More than a year after Parliamentary elections, Iraqi MPs have finally elected Abdul Latif Rashid as the country's new president.
After being elected on Thursday, Mr Rashid nominated Mohammed Shia Al Sudani as prime minister.
The position of president is largely ceremonial and is traditionally held by a Kurd.
Mr Rashid won against incumbent Barham Salih, who was running for a second term.
The US State Department issued a statement welcoming the end of the deadlock.
"As Iraq’s political leaders form a new government, we encourage them to bear in mind the will of the Iraqi people, who voted for a government responsive to their needs. The United States urges all parties to refrain from violence and to resolve differences amicably and peacefully through the political process," it said.
Mr Al Sudani's name had been floated around months before his nomination as a viable potential candidate for the position.
He now has 30 days to form a government.
Mr Rashid, 78, is a veteran politician, having served in high positions of government throughout his career.
Born in the northern city of Sulaymaniyah, in the Iraqi Kurdish region, he began his political career in his 20s after joining the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan party.
Mr Rashid achieved his degree in civil engineering from the University of Liverpool in the UK and continued his education there, earning a master's degree and a doctorate in engineering from the University of Manchester.
He then became Iraq's minister of water resources from 2003 to 2010, before being appointed as a senior adviser in the PUK by the late president Jalal Talabani, who was also the founder of the group and Mr Rashid's brother-in-law.
Mr Rashid was elected with 162 votes in a second round of voting on Thursday.
He had received 156 votes in the first round — short of the two-thirds majority needed to win. Mr Salih received 99 votes in both rounds.
Who is Mohammed Shia Al Sudani?
Now a prominent name among Shia circles, Mr Al Sudani was born in the country's capital, Baghdad, in 1970.
He attended the University of Baghdad, where he studied agricultural science and then project management.
His earliest brush with politics came when he joined the Islamic Dawa Party and took part in the 1991 uprisings against Saddam Hussein, president at the time, following the First Gulf War.
In 2004, Mr Al Sudani was appointed mayor of Amarah city, in south-eastern Iraq.
Mr Al Sudani comes from a well-known tribe in the southern province of Maysan, where he served as governor for a year.
In 2010, he was appointed human rights minister and a year later, briefly served as chairman of the Justice and Accountability Commission, which banned candidates linked to Saddam Hussein's Baath party from holding positions in government.
Mr Al Sudani also ran for election with the State of Law Coalition, which was led by former prime minister Nouri Al Maliki, with whom he has close ties.
The coalition is part of the Co-ordination Framework, that holds almost 40 seats in Parliament.
Last year, Mr Al Sudani created the Al Foraten Movement.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
Opening day UAE Premiership fixtures, Friday, September 22:
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Chef Nobu's advice for eating sushi
“One mistake people always make is adding extra wasabi. There is no need for this, because it should already be there between the rice and the fish.
“When eating nigiri, you must dip the fish – not the rice – in soy sauce, otherwise the rice will collapse. Also, don’t use too much soy sauce or it will make you thirsty. For sushi rolls, dip a little of the rice-covered roll lightly in soy sauce and eat in one bite.
“Chopsticks are acceptable, but really, I recommend using your fingers for sushi. Do use chopsticks for sashimi, though.
“The ginger should be eaten separately as a palette cleanser and used to clear the mouth when switching between different pieces of fish.”
Libya's Gold
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
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Engine: 1.5-litre, four-cylinder turbo
Transmission: seven-speed dual clutch automatic
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The bairaq is a competition for the best herd of 50 camels, named for the banner its winner takes home
Namoos - a word of congratulations reserved for falconry competitions, camel races and camel pageants. It best translates as 'the pride of victory' - and for competitors, it is priceless
Asayel camels - sleek, short-haired hound-like racers
Majahim - chocolate-brown camels that can grow to weigh two tonnes. They were only valued for milk until camel pageantry took off in the 1990s
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Women%E2%80%99s%20Asia%20Cup
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What is tokenisation?
Tokenisation refers to the issuance of a blockchain token, which represents a virtually tradable real, tangible asset. A tokenised asset is easily transferable, offers good liquidity, returns and is easily traded on the secondary markets.
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
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Favourite Emirati dish: I have so many because it has a lot of herbs and vegetables. Harees (oats with chicken) is one of them
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