Shafaq News- Wasit

Dozens of protesters took to the streets in Kut, the capital of Iraq’sWasit province, demanding improved electricity services and the release ofdetainees arrested during earlier demonstrations, Shafaq News learned onSaturday.

The crowd carried banners calling for a stable power supply and therestoration of Wasit’s share of output from a local thermal power station.

The rally followed days after another bout of unrest in the city, wheredemonstrators shut down the Provincial Council building before security forcesdispersed the crowds using tear gas. A security source also told Shafaq Newsthat Iraqi security forces raided the homes of those involved, detaining morethan 10 individuals.

The Iraqi Observatory for Human Rights later urged Prime Minister AliAl-Zaidi to halt the arrest campaign, warning that the operations mirror the“violations” linked to Iraq’s 2019 civil movement.

Iraq has witnessed a sharp rise in rally activity in recent months.According to the Verisk Maplecroft Civil Unrest Index, the country recorded thefastest relative increase among emerging markets, with protest events surging671% year-on-year in the second quarter of 2026.

Read more: Iraq’s protests: A system that learned how to contain the street

Shafaq News- Baghdad

The Iraqi Observatory for Human Rights (IOHR) on Saturdaycalled on Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi to stop the arrest campaign targetingprotesters in Wasit Province, warning the operations mirror the"violations" committed during Iraq's 2019 civil movement.

In a statement, the observatory pointed to the marches inthe center of Kut, where demonstrators have demanded a larger share ofelectricity supplies for the province. Quoting one of the organizers, the IOHRnoted that activists had faced threats and incitement campaigns on social mediasince the demonstrations began. Another participant said several activists hadleft their homes to avoid arrest for fear of detention warrants or surpriseraids.

Security forces, according to the observatory, launchedwidespread detentions after forcibly dispersing the crowds and injuring dozensof demonstrators.

Iraq has witnessed a sharp rise in rally activity in recentmonths. According to Verisk Maplecroft's Civil Unrest Index, the countryrecorded the fastest relative increase among emerging markets, with protestevents surging 671% year-on-year in the second quarter of 2026.

Read more: Iraq’s protests: A system that learned how to contain the street

Shafaq News-Baghdad

Fuel stationinvestors in Iraq called on Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi on Saturday tointervene urgently to stop a daily "major theft" linked to fuelsupply shortages.

In a statement, theinvestors said fuel stations that purchase a 36,000-liter tanker from the OilProducts Distribution Company receive only between 35,000 and 35,500 liters,causing significant financial losses.

“Instead ofaddressing the shortage, the company sends committees to record the missingquantities as violations and fine the stations four times the value, althoughthe shortfall originates from the supplied quantities.”

Iraq has facedshortages of regular and premium gasoline since late May, with long queuesforming at fuel stations. The Oil Ministry attributed the crisis to regionaldevelopments and the suspension of a key refinery project, which reducedhigh-octane gasoline supplies by up to five million liters per day, whilemotorists increasingly turned to the black market amid limited fuelavailability.

Read more: Gasoline shortage revives Baghdad's black market

Shafaq News- Najaf

Iraq's Ministry of Water Resources agreed to restore normal operations at the Al-Yaou water regulator within 48 hours and release additional water from the Haditha Dam after the closure sparked concerns over water shortages in southern Iraq.

Dhi Qar MP Hassan al-Asadi told Shafaq News the agreement followed talks with the water resources minister and senior ministry officials, adding that the ministry had pledged to return conditions to normal within two days and assigned the head of its National Water Resources Center to oversee the issue.

Read more: No longer seasonal: When the rivers stop, villages follow

Earlier today, Dhi Qar provincial council member Abdul Baqi al-Omari warned that closing the regulator in Najaf could worsen water shortages, damage agriculture, and threaten the southern marshlands during the peak summer season. Speaking to Shafaq News, he urged authorities to reverse the decision, saying the regulator had remained operational for more than 13 years.

