The Foreign Desk

This week, militants attached to Islamic State attacked a church in Komanda, killing at least 43 people. Why is the jihadist group keen to establish itself in the Democratic Republic of the Congo?

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Cameroon’s 92 year-old president Paul Biya seeks re-election to extend his 43-year tenure. We investigate the long and often violent conflict in his country. Is Anglo-Franco reconciliation possible? And is anyone paying attention?

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Andrew Mueller examines the fatal clashes between Druze and Bedouin Syrians.

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A Lesotho MP is facing charges after accusing the country’s monarch of signing over land to its neighbour, South Africa. Andrew Mueller explains the history and prospects of this decidedly niche territorial dispute. 

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From drones to radios, the war in Ukraine has rapidly accelerated technical development. In this fast-evolving landscape, what does the future of warfare hold and will humans have a role on the battlefield?

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Recent Filipino elections were, arguably, a political episode of family feud. We examine the creation and durability of political dynasties. Plus: a banned would-be Thai leader explains how to run against a prime minister.

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Russia has become the first country to recognise the Taliban as Afghanistan’s government. Andrew Mueller explains why. 

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As last year’s rapid descent of Syria’s president Bashar al-Assad attests, when a dictator falls, they fall fast. But what are the conditions under which that fall occurs? And how can they be sparked?

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Andrew Mueller explains the relocation ballot being offered to Tuvaluans by Australia and what’s in it for the host nation.

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 Despite Trump’s assertions, the state of play between Israel and Iran remains unclear. We’re joined by Arash Azizi, Tara Kangarlou and Tom Nichols to consider the possible consequences of the past 12 days.

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Andrew Mueller explains the leaked phone call scandalising Thailand in its ongoing border dispute with Cambodia. 

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Reporting from the Globsec Forum in Prague, we hear from guests including the host country’s foreign minister and Georgia’s president to discern how their countries are adapting to today’s security, military and political threats.

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Andrew Mueller explains how the rivalry between the late and former president, Edgar Lungu, and the current president, Hakainde Hichilema, is going well beyond the grave. 

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Reporting from the Ukrainian port city of Odesa, Andrew Mueller talks to leaders – domestic and international – about why Ukraine’s struggle for survival matters around the globe.

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(Some) Italians headed to the polls this week to decide who gets to be one of them. Andrew Mueller explains what’s at the heart of this debate and why apathy might have won the day.

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Andrew Mueller reports from the Black Sea Security Forum, asking why Odesa matters beyond Ukraine’s borders and how Ukrainians have managed to keep fighting more than three years into Russia’s brutal full-scale invasion.

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Andrew Mueller unpacks the latest round of nuclear talks between the US and Iran, asks why Trump is now eager after rejecting the previous deal and why Iran has fewer cards to play than in the Obama years.

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At least 124 journalists and media workers were killed in 2024, about two-thirds of whom were Palestinian. Why is reporting becoming more dangerous and what can we do to protect journalists?

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Indian security forces killed 27 rebels this week, including a top Maoist leader. This week, Andrew Mueller explains the nearly half-century long conflict between the state and the Communist Party of India (Maoist).

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