Briefing Room 07.17.2026: JNIM Battles Islamic State, Thai Insurgency Picks Up Strength, Sheikh Hasina Contemplates Return Home.
Simon Whistler · July 18, 2026 · 17 min video · Global
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What this episode covers
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.
Chapters
- welcome back to the briefing room the weekly show that a...In the free preview
- although we have to insist that the group is far from fi...Insiders
- Throughout multiple governments, Thailand has continued ...Insiders
- decision to abandon her prosecution in the name of peace...Insiders
From the transcript
Welcome back to The Briefing Room, the weekly show that asked the enduring question, what else has been keeping our writers awake at night? This week, we're going to take a trip to Mali, where the al-Qaeda-linked insurgency Genim 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 Hasina 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 us do what we do.
This transcript was generated automatically and may contain errors.
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