‘It would be bad for our interests’: why Thatcher ignored the murder of an Observer journalist
In 1990, Farzad Bazoft was hanged by Saddam Hussein on false charges of espionage. Now files have revealed why the state was so reluctant to intervene
The execution of the Observer journalist Farzad Bazoft on 15 March 1990, ordered by Saddam Hussein, provoked outrage around the world. Yet later that same day Margaret Thatcher and her government decided not to take any action, against what ministers admitted was a “ruthless” regime, for fear of jeopardising lucrative exports to Iraq.
In memos written two years after Saddam used mustard gas to slaughter more than 3,000 Kurds and only months before he marched into Kuwait, sparking war, newly released cabinet documents reveal that trade was still the uppermost concern for ministers.
What's a life when money is involved Perhaps this a precursor to how Donald Trump will deal with Americans falsely accused of crimes in other countries Chinese President Xi Jinping vows to defend China's 'maritime rights' in New Year's message
The leader’s message is likely to fray the already tense relations between US and China
What claiming 90% of the South China sea isn't enough? Next China will be claiming the whole of the Pacific ocean
The year social media changed everything.
The takeaway for 2016: What we do on the internet matters.
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What happened to the U.S. in 2016 is historical and terrifying, and most of us were unprepared for it. This year saw the rise to power of a vocal, right-wing extremism with white supremacist and Fascist leanings not considered a legitimate part of American politics in over half a century, while the ideological differences between the left and right splintered so far that it seems to have fractured reality itself.
That’s not hyperbole. In 2016, it became difficult even to achieve consensus about what’s actually real.
The decline of Afghanistan's Hindu and Sikh communities
"I am an Afghan first... But if our life is under threat, if our families are faced with risks, we have to leave."
Kabul, Afghanistan - Hidden in plain sight, on a poorly lit busy road, the exteriors of the Asmayee temple are deceiving - a plain, old building that could easily be confused for any other building in Kabul.
In contrast, the mosque next door stands out with its beautiful, intricate architecture. The call for evening prayers from the mosque intertwines with the sounds of the Hindu chants resonating from within the halls of the temple
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