A delegation from Kurdistan Region’s finance ministry arrived in Baghdad on Sunday to discuss amendments to Iraq’s previously-approved 2025 budget law and address obstacles to the payment of the salaries of its civil servants.
Thousands of tourists have flocked to Mount Hasan Bag in Erbil province, drawn by its scenic winter landscape despite snowfall levels being lower than in previous years.
A top official from Germany’s foreign affairs ministry said on Sunday that he and Mazloum Abdi, chief of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), met to discuss “urgent issues” that need to be resolved in new Syria.
The Israeli military on Sunday announced the return of three hostages to its forces in Gaza, the first batch since the ceasefire with Hamas took shape.
Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani met with leaders of Jordan and the United Arab Emirates on Sunday to discuss bilateral ties and regional developments, including the situation in Syria.
Israel’s foreign minister on Saturday slammed the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) chief prosecutor Karim Khan for visiting Syria and meeting with de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa but refusing to visit Israel and issuing arrest warrants against its top officials.
Renowned Kurdish comedian Juma Khalil, famously known as Bave Teyar, died on Sunday of injuries he sustained during an airstrike on northern Syria’s Tishreen Dam the day before, Kurdish media reported.
At least 54 illegal refineries have been shut down in Erbil province due to environmental concerns, an official said on Sunday, as part of a recent Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) campaign to combat air pollution.
Nearly daily clashes in northern Duhok province have left local populations afraid to leave their villages, even to tend their livestock, a local chieftain said on Saturday.
The head of the New Generation Movement on Saturday said that without real power, they will not accept an offer to join the government and will stay in opposition.
Hundreds of factories in the Kurdistan Region have closed in recent years because of regulatory differences between Erbil and Baghdad, throwing thousands of people out of work. More jobs are at risk if the issue is not resolved, a member of the Iraqi parliament told Rudaw on Saturday.
Thirteen private generator owners in Erbil are being investigated as part of government efforts to combat high levels of air pollution, a member of the private generator council told Rudaw on Saturday.
Four civilians have been killed and more were injured in drone strikes on Tishreen Dam in northern Syria on Saturday, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) stated. This is the third attack on civilians at the site this month amid fears the dam could collapse.
The number of press freedom violations committed in the Kurdistan Region in 2024 has declined from the previous year, according to a report released on Saturday by a Kurdish media watchdog, which warned that journalists still face serious problems, especially in accessing information.
The Iraqi government brought back 12 people from the Kurdistan Region who spent nearly two months in Libya trying to reach Europe, a diplomat told Rudaw.
Environmentalists in western Iran on Friday said people are deliberately setting forests on fire in order to create coal, and accused the government of “negligence” for allowing this to continue.
The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on Friday announced they launched an operation against Turkish-backed forces while fending off attacks on multiple fronts.
Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) chief Mazloum Abdi on Friday indicated that his historic meeting with Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) leader Masoud Barzani went very well and said they discussed Kurdish unity in Syria.
Turkey’s main pro-Kurdish party said on Friday that its meetings with politicians from across the spectrum about Kurdish-Turkish peace talks were generally positive, despite some concerns, and they are looking forward to a second meeting with jailed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan to ensure “the process reaches peace.”
Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani on Thursday oversaw the handover of archival documents on Baathist era crimes to an Iraqi documentation center during his visit to London, his office said.
The commander of United States forces in the Middle East visited northeast Syria on Thursday to assess the situation on the ground amid concerns about a possible Islamic State (ISIS) resurgence and the future of thousands of the group’s fighters detained by Kurdish-led forces.
The footage of the historic meeting between the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) leader Masoud Barzani and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) chief Mazloun Abdi in Erbil dominated social media late Thursday, with veteran Kurdish politicians congratulating Kurds for the development.
The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on Thursday reported that an airstrike targeted a convoy at the key Tishreen Dam protesting in support of the Kurdish-led force and against attacks in the area, causing injuries.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) commander General Michael “Erik” Kurilla visited Iraq and the Kurdistan Region on Wednesday and urged Iraqi authorities to repatriate their nationals from Kurdish-held camps and prisons housing Islamic State (ISIS) suspects in northeast Syria (Rojava).
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday accused Israel of "aggressive actions" in Syria, warning they could lead to "unfavorable outcomes for everyone." The Israeli foreign ministry reacted by calling Turkey "the aggressive imperialist actor" in the region.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday accused Israel of "aggressive actions" in Syria, warning they could lead to "unfavorable outcomes for everyone." The Israeli foreign ministry reacted by calling Turkey "the aggressive imperialist actor" in the region.
A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas was announced on Wednesday after arduous negotiations involving Egypt, Qatar, and the United States. This development comes after more than 15 months of a devastating conflict between both sides.
Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani met with a US delegation led by deputy assistant secretary of state for Iraq and Iran, on Wednesday to discuss Erbil-Baghdad tensions and ongoing efforts to form a new Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) cabinet.
The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on Wednesday said civilians were killed and injured after a convoy heading to the Tishreen Dam to join ongoing demonstrations against attacks on the area was targeted by an airstrike.
The Kurdistan Region’s finance ministry on Wednesday announced a strategic deal between the MyAccount program and banking giant Visa to increase awareness of digital payment methods and banking services in the Region.
An Iraqi delegation on Wednesday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with British energy giant BP to redevelop four oilfields in Kirkuk province.
The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on Tuesday denied claims by Turkish media that they had received over 1,500 drones from Iran, saying their drones are locally made.
Many Italians wish for greater autonomy for the Kurds in Syria as it could lead to greater stability in the Middle East, said a top Italian official earlier this week.
Stray dogs are being killed on a large scale in Kirkuk in a campaign initiated by the mayor after four stray dogs killed a child
Sulaimani’s cancer registration department on Tuesday released the statistics for 2024 which show that over 3,000 new patients have been diagnosed with cancer, with 201 of them being children.
British energy giant, British Petroleum (BP), will start working on the development of Kirkuk province’s oil and gas fields, the governor said on Tuesday.
Kurdish farmers in the Sargaran district have not been able to plow their farms since November, prohibited by the Iraqi army, and now the season for sowing their seed is coming to an end, according to the head of the farmers' defense committee in the Sargaran.
The United States on Tuesday called on Iran to overturn the death sentence of Kurdish woman Pakhshan Azizi and to stop targeting Kurds after she was sentenced for membership in a “terrorist group.”
A delegation from the Kurdistan Region on Tuesday held a broad meeting with a joint US military and diplomatic delegation to discuss the reform and reorganization of the Peshmerga forces.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani on Tuesday met King Charles III as part of an official trip to London, discussing a host of topics including bilateral ties and economic prospects.
The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on Tuesday said they had lost contact with three fighters after clashes with Syrian National Army (SNA) militants in northern Syria.
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) must be dissolved “without any conditions,” Turkey’s Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli said on Tuesday, with the country’s main pro-Kurdish party set for an expected second meeting with the jailed PKK leader.
A Syrian delegation is set to visit neighboring Turkey on Wednesday in its first official visit to the country since Islamist-led rebels toppled Bashar al-Assad’s regime, the foreign minister announced.
Protests erupted in Turkey's southeastern Aydin province after police clashed with demonstrators condemning the detention of pro-Kurdish municipal council members, a pro-Kurdish media outlet reported on Monday.
Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani on Monday continued his meetings with top Iraqi officials and politicians on the latest developments in the region and the cooperation between the federal and regional governments.
