Areas across the historic city of Baghdad are now covered with monuments and statues embodying the enriching history of what was once the origins of civilization. With this particularly strong and powerful message in mind, a group of Iraqi artists looked beyond artistic movements' barriers and demanded a more powerful question: is it possible to unite traditional viewpoints in color, shapes, and sizes with modern outlooks?

Mohammed Ghani Hikmat was born on April 20th, 1929 in the city of Baghdad. From a young age as a boy, he was particularly interested in the shaping of materials to form larger ones.  Like many others, he went to Europe to pursue his studies as an artist and by 1961, he returned back to his country to see a new awakening both in the societal landscape and the artistic ones.

The formation of groups such as Al-Ruwad (The Pioneers) left a huge mark on the artists, particularly in terms of their intention to raise awareness about one particular subject: the union of traditional and modern to resemble and shape a more bridged expression in artistic abilities.

Mohammed Ghani Hikmat hugely contributed to the landscape in Baghdad, oftentimes executing monumental projects which showcase the historical integrity of Arab culture.

Some of his works that can be found in Baghdad are:

Nasb Enqath al-Thaqafa (Saving Iraq Monument) showcases a broken cylinder about to fall being supported by hands from a muscled shape, indicating the struggle to upkeep Iraqi culture.

Al Mutanabbi statue shows the medieval poet and is situated in the famed Al-Mutanabbi street.

Nasb al-Hurriyah (monument of freedom) although was designed and initiated by the famed Iraqi painter Jawad Saleem, the project would soon fall into the hands of Mohammed Ghani Hikmat and be finished by 1961.

Flying Carpet at the Baghdad International Airport indicates the famed story from mythology about a carpet used to fly around.

Due to his profound impact on being regarded as a grand artist from his region, he was known as ‘The Sheik of sculptors.’

In his later years, he would be found commissioned to design other smaller projects. Mohammed Ghani Hikmat died at the age of 82 in 2011 while seeking medical treatment in Jordan.

Our brain works over the clock, even when we are in a deep sleep, from taking care of our breathing and heartbeat to our thoughts and senses, but what source of energy does it use? Does the type of the source affect it? The mammalian brain depends on glucose as its primary fuel. The food we eat impacts brain health significantly and can affect our mood, memory, and behavior. A diet high in sugar, unhealthy fats, and junk food causes inflammation in the brain, disrupts blood-brain barrier, and causes neurodegenerative diseases like dementia and Alzheimer. A nutrient-dense, antioxidant-rich diet and brain-boosting foods such as broccoli, blueberries, nuts, seeds, beans, and pulses help keep your brain in the top-notch condition. Brain networks that control our eating habits are associated with those that involve processing emotions and reward systems. This direct connection makes the food we consume directly affect our emotions and behaviors.

- Refined carbohydrates: including pasta, bread, pastries, pizza, pies, and cakes.

- Artificial sweeteners: chemicals and ingredients such as phenylalanine, especially aspartame, which has been linked to behavioral and cognitive issues.

- Sugary drinks: including juices, fizzy drinks, and energy drinks. They all contain vast amounts of sugar, which are detrimental to brain health as they cause inflammation in the brain, which contributes to memory loss.

- Trans fats: are found in refined vegetable oils, and trans fats are linked to reduced memory and cognitive decline.

- Ready meals and packaged/ processed foods:  Processed foods reduce the production of a brain-derived molecule called neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which is responsible for long-term memory, learning, and the growth of new brain cells.

The best foods that boost brain function are:

- Food high in omega-3: Omega-3 is essential for brain health as it enables brain cells to communicate better, reduces inflammation, aids cognitive development in children, and improves memory in adults.

- Whole grains: including oats, barley, and millet, contain an abundance of B vitamins and other minerals to reduce inflammation in the brain and improve cognitive function.

- Leafy greens: (kale, spinach, rocket) are rich in essential B vitamins, vitamin E, and vitamin K and an abundance of minerals that support brain health and improve memory and focus.

- Beans and pulses: (lentils, chickpeas, kidney beans) are high in fiber, B vitamins, and omega-3. They provide a steady supply of fuel (glucose) to the brain, which aids concentration and memory.

Successful aging is an achievable goal for dietary therapies. The fact that nutritional factors affect a long-term timescale contributes to underestimating their importance for public health. Accordingly, the slow and imperceptible cognitive decay that characterizes normal aging is within the range of action of brain foods.

The final total lunar eclipse in three years will be seen today on four continents. Viewers across North and Central America, Asia, Australia, the Pacific Islands, and portions of South America will be able to see this celestial display.

When Earth is between the sun and the moon, a lunar eclipse occurs, covering the moon's surface with a shadow. The moon will become a bloody crimson color as it passes into the shadow of the Earth.

