A popular TikTok influencer in Mali who used her platform to praise the country’s military was abducted and publicly executed by armed men, authorities said, marking one of the most shocking attacks yet against pro-government voices in the region.
Mariame Cissé, who had more than 140,000 followers on TikTok, was seized Friday while visiting a weekly market in the town of Echel, according to Yehia Tandina, the mayor of nearby Timbuktu. He said that the following evening, at dusk, the same men returned with Cissé to Independence Square in Tonka — where they shot her in front of a crowd.
The mayor of Tonka confirmed the execution but said details about the assailants remained unclear. The town sits along the Niger River in central Mali, an area where al-Qaeda’s regional affiliate, Jama’at Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM), is known to operate. No group has claimed responsibility for the killing.
Cissé was not affiliated with the military but often posted videos of herself wearing fatigues and expressing support for Mali’s armed forces. Local officials said that those videos likely drew the attention of militants in the area.
She reportedly received death threats in the days before her abduction. In her final TikTok video, shared just days before her death, Cissé danced and smiled to upbeat music — a post that has since filled with messages of grief and outrage as her followers continue to grow.
Mali’s military government, which seized power in a 2020 coup and again in 2021 under a separate takeover, has faced intensifying violence from insurgent groups across the country. Despite promises to restore security, attacks by JNIM and other armed factions have surged, particularly in remote rural regions.
The nation is currently in the grip of a two-month fuel blockade imposed by al-Qaeda-linked groups, worsening economic hardship and limiting government control in several provinces.
Cissé’s killing underscores the growing peril faced by public figures who support Mali’s junta amid the country’s worsening conflict.
A convicted drug dealer who was granted clemency by President Donald Trump has been ordered back to federal prison after repeatedly violating the conditions of his supervised release. Jonathan Braun, a Long Island resident once described by prosecutors as a major player in an international marijuana smuggling ring, was sentenced Monday to 27 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Kiyo Matsumoto in Brooklyn.
The judge said she hoped Braun’s “expressions of remorse” and pledges to “lead a law-abiding life” were sincere, warning him not to “squander” the opportunity for rehabilitation.
Prosecutors had sought the maximum five-year penalty, arguing that Braun’s “brazen and violent conduct caused fear and terror in his victims” and that he remained a “serious danger to the community.” The new offenses, they said, showed that Braun had “learned nothing” since being granted clemency.
Braun, 39, was arrested in April and held at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center after a string of incidents that included allegedly swinging an IV pole at a nurse, threatening to kill her, sexually assaulting his family’s nanny, and evading bridge tolls dozens of times in his luxury vehicles. That time already served will be credited toward his sentence.
Defense attorney Kathryn Wozencroft had requested Braun’s immediate release, citing his participation in psychiatric counseling, sobriety efforts, and renewed engagement with his faith community. She said Braun had spent the past seven months “reflecting on the very serious harm his behavior caused” and was “taking steps to rebuild his life.”
Braun originally pleaded guilty in 2019 to trafficking more than 100,000 kilograms (over 220,000 pounds) of marijuana from Canada into the United States. He served about a year of a 10-year sentence before Trump commuted it in January 2021 during the final days of his first term. Though freed, Braun remained under court supervision and was required to pay a fine and avoid further criminal conduct.
Court filings detailed a series of disturbing post-release episodes. In January, prosecutors said, Braun attacked a nurse in a Long Island hospital, swinging an IV pole and shouting death threats. The following month, he allegedly groped and restrained the family’s nanny, who testified that she locked herself in a bathroom and called her husband for help. In March, prosecutors said, Braun confronted a fellow worshipper during a synagogue service, grabbing his arm and asking, “Do you know who I am?”
Authorities said Braun also dodged bridge tolls at least 40 times, accruing unpaid fees while continuing to live in a multimillion-dollar home and drive high-end cars. He allegedly failed to make court-ordered fine payments or submit accurate financial disclosures to probation officers.
Prosecutors said Braun’s repeated disregard for the law demonstrated why his clemency had been misplaced. “The defendant’s actions since his release show a pattern of entitlement and violence,” they wrote.
Braun’s case has renewed debate over several controversial clemency decisions made during Trump’s first term, particularly those involving convicted drug traffickers.
Anti-fascist protesters clashed with attendees outside a Turning Point USA (TPUSA) event at the University of California, Berkeley, on Monday night — the final stop in the organization’s national tour honoring its assassinated founder, Charlie Kirk. The confrontation, marked by violence, vandalism, and multiple arrests, underscored the enduring ideological divide at one of America’s most politically charged campuses.
