On October 10, Iraq held their sixth parliamentary election since the fall of Saddam Hussein after the United States-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, reports The New York Times. The parliamentary election decides the 329 members of the Council of Representatives who elect Iraq’s president and confirm the prime minister.
Read moreA massive fire at a hospital in Baghdad injured 110 people and killed more than 80 as officials are still searching for missing people. An exploding oxygen cylinder started the fire at the Ibn al-Khatib Hospital, an institution dedicated to serving COVID-19 patients with severe symptoms, reports The Associated Press.
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Among global separatist movements, the Kurds stand as the largest nation without an independent state and make up the fourth-largest ethnic group in the Middle East, according to BBC News. There is an estimated population of 30 million Kurds scattered across the mountainous regions within the borders of Armenia, Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey. The Kurds often say that they have “no friends but the mountains.” The Economist also reports that “internal division has been one of their worst enemies.”
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In early March, Pope Francis embarked on a four-day trip to Iraq, where he met with political and religious rulers to encourage better Christian-Muslim relations. According to the official Vatican itinerary, titled Apostolic Journey of His Holiness Pope Francis to Iraq, the Pope arrived in Baghdad on March 5, where he was met by the Prime Minister and later that day visited the Iraqi President. He concluded his trip in Erbil, where he led mass in front of a large crowd. He preached words of encouragement to Christians living in Iraq, pointing to a better future in which they can restore the communities that were ravaged by ISIS militants years ago when they seized control of the region.
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Patriot missile defense systems are now fully operational at U.S. military bases in al-Asad and Erbil, Iraq, months after Iran launched a massive ballistic missile attack in January.
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On February 13th, women organized in major cities and marched wearing colors reminiscent of International Women’s Day while holding signs such as, “Women rule the world.”
Read moreAfter the U.S. assassination of Iran’s Qasam Suleimani, the world held its breath waiting for the Islamic Republic’s ‘vengeance’ for the death of one of its powerful figures. The internet reacted with speculations of World War III, reminiscent to the start of the First World War. Nevertheless, as the world waited, Iraqis were out celebrating the death of a troublemaker, mourning the death of a martyr, or fearful their country will become a battleground for another war.
Read moreRecent developments in the ongoing U.S.-Iran situation have seen protesters in Iraq flood the streets by the masses, with hundreds of thousands marching through the streets of Baghdad protesting the U.S. troop presence in Iraq.
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Demonstrations erupted in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad and in several provinces across Iraq.
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Recent protests in Iraq have citizens and government officials on edge. Upwards of 260 people have been killed since protests over lack of jobs and services began on October 1.
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