Kurdish region

Iraqi PM urges for calm in Kurdish region after riots

Baghdad - Muslimchronicle

Iraq’s prime minister on Monday called for calm in the self-ruled northern Kurdish region after rioting the previous night following the Kurdish regional president’s decision to effectively step down. In his statement, Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi said the central government is closely monitoring what he described as “attempts to create chaos and disorder” in Irbil and Dahuk, two cities inRead more

Barzani: fall of the Kurdish 'lord of the mountain'

Baghdad - Muslimchronicle

President Massud Barzani, who said Sunday he was stepping down, founded Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region but was also responsible for sparking its gravest crisis with his drive for independence. The son of iconic Kurdish nationalist leader Mullah Mustafa Barzani and the head of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) since 1979, the 71-year-old joined the fight for an independent Kurdistan asRead more

Barzani to step down as Kurdish leader in Iraq

Arbil - Muslimchronicle

Massud Barzani, the president of Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region, told a closed-door session of the regional parliament Sunday he was stepping down amid the fallout from a controversial independence referendum. Kurdish forces agreed Sunday to surrender to central government control the strategic border post of Fishkhabur, through which pipelines export oil to Ceyhan in Turkey. That came after weeksRead more

Iraqi Kurd parliament postpones elections for 8 months

Iraq - Muslimchronicle

Parliament in Iraq’s autonomous Kurdish region decided Tuesday to hold legislative elections in eight months after they were delayed amid tensions over disputed territory with the central government in Baghdad. Simultaneous legislative and presidential elections in the Kurdish region had been due to take place on November 1 but were delayed. There was no immediate word on a date forRead more

Oil prices rise on tightening supply, strong demand

Singapore - Muslmichronicle

Oil prices rose on Monday over supply concerns in the Middle East and as the US market showed further signs of tightening while demand in Asia keeps rising. Brent crude futures, the international benchmark for oil prices, were at $57.84 at 0056 GMT, up 9 cents, or 0.16 percent, from their last close. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futuresRead more

Baghdad slams oil deal between Russia's Rosneft and Kurds

Baghdad - Muslimchronicle

The Iraqi Oil Ministry reacted angrily on Thursday after Russian energy giant Rosneft signed a production sharing deal with the authorities in the autonomous Kurdish region without its approval. The agreement came hot on the heels of Baghdad’s recapture from Kurdish forces of five oil fields in disputed territory outside the autonomous region in retaliation for an independence vote lastRead more

Weeks of tension between Iraq and its Kurds

Arbil - Muslimchronicle

Tensions have escalated between Iraq and its northern autonomous Kurdish region since Kurdish voters overwhelmingly backed independence in a non-binding referendum more than two weeks ago. Here are the key developments: - Millions vote - Despite weeks of threats and warnings, the vote goes ahead on September 25 with more than 12,000 polling stations opening for 5.3 million registered voters.Read more