Kurd Leader Says there is Fear of Civil War
From AFP. Any opinions expressed are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. The leader of Iraqi Kurdistan says there is "real fear" that sectarian violence in Iraq could escalate into civil war. The autonomous region's president Massud Barzani was talking to AFP in an exclusive interview:
DNO Sets New Record at Tawke
By John Lee. DNO International has announced today that it has initiated sales from its second horizontal well in the Tawke field in the Kurdistan region of Iraq following testing at a new record rate of 32,500 barrels of oil per day. Each of ten independent fracture corridors penetrated by a 930-meter horizontal section in […]
Unaoil joins Leighton in Denying Iraq Allegations
By John Lee. The Australian reports that the company at the centre of the Leighton Holdings bribery allegations has denied any involvement in corruption in Iraq, or having links to the Oil Minister and Prime Minister. Unaoil, which is based in Monaco, was alleged to have been paid kickbacks by Leighton to secure an oil […]
Canada to Open Embassy Office in Erbil
The new Canadian Ambassador to Iraq and Jordan, Mr Bruno Saccomani, said his country has a six-month plan to strengthen ties with the Kurdistan Region and aims to open an embassy office in Erbil next year. In his meeting with President Masoud Barzani, Ambassador Saccomani announced plans to considerably increase bilateral ties between both sides. […]
Ministry of Culture Curtails Performing Arts
By Ali Abdulameer for Al-Monitor. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. The activities that have begun to move forward in the Iraqi cultural scene continue to be afflicted by the woes inherent in a complete reliance on the government, as was the case […]
Assassins Target Journalists in Mosul
By Sami Waheed Karim. This article was originally published by Niqash. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Anti-Media Extremism: Team of Assassins Targets Journalists in Mosul Extremists are targeting journalists in the troubled state of Ninawa. After killing the governor’s spokesperson and […]
Swiss Firm to Build $6bn Refinery
By John Lee. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki says Iraq has signed a $6 billion deal with Swiss company Satarem to build and run southern Iraq's first new, large-scale refinery in 30 years. The oompany will set up the 150,000 barrel-per-day refinery near Amara, in Missan [Maysan] province, on a 50-year build-own-operate (BOO) contract. Satarem was created […]
Denmark to Participate in the Kurdistan Development
The Danish Ambassador to Iraq, Mr. Gert Meinecke, met with KRG Minister Falah Mustafa and other officials from the Department of Foreign Relations yesterday to announce that Danish companies will be participating in the progress and development of the Kurdistan Region. Ambassador Meinecke visited the Region last month and met with President Masoud Barzani and […]
UK Visa Centre Opened in Erbil
The UK Prime Minister's Trade Envoy, Lord Marland and the Kurdistan Regional Government's (KRG) Interior Minister, Abdul-Karim Sinjari, have officially opened the new UK Visa Application Centre in Erbil. The opening of the centre marks the first time that Iraqis in Kurdistan are able to apply for a UK visa from Erbil and further strengthens […]
UNAMI Urges Iraq to Halt Executions
By John Lee. The UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) has called on Iraq to halt all executions and commute the sentences of hundreds of people sentenced to death: UNAMI notes with concern that between 8 and 9 October, 42 people sentenced to death were executed, among them one woman, as confirmed by the Ministry […]
Weekly Security Update 02 - 09 October 2013
By Tom Walker, Director, Assaye Risk COUNTRY OVERVIEW Violence once again plagued Iraq this week but the tempo and volume of attacks dropped off markedly from the high of the previous two weeks. Once again the violence was predominantly focused on Baghdad and surrounding districts however we have seen a marked return to violence in […]
President Barzani Meets UN Envoy to Iraq
President Masoud Barzani has received and welcomed a United Nations delegation in his offices in Salahadin. The delegation was headed by Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Iraq, Mr. Nickolay Mladenov. Mr. Mladenov and President Barzani discussed the recent developments in the Kurdistan Region as well as the political situation in Baghdad. During […]