The makeup of Iraqi PM Ali al-Zaidi’s new government revealed the absence of any figure directly affiliated with armed factions, raising a central question over how far the U.S. succeeded in pushing those groups out of power as part of its conditions for maintaining ties with Baghdad and continuing political support.

In a new and bloody chapter of hatred against Islam and Muslims on American soil, a mosque in San Diego, California, was targeted in a shooting attack that left several people dead.

As the deadline for Iraqi PM-designate Ali al-Zaidi to present his cabinet to parliament nears, Iran has become directly involved in the government formation process, despite previously insisting it was a purely Iraqi matter beyond external interference.

As Iraqi prime minister-designate Ali al-Zaidi pushes ahead with efforts to form a new government, the U.S. is simultaneously imposing sanctions on Iraqi figures and leaders of armed factions, while issuing repeated warnings against including such groups in the upcoming cabinet.

China has scrapped tariffs on goods from 53 African countries starting May 1, 2026, in a move that has sparked differing interpretations over its aims, impact, and broader context.