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Iraq

The latest news, analysis and opinion on Iraq. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.

Capital

Baghdad

Head of State

President Abdul Latif Rashid

Head of Government

Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ Al-Sudani

European Union

Opinion | Europe’s selective defence of the global order will sway no one

If Europe genuinely seeks to restore credibility to international law, it must first confront its own record of selective adherence.

18 Feb 2026 - 9:42PMvideocam

Australia

Australian citizen in Syria with alleged Isis ties banned from returning home

18 Feb 2026 - 8:16PM

Iran

Iran fires missiles, Khamenei threatens to sink US warship amid nuclear talks

17 Feb 2026 - 10:54PMvideocam

United States

US civil rights icon Jesse Jackson dies at 84: ‘my constituency is the damned’

The Baptist minister’s two presidential runs helped lay the groundwork for the election of America’s first black president, Barack Obama.

17 Feb 2026 - 6:53PM

Jesse Jackson addresses the “Fairness in Democracy” rally on December 6, 2000. Photo: AFP

Middle East

US pulls out of strategic military base and hands it over to Syria

Syria says its forces have taken over al-Tanf base, ending an American military presence that lasted for more than a decade.

13 Feb 2026 - 12:28PM

Jeffrey Epstein

Norwegian ambassador resigns over Epstein links as scandal widens

Ambassador Mona Juul’s contact with Jeffrey Epstein revealed a ‘serious lapse in judgment’, foreign minister says.

9 Feb 2026 - 11:32AM

Malaysia

Malaysian waters see return of oil transfer by ‘dark fleet’ of tankers

A crackdown against two vessels off Penang was the first disruption of such a ship-to-ship oil transfer in the state for over 10 years.

4 Feb 2026 - 7:48PMvideocam

A transfer of oil between MT Nora ship (left) and Rcelebra ship (right) off Penang last month. Photo: Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency

Middle East

Iraq’s parliament delays presidential vote again amid US pressure

In Iraq, by convention, a Shiite Muslim is prime minister, the parliament speaker is a Sunni and the largely ceremonial presidency goes to a Kurd.

1 Feb 2026 - 9:04PM

Middle East

Trump warns Iraq against returning former prime minister to power

US president says the US will ‘no longer help’ if Nouri al-Maliki is prime minister again.

28 Jan 2026 - 3:02PM

Middle East

Iraq elects president, to choose PM amid US pressure to cut Iran ties

Iraqi diplomats said the US demanded the eventual government exclude Iran-backed armed groups despite holding seats in parliament.

25 Jan 2026 - 9:30PM

Iraqi demonstrators burn a symbolic coffin wrapped with the flags of the US and Israel, during a demonstration in front of the Iranian Embassy in Baghdad, to show solidarity with Iran against US threats, on January 16. Photo: dpa

Saudi Arabia

‘Anything can happen’: Saudi-UAE rift risks tearing Middle East apart

The Gulf neighbours have turned from friends to foes, fighting proxy wars across the region and forcing global powers to pick a side.

25 Jan 2026 - 4:00PM

Yemeni separatists wave South Yemen and UAE flags during a protest against Saudi Arabia in Aden on December 30. Photo: EPA

Syria

Syrian deal unravels as sides clash and Isis prisoners escape

Integration agreement with the SDF falters amid reports that hundreds of militants fled prison as government forces moved in.

20 Jan 2026 - 12:24PM

Pakistan

Pakistan’s arms deals cleared for take-off as orders soar for JF-17 jets

The jets, co-produced with China, proved their worth during the India-Pakistan tensions, when they destroyed an S-400 air defence system.

16 Jan 2026 - 11:12AMvideocam

Middle East

Explainer | Who are Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and what is their role in the crackdown?

Reporting directly to Ayatollah Khamenei, this ‘empire within an empire’ wields immense wealth, intelligence, and suppresses dissent.

14 Jan 2026 - 5:50PM

Iran

Trump vs Iran: Gulf allies fear US ‘help’ may unleash chaos

Qatar and Saudi Arabia are urging against military action, even as the US president teases that ‘help is on its way’.

14 Jan 2026 - 12:11PMvideocam

Iraqis burn an image of US President Donald Trump on Tuesday during a rally held in Basra in solidarity with Iran’s government. Photo: Reuters

Australia

Letters | Bondi response must go beyond policing and towards rebuilding unity

Readers discuss social cohesion in Australia, a commission into the Bondi shooting, and US interventions.

11 Jan 2026 - 11:30AM

Gun violence in the US

Who is Jonathan Ross, the ICE agent who killed US woman Renee Nicole Good?

