The coordination framework will hold an important meeting in the presence of Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Sudani in the coming hours to speed up the passing of the budget bill, according to KurdSat reporter in Baghdad.

In the house of Hadi Amiri in Baghdad, coordination framework leaders are to meet with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Sudani, the reporter added.

The meeting will be attended by several members of the Finance Committee of the House of Representatives and will discuss the latest progress in the negotiations between the political parties to pass the budget bill, KurdSat reporter said. 

 

 

I pray God to heal Pope Francis, a man of peace who loves brotherhood. Iraqi President Dr. Latif Rashid said in a tweet.

He said they hope he will improve his health and be safe as soon as possible.

The pope’s health has deteriorated in the past few days.

Dr. Latif Rashid expressed his sincere congratulations on re-electing Erdogan as Turkey's President, wishing him every success and all the best in discharging the tasks entrusted to him, and wishing the Turkish people further progress and prosperity.

In the phone conversation, Dr. Latif Rashid emphasized his country's eagerness to advance bilateral ties further and underpin cooperation further between Iraq and Turkey, in a way that would most benefit both nations' citizens.

Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan thanked President Rashid for his kind words of congratulations and the congratulatory telegram he sent, wishing further developments of the relations between the two countries.

The Iraqi Joint Operations Command said in a statement that in coordination with the intelligence agency in the area of Waday Shay in Kirkuk, and a number of ISIL fighters were killed in a bombing.

He said security forces have killed 10 ISIL fighters and destroyed a number of terrorist hideouts in different parts of Iraq in the past 24 hours.

ISIS terrorists are active in middle of Iraq, as the area is loosely populated and the issues between the Peshmerga forces and the Iraqi army makes the area a safe haven for the terrorists.

Hammami said there is no law regulating the reproduction in Iraq. Increased public awareness of the importance of limiting fertility is the basis for controlling population growth in Iraq.

He said it was the duty of the government to find a real solution to the problem of population growth through legislation and planning.

In recent days, the Iraqi Ministry of Planning announced that, the population census has been postponed to October 2024 due to delays in approving the budget, adding that the population will reach 43 million by the end of this year.

Rizgar Hama Khadr, advisor to the Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) told Kurdsat that In today's meeting with the Iraqi Ministry of Agriculture they agreed to increase the Kurdistan Region's share of wheat from 375,000 to 500,000 tons.

Baghdad is the primary customer to wheat produced in the Kurdistan region and many farmers prefer selling their produce to the federal government.

He added that the Iraqi Ministry of Agriculture has decided to allow farmers to sell their agricultural products in central and southern Iraqi provinces. The Ministry of Agriculture of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRG) expects this year's wheat production to be more than 1.8 million tons.

If the federal government does not purchase all the wheat from the farmers, the farmers must sell it in the market, the advisor said. The price of a ton of wheat in the market is about 600 to 650 thousand Iraqi Dinars.

Democracy is an ancient Greek word which simply means the rule or the power of the people.

Elections and casting ballots are fundamental principles of democracy, because in this process citizens determine their fate freely and equally. But the so-called democracy in our country has confused not only us, but also the linguistic and cultural experts of ancient and modern Greece!

It is true that there are several types of democracy, but our type is so strange and special that could be best summed up in a Kurdish proverb: it does not exist even in perfume bottles of perfumers, literally it means it is a needle in a haystack. That's why it hasn't been included in the list of other types of democracy..!

Our democracy is with whips, knives, and arm twisting!

I don't know why all the diplomatic and political arbitrators who encourage us to hold elections as soon as possible overlook the obstacles, injustice and unfavorable situation? Why, while they consider themselves the fathers of democracy, do they not see and hear that the reactivation of our expired electoral commission is illegal?

The electoral law amendment bill has been dusted in one of the corners of our parliament building and our voter registration is not relevant to this era and the population of our provinces. Moreover, our minority representatives are still demanding a solution to their problems...!!

Also, how would one explain the one million voters difference the Baghdad registered voters register and Kurdistan region registered voters?

According to experts, the increased number of voters are in Erbil and Duhok, while more than 60,000 votes have been reduced in Sulaimani!!

Isn't this in itself extremely unfair? If each seat in the Kurdistan Parliament is 35,000 votes, doesn't the increase of 561,000 votes mean securing 16 seats in Duhok and Erbil??

Isn't this in itself extremely unfair and undemocratic?? Strangely enough, everyone talks about consolidating democracy, respecting human rights and freedom of expression.

Everyone claims to work for free and fair elections. There is no party, movement, association, organization, coalition or personality that does not call for protecting the interests of the nation, people, citizens and citizens.

