Yazidi, Turkmen, and Kurds have all raised concerns over inclusion and fairness in Iraq’s census as the government strives to reassure people and highlight the survey’s primary goal - development.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani traveled to Turkey on Friday on an unannounced trip.
It was a good year for Soran’s farmers because of plenty of water and favourable government policies, an official told Rudaw on Friday.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani on Thursday offered assistance and condolences to his Spanish counterpart, Pedro Sanchez, after flash floods in the eastern part of the country have claimed the lives of nearly 100 people.
The Syrian interior ministry announced on Wednesday that security forces in Damascus countryside province seized weapons, ammunition, and 600,000 Captagon pills intended for smuggling into Iraq.
The conclusion of the United Nations mission in Iraq by the end of 2025 does not mean that its support and presence in Iraq will also end, the mission’s head said on Wednesday, stressing that the UN is entering its “most important” chapter in the country.
Iraq’s electoral commission on Wednesday announced the final results of the Kurdistan Region’s parliament elections in Erbil, with vote counts barely changing from the preliminary results.
The Iraqi parliament on Tuesday adjourned its session after tensions rose between Kurdish and Sunni lawmakers over a proposed bill to resolve land disputes in Kirkuk, an MP told Rudaw.
Two Kurdish citizens convicted of theft in Iran had their fingers amputated at Urmia’s central prison on Tuesday, according to a report by a human rights organization.
Iran’s ministry of foreign affairs on Tuesday rejected criticism by Germany over Tehran’s execution of dual national Jamshid Sharmahd, saying that a European passport does not guarantee freedom from punishment.
Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani on Tuesday received the US ambassador to Baghdad, with both agreeing that Iraq should avoid becoming embroiled in the Middle East conflicts.
The “successful” parliamentary elections restored the Kurdistan Region’s legitimacy in Baghdad and internationally despite being held two years overdue, Prime Minister Masrour Barzani said on Tuesday, as the Region awaits official results of the vote.
Rudaw Media Network is proud to announce that the Association of Foreign Press Correspondents in the USA (AFPC-USA) has named Diyar Kurda, Rudaw’s Washington DC bureau chief and talented correspondent, as one of the best reporters in the United States for 2024.
Security issues, legal protections, and complex bureaucracy deter foreign investment and inflate project costs in Iraq, a UAE-based Crescent Petroleum executive said, encouraging Baghdad to foster private sector partnerships and reform its regulatory environment.
The Middle East Research Institute (MERI) kicked off its two-day forum in Erbil on Tuesday with discussions on Iraq’s regional partnerships, international engagement, and shifts in US-Iraq relations, amid escalating conflicts in the Middle East.
French and Qatari energy companies signed a partnership to initiate a major solar power project in Iraq’s Basra province, with plans to generate up to 1.25 gigawatts of electricity as the country seeks to diversify its energy sector.
The Turkish military has struck 470 Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) targets in Iraq and Syria since the group carried out an attack on a Turkish state-owned defense firm last week, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday.
Kurdish security forces (Asayish) in Erbil confiscated 11,000 fake automobile batteries and detained two suspects, they announced on Monday.
The Iraqi Ministry of Education plans to offer Lebanese education curricula, a spokesperson said on Sunday, as more refugees arrive fleeing the ongoing conflict with Israel.
Kataib Hezbollah, a pro-Tehran Iraqi militia group, said on Sunday the US must face consequences for misusing Iraqi airspace, a day after Tehran claimed Israel used it to launch strikes against the Islamic republic.
Iraq’s Communications and Media Commission (CMC) banned a political commentator and a politician on Sunday from appearing on Iraqi television for “inciting violence” and alleged violations of Iraq’s broadcast media regulations.
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) will convene an urgent session following a request on Sunday by Iran.
The legislative body of the Arab League approved an Iraqi proposal to file a lawsuit against “the Zionist occupation army,” the Iraqi parliament’s media office announced on Sunday.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said on Sunday that recent attacks on Tehran were a “mistake”, adding that Iranian officials must determine what is best for the country and act accordingly.
A top Iraqi Shiite politician on Sunday said that the United States will be held “fully responsible” for violating Iraqi airspace by using it to launch its attack on neighboring Iran, a day after Tehran said Israel used Iraqi airspace against it.
Three contentious bills are on the agenda of the Iraqi parliament‘s Sunday meeting, and disagreement between the parties might lead to another exclusion of the bills from the session.
Germany’s Schleswig-Holstein state has passed a law granting residency to Yazidis who sought refuge in the country, thereby preventing their deportation.
The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) on Saturday called on the Iraqi government to avoid involvement in the Middle East’s tensions.
Ten police officers were killed in an armed attack in southeast Iran on Saturday, state media reported. A Baluchi group has claimed responsibility.
Ali Bapir, leader of the Kurdistan Justice Group (Komal), on Saturday announced that his party will not enter the Kurdistan Region parliament, alleging that the election was rigged.
Several Middle Eastern countries on Saturday condemned Israel’s pre-dawn airstrikes targeting Iranian military sites. Iraq called for an international effort to curb further escalations.
Baghdad’s air quality has improved over the past week, a government spokesperson said on Friday, though the Iraqi capital continues to be one of the world's most polluted cities.
Turkish strikes on vital infrastructure in northeast Syria (Rojava) this week have left hundreds of thousands of people without water or electricity, the local administration said on Friday.
Iraqi security forces on Friday announced that four people were killed in airstrikes on a suspected Islamic State (ISIS) hideout in Salahaddin province.
Turkish security forces on Friday detained over 170 people for alleged links to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), two days after an attack on a drone manufacturing facility in the capital Ankara.
Iraqi security forces said on Friday that they arrested a self-proclaimed spiritualist accused of blackmailing over 150 women in Basra.
At least three people were killed and one was injured in Shingal on Friday as a result of suspected Turkish airstrikes, according to a Peshmerga commander.
Joyce Blau, a renowned expert on Kurdish language and literature, passed away at the age of 92.
Kurdish security forces (Asayish) in northeast Syria (Rojava) on Friday said Turkish drone and heavy artillery fire targeting civilian sites killed one person and injured eight others.
Iraqi security forces announced on Thursday that they killed 16 suspected terrorists in Anbar province during a counter-terrorism operation conducted with support from the international coalition.
Registration for Rudaw Media Network in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) cohort for women from Muthana, Karbala, Dhi Qar, and Wasit provinces
A shooting on Thursday at the Kurdsat police station in Sulaimani left two police officers and another person wounded, police in the city said.
At least one Syrian army soldier was killed on Thursday in Israeli airstrikes on Damascus and Homs, state media reported, and seven others were wounded.
The family of Abdullah Ocalan, leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), met in-person with him on Wednesday at Turkey's Imrali prison for the first time in nearly four years.
World leaders have sent messages of condolence and condemnation to Turkey after a deadly attack on an aerospace firm in the capital Ankara on Wednesday.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will meet Middle Eastern counterparts in London at the end of the week to discuss Israel’s wars in Gaza and Lebanon, the State Department said on Wednesday, as it has been encouraging a peace deal and the release of hostages.
Iraq is set to close two camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Erbil province and merge an additional three camps, a ministry official told Rudaw on Wednesday, amid efforts by Baghdad to close camps across the country.
Iraq’s migration and displacement ministry on Tuesday updated the number of Lebanese refugees that have arrived in the country to 13,000, as Israel ramps up its strikes against Hezbollah positions in Lebanon.
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ office on Tuesday congratulated the Kurdistan Region for holding parliamentary elections, encouraging an inclusive government to be formed “as soon as possible.”
Two members of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) were injured by shelling from unknown attackers in Syria’s eastern province of Deir ez-Zor on Tuesday, according to a UK-based conflict monitor.
Four political parties which participated in the Kurdistan Region’s parliamentary elections said on Tuesday that there were many instances of fraud and violations and they will release proof soon.
Dozens of people were in critical condition on Tuesday after a carbon monoxide gas leak at a mosque in central Iran, state media reported, as a humanitarian organization said nearly 100 people were affected.
The US government encouraged political parties in the Kurdistan Region to have dialogue following the announcement of election results on Monday, stressing there is more that unites than divides them.
