Shafaq News- Baghdad

Before spring slips away each year,Suad Ali follows a journey she has known since childhood. Alongside her motherand grandmother, she heads to the shrine of al-Khidr on the banks of the TigrisRiver in Baghdad, carrying candles, silent prayers, and wishes too personal tosay aloud.

As darkness settles over the river,dozens of small flames begin drifting across the water. Families gather quietlyalong the shore, watching the candles float into the night as if the riveritself might carry their desires somewhere beyond reach.

“With every candle, we carry awish,” Ali reflected to Shafaq News. “We pray that it will come true.”

Known in Iraq as “al-Khidr Candles,”the ceremony remains one of the country’s oldest surviving folk traditions. Forgenerations, families living near the Tigris and Euphrates rivers have markedcertain spring evenings by lighting candles and placing them on palm fronds orsmall wooden boards before releasing them into the current. The occasion isespecially associated with the month of May, which Iraqi popular traditionlinks to blessings, renewal, and answered prayers.

Many Iraqis believe al-Khidr —arevered figure in Islamic tradition associated with wisdom, guidance, andmiraculous appearances during hardship— becomes spiritually present during thisperiod. Some arrive hoping for marriage, while others pray for healing, thereturn of an absent relative, success for a child, or relief from personalstruggles. The farther a candle travels without being extinguished, accordingto popular belief, the greater the chance that the accompanying prayer will befulfilled.

Although no clear historical accountexplains how the custom first emerged in Iraq, folklore researchers believe itlikely evolved through the blending of local traditions and older spiritualpractices tied to rivers and flowing water. Iraqi folklore researcher Alial-Ward explained that Wednesday and Thursday nights have long been regarded asblessed evenings in Iraqi social life, which is why many families choose one ofthose nights to perform the ceremony.

Al-Ward stressed that the practiceis rooted more in emotional and social memory than in religious doctrine. Overtime, he noted, it became part of Iraq’s cultural identity, surviving politicalupheaval, wars, and the rapid transformations that reshaped everyday lifeacross the country.

For women in particular, thetradition often carries deeply personal meanings shaped by longing,uncertainty, and optimism. Some longstanding customs involve unmarried womenremoving their abayas inside the shrine courtyard while praying for marriage, whileothers later return with offerings of myrtle, lit candles, and trays filledwith traditional treats after believing their wishes have been fulfilled.

“They arrive carrying flowers whilewomen around them break into ululations,” Bidaa Abdul Zahra described,recalling evenings when marriages or long-awaited prayers were celebrated atthe shrine.

Near the al-Khidr shrine inBaghdad’s al-Allawi district, Palestinian-Iraqi resident Nihal al-Zaki stillremembers childhood evenings spent watching glowing candles drift toward herneighborhood from distant parts of the capital.

“Whenever a flame stayed lit for along time, we believed someone’s wish would finally come true,” al-Zakirecalled. “We waited for those candles every Wednesday night.”

Women traditionally remainedstanding by the riverbank until the candles disappeared into the darkness,holding onto the fragile comfort offered by the tiny moving lights. Over time,“al-Khidr Candles” found their way into Iraqi poetry, folk songs, and oralstorytelling, becoming more than a custom —a symbol of patience, longing, andresilience.

The tradition also stretches beyondreligious boundaries. Sattar al-Hilu, the spiritual leader of Iraq’s Mandaeans—an ancient monotheistic community whose religious practices center on flowingwater and baptism— noted that Mandaean religious texts contain no references tovows or offerings linked to al-Khidr, though the figure remains deeplyrespected among Mandaeans, much as he is among Muslims and other Iraqicommunities.

Among Christians, some believersassociate al-Khidr with Mar Elias, or Saint Elijah. Raya Emmanuel, from theChristian-majority district of Hamdaniya in Nineveh province, explained thatChristians also light candles in his honor, though more as a gesture ofreverence toward a sacred figure than a ceremony tied to personal wishes.

Along the rivers that shaped some ofhumanity’s earliest civilizations, the small floating flames continue to gatherIraqis from different faiths and backgrounds around something profoundlysimple: the enduring desire to believe that even the faintest light can survivethe current.