Earlier this year, the ‘expert marksman’ shot multiple taser probes into a man who dragged him 100 metres with his car during a traffic stop.

11 Jan 2026 - 6:33AM

Taiwan

How PLA could use ‘decapitation’ strike to counter Taiwan’s ‘porcupine’ strategy

Mainland Chinese military magazine warns of ‘threat’ posed by island’s asymmetric warfare plan and calls for multipronged response.

10 Jan 2026 - 10:46PMvideocam

Special forces soldiers train with a Stinger portable air defence missile in New Taipei City in July. Photo: Handout

Syria

Kurdish fighters refuse to leave Syria’s Aleppo after truce

Kurdish fighters defy Aleppo truce, sparking fears of wider conflict amid civilian evacuations and international pressure.

9 Jan 2026 - 8:41PM

North Korea nuclear crisis

Opinion | Maduro’s fate in Venezuela hardens North Korea’s nuclear resolve

It confirms Pyongyang’s belief that leaders seen as thorns in the US side who lack nuclear weapons ultimately fall victim to US intervention.

9 Jan 2026 - 5:30AMvideocam

United States

AI deepfakes flood social media after dramatic US raid on Maduro

Fake images of Venezuela’s abducted former leader Nicolas Maduro in US custody and recycled war photos are drowning out real news.

8 Jan 2026 - 1:06AM

Captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife are escorted to a Manhattan court to face US federal charges on Monday. Photo: Reuters

China trade

How the ‘world’s supermarket’ rode out Trump’s tariffs – and grew even stronger

Yiwu, one of China’s biggest export hubs, was expected to take a hit from US tariffs. Instead, it has seen trade surge.

1 Jan 2026 - 10:39PMvideocam

Vendors work at the Yiwu International Trade Market, a vast emporium for wholesale goods often dubbed the “world’s supermarket”, in Yiwu, Zhejiang province. The city has recorded strong growth in exports this year despite the US-China trade war. Photo: AFP

Donald Trump

Syria’s year of ‘epic’ transformation earns it Trump’s protection

Washington is lifting sanctions and has rebuked Israel for its attacks, as the US throws its weight behind Ahmed al-Sharaa’s administration.

13 Dec 2025 - 4:00PMvideocam

War and conflict

As I see it | Would the world be safer if the military were in charge of the US?

Capricious political leaders like Donald Trump and his defence chief may be more dangerous than responsible and battle-tested generals.

12 Dec 2025 - 8:30PM

Middle East

Iraq removes Hezbollah and Houthis from asset-freeze list after ‘mistake’

Iraqi PM orders accountability for the error over list meant for Islamic State/al-Qaeda only. Reversal is blow to US efforts curbing Iran.

5 Dec 2025 - 4:58AM

Houthi fighters participate in a rally marking the second anniversary of the attacks carried by Hamas against Israel, in Sana’a, Yemen in October. Photo: EPA

Thailand

Mexican model who was called ‘dumb’ by Thai host crowned Miss Universe

Bosch overcame insults to win the contest considered one of the ‘big four’ of global beauty pageants.

21 Nov 2025 - 4:08PMvideocam

Miss Mexico Fatima Bosch celebrates winning the Miss Universe pageant in Nonthaburi, Thailand, on Friday. Photo: AP

Art

He asked taxi drivers in Iraq to choose their destination. These are his photos

The result of trips to unknown destinations, Thomas Chan’s photos in his Hong Kong exhibition are a study in trust, war and identity.

19 Nov 2025 - 4:15PM

Middle East

Iraq PM Sudani claims election win after early results show decisive lead

The incumbent prime minister’s candidate list is in the lead with more than 1.3 million votes, about 217,500 more than the next closest list.

13 Nov 2025 - 7:39AM

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Iraq

.css-1m2rp1p{color:#34b8b5;}Opinion | Europe’s selective defence of the global order will sway no one

If Europe genuinely seeks to restore credibility to international law, it must first confront its own record of selective adherence.

Australian citizen in Syria with alleged Isis ties banned from returning home

Iran fires missiles, Khamenei threatens to sink US warship amid nuclear talks

US civil rights icon Jesse Jackson dies at 84: ‘my constituency is the damned’

The Baptist minister’s two presidential runs helped lay the groundwork for the election of America’s first black president, Barack Obama.

US pulls out of strategic military base and hands it over to Syria

Syria says its forces have taken over al-Tanf base, ending an American military presence that lasted for more than a decade.

