After his supporters stormed parliament and declared a sit-in, influential Shiite leader Muqtada al-Sadr dismissed calls for dialogue with an Iran-backed faction and called for the dissolution of the legislature.

At least 15 people have died in clashes after supporters of Muqtada al-Sadr stormed the government palace. The unrest came after the cleric announced he was retiring from politics.

A new Conservative prime minister has been picked in the UK, with Liz Truss gearing up to sift through the dispatch boxes and state papers. But her arrival at 10 Downing Street following Boris Johnson's resignation comes at a time of major strife in Britain, with a cost of living crisis having already sparked a summer of strikes.

Armed attacks near the border with Iran, rockets into Baghdad and an arduous path to a potential government spell an instable autumn after a violent summer.

Since the parliamentary election in October 2021, there has been a political crisis in Iraq, with members of the Council of Representatives of Iraq being unable to form a stable coalition government, or elect a new President.

Rishi Sunak said on Tuesday he was not daunted by the scale of the challenge as he became Britain's third prime minister in two months, pledging to restore trust, rebuild confidence and lead the country through an economic crisis.

As Rishi Sunak becomes the UK's first South Asian-origin prime minister, India's leadership is showcasing him as success story for the Indian diaspora.

After a year of political gridlock and instability, Iraq is finally on the verge of forming a government as Prime Minister-designate Mohammed Shia al-Sudani assembles his cabinet.

Diamond tycoon and political maverick Sam Matekane on Friday took the oath as Lesotho's new prime minister at a packed soccer stadium in the southern African kingdom's capital of Maseru. FRANCE 24's Nadine Theron reports from Cape Town, South Africa.

The victim was traveling by car when he was fired upon by "unknown persons," according to Iraqi police. The motive for the attack is still unclear.

Repeated droughts experienced by Iraq for the past three years are accentuating the rural exodus underway throughout the country. No longer able to work on their land due to rapid desertification, farmers are moving to the cities. In oil-rich Basra, the country's economic powerhouse, these farmers end up in slums, often going without basic services.

The self-declared "Islamic State" said it was responsible for the blast that killed at least nine police officers near Kirkuk. The militia is still active in parts of Iraq, despite Baghdad declaring victory over it.