Shafaq News- Erbil

Authorities in the Kurdistan Region (KRI) ordered three dietary supplements marketed for weight loss withdrawn from sale on Sunday after laboratory tests detected undeclared sibutramine, a drug linked to serious cardiovascular risks.

The Kurdistan Region's pharmaceutical quality control directorate identified the products as ROMA Coffee, Milano Coffee and Ginseng Tea, saying tests had found substantial amounts of sibutramine that neither the manufacturer nor the importer had disclosed in product documentation.

In a statement, the directorate said the withdrawal was intended to protect public health, citing the drug's risks to the heart and circulatory system.

It urged consumers to stop buying or using the products and instructed pharmacies and pharmaceutical warehouses to immediately halt their sale and purchase, warning that violators would face legal penalties.

The statement did not specify the quantities being withdrawn or any measures taken against the manufacturer and importer.

Sibutramine, previously used to treat obesity, was withdrawn from the US market in 2010 after clinical evidence linked it to an increased risk of heart attack and stroke. The European Medicines Agency also recommended suspending marketing authorizations for medicines containing the drug that year after concluding that their risks outweighed their benefits.

Read more: Iraq’s Pharmaceutical Crisis: shortages, counterfeit drugs, and ineffective reforms

Shafaq News- Erbil

Mohammed Faisal Karim Khan, a member of the Kurdistan Parliament representing the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), has submitted his resignation, the Results Electoral Organization in the Kurdistan Region stated on Sunday.

According to the Organization's head, Karzan Mohammed, Khan ran in the 2024 parliamentary elections in Erbil under ballot number 5, finishing second on the PUK list with 9,733 votes.

His seat is expected to go to Luqman Wardi, the next candidate on the PUK list in Erbil, who received 4,606 votes and is the list's first alternate.

Wardi failed to secure a seat in the current parliamentary term after Nishtiman Nawberdan won a place through the women's quota system with 1,819 votes.

The reason for Khan's resignation remains unclear, while the Kurdistan Parliament's presidency has yet to issue an official statement confirming it.

The Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) held its parliamentary elections in October 2024, with the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) winning 39 seats, the PUK taking 23, and the New Generation Movement (NGM) securing 15.

Shafaq News-Al-Sulaymaniyah

Iraq'sFederal Supreme Court has rejected a lawsuit seeking to suspend the KurdistanRegion Parliament's activities, Ali Hama Saleh, rapporteur of the National StanceMovement (Halwest), said on Sunday.

Salehrecalled that he had previously sought to dissolve the legislature through thecourts, maintaining that ending the current parliamentary term remained themost appropriate option.

The official'searlier lawsuit, which challenged the continuation of a parliament he arguedhad failed to fulfill its duties, was rejected by the Federal Supreme Court onOctober 26.

Thepolitical dispute dates back to the October 2024 parliamentary elections, whichleft no party with an outright majority and delayed the formation of a newKurdistan Regional Government (KRG).

Tensionsescalated on November 4, when 52 lawmakers convened despite a boycott by thePatriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and the New Generation Movement, electingKurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) candidate Vala Fareed as speaker.

The PUK andNew Generation subsequently challenged the session before the Federal SupremeCourt, while the KDP defended parliament's reopening as lawful and necessary torestore legislative activity.

Read more: Kurdistan Parliament deadlock through fourpolitical lenses

Shafaq News- Erbil

Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani onSunday condemned the November 8 attack on the Khor Mor gas field as an“unforgivable crime” against all Iraqis, urging the federal investigativecommittee to expedite its findings and bring those responsible to justice.

Speaking at the launch of the second phase of Erbil’sGreen Belt Project, Barzani criticized attacks on the Kurdistan Region’s energyinfrastructure, citing disruptions to essential services and the Runakiprogram, which aims to provide round-the-clock electricity.

He highlighted the project’s role in reducing air andwater pollution and expanding green spaces, comparing the strike to pastefforts to destroy trees in the Kurdistan Region and make life harder forresidents.

About the Attack

Unidentified drones struck the Khor Mor gas field inAl-Sulaymaniyah’s Chamchamal district on November 8, sparking a fire that waslater extinguished and forcing UAE-based Dana Gas to haltproduction, the company said the following day.

A local source told Shafaq News that the dronewas likely launched from a mountainous area near Tuz Khurmatu in Saladinprovince, although its origin remains unconfirmed. Iraqi Prime Minister AliAl-Zaidi ordereda joint investigation with Kurdistan Regional Government authorities toidentify the perpetrators.

The disruption initially reduced the Kurdistan Region’selectricity generation by 2,500 to 2,800 megawatts, triggering widespreadoutages. By November 11, output had risenfrom 1,000 to 1,500 megawatts, increasing household electricity supply fromfour to six hours daily, according to the Electricity Ministry.

