Shafaq News- Al-Hasakah

Several Kurdish students were injured on Wednesdaywhen masked individuals attacked a demonstration outside the provincialgovernment building in Syria’s Al-Hasakah, an eyewitness told Shafaq News.

Dozens of students had gathered to demand official-languagestatus for Kurdish in Syria and the introduction of Kurdish-language schoolcurricula, only to be attacked by a group of people, most wearing masks, whoarrived on motorcycles from the city’s southern neighborhoods and pelteddemonstrators with stones and physically assaulted them, university studentSherwan said. The injured students were taken to hospital.

The same group later attacked the provincialgovernment building, heightening tensions in the city, according to a securitysource. Security forces closed the road linking the southern neighborhoods tothe city center to prevent further violence, while Arab tribal eldersintervened to help restore calm, a Shafaq News correspondent reported.

Similar demonstrations took place in Qamishli inSeptember, when students and teachers demanded official status for Kurdish andmore Kurdish-language instruction beyond the limited number of weekly classes.

Read more: Syria expands Kurdish education ahead of new school year

On August 27, Syria’s Education Ministry expandedKurdish-language instruction in public and private schools in areas withsignificant Kurdish populations. Under the revised rules, schools must offerthree Kurdish-language classes per week at all educational levels, with gradescounting toward students’ final results, plus one weekly class for languageactivities. During the first academic year, students may study social studies,history, geography, and philosophy in either Arabic or Kurdish.

The changes implement Presidential Decree No. 13,issued by President Ahmad Al-Sharaa on January 16, which recognized Kurdish asa national language and permitted its teaching in schools in predominantlyKurdish areas without granting it official status alongside Arabic.

Read more: Kurds in Syria: From marginalization to a definingpolitical force

Shafaq News- Erbil

The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) on Wednesday accused the PatrioticUnion of Kurdistan (PUK) and the New Generation Movement (NGM) of paralyzingthe Kurdistan Region's parliament for two years, hailing the legislature'sfirst full session since 2024 as a necessary, if overdue, step to protect the constitutional institutions.

Reviving parliament is not aimed at any person or party, KDP spokesmanMahmoud Mohammed said, urging the other blocs to help safeguard the legitimacy.

Earlier on Wednesday, lawmakers elected the KDP's Vala Farid as speaker,Ramy Noori Syawish, a representative of the Christian community, as deputyspeaker, and Muna Nabi Nader, a representative of the Turkmen community, assecretary, with 52 votes in the 100-seat chamber. The parliament's oldestmember, from New Generation, declined to chair the session and was replaced byanother lawmaker.

The KDP entered the session with 39 seats and needed support fromlawmakers outside its bloc to reach the 51 votes required for an absolutemajority.

Several lawmakers from parties that had announced boycotts broke ranksand attended, including members elected on the PUK, New Generation, andNational Stance Movement lists. Some had already declared themselvesindependent or severed ties with their parties.

The vote ended a deadlock that had kept the legislature from electing aleadership since the October 20, 2024, election, in which the KDP won 39 seatsand the PUK 23. Rivalry between the two main parties has also blocked theformation of a new government, leaving Prime Minister Masrour Barzani'soutgoing cabinet in office.

Farid, the first woman to lead the Kurdistan Region's parliament, previously heldthe post after being elected in 2019, also amid a PUK boycott.

Read more: Kurdistan’s 10th cabinet: Interlocking alliances and persistent differences

Shafaq News- Erbil

Kurdistan Parliament Speaker Vala Fareed said onWednesday that the newly elected parliamentary leadership would remain in placeregardless of future political agreements or the return of boycotting blocs,including the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK).

At her first press conference as speaker, Fareedwelcomed the resumption of parliamentary activity, describing the completion ofthe inaugural session as “a step toward respecting democracy and voters’wishes.” She stressed that reactivating the legislature serves all politicalparties and communities in the Kurdistan Region without targeting anyparticular group, and reaffirmed its status as “a unified constitutional entity.”