Shafaq News-Baghdad

Iraq grantedcitizenship to 2,557 foreigners between 2006 and 2026, the Interior Ministryannounced Tuesday, offering the first comprehensive public accounting ofnaturalization figures spanning two decades.

Major GeneralMiqdad Miri, head of the ministry's Relations and Media Department, said thatall naturalization cases proceeded under applicable legal standards and currentadministrative instructions, with each grant subject to security and proceduralclearances before approval.

Citizenship inIraq rests on Law No. 26 of 2006, which sets strict conditions designed topreserve what the law describes as "sovereign integrity." The lawrecognizes several pathways to citizenship. Birth to an Iraqi father or motherqualifies automatically, a significant change introduced by the 2006 law toextend equal rights to children of Iraqi mothers. Foreign nationals married toIraqi citizens may apply after five years of continuous legal residence,provided the marriage remains intact. Unmarried foreigners who have livedlegally in Iraq for at least ten years may also apply, subject to a cleancriminal record, no conviction for a dishonorable offense, and proof of avisible means of livelihood.

Meeting theseconditions, however, does not guarantee citizenship. The law grants noautomatic entitlement: each application goes before senior state authoritiesand intelligence agencies for a final discretionary security review, andapproval can be withheld even where all formal requirements are satisfied.

Shafaq News- Kirkuk

The Teaching Veterinary Hospital in Kirkuk on Tuesdaylaunched a preventive campaign as part of preparations for the seasonal spreadof Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF), carrying out disinfection operationsat slaughterhouses, animal markets, and livestock barns across several areas ofthe province.

Mansour Ahmed al-Bayati, the hospital’s director, toldShafaq News that the campaign affiliated veterinary clinics under a preventiveplan aimed at limiting the spread of epidemic diseases, particularlyhemorrhagic fever, as temperatures rise and livestock movement increases.

Al-Bayati said the teams disinfected Kirkuk’s modernslaughterhouse and animal holding areas, in addition to livestock barns inal-Wataniya village and several other villages, districts, and subdistrictsacross the province. He explained that the preventive measures target insectsand parasites that transmit diseases and aim to maintain healthy conditions toensure the safety of meat sold in local markets and protect residents fromdiseases transmitted between animals and humans.

According to Shafaq News monitoring, Kirkuk has recorded onecase of hemorrhagic fever since the beginning of 2026, while the provinceregistered five deaths out of six reported infections in 2025.

Read more: Blood, ticks, and broken systems: The resurgence of CCHF in Iraq

Shafaq News- Ilam/ Baghdad

Iraqi tourism to Iran’s Feyli Ilam provinceincreased by 75% over the past year, with around 8,000 Iraqi visitorsofficially registering stays at hotels and tourism facilities in the provinceso far, local tourism authorities said on Monday.

Farzad Sharifi, director general of Ilam’s Cultural Heritage, Tourism, andHandicrafts Department, told Iran’s Mehr News Agency that Ilam is a leadingdestination for many Iraqi visitors due to the “deep social and historicalties” linking communities on both sides of the border. He added that the430-kilometer shared frontier and the Mehran border crossing facilitatecontinuous movement and communication, particularly between Mehran and Iraq’sWasit province.

Tourists are drawn to the province’s historical landmarks,natural environment, rural guesthouses offering traditional local experiences,and medical tourism supported by improving healthcare services.

Read more: Kurdish Ilam’s waterfall wonderland: Escape to Absharan

As part of efforts to expand tourism cooperation, theprovince also organized the “Across the Border” event aimed at introducingtourism operators from Wasit to Ilam’s tourism opportunities and investmentpotential, Sharifi noted.

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraq has recorded an overall obesity rate of 39.28%, placingit 172nd out of 197 countries in CEOWORLD magazine's 2026 global obesityranking.

Obesity among Iraqi women stands at 48.13%, compared to30.43% among men.

In the Arab world, Kuwait ranked highest at 57.85%, followedby Qatar, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia at 45.56%.

At the bottom of the global index, Vietnam recorded thelowest obesity rate at 1.72, and American Samoa ranked first at 75.29%.

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Turkish Airlines will resume flights to BaghdadInternational Airport starting May 14 after a suspension lasting more than twomonths, airport director Harith Al-Obaidi said on Monday.

The airport, according to Al-Obaidi, has recovered 90% ofits operational capacity following the resumption of Qatar Airways flights onSunday.

