xpro gaming live casino Women will for the first time make up a majority of state legislators in Colorado and New Mexico next year, but at least 13 states saw losses in female representation after the November election, according to a count released Thursday by the Rutgers Center for American Women and Politics. While women will fill a record number of state legislative seats in 2025, the overall uptick will be slight, filling just over third of legislative seats. Races in some states are still being called. "We certainly would like to see a faster rate of change and more significant increases in each election cycle to get us to a place where parity in state legislatures is less novel and more normal," said Kelly Dittmar, director of research at the CAWP, which is a unit of the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University. As of Wednesday, at least 2,450 women will serve in state legislatures, representing 33.2% of the seats nationwide. The previous record was set in 2024 with 2,431 women, according to the CAWP. The number of Republican women, at least 851, will break the previous record of 815 state lawmakers set in 2024. "But still, Republican women are very underrepresented compared to Democratic women," Debbie Walsh, director of the CAWP, said. From left, House Maj. Whip Reena Szczepanski, D-Santa Fe, Rep. D. Wonda Johnson, D-Church Rock and Rep. Cristina Parajon, D-Albuquerque, talk July 18 before the start of a special session, in Santa Fe, N.M. By the most recent count, 19 states will have increased the number of women in their state legislatures, according to the CAWP. The most notable increases were in New Mexico and Colorado, where women will for the first time make up a majority of lawmakers. In New Mexico, voters sent an 11 additional women to the chambers. Colorado previously attained gender parity in 2023 and is set to tip over to a slight female majority in the upcoming year. The states follow Nevada, which was the first in the country to see a female majority in the legislature following elections in 2018. Next year, women will make up almost 62% of state lawmakers in Nevada, far exceeding parity. Women in California's Senate will make up the chamber's majority for the first time in 2025 as well. Women also made notable gains in South Dakota, increasing its number by at least nine. Four of South Carolina's Sister Senators, from left, Sen. Margie Bright Matthews, D-Walterboro, Sen. Mia McLeod, I-Columbia, Sen. Katrina Shealy, R-Lexington, and Sen. Penry Gustafson, R-Camden, stand in front of the Senate on June 26 with their John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage award in Columbia, S.C. At least thirteen states emerged from the election with fewer female lawmakers than before, with the most significant loss occurring in South Carolina. This year, the only three Republican women in the South Carolina Senate lost their primaries after they stopped a total abortion ban from passing. Next year, only two women, who are Democrats, will be in the 46-member Senate. No other state in the country will have fewer women in its upper chamber, according to the CAWP. Women make up 55% of the state's registered voters. Half the members in the GOP dominated state were elected in 2012 or before, so it will likely be the 2040s before any Republican woman elected in the future can rise to leadership or a committee chairmanship in the chamber, which doles out leadership positions based on seniority. A net loss of five women in the legislature means they will make up only about 13% of South Carolina's lawmakers, making the state the second lowest in the country for female representation. Only West Virginia has a smaller proportion of women in the legislature. West Virginia stands to lose one more women from its legislative ranks, furthering its representation problem in the legislature where women will make up just 11% of lawmakers. Many women, lawmakers and experts say that women's voices are needed in discussions on policy, especially at a time when state government is at its most powerful in decades. Walsh, director of the CAWP, said the new changes expected from the Trump administration will turn even more policy and regulation to the states. The experiences and perspectives women offer will be increasingly needed, she said, especially on topics related to reproductive rights, healthcare, education and childcare. "The states may have to pick up where the federal government may, in fact, be walking away," Walsh said. "And so who serves in those institutions is more important now than ever." November 7, 2024: Trump Victory Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.

