Shafaq News- Baghdad/ Babil

Iraq launched a nationwide campaign on Saturday to removewater hyacinth from rivers and clean riverbanks, with the participation ofgovernment ministries, state institutions, volunteer teams, and civil societyorganizations.

Baghdad Environmental Police Director Mustafa Abdul Hassantold Shafaq News that the force had mobilized units across Baghdad,Al-Diwaniyah, Wasit, and Babil provinces to support the move, noting that theinitiative is coordinated with the Water Resources Ministry and aims to removethe invasive plant and promote volunteerism and environmental awareness in linewith calls from Iraq's religious authority and judicial efforts to holdpolluters accountable.

Speaking to Shafaq News, Provincial Council member AyatMuzaffar said the council and the Baghdad Services Authority joined thecampaign to identify the causes behind the spread of water hyacinth and developlong-term solutions. “The plant blocks irrigation canals, restricts water flowto farmland, and reduces dissolved oxygen levels, threatening Iraq's fishstocks. Authorities are also studying ways to recycle the removed vegetationinto organic fertilizer instead of disposing of it through conventional methods.”

During a visit to Babil Province, Governor Ali Turki saidefforts should begin in the upper reaches of the Euphrates River because theprovince serves as the main gateway for water flowing toward Iraq's southernprovinces. He called for concentrating mechanical and manual removal operationsin upstream areas.

First Deputy Speaker of Parliament Adnan Fayhan said Iraqhas adopted a national plan to combat water hyacinth, characterizing its rapidspread as a major challenge that has worsened the country's water scarcitycrisis.

According to Water Resources Minister Muthanna Al-Tamimi,parliament had allocated funding for the campaign, with disbursement expectedwithin two days. He added that the ministry's Iraq Company and other ministrydepartments would begin removal operations immediately, while also launching aseparate effort to reduce water pollution in the country's rivers.

Water hyacinth, native to South America, is considered oneof the world's most invasive aquatic plants. It spreads rapidly on freshwatersurfaces, forming dense mats that block sunlight, reduce oxygen levels,obstruct irrigation canals and waterways, and damage aquatic ecosystems andfisheries. In Iraq, its expansion has become a growing environmental challenge,particularly in the Euphrates basin and the southern provinces, where favorableclimatic conditions and nutrient-rich waters have accelerated its spread.

Read more: Invasive water plant chokes Baghdad’s Tigris River

Shafaq News- Basra

Iraqi security forces on Saturday deployed around Kuwait’s consulate in Basra ahead of a protest over the alleged killing of an Iraqi fisherman by the Kuwaiti Coast Guard, a security source told Shafaq News.

A group calling itself “Basra’s public” urged residents to join the “peaceful protest” outside the consulate, demanding protection for Iraqi fishermen. Video received by Shafaq News showed military vehicles carrying troops toward the building to reinforce security before the demonstration.

Basra fisherman Najm Abdullah Khalid was killed and Thaer Mohammed Salman wounded after a Kuwaiti Coast Guard patrol allegedly opened fire on Iraqi boat IFB166 near the maritime border. Three other fishermen were detained before returning to Iraq through the Safwan border crossing on Thursday with Khalid’s body and the wounded crew member.

Basra MP Alaa Al-Haidari and the Al-Faw Fishermen’s Association previously stated that the shooting occurred inside Iraqi territorial waters. Kuwait has not publicly addressed the accusations or confirmed the circumstances of the incident.

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraq's Ministry of Electricity approved a daily electricityallocation of 1,200 megawatts for Wasit province, according to an officialdocument issued on Saturday, following protests over deteriorating powersupplies.

In the document, addressed to the governor of Wasit, theministry said the decision is part of efforts to increase daily supply hoursfor residents despite shortages of fuel and natural gas needed to operate powerplants. It also promised that electricity supply to the province would increasefurther if additional fuel becomes available and operating conditions improve.