Labeling it as an “important step” that bolsters democracy in the Kurdistan Region, President Nechirvan Barzani congratulated its people on Sunday for the “victorious” ending following the announcement of election results by the electoral commission.
Election monitors in the Kurdistan Region reported on Monday at least 124 complaints from political parties during the general vote, citing cases of noncompliance with electoral regulations and procedural shortcomings.
Iraq’s electoral body on Sunday announced that the voter turnout for the Kurdistan Region’s parliamentary elections was 72 percent, with Duhok province scoring the highest turnout.
Elderly and disabled citizens of the Kurdistan Region on Sunday headed to the polls to vote in the Region’s long-overdue parliamentary elections, determined to make their voice heard.
At least four suspected Islamic State (ISIS) members, including a senior leader, were killed in an Iraqi airstrike on Sunday, the army said, as Baghdad continues to pursue jihadist remnants across the country.
Iraq’s electoral body on Sunday announced that the voter turnout by midday for the Kurdistan Region’s parliamentary elections was 31 percent, with the polls set to close at 6 pm.
Iraq’s electricity ministry announced on Saturday that it signed an agreement with Turkmenistan to import natural gas to boost the national electricity grid.
Iraq's media regulator on Saturday revoked the license of MBC satellite channel, a day after the Saudi broadcaster labeled pro-Iran figures as “terrorists.”
Police officers in Dhi Qar province used tear gas and live bullets to disperse crowds demanding the release of detained protesters, an activist said on Saturday, a day after clashes with security forces resulted in dozens of injuries.
The Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU) on Saturday said that security forces were coerced to vote for the ruling parties in Friday’s early voting for the Kurdistan Region parliamentary elections.
Election monitors in the Kurdistan Region reported midday on Friday that they have documented 61 violations during the special vote, including campaigning near polling centers and voters bringing mobile phones into booths.
At least six people were killed and dozens were injured on Friday after a bus rolled over in Turkey’s central Aksaray province.
Mohamed al-Hassan, new head of the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), said late Thursday night the Kurdistan Region over the past decades has become a place of “development and progress,” hoping for successful and peaceful parliamentary elections.
After Iraqi warplanes targeted a suspected Islamic State (ISIS) hideout in Kirkuk, a member of the Kurdish security forces (Asayish) was killed during a sweeping operation in the disputed province on Thursday.
Security forces across the Kurdistan Region on Friday headed to the polling stations to cast their ballots during the early voting period two days ahead of the general vote in parliamentary elections.
Iraq security officials announced Thursday that an Islamic State (ISIS) suspect was captured in Sulaimani province in a joint operation by Iraqi counterrorism and Kurdish units, with another militant apprehended in a separate operation in Anbar.
The German parliament on Thursday overwhelmingly voted in favor of its government’s request to extend Berlin’s military mission in Iraq for another 15 months.
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Leaders from the European Union on Thursday are considering stricter migration policies, including increased deportations, enhanced border security, and cooperation with non-EU countries, while also addressing growing concerns over irregular migration.
The Israeli military said on Thursday they have confirmed the death of Palestinian Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar after initially saying it was investigating his death in a recent Israeli operation in Gaza.
Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani, on Thursday, reassured allies and partners that there is a strong will to unify the Peshmerga forces, adding that progress has been slow, but there is an effort to make the Peshmerga forces a national army.
A 16-year-old boy died while trying to take down a campaign poster in Duhok province’s Shekhan district, as he touched the sign’s electrified metal frame on the final night of the campaigning period, authorities said.
Iraq’s Communications and Media Commission (CMC) on Wednesday said it has reached a deal with Korek Telecom to settle outstanding payments totaling $1.25 billion, allowing the company to resume full operations after nearly a year of restricted service.
Iraq's Independent Electoral High Commission (IHEC) on Wednesday addressed over 40 complaints of election campaigning violations, including improper flag placements and unauthorized posters, as authorities have cautioned against the illegal removal of posters.
A 5.9 magnitude earthquake rocked Turkey’s southern Malatya province on Wednesday, the country’s disaster management agency announced. The tremor of the quake was felt in neighboring Syria.
At least three people died and over a dozen others were injured after separate fires erupted in Iran’s Isfahan and Khuzestan provinces, state media reported on Wednesday.
Nearly 2,000 observers from consulates and international organizations have registered to oversee the Kurdistan Region’s parliamentary elections on Sunday, an Iraqi electoral body official said.
Change Movement (Gorran) acting general coordinator Dana Majid urged voters for another chance Tuesday, the final day of the campaigning, and pledged to push for change and to defend people’s rights through a strong opposition.
Lebanon’s ambassador to Iraq on Tuesday commended Iraqi authorities for welcoming thousands of Lebanese refugees fleeing the Israel-Hezbollah conflict into the country, labeling Baghdad’s effort as “tremendous.”
Lahur Talabany, leader of the new People’s Front (Baray Gal), rallied for support on Tuesday in Sulaimani, vowing to make the province more independent and a cultural development hub, while criticizing ruling parties for years of neglect.
Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) leader Bafel Talabani on Tuesday vowed to reform governance in the Kurdistan Region, assuring voters that their participation is consequential in the parliamentary election.
The European Union foreign ministers on Monday called for the cessation of Israeli attacks on peacekeepers in Lebanon, reiterating that the bloc will not withdraw “blue helmets” from the war-torn country.
Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) leader Masoud Barzani rallied supporters on Tuesday, the final day of campaigning, affirming the party’s commitment to the Kurdistan Region and pledging to prioritize enacting a constitution in the next government.
Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani met with new United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) chief Mohamed al-Hassan on Tuesday in Erbil, discussing Baghdad and the Region’s relations, minority groups, and election processes.
Thousands in Iraq’s southern Karbala city attended the funeral of the slain Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander Abbas Nilforoushian, who was killed in Beirut last month.
Candidates debate road projects in Sulaimani province during a Rudaw program, blaming each other for the failure to complete several road constructions in the province.
An 11-year-old girl has become the first Lebanese refugee to enroll in the education system in Iraq, two weeks after her family arrived in the country to escape the escalating Israel-Hezbollah conflict.
Iran on Monday condemned recent sanctions imposed by the European Union and the United Kingdom over transferring ballistic missiles and drones to Russia, as well as attacks in the Middle East.
At least four suspected Islamic State (ISIS) members, including an “important leader,” were killed in an Iraqi airstrike in Kirkuk province, the army said on Tuesday, with Baghdad tightening the noose around jihadist remnants in the country.
A sulfuric odor engulfing the Iraqi capital Baghdad has sent nearly 200 people to hospital, and a local official on Monday blamed the foul odor on illegal factories operating at night.
The Iraqi Red Crescent Society has sent 150 tons of food supplies and aid to Lebanon since the start of the Israel-Hezbollah conflict, state media reported on Tuesday.
The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) appealed to potential voters in Sulaimani and Duhok on Monday, less than a week before parliamentary elections, as Komal called for unity in Ranya to address challenges.
Foreign ministers from 27 countries in the European Union met on Monday in Luxembourg to discuss current affairs and a range of issues including the security situation in the Middle East, the Russia-Ukraine war, sanctions, humanitarian and environmental concerns.
Two Islamic Resistance in Iraq drones were intercepted by Israeli defense systems near the Golan Heights, a war monitor said on Monday, adding they entered Syrian airspace from Iraq.
Candidates in the parliamentary elections debated long-standing issues of enacting a constitution for the Kurdistan Region, citing the absence of a formal legal framework as a key factor hindering governance and the rule of law.
At least two depots, containing food and sanitization materials, caught fire in Sulaimani’s industrial zone on Monday. No casualties have been reported and the cause of the blaze remains unknown, according to initial reports.
Iraq does not plan to set up camps in the country for incoming Lebanese refugees fleeing war in their homeland, an Iraqi migration ministry spokesperson said on Monday.
The European Union on Monday slammed as “completely unacceptable” a number of Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon which have injured United Nations peacekeepers, urging for such attacks to stop.
As the parliamentary elections in the Kurdistan Region draw closer, low-financed independent candidates are finding inexpensive, creative ways for campaigning to win a spot in the Kurdish legislature.
