With turnout somewhere between 38 and 41 per cent, assassinations and intimidation of activists by armed groups in the run-up to the election, and a boycott of the election by several new parties linked to the protest movement, political calm and stability seem a distant prospect in Iraq. There has also been a shift in the balance of power towards Muqtada al-Sadr and Nouri al-Maliki. By Harith HasanMore

A sense of resignation and pessimism is spreading through the Kurdistan region of Iraq, especially among the younger generation. The economic standstill, rampant youth unemployment and the omnipotence of the clans are driving people to despair. Dara Alani reports from SulaymaniyahMore

Major rallies against the nation's political elite have been raging in Iraq for months, so far resulting in 15 deaths and 120 injuries. Birgit Svensson reports from Basra, where the protests first flared up and quickly spread through the entire southern half of the country to BaghdadMore

Tensions between Iraqi federal government and the Kurds centres around a long-running dispute over the countryʹs oil revenues. While Baghdad denies Kurdistanʹs right to conclude production contracts without prior central government approval, the Kurdistan Regional Government claims this as a constitutional right. By Stasa SalacaninMore

At the forthcoming parliamentary poll in Iraq, the question is who will gain the upper hand – pro-Iranian Shias or pro-western forces? A pre-election analysis by Arnold HottingerMore

By going ahead with the referendum on independence, Massoud Barzani has forfeited the support of his international allies, while bringing tensions with Iraqi central government to a dangerous head. If Barzani hoped the referendum would consolidate his own power base, he couldn′t have been more wrong. An analysis by Cigdem AkyolMore

The battle for Mosul should have been brought to an end a long time ago. Last October, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi promised the city would be liberated within three months. But the battle for what used to be Iraq's second largest city has now been raging for more than seven months. And the number of civilian victims continues its dramatic rise. By Birgit SvenssonMore