A portrait of cleric Moqtada Al Sadr is displayed in Baghdad on January 3, 2020. EPA
A portrait of cleric Moqtada Al Sadr is displayed in Baghdad on January 3, 2020. EPA
A portrait of cleric Moqtada Al Sadr is displayed in Baghdad on January 3, 2020. EPA
A portrait of cleric Moqtada Al Sadr is displayed in Baghdad on January 3, 2020. EPA

Iraqi militias meet in Iran as splits appear


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Iraqi militia chiefs met in Iran this week to resolve a power struggle and differences on how to counter Washington after the US killed a senior operative who oversaw Iranian activities in Iraq.

The January 3 killing of Qassem Suleimani brought into the open disputes among Tehran’s allies in Baghdad.

Suleimani was Iran’s top external enforcer and oversaw pro-Iranian militia across the region.

Populist Iraqi cleric Moqtada Al Sadr has sought to extend his influence over other militias after Suleimani’s killing, as opposed to power-broking role he has played for years.

Mr Sadr has had a complex relationship with Tehran, his stance oscillating between that of a populist-nationalist Iraqi figure and a supporter of Iran’s vision for its neighbour.

But in September, the office of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei released a photo of Mr Sadr and Mr Khamenei, as well as Suleimani, in Tehran, signalling their differences had been settled.

The official Iraqi news agency said Mr Al Sadr met Iraqi “faction leaders” in the Iranian city of Qom on Sunday.

The faction leaders were not named in the report. But Iranian state media said that among those present was Hadi Al Amiri, the head of the Badr Organisation, the main Iraqi militia backed by Tehran.

Mr Al Amiri also presides over the Popular Mobilisation Forces, a pro-Iranian, mostly Shiite militia constellation nominally integrated into the Iraqi state. Mr Al Sadr is linked with several groups in the PMF, also known as Hashed Al Shaabi.

Differences within Iraqi paramilitary groups sponsored by Iran sharpened after Mr Sadr called on the militias to refrain from attacking US forces in retaliation for the US strike.

The attack in January 3 also killed Mr Al Amiri’s deputy at the PMU, Abu Mahdi Al Muhandis.

The Iraqi news agency quoted Mr Al Sadr’s office as saying the Qom meeting discussed “some important matters regarding the presence of the American occupation in Iraq”.

A spokesman for Mr Sadr could not be reached.

On Wednesday, Mr Al Sadr said the Shiite militias must stand down.

He indicated that the crisis was contained after Iran retaliated for Suleimani’s killing with ballistic missiles fired at US forces in Iraq.

No one was hurt in the Iranian retaliation.

Mr Sadr said the militias must “not start military action” and contain what he termed militant elements within them.

US troops should leave but that the country must be “patient and use political, parliamentary and international methods” to achieve this goal, he added.

But separately, Hassan Nasrallah, the head of the Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon, has warned on Saturday that Iran’s retaliation was only the beginning of a “long road” hours before rockets hit Iraqi bases used by US troops. The attack wounded two Iraqi officers and two airmen at Balad airbase, 80 kilometres north of Baghdad.

The target of the attack, US forces, appeared to no longer be at the base.

Company Profile

Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million

Specs

Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
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BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES

Friday Stuttgart v Cologne (Kick-off 10.30pm UAE)

Saturday RB Leipzig v Hertha Berlin (5.30pm)

Mainz v Borussia Monchengladbach (5.30pm)

Bayern Munich v Eintracht Frankfurt (5.30pm)

Union Berlin v SC Freiburg (5.30pm)

Borussia Dortmund v Schalke (5.30pm)

Sunday Wolfsburg v Arminia (6.30pm)

Werder Bremen v Hoffenheim (9pm)

Bayer Leverkusen v Augsburg (11.30pm)

Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
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Jetour T1 specs

Engine: 2-litre turbocharged

Power: 254hp

Torque: 390Nm

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Range: Up to 610km

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The specs

Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel

Power: 579hp

Torque: 859Nm

Transmission: Single-speed automatic

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On sale: Now

The White Lotus: Season three

Creator: Mike White

Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell

Rating: 4.5/5

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets

Company Profile

Company name: Big Farm Brothers

Started: September 2020

Founders: Vishal Mahajan and Navneet Kaur

Based: Dubai Investment Park 1

Industry: food and agriculture

Initial investment: $205,000

Current staff: eight to 10

Future plan: to expand to other GCC markets

The specs: Lamborghini Aventador SVJ

Price, base: Dh1,731,672

Engine: 6.5-litre V12

Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic

Power: 770hp @ 8,500rpm

Torque: 720Nm @ 6,750rpm

Fuel economy: 19.6L / 100km

Sole survivors
  • Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
  • George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
  • Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
  • Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
ESSENTIALS

The flights

Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.

The hotels

Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.

The tours

A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages. 

Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas

Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa

Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong

Rating: 3/5

 


 

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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

MATCH INFO

Fulham 0

Aston Villa 3 (Grealish 4', Hourihane 15', Mings 48')

Man of the match: Jack Grealish (Aston Villa)

Key developments

All times UTC 4

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Volvo ES90 Specs

Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)

Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp

Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm

On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region

Price: Exact regional pricing TBA

Match info

Liverpool 3
Hoedt (10' og), Matip (21'), Salah (45 3')

Southampton 0

Sweet%20Tooth
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THE BIO

Family: I have three siblings, one older brother (age 25) and two younger sisters, 20 and 13 

Favourite book: Asking for my favourite book has to be one of the hardest questions. However a current favourite would be Sidewalk by Mitchell Duneier

Favourite place to travel to: Any walkable city. I also love nature and wildlife 

What do you love eating or cooking: I’m constantly in the kitchen. Ever since I changed the way I eat I enjoy choosing and creating what goes into my body. However, nothing can top home cooked food from my parents. 

Favorite place to go in the UAE: A quiet beach.

Fixtures (all times UAE)

Saturday
Brescia v Atalanta (6pm)
Genoa v Torino (9pm)
Fiorentina v Lecce (11.45pm)

Sunday
Juventus v Sassuolo (3.30pm)
Inter Milan v SPAL (6pm)
Lazio v Udinese (6pm)
Parma v AC Milan (6pm)
Napoli v Bologna (9pm)
Verona v AS Roma (11.45pm)

Monday
Cagliari v Sampdoria (11.45pm)

The biog:

Favourite book: The Leader Who Had No Title by Robin Sharma

Pet Peeve: Racism 

Proudest moment: Graduating from Sorbonne 

What puts her off: Dishonesty in all its forms

Happiest period in her life: The beginning of her 30s

Favourite movie: "I have two. The Pursuit of Happiness and Homeless to Harvard"

Role model: Everyone. A child can be my role model 

Slogan: The queen of peace, love and positive energy

Gremio 1 Pachuca 0

Gremio Everton 95’

Honeymoonish
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How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE

When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.

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While you're here
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

The National's picks

4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young

MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW

Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman

Director: Jesse Armstrong

Rating: 3.5/5

COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Tips for job-seekers
  • Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
  • Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.

David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East