Shafaq News- Erbil

Kurdistan Orchestra drew a largeaudience in Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), on Sundaywith a performance that recast traditional Kurdish music through Westernclassical orchestration.

Led by prominent Georgian conductorand artist Mamuka Ilashvili, the concert at Peshawa Hall at the KRI Ministry ofCulture and Youth featured a selection of Kurdish folk compositions newlyarranged by the Georgian artist.

Ahmed Kamal, a participant in theperformance, told Shafaq News that Kurdish musical heritage has considerablemelodic richness and diversity that could help it reach international stages.He described the concert as an effort to present the melodies in a modern formwithout losing their original character.

Read more: From soul to spectacle: How Iraqi music lost its voice

Shafaq News- Al-Sulaymaniyah

Iraqi Kurdistan Region (KRI) security forces (Asayish) announced on Sunday the arrest of fivesuspects in Al-Sulaymaniyah for allegedly producing counterfeit historicalcoins and antiquities and marketing them as authentic items inside the KRI and abroad.

The Asayish said its Investigation Directorate, incoordination with the General Directorate of Asayish in Al-Sulaymaniyah,arrested the suspects on August 3, 2026.

Last month, the agency seized 685 authentic silver coinsdating to the 12th and 13th centuries and arrested three suspects attempting tosell them illegally in Al-Sulaymaniyah.

Shafaq News- Duhok

Farmers in Duhok province, in theKurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), are harvesting sumac from more than 3.5 milliontrees this August, with the locally grown crop drawing demand from Europe, theUnited States, and neighboring countries.

More than 9,000 dunams (900 hectares)are planted with sumac in Dinarta, a mountainous subdistrict of Akre innorthern Duhok, with production expected to reach around 6,000 tons this year,Dinarta Agriculture Department official Diljar Mahdi Taha Ismail told ShafaqNews.

The area produces three mainvarieties: red sumac, the most widespread; Baliki sumac; and white sumac,considered the highest quality and most sought after. Prices have risensignificantly from last year, with farmer Nimat Abbo Zaid Khalid putting red sumacat 10,000-11,000 Iraqi dinars ($7.60-$8.36) per kilogram this season and whitesumac at 12,000-13,000 dinars ($9.12-$9.88).

The harvest, which usually begins inearly August, was delayed until mid-month after around 20 days of heavy springrainfall affected flowering and caused some blossoms to fall, Khalid toldShafaq News. Despite the impact on this season’s crop, the trees remained inbetter condition than during the severe drought of the previous two years.

Khalid’s family has cultivated andharvested sumac since 1993 and owns around 7,000 trees. The crop is pickedentirely by hand, then dried and processed before being transported to Dinartafor wholesale sale.

Beyond local production, sumac fromDinarta is marketed across the KRI and central and southern Iraq, while morethan 5,500 tons were exported to Turkiye and Iran last year. Difficult accessto mountain farms remains one of the main challenges for growers, promptingauthorities to work on opening roads to facilitate access and croptransportation.

A private company in Akre is alsocoordinating with the government to export large quantities annually, as localagricultural authorities seek to expand marketing channels and increase exportoutlets, according to Ismail.

Read more: Iraq’s water crisis: A structural rewrite of agricultural governance

Shafaq News- Al-Sulaymaniyah

The Democratic Party of IranianKurdistan (PDKI) will not use Iraqiterritory to launch attacks against Iran, spokesperson Khalid Azizi said onSunday.

In a statement, Azizi noted that theparty had informed the Iraqi government and the Kurdistan Regional Government(KRG) that it would not use the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) as a rear base,stressing that the focus of its activities remains inside Iran.

He added that the PDKI has sought toavoid giving Tehran a pretext to target the KRI or drawing the Kurdistan Regioninto the conflict with Iran.

