The UN envoy to Iraq on Tuesday chastised the country's political elite over the failure to form a new government in more than seven months since national elections were held.
Dutch diplomat Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert also warned that the continuing political impasse could spark civil unrest in the country that is still suffering from consequences of decades of war, rampant corruption, fragile security and environmental challenges.
"The streets are about to boil over in Iraq," she told reporters after briefing the UN Security Council, adding that Iraq and the region cannot afford to go back to October 2019, when deadly street protests rocked the country.
The formation of a new government in Iraq is a protracted process. The various political factions are usually mired in negotiations and horse-trading for months.
The "notorious aspects of Iraqi political life are repeating themselves in a seemingly incessant loop of zero-sum politics," Ms Hennis-Plasschaert said in her briefing.
Iraq's political elite have yet to solve a long list of domestic challenges, ranging from post-war reconstruction, climate change and security, to disagreements over how to manage the country's natural resources.
With the country's politicians "content with stale power battles," Ms Hennis-Plasschaert said Iraqis "are waiting for a political class that will roll up its sleeves to make headway on Iraq’s long list of outstanding domestic priorities".
But more than seven months after the country held early elections, "multiple deadlines for the formation of a government have been missed", she said. Ms Hennis-Plasschaert added that political leaders agree to hold negotiations and dialogues, "but the necessary willingness to compromise? It is painfully absent".
"Visit any market and Iraqis will tell you: the national interest is, yet again, taking a back seat to short-sighted considerations of control over resources and power play," she said.
Iraqis, she said, also want “an end to pervasive corruption; factionalism and the pillaging of state institutions; a diversification of the economy; an end to impunity; the reining in of armed groups; and “predictable governance instead of constant crisis management".
Enmity between Shiite populist cleric Moqtada Al Sadr, whose Sadrist Bloc emerged as the clear winner with 73 seats in the 329-seat parliament, and some of his Iran-backed Shiite rivals is the main obstacle to forming the new government.
Mr Al Sadr wants to form a majority government only with the winners among Sunni and Kurdish political parties. This has irritated his rivals from the Iran-backed Co-ordination Framework, who have been delayed forming the government to force Mr Al Sadr to give them a voice.
Ms Hennis-Plasschaert was also sharply critical of the missile and rocket attacks by Turkey and Iran, describing them as “disturbing, disruptive and dangerous”.
She also drew attention to armed groups operating beyond the control of the government, who have been recklessly firing rockets, including at an oil refinery in Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan region, two weeks ago.
"Significant domestic vulnerabilities are being compounded by the ongoing effects of the pandemic and global geopolitical tensions," she said.
"A sincere, collective and urgent will to resolve political differences must now prevail for the country to move forward and to meet the needs of its citizens."
More than seven months after legislative elections, Iraqi institutions are at a standstill over lawmakers' inability to elect a president. It is the president's job to select the largest block in parliament to form a government.
In the interim, the outgoing president, Barham Salih, who had run for re-election, and Prime Minister Mustafa Al Kadhimi have been taking care of the day-to-running of the country.
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
Europe wide
Some of French groups are threatening Friday to continue their journey to Brussels, the capital of Belgium and the European Union, and to meet up with drivers from other countries on Monday.
Belgian authorities joined French police in banning the threatened blockade. A similar lorry cavalcade was planned for Friday in Vienna but cancelled after authorities prohibited it.
Company profile
Name: One Good Thing
Founders: Bridgett Lau and Micheal Cooke
Based in: Dubai
Sector: e-commerce
Size: 5 employees
Stage: Looking for seed funding
Investors: Self-funded and seeking external investors
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Xpanceo
Started: 2018
Founders: Roman Axelrod, Valentyn Volkov
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Smart contact lenses, augmented/virtual reality
Funding: $40 million
Investor: Opportunity Venture (Asia)
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES
Tuesday (UAE kick-off times)
Leicester City v Brighton (9pm)
Tottenham Hotspur v West Ham United (11.15pm)
Wednesday
Manchester United v Sheffield United (9pm)
Newcastle United v Aston Villa (9pm)
Norwich City v Everton (9pm)
Wolves v Bournemouth (9pm)
Liverpool v Crystal Palace (11.15pm)
Thursday
Burnley v Watford (9pm)
Southampton v Arsenal (9pm)
Chelsea v Manchester City (11.15pm)
Company%20profile
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Juvenile arthritis
Along with doctors, families and teachers can help pick up cases of arthritis in children.
Most types of childhood arthritis are known as juvenile idiopathic arthritis. JIA causes pain and inflammation in one or more joints for at least six weeks.
Dr Betina Rogalski said "The younger the child the more difficult it into pick up the symptoms. If the child is small, it may just be a bit grumpy or pull its leg a way or not feel like walking,” she said.
According to The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases in US, the most common symptoms of juvenile arthritis are joint swelling, pain, and stiffness that doesn’t go away. Usually it affects the knees, hands, and feet, and it’s worse in the morning or after a nap.
Limping in the morning because of a stiff knee, excessive clumsiness, having a high fever and skin rash are other symptoms. Children may also have swelling in lymph nodes in the neck and other parts of the body.
Arthritis in children can cause eye inflammation and growth problems and can cause bones and joints to grow unevenly.
In the UK, about 15,000 children and young people are affected by arthritis.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 240hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 390Nm at 3,000rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Price: from Dh122,745
On sale: now
