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Excitement builds among gamers in Baghdad ahead of GTA6 release

Enthusiasts anticipate early release

Excitement builds among gamers in Baghdad ahead of GTA6 release

BAGHDAD, December 11 — In the Dora district of Baghdad, fans of the Grand Theft Auto game series are eagerly awaiting franchise’s forthcoming release, Grand Theft Auto VI.

Some players say they will buy the new version no matter the cost, and experts anticipate the new version will be available in markets sooner than the company’s announced date due to numerous leaks.

The first announcement for the games newest version was made nearly a week ago, and game enthusiasts responded en mass.

Gamers in Dora are preparing to purchase the new version of the game through the manufacturer’s website and although the specified release date for the game is in 2025, fans expect it to be launched within the next year.

The last release of the game was in 2013, and since then, fans have been eagerly awaiting a new version.

Hussein Adnan, a gamer, told 964: “GTA is the favorite game for all gamers, all its versions have succeeded, and the game’s manufacturer is working on development and has not failed with any previous version.”

GTA 6 is expected be a qualitative leap in the history of the game, making it exciting and realistic than previous versions.

“We all witnessed the significant interaction from gamers after the first announcement. I will buy it no matter the price because it is my favorite game, and I have a strong desire to get it,”Adnan said.

Iraqi Parliament approves three controversial laws as many MPs call process a ‘farce’

Iraqi Parliament building

After months of deadlock

Iraqi Parliament approves three controversial laws as many MPs call process a ‘farce’

BAGHDAD — The Iraqi Parliament convened Tuesday and approved three controversial laws, with many MPs outraged at a voting mechanism they call a “farce” and signing letters demanding Speaker Mahmoud Al-Mashhadani’s removal.

Amendments to the Personal Status Law were a key demand of Shia representatives. The Property Restitution Law, which aims to return confiscated lands during the Ba’ath era to their rightful owners, was strongly supported by Kurdish and Turkmen representatives, while the General Amnesty Law addressed demands advocated by Sunni lawmakers.

Proposed amendments to Iraq’s Personal Status Law, introduced Aug. 4, 2024, sparked protests across Iraq.

These amendments allow citizens to choose between religious or civil authorities for issues related to inheritance, divorce and child custody. Critics warn the changes could weaken legal protections for women and reduce the minimum marriage age of 18 for Muslim girls, currently protected under Iraq’s 1959 law.

The Property Restitution Law, officially titled the Law for Returning Properties to Their Owners Affected by Certain Decisions of the Dissolved Revolutionary Command Council, underwent its first and second readings in Parliament in April 2024.

The legislation seeks to reverse decisions made by Saddam Hussein’s regime between 1975 and 1979 that confiscated approximately 32,000 acres of agricultural land in areas like Kirkuk and handed them over to Arab settlers.

Shakhawan Abdullah, deputy speaker of the Iraqi Parliament and a Kurdish representative, underscored the importance of the Property Restitution Law at a press conference. “After over 20 years of liberation from the former regime and 50 years of Kurdish and Turkmen land seizures and occupying, the Iraqi Parliament has taken a major step today,” Abdullah said. “The decisions that led to the occupying of Kurdish and Turkmen lands, their allocation to ministries, or their transfer to incoming Arab settlers have now been overturned by today’s parliamentary vote.”

Masoud Barzani, president of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, commended the Iraqi Parliament for approving the Property Restitution Law, describing it as an “important step.”

In a statement, Barzani wrote, “After a long period since the fall of the former Iraqi regime, today the Iraqi Parliament took an important step by passing the ‘Law to Reverse Decisions of the Dissolved Baath Command Council.’ This law is dedicated to restoring lands and properties to their rightful owners.”

The General Amnesty Law involves amendments to the 2016 pardon law. Many Sunnis argue that, following ISIS’s control of predominantly Sunni governorates in 2014, thousands of individuals were “wrongfully detained” on terrorism charges. The call for a general amnesty law has also been a key demand of Sunni political forces in Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani’s administration.

Iraqi Parliament Speaker Mahmoud Al-Mashhadani commented on the approval of the amended General Amnesty Law. “With great pride and on behalf of the people we represent, I announce today the approval of the amendment to the General Amnesty Law. This step reflects our continued commitment to national reconciliation and building bridges of trust among the citizens of our united homeland,” he said in a statement.

Al-Mashhadani also emphasized that the law sends “a clear message” of a new era focused on “collective work and social justice.” He noted that the legislation offers a chance for those who “erred in the past to reintegrate into society.”

However, several Iraqi lawmakers have posted videos on social media, declaring their opposition to the passage mechanism, describing the process as a “farce.”

The videos also showed members of parliament collecting signatures to initiate the dismissal of Mahmoud Al-Mashhadani from his position as Speaker of Parliament. Their objections were directed at the parliamentary session and the procedures through which the laws were approved.

MP Noor Nafea claimed that the Parliament passed amendments to the Personal Status Law and the General Amnesty Law without an official vote. In a post on her X account, Nafea wrote, “Without a vote, the Parliament passed the amendments to the Personal Status Law and the General Amnesty Law. Lawmakers did not raise their hands in approval, yet the vote was considered passed.”

She added that members of the parliamentary presidency and some lawmakers left the session.

No official response from Al-Mashhadani or parliamentary leadership has been forthcoming regarding these allegations.

In a Facebook post, MP Yasser Hashem Al-Husseini expressed concerns over the passage of the General Amnesty Law, stating that it could apply to “terrorists.”

This article has been updated

National reconciliation is complete in Iraq

National reconciliation is complete in Iraq

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