Inside Berkeley’s Zellerbach Hall, comedian Rob Schneider and Christian apologist Dr. Frank Turek addressed a full audience under heavy security. Outside, tensions boiled over between Trump supporters and left-wing demonstrators, many dressed in black and waving anti-fascist flags, who had gathered to denounce TPUSA’s presence.
The unrest erupted around 4:30 p.m. when a physical altercation broke out between a street vendor selling “Freedom” memorial T-shirts and a masked protester near Bancroft Way. Video footage circulating online shows the two men grappling before police intervened, using bicycles as shields to separate them. The Trump supporter, bleeding from the face, continued shouting as officers handcuffed both individuals.
“I was gay until Charlie Kirk showed me the way!” the vendor yelled as police restrained him, in a statement that quickly spread across social media.
Berkeley police confirmed two arrests for battery and disorderly conduct, while a third person was detained later in the evening for vandalism and interference. Officers from Berkeley Police, the UC Police Department, and the California Highway Patrol formed barricades as protesters attempted to “de-arrest” one of the detainees.
Private security screened attendees entering Zellerbach Hall as police equipped with pepper ball launchers stood between protesters and the venue. Despite the clashes, the event proceeded as planned, concluding TPUSA’s “This Is The Turning Point” tour — a series of campus appearances restructured after Kirk’s assassination during a Utah Valley University event in September.
Turek, a longtime friend of Kirk, told Fox News that ending the tour at UC Berkeley was deliberate. “If I could go to any one event with him, it would be that one,” he said. “Berkeley represents the heart of progressive ideology. I wanted to show that truth and faith still have a place even here.”
Attendees inside the packed auditorium were shown a tribute video celebrating Kirk’s legacy of faith, courage, and free expression. Outside, the chants of “No Trump, no KKK, no fascist USA” continued into the evening as police maintained a tight perimeter.
Kirk’s supporters said the clashes only reinforced the urgency of his message. “We came here because Charlie inspired us,” said attendee Ella Klosek, who drove from Santa Maria. “It wasn’t just his politics — it was his faith and his belief in traditional values.”
The violent scenes at Berkeley marked yet another flashpoint in the growing national tension over free speech on college campuses — a conflict that shows no signs of cooling even after the death of one of its most polarizing figures.
Venezuela’s military is preparing to launch a guerrilla-style resistance campaign and widespread street anarchy plan if the United States carries out air or ground strikes, according to multiple sources familiar with the strategy and planning documents reviewed by Reuters. The preparations reflect what officials privately acknowledge is a deep weakness in the country’s conventional military capabilities.
Sources said Venezuelan forces are deploying outdated, Russian-made weapons and reinforcing small tactical units positioned across hundreds of locations in what officials have termed a “prolonged resistance” strategy. The approach underscores Caracas’ acknowledgment that it cannot match the U.S. military’s power in a direct confrontation.
President Nicolas Maduro, who has ruled since 2013, maintains that the Venezuelan people and armed forces will defend the country “at any cost.” His comments came after President Donald Trump suggested that “the land is going to be next” following a series of U.S. strikes on alleged drug-trafficking vessels in the Caribbean. Trump later walked back the remark, saying no attack on Venezuela was imminent.
Despite the rhetoric, Venezuela’s military is a fraction of the size and capability of the U.S. Armed Forces. Years of low pay, equipment shortages, and lack of training have left the force struggling to feed and maintain its troops. In some cases, local commanders have reportedly bartered with food producers to feed soldiers, two people familiar with the situation said.
Guerrilla Warfare and “Anarchization” Plans
Maduro’s defense planners are pursuing two distinct but complementary strategies, sources said. The first, known as “prolonged resistance,” relies on small units across more than 280 sites carrying out sabotage operations, ambushes, and hit-and-run attacks in a drawn-out guerrilla campaign.
The second strategy, dubbed “anarchization,” involves the intelligence services and armed loyalists creating disorder across Caracas to make the capital ungovernable for any occupying force. “The goal would be chaos,” said one source close to the opposition. “They want to make it impossible to stabilize Venezuela.”
Documents reviewed by Reuters show that both strategies have been in development for years, with detailed instructions on using small arms, grenades, and positioning heavy weapons. A 2019 manual even outlines how lone combatants can navigate terrain using the sun or stars.
