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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.

Go deeper:

Go deeper

Erin Doherty
1 hour ago - Politics & Policy

Mitt Romney calls Ray Dalio's China investments a "sad moral lapse"

Sen. Mitt Romney walks to a Senate Republican caucus meeting at the Capitol on Oct. 7. Photo: Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) on Thursday criticized billionaire Ray Dalio's investments in China, writing in a tweet that "his feigned ignorance of China's horrific abuses and rationalization of complicit investments there is a sad moral lapse."

Driving the news: Romney's comments come after Dalio's firm, Bridgewater Associates, the largest hedge fund in the world, raised $1.3 billion in November for a new private fund in China, Bloomberg reports.

Go deeper (<1 min. read)Arrow
Axios
Updated 2 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Omicron dashboard

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

  1. Health: First known U.S. case of Omicron variant identified in California — America probably won't lead the effort to understand Omicron — CDC prepares tougher testing rules for international travelers.
  2. Politics: Omicron travel bans are sign of what's to come — Meta removes accounts linked to COVID disinformation effort by China.
  3. Vaccines: Omicron adds urgency to vaccinating world — Omicron fuels the case for COVID boosters — Moderna loses patent battles tied to COVID vaccine.
  4. World: Germany approves new restrictions for unvaccinated people — Omicron variant detected in more countries — WHO advises people 60 or older to postpone travel due to Omicron
  5. Variant tracker: Where different strains are spreading.
Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow
Sophia Cai
Updated 3 hours ago - Politics & Policy

U.S. faces urgent anti-hacker crisis

Illustration: Allie Carl/Axios

The Biden administration is accelerating efforts to fill nearly 600,000 vacant cybersecurity positions in the public and private sectors bogging down efforts to protect digital infrastructure.

Why it matters: Following a deluge of ransomware attacks targeting critical government and corporate infrastructure this year, clogs in the talent pipeline are leaving federal, cash-strapped local governments and Big Business even more susceptible to hacking.

Go deeper (2 min. read)Arrow