Iraq could face another summer of bloodshed

Iraq could face another summer of bloodshed

Hundreds of protesters converged on the streets of the southern Iraqi city of Basra last week. Demonstrators across the province are calling for structural change to fix rampant corruption, a stagnant economy, high unemployment and underfunded public utilities. Protests in Iraq are common, but last summer's demonstrations saw an escalation into violence. Hundreds were wounded and killed, and many thousands more were arrested after clashes with police forces. Government buildings were set on fire, and the province was on the edge of revolt. Despite the violence, little has changed. The government still suffers from mismanagement and fraud. The country's elite have done little to improve conditions for the lower classes. As temperatures creep closer to 50°C and the struggling electrical grid and fresh water supply are strained, many question whether the protests will spiral into similar violence. On this week's episode of Beyond the Headlines, host Campbell MacDiarmid speaks with Dr Renad Mansour, a research fellow in the Middle East and North Africa program at Chatham House, and Belkis Wille, the senior Iraq researcher in the Middle East and North Africa division of Human Rights Watch. Read more on our website:

Jaksot(478)

Exiled Afghans dream of returning to a free homeland

Exiled Afghans dream of returning to a free homeland

Even before the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, the UN’s refugee agency estimated that 2.6 million people had already fled the country. The diaspora has grown over decades of military campaigns a...

30 Syys 202121min

On Saudi National Day, women reflect on a changing kingdom

On Saudi National Day, women reflect on a changing kingdom

From the sidelines to the front lines, women in Saudi Arabia are joining the military for the first time in recent history. In September, photos of these determined women in service uniforms made a sp...

22 Syys 202111min

Lights out in Lebanon‘s schools as crisis hits

Lights out in Lebanon‘s schools as crisis hits

Every year, for millions of parents, pupils and teachers around the world, September means the summer holidays are coming to an end and it is time to go back to school.  But in Lebanon, the mix of fue...

16 Syys 202117min

20 years of the war on terror

20 years of the war on terror

On September 11, 2001 New York's World Trade Centre towers were brought crashing down, forever changing the course of history.   Almost 3,000 lives were lost that day – as well as America’s innocence....

9 Syys 202116min

Evacuees left behind in Afghanistan

Evacuees left behind in Afghanistan

America’s longest war is over after the dramatic withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan ordered by President Joe Biden. The Taliban have taken Kabul. Barely a shot was fired. With the final evacuati...

2 Syys 202113min

The Middle East’s Captagon crisis

The Middle East’s Captagon crisis

In April 2021, customs officers in the Saudi city of Jeddah searched a shipment of Lebanese pomegranates. Hidden inside the fruit were more than five million circular, beige Captagon pills – illegal a...

26 Elo 202128min

How Kabul fell to the Taliban

How Kabul fell to the Taliban

Afghanistan has seen war for decades, but none of them has involved so decisive a military takeover of the country as the latest. The speed with which the Taliban swept the country has shocked the wor...

19 Elo 202123min

A new era for Iran

A new era for Iran

On August 5th, Iran inaugurated a new president putting an end to the 8-year presidency of reformist  Hassan Rouhani and ushered in a new, hard-line government. The new president, Ebrahim Raisi is sai...

11 Elo 202116min

Suosittua kategoriassa Politiikka ja uutiset

aikalisa
ootsa-kuullut-tasta-2
rss-ootsa-kuullut-tasta
tervo-halme
politiikan-puskaradio
rss-vaalirankkurit-podcast
rss-podme-livebox
et-sa-noin-voi-sanoo-esittaa
viisupodi
rss-asiastudio
otetaan-yhdet
radio-antro
linda-maria
rss-kaikki-uusiksi
rss-tasta-on-kyse-ivan-puopolo-verkkouutiset
rss-kalevi-sorsa-saation-podcast
rss-hyvaa-huomenta-bryssel
rss-merja-mahkan-rahat