The United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) on Monday welcomed Iraq’s decision to extend the term of the electoral commission for another two years.
Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani’s latest visit to Baghdad was conducted at a perfect time and he is seen as a key actor in solving the disputes between Baghdad and Erbil and improving regional security in the Middle East, said an expert on Monday.
Iran plans to open branches of its top-ranking universities in Iraq if administrative obstacles are resolved, Iranian higher education minister said on Monday.
Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani on Monday departed Baghdad, leading a delegation to the United Kingdom following an invitation by his British counterpart.
Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani on Monday held a series of meetings with Iraq’s top leaders in Baghdad to discuss a range of issues, including unresolved issues between the federal and regional governments.
The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) on Sunday accused the federal government of violating constitutional provisions by attempting to unilaterally sell oil and gas resources in the disputed territories.
A rooster beauty contest was held in Sulaimani’s Baziyan district on Friday.
Iraq’s ruling State Administration Coalition held a regular meeting in Baghdad on Sunday, attended by Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani and Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani, where they discussed key issues, including the unresolved salary payments to Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) civil servants.
Iraq’s finance ministry on Sunday reaffirmed its commitment to paying the Kurdistan Region’s budget, despite claims that Erbil has failed to transfer non-oil revenues. The statement follows criticism from Kurdish officials accusing Baghdad of unfairness and belittling the region’s issue solely on salary payments while broader disputes remain unresolved.
Overnight snowfall has disrupted the movement of trucks at the Kele border crossing between Iran and the Kurdistan Region, an official told Rudaw on Sunday.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani in a phone call on Sunday congratulated Joseph Aoun on his recent election as the country’s president and reiterated Baghdad’s support for Beirut, according to Sudani’s office.
Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani arrived in Baghdad on Sunday to attend a meeting of the ruling State Administration Coalition alongside top Iraqi politicians.
The Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masour Barzani warned on Sunday that the authorities will take legal action against refineries, factories and individuals that violate regulations and cause harm to the environment.
Approximately 200 acres of land have been allocated to planting hundreds of thousands of olive trees in Duhok province’s Akre town, said the mayor on Sunday.
In an extraordinary meeting of the Kurdistan Region cabinet also attended by Kurdish politicians from the federal government on Saturday, the government said it would demand from Baghdad full payment of civil servant salaries for the year 2025, after delays and missed payments last year.
A motorcycle drag race was hosted at Sulaimani’s Arbat Airport on Friday. The competition featured various motorcycles, including dirt bikes and sports bikes.
A multi-vehicle accident on the Sulaimani-Penjwen road this weekend resulted in one death, several trucks catching fire, and nearly 12 cars damaged.
Ahmet Turk, a veteran Kurdish politician, called for a renewal of the “brotherhood” between Kurds and Turks, echoing the sentiments of jailed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan amid new hopes for peace in Turkey.
The administration of north and east Syria (Rojava) on Saturday appealed to the international community to halt Turkey-backed militant attacks on Tishreen Dam, warning the structure could collapse.
Jailed Kurdish politician Selahattin Demirtas has expressed support for renewed peace talks in Turkey, in a statement published on social media on Saturday.
A child lost his life after a pack of stray dogs attacked him in Kirkuk on Saturday. He was mauled after leaving school, according to an official.
Iraq said on Friday that it has extended its concrete wall along the Syrian border amid political and security uncertainty in the neighboring country.
Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid on Friday congratulated Lebanon’s new president on his election following years of power vacuum and expressed Baghdad’s “unwavering” support for Beirut.
Iraqi F-16 warplanes targeted an Islamic State (ISIS) hideout in Kirkuk province on Friday, killing six militants including a senior leader, the Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) announced.
A glimpse of a familiar sweater lying crumpled and dirtied in a mass grave has finally ended one man’s nearly four-decade search for his family.
Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Friday warned that Ankara is prepared to eliminate what it perceives as security threats in Syria, adding that with the fall of the old regime across the border, it is the "end of the road" for armed Kurdish groups.
Turkish security forces have taken over a municipal council building in the southern province of Mersin and detained the co-mayors and four council members, the Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) announced on Friday.
More than 4,000 Kurdish families have returned to Afrin in recent weeks, with some armed groups demanding payment for entry, the head of the local council for the Kurdish National Council (ENKS/KNC) said Thursday.
Delegations from the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) on Thursday continued government formation talks in Erbil for the third consecutive day, discussing the division of leadership roles in the next cabinet.
Sulaimani-based counter-terrorism forces on Wednesday announced the arrest of several Islamic State (ISIS) suspects in the Sharazur district during an intelligence-led operation.
Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Council on Wednesday extended the term of the country’s Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) for two years.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani on Wednesday headed to Tehran to meet Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian for talks on bilateral issues and regional developments, particularly the situation in Syria a month after an Islamist-led takeover.
A coalition of US civil society organizations on Wednesday called on US President Joe Biden’s administration to stop the Syrian National Army’s (SNA) aggression against Syrian Kurds and to sanction Turkey if attacks continue.
Syrian Kurds should join forces and head to Damascus to present their demands as one team, suggested a veteran Kurdish politician on Wednesday as the country navigates a transitional phase.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) will deliver a “firm and decisive” response to any threats on its border areas, its commander said on Wednesday near the restive border with Iraq.
The United Nations’s human rights body on Tuesday slammed Iran for the rise in the number of executions in the country last year, which reached over 900.
The leader of the Kurdish Islamist Free Cause Party (Huda Par) on Tuesday said that Abdullah Ocalan, jailed leader of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), may call on the group to lay down arms in return for his freedom amid a fresh initiative seeking a peace process.
Kurdistan Region’s farmers sold over a million tons of locally produced fruits and vegetables to central and southern Iraq in 2024, according to official data.
Kurdistan Region Prime Minister met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara on Tuesday, discussing regional developments and the resumption of the Region’s oil exports to Turkey.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani on Tuesday met UAE-based Crescent Petroleum representatives to expedite investments in a Diyala province oil field and signed a contract to increase gas production to supply power stations.
Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani arrived in Ankara to meet top officials including President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday.
Armenian Christians have historically been part of the Iraqi community but their numbers are drastically decreasing as most have left the country due to instability and violence.
Dozens of families from Eastern Ghouta outside of Damascus returned on Sunday for the first time since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime last month, after years of forced displacement during the country’s civil war.
The US has expanded authorizations for humanitarian transactions and activities in Syria following the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime to increase aid in the war-torn country while maintaining sanctions, the US Department announced on Monday.
Turkey has extended its flight ban on Sulaimani International Airport for the fourth time since 2023, the director of the airport said on Monday.
A man opened fire at police officers on Monday while his father was being arrested in Erbil province’s Pirmam district, lightly wounding two officers, according to the police.
A landmine explosion in Duhok’s Amedi district killed a Peshmerga fighter on Monday, said the Peshmerga ministry.
The developments in Syria after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime will be on Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani’s agenda in his visit to Tehran, Iran’s foreign ministry said on Monday.
The Druze reject Islamic rule and prefer a decentralized government in Syria, a commander from the minority group said on Sunday.
Traders imported more than 170,000 vehicles to the Kurdistan Region in 2024, with some of them being transported to areas under the federal government, an official from the Kurdish trade ministry revealed on Sunday.
Three people died and several others were injured in a collision between a taxi and a tractor in Halabja on Sunday.
A Kurdish National Council (ENKS/KNC) representative on Sunday said that the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) must be banned from Syria to safeguard the rights of Kurds.