Norwegian ambassador resigns over Epstein links as scandal widens

Ambassador Mona Juul’s contact with Jeffrey Epstein revealed a ‘serious lapse in judgment’, foreign minister says.

Malaysian waters see return of oil transfer by ‘dark fleet’ of tankers

A crackdown against two vessels off Penang was the first disruption of such a ship-to-ship oil transfer in the state for over 10 years.

Iraq’s parliament delays presidential vote again amid US pressure

In Iraq, by convention, a Shiite Muslim is prime minister, the parliament speaker is a Sunni and the largely ceremonial presidency goes to a Kurd.

Trump warns Iraq against returning former prime minister to power

US president says the US will ‘no longer help’ if Nouri al-Maliki is prime minister again.

Iraq elects president, to choose PM amid US pressure to cut Iran ties

Iraqi diplomats said the US demanded the eventual government exclude Iran-backed armed groups despite holding seats in parliament.

‘Anything can happen’: Saudi-UAE rift risks tearing Middle East apart

The Gulf neighbours have turned from friends to foes, fighting proxy wars across the region and forcing global powers to pick a side.

Syrian deal unravels as sides clash and Isis prisoners escape

Integration agreement with the SDF falters amid reports that hundreds of militants fled prison as government forces moved in.

Pakistan’s arms deals cleared for take-off as orders soar for JF-17 jets

The jets, co-produced with China, proved their worth during the India-Pakistan tensions, when they destroyed an S-400 air defence system.

.css-sioo19{color:#c79a00;}Explainer | Who are Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and what is their role in the crackdown?

Reporting directly to Ayatollah Khamenei, this ‘empire within an empire’ wields immense wealth, intelligence, and suppresses dissent.

Trump vs Iran: Gulf allies fear US ‘help’ may unleash chaos

Qatar and Saudi Arabia are urging against military action, even as the US president teases that ‘help is on its way’.

Letters | Bondi response must go beyond policing and towards rebuilding unity

Readers discuss social cohesion in Australia, a commission into the Bondi shooting, and US interventions.

Who is Jonathan Ross, the ICE agent who killed US woman Renee Nicole Good?

Earlier this year, the ‘expert marksman’ shot multiple taser probes into a man who dragged him 100 metres with his car during a traffic stop.

How PLA could use ‘decapitation’ strike to counter Taiwan’s ‘porcupine’ strategy

Mainland Chinese military magazine warns of ‘threat’ posed by island’s asymmetric warfare plan and calls for multipronged response.

Kurdish fighters refuse to leave Syria’s Aleppo after truce

Kurdish fighters defy Aleppo truce, sparking fears of wider conflict amid civilian evacuations and international pressure.

Opinion | Maduro’s fate in Venezuela hardens North Korea’s nuclear resolve

It confirms Pyongyang’s belief that leaders seen as thorns in the US side who lack nuclear weapons ultimately fall victim to US intervention.

AI deepfakes flood social media after dramatic US raid on Maduro

Fake images of Venezuela’s abducted former leader Nicolas Maduro in US custody and recycled war photos are drowning out real news.

How the ‘world’s supermarket’ rode out Trump’s tariffs – and grew even stronger

Yiwu, one of China’s biggest export hubs, was expected to take a hit from US tariffs. Instead, it has seen trade surge.

Syria’s year of ‘epic’ transformation earns it Trump’s protection

Washington is lifting sanctions and has rebuked Israel for its attacks, as the US throws its weight behind Ahmed al-Sharaa’s administration.

As I see it | Would the world be safer if the military were in charge of the US?

Capricious political leaders like Donald Trump and his defence chief may be more dangerous than responsible and battle-tested generals.

Iraq removes Hezbollah and Houthis from asset-freeze list after ‘mistake’

Iraqi PM orders accountability for the error over list meant for Islamic State/al-Qaeda only. Reversal is blow to US efforts curbing Iran.

Mexican model who was called ‘dumb’ by Thai host crowned Miss Universe

Bosch overcame insults to win the contest considered one of the ‘big four’ of global beauty pageants.

He asked taxi drivers in Iraq to choose their destination. These are his photos

The result of trips to unknown destinations, Thomas Chan’s photos in his Hong Kong exhibition are a study in trust, war and identity.

Iraq PM Sudani claims election win after early results show decisive lead

The incumbent prime minister’s candidate list is in the lead with more than 1.3 million votes, about 217,500 more than the next closest list.

Opinion | Europe’s selective defence of the global order will sway no one

Explainer | Who are Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and what is their role in the crackdown?