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Over 1,100 Iraqis Killed in February

According to casualty figures released by UNAMI, a total of 1,103 Iraqis were killed and another 2,280 were wounded in acts of terrorism and violence in February*. The number of civilians killed was 611 (Including 30 civilian police), and the number of civilians injured was 1,353 (including 29 civilian police). A further 492 members of […]

Japan Agrees Loan for Power Plant Refit

By John Lee. The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has agreed a loan for the rehabilitation of the fourth unit at the Al Hartha Thermal Power Plant in Basra; the amount of the loan as not been disclosed. The plant was originally constructed by a Japanese company in the late 1970s, and consists of four […]

Bogus University Grads Clog Job Market

By Adnan Abu Zeed for Al-Monitor. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Meager employment opportunities have led Iraqi university graduates holding doctoral and master's degrees to despair, as they pursue fruitless searches for jobs in government ministries and the private sector. In Babil province Feb. 3, […]

UN Worried about Anbar Refugees

The United Nations Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary General, Lise Grande, along with Neill Wright, the country’s UN refugee agency (UNHCR) representative, today visited Iraqi families recently displaced from Al Baghdadi district in the western province of Anbar. “The situation facing these families is very worrying. They have been under siege for days and […]

Traffic Snarls, Violence Accompany Motorcades

By Wassim Bassem for Al-Monitor. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. On Feb. 18, the bodyguards of national security adviser Faleh al-Fayad beat up a group of journalists and media workers in the Al-Nahrain Center for Strategic Studies when they refused to leave the conference Fayad […]

Iran to Open Medical Univ. in Iraq

By John Lee. Iran’s Minister of Health, Seyed Hassan Hashemi, has announced the opening of a branch of the University of Medical Sciences in Iraq. Following a meeting with Iraq’s Minister of Education, Hasemi said that several deals have been made in the fields of pharmaceuticals, medical facilities, investment in the construction of hospitals and health […]

World Bank, KRG Partner to Promote Equity

The World Bank Group and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG)-Iraq, have launched a social protection program of support to promote equity in living standards and reduce vulnerability. The program is aligned with the government’s efforts to develop a comprehensive social protection system and contributes to the goals of KRGs Vision 2020 of “freedom, health, welfare, […]

Kurdish Peshmerga, IS Reach Stalemate

By Fazel Hawramy for Al-Monitor. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. "How are the skies?" a gruff voice asks in Iraqi Arabic dialect. "The skies are clear," is the reply, after a crackle of static on the walkie-talkie through which a Kurdish major is listening to […]

More Lives in Jeopardy as Fighting Expands

As a result of the recent widening of the conflict in Iraq, many more people – numbering in the hundreds of thousands – have been affected. The provinces of Al-Anbar, Ninawa, Salah al-Din, Diyala, and Kirkuk have been under heavy attack, driving more people to abandon their homes to seek shelter in safer areas. This […]

Japanese Companies Discuss Iraq Opportunities

By John Lee. Oil Minister Dr. Adel Abdul Mahdi [Adel Abdel Mehdi] met recently with a delegation representing the Japanese ministry of commerce and industry, headed by Mr. Shozo Takada. Also in attendance were representatives from the Japanese companies Mitsito, Hitachi, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Tio Engineering. Discussions concentrated on the development of commercial, economic, […]

UK Hails Courage of Peshmerga

In the context of his visit to Britain, Minister Falah Mustafa, the Head of KRG Foreign Relations met with Tobias Ellwood, Middle East Minister at the Foreign Office, and during their meeting both sides discussed the current situation in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq and the threats of the terrorist organization of Daesh. The Head […]

Flurry of IS Attacks Divert Army's Attention

By Mushreq Abbas for Al-Monitor. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Contradiction prevails in official announcements regarding the course of the battles against the Islamic State (IS) and the group's movements on the ground. When Iraqis were expecting a Mosul liberation battle, IS rushed to send […]