TNT:

CandyKisses:  Announcement of the start of the cancellation of the dollar in the trading of the “Brix” group

Iran, like other BRICS members, will abolish the use of the dollar in trade, economic and financial dealings within the group, and has already begun several steps in this direction.

“Within this organization, we have many planned tasks and joint work with other BRICS members,” Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister and Chief Negotiator Ali Bagheri Kayani announced this, an interview with Novosti correspondent.

“One of the most important actions was to eliminate the use of the dollar in commercial and economic transactions and financial cooperation. Activities like this have begun in the work of the BRICS, and we hope to strengthen and grow these activities in order to implement this task as soon as possible.”

The BRICS group includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, but more recently 23 countries have already expressed a desire to join this economic bloc.

At the last summit held in Johannesburg in August, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Argentina, Egypt and Ethiopia were officially invited to join the BRICS as of January 1, 2024.

CandyKisses:  Iran: The return of relations with Saudi Arabia has strengthened our relations with the countries of the region

Baghdad Today - Follow-up

The spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Nasser Kanaani, said on Sunday (December 31, 2023) that the restoration of diplomatic relations with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has strengthened Tehran's relations with the rest of the countries of the region.

Kanani said during a press conference in the city of Birjand, the center of Iran's southeastern Khorasan province, "Basically, the improvement and resumption of political relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia has had a positive impact on other aspects of Iran's relations with the countries of the region."

"Since the assumption of relations with Saudi Arabia, we have held several rounds of negotiations with five to six negotiations, in addition to the visit of Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian to Riyadh and before that the visit of his Saudi counterpart Faisal bin Farhan to Tehran," Kanani said.

"Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi's visit to Riyadh and his participation in the joint Arab-Islamic summit meeting on Palestine have strengthened the level of Iranian-Saudi relations," he said.

In March, Iran and Saudi Arabia announced the resumption of diplomatic relations, which had been severed since 2016, following negotiations hosted by China.

Iraq and Oman have made great efforts to restore relations between Tehran and Riyadh, with three rounds of negotiations held in Baghdad between Iranian and Saudi officials.

Saudi Arabia severed ties with Iran after its embassy in Tehran and consulate in the northeastern city of Mashhad were stormed after Iranian protesters burned down the kingdom's embassy after Riyadh executed Shiite cleric Nimr Baqir al-Nimr in January 2016.

************

CandyKisses:  Al-Sudani directs to open the celebration square to citizens

Baghdad Today - Baghdad

Today, Saturday (December 30, 2023), Prime Minister Mohamed Shia Al-Sudani directed the opening of the celebration square to citizens on the occasion of the New Year.

The Sudanese Media Office said in a statement received by "Baghdad Today", that "Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, directed the concerned authorities, to open the celebration square on the Karkh side of Baghdad to the movement of citizens, and to maintain The gates of the Green Zone open after midnight, on New Year's Eve, on Sunday - Monday of this week, on the occasion of the New Year."

************

CandyKisses:  Parliamentary wealth: "procrastination" of the region obstructed the adoption of the oil law

Economy News-Baghdad

The Oil, Gas and Natural Resources Committee in the House of Representatives attributed the delay in passing the oil and gas law to the procrastination of the Kurdistan region in implementing its obligations to the federal government, while the committee justified the sale of some oil companies for their shares in Iraq to two things.

Committee member Ali al-Mashkour said that "outstanding points of contention between the center and the region have caused the delay in approving the oil and gas law so far, as well as the latter's procrastination in implementing its obligations towards the center."

Regarding the sale of some international oil companies for their shares in Iraq, Al-Mashkour indicated that "this is due to two things; the first is to achieve their interests in other countries in the event of a valuable opportunity for them, regardless of the place in which they operated," and the second reason "is due to political changes and events taking place in the country in which they were operating and conflicts of interest between one country and another."

CandyKisses:  Integrity returns one billion dinars to the Ministry of Electricity from one of its contracting companies

Economy Baghdad News

The Federal Integrity Commission announced on Sunday the return of nearly one billion dinars to the Ministry of Electricity as a result of the fundamental investigative procedures in the case of financial irregularities in one of the contracts concluded by the General Company for Rusafa Electricity Distribution (formerly) with a general trading and contracting company.

The Authority's Investigations Department said in a statement seen by "Economy News" that "an investigative committee was formed to investigate the violations contained in the contract concluded by the General Company for Rusafa Electricity Distribution (formerly) the General Company for Electricity Distribution of Baghdad currently with trading and general contracting companies, to provide maintenance, rehabilitation and collection service for shops (Karrada - Nairiyah - New Baghdad - Zafaraniyah - Madaen - Diyala Bridge Nahrawan - Al-Wahda neighborhood)."

She added that "the work of the committee resulted in the return of (977,130,000) million dinars in favor of the Ministry of Electricity, after the reluctance of the investing company to return it for a period of five years."

The department pointed out, according to the statement, that "the contract, which lasts up to five years with a profit rate of (11.6%) for the service fee and collection paid to the investing company from the amounts of energy sold, and granted a grace period of six months from the date of signing the contract; to zero the energy losses, indicating that a warning was issued to the company for its reluctance to provide services," pointing out that "the company has no experience in the field of electric power, which led to damage to public money amounting to (10,260, 480,515) billion dinars

************

CandyKisses:  National Security announces the seizure of $ 15 million intended for smuggling and price speculation during 2023

Economy Baghdad News

The Iraqi National Security Agency announced the seizure of $ 15 million intended for smuggling and price speculation during 2023.

The agency's media directorate said at the annual press conference on Sunday, "the arrest of 421 defendants in the file of currency smuggling and price speculation, with the seizure of more than $ 15 million, as well as 7 billion and 250 million, including counterfeit amounts."

Regarding the drug file, the agency announced that it was able to "dismantle most of the main networks, overthrow 686 defendants accused of trade, distribution and transportation, and seize 179 kg of crystal, marijuana and hashish, 14 million and 600 thousand narcotic pills, and 1470 narcotic Datura plants."

According to the directorate, "two planting operations of narcotic plants were thwarted, the first in an apartment inside a residential complex, and the second inside a house east of the capital, Baghdad, with the arrest of the accused and the seizure of seeds."

In addition, the agency's media directorate announced, "the seizure of 286,000 tons of expired foodstuffs, smuggled medicines, wheat, fertilizers prohibited from circulation and materials prohibited from import."

She pointed out that the file of securing the provincial council elections witnessed the arrest of 122 violators who tried to influence the progress of the process and were referred to the judiciary.

According to the directorate, the service overthrew 14 foreign terrorists and suicide bombers recruited outside Iraq to plan attacks inside the country