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

Turkey’s interior ministry on Saturday detained over 200 individuals for alleged ties to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

Massive wildfires have been raging since Thursday evening across several locations in Turkey’s western Izmir province, with efforts to bring the blaze under control still ongoing. The fires have led to the evacuation of locals from a village and caused significant destruction to forests.

Iraq’s oil minister said on Thursday that the country has slashed gas flaring by 65 percent, as part of plans to eliminate the practice by the beginning of 2028.

Iraq’s health ministry announced on Thursday that no cases of monkeypox have been reported in the country, as the government steps up efforts to raise awareness following the declaration of a public health emergency by global experts.

An Islamic State (ISIS) attack on a Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) vehicle in Syria’s eastern Deir ez-Zor province injured three members, a war monitor reported on Thursday.

A father is accused of stabbing his two-year-old son 26 times in Tuz Khurmatu, Salahadin province on Thursday.

Iraq’s foreign ministry on Thursday said they have reached an agreement with Washington on the withdrawal of American troops, but that the announcement was delayed because of recent “developments,” a day after a United States official said they have not had discussions with the Iraqi government about withdrawing troops.

Around 13,000 settler families who were relocated to Kirkuk as part of the Baathist regime’s policy to demographically change the province, do not want to leave despite receiving financial and land compensation.

Despite the Iraq-Turkey pipeline being “twisted into a Gordian knot,” Norwegian energy firm DNO reported that it doubled profits in the second quarter of this year, its net production rose six percent, and the company is preparing a new rig to drill for its Tawke license in the Kurdistan Region.

The Iraqi electoral body is continuing its preparations for the upcoming Kurdistan parliamentary elections and the process will be highly monitored by international observers and representatives of civil society, according to an official from the commission

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq's transportation ministry said that it is speeding up the Development Road project, aiming to complete the design phase by September.

A directive from the Kurdistan Region’s health ministry banning plastic bags in restaurants and bakeries has been met with skepticism from business owners, who cite high costs and impractical designs that led to the failure of a previous similar initiative.

A high-level Iraqi delegation is set to meet with their Turkish counterparts on Thursday for talks on security and joint strategy plans between Ankara and Baghdad.

A vehicle exploded in the Kurdish city of Afrin in northwestern Syria on Wednesday morning, eyewitnesses have told Rudaw, with a conflict monitor reporting multiple casualties.

Sulaimani security forces incinerate 150 kilograms of narcotics because of increased drug trade in the Kurdistan Region

The Iraqi communications commission bans a political analyst on Tuesday from appearing on Iraqi television for six months, following remarks he made during a broadcast about Najaf's homosexuality rates

A Turkmen bloc in the Iraqi parliament late on Monday endorses the nomination of a governor and council chief for Kirkuk at a meeting of the provincial council on Saturday

The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) stated that Saturday’s meeting of the Kirkuk provincial council was not legal and not on the right course, two days after a governor and council chief were nominated for the disputed province in a controversial session.

Iraq’s minister for migration and the displaced met with a Kurdish delegation and UN representatives on Monday to discuss mechanisms for the return of internally displaced persons

Mine-removal teams in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region have cleared 4,540 of the 6,600 square-kilometers of areas with landmines since 2003 in joint efforts between Baghdad and Erbil, according to the Iraqi mine directorate.

The Pentagon has ordered an additional aircraft carrier strike group and submarine to deploy more quickly amid rising tensions in the Middle East

Iraq’s Federal Supreme Court rejected a lawsuit on Monday which could abolish an amendment in the Kurdistan Region’s personal status law that had created several preconditions for polygamy

The United Nations team investigating Islamic State (ISIS) crimes handed over evidence from its six-year investigation to Iraq's Supreme Judicial Council on Sunday.

Javad Zarif, Iran’s vice president for strategic affairs and one of the country’s most recognized diplomats, resigned from President Masoud Pezeshkian’s cabinet on Sunday, citing unaddressed shortcomings within the new leadership.

