Zambia

Military & Security

Politics

The Electoral Commission of Zambia announced that it suspended vote counting for the country's Aug. 13 general election following the theft of paper ballots and violence against some of its officials before resuming the count several hours later, Bloomberg reported on Aug. 14.

Zambia: Electoral Commission Briefly Paused Vote Count as Opposition Claims Victory 

United States

Iran

Economics

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the United States plans to unveil more extensive economic measures against Iran during the week of Aug. 17, Bloomberg reported on Aug. 14.

U.S., Iran: U.S. To Unveil Additional Economic Measures Against Iran 

U.S.-Iran Relations

Ethiopia

Sudan

Egypt

Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, or RSF, claimed to have recaptured the strategic border town of Kurmuk from the Sudanese Armed Forces, or SAF, Sudan Tribune reported on Aug. 13.

Sudan: RSF Recaptures Kurmuk Border Town Amid Allegations of Ethiopian Aerial Support 

Israel

Lebanon

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced that the Israeli Defense Forces would not withdraw from southern Lebanon until Hezbollah is disarmed, Reuters reported on Aug. 13. 

Lebanon, Israel: Israel Ties Withdrawal to Hezbollah Disarmament, Eyes New Military Operation

China

Japan

North Korea

Russia

Energy

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Aug. 13 visited Etorofu/Iturup Island, one of the four Northern Territories claimed by Japan in the Kuril Islands, which Russia has occupied since just after World War II, Reuters reported.

Japan, Russia: Putin Visits Disputed Kurils, Highlights Worsening Ties

Australia

United Kingdom

U.S. Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby said AUKUS was moving "full steam ahead" but declined to guarantee the transfer of three secondhand Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines to Australia by 2032 per the agreed timeline, the Australian Financial Review reported on Aug. 13.

Australia, U.S.: Submarine Production Shortfall Will Continue To Threaten AUKUS Timeline

Palestinian Territories

Israel-Hamas Conflict

Israel deployed extra forces to the town of Qusra outside of Nablus in the West Bank in an attempt to protect a Palestinian-American-owned home from Israeli settlers who were besieging it after pressure from the United States, NPR reported on Aug. 13. 

Palestinian Territories, Israel: U.S. Intervenes in Settler Attack, Hamas To Run in PLC Elections

Cyber

U.S. President Donald Trump signed a national security memo on Aug. 12 directing federal law enforcement agencies to create a program enabling them to carry out offensive cyber operations targeting transnational organized crime syndicates, with assistance from private sector companies.

U.S.: Trump Signs Directive Opening Door to Private Sector Cyber Help in Targeting Transnational Crime

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

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

South Africa

Brazil

Ukraine

Iranian flags flutter along the corniche seafront of the port city of Bandar Abbas, Iran, on Aug. 10, 2026. 

A look at what the coming week will bring -- and a list of recommended RANE articles from the week that was.

The Weekly Rundown: U.S.-Iran MoU Set To Expire, SADC Summit

Kuwait

Saudi Arabia

Turkey

India

Pakistan

People gather around an army air defense system on display at a military exhibition in Islamabad, Pakistan, on Aug. 14, 2025.

While they could unlock economic and strategic gains, Pakistan's new defense pacts with Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait will also increase its military's role in domestic policymaking and Islamabad's exposure to regional conflicts.

The Implications of Pakistan's Growing Defense Ties in the Middle East

Snapshots

Indonesia

Philippines

Taiwan

Crew members on a Chinese navy ship wave as they prepare to dock at Indonesia's Tanjung Perak Port on Aug. 2, 2026. 

China's recent naval drill with Indonesia appears aimed at asserting de facto jurisdiction around Taiwan, raising the risk of at-sea clashes and increased tensions with the U.S., Japan and the Philippines.

China's Latest Drills Near Taiwan Aim To Assert De Facto Jurisdiction

U.S.-China Relations

Colombia

Rescuers and volunteers search for survivors under a collapsed building in Pereira, Colombia, on Aug. 11, 2026, following a magnitude 7.4 earthquake.