Economic watchdog Eco Iraq estimateddaily losses from the shutdown at more than $4.15 million.

On Saturday, Dana Gas confirmed that the fieldremained unable to produce gas because of significant damage, dismissinglocal media reports that operations had resumed. Managed by Pearl Petroleum, aconsortium that includes the UAE-based company, the facility supplies naturalgas to power plants across the Kurdistan Region and has been targeted 12 timesin 2025 and 2026.

Read more: Khor Mor attack sparks gas fears as officialsdeny shortages

Shafaq News- Duhok

Duhok Municipality has developed 15 public parks, 145walkways, and small green spaces in residential neighborhoods this year,municipal media official Shirwan Hassan Shaheen told Shafaq News.

The municipality is also developing new parks covering 1.575million square meters. According to Shaheen, green spaces now account for 14%of the city, with coverage expected to reach 18% once the ongoing projects arecompleted.

Tree-planting campaigns have expanded along major roads andcentral medians, including the planting of around 1,000 fruit trees along aroad leading toward the University of Zakho and the Chamber of Commerce. Othermunicipal projects include upgrading parks and tourist sites, opening new roadssuch as Music Road, and improving intersections to reduce pollution and expandgreen coverage.

Agricultural expert Amin Amidi told Shafaq News thatgovernment and non-government organizations are also carrying out campaigns toplant millions of oak seeds and other native trees. He urged residents to helpprotect trees, parks, and public spaces, citing their importance to publichealth and quality of life.

Environmental expert Mohammed Taher Brevkani, meanwhile,warned that Duhok continues to face significant air pollution from poorlyregulated older refineries, low-quality diesel used in generators, and risingvehicle emissions.

Green spaces in the city center have fallen below 10% due tourban expansion and inadequate environmental planning, compared with themunicipality's reported 14% coverage across the city, he noted.

Brevkani further called for stricter oversight ofrefineries, better fuel quality, and wider tree-planting programs, noting thatthe environmental standards he cited require green spaces to cover at least 25%of urban areas.

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

Shafaq News- Al-Sulaymaniyah

UAE-based Dana Gas confirmedon Saturday that production at the Khor Mor gas field in Al-Sulaymaniyahremains suspended following a drone attack, dismissing local media reportssuggesting operations had resumed.

The November 8, 2026, strikesparked a fire at the site in Chamchamal district, which was laterextinguished. Dana Gas announcedthe production halt the following day.

Operated by Pearl Petroleum, aconsortium that includes Dana Gas, Khor Mor supplies natural gas to powerplants across the Kurdistan Region and has been targeted 12 times in 2025 and2026.

Read more: Khor Mor shutdown costs over $4M daily

Shafaq News- Halabja

Iran has explicitly rejected anyreturn to a two-administration system in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI),Kurdistan Socialist Democratic Party (KSDP) Secretary-General MohammedHaji Mahmoud said on Saturday, as tensions between the KRI's two main rulingparties continue.

Speaking at a press conference inHalabja, Mahmoud, widely known as Kaka Hama, said an Iranian delegation hadrecently visited the KRI and met Kurdish political leaders, conveying Tehran'sopposition to any scenario involving the Kurdistan Region's division intoseparate administrations.

Mahmoud urged the KurdistanDemocratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) to takeresponsibility for overcoming the political crisis, stressing the need topreserve the KRI's unity. Describing their escalating exchanges as “mutualpolitical pressure,” he noted that the parties had overcome more seriousdisputes in the past, including armed conflict, and that resolving theirdifferences required genuine political will.

He also welcomed KDP leader MasoudBarzani's initiative to bring political parties together for dialogue,describing it as an important step toward promoting stability.

The KDP–PUK Dispute

Thepolitical deadlock dates back to the October 2024 parliamentary elections, whenthe KDP won 39 seats, the PUK 23, and the New Generation Movement 15 in the100-seat legislature, leaving no party with an outright majority and delayingthe formation of a new government.

Tensionsescalated on November 4, 2026, when the Kurdistan Parliament convened despite aboycott by the PUK and New Generation, with some lawmakers from the two partieshaving previously declared themselves independent or severed party ties. Thesession drew 52 lawmakers, including six elected on the PUK and New Generationlists who attended despite their parties' boycott, and elected KDP candidateVala Fareed as speaker.

PUKleader Bafel Talabani rejected the November 4 parliamentary session andthreatened to establish parallel governing institutions in PUK-controlled areasif the KDP proceeded with political appointments, declaring, “If you form agovernment, we will form a government.”

TheKDP, meanwhile, defended parliament's reopening as legal and necessary torestore legislative activity. Barzani called for renewed negotiations and a broad-basedgovernment on November 9, but Talabani dismissed the public invitation three days later as “notserious,” while leaving open the possibility of responding to a formal meetingrequest. The PUK and New Generation also challenged the November 4 sessionbefore Iraq's Federal Supreme Court.