Read more: Iraq’s water crisis: A structural rewrite of agricultural governance

Water regulators are among Iraq's most important structures for controlling water, a concern made sharper by scarcity, particularly in summer. As part of the country's irrigation network, regulators are built on irrigation canals, at their heads, at various points along their course, or at the upstream face of barrages on rivers, their tributaries, and their branches. The regulator operates according to the required water quantities and distributes them to secondary canals based on the needs of the irrigation projects it serves.

The Al-Yaou distributes water shares among the provinces of Al-Diwaniyah, Dhi Qar, and Saladin.

Shafaq News- Dhi Qar

Water hyacinth has once again spread across a stretch of the Euphrates River in Iraq's southern Dhi Qar province, despite recent government efforts to remove the invasive plant.

Photos taken by Shafaq News correspondent show the fast-growing aquatic weed covering the river beneath Al-Zaytoun Bridge in central Nasiriyah, with no visible cleanup activity underway.

Local authorities closed Al-Zaytoun Bridge for 24 hours earlier this week to dredge the river and remove water hyacinth, reeds, and sediment.

Native to South America, water hyacinth is one of the world's most invasive aquatic plants. It forms dense mats that block sunlight, reduce oxygen levels in the water, disrupt ecosystems, and threaten fish stocks.

Read more: Invasive alien plant threatens Iraq’s marshes

Shafaq News- Kirkuk

Kirkuk International Airport has launched its first directflight to Beirut, operated by Iraqi Airways, the Airport Administrationreported on Sunday.

The Beirut route joins existing Iraq–Lebanonconnections operating from other airports, including Baghdad InternationalAirport, along with select services from Basra International Airport and NajafInternational Airport.

Shafaq News- Milano

Iraqi judicial cooperation with international partners hashelped uncover and prevent terrorist crimes in several Arab and Europeancountries, as well as the United States, Iraq's Supreme Judicial CouncilPresident Faiq Zaidan stated on Saturday.

Speaking during a dialogue session of Arab supreme courtpresidents in Milan, Italy, Zaidan said Iraq's Constitution and the SupremeJudicial Council Law guarantee the full independence of the judiciary, makingit a separate authority free from interference by the legislative and executivebranches or any other entity.

He also highlighted the establishment of the National Centerfor International Judicial Cooperation, describing it as the council's mainplatform for cross-border judicial coordination. The center facilitates theexchange of judicial information and evidence, processes requests for legal assistance,and supports the recovery of fugitives, assets, and the investigation oftransnational cases.

ShafaqNews- Al-Anbar

Constructionof the long-awaited 200-bed Heet General Hospital in Iraq's Al-Anbar provincehas reached 72% completion, raising hopes among residents who have spent yearstraveling to other cities for medical treatment, an Iraqi official told ShafaqNews on Saturday.

YasserDailan, director of the engineering department at the Al-Anbar HealthDirectorate, indicated that work on the project is progressing as planned,noting that the remaining tasks include completing infrastructure works andinstalling medical equipment and other hospital requirements.

“Theproject remains on track for completion in April 2027,” he explained, notingthat the hospital could open earlier if infrastructure works are completed inthe near term.

Forresidents of Heet, the project represents more than a new building. It offersthe prospect of easier access to healthcare closer to home, reducing the needto travel to Ramadi, Haditha, or Baghdad for treatment.

Speakingto Shafaq News, civil activist Iyad al-Rawi described the latest progress asencouraging but stressed the importance of accelerating the remaining work tomeet growing healthcare needs. He alsonoted that thousands of residents travel outside the city each day for medicalexaminations, surgical procedures, and specialized treatment, placing financialand emotional strain on many families.

“Theabsence of a fully equipped hospital creates challenges for emergency patients,who often require transportation over long distances to receive urgent care,”he remarked, urging contractors, the Ministry of Health, and local authoritiesto remove any obstacles that could delay infrastructure works or theinstallation of medical equipment.

Read more: Iraq’s healthcare system nears collapse: Doctors leave, hospitals overflow

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraq's parliament plans to hold a special session toaddress worsening pollution in the Tigris and Euphrates rivers amid growingconcerns over its impact on public health, ecosystems, and the country's waterresources.

