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‘One of the oldest urban centres on the planet’: Gaza’s rich history in ruins
ByWilliam Dalrymple October 17, 2025

The territory’s ancient heritage has too often been ignored. As we mourn incalculable human losses, learning about its past can help us better understand the presentAs a ceasefire brings a measure of peace to the Dresden-like hellscape that Gaza has be…

Read More ‘One of the oldest urban centres on the planet’: Gaza’s rich history in ruins
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei | Benjamin Netanyahu | Books | Culture | Donald Trump | Gaza | History books | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Israel | Israel–Iran War | Middle East and north Africa | Nuclear weapons | Palestine | Palestinian territories | Petrol prices | Podcasts

‘One of the oldest urban centres on the planet’: Gaza’s rich history in ruins
ByWilliam Dalrymple October 17, 2025

The territory’s ancient heritage has too often been ignored. As we mourn incalculable human losses, learning about its past can help us better understand the presentAs a ceasefire brings a measure of peace to the Dresden-like hellscape that Gaza has be…

Read More ‘One of the oldest urban centres on the planet’: Gaza’s rich history in ruins
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei | Benjamin Netanyahu | Books | Culture | Donald Trump | Gaza | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Israel | Israel–Iran War | Middle East and north Africa | Nuclear weapons | Palestine | Palestinian territories | Petrol prices | US news | World news

‘They didn’t even read the book’: Palestinian American children’s authors censored in US
ByJoseph Gedeon in Washington October 9, 2025

Authors tell of book bans, cancellations and harassment – ‘they’re trying to disconnect us from our stories’Jenan Matari had just begun promoting her debut children’s book this summer when the cancellations began. First, Chevalier’s Books in Los Angele…

Read More ‘They didn’t even read the book’: Palestinian American children’s authors censored in US
Arab and Middle East unrest | Ayatollah Ali Khamenei | Benjamin Netanyahu | Books | Donald Trump | Gaza | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Israel | Israel-Gaza war | Israel–Iran War | Lebanon | Media | Middle East and north Africa | Newspapers | Newspapers & magazines | Nuclear weapons | Palestinian territories | Petrol prices | The Guardian | World news

David Hirst obituary
ByVictoria Brittain September 23, 2025

The Guardian’s Middle East correspondent for four decades whose articles were key to understanding the region’s turmoilDavid Hirst, who has died aged 89 of cancer, was the Guardian’s authoritative correspondent through four decades of dramatic change a…

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Arab and Middle East unrest | Ayatollah Ali Khamenei | Benjamin Netanyahu | Books | Donald Trump | Gaza | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Israel | Israel-Gaza war | Israel–Iran War | Lebanon | Media | Middle East and north Africa | Newspapers | Newspapers & magazines | Nuclear weapons | Palestinian territories | Petrol prices | The Guardian | World news

David Hirst obituary
ByVictoria Brittain September 23, 2025

The Guardian’s Middle East correspondent for four decades whose articles were key to understanding the region’s turmoilDavid Hirst, who has died aged 89 of cancer, was the Guardian’s authoritative correspondent through four decades of dramatic change a…

Read More David Hirst obituary
Australia news | Australian books | Ayatollah Ali Khamenei | Benjamin Netanyahu | Books | Culture | Donald Trump | Fiction | Fyodor Dostoevsky | Gaza | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Israel | Israel–Iran War | JM Coetzee | Middle East and north Africa | Nuclear weapons | Palestinian territories | Petrol prices

Desolation by Hossein Asgari review – an accomplished exploration of love, truth and the cruelty of fate
ByCatriona Menzies-Pike September 11, 2025

A storyteller who lies in service of truth meets a writer who doesn’t believe in true stories in this sophomore work set in Adelaide and post-revolutionary IranGet our weekend culture and lifestyle emailDoes a novel need a factchecker? Not for the kind…

Read More Desolation by Hossein Asgari review – an accomplished exploration of love, truth and the cruelty of fate
Australia news | Australian books | Ayatollah Ali Khamenei | Benjamin Netanyahu | Books | Culture | Donald Trump | Fiction | Fyodor Dostoevsky | Gaza | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Israel | Israel–Iran War | JM Coetzee | Middle East and north Africa | Nuclear weapons | Palestinian territories | Petrol prices

Desolation by Hossein Asgari review – an accomplished exploration of love, truth and the cruelty of fate
ByCatriona Menzies-Pike September 11, 2025

A storyteller who lies in service of truth meets a writer who doesn’t believe in true stories in this sophomore work set in Adelaide and post-revolutionary IranGet our weekend culture and lifestyle emailDoes a novel need a factchecker? Not for the kind…

Read More Desolation by Hossein Asgari review – an accomplished exploration of love, truth and the cruelty of fate
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei | Benjamin Netanyahu | Books | Culture | Donald Trump | Gaza | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Israel | Israel–Iran War | Middle East and north Africa | Nuclear weapons | Palestinian territories | Petrol prices | Poetry

Poem of the week: New Republic by Michal Rubin
ByCarol Rumens August 25, 2025

The words of a Palestinian poet, killed in Gaza in 2023, are rekindled by an Israeli writer living in the US, in a dream where their words reach together for another futureOn 20 October 2023, Hiba Abu Nada, a Palestinian poet and novelist, was killed b…

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Ayatollah Ali Khamenei | Benjamin Netanyahu | Books | Culture | Donald Trump | Gaza | Human rights | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Irvine Welsh | Israel | Israel-Gaza war | Israel–Iran War | Jeanette Winterson | Michael Rosen | Middle East and north Africa | Nuclear weapons | Palestinian territories | Petrol prices | West Bank | World news | Zadie Smith

Zadie Smith, Michael Rosen, Irvine Welsh and Jeanette Winterson sign letter calling for Israel boycott
ByElla Creamer August 7, 2025August 7, 2025

More than 200 writers request cessation of all trade until people of Gaza given adequate food, water and aidMiddle East crisis – live updatesZadie Smith, Michael Rosen, Irvine Welsh and Jeanette Winterson are among more than 200 writers who have signed…

Read More Zadie Smith, Michael Rosen, Irvine Welsh and Jeanette Winterson sign letter calling for Israel boycott
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei | Benjamin Netanyahu | Books | Culture | David Grossman | Donald Trump | Gaza | Human rights | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Israel | Israel-Gaza war | Israel–Iran War | Middle East and north Africa | Nuclear weapons | Palestinian territories | Petrol prices | World news

Israeli author David Grossman says his country is committing genocide in Gaza
ByLorenzo Tondo in Palermo August 1, 2025

Writer says for many years he has refused to use word but now must ‘with immense pain and with a broken heart’Middle East crisis – live updatesThe award-winning Israeli author David Grossman has described his country’s campaign in Gaza as a genocide an…

Read More Israeli author David Grossman says his country is committing genocide in Gaza