Iraq

UK acknowledges Daesh committed genocide against Yazidis in Iraq

The UK government has formally acknowledged that the Daesh terror group committed acts of genocide against Yazidi people in northern Iraq in 2014.

Iraq’s electric grid hit by fire, blasts amid scorching heat

A fire at a power station in southern Iraq and several explosions have affected the country’s ailing national electricity grid as temperatures rise. The incidents led to power blackouts in a country that sees them regularly during summer heat.

8 killed in fire, blast at textile warehouses in Iraq’s Karbala

As many as eight people have been killed after a fire broke out triggering the explosion of fuel tanks at textile warehouses on a street leading to the holy shrine of Imam Hussain (AS) in the Iraqi city of Karbala.

Iraqis attempt to storm Baghdad’s Green Zone over Quran burning

Hundreds of people in Baghdad have attempted to storm the city’s Green Zone, a heavily fortified area with a number of foreign embassies and the seat of Iraq’s government, over the sacrilege of the Holy Quran in Denmark.

Iraq expels Sweden envoy over Quran burning

Iraq has expelled the Swedish ambassador hours after protesters angered by the burning of copies of the holy Quran in the European country, stormed the Swedish embassy in Baghdad, scaling the walls of the compound and setting it on fire.

Protesters storm Swedish embassy in Iraq over Quran burning

Demonstrators angered by the recent burning of a copy of the holy Quran in Sweden, stormed the Swedish embassy in central Baghdad, scaling the walls of the compound and setting it on fire.

US blacklists over a dozen Iraqi banks in dollar smuggling crackdown: Report

The US has banned 14 Iraqi banks from conducting dollar transactions as part of its crackdown on corruption and “dollar smuggling to Iran.”

Iraqi PM meets Syria’s president in Damascus

Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has held talks with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus during the first trip of its kind to the war-torn country since the 12-year conflict began in 2011. The two leaders discussed fighting drugs, return of refugees and lifting of Western sanctions imposed on Syria.

Iraqi PM shakes up intelligence and security services

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has announced a major shakeup of the country’s security and intelligence services. He has appointed an influential spymaster ostracized by his predecessor as the head of national security.

Iraq probes kidnapping of Israeli academic

Baghdad has opened an investigation into the kidnapping of Israeli academic Elizabeth Tsurkov. Tel Aviv blames Tsurkova’s kidnapping on an "Iran-backed" group, a claim denied by the movement.

Israel claims academic kidnapped by Iran-backed group

Israel has announced that Princeton University doctoral candidate Elizaveta Tsurkova has been taken hostage in Iraq by the Kataib Hezbollah.

Iraq’s parliament passes record $153bn budget

Iraq's parliament has endorsed the largest budget in the country’s history after months of political wrangling and four days of voting on individual articles. It approved on Monday a 2023 budget of 198.9 trillion dinars ($153 billion) that sets out record spending on a growing public wage bill and development projects to improve services and rebuild infrastructure ruined by neglect and war.

Report: UK special forces operated secretly in several countries, including Iraq, Yemen

Britain's special forces have carried out secret operations in 19 countries over the past 12 years, according to a report. Eleven out of the 19 target countries were Muslim nations.

Iraq says seeking to broker ceasefire in Russo-Ukrainian war

Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein stated on Monday that Baghdad wants to be part of the solution to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine through dialogue.

Iraq calls on Turkey to apologize over attack on Sulaymaniyah airport

Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid has condemned the recent shelling of Sulaymaniyah airport in the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region by the Turkish military. He has urged Ankara to cease hostilities and apologize for bombarding the area.

UN says up to 1 million people ‘disappeared’ in Iraq over last 50 years

The United Nations says up to one million people have "disappeared" in Iraq over the past five decades. The world body has urged Baghdad to take immediate action to end the enforced disappearances in the Arab country.

Polls show most Americans see Iraq war a mistake, 2 decades after invasion

Two decades after the US invaded Iraq, most Americans believe the war, which left about a million people dead and ruined the Arab country, was a mistake, a new poll shows.

Investigators say ex-PM’s office at heart of Iraq’s ‘theft of the century’

The investigative committee probing the theft of $2.5bn from an Iraqi state bank account has concluded the office of former Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi was instrumental in the conspiracy, a report seen exclusively by Middle East Eye has revealed.

Pentagon chief arrives in Iraq on a surprise visit

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has arrived in Iraqi capital Baghdad on an unannounced visit following meetings in Jordan.

Turkish base in northern Iraq comes under rocket attacks

Unidentified attackers fired eight rockets at a Turkish military base in northern Iraq on Wednesday, the Counter-Terrorism Group, a security organisation in Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region, has announced.

Iraq stadium stampede leaves two dead, dozens injured

Two people were killed and 80 more injured in a stampede ahead of a soccer match in the Iraqi city of Basra on Thursday. The stampede took place near the Jaza’a Al Nakhla Stadium, where Iraq and Oman were set to play in the Persian Gulf Cup final.

Iraqi PM supports open-ended US troop presence, citing Daesh threat

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Al-Sudani defended the presence of US forces in the country setting no timetable for their withdrawal.

PM says Iraq does not need foreign combat troops

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has said his country is in no need of foreign combat forces on its soil.

Security sources say at least nine Iraqi police killed in blast near Kirkuk

At least nine Iraqi federal police officers were killed in a bomb blast near the city of Kirkuk in northern Iraq on Sunday, security sources told Reuters.

Turkish army hits targets in Syria, Iraq after Istanbul blast

The Turkish military has conducted a series of airstrikes in Syria and Iraq, targeting several towns and villages in in the war-torn countries.

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