Latest Stories
May 1, 2016
The War Between the Islamic State’s Enemies
Thousands of Yazidis have been saved from the jihadi group, but are now victims of infighting among Kurdish militias and the Iraqi government.
Apr 26, 2016
Gulf Countries Look to Farm Abroad as Aquifer Dries Up
Turning sand into soil has long been a fantasy for many desert-dwelling peoples, and for much of the past few decades, many countries have worked hard to make it a reality. Now, these bids to green…
Apr 22, 2016
The perfect recipe for making jihadis was developed in this small Iraqi town
No matter where you turn when covering ISIL’s two years of terror in Iraq and Syria, one name repeatedly crops up: Tal Afar.
Apr 6, 2016
The Islamic State’s Scorched-Earth Strategy
As the jihadi group loses ground in northern Iraq, it’s leaving poisoned wells and burnt farms in its wake.
Mar 8, 2016
Chicken Farms Another Casualty of ISIS Takeover in Iraq
On returning home after a year hiding in the mountains, Ahmed Hussein Hamad had braced himself for the worst.
ISIS had occupied his village and appropriated his house after a lightning summer…
Mar 6, 2016
Troubled Egypt Dreams of the Old Monarchy
King Farouk, deposed in 1952, may have gone down in history as a lousy ruler. But these days Egyptians are inclined to say, ‘Compared to what?’
Feb 26, 2016
If Climate Change Doesn’t Sink Alexandria, Egypt’s Official Incompetence Will
It's not alone among World Heritage Sites facing encroaching seas.
Jan 31, 2016
The climate-change refugee crisis is only just beginning
The Amhara Plateau is no one’s idea of a gloomy landscape. Rich fields blossom as far as the eye can see; bountiful rivers zigzag through the region’s rolling hills. It isn’t hard to see why local…
Jan 8, 2016
Farming the Sahara
Its population soaring, Egypt is facing a food-supply crisis. Can the government make a desert bloom?