Unfortunately, very few people commit to their words and this is what undermines any process of progress in a land where its people are passionate and thirsty for true democracy...!!

Finally, if all the pressure is just to say thank God we follow democracy, then Sir, this is nothing but hiding under the veil of democracy and dozens of other elections will be held as long as the alphabet of democracy are not followed, we cannot be proud of our votes, equality and freedom.

Nearly 100 other people have been infected by Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) in Iraq, where the disease claimed many more victims last year.

In 2022, at least 212 people were infected while 27 died, according to ministry spokesman Saif al-Badr.

Most of those who have been infected are livestock breeders from the rural southern province of Dhi Qar, as well as workers in abattoirs.

According to the World Health Organization, CCHF is a "viral tick-borne disease that is transmitted to humans by bites of infected ticks, and by direct contact with blood or tissues from infected humans and livestock".

It was first diagnosed in 1979 in Iraq, where decades of war and conflict have devastated government services including the health infrastructure.

Sophie the Duchess of Edinburgh delivered King Charles III's written message for President Rashid from Britain’s monarch.

In the message, Britain's King Charles III expressed gratitude to His Excellency for attending the coronation ceremony taking place at Westminster Abbey in London earlier this month.

King Charles emphasized that" The relationship between the UK and Iraq is long and historic, and unique." " I hope that during my reign our countries will build on our historical links to create a modern partnership through which we can work together to address challenges that matter to us all, including climate change, international security and human rights." He added.

Britain's Monarch said that" My thoughts and prayers have been with the people of Iraq who have endured so much, most recently at the hands of Daesh and other terrorist groups," while noting that " Your effort to support those populations which have been so drastically affected is greatly appreciated."

"The UK stands beside Iraq as a friend and ally in order to support the peace, prosperity and security of all Iraqi people," King Charles affirmed.

His Excellency President Rashid and Iraq's First Lady, Shanaz Ibrahim Ahmed asked the Duchess of Edinburgh, Her Royal Highness Sophie to convey their greetings to King Charles III, and extended a message to the British, wishing them further progress and prosperity, and welcomed Her Royal Highness's visit to Iraq, wishing her a blessed visit.

While speaking about the close relationships between Iraq and the UK, President Rashid emphasized how best it is to promote these ties in various areas of common concern, which would be in both nations' interests.

Iraq's cities are experiencing peace and stability, and the security situation is looking up, Iraq's Abdullatif Jamal Rashid went on to note that plans have been set in motion by the government through an ambitious program, to build schools and hospitals, rehabilitate the country's basic infrastructure as well as improve the standards of living and raise the level of services. Efforts are made to pass the federal budget as soon as possible and implement the government program, HE, added.

His Excellency spoke about the situation of internally displaced persons, and the humanitarian sufferings that they faced, and there is limited access to health, education and essential services, and it is therefore, they have had rough days. In addition, he underlined that the issue of displaced people should be addressed once and for all, and they must be allowed to return to their homes after their villages, towns and cities are rehabilitated in addition to implementing the Sinjar agreement. Meanwhile, he asserted the importance of rendering better public services for all Iraqi citizens, expressing hope that the UN, which is in charge of the file of displacement, will make further efforts that are aligned with the scale of the tragedy of the displaced people.

First Lady Shanaz Ibrahim Ahmed spoke about childhood, and she said that there are children, who are residents of the displaced camps, and they have had rough days, and have no family, relatives, or their private habitats, where most of these children are from the Yazidi people.

Although the UN has set programs to rehabilitate displaced families and children, unfortunately, these were hindered by bureaucratic procedures.

Her Royal Highness, Sophie the Duchess of Edinburgh thanked President Rashid and the First Lady for the warm welcome during her visit.

It is therefore, she was delighted to visit Iraq, and she affirmed her readiness to underpin the bonds of friendship and bilateral cooperation between Iraq and the UK.

President Rashid's leadership and wisdom are paramount in addressing the issue of displacement and allowing the displaced people to return home after housing construction would be made for them, the Duchess of Edinburgh said.

on the other hand, she hailed the efforts made by His Excellency President Rashid to recover loaned ancient artifacts previously taken by Britain for study.

Meanwhile, His Excellency President Rashid invited the Duchess to visit the national museum.

The President and the First Lady gave Her Royal Highness a gift for her efforts to promote relations between Iraq and the UK, and so she expressed thanks and appreciation for this generous initiative.

