A female Iraqi human rights activist has been gunned down in Basra, deepening despair in the southern city which is reeling from a water poisoning scandal and months of demonstrations about poor public services.
Soad Al Ali was shot in the head by masked attackers who opened fire on her and a man, reportedly her husband, as they were getting into a car on Tuesday evening.
The man is receiving treatment in hospital. Video footage of the attack circulated on the internet, adding to a sense of chaos in Basra.
During the past two weeks, campaigners in the southern oil hub have been targeted on social media, with some receiving death threats.
Ms Ali's funeral was held on Wednesday after Iraq's Independent High Commissioner for Human Rights (IHCHR) opened a murder probe, calling on Baghdad's central government to investigate the crime.
"We are calling on the local and federal governments to be held responsible for protecting human rights activists and protesters unless they [activists] have crossed the law," Ali Al Bayati, a board member of the IHCHR told
The National.
He said that the Basra branch of the IHCHR had been tasked with investigating the killing and reporting back on their findings.
There was no claim of responsibility for the attack, which came as protests resumed following a two-week halt.
However eyewitnesses told The National that two gunmen were involved.
Hazem Al Assadi, 32, a shop owner who witnessed the killing, said: "I saw a vehicle and two men in their twenties. One was aboard, while the other waited near Soad Al Ali's car. When she approached her car and pressed the button to open it, the man shot her two times in the head."
Safaa Ameen, a colleague and friend of the murdered woman, added: "She was really committed and devoted to to her activism. I never heard anything bad about her, whether her reputation or work. She was a very good person."
Protesters in Basra are demanding basic services and the release of those detained in earlier demonstrations.
Who was Soad Al Ali?
Al Ali, mother of four, was the head of an organisation called Al Wid Al Alaiami For Human Rights in Basra.
Its goal – as written by Al Ali on the organisation's website – is to promote "true human spirit in society" by helping others who are in need.
"Our duty is to develop and advance society, we are constantly seeking to host cultural and economic conferences, seminars and educational workshops," she wrote.
Al Ali, 46, has been lobbying for Basra's independence for years, Mohamed Al Tai, a former member of parliament for Basra, told The National.
"She assisted us on pushing forward our demands for autonomy in 2014 and 2015," Mr Al Tai said.
Her husband, a supervisor at the education ministry, was also a campaigner for human rights in Basra, Mr Al Tai said.
A recent photo on the organisation's website showed Al Ali at a protest in Basra this month.
The caption said "side by side with our brothers, sons and family in our Basra".
The murder, which occurred on a street in the Abbasiya district in the centre of Basra, is the first such killing since protests erupted this summer.
Some people in Basra, however, claimed that the killing may be family related, or of a personal nature, with a former partner being implicated.
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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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The murder of Al Ali shows the lack of security and government's control over the deteriorating security situation in the country, Ahmed Al Hassani, a resident living in Basra, said on Twitter.
"Iraqi citizens will live in eternal horror... unfortunately militias are stronger than the government," Mr Al Hassani said.
Residents of Basra have taken to the streets in recent weeks to protest against failing government services, including water contamination that put tens of thousands in hospitals.
The number of Iraqis poisoned by polluted drinking water in Basra is nearing 100,000.
Salt has seeped into the supply, according to residents, making it undrinkable and forcing thousands into hospitals that are now overburdened. Citizens say the contamination is further proof of the country's collapsing infrastructure, with neglect peaking while politicians in Baghdad squabble over top roles in a new government.
Earlier this month, protests turned violent when demonstrators attacked and burned government offices, the headquarters of Iranian-backed militias and Iran's consulate in Basra – in a show of anger over what many residents perceive as Iran's excessive influence in local politics.
The events in Basra reflect the growing influence of militias, which played a major role in retaking Iraqi territory from ISIS. Protesters have described a campaign of intimidation and arbitrary detentions by the powerful militias and political groups that control Basra, a city of more than two million people in southern Iraq's Shiite Muslim heartland.
Some militia leaders in Basra accused protesters of colluding with the US, which has long worked to curb Iranian influence in Iraq. Al Ali has been pictured during a meeting she held with Timmy Davis, US consul general in Basra province, more than a month ago.
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- 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
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- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
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
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At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
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Company name: baraka
Started: July 2020
Founders: Feras Jalbout and Kunal Taneja
Based: Dubai and Bahrain
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: $150,000
Current staff: 12
Stage: Pre-seed capital raising of $1 million
Investors: Class 5 Global, FJ Labs, IMO Ventures, The Community Fund, VentureSouq, Fox Ventures, Dr Abdulla Elyas (private investment)
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
Virtuzone GCC Sixes
Date and venue Friday and Saturday, ICC Academy, Dubai Sports City
Time Matches start at 9am
Groups
A Blighty Ducks, Darjeeling Colts, Darjeeling Social, Dubai Wombats; B Darjeeling Veterans, Kuwait Casuals, Loose Cannons, Savannah Lions; C Awali Taverners, Darjeeling, Dromedary, Darjeeling Good Eggs
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
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Schedule:
Pakistan v Sri Lanka:
28 Sep-2 Oct, 1st Test, Abu Dhabi
6-10 Oct, 2nd Test (day-night), Dubai
13 Oct, 1st ODI, Dubai
16 Oct, 2nd ODI, Abu Dhabi
18 Oct, 3rd ODI, Abu Dhabi
20 Oct, 4th ODI, Sharjah
23 Oct, 5th ODI, Sharjah
26 Oct, 1st T20I, Abu Dhabi
27 Oct, 2nd T20I, Abu Dhabi
29 Oct, 3rd T20I, Lahore
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
THE SPECS
Engine: AMG-enhanced 3.0L inline-6 turbo with EQ Boost and electric auxiliary compressor
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Fitness problems in men's tennis
Andy Murray - hip
Novak Djokovic - elbow
Roger Federer - back
Stan Wawrinka - knee
Kei Nishikori - wrist
Marin Cilic - adductor
