Supporters of Iraqi cleric Moqtada Al Sadr stormed the government palace in Baghdad's Green Zone on Monday after the Shiite leader said he was abandoning politics.
Twenty-three protesters were reported to have been killed. Unconfirmed reports suggested that Mr Al Sadr had gone on hunger strike to press for an end to the violence.
At least seven shells fell in the high-security Green Zone, which houses government buildings and diplomatic missions, a security source told AFP on Monday.
It was not immediately clear who was responsible for the shelling, which was followed by the sound of automatic weapons from the zone.
The security source said Mr Al Sadr's supporters opened fire at the Green Zone from the outside, adding that security forces inside “were not responding”.
Tensions have soared amid an escalating political crisis that has left Iraq without a new government, prime minister or president for months.
About 350 protesters were hurt, some with bullet wounds and others suffering the effects of teargas, medics told AFP.
On Monday, witnesses said that Al Sadr loyalists and supporters of a rival Shiite bloc, the pro-Iran Co-ordination Framework, had exchanged fire.
The Framework condemned an “attack on state institutions”, urging the Sadrists to engage in “dialogue”.
In response to the violence in the Iraqi capital, Emirates has cancelled flights to and from Baghdad.
Iraq's Civil Aviation Authority announced late on Monday that flights at Baghdad International Airport were still coming and going.
The army has been caught in the middle of the rivalry between Mr Al Sadr and the Co-ordination Framework — a political coalition linked to US-designated terrorist groups, including Kataib Hezbollah, which has been accused of killing coalition soldiers and Iraqi protesters.
The army announced a nationwide curfew from 7pm, as security forces patrolled the capital.
Prime Minister Mustafa Al Kadhimi called on Mr Al Sadr's supporters to withdraw from the Green Zone, where they have been camped for weeks to prevent the cleric's rivals from trying to form a government.
“The dangerous developments that took place in our dear Iraq today points to the serious consequences of the political differences,” Mr Al Kadhimi said in a statement issued by his office.
Dr Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to the President, called on Tuesday for calm and restraint among Iraqis and urged for all parties to proceed with dialogue following Monday’s violence.
“The stability of brotherly Iraq is an urgent Arab and regional demand, and there is no alternative to calm, restraint and constructive dialogue between Iraqis at this sensitive stage to get Iraq out of its crisis. Confrontation and violence are not in the interest of the Iraqis and the region,” Dr Gargash said in a tweet.
Mr Al Kadhimi called for restraint and said the country's political differences would damage state institutions.
He also ordered an investigation into the casualties, adding that “security or military forces, or armed men” were prohibited from opening fire on protesters.
Late on Monday evening, the prime minister took to Twitter.
“I value the call of His Eminence Sayyid Moqtada Al Sadr to stop the violence, as well as the call of Hajj Hadi Al Amiri, and all those who contribute to calm and preventing further violence. I call on all to assume the national responsibility for preserving Iraqi blood,” he said.
Mr Kadhimi later announced that he was chairing an “emergency meeting of security leaders to discuss recent events and the entry of demonstrators to government institutions”.
Iraq's official news agency confirmed late on Monday that Mr Kadhimi declared official working hours were cancelled on Tuesday because of the curfew, according to the General Secretariat of the Cabinet statement
The US urged calm amid the “disturbing” reports of unrest in Baghdad and denied rumours that it had evacuated its embassy, also in the area.
“The reports are false,” a State Department spokesman told The National. “As a matter of policy, we do not comment on matters involving internal security.”
Sadrists also stormed government buildings in the cities of Nasiriyah and Hillah south of Baghdad, an AFP correspondent and witnesses said.
Mr Al Sadr is said to have announced a hunger strike until the violence and use of weapons stops, Iraq's state news agency INA and state TV said on Monday.
Hassan Al Ethari, the head of the Sadrist parliamentary bloc, confirmed on Facebook that Mr Al Sadr had started a hunger strike.
“Removing the corrupt does not give anyone, no matter what, a justification for the use of violence from all sides,” Mr Al Ethari wrote.
There was no immediate confirmation from Mr Al Sadr's office.
