NEWS
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Iraq’s traditional sweets exported internationally
Dating back 10,000 years, Iraq’s traditional sweets are widely loved in the Arab world as well as further afield. Ali Al-Musawi, a local sweet shop worker in Babylon, says that he “sees this work as a hobby” and is “actively working to turn this into a long term profession”. Hassan…
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Sports education expands across Iraq
In the provinces of Babylon, Karbala and Najaf, sports education has expanded through the establishment of the College of Physical Education and Sports Sciences. The college has recently increased both the number of scientific branches covered in addition to the number of students enrolled. In 2011, postgraduate studies were introduced and 12…
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Hopes for Babylon’s tourism industry
The historical city of Babylon is located approximately 90 km south of Baghdad, and 10 km north of Hilla. Babylon, of the heavenly books, has recently suffered from a lack of tourists. Babylon’s director of antiquities, Hussein Al-Ammari, believes this is the result of recent excessively hot summers, in addition to…
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Drought threatens Amber rice, a staple in Iraqi households
Iraq’s climate is optimal for the cultivation of rice, including the rare variety Amber. The high temprature of summer, abundant fertile soil adjacent to the Tigris and Euphrates rivers make it prime. At every Iraqi dinner table, Amber rice must be present, but this household staple is threatened with extinction, as…
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Italy contributes an additional 2 million Euros into Iraq’s development
Italy contributes an additional 2 million Euros into Iraq’s development In a press release published today by the United Nations Development Programme, it was announced that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy had contributed 2 million Euros to the UNDP Funding Facility for Stabilisation, through the…
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The Great Port of Al-Faw, linking the Eastern and Western worlds
At a cost of 4.6 billion euros, The Grand Port of Al-Faw is Iraq’s most ambitious infrastructure project to date. The port’s planned capacity is estimated to be 99 million tons annually, to be one of the largest in the Gulf region. The Grand Port and Rocky Island project is…
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Al-Hilla river devastated by increased level of pollution
Al-Hilla river has suffered a lot of neglect during the period of the former regime, and even after its downfall, the accumulated waste surrounding the two banks of the river has remained. The Hilla governorate is directly responsible for the maintenance of the river as well as the cleanliness of…
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Hilla’s historic neighborhoods face destruction
Specialists in Iraq’s heritage sites have called for the “prevention of their destruction, and the need for their appropriation by the state”, stressing the importance of “transforming them into tourist sites to enhance the local economy.” The researcher and director of the Babylon Antiquities Inspection, Ayed Al-Tai, explained that “the…
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Draught halves Iraq’s agricultural areas
Iraq, known in historical books as the land between two rivers (Mesopotamia), has had abundant access to water since the dawn of civilization. However, most of Iraq’s water resources either come from or pass through neighboring countries. Policies of these counties have reduced the water supply in Iraq, impacting agriculture…
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Disease hits Iraq’s fisheries
For the fourth time since 2018, a fish kill has occurred in Babylon, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of tonnes of fish due to a return outbreak of the “Koi Herpes 3” virus. A number of fish breeders in the Musayyib district, north of the Babil Governorate reported on…
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