Around 20,000 Lebanese and Syrian nationals have arrived in northeast Syria (Rojava) since the start of the Israeli operations in Lebanon, Kurdish authorities in Rojava announced on Monday.
Iranian security forces seized over 50 kilograms of narcotics across two cities of the West Azerbaijan province, an official from the Kurdish city of Mahabad told state media.
More than three million ballot papers have been printed as of Sunday and are set to be distributed, along with voting machines, to polling centers across the Kurdistan Region as the campaigning period enters its final days.
Iraq’s finance minister on Sunday requested for lawmakers to assist in receiving non-oil revenues from the Kurdistan Region, adding that Erbil has not handed over its oil revenues since a federal court ruling in February.
Iran’s foreign ministry on Sunday condemned recently expanded US energy sanctions imposed on Tehran, calling them “illegal and unjustified.”
Candidates competing in the Kurdistan Region's parliamentary elections discussed infrastructure including concerns over roads in the independent administration of Soran, a week ahead of the vote.
The Iraqi premier received the new head of the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) Mohamed al-Hassan on Sunday in Baghdad, discussing the UN’s future in the country following the conclusion of the UNAMI mission and regional stability.
Iraq’s foreign minister on Sunday said that the violation of the country’s airspace to expand the ongoing war towards Iran is “unacceptable”, amid rising regional tensions and a potential Israeli retaliatory strike on its neighbor.
Turkmen parties in the Kurdistan Region on Saturday announced their election plan to make Turkmen an official language.
Politicians on Saturday made appeals to voters at rallies across the Kurdistan Region in the last days of campaigning before a crucial parliamentary election.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi will visit Baghdad on Sunday for meetings with Iraqi leaders amid rising regional tensions, according to an informed source.
An independent candidate in the Kurdistan Region’s parliamentary elections announced his withdrawal from the race on Saturday, saying he realized he could not win without the support of a party or a tribe.
Two women of Kurdish descent are running in Belgium’s municipal elections, which are scheduled for Sunday.
The US military announced on Saturday it conducted airstrikes against Islamic State (ISIS) camps in Syria the day prior, adding that the strikes caused no civilian casualties.
The migration and displacement ministry said on Saturday that tens of thousands of Iraqis remain displaced in camps in the Kurdistan Region amid efforts by Baghdad to close them across the country.
The US government announced expanded sanctions on Iranian petroleum and chemical interests on Friday, citing Tehran's unprecedented missile attack on Israel earlier this month and suggesting that other countries could soon add their own sanctions.
A US soldier was handed a 14-year prison sentence on Friday after pleading guilty to attempting to help Islamic State (ISIS) members attack American troops in the Middle East.
Tens of billions of dollars have been lost since the Kurdistan Region’s oil pipeline exports were halted last year, the oil producing firms said on Saturday, affecting the people and governments of Iraq and the Region.
At least one person was killed and four injured in an unidentified drone strike in Syria’s eastern Deir ez-Zor province on Friday, a war monitor reported.
Hundreds of Lebanese nationals with varying degrees of injuries have arrived in Iraq, the country’s Red Crescent Society said on Friday, as thousands fleeing the conflict have sought refuge in the country.
Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) said on Friday that it is reviewing a complaint regarding claims that security forces have engaged in early voting ahead of the scheduled date.
Three ministers from the Change Movement (Gorran) and Sulaimani’s governor have announced their resignations following the party’s decision to withdraw from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) on Thursday.
The Iraqi government has instructed an industrial subdistrict to introduce measures to reduce factory emissions.
A group of lawyers from four political parties announced on Thursday that, in order to ensure voting is free and fair, they are volunteering their services for voters who face intimidation in the Kurdistan Region’s parliamentary election.
Iraq's prime minister told a US delegation in Baghdad on Thursday that disrespecting the country's religious figures is "an affront" to the feelings of Muslims. After the meeting, US Ambassador Alina Romanowski posted on X that they "reject any suggestion of targeting Grand Ayatollah Sistani."
The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and a Sunni Arab alliance ended their months-long boycott of the Nineveh provincial council meetings and took part in sessions again, a KDP member said on Thursday.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday responded positively towards a question about resolving issues with the country’s pro-Kurdish party, as efforts continue to restore relations.
Israeli airstrikes early Thursday targeted the central Syrian provinces of Homs and Hama, state media reported, as regional tensions continue to rise against the backdrop of the Israel-Gaza war.
The United Nations refugee agency on Wednesday praised Iraq for welcoming more than 500 Lebanese nationals daily, their travel eased by Baghdad’s recent introduction of favorable visa policies.
Iraq is generating about 25 percent less electricity due to a decrease in gas imports from Iran and renovations of power stations ahead of winter, the electricity ministry said on Wednesday.
Turkey’s pro-Kurdish party on Wednesday called on supporters to attend an anticipated rally in the city of Diyarbakir (Amed) in support of the imprisoned leader of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) Abdullah Ocalan, despite a ban issued by the governor’s office.
A parliamentary candidate from the newly formed Sardam Alliance on Tuesday warned that the escalating tensions in the Middle East might impede the Kurdistan Region’s long-overdue general elections, calling for the parties to be united for a coherent Kurdish front in Baghdad.
The Syrian defense ministry said on Tuesday that an Israeli airstrike targeted a building in the capital Damascus, killing seven civilians. A war monitor said foreigners were among the casualties.
The Iraqi government plans to return nearly 700 nationals from the al-Hol camp in northeast Syria (Rojava) which houses the families of Islamic State (ISIS) fighters, a spokesperson for Iraq’s migration ministry said on Tuesday.
With the Iraqi government opening its arms to more than 6,500 Lebanese people fleeing conflict in their homeland, the UNHCR said on Tuesday it is gathering information and providing access to essential humanitarian aid and other services.
Parliament candidates from Halabja debated the challenges surrounding the city’s status and recognition as a province during a Rudaw program, criticizing the government for the city’s lack of essential services and infrastructure.
Turkey’s interior ministry on Tuesday announced that it has detained 200 individuals in the past month over human trafficking charges while apprehending over 4000 “irregular” migrants.
A Turkmen MP has voiced concerns over the ongoing Iraqi census, citing the lack of clarity regarding its outcomes and the absence of an agreement. The lawmaker also criticized MPs for opposing a bill that would return land confiscated from Kurdish and Turkmen communities to its rightful owners.
A Kurdish woman recently returned to her hometown of Kobane - fleeing the Israel-Hezbollah conflict in Lebanon - instead preferring northern Syria as the safer place despite more than a decade of devastating civil war.
The US State Department on Monday underscored concerns about the security situation in Iraq - specifically Iran-backed militias - as the conflict between Israel and Iran-backed groups threatens the wider region
As the Kurdistan Region's parliamentary elections approach, young first-time voters state their reasons for participating in the process and their expectations from candidates.
Internal security forces (Asayish) carried out raids across Hasaka province, northeast Syria (Rojava) on Monday, arresting 54 people accused of carrying out robbery, theft and murder crimes, local media reported.
Residents of a neighborhood in the disputed city of Kirkuk are worried about being excluded in the upcoming census as household mapping officials have skipped parts of the area.
The US State Department on Monday underscored concerns about the security situation in Iraq - specifically Iran-backed militias - as the conflict between Israel and Iran-backed groups threatens the wider region
Iranian authorities on Monday announced the resumption of flights hours after it canceled flights at some airports, state media reported, amid concerns of Israeli retaliation for the Iranian missile attack.
President Barzani asks voters to support ‘development over destruction’ in Kurdistan
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani on Sunday called on world leaders to intensify their efforts to spare the Middle East from “destruction and devastation” which “could plunge the region and the world into prolonged conflicts.”
Iran’s aviation authority on Sunday suspended flights at multiple airports in the country overnight, citing “operational limitations,” state media reported, amid increasing concerns of Israeli strikes.
A suspected Israeli airstrike on Sunday struck aid trucks loaded with foods and supplies bound for refugees from Lebanon in Syria’s central Homs province, injuring three people, a war monitor reported.
