Iraq's parliament elected Sunni Muslim lawmaker Haibat al-Halbousi as speaker at its opening session on Monday following November's national election, launching a process to form a new government that often takes months.
The entrance of Iraq's parliament building ahead of the first session of the newly elected parliament, in Baghdad, Iraq December 29, 2025. Reuters/Ahmed Saad
Iraq's parliament elected Sunni Muslim lawmaker Haibat al-Halbousi as speaker at its opening session on Monday following November's national election, launching a process to form a new government that often takes months.
A parliamentary statement said Halbousi secured 208 out of a total of 283 votes. The speaker plays a key role in maintaining legislative order, mediating disputes and building consensus in Iraq's sectarian-oriented and often fragmented political system.
Under the Iraqi constitution, parliament must elect a speaker and two deputies at its opening session, then choose a new president within 30 days. The president will in turn task the largest parliamentary bloc with forming a government.
Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani's bloc won the most seats in the election. The next government will need to navigate the delicate balance between U.S. and Iranian influence, with dozens of Iran-aligned militia groups complicating the picture.
Reporting by Ahmed Rasheed
The United Nations General Assembly on Thursday elected Barham Salih, a former Iraqi president who fled persecution under Saddam Hussein, as the next U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees.
Iraqi wheat farmer Ma'an al-Fatlawi has long depended on the nearby Euphrates River to feed his fields near the city of Najaf.
The global narrative surrounding the Middle East often centers on one storyline, but rarely acknowledges another equally important and long-overlooked chapter. It is the untold story of nearly 850,000 Jews who were expelled or forced to flee from Arab and Muslim-majority countries in the mid-20th century.
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