According to the Iraq Green Observatory, Baez Ismail,the most senior member of parliament's Agriculture, Water Resources, Marshes,and Environment Committee, revealed that the committee will meet after thecurrent legislative recess ends on July 1 before requesting an extraordinaryparliamentary session attended by officials from the Environment Ministry andother relevant agencies to examine the causes of the pollution and proposecorrective measures.

Calling the issue “one of Iraq's most seriousenvironmental challenges,” Ismail warned that pollutants discharged into theTigris and Euphrates have reached unprecedented levels, threatening nearbycommunities, agriculture, and aquatic life.

A specialized environmental team recently identified54 violations and contamination hotspots along the Euphrates River between theIraq-Syria border and Haditha Lake, environmental expert Samim Salam Abu Furattold Shafaq News earlier this month. The four-day survey, which relied on GPSmapping and satellite imagery, documented untreated sewage discharges, illegalsand quarries causing riverbank erosion, dumping of poultry waste and animalcarcasses, unlicensed fish ponds, construction debris obstructing water flow,and widespread agricultural and residential encroachments along the riverbanks.

Read more: The cost of filth: Iraq among the world’s most polluted nations

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Online shopping has rapidly evolved from a niche convenience into one of Iraq's fastest-growing retail sectors, driven by rising smartphone use, expanding internet access, and social media platforms that have become virtual marketplaces.

The boom has widened consumer choice and created thousands of jobs in delivery, warehousing, and digital marketing. Yet the sector's rapid growth has also exposed buyers to fraud, counterfeit products, and weak consumer protections, leaving confidence in Iraq's e-commerce market increasingly fragile.

Unlike many countries, Iraq's online retail market relies heavily on cash on delivery, allowing customers to order goods without bank cards or digital payment services. While the model has fueled the sector's expansion, it has also enabled unverified sellers and fake online stores to flourish.

Government employee Asmaa Ali told Shafaq News she now shops online regularly to save time but only buys from pages with strong customer ratings after previously receiving products that failed to match their advertised quality.

University student Baraa al-Hassan described a common scam in which online sellers advertise professional product images at attractive prices before requesting only a customer's name, province, and phone number for delivery.

"When the order arrives, it's completely different from what was advertised," she said. "The delivery driver cannot accept returns, and when I try contacting the seller, the page has disappeared or stops responding." She called for stronger government oversight and legislation to combat online fraud.

Delivery workers say they are frequently caught in disputes despite having no role in the sale itself. "Our job begins only after we receive the package," delivery driver Khaled Mahmoud told Shafaq News, explaining that couriers simply collect payments and hand the money back to delivery companies in exchange for transport fees.

He said customers often refuse deliveries after discovering products differ from their online descriptions, while drivers have no authority to process returns or replacements.

Ali Hussein, who works as an intermediary between sellers and buyers, said most disputes stem from sellers failing to deliver products matching their advertisements. The problem becomes nearly impossible to resolve when online pages disappear after completing a sale.

Economic analyst Ali Khalil said Iraq's e-commerce industry has become “one of the country's fastest-growing sectors,” with tens of thousands of online purchases taking place every day. He estimated the market generated more than $700 million in revenue in 2024 and could exceed $1 billion within the next few years if digital adoption continues at its current pace.

However, Khalil warned that 60-70% of online purchases still rely on cash on delivery, reflecting “consumers' reluctance to pay before inspecting goods.” He argued that sustainable growth will depend on legislation requiring online retailers to adopt transparent return and exchange policies, register with official authorities, and strengthen consumer protections against fraud.

Shafaq News- Karbala

The 1,500-year-old Al-Aqiser Church, one of Iraq's oldestsurviving Christian churches, has been placed on Iraq's list of priorityrestoration sites as climate change and years of neglect continue to accelerateits deterioration.

During a 2025 inspection, a technical committee from Iraq'sMinistry of Culture, Tourism and Antiquities classified the church amongarchaeological sites requiring emergency conservation, although restorationwork still depends on the allocation of government funding, according to theKarbala Antiquities and Heritage Directorate.

