Daily Links — Friday, September 4, 2026
Friday's Iraq desk is trade and budget: a record August for TIR transit journeys through Iraq, Baghdad pressing for a rapid ASYCUDA customs rollout in Kurdistan, and 'positive understandings' between Erbil and Baghdad on the 2027 budget and the contract-staff file — even as a lawmaker argues recovered funds alone won't fix oil corruption. Notably, the Washington Post reports Syria is pitching itself to Iraq as an alternative oil route around Hormuz. On the money side, a genuine labor shock: the U.S. adds 162K jobs in August, a 4-sigma beat above the highest forecast. Plus Putin floating a Ukraine peace-deal chance and wanting full U.S. relations restored, and continued unrest around Ceuta. Here's everything on the desk.
Iraq & the Dinar
- Record August for TIR transit journeys in Iraq — Iraq Business News
- Baghdad demands a rapid ASYCUDA customs rollout in Kurdistan — Channel 8
- Positive understandings between Erbil and Baghdad on the 2027 budget and resolving the contract-staff file — Kurdistan 24 (Arabic)
- MP holds financial and legal oversight responsible for oil corruption: recovered funds do not solve the crisis — Shafaq News (Arabic)
- The Washington Post: Syria is presenting itself to Iraq as an alternative to Hormuz — Baghdad Today
Money & Markets
- Labor shock: the U.S. adds 162K jobs in August — a 4-sigma beat, above the highest forecast — ZeroHedge
Around the World
- Putin says there's a chance of a Ukraine peace deal, wants to restore full U.S. relations — The Epoch Times
- The Finnish president made some surprisingly solid points about Russia — Andrew Korybko
- The Middle East's 2nd-largest economy deports nearly 15,000 people in one week, with Ethiopians 58% of illegal border arrests — Business Insider Africa
- Spain accused of gassing protesters; police probe migrant/NGO acid purchases in Ceuta — Modernity
Home Front
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