Iraq's summer of discontent

In early July, people in Iraq's southern port city of Basra began protesting against power cuts, corruption, poor public services and high unemployment. Protests soon spread north to Nasiriyah and the capital, Baghdad. Several have been killed and hundreds injured. An end to the unrest does not seem to be in sight. On 29 July, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi responded by sacking his minister of electricity.