Alice Fordham

On the second day of a landmark trip to Iraq, Pope Francis traveled to the the city of Najaf to meet Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, before visiting what is believed to be the birthplace of Abraham.

The pontiff arrived at Baghdad International Airport where he was greeted by the prime minister. During his four-day visit, Francis will focus on Iraq's ancient but dwindling Christian community.

The Pentagon said the unnamed U.S. national was taking shelter and suffered a "cardiac episode," dying shortly thereafter. The attack followed U.S. strikes against Iran-backed militants last week.

The U.S. launched an air attack in Syria Thursday. Pentagon officials say they targeted facilities used by Iranian-backed militias responsible for a deadly rocket attack on a U.S. base in Iraq.

Domestic tourism has been strong in Iraq's northern Kurdish region, but sites in more impoverished, insecure areas tend to be visited less. A few Iraqi tourism companies are trying to change that.

Iraq's historic site of Babylon is famous worldwide, but some Iraqis are just getting to know it again — thanks to tours that introduce them to the past.

Many Iraqis — Christian and Muslim — say they are excited about the first papal visit to the country, raising hopes of religious tolerance in the face of extremist violence.

A rocket attack on a U.S. base in Iraq highlights the difficult security situation in the country, even as NATO announces it will increase its presence. We examine what's needed to keep Iraq secure.

Pope Francis plans to travel the original home of the patriarch Abraham in the Iraqi desert. His tour will also take him to places where there are almost no Christians — most everyone is Muslim.

Local media reported rockets fell in several areas in and around the city, and multiple people were being treated for injuries in hospital. The identity of the attackers was not immediately clear.

"Iraq's economic situation can probably best be described as being dire," says an International Energy Agency expert. Government revenues have plummeted and its currency has been devalued.

In Iraq, a huge share of the country relies on government salaries. But the government relies on oil revenues which have been falling. The purchasing power of average Iraqis has dropped.

Twin suicide bombings at a Baghdad market — unheard of in recent years — are raising security concerns as the Biden administration looks at the U.S. troops still in the country.

Suicide bombings have been rare in the Iraqi capital since the country's military largely defeated the Islamic State group in 2017. But ISIS has reportedly claimed responsibility for the attacks.

Syria's President Bashar Assad, seems to be keeping his promise to retake every inch of the country with brutal force. But people in the areas he controls are suffering economically, too.

In Lebanon, a woman in a Palestinian refugee camp tested positive for the coronavirus. It's a worrying case for a country whose response to the virus is threatened by economic problems.

The pandemic has "had a particularly heartbreaking impact on refugees — in the sense that it's cut off their ability to travel, and trapped them in precarious situations," says an immigration lawyer.

Although people fleeing war or humanitarian crises know about the dangers of COVID-19, many are also worried about being persecuted if the disease spreads in their communities.

"If one person gets sick then everyone will get sick," says a Syrian refugee in a Greek camp. Officials worry the rapidly spreading virus could overwhelm nearby communities soon after ravaging a camp.

Syrian refugees in Lebanon, who number more than 1 million, are afraid to come forward for coronavirus testing or treatment.