The 49ers' playoff hopes are still teetering even after get-right game against the BearsPoliticians and dignitaries from around the world have gathered in Paris for the official reopening of Notre Dame, five years after a fire nearly destroyed the centuries-old cathedral. Follow DW for more. What you need to know French President Emmanuel Macron, who has called Notre Dame's reopening "a jolt of hope," will address hundreds of people in the newly restored cathedral on Saturday. US President-elect Donald Trump, America's first lady Jill Biden and Britain's Prince William are among the 1,500 guests attending the reopening celebration. Pianist Lang Lang, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, and soprano Pretty Yende are among the artists slated to perform at the ceremony, which will be led by Archbishop Laurent Ulrich. Follow the latest on the Notre Dame reopening ceremony below: Macron expresses 'gratitude of French nation' for rapid renovation Speaking before the liturgy began, President Macron said he wanted to first express the "gratitude of the French nation" to those who had worked to restore the 12th century building. "We must treasure this lesson of fragility, humility and will, and never forget how much each person counts, and how the greatness of this cathedral is inseparable from the work of all," he said. Macron spoke of the building's central place in France and Paris' history, and in French culture, for instance citing Victor Hugo's "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" at length. He lauded the speed and quality of restoration work that he said some thought unfeasible after the fire. "We have rediscovered what great nations were capable of: realizing the impossible," Macron said. He also said the cathedral served as a "pleasant metaphor" for the modern French nation and its values like fraternity. "Notre Dame tells us that our dreams, even the most audacious, are only possible with the will of each and the engagement of all. Our cathedral reminds us that we are the inheritors of a past that is greater than us, which can disappear on any day," he said. WATCH LIVE — Official ceremony for Notre Dame reopening You can watch the proceedings in full on our YouTube site. Standing ovation for firefighters, hymns, music in opening minutes Archbishop of Paris Laurent Ulrich commanded the cathedral "open your doors" on entry for the ceremony. Macron and US President-elect Trump both sat in the front row for proceedings. A long standing ovation and period of applause for Paris firefighters who had battled and ultimately controlled the blaze dominated the opening minutes of the ceremony. The remainder was punctuated by musical performances and hymns. Ceremony starts at Notre Dame The cathedral's bells rang out a little after 7 p.m. local time as the ceremony was set to begin. DW's Lisa Louis in Paris said the sounds were met with cheers from those waiting outside. President Macron and his wife Brigitte stood outside the entry to the building as members of the clergy paraded past them an into the buidling. Trump, Zelenskyy, Macron meet at Elysee Palace Zelenskyy and Trump met while visiting French President Macron at the Elysee Palace on Saturday, ahead of attending the Notre Dame opening ceremony. The three leaders posed for a picture before the meeting. Zelenskyy called the meeting "good and productive" on social media. "We all want this war to end as soon as possible and in a just way. We spoke about our people, the situation on the ground, and a just peace," he said in a post on X. Reacting to the discussions, Macron wrote on social media: "Let us continue our joint efforts for peace and security." The three leaders then headed out of the palace, as the ceremony was due to start. The Paris visit is Trump's first international trip since he won the presidential election last month. He met with Macron first, before they were joined by Zelenskyy. "We had a good time together and we had a lot of success, really great success," said the president-elect of his meeting with Macron. "It certainly seems like the world is going a little crazy right now, and we'll be talking about that." The visit comes as NATO allies try to learn more about Trump's likely stance on the war in Ukraine after his inauguration on January 20, after he repeatedly called for a rapid end to the conflict on the campaign trail. Macron to host Trump, Zelenskyy trilateral meeting, Elysee says French President Emmanuel Macron will host a meeting between US President-elect Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy , the Elysee announced on Saturday. The meeting comes as both leaders are in Paris to attend the reopening of the Notre Dame cathedral. Trump met with Macron earlier on Saturday, and Zelenskyy was scheduled to join them shortly, the French AFP news agency cited an unnamed source as saying. Ukraine's Zelenskyy arrives in Paris Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has arrived in Paris for the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral. He is scheduled to meet with French President Emmanuel Macron at 5 p.m. local time on Saturday (1600 UTC). Macron is also set to meet with US President-elect Donald Trump an hour before discussions with Zelenskyy. During his election campaign, Trump cast doubt on US military aid to Ukraine and called for a swift negotiated settlement with Russia . "We expect a good decision from today's meeting with Macron," the French AFP news agency quoted a Ukrainian delegation source as saying, speaking on condition of anonymity. Paris awaits 'jolt of hope' The time for the reopening of Notre Dame de Paris has finally come, and there's a sense of excitement in the air in the French capital. “Paris