Kurdistan
Sulaimani Civil Defense Spokesman Aram Ali told KurdSat that a firm mistakenly sent gasoline instead of kerosene to Bardakari Primary School in Tanjaro, causing a fire in the school warehouse.
He said the teachers did not know it was gasoline. The fire broke out while transporting the gasoline to the school store tank, injuring the assistant principal, a teacher, a student and an employee working in the warehouse was severely wounded.
A five-year-old girl was killed, and two other kids were wounded in the blast, per KurdSat’s Omar Gharib in Kirkuk. According to the Kirkuk Ops commander, an investigation has been launched into the incident.
Explosive remnants from the former Baathist regime often blow up at children and people in southern Kirkuk, resulting in casualties, quoting Kirkuk police Gharib said. Also, ISIS has left some bombs nearby Kirkuk, Gharib added.
Saudi Arabia King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud congratulated Dr. Latif Rashid on his election as Iraqi president, calling strengthening of relations between Baghdad and Riyadh a necessity.
Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman sent a congratulatory message to Dr. Latif Rashid and expressed Saudi’s readiness to provide all kinds of assistance and support to Iraq and stressed the need to strengthen relations.
Dr. Latif Rashid was sworn in as Iraq’s ninth president in house House of Representatives. He ran against incumbent president Barham Salih and won in the second round with 162 to 99 votes. Following his election President Rashid designated Mohammed Shia al-Sudani prime minister and in charge of forming a cabinet.
Born in 1944, in the northeastern Sulaymaniyah region, Rashid is trained engineer at the University of Liverpool, graduating in 1968, completing his engineering doctorate in 1976 at the University of Manchester.
Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said today, "In fact, these are undisguised attempts to discuss the possibility of legalizing previously committed theft. Well, it is foolish to say that this is contrary to every thinkable and unthinkable norms of international law. It's just pure international banditry."
The Kremlin said Wednesday there were no plans for Russian President Vladimir Putin to meet with U.S. President Joe Biden during a Group of 20 summit in Indonesia.
Putin's top spokesman Dmitry Peskov said “neither the Russian, nor American side" had put forward suggestions to hold bilateral talks during the summit in Bali next month.
Asked about Biden’s comments in an interview with CNN in which he warned the use of nuclear weapons against Ukraine would lead to a “horrible outcome,” Peskov said the remarks were part of “harmful and provocative” Western nuclear rhetoric.
Putin has previously said he wouldn’t hesitate to use “all means available” to protect Russian territory, but his spokesman said Moscow did not want to be part of his "harmful practice".
Peskov also said Western discussions over using seized Russian assets to rebuild Ukraine would be an act of "international banditry".
The war between Russia and Ukraine escalates as bombing population centers have become part of the war, and Russian drawbacks by its troops have concern US and EU officials of Russia’s publicly stated use of “all means necessary,” to protect Russian territory, a thinly veiled expression for nuclear weapons.
Since the 1980s, Ankara has launched a series of military operations in northern Iraq, both in areas under Baghdad's authority and in the autonomous Kurdistan region. This includes Operation Claw-Lock, which began in April and was defended by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as a campaign against "terrorist elements."
The Turkish army's frequent shelling and bombing of the region has displaced thousands and pose a serious to the Kurdistan region's biodiversity and environment.
Since April, the Turkish army has launched a large-scale military operation against the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRG). Erdogan also threatened a new military incursion into northern Syria this year, again on the pretext of protecting Turkish security.
In September 2020, the Iraqi and Kurdistan Regional Governments, in coordination with the UN mission in Iraq, announced an agreement to normalize the situation in Sinjar.
The UN mission hailed the deal as a “turning page,” and a “first and important step in the right direction”. The Sinjar deal came together after “months of hard work and negotiations” between Erbil and Baghdad, according to KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani.
Baghdad and Erbil have appointed their administrations that have ruled over Nineva’s Sinjar district. The region is crowded with armed forces vying for influence, including the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), the Sinjar Resistance Units, locally called YBS, and the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), as well as federal authorities and Kurdish peshmerga forces.
The agreement aims to expel the different armed groups from the Sinjar region and ease the return of refugees, 80 per cent of whom are still displaced and refuse to return.
According to some local officials in Sinjar and the Iraqi government, there is no hope for implementing the agreement.
According to Duhok Migration and Refugee Bureau numbers, ISIS terrorist onslaught in 2014 displaced over 360,000 Yazidis. Three hundred thirty-one thousand two hundred Yazidis live inside and outside the camps in Duhok, some of whom migrated abroad, while thousands of women and children remain missing.