A day after Mohammed Ibrahim al-Hafidh was nominated to lead the Kirkuk provincial council, his Sunni Arab Sovereignty party announced on Sunday that he has been removed from their ranks after he participated in the disputed meeting.

With millions of foreigners traveling into Iraq for pilgrimage at Shiite holy sites in Karbala and Najaf during Arbaeen this month, the head of the Iraqi workers’ syndicate has highlighted issues with foreign labor, undocumented workers, and the necessity of its investigatory body.

Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian presented the names of the proposed cabinet members to the parliament in Tehran on Sunday, two weeks after his inauguration. The proposed cabinet would include a woman for the second time since the revolution some 45 years ago.

An innominate drone strike killed five members of a pro-Iran militia in Syria’s eastern Deir ez-Zor province amid heightened tensions between regime and Kurdish-led forces, a war monitor reported on Sunday.

At least 11 civilians were killed early Friday after Syrian army forces shelled a village near Deir ez-Zor, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said. As tensions continue in the region, the United Nations called for adherence to international humanitarian laws and protect civilians.

A passenger bus crashed into a highway bridge in Turkey’s capital of Ankara, resulting in multiple fatalities and injuries, state media reported.

A suspected Israeli strike on Thursday night targeted Syria’s central Homs province, injuring at least four Syrian army soldiers, state media reported.

More than 250 families who were displaced to the Kurdistan Region during the war with the Islamic State (ISIS) are set to return to their homes in Nineveh province, the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) interior ministry announced on Wednesday.

At least 10 people were killed and 13 others were injured when a truck rigged with an explosive blew up in Azaz, northern Syria, a war monitor reported on Wednesday. Syria has seen a surge of violence over the past 24 hours.

France on Wednesday condemned Iran’s execution of a Kurdish prisoner who participated in the Jin Jiyan Azadi (Woman Life Freedom) protests.

Shamima Begum, the woman who was stripped of her British citizenship after joining the Islamic State (ISIS) in Syria as a teenager, lost a bid on Wednesday to take her case to the United Kingdom’s top court.

A foreign worker was killed and two others were injured in an explosion at a steel factory in Erbil on Wednesday.

The documentary “Hiding Saddam Hussein,” the project of Kurdish director Halkawt Mustafa, has grossed over $1 million in 17 days across seven Arab countries.

Iraq’s judiciary has issued strict sentences for drug-related offenses, the country’s interior ministry announced on Tuesday, including 140 death sentences and 500 life sentences for smugglers and pushers since the start of 2023.

The Consul General of the Netherlands in Erbil Jaco Beerends spoke with Rudaw’s Nwenar Fatih on Thursday about a wide range of issues including collaboration for youth projects in the Kurdistan Region, shared interests like security, development, investment, and the future of military and diplomatic relations between Baghdad and Western countries.

A rocket attack on the Ain al-Asad airbase in western Anbar province injured multiple US personnel on Monday night, Washington has confirmed.

Around 25 illegal refineries were shut down in Erbil province on Monday after a governor’s directive to crack down on air pollution mainly caused by burning toxic fuels in vehicles, generators, and other machines.

India has nearly 1,000 troops in Lebanon in a peacekeeping capacity to ensure safety and security amid recent escalations between Hezbollah and Israel, India’s ambassador to Iraq said on Monday.

Iraq’s justice ministry announced on Monday the release of over 750 inmates across several provinces in July, amid efforts to amend an amnesty law demanded by the Sunni bloc in the Iraqi parliament.

A German migrant rescue organisation has conducted over 70 missions, saving more than 17,000 lives in the Mediterranean since 2015. However, the organization is facing escalating aggressive actions by the Libyan coastguard and restrictive European policies amid efforts to continue lifesaving operations.

More than 100 illegal refineries in Erbil province were ordered to shut down on Sunday by the governor; additionally, a deadline was set for legal refineries to abide by environmental regulations - an attempt to improve the capital city's dismal air quality.

Approximately 22,000 Iraqi nationals are left in the notorious al-Hol camp in northeast Syria (Rojava), which holds many individuals with suspected links to the Islamic State (ISIS), an Iraqi official told Rudaw on Sunday.