without Notre Dame is just not Paris — it's really touching to see it reopen," one Parisian lady told DW, beaming with joy, as she was walking along the Seine riverbank, not far from the monument. Starting on Saturday morning, people began taking up places in the front rows of what the authorities are calling "boxes" — fenced-off areas around Notre Dame with space for some 40,000 people. The spectators will be able to watch tonight's ceremony on giant screens put up along the Seine. A large area around the 800-year-old monument has been cordoned off with a heavy security perimeter in place, similar to the buffer zone set up during this year's Olympic and Paralympic Summer Games. President Emmanuel Macron is hoping Saturday's event will be similar to the Olympics in another way, with the French capital turning into a bubble of happiness during the summer. Macron, during a televised speech on Thursday night, said he hoped the Notre Dame ceremony would also bring about a "jolt of hope." That's something France desperately needs after opposition parliamentarians this week ousted its government over the vote for the 2025 budget. The move has thrown the country into political and economic uncertainty and brought additional turmoil to Europe in times of international conflict and divisions. Wars are raging in Ukraine and the Middle East. And with Trump soon back at the White House, trade wars are likely to gain speed. Tonight's ceremony won't solve these issues. But at least, it'll be a moment of respite. Notre Dame Cathedral reopens after five years The iconic Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris is set to reopen its doors on Saturday for the first time in five years. The 861-year-old cathedral was nearly destroyed in a devastating fire in April 2019. Over €840 million ($888 million) was raised in donations in the aftermath of the fire to restore the monument. Authorities said the opening ceremony would be held inside the structure due to a forecast of strong winds. According to the Elysee Palace, French President Emmanuel Macron is set to meet with US President-elect Donald Trump for bilateral talks on Saturday afternoon and will also meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy later in the day. Both are among the thousands of guests expected to attend the ceremony. Pianist Lang Lang, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, and soprano Pretty Yende are among the artists slated to perform in the ceremony, which will be led by Archbishop Laurent Ulrich. Reopened: The Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video sdi/rmt (AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters)The ruling BJP-NCP-Shiv Sena alliance won 230 of the 288 seats in the November 20 elections. (File) NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar on Saturday said the Opposition should not lose heart over its rout but go back to the people who do not seem to be enthused by the massive victory of the BJP-led Mahayuti in the Maharashtra elections. The Opposition's priority would be to ensure that all the election promises made by the ruling alliance including increasing the financial assistance to women under the Ladki Bahin scheme from Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,100 are implemented at the earliest, he said. Sharad Pawar said a comparison between votes polled and seats won by political parties in the Maharashtra assembly polls was surprising. "It is true that we have been defeated. We should not fret over it, but go back to the people, as no enthusiasm is visible among the people about the election results. There is a lot of resentment," the senior politician said at a press conference here. The ruling BJP-NCP-Shiv Sena alliance won 230 of the 288 seats in the November 20 elections. The Opposition's strength in the assembly is low but many young Opposition MLAs will show their mettle after a couple of sessions, Sharad Pawar said. To a question on Samajwadi Party's state chief Abu Asim Azmi announcing that his party was pulling out of the Opposition's Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance after the Shiv Sena (UBT) hailed, in a newspaper advertisement, those who demolished the Babri Masjid, Sharad Pawar sought to play down the development. The central leadership of the Akhilesh Yadav-led party was of the firm view that the Opposition's unity is necessary, he said. Opposition parties can not demand that a Leader of Opposition must be appointed as they do not have the required numbers, Sharad Pawar said. None of the Opposition parties, including Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (SP), Congress or Sena (UBT) individually have the minimum 29 MLAs -- ten per cent of the Assembly's strength -- to be eligible to get the post. Sharad Pawar, however, noted that in the 1980s, when his own party was reduced to just six MLAs following defections, he still became the Leader of the Opposition for a year followed by Mrinal Gore and Nihal Ahmed as the Opposition decided to rotate the post. To a question about the row over a wad of Rs 500 notes being found in the Rajya Sabha, Sharad Pawar, himself a member of the Upper House, said there should be a probe as to how the bundle made its way to the seat of an MP (Congress' Abhishek Manu Singhvi) who is an established and renowned lawyer. Sharad Pawar said the comparison between votes polled and seats won by political parties in Maharashtra assembly polls was surprising. "Congress polled 80 lakh votes and won 15 seats while Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena bagged 79 lakh votes and emerged victorious on 57 seats," he said. Ajit Pawar's NCP polled 58 lakh votes and won 41 seats, whereas the NCP (SP) secured 72 lakh votes and won only 10 seats, he said. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis stated that as a senior leader, Sharad Pawar shouldn't mislead the country. "You will come out of this if you accept defeat. I expect you to give your colleagues advice on introspection," he stated on X. D Fadnavis said BJP polled 1,49,13,914 votes and bagged 9 seats in Maharashtra in the Lok Sabha elections, whereas Congress polled 96,41,856 votes and bagged 13 seats. Shiv Sena (UBT) got 73,77,674 votes and won 7 seats while NCP (SP) polled 58,51,166 votes and won 8 constituencies, he said. Promoted Listen to the latest songs, only on JioSaavn.com In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Congress polled 87,92,237 votes and won only one seat while the undivided NCP secured 83,87,363 votes but won 4 seats, he added. (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Should the U.S. increase immigration levels for highly skilled workers?(CNN): As Tommy Driskill, a YouTuber from Hawaii who’s better known by his moniker, ‘Dude Abroad’, sat down for a traditional Iraqi breakfast of kahi and geymar (pastries and clotted cream) outside a hole-in-the-wall cafe in downtown Baghdad, he couldn’t help but think it was a surreal experience. “It was peaceful, calm, and rather quiet,” Driskill told CNN Travel after visiting Iraq in 2024. “The street table view, though, is that of a bullet-ridden building across the road. [It was] a scar left from a darker time — in an area [that,] I was reminded, was once not suitable to stand even for five minutes on the side of the road during the war.” Despite heightened tensions across the Middle East, Driskill is one of an increasing number of Western travelers visiting Iraq as tour operators move in on the country. Home to a wealth of attractions — including the ancient ruins of Babylon, the Mesopotamian Marshes and the mountains of Iraqi Kurdistan — Iraq is often dubbed the “cradle of civilization” because it’s here that the ancient Sumerians developed the wheel, the world’s first writing systems and established urban centers from 5300 BCE onwards. Multiple governments advise against travel to Iraq for security reasons. Travelers concerned about human rights issues also have reservations about visiting a country whose government in 2024 criminalized same-sex relationships and drafted a controversial amendment that would effectively allow for child marriage. Yet the country is luring adventurers, with Iraq’s minister for culture, tourism and antiquities assuring the travel industry that the country is safe at 2023’s World Travel Market and as Baghdad sets its sights on becoming 2025’s Arab Tourism Capital. A ‘do not travel’ destination The US Department of State classifies Iraq as “Level 4: Do Not Travel,” warning against threats of terrorism, kidnapping, armed conflict and civil unrest. The United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office also advises against all travel to Iraq except to the semiautonomous Kurdistan region in the north — an area with a distinct Kurdish culture and language which has operated largely independent of Baghdad since 2005. To Kurdistan it advises against all but essential travel. Official warnings are little surprise given the sectarian violence following the US-led invasion and occupation in 2003 and the collapse of Saddam Hussein’s regime, which was responsible for the disappearance of between 250,000 and 290,000 Iraqis over decades, according to Human Rights Watch. Iraq’s security situation deteriorated again with the rise of ISIS in 2014, whose self-declared caliphate committed atrocities perpetrated against Iraq’s Yazidi minority, which the UK parliament recognized as a genocide in 2023. Driskill grew up watching news reports of the war in Iraq, but his home country’s travel warnings had the opposite effect, sparking his curiosity. “Iraq has been on my travel radar for years,” said Driskill, whose 12-day trip with Bil Weekend, an Iraqi tour operator, took him to centuries-old markets in Baghdad and holy Shia shrines in Karbala, an hour south. “I’m always drawn to off-the-beat destinations, especially ones the US State Department advises citizens against traveling to. Political dynamics aside, I’ve continuously found a common humanity in all of us. In my mind, I assumed Iraq would likely be the same.” Iraq has experienced a period of relative stability since ISIS’s defeat in 2017, although US forces continue to carry out air strikes and raids on ISIS holdouts, including a joint operation with Iraqi forces in August 2024 that saw 14 ISIS fighters killed. Since 2021, when the Federal Government of Iraq began offering visas on arrival at