Iraq’s electoral body has completed the logistical preparations for the Kurdistan Region’s elections, a spokesperson for the commission said on Sunday, as voting machines were delivered to the body’s provincial branches.
At least two members of the Iraqi security forces were killed overnight in a suspected Islamic State (ISIS) attack in Diyala province, a police source said on Sunday.
Kuwait on Sunday revoked the citizenship of two dual nationals involved in the massive theft of $2.5 billion from neighboring Iraq’s tax coffers, a corruption case dubbed the “Heist of the Century.”
The Iraqi army announced on Saturday that over a hundred members of the Islamic State (ISIS) have been killed since the beginning of the year, describing Baghdad’s progress in the fight against terrorism as “great,” state media reported.
Iraq’s security forces have confiscated more than six tons of drugs over the past two years, a spokesperson for the interior ministry announced on Saturday. This is a 210 percent jump when compared to the past two decades.
Iraq has received more than 5,500 Lebanese refugees since the start of Israel’s escalated attacks, a spokesperson for the Iraqi interior ministry said on Saturday.
A Turkmen community leader was injured in an explosion in Kirkuk on Saturday, according to the Turkmen Front political party, which said the blast was an attempt to “create chaos” between groups in the multi-ethnic city.
Iranian police arrested three suspected members of the Islamic State (ISIS) on Saturday. They were allegedly planning an attack on one of the country’s tourist hubs, state media reported.
The former US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, David Schenker, said in an interview with Rudaw on Saturday that extremist groups like the Islamic State (ISIS) and al-Qaeda are becoming more active in the Middle East. With the region preoccupied with the conflict in Israel, Lebanon, and Palestine, he said: “There's no state really to go actively after these groups.”
Iraq has received approximately 1,500 people from Lebanon through the al-Qaim border crossing with Syria since the latest escalation between Israel and Hezbollah two weeks ago, an Iraqi Red Crescent Society official said on Saturday.
More than a dozen people from the Kurdistan Region detained in Tunisian waters in early August have been released, an Iraqi lawmaker told Rudaw on Saturday, adding two more are expected to be released soon.
Police are investigating an explosion in downtown Kirkuk that injured at least five people on Saturday.
Iran-backed groups in Syria used rockets and drones to attack a gas field in eastern Deir ez-Zor province late Friday, a war monitor reported, adding the facility houses US forces.
Parliament candidates addressed a rising trend in the use of recreational drugs in the Kurdistan Region during a Rudaw program, tracing the increase to a lack of comprehensive strategy along with limited social and economic opportunities.
Israeli airstrikes severed the highway between Beirut and Damascus early on Friday, a war monitor reported. The strikes led to the closing of one of the most important crossings between the two countries amid an influx of Lebanese citizens fleeing the war.
A new political party representing the Shiite Feyli Kurds is set to launch in Baghdad in October, with the party’s leader stating that the current leadership does not adequately represent the minority.
Iran’s Supreme leader Ali Khamenei is set to lead the Friday prayer and deliver a sermon, for the first time in nearly five years, days after Tehran launched a barrage of missiles on Israel.
Kurdistan Region’s education ministry announced on Thursday a week of school holidays for the parliamentary elections, taking place on October 20. Some polling stations will be located in schools.
Iraq's first lady added her voice to those of female lawmakers and activists who are concerned about proposed amendments to the personal status law, fearing it could undermine women’s and children’s rights as support for the changes grows in parliament
A 21-year-old Yazidi woman who was kidnapped by the Islamic State (ISIS) and living in the Gaza Strip was rescued and reunited with family members, Iraqi and Kurdistan Region officials announced on Thursday. Iraqi authorities said they were made aware of her situation through Rudaw coverage.
Flights between airports in the Kurdistan Region and Tehran are set to resume on Friday, a source told Rudaw. Flights were halted on Tuesday when Iran launched missiles at Israel and regional countries closed their airspace.
Iraqi security forces on Wednesday foiled an attempt to smuggle 80 artifacts in the central Babil province, state media reported, adding two suspects were arrested.
The US government on Wednesday said that it would hold the Iraqi government accountable if American personnel in the region are targeted, following pro-Tehran elements in Baghdad warning they would target "all American bases and interests”
Several prominent artists and intellectuals have entered the Kurdistan parliamentary election race, campaigning with promises to restore the prominence of Kurdish culture and support artists.
Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) leader Bafel Talabani on Wednesday called on his rival political leaders to participate in a public debate as campaigning heats up ahead of the Kurdistan Region's parliamentary election.
At least four Iraqi soldiers were killed on Wednesday in a suspected Islamic State (ISIS) ambush in Kirkuk province, the army said, as Baghdad continues to battle jihadist remnants in the country.
More than 550 Lebanese civilians fleeing repeated Israeli attacks have arrived in Iraq over the past two days, an Iraqi migration ministry official said on Wednesday.
The spokesperson for an elite group of Iraqi forces praised the growing synergy with the security forces in the Kurdistan Region, especially when combating the Islamic State’s (ISIS) escalating activities in Kirkuk.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said that his country does not want a war with Israel after Tehran fired a barrage of missiles at its arch-enemy on Tuesday night. Israel has vowed to retaliate.
Pro-Tehran Iraqi militia groups warned late on Tuesday that if the US uses Iraqi airspace to carry out “hostile action” against Iran, they will target American interests in the country as they previously have done. The threat followed Iran’s missile attack on Israel earlier in the evening.
Iran launched waves of missiles at Israel on Tuesday, as all Israeli civilians were ordered to shelter in place. Tehran on multiple occasions has vowed retaliation for Israeli aggression.
At least six people including an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander were killed in attacks in southeastern Iran, state media reported on Tuesday. A Baluchi extremist group has claimed responsibility for the attacks.
The Kurdistan Region on Tuesday started the listing and numbering in preparation for the much-anticipated census.
Twenty-three percent of eligible voters in the Kurdistan Region will not be able to cast ballots in the upcoming parliamentary election due to the lack of voter registration cards, with the Iraqi electoral body stating on Tuesday that registration for the cards has already closed.
Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani on Tuesday ordered an investigation into a “security breach” after Katyusha rockets landed at Baghdad International Airport.
A tanker exploded in Baghdad’s Baladiyat area on Monday, killing two and injuring another.
An Israeli aerial strike on the Syrian capital of Damascus killed and injured several civilians, state media reported on Tuesday.
The Lebanese ambassador to Baghdad commended Iraq on Monday for its humanitarian response to Lebanon amid escalating conflict.
Security forces (Asayish) said in a statement that a person was shot during a mourning ceremony at a mosque in Erbil on Monday by guards of a Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) candidate.
Iraq’s interior minister on Monday showcased its first batch of domestically produced armored vehicles, part of the country's efforts to achieve self-sufficiency in meeting its security needs.
As Iraq prepares for an upcoming census, Kurdish officials have expressed concern that it may further change the demographics of the disputed areas and complicate the status of oil-rich Kirkuk city.
The best support Iraq can provide to the Lebanese people is through providing humanitarian relief, and not entering an armed conflict, a senior member of the Iraqi National Wisdom Movement said.
Four people have died and over 50 were left poisoned after consuming bootleg alcohol in Iran’s Mazandaran Province, state media reported on Monday.
Russia would like to see the resumption of Kurdish oil exports, Moscow’s ambassador to Iraq said on Sunday, noting they directly benefit Russian oil companies.
An Iranian border guard was killed early Monday during clashes with an armed group in the southeastern Sistan and Baluchestan province, state media reported.
Asked about using large bombs to kill Lebanese Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, Pope Francis told reporters on Sunday that even in war, morality should be protected.
The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) launched its campaign on Sunday with party leader Bafel Talabani promising to change the nature of the Region’s leadership.
The Pentagon, noting its “significant amount of capability in the region,” said on Sunday the US is focused on protecting its forces, US citizens, and Israel, following a call yesterday between the US and Israeli defense ministers.
Musicians and music lovers came together in the Japanese capital, Tokyo, to share their enthusiasm for the rhythm of Kurdish music in the land of the rising sun.
The United States military on Sunday said it killed 37 Islamic State (ISIS) and al-Qaeda operatives and “multiple senior leaders” in two airstrikes in Syria.