A shooting at al-Esraa University in Baghdad on Sunday left six injured, including a doctor who is in critical condition, a student told Rudaw.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani will visit Tehran on Wednesday to discuss regional developments and bilateral ties, his office said on Sunday.
A Yazidi woman kidnapped by the Islamic State (ISIS) in 2014 reunited with her family in Shingal’s Kocho village on Sunday after being rescued from Syria’s northwestern Idlib province last month.
Iraq and Kurdish security forces have detained four suspected Islamic State (ISIS) members, according to a government statement issued on Saturday.
All of the Kurdistan Region Government’s (KRG) civil servants in Erbil are registered with the My Account program and most will be receiving their salaries digitally this month, government officials said on Saturday.
The Iraqi government has named April 2 as a day to commemorate Faili Kurds killed by the former regime and the prime minister has directed all government institutions to observe a moment of silence on that day, a government advisor told Rudaw on Saturday.
Christian political parties want Syria to be a secular state, a politician told Rudaw on Saturday.
A Syrian singer famed for his revolutionary songs is hopeful there will be newfound freedom of expression after decades of oppression under Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
The prime minister of the Kurdistan Region discussed the resumption of oil exports in a phone call with a United States energy official, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) announced on Friday.
A coalition of Kurdish opposition parties is considering opening an office in Damascus as it hopes to gain some influence in the new Syria, a party official told Rudaw on Thursday.
The Kurdish administration in northeast Syria condemned a New Year terror attack in New Orleans by a United States army veteran who American officials said had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (ISIS).
Residents of a Kurdish region in Iran’s West Azerbaijan province have gifted a new home to the family of a Kolbar whose donated organs saved the lives of three people. This act of generosity came more than a year after the Kolbar's tragic accident, which left him in a coma before his passing.
The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) on Thursday blamed the federal government for the unpaid salaries of its civil servants, accusing Baghdad of violating the constitution.
Iraqi security forces arrested five suspected kidnappers in separate operations in Babil and Maysan provinces, the interior ministry announced on Wednesday.
At least 21,000 people lost their lives in Syria in 2024, with more than 18,000 being civilians, including children and women, a war monitor reported on Wednesday, and 3,000 non-civilians were killed.
Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) forces were denied access to Syria’s southern Suwayda province after local Druze militias demanded they turn back, local media reported on Wednesday.
Kurdistan Region’s civil defense authorities recorded seven fire incidents between New Year's Eve and Wednesday midday, including a deadly one.
The Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani is set to visit Tehran next week to discuss regional developments and bilateral ties, Iran’s foreign ministry announced on Tuesday.
The Kurdish issue in Turkey can be obtained peacefully through the parliament, a Kurdish lawmaker said on Tuesday.
Kurdistan Region’s top officials and politicians on Tuesday hoped for the swift formation of Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) new cabinet in their New Year messages.
The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) are set to meet next week for further talks on cabinet formation and the distribution of positions, the PUK spokesperson said on Tuesday.
The Pentagon emphasized on Monday that the ceasefire the US recently brokered between its NATO ally Turkey and Kurdish partners in northern Syria is “still holding” despite reported clashes in the region.
Ukraine’s foreign and agriculture ministers on Monday met with their Syrian counterparts and the transitional government’s de facto leader, Ahmad al-Sharaa, to discuss extending Ukraine’s support for Syria and enhancing agricultural and food cooperation.
Iranian state media on Monday confirmed the arrest of Italian journalist Cecilia Sala for allegedly “violating the laws of the Islamic republic.”
The Syrian transitional government is holding discussions with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Kurdish National Council (ENKS/KNC) to include Kurdish fronts in a planned national Syrian dialogue conference, state media reported on Monday.
The interior ministry of Syria’s transitional government has issued a decree granting military ranks to several foreign nationals, a move signed by de facto leader Ahmad al-Sharaa, according to a war monitor and an expert.
An Iranian border official on Monday said over one million tons of goods were exported in 2024 through the Tamarchin-Haji Omaran border which crosses into the Kurdistan Region’s Erbil province, marking a 120% increase compared to last year.
Turkey’s energy and natural resources minister on Monday said that the government plans to increase the daily production of oil in Gabar field in the Kurdish province of Sirnak to 100,000 barrels.
Kurdish security forces in Sulaimani (Asayish) revealed their yearly figures for 2024 and said they have arrested over 600 terrorism suspects and seized over three tons of narcotics.
The remains of 50 Kurdish women and children massacred by the former Iraqi regime decades ago have been exhumed in a recently discovered mass grave in Iraq’s southern province of Muthanna, revealed a federal official on Sunday.
Flights between Iraq and Lebanon are set to restart on Monday, an Iraqi official said on Sunday. They were halted earlier this month due to security concerns in the region.
The main crossing between Iraq and Syria border, which was shut earlier this month following the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, remains closed, Iraqi border guards spokesperson said on Sunday.
Iraq’s migration and displaced ministry on Sunday said the number of IDPs in the Kurdistan Region returning to their places of origin has decreased due to the winter season and their children being in school.
A Turkish court sentenced four people to jail for the murder of an eight-year-old girl from Diyarbakir, three of them are family members who were given life imprisonment, state media reported on Saturday.
Refugees from northeast Syria (Rojava) living in the Kurdistan Region are reluctant to return home after the collapse of the regime. They are worried about how Kurds will be treated and some expressed skepticism about the intentions of the new rulers who have an Islamist background.
In a phone call on Saturday, Turkey’s foreign minister reiterated to his American counterpart Ankara’s opposition to Kurdish forces in northern Syria.
Amending the leadership rules was a focus for the Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU) during its party congress held this weekend, according to Sherko Jawdat, a leadership council member of the party.
Israel’s foreign minister expressed “moral and diplomatic” support for Kurds in Syria and urged the international community to do the same, in an interview published on Saturday.
This year, Iraq seized over six tons of drugs and arrested more than 14,000 suspects on drug-related charges, the counter-narcotics directorate announced on Saturday. Drug smuggling into the country, however, has dramatically dropped with the fall of the regime in neighbouring Syria and a tightening of the border.
Turkey is considering a new oil pipeline to Syria that will also link to the Turkey-Iraq pipeline, the minister of energy and natural resources said on Friday.
Ukraine has sent 500 tonnes of flour to Syria as a humanitarian gesture following the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime, the country's president announced on social media on Friday.
Employees at a hospital in Kirkuk are caring for two children who were abandoned at the health care facility.
Iraqi security forces on Friday announced they arrested a suspected dealer in Baghdad and seized 16 kilograms of marijuana.
Child traffickers suspected of selling newborn babies have been arrested in two separate operations in the north and the south of the country, the Iraqi Interior Ministry announced on Friday.
Islamic State (ISIS) cells targeted the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in northeast Syria on Thursday, killing two and exploiting the security vacuum caused by the collapse of the Assad regime.
A Dutch YouTuber with over two million subscribers, travelling around the world on her motorcycle, had her motor vehicle stolen in Erbil mid November but found it a few hours later with the help of locals and a tracking device installed on her bike. The police announced his arrest on Thursday.
An Iraqi delegation held talks with Syria’s new government to address border security and regional developments, Iraqi government spokesperson Basem al-Awadi announced on Thursday.
The Kurdish-led administration in northeast Syria (Rojava) on Thursday called for protecting Syria’s diversity and plurality, a day after violent protests across several provinces over an alleged attack on an Alawite shrine in Aleppo province.