Baghdad International Airport for 30 nationalities, including citizens of the US, UK and European Union, tourism has picked up. According to the Kurdistan Chronicle, the Kurdistan Regional Government Tourism Board has even set itself the lofty target of welcoming 20 million annual visitors by 2030. Most of those are likely to be domestic — according to Kurdistan-based news network Rudaw, a quarter of 2023’s tourists were international visitors. In 2023 the region exceeded the seven million mark, according to government figures. ‘The time is ripe’ International tour operators say they’re experiencing a sharp uptick in demand for Iraq. Lupine Travel, a UK operator specializing in lesser-known destinations, launched tours to Iraqi Kurdistan in 2014 and Federal Iraq in 2018. “We’ve seen a very remarkable increase in demand for traveling into Iraq,” Robert Kyle Molina, Lupine Travel’s tour manager, told CNN. “Especially into Federal Iraq, to places like Baghdad, Babylon, Mosul. Every year the demand has doubled. Two years ago we ran one trip, last year two trips and this year four trips. The word is getting out. The time is ripe to visit.” Risk management and mitigation is a “major part” of what tour operators do, said Molina. The company liaises with a network of local contacts and security consultants in the countries they visit, preparing possible evacuation routes — by land or air — in advance, and monitoring ongoing security situations during the tours. Baghdad resident Ali Al Makhzomy founded Bil Weekend in 2016 to revive cultural tourism to heritage sites after realizing they were woefully undervisited — despite Iraq being home to thousands of years of human history. “Every year we’re seeing more people come to Iraq than before,” he told CNN Travel. “Demand is definitely increasing, but most people don’t even know they can travel here.” Al Makhzomy says that Iraq is seeing unprecedented investment in hotels and tourism infrastructure. Yet, he says, the main challenge faced by the emerging tourist industry is the country’s negative image. “The war ended years ago and we still only hear of Iraq when it’s linked with conflicts,” he said. “But Iraq, the land of ‘Arabian Nights,’ has more than a thousand stories to tell! Those stories need to be experienced by living the journey and discovering the real Iraq.” All-women tours Iraq might seem like an unlikely destination for all-women tours, but Janet Newenham, a content creator and entrepreneur from Cork, Ireland, says otherwise. Newenham first visited in August 2021 and told CNN Travel that she never imagined Iraq becoming one of her favorite travel destinations. She loved it so much she now runs women-only tours there through her company Janet’s Journeys. Initially nervous after having less than positive experiences as a female traveler in some countries, she was surprised to find herself at a music festival with university students on her first day in Baghdad. “Iraq couldn’t have been more different. It was totally surreal,” she said, echoing the same experience as Driskill. “We even ended up at a theme park, on bumper cars, everyone laughing. I had to pinch myself to remind myself I was still in Baghdad!” Newenham described her first all-women group tour in October 2021 as an “absolute roller coaster of a trip.” “It felt like we were the first ever female-only tour group traveling in Iraq, and we caused quite a stir,” she said. The trip wasn’t without its challenges. In Karbala, one of the holiest cities in Shia Islam, they needed to be covered from head to toe (excluding the face) and Newenham had to remind the group that it was prohibited to wear lipstick or nail varnish in the holy shrines. In Mosul, which was under the control of terrorist group ISIS until 2017, there were security concerns, including the threat of unexploded bombs. Newenham said her local guides provide detailed security briefings during trips. In Mosul, guests visit local charities involved in the lengthy demining process, who explain the danger of unexploded bombs and provide updates on which areas of the city have been cleared. “To be honest though, I don’t think traveling as a group of women is any more dangerous than traveling as a group of foreign men,” she said. “Either way, you’ll draw a lot of attention. As a tall blonde woman, I feel like I stuck out like a sore thumb, but that just meant people asking for hundreds of selfies.” Iraq is now one of her most requested tours. “It’s a destination where people return, feeling like they’ve had a life-changing experience,” she said. “Each year we have more and more people reaching out to travel with us to Iraq — and demand only seems to be increasing despite the devastating current events in the Middle East and Palestine.” Religious tourism Iraq’s religious sites have long attracted tourists and pilgrims alike, including Christians. Immediately following the 2003 invasion, there were reports of Christian pilgrims braving war zones to visit holy sites and today, Al Makhzomy says that one of his largest customer bases is churchgoers looking to visit biblical sights like the supposed Garden of Eden, which is reputed to have existed somewhere