On June 24, protesters angered by worsening electricityshortages shut down the Wasit Provincial Council building. Security forceslater dispersed the demonstrators with tear gas and arrested more than 10people.

Shafaq News- Kirkuk

The Federal Integrity Commissionannounced Saturday that it blocked an attempt to move a shipment of importedmedical supplies and detained two suspects at the Darman customs point on theroad linking Kirkuk and Erbil provinces.

A team from the commission's Kirkukinvestigation directorate carried out the operation in coordination withcustoms police intelligence after receiving information that data on importedgoods had been altered to register them as locally produced, allowing theshipment to evade customs duties. 

The operation resulted in thedetention of the driver and a customs employee, and the seizure of the vehicle,which was carrying 8.5 tons of imported medical materials. The commission saidthe goods fall under a category barred from import.

According to Shafaq sources, thecase is part of the wider anti-corruption campaign led by the Iraqi governmentand the Supreme Judicial Council, which has produced arrests of ministryofficials, directors general, and members of parliament in recent weeks.

Read more: Kirkuk court jails ex-land registry deputy over fraud

Shafaq News- Kirkuk

Kirkuk is set to open the Daquq Bridge to traffic soon,boosting transport on one of northern Iraq’s busiest highways linking Baghdad,Kirkuk, and the Kurdistan Region, a senior official told Shafaq News onSaturday.

According to Ali Akbar, director of the province’s Roadsand Bridges Directorate, only final finishing work and technical inspectionsremain before the bridge opens to motorists. Construction took 200 days andcost 13.307 billion Iraqi dinars ($10.2 million).

“The project was built in line with approved engineeringand technical standards to ensure it can safely handle heavy traffic andvehicle loads,” he explained, noting that once open, the crossing will reducecongestion, shorten travel times, improve road safety, and facilitate the movementof passengers and freight between Iraq’s provinces.

Akbar also noted that the Directorate is continuing work onseveral infrastructure projects across Kirkuk to expand and modernize theprovince’s road and bridge network and improve traffic flow.

Read more: Iraq’s Development Road: Geopolitics, rentierism, and broader connectivity

Shafaq News- Kirkuk

Water supplies have resumed in Kakai* villages in Kirkuk,northern Iraq, after nearly two years of disruption, the head of the KirkukProvincial Council's Services Committee told Shafaq News on Friday.

Ahmed Kirkuki said that the committee treated the issue “as atop priority” after receiving complaints from residents, launching a series ofmeetings with relevant authorities to find a permanent solution and restorewater supply lines.

“Many residents had been forced to rely on water tankers andalternative sources to meet their daily needs, placing a significant financialand living burden on families.”

According to Kirkuki, restoring water service marks thefirst step in a broader plan to improve basic services in rural areas,particularly villages that have experienced declining access to water,electricity, and road infrastructure in recent years.

Earlier this week, officials warned that drinking watershortages were threatening 95 villages and more than 32,000 residents, disruptingagriculture and livestock farming and leaving thousands of residents withoutreliable drinking water.

*The Kakais are a Kurdish religious minority, estimated between110,000 and 200,000 people, concentrated in Kirkuk, Diyala, Erbil,Al-Sulaymaniyah, and parts of Nineveh, according to the Minority Rights Group.

Read more: Kept in Silence: The untold story of Iraq’s Kakai faith

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraq may require between 20 million and 25 million solarpanels to add about 12 gigawatts of electricity to its national grid, energyspecialists told Shafaq News, as the country seeks long-term solutions to awidening gap between electricity supply and demand.

Electricity demand during the summer exceeds 50,000megawatts, while current generation remains below 25,000 megawatts, leaving adeficit that experts say cannot be addressed through conventional generationalone.

Read more: 40-GW electricity gap forces Iraq to back private generators

Oil expert Kovand Shirwani said that Iraq's electricitycrisis has deepened as demand continues to outpace production, with the countryfacing a generation shortfall of more than 50%. The problem extends beyondelectricity production, with aging transmission and distribution networksrequiring extensive modernization alongside investments in new generationcapacity.