A Kurdish woman running for a seat in the Austrian parliament in Sunday’s general elections advocates for equal rights and social justice as anti-immigrant speech had dominated the campaign.
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday dismissed the opposition’s calls for snap elections, stating that the government will stay until its term ends in 2028.
Supporters of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) on Saturday gathered in Baghdad to condemn Israel’s assassination of Lebanese Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and tried to enter the Green Zone where government buildings and diplomatic missions are located.
A suicide drone, allegedly launched by Iran-backed militia groups, targeted United States troops positioned near the Koniko gas field in Syria’s eastern Deir ez-Zor province, a war monitor reported on Saturday, hours after the announcement of the killing of Hezbollah Leader in an Israeli airstrike.
United States President Joe Biden on Saturday, in a statement on the assassination of Lebanese Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, reiterated his support for Israel, while regional leaders condemned the deadly Israeli airstrikes.
The Change Movement (Gorran) on Saturday appointed a new leader amid a split within party ranks.
Nations with aspirations for more representation like Kurds can be optimistic that there is space in the international community, a former Yemeni diplomat said on the sidelines of the UNGA
An Israeli aerial strike on a military site in Syria’s Damascus province killed five personnel and injured another, state media reported on Friday.
The head of the Islamic Scholars Association in Kurdistan on Thursday urged political candidates and parties to refrain from using mosques and Quranic verses in their election campaigns
The US government on Thursday pledged $535 million of additional humanitarian assistance for Syria, encouraging other countries to do the same, as UN agencies are warning of a new displacement crisis after thousands of people have fled Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon.
Iran’s foreign ministry said on Thursday that allegations Tehran had threatened previous and current United States government officials, including former President Donald Trump, are “ridiculous and completely baseless.”
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met in New York on Wednesday, reviewing bilateral agreements, and sharing perspectives on regional and international issues.
At least five people were killed and four others injured in a traffic incident on the Kirkuk-Tikrit road on Thursday.
With water being a global challenge, gender-equality indicators, policy, and support are critical for women’s access to the life-sustaining resource, the founder of a US-based NGO said on Wednesday.
Cyprus is optimistic about the recent developments between regional rivals Greece and Turkey and sees the resolution of the conflict in their country as a key step to fully normalize ties between Athens and Ankara, its president said on the on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly (UNGA).
Northeast Syria (Rojava) has experienced an increase in the severity of attacks in September by the Islamic State (ISIS) on points controlled by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a conflict monitor reported on Wednesday.
The foreign minister of Slovakia condoned violent political expression on Wednesday, after a bullet was sent to a government office, and just months after the country’s prime minister was shot and seriously wounded.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto warned on Wednesday that any further escalation of the armed tensions in the Middle East could trigger a new wave of migration to Europe.
Joint brigades between Iraqi army and Peshmerga forces will aim to address a persistent problem: The security vacuum exploited by ISIS in disputed areas.
Many Kurdish refugees from Rojava (northeast Syria) have fled their houses in southern Lebanon and been forced to sleep on Beirut’s streets because of Israel’s cross-border attacks.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) on Wednesday emphasized that world leaders need to act faster early in conflicts to hold the aggressors accountable.
The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), headed by Masoud Barzani, launched its election campaign in Erbil on Thursday. Barzani called for civil and respectful elections, expressing hope that the election would lead to greater unity in the Kurdistan Region and better service to its people.
Diplomatic means are “vital” to end the Russia-Ukraine war, the Bulgarian President Rumen Radev said, emphasizing the need for de-escalation and stopping combat.
Students across the Kurdistan Region returned to classrooms on Wednesday, as bells rang marking the start of the new school year.
The United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) on Wednesday welcomed the start of the Kurdistan Region’s parliamentary elections campaigning period and called for a peaceful process.
A myriad of global challenges are present and need to be addressed in this year’s United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), with peace being the most prominent, a former UNGA official said on Tuesday.
A senior US diplomat on Tuesday said the people of the Kurdistan Region have a “bright future” ahead if they adhere to the democratic process ahead of the Region’s long-awaited parliamentary elections.
Thousands of Kurdish refugees are stuck in the Lebanese capital of Beirut, fleeing Israeli airstrikes battering the southern part of the country. A Christian priest on Tuesday called on Kurds around the world to support them.
A veteran US statesman urged people in the Kurdistan Region to actively participate in democratic process elections, while the spokesperson for United Nations secretary-general emphasized the recognition of Kurdish rights on Tuesday in New York.
Political parties and candidates should run campaigns peacefully and respect women and the symbols of ethnic and religious minorities, Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani said on Tuesday, hours before the official start of campaigning
The Kurdish authorities in northeast Syria (Rojava) decreed general amnesty on Tuesday for thousands of prisoners, excluding fighters and others who have committed violence.
Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani has visited provincial and administrative leaders across the Region, highlighting development projects and reviewing ongoing issues.
Iraq’s electoral commission has set Wednesday as the start of the campaigning period for the Kurdistan Region’s parliamentary elections, it announced in a press conference.
Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani discussed the ongoing Turkish flight ban on the Sulaimani International Airport with the city’s governor on Tuesday.
Diplomats on Tuesday called for an urgent solution to the Palestinian cause on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly (UNGA), over 11 months since the Israel-Gaza war began and with risks of a regional spillover greater than ever.
The international community and Iran need a “solid framework” to stabilize the situation regarding Tehran’s nuclear program, the United Nations nuclear watchdog said on Monday, adding that the agency continues its inspections in the country.
Baghdad has committed to providing humanitarian aid to Lebanon in the face of deadly Israeli airstrikes, following a call by Iraq’s highest Shiite authority, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani announced on Monday.
With world leaders converging at the UNGA, Iraq’s premier implored the chief US diplomat on Monday to heed warnings about the risks of conflict in the Middle East and the lack of solutions from the international community.
Iraqi counterterrorism forces said on Monday they cooperated with Kurdish forces (Asayish) to arrest two “terrorists” in Sulaimani province.
Iraq’s judiciary instructed the country’s courts on Monday to apply strict legal measures on religious fringe groups which threaten citizens’ lives.
Kirkuk is not ready for a population census, a Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) official said on Monday, calling for the process to be postponed in the disputed province.
Three people were killed and five others were rescued after a migrant boat capsized off the coast of Greece’s Samos Island, police said on Monday, with 25 others feared to be missing.
At least two people were killed and three others injured during clashes between Kurdish-backed forces and Ankara-aligned factions in northern Syria’s Aleppo province, a war monitor reported on Monday.
As part of the 79th UNGA, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani on Sunday emphasized Baghdad’s steps towards achieving sustainable development and his government’s long-term plans for strategic reforms.
At least one member of the SDF was killed when the Kurdish-led group clashed with fighters supported by Iran in Deir ez-Zor province, a UK-based conflict monitor announced on Sunday.
President Abdul Latif Rashid reiterated Iraq’s commitment to working with international partners in seeking sustainable solutions for climate change during an international conference in Baghdad on Sunday.
A blast at a coal mine in Iran’s south Khorasan province killed at least 34 mine workers, state media reported on Sunday.
Iraqi security forces on Saturday announced the arrest of nine suspected members of the Islamic State in Salahaddin province amid a countrywide spike in anti-ISIS operations, state media reported
In just over two months, Iraq deported dozens of foreign nationals for visa violations, the interior ministry announced on Saturday.
Residents and farmers in Halabja are voicing concerns over a stream contaminated by waste that they say has caused illness and damaged crops.
Iran on Saturday unveiled a new ballistic missile in its arsenal as concerns grow of the potential outbreak of a wider Middle Eastern conflict.
Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Saturday reaffirmed his government's commitment to protecting the rights of Yazidis as he laid the symbolic foundation stone for a new road to the village of Lalish, the location of a Yazidi temple.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday said that he is waiting for his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad to respond to his overtures for a rapprochement, as demands are growing in Turkey for the expulsion of some three million Syrian refugees.
Iraq’s judiciary sentenced four former officials of the Najaf International Airport to jail time for alleged violations in a 72-million-dollar contract, the country’s anti-corruption body announced on Saturday.