Iraq's industry ministry plans to shut down over 100 factories due to outdated machinery, the ministry’s spokesperson said on Saturday.

A 12-year-old boy lost an eye following the explosion of a Baath-era mortar shell in the Koya district of Erbil, an official told Rudaw on Saturday.

More than 15 women members of the Iraqi parliament on Saturday announced the formation of a bloc dedicated to fighting a controversial proposed amendment to the Personal Status Law, which among other things would legalize child marriage.

A vehicle was hit by a suspected Israeli strike on the outskirts of the Syrian capital of Damascus on Saturday, a war monitor reported.

A mother and grandmother recounted the pain she went through knowing the daily brutality that her daughters were suffering at the hands of militants of the Islamic State (ISIS) and the difficult choices they faced while in captivity.

Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani on Saturday met with Kurdish parties and a Christian representative from the disputed province of Kirkuk in a bid to strike an understanding about forming the local government and finally electing a governor, nearly eight months after the provincial vote. Under the law, the parties have just a week left to reach an agreement.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Saturday that Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed by a “short-range projectile” launched from outside his residence in Tehran.

Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani and Prime Minister Masrour Barzani sent congratulatory messages Friday on the occasion of the Yazidi Midsummer celebration, affirming Kurdistan’s support of the ethno-religious group.

The Newcastle virus has killed more than half of the chickens on poultry farms in Sulaimani province’s Raparin town, as officials blame the poor quality of vaccines and a lack of coordination with local veterinary authorities.

Traditional Kurdish dresses were on display at a fashion show in Madrid. Spanish models wore the colorfully elaborate garments which were created by Kurdish designer Chiman Abdullah.

Iraq said a suspect wanted in connection with the embezzlement of trillions of dinars in a case dubbed the “heist of the century” is in custody and four others have been detained in neighbouring countries.

Baghdad will file a complaint with the United Nations Security Council after the United States carried out a deadly strike on Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) in Babil, an advisor to Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani said on Thursday.

The internal security forces (Asayish) of northeast Syria (Rojava) on Thursday announced the arrest of seven suspected Islamic State (ISIS) members accused of planning terrorist operations in the notorious al-Hol camp.

Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani met with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Wednesday in Tehran, a day after the Iranian’s inauguration.

Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani met with Iran’s Speaker of Parliament Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf in Tehran on Wednesday, discussing cooperation for enhancing regional security among other topics.

The Iraqi prime minister’s office has condemned airstrikes that targeted Iran-backed paramilitary forces in Babil province and blamed the US-led global coalition for the attack, saying the operations launched from outside the country can undermine cooperation to combat the Islamic State (ISIS).

Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed in an Israeli strike in the Iranian capital of Tehran, a day after he attended the inauguration of the country’s new president, the Palestinian organization has said.

Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani arrived in Tehran to attend the inauguration of Iran’s President-elect Masoud Pezeshkian on Tuesday.

A barrage of Israeli missiles targeted several locations in the countryside of Daraa province on the ar, southwest of the country, a war monitor reported on Friday.

More than seven months after the election, political parties in Kirkuk are still at an impasse over the position of governor of the disputed province and the Kurdish population is imploring the parties to overcome their grievances and unite.

Iraq’s influential Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr on Monday called on his supporters to boycott all products of businesses that support the United States and Israel’s war on the Gaza Strip.

A Duhok court on Monday sentenced Syrian Kurdish journalist Sulaiman Ahmed to three years in prison on espionage charges. His lawyers criticized the verdict and have filed for an appeal.

Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani will attend the inauguration of Iran’s President-elect Masoud Pezeshkian in Tehran on Tuesday, according to a statement from Barzani’s office.

The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on Sunday announced that its anti-terrorism units, in cooperation with the global coalition, have dismantled an Islamic State (ISIS) cell in northern Raqqa province, killing an operative and arresting another.

Turkey's pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) on Sunday condemned the recent arrests of Kurds seen dancing in viral videos while chanting slogans in support of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), labeling the arrests as “organized racism.”