In an Aug. 9 interview with AlJazeera, KRI Prime Minister Masrour Barzani said the Kurdistan Region had beensubjected to more than 1,000 missile and drone attacks, “either directly fromIran or by militias operating from inside Iraq.” The attacks have includedsites belonging to Iranian Kurdish opposition groups, which oppose thegovernment in Tehran and have maintained a presence in the KRI since before1991, with some arriving in Iraq as refugees even earlier.

Read more: Nearly four weeks of attacks on the Kurdistan Region of Iraq

Shafaq News- Erbil

The European Union seeks to strengthen its ties with theKurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) and expand cooperation across several areas, EUAmbassador to Iraq Clemens Semtner said during a meeting with KRI PresidentNechirvan Barzani on Sunday.

Semtner met with Barzani in Erbil in the presence of StefanWint, the newly appointed head of the EU office in the city. Barzani hailed theEuropean Union’s continued support for Baghdad and Erbil, welcoming Wint to hisnew post.

سەرۆکی هەرێمی کوردستان سوپاسی یەکێتیی ئەورووپا دەکاتhttps://t.co/q54SwbDg2b pic.twitter.com/2dkK2axtOS

— Kurdistan Region Presidency (@KurdistanRegion) August 30, 2026

The two sides also discussed political and domesticdevelopments in Iraq, as well as the latest developments across the widerregion.

Shafaq News- Erbil

The Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) has handed over dozensof people wanted in corruption cases to Baghdad, along with seized money, goldand property, KRI Interior Minister Reber Ahmed said on Sunday, pointing tocloser cooperation with the Iraqi government in corruption investigations.

At a press conference, Ahmed stated that Erbil wasenforcing arrest warrants issued for people wanted by the Iraqi primeminister’s office and the Federal Integrity Commission. “We are always seriousabout combating corruption, the drug trade and terrorism,” he added, expressinghope that authorities can reach a stage where the impact and consequences ofthese issues are reduced.

The cooperation took a more formal shape on Thursday, whenIraq’s federal and KRI anti-corruption bodies agreed to coordinate efforts topursue corruption suspects across administrative boundaries, including theexecution of arrest warrants and the recovery of illicit funds.

The agreement followed a meeting on Wednesday between KRIPresident Nechirvan Barzani and Federal Integrity Commission chief Mohammed AliMuftan in Erbil. During the meeting, Barzani pledged full cooperation with thecommission and judicial authorities to uphold the law and protect institutionaland judicial independence.

During the first phase of Iraq’s anti-corruption campaign,launched on June 28 under the directive of Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi,Kurdistan Region security forces took custody of eight suspects arrested inErbil, including three lawmakers, and transferred them to Baghdad for legalproceedings.

Read more: Corruption arrests in Iraq pass 210 under PM al-Zaidi

Shafaq News- Erbil

Local and internationalcompanies at the Erbil International Construction and Building Exhibition arepursuing partnerships and investment opportunities in Iraq, with a focus onmodern building technologies, sustainable energy, and infrastructure solutions.

More than 450 exhibitors from20 Arab and foreign countries are taking part in the four-day event, which beganon Thursday and includes business-to-business (B2B) meetings linking overseasparticipants with Iraqi investors.

Iraq’s expandinginfrastructure sector is creating opportunities for cooperation with foreignpartners, Abdul Malik Qasim, manager of an Iraqi firm at the exhibition, toldShafaq News. “It is a real opportunity to secure strategic contracts.”

For Saif Awad, who representsanother company at the exhibition, the interest extends beyond sellingconstruction materials. Businesses, he said, increasingly see Iraq as aninvestment destination where they can introduce new technologies and transferengineering expertise.

Infrastructure consultantSarah Mohammed highlighted sustainable construction and energy efficiency asmajor areas of interest, noting that discussions with investors reflected “aserious desire to turn memoranda of understanding into projects on the ground.”