During a total lunar eclipse, the entire Moon is submerged in the umbra, the region of Earth's shadow that is the darkest. The Moon will take on a red color when it is inside the umbra. Due to this phenomena, lunar eclipses are frequently referred to as "Blood Moons."

Considering that the Moon completes one orbit of the Earth every 27 days, many people are curious as to why lunar eclipses don't occur every month. The Moon frequently travels above or below Earth's shadow because of how inclined its orbit around the Earth is in comparison to how Earth orbits the Sun. Only when the Moon is directly behind Earth in relation to the Sun can there be a lunar eclipse.

The second and last lunar eclipse of 2022 will be this one. The most recent one occurred on May 16, 2022.

According to Alphonse Sterling, an astrophysicist at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, lunar eclipses typically happen about every 1.5 years. But viewers should take advantage of the eclipse this November because it will be the last total lunar eclipse until 2025.

Unlike solar eclipses, observing a lunar eclipse does not require specific eye protection (which occurs during the daytime). While a pair of binoculars or a telescope can improve the view, the lunar eclipse can be seen with the unaided eye.

According to Reuters, US Vice President Kamala Harris said on November 2 that the United States will try to remove Iran from the 45-member UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) due to the Iranian government's denial of women's rights and brutal crackdown on protests.

Protests have erupted across Iran ever since the "morality police" killed a 22-year-old Kurdish woman named Mahsa Amini for "improperly" wearing a scarf. Since the riots began, Iranians of all backgrounds have joined the uprising, presenting the most serious challenge to the country's clerical leadership since the 1979 revolution.However, Iran is denying the allegations of human rights abuse, especially against women, and is instead placing blame on its foreign enemies and their agents for the unrest.

Iran's four-year term on the Commission, which holds meetings every March and works to advance gender parity and women's empowerment, just started. According to a statement released by Harris, "the United States believes that no nation that systematically abuses the rights of women and girls should play a role in any international or United Nations body charged with protecting these very same rights."

Iran has said that the US and its allies are using the UN "to further their political agenda" and has asked other countries not to go to the meeting.In the letter to UN member states, Iran's UN Ambassador, Amir Saeid Iravani, said that the US does not care about human rights in Iran or anywhere else.

According to the United Nations, the CSW is instrumental in promoting women's rights, documenting the reality of women's " lives throughout the world, and shaping global standards on gender equality and the empowerment of women."

By: Baniz Wasman

At the dawn of the 21st century, Kurdish political representation became more prominent in various areas. In particular, during the Syrian Civil War, Kurdish factions began implementing their own political administration within the nation. Among such departments were cultural and artistic representations that shaped much of the internal perception of Kurdish culture.

The Rojava Film Commune was established in 2015 by a group of collective filmmakers wishing to revive the role of Kurdish cinema and its historical connection with Kurdish identity. They are based in the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) or Rojava.

They have produced films that reflect the political and social tension of the Kurdish struggle within the Middle East such as The End Willow Be Spectacular which offers a first glance into a film that is locally produced.

Apart from warfare-based narratives that wish to document real events, they have also adopted core values within their non-hierarchical structures such as mentioning feminism, collectivism, and ethnic pluralism.

Apart from continuously producing films that explore human conditions through war, they have also assisted in the formation of exhibitions all across the world including in New York.

The Rojava Film Commune continues to produce local and international projects which assert the relationship between artistic expression and socio-political transition and critique in the Middle East.

What better way to advance women's rights than by increasing the number of women in political decision-making positions? There is a need for more women to participate in politics, as they play a crucial role in decision-making. It's important to have more women in positions of power, which is why political participation by women is a pressing issue. To encourage and facilitate women's political engagement and representation in UNDP, UN Women support women's political participation in Iraq, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) teamed up with UN Women. On 2nd of November in Baghdad, the two United Nations agencies officially joined forces in a partnership worth $1 million.

The collaborative project aims to address the constraints on women's political voices, strengthen women's decision-making and leadership in elected spaces, and increase leadership in civic spaces. According to UNDP Resident Representative, Ms. Zena Ali-Ahmad, women leaders benefit everyone, especially in fragile contexts like Iraq. According to the research, more women in parliament help bring more attention to women's issues. In order to achieve true democracy and gender parity, women must have a voice in politics. UN Women's former Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka stated, "no country prospers without the engagement of women." Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 requires the equal participation and leadership of women in politics and the public sphere. Nonetheless, statistics indicate that women are underrepresented at all levels of decision-making globally and that gender parity in political life is a distant goal. Women's political participation is on the rise, but the rate remains low; efforts should be made to encourage more women to enter politics for a better tomorrow.

By: Baniz Wasman