Al-Aqiser stands within a sprawling walled monastery in Ainal-Tamr district, about 70 kilometers (43 miles) west of Karbala and roughly 5kilometers from the historic Al-Ukhaidir Fortress. Archaeologists date thechurch to the late fifth or early sixth century AD, making it one of Iraq'searliest surviving basilica-style churches. Its entrance is marked bydistinctive oval arches, while the surrounding monastery stretches acrossnearly 15,000 square meters and is protected by defensive towers.

Ahmed Hassan Jaber, director of the Karbala Antiquities andHeritage Directorate, told Shafaq News that the complex requires excavation,restoration, and rehabilitation before it can become a fully recognizedarchaeological and tourist destination.

Read more: Iraqis long for the world's oldest churches and temples

Years of limited funding have prevented any large-scaleconservation work, he said, adding that authorities managed to install aprotective fence around the monastery and the surrounding archaeologicalsettlement in 2023 to reduce encroachment, “but the site has suffered repeateddamage since 2003, when looters dug into burial grounds east of the complexbefore security forces intervened.”

The main church, built from stone and plaster, measuresabout 42 meters (138 feet) in length and 9 meters in width. It sits inside afortified compound that also includes monks' cells, residential quarters, asmall funerary church, and service buildings, according to Dr. Muntasir Sabahal-Hasnawi, director general of the Conference Palace at the Ministry ofCulture, Tourism and Antiquities.

“A dry valley cuts through the archaeological complex, whilenearby seasonal water sources are believed to have influenced the monastery'soriginal location centuries ago,” he told Shafaq News, pointing out that due toits location in the western desert, Al-Aqiser is exposed to risingtemperatures, stronger solar radiation, declining rainfall, and frequent duststorms, all of which have accelerated the deterioration of its fragilestructure.

Al-Hasnawi said sharp temperature swings between day andnight are causing the greatest damage, as repeated expansion and contractioncrack the stone and gradually loosen sections of the wall. Wind carrying sandand dust steadily erodes exposed surfaces, while chemical weathering continuesto weaken plaster and clay elements throughout the complex. Illegal excavationsand the site's use during years of conflict have added to the deterioration.

Beyond its architectural value, Al-Aqiser offers a rareglimpse into Iraq's pre-Islamic Christian heritage. The monastery is associatedwith the Lakhmid Kingdom of al-Hira, the Arab Christian state that ruled partsof Mesopotamia before the rise of Islam. Syriac inscriptions and carved crossesremain visible on sections of the walls, reflecting the region'slong-established Christian presence centuries before Iraq became predominantlyMuslim.

“Preserving the church will require more than repairingdamaged walls.” He called for drainage projects to divert rainwater, protectivemeasures against flooding and wind erosion, and the creation of green belts toslow the movement of desert sand.

The church is only one of several archaeological landmarksin Ain al-Tamr. Nearby attractions, including Al-Ukhaidir Fortress, the Al-TarCaves, and Shimun Palace, could form the basis of a broader heritage tourismroute if roads, visitor facilities, and basic services were developed.

Read more: Christians of Iraq: Where did they go?

Shafaq News- Al-Anbar

The rapid growth of water hyacinth across waterwaysconnected to the Euphrates River in western Al-Anbar province has raisedenvironmental concerns over its impact on water flow and intake facilities.

Environmental specialist Ahmed Al-Alwani told Shafaq News onFriday that water hyacinth is among the most dangerous invasive aquatic plantsthreatening Iraq's environment because of its ability to reproduce rapidly,particularly in slow-moving rivers and canals.

The plant forms a dense layer across the water surface,blocking sunlight from reaching aquatic organisms and vegetation below,reducing oxygen levels, disrupting the river's ecological balance, andthreatening biodiversity and fish stocks, Al-Alwani explained. He added thatwater hyacinth consumes large amounts of water and nutrients, placingadditional pressure on Iraq's already strained water resources. Beyond its environmentalimpact, the plant obstructs water movement in rivers and canals, affects waterintake stations and treatment projects, and causes sediment and debris toaccumulate around hydraulic infrastructure, increasing maintenance and operatingcosts.