between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, and to which various modern-day sites stake a claim. In 2021, Pope Francis visited Ur, home to a Sumerian Ziggurat — a pyramid-like temple and shrine complex with elements thought to date to around 2,000 BCE — as well as one of the world’s oldest Christian communities. Reuters reported in March that a new church was due to open in Ur to attract Christian pilgrims. Sergio Arce, a Spanish YouTuber documenting his travels around the world, was struck by the wealth of history and culture surrounding Iraq’s religious attractions when he visited earlier this year as part of a group tour, also with Bil Weekend. “Visiting the [ninth-century] Great Mosque of Samarra is a must,” he told CNN Travel. “The Shia shrines [will leave you] speechless, not just because of their beauty and detailed architecture, but also because of the faith and devotion you can see.” In 2024, nearly 21.3 million pilgrims made their way to the Imam Hussain and Al-Abbas shrines in Karbala as part of Arba’een, one of the largest annual gatherings of people in the world, which commemorates the end of a 40-day mourning period for the death of Hussain ibn Ali (a grandson of the Prophet Mohammed) at the Battle of Karbala in 680 CE. Arce said he found himself there alongside visitors from Sweden, the UK, Iran, Kuwait, Pakistan and India. He was struck by the hospitality of the Iraqi people who offered free food, water, shelter, and even foot massages to visitors. “I could share countless examples of hospitality and kindness,” said Arce, who also highlighted the generosity of “Mawkwibs,” or free “service stations,” established during the festival to provide hospitality to pilgrims. “But I’d never feel like my words could fully do them justice.” Skiing and trekking UK-based tour company Untamed Borders has operated in Iraq since 2016. The landscape has changed dramatically, says founder James Wilcox. “When we started, Daesh [ISIS] controlled a large portion of the country,” he told CNN Travel. “Visitors could only visit Federal Iraq in groups of five or more through a tortuous visa process. Now Iraq has a straightforward visa-on-arrival system, and we’ve been trying to develop different types of tourism, especially ski touring and trekking.” Untamed Borders organizes ski trips to the Kurdish mountains, which in winter are draped in snow, a far cry from the desert-like landscapes of the south. It takes runners to the Erbil Marathon, and in April 2025 it’s launching a new trekking tour through the dramatic peaks of the Zagros Mountains, on the newly created Zagros Mountain Trail, which connects remote communities on ancient pilgrimage routes for multiple religions including Zoroastrianism, Christianity and Islam. Nowhere else in Iraq is tourism surging so fast as in Kurdistan. The local tourism board reported that the semiautonomous region’s capital, Erbil, received 2 million visitors alone in the first half of 2024. If the upward trend continues, total figures for 2024 will likely beat the 3 million visitors Erbil province saw throughout the entirety of 2023. Iraq’s tourism industry is still in its infancy. Travel is hampered by reconstruction efforts in the war-torn country, with Lupine Travel’s Molina telling CNN Travel that it’s not uncommon for tourism sites to be under maintenance, and often closed at short notice. Archaeological sites have been woefully underfunded for decades, and many artifacts — like the famous Ishtar Gate that once stood outside Babylon (modern-day Hillah), and is now in Berlin’s Pergamon Museum — are found in European, rather than Iraqi museums. For Sarah Sanbar, Iraq researcher at Human Rights Watch, tourism to the country is allowing visitors to see the real Iraq. “Unfortunately, media representation of Iraq over the last few decades has been dominated by scenes of violence and war,” she says. “The stereotypical image that comes to mind when many people think of Iraq is a tank in the desert. But in reality, Iraq is an incredibly diverse country in every sense of the word, and rich in natural beauty, history, and culture. The landscape varies dramatically from the marshes in the south to the mountains in the north, and its cultural heritage dates back thousands of years representing countless civilizations. “Today, Iraq is enjoying its most stable period since before the US invaded in 2003. The security situation has significantly improved, and petty crime like pickpocketing is relatively uncommon. Iraqis are famous for their generosity and hospitality, and tourists can expect a warm welcome — and probably multiple invitations to a meal, tea, or even a wedding. “Over the few years, I’ve been pleasantly surprised to meet more and more tourists visiting Iraq — like the Greek student visiting his university classmate, a group of friends doing a motorcycle tour of the country, and an elderly couple who came to birdwatch.” Military and police checkpoints are a daily sight, particularly given the central government’s loose influence over militia-controlled regions of the country. Travelers also face ethical questions about whether they should visit a country whose laws have been condemned by human rights groups. Earlier