Restoration of Mosul's Iconic Al-Hadba Minaret Marks Revival of Heritage

An Iraqi man, Aqil Fakhr al-Din, 50, was killed and partially consumed by his pet lion in his backyard in Kufa on May 11, 2025. This tragic incident occurred shortly after al-Din acquired the lion, as he approached its cage in the Al-Hasinat area of the Najaf Governorate. According to local reports from Al-Ghad newspaper, the lion attacked him, inflicting fatal wounds to his neck and chest. A neighbor intervened and shot the lion to stop the assault, successfully ending the attack. Al-Din was known in the community for his exotic animal collection, and had reportedly kept various wild animals on his property for several years. The body was subsequently transferred to the forensic medicine department for further procedures. This incident has reignited discussions around the dangers of keeping predatory animals as pets in Iraq, which often occur without legal regulation or veterinary oversight, raising serious public safety concerns, as reported by local security sources.

A new Sky News documentary highlights the ongoing plight of Yazidi women still enslaved by ISIS, nearly a decade after the group's atrocities in Sinjar, Iraq, in 2014. Titled *10 Years of Darkness: ISIS & The Yazidis*, the film, reported by special correspondent Alex Crawford, details the mass abductions and systematic violence faced by the Yazidi community, many of whom remain traumatized and struggling for justice. Through firsthand eyewitness accounts and raw footage from the Middle East, the documentary sheds light on the harrowing stories of those affected, including Kovan, who was abducted at age 14, and Farida Khalaf, a human rights activist whose memoir recounts the brutal attack on her village. Khalaf has since become an international advocate for the Yazidi cause, meeting with world leaders to push for accountability for ISIS crimes. According to Crawford, the documentary reveals that thousands of Yazidi women are still held captive, continuing to suffer from the brutality of their captors. The documentary will be available on Sky News platforms starting May 2.

The Yazidi community in Iraq is experiencing a profound sense of betrayal as the U.S. government halts crucial aid that once supported them, following the 2014 genocide by the Islamic State (IS). During the first Trump administration, significant funding was pledged, benefiting religious minorities, including the Yazidis. However, this support has dwindled under the second Trump administration, according to activists and former USAid employees. In the Iraqi town of Sinjar, where many Yazidis were killed, essential services, including healthcare and infrastructure projects, have stalled due to the freeze in aid. Mirza Dinnayi, a Yazidi human rights activist, expressed shock over the suspension of USAid, labeling it a critical loss for their communities. The aid freeze has also severely impacted charities like Catholic Relief Services, facing potential layoffs and program shutdowns amounting to half of their $1.5 billion budget. This shift reflects broader changes in Republican attitudes toward aid, as former supporters of Yazidi rights now align with movements aiming to diminish USAid. Current and former USAid officials lament the loss of vital support networks for the trauma-affected Yazidi people.