Read more: Kurdistan Parliament deadlock through fourpolitical lenses

Shafaq News- Al-Sulaymaniyah/ Duhok

The Kurdistan Communist Party (KCP)warned on Saturday that the political deadlock between the Kurdistan Region ofIraq's (KRI) two main parties could revive separate administrations, assupporters staged protests in Al-Sulaymaniyah and Duhok demanding an end topolitical divisions and the preservation of the KRI's unity.

Calls For Unity

In Al-Sulaymaniyah, party officialHassan Mahmoud blamed disputes between the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) andthe Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), delays in forming a new government, anddisruptions to legislative work for a “dangerous deadlock and deep crisis.”

Mahmoud accused the rival parties ofreinforcing administrative, financial, and security divisions through politicalpower-sharing arrangements. He advocated unifying Peshmerga forces, securityagencies, and public finances under a single administration, criticizing “thedivision of wealth and influence among a limited group” while living conditionsdeteriorate.

Calling for peaceful civic action todemand jobs, reliable electricity, and better education and healthcare, hecautioned that a political struggle based on “winners and losers” would harmthe people of Kurdistan. He also pressed political leaders to resumenegotiations or make way for figures capable of resolving the crisis.

In Duhok, dozens of Communist Partysupporters demonstrated outside the party's provincial headquarters. Localofficial Rebar Amedi told Shafaq News that the rivalry had reached a “dangerousstage,” arguing that prolonged divisions had exposed the KRI to pressure andinterference from Baghdad, Turkiye, and neighboring countries. Similardemonstrations took place in Zakho, Bamdri, and other parts of Badinan, headded.

The Dispute Behind The Warnings

The political deadlock dates back tothe October 2024 parliamentary elections, when the KDP won 39 seats, the PUK23, and the New Generation Movement 15 in the 100-seat legislature, leaving noparty with an outright majority and delaying the formation of a new government.

Tensions escalated on November 4, 2026, when the Kurdistan Parliament convened despite a boycott by the PUK and New Generation, with some lawmakers from the two parties having previously declared themselves independent or severed party ties. The session drew 52 lawmakers, including six elected on the PUK and New Generation lists who attended despite their parties' boycott, and elected KDP candidate Vala Fareed as speaker.

PUKleader Bafel Talabani rejected the November 4 parliamentary session andthreatened to establish parallel governing institutions in PUK-controlled areasif the KDP proceeded with political appointments, declaring, “If you form agovernment, we will form a government.”

Read more: SCOOP: PUK quits Kurdistan government over parliament dispute

The KDP, meanwhile, defendedparliament's reopening as legal and necessary to restore legislative activity.Party leader Masoud Barzani called for renewed negotiations and a broad-basedgovernment on November 9, but Talabani dismissed the public invitation threedays later as “not serious,” while leaving open the possibility of respondingto a formal meeting request. The PUK and New Generation also challenged theNovember 4 session before Iraq's Federal Supreme Court.

Concerns Over Parliamentary Rules

Separately, the PAY Foundation forEducation and Development, a Kurdistan-based NGO that monitors parliamentaryperformance, raised concerns about Article 110 of the Kurdistan Parliament'sinternal rules, which allows lawmakers to establish new parliamentary blocs.The foundation warned that the provision could enable elected representativesto shift their parliamentary affiliations, potentially changing the balance ofpower produced by election results.

In a statement, PAY argued thatdevelopments during the November 4 leadership vote reflected concerns it hadraised in 2019, when the provision was adopted with support from partiesincluding the KDP and PUK. It called for a review of Article 110, legal safeguardsagainst its misuse, and stronger protection of parliamentary institutions andvoters' choices.

Read more: Kurdistan Parliament deadlock through four political lenses

Shafaq News- Erbil

Kurdistan Region President NechirvanBarzani marked the 242nd anniversary of Al-Sulaymaniyah's founding on Saturday,describing the city as the “capital of culture” and a center of Kurdishcreativity and struggle.

In a congratulatory message toresidents, Barzani praised the city's literary and artistic heritage andexpressed hope for further development, prosperity, and peace throughout the KurdistanRegion.

لە 242-هه‌مین ساڵیادی بنیاتنانیدا، گەرمترین پیرۆزبایی ئاراستەی شاری سلێمانی، مەڵبەندی ئەدەب و هونەر، پایته‌ختی ڕۆشنبیری و تەواوی دانیشتووانی خۆشەویستی دەکەم. سلێمانی هەمیشە ناوه‌ندێكى داهێنان و تێکۆشانی گەلی کوردستان بووە. هیوای گەشەسەندن، ئاوەدانی و ئارامیی زیاتر بۆ سلێمانی و سەرتاسەری کوردستان دەخوازم.

