The Iraqi First Lady Shanaz Ibrahim Ahmed received Minister of Communications, Hiyam Nasri, at the Salam Presidential Palace in Baghdad, where she expressed her support for her as a capable woman in this post despite all the challenges facing the incumbent Iraqi government. 

She noted that in the short period since her the new cabinet of Mohammed Shia al-Sudani assumed office, the Communications Minister could take “major steps and excellent decisions.” Although better work must be done to serve the people better, the first lady said. 

Iraqi Communications Minister Hiyam Nasri thanked Iraqi First Lady Shanaz Ibrahim Ahmad for her support, especially for women, which will be a good incentive for them to make good decisions and take essential steps in their work. 

The first lady has usually worked for the participation of more women in society, economics and politics, as she has always served as an example for others to follow, according to women's rights activists. 

In the meeting, the leaders discussed the latest political developments and efforts to make the reform project a success and support the political parties to implement the government's work program.

The two sides stressed the need to join efforts to create a national consensus to find a "radical solution" to the Erbil-Baghdad disputes and to protect Kurdistan region people's rights within the framework of the constitution.

President Talabani stressed the PUK's keenness on harmony and unity among all parties and said, "Our goal is joint action and striving to maintain stability and build a prosperous future."

The PUK chief also added that the programs that had been fixed in the new government agenda were to achieve a supreme goal: serving the people, fighting corruption, bringing about equality and protecting the rights of all Iraqis. 

Iraqi President Dr. Latif Rashid, received today, Sunday, at the Salam Presidential Palace in Baghdad, the director of Federal Board of Supreme Audit Raffel Yassin Khudair, Iraqi president press office said in a statement.

In the meeting, President Rashid reviewed the work of the Office of Financial Supervision and the mechanisms used in auditing and monitoring financial transactions that ensure the protection of public coffers.

The President noted that the government program needs everyone's cooperation and coordination together in to combat administrative and financial corruption, requiring serious measures that is necessary to achieve the desired goals and ensure meeting the needs of the people.

President Rashid stressed the need to support the monitoring bodies to ensure the progress of their work and avoid the obstacles they face so that these institutions can perform their tasks and achieve their goals.

One of the crisis-hit country’s main challenges is financial embezzlement, in a recent public fraud, $2.5 bn from tax revenues disappeared, the largest in history of the country, gaining the catchphrase, fraud of the century.

Today, Sunday, the Iraqi Ministry of Communications directed all internet service provider companies to reduce internet prices, including firms in the Kurdistan Region.

According to sources familiar with the matter, the Iraqi Ministry of Communications has directed all internet companies to reduce the price of their services by 20%. The decree will come into force early next month, and any company that does not comply will face legal action.

Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Ministry of Transportation Diland Rashad told KurdSat English that the directive also covered the Kurdistan region, and service providers must reduce prices by the required amount.

The internet price in Iraq and the Kurdistan region is relatively high, with many connection problems. Many people subscribe to multiple service providers as specific service providers work in particular areas and distinct purposes.

Today, Wednesday, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani arrived in Kuwait and is set to meet with Amir of Kwait Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.

Sudani will discuss economic coordination, investment, energy, security and border issues with Kuwait officials, according to Iraqi media.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Sudani on Monday paid his first foreign visit since taking office, in his trip to Oman, the PM met with the King of Jordan and discussed their diplomatic relations.

The two presidents talked of joining hands to maintain stability, and sovereignty of the country. The two leaders discussed issue of refugees, and the difficult living conditions refugees face in their camps, and discussed ways to work together to improve their living conditions and make joint efforts to ensure the safe and secure return of the refugees and their homes.

President Rashid and Barzani discussed security, political and economic developments, while confirmed their support the central government in implementing its program, which aims to meet the needs of Iraqis and improve their living conditions.

The presidents also touched on the disputes between the central and Erbil governments and ways to stabilize the disputed territories. The leaders agreed that joining forces and coordination between all Iraqi forces is a good way to fight terrorism in Iraq.

The presidents also said that Iraq's relations with its neighboring countries should be based on mutual respect and common interests, as Turkey and Iran continue to violate Baghdad’s sovereignty.

The unprecedented meeting follows Iran’s continued bombing of the Kurdistan region that takes a large toll on the region. Calls on Iran from the Kurdistan Regional Government and Federal government to stop its bombardment of the region has gone unanswered, and Tehran continues to bomb the region, citing the presence of Kurdish Iranian opposition groups in the area.

President of Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) Bafel Jalal Talabani with the Iraqi Minister of Education Ibrahim Namis Al-Jubouri to discuss efforts to improve teaching in the disputed territories between the Kurdistan region and Iran, and focused on creating favorable conditions in schools for both students and teachers.

President Bafel Jalal Talabani said that Kurdish language education in the disputed territories shall be improved and their guarantee their legal right by transferring their service to the Iraqi Ministry of Education, such steps would bring significant progress to education in the disputed territories. A recent decision by Kirkuk’s acting governor banned billboards in Kirkuk language and its use for public displays.

President Talabani also said that a government’s task is to a create a good condition for schools, students and teachers to help educate people, as it is a fundamental pillar in every country.  

The Iraqi Education Minister praised and welcomed President Talabani’s remarks on education in the disputed territories, and promised to follow up on issues facing education in the area, and form a committee to further look into the situation and address them.

The PUK has usually fought against discrimination against minorities in the disputed territories and helped for equal opportunity for all peoples of the region, and has stoop up against recent moves to downplay the use of the Kurdish language in Kirkuk and disputed territories. 

