Latest news with #IraqCup
Rudaw Net
4 days ago
- Business
- Rudaw Net
Iraqi top court rejects lawsuits against major US-KRG energy deals
Also in Iraq Iraq arrests 11 local officials over deadly mall fire Iraqi top court to hear complaints against KRG-US energy deals Iraq parliament to probe drone attacks on Kurdistan Region Duhok crowned Iraq Cup champions A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq's Federal Supreme Court on Sunday dismissed two lawsuits seeking to overturn major multibillion-dollar oil and gas contracts signed in May between the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and two American companies, Western Zagros and HKN Energy. The deals, aimed at developing the Miran and Topkhana gas fields, have drawn criticism from Baghdad. The court rejected both cases, with one being 'annulled' and the other 'dismissed,' meaning the contracts remain valid and enforceable, it said in a statement. The lawsuits were filed separately by Iraqi lawmakers Raed al-Maliki and Bassem al-Gharibawi, who argued the agreements violated the Iraqi constitution and posed a threat to 'public funds and property.' The court, however, found the claims legally unsubstantiated and did not rule in favor of nullifying the deals. American firms HKN Energy and WesternZagros signed two major oil and gas deals in May worth $110 billion over their lifespans in the Kurdistan Region. The deals were signed during Prime Minister Masrour Barzani's visit to the US. The deals - while welcomed by Erbil and Washington - prompted a lawsuit from the federal oil ministry, which claimed the contracts violated federal court rulings and the Iraqi constitution. The KRG defended the agreements as extensions of existing contracts that benefit all of Iraq. The complainants further demanded that the Kurdistan Region be prohibited from signing any oil and gas contracts without the consent of the federal government, according to the top court. The deals align with the KRG's Runaki initiative - meaning 'light' in Kurdish - which aims to provide 24-hour electricity across the Region by the end of 2026. The program has already been launched in several cities and neighborhoods.
Rudaw Net
4 days ago
- Business
- Rudaw Net
Iraq arrests 11 local officials over deadly mall fire
Also in Iraq Iraqi top court to hear complaints against KRG-US energy deals Iraq parliament to probe drone attacks on Kurdistan Region Duhok crowned Iraq Cup champions Iraq launches security operation after drone attacks A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq's integrity commission on Sunday arrested 11 local officials, including the former municipal head of the eastern city of Kut, over a devastating fire that killed 63 people in a shopping mall earlier this week. A massive fire at a newly opened shopping mall in Wasit's provincial capital of Kut late Wednesday killed 63 people and sparked outrage from the Iraqi public over lax safety standards. Most deaths were caused by smoke inhalation, with no emergency exits in place for victims to use. 'The team formed by the Wasit Investigation Office was able to implement the judicial arrest against the former director of the Kut municipality due to violations committed in the construction of the Kut Hypermarket Mall,' the integrity commission said in a statement. Authorities also arrested ten local officials in Kut's civil defense and municipality, including the civil defense director and the head of the violations department in the municipality, 'due to the negligence and violations attributed to them,' according to the statement. The five-story building, spanning about 350 square meters, went up in flames on Wednesday night, with the fire starting on the building's second floor. Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani vowed on Thursday to 'not show lenience with any negligent party' after ordering an investigation into the tragedy. The government agreed to provide 10 million dinars (around $7,600) in compensation for the family of each victim. The health ministry was also instructed to cover medical treatment for the injured, both inside and outside the country. Wasit Governor Mohammed Jamil al-Mayahi accused the hypermarket owner of bypassing regulations and opening the business illegally just two days before the fire. 'The investor opened the project fraudulently, without obtaining any official permits,' he told reporters in a press conference on Thursday. Fires are a recurring threat in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, where enforcement of fire and safety regulations is often inadequate. The risk increases significantly during the summer months, when extreme heat exacerbates the potential for electrical faults and other fire hazards. Contributing factors include aging infrastructure, overcrowded public spaces, poor electrical systems, and a widespread lack of basic fire safety measures.