Rudaw Media Network, in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), is launching its fifth media training cohort specifically tailored for women from both Basra and Maysan provinces. This initiative is part of a broader effort covering all cities within the Kurdistan Region and Iraq.

Eighty-two families linked to the Islamic State (ISIS) left northeast Syria's (Rojava) al-Hol camp on Sunday, heading to the eastern Deir ez-Zor province, according to a war monitor. This move marks the latest effort by Rojava authorities to empty the camp.

Turkish counter-terrorism forces on Saturday detained 13 suspects for allegedly appearing in viral videos showing them playing songs, and dancing while chanting slogans in support of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

Protests erupted in Syria’s rebel-held Aleppo province following the arrest of several civilians accused of desecrating the Turkish flag, a war monitor reported on Saturday.

Several rockets targeted a base housing United States troops in Iraq’s western Anbar province, according to reports.

Shilan Shamal, a Kurdish woman who resides in France made history when she became the first-ever Kurdish woman to take part in the Olympic torch relay, days before the official start of the games in Paris.

Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani is set to attend the 2024 Olympic Games opening ceremony on Friday in Paris, joining over 120 world leaders.

The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on Thursday said that its forces killed an Islamic State (ISIS) operative during a security operation in eastern Syria’s Deir ez-Zor province.

Kirkuk’s waterworks are being pushed to their limits and water shortages are a growing concern, according to an official.

The Kurdistan Region has 466 inmates with pending death sentences, their fate uncertain, according to data from Kurdistan’s correctional facilities.

A traffic accident in Sulaimani province on Wednesday resulted in the death of two people and the injury of three others.

The Iraqi parliament will convene on Wednesday to discuss amendments to the Personal Status Law, which would require couples to select their religion during marriage contracts.

The Kurdistan Region is set to export 5,000 tons of potatoes worth 2.5 billion dinars (around $1.9 million) to the United Arab Emirates this month, one of the contracting companies has revealed.

Sulaimani security forces (Asayish) on Tuesday announced the confiscation of 44 textbooks coated with amphetamine.

Iraq has seized nearly 4.1 tons of captagon pills in 2023, almost four times the previous year, and has become a transit route for drug smuggling, the United Nations anti-narcotics body stated in a report published on Monday.

Officials from Hiwa Cancer Hospital in Sulaimani on Monday denied a shocking statistic circulating on social media claiming a high number of cancer patients being admitted in a single day.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani met with Iranian Interior Minister Ahmed Vahidi in Baghdad on Monday, discussing bilateral ties and enhancing border security.

Iraq faces an electricity shortfall of around 19,000 megawatts and is cooperating with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to increase production, according to an official from Iraq’s Ministry of Electricity.

Azerbaijan's Ambassador to Iraq Nasir Mammadov extended his country’s invitation to Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani to participate in this year's World Climate Summit (COP29).

Iraqi security forces arrested three suspected members of the Islamic State (ISIS) in Sulaimani province, including leaders, in cooperation with local Kurdish security forces (Asayish), the country’s Security Media Cell announced on Monday.

US Vice President Kamala Harris announced on Sunday that she will seek the Democratic nomination for the presidency following the withdrawal of President Joe Biden from the race and his endorsement of her.

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed vengeance for a soldier who was killed during Ankara’s recent operations against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in the Kurdistan Region, stating that his country soon will “put an end to terror.”

US President Joe Biden announced on Sunday that he will "stand down" and endorse Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee in this November's presidential election.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani inaugurated a power transmission line on Sunday that will import electricity from neighboring Turkey to the country’s northern region.

The Transport and Communications Committee of the Iraqi parliament on Sunday slammed Turkey’s flight ban on the Sulaimani airport, stating that the airport has no issues, and the ban is “unjustified.”

A total of 139 lists and individuals have registered with the Iraqi electoral body to compete in the Kurdistan Region’s October 20 parliamentary election, pending approval from the interior ministry, officials told Rudaw on Saturday.

The Kurdistan Region's education ministry released grade 12 exam results on Friday evening, with families of the top students celebrating the success of their children.

