The story: In a sign that he won’t budge on forming a “national majority” government, Iraqi Shiite cleric and politician Muqtada Al-Sadr has hosted his Sunni and Kurdish partners at his Najaf headquarters. Importantly, Sadr has also for the first time dubbed his Shiite rivals as the “national opposition,” indicating that he will not include them in the government he envisions.

The coverage: Kurdish outlet Rudaw reported on Jan. 31 that Kurdistan region of Iraq (KRI) President Nechirvan Barzani and Iraqi Parliament Speaker Mohammed Al-Halbousi visited Sadr in the southern district of Hannana...