Iraq’s Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority announced on April 8the reopening of the country’s airspace and all airports to air traffic afterclosures linked to aviation risks stemming from the US-Israeli war on Iran.

Read more: Iraq airspace closure costs $43 million during US-Israel war on Iran

Shafaq News- Nineveh

The graduation of Amir Khaled, the lone graduate from thearchaeology department at the University of Mosul, has renewed Iraqi debateover the future of low-enrollment university departments.

A source at the university told Shafaq News on Monday thatthe institution includes three departments with varying enrollment levels,noting that one department was recently established and another graduated fivestudents, while the archaeology program retained only a single studentthroughout the four-year course.

Khaled’s case also drew attention on social media and withinacademic circles to the broader challenges facing specialized universitydepartments with limited enrollment, particularly regarding staffing, funding,and their long-term sustainability under higher education regulations.

Iraq is one of the world’s oldest cradles of civilization,home to ancient Mesopotamian cities where some of humanity’s earliest writingsystems, laws, urban centers, and cultural traditions first emerged. FromBabylon to Nineveh and Hatra, the country contains thousands of archaeologicaland historical sites.

Read more: From Babylon to Erbil: Iraq’s UNESCO sites and those next in line

Shafaq News- Maysan

A fire at Iraq’s Al-Kahlaa power station cut electricity production in Maysan province after one generating unit was forced offline at the 400-megawatt facility, Shafaq News correspondent reported on Monday.

The fire was caused by a technical malfunction inside the station, and reduced output at one of Maysan’s main power generation facilities, affecting electricity supply hours across the province as Iraq prepares for another high-demand summer season.

Iraq's summer demand can exceed 50,000 megawatts, while available generation capacity often remains “significantly lower” because of fuel shortages, technical failures, and aging infrastructure, according to the Electricity Ministry.

Repeated disruptions hit the country's power sector in recent years, including fires at electricity facilities, transmission failures, and fuel supply interruptions that have contributed to recurring outages across several provinces. In February, a fire during maintenance work at Iraq’s Baiji refinery killed two workers and injured 13 others, according to the Oil Ministry.

Read more: Iraq’s fire risk landscape at the start of 2026

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraq’s passport held its spot among the world’s weakest travel documents in the 2026 Henley Passport Index, ranking 101st globally and ahead of only Syria among Arab countries.

According to the index, Iraqi passport holders can access just 29 destinations worldwide without obtaining a visa in advance or by receiving a visa on arrival. The United Arab Emirates retained its position as the Arab world’s strongest passport and ranked second globally, followed by Qatar at 46th worldwide, Kuwait at 48th, Saudi Arabia at 51st, Bahrain at 52nd, and Oman at 55th.

Morocco ranked 64th globally, Tunisia 69th, Mauritania and Algeria 79th, while Jordan and Egypt shared 85th place. Lebanon ranked 92nd, followed by Sudan, Libya, and Palestine, while Somalia was 98th and Yemen 99th.

The index, which evaluates 199 passports using International Air Transport Association (IATA) data, measures how many destinations holders can enter without requiring a pre-approved visa.

Read more: Trust gap, wars, instability: Why Iraq’s passport ranks among weakest

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Germany is gradually restoring normal diplomatic operations in Iraq,with its embassy in Baghdad and consulate in Erbil beginning a phased return ofstaff, the embassy noted on Monday.

No fixed date has been set for the full resumption of consular and visaservices.

Several foreign missions in Iraq have reduced or temporarily suspendedparts of their activities amid security concerns, particularly after thebeginning of the joint US-Israeli war on Iran earlier this year.

Shafaq News- Diyala

About 90 people were killed and more than 2,000 otherswere injured in traffic accidents across eastern Iraq’s Diyala province duringthe first four months of 2026, an official from the province’s HealthDirectorate told Shafaq News.

Faris Al-Azzawi, the directorate’s media chief,attributed the "high" number of incidentsto excessive speeding, unsafe motorcycle and tuk-tuk driving, and failure tocomply with traffic regulations.

Interior Ministry figures showed authorities collected161.9 billion Iraqi dinars (about $124.5 million) in traffic fines during 2025after registering 3.88 million violations nationwide, including around 1.1million detected through electronic surveillance cameras.

