Iraq War
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Germany's Baerbock in Iraq
German foreign minister pushes for stability
Annalena Baerbock used her recent trip to Iraq to call for greater international support for Baghdad and the region. Without it, she said, the country risks becoming a pawn in geopolitical tensions. Giulia Saudelli reports from Iraq
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Iraq's art and literature scene
Culture boom in Baghdad
Frustrated with their politicians, young Iraqis are turning their backs on politics and throwing themselves into cultural life. Birgit Svensson reports from Baghdad
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America’s partisan war
Benghazi 9/11 casts a long shadow
Cries of "Benghazi!" still resonate across the USA ten years after a deadly terrorist attack in Libya killed the U.S. ambassador and three other Americans. Ethan Chorin re-tells Benghazi as a watershed moment, one that has helped create today's America: polarised, fearful and dangerously unstable. Sherif Dhaimish read the book
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“A History of Arab Graphic Design”
Shaping collective memories
Bahia Shehab and Haytham Nawar's award-winning "A History of Arab Graphic Design" (2020) took ten years to produce. In interview with Marcia Lynx Qualey, Shehab talks about the project and the difficulties in compiling an Arab graphic design textbook
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Ukraine conflict
How Russia is winning the information war in the Middle East
A wide network of official and unofficial outlets and social media in Arabic parrot pro-Russian talking points about Ukraine. They are often lies, yet somehow the reports still appeal to people in the Middle East. By Cathrin Schaer and Emad Hassan
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Controversy at Berlin's Biennale art show
Abu Ghraib torture photos in the spotlight
A French artist has used photos of torture from Abu Ghraib for an oversized artwork at the Berlin Biennale. Reactions from fellow artists have been mixed, with some criticising and others praising the work. Christine Lehnen reports
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Archaeology in Iraq
Drought reveals Bronze Age city
Extreme drought in Iraq has given German and Kurdish archaeologists the unique chance to examine an ancient Bronze Age city that was hidden beneath the water of a reservoir for decades. Experts believe the ruins could be those of the ancient city of Zachiku. It was a race against the clock to complete work before the city was once again covered by the reservoir's rising water level. By Alexander Freund
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Vladmir Putin’s war in Ukraine
Why the public support in the Arab world?
Although many Arabs express sympathy for the Ukrainian people, social media reveals a current of support for Russian President Vladimir Putin that is rooted in polarisation, writes Amr Salah
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Middle East
In Iraq, sectarian prejudice goes beyond the grave
The "Islamic State" group is gone, but many of their Iraqi victims are still missing. They may well be buried in mass graves the extremists left. But critics say exhumations are too slow, and possibly politically biased. By Judit Neurink
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Ukraine and the West's selective values
Less 'clash of civilisations', more rift
Very different Western reactions to the suffering in Ukraine and the Arab world show that there is a profound rift among cultures. Essay by Michael Young
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"Not our fight"
Why the Middle East doesn't fully support Ukraine
Middle Eastern countries are still on the fence when it comes to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Their citizens point to the West's double standards surrounding conflict and refugees. Should Europe be worried, asks Cathrin Schaer?
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Reform in Iraq
Muqtada al-Sadr must court the political elite
Muqtada al-Sadr, the biggest winner in the recent election, aspires to implement great change in Iraq, but reform is easier said than done, writes Massaab al-Aloosy. Correcting a crisis that has been decades in the making will take the combined efforts of everyone involved