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
HERO%20CUP%20TEAMS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E%3Cins%3EContinental%20Europe%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fins%3E%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrancesco%20Molinari%20(c)%3Cbr%3EThomas%20Detry%3Cbr%3ERasmus%20Hojgaard%3Cbr%3EAdrian%20Meronk%3Cbr%3EGuido%20Migliozzi%3Cbr%3EAlex%20Noren%3Cbr%3EVictor%20Perez%3Cbr%3EThomas%20Pieters%3Cbr%3ESepp%20Straka%3Cbr%3EPlayer%20TBC%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E%3Cins%3EGreat%20Britain%20%26amp%3B%20Ireland%3C%2Fins%3E%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3ETommy%20Fleetwood%20(c)%3Cbr%3EEwen%20Ferguson%3Cbr%3ETyrrell%20Hatton%3Cbr%3EShane%20Lowry%3Cbr%3ERobert%20MacIntyre%3Cbr%3ESeamus%20Power%3Cbr%3ECallum%20Shinkwin%3Cbr%3EJordan%20Smith%3Cbr%3EMatt%20Wallace%3Cbr%3EPlayer%20TBC%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 268hp at 5,600rpm
Torque: 380Nm at 4,800rpm
Transmission: CVT auto
Fuel consumption: 9.5L/100km
On sale: now
Price: from Dh195,000
Another way to earn air miles
In addition to the Emirates and Etihad programmes, there is the Air Miles Middle East card, which offers members the ability to choose any airline, has no black-out dates and no restrictions on seat availability. Air Miles is linked up to HSBC credit cards and can also be earned through retail partners such as Spinneys, Sharaf DG and The Toy Store.
An Emirates Dubai-London round-trip ticket costs 180,000 miles on the Air Miles website. But customers earn these ‘miles’ at a much faster rate than airline miles. Adidas offers two air miles per Dh1 spent. Air Miles has partnerships with websites as well, so booking.com and agoda.com offer three miles per Dh1 spent.
“If you use your HSBC credit card when shopping at our partners, you are able to earn Air Miles twice which will mean you can get that flight reward faster and for less spend,” says Paul Lacey, the managing director for Europe, Middle East and India for Aimia, which owns and operates Air Miles Middle East.
Blonde
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Biog
Mr Kandhari is legally authorised to conduct marriages in the gurdwara
He has officiated weddings of Sikhs and people of different faiths from Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Russia, the US and Canada
Father of two sons, grandfather of six
Plays golf once a week
Enjoys trying new holiday destinations with his wife and family
Walks for an hour every morning
Completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Loyola College, Chennai, India
2019 is a milestone because he completes 50 years in business
Hydrogen: Market potential
Hydrogen has an estimated $11 trillion market potential, according to Bank of America Securities and is expected to generate $2.5tn in direct revenues and $11tn of indirect infrastructure by 2050 as its production increases six-fold.
"We believe we are reaching the point of harnessing the element that comprises 90 per cent of the universe, effectively and economically,” the bank said in a recent report.
Falling costs of renewable energy and electrolysers used in green hydrogen production is one of the main catalysts for the increasingly bullish sentiment over the element.
The cost of electrolysers used in green hydrogen production has halved over the last five years and will fall to 60 to 90 per cent by the end of the decade, acceding to Haim Israel, equity strategist at Merrill Lynch. A global focus on decarbonisation and sustainability is also a big driver in its development.
Fresh faces in UAE side
Khalifa Mubarak (24) An accomplished centre-back, the Al Nasr defender’s progress has been hampered in the past by injury. With not many options in central defence, he would bolster what can be a problem area.
Ali Salmeen (22) Has been superb at the heart of Al Wasl’s midfield these past two seasons, with the Dubai club flourishing under manager Rodolfo Arrubarrena. Would add workrate and composure to the centre of the park.
Mohammed Jamal (23) Enjoyed a stellar 2016/17 Arabian Gulf League campaign, proving integral to Al Jazira as the capital club sealed the championship for only a second time. A tenacious and disciplined central midfielder.
Khalfan Mubarak (22) One of the most exciting players in the UAE, the Al Jazira playmaker has been likened in style to Omar Abdulrahman. Has minimal international experience already, but there should be much more to come.
Jassim Yaqoub (20) Another incredibly exciting prospect, the Al Nasr winger is becoming a regular contributor at club level. Pacey, direct and with an eye for goal, he would provide the team’s attack an extra dimension.
FROM%20THE%20ASHES
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