海角大神

Treating Afghanistan like a no-one-left-behind military operation, American vets tell our reporter about their tireless efforts to find creative ways to get their former Afghan comrades out of the country.

Trust is key to any relationship. Our London columnist suggests that the bungled, unilateral departure from Afghanistan signals to U.S. allies that Washington is an unreliable partner.

The pandemic spurred greater equity and online access for low-income U.S. students. But it鈥檚 not clear whether the trend will continue, and if digital tools can be integrated into the classroom.聽This article is part of a back-to-school collaboration with newsrooms across the U.S.

In the age of refrigeration, root cellars may sound outdated. But our reporter finds the 鈥済row local鈥� movement and the pandemic have helped revive their relevance in one Canadian town.

What does a pure form of altruism look like?聽In New York City, House of Good Deeds' approach to charity offers a good example.

For half a century, Iraq has been either an aggressor toward its Middle East neighbors or a victim of them. On Saturday, it will try to play a different role, that of a regional mediator for peace. It is a role learned the hard way and now largely driven by young Iraqis, whose common slogan is 鈥淲e want a country鈥� (Nureed watan).

Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi, whose past work includes leading an Iraqi foundation for conflict resolution, will be hosting a summit of Arab and Iranian leaders. The main aim is to end the violent rivalry between two big neighbors, Saudi Arabia and Iran, as well as their meddling in Iraq.

Since coming to power as a reformer last year after mass protests against a corrupt elite, Mr. Kadhimi needs regional calm. Elections are due in October and Iraq faces an acute drought, electricity cutoffs, and terrorist attacks on democracy activists.

鈥淲e are in a sensitive situation. We need to calm the political situation until we reach the elections,鈥� he told The Associated Press in an interview.

Since early 2021, he has brokered initial talks between Iran and Saudi Arabia, using his experience as a former journalist and intelligence chief to find common interests between them. His convening of a summit suggests both countries are ready for a deal, perhaps first in settling one big dispute, their proxy war in Yemen.

鈥淚raq has succeeded in gaining the trust of these countries, and accordingly, it is working toward the stability of the region,鈥� he told AP.

Since Iraq鈥檚 liberation from a dictator in 2003 by the United States, its fledgling democracy has been racked by internal rivalry between Sunnis, Shiites, and Kurds. But the Iraqi people found some unity in their 2017 victory over the Islamic State caliphate, followed by youth protests in 2019 against corruption and the divvying up of resources by ethnicity and religion.

Iraq is not alone in feeling pressure from restive youth. Leaders in Saudi Arabia and Iran know they must satisfy the demands of young people, which can only happen with regional peace and economic investments. In Iran, voter turnout for a June presidential election was the lowest since the 1979 revolution. In frequent protests, Iranians shout 鈥淒own with the dictatorship.鈥�

Within Iraq, Mr. Kadhimi has earned enough trust between political factions to make modest reforms. Now he also has enough trust with neighboring countries to act as a bridge for reconciliation. He has seen Iraq as both aggressor and victim. He can help others find a way to end that cycle of conflict.