Dispatch
The view from the ground.
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Protesters attend a rally in Bangkok on Oct 15. Thai Protesters Defy New State of Emergency
After a confrontation with the royal motorcade, the government is cracking down.
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A ship in flames is pictured at the port of Beirut following a massive explosion that hit the heart of the Lebanese capital on Aug. 4. How a Maritime Deal With Israel Could Ease Lebanon’s Woes
Beirut could tap billions of dollars in natural gas revenue if it can resolve the border dispute.
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People arrive to watch the actress Zsofia Szamosi perform in the play Pali at the Jozsef Katona Theater in Budapest on Jan. 18, 2019. Orban’s Macbeth
The tragic figure behind the Hungarian populist leader’s efforts to remake his country’s theater.
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Christians hold signs as they march on the streets of Abuja, Nigeria. Christian Victims in Nigeria Fear Future Attacks
Religious violence is growing despite the pandemic.
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Fishermen work aboard the Good Fellowship fishing trawler in the North Sea, off the coast of North Shields, in northeast England on Jan. 21. Why Fishing Could Sink Britain’s Brexit Deal With Europe
Diplomatic battles over fish stocks—and the future of struggling coastal communities—threaten to drag the U.K.-EU relationship onto the rocks.
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Members of the Ethiopian army carry a coffin at the national funeral service of Gen. Seare Mekonnen, the chief of staff of the Ethiopian defense forces, and Maj. Gen. Gezae Abera in Addis Ababa on June 25, 2019. Political Violence Could Derail Ethiopia’s Democratic Transition
A string of assassinations has spawned conspiracy theories and intercommunal suspicion, threatening the country’s stability.
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A migrant mother walks in front of a wall outside the Moria refugee camp in Lesbos, Greece, on Aug. 11, a month before the devastating September fire. Europe’s Failed Migration Policy Caused Greece’s Latest Refugee Crisis
The burning of the Moria refugee camp in Lesbos has exposed the EU’s short-sighted, inhumane, and ineffective approach to asylum.
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An ultra-Orthodox Jewish man wearing a protective mask and shield against the coronavirus, walks along a street in Jerusalem on Sept 11. How Politics Are Compounding Israel’s COVID-19 Crisis
Bibi succumbs to pressure from religious factions even as he imposes a second nationwide lockdown.
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People walk through the Myeongdong shopping district. COVID-19 Has Crushed Everybody’s Economy—Except for South Korea’s
Seoul seems to have shown the way to mitigating both the health and the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic.
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Afghans use computers at the Park Residence Internet Cafe in Kabul on Jan. 20, 2003. In Afghanistan, Social Media Is the Only Way to Talk Back to the Taliban
As the United States abandons demands for human rights, young Afghans are embracing free speech the only place they can—on the Internet.
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British Prime Minister Boris Johnson Boris Johnson’s Plan to Get Brexit Done and ‘Hang the Consequences’
The United Kingdom is going back on the terms of its divorce with Europe, threatening any future trade deals and even the integrity of the U.K. itself.
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Maria Kolesnikova sits with former Minister of Culture Pavel Latushko (left) and Coordinating Council member Maksim Znak (right) on their way to a protest in Minsk, Belarus, on Aug. 23. Yet Another Opposition Leader Targeted in Belarus
Maria Kolesnikova is a former musician who rose to prominence in recent protests.
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An Israeli F-35I fighter jet takes part in a multinational air defense exercise at the Ovda Air Force Base, north of the Israeli city of Eilat, on Nov. 11, 2019. Peace for Warplanes?
How a dispute over an arms deal complicates normalization between Israel and the UAE.
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Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko Lukashenko Mistakes Protesters’ Principles for Weakness
A surreal helicopter flight highlights the besieged Belarusian president’s belief in force.
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People clear rubble from their historic homes in Beirut's Karantina neighborhood near the port on Aug. 21. How Beirut Blast Could Further Enrich Lebanese Elites
Most residents don’t have money for repairs, making them vulnerable to corruption schemes.