Honduras

Economics

Military & Security

Politics

Honduran electoral authorities announced that conservative National Party candidate Nasry Asfura won the Nov. 30 presidential election with 40.3% of the vote, Reuters reported on Dec. 24. 

Honduras: Conservative Candidate Asfura Confirmed as President-Elect

Pakistan

A number of leaders within former Prime Minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, or PTI, have expressed frustration with Khan's refusal to negotiate with the government and his insistence that the party continue to protest and foment unrest amid its years-long standoff with authorities, Dawn reported on Dec. 26.

Pakistan: Khan's Enduring Influence, Focus on Protests Fueling Disagreements Among His Party's Leaders

Somalia

United States

Egypt

Israel

Saudi Arabia

Turkey

Yemen

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced in a joint declaration with Somaliland's President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi that Israel recognized Somaliland's sovereignty as an independent state, the first country in the world to recognize the breakaway region, The Jerusalem Post reported on Dec. 26.

Israel, Somalia: Israel Recognizes Somaliland's Sovereignty

North Korea

South Korea

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un supervised a factory working on production of the country's first nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine, with photos showing the hull -- often one of the last stages of submarine construction -- fully intact, North Korean state media KCNA reported on Dec. 25.

North Korea: Kim Unveils Nuclear-Armed Submarine

United Arab Emirates

Yemen's separatist Southern Transitional Council accused Saudi Arabia of conducting airstrikes in Yemen's eastern Hadramawt province against the group, though Saudi Arabia did not confirm its involvement, AP reported on Dec. 26.

Yemen: Southern Transitional Council Accuses Saudi Arabia of Conducting Airstrikes

Ukraine

Russia

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will meet U.S. President Donald Trump in Florida on Dec. 28 to discuss the most sensitive elements of Washington's 20-point peace framework for Russia and Ukraine, including territorial questions and security guarantees for Ukraine, Reuters reported Dec. 26.

U.S., Ukraine: Zelensky To Meet Trump for Talks on U.S. Peace Framework

Nigeria

The United States carried out strikes in Nigeria's Sokoto state, killing multiple members of the Islamic State in coordination with Nigerian authorities, United States Africa Command said in a press release on Dec. 25. 

U.S.: Washington Carries Out Strikes in Northwestern Nigeria Targeting Islamic State

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky publicly outlined the 20 points of Ukraine's draft peace plan, RBC-Ukraine reported on Dec. 24.

Ukraine: Zelensky Details 20-Point Peace Plan, Eyes Conditional Referendum

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

Central African Republic

Guinea

Venezuela

Myanmar

Bulgaria

Cyprus

Kosovo

The Bulgarian flag and the European flag waving in the wind.

Energy

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

The Weekly Rundown: Bulgaria Adopts the Euro, U.S.-Venezuela Tensions Persist

Columns

On Geopolitics

Yemenis gather during a rally to show their support for the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC), which wants to revive an independent South Yemen, as they wave the old South Yemen flag in Khormaksar Square, in the coastal port city of Aden on Dec. 14, 2025. 

Achieving South Arabian independence will require Yemen's Southern Transitional Council to overcome the historical challenges that have long plagued the governance of Yemen writ large, like tribalism and regionalism.

The Precarious Path to South Arabian Independence

Cambodia

Thailand

A U.S. Marine Corps AV-8B Harrier II on Dec. 15 taxis at Jose Aponte de la Torre Airport in Ceiba, Puerto Rico.

The Weekly Rundown: French Budget Deadlock, U.S.-Russia Talks in Miami

YemenYemenis rally to show their support for the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council on Dec. 14, 2025.

Israel-Hamas Conflict

Escalating tensions and potential violence between the Southern Transitional Council and Saudi-backed forces create security vacuums that Houthi rebels will likely exploit.



Yemen's Anti-Houthi Bloc Is Fracturing

Mozambique

Republic of the Congo

Syria

Afghanistan

A destroyed church is seen in Mosul, Iraq.

The Islamic State's main threat to the West in 2026 will remain its ability to inspire lone-actor violence, though in the coming years the group's African, Afghan and Syrian branches may become increasingly capable of directing mass casualty attacks in Western countries.

The Islamic State's Enduring Threat to the West

A container ship arrives Oct. 10 at the Port of Oakland, California. In 2026, political calculations among major global players will significantly shape international affairs.

Environment, Science & Technology

In 2026, political calculations among major global players will significantly shape international affairs.

2026 Annual Forecast: A Global Overview

China

Uzbekistan

Tajikistan

Turkmenistan

Kazakhstan

Kyrgyzstan

Global Trade

Despite growing interest from Russia, China and Western powers, Central Asia will struggle to emerge as a true continental trade hub due to competing agendas, weak financing and coordination, and security and governance issues.

The Geopolitics of Trade: Central Asia's Struggle for Logistics Sovereignty

A stock photo shows banknotes of the Russian ruble. 

The European Union using immobilized Russian assets to fund financial support for Ukraine will probably not have major reputational or financial consequences for the eurozone.


Using Frozen Russian Assets To Fund Ukraine Unlikely To Majorly Impact the Euro

South Africa

Chile

France

The Ukrainian flag is projected on the facade of Berlaymont, the European Commission headquarters, in Brussels on Nov. 18 to commemorate the Nov. 18, 2024, Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The Weekly Rundown: A European Council Decision on Ukraine Financing, South Africa Braces for Commission Findings

Tunisia

Tunisia's President Kais Saied (top-R) waits to take his oath of office during his swearing-in ceremony before the National Assembly in Tunis on Oct. 21, 2024. 

Despite tensions with union leaders, Tunisia's controversial finance bill will introduce reforms that attract foreign investment and increase production in key sectors.

Strikes Loom as Tunisia's Government Undermines Labor Union

Eritrea

Ethiopia

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (center), flanked by his wife (left) and Djibouti's President Ismail Omar Guelleh (right), attends the official inauguration ceremony of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) in Guba, on Sept. 9, 2025.

Worsening tensions over sea access and Eritrea's ties to groups opposed to the Ethiopian government raise the risk of intensifying proxy clashes that could quickly escalate into a larger military confrontation.

Assessing the Risk of an Ethiopia-Eritrea War in 2026

Iran

Lebanon

Palestinian Territories

Israeli air defence systems are activated to intercept Iranian missiles over the Israeli city of Tel Aviv amid a fresh barrage of Iranian rockets on June 16, 2025.

If effective, the laser air defense system will significantly reduce the cost of intercepting short-range aerial threats and bolster Israel's multilayered protection against aerial attacks.


The Role of Iron Beam in Israel's Evolving Defense Architecture

Military & Security

SITUATION REPORTS

Honduras: Conservative Candidate Asfura Confirmed as President-Elect

Pakistan: Khan's Enduring Influence, Focus on Protests Fueling Disagreements Among His Party's Leaders

Israel, Somalia: Israel Recognizes Somaliland's Sovereignty

North Korea: Kim Unveils Nuclear-Armed Submarine

Yemen: Southern Transitional Council Accuses Saudi Arabia of Conducting Airstrikes

U.S., Ukraine: Zelensky To Meet Trump for Talks on U.S. Peace Framework

U.S.: Washington Carries Out Strikes in Northwestern Nigeria Targeting Islamic State

Ukraine: Zelensky Details 20-Point Peace Plan, Eyes Conditional Referendum

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