Kurdish Film Nominated for Award at “Paradise” International Festival in Germany
ARK News.. Kurdish filmmaker Gabriel Abu Bakr announced on Sunday that his short film “Sea of Hope” has been nominated for an award at the “Paradise” International Film Festival to be held in Germany.
Abu Bakr stated that the festival will take place on December 3 in Cologne, Germany, noting that the competition is very strong — his film was selected from among 4,800 submissions and will compete alongside 59 other films.
He highlighted that “Sea of Hope” is the only film representing Iraq and Kurdistan among participants from 52 countries.
The short film presents a deeply moving humanitarian story portraying the devastation of war on civilians’ lives, shedding light on the psychological and physical toll of displacement, and the perilous journey of those forced to flee their homes in search of safety and dignity — risking suffocation, death, and despair along the way.
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Noraddin al-Baba: Syrian Interior Ministry to Achieve Full Digital Transformation in Coming Months
ARK News.. The spokesperson for Syria’s Ministry of Interior, Noraddin al-Baba, affirmed that the ministry is making every possible effort to provide the best security services to citizens despite significant challenges.
In an interview with Russia’s RIA Novosti on Saturday, November 8, 2025, al-Baba said that the figures circulated regarding wanted individuals in Syria are exaggerated, clarifying that the actual number is in the tens or hundreds of thousands, not in the millions as often claimed.
He explained that the ministry is categorizing wanted persons according to their level of involvement, noting that those implicated in murder or terrorism cases are referred to the competent judiciary, while those not involved in violent crimes are being given opportunities to reintegrate into society.
Regarding allegations of abuses by certain security units against specific religious groups, particularly in the Syrian coast and Christian-majority areas, al-Baba emphasized the need to distinguish between individual misconduct and sectarian practices, asserting that the latter are completely rejected and contradict the principles of the revolution, which was founded on justice, freedom, and dignity.
On the issue of civil documentation, al-Baba stated that since the beginning of the liberation period, the ministry has issued over one million passports in addition to millions of other official documents.
He added that the ministry is now working toward a complete digital transformation within the coming months to accelerate procedures and enhance service quality, noting that the issuance of IDs and official papers is tied to the national visual identity renewal project and a
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U.S. Planning Limited Military Presence Near Damascus
ARK News.. A global news agency has revealed that the United States is planning to establish a limited military presence at an airbase near the Syrian capital, Damascus, in an area expected to become a buffer zone.
According to Reuters, citing well-informed sources, Washington’s plan involves setting up a restricted military deployment within an airbase close to Damascus, as part of efforts to facilitate a pending U.S.-brokered security understanding between Damascus and Tel Aviv.
The source added that the proposed base would be located in southern Syria, near areas anticipated to form part of the buffer zone under the forthcoming security agreement, which is reportedly under negotiation between the Syrian and Israeli sides with U.S. mediation led by President Donald Trump’s administration.
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Record Rise in Rejected Asylum Applications from Syrians in Germany
ARK News.. Germany recorded an unprecedented surge in the number of rejected asylum applications from Syrians during October, signaling a tightening of German asylum policy following recent political developments in Damascus.
According to data from the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF), 1,906 initial asylum applications submitted by Syrians were rejected last month, compared to just 163 rejections during the first nine months of the year.
In early December of last year, the office had suspended most decisions related to Syrian applicants, citing the “rapid developments in Syria following the ousting of President Bashar al-Assad.” However, it continued issuing procedural decisions, such as identifying another EU member state responsible for processing the claim.
Since late September, the BAMF has resumed processing the cases of young, single Syrian men capable of working.
The office stated: “Even in these cases, based on the applicant’s country of origin and prior court rulings, full rejections may be issued if no individual grounds of persecution are presented.”
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Rebaz Hamlan: Kurdistan Oil Exports Exceed 7.5 Million Barrels Since Resumption
ARK News.. The Financial Advisor to the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Prime Minister, Rebaz Hamlan, announced that Kurdistan Region’s oil exports have exceeded 7.5 million barrels since their resumption through the State Organization for Marketing of Oil (SOMO) via the pipeline to Turkey’s Ceyhan Port.
Speaking to reporters, Hamlan said: “More than 7.5 million barrels of Kurdistan Region’s oil have been sold through SOMO.”
He added that the KRG continues to transfer non-oil revenues to the federal government, underscoring the ongoing financial cooperation between Erbil and Baghdad.
Hamlan also confirmed that there are no longer any technical issues related to Kurdistan’s public-sector salaries between the regional and federal governments.
He further revealed that a KRG delegation will visit Baghdad immediately after the elections to finalize the payment of the remaining public-sector salaries for the rest of the year.
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Turkey Drafts Law to Allow PKK Members and Civilians to Return Home
ARK News.. An international news agency has revealed that Turkey has begun drafting a new law that would allow thousands of Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) members and civilians to return home from their strongholds in the mountains of the Kurdistan Region, as part of ongoing negotiations aimed at ending the decades-long conflict.
