Tuesday Iraq News Posted by Tishwash at TNT 8-11-2026
TNT:
Tishwash: Iraqi Parliament to Hold Two Legislative Sessions to Debate Key Bills
The Iraqi Parliament is set to hold two sessions during its current legislative term to consider a series of bills, proposed amendments and parliamentary committee reports.
According to the agenda issued by the parliament's Media Department, seen by PUKMEDIA, the first session will include the first reading of the Bill on Supporting Doctors (No. 36 of 2016) and the Bill on Granting Employees Extended Leave. Lawmakers will also conduct the second reading of the Bill on the Third Amendment to the Iraqi Jurists Union Law (No. 173 of 1969) and the Bill Amending the Lawyers Law (No. 173 of 1965).
The second session will feature the first reading of the Bill on Recovering Proceeds from Corruption, alongside the second reading of the Bill on the First Amendment to the Notaries Public Law (No. 33 of 1998) and the Bill on the First Amendment to the Minors' Welfare Law (No. 78 of 1980). Members of Parliament will also discuss reports submitted by the relevant parliamentary committees.
The two sessions form part of the parliament's ongoing legislative agenda, aimed at advancing the review and approval of a number of bills and completing the parliamentary procedures required for their enactment. link
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Tishwash: Global Finance awards an Iraqi bank a global prize in recognition of its performance
The National Bank of Iraq announced on Monday that it had won the “Best Bank in Iraq for 2026” award, granted by the international magazine “Global Finance”, as part of its annual Best Bank Awards 2026 , which honors the most distinguished banking institutions worldwide.
The bank said in a statement, "This win is a significant milestone in the bank's journey, as it was chosen for the first time as the best bank in Iraq, alongside a select group of the most prominent banking institutions in the Middle East and the world, in an achievement that reflects the growing status the bank has attained and the confidence of local markets and international bodies in its performance and strategy."
He explained that "the awarding of this prize came in recognition of the development, institutional and digital transformation journey that the bank has pursued over the past years, and its continuous commitment to enhancing the quality of banking services and innovating advanced financial solutions that meet customer needs, in addition to its active contribution to supporting and developing the banking sector in Iraq."
Commenting on this honor, the Managing Director of the National Bank of Iraq, Ayman Abu Dahim, said, “The bank’s receipt of this award reflects the progress it has made in recent years in developing banking services and enhancing the bank’s digital infrastructure, within a vision aimed at improving customer experience and providing advanced financial solutions that meet market demands.”
Abu Dahim added, "This achievement is an incentive to continue working to consolidate its position as a leading banking institution in Iraq by expanding the scope of banking services and adopting the latest innovations in the financial sector, which contributes to supporting the development of the banking sector in Iraq and enhancing its role in supporting economic activity." link
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Tishwash: Al-Zaydi hosts the parliamentary finance committee to discuss financial and economic plans and policies.
Al-Zaydi and the parliamentary finance committee are at the same table... a new budget and a war on corruption.
Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi hosted the chairman and members of the Parliamentary Finance Committee on Monday (August 10, 2026), in the presence of the Minister of Finance and the Governor of the Central Bank of Iraq, to discuss financial and economic plans and policies, and to enhance coordination between the executive and legislative authorities on priority issues.
Al-Zaydi stressed, according to a statement from the Cabinet, a copy of which was received by 964 Network , the importance of the role of the House of Representatives and the Finance Committee in supporting the work of the government and its reform program, noting that the government inherited a “heavy legacy” of files and challenges, and is working to address them according to a clear vision.
He said that the government has begun, for the first time, to prepare a program and performance budget, which represents a roadmap for Iraq's economic future, by linking government spending to goals and results, and improving the efficiency of public money use.
The Prime Minister indicated that the electricity file will receive exceptional attention, calling on MPs to exercise their oversight role in supporting the government’s efforts to combat corruption and dry up its sources, stressing that “there are no red lines in pursuing the corrupt.”
Al-Zaydi explained that the government is working on preparing a state-building strategy based on building a “new economic Iraq,” corruption-free departments, and constitutional security institutions, noting that there is a great desire and interest from international companies to invest in Iraq, in addition to the readiness of international financial institutions to provide economic support.
He stressed the importance of providing a suitable environment to attract investments and revitalize various economic sectors, and directed the preparation of a schedule for hosting and holding periodic meetings with parliamentary committees, to enhance coordination and institutional communication between the government and the House of Representatives.
For his part, the head of the parliamentary finance committee affirmed his absolute support for the government, while members of the committee put forward a number of proposals related to enacting the necessary laws to activate non-oil economic activities, support economic reform and combat corruption.
The committee members also stressed the importance of proceeding with the implementation of oil projects, improving the investment environment and attracting reputable international companies, in order to contribute to driving development, encouraging industry and providing job opportunities. link
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Tishwash: Changing the uniforms, ranks, and insignia of the Popular Mobilization Forces... Transfers and retirements by lottery and 5 decisions before Baghdad
Informed sources told Network 964 that Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi's committee for weapons control is engaged in extensive discussions addressing five key issues: changing the Popular Mobilization Forces' uniform and providing them with new clothing, insignia, and ranks to give them a different "visual identity"
Retiring older members of the Popular Mobilization Forces and integrating army officers into their ranks; redefining the security tasks of the Popular Mobilization Forces and their deployment map; and redistributing fighters among brigades and governorates by entering personnel data into a system similar to an electronic lottery, transferring them between new brigades so that the old brigades do not remain in one human mass, and then a real link can be established with the leadership of the armed forces, not with the leadership of the formations that emerged during the war against ISIS.
According to the sources, the head of the Badr Organization, Hadi al-Amiri, who plays a major role in calming tensions between the government and the factions (and who commands more than 20 brigades in the Popular Mobilization Forces), held a meeting with a number of brigade commanders. During the meeting, they discussed developments related to the next phase and the nature of the changes that could affect the work of the formations.
A new visual identity
On another front, the meetings, according to sources, discussed the possibility of formulating a new visual identity for the Popular Mobilization Forces in the next phase, including uniforms, badges, general appearance, and naming, within a framework intended to move from the image of formations that emerged during the war to an official security institution with a clear structure and a single military reference.
Crowd algorithm
A security source said that “one of the most prominent proposals is to redistribute field fighters among brigades and formations, instead of keeping individuals within cohesive human groups that were formed during the years of the war on ISIS, and which still follow well-known political and religious leaders, with the aim of building more integrated formations that are less connected to the previous leadership, while keeping employees and administrators within their career paths according to the needs of the new institution.”
The sources say that “the idea under study is based on entering the data of field fighters into an electronic system, and then conducting a new distribution according to criteria determined by the institution, including the governorates, the numerical need, and the nature of the tasks, which allows for the restructuring of the brigades in a different way from the current map, and at the same time limits the fighters remaining within closed groups linked to one leader or one region.”
She adds that “the discussion is not only about the fighters, but extends to the form of leadership itself, as the inclusion of officers from the military establishment within the structure of the Popular Mobilization Forces was discussed intensively and clearly, and the expansion of the presence of military specialties in the command centers, which may gradually change the nature of brigade management and the mechanisms for issuing orders and deployment.”
According to the sources, “among the proposals is the preparation of a new structure for ranks and leadership positions, and the reassessment of the ages of affiliates, with those who have exceeded the age or the required conditions being referred to retirement according to legal mechanisms, in exchange for opening the way for new generations of officers and affiliates.” link