According to Al-Alwani, effective control requires continuedmechanical removal campaigns, regular monitoring of vulnerable areas, andmeasures to stop the plant from spreading to new locations through waterways. “Long-termsolutions depend on integrated control plans led by the Ministries ofAgriculture and Water Resources, with close coordination between governmentinstitutions and local administrations.”

Amir Al-Hassoun, director general of the EnvironmentalAwareness and Media Department at the Ministry of Environment, told Shafaq Newsthat the ministry continues to urge the Ministries of Agriculture, WaterResources, Construction, Housing, Municipalities, and Public Works to implementpreventive measures.

Mahmoud Salem, director of Al-Anbar Water Directorate,described the infestation of water hyacinth in Al-Amiriyah as a"moderate-risk" environmental issue, similar to other pollutantscarried into the river from upstream areas before multiplying rapidly. He indicatedthe directorate, in cooperation with the district administration and the WaterResources Directorate, has launched an extensive campaign to contain theproblem.

Salem noted that the plant obstructs water intake structuressupplying drinking water projects, requiring extensive field operations toremove it, while expressing confidence that existing infestations would be eliminatedwithin the coming days.

Authorities in Al-Amiriyah have been conducting waterhyacinth removal campaigns for several weeks with the participation of thedistrict administration, Al-Anbar Water Directorate, and the Water ResourcesDirectorate.

Shafaq News- Karbala

The security plan for Ashura commemorations in Karbala wassuccessfully implemented, the head of Iraq's Supreme Committee for MajorPilgrimages stated on Friday.

Qais Al-Mohammadawi said the plan featured direct andeffective field supervision by commanders from the Ministries of Defense andInterior, the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), supporting security units, andvolunteers, ensuring a secure environment across all operational sectors andaccess routes leading to the city.

Authorities in Karbala provided care to more than 25,000patients and pilgrims, performed 195 surgeries, recorded 71 births, andcollected 1,721 units of blood through donation campaigns to support the Ashuraemergency measures. In Najaf, medics treated nearly 49,700 people between theseventh and tenth of Muharram.

Millions of Shiite Muslims marked Ashura on Friday,commemorating the martyrdom of Imam Hussein ibn Ali, his brothers, sons, andcompanions, who were killed in the Battle of Karbala in 680 AD (61 AH), one ofthe defining events in Shiite Islam.

Read more: Tatbir: Ashura blood that Shiites call sacred and sinful

Shafaq News-Kirkuk

KirkukInternational Airport operated its first direct flight to the Turkish city ofTrabzon on Friday, while also receiving a domestic airline, according toairport media official Hardi al-Salehi.

Both movementsare part of a broader plan to expand regional and international routes andattract more carriers to the airport, al-Salehi told Shafaq News.

The Trabzonlaunch follows a direct route to Dubai opened earlier this week and comesmonths after the airport resumed international operations in May following asuspension of more than two months caused by aviation risks linked to theUS-Israeli war on Iran. The facility also introduced nighttime flightoperations for the first time during that same period.

Airportmanagement is continuing efforts to increase destinations and regular flights,to meet growing travel demand and support economic, commercial, and tourismactivity in Kirkuk, al-Salehi concluded.

Read more: Iraq airspace closure costs $43 million during US-Israel war on Iran

Shafaq News-Basra

Basra GovernorAsaad al-Eidani rejected circulating reports that he donated dozens of newvehicles to Kuwait's Border Security and Coast Guard Directorate.

The fabricatedimages showed transporters carrying Tahoe-model vehicles bearing banners withhis photo and the inscription: "A gift to Kuwaiti Interior Minister FahadYusuf al-Sabah, to strengthen cooperation and support border securitypersonnel." The governor stated in an audio recording that the images areentirely false and without any factual basis.

Shafaq News- Al-Anbar

Civil Defense teams in western Iraq's Al-Anbarprovince have removed 1,593 unexploded munitions since January 1, 2026, MohammedTariq, media officer for the provincial Civil Defense Directorate, told ShafaqNews on Friday.

Iraqi Army's Field Engineering Battalion, Tariq noted,had destroyed 897 explosive remnants under approved technical and securityprocedures, while clearance operations continue in coordination with relevantagencies.

