Metro Center Urges KRG to End Pressure on Journalists and Release NRT Director
The Metro Center urged the KRG to end pressure on journalists, apply the Journalism Law instead of the Penal Code, and release NRT Director Shwan Adil, who remains under detention.
Iran’s foreign minister said Tehran is open to dialogue with the West and the US while maintaining its right to enrich uranium. Western demands to limit missile range were rejected, prompting renewed UN sanctions.
NRT Director Shwan Adil was arrested in Erbil after a complaint by the KDP’s Aylul Agency and sentenced to two weeks in prison.
Iraq’s non-oil revenues have doubled to 14% amid expanding economic partnerships and government efforts to strengthen the private sector.
Forty Kurdish refugees from Libya have been repatriated to Erbil, with efforts underway to return 35 others.
Finance Minister Taif Sami told NRT that August salaries, exceeding 950 billion dinars, will be sent today. The remaining salaries of the year remain uncertain.
US envoy Mark Savaya said he aims to strengthen ties with Iraq, highlighting the country’s growing potential and expressing his wish to “make Iraq great again.”
IHEC has prepared over 23 million ballot papers with advanced security features to prevent counterfeiting. The ballots will be securely stored after the elections.
A two-year-old boy from Ashkawta village drowned in a pond in Harir. Students passing by discovered the child, whose body was later taken to Harir Hospital.
PUK forces in Halabja have started demolishing houses built without planning permission. Locals warn that neighboring homes may also be affected.
Iraq will resume large-scale oil exports from Kirkuk, with 12 tankers set to depart through Turkey’s Ceyhan port next month, marking a major step after a two-year suspension.
Iraq’s Ministry of Commerce announced the arrival of more than 40,000 tons of Thai rice at Umm Qasr Port. The rice will undergo laboratory testing before being distributed to citizens as part of the national food basket program.
A US organization says Washington has reversed its decision to withdraw forces from Iraq. American military advisers will remain at bases such as Ain al-Assad and Harir despite the end of combat operations.
Iraq has built a modern oil refinery in Basra capable of producing 4.2 million liters of gasoline daily, meeting 20% of local demand. The Oil Ministry plans further expansion projects to boost exports and support the national economy.
Brent crude climbed to $64.65 and U.S. WTI reached $60.49 per barrel after Washington imposed sanctions on Russian oil companies and warned of further measures amid rising tensions.
A crude oil pond near Dukan Lake risks contaminating the water. Locals say authorities have not acted to contain the spill, which threatens drinking water, farmland, and livestock in the area.
A joint Iraq-Syria operation seized around 400 kilograms of drugs and arrested several international traffickers. The operation took place inside Syrian territory and involved the destruction of a large quantity of narcotics.
A mass grave was found in Sawan village near Damascus, highlighting ongoing discoveries of graves in Syria since the Assad regime’s fall.
The IHEC confirmed there will be no curfew during the elections and that traffic will remain normal. It also emphasized that voters must carry their voting cards, and mobile phones are banned inside polling stations.
A woman in South Korea accidentally caused a deadly fire while trying to kill a cockroach with a burning spray. One person died and several others suffered breathing problems as the blaze spread through a residential building in Usan.
Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani announced measures to conserve water, including repairing damaged pipelines and converting fish farming projects to closed systems. The Ministry of Agriculture will halt license renewals for open fish ponds starting November 21.
A Kurdish migrant died of a heart attack in a Libyan prison, according to the Iraqi Embassy. The embassy also arranged the return of 41 migrants and established hotlines for families’ safety inquiries.
The Independent High Election Commission has banned mobile phones and cameras in polling stations to protect voter privacy. Over 20 million Iraqis are expected to participate in next month’s elections.
Director General of Social Corrections reported that high conviction rates are straining prison capacity, with 1,763 out of 6,000 inmates jailed for drug offenses. The shortage of space has become a major challenge for rehabilitation centers.
Residents of Halabja protested the ongoing neglect of basic services, highlighting unfulfilled promises to repair streets since 2017. They said water accumulation continues to disrupt daily life, especially in winter.
Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has begun serving a five-year prison sentence in Paris after being convicted on corruption charges linked to campaign funds from Libya. He will serve his term in solitary confinement for security reasons, according to Reuters.
The Iraqi High Election Commission confirmed that biometric card issuance will continue until election day. In the Kurdistan Region, 90% of polling staff have been trained, with the rest expected to complete training today.
The outgoing government’s so-called 24-hour electricity supply was interrupted again in Erbil and Sulaimanyah. Residents reported several-hour outages despite official claims that the electricity issue had been solved.
Sirwa Abdulwahid, leader of the New Generation Movement list in Sulaimanyah, criticized Massoud Barzani and accused the PUK and KDP of exploiting the region’s resources. She said the people will hold both parties accountable in the November 11 elections.
The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has transferred 120 billion dinars in non-oil revenue to Baghdad for August. Officials say the move will pave the way for completing administrative procedures and releasing public sector salaries by the end of the week.