Under Iraq’s 2019 Traffic Law, fines range from 50,000dinars ($38.50) to 200,000 dinars ($153.80). Penalties are reduced by half ifpaid within 72 hours, while unpaid fines double after 30 days.

Members of Parliament’s Transport and CommunicationsCommittee have indicated that proposed amendments to the law have remainedunder review for more than 18 months. The changes include removing theautomatic doubling of unpaid fines and adjusting penalties based on roadconditions.

Read more: $1.2B traffic fix fails: Iraq seeks radical solution

Shafaq News-Baghdad

Baghdad policesummoned journalist Salem al-Sheikh on Sunday over a report he publishedcriticizing the after-sales services of Jetour, a Chinese automobile brand,detaining him briefly while bail procedures were completed, an informed sourcetold Shafaq News.

No details hadbeen disclosed regarding the nature of the complaint or the party that filedit.

The IraqiObservatory for Human Rights reported last month a rise in violations againstjournalists, including kidnapping, arrest, assault, and coverage bans, warningof accelerating erosion of press freedom and a persistent absence ofaccountability. Recent weeks, the observatory said, had seen a seriousescalation in frequency, as legal protections weakened and formal and informalrestrictions on the media environment tightened.

Read more: The New era of control: Can Iraq's free press survive its politically-tainted rulers?

Shafaq News-Baghdad

Iraq'sCommunications and Media Commission (CMC) banned TV personality Farid Majidfrom all media outlets operating in the country for 30 days, the regulatorybody announced Sunday, after determining that statements he made on a satellitesports program constituted “an insult to the divine.”

Majid's remarkswere made during an April 12 episode of "Kora," a sports talk programbroadcast on Al-Fatarat satellite channel.

Federal SupremeCourt ruling No. 325, consolidated with ruling No. 331/Federal/2023 —which mandatesthe prohibition of content deemed to offend the divine— provided additionallegal grounding for the decision, the commission said.

All visual,audio, and print outlets, domestic and foreign, operating in Iraq are requiredto enforce the ban from the date of the directive. The CMC warned that anyoutlet hosting Majid during the 30-day period would bear full legalresponsibility.

Read more: Iraq's press freedom index falls amid armed factions kidnappings, record violations

Shafaq News- Kirkuk

Turkiye is seeking deeper involvement in energy, infrastructure, and development projects in Iraq’s oil-rich Kirkuk province, Governor Mohammed Samaan stated on Sunday after a Turkish delegation, led by Turkish Ambassador to Iraq Anil Bora Inan, visited the city for talks with provincial authorities and business leaders.

In a joint press conference, Samaan said the province was seeking to benefit from Turkish expertise in energy, agriculture, industry, tourism, and service-sector projects, including the construction of power generation stations. “We hope Turkiye leaves a clear imprint on Kirkuk’s development projects,” he emphasized, adding that the proposed cooperation would cover all areas of the province.

Earlier, Kirkuk officials also met Turkish businessmen and representatives from the Kirkuk Chamber of Commerce, contractors unions, and industrial federations to discuss cooperation in development, education, agriculture, infrastructure, and tourism.

Turkiye has expanded its economic presence in Iraq in recent years through trade, construction, and energy projects. According to the Turkish Contractors Association, Turkish firms have completed more than 1,100 projects in Iraq worth over $35 billion. Today’s talks come as Baghdad and Ankara also advance the proposed $17 billion Development Road project linking Iraq’s Gulf ports to Turkiye and Europe.

Kirkuk remains strategically important to Iraq’s economy due to its oil fields and export infrastructure linked to the Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline connecting northern Iraq to Turkiye. Iraq resumed limited exports through the route earlier this year at an initial capacity of 250,000 barrels per day after flows were suspended in 2023.

Read more: Pipe dream or partnership? Iraq’s oil restart tests a fragile federal compact

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Dozens of Iraqi farmers blocked Baghdad’s Al-Jumhuriya Bridge leading to the Green Zone on Sunday, renewing protests over unpaid agricultural dues and delayed compensation payments.

Shafaq News correspondent said protesters gathered in Tahrir Square before cutting off access to the bridge, demanding the release of financial entitlements linked to previous farming seasons.

