The blaze in the southern city of Nasiriya has been brought under control. The death toll is expected to rise and the fire may have been caused by an oxygen tank explosion.

The president outlined a "new phase" of US involvement in Iraq, which will still involve "dealing with ISIS." By the end of 2021, the US combat mission in the country will be over, almost two decades after it began.

More than 10 people are reported to have died and at least 50 injured. State media blamed the attack on the 'Islamic State' (IS) militant group, which has revived its campaign of violence in Iraq.

Thousands of climate change demonstrators thronged central London on Monday, as environmental activist group Extinction Rebellion held its latest round of protests, promising two weeks of disruption.

The endangered Lake Titicaca frog is making its debut at Chester Zoo, in the north of England. It’s the world’s largest aquatic frog, and takes its name from the lake where it lives on the border of Bolivia and Peru - but thanks to its unusual look means the animal is better known by its nickname ‘scrotum’ frog.

Pope Francis met Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, whose right-wing, anti-immigrant policies clash with Francis' call for countries to welcome refugees. Francis discussed refugees and anti-Semitism in Budapest.

"Here, in this place, the name of God was dishonored," Pope Francis said at a Holocaust memorial in Bratislava. During World War II, Slovakia was governed by a Nazi puppet regime, headed by Catholic priest Jozef Tiso.

Archbishop Stefan Hesse was on leave after being accused of neglecting his duty in a report on sexual abuse at the diocese of Cologne.

In his Angelus prayer, Pope Francis deplores the "terrible outbreak of violence" in the prison of Guayaquil, Ecuador, where at least 118 inmates died - including six beheaded - in rioting among rival gangs before police regained control.

In the autumn of 2019, an unprecedented protest movement engulfed the Iraqi capital Baghdad and the predominantly Shiite south of the country. Demonstrators were angry at the widespread corruption and incompetence of the political class, but also the influence of neighbouring Iran and its militias. An extremely violent crackdown left at least 600 dead and 21,000 injured in just a few months. Meanwhile, the leaders of the protest movement became the target of assassinations. As Iraq prepares to hold parliamentary elections, more and more voices are accusing pro-Iranian armed groups of being behind a campaign of systematic violence. FRANCE 24's Jonathan Walsh and Amar Al Hameedawi report.

Years of protests have resulted in some reforms. But, in the run-up to Iraq's parliamentary elections, optimism for genuine systemic political change remains slim, and voter turnout could hit an all-time low.

The elections, which took place amid a widespread election boycott by anti-government activists, didn't generate much enthusiasm among Iraq's young population.