China’s cash-strapped local governments can’t pay workers on timeChina’s local municipalities are heavily in debt, with all 31 apart from Shanghai reporting deficits in 2022.
After the Iraq War, Saddam’s legendary palaces are open to allAfter the Iraq war, the closely guarded, lavish estates belonging to the former strongman were opened to the public.
‘Best thing that happened’: Chinese return home after years apartZero-COVID left many Chinese families – overseas and at home – separated for years. Now, they can finally reunite.
Chinese struggle to ‘summon the courage’ to live with COVID-19People in China have been told for years that COVID is deadly, leaving them struggling to cope with newfound openness.
China COVID protests die down, but policy resentment remainsBeijing flooded streets with police and security personnel while tweaking COVID response after rare nationwide protests.
Xi ‘firmly in charge’ as rivals fall in China anti-graft campaignChinese president heads into five-yearly party congress after a string of senior politicians convicted for corruption.
Iraq’s controversial new PM-designate: Who is Mohammed al-Sudani?Al-Sudani nominated by Iraq’s new president, but the move will be fiercely opposed by supporters of Muqtada al-Sadr.
Furore, indifference, confusion: Voices beyond the Iraq protestsMany Iraqis who joined anti-gov’t protests in 2019 are either against or indifferent towards this bout of rallies.
Will the Middle East be a flashpoint between the US and China?With the US potentially pivoting away from the Middle East, will China rush in to fill the gap?
Sadrists quit Iraq’s parliament, but al-Sadr isn’t going awayThe Sadrist bloc’s resignation from parliament throws up a number of scenarios, including new elections in Iraq.