Pope Francis says he escaped suicide bombing during visit to Iraq in 2021
Francis made the revelation in his upcoming autobiography, Spera (Hope), due to be published in January
Iraq
Who are the Syrian rebels who have taken Damascus?
HTS founder Abu Muhammad al-Jolani participated in Iraqi insurgency against US as member of group that later became Islamic State
Syrian rebels claim to have reached Damascus suburbs in ‘final stage’ of offensive
State news agency denies rumours that Bashar al-Assad has left country as his 24-year rule comes under major pressure
Iraq bans alcohol in clubs and hotels as pro-Iranian Shias tighten grip
Iraqi critic says decision by pro-Iranian Shias marks attempt to ‘transform Baghdad into Kandahar’
Amrou Al-Kadhi: ‘Drag gives you a licence to sort of scare yourself and other people. But how do you bring that into your daily life?’
The performer and award-winning author discusses why and how he made his first film, Layla, a buoyant new drama concerning a British-Palestinian drag queen
Pete Hegseth: US army veteran, Fox News firebrand and now defence secretary nominee
Iraq and Afghanistan veteran gained notoriety by blaming ‘wokeness’ for US military failures. Now he is set to be in charge
Pragmatic Iran has been keen to avoid direct confrontation with Israel over Lebanon
US says Tehran is preparing to launch ballistic strikes at Israel, in what would amount to reversal of Iran’s longstanding policy
Nasrallah assassination marked by declarations of days of mourning and widespread condemnation
Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei urges Muslims to stand with Hizbullah in ‘confronting’ Israel
On Leadership by Tony Blair: The work of a mechanic, not a magician, and all the better for it
This is a work for those who want to understand the plumbing of government, not the grandeur and glamour of governing
Israel’s Lebanon offensive against Hizbullah leaves Iran in difficult situation
Firing Iranian ballistic missiles at Israel risks massive Israeli-US retaliation against Iran’s infrastructure
Israel and Hizbullah intensify air strikes and rocket attacks, edging closer to ‘all-out war’
At least seven people killed in Israeli strike on school compound in Gaza City’s Shati refugee camp
‘I felt that life has no value and it’s better to die’: Yazidi woman on experience of being sexually enslaved by Isis
Shireen Khero, a Yazidi from Iraq, was abducted by Isis in 2014 but luckily escaped three years later. She is in Ireland to mark the 10th anniversary of Isis atrocities against the Yazidi community
Irish director of WHO polio programme dies while on holidays with family
Aidan O’Leary was described as a ‘true leader’ by the Global Polio Eradication Initiative
Look at the USA: A Diary of War and Home: Truth of photos fuels human sorrow
Peter van Agtmael’s unsettling photographs portray the misery and horror of violent conflict
Night of Power by Robert Fisk: A masterly work by a unique and gifted ‘historian of the present’
Posthumous book explores the post-9/11 years in the Middle East, setting his reporting against the background of centuries of meddling by western powers
Blurred military lines: When Defence Forces soldiers cross over into the world of private contractors
Some Irish soldiers - often looking for more pay - have worked in private security in overseas countries while on leave
Israel reports aerial attack on port city of Eilat as Iraqi militia claims responsibility
Islamic Resistance in Iraq says it had attacked a ‘vital objective’ in Israel but did not elaborate
Does Counter-Terrorism Work?: a masterful and concise analysis
Masterful analysis of horribly familiar case studies yields deep insights into the flawed tactics of states in their efforts to eradicate terrorists
Ireland’s designation of UK as ‘safe third country’ is unlawful, rules High Court
Minister for Justice Helen McEntee made the designation in response to the UK’s exit from EU
Seven years after liberation, Mosul in Iraq is bustling but struggles to move on from wounds of the past
The economic fallout from the war with Islamic State is still felt in northern Iraq - and women are most likely to be affected
Yasser Eljuboori: Two additional charges brought against Irish citizen in Iraq
Baghdad court says, contrary to expectations, man not be permitted to leave
UN urged to intervene following allegations that an Irish citizen has been tortured in an Iraqi jail
Laura Wickham’s husband, Yasser Eljuboori, was detained as he was getting a flight back to Ireland after visiting his sick mother
Department of Foreign Affairs is providing assistance as Irish citizen is detained in Iraq
Yasser Eljuboori was detained in Baghdad while travelling back to Ireland, according to a post on his wife’s X account
US drone strike kills Iran-backed militia commander in Baghdad
Attack directed at Kataib Hizbullah militia members comes amid growing regional tensions linked to Israel-Hamas war
US plans more strikes on Houthi targets in Middle East
White House national security adviser says attacks on Friday were ‘just the beginning’
Iran condemns US air strikes in Iraq and Syria amid warning of ‘disastrous consequences’ for region