— Nechirvan Barzani (@IKRPresident) November 14, 2026

Founded in November 1784 by KurdishPrince Ibrahim Pasha Baban, Al-Sulaymaniyah replaced Qalachwalan as the capitalof the Baban Emirate. The city was named after his father, Sulaiman PashaBaban.

Shafaq News- Erbil

More than 75% of residents of Iraq’s Sinjar district remain displaced 11 years after its recapture from ISIS, Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) official Dindar Zebari told Shafaq News on Friday.

Zebari, the KRG’s coordinator for international advocacy, blamed the continuing displacement on the failure to implement the October 2020 Sinjar Agreement between Baghdad and Erbil, insecurity, inadequate basic services and limited reconstruction. He called for stronger coordination between both governments, supported by the United Nations and international partners, to create conditions for voluntary, safe and dignified returns.

ISIS’s August 2014 attack displaced more than 400,000 people from Sinjar in Nineveh province, he said. He cited 2026 figures showing that the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) hosts 325,197 displaced Yazidis, including 135,860 in camps and 189,337 in cities and other areas.

Speaking on the anniversary of Sinjar’s recapture on November 13, 2015, Zebari described the operation under Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) leader Masoud Barzani’s supervision as a historic milestone against ISIS. More than 7,000 Peshmerga participated, he added, with more than 500 fighters dying in battles for Sinjar.

The anniversary follows Baghdad’s move last month to integrate the Sinjar Resistance Units (YBŞ) into federal security institutions. According to group representative Haji Terash, more than 4,000 men and women had joined federal forces. The KRG Interior Ministry said on October 27 that Baghdad had reached arrangements without consulting it and renewed its demand for implementation of the Sinjar Agreement.

Victims and Accountability

Zebari said ISIS killed more than 5,000 Yazidis and abducted 6,417 others, including 3,548 male and 2,869 female victims. Authorities had rescued 3,595 abductees, while 2,526 remained unaccounted for, including 1,311 male and 1,215 female victims.

The KRG had documented 93 mass and individual graves in Sinjar and surrounding areas, he said. The remains of 296 victims had been exhumed, identified through DNA testing and returned to their families. He also cited the opening of 37 mass graves with support from the UN investigative team known as UNITAD and the return of 186 victims’ remains, figures the team published in August 2024.

More than 57 gigabytes of evidence, documents and legal assessments had been transferred to KRI authorities through cooperation with UNITAD, Zebari stated. More than 3,000 cases concerning ISIS crimes had been registered and processed through the legal system since 2014.

He credited UNITAD with producing 19 assessments and analytical and investigative reports concerning acts that could constitute genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. The team had also gathered evidence supporting those classifications for crimes against Yazidis.

UNITAD, which ended operations on September 17, 2024, digitized and archived 20 million ISIS-related paper records and supported around 300 requests for judicial and investigative assistance from 21 countries. At least 18 cases it supported abroad reached the indictment stage, and at least 15 resulted in convictions, according to Zebari.

Support for Survivors

A psychological support and treatment center in Duhok had assisted more than 1,000 survivors, while more than 1,000 female survivors had been sent to Germany for psychological treatment, Zebari noted.

A KRG financial assistance program that began in August 2024 at Prime Minister Masrour Barzani’s initiative, he added, had supported more than 3,550 survivors, providing approximately $100 a month.

Read more: The long shadow of Sinjar: Twelve years after the ISIS genocide

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraqi Airways will resume direct flights to Dubai from Erbiland Al-Sulaymaniyah airports, starting November 26 and 27, respectively, DirectorGeneral Mustafa Talib said on Friday.

He added that theairline's management was working to organize flight schedules to meet traveldemand and passenger needs, alongside introducing competitive ticket offers.

Shafaq News- Sinjar

Yazidi community representative Mir Jahwar Ali Beg on Fridaycalled on the Iraqi federal and Kurdistan Regional governments to coordinateefforts to rebuild Sinjar district in Nineveh province and facilitate thereturn of all displaced residents.

Speaking to Shafaq News on the anniversary of Sinjar'sliberation from ISIS on November 13, Ali Beg said residents were preparing tomark the occasion while hoping for serious efforts to fully rebuild thedistrict and enable displaced families to return to their homes and villages.

"The liberation of Sinjar, led by leader Masoud Barzanion this day, was a national day and an occasion resembling a holiday for thepeople of the district," he said.

Ali Beg noted that around 500 Peshmerga fighters were killedduring the battles to liberate Sinjar, stressing that “their sacrificesrequired both governments to work together to restore life to the district andensure justice for its residents.”