There is little media attention on the agreement. Authorities of the region and the international community have largely forgotten the deal.
The Sinjar region offers strategic importance for all actors in the region. It is a region that would make it easier to control Northern Iraq and an easily navigated gate way into Iraq, Turkey, and Syria.
Saddam Hussein fired close to 40 Scud Missiles at different Israeli cities in 1991 from Sinjar, as the region gives one the upper hand in case of a clash in the broader region. Turkey also eyes the region with great ambition as it has bases close to Sinjar to prevent the PKK from penetrating its southern borders.
The PKK maintains its presence in the area to keep its connection with its offshoot in Rojava, the YPJ. The Peshmerga forces in the area help secure KRG’s western borders as its borders.
"A hundred and fifty domestic and international firms from 12 countries take part in the exhibition, the firms work in food, investment, construction and automotives and other industries," Sulaimani Expo Speaker Ziryan Muhammad told KurdSat English.
"The Expo lasts for six days, and is open from 10:00 AM to 7 in the evening," Muhammad added. The Expo is placed at Sulaimani’s northern entrance to ease travel to the exhibition.
KurdSat Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) is taking media sponsorship for International Expo, airing most of its events and helping to promote the corporations' products in the Expo.
The speaker said of the Expo’s importance, "the Expo helps the companies to introduce their new products to the people, and people who get to know more about their products."
Sulaimani has quite a rich market for automobiles, relatively luxury cars, and up-to-date tools such as mobile phones.
The Expo Speaker also mentioned the economic importance of opening such exhibitions in Sulaimani as it would bring tourists and business people to the city.
PUK Politburo Chief Executive Shanaz Ibrahim Ahmed visited the Expo, hailed the importance of such moves in developing Sulaimani, and said, "Building skyscrapers and residential complexes would not suffice to address Sulaimani's economic woes, but we need to build factories to create jobs for the people of the city. Sulaimani Governor Haval Abubakir and city officials visited the Expo and expressed their content with the Expo's works.
Domestic and international corporations present their products in Sulaimani International Expo
Head of the Summit Foundation for Refugee and Migrant Affairs, Ari Jalal, told Kurdsat English that the number of Iraqi and Kurdistan citizens migrating abroad has increased in recent months.
Jalal added, according to our information, 20,846 migrated from Iraq and the Kurdistan region since the beginning of this year, 24 of which have lost their lives, and five are missing.
According to Summit Foundation figures, a total of 690,444 migrants have migrated from the Kurdistan Region and other parts of Iraq since 2015, 541 have died, and 225 are missing.
Since the war against ISIS, many refugees have left the Kurdistan region and Iraq. According to Summit, the highest number of migrants left the country in 2015. 186,422 migrants left Iraq and the Kurdistan region only in 2015.
The number began slipping until 2020 when it again jumped to 73,325 migrants. Up until October 2022, only 20,846 have migrated, a threefold decrease compared to 2021.
Most of those leaving are males, bringing about a disproportionate number of males to females in the Kurdistan region.
Today, Monday, a source with the Juridical Council who did not want to be named told KurdSat English that the Council decided to make Kurdish the sole language of court decisions in the Kurdistan region.
Today, the Judicial Council of the Kurdistan region issued a decree signed by Judicial Council Chief Justice Abduljabar Aziz Hassan that aims to regulate the language of the courts in the Kurdistan region. The decree is effective immediately according to the directive. "Arabic is used only as necessary," the directive declares.
"Some lawyers don't speak good Kurdish, and the decision aims to unite court language because now half of the courts write in Kurdish while the other half of the courts issue decisions in Arabic, and we want to regulate that," the source told KurdSat English.
"Would compile a single legal dictionary for legal terms to help in the process because sometimes there are multiple words [Kurdish] for a single legal term, and the dictionary helps to avoid that," the source added.
The dictionary might also pose some challenges as both Kurdish Kurmanji and Sorani are spoken in the Kurdistan region, where speakers of both languages sometimes need help understanding each other.
The decision of the Judicial Council came after a series of joint meetings between the Judicial Council, Parliament, the Prosecutor's Office and the Kurdish Academy, the Judicial Council said.
The source also added, "the decision is per the Iraqi constitution that stipulates that the official languages of Iraq are Kurdish and Arabic."