Shafaq News- Erbil

Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani onSaturday mourned Mehdi Zana, a prominent Kurdish politician in Turkiye, hailinghis decades-long political career and the sacrifices he made in advocating forKurdish rights.

Barzani extended his condolences to Leyla Zana, hiswife, as well as to the family, relatives and friends of the late Zana.

Ji bo koça dawî ya siyasetmedarê naskirî yê Kurd Mehdî Zana, sersaxiyê li xanim Leyla Zana û hemû malbat, kesûkar û hevalên wî dikim.Xwedêjêrazî yek ji kesayetiyên diyar ên karwanê xebata siyasî ya Kurd li Tirkiyeyê bû, salên dûr û dirêj ji temenê xwe ji bo parastina mafên gelê…

— Nechirvan Barzani (@IKRPresident) August 29, 2026

Born in 1940 in Silvan, Turkiye, Zana was electedmayor of Diyarbakir in 1977. He remained in office until the Sept. 12, 1980,military coup, after which he was imprisoned for 11 years. Following hisrelease, Zana lived in exile in Sweden before returning to Turkiye in 2004.

Shafaq News- Al-Sulaymaniyah

A photography exhibition in Al-Sulaymaniyah is bringingtogether 105 images by 65 photographers from across the Kurdistan Region,capturing people, places and moments through the work of professionalphotographers.

The three-day exhibition opened on Saturday at the RedSecurity building under the theme “The camera is the eye of history.” It wasorganized by the Al-Sulaymaniyah branch of the Kurdistan PhotographersAssociation.

The exhibition is open to visitors from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. localtime each day, with the photographs displayed at 60 by 90 centimeters.Organizers restricted participation to images taken with professional cameras,excluding photographs captured on mobile phones.

Abbas Abdullah, head of the Kurdistan PhotographersAssociation, told Shafaq News that the exhibition was organized to markPhotography Day. It was initially scheduled for Aug. 19 but was postponedbecause circumstances prevented it from taking place on that date.

Alongside the exhibition, photography seminars are beingheld at the Civil Development Organization (CDO), covering the art ofphotography, its objectives and basic principles. The sessions are intended tohelp photographers sharpen their skills and expand their technical knowledge.

Among the participating photographers is Jener Kamal, whohas worked in photography for about 14 years. Her experience includesdocumenting events during the war against ISIS, when she accompanied thePeshmerga, the official armed forces of the Kurdistan Region, and photographedaspects of the conflict.

“Annual exhibitions of this kind give photographers anopportunity to present their work and further develop their abilities,” shesaid. Kamal also pointed to the role of women in photography, expressing her intentionto continue developing her work and encouraging more women to enter the field.

Read more: 100 photos document Al-Sulaymaniyah street figure

Shafaq News- Al-Sulaymaniyah

Sunni and Shiite Muslims in Al-Sulaymaniyah gathered onSaturday to mark the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad (Mawlid) together, in thecity's first joint celebration of the occasion.

Held under the supervision of the Supreme ReligiousAuthority in the Kurdistan Region, the ceremony brought together religiousfigures, community members and Sufi participants at Al-Abrar Hussainiya.

The program featured Quranic recitations, religious chantsand hymns performed by children, along with Sufi praises of the Prophetrecounting aspects of Muhammad's life and virtues.

For Sheikh Imad al-Zirijawi, a representative of theAuthority, the occasion carried significance beyond its religious and historicalimportance, reflecting social and humanitarian values and the ability of peoplein Al-Sulaymaniyah to come together.

"This participation represents the true image ofIslam. Muslims complement one another, and the Prophet and the Prophet's familybring us together," he said. "Religious occasions should strengthenties between Muslims rather than become a cause of division," framing thegathering as a celebration of tolerance, unity and coexistence.

Read more: Mawlid celebrations begin in Al-Sulaymaniyah

Shafaq News- Erbil

A wildfire broke out on part of Mount Safeen, northeast ofErbil, on Saturday and remained out of control as strong winds and ruggedterrain hampered firefighting efforts.

