Author: El Thousta

A Turkish strike in northern Iraq killed three Yazidi militiamen and wounded three others on May 23, regional officials said. A local official affiliated with the militia disputed that account, saying none of its fighters were killed, but that a shepherd died in the Turkish drone strike. According to the semi-autonomous Iraqi Kurdish regional government, the early morning strike in the district of Sinjar targeted a headquarters of the Shingal Resistance Units, or YBS, in the village of Chumu-Khalaf. An official with the central government in Baghdad, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the strike had targeted a meeting…

For only the second time ever an American has been convicted of torture in US court — for brutal treatment of an employee at a weapons factory in Iraqi Kurdistan, the Justice Department announced Monday. Ross Roggio, 54, faces possible life in prison after he was found guilty of torture and other crimes in federal court in Pennsylvania on May 19. In 2015 Roggio was developing a factory to produce M-4 automatic assault rifles in the Kurdistan region of Iraq using parts illegally exported from the United States, the department said in a statement. At the time one of his…

The international humanitarian system – UN, NGOs – launched operations in 2014 in response to the Government of Iraq requests for assistance to meet the overwhelming needs created by the violence of ISIL. It was a time of unprecedented crisis for the people and government in Iraq, which called for global support and solidarity. Five years after the conclusion of large-scale military operations against ISIL in 2017, the humanitarian situation in Iraq has improved considerably, with the notable decline in the number of people requiring humanitarian assistance from a high of 11 million people in 2017 to 2.5 million in…

The Taliban-run Afghanistan saw its first significant foreign investment last month when a Chinese firm signed a 25-year-long, multimillion-dollar contract to extract oil. Experts are cautiously optimistic the project may bring jobs and income despite China’s sketchy record on executing deals. On January 6, the Taliban signed with Xinjiang Central Asia Petroleum and Gas Company (CAPEIC), a subsidiary of the state-owned China National Petroleum Company (CNPC), a contract to extract oil from the Amu Darya basin, which stretches between central Asian countries and Afghanistan where it covers about 4.5 square kilometres (1.73 square miles). The deal will see an investment of…

Air Arabia Abu Dhabi will commence 2 new flights to major Iraqi cities, Baghdad and Erbil, starting on 22 June this year. The airline will operate 2 weekly flights, linking Abu Dhabi International Airport with Baghdad International Airport and Erbil International Airport. Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Air Arabia, Adel Al Ali, announced the expansion of services to Iraq. He stated that the new routes demonstrate their dedication to providing more travel options to their passengers. Launched in June 2022, Air Arabia Abu Dhabi travels to 31 destinations from UAE’s capital. It has 68 Airbus A320 and A321 neo-LR…

On 24 February, marking one year since Russia’s all-out invasion of Ukraine began, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs published China’s position on the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis. In theory, its 12 points form the basis for peace negotiations that Beijing—perhaps President Xi Jinping himself—could broker. With this plan, Beijing is positioning itself as a peacemaker and neutral party to the conflict. Nothing could be further from the truth. The peace plan is a cynical attempt to help Russian President Vladimir Putin, hamper support for Ukraine, bolster Beijing’s image in the global south, and distract from the reality of growing Chinese…

Tajikistan has reduced imports of flour and wheat since the beginning of this year. According to the customs service of the republic, in the first month of this year, flour imports decreased by 24.7% compared to 2022, and wheat imports decreased by 18%. According to the source, over 2.7 thousand tons of flour entered the republic during this period, which is 24.7% less compared to the same period last year. The amount of flour imports amounted to $865,000. During this period, there was also a decrease in the volume of wheat imports compared to last year – by 18%. In January of…

— New Eastern Outlook DESPITE the breakthrough after a year of domestic crisis, now that all the top leadership of Iraq has been elected and appointed, including the parliament, the president, the prime minister, and the government, political stability in the country is far from certain this year. And to a large extent, the United States is to blame for this, the 20th anniversary of the invasion by which the tortured Iraq will ‘celebrate’ in two months. During the American aggression and subsequent domination, not only the economy and infrastructure were destroyed, and up to half a million Iraqis were…

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The Iraqi President, Abdul Latif Rashid, arrived in the Swiss city of Davos on Monday to participate in the meetings of the World Economic Forum, according to a press statement issued by the Iraqi Presidency. The statement mentioned that Rashid, during the World Economic Forum taking place between January 16 and January 20, will meet with world leaders and heads of global economic institutions. Rashid’s meetings will address several issues and will deliver the true picture of the security and economic stability in Iraq, which represents a suitable environment for investments that will help Iraq develop its…

Hosts Iraq have reached the final of the Arabian Gulf Cup, beating Qatar 2-1 in the semi-finals. Ibrahim Bayesh opened the scoring for Iraq at the Basra International Stadium in the 19th minute on Monday before Qatar equalised through Amro Surag 10 minutes later. Aymen Hussein scored the winner for Iraq two minutes before the interval to ensure the hosts made it to their sixth final in the biennial tournament. Iraq, three-time Gulf Cup champions, will take on Oman in the final on Thursday. Oman reached the final with a 1-0 win over Bahrain. A goal by Jameel al-Yahmadi in…