FILE - This March, 13, 2019 handout file photo from the office of Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, shows senior Shiite cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani in the southern Iraqi city of Najaf. The pontiff and ayatollah will meet in al-Sistanis modest home in the Iraqi city of Najaf. (Office of Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, via AP, File)One highlight of Pope Francis' historic visit to Iraq is his meeting Saturday with a revered religious leader for Shiite Muslims, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani. ___The 90-year-old al-Sistani is the top Shiite cleric in Iraq and a powerhouse in the Shiite world. After the 2003 ouster of Saddam Hussein, al-Sistani emerged as a powerful voice in Iraq’s political process — a symbol of the ascent of Iraq's Shiite majority after the war.

Women wait outside the Chaldean Cathedral of Saint Joseph, in Baghdad, Iraq, Saturday, March 6, 2021, where Pope Francis, depicted on a giant poster at their back, is concelebrating a mass. AdTogether, the day’s events gave symbolic and practical punch to the central message of Francis’ visit, calling for Iraq to embrace its diversity. Al-Sistani is one of the most senior clerics in Shiite Islam, deeply revered among Shiites in Iraq and worldwide. Later, Pope Francis evoked the common reverence for Abraham to speak against religious violence at the inter-faith gathering at the Plains of Ur, near the southern city of Nasiriyah. Associated Press journalists Anmar Khalil in Najaf, Iraq, and Samya Kullab in Baghdad contributed.

FILE - in this Sunday, April 14, 2019 file photo, Cardinal Louis Raphael I Sako addresses the faithful during the Palm Sunday service at Mar Youssif Church in Baghdad, Iraq. The Chaldean patriarch, Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako, provided the first details of Francis’ March 5-8 itinerary during a virtual news conference hosted by the French bishops' conference. The Vatican has confirmed the visit, but it still could be called off given the coronavirus pandemic. Sako dismissed the significance of the bombing on the overall security situation in Iraq and said, “There is no risk for the pope." Francis and the Vatican delegation will have been vaccinated by the time of the trip.

The Army says it has fired or suspended 14 officers and enlisted soldiers at Fort Hood, Texas, and ordered policy changes to address chronic leadership failures at the base that contributed to a widespread pattern of violence including murder, sexual assaults and harassment. He also ordered a separate probe into staffing and procedures at the base's Criminal Investigation Command unit, which is responsible for investigating crimes on Fort Hood. Mejhor Morta was found near a reservoir by Fort Hood. The five-member panel spent three weeks at Fort Hood and conducted more than 2,500 interviews, including 647 in person. Fort Hood, he said, has the highest rate of positive drug tests in the Army.

Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein, left, speaks at the State Department in Washington, Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2020, during a news conference with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, right. Trump and Iraq's prime minister, Mustafa al-Kadhimi, were to meet at the White House Thursday morning. There is still work to do," Pompeo told reporters at a State Department news conference with Iraq's foreign minister Fuad Hussein. We want an Iraq that is corruption free, prosperous and fully integrated into the global economy," Pompeo said. Meanwhile, the U.S.-led coalition has been carrying out a planned drawdown this year as Iraqi security forces take the lead in combat and air raids.

Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein, left, speaks at the State Department in Washington, Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2020, during a news conference with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, right. Pompeo said the United States was committed to helping Iraq regain and maintain security, despite President Donald Trumps oft-stated desire to reduce and then eliminate the American troop presence there. We want an Iraq that is corruption free, prosperous and fully integrated into the global economy," Pompeo said. He said Iraq currently does not need direct military support on the ground, and that the levels of help will depend on the changing nature of the threat. Meanwhile, the U.S.-led coalition has been carrying out a planned drawdown this year as Iraqi security forces take the lead in combat and air raids.

Officials in Iraq often provide conflicting accounts of the same incident, particularly in the context of Iraq's chaotic anti-government protests. The demonstrations have been marked by bloodshed and almost daily confrontations, with security forces firing live ammunition and tear gas at demonstrators. More than 450 people have been killed, most of them shot in the head and chest by security forces. Security officials initially said the teen had been wanted by police on drug-related charges and was running from security forces before opening fire and killing six people. That same week, mysterious knife attacks targeted over a dozen anti-government protesters in Tahrir Square, the hub of the protest movement.

(AP Photo/Khalid Mohammed)BAGHDAD – The Latest on anti-government protests in Iraq (all times local):10 p.m.Iraqi officials say four protesters were killed amid ongoing violence in Baghdad and southern Iraq, hours after Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi announced his intention to resign. Officials say three protesters were shot dead by security forces in the southern city of Nasiriyah, bringing the total killed there to six on Friday. Shortly after Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi announced his intention to resign Friday, protesters in Tahrir broke out in song and dance in celebration. ___3:40 p.m.Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi says he will submit his resignation to Parliament in the wake of anti-government protests, a bit over a year since he took office. The statement, broadcast on Iraqi TV, comes a day after more than 40 protesters were killed by security forces and shortly after Iraq's top Shiite cleric called on the parliament to withdraw support.

Abdul-Mahdi was appointed Iraq’s fifth prime minister since 2003 as a consensus candidate following months of political wrangling between rival political blocs. He would be the second prime minister in an Arab country to be forced out by mass protests recently. In Lebanon, the resignation of Prime Minister Saad Hariri a month earlier, on Oct. 29, led to further political gridlock and uncertainty. To avoid political crisis, Sairoon and Fatah forged a precarious union with Abdul-Mahdi as their prime minister. He was Iraq’s first prime minister from outside the Dawa party in 12 years.

An injured protester is attended to during clashes between Iraqi security forces and anti-government demonstrators in Baghdad, Iraq, Friday, Nov. 22, 2019. Protesters occupy several Baghdad squares and parts of three bridges in a standoff with security forces. Security forces responded with barrages of tear gas and live ammunition that killed 10 protesters and injured more than 100 by Thursday evening. One protester was killed Friday by live ammunition, while the other two died because of tear gas, the officials said. Security forces are deployed on the other side to prevent them entering the area, which houses government buildings and various foreign embassies, including the United States.

Thus, “Tuk Tuk” was born. It was named after a powerful symbol of the protest movement, the three-wheeled tuk tuk vehicles whose drivers rush injured protesters, sometimes through sniper fire, from the frontline of demonstrations to medical centers. “Tuk Tuk” fills an information void left by mainstream Iraqi media, the editor said. The statements, signed by “the Protesters in Tahrir Square,” are sent to “Tuk Tuk” for publication. “Tuk Tuk” is also a tool to address the many rumors circulating in the press about the protest movement, in particular allegations that it was being funded by foreign actors, including the United States.