Read more: In darkening Baghdad, oil lamps return as power fears grow

Iraq receives more than 300 sunny days each year, makingsolar power one of the country's most viable renewable energy options. Shirwaniestimated that a 1,000-megawatt solar plant could be built for between $700million and $800 million, and constructing at least two such projects annuallywould gradually reduce the electricity deficit.

Member of Parliament Uday Al-Zamili, who serves on theparliamentary Oil and Gas Committee, also described renewable energy as astrategic option for Iraq because of its favorable climate and abundant solarradiation. According to Al-Zamili, the country could also benefit economicallyby developing a domestic solar manufacturing industry using silica reserves inal-Anbar province, while encouraging households to install rooftop systemsthrough government-backed financing and partnerships with certified companies.

Electrical engineer Ahmed Adnan estimated that installingbetween 20 million and 25 million solar panels nationwide could add roughly 12gigawatts to Iraq's electricity grid, easing pressure during peak demandperiods, which can reach about 56 gigawatts.

Basra alone already has around one million installed solarpanels, helping reduce pressure on the local grid, while southern provinces andal-Anbar remain among the country's most suitable locations for large-scalesolar projects because of their available land and high solar exposure.

Adnan cautioned, however, that expanding solar generationalone would not solve Iraq's electricity problems unless accompanied by “majorinvestment in energy storage systems” and upgrades to transmissioninfrastructure.

Read more: The end of a waiver: Iraq's struggle for energy independence

He projected that rebuilding Iraq's electricity sector wouldrequire between five and ten years of sustained investment, adding thatrenewable energy should form part of a broader strategy that also addressesgrid modernization, storage capacity and the country's long-standinginfrastructure challenges.

Iraq remains heavily reliant on electricity and gas importsfrom Iran, particularly during the summer. The challenge has intensified sinceWashington revoked a sanctions waiver that allowed Baghdad to continuepurchasing Iranian energy.

Read more: Iraq power 2026: war on Iran collapses the grid's last defenses ahead of peak summer

Shafaq News- Baghdad

The Iran-aligned Islamic Resistance in Iraq (IRI) said onFriday it would not give up its weapons, pledging to strengthen its militaryand security capabilities and raise the operational readiness of its members.

In a statement, the IRI noted, "Our arms, carried byour fighters on the battlefield, have never been open to negotiation. They area matter of belief and a commitment we will uphold."

IRI includes several prominent factions such as KataibHezbollah, Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba, Asaib Ahl al-Haq, and Kataib Sayyidal-Shuhada, all of which are designated by the US as terrorist organizations.

Baghdad is moving to place all weapons outside state controlunder government authority before a September 30 deadline, the date set for theend of the US-led Coalition mission against ISIS. While several armedfactions have agreed to integrate into the state security framework, groupsincluding Kataib Hezbollah, Harakat al-Nujaba, and Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhadahave rejected disarmament, insisting their arsenal remain part of the resistanceuntil all foreign forces leave Iraq.

Read more: Iraq's September 30 weapons deadline leaves terms of disarmament unresolved

Shafaq News- Baghdad

An Iraqi court sentenced the former deputy director ofKirkuk’s Land Registry Directorate to two years of rigorous imprisonment afterconvicting her of deliberately causing financial harm to public funds, theFederal Commission of Integrity said on Friday.

The Second Panel of the Kirkuk Criminal Court ruledthat the defendant exploited her position by altering a property’s registrationnumber to facilitate its sale, despite the land belonging to the KirkukMunicipality Directorate, noting that the verdict was based on the evidence anddocumentation presented during the trial, in accordance with Iraqi law.

Read more: Iraq detains top officials in anti-corruption sweep

Shafaq News- Mosul

Health authorities in Iraq's Nineveh province confirmed twocases of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) on Friday after laboratorytests returned positive for two brothers from the Bashiqa subdistrict, east ofMosul.

