| Hi, everyone, and welcome back to the Daily Review. | Today at WPR, Imdat Oner looks at the challenges that lie ahead after a promising first round of talks between Venezuela’s Chavista regime and the political opposition. And Ulrike Franke analyzes the political tumult facing Germany ahead of regional elections next month. | Scroll down for more on those items. But first, here’s today’s top story, in collaboration with our sister publication, GlobalPost. |  | A protest demanding the resignation of President Kais Saied in Tunis, Tunisia, August 20, 2026. (Nicolas Fauque for Sipa via AP) |
| Late last month, on the fifth anniversary of President Kais Saied’s power grab in Tunisia, thousands of people marched in the capital, Tunis, and elsewhere around the country, demanding his resignation. The protests followed nearly two weeks of rolling blackouts and prolonged water cuts. But in a much broader sense, they signaled that Tunisians have had enough of Saied’s autocratic rule. | “This system has proven its failure in managing the country’s affairs,” said Imed Khemiri, a senior figure in the National Salvation Front opposition coalition. “Tunisia today is living in darkness.” | The rolling blackouts began July 12, as soaring demand amid temperatures approaching 122 degrees F strained Tunisia’s electricity grid. Local media linked at least five deaths to power failures that disabled home medical equipment, including oxygen machines. But this was only … |
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| | Until a few years ago, German politics was best described as stable, predictable, even boring. Now, just over a year into his four-year term, Chancellor Friedrich Merz is under attack, beset by plummeting approval ratings and divisions within his ruling coalition, leading many to speculate he won’t finish his term. | At the same time, the extreme-right Alternative for Germany party—whose high-ranking members are known for using Nazi slogans and downplaying the Holocaust—is surging in the polls. With the stability and predictability that long defined German politics increasingly under threat, few things are certain these days, Ulrike Franke writes—except that the boring days are over. | | | For two decades, negotiations between Venezuela’s government and its pro-democracy opposition factions have followed a familiar pattern: Talks are announced, international mediators arrive, communiqués emphasize goodwill, but the government offers limited concessions. Then, when the negotiations reach the point at which the ruling Chavistas would have to surrender something that could genuinely threaten their hold on power, the process stalls. | The most recent round of talks broke from that pattern, producing a potentially consequential concession: an agreement to begin reforming the justice system. But the crucial question of credible elections remains unresolved—and judicial reform alone cannot compensate for an electoral system that lacks independence, credibility or public trust, Imdat Oner writes. | | | Syria: The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) has completed its merger with the Syrian army, the group’s commander announced Tuesday. At its height, the SDF controlled roughly one-third of Syria and maintained de facto autonomy in the northeast throughout most of Syria’s 14-year civil war. The group also played a key role in the military campaign against the Islamic State group. | However, since Bashar al-Assad’s downfall in December 2024, the interim government under Ahmed al-Sharaa has sought to bring the Kurds and their territory under its control while offering some concessions on Kurdish rights, including restoring their citizenship and the right to Kurdish-language education. | “The concessions were genuine and important, but they were also tactical,” Frida Ghitis wrote in a WPR column January, after fighting between the SDF and Syrian government forces culminated in a ceasefire and an agreement to integrate Kurdish forces into the Syrian army. The resulting agreement, Ghitis wrote, was not reached through negotiation so much as imposed on a Kurdish force that had been militarily defeated. | | Israel, Palestine: The Associated Press and Reuters said they are still seeking answers from Israeli authorities one year after an Israeli double strike on a Gaza hospital claimed 22 lives, including several journalists and rescue workers. In a joint statement Tuesday, the news organizations said … Purchase your premium subscription now to make sure you don’t miss important news and analysis. | U.S., Russia: CIA Director John Ratcliffe made a rare, unannounced visit to Moscow, where he met with Russian intelligence officials, according to the Kremlin. However, he did not meet with President Vladimir Putin, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. Peskov provided few other details but … Purchase your premium subscription now to make sure you don’t miss important news and analysis. | Iran, Oman: The two countries have agreed on a temporary shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz after weeks of back and forth, offering a … Purchase your premium subscription now to make sure you don’t miss important news and analysis. | | More From WPR | | Read all of our latest coverage here. |
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Welcome to my geopolitics blog site. This is a Hawaii Island news site focusing on geopolitical news, analysis, information, and commentary. I will cite a variety of sources, ranging from all sides of the political spectrum.