ISIS seized Sinjar on August 3, 2014, committing massacresagainst civilians and abducting 6,417 people, including women and children. Thegroup was driven out on November 13, 2015. Since then, 3,595 abductees havebeen rescued, while around 2,500 remain missing.

Shafaq News- Al-Sulaymaniyah

The city of Al-Sulaymaniyah in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq(KRI) marked its 242nd anniversary on Thursday with a folklore and culturalfestival featuring activities aimed at preserving Kurdish heritage andhighlighting the city's history and cultural identity. 

Harem Karim, a member of the festival's organizingcommittee, explained to Shafaq News that the Ronaki Private Institute organizedthe event to introduce younger generations to the culture, history, andtraditions passed down by their ancestors.

“Such activities help younger generations learn aboutSulaymaniyah's history and origins while strengthening their sense of nationalidentity and attachment to the city,” Karim noted, adding that educationalinstitutions should mark the city's founding anniversary every year. 

The festival featured scientific and cultural activities, aphotography exhibition, and events showcasing traditional Kurdish cuisine,bringing together different aspects of Kurdish culture and folklore.

Named after the ruler of the Baban Emirate, Kurdish prince IbrahimPasha's father, Suleiman Pasha Baban, al-Sulaymaniyah was founded in November1784. The city was established as an alternative capital to the emirate'sformer seat, Qala Chwalan, amid frequent wars and conflicts between the Ottomanand Safavid empires near the old capital. 

Read more: Discover Iraq: Al-Sulaymaniyah, a haven for thinkers, artists, and activists

Shafaq News- Erbil

Baghdad prevented the Kurdistan Region (KRI) from hiring new public employees for more than 12 years, Kurdistan RegionalGovernment (KRG) Prime Minister Masrour Barzani said on Thursday.

Speaking at a graduation ceremony at SalahaddinUniversity in Erbil, Barzani hoped that his talks with Prime Minister Alial-Zaidi and federal ministers would reach a fair understanding on the budgetthat would allow recruitment to resume and create jobs for young people.

“The KRG has offered broad incentives to theprivate sector, raised the share of local young people that investment projectsmust employ, and is amending the labor law to protect private sector workersand secure their futures on a par with public employees,” he said.

A Heavy Payroll

By the end of 2025, the KRG was paying salariesor monthly assistance to 1,190,391 people, at a cost of about 945.8 billiondinars (roughly $622M) each month, according to the KRG Ministry of Finance andEconomy’s 2019–2025 report, Transparency, Expenditure, and Revenue of theKurdistan Regional Government.

Government employees account for 664,933recipients, or about 56%; the remaining 525,458 are pensioners and otherbeneficiaries. Permanent civil servants form the largest group, at 382,350,followed by 201,337 civilian pensioners, 152,182 serving Peshmerga, and 139,015retired Peshmerga. The payroll also covers 87,505 Interior Ministry personnel,83,224 families of martyrs and Anfal victims, 70,945 social-protectionbeneficiaries, 42,896 Asayish personnel, and 30,937 contract employees.

Erbil Province accounts for 585,364 recipients,or about 49% of the total, followed by Al-Sulaymaniyah with 436,740, Duhok with140,206, and Halabja with 15,334. A further 12,747 recipients are recordedunder other areas.

Separately, the KRG lists 86,791 contractemployees, teachers, lecturers and other workers paid through several fundingchannels, at a monthly cost of about 42.6 billion dinars (roughly $28 million).They include 41,382 teaching staff.

KRG said on Saturday that the total federaltransfers to the KRI fell about 105 trillion Iraqi dinars ($69.1 billion) shortof its calculated budget allocations for 2014 through 2025.

Read more: KRG: Baghdad funded one-third of salary months since 2014

Shafaq News- Al-Sulaymaniyah

Civil society organizations in Al-Sulaymaniyahlaunched a five-day fundraising campaign on Thursday to support familiesaffected by recent flooding in Erbil, collecting money, clothing, and householdessentials.

At a press conference, campaign coordinator Hero Salihcalled on residents and businesses to contribute, stressing, “Erbil is not justa city; it belongs to all of us, and its suffering is felt throughout Kurdistan.”Organizers, she said, would accept donations daily from 1 p.m. local time untillate evening and maintain records to ensure transparency in their distribution.

The Barzani Charity Foundation (BCF) began deliveringkerosene, food baskets, clothing, and household furnishings to Erbil’s Sibrdanand Sheikh Ahmed neighborhoods on Wednesday. BCF President Musa Ahmed reportedthat 1,447 locations and more than 1,000 vehicles were damaged, while 547families suffered property losses.

Flash floods caused by heavy rainfall swept across theKurdistan Region, killing two people in Erbil, according to Governor OmedKhoshnaw. Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani orderedassistance for affected residents, while the Kurdistan Democratic Party’sparliamentary bloc calledon Baghdad to compensate victims.

