Briefing Room 07.17.2026: JNIM Battles Islamic State, Thai Insurgency Picks Up Strength, Sheikh Hasina Contemplates Return Home.
Jihadist rivals turn their guns on each other in the Sahel, separatist violence surges in Thailand's deep south, and Bangladesh's ousted leader weighs the risks of a homecoming.
Simon Whistler • July 18, 2026
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Note: this transcript was generated by AI and may contain errors or inconsistencies.
Welcome back to the briefing room the weekly show that asks the enduring question what else has been keeping our writers awake at night this week we're gonna take a trip to mali where the al-qaeda linked insurgency janim has dealt with a prominent ex-commander who defected to the islamic state from there we're turning to thailand where a simmering insurgency
Is showing signs that it's about to heat back up and finally we're headed across to south asia to bangladesh where former dictator sheikh assina has made the one decision that almost no former autocrat ever makes as always we're able to bring you this show thanks to the generous support of our premium subscribers that's you by the way so thanks for helping
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