Iraqi and US officials are expected to meet next week to discuss the future of the global coalition against the Islamic State (ISIS), a Pentagon official said on Friday, with the transition of the coalition’s mission expected to be announced in the coming week.
Giant social media platforms are one of the leading causes of children committing criminal acts, a researcher told Rudaw on Friday, noting that 75 percent of criminal activities among the youth have been influenced by content encountered on social media platforms.
At least two civilians were killed, and eight others were injured due to Syrian regime shelling in eastern rebel-held Idlib on Friday night, a war monitor reported.
Clashes broke out between the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the pro-Syrian regime forces on Friday, a war monitor reported, with no reports of casualties.
Maysan police announced on Thursday the discovery of 400 ancient wells in the province, believed to date back to the first millennium AD.
Nearly 600 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) returned to their homes in the Nineveh and Salahaddin provinces on Thursday, and over 1700 have registered to return, an official from the Iraqi migration and displaced ministry told Rudaw.
Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Council on Thursday announced that it had sentenced to death three Islamic State (ISIS) members it said were responsible for attacks on security forces.
Kirkuk Governor Rebwar Taha announced Thursday that authorities are closing unauthorized structures at two checkpoints in the province, where money allegedly was illegally collected during the previous administration
At least six suspected Islamic State members, including a leader, were killed in an operation carried out by Iraqi security forces in Kirkuk province on Thursday, the army said, amid a spike in anti-ISIS operations.
Iraqi security forces on Thursday said that two drug-trafficking networks in the capital Baghdad were dismantled and over 10,000 pills were seized, state media reported, as Iraqi authorities are tackling a surge in drug usage.
Iraq has sent medical assistance to Lebanon, where thousands of people have been injured by exploding pagers in an unprecedented security incident.
A former senior employee of the Maysan Oil company has been convicted of embezzlement and sentenced to jail time, Iraq’s anti-corruption body announced on Wednesday.
A number of suspected ISIS hideouts in Kirkuk and Salahaddin provinces were destroyed by Iraqi airstrikes late Tuesday, state media reported.
Kamaran Mohammed recalled the loss of his 25-year-old son Diyari Kamaran, who died on Sunday, as they both were trying to reach the United Kingdom from France by crossing the English Channel. Their family from the Kurdistan Region is also asking authorities for help to repatriate Diyari's body.
Iraq has “enormous potential” to maximize its energy output by developing its energy sector towards complete independence, a US official has told Rudaw.
Iranian authorities released an Austrian man, Tehran’s judiciary announced on Tuesday, who was imprisoned two years ago during nationwide protests in Iran
A Syrian militia group has besieged the Kakhire village near the Kurdish city of Afrin since Sunday, local sources told Rudaw, claiming the group has demanded villagers to sign documents potentially paving the way to seize their lands.
Security forces in Iraq’s southern province of Basra have arrested an 11-year-old boy suspected of killing four members of his family on Monday evening, a police official told Rudaw.
Iraqi PM Sudani hosted a delegation from global tech giant Apple in Baghdad on Monday, discussing the country’s digital transformation and enhancing the capabilities of the youth
Diplomats and foreign missions in the Kurdistan Region highlighted the importance of press freedom and its contribution to a free and fair electoral process
The Kurdistan Regional Government kicked off the Dwin Dam project on Monday, as part of Erbil’s strategy to combat climate change and water scarcity.
A drone struck Makhmour refugee camp on Monday, killing one person and injuring two others, Kurdistan Region counterterrorism officials announced, blaming Turkey.
A local Peshmerga in Tuz Khurmatu lost a leg in an explosion on Monday in the disputed area in Salahaddin province.
Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani congratulated the country’s champions on Sunday from the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games, who are set to receive rewards for their achievements.
Two people wearing explosive vests were surrounded and shot at by security forces in Kirkuk, causing their vests to detonate, Iraq's interior ministry announced on Sunday, adding they were members of ISIS.
The United Nations team in Iraq investigating crimes by ISIS detailed its international efforts to advance justice on Sunday, including at least 18 cases resulting in indictments and 15 convictions in other countries.
A Kurdish man from Sulaimani province was one of the eight people who died after a migrant boat capsized while trying to cross the English Channel on Sunday, a local official told Rudaw.
Kurdistan Region President Nechrivan Barzani urged political parties on Sunday to stay away from using derogatory language against one another in their campaigns for the upcoming elections
At least five fighters loyal to Lebanon’s Hezbollah and the Syrian regime were killed in an Islamic State (ISIS) desert ambush in central Syria’s Hama province, a war monitor reported on Sunday.
Football superstar and AlNassr forward Cristiano Ronaldo will not travel to Iraq to play in a much-anticipated match in the capital Baghdad against Al-Shorta, the Saudi Arabian club announced on Sunday.
Iraq’s foreign ministry on Saturday announced the release of an Iraqi citizen in Syria, three weeks after being kidnapped in the central Homs province.
Increased dialogue is needed between Ankara and Damascus in order to restore ties between the neighboring countries, Russia’s deputy foreign minister said on Saturday, after Syria’s foreign minister said Damascus would not engage with Turkey until Ankara withdrew its troops from Syria and Iraq.
Nearly 1.2 million new students will have their first day of school next week, but there is a critical shortage of facilities across the country, an education ministry official said on Saturday.
Iraq’s parliament is preparing for an eventful session on Monday with three major items on the agenda - a vote on a bill that would return land confiscated under the Baath regime to the original Kurdish and Turkmen owners, the second reading of amendments of the controversial personal status law, and a second reading of the general amnesty bill that would change the definition of affiliation with terror groups.
Iran on Saturday announced the successful launch of a research satellite into orbit, part of its space program that has long been a subject of Western criticism. Tehran's foreign ministry signaled a willingness for talks with world powers as new sanctions were announced.
Nearing its closure, the UN body investigating the Islamic State (ISIS) released a detailed report concluding there is sufficient evidence to believe the extremist group committed the gravest crimes of concern against groups in Iraq, particularly the Yazidis.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Thursday that Tehran is seeking to advance its relations with Erbil and Baghdad and to “resolve all problems,” in his first foreign visit since taking office
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian is scheduled to visit the Kurdistan Region on Thursday, a day after meetings in Baghdad, Tehran’s consul to Sulaimani announced.
Leaders from the Kurdistan Region on Wednesday projected messages of unity and strength on the 63rd anniversary of the September Revolution, a Kurdish revolt against the Iraqi government.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and his Iraqi counterpart Abdul Latif Rashid spoke in Kurdish during their one-on-one meeting in Baghdad’s presidential palace on Wednesday, an official from the Iraqi presidency told Rudaw.
Iraqi security forces killed one gunman and arrested another in Kirkuk during a raid on Tuesday, police said.
A minister in the Kurdistan Region has raised concerns about the lack of financial support for more than 30,000 disabled people, as Iraqi and Kurdish officials discuss budget allocations and ongoing salary disputes.
Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani hosted Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Wednesday, signing more than a dozen agreements ranging from culture to the economy and security.
An Iraqi army spokesperson on Wednesday confirmed that air traffic at Baghdad International Airport is normal following an overnight explosion at a US-led coalition compound in the airport.
The Iranian consul to Erbil on Tuesday told Rudaw that President Masoud Pezeshkian’s trip aims to strengthen Tehran’s relations with the Kurdistan Region and Iraq across various areas.
The Iraqi government will continue to pay the salaries of public employees in the Kurdistan Region until the end of the year, the Iraqi premier said on Tuesday
The Iraqi government will continue to pay the salaries of public employees in the Kurdistan Region until the end of the year, the Iraqi premier said on Tuesday
A confession was released on Turkish state media on Tuesday, implicating the uncle of eight-year-old Narin Guran in her killing.
A panel in Sulaimani raised concerns on Tuesday over the potential social and health impacts - particularly for women and girls - of proposed amendments to Iraq’s personal status law that could effectively legalize child marriage.
Two suspected members of the Islamic State (ISIS) were arrested during operations in Baghdad and Nineveh provinces, Iraqi national security forces announced on Tuesday.
