Iran

Security Crisis Puts Paid to Baghdad Wedding Joy

Once lively, loud occasions, marriage ceremonies are now restrained, rather downbeat affairs.

Left on the Shelf

The number of so-called old maids, or unmarried women, in Iraq has increased over the last two decades.

Turkmen Army Unfit for Service

Army recruiters in Turkmenistan will take anyone, no matter how unfit, to fill the ranks of an army whose main job is to provide a free labour force. IWPR has learned that the military is even calling up people with disabilities in its desperate attempt t

Turkmen-Iran Free Trade Zone Withers

Hopes that business and cultural links would be boosted have been dashed by lack of interest from both Turkmen and Iranian governments.

Toiling Away

Women are expected to look after the house and go out to work - and at the same time comply with social traditions that restrict their freedom.

Afghan Drug Boom Fuels Child Addiction Rates

Doctors estimate that there are more than 2,000 drug-addicted children in the western city of Herat alone.

Health Hazard From Poor-Quality Imports

Afghans say cheap food and medicines from Iran can pose a risk.

A Marriage Made in Heaven?

Dreaming of travel and a better life away from poverty and war, some Iraqi women are agreeing to marry men they hardly know.

Iraq's Federalism Debate Rages On

Some Shia politicians are pushing for a southern federal state, but not everyone is convinced.

Over the Mountains to Iran