Residents of Ziarat village, at the foot of the mountain,told Shafaq News that the cause was unknown, while the lack of access roadsprevented fire crews from reaching the site.

Mount Safeen, one of the Kurdistan Region’s highestmountains, lies in the Smaquli Valley northeast of the regional capital.

A similar wildfire broke out on Mount Azmar inAl-Sulaymaniyah last week.

Read more: KRG tightens fire safety standards

Shafaq News- Erbil

The Kurdistan Region (KRI) cannot sell regular gasoline at the pricecharged across the rest of Iraq because the federal government supplies it withcrude oil far more expensively than it does other refineries, the KRI’s actingnatural resources minister said Saturday.

Kamal Mohammed Salih told reporters that pump prices have reached recordhighs above 1,500 dinars a liter (about $1) and more than triple the 450-dinarrate charged elsewhere in Iraq, adding that the Kurdistan Regional Governmenthas tried to close that gap and end “discrimination against Kurdish citizensrelative to other Iraqis.” The obstacle, he said, is the price Baghdad sets forthe crude the KRI must refine into fuel.

The federal Oil Ministry supplies crude to refineries in central andsouthern Iraq at about 5,900 dinars a barrel ($4) but charges the KurdistanRegion around 16 dollars a barrel, Salih said.

Even matching the lower price would not fully resolve the shortage, hesaid, because KRI needs 115,000 barrels of crude a day to meet local demand.

Kurdistan has about 2.9 million officially registered vehicles, headded, and should receive crude in line with its 12.6 percent share of Iraq'spopulation —an allocation he put at about 126,000 barrels a day. Thatpopulation-based figure, also used to set the KRI share of the national budget,has long been contested between Erbil and Baghdad in disputes over oil revenueand federal transfers.

Iraq's 16 other provinces together receive one million barrels of crudea day for refining, an average of about 66,000 barrels each, Salih said, whilethe Kurdistan Region is left out of that direct supply arrangement.

Read more: Fuel shortages paralyze Erbil gasoline stations

Shafaq News- Erbil

The Kurdistan Engineers Syndicate held its secondconference in Erbil on Saturday, 26 years after its founding meeting, with 207engineers gathering to elect a new council and syndicate head.

Zhyar Jalal, a conference member, told Shafaq Newsthat the syndicate’s internal rules require a conference every six years, butthe second meeting was repeatedly delayed. Twenty-seven candidates arecompeting for eight council seats, with two alternate positions also to befilled. At least one of the eight council members must be a woman.

Five candidates are also competing for thesyndicate’s top post, with the winner to be determined after the council vote.

Read more: Iraqi lawmakers back appointment demands of 600 engineers

Shafaq News- Erbil

The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) is working to avoid early electionsin the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) and instead reactivate the parliament andform a new government.

KDP spokesman Mahmoud Mohammed told reporters, on Saturday, that recentpolitical developments require reactivating parliament as soon as possible andtaking practical steps to form the region's tenth cabinet. He said the KDP wasseeking an early meeting with the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) tobreak the deadlock in negotiations.

The KRI held legislative elections in October 2024, after a two-yeardelay, with the KDP winning 39 seats out of 100 and the PUK 23. The partieshave yet to agree on the distribution of ministerial portfolios or resolvetheir disputes, leaving the tenth government unformed.

On the prospect of an early election, Mohammed said the party would notneed to pursue that option if a practical path emerged to convene parliamentand form a government, adding that "the dialogue is the only way toresolve pending issues," and that the KDP would not preempt the outcome ofthe planned talks.

Read more: Kurdistan’s 10th cabinet: Interlocking alliances and persistent political differences

Shafaq News- Erbil

The International Chess Federation (FIDE) commendedthe Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) for introducing chess into its schoolcurriculum as “an important milestone for chess education.”