While the government touts the plans as patriotic defense measures, insiders acknowledge their limitations. “We wouldn’t last two hours in a conventional war,” said one source close to the government. Another admitted Venezuela’s forces were “not ready to face one of the world’s most powerful armies.”
Maduro’s Military Strategy and Civilian Militias
Maduro has long sought to secure the loyalty of the military by following the playbook of his predecessor Hugo Chávez, appointing officers to ministerial posts and state-run enterprises. That loyalty helped him retain power after the disputed 2024 election, which international observers said was won by the opposition.
Still, morale among troops remains low. Regular soldiers earn roughly $100 a month—less than a fifth of what’s needed for basic food costs. Many have little combat experience beyond quelling street protests. Desertions are considered likely if war breaks out, sources said.
Maduro has claimed that more than 8 million civilians are training in militias ready to defend Venezuela. Analysts, however, estimate that only about 5,000 to 7,000 would actually take part in a coordinated resistance, mostly drawn from intelligence units, party loyalists, and select militia groups.
Outdated Arsenal and Russian Support
Venezuela’s arsenal is largely composed of decades-old Russian-made hardware, including Sukhoi fighter jets, helicopters, tanks, and Igla-S shoulder-fired missiles. While Maduro has showcased these weapons on state television, experts say they are outdated compared with U.S. military technology.
“Next to U.S. B-2 bombers, they are nothing,” said one defense source. Venezuela purchased about 20 Sukhoi jets in the 2000s, but most now require maintenance. Moscow has offered to assist Caracas with repairs and upgrades to radar systems, as well as new missile deliveries.
Maduro claimed recently that 5,000 Igla-S missiles have already been deployed across the country and vowed to defend Venezuela “to the last mountain, the last town, and the last city.” Military orders reportedly instruct units to scatter and hide with their weapons if U.S. forces strike first.
A Strategy of Deterrence Through Chaos
Analysts believe Venezuela’s preparations are less about winning a war and more about deterrence. “The underlying message isn’t about real military capability,” said defense analyst Andrei Serbin Pont. “It’s about creating the threat of chaos — that in any invasion scenario, weapons could fall into the hands of militias, guerrillas, or ex-soldiers, spreading instability far beyond Caracas.”
While Maduro publicly mocks the idea of a U.S. attack, his government continues to train militias, deploy portable missiles, and plan resistance operations. Whether these tactics could deter or even delay a U.S. intervention remains unclear. But one thing, sources say, is certain: Venezuela is preparing for the worst-case scenario — a war it knows it cannot win outright, but intends to make as costly as possible.
A suicide bomber detonated explosives outside a district court in Islamabad on Tuesday, killing at least 12 people and injuring 27 others, Pakistan’s interior minister confirmed, marking the latest escalation in a growing wave of militant violence across the country.
The explosion erupted just after midday outside the main gates of the court complex, near a parked police vehicle, sending debris flying through the air as crowds fled in panic. The blast, which was heard miles away, struck during one of the court’s busiest hours, when hundreds of lawyers, visitors, and plaintiffs were arriving for hearings.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said the attacker tried to enter the courthouse but detonated his vest when stopped at a police checkpoint. “The attacker attempted to enter the court premises but, failing to do so, targeted a police vehicle,” Naqvi told reporters. He described the assault as an “act of terror carried out by Indian-backed elements and Afghan Taliban proxies,” though he added that officials were still investigating all possible leads.
No group immediately claimed responsibility, but suspicion quickly centered on the Pakistani Taliban, or Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which has stepped up attacks since the Afghan Taliban’s rise to power in Kabul in 2021.
Witnesses described chaotic scenes following the explosion. “People started running in all directions,” said Mohammad Afzal, who was near the entrance when the bomb went off. Ambulances and rescue teams rushed to the site as bystanders attempted to pull the wounded from smoldering wreckage. Most of the victims were passersby or individuals attending court proceedings.
Earlier reports had suggested a car bomb caused the explosion, but authorities later confirmed that a suicide bomber was responsible. Islamabad police said they were conducting a full investigation but had not yet released details on the bomber’s identity.
Overnight Attack Foiled at Military College
The court bombing came less than a day after Pakistani forces thwarted an attempted hostage attack at an army-run cadet college in the northwestern city of Wana, near the Afghan border. Security officials said six militants, including a suicide car bomber, targeted the facility late Monday, aiming to seize cadets inside.
