Trump names his new special envoy to Iraq — a MAGA influencer who ran a chain of marijuana dispensaries

Your support helps us to tell the story From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our...

Election ads leave environmental scars across Iraq

2025-10-19T12:01:01+00:00 font Enable Reading Mode A- A A+ Shafaq News – Baghdad Thousands of trees, plants, and public spaces across Iraq have been damaged by a wave of election advertisements ahead of the November 11 parliamentary polls. The...

Desertification renders 60% of Iraq's soil unusable

2025-10-19T16:04:11+00:00 font Enable Reading Mode A- A A+ Shafaq News – Baghdad Approximately 60% of Iraq's land has become unusable due to drought and desertification, the Green Iraq Observatory reported on Sunday. Omar Abdul Latif, a member of...

Iraq's debt hits $150 billion as central bank sounds alarm

Amid mounting criticism, the CBI issued a clarification on Sunday, aiming to alleviate intense public anxiety over the country's debt levels. [Getty] Iraq's Central Bank (CBI) Governor, Ali al-Allaq, has revealed that the country’s total domestic...

Water salinity hurting Iraq farmers, livestock

Declining freshwater flows raise salt and pollution levels in Tigris and Euphrates BASRA, Iraq: Iraqi farmer Umm Ali has watched her poultry die as salinity levels in the country’s south hit record highs, rendering already scarce water unfit for...

Iraq and US Strengthen Ties in Military Training and Counterterrorism

Twenty years after the U.S. invasion and five years after declaring victory over ISIS, Iraq finds itself still dependent on American military assistance—a relationship that reveals the fragile nature of its sovereignty. The Enduring Partnership...

Iraq’s August Oil Exports Reach 3.49 Million Barrels Daily

Iraq’s surging oil exports of 3.49 million barrels per day should be cause for celebration, yet they underscore the nation’s most dangerous vulnerability. The Petro-State Paradox Iraq’s August oil export figures from the State Oil Marketing...

1st International Environmental Conference begins in Sulaymaniyah

The 1st International Environmental Conference (Eco Kurdistan), organized by the Biology Department at Sulaymaniyah University, has begun. The two-day conference will address issues such as environmental pollution, climate change, water resource...

Iraq Oil Exports Reach 3.49 Million Barrels Daily in August

Iraq’s surging oil exports of 3.49 million barrels per day represent both the nation’s greatest strength and its most dangerous weakness. The Petro-State Paradox Iraq’s announcement through its State Oil Marketing Organization (SOMO) that August...

Industrial Sector Records Steady Growth, Strengthening Investment Climate and Job Creation

Ammon News - The industrial sector is on an upward trajectory, marking eight consecutive months of growth this year, a performance that underscores renewed investor confidence, economic stability, and the sector’s expanding role in driving...

Iraq cracks down on illegal water use amid worsening drought

2025-10-18T16:09:22+00:00 font Enable Reading Mode A- A A+ Shafaq News – Baghdad Iraq begun a nationwide crackdown on illegal water use in an effort to confront its worst drought in decades and protect dwindling river supplies, the government...

No room for war in N-environment, says COAS

KAKUL: Vowing to defend every inch of Pakistan, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir NI (M), HJ, on Saturday, cautioned Indian military leadership that there is no space for war in a nuclearised environment. Addressing passing...

Understanding Vision Issues in Autistic Children in Iraq

In a groundbreaking study focusing on refractive errors and vision problems among autistic children in Iraq, researchers have unveiled startling insights regarding parental awareness and understanding of these critical issues. The preliminary...

'No space for war in nuclearised environment, settle issues,' army chief warns India

Field Marshal Asim Munir has set out Pakistan’s strategic outlook: celebrating the mutual defense pact with Saudi Arabia, reaffirming core partnerships with China and the US, condemning terrorism and proxy warfare, and underlining unwavering...

Iraq’s digital battlefield: Social media shapes the 2025 elections

2025-10-17T22:24:30+00:00 font Enable Reading Mode A- A A+ Shafaq News The digital sphere has become a defining force in Iraq’s upcoming parliamentary elections, turning social media platforms into the primary stage for political competition. With...

Iraqi voters frustrated: Political parties fail to offer "clear" reforms

2025-10-17T22:06:56+00:00 font Enable Reading Mode A- A A+ Shafaq News – Baghdad With parliamentary elections scheduled for November 11, Iraq’s political campaigns are drawing criticism for failing to present concrete plans to tackle the country’s...

Feature: From classrooms to oilfields -- Iraqi students on Chinese scholarship bridge knowledge, friendship between two nations

BAGHDAD, Oct. 18 (Xinhua) -- "There is an Arabic proverb that says, 'Seek knowledge, even if you have to go as far as China.' I feel truly honored to have the opportunity to study in China," said Iraqi engineer Mahdi Salah with excitement. On...

HART: What happened to climate change, the existential threat of our time?

Just 10 short months ago, Biden and Kamala told us that “Climate Change,” closely followed by “White Supremacy,” were the two biggest threats to America. Global warming is the perfect fashionable worry for you liberals so you can talk about it...

Iraq, a country heavily impacted by climate change, has been ravaged for years by drought and low rainfall

Field Marshal Munir warns India ‘no room for war’ in nuclear environment

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir warned India that in a nuclear environment, there is “no room for war” between the two countries, reaffirming that Pakistan’s Armed Forces are fully prepared to defend every inch of the...