this year, Iraq passed a law punishing same-sex relationships with up to 15 years in jail. Though the legal marriage age in Iraq is 18, Iraqi parliament is currently considering an amendment to its Personal Status Law that would allow for some Islamic jurisprudence provisions to take precedent, effectively legalizing marriage for some children as young as nine. Sanbar warns that: “For Iraqis, human rights are increasingly under threat. Civil society and activists face increasing restrictions and harassment for speaking out and fighting for their rights. “Most of the threats to human rights in Iraq are unlikely to affect the average tourist who enters the country with an open mind and a respectful attitude towards Iraqi culture. However, certain aspects of a tourist’s identity, such as their sexual orientation or gender identity, citizenship, or profession, may make a trip to Iraq more risky or difficult. Reading up about the history and culture, and talking to Iraqi friends or people who have visited is always a good idea.” Safety is inevitably the primary concern for tourists planning a trip to Iraq, but Driskill says he felt secure throughout his trip.

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Investors shouldn't be terrified about tariffs in 2025, the top minds at $2.1 trillion BNY Wealth say49ers QB Brock Purdy, DE Nick Bosa out, Brandon Allen to start at Green BayPope Francis has led a ceremony in St Peter's Basilica to install 21 new Catholic cardinals with what appears to be a bruised chin. The Vatican said it would not comment on the matter. or signup to continue reading Francis, who turns 88 this month, appeared otherwise on good form, leading a ritual-filled ceremony on Saturday to elevate churchmen from 17 countries to the College of Cardinals, the elite group that will one day elect his successor. A purplish blotch could be seen on the right side of the pope's face, around his lower chin and upper neck. The Vatican's press office said it would not comment on what had happened. Francis, pope since 2013, has suffered occasional bouts of ill health in recent years, and now uses a wheelchair due to knee and back pain. Cardinals are the highest-ranking officials in the 1.4-billion-member Catholic Church beside the pope. At the pontiff's death or resignation, cardinals under the age of 80 are tasked with entering a conclave and choosing the next pope. Francis has now installed about 80 per cent of the prelates who will elect the next pope, increasing the likelihood that the next pontiff might share his vision for a Church that is more inclusive and engaged with the wider world. Francis, originally from Argentina and the first pope from the Americas, has focused on strengthening geographic diversity among the cardinals. At least 67 countries now have cardinals who can vote in a conclave, according to Vatican statistics, compared to fewer than 50 when Francis was elected. The newest appointees come from countries including Peru, Argentina, Japan, the Philippines, Algeria, India and Serbia. In his homily for Saturday's service, Francis said the new cardinals "come from different backgrounds and cultures", urging them to be "witnesses of fraternity, artisans of communion and builders of unity". Archbishop Ignace Bessi Dogbo, one of the new cardinals, praised the pope's efforts to boost geographical diversity. "Having cardinals from every part of the world truly translates the universality of the Church," Bessi Dogbo, from Abidjan in the Ivory Coast, told Reuters. Italy remains the country with the most cardinals, counting 17 under the age of 80. Four of those were installed on Saturday, including the archbishops of Turin, a northern business hub, and Naples, the country's third-largest city. Among the other new cardinals, one is a Belgian friar serving as archbishop of the Tehran-Isfahan archdiocese in Iran. Another is a Ukrainian Greek Catholic ministering in Australia. DAILY Today's top stories curated by our news team. WEEKDAYS Grab a quick bite of today's latest news from around the region and the nation. WEEKLY The latest news, results & expert analysis. WEEKDAYS Catch up on the news of the day and unwind with great reading for your evening. WEEKLY Get the editor's insights: what's happening & why it matters. WEEKLY Love footy? We've got all the action covered. WEEKLY Every Saturday and Tuesday, explore destinations deals, tips & travel writing to transport you around the globe. WEEKLY Going out or staying in? Find out what's on. WEEKDAYS Sharp. Close to the ground. Digging deep. Your weekday morning newsletter on national affairs, politics and more. TWICE WEEKLY Your essential national news digest: all the big issues on Wednesday and great reading every Saturday. WEEKLY Get news, reviews and expert insights every Thursday from CarExpert, ACM's exclusive motoring partner. TWICE WEEKLY Get real, Australia! Let the ACM network's editors and journalists bring you news and views from all over. AS IT HAPPENS Be the first to know when news breaks. DAILY Your digital replica of Today's Paper. Ready to read from 5am! DAILY Test your skills with interactive crosswords, sudoku & trivia. Fresh daily! Advertisement Advertisement