Iraqi warplanes on Wednesday targeted a suspected Islamic State (ISIS) hideout in Salahaddin province, killing several members of the group, the country’s security forces announced.
At least 17 people were killed on Wednesday in Syria’s Tartous during clashes that erupted when security forces attempted to arrest an officer linked to the ousted President Bashar al-Assad, and armed men intercepted them.
Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani on Wednesday expressed his condolences for the death of dozens of people killed after an Azerbaijani aircraft crashed in Kazakhstan.
Iraqi Interior Minister Abdul-Amir al-Shammari arrived in Ankara on Wednesday, heading a high-level delegation to discuss enhancing security ties and information sharing with Turkish officials.
The Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU) announced that the party’s congress will be held in the upcoming days, a party official told Rudaw on Wednesday.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday announced that his country will open its Aleppo consulate soon, less than two weeks after reopening its embassy in capital Damascus after a decade long hiatus.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and his Turkish counterpart Yasar Guler on Tuesday discussed developments in Syria and regional security and stability during a phone call, the Pentagon announced.
An American analyst on Tuesday stressed the importance of a ceasefire in northern Syria, citing US interests in ensuring that the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) can focus on guarding prisons holding Islamic State (ISIS) members and preventing the extremist group from regaining strength.
Kurdistan Region's political leaders on Tuesday shared their Merry Christmas messages, emphasizing the region's spirit of coexistence.
A Kurd recently freed from the notorious Sednaya prison in the outskirts of Damascus sustained a fractured skull and significant memory loss during his time behind bars as a result of torture by Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
At least 12 people were killed on Tuesday after a blast at an explosives factory in Turkey’s northwestern Balikesir province, state media reported.
Suspected Islamic State (ISIS) gunmen on a motorcycle opened fire on a military vehicle belonging to Kurdish security forces (Asayish) in northeast Syria, injuring two members, a war monitor reported on Monday.
Sulaimani police said Monday that they have arrested a man and a woman, accused of torturing a girl, who is their relative, to death.
Scammers in the Kurdistan Region face light sentencing while their victims have difficulties receiving their rights back, making it a daily occurrence, according to lawyers.
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday said that his country will “remove” the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and its alleged Syria offshoots from the region, vowing to continue his country’s operations against the armed group.
Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) General Commander Mazloum Abdi on Monday met with a delegation from the Kurdish National Council (ENKS/KNC), in the presence of the global coalition, to discuss Kurdish unity going forward in Syria following the collapse of the Baathist regime.
The United Nations on Monday called for action in Syria, stating that the country is facing “a triple-layered crisis,” following the collapse of the Bashar al-Assad regime, amid an influx of Syrians returning to their homes, and internal displacement.
The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on Monday launched a counterattack near the strategic Tishreen Dam on the Euphrates River, the spokesperson of the Kurdish-led forces announced, with clashes still ongoing.
Masoud Barzani, leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), came to the assistance of a family from the Kurdish city of Kobane in northern Syria (Rojava) and gave the family of a man who tragically died from gas suffocation residency in the Kurdistan Region.
Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani on Monday received Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans in Erbil to discuss Amsterdam’s contribution in the fight against the Islamic State (ISIS) and bilateral ties.
The Peshmerga Ministry announced on Sunday plans to establish two operations command centers comprising 11 military divisions as a part of ongoing efforts to reform and unify the Kurdistan Region’s forces.
The Kurdish National Council (ENKS/KNC) is set to meet with Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) General Commander Mazloum Abdi under American and French supervision, amid calls for Kurdish unity and dialogue in Syria after the collapse of the Baathist regime, the council’s spokesperson said on Sunday.
German diplomats on Sunday warned against the escalating tensions between the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Syrian National Army (SNA) militias, during phone calls with General Commander Mazloum Abdi, amid ongoing attacks that have disrupted Kurdish counterterrorism operations.
A bitumen factory in Erbil province’s Soran administration was shut down on Sunday due to non-compliance with health and environmental standards, an official told Rudaw.
An Iraqi court has reportedly rejected an appeal from the federal oil ministry seeking to invalidate several oil contracts between the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and international oil companies (IOCs).
After a day of intense clashes near Tishreen Dam on the Euphrates River, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said on Saturday that it lost five fighters while thwarting an attack by Syrian National Army (SNA) militia groups and claimed to have killed 52 from their enemy’s ranks.
Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto arrived in Erbil on Saturday evening and was met at the airport by Peshmerga Minister Shoresh Ismail.
Tehran’s foreign ministry accused the United States and Israel of having a master plan for the Middle East after a Washington official said there will be no place for Iran in the new Syria.
Syria’s transitional government on Saturday named Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani as its new foreign minister, less than two weeks after toppling the Bashar al-Assad regime.
The global coalition against the Islamic State (ISIS) has provided humanitarian aid for people displaced by recent fighting in northern Syria, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced on Friday.
United States government officials met with Syria’s new rulers in Damascus on Friday.
Turkey’s foreign minister will visit Syria soon for discussions on rebuilding the country after the collapse of the Assad regime, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told journalists on Friday on his return flight from Egypt.
Erbil’s historic city center will be closed to motor vehicle traffic for seven hours on Fridays to ease congestion and accommodate tourists, the traffic directorate announced.
US troops will remain in Syria to prevent the Islamic State (ISIS) from resurging and Washington’s focus will be on deconfliction in the country, US deputy permanent representative to the UN said on Tuesday.
The Barzani Charity Foundation (BCF) on Thursday said that nearly 3,000 Kurdish families have returned to Afrin while over a thousand settler families have left the city following the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime earlier this month.
The president of a Baghdad court on Thursday said that they uncovered a group of security officers who embezzled 16 billion dinars (about $10 million) while stressing the urgency of Iraq’s fight against corruption, state media reported.
The Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) must avoid the Taliban approach in Afghanistan by presenting a moderate face only for its “true colors” to come out after strengthening its grip on the country, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday.
A spokesperson for Syria’s transitional government said on Wednesday that no authority other than the central government in Damascus will be recognized while affirming that Kurds are equal partners in rebuilding the nation.
The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said on Wednesday that the Syrian National Army (SNA), with Turkish air support, has continued attacks on the symbolic Kurdish city of Kobane in northern Syria and posed a threat to the crucial Tishreen Dam despite the US-brokered ceasefire which has been extended through the end of the week.
The Kurdish-led administration in northeast Syria (Rojava) on Wednesday said it removed customs and taxes with other parts of Syria in a bid to “preserve the unity of Syrian lands” following the collapse of the Baathist regime.
The Kurdistan Region’s tourism board is projecting that over 300,000 tourists will visit the Region for the New Year celebrations.
The United States wants to halt conflict across Syria and does not want new clashes to erupt, a Syrian Democratic Council (SDC) representative in Washington said on Tuesday, as the possibility of a Turkish attack on Syrian Kurds looms.
United Nations Special Envoy to Syria Geir Pedersen said on Tuesday that while much of Syria appears stable following the collapse of Bashar al-Assad's regime, stability remains “fragile,” with ongoing violence and displacement in the northeast (Rojava) threatening the country's peace.
Kurdish leaders on Tuesday marked the Kurdistan Flag Day by honoring the sacrifices made in the 12/17/2024 10:10 PMpast while calling for united efforts to build a prosperous future for the Kurdish people.
The United States on Monday backed Turkey in going after the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) while reaffirming support for the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the fight against the Islamic State (ISIS).
