Four Iraqi militia brigades have reportedly split from the Popular Mobilisation Forces and are now under the directives of the office of the departing Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi.
The killing of the PMF's chief of staff Abu Mahdi Al Muhandis in January by the US deprived the forces of their leading policymaker and challenged the standing of Iran-backed militias in Iraq.
In a letter addressed to Faleh Al Fayyad, the new head of the PMF, also known as Hashed Al Shaabi, Mr Abdul Mahdi said “their operations and administration” will now be directed by his office.
“The details will be disclosed at a later time,” the letter said.
The brigades who have split are the Imam Ali, Ali Al Akbar, Abbas and Ansar Al Marjaiya, all loyal to the top Shiite cleric Ayatollah Ali Al Sistani.
Mr Abdel Mahdi is no longer in office, with former head of intelligence Mustafa Al Kadhimi having taken up the role as Prime Minister designate this month.
He is still considered the last holder of the office, however, until a new leader can be decided on by Parliament.
The departing prime minister has come under pressure from Washington to curb Iran's influence in Iraq, particularly after recent unclaimed attacks against US interests in the country.
The militias, which helped Iraqi and US-led international coalition forces to drive out ISIS, have broad influence in Iraqi politics.
But Iraq declared victory against the militants in 2017. The decision is a direct message to the PMF that Mr Al Sistani's religious call to form a coherent fighting force against ISIS has come to an end, an Iraqi parliamentarian told The National.
“The Marjaiya [brigade] and the outgoing prime minister made this decision. That in itself sends a strong message,” he said.
An electoral alliance made up of militia leaders and fighters came second in a 2018 parliamentary election and went on alongside populist cleric Moqtada Al Sadr, whose political group came first, to nominate Mr Abdul Mahdi as premier.
Mr Abdul Mahdi issued a decree ordering the militias to come to heel by the end of July 2019, or be deemed “illegitimate”.
His decree forces groups that make up the PMF to choose between political and paramilitary activity.
Kathryn Hawkes of House of Hawkes on being a good guest (because we’ve all had bad ones)
- Arrive with a thank you gift, or make sure you have one for your host by the time you leave.
- Offer to buy groceries, cook them a meal or take your hosts out for dinner.
- Help out around the house.
- Entertain yourself so that your hosts don’t feel that they constantly need to.
- Leave no trace of your stay – if you’ve borrowed a book, return it to where you found it.
- Offer to strip the bed before you go.
Results
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Three tips from La Perle's performers
1 The kind of water athletes drink is important. Gwilym Hooson, a 28-year-old British performer who is currently recovering from knee surgery, found that out when the company was still in Studio City, training for 12 hours a day. “The physio team was like: ‘Why is everyone getting cramps?’ And then they realised we had to add salt and sugar to the water,” he says.
2 A little chocolate is a good thing. “It’s emergency energy,” says Craig Paul Smith, La Perle’s head coach and former Cirque du Soleil performer, gesturing to an almost-empty open box of mini chocolate bars on his desk backstage.
3 Take chances, says Young, who has worked all over the world, including most recently at Dragone’s show in China. “Every time we go out of our comfort zone, we learn a lot about ourselves,” she says.
Opening Rugby Championship fixtures:Games can be watched on OSN Sports
Saturday: Australia v New Zealand, Sydney, 1pm (UAE)
Sunday: South Africa v Argentina, Port Elizabeth, 11pm (UAE)
BlacKkKlansman
Director: Spike Lee
Starring: John David Washington; Adam Driver
Five stars
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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What%20is%20Dungeons%20%26%20Dragons%3F%20
%3Cp%3EDungeons%20%26amp%3B%20Dragons%20began%20as%20an%20interactive%20game%20which%20would%20be%20set%20up%20on%20a%20table%20in%201974.%20One%20player%20takes%20on%20the%20role%20of%20dungeon%20master%2C%20who%20directs%20the%20game%2C%20while%20the%20other%20players%20each%20portray%20a%20character%2C%20determining%20its%20species%2C%20occupation%20and%20moral%20and%20ethical%20outlook.%20They%20can%20choose%20the%20character%E2%80%99s%20abilities%2C%20such%20as%20strength%2C%20constitution%2C%20dexterity%2C%20intelligence%2C%20wisdom%20and%20charisma.%20In%20layman%E2%80%99s%20terms%2C%20the%20winner%20is%20the%20one%20who%20amasses%20the%20highest%20score.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Babumoshai Bandookbaaz
Director: Kushan Nandy
Starring: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Bidita Bag, Jatin Goswami
Three stars
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