Speaking to Shafaq News, mine action and explosives specialistMohammed Ali said removing war remnants remains essential in areas affected byprevious military operations, warning that buried explosives can remain activefor decades and continue to endanger residents, farmers, shepherds, andreconstruction workers.

“Completing the cleanup would help restore farmland,support the return of displaced families, and facilitate reconstruction,” Aliadded, calling for continued field inspections, specialized equipment, andbroader public awareness campaigns encouraging residents to avoid suspiciousobjects and immediately notify the authorities.

Iraq remains among the world's most heavilycontaminated countries with explosive remnants of war. The United Nations MineAction Service (UNMAS) estimates that about 2,733 square kilometers of landremain contaminated following successive conflicts, including the Iran-IraqWar, the 1991 Gulf War, post-2003 violence, and the campaign against ISIS.

Official figures show that more than 30,000 peoplehave been killed or injured by landmines and unexploded ordnance in Iraq since2003.

Read more: Floods unearth Iraq’s hidden mines, reviving a wartime threat

Shafaq News-Karbala

At the ImamHussein bin Ali and Al-Abbas bin Ali holy shrines and the area between them,ceremonies commemorating Ashura began with millions of mourners from Iraq andMuslim countries marking the tenth day of the holy month of Muharram.

The day'sceremonies opened with the recitation of the story of Imam Hussein's killing atKarbala, narrated before the vast crowds. After the recitation, mourners takepart in traditional rites of grief, including chest-beating (latmiya) andelegiac chants (radood) lamenting the events of Karbala.

Shafaq News- Karbala

Iraqi authorities and Karbala’s holy shrines haveactivated extensive security, health, and public service plans as millions ofpilgrims arrived on Thursday night to mark the eve of Ashura, one of thecountry’s largest annual Shiite commemorations.

Ashura, observed on the tenth day of Muharram, marksthe killing of Imam Hussein bin Ali, the third Shia Imam and grandson of theProphet Muhammad, at the Battle of Karbala in 680 CE. For Shia Muslims, theoccasion symbolizes sacrifice, dignity, and resistance to injustice.

Black banners lined the city's streets as Husseinimawakib, volunteer-run processions providing food, water, rest areas, andmourning services, received visitors arriving from across Iraq and abroad,while many residents opened their homes, continuing a long-standing traditionof hospitality.

Read more: Baghdad neighborhood revives Ashura ritual

Speaking to Shafaq News, Karbala Provincial Councilmember Israa Al-Nasrawi said preparations had been underway for more than amonth, with government agencies deploying medical teams along the main routesfrom Najaf, Baghdad, and Babil, as well as across the city. She expectedattendance to exceed last year’s estimated 12 million visitors.

The Imam Hussein and Al-Abbas Holy Shrines alsounveiled coordinated operational plans for the Tuwairij Run, one of Ashura'slargest mourning rituals, deploying 10,000 personnel, including 2,000 staffmembers and 8,000 volunteers, expanding surveillance with more than 4,400cameras, organizing 831 mourning and service processions, and preparing threedesignated routes to manage crowd movement.

The arrangements also include covering the centralcourtyard between the two shrines with 10,000 square meters of red carpeting,distributing around 50,000 meals daily, and installing hundreds of misting fansto help visitors cope with the summer heat.

Read more: Millions gather for Ashura ahead of Karbala's peak pilgrimage

Media coverage has also expanded. Hussein Al-Shammari,head of the Iraqi Journalists Syndicate's Karbala branch, told Shafaq News that419 accreditations had been issued to journalists representing 23 televisionchannels, 20 news agencies, and 30 foreign correspondents.

Authorities further mobilized 120 firefighting andrescue teams, 1,350 civil defense personnel, 100 ambulances, 13 hospitals andemergency medical centers, more than 3,200 sanitation workers, 419 specializedvehicles, over 300 sewage trucks, 57 pumping stations, and nine wastewatertreatment projects to support the commemoration.

Read more: Muharram in Iraq: New year becomes a season of mourning

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Crowds gathered in Baghdad’s Al-Kifah district on Ashura night, carrying torches and swords as black mourning banners, chants, and fire-lit processions marked one of Iraq’s most important Shia commemorations.

