Iraqi Kurdistan

Conflict in Basra Spreads to Campus

Students linked to rival Shia parties and militias are throwing their weight around at the University of Basra.

Basra Struggles to Cope With Student Demand

As children begin returning to the classroom, the school infrastructure is in dire need of repair.

Mud Schools in Forgotten Land

Enterprising tribesmen, fed up with officials’ failure to address their education needs, build their own makeshift schools.

Comment: Iraqi Kurdistan's Universities Need Reform

Equality and democracy in higher education must be practiced, not preached.

Young People Increasingly Drawn to Islam

Moderate clerics say heavy-handed authorities fail to distinguish between ordinary mosque-goers and extremists.

Images of Religion in Azerbaijan

Iraqi Kurdistan Faces Trouble on Two Fronts

The Turkish army makes war-like noises and Sunni extremists stage hit-and-run raids along the border with Iran.

Kirkuk Tensions Rise as Fateful Ballot Nears

Looming referendum to decide Kirkuk’s future fuels sectarian violence in this mixed city.

Unholy War in Karbala

A self-made ayatollah with his own army exemplifies the fragmented politics of the main Shia towns - and the inability of government to rein such figures in.

Checkpoints: Baghdad's Russian Roulette

Security-aware Iraqis try to minimise the risks as they negotiate their way through Baghdad.