Saddam Hussein
Donald Trump is like a child pulling the wings off flies – all means and no end
We are seeing something new in human history: the relishing of annihilation as entertainment
Trump’s ‘little excursion’ could leave Iran even more fragmented, unstable and violent
For now, the most likely outcome is a shift to even greater levels of authoritarian control. Beyond that, the future is less certain
The Dubai dream is over. Irish expats can no longer suspend their disbelief
Dubai always demanded expats suspend their disbelief. Now the US military intervention in Iran and Iran’s retribution against Gulf states is forcing some to re-evaluate
Within Islam, Iran is a country apart
Rite & Reason: As we saw on this island, differences between denominations can soon wander beyond religion into the political
The Tony Blair Story: A master of spin who, in the end, was largely lying to himself
Blair emerges from this impressively wide-ranging documentary brimming with charm yet blank behind the eyes
Life under Saddam Hussein: ‘A child being asked to bake a cake without flour or sugar was not absurd’
Hasan Hadi’s film The President’s Cake centres on a deceptively simple premise: every year, schoolchildren were selected to make offerings for Saddam’s birthday, an impossible burden
Tony Blair and Peter Mandelson will go down in history as crawlers and creeps
If we want to understand why democracy is in such trouble, we can learn plenty from the careers of two men who were once stellar figures in democratic politics
Nael Bunni obituary: Engineer who became a leading expert in resolving construction industry disputes
Born in Iraq, he left Baghdad during Saddam Hussein’s regime after being asked to submit a false valuation for work
Dick Cheney was the most influential and consequential US vice-president in living memory
The architect-in-chief of America’s ‘war on terror’ was later vilified for relentlessly hawkish foreign policy
US is again betting that installing ‘our sonuvabitch’ will neutralise an adversary. It never does
Every 20 years the US and Israel attempt to remake the Middle East - always with catastrophic consequences
Two tribes: How Israel and Iran became enemies
The likelihood is that much of Iran’s nuclear capabilities remain intact, and despite calls for regime change there is no sign of Iranians rising up
The Great Betrayal: The Struggle for Freedom and Democracy in the Middle East by Fawaz A Gerges – engaging read for seasoned observers
The scope is perhaps too broad, and the prose a little dry, for this book to appeal to the general reader
Burning question for Europe now is how to deal with an elected American tyrant
Donald Trump’s presidency has also generated a new focus on questions of identity and doubt in Europe
Crosswords & Puzzles
Crosswords & puzzles to keep you challenged and entertained
Stardust
Inquests into the nightclub fire that led to the deaths of 48 people
Common Ground
How does a post-Brexit world shape the identity and relationship of these islands
Family NoticesOpens in new window
Weddings, Births, Deaths and other family notices