Developed by Khanzad Chess Club in cooperation withthe Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) Ministry of Education and the IraqiChess Federation, the program covers students in grades seven, eight, and nine.

FIDE highlighted the game’s role in developingcritical thinking, concentration, creativity, discipline, patience, andproblem-solving skills.

Khanzad Chess Club, headed by Dr. Dlzar HamasalihQadir, prepared the curriculum and a 15-page section incorporated into theofficial Physical Education Teacher’s Guide. The club also trained 150 physicaleducation teachers from Erbil during a week-long course organized with theEducation Ministry.

Schools across the KRI have begun implementing theprogram, which FIDE said is a model of cooperation between educational andchess institutions and is a step toward expanding chess education in Iraq.

Shafaq News- Erbil

Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani on Friday mourned the death of Norway’s King Harald V, saying he was “deeply saddened” by the monarch’s passing.

“He was a respected and devoted king who served his country with dignity, wisdom and humility for more than three decades,” Barzani said, offering his condolences to Norway’s royal family and people.

I am deeply saddened by the passing of His Majesty King Harald V of Norway. A respected and devoted monarch, he served his country with dignity, wisdom and humility for more than three decades.I extend my heartfelt condolences to the Royal Family and the people of Norway on…

— Nechirvan Barzani (@IKRPresident) August 28, 2026

Norway’s Royal Palace announced earlier on Friday that Harald had died peacefully at Oslo University Hospital at 6:35 a.m. local time. He was 89.

Harald had reigned since 1991 and was Europe’s oldest reigning monarch at the time of his death.

Shafaq News- Erbil

The Kurdistan Region’s Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs on Friday warned officers and fighters against sharing military photos or videos after social media accounts began asking personnel to send footage of themselves taking part in combat while in uniform.

The ministry urged Peshmerga personnel not to share information or footage of military activities 

In March, the ministry barred commanders, officers, and fighters from sharing information, images, or videos related to military positions on social media after six Peshmerga fighters were killed and 30 wounded when six Iranian ballistic missiles struck two positions in the Soran administration, north of Erbil. Between July 17 and August 12, strikes on Peshmerga positions and bases belonging to Iranian Kurdish opposition groups killed at least nine people and wounded at least eight.

Iran claimed responsibility for part of the campaign, while other attacks were launched from inside Iraq or remained unattributed.

Read more: Nearly four weeks of attacks on the Kurdistan Region of Iraq

Shafaq News- Al-Sulaymaniyah

Representatives of non-permanent lecturers in Iraqi Kurdistan are seeking permanent government posts for about 78,000 educators through the 2027 federal budget, warning that delayed payments could disrupt the coming school year.

At a press conference on Thursday, lecturers’ representative Mohammed Kamal said a delegation had met the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) ministries of Education and Finance before traveling to Baghdad for talks with parliament’s Finance Committee, political blocs, and Kurdish ministers in the federal government.

The KRG Finance Ministry had asked Baghdad to place the lecturers on the permanent payroll, he added. Finance Committee members supported including the issue in the 2027 budget, while political blocs the delegation met pledged to back the request during debate and voting.

Read more: Iraq moves to results-based budgeting in 2027

The lecturers proposed three options. The first would place them on the permanent payroll if the 2027 budget also grants permanent posts to lecturers in central and southern Iraq. Under the second, the KRG would continue paying about 400,000 to 500,000 Iraqi dinars (roughly $305 to $382) per lecturer each month, while the federal government covers the remaining amount; the third would use around 12,000 vacant teaching posts created by retirements and deaths over the past two years.

Lecturers have still not received their July payments, Kamal cautioned, warning that continued delays could leave some unable to “cover transportation and other work costs,” putting regular attendance during the new academic year at risk.

The 2027 budget carries added weight because Iraq has operated without a full national budget for two years, relying on the one-twelfth spending mechanism to cover salaries and essential expenditures. The Iraqi government plans to introduce program- and performance-based budgeting with the 2027 spending plan.

