The cover story is about the threat of a new police station to the nearby located World Heritage site in Samarra (Iraq); UNESCO is powerless to  protect the remains of the ninth-century city with the great mosque when the policy barracks become a target for insurgents (p.1-2).

Worth attention in the Museums section: Ronald de Leeuw, general director of the Dutch Rijksmusum is to retire next summer (p.15); Imre Takács has been dismissed as director of the Museum of Applied Arts in Budapest by the Hungarian Minister of Culture (p.44).

Also of interest: For the first time, the Vatican commissioned a piece of contemporary art: Claudio Parmeggiani has been asked to to make a work of art for the church (p.51-52).

Also included: the dossier What's on providing information on activities of museums and galleries, fairs, auctions and so on worldwide