Iraq to build new ‘grand’ museum

Azzaman, May 10, 2013 Iraq is to build a new museum to house its archaeological riches, said the Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Liwa Sumaism Iraq is one of the world’s richest in archaeological sites and finds and scientists say the current museum in Baghdad no longer has enough space for the artifacts it receives. [...]

Iraq predicts bumper harvest for 2013

By Ali Shattab Azzaman, May 8, 2013 The Trade Ministry has raised wheat and barley prices it offers to Iraqi farmers to encourage them to ferry their produce to state- run silos. The Grain Board of Iraq, a state-run firm affiliated to the Trade Ministry, says recent heavy downpours, particularly in southern provinces have delayed [...]

Britain pleased with contracts to develop Iraq’s oil and gas riches

By Basem al-Rikabi Azzaman, May 7, 20013 Britain encourages its companies to contribute to Iraq’s development, particularly its oil and gas riches, said Britain’s ambassador to Iraq Simon Collis. “I warmly welcome the direct participation of British firms in the project of Basra Gas, which is aimed at putting an end to the flaring of [...]

Iraqi politicians accused of meddling in Central Bank auctions

By Ali Shattab Azzaman, May 6, 2013 A parliamentary commission has found that influential Iraqi politicians have been meddling in hard cash auctions the Central Bank has been organizing to stabilized the local currency, the dinar. The Central Bank of Iraq has been holding auctions since 2004, selling an average of $180 million on a [...]

Iraq reports plunge in poverty and unemployment levels

 By Shaymaa Adel Azzaman, May 5, 2013 Poverty rates have plunged to 17% from 23% in the years since the Ministry of Planning started implementing its development plan aimed at reducing jobless rates, the ministry’s spokesperson said. Abdulzahra al-Hindawi said the plan to reduce unemployment and poverty rates in the country had started in 2010 [...]

Kurds building bridge to link region with Syria

Azzaman, May 3, 2013 Iraqi Kurdish authorities are constructing a bridge over the Tigris River to link their region with Syria, a statement said. The statement by the Kurdish northern Province of Dahouk said the bridge was to facilitate movement of people and commodities between their region and Syria. The bridge will replace the Peshkhabour [...]

Violence destroyed industry in restive province

By Salam al-Shammari Azzaman, May 2, 2013 The violence that swept Iraq in the aftermath of the 2003-U.S. invasion has destroyed the industrial base in the Province of Diyala, a senior provincial official has said. Abdulhusain al-Shammari, head of Diyala’s municipality, said there were 85 major factories which were burned, ransacked or looted after the [...]

Why Arab heads of state never get poisoned or booby-trapped letters

By Fatih Abdulsalam Azzaman, April 29, 2013 Why is that no Arab leader has ever received a poisoned or booby-trapped letter? Many world leaders have received such letters among them U.S. President Barak Obama and German President Joachim Guack. Arab leaders are not at risk of having such letters sent to them because their citizens [...]

Unemployed Iraqis entitled to interest-free loans to start new businesses

 By Shayma Adel Azzaman, April 28, 2013 Unemployment is rampant in Iraq and in some provinces it is estimated at around 30 per cent of the working population. The rising jobless figures are a matter of concern for the government, which sees the army of unemployed Iraqis as one of the reasons fueling unrest and [...]

Iraq keeping banknotes unchanged throughout 2013

By Ali Sahttab Azzaman, April 27, 2013 Iraq’s Central Bank will not remove three zeros from its currency, the dinar, a move it had said it wanted to implement in 2013. The bank had drawn up plans to start replacing current banknotes with new ones, deleting three zeros and reducing the volume of dinars in [...]