Negotiations were under way between Iraqi politicians on Wednesday after the country’s first election since the fall of ISIS delivered a shock third place result for Haider Al Abadi, the incumbent prime minister long backed by the US.
Preliminary results showed that populist cleric Moqtada Al Sadr, an Iraqi nationalist who has distanced himself from neighbouring states, was set to win the most seats in parliament. His "Marching Towards Reform" alliance with Iraq's communists tapped into popular anger over corruption and foreign meddling.
The Shiite cleric has ruled himself out of the premiership. Instead, he is looking to be the kingmaker who can cobble together a technocratic government from a dozen parties.
But with his alliance falling short of a majority, lengthy wrangling in Baghdad is expected as rival parties bid to forge a governing coalition.
The final nationwide results should be announced in the next two days, according to Riyadh Al Badran, the Iraqi electoral commission chief.
The moves to shore up a coalition government became an international affair on Tuesday, as Brett McGurk, the White House special representative in the fight against ISIS, arrived in Baghdad for talks to broker a deal favourable to Washington. Also reported to be in the Iraqi capital was Qasem Soleimani, the shadowy spy chief who leads the foreign wing of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) known as the Quds Forces.
The visits are a mark of the importance both America and Iran placed on the outcome of the vote.
The US has supported Mr Al Abadi's government for more than three years, helping him and Iraq's armed forces defeat ISIS after the militant group seized control of swathes of northern and western Iraqi territory in 2014. Iran sponsors numerous Shiite militias who make up the majority of the government-aligned Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF).
Mr Al Sadr has long railed against Iranian interference in the country, and allies of Tehran rounded on the surprise vote winner.
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Iraq elections:
Analysis: Rise of Moqtada Al Sadr upsets US calculations in Iraq
Iraqi PM ready to 'co-operate' after election upset
Comment: Whatever shape of post-election alliances emerge, the new government faces challenges
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Mr Soleimani arrived in Iraq on Saturday, the day of the parliamentary elections, to try to broker a coalition among Mr Al Sadr's Shiite rivals.
“Qasem Soleimani in Baghdad to try to make sure that the National Alliance, which holds all the Islamist Shiite groups together, is able to maintain itself,” Renad Mansour, senior research fellow at London’s Chatham House, told The National.
Mr Al Sadr has been clear that he is unwilling to compromise with Iran by forming a coalition with its main allies: Hadi Al Amiri, leader of the Shiite Badr paramilitary group and Fatah, and former prime minister Nouri Al Maliki, who is leading the State of Law bloc and presided over the rise of ISIS.
“If Al Sadr’s group is excluded, that would lead to instability and the protest movement would emerge even stronger,” Mr Mansour continued.
Formal talks are expected to take place after of the poll’s final results. The challenge for both Mr Al Sadr and his rivals will now be to demonstrate and deliver progress after voters appeared to rail against the established Iraqi political establishment.
Mr Al Sadr’s advance in the elections is a “warning shot for parties as they face the December 2018 local elections – they know now that voters want something different and exciting,” said Michael Knights, a fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.
Several incidents on Wednesday highlighted the country’s precarious security situation and fractured political atmosphere. A suicide bomber killed eight people and injured 30 more when he blew himself up in the Taji district north of Baghdad. No group claimed responsibility for the blast but ISIS has taken responsibility for attacks in and around Baghdad in recent years.
In Kirkuk, electoral commission head Riyadh Al Badran reported that gunmen had besieged several polling stations, disrupting the vote count in the northern city at the heart of the long-running dispute with Iraqi Kurds. However, Kirkuk governor’s office said there had been no hostage-taking and further reports stated the gathering was only a sit-in by Arab and Turkmen in an area where the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) won the largest share of the vote.
Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
Dhadak
Director: Shashank Khaitan
Starring: Janhvi Kapoor, Ishaan Khattar, Ashutosh Rana
Stars: 3
TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
Formula One top 10 drivers' standings after Japan
1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes 306
2. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari 247
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes 234
4. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull 192
5. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari 148
6. Max Verstappen, Red Bull 111
7. Sergio Perez, Force India 82
8. Esteban Ocon, Force India 65
9. Carlos Sainz Jr, Toro Rosso 48
10. Nico Hulkenberg, Renault 34
Abu Dhabi GP schedule
Friday: First practice - 1pm; Second practice - 5pm
Saturday: Final practice - 2pm; Qualifying - 5pm
Sunday: Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (55 laps) - 5.10pm
The specs: 2018 Maserati Levante S
Price, base / as tested: Dh409,000 / Dh467,000
Engine: 3.0-litre V6
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 430hp @ 5,750rpm
Torque: 580Nm @ 4,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 10.9L / 100km
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
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
At a glance
Fixtures All matches start at 9.30am, at ICC Academy, Dubai. Admission is free
Thursday UAE v Ireland; Saturday UAE v Ireland; Jan 21 UAE v Scotland; Jan 23 UAE v Scotland
UAE squad Rohan Mustafa (c), Ashfaq Ahmed, Ghulam Shabber, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Boota, Mohammed Usman, Adnan Mufti, Shaiman Anwar, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Qadeer Ahmed, Mohammed Naveed, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan
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
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Transmission: seven-speed auto
Power: 420 bhp
Torque: 624Nm
Price: from Dh293,200
On sale: now
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