Iraqi prime minister’s office says Friday’s attacks killed 16 people, including civilians
If Leo Varadkar goes to the White House, it can’t be for a quiet word about Gaza
Taoiseach must convey Ireland’s message about Gaza publicly, unambiguously and for international consumption
US to strike pro-Iranian militia targets in Syria and Iraq
US responds to Sunday’s drone attack at a remote US base in Jordan that killed three American soldiers
The ‘Axis of Resistance’ pushing US to ramp up Middle East defences
Iran-backed network triggers fears that Israel-Hamas war could spread within region
US carries out new strikes against Houthi missile sites in Yemen
Targets in Iraq linked to Iran-backed militia are also attacked by US military
Global leaders at World Economic Forum confronted by rising Middle East tensions
Long-standing conflicts involving both Iran and Turkey reignite in addition to lingering Gaza crisis
US targets Houthi anti-ship missiles in Yemen as regional tensions escalate further
Fighting in Gaza reignites as Israeli tanks storm back into areas they had left
Houthi rebels say UK and US air strikes will not go without ‘punishment or retaliation’
Strikes against Houthis in Yemen follow attacks by Iranian-backed militants on ships in Red Sea in protest against Israel’s war in Gaza
Priest brought Biafra refugees to Wicklow without permission – and other strange tales from Dublin and London files
Records released by Irish and British archives include details of a ‘republican’ artefact thief and a ‘radical’ UK proposal to hold asylum seekers on a Scottish island
Turkey mounts air strikes in Iraq and Syria after clashes with PKK militants
Defence ministry says 12 Turkish soldiers killed in past two days in fighting with outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party
Gaza’s unique terrain could trigger fiercest urban warfare ever seen
As Israel threatens to invade the ‘devil’s playground’, experts warn of a tough landscape, civilian casualties and geopolitical pressure
Woman jailed for Isis membership later worked for Dutch refugee council
Voluntary role included access to personal and legal files despite previous conviction
Wedding fire kills more than 100 in Iraq
Blaze in large hall in Nineveh province leaves 150 injured, with initial reports suggesting fireworks may have been the cause
Iraqi torture survivors remain without answers over US reparations
Human Rights Watch has called for the US to acknowledge abuse and torture of 100,000 detained Iraqis
Board of Irish explorer Petrel Resources concerned about group’s survival
Almost €1m is owed to key management personnel in respect of remuneration due at the balance sheet date
Islamic State announces new leader after death of Abu Hussein al-Qurashi
Terror group appoints Iraqi jihadi Abu Hafs al-Hashemi al-Qurashi
Third Koran burning triggers promises of action in Denmark and Sweden
Organisation of Islamic Co-operation disappointed with countries’ responses to date and role of freedom of expression as ‘licence’
Protests erupt in Muslim-majority countries over Koran desecration in Sweden
Iraq cuts diplomatic ties with Sweden following incident while outbreaks of unrest occur in Lebanon, Iran and Pakistan
Iraqi PM makes first visit to Syria since 2011, strengthening close ties between countries
Mohammed Shia al-Sudani and Bashar al-Assad discuss reopening key oil pipeline and returning Syrian refugees
UN warns of ‘devastating impact’ as Iraq’s marshlands in danger of drying
Alarming fall in water levels in Euphrates and Tigris rivers during worst heat wave for 40 years
Keeping one step ahead of lethal anti-personnel mines in Ukraine
Low-flying drones with GPS-enabled thermal cameras and magnetic resonance are among new methods used to clear mines and unexploded ordnance
Iraq war marked ‘low point of Irish pretences to neutrality’
US military stopover at Shannon tested Irish stance to the limits, claims new book Is Ireland Neutral?
US ‘war on terror’ has resulted in death toll of at least 4.5m, says report
Research focuses on ‘many kinds of deaths’ in conflicts since 9/11 attacks of 2001
‘Even one American in Iraq is too many’, Iran’s leader tells Iraqi president
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says western military intervention is the root of insecurity in the region
Iraq election law poses threat to small parties and independents
Amendments adopted by parliament favour large parties and blocs
Fintan O’Toole: How journalists were complicit in one of the great con jobs of modern times
The media played a large role in justifying the invasion of Iraq 20 years ago
Twenty years on, Bush refuses to dwell on his responsibility for Iraq
The former president understands the war went wrong, but does not revisit his decision to invade
‘Now there is less fear.’ Baghdad’s youth reclaim their city, 20 years after US-led invasion
Post-invasion violence hemmed people into neighbourhoods but Baghdad residents now feel safer and socialise more
Washington’s victory in Iraq did not liberate but imprisoned the country in warfare
Two decades after the US war on Iraq began, the disastrous consequences of the conflict are still being felt
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