Marking their Territory

Stories of how control is exerted - and marked out - in Egypt, Mali, Cuba and Albania.

Pascale Harter introduces with and insight from correspondents around the world: Yolande Knell hears from civilians caught between the Egyptian military and the so-called Islamic State as insurgency rages Sinai; Alex Duval Smith meets one of Bamako's few true public servants, the postman who must navigate the chaos of Mali's mail system; Will Grant takes a picturesque drive to work down Havana's Malecon, where the landmarks and the cars are saturated with historic memories; and Elizabeth Gowing explains why Albanian homes and businesses are so often presided over by a bedraggled soft toy.

(Photo: A member of the Egyptian security forces stands guard next to a damaged bus after a roadside bomb blast wounded 20 Egyptian policemen on the outskirts of El-Arish on July 9, 2015. Credit: AFP/STR/Getty Images)