Read more: How the 1/12 rule reduced state finances to salary payments

Shafaq News- Al-Sulaymaniyah

The General Directorate of Security (Asayish) inAl-Sulaymaniyah announced on Thursday the arrest of three suspected drugtraffickers and the seizure of a large quantity of marijuana brought into theKurdistan Region from abroad.

The directorate said the suspects were detained on August 19in the province following extensive surveillance and intelligence gathering.

Earlier this month, Asayish arrested six suspected drugtraffickers in three operations in Al-Sulaymaniyah, seizing 3.5 kilograms ofmarijuana, 5.3 kilograms of opium, 149,490 narcotic pills and 350 syringescontaining narcotic substances.

Read more: High-altitude contraband: Iraq’s desert smugglers take to the skies

ShafaqNews- Erbil

TheKurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) has issued more than 900 investment licenses since 2019 and has achieved self-sufficiency in most construction materials, Kurdistan Region Investment Authority Chairman MohammedShukri said on Thursday.

Speakingat the Erbil International Construction and Building Exhibition, which bringstogether 450 local and foreign companies over four days, Shukri outlined theKurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) continued support for the private sectorand its efforts to encourage participation in reconstruction and development,particularly in industry.

‘’KRIcurrently produces more than 21 million tons of cement annually, whilereinforcing steel production exceeds 4 million tons a year,’’ he added, asauthorities work to expand markets for these products in other Iraqi provincesand develop export opportunities abroad.

TheInvestment Authority is also seeking to broaden domestic production to includebricks, electrical cables and other electrical materials, as well as whitecement, he said.

Thefour-day Erbil International Construction and Building Exhibition opened today,bringing together specialized companies from 20 Arab and foreign countries. SeniorKurdistan Region officials, heads of chambers of commerce and diplomaticrepresentatives attended the opening ceremony and described the event as aplatform for boosting economic activity, attracting investment and supportinginfrastructure development across Iraq, including the Kurdistan Region.

Companiesfrom Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Britain, Germany, India, France,Switzerland, Qatar, Turkiye, China, Iran, Egypt, Jordan, Pakistan, Lebanon,Portugal, Greece, Japan, South Korea and the United States are all taking partin the exhibition.

Shafaq News- Baghdad/ Erbil

Iraq's federal and Kurdistan Regionanti-corruption bodies agreed on Thursday to coordinate the pursuit ofcorruption suspects across administrative boundaries, including the executionof arrest warrants and recovery of illicit funds.

In a joint statement, the FederalIntegrity Commission and the Kurdistan Region’s Integrity Commission stressedthat geography should not obstruct cooperation or allow suspects to evade legalproceedings, pledging to work jointly to bring those wanted in corruption casesbefore the appropriate courts.

They described closer Baghdad-Erbilcoordination as essential to restricting escape routes, preventing theconcealment of illicit funds and strengthening efforts to return them to thepublic treasury in accordance with the constitution and applicable laws, includingthe amended Federal Integrity Commission and Illicit Gain Law No. 30 of 2011and the amended Kurdistan Region Integrity Commission Law No. 3 of 2011.

Both sides also agreed to strengthencooperation on training, awareness and preventive measures to improve oversightand promote integrity, transparency and accountability across the country.

The agreement follows a meeting onWednesday between Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani and FederalIntegrity Commission chief Mohammed Ali Muftan in Erbil, during which Barzaniexpressed readiness to fully cooperate with the commission and judicialauthorities to uphold the law and safeguard institutional and judicialindependence.

During the first phase of Iraq’santi-corruption campaign, Iraqi authorities, in coordination with KurdistanRegion security forces, took custody of eight suspects arrested in Erbil,including three lawmakers, and transferred them to Baghdad for legalproceedings.