Read more: Heavy rain and floods sever Kirkuk–Erbil highway

Shafaq News- Duhok

More than 150 farmers, artisans andproducers gathered in northern Duhok on Thursday for the opening of the fourthTahini (Rashi) and Local Products Festival, showcasing traditional mills,freshly made tahini and a range of local specialties.

Held in Bebadi village in the Amedidistrict, the three-day festival features 150 free tents where participants candisplay and sell their products and handicrafts. More than 25 traditional millsfrom the Amedi area are also taking part, a Shafaq News correspondent reported.

The festival, now a fixture on thelocal calendar, gives visitors access to a variety of local products, includingtahini, sesame, autumn crops, traditional foods, date molasses, mountain honey,walnuts, sumac and coffee made from green kazwan seeds.

Heavy rainfall in the days leadingup to the opening delayed the arrival of some participants, the correspondentsaid.

Suleiman Hussein, owner of one ofDuhok’s oldest mills, prepared around 500 kilograms of tahini for the event,noting that demand for the mill’s products remains high. The business sometimeshas to maintain waiting lists to manage customer orders.

Speaking to Shafaq News, hedescribed the festival as an opportunity for farmers and local producers topromote their goods, attract new customers and reach wider markets.

Delshad Nirweyi, owner of thehistoric Sarni Mill, said his family had been in the milling business for morethan 100 years. “We traveled from the Dereluk area to showcase our tahini, datemolasses and walnuts,” he told Shafaq News, adding that rainfall early in theseason makes sesame selection and roasting particularly important.

Shafaq News- Al-Sulaymaniyah

Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) leader Bafel Talabani on Thursday dismissed Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) leader Masoud Barzani’s public call for dialogue as “not serious,” saying his party would review and respond to a formal request for a meeting.

Barzani’s November 9 appeal urged the PUK to meet with the KDP to resolve their differences and end the political crisis in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), putting the interests of its people above party and political interests. He also called for other political forces to participate in the political process and help form a broad-based national government that would address residents’ demands and aspirations.

In a video statement after attending the Slemani Strategic Forum, Talabani said invitations to dialogue and diplomatic messages should not be delivered through the media, noting that both sides had each other’s telephone numbers and their political bureaus remained in contact.

Talabani accused the KDP of using the public invitation as a “pretext” for steps it intended to take later, allowing it to claim that “it had offered talks, but the PUK had failed to respond.”

Separately, Fadel Raouf, an adviser to the KDP’s office for Al-Sulaymaniyah, Halabja, and Raparin, renewed the party’s call to the PUK to return to parliament and help form a new government. He told Shafaq News that Barzani’s appeal addressed all political parties and that the PUK should pursue its political entitlements through parliament.

The PUK could seek posts it considered its due, including the premiership or ministerial portfolios, based on its electoral strength and understandings with the KDP, with those matters to be resolved through dialogue and agreement, he said.

The dispute intensified between the two sides after the Kurdistan Parliament elected its leadership on November 4 with 52 out of 100 members present. The PUK rejected the session’s legitimacy and decisions, calling it illegal and unilateral and saying it lacked political consensus. Raouf defended parliament’s reopening as legal and constitutional, saying it allowed legislative work to continue and opened the way to forming a new government.

On November 5, Talabani said his party had made extensive efforts to form a new government serving all KRI residents, adding that he had visited Erbil more than 15 times and held discussions with different parties, but the talks had produced no results.

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

Shafaq News- Antalya

Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani andArmenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan discussed expanding cooperation betweenYerevan, Baghdad, and Erbil on Thursday, according to the Kurdistan RegionPresidency.

Meeting on the sidelines of the 31st United NationsClimate Change Conference (COP31) in Antalya, Turkiye, the two leaders alsoreviewed regional developments and called for diplomatic solutions to ongoingdisputes.

سەرۆک نێچیرڤان بارزانی و سەرۆکوەزیرانی ئەرمینیا په‌یوه‌ندییه‌کان تاوتوێ ده‌که‌نhttps://t.co/gn134EoKbb https://t.co/3SppVR6sPc

— Kurdistan Region Presidency (@KurdistanRegion) November 12, 2026

During the conference, Barzani met with UNSecretary-General António Guterres and European Commission President Ursula vonder Leyen to discuss climatecooperation. His talks with Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa focused onKurdish rights in Syria, while meetings with Turkish Foreign Minister HakanFidan, Defense Minister Yasar Guler, and National Intelligence Organization(MIT) chief Ibrahim Kalin addressedsecurity coordination between Ankara, Baghdad, and Erbil. Barzani alsodiscussed regional challenges and peace efforts with Iranian President MasoudPezeshkian.

Shafaq News- Al-Sulaymaniyah

Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) leader Bafel Talabani on Thursday urged US President Donald Trump’s administration to understand the situation in the Kurdistan Region (KRI) or stand aside and let Kurdish and Iraqi parties resolve their disputes themselves.