Police chief Alamgir Mahsud said troops quickly killed two attackers before three others breached the compound and were cornered in an administrative block, sparking a prolonged gun battle that continued into Tuesday. The college, located in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, had once been a base for the TTP, al-Qaida, and other foreign fighters.
The Pakistani Taliban denied involvement in the attempted siege, though officials maintain the group remains the primary threat.
Prime Minister Condemns Attacks, Promises Accountability
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif denounced both attacks, calling them “heinous acts of terror” and vowing swift justice. “We will ensure the perpetrators are apprehended and held accountable,” Sharif said in a statement from Islamabad, pledging that the “blood of innocent Pakistanis will not go to waste.”
Sharif has faced mounting pressure to restore stability as Pakistan endures a sharp rise in militant assaults targeting security forces, government offices, and civilians. The resurgence has drawn parallels to the 2014 Peshawar school massacre, when Taliban gunmen killed 154 people, mostly children, in one of the country’s deadliest terrorist attacks.
Strained Ties and Stalled Peace Talks
The Islamabad bombing underscores the growing strain in Pakistan’s relations with Afghanistan. Tensions between the two neighbors have deepened following deadly cross-border skirmishes and Pakistani drone strikes in Kabul earlier this month that killed several people.
Despite Qatar-brokered ceasefires, violence has persisted. Two rounds of peace talks between Pakistani and Afghan officials in Istanbul have failed to produce an agreement, as Kabul has refused to give written assurances that its territory will not be used by the TTP or allied groups to stage attacks on Pakistan.
The fragile truce remains in limbo, leaving Pakistan’s security forces stretched thin as they battle multiple insurgent threats within and along its volatile northwestern frontier.
The Senate voted late Monday to pass legislation reopening the U.S. government after the longest shutdown in the nation’s history, with eight Democrats breaking ranks to join Republicans in a 60-40 vote. The measure, which funds the government through Jan. 30 without extending Affordable Care Act subsidies set to expire, now moves to the House, where a vote could occur as early as Wednesday.
President Donald Trump has expressed support for the bipartisan agreement, saying, “We’re going to be opening up our country very quickly,” signaling the likely end of the 41-day shutdown that began Oct. 1.
The vote marked a major breakthrough following weeks of partisan gridlock that left hundreds of thousands of federal workers unpaid and disrupted government services nationwide. All Republicans except Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky supported the measure, while eight Democrats crossed party lines to approve the bill amid growing pressure from constituents affected by the prolonged shutdown.
The shutdown’s end was largely brokered by a small coalition of moderate senators, including New Hampshire’s Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan and Maine Independent Angus King. The group negotiated a compromise to advance three bipartisan spending bills and extend the rest of government funding into late January. In return, Republican leaders promised to hold a vote on extending health care subsidies by mid-December, though passage remains uncertain.
Shaheen acknowledged that the deal fell short of Democratic goals but said it was necessary to bring relief to millions of Americans hurt by the stalemate. “This was the option on the table,” she said. “We believed the shutdown had effectively raised awareness about health care, and this gives us an opportunity to keep pushing forward.”
The legislation reverses mass firings of federal employees carried out since the shutdown began and ensures all affected workers will receive back pay once the government officially reopens.
Alongside Shaheen, King, and Hassan, Democratic Sens. Tim Kaine of Virginia, Dick Durbin of Illinois, John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, and Nevada’s Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen also supported the bill. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and most Democrats opposed it, saying the deal failed to protect key health care provisions.
Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders called the vote a “horrific mistake,” while Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy warned it undermined voters who had urged Democrats to hold the line on health care. In the House, Progressive Caucus Chair Rep. Greg Casar criticized the compromise as a “betrayal” of Americans relying on affordable care.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, welcomed the Senate’s passage and urged members to return to Washington “right now,” despite travel disruptions caused by the shutdown. The House is expected to take up the measure Wednesday.
The legislation’s passage sets up a new political battle over health care funding in December. Republicans remain divided on whether to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies, with some advocating for income-based limits or structural reforms. Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins signaled openness to an extension “with changes,” while Trump and other conservatives have renewed calls to repeal or overhaul the law altogether.
The Senate on Monday also voted 47-53 along party lines against a one-year extension of the health care subsidies, reflecting the challenges ahead. Despite the divisions, the bipartisan deal represents a rare moment of consensus on Capitol Hill after weeks of mounting public frustration and economic strain caused by the record-breaking shutdown.
