Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi has formed a crisis council led by a prominent academic to administer Nineveh province after the dismissal of its governor on Sunday.
Dr Muzahim Al Khayat, president of Nineveh University, will chair the council of operations chiefs and police commanders until the provincial council elects a new governor.
The former governor, Nofal Al Agub, was sacked by Parliament after the sinking of a ferry in Mosul, the provincial capital, in which nearly 100 people died.
The boat was loaded to five times its capacity with people celebrating the Kurdish new year when it capsized on the Tigris River on Thursday.
Police said 97 people were killed, 67 remain missing and 55 were rescued.
Parliament declared those killed in the tragedy were martyrs, allowing their families to receive financial compensation and pave the way for court proceedings against those responsible.
Residents were relieved to hear of Dr Al Khayat's appointment, said Ali Al Baroodi, a lecturer at the University of Mosul.
"Dr Muzahim Al Khayat is a prominent surgeon and figure in the province," Mr Al Baroodi told The National.
He said the academic was “very respected and appreciated”.
Mr Abdul Mahdi has asked the council to investigate and hold people responsible for the ferry sinking to account.
Residents say the tragedy was symptomatic of mismanagement and corruption in Nineveh.
New tragedy warning
Iraq’s independent High Commission for Human Rights said on Monday that the province faced the risk of more tragedies as people continued to use bridges that were damaged in heavy fighting to liberate the province from ISIS.
“The total number of bridges in the Nineveh is 59 but during the occupation of ISIS, 36 were damaged as a result of terrorist activities and shelling,” said Ali Al Bayati, a member of the commission.
Four of the damaged bridges have been not been repaired.
“These bridges are working and carrying vehicles, and there is a risk of accidents and the loss of life,” Mr Al Bayati said.
He said the commission had asked the government to “intervene urgently and repair such important infrastructure in Iraqi cities to avoid civilian losses”.
Reconstruction in Mosul has been slow since Iraqi forces retook the city in late 2017.
A bridge across the Tigris River collapsed last week during flooding caused by heavy rain, just days after it was repaired and reopened.
Citizens were given no warning against using the bridge after it collapsed, the commission said.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company profile
Company name: Nestrom
Started: 2017
Co-founders: Yousef Wadi, Kanaan Manasrah and Shadi Shalabi
Based: Jordan
Sector: Technology
Initial investment: Close to $100,000
Investors: Propeller, 500 Startups, Wamda Capital, Agrimatico, Techstars and some angel investors
SPECS
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More on animal trafficking
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
PROFILE OF HALAN
Started: November 2017
Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport and logistics
Size: 150 employees
Investment: approximately $8 million
Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar
Dates for the diary
To mark Bodytree’s 10th anniversary, the coming season will be filled with celebratory activities:
- September 21 Anyone interested in becoming a certified yoga instructor can sign up for a 250-hour course in Yoga Teacher Training with Jacquelene Sadek. It begins on September 21 and will take place over the course of six weekends.
- October 18 to 21 International yoga instructor, Yogi Nora, will be visiting Bodytree and offering classes.
- October 26 to November 4 International pilates instructor Courtney Miller will be on hand at the studio, offering classes.
- November 9 Bodytree is hosting a party to celebrate turning 10, and everyone is invited. Expect a day full of free classes on the grounds of the studio.
- December 11 Yogeswari, an advanced certified Jivamukti teacher, will be visiting the studio.
- February 2, 2018 Bodytree will host its 4th annual yoga market.
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Al Jazira's foreign quartet for 2017/18
Romarinho, Brazil
Lassana Diarra, France
Sardor Rashidov, Uzbekistan
Mbark Boussoufa, Morocco
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MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