A medical source at Nineveh's Health Directorate told ShafaqNews that Ibn Sina Teaching Hospital admitted the two men, aged 24 and 25, onJuly 6 after they showed suspected symptoms of the disease.

According to Shafaq News tracker, Iraq has recorded 162confirmed CCHF infections, including 16 in Nineveh. The country also recorded 10 deaths since the beginning of 2026. 

Shafaq News- Kirkuk

British energy company BP does not prioritize residents andcompanies in Kirkuk despite applying that policy elsewhere, an Iraqi MP said onFriday, calling for a review of the company's hiring and contracting practices.

BP resumed operations in Kirkuk last month after temporarilywithdrawing foreign employees from its oil field development projects in Marchamid regional security tensions.

Dilan Ghafoor, representing the Patriotic Union ofKurdistan, pointed out that she raised the issue during a legislative session,urging the parliament speaker and the Oil Ministry to review BP's employmentand contracting mechanisms “to ensure fair recruitment and contract awards.”

Read more: Foreign labor pressures jobs despite falling unemployment

Kirkuk is home to some of Iraq's oldest and largest oilfields, including the Kirkuk, Bai Hassan, Jambur, and Khabbaz fields. Thefields have faced technical and security challenges in recent years, promptingthe Oil Ministry to partner with international energy companies to rehabilitateinfrastructure and increase production capacity.

According to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA),Iraq holds more than 145 billion barrels of proven crude oil reserves.

Read more: Here is why the crisis runs deeper than Hormuz

Shafaq News – Baghdad

The imam of Baghdad's Abu Hanifa Mosque, one of Iraq's most prominent Sunni religious institutions, on Friday called on Iraq's senior political, security and military leaders to launch a “decisive campaign against corruption,” saying recent arrests alone were “insufficient.”

During his Friday sermon, Abdul Sattar Abdul Jabbar said corruption remained widespread despite recent investigations, arguing that many more officials accused of “betraying the public trust” had yet to face accountability.

“The government was aware of those responsible,” he noted, adding that officials capable of tackling financial and administrative corruption had no justification for inaction.

Abdul Jabbar also warned that protecting corrupt officials constituted "another crime against the country," urging authorities to wage what he called a genuine battle against corruption. "I do not believe they will repent anytime soon or return the stolen money after enjoying a life of luxury at the expense of the people," he said.

Iraq is pressing ahead with a nationwide anti-corruption campaign launched on June 28. Dubbed Dawn Crackdown (Sawlat Al-Fajr), the operation was ordered by Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi and targets current and former officials, lawmakers, politicians, business figures, ministers, directors-general, provincial governors and other suspects.

Read more: Iraq detains top officials in anti-corruption sweep

Since the campaign began, authorities have carried out arrests in Baghdad, Babil, Maysan, Erbil, Dhi Qar, Al-Muthanna, Kirkuk and Al-Diwaniyah, as investigations expanded across multiple state institutions. Public support for the campaign has continued to grow. Tribal delegations from several Iraqi provinces declared their backing for Al-Zaidi's anti-corruption drive, joining political parties and blocs that have endorsed the crackdown while calling for the investigations to continue without political interference.

Shafaq News- Basra

Iraq's National Security Service (INSS) foiled on Friday an attempt to smuggle large commercial shipments through the southern Basra province and arrested 12 suspects, including three officials.

According to a statement, the suspects had attempted to move the shipments by manipulating customs declarations that did not match the goods actually loaded for transport in Basra province.

Auditing procedures placed the value of the violations and the resulting financial damages to public funds at approximately 19 billion Iraqi dinars ($14M).

Read more: Iraq detains top officials in anti-corruption sweep: What we know so far

Shafaq News- Al-Anbar

Tribal delegations from several Iraqi provinces declared support on Friday for Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi’s campaign against financial corruption, adding to public backing for a crackdown that has targeted lawmakers, officials, and business figures.

