Around 250,000 trees damaged by Iraqi election campaigning: Observatory

“Approximately 250,000 trees across 15 provinces were damaged due to candidates' election campaigns,” The Green Iraq Observatory said in a statement, noting that the damage included cutting down the trees, drilling holes in them, as well as breaking branches to hang election posters.

News

Iran, Russia, China slam reimposition of sanctions on Tehran

In a joint statement, the three countries’ missions to the UN said that the triggering of the “snapback mechanism” outlined in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) deal by the European countries (E3) involved in the agreement - Britain, France, and Germany - is “by default, legally and procedurally flawed.”

News

Iraqi commission says candidates buying voting cards will be disqualified

“Attempts to buy or remove voter cards have led the commission, in cooperation with the Supreme Judicial Council, to file criminal complaints against those individuals involved. They are now undergoing legal proceedings and will be disqualified if any crime is proven against an accused person,” Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) said in a statement. 

News

Afghanistan, Pakistan agree to ceasefire following deadly clashes

Kabul and Islamabad “agreed to an immediate ceasefire and the establishment of mechanisms to consolidate lasting peace and stability between the two countries,” the Qatari ministry said in a statement.

News

Syria rejects ‘division or federalism’: FM

"The absence of the Syrian Democratic Forces within state institutions deepens the rift between them and the state," Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani said, coming as Damascus seeks to centralize power despite Kurdish desires for devolved government.

News

Iraq preparing 2026 budget before completing 2025 accounts 'an unsound step': Lawmaker

Moeen al-Kadhimi, a member of Iraq’s Parliamentary Finance Committee, told The New Region that "talking about a new budget is unrealistic when there are no final accounts for this year."

News

CBI issues new regulations to curb foreign currency smuggling

The new Central Bank of Iraq (CBI) measures come as the US has increasingly sanctioned Iraqi banks over allegations of currency smuggling and other means of bypassing economic measures imposed on Iran.

News

Sadr calls for discipline after supporters remove election posters in Basra

 Iraqi cleric Muqtada al-Sadr has urged his followers to stay calm and avoid reacting to provocations as tensions rise ahead of the upcoming parliamentary elections. His statement came after a video showed some of his supporters in Basra removing posters of other candidates placed near a large image of him.

News

A labor of love: Sharazoor's rich pomegranate yields

Photos by Awder Mohammed.

Gallery