The text of King Charles III's message follows:

Buckingham Palace
  May 18, 2023

Dear Mr. President,

I would like to extend my warmest greetings to you and the people of Iraq. I am most grateful to you for your kind letter on the occasion of Noruz celebrations and for representing Iraq at my Coronation in London earlier this month. The relationship between the UK and Iraq is long and historic and unique in the region. I hope that during my reign our countries will build on our historical links to create a modern partnership through which we can work together to address challenges that matter to us all, including climate change, international security and human rights. My thoughts and prayers have been with the people of Iraq who have endured so much, most recently at the hands of Daesh and other terrorist groups. Your effort to support those populations which have been so drastically affected is greatly appreciated and I do hope that they will be able to access meaningful justice, having suffered so terribly.

I have long been eager to see us work towards freedom of religion or belief for everyone, everywhere. The UK stands beside Iraq as a friend and ally in order to support the peace, prosperity and security of all Iraqi people. I look forward to our two countries working together to achieve this.

 Most sincerely,
Charles R

DNA testing was used to identify the remains of hundreds of people slain by ISIS after their discovery in 2017 at the grave site on the outskirts of Mosul, in the country's north.

The Sunni Muslim extremists seized a large chunk of Iraq's territory and proclaimed a "caliphate" in 2014, carrying out abductions, beheadings, ethnic cleansing, mass killings and rapes.

In June that year, ISIS members attacked Badush prison and freed Sunni inmates before forcing around 600 mostly Shiite prisoners into a truck, driving them to a ravine and shooting them dead.

Seventy-eight of them were laid to rest on Tuesday in Baghdad and in the Shiite holy city of Najaf, in central Iraq, AFP journalists reported.

"We feel pain and sorrow, but at least we got his remains," Khaled Jabbar said during the funeral procession in Najaf for his cousin, who was among those killed.

In front of Baghdad's Martyr Monument, coffins draped in Iraqi flags were carried on army vehicles and accompanied by a military band.

"About 1,000 prisoners, mostly Shiites, were executed by ISIS militants inside the prison and at other sites," according to UN investigators.

The killings were described as "crimes against humanity" by UNITAD, the UN body set up to investigate ISIS crimes in Iraq.

The 78 victims buried on Tuesday were from a group of 605 missing people, said the Iraqi health ministry's forensic director Zaid Ali Abbas.

The first mass grave containing victims from Badush prison was discovered in 2017, with dozens of remains exhumed from it in 2021.

The slow and laborious process of taking DNA samples from victims and families of the missing continues.

IS's seizure of Mosul in 2014 helped it to briefly hold roughly one-third of Iraqi territory, and for a time there were real fears of a major attack on the capital Baghdad.

Baghdad declared victory over the jihadists in December 2017, and work to uncover their crimes is still ongoing.

The United Nations estimates ISIS left behind more than 200 mass graves which could contain up to 12,000 bodies.

Authorities in Iraq frequently announce the discovery of mass graves, including some containing ISIS militants themselves and others dating from the regime of Saddam Hussein, who was overthrown during the US-led invasion of 2003.

The museum closed its doors in 2003, amid the chaos following the US-led invasion of Iraq, and was later ransacked by Islamic State after they seized the city in 2014.

"We are celebrating today, in the city of two springs, the launch of the Mosul Museum's rehabilitation project," the director of Iraq's antiquities authority, Laith Majid, said at a press conference.

"This museum, an icon of museums in Iraq, was targeted by a blind barbarian assault," Majid said, referring to the destruction by ISIS.

The militants used sledgehammers and power tools to deface ancient statues and pre-Islamic treasures housed in the museum, releasing an infamous video showing the destruction in 2015.

A gaping hole remains in the floor of the museum's famed Assyrian gallery, caused by a bomb explosion.

"Part of this cavity will be preserved, as a witness throughout history to what has been perpetrated," said Khair al-Din Ahmed Nasser, head of antiquities in Nineveh province, of which Mosul is the capital.

A new display was inaugurated, showcasing the museum's history, collection and current restoration plans, as part of efforts supported by France's Louvre Museum, the Smithsonian Institute and the World Monument Fund.

It comes within the "second and final phase" of the "total reconstruction and rehabilitation of the museum building" and should be completed within two or three years, said Nasser.

Among the pieces defaced by IS and under restoration at the museum are treasures from the ancient Assyrian site of Nimrud, including a winged lion, two imposing "lamassu" -- winged bulls with human heads -- and the throne base of the ninth century BC King Ashurnasirpal II.

"Out of five works, there are three that are extremely advanced," said Barbara Couturaud from the Louvre. 

