Two political parties have withdrawn from the Kurdish regional government in Iraq amid street protests over delayed salaries, poor services and rampant corruption.
Three ministers from the Change Party and two from the Islamic Group Party left the 21-minister cabinet on Wednesday, Sarwa Abdul-Wahid, who leads the Change Party bloc in the Iraqi parliament in Baghdad, told The Associated Press. The Change Party-affiliated regional parliament speaker and the head of the board of investment are also set to resign, she added.
Tension has been high in the region since the central government in Baghdad imposed tough measures in response to an independence referendum called by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in which Kurds voted overwhelmingly to secede.
Mounting expectations coupled with an underwhelming post-referendum scenario fuelled a sense of exasperation among Kurds, and in recent days thousands have taken to the streets of Sulaimaniyah to protest. Five demonstrators are reported to have been killed and countless injured as Kurdish security forces made use of tear gas and fired live rounds to disperse stone-throwing crowds. Curfews have now been imposed in some cities.
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Read more:
Kurdish protesters set fire to KDP office in Sulaimaniyah
Iraq president calls for direct talks between Baghdad and Erbil
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Speaking to reporters on Thursday, prime minister Nechirvan Barzani blamed external forces for the violence that has broken out in some parts of the region.
On Wednesday, the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (Unami) released a statement calling for restraint and calm on all sides, as well as urging security forces to exercise maximum restraint and demonstrators to avoid any act of violence. The UN agency also emphasised the critical role of free and impartial media and urged the authorities to protect them. This follows the forced suspension of local outlet NRT because of their coverage of the demonstrations.
And as Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region continuous to descend into seemingly untameable chaos, its security forces have come under fire for their alleged mistreatment and disappearing of detainees.
Over 350 prisoners held by the KRG have been forcefully disappeared, said Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Thursday. Most prisoners are suspected ISIL-affiliated Sunni Arabs, displaced to Kirkuk or residents of the city.
The New York-based rights group suspects that the number of detainees disappeared is far higher.
The men are said to have vanished from detention centres following the Iraqi federal forces' retaking of Kirkuk from Kurdish Peshmerga forces on October 16. First hand accounts of the arrests recount late night raids carried out by armed men in black Asayish — Kurdish security — uniforms followed by complete lack of information on the whereabouts of their loved ones.
Although it is unclear where the men have been relocated to, sources point to the Kurdish-run Al Salam military base in Sulaimaniyah where Kurds are known to be running a number of informal detention facilities, sparking concern among human rights organisations and family members alike.
Recently released detainees of Al Salam are said to have reached out to the relatives of four disappeared prisoners to inform them that they had been in the same cells as their family members. The bulk of the disappeared are thought to be there, while a smaller number could be in the capital Erbil, HRW senior researcher Belkis Wille told The National.
"The Kurds are holding so many Sunni Arabs they captured from camps and elsewhere. With the breakdown in relations between Baghdad and Erbil, loved ones will have a harder time visiting them or at the very least getting information about their well-being," said Ms Wille.
But these findings are not new to human rights organisations working in Iraq and Kurdistan, with past reports accusing the regional government of similar human rights breaches.
In 2007 HRW released a report entitled "Torture and Denial of Due Process by the Kurdistan Security Forces", in which the group highlighted prisoners' lack of access to lawyers and torture by Asayish members among other alarming findings. Ten years on, little has changed and in the aftermath of ISIL, Sunni Arabs have seemingly become the prime target.
"While I can't say anything categorically, I have been working on disappearances cases in the KRI (Kurdistan Region Iraq) and disputed territories for a while now and I have only come across two cases of Kurds who were disappeared; both times Kurds that grew up in Arab communities and did not speak Kurdish," said Ms Wille. "And the hundreds of other cases I have worked on have been mostly Arabs and some Turkmen,"
The hundreds of disappearances prompted a statement by Iraqi prime minister Haider Al Abadi who called for an investigation into the disappearances.
The former head of the security committee of Kirkuk's provincial council, Azad Jibari, has denied that Kurdish forces played a role in kidnappings and forced disappearances.
"Generally across [areas controlled by] the Kurdistan Regional Government, authorities have been cracking down on critical free speech. Unfortunately with the current tensions as high as they are and fighting continuing between KRG forces and Baghdad we'll likely see a continued crackdown in the new year which will impact most acutely the media and civil society," said Ms Wille.
