What on earth is a Gymnich and why is it coming to Wicklow?
EU ministers are gathering in Druids Glen hotel next week for a candid discussion of foreign policy challenges
Global Briefing
The Global Briefing newsletter. Denis Staunton's guide to understanding world events - what’s happening, why it matters and how it affects you
Things look surprisingly rosy for North Korea’s Kim Jong-un
Russia, China and the US all want better relationships with the dictator
Binyamin Netanyahu wages rearguard action as he fights for his political life (again)
A desperate Israeli prime minister gives his personal phone number to Israelis ahead of October elections
Will standing up to Donald Trump pay off for Canada?
World leaders watch for clues as Donald Trump and Mark Carney square up in US-Canada trade row
Liechtenstein changes its heir ways after 400 years
Principality six times smaller than Dublin has been a slower mover on women’s rights
Drill, maybe drill: US mining company triggers annoyance and curiosity in Greenland
The arrival of a mining company run by a friend of Donald Trump has aroused fears of a resumption of an existential row on the island
War memories awaken old row in Japan, China and South Korea
China and South Korea noted what Japan’s prime minister didn’t say
Who orchestrated the Ceuta migrant crossing?
Global Briefing: Allowing a rush of people to approach Europe’s borders has been repeatedly used for political purposes
Presidential election tests strength of Zambian democracy
Incumbent Hakainde Hichilema has been accused of drift towards authoritarianism
Switzerland debates the meaning of neutrality
Swiss voters will have their say in a referendum on September 27th
Taiwan prepares for war, but China has other options
‘Blockade by fire’ could cut off supplies to the island while minimising disruption to others
What’s behind the Mecca defence agreement?
Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey have been at pains to say their alliance is not necessarily directed against Iran or Israel
Europe stepping up back-channel talks with Russia as war in Ukraine gets nastier
Germany, France and Britain have been increasingly active as a formation in the search for a diplomatic resolution of the war
Sighting of Aung San Suu Kyi comes amid diplomatic offensive by Myanmar regime
President Min Aung Hliang has visited China and India and wants Asean to lift suspension of Myanmar’s membership rights
Iran has time on its side – for now
Donald Trump’s incentive to compromise over conflict is strongest over the next few weeks, but that changes as US midterms move closer
Ceuta crisis lays bare EU divisions
Global Briefing: Italy and Denmark cite EU policies ‘that can serve as pull factors’ for migrants, Spain laments petty politics and lack of EU solidarity
Cyprus’s new push for settlement is driven by an opportunity and a threat
Most serious diplomatic effort in nearly a decade on island that has been divided since 1974
The murky process of selecting the next UN secretary general is coming to a head
Global Briefing: Seven candidates are in the running to succeed António Guterres
Poland’s political landscape altered by split in main opposition party
Prime minister Donald Tusk relishes Law and Justice Party’s problems in advance of next year’s general election
India protests: How the ‘Cockroach’ movement forced Modi into retreat
Student protests forced the resignation of India's education minister after exam scandal
Nicaragua’s Daniel Ortega: the one-time revolutionary hero is now a blood-soaked tyrant
Global Briefing: Ortega announced this week there will be no more elections in Nicaragua, but the United States has little to say on it
Guinea is the latest African country seeking to keep mineral profits at home
President banned raw gold exports last month, and Guinea has built a gold refinery in the capital
New prime minister Andy Burnham’s focus on domestic issues is good for UK
Labour leader is clear-eyed about Britain’s social and economic problems and candid about how Brexit has made them worse
US-Iran military actions escalate, but a return to talks is likely
Neither Washington nor Tehran can achieve its maximalist aims through further military escalation
Gibraltar enters new era with Spain as border fence is removed
Global Briefing: Treaty between the EU and Britain on territory’s post-Brexit status came into force on Wednesday
Why are the US, Russia and African Union beating a path to Mali’s door?
Global Briefing: An alliance of jihadists and separatist rebels is advancing southwards towards Mali’s capital
Trump threat to charge ships in Strait of Hormuz for protection is a gift to Iran
Global Briefing: Trump’s proposed toll would be far higher than the $2m per vessel Tehran demands and will add to the global economic pain
Dispute in South China Sea between China and Philippines shows no signs of easing
Global Briefing: Beijing continues to dismiss a ruling made 10 years ago that dismissed its jurisdiction claims over some islands also claimed by Philippines
Trump says Iran ceasefire is ‘over’. But is it?
Global Briefing: Even as the US president described Tehran’s negotiators as ‘scum’, he paid a grudging tribute to their ingenuity
China spooks Pacific neighbours with long-range missile test
Beijing plays down test but is unlikely to give up on expanding its influence across the Pacific region
A crunch Nato summit in Ankara: Breaking up is hard to do
Trump moves raise fears in Europe that the US could abandon Nato altogether
Can Andy Burnham harness nostalgia surrounding England at the World Cup?
Burnham’s upbeat tone and England’s defeat of Mexico echoes 1990s optimism that followed fall of communism in Europe and apartheid
The siege of a city in Sudan’s civil war ‘could put 500,000 at risk of atrocities’
Global Briefing: El-Obeid is facing drone attacks from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces that have hit civilian targets and public utilities
Putin’s Russia faces fuel shortages amid Ukrainian drone strikes and diplomatic setbacks
Moscow’s scope for exerting hegemonic power is diminished in an increasingly multipolar world order
Crosswords & Puzzles
Crosswords & puzzles to keep you challenged and entertained
Common Ground
How does a post-Brexit world shape the identity and relationship of these islands
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