Mosques reopen in Iraq, six months after their closure due to coronavirus pandemic
The US dollars to the Iraqi dinar (IQD) exchange rates was up on the Kurdistan Region’s currency markets on Sunday (September 20).
Nearly six months after they closed in response to the coronavirus pandemic, mosques in central and southern Iraq reopened on Sunday (September 20).
Crude oil prices were stable on Sunday (September 20), compared with the previous day.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the Security Council on Saturday (September 19) he cannot take any action on a US declaration that all UN sanctions on Iran had been reimposed because “there would appear to be uncertainty” on the issue.
The world community should oppose the United States’ use of sanctions to impose its will as a “bully,” or expect to face sanctions itself, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Saturday (September 19).
Iraq’s Minister of Foreign Relations Fuad Hussein said on Saturday (September 19) that Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi will visit France next month to promote economic development and pursue foreign investment.
Iraq’s Security Media Cell said in a statement on Saturday (September 19) that its forces arrested an Islamic State (ISIS) militant leader in Kirkuk governorate.
Thousands of asylum-seekers have moved into a new temporary facility on the Greek island of Lesbos, government officials said on Saturday (September 19), 10 days after a fire destroyed the Moria camp.
The US Department of Justice said in a statement on Friday (September 18) that it has charged two individuals who live Erbil city with one count each of conspiracy and bribery of a public official in connection with an attempt to secure a Department of Defense contract.
Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi on Saturday (September 19) pledged to do more to combat gender-based violence in Iraq and said that officials should feel ashamed at the way women are treated in the country.
The federal Ministry of Health said on Saturday (September 19) that it recorded 3,907 new cases of coronavirus infection and 83 deaths in the country.
The Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) Ministry of Health said on Saturday (September 19) that it has recorded 612 cases of coronavirus infection in the Kurdistan Region over the past 24 hours.
Resurgent coronavirus cases in Turkey are fuelling tensions between doctors who say the official figures underplay the scale of the outbreak and politicians who accuse the country’s medical association of undermining efforts to contain it.
Erbil Health Directorate said on Saturday (September 19) that it will follow up on claims that staff at the Erbil Hemophilia Center were neglecting their duties.
In response to accusations that recent forest fires around Tasluja were deliberately set to clear land for new development, Spokesperson for the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) Agriculture and Water Resources Ministry Hussein Hama Karim said on Saturday (September 19) there were no immediate plans to remove the trees on the part of the government.
Lebanon’s army said on Saturday (September 19) it had found 1.3 tons of fireworks during a search of Beirut port, which was devastated last month in a huge blast that was blamed on a large quantity of chemicals kept in poor condition.
Iran’s coronavirus death toll has risen by 166 to 24,118, a health ministry spokeswoman told state TV on Saturday (September 19).
The Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) Ministry of Finance and Economy on Saturday (September 19) moved to exert greater control over the exchange of US dollars and Iraqi dinars in the Region, saying it would take over responsibility for currency auctions from the Central Bank of Iraq.
Residents of Sulaimani’s Awin City development on Saturday (September 19) protested about the foul odor emanating from a nearby animal market and abattoir, saying that they have complained about the problem for years to no avail and suggested that the political connections of the market’s owner have prevented its resolution.
The US dollars to the Iraqi dinar (IQD) exchange rates was down on the Kurdistan Region’s currency markets on Saturday (September 19).
Council of Representatives Speaker Muhammad al-Halbusi met on Friday (September 18) with the Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sabah al-Khalid al-Sabah and raised the prospect that Iraq might delay debt payments to Kuwait.
Crude oil prices were mixed on Saturday (September 19), compared with the previous day.
NRT Digital Media broadcasts another episode of “Kurdistan This Week” on Saturday (September 19).
Iraq’s Security Media Cell said on Friday (September 18) that an Iraqi soldier was wounded after an improvised explosive device (IED) targeted a convoy operated by a contractor company working for the US-led Coalition in Ishaqi sub-district in Saladin governorate.
France’s foreign ministry on Friday (September 18) said there was no evidence to suggest the armed wing of Lebanon’s Hezbollah was storing chemicals to make explosives in France after a senior US official said the group had set up caches in Europe since 2012.
Head of the Independent Human Rights Commission in the Kurdistan Region Zia Pitros said late on Friday (September 18) that a prisoner has died of COVID-19 at the Erbil Adult Reform prison.
Turkey rejected on Friday (September 19) the human rights violations claims in northern Syria laid out in a report by the United Nations Commission of Inquiry and following criticism.
Shia cleric and political leader Muqtada al-Sadr on Friday (September 18) warned Iraqi and Israeli leaders about attempting to pursue formal relations, following warming ties between Israel and several Gulf countries.
A senior Iranian health official has declared a coronavirus red alert covering the entire country as daily deaths and cases increase at an alarming rate, Iranian state TV reported on Friday (September 18).
The Netherlands is preparing a case against Syria at the UN’s highest court, seeking to hold the government of President Bashar al-Assad accountable for human rights violations, including torture and the use of chemical weapons, the Dutch foreign minister told parliament on Friday (September 18).
