A Friday report by the United Nations says Iran is using advanced technology, including drones, facial recognition and a citizen-reporting app to crack down on violations of its mandatory hijab laws. A key element of the effort is the government-backed Nazer app, which enables the police and "vetted" members of the public to report alleged violations by women in vehicles, including those in ambulances, mass transit and taxis. The report describes the app as allowing users to upload the vehicle license plate, location and time of an alleged violation. It then, according to the report, alerts police. Then, according to the
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Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Sudani announced that Abu Khadija was killed in an operation by Iraqi intelligence with support from coalition forces. Abu Khadija was one of ISIS’s most active leaders, responsible for operations along the Kirkuk, Diyala, and Salahaddin borders. He was seen as the driving force behind ISIS attacks on Iraqi forces. Click here for the full story in Kurdish.
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The case of a man whose confession was made public by Irbil security forces last month has raised questions about how the security forces in the Kurdistan Region treat people they arrest. Human rights groups and lawyers say this is not the first time something like this has happened. Click here for the full story in Kurdish.
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Despite widespread protests, Syria’s newly signed interim constitution is raising deeper concerns about the country’s future. Experts warn that its provisions could form the basis of Syria’s permanent constitution in five years. And many fear the constitution will lead to sectarian rule and threaten Syria’s stability. Click here for the full story in Kurdish.
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Despite numerous threats from the security institutions of the Islamic Republic of Iran in recent days, Nowroz celebrations are taking place in many cities on Friday across Kurdish regions, two Kurdish human rights groups said. Click here for the full Web story in Kurdish.
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The Saudi crown prince plans to discuss reducing the hours of fasting for Muslims during Ramadan. However, the Kurdistan Regional Government Fatwa Committee says it is not right to follow political decisions on fasting. On the other hand, the former director of the Ministry of Religious Affairs told VOA that if Saudi Arabia makes such a decision, others should consider following it, because Saudi Arabia is still seen as the center of important religious decisions. Click here for the full story in Kurdish.
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Syria’s interim president, Ahmed al-Sharia, has signed a five-year constitution, raising concerns among Kurdish parties. Critics say it fails to represent Syria’s diverse communities. Click here for the full story in Kurdish.
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WASHINGTON — One of the Islamic State terror group's most senior leaders is dead, killed in what U.S. and Iraqi officials describe as a joint operation. Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani was first to share word of the successful counterterrorism strike, announcing on social media Friday that the country's intelligence service "successfully eliminated" IS deputy caliph Abdallah Makki Muslih al-Rufay'i. Sudani, posting on X, called the death a "significant security achievement." Iraqi special forces, in a subsequent post on the X social media platform, said al-Rufay’i was killed Thursday in an airstrike targeting his location in Iraq’s Anbar desert. U.S. President Donald Trump later
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