CORAL SPRINGS, Fla. (NY.Post) — Two people were killed Monday morning when a small plane carrying hurricane relief supplies to Jamaica crashed into a pond in a residential neighborhood of Coral Springs, just minutes after taking off from Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport, officials said.
The Coral Springs Police Department confirmed in a statement that both victims “tragically lost their lives” in the crash. Surveillance video from a nearby home captured the harrowing final moments as the turboprop plane appeared to clip the edge of the land before its nose slammed into the water, sending debris across the area.
Emergency responders from the Coral Springs-Parkland Fire Department arrived within minutes but initially found no visible wreckage. Divers entered the water to search for victims, Deputy Fire Chief Mike Moser said. “There was no actual plane to be seen. They followed the debris trail to the water,” he said, adding that the recovery effort has now replaced rescue operations.
The Beechcraft King Air aircraft, which typically seats seven to twelve passengers, departed Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport at approximately 10:14 a.m. en route to Jamaica, carrying supplies for communities still reeling from Hurricane Melissa. The plane went down roughly five minutes later, according to officials.
Authorities said no nearby homes were damaged, though wreckage and debris were scattered throughout the retention pond area. The National Transportation Safety Board confirmed it has launched an investigation into the cause of the crash.
Hurricane Melissa, which struck Jamaica as a Category 5 storm in late October, left widespread devastation across the island nation. Power and communication lines were wiped out, and major flooding destroyed infrastructure across all 14 parishes. Jamaican authorities have tentatively confirmed at least 32 storm-related deaths, with several others still under review.
Broward County — home to a large Caribbean American population — has been a key hub for hurricane relief efforts. Many residents had organized shipments of food, medical aid, and building materials to help families affected by the disaster.
The Florida crash follows another aviation tragedy last week when a UPS cargo plane crashed in Kentucky, killing three pilots and 11 people on the ground, including a 3-year-old child and her grandfather.
At least 20 people, most of them teenagers, were injured Sunday night after a church bus overturned on a mountain highway in San Bernardino County, California, authorities said.
Emergency crews responded to the scene around 9 p.m. on Highway 330 near Smiley Park, about 25 miles north of San Bernardino. The bus, carrying 36 passengers — including teens and several adults — had been returning from a church retreat near Angelus Oaks to Santa Ana when it rolled over in a single-vehicle crash, according to officials.
San Bernardino County Fire officials said three people sustained severe injuries and were rushed to nearby hospitals, while 17 others were treated for minor injuries. The remaining passengers either declined treatment or were not hurt.
Images from the crash site showed a large emergency response, with fire trucks blocking the mountain road and rescue personnel tending to injured passengers along the roadside. The wreck left debris scattered across the narrow highway, prompting authorities to close both directions of Highway 330 indefinitely as cleanup and investigation continued.
Authorities have not determined the cause of the crash, though they confirmed the bus was the only vehicle involved. The driver is not suspected of driving under the influence, ABC News reported.
In an update on X, the San Bernardino County Fire Department said, “Incident command terminated, units being released. Highway 330 remains closed in both directions until further notice.”
Officials have not provided an estimated time for reopening the route.
WASHINGTON (BN24) — Six people were killed Sunday after U.S. forces carried out two strikes on boats allegedly operated by drug cartels in the eastern Pacific, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced. The attacks mark the latest in a series of U.S. military operations targeting suspected narco-trafficking networks in international waters.
According to Hegseth, each of the targeted vessels carried three men and was struck while transiting a well-known drug trafficking route. “These vessels were known by our intelligence to be associated with illicit narcotics smuggling, were carrying narcotics, and were transiting along a known narco-trafficking transit route in the Eastern Pacific,” Hegseth said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The defense secretary described the men killed as “narco-terrorists” and said the strikes were part of a broader campaign against what the U.S. government classifies as “designated terrorist organizations.” No evidence has yet been presented to confirm their direct involvement in organized drug trafficking, and the victims’ identities have not been released.
Video footage shared by Hegseth showed the moment of the explosions as the small boats were struck from the air. The U.S. Department of Defense has not disclosed what type of weaponry was used in the attacks or the specific intelligence that led to the operation.
The strikes have drawn condemnation from several South American governments, including Colombia and Venezuela, which have accused Washington of overstepping international norms and escalating regional tensions. The operations have also fueled growing debate in Congress over the scope of President Donald Trump’s military authority in such missions.