Turkish Ambassador to Iraq Faith Yildiz said on Friday (September 18) that Ankara has issued an official invitation for Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi to visit Turkey.
For years, small boats have left northern Lebanon’s coast, packed with desperate migrants hoping to reach European shores. Until recently, they carried mostly Syrian and Palestinian refugees. But with Lebanon in freefall, its citizens have begun joining their ranks in larger numbers.
The federal Ministry of Health said on Friday (September 18) that it recorded 4,305 new cases of coronavirus infection and 76 deaths in the country.
The Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) Ministry of Health said on Friday (September 18) that it has recorded 605 cases of coronavirus infection in the Kurdistan Region over the past 24 hours and is nearing 40,000 total recorded infections.
More than a month after being arrested for the second time this year, teacher and activist Badal Barwari on Thursday (September 17) sent a message from prison in Duhok, calling on diplomats and international human rights organizations to speak out against the ongoing crackdown on critical voices in the governorate.
The US dollars to the Iraqi dinar (IQD) exchange rates was up on the Kurdistan Region’s currency markets on Friday (September 18).
Spokesperson for the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) Ministry of Housing and Construction Mariwan Mala Hassan promised on Thursday (September 17) that the Kurdistan Region will be connected by a network of railroads in the future, even floating that the project may start as early as the end of the year.
The Turkish Defense Ministry said on Friday (September 18) that two of its soldiers were killed and another wounded by rockets fired by Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) fighters in the Kurdistan Region.
Crude oil prices were up on Friday (September 18), compared with the previous day.
Jordan announced on Thursday (September 17) jail sentences of up to a year for anyone organising weddings, parties, funerals or social gatherings where more than 20 people attend, in the latest measures aimed at heading off a resurgence in coronavirus cases.
Secretary of the Kurdistan Teachers Union Abdulwahid Muhammad said on Thursday (September 17) that the union will review the government’s online education program, adding that its members believed in the importance of in-person education.
The United States hopes to move forward with naming Qatar as a major non-NATO ally, a status that provides foreign nations with benefits in defense trade and security cooperation, a senior US official said on Thursday (September 17).
A Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen said on Thursday (September 17) it had intercepted and destroyed an explosive drone launched towards the kingdom, as Yemen’s Houthi group said it had hit a target at Saudi Arabia’s Abha airport.
The United States on Thursday imposed sanctions on a Hezbollah official and two Lebanon-based companies as the country experiences a deep economic crisis, accusing them of being linked to the Iran-backed Shia group.
The federal National Security Service said on Thursday (September 17) that four Islamic State (ISIS) militants were arrested in Nineveh governorate.
A group of Kurdish education teachers in Kirkuk held a press conference on Thursday (September 17) to condemn mistakes in the written questions for twelfth-grade final exams held in the governorate, saying that the errors could harm students’ grades.
Member of the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) negotiating delegation Zagros Fatah said on Thursday (September 17) that Regional officials will visit Baghdad on September 20 to discuss the federal budgeting process.
The federal Ministry of Health said on Wednesday (September 16) that it recorded 4,326 new cases of coronavirus infection and 84 deaths in the country.
A NATO investigation into a naval standoff between French and Turkish ships in June has been rated too sensitive to discuss in public and does not apportion blame, as Paris and Ankara wage a war of words, diplomats have told Reuters.
Owners of ceremony halls in Duhok city protested in front of Duhok Provincial Council’s building on Thursday (September 17), demanding that they be able to reopen their halls.
The World Health Organization’s top emergency expert, asked on Thursday (September 17) about contradictory remarks by President Donald Trump and US health officials on COVID-19, said it was important for all countries to have “consistent messaging” for their public.
The US dollars to the Iraqi dinar (IQD) exchange rates was stable on the Kurdistan Region’s currency markets on Thursday (September 17).
The Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) Ministry of Health said on Thursday (September 17) that it has recorded 680 cases of coronavirus infection in the Kurdistan Region over the past 24 hours.
Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Spokesperson said on Thursday (September 17) that the ninth cabinet of the KRG has implemented dozens of important projects regarding constructing and building roads in the Kurdistan Region since its formation.
A vote on a new constitution in Algeria in November marks a turning point for a country that has been rocked by huge protests and political upheaval and which is now struggling to move on from the tumult.
Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) said on Thursday (September 17) that three of its fighters were killed in an Islamic State (ISIS) attack in Kirkuk governorate overnight.
Syria is experiencing worsening gasoline shortages as a result of tougher US sanctions disrupting crucial fuel imports, its oil minister said on Wednesday (September 16), the latest crisis to hit the war-devastated country’s crumbling economy.
The United States said on Wednesday (September 16) it plans to impose sanctions on those who violate a UN arms embargo on Iran, which Washington says will now stay in place instead of expiring in October as agreed under a 2015 nuclear deal.
Crude oil prices were up on Thursday (September 17), compared with the previous day.
Turkey and Russia have moved closer to an agreement on a ceasefire and political process in Libya during their latest meetings in Ankara, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told an interview with broadcaster CNN Turk late on Wednesday (September 17).