Read more: Corruption arrests in Iraq pass 210 under PM al-Zaidi

Shafaq News- Erbil

A drone was shot down near Badalyan village in theSoran Independent Administration of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) onWednesday, sparking a fire, a security source told Shafaq News.

The incident occurred in the Diana subdistrict, withthe drone’s origin unknown and no casualties or damage immediately recorded.

KRI Prime Minister Masrour Barzani told Al-Jazeera onAug. 9 that the Region had faced more than 1,000 missile and drone attacks,“either directly from Iran or by militias operating from inside Iraq.”

Read more: Two weeks of attacks on Iraqi Kurdistan, Iran claims US damage

Shafaq News- Erbil

Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) President NechirvanBarzani on Wednesday expressed hope that the integration of the SyrianDemocratic Forces (SDF) into Syrian state institutions would mark “thebeginning of a new phase” in Syria, where the rights of all citizens andcommunities are protected.

Barzani welcomed progress in implementing theagreement between Damascus and the SDF and urged Kurdish parties and otherSyrian communities to support its completion, crediting Syrian transitionalPresident Ahmed Al-Sharaa and former SDF commander Mazloum Abdi with advancingthe process.

أرحب بالتقدم الكبير المحرز في عملية اندماج (قسد) مع القوات الحكومية السورية، والخطوات المتخذة لتنفيذ الاتفاقات المبرمة بينهما، وأرى في ذلك تطوراً مهماً نحو تعزيز أمن سوريا واستقرارها، وأدعو جميع الأطراف الكوردية ومكونات سوريا إلى دعم هذه الخطوات والمساهمة في إنجاحها.وأثمّن…

— Nechirvan Barzani (@IKRPresident) August 26, 2026

Abdi formally announced the dissolution of the SDF onTuesday and its integration into Syrian state institutions.

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

Shafaq News- Erbil

Construction began on Wednesday on the GrandBarzani Mosque in Erbil, the Kurdistan Region of Iraq’s (KRI) capital,following the laying of its foundation stone by Prime Minister Masrour Barzani.

KRI Minister of Endowments and Religious Affairs PshtiwanSadiq and Erbil Governor Omed Khoshnaw inspected the site and met supervisingengineer Goran Rashid to review progress, a Shafaq News correspondent reported.

Inspired by the traditional Kurdish tent, known as arashmal, the mosque blends Kurdish heritage patterns and ornamentation withmodern architecture. Kurdish engineers and technical teams developed the plans,with construction relying entirely on local expertise.

The wider complex will accommodate religious events,education, and social activities.

Several features draw on the life and legacy of Kurdishleader Mullah Mustafa Barzani, a central figure in the Kurdish nationalistmovement. The four minarets will rise 76 meters, reflecting his age at the timeof his death, while their number is intended to symbolize the four directions.

Covering more than two million square meters, thedevelopment will feature a park containing over one million trees, seedlings,and ornamental plants, as well as an artificial lake and a large artificialwaterfall, intended to expand green space and improve Erbil’s urbanenvironment.

Shafaq News- Al-Sulaymaniyah

Hundreds of dogs competed for awards in IraqiKurdistan’s Al-Sulaymaniyah on Wednesday as the city’s International Dog Dayfestival sought to promote responsible pet ownership and challenge animalneglect and abuse.

The fourth edition drew owners, breeders, enthusiasts,and visitors, with a specialized panel choosing six winners —three trainedpolice dogs (K9s) and three household dogs— from hundreds of participants basedon health and professional criteria rather than appearance alone, festivalsupervisor Niga Salah told Shafaq News, noting that the selected dogs and theirowners will receive prizes.

Beyond the competition, Salah called the festival “aneffort to strengthen animal welfare awareness, particularly among youngergenerations,” pointing to the turnout as evidence of growing public interest.“The main goal is to bring humans and animals closer and teach generations howto care for and respect animals,” she explained, adding that animals, likepeople, are entitled to a safe and healthy environment.