Situation ReportMar 13, 2026 | 15:42 GMT
U.S., Cuba: Havana Confirms Talks With Washington
The Cuban government has engaged in talks with the United States, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel confirmed in a TV broadcast on March 13.
READ MORE
For more targeted results combine or exclude search terms by applying the Boolean Operators AND, OR and AND NOT. Place quotations around your search term to find documents that contain that exact phrase
Search Tools
Situation ReportFeb 9, 2026 | 20:45 GMT
Russia, U.S.: Moscow Downplays Economic Reset as Talks Stall
In an interview with TV BRICS, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Russia sees no "bright future" for economic relations with the United States despite ongoing U.S.-brokered efforts to end the war in Ukraine, Reuters reported on Feb. 9.
READ MORESituation ReportJan 9, 2026 | 16:09 GMT
Yemen: Separatist STC Dissolves, Saudis Move To Develop Southern Yemen
Abdulrahman Jalal al-Sebaihi, the secretary-general of Yemen's separatist Southern Transitional Council, said on Yemeni TV on Jan. 9 that the Emirati-backed STC and its institutions would dissolve "immediately."
READ MORESituation ReportAug 5, 2025 | 18:27 GMT
China, Taiwan: State TV Shows 'Cold Start' Drill-to-Invasion Simulation
China's state-owned CCTV aired the latest episode in a five-part series on the People's Liberation Army, the South China Morning Post reported on Aug. 5.
READ MOREAssessmentsApr 22, 2025 | 20:44 GMT
The Geopolitics of Trade: The Impact of U.S. Tariffs on South Korea and Japan
U.S. tariffs on South Korea and Japan could sway upcoming leadership contests in both countries, modestly increase their trade with China and erode U.S.-South Korea defense cooperation, but they are unlikely to undermine U.S.-Japan security ties. From April 16-18, Japanese and U.S. officials held trade negotiations in Washington, and South Korean representatives are expected to travel to the United States in the coming days to begin their own talks. These moves come after U.S. President Donald Trump on April 9 granted a 90-day pause to "reciprocal" tariffs on most countries -- including tariffs of 24% on Japan and 26% on South Korea -- bringing the reciprocal tariff down to 10% for all countries except China. This reprieve did not, however, apply to imported vehicles or auto parts, key export industries in both South Korea and Japan that rely heavily on exports to the U.S. market. Those goods were subjected to
READ MORESituation ReportApr 22, 2025 | 15:26 GMT
U.S., Latin America: U.S. Anti-Migration Ads to Spark Controversy but Unlikely to Trigger Diplomatic Crises
The United States Homeland Security Department announced it will air TV and internet ads across the country and abroad incentivizing undocumented migrants to "self deport" and others not to enter the country illegally, La Jornada reported April 21.
READ MOREOn GeopoliticsOct 30, 2024 | 20:29 GMT
The Rising Risk of Military Clashes on the Korean Peninsula
In recent months, North and South Korea have taken a wide variety of actions along their shared border that have increasingly threatened a long-standing, if unsteady, peace on the Korean Peninsula. These include military provocations and propaganda initiatives that, alongside longer-term shifts in national doctrine related to inter-Korean relations, have removed impediments to escalation. The Koreans are, of course, no stranger to fears of war, with the Korean War never technically concluded and the border area serving as one of the most heavily armed peacetime regions in the world for decades. Still, the recent trajectory of events on the peninsula brings a higher chance for military clashes that, even though they are likely to be limited and not escalate to full-scale war, would accelerate the formation of defensive blocs in Asia and create geopolitical ripple effects far beyond the Korean Peninsula.
READ MOREAssessmentsAug 27, 2024 | 18:12 GMT
Previewing State Elections in Eastern Germany
The far-right and the far-left are expected to make unprecedented gains in upcoming state elections in eastern Germany, which could disrupt the implementation of federal migration and energy policies at the regional level while weakening mainstream parties just one year before the country's next general election. Three eastern German states -- Thuringia, Saxony and Brandenburg -- will elect new governments in September 2024, in elections that polls project will see populist parties from both the far-right and far-left gaining substantial support at the expense of mainstream, centrist parties. Voters will cast their ballots in Thuringia and Saxony on Sept. 1, and in Brandenburg on Sept. 22. The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which is polling at 18% nationwide, is currently in second place in Saxony at 30%, right below the center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU), and first in Thuringia and in Brandenburg, where it is polling at 29% and
READ MORESituation ReportAug 19, 2024 | 17:24 GMT
Kenya: Government To Reintroduce Some Scrapped Tax Measures
The Kenyan government is finalizing plans to reintroduce the eco-levy as part of a broader tax amendment bill to raise 145.7 billion shillings ($1.12 billion) to address a shortfall between projected government revenues and planned expenditures in the government's 2024/2025 budget, Citizen TV reported Aug. 18.
READ MORESituation ReportAug 15, 2024 | 16:00 GMT
South Korea, North Korea: Yoon's Unification Vision Remains A Long Shot
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, on the Liberation Day holiday, revealed a new vision for unification with North Korea, Yonhap News reported Aug. 15.
