PUK leader’s public insults of journalists spark press freedom concerns in Kurdistan

Earlier this week, PUK leader Bafel Talabani publicly insulted two journalists during separate events after they posed questions on sensitive political issues, prompting criticism from media rights advocates and civil society organizations.

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Belfast's anti-migrant riots: Reflections of a troubled past

The violent riots in Belfast following a stabbing attack by a Sudanese migrant differ from other instances of anti-immigrant violence that is on the rise across Europe, reflecting a profoundly divided society that has yet to shake off its own past of inter-ethnic bloodshed.

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Iraq’s latest bid to disarm Iran-backed militias: Real reform or buying time?

A key staple of Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi's program for government has been the bringing of pro-Iran militias under state control, with multiple groups having agreed to work toward this in.

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Why the Kurds are split over Syria’s new parliament

The elections in Rojava’s province of Hasaka, as well as the Kurdish cities of Kobane and Afrin, were boycotted by Rojava’s ruling Democratic Union Party (PYD), while its rival, the Kurdish National Council (KNC/ENKS), chose to participate in the vote, reflecting that core agreements between the Syrian Kurds still persist.

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Power, pressure, and paralysis: the politics behind the PUK–NGM deal

The New Generation Movement has signed a power-sharing agreement with the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, marking a significant reversal for a party that built its identity on opposition to the Kurdistan Region's established ruling parties.

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What explains reduced US support for Peshmerga forces?

Long considered a staple US ally in the Middle East, a reduction in US support for the Kurdistan Region's Peshmerga in the Pentagon's 2027 budget request raises questions for Washington's future security posture in Iraq and the broader region.

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Lalezar inmate tells court of severe torture, forced confessions

Hama Rash, who served as a bodyguard in opposition leader Lahur Sheikh Jangi's entourage, told the court in Sulaimani that he was subjected to genital torture and extensive physical abuse during his detention following his arrest related to an August shootout at the Lalezar Hotel.

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Culture in the spotlight at London Kurdish Studies Conference

"Poetry and fiction in translation create alternative forms of representation because they allow Kurdish people to appear not only as political subjects, but as literary producers, lovers, critics, mystics, mourners, and dreamers," said Sarwar Efendi, Director of Special Projects at Kahskul, the Center for Arts and Culture at the American University of Iraq, Sulaimani.

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SDF-Damascus integration agreement moving forward slowly

The agreement between the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and Damascus is moving forward slowly, as challenges and disagreements complicate the process.

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