Fareed also called on lawmakers who boycottedWednesday’s session to return to parliament and fulfill their responsibilitiesto voters.

Earlier in the day, the Kurdistan Parliament electedKurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) candidate Fareed as speaker, Ramy NooriSyawish of the Chaldean-Syriac-Assyrian Christian community as deputy speaker,and Muna Nabi Nader of the Turkmen community as parliamentary secretary. Allthree secured 52 votes each, giving them an absolute majority.

The vote took place as parliament resumed itsunfinished inaugural session from December 2024, despite official boycotts bythe PUK and the New Generation Movement.

Read more: Kurdistan’s 10th cabinet: Interlocking alliances and persistent differences

Shafaq News- Erbil

The Kurdistan Parliament on Wednesday elected Vala Fareedas its new speaker, alongside Ramy Noori Syawish as deputy speaker and MunaNabi Nader as secretary of the parliament's presidency, a Shafaq Newscorrespondent said.

Fareed, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) candidate, wonthe speakership in a direct ballot during the parliament's first session sincethe October 2024 elections. Syawish represents the Chaldean, Syriac, andAssyrian Christian component, while Nader belongs to the Turkmen component. Thethree candidates secured 52 votes each, giving them an absolute majority.

The session proceeded without the Patriotic Union ofKurdistan (PUK) and the New Generation Movement bloc, both of which areboycotting the meeting.

Read more: Kurdistan’s 10th cabinet: Interlocking alliances and persistent political differences

Shafaq News- Erbil

The Kurdistan Parliament convened its first session onWednesday to elect a new speaker and deputy speakers and advance efforts toform a government, more than two years after elections were held in theKurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI).

The session is proceeding without the Patriotic Union ofKurdistan (PUK) and the New Generation Movement bloc, both of which areboycotting the proceedings.

Despite the boycott, lawmakers from the KurdistanDemocratic Party (KDP) bloc and several other members of parliament attendedthe meeting, a Shafaq News correspondent reported.

The lawmaker designated to chair the session, who belongsto the New Generation Movement, also declined to take part, prompting anotherlawmaker to preside over the proceedings. At least half plus one ofparliament's members must attend for the session to meet the legal quorum.

Malako Baziani, leader of the Kurdistan Green Party, backedthe PUK's opposition to holding a parliamentary session without a priorpolitical agreement, warning that proceeding unilaterally could deepenpolitical divisions and push Erbil toward a more serious crisis.

Baziani urged the KDP and PUK to return to the negotiatingtable and resolve their differences through an agreement that would safeguardthe stability of the Kurdistan Region's political institutions.

He further called on Kurdish political parties to fulfilltheir responsibilities and avoid steps that could widen divisions or threatenpolitical stability.

On Tuesday, the PUK rejected plans to convene the KurdistanRegion's parliament, describing the proposed session as "illegal."The party characterized the meeting as an attempt by one political side toimpose its will on others and confirmed that it would not participate.

Earlier that day, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP)parliamentary bloc, the Christian bloc, and the Turkmen Reform Party bloccalled on other parliamentary groups to attend a session to reactivate theKRI's parliament.

The move comes amid continued political deadlock in the KRIfollowing parliamentary elections held on October 20, 2024.

The KDP emerged as the largest party with 39 seats,followed by the PUK with 23 and the New Generation Movement with 15, out of theparliament's 100 seats.

Shafaq News- Al-Sulaymaniyah

Authorities in Chamchamal district, Al-Sulaymaniyahprovince, have launched five flood prevention projects and cleared rainwaterdrains and flood channels ahead of the rainy season, District Commissioner(Qaimaqam) Aso Bakr told Shafaq News on Wednesday.

The projects, financed with funds remaining from lastyear’s donation and relief campaigns, include a water retention basin in upperChamchamal with a capacity of 350,000 cubic meters, two floodwater drainagechannels in Takiya subdistrict, and a large concrete box culvert in thedistrict center, according to Bakr.

