Ali Falih Kadhim al-Zaidi assumed office as Prime Minister of Iraq.

Exam-focused facts from the 17 May 2026 current affairs briefing.

Key facts

Ali Falih Kadhim al-Zaidi assumed office as Prime Minister of Iraq on May 16, 2026.
He is a businessman and emerged as a consensus choice from the Coordination Framework alliance after weeks of discussions.
The Iraqi Parliament voted to approve the official government programme and a significant portion of the Prime Minister's cabinet lineup.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Al-Zaidi via a social media post on May 16, 2026.
PM Modi stated that India deeply values its longstanding and friendly ties with Iraq and remains committed to strengthening bilateral relations.