In its 2017 World Press Freedom Index, Reporters Without Borders ranked Iraq 158 out of 180 countries.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
The specs: 2018 Ducati SuperSport S
Price, base / as tested: Dh74,900 / Dh85,900
Engine: 937cc
Transmission: Six-speed gearbox
Power: 110hp @ 9,000rpm
Torque: 93Nm @ 6,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 5.9L / 100km
The specs
Price, base / as tested Dh1,470,000 (est)
Engine 6.9-litre twin-turbo W12
Gearbox eight-speed automatic
Power 626bhp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 900Nm @ 1,350rpm
Fuel economy, combined 14.0L / 100km
The 10 Questions
- Is there a God?
- How did it all begin?
- What is inside a black hole?
- Can we predict the future?
- Is time travel possible?
- Will we survive on Earth?
- Is there other intelligent life in the universe?
- Should we colonise space?
- Will artificial intelligence outsmart us?
- How do we shape the future?
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
Company%20Profile
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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How to help or find other cats to adopt
Company%20profile
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What is a rare disease?
A rare disease is classified as one that affects a small percentage of the population. More than 7,000 diseases are identified as rare and most are genetic in origin. More than 75 per cent of rare genetic diseases affect children.
Collectively rare diseases affect 1 in 17 people, or more than 400 million people worldwide. Very few have any available treatment and most patients struggle with numerous health challenges and life-long ailments that can go undiagnosed for years due to lack of awareness or testing.
Thank You for Banking with Us
Director: Laila Abbas
Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum
Rating: 4/5
What is Genes in Space?
Genes in Space is an annual competition first launched by the UAE Space Agency, The National and Boeing in 2015.
It challenges school pupils to design experiments to be conducted in space and it aims to encourage future talent for the UAE’s fledgling space industry. It is the first of its kind in the UAE and, as well as encouraging talent, it also aims to raise interest and awareness among the general population about space exploration.
How to come clean about financial infidelity
- Be honest and transparent: It is always better to own up than be found out. Tell your partner everything they want to know. Show remorse. Inform them of the extent of the situation so they know what they are dealing with.
- Work on yourself: Be honest with yourself and your partner and figure out why you did it. Don’t be ashamed to ask for professional help.
- Give it time: Like any breach of trust, it requires time to rebuild. So be consistent, communicate often and be patient with your partner and yourself.
- Discuss your financial situation regularly: Ensure your spouse is involved in financial matters and decisions. Your ability to consistently follow through with what you say you are going to do when it comes to money can make all the difference in your partner’s willingness to trust you again.
- Work on a plan to resolve the problem together: If there is a lot of debt, for example, create a budget and financial plan together and ensure your partner is fully informed, involved and supported.
Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
The specs: 2019 Haval H6
Price, base: Dh69,900
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 197hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 315Nm @ 2,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km
Company%20Profile
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The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
PRISCILLA
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Roll%20of%20Honour%2C%20men%E2%80%99s%20domestic%20rugby%20season
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Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Power: 480hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 570Nm from 2,300-5,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Fuel consumption: 10.4L/100km
Price: from Dh547,600
On sale: now
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.3-litre%204cyl%20turbo%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E299hp%20at%205%2C500rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E420Nm%20at%202%2C750rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E10-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E12.4L%2F100km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENow%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh157%2C395%20(XLS)%3B%20Dh199%2C395%20(Limited)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: 2.4-litre 4-cylinder
Transmission: CVT auto
Power: 181bhp
Torque: 244Nm
Price: Dh122,900
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
THE BIO: Martin Van Almsick
Hometown: Cologne, Germany
Family: Wife Hanan Ahmed and their three children, Marrah (23), Tibijan (19), Amon (13)
Favourite dessert: Umm Ali with dark camel milk chocolate flakes
Favourite hobby: Football
Breakfast routine: a tall glass of camel milk
Joker: Folie a Deux
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson
Director: Todd Phillips
Rating: 2/5
SPECS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%202-litre%20direct%20injection%20turbo%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%207-speed%20automatic%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%20261hp%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%20400Nm%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%20From%20Dh134%2C999%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Top%2010%20most%20competitive%20economies
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Jigra
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh