Iraq and United Arab Emirates

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As sectarian violence continues to ravage Iraq, with journalists and civilians deliberately targeted for death, Andrew Hosken counts his days in Baghdad's "macabre lottery". But seeing the place still hard at work and at play, and hearing of local people's resilience, inspires him to pay tribute to the low-key bravery of the city's ordinary heroes. Dubai is a byword for flash, cash and glitz - and Western expatriates like Alastair Newton Brown can enjoy a bubble of world-class designer luxury. Recently, though, he and a group of friends went very much outside this international comfort zone, and had a decadent (and decidedly downmarket) night out at an underground dance club. (Photo: Aftermath of a car bomb attack in the Karrada neighborhood in central Baghdad on November 20, 2013. Credit: Ahmad al-Rubaye/AFP/Getty Images)