CBI Denies Raising Travelers’ Dollar Allowance
2026-11-01 06:17 Shafaq News- Baghdad The Central Bank of Iraq (CBI) on Sunday denied reports that it had raised the dollar allowance for travelers from $2,000 to $3,500, describing a document circulating on social media as fake.
CBI Media Director Haider Ghazi told Shafaq News that the document, which purported to announce an increase in the allowance, was forged and that no such decision had been issued.
The document, attributed to the bank’s Banking Supervision Department, claimed the higher allowance would take effect on Monday, November 2, 2026.
Under regulations introduced on October 18, eligible travelers can obtain up to $2,000 every two months, with a maximum of six allocations annually. https://shafaq.com/en/Economy/CBI-denies-raising-travelers-dollar-allowance
FBI Blames North Korea For Binance Crypto Heist
2026-11-01 01:00 Shafaq News- Washington The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has linked North Korea to the theft of a record $6.3 billion in virtual assets from cryptocurrency exchange Binance.
North Korean-linked actors were observed laundering the stolen assets, primarily by converting them into Ethereum, the FBI said in a statement on Saturday.
It attributed the operation to a group known as TraderTraitor, which was also responsible for stealing $1.5 billion from the Bybit platform in February last year.
According to the FBI, the stolen assets are expected to undergo further laundering in stages. The agency urged virtual asset service providers to block transactions linked to the latest laundering operation and provided suspected digital addresses to help identify and monitor the activity.
Meanwhile, Binance said it had replaced 90% of the stolen amount by using company funds to purchase new tokens. The remaining 10% consists of less liquid tokens, which may take longer to acquire.
Binance Update: We have already covered $6B of the impacted amount of the hacked loss. LINK
We will continue to purchase the remaining relevant token assets … until the covered amount reaches 100% for all tokens. Binance will absorb the financial impact of these stolen funds, not our users,” the company stated.
EIA: US Oil Imports From Iraq Stay At Zero
2026-11-01 Shafaq News- Baghdad/ Washington US crude oil imports from Iraq remained at zero for a fifth consecutive week, data from the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) showed on Sunday.
Overall US crude imports from ten major suppliers averaged 6.127 million barrels per day (bpd), up 827,000 bpd from 5.3 million bpd the previous week.
Canada remained the largest supplier at 3.928 bpd, followed by Venezuela at 618,000 bpd, Colombia at 376,000 bpd and Mexico at 305,000 bpd. Guyana ranked fifth with 281,000 bpd, followed by Saudi Arabia at 227,000 bpd, Brazil at 167,000 bpd, Argentina at 141,000 bpd and Nigeria at 84,000 bpd.
USD/IQD Climbs In Baghdad And Erbil Markets
2026-11-01 Shafaq News- Baghdad/ Erbil The US dollar opened higher in Iraq on Sunday, trading around 168,000 dinars per $100. According to a Shafaq News market survey, the dollar traded in Baghdad’s Al-Kifah and Al-Harithiya exchanges at 168,250 dinars per 100 dollars, up from Saturday’s 167,900 dinars.
In the Iraqi capital, exchange shops sold the dollar at 168,750 dinars and bought it at 167,750 dinars, while in Erbil, selling prices stood at 168,100 dinars and buying prices at 168,000 dinars.
Iraq In Talks With Apple To Launch Apple Pay
2026-11-01 Shafaq News- Erbil Apple Pay could soon launch in Iraq as the government holds talks with Apple to introduce the digital payment service and expand the company’s presence in the country’s digital market, Baligh Abu Kallal, head of the Communications and Media Commission (CMC), said Sunday.
Speaking at a panel discussion during the Erbil International Book Fair, Abu Kallal said that the talks also cover privacy policies, following Apple’s accreditation as a trusted digital platform in Iraq. He added that the discussions include the gaming sector, while the launch of Apple Pay remains subject to completing the necessary technical, legal, and financial procedures.
In August, Abu Kallal said Apple had been approved as a verified digital platform in Iraq after meeting the requirements, bringing the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Podcasts, Apple Arcade, and Apple Ads under the country’s regulatory framework.
Gold Advances In Baghdad And Erbil
2026-11-01 Shafaq News- Baghdad/ Erbil On Sunday, gold prices edged higher in Baghdad and Erbil markets, hovering around 910,000 IQD per mithqal, according to a Shafaq News survey.
Gold prices on Baghdad’s Al-Nahr Street recorded a selling price of 913,000 IQD per mithqal (equivalent to five grams) for 21-carat gold, including Gulf, Turkish, and European varieties, with a buying price of 909,000 IQD, up from 910,000 IQD on Saturday.
The selling price for 21-carat Iraqi gold stood at 883,000 IQD, while the buying price reached 879,000 IQD.
In jewelry stores, the selling price per mithqal of 21-carat Gulf gold ranged between 915,000 and 925,000 IQD, while Iraqi gold sold for between 885,000 and 895,000 IQD.
In Erbil, 22-carat gold was sold at 980,000 IQD per mithqal, 21-carat gold at 937,000 IQD, and 18-carat gold at 803,000 IQD.
Turkiye Sees Iraq Lead Arab Visitor Arrivals
026-11-01 Shafaq News- Ankara Iraq ranked first among Arab countries for visitor arrivals to Turkiye in September 2026, with 133,438 Iraqi visitors, up 11.2% from 120,007 a year earlier, according to data from the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
Saudi Arabia ranked second with 83,369 visitors, followed by Algeria with 41,486, Jordan with 34,444, Lebanon with 31,890, Egypt with 31,570, and Morocco with 23,235.
In August, Iraq also led Arab visitor arrivals to Turkiye, recording 143,322 visitors, up 2.05% from a year earlier.