Environment, Science & Technology

The magnitude 7.4 earthquake will test President Abelardo de la Espriella's nascent administration, while simultaneously exacerbating fiscal and security challenges and creating significant operational and compliance risks for businesses.

Colombia's New Government Faces an Early Test After Major Earthquake

Syria

A Russian aircraft takes off from an airport in northeastern Syria's Hasakah province on Jan. 27, 2026. 

Syria's cooperation with the U.S. to remove nuclear materials and reduce Russian military influence will support its reconstruction efforts, but security challenges will continue to hinder major infrastructure projects.

Syria's Pro-U.S. Policy Shift May Secure Sanctions Relief, but Challenges Persist

Lithuania

Latvia

Poland

Belarus

A Latvian border guard patrols along the fence at the Belarusian border near Krivanda, eastern Latvia, on Aug. 8, 2023.

Migration pressure orchestrated by Belarus is shifting toward Latvia and driving the adoption of sophisticated tunnel-smuggling tactics that will test EU resilience.

Belarus's Hybrid Migration Tactics Shift Pressure to Latvia

Morocco

Spain

A Spanish soldier escorts a group of migrants on their way back towards the Moroccan border, following their illegal crossing into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, on Aug. 1, 2026.

Spain and Morocco's heightened security measures will likely thwart online efforts to organize another mass migration attempt, though smaller border breaches remain possible.

The Risk of a Second Migration Surge Into Spain's Ceuta

Nigeria

Oman

Migrants wait to receive water on a beach in the North African Spanish enclave of Ceuta on Aug. 2, 2026.

The Weekly Rundown: Extreme Weather in China and Europe, More Migrant Crossings Into Spain

Yemen

People in Sanaa, Yemen, stand under a large screen broadcasting Houthi-run coastguard forces patrolling in the Red Sea on March 13, 2026.

If economic concessions and limited military action fail to halt the Houthis' Red Sea blockade, the Saudis may pursue ground operations in Yemen, risking Iranian strikes and a renewed military quagmire.

Escalating Houthi Attacks Force Saudi Arabia To Shift Its Strategy

Greenland

Denmark

The Geopolitics of Natural Resources

Greenland's large deposits of critical minerals make the island one of the few potential alternatives to Chinese supply chains, but material constraints and diplomatic disputes will obstruct large-scale production.

The West's Quest To Exploit Greenland's Critical Minerals

A Chinese coast guard vessel is anchored in the waters of the South China Sea on March 8, 2026 near Sanya, Hainan province, China.

China's persistent maritime presence east of Taiwan demonstrates a slowly growing capability to threaten or enact a trade quarantine against the island and raises the risk of at-sea incidents. 

Extended Chinese Drills East of Taiwan Demonstrate Trade Quarantine Risk

Cambodia

Thailand

A Thai soldier stands guard at a damaged border crossing point between Surin province's Chong Chom and O'Smach town on the Thai-Cambodian border, on March 12, 2026.

The Thai-Cambodian ceasefire will likely hold throughout 2026, but competing territorial claims, domestic politics and stalled diplomacy will prevent broader normalization.

Thailand and Cambodia Maintain an Uneasy Ceasefire

Military & Security

SITUATION REPORTS

Zambia: Electoral Commission Briefly Paused Vote Count as Opposition Claims Victory

U.S., Iran: U.S. To Unveil Additional Economic Measures Against Iran

Sudan: RSF Recaptures Kurmuk Border Town Amid Allegations of Ethiopian Aerial Support

Lebanon, Israel: Israel Ties Withdrawal to Hezbollah Disarmament, Eyes New Military Operation

Japan, Russia: Putin Visits Disputed Kurils, Highlights Worsening Ties

Australia, U.S.: Submarine Production Shortfall Will Continue To Threaten AUKUS Timeline

Palestinian Territories, Israel: U.S. Intervenes in Settler Attack, Hamas To Run in PLC Elections

U.S.: Trump Signs Directive Opening Door to Private Sector Cyber Help in Targeting Transnational Crime

Forecasts

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