Most Kurds in the Kurdistan region do not speak Arabic, and that is more so with the younger generations. Also, most university departments' education medium is English rather than Arabic or Kurdish. Such a decision might have a significant effect as most administrative paperwork in the Ministry of Justice, and other ministries of the Kurdistan region is done in Kurdish. Though it might help unify the official language of the courts and enrich Kurdish vocabulary.
After rounds of negotiations, the Kurdistan region parties failed to reach a date to hold parliamentary elections, and they indefinitely postponed the time for holding elections. Today, the Kurdistan Parliament passed the “Continuation of Iraqi Kurdistan Parliament’s fifth term” bill, giving its current term an extra year.
The bill passed with 80 yes votes, and the Parliament’s current term is extended until fall 2023. Kurdistan Justice Group and Kurdistan Islamic Union boycotted the session, while New Generation Movement objected to the bill.
According to the Kurdistan Regional Government Presidency Law, the Kurdistan Region Presidency’s term life depends on Parliament’s life. Accordingly, the Parliament would extend the terms of the Kurdistan Regional Government and the Presidency.
In a statement regarding the reasons behind giving the Parliament an extra year, the Kurdistan Parliament presidency said, “the purpose of the extension is to prevent the creation of legal and constitutional vacuum and to protect national unity. And further, prepare for the Parliament’s sixth term because the current term of the Kurdistan-Iraqi Parliament is coming to an end in weeks.
There are five extensions since the establishment of the Kurdistan Parliament in 1992, and a total of the Parliament has extended its life on more than one occasion. The second term of Parliament was supposed to end on June 4, 2009, but the political parties agreed to extend it for over two months. Parliament’s third term was to expire legally on August 20, 2013, but the political parties opened it for seventy days.
The Parliament’s fourth session of the Kurdistan Parliament was to end on November 6, 2017, legally but was again extended for over a year.
Earlier today, in a televised press conference in Kurdistan region's Raparin district, the CTG top commander in Raparin, Hemn Salam, said, "our forces in Raparin could seize a truck that carried 85 kilos of crystal and arrest and arrest three criminals involved in the case, and investigations into the case continue."
Salam added, "we assure the people of Kurdistan that we continue our duties to enforce the law."
Kurdistan Region Government Coordinator for International Advocacy Dindar Zebari told KurdSat English, "3000 people have landed in jails for substance abuse, and there needs to be a center to help with their problems."
Drug trafficking is increasing in the Kurdistan region, and the region's security forces have put tens of drug dealers and smugglers behind bars. The number of drug abusers is on the rise as well.
According to the Kurdistan Region's Anti-narcotics Department, in 2021, Kurdistan region security forces arrested 1,943 people on drug-related charges, including dealing, using, and promoting substance use.
According to a United Nations report, the Kurdistan region had no drug use or trafficking cases in 1990 and continued to be so until 2003; drug abuse and trafficking are on the rise.
CTG members in Raparin with the criminals they captured
President of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan Bafel Jalal Talabani congratulated Muslims on the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad (peace Protecting sacred values.
The president said, “on the occasion of the birthday of the Prophet of Islam, Muhammad (PBUP), I warmly congratulate Muslims in Kurdistan, Iraq and the world.
President Talabani hoped the holiday would encourage unity and coexistence among all nations and communities, spread tolerance, and preserve sacred values.
“Respecting differences and cultivating a culture of tolerance with different voices and colors is a sign of a progressive and peaceful society. I hope that we will all fight for this and that peace and brotherhood will be the goal of all,” President Talabani added.
People of the Kurdistan region celebrate Mawlid yearly by sacrificing cattle and livestock and organizing events reminding them of the Prophet’s teachings and ways.
In a statement, on October 5, the Press and Information Office of the Federal Government said, “Up to 500 soldiers may be deployed up to October 31, 2023, to help bring about a long-term stabilization in Iraq.”
“This decision by the Federal Cabinet still has to be approved by the Bundestag,” the statement said. Analysts familiar with the matter believe that the Bundestag would approve the decision.
The Press office added, “The Federal Government of Germany has decided continue the deployment of German armed forces with a view to securing stabilization, preventing the resurgence of IS, and promoting reconciliation in Iraq.”
“IS continues to carry out attacks against Iraqi forces, local administrative structures, and critical infrastructure in Iraq,” The German Press Office said was the reason behind extending Germany’s military mission in the region.
Germany has 500 military advisers in the Kurdistan region and Iraq, whose mission is to train and provide intelligence and military information to enhance the capacity of the Peshmerga forces and the Iraqi army in the fight against ISIS.