The delegations met at the guesthouse of Sheikh Naif Rashid Abu Zayyan, a prominent Al-Anbar figure, to announce support for Al-Zaidi’s government and the judiciary in pursuing corruption cases, Shafaq News correspondent reported. Participants urged the government to continue holding suspects accountable, protect public funds, and keep the campaign away from political pressure or partisan considerations.

The Leading Tribal Councils in Al-Diwaniyah, Karbala, Babil, and Dhi Qar have also declared support for Al-Zaidi’s campaign and called for a tougher line against corruption across state institutions.

On June 28, Iraq launched Operation “Dawn Crackdown” under Al-Zaidi’s direction. A security source told Shafaq News the campaign led to more than 67 arrests in its first 24 hours, while informed sources said its initial phase was expected to target more than 200 suspects.

Read more: Iraq detains top officials in anti-corruption sweep: What we know so far

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraq's Federal Commission of Integrity arrested on Friday three employees at a state-run grain silo in Maysan province on charges of forcing wheat farmers to pay illegal fees despite the government covering the cost of unloading services.

The suspects include the head and two members of a committee responsible for overseeing loading, unloading and cleaning operations at the Amarah Grain Silo, which is operated by the State Company for Grain Trading.

The commission said investigators detained the suspects under Article 340 of Iraq's Penal Code, which covers public officials accused of causing deliberate harm to state funds or interests.

Read more: Iraq's farmers fed the state. Now they're waiting to be paid.

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraq’s University of Technology (UOT) ranked 101st globally in CEOWORLD magazine’s Best Engineering Schools in the World 2026, becoming the country’s only institution included among 130 engineering schools from 29 countries.

The Baghdad-based university scored 55.98 points, placing behind Sultan Qaboos University (98th), Qatar University (99th), and Bahrain Polytechnic (100th).

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology topped the ranking with 85.56 points, followed by Stanford University with 85.43 and ETH Zurich with 85.23. Other institutions in the top tier included the University of Oxford, the University of Cambridge, the University of California, Berkeley, and Imperial College London.

CEOWORLD evaluated the institutions based on engineering education quality, research excellence, innovation, industry collaboration, graduate employability, and global academic reputation.

Shafaq News- Najaf/ Karbala

The funeral processions held for Iran's lateSupreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in the Iraqi holy cities of Najaf andKarbala on Wednesday carried political as well as religious messages, Iraqianalysts told Shafaq News.

On the same day, Communications Minister MustafaSanad ordered the issuance of a postal stamp commemorating the funeral, aformal state gesture memorializing the late Iranian leader on officialgovernment issue.

The scale of the turnout was itself the message.Ihsan al-Awadi, director of the Iraqi Prime Minister's Office and chair of thecommittee overseeing the funeral, said preliminary unofficial estimates placedattendance above 10 million across the two cities. The Popular MobilizationForces (PMF), a state-linked umbrella of predominantly Shiite armed factions,put participation in Najaf alone at more than 3.8 million and said it haddeployed over 25,000 personnel along the route.

Iran's supreme leader holds both religious andpolitical authority, which made the funeral a significant political event asmuch as a religious one, said Kadhim Yawar, a researcher specializing in Iraqiand regional strategic affairs. Staging the ceremonies in Najaf and Karbala,two of Shiite Islam's holiest cities, was intended to show that "Irancontinues to enjoy support among Shiite communities across the region,"sending a message to the United States, Europe, Gulf states and regional audiences,he said.

Yawar added that the choice of the two citieswas critical to generating the turnout, given their religious standing and themillions of pilgrims they draw each year, and argued that comparable crowdscould not have been produced elsewhere in Iraq. He also noted that images ofthe crowds served a domestic purpose, “reinforcing the Iranian government'snarrative of public unity during a period of heightened regional tension, andsaid there was no precedent in Sunni or Shiite jurisprudence for funeralceremonies of this scale held months after a death.

