After more than three decades of existence, the Group of Eight (G8) is struggling to defend its relevance amid criticism of its limited membership and lack of a compliance mechanism.

Violence in oil-rich Basra, Iraq’s second largest city, is one of the most serious security challenges facing Iraq ’s new government.

Iraq’s first permanent government faces a host of challenges in the months ahead, from fighting corruption to supplying water and electricity to amending Iraq’s constitution.