Iraq’s Prime Minister has said the government needs to do more to combat corruption after the death toll in three days of deadly protests rose to 38.

Thousands have been involved in Iraq’s nationwide protests, which are among the largest seen in decades and which were sparked by frustration over alleged government corruption, lack of basic services and growing unemployment.
In a conciliatory speech broadcast on state television early on Friday, Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi called the demonstrators’ demands for work opportunities and comprehensive reforms “righteous,” adding that the government needs to exert “greater effort” to combat corruption.
Abdul-Mahdi said the government would “soon” present a project to offer a basic wage for the poor so that “all Iraqi families can live in dignity.”

Source: At least 15 killed and hundreds injured in violent protests across Iraq