The breadth of official Iraqi attendanceprojected cross-sectarian reach, drawing former Prime Ministers Mohammed Shiaal-Sudani and Nouri al-Maliki, leader of the State of Law coalition, alongsideAmmar al-Hakim, leader of the al-Hikma Movement, a Shiite political party, andMohamed al-Halbousi, a Sunni former speaker of parliament. Yet the governmentalso set limits: it barred senior commanders of Iran's Islamic RevolutionaryGuard Corps (IRGC), including Quds Force commander Esmail Qaani, from theofficial ceremonies and confined the official program to Najaf and Karbala.

Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Iraq’s highestShiite religious authority, was absent due to health concerns. Hisrepresentative, Sheikh Abdul Mahdi al-Karbalaei, led the prayers in Karbala,while his Baghdad representative had earlier encouraged followers to attend asa gesture of “respect for a leading religious figure” rather than an expressionof political alignment with Tehran.

According to Mohammed al-Talqani, an Islamicresearcher, the ceremonies carried two principal messages: that Khameneiembodied both political leadership and religious authority, and that theturnout was meant to demonstrate continued public backing for Iran's leadershipdespite pressure from the United States, days before Ali al-Zaidi is scheduledto travel to Washington, his first visit as prime minister.

Read more: Iraq's al-Zaidi rebalances Iran ties before Washington visit

Shafaq News- Baghdad

The National Approach parliamentary bloc expressed on Thursdayfull support for the appointment demands of the "600 Engineers," statingthat thousands of vacant public sector positions could accommodate theirrecruitment and pledging to pursue the issue in parliament.

Speaking at a press conference in the Iraqi parliament,lawmaker Saad al-Awadi said the bloc supports the engineers' "legitimatedemands" as they continue peaceful sit-ins calling for government jobs.

Official correspondence indicates that the Federal PublicService Council has thousands of vacant engineering positions within thestate's staffing structure, he said, noting that the number of engineersseeking appointment is limited to 600, making it possible to resolve the issuein a practical and equitable manner.

“The official communications also grant the group priorityfor appointment when engineering positions become available.”

The lawmaker vowedthat the bloc would continue following the issue inside parliament andwork to secure the financial allocations needed to appoint the engineersthrough the federal budget.

He also called on the Ministry of Finance and relevantgovernment bodies to expedite the provision of the required funding, stressingthat parliamentary oversight efforts would continue until the appointment fileof the "600 Engineers" is resolved.

Shafaq News- Basra

Iraqi fishermen who had been arrested in Kuwait arrived atthe Safwan border crossing on Thursday, along with the body of a fisherman whowas killed and another who was wounded in an incident involving Kuwaiti police,a security source in Basra told Shafaq News.

The fishermen had been aboard the Iraqi fishing boat IFB166when Kuwaiti police opened fire on the vessel.

Earlier, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein stated that Kuwaitiauthorities have agreed to release five Iraqi fishermenfrom the Al-Fawdistrict in southern Basra, detained by the country's coast guard last week. He notedthat the decision came in response to a request made by the Iraqi delegationduring talks with Kuwait's First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister ofInterior, Sheikh Fahad Yousef Saud Al-Sabah.

Shafaq News- Mosul

Field teams began surveying, re-parceling, and opening roadsfor more than 1,600 residential plots on the outskirts of Mosul, Raadal-Hadidi, Director of Nineveh Municipalities, told Shafaq News on Thursday,adding that technical staff started surveying old cadastral maps dating back to1993 on the first day of operations.

He said the works required a high degree of precisionbecause of overlaps with high-voltage electricity transmission lines, theTalkif water project, sewage networks, and a valley crossing the area.

“All surveys and mapping work had been completed incoordination with the Talkif Municipality and the real estate registrationoffices in Talkif and eastern Mosul.”

Heavy machinery has already begun opening roads and markingplot boundaries on the ground. The field operations follow a decision by theNineveh Provincial Council on June 30 to lift restrictions and permitconstruction in several areas on the outskirts of Mosul.