Last week, farmers from central and southern Iraqi provinces also staged protests, but security forces dispersed them using water cannons, injuring around 17 people. State of Law Coalition lawmaker Ibtisam Al-Hilali told Shafaq News at the time that farmers subjected to the crackdown were demanding an apology from the Prime Minister’s Office and the Interior Ministry over what she described as the “falling of their agal,” a symbolic tribal affront, as well as accountability for officers involved in the incident.

Iraq’s cabinet previously approved payment of farmers’ dues for the 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 agricultural seasons and revised wheat procurement prices to 700,000 dinars (around $535) per ton for crops included in the agricultural plan, according to government statements. Kirkuk lawmaker Mohammed Ali Al-Nuaimy warned that delayed payments threaten cultivation cycles and Iraq’s food security, describing farmers’ dues as a “legitimate right that cannot be postponed.”

Read more: Iraq’s water crisis: A structural rewrite of agricultural governance

Shafaq News- Al-Muthanna

Stretching across Iraq’s southwestern desert, NugratAl-Salman emerged as one of the country’s largest yet least populated areas,combining major industrial and agricultural potential with chronicinfrastructure and service shortages.

Taklif Al-Ziyadi, the district administrator,told Shafaq News on Saturday that authorities had granted 13 investmentlicenses for cement factories in the desert region, where three plants arealready operating with annual production capacities of around six million tonsper facility, while construction continues on additional sites. He added thatgeological surveys confirmed large reserves of limestone, marble, and silica sand used incement production, construction materials, and glass manufacturing,strengthening the area’s appeal for industrial development.

In the agricultural sector, Al-Ziyadi said Nugrat Al-Salman accounts fornearly 90% of wheat cultivation areas across desert farming schemes throughlarge contracts that support food security and local commercial activity.

Pointing to promising oil reserves in thearea, he said exploration activities remain underway despite four fieldsalready being considered ready for future extraction. He noted that China’s ZhenHua Oil secured a contract underIraq’s licensing rounds to develop the Abu Khaima field in the Busayyahsubdistrict, where three discovered wells are prepared for drilling anddevelopment.

Additionally, the Jumaima crossing designs arebeing prepared in coordination with the prime minister’s office, thoughimplementation has been delayed by the financial crisis despite allocatedfunding. According to Al-Ziyadi, maintenance works are underway on the roadlinking Samawa to the outlet, while construction of a second lane remains understudy by the Ministry of Construction and Housing. He described the futureborder outlet as a “land port” connecting more than 50 countries, particularlyin East Asia, while facilitating Hajj and Umrah travel alongside regional traderoutes.

Despite the area’s development potential, he described limited electricityexpansion beyond the district center as one of its main obstacles, saying thelack of power infrastructure continues to burden farmers and factory ownerswhile restricting further growth.

Shafaq News- Basra

The submerged tunnel at Iraq’s Basra Grand Al-Faw Port,southern Iraq, has surpassed 95% completion and entered its final stages, withthe project expected to open to vehicle traffic after the remaining works arecompleted, an official told Shafaq News on Saturday.

Farhan Al-Fartousi, the head of the state-run GeneralCompany for Ports, told Shafaq News that the project had faced “major andcomplex internal and external challenges, including repeated attempts toobstruct its progress.” He added that studies and final designs for theDevelopment Road corridor, which complements the submerged tunnel, have beencompleted and submitted to the government.

Al-Fartousi described the project as a key pillar of Iraq’seconomic transformation in the coming phase, stressing that the companycontinues to implement strategic projects led by Grand Al-Faw Port and theDevelopment Road corridor.

The Development Road project is designed as a strategictransport corridor stretching nearly 1,200 kilometers from southern to northernIraq, linking highways, railways, and energy infrastructure as part of anintegrated transport network.

Earlier this week, Al-Fartousi announced the floating of thefourth concrete segment of the submerged tunnel, extending its total length to693 meters.

The submerged tunnel is one of the main infrastructureprojects within Grand Al-Faw Port in southern Basra province, connecting Al-Fawwith the Umm Qasr area through an undersea route.

Read more: Rebuilding Basra’s maritime power: Is Al-Faw Port the game changer for Iraq?