Iraq’s interior ministry on Monday denied that Maher al-Assad, the brother of ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, is in the country.
The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said on Monday that United States-led mediation efforts to reach a “permanent truce” with Turkey over Manbij city have fallen off, accusing the latter of “evasion to accept key points”.
The United States army announced on Monday that it killed 12 suspected Islamic State (ISIS) militants in airstrikes it carried out in Syria as a part of its efforts to prevent the group from exploiting security vacuums in the country.
Syrian Kurds are the number one victims of Bashar al-Assad’s downfall as they have lost control of many places, said a Russian expert on Monday.
The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) has no presence in northeast Syria (Rojava), a top PKK commander said on Monday amid calls for the group's alleged fighters to leave the country.
United States President-elect Donald Trump on Monday described the recent rebellion in Syria that culminated with the ousting of President Bashar al-Assad, as an “unfriendly takeover” by Turkey.
The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) will start paying the October salaries of its civil servants on Tuesday as its financial disputes with the federal government remain unsolved.
The Kurdish administration in northeast Syria (Rojava) on Monday called for dialogue “to build a new Syria” following the collapse of the Baathist regime, and to have a “unified stance” in the country’s transitional period.
The Kurdish National Council (ENKS/KNC) on Sunday called for Kurdish unity in Syria, and engagement with new authority in Damascus following the collapse of the Bashar al-Assad-led Baathist regime.
The federal government and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) on Sunday agreed on steps to address delayed salaries of the Region’s employees and other financial disputes between Baghdad and Erbil.
A senior politburo member of Hamas said that the group is ready to strike a deal with Israel for a ceasefire and end the 14-month-long offensive of the latter which claimed the lives of tens of thousands in the Gaza Strip.
After a dramatic uptick in value over the past few days, the Syrian Lira began declining on Sunday as demand for the currency waned in the Kurdistan Region markets.
Masoud Barzani, leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), on Sunday responded to Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) leader Ahmed al-Sharaa's statement about Kurds in Syria and expressed hope of correcting the wrong treatment of the Kurds.
The bodies of Naila Mustafa and her 9-month-old daughter Noor who drowned when their boat sank in the Aegean Sea, were returned to Sulaimani on Saturday to be buried in Ranya.
The seizure of Captagon production resources in Syria after the collapse of the Assad regime will have a "positive impact" on the entire region, including Kurdistan, said Captain Arkan Bibani, spokesperson for the Kurdistan Region's anti-narcotics directorate.
United States influence in the Middle East will be restored when President-elect Donald Trump returns to power in Washington, a former envoy told Rudaw.
The foreign ministers of eight Arab countries and the head of the Arab League on Saturday expressed their support for a peaceful political transition in Syria, a week after the Baathist regime led by Bashar al-Assad was toppled.
The global chemical weapons watchdog held a rare emergency meeting in The Hague on Thursday to discuss concerns over stockpiles of chemical weapons in Syria after the collapse of the regime.
Stars on the red carpet at the Red Sea Film Festival in Jeddah praised the festival’s support for women and films bringing unique perspectives to global audiences.
Mazloum Abdi, commander of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), said early on Friday that they are monitoring reports of casualties in northern Raqqa and pledged transparency amid allegations that the SDF opened fire on civilians.
The Netherlands on Thursday presented a human rights award to a United States-based organization that monitors lethal conflict within the Kurdistan Region’s borders.
Damascus International Airport lies in disarray, with abandoned planes on the runway and no visible activity, following the takeover of the Syrian capital by rebel groups with ongoing talks to resume operations.
Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani on Thursday met with United Kingdom’s Chief of the Defence Staff Sir Anthony Radakin to discuss regional developments, the fight against the Islamic State (ISIS), and relations between Erbil, Baghdad, and London.
The Kurdish administration in northeast Syria (Rojava) decided on Thursday to raise the new flag of the country, previously used by the opposition, across its institutions following the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
Five schools in Duhok province’s Amedi district have halted studies due to ongoing clashes between the Turkish army and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in the border areas of the Kurdistan Region.
United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken is set to visit Jordan and Turkey from Wednesday through Friday to discuss rebuilding an “inclusive” Syria and preventing it from being used “as a base of terrorism,” State Department spokesperson said.
A spokesperson for the clans and tribes of the Syrian eastern province of Deir ez-Zor on Wednesday urged the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to engage in negotiations and avoid confrontation in Syrian Arab majority areas amid claims by Syrian rebels of capturing Deir ez-Zor city.
Syrians who had been kept in the infamous Sednaya prison in the capital city of Damascus for their political views are celebrating their freedom after years of torture under Bashar al-Assad's regime which fell on Sunday following a surprise offensive by rebels.
The federal government and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) have redirected funds from the Region’s budget share to address salary shortfalls, with civil servants having gone nearly two months without pay.
The people of northeast Syria (Rojava) deserve to be heard and have their aspirations recognized amid constant threats to their lives, and peace will not prevail in the Middle East without resolving the Kurdish issue, Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) leader Bafel Talabani said on Tuesday.
The pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) on Monday called on President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to play a "constructive role" in solving the Kurdish issue in the country, stressing the need for an Ankara-centered solution.
United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday that Washington is determined to prevent the Islamic State (ISIS) from reemerging in Syria and has a “clear interest” in avoiding the country's fragmentation.
Suspected Israeli warplanes on Monday carried out airstrikes against positions of the former regime in the city of Qamishli in northeast Syria (Rojava). The strikes reportedly targeted military bases and weapon depots near the city’s airport.
Hundreds of Syrian nationals living in Turkey, stood in long lines at the border crossings in southern Turkey, yearning to return to their homeland, following the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
Two suspected Islamic State (ISIS) members and two police officers were killed during a raid near Anbar province’s Falluja district, Iraqi police announced on Monday.
The next US administration should not ignore Syria because it is an “important” country, given that America has a military base there, a former American diplomat said on Monday.
Despite a recent amnesty issued by the authorities in Afrin, around 200 Kurds remain in prisons, a Kurdish National Council (ENKS/KNC) said on Monday, noting that over 2,000 families have returned to the Kurdish city since the start of the recent escalations in Syria.
Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Monday arrived in Bahrain to discuss regional security.
United States President Joe Biden on Sunday labeled the Syrian people’s triumph against Bashar al-Assad’s regime a “historic opportunity” and called to hold the ousted Syrian president “accountable.”
The United States army announced on Sunday that it carried out airstrikes against 75 Islamic State (ISIS) camps in Syria, to prevent the group from taking “advantage” of the recent kerfuffle in the country.
Iraq’s four presidencies and the ruling State Administration Coalition met on Sunday to discuss the latest developments in Syria, and the need to facilitate the return of Iraqi nationals from Syria.
Amnesty International on Sunday called for bringing perpetrators of human rights violations in Syria to justice following the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
Ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his family are in Moscow, Russian state media reported on Sunday, adding that Russia has granted them asylum, less than 24 hours after the collapse of the regime in Syria.
The best path forward for Syria is for its key actors to collaborate in shaping a shared future, a conflict expert told Rudaw on Sunday, as the country celebrates the collapse of the Bashar al-Assad regime, days after rebels launched a blistering offensive.
Kurdistan Region Presidency said on Sunday it is following the developments in Syria with “great interest” and calls on all parties to utilize dialogue and peace to resolve the conflict.