Work is also underway to widen a bridge and constructa retaining wall in the Shorsh and Aghjalar subdistricts to protect homes andpublic infrastructure from flooding.

In December 2025, severe flooding hit Chamchamalparticularly hard, affecting more than 1,000 homes and 150 commercialproperties and damaging roads, water infrastructure, and public facilities. Thedistrict recorded over 127 millimeters of rainfall during the storm, comparedwith more than 173 millimeters in nearby Takiya. The disaster prompted anofficial review of flood preparedness and emergency response, with severalsenior Chamchamal officials resigning after investigations.

Shafaq News- Erbil

Iranian opposition group Kurdistan Toilers’ Party(Komala) reported on Wednesday that two drones struck one of its bases in Erbilprovince, causing minor material damage but no casualties.

In a statement, Komala accused Iran’s IslamicRevolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of launching the attack at 8:40 a.m. local time againstits base in Alana Valley, in the Balisan area east of Erbil, the capital of theKurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI).

Read more: Nearly four weeks of attacks on the Kurdistan Region of Iraq

Shafaq News- Erbil

The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) on Tuesday refusedplans to hold a session of the Kurdistan Region's parliament on Wednesday,describing the proposed meeting as "illegal."

In a statement, the PUK said reports had emerged about anallegedly illegal parliamentary session scheduled for Wednesday, arguing thatthe move contradicted the principles of the rule of law, national consensus,and genuine political partnership.

The party described the proposed session as an attempt byone political side to impose its will on others and confirmed that it would notparticipate. The PUK also called on other political forces and national figuresconcerned with the Kurdistan Region's institutions not to attend the session.

“The parliamentary sessions derive their legitimacy fromnational consensus and the participation of all elected parties through freeand democratic means,” PUK stressed, condemning any attempts to influencelawmakers through the purchase of political support, threats, or psychologicalpressure.

It warned that it would not recognize any parliament orgovernment resulting from meetings in which decisions lacked the backing offree democratic will.

Earlier on the day, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP)parliamentary bloc, the Christian bloc, and the Turkmen Reform Party bloccalled on other parliamentary groups to attend a session to reactivate the KRI’sparliament.

The move comes amid continued political deadlock in the KRIfollowing parliamentary elections held on October 20, 2024.

KDP emerged as the largest party with 39 seats, followed bythe PUK with 23 seats and the New Generation Movement with 15 seats, out of theparliament's 100 seats.

Shafaq News- Erbil

Security forces in Iraq's Kurdistan Region (KRI) arrested asuspected human smuggler after three children from an Al-Sulaymaniyah familydrowned when their inflatable boat sank in a river in Turkiye during an attemptto leave the country, the Erbil Asayish Directorate said.

The victims were identified as Hestyar, Haryad, and Mila.The directorate said investigators identified the suspect by the initialsR.A.M. and that he was taken into custody upon returning to the KRI under anorder from an Erbil Asayish investigating judge.

Iraq’s Interior Ministry dismantled 36 organized crimenetworks involved in human trafficking, labor smuggling, and organ trade duringthe first three months of 2026.

Read more: 2.3K lives lost: Iraq's grim toll of human trafficking

Shafaq News- Al-Sulaymaniyah

Baghdad’s planned allocation of 50 million liters ofsubsidized kerosene to the Kurdistan Region (KRI) will cover less than 20% ofits winter heating needs, Al-Sulaymaniyah’s Oil and Minerals Directoratespokesperson Salam Omar told Shafaq News on Tuesday.

The Kurdistan Region requires approximately 270million liters, including 110 million liters for Al-Sulaymaniyah provincealone, Omar explained, criticizing the allocation as “inadequate and unfair”given the population, colder climate, and demand for heating fuel. He also notedthat the directorate has yet to receive a distribution plan for the promisedsupplies and urged Baghdad to increase the allocation.

