Murdered Trade Ministry Official 'was about to Expose Corruption"
By John Lee. According to a report from Shafaaq, an Iraqi Trade Ministry media adviser, who was killed last month by a bomb attached to his car, had been about to hand over files accusing the ministry of corruption to the country's Integrity Commission. The Central Investigating Court said in a statement that four security […]
Currency Auction Results, 27th Oct
By John Lee. The Central Bank of Iraq (CBI) has reported that 27 banks and 16 remittance companies took part in its currency auction on Tuesday. A total of $216,435,000 sold at a price of 1166 Iraqi Dinars (IQD) per dollar. (Source: Central Bank of Iraq)
New Sales Tax Weighs on Zain Iraq
By John Lee. In a statement to the markets covering the first nine months of the year, Zain Group said that the implementation of a new 20 percent sales tax on mobile servicesin Iraq, as well as wide-ranging tax increases on other sectors in the country, that commenced 1 August 2015, have hit spending on […]
Iraq Stock Market Report
Advertising Feature Rabee Securities Iraq Stock Exchange (ISX) market report (week ending: 22nd Oct 2015). Please click here to download a table of listed companies and their associated ticker codes. The RSISX index ended the week at ID1,107 / $1,159 (-0.5%) (weekly change) (-20.5% and -21.8% YTD change, respectively). The number of week traded shares […]
Military Airstrikes Target ISIL Terrorists in Iraq
U.S. and coalition military forces have continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Syria and Iraq, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported on Sunday. Officials reported details of the latest strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports. Airstrikes in Iraq Attack, bomber, fighter […]
Human Rights Watch - "Protesters Beaten, Abducted"
Iraqi security forces have repeatedly beaten and violently dispersed protesters during anti-corruption demonstrations since August 2015 without any apparent justification, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in a statement on Friday: In some instances, unidentified men in civilian clothes abducted and beat demonstrators. Prosecutors have failed to respond to judicial complaints lodged by victims of these […]
Video: Iraq Mulls Russian Support Against IS
From Al Jazeera. Any opinions expressed are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Russia's intervention in Syria is changing the face of the conflict. And there are calls for it to get involved in Iraq too. The Iraqi Prime Minister's coalition partners are complaining that U.S.-led […]
IDPs make up 35% of KRI Population
By John Lee. Rudaw quotes an official as saying that internally displaced persons (IDPs) now make up 35 percent of the population of the Kurdistan region. In a public meeting with Peter Maurer, the president of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Aram Sheikh Mohammed (pictured), the Iraqi parliament deputy speaker, said: “According […]
Iraqi Kurdistan's Brewing Crisis
By Mahmut Bozarslan for Al-Monitor. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Demonstrations turned violent earlier this month as thousands of people protested the dire economic situation in Iraqi Kurdistan, with many demanding that Massoud Barzani (pictured) step down as regional president. Developments that brought the […]
Iraqi Doctors Plagued by Threats, Extortion
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. Doctors in Iraq are fleeing threats on their lives and extortion attempts, adding even more danger to a country battling the Islamic State (IS). In the news and on social media, pictures are surfacing […]
Video: Journalists Persevere under Threat in Iraq
From Al Jazeera. Any opinions expressed are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Iraq has long had the poorest record in the world for failing to prosecute the killers of journalists. A recent report says it's not the worst offender any more - but it's still […]
Protests 'Cost Sulaymaniyah About $1bn'
By John Lee. The Kurdistan Region’s Syndicate of Investors [Kurdistan Investors Union] has said that recent violent protests in Sulaymaniyah have cost the province $1 billion. Spokesperson Mala Yasin Mahmoud told BasNews that many strategic projects have been cancelled and foreign investors are leaving because of the protests. “At least 15% of the foreign investments […]