Shafaq News- Najaf

The second-hand clothing market in Najaf draws bothlow-income families and wealthier buyers chasing discounted branded items,despite the store’s unregulated conditions and unstable roofing that at timesthreatens their safety.

Umm Zahid, 30, told Shafaq News she turned to the marketafter her husband’s death left her supporting three children, adding that they were delighted to receive branded clothes once she cleaned and ironedthem. She has since relied on it for most household needs, including garments,kitchen supplies, and appliances, due to its very low prices.

Mohammed Saadoun, 47, said he had purchased "reasonablypriced" branded items from the shops but avoids used wears due to healthconcerns, noting that he has avoided the market since the COVID-19 pandemic.“You don’t know the condition of previous owners. Some may have had infectiousdiseases.”

On health concerns, Sundus Abdul Adel Mousa, head of thecancer control unit at Najaf’s Health Directorate, warned against wearingsecond-hand clothes without proper disinfection. She said some items may carrybacteria or fungi that can cause skin conditions such as scabies or fungalinfections, as well as allergies and irritation, adding that some clothing maybe treated with chemicals during storage or transport, "which can affectthe skin or respiratory system, particularly in children with weaker immunity,"Mousa added.

She advised washing clothes thoroughly with hot water andstrong detergents, ironing them at high temperatures, and avoiding items thatcome into direct contact with the skin.

Shafaq News- Dhi Qar/ Maysan

Water levels are rising again in Iraq’s southern marshlands, bringingcautious optimism to communities that feared another summer of cracked earth,dying buffalo, and disappearing livelihoods, an Iraqi official told Shafaq Newson Thursday.

Raad Al-Asadi, director of the Chibayish Organization for Tourism andEnvironment, described the current water situation as “relatively good”compared with previous years, when drought levels exceeded 90% across largeparts of the marshlands.

“Most buffalo breeders left their areas, while fishermen and many marshresidents lost their sources of income,” he explained, noting that recent waterreleases and rainfall have once again flooded sections of the marshes, withlarger areas expected to be submerged in the coming weeks.

Heavy winter rainfall and renewed water releases into the marshes of DhiQar and Maysan provinces have partially restored flooded areas. Al-Asadi saidthe return of water has also improved morale among marsh communities afteryears of severe drought.

“This year differs from previous seasons because flooding arrived laterand may continue until early June,” he added, cautioning that continued waterreleases could ease drought conditions during the summer months.

Meanwhile, marshlands activist Murtadha Al-Janoubi observed improvingconditions across several wetlands near Amarah, including Hawizeh, Al-Arouqa,Al-Sanaf, and Al-Battat marshes.

“Drought had reached 100%, but recent rainfall, floods, and waterreleases toward the marshes improved the situation,” he told Shafaq News,estimating water depths in some areas at between half a meter and one meter,though still below ideal levels.

Warning that sustained water releases remain critical to the survival ofthe marshlands, he stressed that any interruption could push the region backinto the severe drought conditions witnessed in recent years.

Iraq has faced worsening drought in recent years due to climate change,declining rainfall, and reduced water flows from upstream countries, includingTurkiye and Iran. The crisis has cut farmland, accelerated desertification, andundermined food security, particularly in rural areas. At the same time, waterlevels in dams and reservoirs have dropped below safe thresholds, prompting theMinistry of Water Resources to prioritize supplies for drinking water andlimited horticulture amid the absence of a comprehensive summer agriculturalplan.

Read more: Iraq’s water crisis: A structural rewrite of agricultural governance

Shafaq News- Kirkuk

Laboratory tests confirmed a case ofCrimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) in Iraq’s northern province of Kirkuk, ahealth source told Shafaq News on Thursday.

The infected woman, 43, had beenplaced in quarantine a day earlier, while health authorities began preventivemeasures and follow-up procedures.

According to Shafaq News tracker,Iraq has recorded 10 CCHF cases so far in 2026, including nine in Dhi Qarprovince, with the new infection marking Kirkuk’s first confirmed case of theyear. The province has reported six cases since the beginning of 2025, bringingIraq’s overall tally to 257 infections, including 38 deaths.

Read more: Blood, ticks, and broken systems: The resurgence of CCHF in Iraq

Shafaq News- Baghdad/ Dhi Qar

Iraqi antiquities authoritiesadvanced an Italian-supported preservation effort at the historic Taq Kasrasite in Baghdad, while restoration work continued at the ancient Ur Zigguratin Dhi Qar.

