IRAQ

Oil firms operating in Kurdistan have asked the United States to help defuse an upsurge in tension between Iraq's central government and the semi-autonomous region, according to a letter seen by Reuters and three sources.

Iraq political gridlock persists after bloody unrest

Iraq's powerful cleric Moqtada al-Sadr ordered his followers to end their protests in central Baghdad on Tuesday and apologised to Iraqis after 22 people were killed in clashes between rival Shi'ite Muslim groups.

Two more bodies pulled from Iraq shrine landslide

Iraq marked its longest post-election deadlock on Wednesday as infighting among Shi'ite and Kurdish groups in particular prevents the formation of a government.

From Saddam to IS: Iraq still exhuming mass graves

British geologist, Jim Fitton, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison by a court in Iraq for trying to smuggle artefacts out of the country.

The war in Ukraine has "pushed up the price of motor oil and of high-yield seeds"

The security official believes that "financial motives" are the main reason Tripoli's youth are joining IS ranks.

A new surge in numbers of migrant arrivals has hit the bloc's southern and eastern members this year

Polish media say at least 11 migrants have died since the crisis began in August.

Some Gulf countries such as Qatar and Oman are often seen as channels for the US to communicate with Iran.

Belarusian foreign ministry spokesman Anataoly Glaz accused Poland of exacerbating the problem.

The French leader was also due to meet the family of a Peshmerga fighter killed by IS

In January, the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for a rare twin suicide bombing that killed 32 people -- also at a crowded market in Baghdad.

Smoke was still rising from the charred debris of the temporary building on Tuesday, as grieving relatives looked on.

The health ministry has recorded more than 15,000 deaths since the pandemic broke out last year, from a population of 40 million.

The pope was driven in a golf cart around the historic Old City, largely razed during the grinding fight to dislodge the jihadists.

Pope Francis is an outspoken proponent of interfaith efforts and has visited several Muslim-majority countries including Bangladesh, Turkey, Morocco and the United Arab Emirates.

Since Iraq declared victory over the Islamic State group in late 2017, the coalition presence has been reduced to fewer than 3,500 troops, of whom 2,500 are American.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani voiced guarded hopes for negotiations that his government has opened with the Taliban to end two decades of war.