Since the 2017 independence referendum, the use of Kurdish language and education in the disputed territories has been downplayed. A recent decree from Iraqi Ministry of Education asked schools to ignore Kurdish language class and let students pass even if they fail in the Kurdish language class, even though it was canceled after public outcry.

In the meetings, the PUK president and the defense minister discussed the latest military and security developments and measures to eradicate the remnants of ISIS and emphasized the cooperation and coordination between the Peshmerga forces and the Iraqi army, especially in areas where there are security gaps to maintain peace and security in the regions between the Iraqi army and Peshmerga.

President Bafel Jalal Talabani stressed the importance of relations between Iraq and the Kurdistan region and greater coordination between the Peshmerga forces and the Iraqi army. President Talabani said that the security situation in Iraq requires all of us to cooperate and coordinate to protect the country's stability and our people.

They also discussed several joint projects to improve relations and increase military operations. Both sides agreed that protecting the lives of Iraqis and fighting terrorism should be a priority.

Since the 2017 independence referendum of the Kurdistan region, many gaps have developed between the Peshmerga and Iraqi security forces, leading to a security vacuum in the disputed territories that ISIS has used as a safe haven to launch attacks against Peshmerga and Iraqi security forces. On Friday, ISIS terrorists assaulted an Iraqi military outpost, beheading four soldiers.

Today, Wednesday, President Dr. Latif Jamal Rashid arrived in Iraq’s northernmost city of Duhok. He met with Ivan Faiq Jabro, Iraqi Minister of Migration and Refugees, and top Duhok officials to discuss the situation of refugees living in Duhok refugee camps.

President Rashid said there is a national consensus to prioritize the refugee issue. The President stressed providing the refugees with necessary supplies as winter approaches. The President praised the efforts of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to monitor the camps, emphasizing the need to mobilize the actions of the relevant parties in the central government to support the region in this regard.

He also stressed the need to end their suffering by reconstructing and restoring their cities to facilitate their return to their homeland.

Many refugees who live in Duhok refuse to return to their homes for security reasons. Duhok governorate has taken many refugees, especially Yazidis, as they lived in Duhok and its neighboring Mosul province.

Lebanese security forces extradited a descendant of Saddam Hussein's nephew to Iraq on charges of membership in ISIS and involvement in the Camp Spieker massacre. Many former Baathist leaders that Baghdad wants have taken to Jordan and Lebanon to hide from persecution. 
 
A Lebanese judicial source said Sabawi "was detained on June 11" following an Interpol notice calling for his arrest over his alleged involvement in the massacre. The Sabawi family had rejected the charges and claimed that he was in Yemen when the killings happened, a claim that KurdSat English could not verify. 

Abdullah Yasser, born in 1994, was arrested in Lebanon on June 11 on charges of participating in the Spiker massacre and committing war crimes in Iraq.

Abdullah Yasser Sabawi wanted in connection with the Spiker massacre, has been arrested in Lebanon and will be returned to Iraq, the Interior Ministry said on Friday.

On June 12, 2014, ISIS killed about 1,700 cadets at the Spyker military base in Tikrit, the capital of Saladin province. The cadets were gathered and shot one by one on the banks of the Tigris River, per a video released by ISIS. The Spieker mass murder perpetrators are either on the loose or unknown, though Iraq has executed several terrorists in connection with the massacre. 

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said today, in a press conference that, the constitution shall be the base for addressing the issues between the Kurdistan region and Baghdad in regards to hydrocarbon reserves and federal spending. The “eternal constitution” could serve to solve the troubles and help reach a deal that satisfies both ends, al-Sudani added.

The seventh Iraqi PM after the fall of Saddam Hussein is not the first premier to work on stabilizing Baghdad-Erbil relations, although the task is difficult as it has gone through episodes of tumult and even short military clashes in 2017.

The PM also noted that before the parliament could moot the oil and gas bill in the House, Erbil and Baghdad shall come to an understanding on the issue. Years of talks between the Erbil and Baghdad had not yielded substantial

Since the drafting of the 2005 Iraqi constitution many gaps between the federal government and Erbil have developed. The most pressing disputes are Kurdistan region’s budget share in Baghdad and Erbil’s handling of the region’s hydrocarbon reserves.

After a failed kidnap attempt, a US citizen, living in Baghdad's Karada neighborhood since May 2021, was killed on Monday in central Baghdad, Iraqi police sources said. A police source said the victim's ID showed his job as an English teacher. A Security official said armed men in a vehicle opened fire at an SUV carrying the victim and shot him dead.

The mid-aged American citizen has frequently visited Baghdad and lived in Baghdad's Karada thoroughfare since May 2021. According to his Twitter, he spoke Arabic and was married with three children.   

US state department spokesperson Ned Price said they were aware of an American citizen killed in Baghdad and are looking into it, but was not sure of his identity yet. Two security officials confirmed a United States citizen who worked for an international aid organization had been killed without giving his name. 

The Canadian Military announced the death of a Canadian military officer in a "non-operational" on Saturday in Central Baghdad. The Canadian Military disclosing his identity, said, "He was working in Baghdad, Iraq, as an Executive Officer to the Directorate of Strategic Communications for Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve."

Iraqi Security Media cell said today that Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani had directed Interior Minister Abdul Amir Shamari to set up an intra-agency inquiry committee to investigate the killing of the US citizen.

Attacks against foreign individuals in Iraq have been since the defeat of ISIS in the country in 2018, but at times, rockets are fired towards American bases and representative offices in the country. 

In March 2021, a US contractor died of a heart attack while sheltering from a rocket attack on an Iraqi base in Kirkuk, hosting troops from the US-led coalition fighting ISIS.

Two months into the incident, a US drone strike near Baghdad International Airport assassinated Iranian Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani.