Shafaq News- Duhok

Drivers in Iraq’s Duhok province faced hours-long waits forsubsidized gasoline on Sunday, with more than 800 vehicles lining up at asingle fuel station as persistent shortages continued to disrupt supplies.

Several drivers told Shafaq News they had begun queuing theprevious day, but fuel distribution at several stations had still not startedby midday. Some stayed in their vehicles throughout the wait, while othersspread blankets along the roadside and slept as they waited for their turn.

Saleh Mohammed joined the queue on Saturday night, brieflyleaving his vehicle before returning early Sunday morning to hold his place. Bymidday, he was still waiting, with fuel distribution yet to begin.

Such delays have become an exhausting part of securingsubsidized gasoline. Mohammed said the time needed to obtain fuel can varywidely, with the process sometimes taking five, six or even seven hours, whileon other occasions the wait is considerably shorter.

Baghdad and several other Iraqi provinces have faced renewedshortages of gasoline and gasoil, which is widely used by larger vehicles. TheOil Ministry had previously attributed the shortages to delayed shipments asthe Iran-US conflict disrupted tanker movements, compounding a gap betweendomestic production and consumption. It announced that new shipments wouldarrive soon, putting daily gasoline consumption at about 33 million liters,rising to around 38 million during periods of heightened demand.

Read more: Fuel, jobs dominate week of protests across Iraq

Shafaq News- Erbil

The Kurdistan Democratic Party’s (KDP) Culture and Media Department on Sunday announced a project to publish 11 books on the history of the September Revolution next year under the title “Pride of History.”

Shawan Khoshnaw, head of the book evaluation committee, said during a press conference that the project aims to document aspects of the revolution’s history that have received limited attention from writers, intellectuals and academics in the Kurdistan Region.

He said the books will cover five main themes: the September Revolution in official documents, international newspapers and regional newspapers, as well as oral history and coexistence during the revolution.

Khoshnaw said writers, intellectuals and academics from across the Kurdistan Region and abroad can participate, provided their submissions follow academic research standards, including the use of official documents, oral accounts and established standards for historical research.

He said the project is intended to further document the history of the September Revolution for current and future generations.

Submissions are open from Sunday, Khoshnaw said, with works to be presented to the evaluation committee before selected contributions are brought together under the project and published next year.

Read more: September Revolution ignited Kurdish “confidence and justice”

Shafaq News- Al-Sulaymaniyah

Security forces in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region arrested 22 suspected ISIS members in Al-Sulaymaniyah and Halabja, including an alleged senior religious official, the Region’s security agency said on Sunday.

In a statement, the agency said its General Directorate of Security Operations carried out a series of operations over the past 96 hours in coordination with security directorates in Al-Sulaymaniyah and Halabja.

Security forces also seized large quantities of heavy, medium and light weapons, along with hand grenades, military binoculars and ammunition.

The agency said intelligence gathered during the investigation indicated that the suspects had been planning several attacks in the Kurdistan Region for mid-September.

At 11:20 p.m. on Saturday, security forces arrested the group’s alleged “sharia emir” in Khurmal, Halabja province, after an exchange of gunfire during the arrest operation. No casualties were reported.

Within ISIS, the title “sharia emir” generally refers to a senior religious official responsible for interpreting and enforcing the group’s extremist version of Islamic law and providing religious justification for its activities.

The agency said all 22 detainees were ethnic Kurds and that investigations were continuing.

ISIS lost territorial control in Iraq in 2017 but continues operating through scattered cells in rural and remote areas.

Read more: Tracking down ISIS in Iraq: From rugged terrain to DNA identification

Shafaq News- Al-Sulaymaniyah

TEDx Slemani in Al-Sulaymaniyah opened on Saturday evening, drawing a largeaudience and participants from across the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) andbeyond.

Shkar Atta, the event’s supervisor,told Shafaq News that six speakers from the KRI were selected for this year’sedition based on their backgrounds and accomplishments. Each delivered a five-to 10-minute presentation on key stages in their careers, challenges andachievements, with audience members engaging directly with the speakers.

Atta said the interaction extended beyond the presentations, with speakersand attendees exchanging contact details, social media accounts and websites toremain connected after the event.

The program also featured artistic performances and a concert alongside thespeaker sessions.

Shafaq News- Erbil

The Kurdistan Region Presidency on Saturday condemned attacks on Saudi oil infrastructure, warning that Iraqi territory must not become a source of threats or attacks against neighboring countries.

The Presidency backed the federal government’s investigation into the attacks, adding that respect for sovereignty, good-neighborly relations, dialogue, and cooperation were essential to protecting Iraq’s security and stability.

The Saudi Foreign Ministry on Friday said several drones launched from Iraqi territory struck the East-West oil pipeline in the Riyadh and Medina regions, causing injuries and damage. The ministry said the Kingdom would refrain from responding for now after Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi asked Riyadh to give Baghdad an opportunity to prevent further attacks originating from Iraqi territory.

A federal Iraqi investigation found that the attacks had been launched from Maysan province, prompting Al-Zaidi to dismiss the commander of Maysan Operations Command. He later removed the province’s police chief and referred security agency directors for investigation over “recent security breaches.”

Shafaq News- Erbil

Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani on Fridaycalled for stronger Kurdish unity to protect Iraq’s federal system, theKurdistan Region’s constitutional status and rights.

In a statement marking the 65th anniversary of the SeptemberRevolution, Barzani paid tribute to its leader, the late Mulla Mustafa Barzani,and to the Peshmerga forces and others who took part in the Kurdish movement,arguing that cooperation among the Kurdistan Region’s political forces remainsthe only way to address current challenges.

“The September Revolution broke out at a difficult time whenthe existence of the people of Kurdistan and their rights were denied,” Barzanisaid. He added the revolution helped bring Kurdish demands for freedom tointernational attention and laid the groundwork for subsequent officialrecognition and constitutional gains.

The revolution began on September 11, 1961, underMulla Mustafa Barzani against the Iraqi government at the time, spreadingacross different parts of the Kurdistan Region and becoming one of the majorKurdish political and armed movements of the 20th century. It marked theemergence of the Peshmerga, Kurdish armed forces, as a symbol of resistance anda key player in Kurdish self-defense efforts.

Read more: Leader Barzani, PM Barzani: September Revolution ignited Kurdish “confidence and justice”

Shafaq News- Erbil

Climate change and droughtcould eventually force hundreds of thousands, or even millions, of Iraqis fromtheir homes, particularly in the south and among livestock-dependentcommunities, Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) foreign relations chief SafeenDizayee warned on Thursday.

Speaking at an InternationalOrganization for Migration (IOM) event in Erbil, Dizayee said climate pressuresare already driving displacement from southern areas toward the north, citingdrought in the marshes and the loss of rural livelihoods.

IOM data for September 2025recorded 31,001 families, or 186,006 people, displaced by climatic factorsacross 12 Iraqi provinces, with three in five families moving to urban areas.In Dhi Qar alone, more than 10,500 families, nearly 60,000 people, had beendisplaced by February 2026 because of worsening water shortages and climatepressures.

Dizayee also called forstronger cooperation with international partners to curb irregular migrationfrom Iraq, saying human-smuggling and trafficking networks are too extensive toeliminate completely and that efforts should focus on reducing them. IOM andthe Iraqi government launched Iraq’s National Migration Strategy on September9, setting priorities including protection, regular migration pathways, supportfor returnees, displacement management, and livelihood opportunities.

Read more: Drought pushes Iraq’s marshland communities into exodus

Shafaq News- Erbil

Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani renewedhis support for bringing weapons under state control through dialogue andunderstanding during talks with Iraqi Parliament Speaker Haibet al-Halbousi.

The two agreed that the security and stability of Iraqand the Kurdistan Region (KRI) are bound together. Barzani reaffirmed the KRI'ssupport for Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi's government and for settling theweapons question in a way that ensures arms are held only by the state.

The talks also covered disputes between Erbil andBaghdad and the need to resolve them under the constitution, the KurdistanRegion's share of the federal budget, and the latest developments across theMiddle East.

The two sides also discussed recent developments in theMiddle East and their repercussions, stressing the importance of coordinationamong Iraq’s political forces and communities in addressing current challenges.

سەرۆکی هەرێمی کوردستان و سەرۆکی ئەنجومەنی نوێنەران، دۆخی وڵات تاوتوێ ده‌که‌نhttps://t.co/t4lzxCuUx3 pic.twitter.com/GkbGof0qVh

— Kurdistan Region Presidency (@KurdistanRegion) September 10, 2026

Shafaq News- Erbil

The Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) completed on Thursday the unification of Peshmerga Units 70 and 80 under the Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs through a planned military restructuring process.

In a statement, the ministry described the move as a “historic achievement,” saying the forces had been reorganized under a single command-and-control structure after years of efforts to overcome administrative and organizational divisions.

Under the restructuring, Peshmerga formations have been reorganized at the brigade, division and military-region levels, while the commands of two military regions will formally begin operations, according to the statement.

The ministry said the changes place the unified forces directly under its authority and are intended to establish a modern, professional Peshmerga force operating through a single institutional command.

It credited support from KRI President Nechirvan Barzani, Prime Minister Masrour Barzani and Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani, as well as assistance from the US-led Global Coalition under an existing memorandum of understanding.

The ministry called on Coalition partners to continue supporting the unified Peshmerga during the next phase of reforms.

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has spent years working to integrate forces historically associated with the KRI’s two main political parties: Unit 80, linked to the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), and Unit 70, linked to the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK).

The reform program seeks to bring those formations under the direct administrative and military authority of the Peshmerga Ministry. In June, the ministry launched a Coalition-supervised training program as a practical step toward integrating the forces, which had also been redesignated as Region One and Region Two.

The United States, United Kingdom and Germany have supported the wider Peshmerga reform program, which includes changes to command structures, training, administration and force organization.

Shafaq News- Qamishli

Dozens of students and teachers rallied in Qamishli on Thursday, demanding that Syria recognize Kurdish as an official language alongside Arabic and allow full Kurdish-language instruction across all school levels.

Protesters carried signs reading “Our language is our identity and existence” and “We do not want only three or four Kurdish classes,” while chanting in support of Kurdish linguistic and cultural rights.

Salma Hamo, one of the protesters, told Shafaq News that Kurds should have the right to study in their mother tongue after decades of marginalization and called for Kurdish to receive official status in Syria’s future constitution.

She described three weekly Kurdish classes as “insufficient.”

“We want the government to reconsider its latest decision and prepare educational curricula in Kurdish so Kurdish students can continue studying in their mother tongue,” Hamo said.

Shirwan Sabri, a secondary-school student, told Shafaq News that he had studied the Kurdish-language curriculum introduced by the Autonomous Administration for 12 years and would struggle to switch to Arabic-language instruction.

“Thousands of Kurdish students in Kurdish areas of Syria face the same difficulty,” he said. “We want to continue studying in our mother tongue. This is our natural right.”

Read more: Kurds in Syria: From marginalization to a defining political force

The protest follows an Aug. 27 decision by Syria’s Education Ministry expanding Kurdish-language instruction in public and private schools in areas with significant Kurdish populations.

Under the revised rules, schools will teach Kurdish as a national language for three classes a week across all educational levels, with grades counting toward students’ final results. Schools will also provide one weekly Kurdish-language activity class. During the first academic year, students may study social studies, history, geography and philosophy in either Arabic or Kurdish.

The decision implements Presidential Decree No. 13, issued by transitional President Ahmad Al-Sharaa on Jan. 16, which recognized Kurdish as a national language and allowed its teaching in public and private schools in areas with significant Kurdish populations. The decree did not grant Kurdish co-official status alongside Arabic.

Kurdish political figures have continued to press for broader recognition. Democratic Union Party (PYD) co-chair Gharib Hasso told Shafaq News earlier this month that Kurdish should become an official language alongside Arabic.

Shafaq News- Al-Sulaymaniyah

Detainees in Al-Sulaymaniyah’s Lalezar Hotel case maybe facing pressure in custody, defense team spokesperson Dana Taqi Al-Din saidon Thursday, as the trial scheduled for today was postponed, with the date ofthe next hearing to be set on Sept. 13.

At a press conference, Taqi Al-Din noted that onedefendant’s testimony had changed “180 degrees” from his account at theprevious hearing. “I was not satisfied, and I felt there was another scenario.”

Families have also contacted the defense team afterbeing denied visits since last Thursday, according to Taqi Al-Din, who raisedfurther concerns over the separation of those in custody from one another.

Former detainee Hawzhin Hadi Sur alleged on Wednesdaythat suspects had been subjected to physical and psychological torture andforced to sign or fingerprint statements they had not given or whose contentsthey did not know. Authorities have not publicly addressed the allegations.

Taqi Al-Din also criticized restrictions on mediaaccess to the courtroom, arguing that proceedings should be open to all outletsrather than entry being determined by the Kurdistan Region’s security forces (Asayish).

The court has yet to hear testimony from People'sFront Party (PFP) leader and former Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK)co-president Lahur Sheikh Jangi, his brother Polad Sheikh Jangi, and RebarHamad Haji Ghali.

The case stems from clashes around Al-Sulaymaniyah’sLalezar Hotel on Aug. 22, 2025, between PUK-affiliated security forces andgunmen loyal to Sheikh Jangi. The fighting caused casualties on both sides and endedwith the detention of Sheikh Jangi and dozens of his supporters.

Al-Sulaymaniyah Criminal Court heard from severaldefendants last week before adjourning proceedings against Sheikh Jangi, Polad,and others.

Read more: Arresting Lahur Jangi in Al-Sulaymaniyah: WHAT WEKNOW SO FAR

Shafaq News- Erbil

The Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) is pushing to secure itsconstitutional share of the country's 2027 federal budget, including oilrevenues, investment funds and international financing, as Baghdad prepares thedraft law for next year.

The KRG delegation raised those demands during talks inBaghdad on Sept. 9 with several federal ministries.

According to a KRG statement, during the meeting with IraqiFinance Minister Faleh Sari, the delegation called for KRI's financial shareand entitlements to be determined on a fair constitutional and legal basis,with a clear formula governing financial relations between Baghdad and Erbil.

Al-Sari affirmed that the Finance Ministry would addressthe Kurdistan Region's financial rights in line with the constitution andrelevant laws.

The delegation, in a meeting with the undersecretary of theMinistry of Planning, along with Directors General overseeing governmentinvestment, discussed the allocation of investment funds based on the latestnational population census, as well as financing for KRI development projectsand petro-dollar allocations.

Read more: Cabinet to vote on Iraq’s 2027 budget in September

The delegation also sought a share of international loans,aid and grants, arguing that the Kurdistan Region bears responsibility forrepaying its proportional share of those loans and their interest and shouldtherefore benefit from the financing.

Planning Ministry officials agreed to consider theproposals during the budget process, with both sides committing to continuedtechnical and legal coordination.

The discussions with Iraqi officials also focused on oil,one of the main sources of tension between Baghdad and Erbil. The delegationheld talks about the sector's provisions in the 2027 budget, includingprojected export volumes, oil production from Kurdistan's fields, the estimatedoil price for 2027, and volumes allocated for domestic consumption.

The Kurdistan delegation said oil produced in the KurdistanRegion for export would be handed over to the State Organization for Marketingof Oil (SOMO) for sale on international markets, with the proceeds transferredto Baghdad.

The delegation also reaffirmed Kurdistan's commitment toits constitutional and legal obligations, while urging Baghdad to secureErbil's financial and constitutional rights, particularly the salaries andentitlements of its employees, on a fair basis and on par with theircounterparts elsewhere in Iraq.

Read more: 2026 budget: Iraq confronts unprecedented fiscal strain

Shafaq News- Erbil

Some oil companies in the Kurdistan Region have resumed production, while others remain offline pending the air-defense and security guarantees they sought after repeated drone attacks, Interior Minister Rebar Ahmed said on Thursday.

Ahmed told reporters in Erbil that crude production has partially resumed and is reaching the market.

Crude exports from the Kurdistan Region and Kirkuk were running at about 220,000 barrels per day (bpd) as of Sept. 7, with around 70,000 bpd coming from the Kurdistan Region and the remaining 150,000 bpd from Kirkuk.

Repeated drone attacks on oil infrastructure in the Kurdistan Region earlier this year forced several foreign operators to suspend or reduce production, prompting Baghdad and Erbil to discuss security guarantees and protection measures for the fields.

In June, an Iraqi military delegation visited oil facilities in Erbil and Duhok to assess air-defense requirements, while Baghdad pledged security guarantees for companies operating in the Region.

On Aug. 29, acting Natural Resources Minister Kamal Mohammed Salih said production had resumed at all oil fields except Sarsang, which remained offline after sustaining damage in drone attacks.

Read more: Kirkuk targets 1M bpd oil exports through Turkiye

Shafaq News- Erbil

An Iraqi Kurdish PhD student has died in a drowning accident in China,the Chinese Consulate General in Erbil reported on Thursday, as Chineseauthorities investigate the circumstances of his death.

Mohammad Saad al-Din Hadi was pursuing his doctoral studies at China’sOcean University, according to the Consulate, which offered its condolences tohis family.

The Consulate’s spokesperson said the mission had contacted relevantauthorities in China to learn more about what happened. Local public securityauthorities and the university have also formed a team to investigate theincident under Chinese law and relevant procedures.

The Consulate will provide further information once the investigation iscomplete. It also urged media outlets to respect Hadi’s privacy and that of hisfamily and avoid publishing unverified information or speculation about thecase.

Shafaq News- Erbil

Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani and UK Defence Senior Advisor to the Middle East and North Africa Vice Admiral Edward Ahlgren discussed continued coordination against ISIS, federal weapons control and Peshmerga unification in Erbil on Thursday.

According to the Kurdistan Region Presidency, the talks covered British security and defence cooperation with Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, Baghdad’s efforts to bring weapons under federal state control, steps to unify the Peshmerga forces and broader regional security developments.

سەرۆکی هەرێمی کوردستان پێشوازی لە ڕاوێژکاری باڵای سەربازیی بەریتانیا دەکاتhttps://t.co/lCYR1hQTcG pic.twitter.com/xR028Buwua

— Kurdistan Region Presidency (@KurdistanRegion) September 10, 2026

The two sides also discussed Erbil-Baghdad relations, developments across the Middle East and the importance of resolving disputes through peaceful means.

Shafaq News- Al-Sulaymaniyah

A former detainee in the Lalezar Hotel caseclaimed on Wednesday that authorities tortured suspects physically andpsychologically and took their statements without lawyers present.

Hawzhin Hadi Sur, who spent nearly two months indetention, said at a press conference in Erbil that “detainees were forced toput their fingerprints and signatures on confessions and statements they hadnot made and whose contents they did not know.”

With the trial underway, Sur called on the court to question the detaineesagain and record new statements under proper legal procedures before issuingrulings. He claimed that most of the charges and statements attributed to themwere false and obtained under coercion.

On August 22, 2025, armed clashes broke outaround Al-Sulaymaniyah’s Lalezar Hotel between security forces affiliated withthe Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and gunmen loyal to former PUKco-president Lahur Sheikh Jangi. The fighting left casualties on both sides andended with Sheikh Jangi and dozens of his supporters detained.

Lastweek, the Al-Sulaymaniyah Criminal Court postponed the trial of Sheikh Jangi,his brother Polad, and other defendants in the case after hearing testimonyfrom several of them.

Read more: Arresting Lahur Jangi in Al-Sulaymaniyah: WHAT WE KNOW SO FAR

Shafaq News-Baghdad/ Erbil

Iraqi Oil MinisterBasim Mohammed Khudair and Kurdistan Region acting Natural ResourcesMinister Kamal Mohammed Salih called for continued dialogue and coordinationbetween Baghdad and Erbil on the oil and gas sector, the Oil Ministry said onWednesday.

During a meeting inBaghdad, the two officials discussed several issues concerning the sector,including the draft federal oil and gas law and cooperation between the federalgovernment and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).

The talks come asBaghdad and Erbil continue implementing arrangements governing oil exports fromthe Kurdistan Region. Kurdish crude exports through Turkiye’s Ceyhan portresumed in September 2025 after more than two years of suspension, under anagreement placing Iraq’s State Oil Marketing Organization (SOMO) in charge ofmanaging the Region’s international shipments.

