Political

May 24, 2015

Erbil-Baghdad ties critical: Mahmoud Othman

Baghdad: A leading Kurdish politician and a former Iraqi parliament deputy Mahmoud Othman warned that ties between Region and Iraqi central government are critical and serious talks are the only way to settle differences. kurdpress.ir

Kurdistan Foreign Minister: Exclusion of Sunnis paved the way for the entry of ISIS to .

Amman: Foreign relations official in the Kurdistan Regional Government Mustafa Bakir said “mismanagement and marginalization, exclusion OF Sunnis as well paved the way to Islamic State group (IS) to enter to Iraq. ninanews.com

May 25, 2015

Kurdistan-Baghdad main road reopened for 12 hours a day

Kirkuk: Diyala and Kirkuk administrations have decided Monday, to take measures that would contribute to reopen the road link between the capital Baghdad and the cities of passing through both provinces, after about four months of closure due to military operations to expel Islamic State group (IS) militants south of Kirkuk and north of Diyala. Kirkuknaw.com

Kurdistan Parliament warns KDPI, PKK parties not to resort to military action

Erbil: Parliament has warned Kurdish parties not to resort to military action to solve their political differences. basnews.com

May 27, 2015

PKK reportedly blocks KDPI convoy as inter-Kurdish conflict continues: Rudaw

Erbil: According to Rudaw close to Barzani’s KDP party, the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) reportedly prevented a convoy of the Kurdistan Democratic Party-Iran (KDPI) in the contested area of Kelashin from returning to Iranian Kurdistan Tuesday evening, Sadiq Darwesh, a member of the central committee of the KDPI, told Rudaw.rudaw.net

May 28, 2015

Now is the best time to declare independence: senior KDP official

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Erbil: A leading member of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) stated that now it is the best time for Kurdistan Region in the north of Iraq to declare its independence from the Arab state. Kdpinfo.com

Kirkuk Governor says Kirkuk is part of Kurdistan and his aim is to return it back to the region

Kirkuk: Kirkuk Governor, Najmaldin Karim revealed on Tuesday that his main goal, which he seeks to achieve, is to restore Kirkuk province to autonomous Kurdistan region.Kirkuknow.com

May 31, 2015

Speaker of Kurdistan Parliament warns of more conflicts due to the Constitution

Slemani: The Speaker of Kurdistan Parliament, Yusuf Mohamed confirmed on Sunday, that if the constitution does not bring long-term stability it causes conflicts as it happening in the surrounding countries. shafaaq.com

Establishing independent state right of Kurds: Islamic leader

Slemani: The leader of Kurdistan Islamic Community Leader Ali Bapir told the opening of the party’s third congress that it is the right of the Kurds in the region to have their state as the other nations in the world. Bapir told the three-day congress in Erbil that “as the other nations in the world, Kurds in the region have the right to have their own state.PaymTV.com

Security

May 28, 2015

2822 , PKK fighters killed in war against Islamic State in Iraq: Ministry of Peshmerga

Erbil: More than 2822 Kurdish forces from the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and Peshmerga fighters have been killed in war against the militants of the Islamic State (IS), a Kurdish parliament deputy in Baghdad said. Krg.org

Dutch advisers head back to Netherlands on completion of Peshmerga training

Erbil: Dutch military trainers will head back to the Netherlands after delivering training to Iraqi and Kurdish Peshmerga forces.basnews.com

May 29, 2015

Local Kurds dig security trench in key Diyala town

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Sadiya: Officials in the disputed town of Sadiya, in Diyala province, have ordered a massive defense trench be constructed to protect residents against the vehicle-borne suicide attacks of Islamic State (IS) militants, a city official told Rudaw. rudaw.net

Peshmerga receives few armored military vehicles

Erbil: A few armored military vehicles donated to Kurdish Peshmerga forces by the International coalition, Millet reported. A security source revealed that they will be distributed on Peshmerga frontlines soon to be used in their battle against Islamic State group (IS) militants. milletpress.com

May 30, 2015

Islamic State stones 3 Kurds to death in Mosul

Erbil: Islamic State group (IS) militants have killed three Kurdish citizens in Iraqi northern city of Mosul, Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) media official said.Kdpinfo.com

Peshmerga forces liberated all villages around Kirkuk: official

Erbil: A member of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) leading council stated the Kurdish forces of Peshmerga liberated all the villages around the northern province of Kirkuk that were under the control of the Islamic State (IS).Kirhuknow.com

Britain to boost military aid to Iraq, Kurdistan region

Erbil: The United Kingdom has announced it will boost its commitment to Iraq, agreeing to send military experts to Iraq and the Kurdistan region to train bomb-disposal teams and other Iraqi forces, the UK National Security Council in a statement on Thursday.rudaw.net

May 31, 2015

Peshmerga: Terror suspects arrested in Kirkuk

Erbil: The Ministry of Peshmerga in Kurdistan announced Sunday, the arrest of a number of “terrorists” in a campaign of raids and searches in several districts of Kirkuk city.pukmedia.com

Peshmerga Ministry to create special Arab battalion

Erbil: A special Arab battalion that will fight under the authority of the Peshmerga Ministry is to be created in Arab majority areas currently under the control of Peshmerga forces. basnews.com

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Economy

May 27, 2015

Belarus, Iraqi Kurdistan discuss industrial cooperation

Minsk – Erbil: Belarus and Iraqi Kurdistan started discussing industrial cooperation and creation of joint ventures, Belarusian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Valentin Rybakov told journalists after the first session of the joint group for trade and economic cooperation between the Republic of Belarus and the Kurdistan Autonomy of the Republic of Iraq on 27 May, BelTA has learned. Basnews.com

May 30, 2015

Kurdistan to start independent oil export from next month, oil deal with Iraqi central govt will expire in June: official

Erbil: A parliament deputy from Change Movement (Gorran) Ali Muhammad Salih stated oil deal between Iraqi central government and the autonomous Kurdistan government in the north would end in by June and Erbil would start exporting its oil independently.KNN.net

Humanitarian

May 24, 2015

Iraq’s Anbar governor calls for transferring refugees to Kurdistan region

Baghdad: Anbar province Governor Suhaib Ismail has officially called on Iraqi PM Haider al- Abadi to open a safe corridor to transfer Anbar refugees to the Kurdistan region, the Al-Mada Iraqi newspaper has reported. rudaw.net

May 25, 2015

Erbil receives 14,000 displaced people from Anbar within one week

Erbil: Erbil Governor, Nawzad Hadi announced Monday, that the region received more than 14,000 displaced people coming from Anbar province over the past week only.Basnews.com

May 28, 2015

Kurdistan Region welcomes Arab refugees from Iraq’s Anbar province

Erbil: The Deputy Head of the KRG Department of Foreign Relations for International Organizations Dindar Zebari announced that Kurdistan region is welcoming Anbar Province families on the run from Islamic State forces, hoping to escape Anbar and reach safety after Baghdad authority denied their entry.Krg.org

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