategy.

Putin Taps an Economist To Head Russia's Defense Ministry

Russian President Vladimir Putin (right) and Chinese President Xi Jinping (left), surrounded by their respective delegations, hold a meeting in Beijing, China, on Oct. 18, 2023. 

The Russian president will likely push for greater trade, military and energy cooperation, but a breakthrough is unlikely unless it happens on China's terms.

What To Expect During Putin's Trip to China

Japan

North Korea

South Korea

Natsumi Sakai (C) of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan poses with others after receiving news that she won the by-election for the Tokyo No. 15 district seat for the lower house, in Tokyo, Japan, on April 28, 2024.

Recent by-elections reveal that a slush fund scandal is continuing to take its toll on Japan's ruling party, but Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is set to remain in power, for now.

By-Election Losses Shake Japan's Ruling Party, but Kishida Stays the Course

Mexico's June 2 presidential election will pit former Mexico City mayor Claudia Sheinbaum from the ruling Morena party against leading opposition candidate Xochitl Galvez.

2024 Elections: Mexico

Media

Iran

Podcasts

What are each country's defense capabilities?

Essential Geopolitics: The Future of Israel-Iran Relations

Palestinian Territories

A picture taken on May 6, 2024, shows smoke billowing following a bombardment east of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. 

If Hamas doesn't agree to a more favorable cease-fire deal, Israel will likely expand its push into Gaza's southernmost city at the risk of exacerbating domestic and international blowback.

With the Capture of a Border Crossing, Israel's Rafah Operation Has Begun

South Africa

South Africa's May general election will be the country's most competitive vote in 30 years, testing the dominance of the ruling African National Congress.

2024 Elections: South Africa

Military & Security

SITUATION REPORTS

Panama: President-Elect Considers Implementing Checkpoints at Darien Gap

Kenya, Haiti: New Kenyan Legal Challenge Against Deployment to Haiti

U.S., Israel: First Aid Arrives Through U.S.-Built Temporary Pier in Gaza

France: Authorities Dispatch 1,000 More Police Officers to New Caledonia

Vietnam: Another Top Leader on Shortlist for VCP Chief Forced To Resign

Mexico, U.S.: Mexico Increases Migrant Apprehensions Throughout Country

Slovakia: Prime Minister in Serious but Stable Condition After Assassination Attempt

Russia, China: Xi and Putin Pledge Deepened Cooperation, But Major Breakthroughs Prove Illusive

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