Read more: KRG, Baghdad reach deal to restart oil exports via Ceyhan on March 18

Crude exports fromthe Kurdistan Region and Kirkuk were running at around 220,000 barrels per day(bpd) as of September 7, with the KRG supplying about 70,000 bpd and Kirkukfields accounting for the remaining 150,000 bpd.

Shafaq News- Duhok

The remains of 10 people who died during the 1991 Kurdish mass exodus have been found near the Sarzeri border crossing with Turkiye, with DNA testing underway to identify the victims, a Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) official told Shafaq News on Wednesday.

Nawser Abdul, director general at the KRG Ministry of Martyrs and Anfal Affairs, said three of the graves opened so far were those of children buried in their clothes, while only one victim has been identified by name. The graves were uncovered during expansion work at the Sarzeri crossing, where the contractor halted excavation after human bones appeared and notified the authorities.

The victims died during the mass flight that followed the collapse of the March 1991 Kurdish uprising against Saddam Hussein’s government. UNHCR records show that about 400,000 mostly Kurdish Iraqis fled toward Turkiye and another 1.3 million toward Iran within roughly three weeks in April 1991.

Read more: The history of the Kurds in Iraq

According to Abdul, the KRG also plans, subject to available resources and families’ wishes, to recover remains and restore graves of Kurdish victims in Mardin, Mus, and Diyarbakir.

Read more: The evolution of Kurdish power in Iraq

Shafaq News- Erbil

Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani on Wednesday signed a regional decree promoting 519 officers from the Interior Ministry’s General Directorate of Internal Security Forces.

سه‌رۆكی هه‌رێمی كوردستان پله‌ی (519) ئەفسەری ئاسایش به‌رز ده‌کاته‌وه‌https://t.co/IGbXvpPsQl pic.twitter.com/3NQ2ozAv4l

— Kurdistan Region Presidency (@KurdistanRegion) September 9, 2026

The Kurdistan Region Presidency said the decree, issued under the Presidency Law and other applicable legislation, promotes the officers to the ranks for which they qualify.

The decree took effect on Sept. 9.

Shafaq News- Erbil

Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani and outgoing Russian Ambassador to Iraq Elbrus Kutrashev on Wednesday reaffirmed Russia’s commitment to ties with Iraq and the Kurdistan Region as the envoy prepares to leave after five years in the post.

Their talks also covered relations between Erbil and Baghdad and the latest “regional developments.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin appointed Timur Pechatkin as Moscow’s new ambassador to Iraq on August 25, succeeding Kutrashev. Pechatkin previously served as deputy director of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Middle East and North Africa Department.

Shafaq News- Erbil

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) condemned on Tuesdayattacks targeting cities and economic facilities in several parts of SaudiArabia that injured civilians, including women and children.

In a statement, the KRG expressed full solidarity with SaudiArabia and its people, saying such acts run counter to basic humanitarianvalues and called for restraint in addressing regional conflicts.

“Peace and dialogue are the best way to address crises andconflicts,” the statement said, warning that continued escalation and violencewould only deepen instability across the region and further threaten thesecurity of its people.

Saudi Arabia's foreign ministry blamed Yemen's Houthimovement for attacks “on civilian and economic sites in four cities in thekingdom's south,” saying 73 people, among them women and children, werewounded.

Earlier, Yemen’s Houthis (Ansarallah) said they carried out a“qualitative and extensive military operation” targeting Saudi Aramcofacilities and a military airbase in southern Saudi Arabia, “in response” toSaudi airstrikes on Yemen over the past three days.

Shafaq News- Erbil

The Rwanga Foundation has partneredwith several private universities and institutes to offer more than 100scholarships to this year's secondary-school graduates across the KurdistanRegion of Iraq (KRI) under its “My Desired University” project.

The foundation, a non-governmentalorganization set up in 2013 to support education and youth in the KRI, said the free placesare open to students finishing grade 12, the final year of secondary school, intowns and cities across theKurdistan Region. The scheme is run in coordination with privateuniversities and institutes and pairs the scholarships with guidance onadmission procedures and on adjusting to university life.

The foundation said it had alsodeployed about 200 trainers and counselors this year, working in psychological,advisory, and academic support across 17 centers in the KRI. Their role is toguide students through the online university admission form known as ZankoLine, the KRI’s electronic enrollment system.

