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Balsam Mustafa

PhD Candidate in Modern Languages & Politics, University of Birmingham

I started my PhD at Birmingham university in 2013. My focus is on translation, media, and politics, particularly with regards to Islamic State in Iraq. I completed my BA and MA in translation and interpreting studies in Al-Mustansirriya university, Baghdad, Iraq.

I also worked as a lecturer in the Translation department , Faculty of Arts, Al-Mustansirriya University, from 2006 to 2013 when I was awarded a scholarship to pursue my PhD study at Birmingham University.

video I lived through Saddam Hussein's fall – and the horror that came next

Apr 09, 2018 14:47 pm UTC| Insights & Views Life

I was a senior university student in Baghdad, Iraq. It was March 2003, and over the past few months, my classmates had whispered to each other about the possibility of a US-led invasion and the likelihood that 35 years of...

After years of destruction, Iraqis are rescuing their cultural identity

Jun 23, 2017 17:42 pm UTC| Insights & Views

Just after Iraqi forces declared they were closing in on the old city of Mosul, they announced that the so-called Islamic State (IS) had destroyed the 12th-century al-Nuri Mosque and its famed leaning minaret, known as...

Ordinary Iraqis defy sectarianism after Islamic State's attacks on Baghdad

Jul 04, 2016 19:44 pm UTC| Insights & Views Politics

Im happy that I graduated. Im so grateful to my parents and I dedicate my success to both of them. These were the final words written by Adnan, a victim of a deadly attack on Sundays early hours in the crowded, buzzing...

Economy

Dow Hits 50,000 as U.S. Stocks Stage Strong Rebound Amid AI Volatility

U.S. stocks surged on Friday, posting their strongest session since May 2025, as investors regained confidence following a turbulent week marked by sharp losses in technology shares and uncertainty around the artificial...

Gold and Silver Prices Rebound After Volatile Week Triggered by Fed Nomination

Gold and silver prices climbed on Friday, closing out an exceptionally volatile week in the precious metals market following a historic selloff. The turbulence was sparked by the nomination of former Federal Reserve...

RBI Holds Repo Rate at 5.25% as India’s Growth Outlook Strengthens After U.S. Trade Deal

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Friday kept its key repo rate unchanged at 5.25%, a widely expected decision that reflects confidence in Indias strong economic growth and easing external pressures following a major...

Japan Economy Poised for Q4 2025 Growth as Investment and Consumption Hold Firm

Japans economy is widely expected to have returned to growth in the final quarter of 2025, supported by strong corporate investment and resilient consumer spending, according to a recent Reuters poll of economists. The...

Asian Stocks Slip as Tech Rout Deepens, Japan Steadies Ahead of Election

Asian stock markets mostly declined on Friday, tracking sustained losses in global technology shares and a weak lead from Wall Street, while Japanese equities managed to stabilize ahead of a closely watched national...

Politics

U.S. to Begin Paying UN Dues as Financial Crisis Spurs Push for Reforms

The United States will make an initial payment toward the billions of dollars it owes the United Nations within weeks, according to comments made by U.S. Ambassador Mike Waltz in a recent interview with Reuters. The move...

Norway Opens Corruption Probe Into Former PM and Nobel Committee Chair Thorbjoern Jagland Over Epstein Links

Norways economic crime police unit, Økokrim, has opened an investigation into former prime minister and former Norwegian Nobel Committee chairman Thorbjoern Jagland on suspicion of aggravated corruption, authorities...

Iran–U.S. Nuclear Talks in Oman Face Major Hurdles Amid Rising Regional Tensions

Iran and the United States are preparing for high-stakes nuclear negotiations in Oman on Friday, but deep disagreements over the agenda and escalating regional tensions suggest that meaningful progress will be difficult....

Trump Allegedly Sought Airport, Penn Station Renaming in Exchange for Hudson River Tunnel Funding

U.S. President Donald Trump reportedly offered to release frozen federal funding for the $16 billion Gateway Hudson River tunnel project in exchange for Democratic Senator Chuck Schumers support for renaming Washington...

TrumpRx Website Launches to Offer Discounted Prescription Drugs for Cash-Paying Americans

U.S. President Donald Trump has launched a new website called TrumpRx, aimed at helping Americans lower their prescription drug costs by offering discounted prices for those who prefer to pay cash instead of using health...

Science

NASA and SpaceX Target Crew-11 Undocking From ISS Amid Medical Concern

NASA has confirmed that the agency, in coordination with SpaceX, is targeting no earlier than 5 p.m. Eastern Time (2200 GMT) on Wednesday, January 14, for the undocking of the SpaceX Crew-11 mission from the International...

Neuralink Plans High-Volume Brain Implant Production and Fully Automated Surgery by 2026

Elon Musks brain-computer interface company Neuralink is preparing for a major expansion, announcing plans to begin high-volume production of its brain implant devices and transition to a fully automated surgical procedure...

Jared Isaacman Confirmed as NASA Administrator, Becomes 15th Leader of U.S. Space Agency

The U.S. Senate has officially confirmed billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman as the new NASA administrator, making him the 15th leader in the agencys history. The confirmation, which took place on Wednesday, marks...

Senate Sets December 8 Vote on Trump’s NASA Nominee Jared Isaacman

The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee announced it will vote on December 8 on President Donald Trumps renewed nomination of private astronaut and tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman to lead NASA. Isaacman, known for his...

NASA Cuts Boeing Starliner Missions as SpaceX Pulls Ahead

NASA has significantly scaled back Boeings Starliner program after years of technical issues and delays, announcing that the next Starliner mission to the International Space Station (ISS) will fly without astronauts. The...

Technology

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang Says AI Investment Boom Is Just Beginning as NVDA Shares Surge

Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) CEO Jensen Huang reaffirmed his bullish stance on artificial intelligence, calling the massive capital expenditure flowing into AI infrastructure both appropriate and necessary as the industry...

Amazon Stock Rebounds After Earnings as $200B Capex Plan Sparks AI Spending Debate

Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN) delivered a mixed but closely watched earnings report, beating Wall Street expectations on revenue while unveiling a massive long-term investment plan that unsettled investors. The e-commerce and...

Global PC Makers Eye Chinese Memory Chip Suppliers Amid Ongoing Supply Crunch

Major PC manufacturers including HP, Dell, Acer, and Asus are reportedly exploring the option of sourcing memory chips from Chinese semiconductor companies for the first time, as a prolonged global supply crunch continues...

OpenAI Expands Enterprise AI Strategy With Major Hiring Push Ahead of New Business Offering

OpenAI is significantly accelerating its enterprise AI strategy by hiring hundreds of new employees for its technical consulting division, according to a report by The Information, citing a person familiar with the...

SoftBank Shares Slide After Arm Earnings Miss Fuels Tech Stock Sell-Off

SoftBank Group Corp. (TYO:9984) shares tumbled sharply on Thursday, tracking a steep decline in Arm Holdings (NASDAQ:ARM) after the UK-based chip designer reported weaker-than-expected earnings for the December quarter....