Iraq has issued arrest warrants for the trade minister and his brother on corruption charges, a judicial spokesman said.

The statement did not say what accusations Milas Mohammed Abdul Kareem and his brother Nehru faced.

But Iraq media reported that they related to contracts awarded to firms linked to Nehru, based in Jordan.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced measures cracking down on corruption in August.

The move, which overhauls a system in which senior positions are appointed on sectarian lines, followed protests over power cuts amid sweltering heat.

Neither Mr Abdul Kareem nor his brother have commented on the allegations.

Their father, a Kurd, is head of the largest Sufi order in Iraq - a branch of Islam widespread in the country.

BBC