Prime Minister Congratulates Mandaeans on the "Brunaya" holiday
Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani congratulated our Mandaean people on Monday on the occasion of their celebration of the "Brunaya" Creation Day.
The Prime Minister's Media Office said in a statement received by the Iraqi News Agency (INA): that "Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani extended his sincere congratulations to our Mandaean people on the occasion of their celebration of the "Brunaya" Creation Day, praying to God Almighty to bring them goodness and blessings, and that our noble Iraqi people, with all their components and sects, enjoy security and stability."
The statement added that "Al-Sudani reiterate the importance of the fraternal coexistence and societal stability enjoyed by all components of our people, while adhering to Iraq as one cohesive homeland that accommodates all."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Shafaq News
2 hours ago
- Shafaq News
Iraqi MPs campaign gathers 120+ signatures to advance PMF Law
Shafaq News – Baghdad More than 120 Iraqi lawmakers are pushing to advance the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) Authority Law by collecting signatures to place it on the agenda of upcoming parliamentary sessions, an Iraqi MP revealed on Wednesday. Independent MP Hussein al-Saabri told Shafaq News that First Deputy Speaker Mohsen al-Mandalawi has affirmed the session will be held soon, noting strong parliamentary determination to pass the law during the current term. 'If it is not approved now, there will be no real opportunity to pass it in future terms,' al-Saabri stressed, adding that adopting the law would honor the sacrifices of PMF fighters who battled ISIS and ensure the group's transformation into a formal institution governed by binding legislation, similar to other security agencies. Earlier, MP Ibtisam al-Hilali of the Shiite Coordination Framework confirmed that more than 100 lawmakers had already endorsed a request for an extraordinary session to vote on the PMF Authority Law. The Coordination Framework is pressing for its passage, while Kurdish and Sunni blocs have resisted, linking their positions to unresolved disputes over budgets, oil revenues, and border crossings. US officials have voiced strong opposition, describing the bill as a tool to institutionalize Iran-aligned factions.
Rudaw Net
4 hours ago
- Rudaw Net
Kurdistan Region's forests nearly halved by fires over 60 years: Official
Also in Kurdistan KRG halts flights to Saudi Arabia as Umrah pilgrims remain stranded Erbil court hands Duhok journalist new prison sentence Plastic waste accounts for over a quarter of the Kurdistan Region's trash, experts warn Halabja declares two days of mourning after wildfires claim two lives A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Nearly half of the Kurdistan Region's forests have been lost over the past several decades, an environment official said Wednesday, as civil defense teams struggle to contain recent blazes that have destroyed thousands of dunams of woodland. 'We have lost nearly 50 percent of our forests in the last 50 to 60 years,' Sanan Abdullah, spokesperson for the Kurdistan Region's Board of Environmental Protection and Improvement, told Rudaw. He attributed the loss to 'political, military, and social reasons,' as well as rising temperatures as climate change takes its toll on the region. In June 2024, Turkey intensified its decades-long war against the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), particularly in northern Duhok province. The conflict sparked numerous fires that burned swathes of land and endangered the lives of villagers. However, amid the ongoing peace process, military attacks in the area have decreased by 97 percent, according to US-based Human Rights Watch and local conflict monitors, resulting in significantly fewer fires compared to last summer. Leftover landmines from the Turkey-PKK conflict and earlier battles between the Kurdish Peshmerga forces and the former Iraqi regime have also contributed to the fires. According to Abdullah, the Region had nearly 5 million dunams of forest land in the 1950s. From 2009 to 2022 alone, nearly 1 million dunams were lost. 'This accounts for the loss of a historical sum of our forests,' he said. A dunam equals 2,500 square meters. 'The [fires] have a significant long-term effect on the area. The growth of a forest takes many years of work… But fires cause them a lot of damage, and require [around] 50 years until a forest is revitalized,' Abdullah explained. He urged the use of modern technologies to help mitigate wildfires. 'We must protect the forests,' he said. On Tuesday, Halabja declared two days of mourning for two people - a civilian and a member of the Kurdistan Region's forestry police - who died while trying to extinguish a wildfire that has burned for a third consecutive day in the province. The blaze destroyed large parts of dense, mountainous forest in hard-to-reach areas. An official from Halabja on Tuesday told Rudaw that uncleared mines have made it more difficult to contain the fire. Wildfires in Sulaimani province in late June scorched hundreds of dunams of land, destroyed centuries-old trees, and caused widespread environmental damage. Officials and residents warned at the time that limited resources and difficult terrain were hampering firefighting efforts. Wildfires are a recurring problem in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, particularly during the summer months when extreme heat significantly increases the risk.
Shafaq News
6 hours ago
- Shafaq News
KRG to transfer non-oil revenues to Baghdad
Shafaq News – Halabja The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) is ready to transfer 120 billion dinars (approximately $91.6 million) in non-oil revenue to the Iraqi government, KRG Spokesperson Peshawa Hawrami announced on Wednesday. Speaking at a press conference in Halabja, Hawrami noted that a 'crucial meeting' is underway between the KRG delegation and Iraqi officials to discuss the handling of non-oil revenues. The dispute between Baghdad and Erbil stems from long-standing disagreements over oil export mechanisms and the pooling of public revenues. While the KRG maintains that it has complied with the 2023–2025 Federal Budget Law by transferring 50% of its non-oil revenues and a portion of its oil income to Baghdad, it also accused the Iraqi government of 'failing to meet its obligations' and 'breaching constitutional provisions' by withholding funds. Tensions escalated sharply in May 2025 after Baghdad withheld Kurdish employee salaries, although similar disputes have periodically resurfaced. On August 17, the Kurdish Ministry of Natural Resources confirmed an agreement with Iraq's Ministry of Oil to resume exports, allocating the first 50,000 barrels of daily production for local consumption and delivering the remainder to the State Oil Marketing Organization (SOMO) for export. An informed source previously outlined to Shafaq News that the deal also provides for the KRG to receive 240 billion dinars (approximately $183 million) — 120 billion per month for May and June — while sending 230,000 barrels of oil daily to Baghdad in exchange for salary payments to Kurdish employees.