On Sunday, Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi orderedthe release of subsidized kerosene to the Kurdistan Region, while Oil MinisterBasim Mohammed Khudair Al-Abadi instructed the Oil Products DistributionCompany to prepare for delivery.

Erbil Governor Omed Khoshnaw called on Baghdad in lateSeptember to provide the Kurdistan Region with its full winter fuel allocation,warning that previous federal supplies had either been withheld or fallen shortof demand.

Shafaq News- Erbil

The Kurdistan Parliament is scheduled to meet onWednesday after the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and Christian and Turkmenminority blocs called for an end to the legislative deadlock that has persistedsince the October 2024 elections.

Parliament’s administrative office scheduled themeeting for 11:00 a.m. local time to complete the unfinished proceedings of thesixth parliamentary term’s inaugural session.

At a press conference on Tuesday, KDP parliamentarybloc leader Vala Fareed criticized the prolonged deadlock, pointing out thatmore than two years had passed since the elections without parliament resumingits legislative duties or a new Kurdistan Regional Government being formed.

Read more: Kurdistan Region’s political deadlock

Lawmakers Rami Nouri Siyawish and James Hasdo Haido,representing the Chaldean-Syriac-Assyrian and Armenian communities, urgedparliament to resume its inaugural session held in December 2024 and elect newparliamentary leadership.

Turkmen Reform Party bloc leader Muna Qahveciconfirmed in a press conference that her bloc had formally requestedWednesday’s session to help end the impasse.

In the October 20, 2024, elections, the KDP secured 39seats, followed by the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) with 23 and the NewGeneration Movement with 15 in the 100-seat legislature. Although lawmakerstook their oaths in December 2024, disputes over parliamentary leadership havestalled legislative work, while disagreements between the KDP and PUK overforming a new cabinet have left Prime Minister Masrour Barzani’s governmentoperating in a caretaker capacity.

Read more: Kurdistan’s 10th cabinet: alliances and political differences

Shafaq News- Erbil

A survey presented on Tuesday found that 91% of participating households in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) struggled to cover basic daily expenses because of delayed public-sector salaries, according to the Kurdistan Regional Government's (KRG) High Council for Women and Development.

The study, conducted in cooperation with UN Women and presented at a meeting in Erbil attended by international organizations and KRG representatives, covered the KRI's four provinces and several autonomous administrations. It found that 89% of renting families struggled to pay their monthly rent, 85% of families reported psychological stress, and 66% of employees surveyed had sought additional work to support their households.

Council head Khanzad Ahmed told a news conference that salary delays had also contributed to health and social problems, including increased violence linked to financial hardship. She attributed the consequences to the continuing dispute between Baghdad and Erbil, urging both governments to keep salaries out of political and administrative disagreements.

Salaries are a fundamental right, Ahmed said, calling for a lasting mechanism to prevent further delays.

Dindar Zebari, the KRG's coordinator for international recommendations, said the KRG had raised the salary issue internationally, including during Iraq's review before the UN Human Rights Council, where European states submitted recommendations calling for solutions to financial disputes affecting the KRI and its public-sector employees.

Read more: KRG records withheld salaries as debt owed to employees

Shafaq News- Al-Sulaymaniyah

The Metro Center for Journalists’ Rights and Advocacy on Monday called forfaster action to hold those responsible for killing journalists in theKurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) accountable, marking the International Day toEnd Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists.

The center said several major cases —including the killings of journalistsSoran Mama Hama, Sardasht Osman, Kawa Garmiyani,Wedat Hussein, and Abdul Sattar Taher Sharif— were closed without identifyingthose involved or the masterminds behind the crimes. It urged authorities toreopen the cases and bring those responsible to justice.

According to UNESCO data cited by Metro, 166 journalists were killedworldwide in 2025 and 2026, while six out of every seven journalist killingswent unpunished. Metro also cited UN reports showing that more than 1,700journalists were killed worldwide between 2006 and 2024, with nearly 90% of thecrimes going unpunished.

Read more: Iraq’s media and the price of false credentials

Shafaq News- Nineveh

The Kurdistan Democratic Party’s (KDP) return to Sinjar depends on adecision by the party leadership, the head of the KDP’s Branch 17 in thedistrict told Shafaq News on Monday.

Mahma Khalil said the KDP has plans for Sinjar focused onproviding services and advancing transitional justice to help stabilize thedistrict. He also referred to agreements concerning the Sinjar issue and saidthe party’s withdrawal followed previous events.

The KDP left Sinjar after ISIS seized the district, before returningfollowing its liberation. It withdrew again in 2017 following the Kurdistanindependence referendum and the events that followed under then-Iraqi PrimeMinister Haider Al-Abadi.

The Iraqi federal government and the Kurdistan Regional Government signedthe UN-backed Sinjar Agreement on October 9, 2020, aimed at regulating securityand administrative arrangements, advancing reconstruction, and creatingconditions for displaced residents to return. Implementation has stalled overdisputes concerning the district’s administration and the appointment of anindependent district commissioner acceptable to the parties involved, asstipulated in the agreement.

Last week, an official ceremony was held on Mount Sinjar to mark the SinjarResistance Units’ (YBŞ) transition from an independent armed faction andtransfer its members into federal security formations.

Read more: YBŞ deal secures Sinjar’s mountain, leaves its administration unresolved

Shafaq News-Al-Sulaymaniyah

An investigationcourt in Al-Sulaymaniyah province issued an arrest warrant on Monday forKurdistan Socialist Democratic Party (KSDP) Secretary-General Mohammed HajiMahmoud, widely known as Kaka Hama, after he failed to appear before a judgeover a legal complaint filed against him.

According to a courtdocument, the complaint was registered at Takiya Police Station, after whichMahmoud was formally notified. The warrant was issued to secure his appearancebefore the court and allow legal proceedings to continue, the document added.

The nature of thecomplaint and the allegations against Haji Mahmoud were not disclosed.

Founded in 1976 byMahmoud Osman, Adnan Mufti and Rasul Mamand, the Kurdistan Socialist DemocraticParty (KSDP) was later joined by several figures who left the Patriotic Unionof Kurdistan (PUK) in 1979, including its current secretary-general.

Shafaq News-Al-Sulaymaniyah

Iranian securityforces clashed with an armed group trying to smuggle weapons and ammunitioninto Iran near the city of Marivan, in Iran's Kurdistan province near theborder with the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), a source told Shafaq News onMonday.

The group attemptedto bring the weapons across the shared border with Iraq, the source said. Thegroup's identity, who is behind it, and any casualties from the clash remainunknown.

Iranian borderguards seized 20 Kalashnikov rifles with folding stocks and 40 ammunitionmagazines, Brig. Gen. Ahmad Reza Hatami, commander of border guards in Iran'sKurdistan province, told the state broadcaster IRIB's Kurdistan center.

Acting onintelligence about an attempted weapons shipment into Iran, border guardstracked the smugglers to their entry point and confronted them. The group fledunder fire, Hatami said.

Shafaq News- Erbil

Fly Erbil announced the start of independent flight operations on Sunday after securing its own Iraqi aviation certificate, showcasing cabin crew uniforms inspired by traditional Kurdish clothing.

Speaking at a press conference, Fly Erbil General Manager Lawand Mamondi said the company had obtained an Air Operator Certificate (AOC) from the Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority, allowing it to operate independently.

He explained that Fly Erbil had previously operated flights under UR Airlines' certificate but would now conduct operations under its own certification and name.

On October 22, Fly Erbil announced that it had obtained its AOC, outlining plans to expand its network to additional Iraqi cities and new regional and international destinations while upgrading its services to meet international standards.

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidiordered the release of subsidized kerosene supplies for households in theKurdistan Region ahead of winter, the Oil Ministry said on Sunday.

