Tunisia bid farewell to its first democratically elected president Beji Caid Essebsi on Saturday at a state funeral attended by foreign leaders including French President Emmanuel Macron and Qatar’s emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. Essebsi, who helped guide the North African country’s transition to democracy after the 2011 revolution, died aged 92 on Thursday. Tens of thousands of Tunisians lined up the streets waving flags, chanting the national anthem and throwing roses at the funeral as it made its way from the presidential palace in Carthage to the Al Jallaz cemetery.
The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and the Federal Government of Iraq had a round meeting in efforts to draft an agreement aimed at resolving longstanding disputes between the two. Iraqi delegation made up of Iraqi Finance Minister, Oil Minister, National Security Adviser, and Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister arrived in Erbil and was received by Deputy Prime Minister, Qubad Talabani.They met with a corresponding KRG delegation, comprised of Talabani, Interior Minister, Finance Minister, and with Prime Minister Barzani spearheading the team. This talks come less than ten days after a high-ranking KRG delegation, headed by Prime Minister of the Masrour Barzani, met with Iraqi President Barham Salih, Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi, and Parliament Speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi in Baghdad.
Six months after the death of its former leader, the Yezidi (Ezidi) religious minority living in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region chose his son to head their community.The new world Mir of Yezidis, Mir Hazim Tahseen Bag, was sworn in on Saturday, 27th July, during a large ceremony in the holy temple of Lalish, Duhok province of Kurdistan Region.Prominent Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani, President Nichervan Barzani and PM Masrour Barzani all congratulated the new Mir Hazim on his election.