Decades of conflict has made Iraq a hotbed for trafficking. From weapons to drugs, Iraq has dominated headlines. However, less attention has been focused on the trafficking of wild animals. In fact, the Middle East is considered one of the hubs of animal trafficking. Our correspondent in Iraq, Lucile Wassermann, went to meet the players in the trading of wildlife to understand the drivers behind it.

The US said it is working with the Iraqi and the regional Kurdish governments to get missile defense capabilities after Iran attacked Erbil.

Former Bulgarian prime minister Boyko Borissov has been detained on suspicion of misusing EU funds. Police made several arrests after investigations into 120 cases of fraud relating to EU aid.

Lawmakers will vote on a motion of no-confidence against Prime Minister Imran Khan. Opposition legislators say they have enough votes to push it through.

Warsaw requested an explanation from the French ambassador over comments made by the French president. The French president strongly criticized Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki in a newspaper interview.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has set May 21 as the date for Australia's general elections. The vote will be a battle to stay in power for Morrison after three years rocked by floods, bushfires and the pandemic.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his Finance Minister Rishi Sunak are to be fined by police for breaking COVID-19 lockdown rules. The leader of the UK's main opposition party has called for both to resign.

While supporters praise Sharif's plans for major infrastructure projects, critics accuse him of corruption and cronyism.

In an unexpected announcement, Prime Minister Patrick Achi and his Cabinet have tendered their resignation. The leader of Ivory Coast's government had held the job for a little over a year.

A new round of fighting has driven some 1,000 Yazidi families from their homes. The security situation remains fragile, despite a cease-fire agreed on earlier this week.

Colombo has seen clashes between government supporters and protesters outside the offices of the president and prime minister. Hours later, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa offered to step down.

She is the first woman to hold the position in over 30 years. French President Emmanuel Macron and Borne were expected to appoint the full government within days.