A woman was killed on Saturday after a fire broke out in a house in Akre, Duhok province.

The documentary Hiding Saddam Hussein, telling the story of the man who concealed the former Iraqi dictator following the United States invasion in 2003, will be screened in Erbil, Duhok, and Sulaimani on Saturday.

A Kurdish teen from the town of Ranya in Sulaimani province has been chosen to represent Iraq in a cultural exchange program with China.

Top leaders in the Kurdistan Region on Tuesday condemned the car explosion that targeted a senior Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) official in Garmiyan administration, calling on relevant authorities to swiftly uncover the perpetrators.

At least one kolbar was killed and three others injured as a result of direct fire from the Iranian security forces on the border with the Kurdistan Region, a human rights monitor reported on Tuesday.

Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad said on Monday that he was open to meeting Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan, pending the content of the meeting itself.

The histories and origins of the Kurds were explored in a recent episode of Lagal Ranj, focusing on whether they are of Aryan or Sumerian descent.

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) awaits an agreement between the Iraqi government and the International Oil Companies (IOCs) to resume the Kurdistan Region’s oil exports, the Natural Resources Minister said on Sunday.

A Syrian regime military vehicle was hit on Sunday when an Islamic State (ISIS) improvised explosive device (IED) exploded in the northern city of Raqqa, killing three Syrian soldiers, a conflict monitor reported.

The Turkish government said on Sunday that Ankara will not abandon Syria’s opposition forces, as Ankara’s efforts to normalize ties with the Syrian regime are intensifying.

An official from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Ministry of Peshmerga stressed the importance of cooperation between Iraqi and Kurdish forces to prevent security gaps following a deadly Islamic State (ISIS) attack in Kirkuk on Sunday morning.

Iran’s president-elect Masoud Pezeshkian said on Saturday that he looks forward to engaging in “constructive dialogue” with European countries and stated that Tehran will not respond to pressure from the United States.

After years of searching, a Kurdish family found their long-lost brother in the United States, a shadow of his former self, having lost his memory and control of parts of his body in a car accident.

Turkey’s latest military operation in the Kurdistan Region has led to the displacement of 182 families in Duhok province over the past month, according to a human rights organization monitoring the conflict.

The United States does foresee a return to diplomatic discussions with Iran regarding the nuclear deal, a white house official told Rudaw, adding Washington does not anticipate major changes in Iranian behavior under new President Masoud Pezeshkian.

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday that his country does not accept the relationship between some NATO members and the Kurdish forces in northeast Syria (Rojava), adding that they expect solidarity from allies in “combating terrorism.”

A suspected Israeli strike targeted the Daraa countryside in sourthern Syria, a war monitor reported on Friday.

Iraq’s meteorology and seismology organization announced that temperatures are set to reach 50 degrees Celsius, prompting a public holiday on Thursday in several provinces.

Iraq and Turkey agreed to lift both countries’ entry visa requirements for civilians aged under the age of 15 and those over the age of 50, a member of an Iraqi delegation in Ankara has revealed.

The United Kingdom needs better policies to deal with immigration, a Kurdish member of the House of Commons said, days after her party returned to power in a landslide general election victory.

More than 3.7 million people are eligible to vote in the Kurdistan Region’s October elections, with Sulaimani leading as the province with the highest number of registered voters.

A suspected Israeli airstrike targeted the coastal city of Baniyas in the early hours of Tuesday, resulting in material damage, according to reports by Syrian state media.

Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani invited Iran’s president-elect Masoud Pezeshkian to Iraq during a phone call on Monday.

Two fishermen were killed by the Islamic State (ISIS) in Salahaddin province’s Tuz Khurmatu on Monday morning.

Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani met with top US Department of Defense officials in Baghdad on Monday to discuss bilateral defense relations, including the withdrawal of global coalition forces from the country.

Iraq retrieved around 181 smuggled artifacts, the country's Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Antiquities said on Monday.

Iraq's electoral body will set up polling stations in provinces under the control of Baghdad for people from the Kurdistan Region to cast their vote in the Region's upcoming parliamentary elections in October, an official from the commission said on Sunday.

