GPK Declares Commerciality for Shewashan Light Oil
By John Lee. Gas Plus Khalakan (GPK) has declared the Shewashan light oil discovery commercial and is preparing the Field Development Plan (FDP) for submission to the Kurdistan Regional Government's Ministry of Natural Resources in accordance with the Khalakan PSC. Shewashan-1 produced light oil (45API) on test from reservoir zones in the Cretaceous Shiranish, Kometan and […]
No. of Iraqi Students in US at All-Time High
The United States Embassy in Baghdad is pleased to note a 38.8 percent increase in the number of Iraqi students studying in the United States. The 2013-2014 academic year saw the total number of Iraqi students enrolled in U.S. colleges and universities at 1,491, up from 1,074 in 2012-2013. The report shows that 941 Iraqi […]
Future Uncertain for Baghdad-Erbil Oil Deal
By Mohammed A. Salih for Al-Monitor. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. While a recent deal between Baghdad and Erbil to export oil from the northern fields is seen by many as a breakthrough after years of stalemate, the prospect of further progress […]
Captive Women are Iraq’s Bleeding Wound
Captive Women and Girls at the Hands of Terrorist Groups are Iraq’s Bleeding Wound At the launch of the ‘16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence’ between 25 November and 10 December, the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Iraq (SRSG), Mr. Nickolay Mladenov (pictured) said “My wholehearted thoughts go on that day […]
KRG President Meets US General
Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani today welcomed Chief of Staff of the United States Army, General Raymond Odierno, who is visiting to assess firsthand the status of the fight against ISIS terrorists and the cooperation between the Peshmerga, the coalition forces and the Iraqi forces. General Odierno commended the bravery of the peshmerga forces and […]
Currency Auction Results, 26th Nov
By John Lee. The Central Bank of Iraq (CBI) has reported that 20 banks took part in its currency auction on Wednesday. A total of $262,257,000 was sold at a price of 1166 Iraqi Dinars (IQD) per dollar. (Source: Central Bank of Iraq)
Czech Govt Seek Iraq Arms Deals
By John Lee. The Czech Foreign Minister, Lubomír Zaorálek and Deputy Defense Minister, Tomáš Kuchta, is to visit Iraq this week with a delegation of businesspeople to boost business deals, mainly in the defense sector. “Negotiations about the supplies of aviation technology, the pilots' training and the armoring of helicopters are underway there,” Kuchta told […]
Freedom Square offers Refuge for Basra Residents
By Omar al-Jaffal for Al-Monitor. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. No one in the southern Iraqi province Basra believed that families would flock to Hurriyah (Freedom) Square to see and sit by the new monument after it was greatly ridiculed in newspapers […]
KRG to Collect Info on Abducted Yezidi Women
A committee in charge of collecting accurate data and information on the conditions of Yezidi Kurdish women, abducted by the Islamic State in Iraq and Al-Sham, ISIS, terrorist organisation, is being set up. The decision was taken yesterday during the regular meeting of the Kurdistan Regional Government’s Women Rights Monitoring Board, chaired by the KRG […]
Generals Who Abandoned Mosul may be Executed
By John Lee. Defense minister Khalid al-Obeidi [al-Obaidi] (pictured) has warned that army generals who abandoned Mosul to the Islamic State in June are currently under investigation, and if found guilty will be sentenced to death. According to a report from BasNews, the Minister said most of the army generals and commanders in Mosul before […]
Iraq Ranks 156th in World Bank Report
By John Lee. Iraq has been ranked 156th out of 189 countries in the World Bank's recent Doing Business 2015 report. Top of the list were Singapore, New Zealand and Hong Kong, with last place going to Eritrea, just behind Libya and the Central African Republic. Doing Business measures regulations affecting 11 areas of the […]
Weekly Security Update, 18 – 24 November 2014
Following Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi’s decision to reshuffle senior security commanders, Deputy Interior Minister Adnan al-Asadi, an ally of former PM Nouri al-Maliki, was removed from his position. Since assuming office, Abadi has been seeking to clear key government positions from Maliki’s influence, which is effectively strengthening the Iranian-backed Badr Organisation and one of its […]