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:

Episoder(477)

New Zealanders shaken but unbowed by terrorist attacks

New Zealanders shaken but unbowed by terrorist attacks

It's been one week since the terrorist attack on two mosques in Christchurch New Zealand. The mass shooting was the worst peacetime attack in New Zealand’s history, and has shaken the country to its c...

22 Mar 201922min

The last stand of ISIS in Syria

The last stand of ISIS in Syria

Syrian Democratic Forces are slowly extinguishing what’s left of the Islamic State. The US-backed SDF has the grouped trapped in a tiny sliver of land along the Euphrates River. Baghouz, Syria, is a ...

13 Mar 201919min

National Geographic's Enric Sala on saving the planet, one kilometre at a time

National Geographic's Enric Sala on saving the planet, one kilometre at a time

Enric Sala has a plan to save the planet. National Geographic’s explorer-in-residence is in Abu Dhabi for the World Ocean Summit. His one message — that we need to protect 30 per cent of our planet’s ...

5 Mar 201916min

The curious case of the runaway ISIS bride

The curious case of the runaway ISIS bride

This week, The National spoke to Alistair Burt, the British Minister of State for the Middle East and North Africa. The chance to speak to the top British official was timely.  Shemima Begum, who fle...

20 Feb 201911min

How digital transformation will change the jobs we have

How digital transformation will change the jobs we have

The World Economic Forum says that the digital transformation of economies and businesses will displace 75 million jobs as the division of labour shifts between humans, machines and algorithms. Howeve...

12 Feb 201934min

The Pope's visit to Abu Dhabi

The Pope's visit to Abu Dhabi

Pope Francis's visit to the UAE was the first time a Catholic pontiff stepped foot in the Arabian Peninsula. During his Mass, he prayed for his devotees at Sports Zayed City Stadium and for everyone ...

6 Feb 201910min

A week after Davos, did the WEF solve anything?

A week after Davos, did the WEF solve anything?

The richest and most powerful people met at the annual World Economic Forum in Davos.  The range of topics was as wide spanning as the challenges the world faces today.  Although this year’s forum w...

30 Jan 201924min

The UAE-Saudi Arabia co-operation plan, explained

The UAE-Saudi Arabia co-operation plan, explained

The UAE and Saudi Arabia are entering a new phase of co-operation. The two countries announced a seven-point co-operation plan this week on money management for children, natural crises emergency pla...

23 Jan 201916min

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