Iraqi PM steps down

This item appears on page 18 of the January 2020 issue.

On Nov. 28, more than 40 protesters were killed in Iraq, the deadliest single day since protests began there on Oct. 27. Most of those killed were in the city of Nasiriyah, where security forces using live ammunition fired on protesters blocking a bridge. Protesters were also killed in Baghdad and Najaf. In total, at press time, nearly 400 people had been killed since protests began.

On Nov. 29, after the country’s top Shia cleric called for a new government due to the continued use of live ammunition against protesters, Iraq’s Prime Minister, Adil Abdul Mahdi, agreed to step down. A date for his resignation had not been announced as of press time.