Ashura marks the killing of Imam Hussein bin Ali, the third Shia Imam and grandson of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad, at the Battle of Karbala in 680 CE. For Shia Muslims, the day carries a wider message of sacrifice, dignity, and standing for truth against unjust power.

Shafaq News footage showed residents of Al-Kifah reviving an annual neighborhood ritual on the eve of the 10th of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar, with large crowds filling the area as participants moved through the streets with flames and ceremonial swords.

Tourism and Antiquities Ministry spokesperson Hatem Al-Azzawi told Shafaq News that Ashura draws about five to six million visitors in Iraq, mostly concentrated in Karbala, where mourners gather around the shrines of Imam Hussein and his brother Al-Abbas.

Across Iraq, Ashura is also marked by mawkibs*, volunteer service stations that provide food, water, rest areas, and medical help to mourners and pilgrims. The rituals range from neighborhood processions and latmiya, rhythmic mourning chants, to ziyarah, pilgrimage visits to holy shrines.

* A mawkib is a volunteer service station that provides food and support during religious commemorations.

Shafaq News- Najaf

Iraq's Supreme Judicial Council instructed courts topursue legal action against any entity responsible for environmental pollution,including government institutions, to strengthen enforcement of environmentalprotection laws.

Jamal Abdul Zaid Shalaka, director of Najaf'sEnvironment Directorate, told Shafaq News on Thursday that the directive, whichfollowed a June 23 request from the Ministry of Environment for stricterenforcement, requires competent courts to apply Article 32 of the Protectionand Improvement of Environment Law No. 27 of 2009 equally to public and privateentities by prosecuting those responsible for environmental violations. It alsoobliges violators to eliminate sources of pollution, restore damaged areas, andcompensate those affected in accordance with Iraqi law.

Earlier this month, a specialized environmental teamidentified 54 pollution hotspots and environmental violations affecting waterquality along the Euphrates River from the Iraq-Syria border to Haditha Lake.Environmental expert Samim Salam Abu Furat told Shafaq News that the four-daysurvey documented untreated sewage discharges, illegal sand quarries, poultrywaste and animal carcasses dumped into the river, unlicensed fish ponds,construction debris obstructing water flow, and encroachments along theriverbanks.

Read more: The cost of filth: Iraq among the world’s most polluted nations

Shafaq News- Nineveh

Nineveh province, northern Iraq, recorded a newCrimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) case, a health source told Shafaq Newson Thursday.

The patient, 11, was admitted to the hospital on June 21 asa suspected case. The case brings the total number of confirmed CCHF infectionsin the province to nine this year.

According to the Shafaq News tracker, Iraq has recorded 153CCHF infections since the start of 2026, with 74 cases concentrated in thesouthern province of Dhi Qar.

Shafaq News- Dhi Qar

A Shiite mourning procession named after demonstrators killed during Iraq's 2019 anti-government protests canceled its Ashura march on Thursday, a day after authorities barred it from participating in one of Dhi Qar province's main religious commemorations.

The organizers of the "Tishreen Martyrs Procession" said the decision was taken to preserve public order and prevent tensions during Ashura, the annual Shiite commemoration marking the killing of Imam Hussein, Prophet Muhammad's grandson and the third Shiite Imam, at the Battle of Karbala.

In a statement, the procession blamed authorities for preventing participants from carrying photographs of protesters killed during the 2019 demonstrations, widely known in Iraq as the Tishreen movement.

Security forces prevented the procession yesterday from joining the annual Ashura parade in Haboubi Square, the main gathering point in the southern city of Nasiriyah. A security source told Shafaq News that the procession was denied entry because the participants intended to display portraits of victims of the Tishreen protest. Organizers, however, said the procession has been officially registered with Dhi Qar's Hussainiya Processions Authority for more than five years and had participated in previous Ashura commemorations.

Shafaq News- Nineveh

Turkish companies could play a role in operating MosulInternational Airport and developing industrial projects in northern Iraq’sNineveh under proposals discussed on Thursday by provincial Governor AbdulQader Al-Dakhil and senior Turkish officials.