Oil Minister Basim MohammedKhudair Al-Abadi instructed the Oil Products Distribution Company to expeditepreparations for the deliveries.

Erbil Governor Omed Khoshnawurged Baghdad in late September to provide the Kurdistan Region’s fullallocation, warning that previous federal supplies had either been withheld orfallen short of demand.

On September 21, Parliamentcalled for an urgent review of winter kerosene allocations, while its Oil, Gasand Natural Resources Committee was following up on recommendations to supplythe Kurdistan Region with 50,000 barrels of crude oil per day for refining andsubsidized fuel distribution.

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Kurdistan Region (KRI) authorities have formally asked the Iraqi federal government to close unregistered border crossings, warning that they have become a major problem affecting the economies of both Kurdistan and federal Iraqi provinces, Kurdish lawmaker Ikhlas al-Dulaimi said on Sunday.

Al-Dulaimi, a member of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) parliamentary bloc, told Shafaq News that border crossings in the Kurdistan Region fall into three categories, an issue regularly discussed during negotiations between Baghdad and Erbil.

The first category comprises four crossings officially registered and recognized by the federal government, with their revenues transferred to Baghdad.

Another four crossings are registered with Kurdistan Region authorities but have yet to receive federal recognition. Al-Dulaimi said requests had been submitted to have them formally registered and approved, explaining that a federal committee comprising representatives of the government, Border Ports Authority, and customs authorities had inspected the four crossings and surveyed the border area, subsequently submitting recommendations to the Ministerial Council for Economy for a vote on their official recognition.

The third category consists of numerous crossings that are not registered with either the federal government or the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), al-Dulaimi said, adding that the KRI had formally requested their closure.

In June, Iraq's Ministerial Council for Economy ordered the closure of informal crossings and established a joint committee involving federal and KRG authorities to survey border points and determine which should be formally recognized or shut down.

The two governments subsequently announced an agreement in August to implement the ASYCUDA customs system at Kurdistan Region crossings and share customs revenues equally. However, disagreements over tariffs and customs procedures persisted later that month, according to Kurdish business representatives.

Shafaq News- Duhok

Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani on Sunday called for expanding psychological rehabilitation services for survivors of ISIS atrocities and forced displacement, pledging full support for efforts to address Yazidi concerns in Sinjar and other areas.

His remarks came in a speech delivered on his behalf by Kurdistan Region Presidency Spokesperson Dilshad Shahab during a ceremony marking the 10th anniversary of the Institute of Psychotherapy and Psychotraumatology at the University of Duhok.

Barzani said the institute had played an important role in easing the psychological suffering caused by war, terrorism, and violence, expressing hope that similar initiatives would be expanded.

Decades of conflict had left people across Iraq and the Kurdistan Region mourning relatives, losing property, and fleeing their homes, he noted, describing the ISIS genocide against the Yazidis as one of the gravest tragedies, the psychological consequences of which could take years to heal.

Praising the institute's rehabilitation services in Duhok and Sinjar, he noted that it also trains specialists to provide long-term psychological support.

Read more: The long shadow of Sinjar: Twelve years after the ISIS genocide

Shafaq News- Al-Sulaymaniyah

Iraq, including the Kurdistan Region(KRI), imports more than $12 billion worth of Turkish goods and productsannually, Mustafa Abdul Rahman, head of the Kurdistan Region's Exporters andImporters Union, said on Sunday, calling for Turkish companies to establishfactories in the KRI to boost local production and reduce reliance on imports.

Abdul Rahman told Shafaq News thatthe Union was working to strengthen business ties between companies in theKurdistan Region and their Turkish counterparts through business delegationsand specialized trade fairs. These events give companies an opportunity toshowcase their products to businesspeople, importers, and industry specialists.

The scale of trade with Turkiye reflects theimportance of the Iraqi and Kurdistan markets, Abdul Rahman said, urgingstronger trade ties to attract investment, create jobs, and diversify Iraq'seconomy.