Ali Basim, Director of BaghdadAntiquities and Heritage, told Shafaq News on Wednesday that a specializedIraqi team of engineers and archaeologists visited Taq Kasra to review anItalian proposal aimed at treating structural cracks and preserving the landmarkin line with international conservation standards.

Basim noted increasing numbers ofIraqi and foreign tourists visiting the site, also known as the Arch ofCtesiphon. Located in the ancient city of al-Madain, the structure dates backto the Sasanian era during the reign of King Khosrow I Anushirvan in the sixthcentury AD. The monument formed part of a royal palace complex in the Sasaniancapital and remains the largest surviving brick arch from antiquity, standingabout 37 meters high and nearly 50 meters deep.

In Dhi Qar, Kazem Hassoun,supervisor of the Ur restoration project, said Iraq’s State Board ofAntiquities and Heritage, in cooperation with the provincial AntiquitiesInspectorate, is carrying out the seventh major restoration campaign at theziggurat since its construction under the Third Dynasty of Ur around 2112 BC.

The current phase includesrestoration of the first level and its three main staircases, repairs to cracksin the second level, and reconstruction work on the third level based onavailable archaeological evidence, with the site expected to reopen in July2026.

Built by King Ur-Nammu around 2100BC, the Ur Ziggurat is considered among the world’s earliest examples ofstepped monumental architecture, predating the Egyptian pyramids. The structureoriginally consisted of three levels and three staircases, each containing 100steps, though only the first level and parts of the second remain today aftercenturies of erosion.

As of 2025, Iraq, often described asthe heartland of Mesopotamia, ranked ninth among Arab countries for the numberof UNESCO World Heritage sites, with five cultural sites and one mixedcultural-natural site, including Hatra, Ashur (Qalaat Sharqat), SamarraArchaeological City, Erbil Citadel, and the Ahwar of Southern Iraq, also knownas the Mesopotamian Marshes.

Read more: From Babylon to Erbil: Iraq’s UNESCO sites and those next in line

Shafaq News- Baghdad

A rare Mesopotamian bronze goatstatuette is currently held in Kuwait as part of a private archaeologicalcollection, Iraqi archaeologist Amer Abdul Razzaq revealed, urging Baghdad torecover the artifact.

Abdul Razzaq told Shafaq News onWednesday that the artifact is part of the private al-Sabah archaeologicalcollection, which also includes Iraqi artifacts displayed last year at aninternational exhibition in China.

Describing the transfer as“illegal,” he called on Iraqi authorities to investigate the circumstancessurrounding the theft and transfer of the artifact to Kuwait, stressing thatthe country’s antiquities “cannot be privately owned or traded.”

Iraq recovered more than 40,000artifacts in 2024 and 2025 through domestic seizures and internationalrepatriation campaigns, according to the Ministry of Culture, Tourism, andAntiquities. In the latest operation, the National Security Service announcedon Tuesday the seizure of 255 archaeological artifacts concealed insideabandoned quarries between the southern provinces of Basra and Dhi Qar.

Under Iraq’s Antiquities Law No. 55of 2002, individuals who fail to hand over archaeological artifacts to thestate within 30 days face up to 10 years in prison and financial penaltiesamounting to twice the estimated value of the items. The law also prescribesprison terms of up to 15 years for the theft of antiquities and heritageproperty.

Shafaq News-Baghdad

A bloc ofNineveh province lawmakers identified three separate entities responsible forblocking Mosul International Airport's full operational launch, nearly a yearafter a formal inauguration ceremony and repeated government pledges to openthe facility.

At a jointpress conference in the Iraqi Parliament building in Baghdad, MP Abd al-Rahimal-Shammari, who is also a member of the Parliamentary Integrity Committee,said local officials had issued repeated assurances about the airport's openingthat amounted to “nothing more than performances and empty pledges.”

The CivilAviation Authority, al-Shammari said, bears primary institutionalresponsibility, accused of deliberate indifference toward the Mosul facilityand intentional foot-dragging on its licensing obligations.

Failures on twoother fronts compound the obstruction: the Nineveh provincial government andthe contracted construction firm, which has cited an inability to complete thelicensing project as justification for its continued delays.