Following a meeting with Turkish Ambassador to IraqAnil Bora Inan and Turkish Consul General in Mosul Serhad Varli, Al-Dakhil saidtalks focused on expanding economic ties, reviewing ongoing Turkish-backedprojects, and exploring investment in the airport and planned industrialcities. They also covered the opening of the Turkish Maarif School in Mosullater this year, measures to create jobs, and the recently signed memorandum ofunderstanding between Mosul and the Turkish city of Tokat.

A day earlier, Al-Dakhil noted that MosulInternational Airport could receive its operating license within three monthsunder an agreement between the Nineveh Provincial Council and the Iraqi CivilAviation Authority approved by Prime Minister Ali Falih Al-Zaidi. Thedeal calls for appointing a specialized consultant to review the airport'sdesigns and complete aircraft approach and departure procedures, while theprovincial council and the aviation authority will jointly choose an operatorin line with international standards.

Shafaq News- Najaf

Najaf International Airport recorded nearly 30,000passengers and 170 flights since the beginning of Muharram, the first month ofthe Islamic lunar calendar, an airport official told Shafaq News on Thursday.

Flight operations have continued smoothly despite thegrowing influx of pilgrims, while operational and service teams remain on dutyto ensure the uninterrupted movement of passengers and aircraft during theAshura period.

Earlier today, Iran's state broadcaster reported that morethan three million Iranian pilgrims had arrived in the Iraqi city of Karbala toparticipate in Ashura commemorations on June 25.

Each year, millions of pilgrims travel to Karbala to commemoratethe martyrdom of Imam Hussein ibn Ali during Ashura, with Iraqi authoritiesimplementing extensive security and service measures to facilitate thepilgrimage.

Shafaq News- Karbala

Between the shrines of the third Shia Imam, Husseinbin Ali, and his brother al-Abbas in the heart of Karbala, a city in southernIraq held sacred by Shiite Muslims, an elderly woman moves through the crowdsunder a punishing sun, a large bottle of water in one hand and a single metalcup in the other. The pilgrims call her Hajja Umm Jasim. She is in hereighties, and for as long as many of them can remember, she has been here,pressing cups of water on the thirsty, paying little mind to her age or the heat.

The visitors come for Imam Hussein, the grandson ofthe Prophet Muhammad, who was killed at Karbala in 680 CE (the 10th of Muharramin the year 61 AH of the Islamic calendar), and whose death Shiite Muslimscommemorate each year. Serving those pilgrims, and the volunteer processions,known as mawakib, that look after them, is an act of devotion. For Umm Jasim,it was once also an act of risk.

In the years before 2003, she said, the work wasanything but free, describing hiding water beneath her abaya, the long blackcloak worn by Iraqi women, and slipping it to pilgrims unseen, fearful of beingpursued for taking part in the religious rituals that the government of SaddamHussein, which suppressed open Shiite mourning, treated with suspicion."Simply offering it could bring you questioning, harassment, evenprison," she told Shafaq News.

"Today I serve the visitors and the processionsfreely and with pride. It is a great blessing, and I thank God for it."

Read more: Muharram in Iraq: New year becomes a season of mourning

Umm Jasim prefers to keep moving, carrying her waterto whoever needs it, and she says no one leaves without a share of her prayers."With every cup I offer, I pray for the pilgrim's wellbeing, their health,and that their needs be met, and for the processions and the servers who giveso much to care for people."

Her devotion has come at a cost that few of thestrangers she serves would guess. A mother of seven, Umm Jasim, lost her eldestson, a surgeon, to execution under the former regime. The loss did not turn herfrom the work.

"[Imam] Hussein is my intercessor, and today Ifear no one but God," she said. "What is left of my life, I want tospend in the service of Imam Hussein and his visitors. This service gives methe peace I find nowhere else."

Pilgrims and procession members say she has become afamiliar face between the two shrines, returning each season with the samebottle, a metal cup, and a smile that arrives just before the water does.

Read more: Karbala, where memory breathes and future beckons