Protesters storm and burn the Basra Government building during a demonstration demanding better public services and jobs in Basra, 340 miles (550 km) southeast of Baghdad, Iraq, Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. (Nabil al-Jurani/Associated Press)BASRA, Iraq — Iraq’s embattled prime minister Haider al-Abadi visited the southern city of Basra, on Monday, where 15 people were killed in weeklong protests over poor public services and soaring unemployment. The prime minister, who took office in Sept. 2014, is under pressure to resign, as Basra convulses with the worst unrest it has seen in years. The unrest comes as lawmakers in Baghdad are deadlocked over selecting a new prime minister, after the country held elections in May. Oil-rich Basra and other cities in Iraq’s southern Shiite heartland have been protesting since July over endemic corruption, soaring joblessness and poor public services.

Source: Washington Post September 10, 2018 09:22 UTC