Political parties in north and northeast Syria (Rojava) on Sunday urged the public to “protect the achievements” of the Kurdish-led administration, emphasizing the need for comprehensive national dialogue in Syria, amid attacks by Syrian National Army (SNA) militias on Kurdish forces in the northern city of Manbij. The parties also called for starting comprehensive national dialogue in Syria.
The collapse of Bashar Assad’s regime does not signify the end of the Syrian crisis, a former United Nations diplomat told Rudaw on Monday , warning that ideological differences among the opposition and factionalization between armed groups are the next challenges for Syrians to overcome.
Syrian rebels led by the Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) on Sunday announced that they had taken full control of the strategic city of Homs on their way towards the capital, Damascus.
Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani on Saturday congratulated French President Emmanuel Macron on the reopening of the iconic Notre Dame cathedral, stating that the event symbolizes resilience to preserve the “shared human heritage.”
France’s invitation to Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani to attend the reopening of Notre Dame cathedral is evidence of the strength of the relationship between France and Kurds just as Kurds in Syria need international support, a French senator told Rudaw on Saturday.
The foreign ministers of Iraq, Russia, Iran, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, and Qatar are in Doha holding an emergency meeting on the latest developments in Syria.
The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on Saturday issued a general amnesty in areas of Deir ez-Zor province that are newly under their control.
The Syrian army has begun retreating from areas inside Damascus, consolidating their positions in the north of the city as rebels close in on the capital, the head of a conflict monitor told Rudaw on Saturday, predicting that Assad family rule is taking its final breaths.
United States President-elect Donald Trump said on Saturday that the conflict in Syria is not America’s fight and it should not get involved.
According to the Barzani Charity Foundation (BCF), over 4,000 Kurds have returned home to Afrin from Shahba. However, Arabs from Latakia, Deir ez-Zor, Aleppo and other areas have settled in Kurdish homes on the Afrin border and refuse to leave.
Syrian rebel forces on Friday reached out to Russia and China, allies of the regime of President Bashar al-Assad.
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday that he hopes the rebel offensive in Syria goes off “smoothly,” adding that the situation is the result of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s obstinacy towards Ankara’s efforts to repair their relationship.
The head of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) on Friday said that the conflict between the Syrian regime and the rebels is “an internal matter,” but added that Iraq cannot “turn a blind eye” to “terrorist groups” ruling Syria.
Israeli airstrikes early Friday morning hit a crossing on the border between Syria and Lebanon.
Suspected Turkish shelling early Friday morning targeted several villages near the northern Syrian city of Manbij in Aleppo province, local media reported, a day after three people were killed by artillery fire.
The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) warned on Thursday that it has taken “extensive” measures to respond to potential attacks by the Islamic State (ISIS) in Syria’s eastern provinces
The Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) leader Abu Mohammed al-Jolani on Thursday called on Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani not to allow Iraqi armed groups to get involved in their ongoing war against the Syrian regime, claiming that his fighters will not pose a threat to Iraq’s national security.
Russia’s foreign ministry on Wednesday accused the West and NATO, of using Syria as a space to test their capabilities, adding that Moscow has racked up its efforts to resolve the ongoing escalations in the country.
Rudaw’s Washington DC bureau chief Diyar Kurda received the prestigious Association of Foreign Press Correspondents in the USA (AFPC-USA) award, as one of the best reporters in the United States for 2024 for professional excellence.
Iraq's National Security Advisor Qasim al-Araji met with Yazidi leader Mir Hazim Tahsin Beg on Wednesday, discussing efforts to facilitate the return of displaced Yazidis to their heartland of Shingal (Sinjar) in Nineveh province. Lack of security and basic services has hindered the process.
A local official of the Future Syria Party was killed in an attack by suspected Islamic State (ISIS) gunmen in the eastern Deir ez-Zor province, local media reported on Wednesday.
Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani on Tuesday warned of "grave repercussions," including ethnic cleansing, amid the escalating conflict in Syria during a phone call with the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan who highlighted Ankara's commitment to preventing threats from “terrorist” organizations. The two stressed the need to safeguard the stability and territorial integrity of Syria.
Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) allegedly killed an elderly Kurdish man in southeastern Aleppo province on Monday, according to a source, amid the group’s ongoing advance in the area.
Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani on Tuesday received newly-appointed Italian Ambassador to Iraq Niccolo Fontana in Erbil, discussing ways to bolster bilateral relations.
The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on Tuesday announced that it captured seven villages previously held by Syrian regime forces in the eastern countryside of Deir ez-Zor province, days after Russian forces reportedly withdrew from the area.
Russia remains committed to supporting Syria and maintaining its military presence there, despite the strain of its ongoing war in Ukraine, Russian Ambassador Andrey Baklanov said on Monday.
A Yazidi man was killed, and his wife was injured by Syrian militants while fleeing the town of Tel Rifaat toward their village in the Kurdish city of Afrin, a Yazidi rights watchdog said on Monday.
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday that his country is “closely” monitoring the developments in Syria, adding that Ankara is "ready to do whatever we must to extinguish the fire" in the region.
Iraq’s interior ministry said on Monday that the country’s border with Syria is secured “better than any point in Iraq’s history,” dismissing concerns about the spillover of the conflict in Syria.
The French Consul General on Monday emphasized France’s efforts to strengthen academic ties and expand student exchange programs with the Kurdistan Region, during the inauguration of the Region’s first “French Corner”.
Iraq sent additional reinforcement to the border areas with Syria, Defense Minister Thabet al-Abbasi said on Monday, stressing that the situation is “under control,” as tensions continue to grow in Syria.
Fear grows over the fate of approximately 500,000 Kurds and 5,000 Yazidis trapped in the Kurdish neighborhoods of Aleppo province, activists warned on Monday, as Kurdish forces remain under siege in the conflict-stricken province.
Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani on Sunday called for modernizing education to prepare students for job markets and paid tribute to the legacy of late Kurdish scholar Mustafa Zalmi during separate events in Duhok and Erbil.
Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani on Sunday received a call from Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian, addressing the escalating situation in Syria andemphasized coordinating to prevent further destabilization, as Iraq intensifies efforts to secure its borders.
Villagers of Berashka in Sulaimani province, commute daily between their village and the nearby town of Said Sadiq, as they cannot reside permanently in their village due to the lack of basic public services.
The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on Sunday urged the people in northeast Syria (Rojava) to “heed the calls” for general mobilization, as Turkish-backed groups launched a fresh offensive against the Kurdish forces in Aleppo province.
Iraq’s Central Bank has directed all banks and financial institutions to suspend financial transactions with TikTok intermediaries within Iraq. There had been previous plans to ban the app over social concerns.
Fighter jets, suspected to be Russian, conducted multiple airstrikes in Syria’s Aleppo, killing 12 people, and injuring dozens, a war monitor reported on Sunday.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani on Saturday talked with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, whose forces have lost control of large amounts of territory to a rebel offensive in the north.
An unknown disease has ravaged poultry farms in Erbil province.
The agenda for the first session of the newly elected Kurdistan Parliament has been set, an official told Rudaw on Saturday.
A suspected Russian airstrike killed at least 16 people in Aleppo, northern Syria on Saturday, amid ongoing clashes between regime forces and rebels, a war monitor reported.
Representatives of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) met in Sulaimani on Saturday, kickstarting cabinet formation talks over a month after the Kurdistan Region’s parliamentary elections.
At least five suspected Islamic State (ISIS) militants were killed in an Iraqi airstrike on the Hamrin Mountains in Kirkuk province, the army announced on Saturday.
