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Farmer Hadi Saheb cannot wait to see his wheat fields flourish in the heart of the desert after he tapped into groundwater reserves in water-starved Iraq. 

Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, Shiite Islam's highest authority in Iraq, offered his condolences on Monday for the death of Pope Francis, praising his work promoting "peace and tolerance".

The United States will roughly halve the number of troops it has deployed in Syria to less than 1,000 in the coming months, the Pentagon said Friday.

Every Friday, Alawi crosses the border from Iran into Iraq to sell his produce in the markets of Basra, which serve as a haven for Iranians grappling with economic sanctions.

In a Baghdad arena, a crowd cheers to the rhythm of drums, not for a football match but for a fiery centuries-old game enjoyed by Iraqis during Ramadan called "mheibes".

Iraq is exploring alternatives to Iranian gas imports, including options in the Gulf, a government official said, as it seeks to reduce dependence on its sanctions-hit neighbour.

Iran said Monday it would not negotiate under "intimidation", after US President Donald Trump sought to ratchet up pressure on Tehran by ending a sanctions waiver that had allowed Iraq to buy electricity from its Shiite neighbour.

Jailed Kurdish militant leader Abdullah Ocalan's call to disarm sparked relief but also fears for the future among Kurds in Syria and Iraq, who long for peace after fighting hard for autonomy.

Rukaya al-Zubaidi placed a cautious foot on a skateboard and then struggled to find her balance as others glided back and forth at Baghdad's first park dedicated to the sport.

An Iraqi refugee in Sweden who repeatedly burned the Koran in 2023, sparking outrage in Muslim countries, has been shot dead, investigators said Thursday, with Sweden's prime minister suggesting a "foreign power" might have been involved.