Speaking at the Slemani Strategic Forum, Talabani criticized a minority within the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and denied being controlled by Iran. He also cited Iranian assurances denying responsibility for the Khor Mor attack and called for air defenses for the Kurdistan Region.

Message to Washington

Talabani said he did not agree with US envoy Tom Barrack and that the KRI needed fundamental solutions to its problems, adding that Washington should understand the situation or allow Kurdish and Iraqi political parties to address their problems themselves.

KDP Dispute

The Kurdish leader accused a minority within the KDP of accepting nothing beyond its own demands and blocking even a meeting intended only to take a photograph. He described the KDP’s actions in parliament as a “political collapse” in Kurdistan’s history and accused the party of closing parliament’s doors.

The PUK considered the current parliament nonexistent and did not recognize it, he said, adding that the KRI already had two governments and two administrations.

Iran Ties and Khor Mor

Talabani rejected rumors that he was under Iranian control. “I am not under anyone’s control and never will be,” he said, adding that he was well received when visiting the United States.

Iran had provided assurances that it had not carried out the Khor Mor gas field attack, while armed groups had also denied responsibility, Talabani said, calling for a serious investigation and arguing that those groups would have proudly acknowledged the attack had they carried it out.

He also warned of “paid media outlets spreading false information” to inflame tensions and cause confusion.

Air Defenses and Energy

If Baghdad could not provide an air defense system for the KRI, it should allow the KRI to buy one itself, Talabani said.

He outlined plans for new electricity and gas projects intended to serve residents without seeking profits. According to the PUK leader, Chamchamal is the “Texas of Kurdistan” because of its gas and electricity resources, but the city suffers from neglect. He put it 40 years behind Erbil and said residents received drinking water only once every two weeks, despite the city supplying gas and electricity to all KRI cities.

Relations with Baghdad

Talabani stated that the KDP could not play an effective role in resolving disputes with Baghdad, describing a faction’s approach to the federal government as wrong. Believing the KRI remained as wealthy as before was mistaken, he added, linking the strength of both the Kurds and the KRI to strong, healthy relations with Baghdad.

He praised Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi as a young man with a businessman’s mindset who wanted to put Iraq on the right course.

Shafaq News- Antalya

Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani andIranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Thursday called for continuedcoordination to address regional challenges and promote lasting peace andstability.

Meeting on the sidelines of the 31st United NationsClimate Change Conference (COP31) in Antalya, Turkiye, the two leaders reviewedrelations between the Kurdistan Region, Iraq, and Iran. Barzani described thetalks as “productive,” highlighting the importance of dialogue and cooperation.

ئەم بەیانییە لە ئەنتالیا کۆبوونەوەیەکی به‌رهه‌مدارم لەگەڵ بەڕێز سەرۆک مەسعوود پزشکیان ئەنجام دا. بیروڕامان دەربارەی دۆخی پەیوەندییە دووقۆڵییەکانی نێوان هەرێمی کوردستان، عێراق و ئێران ئاڵوگۆڕ کرد.جەختمان لە گرنگیی بەردەوامیی هەماهەنگی و هەوڵە هاوبەشەکان کردەوە بۆ ڕووبەڕووبوونەوەی ئاڵنگارییەکانی ناوچەکە و پێداگریمان کرد کە دیالۆگ، لێکگەیشتنی هاوبەش و هاریکاری، باشترین ڕێگەن بەرەو ئاشتی و سەقامگیریی بەردەوام.

— Nechirvan Barzani (@IKRPresident) November 12, 2026

During the conference, Barzani also met with UNSecretary-General António Guterres and European Commission President Ursula vonder Leyen to discuss regional stability and climatecooperation. He discussed Kurdish rights in Syria with SyrianPresident Ahmed Al-Sharaa. His meetings with Turkish Defense Minister YasarGuler and National Intelligence Organization (MIT) chief Ibrahim Kalin covered securitycoordination between Ankara, Baghdad, and Erbil, while talks with TurkishForeign Minister Hakan Fidan addressed regional cooperation.

Shafaq News- Antalya

Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) President NechirvanBarzani and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan emphasized the importance ofcontinued cooperation between Erbil, Baghdad, and Ankara to promote regionalpeace, security, and stability, the Kurdistan Region Presidency said onThursday.

The two officials met on Wednesday on the sidelines ofthe 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31) in Antalya, Turkiye,where they also discussed other issues of mutual interest, although thestatement provided no further details.