Kurdish authorities in northeast Syria (Rojava) announced on Friday that they will welcome people displaced by the escalating conflict between rebels and the regime in the northwest.
Building a rail link between southern Iraq and Iran was one of the agreements Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani signed while on a trip to Spain.
Four students were killed and two others were injured in a rocket attack on a university residence in Aleppo that was carried out by rebel forces who this week launched a major offensive in northern Syria, a conflict monitor reported on Friday.
Iraq’s air force struck six suspected Islamic State (ISIS) hideouts in the west of the country, the armed forces announced on Friday evening.
A Kurdish man who lost his wife and child when their boat capsized near the Greek coast this week has blamed the smuggler for their deaths.
Over a ton of narcotics were seized by Iraqi security forces during the first ten months of this year as the country intensifies efforts to combat the spread of drugs.
Romania has maintained strong diplomatic ties with Iraq since establishing relations in the 1950s, Romanian Ambassador to Iraq Radu Octavian Dobre told Rudaw on Wednesday.
Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani on Wednesday received British home secretary Yvette Cooper in Erbil, discussing bilateral cooperation, and efforts to strengthen regional security.
Government formation talks officially began in the Kurdistan Region on Wednesday, following a presidential decree calling for the first session of parliament to be held next week. Some smaller parties are reluctant to join ruling ones in the next cabinet.
Iraq’s foreign ministry on Wednesday welcomed the United States-brokered ceasefire deal between Israel and Lebanon, stressing the importance of preventing further escalation of the conflict.
Turkish security forces detained dozens of people, including politicians and journalists, for alleged ties with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), as crackdown against government dissidents continue for the second consecutive day.
The United States military announced on Wednesday conducting airstrikes on a weapon storage facility belonging to Iran-backed groups in Syria, adding that the attack was in retaliation to a prior attack by the militia groups.
Water levels at two of Kurdistan Region’s key dams have significantly improved this year compared to 2023, officials said on Tuesday.
The Iraqi government plans to dedicate one percent of the civil servants’ salaries to its Lebanon and Gaza humanitarian response for six months.
Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani issued a presidential decree on Tuesday summoning the newly-elected lawmakers to hold the first parliamentary session on December 2.
Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Tuesday laid the foundation for a drug addiction rehabilitation center in Erbil and expressed concern about the widespread use of substances in the Region.
Iraq’s national security advisor Qasim al-Araji on Monday denied reports of the government receiving a message from Israel via an Azerbaijani mediator, as tensions between Iraq and Israel escalate.
An Israeli strike on Monday in Syria’s Homs province injured at least two people, while Tel Aviv claims to have targeted weapon smuggling routes used by Iran-backed Lebanese Hezbollah.
Kurdish lawmakers on Monday met with the head of Iraq’s Supreme Federal Court in Baghdad to discuss the late payment of Kurdistan Region civil servants’ salaries, agreeing that wages must be paid on time.
Settler families in Kirkuk, who are eligible for constitutionally mandated compensation for leaving the province and returning to their areas of origin, risk losing this financial entitlement if they fail to complete their paperwork within ten days, a Kurdish official said Monday.
Kurdish farmers in a Kirkuk village have been unable to cultivate their lands for weeks due to decades-long land disputes with Arab settlers despite efforts by local authorities to resolve the issue.
Iraqi security forces on Monday announced the arrest of three suspected Islamic State (ISIS) members in the northwestern Nineveh province.
Kurdistan Region accounts for 14 percent of Iraq's total population, according to the preliminary results of the recently-conducted nationwide census announced on Monday.
Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani on Monday reiterated his commitment to women’s rights and ending Gender Based Violence (GBV) in the Region, in a statement marking the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.
The Last Pomegranate of the World, a novel by popular Kurdish novelist Bakhtyar Ali, has been selected among top 100 books of the 21st century by a Swiss newspaper.
Iraq’s electoral body said on Sunday that it will begin fining candidates who failed to remove their campaign posters from the streets, over a month after the Kurdistan Region's general elections.
Sulaimani security forces (Asayish) on Sunday announced the dismantling of the Islamic State's (ISIS) so-called Kurdistan State cell, following months-long operations across the Kurdistan Region and the disputed areas.
Iran’s foreign ministry said on Sunday that, in the following days, it would hold nuclear talks with three European countries, days after the United Nations nuclear watchdog adopted a resolution accusing Iran of lack of cooperation.
Iran has temporarily halted gas exports to Iraq, significantly reducing electricity generation in Baghdad, southern, and central Iraq, an Iraqi electricity ministry official told Rudaw on Sunday.
Iraq’s electoral commission is set to send the final results of the Kurdistan Region's parliamentary elections to the Region’s presidency on Sunday, pending the approval of President Nechirvan Barzani, an official from the commission told Rudaw.
The second phase of Iraq’s population census has been completed and preliminary results will be released this week, the Supreme Census Authority announced on Saturday.
Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani said on Saturday that the threat from the Islamic State (ISIS) still exists, as Iraq prepares to end the military mission of the global coalition against the terror group.
Kurdish security forces in northeast Syria (Rojava) on Saturday announced they rescued a Yazidi man from the clutches of the Islamic State (ISIS), ending over a decade of captivity.
A Rudaw reporting team was detained by federal security forces in the Makhmour district of Erbil province while covering the nationwide census and Kurds who returned to their hometowns to be recorded in disputed areas.
Iran announced on Friday that it would begin operating new “advanced centrifuges” in response to a resolution against it at the global nuclear watchdog.
Kurdish villagers in some areas of the disputed territories were barred from registering for Iraq’s census in their hometowns, a Kurdish member of parliament said on Thursday.
Iraq on Thursday welcomed the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for “crimes against humanity.” Baghdad labeled the move as “courageous.”
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a phone call on Thursday and discussed bilateral relations, with a focus on energy cooperation.
A Turkish court extended a ban on meetings between jailed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan and his lawyers, Turkey’s pro-Kurdish media outlets reported on Thursday.
The satellite-based Starlink internet could bypass internet blockades against the Kurdistan Region during regional and political disputes, a Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Information Technology official said on Thursday.
Kirkuk’s Governor Rebwar Taha on Thursday urged residents to stay home as Iraq enters the second day of its nationwide population census, emphasizing that the process is solely for development purposes.
A Turkish court on Wednesday sentenced the pro-Kurdish mayor of Dersim to over six years in prison on charges of belonging to a “terrorist organization.” The mayor claims this is part of preparations to appoint a trustee in the Kurdish city.
The preliminary results of Iraq’s nationwide population census will be announced within two days, an Iraqi planning ministry official told Rudaw, as the country enters the second day of the process.
The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) on Wednesday extended the public holiday for civil servants originally from disputed territories until next month, allowing them to remain in their hometowns to complete additional phases of Iraq’s critical nationwide census.
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan denied on Wednesday the existence of any disagreements or tensions with his ultranationalist government ally Devlet Bahceli, as the latter persistently proposes allowing jailed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan to speak at the parliament.
American businesses are interested in expanding investments in the Kurdistan Region, the head of the US-Kurdistan Business Council said on Wednesday, stressing that Washington is keen on advancing negotiations between Erbil and Baghdad to resume oil exports and attract investment.
The widely anticipated population census began across Iraq and the Kurdistan Region on Wednesday, with officials calling on citizens to cooperate with the process.
Iraq on Tuesday reacted to an Israeli letter to the UN Security Council holding Iraq responsible for the activities of pro-Iran groups in the Middle East. Baghdad deemed this a “pretext to justify aggression” and said it seeks peace in the region.
