Prime Minister Haider Al Abadi dismissed the head of Basra's military operations on Thursday as officials in Baghdad failed to respond to the southern city's water crisis and months of deadly demonstrations that have killed dozens.
Mr Al Abadi's decision came hours ahead of a scheduled parliamentary session that was expected to vote on Jamal Al Shammari's possible dismissal.
"The premier has orders that Basra Operations' commander, Jamal Al Shammari, will now take on the position of President of the Defence University for Military Studies," a statement by Mr Al Abadi's office said.
Meetings, held in parliament on Wednesday, discussed the dismissal of Basra's Minister of Health, the Minister of Water Resources, and the Minister of Municipalities and Public Works due to their lack of management, Zaid Al Zeyadi, an Iraqi official said.
The prime minister has been criticised for being slow to react to the mounting scandal that has seen a staggering 100,000 patients admitted to hospitals over water poisoning cases.
US Ambassador to Iraq Douglas Silliman announced on Thursday additional support to Baghdad and Basra's government to respond to short-term water emergency needs, and to assist in the development of a long-term water response plan.
Since July, residents of the southern oil province have protested against the municipality's poor financial management, after it failed to provide adequate public services. Some say this is entrenched in corruption.
The unrest has also spread to attacks on foreign installations including the Iranian consulate which was burned by rioters, and the US consulate which has been targeted by rocket fire.
Mr Al Abadi said last week that corruption may have played a part in the southern province's escalating health crisis, and launched an investigation.
He requested the Integrity Commission to launch an investigation into the delays that have affected a number of infrastructure projects in Basra and other southern provinces, referring to the government body tasked with fighting corruption.
Hospitals in Basra are receiving between 1,500 to 2,000 patients a day, Alaa Hashim, Basra's Health Ministry spokesman, told The National.
More than 95,000 people have been admitted to hospitals in the city, the spokesman said.
At the Al Sadr Teaching Hospital in Basra's centre, an influx of patients line up in the crowded corridors, suffering from stomach-related problems.
"We received up to 300 patients a day," Mohammed Rifaat, head of the emergency department, told The National.
“I've been the manager of this hospital for more than seven years, and I’ve never seen anything this like,” he said, adding that the hospital is running low on medical supplies.
Next to a family mourning the death of a loved one, a woman dressed in black asks for assistance, her son, also suffering from pains, lays down next to her on a stretcher.
“Where are the doctors? Who can help me?” she screamed.
The hospital's administration says it has doubled the amount of doctors, yet the numbers are not enough to treat the surge in patients.
“The hospital needs an additional 1,600 doctors to function properly,” the hospital's director, Falih Al Gazgouz, said
Kadmia Wadi, 75, drinks a bottled water with difficulty, whilst laying down on a bed.
“I feel intense pain in my stomach and I have diarrhea. I also suffer from cardiac disorders, and water poisoning will be the end of me,” Ms Wadi said.
Salt has seeped into Basra's water supply, according to residents, making it undrinkable and forcing thousands into hospitals that are now overburdened.
Yousif Hussein, who is poisoned for the second time in two weeks’ time, blames Basra's faulty water plants for the cause of the crisis.
A report conducted by assistant professor of environmental pollution at Basra University, Shurki Al Hassan, revealed that water salinity in the Shatt Al Arab river is 22 times higher than the international health standards.
“I was poisoned after drinking one cup of water," Mr Al Hussein said.
In 2013, Basra's province council used to receive Dh28 million a month to operate 13 hospitals across the governorate from Baghdad's central government.
It now receives Dh4.5 million, according to Basra's health ministry.
Standing in front of Basra's provincial building, Abu Oday, a 63-year-old protester compared the Shatt Al Arab river to ISIS.
"It's poisonous," he angrily said.
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Read more:
Basra hospitals overwhelmed as water poisoning cases near 100,000
Basra residents accuse Iran-backed militias of intimidation
Water crisis in Iraq's Basra hospitalises football team
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8 traditional Jamaican dishes to try at Kingston 21
- Trench Town Rock: Jamaican-style curry goat served in a pastry basket with a carrot and potato garnish
- Rock Steady Jerk Chicken: chicken marinated for 24 hours and slow-cooked on the grill
- Mento Oxtail: flavoured oxtail stewed for five hours with herbs
- Ackee and salt fish: the national dish of Jamaica makes for a hearty breakfast
- Jamaican porridge: another breakfast favourite, can be made with peanut, cornmeal, banana and plantain
- Jamaican beef patty: a pastry with ground beef filling
- Hellshire Pon di Beach: Fresh fish with pickles
- Out of Many: traditional sweet potato pudding
Non-oil%20trade
%3Cp%3ENon-oil%20trade%20between%20the%20UAE%20and%20Japan%20grew%20by%2034%20per%20cent%20over%20the%20past%20two%20years%2C%20according%20to%20data%20from%20the%20Federal%20Competitiveness%20and%20Statistics%20Centre.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EIn%2010%20years%2C%20it%20has%20reached%20a%20total%20of%20Dh524.4%20billion.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ECars%20topped%20the%20list%20of%20the%20top%20five%20commodities%20re-exported%20to%20Japan%20in%202022%2C%20with%20a%20value%20of%20Dh1.3%20billion.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EJewellery%20and%20ornaments%20amounted%20to%20Dh150%20million%20while%20precious%20metal%20scraps%20amounted%20to%20Dh105%20million.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERaw%20aluminium%20was%20ranked%20first%20among%20the%20top%20five%20commodities%20exported%20to%20Japan.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ETop%20of%20the%20list%20of%20commodities%20imported%20from%20Japan%20in%202022%20was%20cars%2C%20with%20a%20value%20of%20Dh20.08%20billion.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Types of fraud
Phishing: Fraudsters send an unsolicited email that appears to be from a financial institution or online retailer. The hoax email requests that you provide sensitive information, often by clicking on to a link leading to a fake website.
Smishing: The SMS equivalent of phishing. Fraudsters falsify the telephone number through “text spoofing,” so that it appears to be a genuine text from the bank.
Vishing: The telephone equivalent of phishing and smishing. Fraudsters may pose as bank staff, police or government officials. They may persuade the consumer to transfer money or divulge personal information.
SIM swap: Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.
Identity theft: Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.
Prize scams: Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.
* Nada El Sawy
Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Brolliology: A History of the Umbrella in Life and Literature
By Marion Rankine
Melville House
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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)
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Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Cargoz%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EDate%20started%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20January%202022%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Premlal%20Pullisserry%20and%20Lijo%20Antony%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2030%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Seed%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
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Specs%20
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