سەرۆک نێچیرڤان بارزانی و وەزیری دەرەوەی تورکیا جه‌خت له‌ هاریکاریی هاوبه‌ش ده‌که‌نه‌وه‌https://t.co/08fHof4B9a https://t.co/YHUpa278Jc

— Kurdistan Region Presidency (@KurdistanRegion) November 12, 2026

During the conference, Barzani also met with UNSecretary-General António Guterres and European Commission President Ursula vonder Leyen to discuss regional stability and climatecooperation. His talks with Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa focused onKurdish rights in Syria, while separate meetings with Turkish Defense MinisterYasar Guler and National Intelligence Organization (MIT) chief Ibrahim Kalinaddressed cooperation and coordination between Ankara, Baghdad, and Erbil.

Shafaq News- Antalya

Kurdistan Region President NechirvanBarzani and Ibrahim Kalin, head of Turkiye's National Intelligence Organization(MIT), emphasized the importance of coordination between Ankara, Baghdad, andErbil during talks in Antalya, Turkiye, on Wednesday.

According to a statement from theKurdistan Region Presidency, the meeting took place on the sidelines of the31st UN Climate Change Conference (COP31), where both sides discussed Turkiye'srelations with Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, opportunities to strengthencooperation, particularly on security and stability, and regional developments,reaffirming their commitment to “continued cooperation in addressing sharedchallenges and safeguarding peace.”

Earlier today, Barzani met with UNSecretary-General António Guterres and European Commission President Ursula vonder Leyen, discussing regional stability and climatecooperation. He also held talks with Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa onKurdish rights in Syria and with Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler oncooperation between Ankara and Baghdad.

Shafaq News-Baghdad

IraqiParliament Speaker Haibet Al-Halbousi ordered the formation of a temporaryparliamentary committee on Wednesday to review intelligence findings concerningthe recent attack on the Khor Mor gas field in the Kurdistan Region.

According toa statement from the Speaker's Media Office,the temporary committee will follow up on the intelligence report on Jurf al-Sakhr, intelligence on aroute used to smuggle Iraqi oil from fields in Kirkuk and the Kurdistan Regionthrough Iran to Afghanistan, and Sunday’s drone attack on the Khor Mor gasfield in the Kurdistan Region.

The committee will be chaired by the head of Parliament's Security and DefenseCommittee and will include the heads of other parliamentary committees, including Integrity; Legal; Finance; Oil, Gas and Natural Resources; Regions andGovernorates Not Organized in a Region; Planning and Government Program;Endowments; and Border Crossings and National Product Protection. It willexamine the findings and submit its conclusions to parliamentary leadership.

The movefollows a November 8 drone attack on the Khor Mor gas field in Al-Sulaymaniyahprovince that halted production. Prime Minister Ali Faleh Al-Zaidi ordered ajoint investigation with Kurdistan Region authorities and called oninvestigators to expedite their work and submit a final report.

A localsource previously told Shafaq News that the drone was believed to have beenlaunched from a mountainous area near Tuz Khurmatu in Saladin province,although investigators have yet to confirm its origin or identify thoseresponsible. Economic watchdog Eco Iraq estimated the field's shutdown wascausing daily production losses exceeding $4.15 million.

Read more: Khor Mor: A renewed wave of strikes exposes Kurdistan’s fragile energy security

Shafaq News-Antalya

KurdistanRegion President Nechirvan Barzani and European Commission President Ursula vonder Leyen discussed expanding cooperation on climate change and environmentalprotection during talks in Antalya, Turkiye, on Wednesday.

According toa statement from the Kurdistan Region Presidency, the meeting took place on thesidelines of the 31st UN Climate Change Conference (COP31), with talks alsocovering the European Union's relations with Iraq and the Kurdistan Region andprospects for broader cooperation.

The discussionsalso addressed political and security developments in the region, with bothleaders emphasizing the importance of maintaining peace and stability.

Earlier today,Barzani met with UN Secretary-General António Guterres to discuss developmentsin Iraq, relations between Erbil and Baghdad, and regional stability. He alsoheld talks with Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa, stressing the need to protectKurdish rights and guarantee them in Syria's constitution, while discussionswith Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler focused on cooperation betweenTurkiye and Iraq.

Shafaq News- Antalya

Kurdistan Region President NechirvanBarzani and UN Secretary-General António Guterres stressed the importance ofmaintaining regional stability and resolving disputes through peaceful meansduring talks in Antalya, Turkiye, on Wednesday.

According to a statement from theKurdistan Region Presidency, the meeting took place on the sidelines of the31st UN Climate Change Conference (COP31), where the two leaders discussed thesituation in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, relations between Erbil andBaghdad, and regional developments.

Barzani arrivedin Antalya on Tuesday evening at the official invitation of Turkish PresidentRecep Tayyip Erdogan to attend the COP31. Earlier today, he met with SyrianPresident Ahmed Al-Sharaa on the sidelines of the summit, emphasizing the needto protect Kurdish rights and guarantee them in Syria's constitution.