Shafaq News- Erbil

Rising fuel prices and unreliable electricity supplies areincreasing the risk of renewed tree cutting in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region asautumn and winter approach, the Aynda Organization for Environmental Protectionwarned on Tuesday.

Aynda President Marouf Majid told Shafaq News that reportsfrom forest and environmental police indicated that residents had begun cuttingtrees in several mountainous areas over the past two months.

He called the trend a serious threat to the region’sforests, which have already lost large areas of vegetation in recent years dueto fires, drought, climate change and other factors.

The price of a 200-liter barrel of heating oil has risenfrom about 250,000 dinars ($191) to nearly 300,000 dinars ($229), placingadditional pressure on residents of mountainous areas ahead of winter, Majidnoted.

The organization has repeatedly urged the Kurdistan RegionalGovernment and its Ministry of Natural Resources to provide mountainouscommunities with sufficient fuel at affordable prices before winter. Suchmeasures, Majid stressed, could help prevent residents from turning to treesfor heating.

“Households in mountainous areas need about 10 barrels ofoil, each holding 200 liters, during autumn, winter and part of spring forheating,” he said, adding that other areas of the region require more thanthree barrels, due to changing weather patterns and lower temperatures.

Climate change, drought, fires, tree cutting andencroachment on forests and land have all contributed to the degradation ofKurdistan’s natural environment, Majid noted.

Read more: Aynda warns of worsening Iraq, KRI air pollution

Many countries have adopted measures to address the effectsof climate change, he added, while local responses have yet to match theenvironmental risks facing the region.

Aynda’s statistics show that more than one million dunams*of forests and rangelands in the Kurdistan Region were burned between 2010 and2021.

Forests have also been affected by tree cutting, fires, landclearing and the construction of buildings, roads and other projects, damaginglarge areas of vegetation and natural habitats, Majid noted.

Majid urged the Ministry of Agriculture, the EnvironmentalProtection and Improvement Board, government agencies and relevantorganizations to develop a joint plan to protect natural resources and providemountainous communities with fuel at affordable prices rather than commercialrates.

If current conditions persist, he warned, large areas ofKurdistan’s forests could disappear in the coming years, returning the regionto conditions seen in the 1990s, when residents relied on trees for heating.

*1 Dunam = 2,500 square meters

Shafaq News- Erbil

The Kurdistan Regional Government(KRG) has completed more than 480 projects across multiple sectors, withanother 380 currently underway, Construction and Housing Minister Dana AbdulKarim told Shafaq News on Tuesday.

Abdul Karim said the government ispreparing to launch a new package under a “10-year strategic plan” focusedparticularly on roads, infrastructure and housing, highlighting “fullcoordination” among government teams and authorities across the KurdistanRegion to respond to residents' demands and carry out projects addressing theirneeds.

The figures come as the KRG advancesinfrastructure and public service projects in Erbil. Last month, the governmentbegan implementing a package worth nearly one billion Iraqi dinars (about$760,000), funded through the capital's municipal revenues and covering roadconstruction and paving, rainwater drainage and sewage networks, and thedemarcation of residential plots.

Construction has also begun on theShorsh Bridge along the Erbil-Koy Sanjaq dual carriageway. The 48-meter-highstructure is expected to become the highest bridge of its kind in Iraq,according to project engineers.

Shafaq News- Duhok

The Antiquities and Heritage Directorate in Duhok said on Tuesday it hadremoved writing left by tourists on the historic Bahdinan Gate in Amedi(Al-Amadiya), in northern Duhok province.

Bekas Brifkani, head of the directorate, told Shafaq News that staff hadremoved the markings using specialized materials and under expert supervisionto preserve its historical and aesthetic value.

Read more: Discover Iraq: Duhok —haven and hardship in Iraqi Kurdistan's frontier

Bahdinan Gate is one of the main archaeological landmarks in Amedi, amountain town in northern Duhok province in Iraq's Kurdistan Region. Brifkanidescribed the gate as an important part of the region's centuries-old heritage.

According to official data, Duhok province drew about 1.7 milliontourists in 2025.

Read more: Visit Kurdistan: Al-Amadiya’s stories carried by the clouds