Iraq’s influential Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr on Tuesday called on the government and parliament to ban imports from pro-Israel states in a way that it does not damage the country’s economy.
An explosive device on Tuesday killed the mayor of the Kafrnan subdistrict in the central Homs province, state media reported.
Although Iraq’s anticipated population census does not include an ethnicity question, a Kurdistan Region official warned on Monday that the federal government can access ethnicity data, raising concern regarding the fate of the disputed areas.
Iraq’s interior ministry on Tuesday announced it seized ten trucks and detained their drivers across four provinces on oil-smuggling charges.
The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said on Monday that it has thwarted an infiltration attempt near the town of Gire Spi (Tal Abyad), northern Raqqa province, leaving several casualties, amid conflicting reports.
Peshmerga commanders on Monday expressed gratitude for the longstanding support of the United States in addressing security challenges, emphasizing the need for continued assistance as the Islamic State (ISIS) remains a persistent threat.
The US consulate on Monday extended condolences for casualties of joint Iraqi-Kurdish security forces following a deadly Islamic State (ISIS) attack in Salahaddin province, and reaffirmed its commitment to collaborating with Iraqi partners.
Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani on Monday received the Turkish trade minister in Baghdad to discuss improving trade between the two neighbors and the Development Road project.
United States Ambassador to Iraq Alina Romanowski on Monday expressed support for Iraq's upcoming census, calling it vital for informed political, economic, and development strategies.
The European Council on Monday announced widening the scope of its sanctions against Iran for supporting Russia in the war against Ukraine, and armed groups in the Middle East.
The international oil companies operating in the Kurdistan Region said on Sunday that the Iraqi government’s efforts to amend the federal budget law are positive but set the provision of a written agreement as a precondition for the restart of Kurdistan Region’s oil exports.
Approximately 200,000 Yazidis remain in the Kurdistan Region due to instability in their hometown of Shingal amid the ongoing Iraqi census process. Kurdish officials have outlined ways to be registered in their hometown.
Kurdistan Region president and prime minister and his deputy on Sunday extended their condolences to the families of the victims of a deadly improvised explosive device (IED) explosion on a joint Iraqi-Kurdish brigade in the disputed Salahadin province, reiterating the need for greater cooperation between Peshmerga and Iraqi forces to counter terrorism.
Flights across Iraq will operate as scheduled and will not be impacted by the curfew imposed during the anticipated population census later this week, an Iraqi official told Rudaw on Sunday.
Flights across Iraq will operate as scheduled and will not be impacted by the curfew imposed during the anticipated population census later this week, an Iraqi official told Rudaw on Sunday.
An Iraqi airstrike killed at least four suspected members of the Islamic State (ISIS) in Kirkuk province on Saturday, the army said.
Iraq’s electoral body has rejected nearly all of the complaints filed against the results of the Kurdistan Region’s parliamentary elections, the commission’s spokesperson told Rudaw on Saturday.
Kirkuk Governor Rebwar Taha on Saturday urged people originally from the disputed province to return to their Kirkuk homes for the national census later this week.
Kurdish farmers in Kirkuk will have temporary access to their lands for planting winter crops until a solution to their land disputes with Arab settlers is resolved, a farmers’ representative told Rudaw on Friday.
The United Kingdom is collaborating with the Kurdistan Region to combat “organised immigration crime” as Kurdish groups have come to dominate deadly smuggling routes into Britain, a British official told Rudaw.
Kurdish leaders on Thursday congratulated the 240th anniversary of the founding of Sulaimani city, the Kurdistan Region’s capital of Kurdish culture.
A brother on Thursday allegedly killed two of his sisters in a Sulaimani city neighborhood, a police source said.
Oil producers in the Kurdistan Region on Thursday welcomed a proposal to amend an article from the Iraqi federal budget law aimed at resuming the Region’s oil exports.
Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani on Wednesday pledged to send the salaries of Kurdistan Region’s civil servants “as early as possible,” during his visit to the Region, where he met with Kurdish party leaders.
Authorities in Sulaimani province’s Chamchamal district on Wednesday arrested nearly 40 power generator owners for not supplying electricity during designated hours, according to a local official.
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday said that he is still “hopeful” about Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for a potential Ankara-Damascus rapprochement.
Iraq’s transportation ministry on Tuesday announced it had dispatched 50 truckloads of aid to Syria to support refugees from conflict-hit Gaza and Lebanon.
The US military announced early Wednesday that it carried out strikes against Iran-aligned militia groups in Syria for the second consecutive day in response to a rocket attack on a base housing American troops in Kurdish-held northeast Syria (Rojava).
The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on Tuesday announced the completion of a week-long operation against Islamic State (ISIS) sleeping cells in the notorious al-Hol camp in northeast Syria (Rojava), detaining 79 suspected members of the group.
Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani on Tuesday expressed his gratitude to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev for the invitation to the COP29 climate summit, commending Azerbaijan for hosting a “successful summit” in Baku.
Iraq’s government on Tuesday announced that it approved conducting the general population census nationwide, including the Kurdistan Region, after resolving “technical issues” with authorities in Erbil.
Kirkuk governor Rebwar Taha on Monday said that they will resolve recently resurfaced land disputes between Kurdish farmers and Arab settlers “according to the law,” and expressed support for the passing of the land restitution bill in the Iraqi parliament.
Finding resources to correct the course of global climate goals is the main aim of the 2024 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Baku, the chief executive officer of the COP29 said on Monday.
Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani arrived in Azerbaijan’s capital Baku on Monday for COP29, pledging to support a "greener" Kurdistan Region. The Kurdish delegation plans to present hundreds of projects aimed at advancing environmental sustainability.
The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on Monday announced arresting a “dangerous” Islamic State (ISIS) member in an ongoing operation carried out by Kurdish forces in the notorious al-Hol camp in northeast Syria (Rojava).
An Iraqi delegation led by National Security Advisor Qasim al-Araji on Monday met with top Iranian security officials in Tehran to discuss the implementation of a joint security agreement amid regional conflict.
Iraq’s National Security Advisor Qasim al-Araji headed a top security delegation including Kurdistan Region Interior Minister Rebar Ahmed to Tehran on Sunday, meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. They discussed security cooperation between the two countries.
Officials in Kirkuk have voiced concerns over the negligence of Kurdish education in the province, citing inadequate government support and challenges which leave Kurdish students at a disadvantage compared to their peers in the diverse city.
A military commander said two people were killed in the Sinjar (Shingal) district of Iraq’s northern Nineveh province on Sunday, following a reported Turkish airstrike.
Security forces on Sunday deployed to Azerbaijan’s capital of Baku to remove a suspicious package a day before the COP29 climate summit.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani will visit Erbil this week as Kurdish parties prepare for government formation talks, an Iraqi government source told Rudaw on Saturday.
Iraqi security forces detained a suspected drug trafficker and an alleged practitioner of witchcraft as part of two separate raids in Baghdad that resulted in 25 arrests.
At least four suspected members of the Islamic State (ISIS) were killed on Saturday in an Iraqi airstrike in Kirkuk province, the army said.
Drinking water supplies became contaminated with sewage when pipelines broke after heavy rains earlier this week and this caused an outbreak of gastrointestinal complaints in southern Sulaimani province, a health official said on Saturday.
United States President-elect Donald Trump should not return to “the wrong policies” of his past term when he resumes office, an Iranian official said on Sunday.
