Oct 31, 2019

Iraqi prime minister to resign after weeks of deadly protests

Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Photo: Thomas Koehler /Contributor/Getty Images

Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi has agreed to resign amid anti-government protests that have resulted more than 200 dead, reports Bloomberg.

Why it matters: Demonstrations over the past month have rocked the country, which had been in a state of relative stability for the past two years. Protestors have demanded Abdul-Mahdi to step down and called for a broad overhaul of the government, condemning unemployment, violence and corruption throughout the country.

What's next: Iraqi President Barham Salih says he plans to draft electoral law next week for a parliamentary ballot, and crack down on corruption, per Bloomberg.

  • "The prime minister had previously agreed to submit his resignation," Salih announced in a live address on Thursday, per a translation from Reuters, "if the blocs agree on an acceptable replacement in order to adhere to constitutional and legal frameworks."
  • It is unclear whether Abdul-Mahdi will step down immediately, or wait until his replacement is selected.

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World coronavirus updates

Data: The Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins; Map: Axios Visuals

There are no COVID-19 patients in hospital in New Zealand, which reported just 21 active cases. A top NZ health official said Tuesday he's "confident we have broken the chain of domestic transmission."

By the numbers: Almost 5.5 million people have tested positive for the novel coronavirus as of Tuesday, and more than 2.2 million have recovered. The U.S. has reported the most cases in the world (over 1.6 million from 14.9 million tests).

Go deeper (2 min. read)ArrowUpdated 10 mins ago - Health

U.S. coronavirus updates

Data: The Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins; Map: Andrew Witherspoon/Axios. This graphic includes "probable deaths" that New York City began reporting on April 14.

Coronavirus antibody tests are still relatively unreliable, and it's unclear if people who get the virus are immune to getting it again, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cautioned on Tuesday.

By the numbers: More than 98,900 people have died from COVID-19 and over 1.6 million have tested positive in the U.S. Over 384,900 Americans have recovered and more than 14.9 million tests have been conducted.

Go deeper (2 min. read)ArrowUpdated 51 mins ago - Health

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

  1. Global: Total confirmed cases as of 9:30 p.m. ET: 5,588,299 — Total deaths: 350,417 — Total recoveries — 2,286,827 — Map.
  2. U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 9:30 p.m. ET: 1,680,625 — Total deaths: 98,902 — Total recoveries: 384,902 — Total tested: 14,907,041 — Map.
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  6. Tech: Twitter fact-checks Trump's tweets about mail-in voting for first time — Google to open offices July 6 for 10% of workers.
  7. Public health: Coronavirus antibodies could give "short-term immunity," CDC says, but more data is needed— CDC releases guidance on when you can be around others after contracting the virus.
  8. What should I do? When you can be around others after contracting the coronavirus — Traveling, asthma, dishes, disinfectants and being contagious — Masks, lending books and self-isolating — Exercise, laundry, what counts as soap — Pets, moving and personal health — Answers about the virus from Axios experts — What to know about social distancing — How to minimize your risk.
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Updated 1 hour ago - Politics & Policy