The artefacts are being revived with financing from the International Alliance for the Protection of Cultural Heritage in Conflict Areas (ALIPH).

"The pieces have been identified... now they have to be assembled. These are sculptures that weigh several tonnes, requiring extremely complicated handling," she said, adding she hoped they would be ready for the planned full reopening in summer 2026. 

Today, Iraqi President Dr. Latif Rashid announced the return of 6,000 artifacts from the UK to Iraq in Baghdad, in a televised press conference.

The Iraqi president said the return of the artifacts was the result of joint efforts of the office of the presidency, the Ministries of Culture, Tourism, Archeology and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. They will continue their efforts to return other archaeological remains abroad.

The president thanked Britain for keeping its promises and handing over the artifacts safely after 100 years. He also added the artefacts were held in the UK for scientific purposes and British researchers have used them to understand the history of Iraq.

I am hopeful that we would put the artefacts into good use in all fields, the president concluded his remarks.

Iraq is home to thousands of archeological sites and many of it are still unearthed. As one of the cradles of civilization Iraq is one of the most important places to understand the inception of civilization, according to historians.

 

While visiting London to attend King Charles III's Coronation, President Rashid decided to return back the ancient artifacts to Baghdad and hand them over to the Iraqi museum.

The ceremony of handover of Iraqi artifacts was attended by the Minister of Culture, Tourism and Antiquities Ahmed Fakak Al-Badrani alongside the Iraqi Ambassador to London, Mohammed Jaafar Al-Sadr, the Director-General of British Museums and Chair of London Museum and several Journalists, relevant experts and archaeologists from Iraq and Britain. 

The meeting was held in Erbil on May 4, 2023 and was attended by member of PUK politburo executive body Darbaz Kosrat Rasul, deputy director of foreign relations department of the Kurdistan Regional Government, Daban Shadala, Alina Romanosky, US Ambassador to Iraq and Ervin Hicks, US general consul for the Kurdistan region.

Qubad Talabani said that the internal problems have created a threat to the position of the region and we should all try to resolve the internal problems with a sense of responsibility and political and party conflict should not reach the level of crossing national red lines.

The Deputy Prime Minister said that we welcome any initiative to resolve the issues and are ready to form a joint committee to resolve all the points of disagreement, even with the participation of representatives of our allies.

He said that after many years of security, political and economic instability, as well as unnecessary political and party conflict, Iraq and the Kurdistan Region need a long period of stability and peace so that they can work together on economic development and market recovery and Kurdistan cannot tolerate unnecessary party conflict.

They also discussed freedom of expression in Kurdistan and the Deputy Prime Minister said that we have always been proud to provide freedom of expression and freedom of the press, but unfortunately recently we have faced criticism from our friends. He stressed that we must look at ourselves so that the name and reputation of the region at the international level is not tarnished by violations of freedoms.

There have been multiple truce efforts since fighting broke out on April 15 between Sudan's army led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) commanded by his deputy turned rival, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo. All have failed.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington was "very actively working to extend the ceasefire" between the warring generals.

"We've had a 72-hour ceasefire, which like most ceasefires is imperfect but nonetheless has reduced violence. And that's obviously created somewhat better conditions for people in Sudan," he told reporters.

Burhan on Wednesday said he would consider a proposal by the East African IGAD bloc for another three-day ceasefire when the current truce formally expires at midnight (2200 GMT), but no further details have been released and the RSF's response to the proposal is unclear.

On Thursday, warplanes patrolled over the capital's northern suburbs as fighters on the ground exchanged artillery and heavy machinegun fire, witnesses said.

"I hear intense shelling outside my home," a Khartoum resident told AFP on Thursday evening, asking not to be named.

At least 512 people have been killed and 4,193 wounded in the fighting, according to health ministry figures, although the real death toll is likely much higher.

Hospitals have been shelled and more than two thirds are out of service, the doctors' union said Thursday, reporting at least eight civilians killed in Khartoum alone on Wednesday.

“France is the only country in the European Union that has a Consul General in the city of Mosul” said Jean-Christophe Auger, the French Consul to Mosul, who promises “opportunities for investment” in the region.

Prior to the center's opening, residents of Mosul had to travel 500 kilometers to Baghdad to apply for visas.

There is another visa center in the nearby city of Erbil, but that serves only residents of the Kurdistan region.

Mosul hosts a Turkish consulate, UN and international NGO offices, but Niniveh Governor Nejm al-Joubouri noted that France was "the first European country" to have appointed a consul general in the city. French President Emmanuel Macron appointed Augé as French Consul in Mosul on 16 May 2022.