Last week, senators narrowly voted down a proposal that would have required congressional approval for any future military action against Venezuela. President Trump has defended the ongoing strikes, arguing that his administration is confronting “narco-terrorist threats” in international waters and suggesting he would have no difficulty securing congressional backing if needed.
“I could seek Congress’ support for what we’re doing, and it would pass easily,” Trump said last month. “But the law is clear — we’re defending America against the flow of deadly narcotics, and that’s exactly what we’ll continue to do.”
The Pentagon has not released further details about whether additional operations are planned in the coming weeks.
DOHUK, Iraq (BN24) — Displaced Yazidis and members of Iraq’s security forces cast their ballots Sunday in early voting for the country’s parliamentary elections, marking a crucial moment in a vote that could determine whether Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani secures a second term in office.
The election is taking place against a backdrop of escalating regional tensions and a fragile domestic landscape. As fears of another confrontation between Israel and Iran mount, Iraq continues to navigate its delicate political balancing act between Tehran and Washington, a challenge that looms large over the country’s future leadership.
Authorities estimate that more than 1.3 million soldiers, police officers, and security personnel, along with approximately 26,000 displaced citizens, were eligible to cast ballots in Sunday’s early vote. Over 7,744 candidates are vying for parliamentary seats, many representing sectarian or party-aligned factions. Iraq’s general election day is set for Tuesday, when millions more voters are expected to participate nationwide.
In the Kurdish region’s Dohuk province, the atmosphere was subdued but determined as displaced Yazidis, many of whom fled their homes more than a decade ago following attacks by the Islamic State group, lined up at makeshift polling stations.
A school in Dohuk had been transformed into a polling center for displaced residents. Early in the morning, turnout was sparse. But by midmorning, groups of voters began arriving, some carrying tattered identification cards, others guiding elderly relatives toward the entrance. Inside the classrooms, party monitors from rival factions closely observed the process, representing the diverse and often divided political landscape of Iraq’s minority communities.
The Yazidis’ story remains one of survival and endurance. During the height of the Islamic State’s reign of terror in 2014, militants stormed the Yazidis’ ancestral homeland in the Sinjar district of Nineveh province, killing thousands and enslaving women and children. Many survivors fled to displacement camps in northern Iraq, where thousands still reside today.
Although the militant group was defeated years ago, the Yazidis’ return to Sinjar has been halting and uncertain. Political disputes between Iraq’s central government in Baghdad and Kurdish authorities have stalled reconstruction efforts and left Sinjar divided among competing armed groups. Homes remain destroyed, roads and utilities are in disrepair, and trust in political leadership is low.
“Eleven years passed, and the situation is the same,” said Khedhir Qassim, a displaced Yazidi from Sinjar who voted at the Dohuk camp. “We want them to support us and rebuild our areas that are ruined due to their political dispute and where everyone works for their own benefit.”
Another voter, Edris Zozani, said he cast his ballot for the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), one of Iraq’s dominant Kurdish factions. He explained that independent Yazidi candidates lack the political leverage to effect real change in Baghdad. “If they go to parliament as part of strong lists, like the KDP, they would be in a better position to support the Yazidi community,” he said.
In Baghdad, early voting centers drew long lines of men in uniform, soldiers, police officers, and members of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), a coalition of mostly Shiite, Iran-backed militias that played a central role in the fight against the Islamic State.
Though the PMF was formally integrated into Iraq’s military structure in 2016, it continues to operate with considerable independence. Its presence remains a point of contention between Baghdad and Washington, with U.S. officials wary of its ties to Iran.
“I voted for the list that defends the PMF,” said one militiaman after casting his ballot in Baghdad. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to journalists.
The next parliament will likely face heated debates over the future of the PMF and Iraq’s security strategy. Pending legislation could further institutionalize the coalition’s role within the armed forces a move welcomed by its supporters but criticized by those who fear it could strengthen Iran’s influence in Iraq’s domestic affairs.
For many Iraqis, these elections are about more than party politics; they are a test of faith in a democratic process often marred by division, corruption, and unfulfilled promises.
Prime Minister al-Sudani, who came to power in 2022, has pledged to stabilize Iraq, combat corruption, and rebuild war-torn communities. Yet, for displaced families like the Yazidis, tangible progress has been slow.
As Iraq approaches election day, the outcome will shape not only the country’s political landscape but also its role in a volatile Middle East. For communities still struggling to return home, it remains to be seen whether the new parliament will deliver long-awaited stability — or whether years of displacement and disillusionment will continue.