READ MORESituation ReportJun 26, 2024 | 21:20 GMT
Bolivia: President Denounces Military Coup Attempt
Bolivian soldiers gathered in the central Plaza Murillo in La Paz and stormed the presidential palace, after which President Luis Arce accused recently dismissed Gen. Juan Jose Zuniga of launching an attempted coup against the government, Reuters reported on June 26.
READ MORESnapshotsJun 10, 2024 | 15:44 GMT
French Early Legislative Elections Risk Policy Paralysis
While French President Emmanuel Macron's decision to hold an early legislative election is meant to weaken the right-wing National Rally, the most likely outcome is prolonged policy paralysis either through a hung parliament or through complex cohabitation between a president and prime minister from different parties.
READ MORESituation ReportMay 23, 2024 | 21:12 GMT
Ecuador: President Declares New State of Emergency Over Security Concerns
Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa declared a 60-day state of emergency in the provinces of Guayas, El Oro, Santa Elena, Manabi, Sucumbios, Orellana and Los Rios provinces, as well as part of Azuay province, in response to an increase in violent crime in the area, Reuters reported on May 22.
READ MORESituation ReportApr 19, 2024 | 17:05 GMT
India: First Phase of Voting in General Election Begins
Polls for the first phase of India's general election opened, encompassing 102 constituencies across 21 states and union territories, including Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh, AP reported on April 19.
READ MOREAssessmentsApr 16, 2024 | 19:36 GMT
India's 2024 Elections Will Likely Generate Policy Continuity
If India's ruling BJP party remains in power after the country's April 19-June 1 general election, policy continuity regarding efforts to increase employment, build infrastructure and implement controversial social policies nationally that trigger social unrest can be expected.
READ MOREAnalystApr 5, 2024 | 15:47 GMT
Freddy Khoueiry
Freddy Khoueiry is a global security analyst at RANE covering the Middle East and North Africa, with a particular focus on the Levant and broader regional security dynamics. He helps organizations understand and anticipate complex security and political developments across the Middle East. With more than five years of experience analyzing conflict and foreign policy in the region, he provides strategic insights on evolving geopolitical risks, military developments and regional security dynamics. He holds a master's degree in International Security and Diplomacy. Freddy's analysis has been featured in international outlets including Forbes, Business Insider, Al-Monitor and The New Arab. He has also appeared on Bloomberg TV and BBC Persian, providing insights on Middle East security and geopolitical developments.
AssessmentsFeb 19, 2024 | 14:00 GMT
The Modern Geopolitics of Russia
For much of its history, Russia has been a quintessential geopolitical great power, and it arguably remains so today. Russia's power stems from its vast territory and geography, which spans 11 time zones and possesses large reserves of nearly every strategic resource. The country's amassment of the largest nuclear arsenal in the world has only solidified great power status in more recent decades.
READ MOREAssessmentsFeb 8, 2024 | 16:28 GMT
Fearing Normalization of Anti-War Sentiments, Kremlin Excludes Opposition Candidate From Presidential Ballot
Russia's decision to bar rising opposition candidate Boris Nadezhdin from running in the upcoming presidential election confirms the Kremlin's trepidations of opening the door to anti-war dissent while also underscoring the Kremlin's total control of the electoral process. On Feb. 8, Russia's Central Election Commission formally barred Nadezhdin, a former Russian parliamentarian and long-time liberal pundit who had been running on a vaguely anti-war platform, from participating in Russia's March 15-17 presidential election. The commission claimed, providing scant evidence, that irregularities rendering the signatures invalid had been found in around 15% of signatures presented in support of his candidacy. In January, Nadezhdin received the nomination of the opposition Civic Initiative party, suggesting that his participation had the preliminary approval of the Russian presidential administration.
READ MOREOn SecurityFeb 1, 2024 | 16:07 GMT
Forecasting Latin America's Next Crime Hotspot After Ecuador
Governments can take steps to stave off a surge in violence, but for many in the region, such measures will be politically and economically out of reach.
READ MOREAssessmentsJan 10, 2024 | 22:33 GMT
Ecuador Declares 'Internal Armed Conflict' as Gang Violence Escalates
In Ecuador, the declaration of a state of ''internal armed conflict'' will create near-term political unity, which will give the government the tools it needs to secure crime hot spots. But major constraints on curbing rising levels of violent crime will likely lead to a protracted security crisis and, over time, may erode legislative support for Noboa's economic reform agenda. On Jan. 9, Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa, who only took office in November 2023, issued an executive decree that ''recogniz[ed] the existence of an internal armed conflict'' in Ecuador in response to escalating gang violence across the country. His declaration came after a series of violent incidents earlier in the day, including one in which a dozen gunmen stormed a state-owned TV station during a live broadcast, taking multiple hostages. Gangs also kidnapped multiple police officers and declared ''war'' on the country. The violence left at least 10 Ecuadorians dead.
READ MORE