The federal government said that it helps Iraq include “Air-to-air refueling, air transport, ground-based airspace surveillance and staff personnel, participation in NATO AWACS air surveillance flights, and advisory and staff personnel in the missions of the international anti-IS coalition as well as NATO.”
In 2014, Germany began assisting the Peshmerga forces and provided weapons and ammunition to them. The German Federal Office has delivered close to three billion euros to the Peshmerga and Iraqi forces since 2013, according to the German Press and Information Office.
Many Kurds and Iraqis reside in Germany, maintain close contact with kin in Iraq and send millions of euros in remittances back to Iraq.
Talabani added, "I congratulate all Muslims in the Kurdistan region, Iraq and the world on the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUM)."
People of the Kurdistan region celebrate Mawlid yearly by sacrificing cattle and livestock and organizing events reminding them of the Prophet’s teachings and ways.
A Ministry of Education formal directive dated October 6 informs its administrative division across Iraq that all students of Arabic language education schools shall pass Kurdish language class, even if they lack the legally required grades.
English Journalist Shalaw Omar from Kirkuk told KurdSat that Baghdad gradually works to push away Kurdish language education and said, "every year Kurdish language education students face many problems, whereas the education is legal."
The ministry's decree only covers Arabic language schools, not Kurdish ones. A Kurdish student failing an Arabic language class would count as falling in the entire school year.
Omar added, "The decision that makes one pass a class even though they fail the subject would encourage students to ignore it and undermine it in their eyes," Omar added.
"It is a wrong decision that violates the constitution because Kurdish and Arabic are the official languages of Iraq," Chairman Kirkuk branch of Kurdistan Teacher's Union Kamal Sharif told KurdSat English.
Iraqi lawmaker Sabah Qadir has sent the ministry of education a formal letter asking for revising the ministry's directive, calling it a violation of minatory rights in Kirkuk, especially the Kurds.
In an interview today, Friday, Director of General Board for Kurdistani Areas Outside the Region (GBKAOR) Fahmi Burhan told KurdSat English, "I believe that the Ministry of Education's decision is part of the process against the Kurdish language in the region and Kurdish agriculture and efforts against our farmers, and education in the past few months is not new." The director was referring to Kirkuk's efforts that downplay the use of the Kurdish language in the governorate and the disputed territories. The use of the Kurdish language on billboards and public places was removed, while other minority languages, such as Turkmen and Assyrian, have remained.
"Recently, Kirkuk health directorate decided to ban the use of the Kurdish language on its letterheads and paperwork, revealing a push against the Kurdish language. A chauvinistic outlook is leading to undermining the constitution and coexistence in the region, and there is no justification for the ministry's decision," the director added.
"We would take legal action as GBKAOR and call on civil society NGOs to take to the street," the directed told KurdSat English.
The move comes amid other Arabization in the Baghdad-controlled Kurdish regions since the 2017 independence referendum that relocated control from the peshmerga forces to the Iraqi army and militia.
Many Kurdish officials have been sidelined in the disputed territories, especially Kirkuk's administration and security forces, and replaced with Arab and Turkmen officials. Also, preventing Kurdish farmers from watering their crops and forcing or encouraging Kurdish villagers to leave the disputed territories have been among the numerous soft Arabization efforts since 2017.
The disputed territory authorities expel Kurdish farmers from their farmlands; even if a farmer has his crops planted, the authorities will prevent them from irrigating their farm and ask them to leave. The decision is justified by paperwork done in the Baathist era that "proves" that the farmlands belonged to Arabs.
Baghdad is largely silent on the matter, and no effort is made to stop the soft Arabization of the disputed territories. The 2005 Iraqi constitution asks residents of the disputed territories to decide in a plebiscite whether they want to go with the Kurdistan Region Government or Baghdad. It limits the time to conduct the referendum to be at most six months. Seventeen years on, still the region remains disputed between the Kurdistan region and Baghdad.
I would like to extend my warmest congratulations to all our Yazidi brothers and sisters in the Kurdistan Region, Iraq and the world on the occasion of the return of the Yazidi holiday of Jamma, the DPM said.
Qubad Talabani added, on this occasion we assure our Yazidi brothers and sisters that we will continue to support their legitimate demands, especially the search for the missing and the recognition of the atrocities committed against the Yezidis as genocide.
Jamma is the longest lasting Yazidi feat. It begins in October and lasts for seven days. Several religious ceremonies are held during this holiday. Followers of this religion from all over the world flock to the Lalesh temple in Sinjar, and pray for their wishes.