Rudaw Net
4 days ago
- Business
- Rudaw Net
Iraqi top court to hear complaints against KRG-US energy deals
Also in Iraq Iraq parliament to probe drone attacks on Kurdistan Region Duhok crowned Iraq Cup champions Iraq launches security operation after drone attacks UK condemns drone attacks in Kurdistan Region A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq's Federal Supreme Court is set to convene on Sunday to hear complaints about several items pertaining to the Kurdistan Region, including major oil and gas deals signed in May between US firms and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) that drew the ire of Baghdad. The complaints, submitted separately by two Arab lawmakers in Iraq's legislature, were filed against Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani and Kamal Mohammed, the KRG's acting natural resources minister, according to the top court's official schedule. The complainants described the contracts as 'improper' and 'unconstitutional,' urging the 'immediate suspension of contract implementation procedures until the case is resolved,' the top court said. American firms HKN Energy and WesternZagros signed two major oil and gas deals in May worth $110 billion over their lifespans in the Kurdistan Region. The deals were signed during Prime Minister Barzani's visit to the US. The deals – while welcomed by Erbil and Washington – prompted a lawsuit from the federal oil ministry, which claimed the contracts violated federal court rulings and the Iraqi constitution. The KRG defended the agreements as extensions of existing contracts that benefit all of Iraq. The complainants further demanded that the Kurdistan Region be prohibited from signing any oil and gas contracts without the consent of the federal government, according to the top court. The deals align with the KRG's Runaki initiative - meaning 'light' in Kurdish - which aims to provide 24-hour electricity across the Region by the end of 2026. The program has already been launched in several cities and neighborhoods. A third complaint against the Runaki initiative, submitted by the head of the New Generation Movement's bloc in the Iraqi parliament Srwa Abdulwahid, against Prime Minister Barzani and Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani, is also set to be heard. It calls for the initiative to be revoked. Earlier in July, the KRG announced that two million people across the Kurdistan Region are receiving round-the-clock electricity through the Runaki project. Nahro Mohammed contributed to this report.
Rudaw Net
4 days ago
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Iraq parliament to probe drone attacks on Kurdistan Region
Also in Iraq Iraqi top court to hear complaints against KRG-US energy deals Duhok crowned Iraq Cup champions Iraq launches security operation after drone attacks UK condemns drone attacks in Kurdistan Region A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq's parliament will investigate recent drone attacks that primarily targeted Kurdistan Region's oil fields and energy infrastructure. 'Next week we will have a visit as the Security and Defense Committee to learn the details of the incident and who is behind this incident,' Mohammed Rasul, a member of parliament's Security and Defense Committee, told Rudaw on Friday. The military's Joint Operations Command has also begun investigating the types of drones and the bombs and explosives used. In the month of July, there have been at least 18 drone attacks on locations in the Kurdistan Region. Most recently, on Thursday, two explosive-laden drones crashed in Erbil's outskirts, according to the Erbil-based Directorate General of Counter Terrorism (CTD). 'National security and military intelligence need to be brought to the forefront. Everyone should be watchful. Some parties want to create tension in the situation. They want to accuse the PMF [Popular Mobilization Forces] and armed groups and other parties,' said Mohammed Rasul, another member of the committee. 'Now a third party is playing its role visibly and is far from the eyes of security agencies,' Rasul added. The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has blamed the attacks on Iraq's PMF, a charge Baghdad has denied. On Monday, the Iraqi parliament will convene to discuss the 'terrorist attacks with explosive drones on infrastructure in the Kurdistan Region,' according to the agenda. Aziz Ahmad, deputy chief of staff to Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, said in a statement on Wednesday that the Region has lost nearly 200,000 barrels of oil production due to the 'spate of drone attacks by criminal militias on the Iraqi government payroll.' The Kurdistan Region's Presidency, Council of Ministers, and Ministry of Natural Resources have all strongly condemned the attacks, describing them as attempts to cripple the Region's vital oil infrastructure. They called on the federal government to hold the perpetrators to account. No group has claimed responsibility. There have been no new attacks since Erbil and Baghdad on Thursday reached a new agreement on finances and oil exports.
Rudaw Net
5 days ago
- Sport
- Rudaw Net
Duhok crowned Iraq Cup champions
Also in Iraq Iraq launches security operation after drone attacks UK condemns drone attacks in Kurdistan Region Iraq launches probe into Wasit mall fire that killed 63 Iraq holds nationwide mourning after mall blaze kills 61 A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Duhok SC won the Iraq Cup on Friday, beating out another Kurdish team, Zakho SC. This is the first time a Kurdish club has won the title since the cup's establishment in 1948. The historic achievement will allow Duhok SC to play in AFC Champions League Two. Both teams are also now eligible for the Iraq Super League. Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani congratulated both clubs for their achievements, adding that the Kurdistan Region is proud of them. Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani also congratulated the teams. The match was goalless, leading to a penalty shootout that ended 5-3. Erbil Sports Club was the first Kurdish club to make it to the final of the Iraq Cup in 2023 but failed to win the title following a dramatic defeat by al-Quwa al-Jawiya, one of Iraq's oldest football teams.