Shafaq News

Shafaq Foundation for Culture and Media issued the 274th issue/ October 2026 of Feyli Magazine.

Feyli Magazine, Issue No. 274, October 2026.

Shafaq News- Duhok

Archaeologists in Duhok, in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq,have uncovered five ancient settlement layers at Tell Gombass, a site affected by fluctuating waterlevels at Mosul Dam, the province's Antiquities Directorate announced onSaturday.

Bekas Brifkani, director of Duhok's Antiquities Directorate,told Shafaq News that the layers date from the late fourth to the early thirdmillennium BC, marking the transition from the Late Chalcolithic period to theEarly Bronze Age.

The excavations revealed mudbrick buildings, storagefacilities, an oven, clay sealings and the remains of a seal, along with anEarly Bronze Age burial area.

Located on a raised terrace overlooking a valley west of themodern village of Gombass,the site is part of the ReLand archaeological project, a joint initiativebetween Italy's University of Palermo and the Duhok Antiquities Directorate todocument and protect archaeological remains in the Mosul Dam reservoir.

Between 2023 and 2025, the project surveyed 86archaeological sites. An exceptional drop in water levels in 2025 exposedaround 500 hectares of land, allowing researchers to document 40 sites,including 11 discovered for the first time.

Brifkani noted that fluctuating water levels createopportunities to uncover additional archaeological remains but also expose themto erosion, damage and the loss of valuable historical information.

Discover Iraq: Duhok —haven and hardship in Iraqi Kurdistan's frontier

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Feyli Kurdish diplomat Haider Ali Sultan has taken up the post of Iraq'sambassador to Bulgaria, following a career spanning more than 15 years indiplomatic and administrative roles.

On October 27, Iraqi President Nizar Amidi presented Sultan with hisambassadorial credentials as part of a new round of diplomatic appointmentsaimed at strengthening Iraq's international presence and foreign relations.

Sultan served as Iraq's consul general in Frankfurt from 2025 to 2026,following four years as a diplomatic adviser and head of the Foreign Ministry'sPolitical Planning Department in Baghdad. He previously served as consul at theIraqi Embassy in London (2020–2021) and deputy consul general in Manchester(2018–2020). His assignments in Britain and Germany involved consular affairsand services for Iraqi communities.

Earlier, he headed the Protocol Department at the Interior Minister's Office(2014–2016), worked with the ministry's Studies Center and Higher Committee forthe National ID Card, and served at the Office of the Inspector General inBaghdad in 2010.

Sultan holds a bachelor's degree in social and political sciences fromBirkbeck, University of London, and a Microsoft qualification in computernetwork engineering, alongside specialized training in diplomacy, leadershipand strategic planning in Paris, Baghdad and Beirut.

ShafaqNews- Al-Sulaymaniyah

Lecturersin the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) are urging Baghdad and Erbil toreconsider their exclusion from a contract employment scheme covering about38,000 educators, arguing that some have taught for up to 12 years withoutreceiving the same employment status as their colleagues.

At apress conference, Shabaz Nasser, a representative of the excluded lecturers,cited cases in which lecturers were denied contracts because they had beenassigned to permanent staff positions or had taken maternity or sick leave.

Nassersaid excluding lecturers on these grounds violated Article 14 of Iraq's Constitution,which guarantees equality and equal opportunities. He also questioned thedisparity in treatment between lecturers who qualified for the contract schemeand those who did not, despite having worked in the same profession for years.

Theexclusion of women who took maternity leave and lecturers who were temporarilyunable to work for health reasons also raised concerns about the legalprotections afforded to employees, he added.

FederalIraq has more than 75 public and private higher education institutions, whilethe KRI has 16 public and 18 private universities. The universitieshave a combined enrollment of 186,400 students, including 145,513 at publicinstitutions and 40,887 at private universities, according to Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) data.