Shafaq News/ A leading figure in the Coordination Framework (CF) understated Muqtada al-Sadr's call for restarting the political process in Iraq without the classic powers, and an independent lawmaker says it signals a huge step back from the populist leader in preparation for back-tracking on his demands.

The leading figure in the mainly

Shafaq News/ A source close to al-Hannana, the headquarters of Muqtada al-Sadr in Najaf, said that the powerful Shiite cleric is tenacious about dissolving the parliament and holding an early election despite a torrent of initiatives and invitations.

"All the initiatives and dialogue invitations have failed to dissuade al-Sadr," the source said,

Shafaq News/ Huge amounts of potable water are being usurped by powerful people who claim to have connections to paramilitary groups, Iraq's Minister of Water Resources Mahdi Rachid al-Hamdani said on Saturday.

Al-Hamdani's remarks came during a chat with reporters on the sidelines of the inauguration ceremony of a floating water pump in al-Anbar's

Shafaq News/ Blazes engulfed more than 250 palm trees in the southern governorate of al-Muthanna, Iraq's Civil Defense Directorate said on Saturday.

A statement by the directorate said that the firefighting teams managed to control and extinguish a huge fire that erupted inside an agricultural area in al-Muzlem, al-Rumaytha district.

The flames