All threeparties, he said, will be held accountable through the bloc's parliamentaryoversight powers.

Background

ISIS seizedMosul in June 2014 and destroyed the airport's main passenger terminal, controltower, and fire stations. Trenches were dug across the runways and debrisscattered to deny Iraqi forces use of the site; clearance of explosive devicesand landmines took approximately 18 months, concluding in 2019. Iraqi forcesdrove ISIS from the city in July 2017 after a months-long urban battle thatleft large parts of Mosul in ruins.

Reconstructionbegan in August 2022 under then-Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi. PrimeMinister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani formally inaugurated the facility on July 16,2025, with a runway extended to 3,000 meters to accommodate large commercialaircraft and a stated annual capacity of 630,000 passengers and 30,000 tons ofcargo.

Domesticflights commenced on November 6, 2025. The airport's first international flightsince reopening departed January 26, 2026, carrying 157 Umrah pilgrims fromNineveh to Medina.

The CivilAviation Authority confirmed as recently as January 28, 2026, thatqualification and operational procedures remain incomplete, citing multipletechnical and legal requirements that must be satisfied before a full operatinglicense can be granted, the administrative bottleneck now at the center of theparliamentary dispute.

Shafaq News- Nineveh

Iraqi authorities on Wednesday identified 52 victims killed in the ISIS massacre at Badoush prison during the group’s 2014 takeover of Mosul, according to the head of the Mass Graves Affairs and Protection Directorate.

Mohammed Salah Al-Din told reporters the identifications followed more than four years of work involving forensic medicine teams and the Directorate. The remains were exhumed from the Badoush site in 2022 and underwent DNA testing and matching with samples provided by relatives of registered missing persons.

The issuance of identification documents allows families to obtain death certificates and complete pension and compensation procedures, while efforts continue to determine the fate of other missing persons, he added.

The Badoush massacre took place in June 2014 after ISIS seized Mosul and Badoush prison north of the city, separating inmates along sectarian lines before killing more than 670 prisoners in one of the group’s deadliest massacres in Iraq. Iraqi authorities have continued exhumation and identification efforts at ISIS-era mass grave sites across Nineveh and other provinces in recent years.

According to a 2018 report by the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), at least 202 mass grave sites linked to ISIS crimes were documented in Nineveh, Kirkuk, Saladin, and Al-Anbar provinces, with the number of victims estimated at between 6,000 and 12,000.

Read more: HRW urges Iraq to intensify mass grave exhumations 

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Around 60 foreign archaeological missions have beenunable to enter Iraq due to recent regional tensions, the head of the StateBoard of Antiquities and Heritage, Ali Obaid Shalgham, said on Tuesday.

Speaking to Shafaq News, Shalgham attributed thedisruption to the escalation involving the United States and Israel on one sideand Iran on the other since Feb. 28, which forced the cancellation orpostponement of excavation and survey work across multiple sites. The situationhas also limited Iraqi archaeologists’ access to specialized training programs,both locally and abroad, typically led by international experts, slowingefforts to build national expertise.

He added that the authority is developing temporarymeasures to sustain fieldwork and protect heritage sites under currentconditions.

The impact has extended to tourism. US-based Al-Monitorpointed to a sharp decline in visitors to holy sites in Najaf and Karbala,affecting local economies and workers in the sector, alongside disruptions toair travel and higher ticket costs.

Read more: Iraq airspace closure costs $43 million during US-Israel war on Iran

Despite this, Iraq recorded rising numbers of Arab andforeign visitors throughout 2025 and early 2026, with Baghdad leading arrivals,particularly for cultural and historical tourism, according to InteriorMinistry spokesperson Miqdad Miri.

Economic data shows that tourism revenue grew by 25% in 2024 to$5.7 billion, up from $4.6 billion in 2023, placing Iraq among leading Arabtourism earners. Baghdad’s profile was further elevated after the Arab TourismOrganization designated it Arab Capital of Tourism for 2025. Prime Minister’sadviser for tourism and antiquities Omar Al-Alawi indicated that Iraq aims todiversify beyond religious tourism and attract up to 10 million visitorsannually over the next decade through infrastructure upgrades and heritagerestoration to boost non-oil revenues.