Deadly clashes erupted between Iraqi security forces and anti-government protesters on Sunday in the southern city of Nasiriyah following the death of two activists and a policeman.
The protests started last Friday after security forces arrested an activist in the city’s Haboubi Square.
Footage showed protesters running and chanting while security forces confronted them with teargas and gunshots, leaving dozens injured.
"One policeman was killed and 33 others were injured during the events that took place today, Sunday, in the city of Nasiriyah, Dhi Qar Governorate," the country's security forces said.
Two civilians were killed during the past 48 hours, the Iraqi High Commission of Human Rights, told The National.
“People have been assaulted, nearly 40 are injured. Security forces have arrested more than 30 and two activists have been killed,” Ali Al Bayati, a member of the Commission, said.
One of them was Haider Ali, an activist and nurse, who was abducted three days ago.
“Last night Haider’s body was found and was dismembered, we are still waiting for the final results of the security institutions,” Mr Al Bayati said.
The second man, Ali Al Hamami, a senior lawyer and activist was killed in Nasiriyah on Friday after unknown assailants broke into his home.
"Ali died of suffocation after being gagged with tape and his house was robbed," Dhi Qar Bar Association said.
The Human Rights Commission said the government must deal directly with representatives of Nasiryah's community to ensure that protesters' demands are met.
“The government must acknowledge community leaders such as religious, tribal, social and civil actors to get political agendas,” Mr Al Bayati said.
“We will have an early election in the next few months so it’s important to stabilise the city as the instability in Nasiriyah will be seen in other provinces.”
The commission requested Prime Minister Mustafa Al Kadhimi to visit the city and follow up on security measures, and ensure that Nasiryah's economic, social and infrastructure sectors are "secure".
Mr Al Kadhimi has called for early polls to take place in June 2021, nearly a year before schedule, to fulfil a key demand of the protest movement that erupted late 2019.
Nasiriyah was a major hub for the anti-government protest movement. It was also the site of one of the bloodiest incidents of the uprising, where on November 28 more than three dozen died in protest-related violence.
"We are fed up, no one is listening to us, no matter what we do and say we feel that it won't change the system," an activist from the southern city told The National.
"We will not let the protesters die in vain," he said.
The deadly clashes came on the anniversary of the killing of prominent journalist Ahmed Abdul Samad and his cameraman Safa Ghali in Basra.
The two men were shot dead on their way home after covering the protest movement in the southern city. They were documenting the arrests of activists.
Since October 2019, Iraq has been rocked by anti-government protests that blame the political elite of corruption and failing to provide basic public services and employment.
Hundreds of people have been killed since the protests started and tens of thousands injured because of the government's violent response.
Many Iraqis languish in poverty without jobs, health care or education and the government has done little to address the demands of protesters.
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.”
Trump v Khan
2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US
2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks
2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit
2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”
2022: Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency
July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”
Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.
Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”