Iraq has moved up in the Transparency International global corruption ranking, the head of the country’s anti-corruption body announced on Tuesday, as the country continues to suffer from endemic corruption.
A deadly explosion in Baghdad’s Shula district killed at least two people and injured two others, an official said on Tuesday, and security forces launched an investigation.
Iraqi and Kurdish delegations released a joint statement after two days of meetings in Erbil on Monday, outlining key issues including salary payments and customs policies.
Iraq plans to stop flaring associated gas before 2029 and use it to increase the country’s production of electricity, an Iraqi minister announced while meeting with officials in the United States on Monday.
Iraq is optimistic that talks with the Kurdistan Region on resuming oil exports, which have been halted for nearly 18 months, will yield results in the near future
The government has started the process of compensating people affected by fires earlier this year at large markets in Erbil, the province’s governor announced
Iraq is set to suspend tomato imports to boost sales for farmers in the Kurdistan Region following protests demanding market protection
After two days of meetings concluding on Monday in the capital of the Kurdistan Region, Iraqi and Kurdish officials agreed on resolving outstanding issues between Erbil and Baghdad, including salaries, finances, customs, and tax policies, according to Rudaw’s reporter at the meeting.
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The discovery of the body of eight-year-old Kurdish girl Narin Guran near a stream in Turkey’s southeastern Kurdish province of Diyarbakir (Amed) after a 19-day search has sparked protests, with outrage and suspicions surrounding her death.
Iraqi and Kurdish officials engaged in high-level discussions in Erbil on Sunday to strengthen cooperation and to resolve persistent financial issues.
Iraqi PM Sudani said on Sunday that his cabinet during its two years in power has prioritized providing services, economic reforms, combating corruption, and addressing unemployment and poverty
Fourteen people from Sulaimani, who were detained by Tunisian authorities last month, are set to go to trial on Monday, an Iraqi foreign ministry official told Rudaw, expecting a quick release for the detainees.
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian is set to visit Iraq on Wednesday, state media reported on Sunday, marking his first foreign visit since taking office in July.
A list of prisoner names has been sent to the Kurdistan Region Presidency for a special amnesty to be issued for some prisoners who suffer from serious illnesses and old age, an official from the Region’s correctional facilities said on Sunday.
Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Sunday announced the launch of a massive water project in Erbil, aiming at combating the water scarcity issue that has the Region’s capital city in a chokehold.
A delegation from the Iraqi government arrived in Erbil on Saturday for high-level talks with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) about its financial entitlements from federal funds.
Foreign nationals in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region will be required to obtain a work permit before starting a job, an Iraqi official said on Saturday.
Iraq’s oil ministry announced that it will slash oil production by nearly 200,000 barrels per day to meet an OPEC+ alliance production quota.
Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani on Thursday approved plans to introduce solar energy systems into Iraqi households, in a bid to ease the load on the national electricity grid and combat electricity shortages.
A German government official for religious freedom provided updates on a range of topics affecting thousands of Yazidi migrants and asylum seekers in his country, the ongoing impact of the Islamic State’s (ISIS) atrocities, and potential solutions between Berlin and people in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq.
Three people were killed in a drone strike in Sulaimani province on Thursday, according to local sources. This is the third deadly strike in the past two weeks in the province where Turkey has ongoing military operations against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani on Thursday symbolically laid the cornerstone for a long-stalled housing complex in the war-torn Shingal district where there has been a lack of reconstruction and assistance for Yazidis to return to their homes.
At least 15 regime soldiers have been killed in separate clashes with rebel forces in northwest Syria, a war monitor reported on Thursday, with tensions surging into increased violence.
Iraq’s integrity commission has called for the parliament to hold a session on the massive theft of $2.5 billion from the country’s tax coffers, dubbed the “Heist of the Century."
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi made his first visit to Ankara on Wednesday for a meeting with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan as the two countries mend ties.
An Iraqi army officer was killed and two others were injured on Wednesday when an IED detonated in Kirkuk province.
The Kurdistan Regional Government on Wednesday ordered its ministries to expedite establishment of an electronic payment system and called on Baghdad to transfer outstanding salary payments for civil servants who went two months without getting paid as problems persist in regularising the federal government covering the KRG’s payroll.
Iraq's federal court on Tuesday upheld a decision to dissolve three political parties because of alleged links with the banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
Iraq’s anti-corruption body is preparing a new national strategy to combat corruption, the head of the commission said on Wednesday, as the twists and turns of the “heist of the century” continue to captivate the nation.
Kurdish parties in the Iraqi parliament unanimously boycotted a session on Wednesday in protest over the exclusion from the agenda of a bill that would return land confiscated under the Baath regime.
At least three Syrian regime soldiers were killed on Wednesday in an desert ambush by Islamic State (ISIS) cells in Syria’s central Hama province, a war monitor reported.
Crowds of recent graduates of the medical majors protested at Baghdad’s Green Zone on Tuesday demanding employment from the Iraqi government; security actors used force to quell the demonstrations.
An Iraqi migrant stabbed the manager of a hotel hosting asylum seekers to death in the northwestern German state of Lower Saxony
The Pentagon spokesperson said on Tuesday that the role of the US forces in Iraq has not changed, days after the they carried out a partnered raid against ISIS in western Anbar province.
The Iraqi government on Tuesday approved an increase in financial allocations for the administrative body of the Popular Mobilization Forces.
Iraqi forces increased the death toll on Tuesday from last week’s joint operation with US forces against Islamic State (ISIS) hotbeds in Anbar province to 16.
A shepherd was killed in a Turkish bombardment of a village in northeastern Erbil on Tuesday, according to a local health official and a war monitor.
Switzerland reopened its embassy in the Iraqi capital Baghdad on Tuesday, 33 years after it closed its diplomatic mission in the country
US CENTCOM on Monday announced that its forces had partnered with the Kurdish-led SDF to capture an ISIS “leader,” accused of aiding suspected members of the group who had escaped from Raqqa
Turkey’s defense ministry announced on Monday that its forces had struck and “destroyed” 20 suspected positions of the PKK in the mountainous areas of the Kurdistan Region.
A second reading for a highly controversial amendment to Iraq’s Personal Status Law is set for Tuesday in the parliament; if it is passed, the change could legalize child marriage and grant religious authorities increased power over family law.
A father was arrested for killing his three-month-old son by throwing the infant into a pond, Kirkuk police announced on Monday, describing the man’s mental state as “not well.”
None of the aromatic products that enter the Kurdistan Region have been checked for harmful ingredients, an expert told Rudaw on Sunday.
The Iraqi transportation ministry has issued a directive to temporarily suspend several officials at Baghdad International Airport
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani reiterated that the Islamic State (ISIS) no longer poses a threat to the country, in a meeting in Baghdad on Sunday with the commander of the US-led international coalition.
Women lawmakers are leading an effort in the Iraqi parliament to block a proposed amendment to the personal status law that could legalize child marriage and grant religious authorities increased power over family law.
A landmine exploded in the northern Aleppo countryside, injuring three children who had been displaced from Afrin, a UK-based conflict monitor reported on Sunday.
A bomb believed to have been left behind by ISIS militants in a house in al-Baaj, Nineveh province, killed at least four children on Sunday, trapping remaining members under rubble
Iraq is set to launch the ‘most important’ phase of its long-awaited national population census which will involve surveying buildings, the planning ministry said on Sunday, and this process will include the Kurdistan Region.
A massive fire that broke out on Saturday afternoon near Smaquli village in eastern Erbil province was largely brought under control over 15 hours later, as landmines in the area threatened to further spread the fire.
Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) on Saturday announced the arrest of an alleged “prominent” leader in ISIS in the capital of Baghdad, as security forces continue to pursue the militants countrywide.
Iraq’s Oil Minister Hayyan Abdul Ghani said on Saturday that he plans to visit the United States soon to present American gas companies with investment opportunities.
Iraqi Airways on Saturday said a crew shortage led to flight cancellations that left thousands of pilgrims stranded in airports as they tried to return home after Arbaeen.
Nineveh’s provincial council plans to recruit young people who are receiving social security benefits into the provinces’ police force, a senior member of the council told Rudaw on Saturday.