The decision is expected to end restrictions that haveaffected residents for more than two decades. According to local authorities,armed factions and military formations controlling the northern andnortheastern outskirts of Mosul had imposed a strict ban on construction inthose areas.

Nearly 30,000 families in Mosul hold official property deedsbut have been unable to build homes or use their land because of the restrictionsimposed by those groups. Local officials say the ban, justified by claims andconcerns over demographic change promoted by political actors in the area, hascontributed to a severe housing shortage and hindered reconstruction and urbanexpansion across Nineveh Province.

Residents of Mosul have repeatedly staged protests over theyears, demanding the removal of building restrictions in several residentialareas. Protesters voiced that they legally own the land and have called onlocal authorities to end the restrictions and allow them to begin construction.

Shafaq News- Dhi Qar

A court in Iraq's Dhi Qar province sentenced a police captain to 10 years in prison and fined him 1.8 billion Iraqi dinars (about $1.2M) after convicting him of stealing money from a municipal official, a security source told Shafaq News on Thursday.

He was found guilty of stealing about 3 billion dinars (about $2M) from an official at the Nasiriyah municipality in collusion with the official's wife, whose case remains before the courts.

According to the source, the officer returned part of the stolen money, while the remaining amount formed the basis of the court-imposed fine.

The municipal official had previously been arrested and convicted in a separate corruption case, the source added.

Iraq launched the Dawn Crackdown (Sawlat al-Fajr) late last month under Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi's direction. The operation targeted so far 67 current and former officials across multiple sectors on corruption-related charges.

Read more: Iraq detains top officials in anti-corruption sweep

Shafaq News- Kirkuk

A worsening drinking water shortage is threatening 95 villages in southern Kirkuk, affecting more than 32,000 residents and putting about 132,000 sheep, along with cattle and other livestock, at risk, local officials said on Thursday.

Declining water supplies had disrupted daily life, agriculture and livestock farming, Rashad subdistrict mayor Muwaffaq Nouri told Shafaq News, warning that farmers could be forced to sell animals at low prices or face heavy losses from dehydration.

Read more: Discover Iraq: Kirkuk, a city of oil, culture, and conflict

Nouri attributed the crisis to fuel shortages limiting the operation of water projects, encroachments on the main water transmission line and power outages that have repeatedly disrupted pumping stations. He said the absence of an emergency electricity supply had left water facilities vulnerable to any interruption in the grid.

Read more: Iraq’s water crisis deepens

Local authorities have deployed six water tankers to supply the worst-affected villages and installed 230 household water filtration units for low-income families, but Nouri noted that the measures fall far short of meeting demand. He called on the federal government and Kirkuk authorities to allocate emergency funding, restore water projects, remove illegal connections from transmission lines and provide a backup power supply for the area's pumping stations.

Shafaq News- Najaf/ Karbala

More than 10 million people took part in funeral processions for late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in the holy cities of Najaf and Karbala, according to Ehsan al-Awadi, head of the Iraqi body that organized the ceremonies.

Al-Awadi, who directs the office of the Iraqi Prime Minister and chaired the High Committee assigned to prepare and organize the funeral, said the body of Khamenei and the remains of four of his family members departed at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday bound for Mashhad in northeastern Iran.

The processions in Najaf and Karbala the previous day were completed smoothly and without any recorded breaches or notable incidents, al-Awadi said, crediting public discipline and coordination among the participating institutions.

Shafaq News- Baghdad

1,346 aircraft crossed Iraqi airspace in June, alongsidemore than 6,600 arriving and departing civilian flights across the country'sairports, Iraq's Ministry of Transport announced on Thursday.

The Iraqi General Companyfor Air Navigation Services recorded 3,311 arriving civilian flights, includingdomestic and international services, and 3,347 departing civilian flights.