According to Reuters, citing a senior Middle Eastern official and a source within a Kurdish political party in Turkey, the proposed legislation would guarantee protection for returnees but would not include a general amnesty for crimes committed by former fighters. Some senior PKK figures may instead be relocated to third countries as part of a broader reconciliation plan.
The source added that the draft law, which envisions the return of both fighters and civilians in separate stages, could be submitted to the Turkish parliament later this month.
The PKK officially abandoned its armed struggle against the Turkish state in May 2025, marking the end of four decades of conflict that claimed nearly 50,000 lives on both sides.
Last month, the group announced the withdrawal of its remaining fighters from Turkey to the Qandil Mountains in the Kurdistan Region, completing the first phase of the peace process launched a year ago.
The Party for Equality and Peoples’ Democracy — the third-largest bloc in the Turkish parliament — has called for the start of the second phase, “which involves the legal and political steps.”
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Mohammed Ismail: A Just and Lasting Solution to the Kurdish Question Can Only Be Achieved in Damascus
ARK News.. The President of the Kurdish National Council (KNC) in Syria affirmed that the Council’s headquarters in the Syrian capital, Damascus, carries profound strategic significance and reflects the Council’s firm commitment to the outcomes of the Kurdish Unity and Common Stance Conference held on April 26, 2025.
Mohammed Ismail, President of the Kurdish National Council in Syria and Secretary of the Kurdistan Democratic Party – Syria, delivered a political lecture in Damascus organized by the KNC’s local branch in the capital. The event, held in the Zorava neighborhood, was attended by prominent political, social, and cultural figures.
During his lecture, Ismail highlighted the KNC’s political struggle since its founding, stressing that the Council serves as the legitimate and representative framework for the Kurdish people’s national rights in Syria and continues to work toward realizing their rightful demands within the unity of the country.
He also reviewed the historical phases of Kurdish national action, reiterating the Council’s unwavering commitment to the outcomes of the Kurdish Unity and Common Stance Conference — particularly its political vision and the establishment of a joint delegation.
Mohammed Ismail emphasized that maintaining the KNC headquarters in Damascus reflects a firm belief that a just and comprehensive solution to the Kurdish issue can only be achieved in the Syrian capital.
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12th Anniversary of the Abduction of Lawyer Idris Alo
ARK News.. Today, Saturday, November 8, 2025, marks the 12th anniversary of the abduction of political activist and member of the local committee of the Kurdistan Democratic Party – Syria, lawyer Idris Alo, whose fate remains unknown to this day.
Alo was abducted by armed members of the PYD administration on November 8, 2013, after they raided his home in the city center of Afrin, Kurdistan Syria, and took him to an undisclosed location.
Despite multiple efforts by his family to learn about his whereabouts, the PYD administration in Afrin denied responsibility for his disappearance, and the PYD Asayish also claimed that Alo was not in their custody.
Born in 1968, Idris Alo lived with his wife in Afrin’s Ashrafiya neighborhood. From the early days of the Syrian revolution, he was an outspoken opponent of the former Assad regime and took part in numerous demonstrations.
In addition to practicing law, Alo was active in media and youth movements. His visible role among young activists reportedly made him a target for the PYD, which — after monitoring his activities — ultimately carried out his abduction by masked men, taking him to an unknown destination.
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France Invites Syria to Join the International Coalition Against ISIS
ARK News.. French media sources reported that France has invited Syria to join the International Coalition against the ISIS terrorist organization and welcomed the UN Security Council’s decision to lift sanctions on the Syrian president.
According to the Syrian News Agency (SANA), French President Emmanuel Macron extended the invitation to Syria’s transitional president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, during their meeting on Thursday, November 6, 2025, on the sidelines of the Climate Summit in Brazil.
Macron stated that he expects Syria to be “a full and active participant in our fight against terrorist groups in the region.”
The French president also welcomed the UN Security Council’s Thursday decision to lift sanctions on al-Sharaa — a move described as symbolic ahead of his historic visit to the White House next Monday.
Macron hailed the UN decision as “a highly significant step,” affirming that it validates “the strategy France has pursued from the beginning.”
He added, “From the outset, we chose to work with the head of the transitional phase in an effort to restore Syria’s unity and territorial integrity, curb drug production and terrorist organizations more effectively, and facilitate the return of refugees.”
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Syrian President to Meet German Chancellor in Brazil
ARK News.. Syrian sources reported that President Ahmad al-Sharaa will meet German Chancellor Friedrich Mertz on the sidelines of the COP30 Climate Summit in Brazil.
The Presidential Media Directorate stated that al-Sharaa will conduct an official visit to Brazil on November 6–7, 2025, to participate in the summit held in Belem.
Al-Sharaa will attend summit sessions and hold bilateral meetings with leaders and delegations from participating countries.
This marks the first-ever participation of a Syrian president in the UN climate conference since its establishment in 1995. The COP30 Summit is one of the leading UN conferences on climate change, with participation from over 190 countries.
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