Spotlight stories: What your peers read last week

Sudan civil war, the problem with 'conflict minerals', and the latest pawn in the U.S.-China information wars [VIEW IN BROWSER]( [A Uyghur family gathers for a meal during the Corban Festival in Xinjiang province, China, on Sept. 12, 2016. ]( [China Is Trying to Remake Uyghur Kitchens]( Traditional food is painted as backward and dirty—except for tourists. By Timothy Grose [Young men work at a coltan mine near Rubaya, in North Kivu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on April 12, 2023. ]( [The Problem With ‘Conflict-Free’ Minerals]( How traceability schemes have wound up hurting Congo’s people. By Mélanie Gouby [A sign for the U.S.-based McKinsey & Company management consulting firm is seen in Geneva on April 12, 2022.]( [Consulting Firms Have Stumbled Into a Geopolitical Minefield]( The era of free-flowing information is over. By Henry Farrell, Abraham Newman [Families who have fled from the war in Sudan carry their belongings while arriving at a transit center for refugees in Renk, South Sudan, on Feb. 14.]( [Why Is the World Ignoring a Looming Genocide in Sudan?]( Aid workers fear a new disaster as militia forces close in on a major Darfur city. By Robbie Gramer [The Israeli flag is projected onto the Brandenburg Gate as part of the Festival of Lights and a show of solidarity in Berlin on Oct. 7, 2023.]( [How Germany Lost the Middle East]( Berlin’s unequivocal support for Israel has eroded its soft-power footprint in the region. By Ruairí Casey [China Is Trying to Remake Uyghur Kitchens]( Traditional food is painted as backward and dirty—except for tourists. By Timothy Grose [The Problem With ‘Conflict-Free’ Minerals]( How traceability schemes have wound up hurting Congo’s people. By Mélanie Gouby [Consulting Firms Have Stumbled Into a Geopolitical Minefield]( The era of free-flowing information is over. By Henry Farrell, Abraham Newman [Why Is the World Ignoring a Looming Genocide in Sudan?]( Aid workers fear a new disaster as militia forces close in on a major Darfur city. By Robbie Gramer [How Germany Lost the Middle East]( Berlin’s unequivocal support for Israel has eroded its soft-power footprint in the region. By Ruairí Casey [Subscribe to Foreign Policy]( Get them something new every day [Limited-time offer! Share FP's insights with the father figure or career-bound student in your life. Save 24 percent on Foreign Policy gift subscriptions with promo code]( [GRAD24](. [GIVE A GIFT](   [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [LinkedIn]( [MANAGE YOUR EMAIL PREFERENCES]( | [VIEW OUR PRIVACY POLICY]( | [UNSUBSCRIBE]( Reach the [right online audience]( with us. [Foreign Policy]( is a division of Graham Holdings Company. All contents © 2023 Graham Digital Holding Company LLC. All rights reserved. Foreign Policy, 655 15th St NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC, 20005.