According to official statistics, BaghdadInternational Airport handled the highest volume of traffic, recording 1,570arriving flights and 1,576 departing flights. Erbil International Airport, inthe Kurdistan Region of Iraq, ranked second with 696 arriving flights and 692departing flights. Najaf International Airport recorded 507 arriving flightsand 513 departing flights, while Basra International Airport handled 258arriving flights and 288 departing flights. Al-Sulaymaniyah InternationalAirport registered 146 arriving flights and the same number of departures. KirkukInternational Airport recorded 134 arriving flights and 132 departing flights.

On June 8, the Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority announced thereopening of Iraqi airspace to flights operating to and from all Iraqi airportsand the resumption of air traffic under approved operational procedures. Theairspace had been closed following the outbreak of the US-Israel war against Iran,which prompted Iraq to suspend air traffic as a precautionary measure.

Shafaq News-Karbala

More than fourmillion joined the funeral procession of Iran's late Supreme Leader AliKhamenei in Iraq this week as his body passed through the Iraqi holy cities ofNajaf and Karbala, a journey that reflects a centuries-old Shiite tradition ofseeking proximity to sacred shrines in both life and death.

For ShiiteMuslims, burial near the shrines of the Imams is among the most profound acts ofdevotion a believer can undertake. The tradition holds that resting near thesesacred sites carries spiritual merit and intercession on the Day of Judgment, abelief that has drawn the devout, the learned, and the powerful to these citiesfor more than a thousand years.

Read more: Discover Iraq: Najaf, a city of dust and divinity

Karbala holds asingular place in Shiite consciousness. The city is home to the shrines of ImamHussein bin Ali, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad and the third Imam ofShia Islam, and his brother Abu al-Fadl al-Abbas, both killed in the Battle ofKarbala in 680 CE, an event that defines Shiite identity and is commemoratedannually during Muharram, culminating in Ashura on the tenth day of the monthand the Arbaeen pilgrimage forty days later, which draws tens of millions ofvisitors and constitutes the largest annual human gathering on earth.

"Funeralsand burials in holy places are among the religious traditions inherited overlong centuries," historian and Karbala researcher Saeed Rashid Zumaizimtold Shafaq News. The city's exceptional status, he said, stems from its roleas the final resting place of Imam Hussein and al-Abbas, making it adestination for those who wish to be buried near the sacred shrines.

Over itshistory, Karbala has received the bodies of hundreds of religious, scholarly,and literary figures from across the Islamic world, Zumaizim said. Among themost prominent were Sheikh Yusuf al-Bahrani, al-Wahid al-Bihbahani, andMohammed Taqi, a leader of Iraq's 1920 Revolution against British rule. Manyothers left instructions to be buried in Karbala, and some were transferredfrom other cities specifically for that purpose, including al-Sharif al-Radiand al-Sharif al-Murtada, whose remains were brought to the city in differenthistorical periods.

Read more: Discover Iraq: Karbala, where memory breathes and future beckons

The shrines ofHussein and al-Abbas and their surroundings have also served as burial groundsfor royalty, according to Zumaizim.Around 17 kings, princes, and rulers from India, Kashmir, Pakistan, and Iranare buried in Karbala, drawn by the city's spiritual weight.

Beyond its roleas a pilgrimage destination, Karbala has evolved over the centuries into aspiritual, scholarly, and cultural center that attracted clerics, students ofreligious sciences, and visitors from across the Muslim world, “Thousands offuneral processions arrive in the city each year from inside and outside Iraq,continuing a religious, social, and historical legacy rooted in the collectivememory of Muslims across generations.”

Khamenei'sfuneral procession in Karbala and Najaf on Wednesday was attended by Iraqiofficials and political, religious, and tribal figures. His burial is scheduledfor Thursday, July 9, at the Imam Reza Shrine in Mashhad, his birthplace innortheastern Iran, another of Shiite Islam's holiest sites, in accordance withhis will.

Read more: Wadi Al Salam: Najaf’s ever-growing city of the dead