Russia’s Wagner Group has intervened in the affairs of several African countries, providing military and security support while expanding Moscow’s influence across the continent.

The vote for South Korea’s next president is taking place in a fractious political environment and is likely to bring a foreign policy neophyte to power.

Mounting frictions between the two sides appear to be part of China’s efforts to disrupt the ties between South Korea and the United States but could end up drawing the two allies even closer.

President-Elect Yoon Suk-yeol has pledged to strengthen ties with the United States and take a more hard-line approach toward China and North Korea than his predecessor.

The Assad regime and Arab capitals will reap the greatest rewards, but ordinary citizens and certain foreign governments involved in Syria’s war have less to gain.