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Iraqi finance ministry approved a recent decision from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to offer contracts to non-contracted teachers, a member of the Iraqi parliament said on Saturday.
There is still no agreement to restore operation of the Iraq-Turkey pipeline and resume exporting Kurdish crude to global markets, a spokesperson for an association of oil producers in the Kurdistan Region said on Saturday, estimating that about $19 billion has been lost because of the halt.
Iraq's Joint Operations Command (JOC) announced on Friday that it has killed 14 suspected Islamic State (ISIS) fighters, including key leaders, following airstrikes on the group’s hideout in the western Anbar province.
Over 350 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) residing in Erbil have returned to their homes in the Nineveh and Salahaddin provinces, a spokesperson for the Iraqi Migration ministry told Rudaw on Friday.
Kurdish security forces (Asayish) in northeast Syria (Rojava) on Thursday said that they captured “dangerous terrorist elements” planning to target the international coalition bases in the region.
The mayor of Shekhan district in Duhok province was the target of a shooting on Wednesday. Several bullets struck his car while he was driving through the city center.
A mother and her son were killed by a car bomb on an urban street in the city of Qamishli in northeast Syria (Rojava) on Wednesday, the security service (Asayish) of the Kurdish-held enclave stated.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian will visit Iraq on an official invitation from Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani, Tehran’s envoy to Baghdad told Iranian state media (IRNA) on Wednesday.
A Swedish prosecutor on Wednesday charged two individuals with inciting hatred in connection with protests last year that involved burning the Quran, the Muslim holy book. One of the people facing charges is a refugee from Iraq.
A father and his two sons were killed by suspected gunmen in their house in the northern Iraqi town of Baiji on Wednesday, an official said, and their bodies were subsequently set on fire.
Kurdish bodybuilder Abdulqadir Salih has secured top places in recent bodybuilding competitions in Austria, owing his success to the people of Sari Kani, dedication, and a good routine.
The International Federation of Journalists and a London-based journalists’ union urged on Tuesday for an investigation into the recent killing of two Kurdish journalists in Sulaimani province as a result of a suspected Turkish drone attack.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani visited Egypt, where he emphasized a "deep and strategic relationship" during a meeting with President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Tuesday.
A Baghdad court issued an order on Tuesday to re-arrest the main suspect in the massive theft of $2.5 billion the from country’s tax coffers, dubbed the “Heist of the Century,” nearly two years after he was released on bail.
Javad Zarif, one of Iran’s most recognized diplomats on Tuesday announced his return as the vice president for strategic affairs of President Masoud Pezeshkian, less than a month after submitting his resignation.
Jordan aims to increase the “modest” volume of imports from the Kurdistan Region and advance bilateral trade ties, the country’s agriculture minister said, a day after signing a memorandum of understanding with the Region’s officials.
A fire that swept through several auto accessories shops in Erbil was brought under control in the early hours of Tuesday, around seven hours after it erupted, with firefighting teams still monitoring the area to prevent a re-emergence of the blaze.
A massive blaze erupted Monday evening at the Parvez Khan border crossing in Sulaimani province, with several tanker trucks alight; at least one person died.
Drug smugglers exploit the “porous” Iraq-Iran border to transport large amounts of drugs through Turkey into Europe, a researcher told Rudaw, as Baghdad continues to combat drugs and the trafficking networks.
Peshmerga forces will move into areas with security vacuums which the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) used to enter Kurdish-controlled areas, an official for the Kurdistan Region’s forces said on Monday.
A large number of employees from Sulaimani's municipalities directorate went on strike on Monday, protesting unpaid salaries that have been delayed for nearly two months.
Iraq plans to reopen its government-regulated central markets to support internal trade and enhance the economy, a trade ministry official said on Sunday. The initiative aims to offer essential goods at fixed prices and revitalize domestic production.
China’s consul general to Erbil expressed Beijing’s willingness to work with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) on reducing pollution based on China’s own history with what he described as a “very big headache.”
German federal prosecutors are investigating possible links to "terrorism" for the suspect in custody charged for a mass stabbing at a festival in the city of Solingen
A Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) commander said on Sunday that their unit’s entry into a Kurdish-controlled oilfield was coordinated with the Peshmerga, a claim some Kurdish officials and Peshmerga forces have denied, stating they were not informed.
Financed by its domestic revenue, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) announced on Sunday that it will offer contracts for all non-contracted educators, numbering around 38,000.
Kurdish security forces (Asayish) on Sunday arrested three members of a “dangerous” drug trafficking network in Erbil province and seized over 85 kilograms of crystal meth.
Three people originally from the Kurdistan Region were killed in a car accident in central Turkey on Saturday, a relative told Rudaw. Two other people were injured.
Journalists gathered in Sulaimani’s Azadi Park on Saturday to protest a suspected Turkish drone strike that killed two colleagues the day before.
The Islamic State (ISIS) on Saturday claimed responsibility for a knife attack in the city of Solingen, western Germany, where three people were killed and eight wounded.
Over a month after controversial changes were made to several administrative positions in Nineveh province, a dispute between blocs in the council has deepened.
Rudaw Media Network proudly announces another global success in winning three Stevie Awards, awarded to Rudaw Digital Director Brwa Kyani, the documentary "A Year of War," and a joint project between Rudaw and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced on Thursday the capture of four Islamic State (ISIS) operatives in Hasaka province, claiming to have thwarted planned terrorist attacks.
Turkey will host a quadripartite summit with Iraq, Qatar, and the UAE next week to discuss the multi-billion dollar development Road project, Turkish Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu said on Friday.
A suspected Turkish drone strike on Friday targeted a vehicle in Sulaimani’s Said Sadiq district, reportedly leaving several casualties.
At least six people were killed and others severely burned in a car accident on the Kirkuk-Erbil road early Friday, according to Kirkuk’s health directorate.
US Vice President Kamala Harris accepted the Democratic presidential nomination during the party’s national congress on Thursday, promising a “new way forward” as she prepares to challenge former President Donald Trump in November.
A school funded by the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) for refugee and displaced children was inaugurated in Erbil on Thursday.
Campaigning for the Kurdistan Region’s parliamentary election will begin on September 16, amid concerns that voting machine issues could potentially exclude thousands of registered voters.
The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) on Wednesday said that the federal government’s reservations about its payroll information do not justify a month-long delay in disbursing public sector salaries.
Gunmen in military uniform killed a family in the Samarra district of Salahaddin province, Iraqi security officials announced on Wednesday. Several suspects have been arrested.
US diplomats encouraged civil discourse in Iraq on Tuesday, as the country ponders an amendment to its personal status law that could legally allow for provisions to permit marriage for boys as young as fifteen years old and girls as young as nine.
Nearly three million people have visited Iraq so far to take part in the annual Arbaeen pilgrimage, the interior minister said on Tuesday.
Iraq’s top court on Tuesday denied two requests calling for an “urgent” stoppage in the implementation of the decisions made during last week’s disputed Kirkuk provincial council session, saying that the requests do not suffice an urgent order.
At least one member of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) was killed by Islamic State (ISIS) gunmen in eastern Syria’s Deir ez-Zor province, a war monitor reported on Tuesday.
At least one person was killed and another injured on Monday in a suspected Turkish drone strike on the city of Qamishli in northeast Syria (Rojava), a war monitor reported.
Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid on Monday formally requested the acting speaker of parliament to prioritize Halabja’s long-awaited ascension to a province on the legislative agenda.
A complaint filed by 14 people from the Kurdistan Region’s provinces is currently before Iraq’s top court, decrying issues of voting machines not recognizing their fingerprints, ahead of the Region’s upcoming parliamentary elections.
Wildfires in Turkey’s western province of Izmir were largely brought under control due with no reported deaths, authorities said on Sunday.
More than two million people have visited Iraq so far for the Arbaeen pilgrimage, Baghdad reported on Sunday, citing its efforts to ensure safety and security for the religious tourists.
A man was seriously injured in the Kurdish city of Afrin after Turkish-backed militants entered his home and opened fire on him, a war monitor reported on Sunday
Security officials in Sulaimani announced the arrest of three people on Sunday alleged to be responsible for July's massive fire on the city's Mount Goizha