The Kurdish-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced on Saturday that they have captured and killed over 240 members of the Islamic State (ISIS) in northeast Syria (Rojava) since January, amid an increase of jihadist attacks in SDF and regime-held areas.

Turkish intelligence detained individuals accused of allegedly desecrating the Turkish flag and taking part in last week’s anti-Turkey protests in the rebel-held northwest Syria, and a conflict monitor said on Saturday that the individuals were forced to apologize to Turkey and the Turkish people.

Feryal Clark, a woman with a Kurdish background, secured her seat in the UK House of Commons for a second term, as her party, Labour, swept to a landslide general election victory according to preliminary results.

Polling stations opened on Friday in Iran for a run-off presidential election to elect a successor for the late president Ebrahim Raisi who died in a helicopter crash in May.

Iraq and the Kurdistan Region are “important trade and business” hubs for Austria, highlighted Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg, while noting that bilateral trade between Vienna and Baghdad has exceeded 100 million euros ($107 million) - the most in more than a decade.

While attempting to escape southern Iraq’s summer heat by going for a swim, four boys, between the ages of eight to 18, lost their lives after drowning in an oil spill pit in Basrea on Tuesday.

The United States will not normalize relations with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime without "authentic progress" toward a political solution to the conflict, despite recent Damascus-Ankara reconciliation efforts, a State Department spokesperson said on Tuesday.

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday replaced two ministers from his government, in a cabinet reshuffle that is the first since March’s local polls.

The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) has denied having a hand in Erbil, Duhok and Kirkuk’s recent fires after the Kurdistan Region’s interior ministry official previously had said on Monday that two people affiliated with the party had been arrested for arson.

A fire broke out in Sharia camp in Duhok, Kurdistan Region, on Monday destroying nearly a dozen tents belonging to Yazidi families.

An umbrella group which includes the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) denied the party was behind recent major fires in Erbil, Duhok and Kirkuk provinces, calling on Baghdad to reveal the “real perpetrators.”

A suspected Turkish drone strike injured one person near Kobane in northeast Syria (Rojava), a war monitor reported on Sunday.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani on Sunday said his government is committed to ensuring Iraq is a “safe environment” for journalists.

Kurdistan Region leaders on Sunday stated their support for Faiq Zidan, president of Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Council, who an American lawmaker wants to label a "tool of Iranian influence.”

Nearly 20 workers died on the job in the Kurdistan Region in the first six months of 2024, a workers’ syndicate said on Sunday.

Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Sunday laid the foundation stone of a silo in Halabja.

The lack of a center specializing in cancer treatment in southern Sulaimani province’s Garmiyan is exacerbating the sufferings of patients in the area, with a charity organization saying a center will cost one billion dinars.

Turkey’s main pro-Kurdish party on Friday called on Turkish officials to hold talks with northeast Syria’s (Rojava) ruling Democratic Union Party (PYD), hours after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reiterated his plans to normalize relations with Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad.

Kirkuk's provincial council is once again expected to hold its first session almost six months following the Iraqi local elections, as disagreements between political parties prevented the session from taking place in the multi-ethnic province.

Canada’s ambassador to Iraq on Thursday expressed delight over the date set for the long overdue Kurdistan Region’s parliamentary elections, stating that her country is confident that the Region will carry out free and fair elections.

Iranians on Friday head to the polling stations to elect the successor of late president Ebrahim Raisi, a month after he died in a helicopter crash.

As many in the world celebrate pride month, Iraq’s President Abdul Latif Rashid ratified controversial amendments to the country’s anti-prostitution law criminalizing any practice of homosexuality and transsexuality.

Two candidates have pulled out of Iran’s presidential race on Thursday, a day before the Iranians head to the ballot boxes to elect the successor to the late president Ibrahim Raisi who died in a helicopter crash last month.

Authorities in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region have unlawfully arrested and deported Syrian refugees, alleged an international watchdog.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky denied that his country is in communication with Russia amid growing international calls for dialogue between Zelensky and his Russian counterpart, President Vladimir Putin.