Thursday, 5 November 2026

In Kirkuk, Baghdad has agreed to increase national-grid electricity supplies by 150 megawatts following protests over generator fees. The federal government also agreed to provide an additional five million litres of subsidised diesel for private generators. The measures paved the way for a reduction in monthly generator subscription fees from 18,000 to 13,000 Iraqi dinars per ampere. The intervention follows two nights of demonstrations that began after the governor’s office announced the 18,000-dinar rate on 1 November.

Separately, Kurdistan Regional Government Labor and Social Affairs Minister Kwestan Mohammed has asked al-Zaidi to allocate 467 billion dinars annually in the 2027 federal budget for the Region’s social protection network and disability benefits. She said more than 100,000 poor families and 30,000 people with disabilities were waiting for their entitlements. Her letter seeks an increase in the Region’s disability benefit from 150,000 to 250,000 dinars, matching other Iraqi provinces. She also asked to reopen disability registration, halted since 2013. Parliament’s Finance Committee says the draft federal budget will reach parliament by 15 November. In Sulaymaniyah, the Rwanga Foundation distributed uniforms and educational supplies to 220 students with disabilities and additional support needs on Thursday, after local authorities reported that changes to school uniform requirements had adversely affected students at institutes under their supervision.

Nujaba rejected the PMF-law amendments in full on Wednesday, saying they would weaken and fragment the force. It demanded legislation protecting personnel’s current and future rights and treating them equally with other security forces. Sabereen News (KH — affiliated) said the proposed law removes the founding date tied to the 13 June 2014 fatwa and its associated financial effects, and takes effect only upon publication. Al-Ittijah TV, Sabereen and iNEWS (KSS — affiliated) relayed Nujaba’s rejection. It follows Monday’s rejection of the current bill by Saud al-Saadi (KH — Hoquq bloc leader).

Victory Alliance spokesperson Salam al-Zubaidi said on Al-Ahad TV (AAH — official) on Wednesday that dialogue with Nujaba and Ansar Allah al-Awfiya was at an advanced stage. He urged factions to support Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi’s neighbouring-country visits and rejected insulting statements against the government and political forces. On Thursday, however, an unnamed government source close to al-Zaidi told Shafaq News that disarmament negotiations had reached near deadlock because factions continued to refuse to surrender their weapons. The source linked renewed media attacks on the government and Coordination Framework to that impasse and warned that confrontation could move into the street and affect security.

Separately, Kurdistan24 on Thursday attributed to Kataib Hezbollah a declaration that US military personnel worldwide were legitimate targets. Its English report attributed unrestricted strikes following Iran’s supreme leader’s order to Kataib Hezbollah. Its Arabic report attributed the declaration of attacks without geographical limits to the resistance in Iraq, while separately quoting Kataib Hezbollah on battlefield retaliation with Sejjil missiles. On Wednesday, Al-Ittijah carried Abu Hussein al-Hamidawi’s (KH — secretary-general) call to restore Iraqi sovereignty and his assertion that reducing American influence in West Asia had become a reality. Al-Nujaba TV (Nujaba — official) relayed matching passages from his statement.

Separately, Iraq’s Integrity Commission is auditing contracts, according to an Iraqi official source quoted by the Iraqi News Agency. The inquiry covers Ministry of Transport and airport contracts. The source said suspected manipulation may have benefited armed groups operating outside the law. The commission has not announced a finding.

In Erbil, Babylon rejected Wednesday’s KDP-held Kurdistan parliament session and refused to recognize its results, in statements relayed by Al-Ahad and Unit 10,000 (KH — affiliated). The bloc alleged pressure on MPs, cited allegations of purchased opposition loyalties and urged political partners to withhold recognition. On Al-Ahad, KDP spokesperson Mahmoud Mohammed defended parliament’s reactivation as directed against no party and blamed PUK and New Generation decisions for its paralysis. KDP member Muhammad Amer Dershawi called the session politically undesirable and said the PUK should have attended. On Thursday, consuls and diplomatic representatives visited the newly elected parliament presidency.

Separately, Al-Ahad presented the Republican midterm defeat as an Iranian victory, after initially reporting the party’s loss of its majority. US Democratic Party member Shirin al-Najjar told the channel that the Iran war had cost American lives and large sums and caused Trump’s electoral defeat. She said Democrats would first summon the Secretary of War to demand accurate war-cost figures. Sabereen presented Trump as admitting the war contributed to defeat, while iNEWS described Democrats taking congressional control.