The Republican Party's protracted inability to select a speaker of the US House of Representatives last month disrupted plans for an Iraqi delegation's trip to Washington for a conference, the hosting think tank has told The National.
The Atlantic Council last week convened a conference on “Iraq’s future in an evolving landscape”, with speakers including Nazar Al Khirullah, Iraq's ambassador to the US, a virtual visit by Baghdad's climate envoy Fareed Yasseen and former State Department officials.
An Atlantic Council representative said the organisation had planned to bring Mohammed Al Halbousi, Speaker of the Iraqi Parliament, to the conference but the lack of a speaker in the US Congress played a role in his staying in Baghdad due to the lack of a “counterpart” in Washington to receive him.
Mr Halbousi leads Al Takadum (Progress) Movement, a Sunni political party that holds the largest number of seats in Iraq's Parliament.
The Atlantic Council representative added it had been planning for a wider parliamentary delegation visit for the conference.
The lack of leadership in Congress, after Kevin McCarthy was voted out by rebels in his own Republican Party, for 23 days stalled the US legislature's capacity to respond to the Israel-Gaza war and make advances on funding the national budget.
The Baghdad parliamentary delegation's decision to sit out the Washington visit shows that the domestic infighting affected US foreign and diplomatic engagements.
The House last week voted in a new speaker, right-wing 2020 election denier Mike Johnson.
With the legislative branch back in motion, President Joe Biden's administration has requested $106 billion to fund aid for Ukraine and Israel as well as support for US border security. The White House request also includes money for Taiwan, which is facing threats from China.
But that proposal faces stiff opposition from Mr Johnson and his Republicans.
Mr Johnson has rejected the White House request and this week countered with a significantly smaller bill that includes $14.3 billion for Israel and cuts to the Internal Revenue Service.
How to play the stock market recovery in 2021?
If you are looking to build your long-term wealth in 2021 and beyond, the stock market is still the best place to do it as equities powered on despite the pandemic.
Investing in individual stocks is not for everyone and most private investors should stick to mutual funds and ETFs, but there are some thrilling opportunities for those who understand the risks.
Peter Garnry, head of equity strategy at Saxo Bank, says the 20 best-performing US and European stocks have delivered an average return year-to-date of 148 per cent, measured in local currency terms.
Online marketplace Etsy was the best performer with a return of 330.6 per cent, followed by communications software company Sinch (315.4 per cent), online supermarket HelloFresh (232.8 per cent) and fuel cells specialist NEL (191.7 per cent).
Mr Garnry says digital companies benefited from the lockdown, while green energy firms flew as efforts to combat climate change were ramped up, helped in part by the European Union’s green deal.
Electric car company Tesla would be on the list if it had been part of the S&P 500 Index, but it only joined on December 21. “Tesla has become one of the most valuable companies in the world this year as demand for electric vehicles has grown dramatically,” Mr Garnry says.
By contrast, the 20 worst-performing European stocks fell 54 per cent on average, with European banks hit by the economic fallout from the pandemic, while cruise liners and airline stocks suffered due to travel restrictions.
As demand for energy fell, the oil and gas industry had a tough year, too.
Mr Garnry says the biggest story this year was the “absolute crunch” in so-called value stocks, companies that trade at low valuations compared to their earnings and growth potential.
He says they are “heavily tilted towards financials, miners, energy, utilities and industrials, which have all been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic”. “The last year saw these cheap stocks become cheaper and expensive stocks have become more expensive.”
This has triggered excited talk about the “great value rotation” but Mr Garnry remains sceptical. “We need to see a breakout of interest rates combined with higher inflation before we join the crowd.”
Always remember that past performance is not a guarantee of future returns. Last year’s winners often turn out to be this year’s losers, and vice-versa.
Most%20ODI%20hundreds
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Dr Amal Khalid Alias revealed a recent case of a woman with daughters, who specifically wanted a boy.
A semen analysis of the father showed abnormal sperm so the couple required IVF.
Out of 21 eggs collected, six were unused leaving 15 suitable for IVF.
A specific procedure was used, called intracytoplasmic sperm injection where a single sperm cell is inserted into the egg.
On day three of the process, 14 embryos were biopsied for gender selection.
The next day, a pre-implantation genetic report revealed four normal male embryos, three female and seven abnormal samples.
Day five of the treatment saw two male embryos transferred to the patient.
The woman recorded a positive pregnancy test two weeks later.
Where can I submit a sample?
Volunteers can now submit DNA samples at a number of centres across Abu Dhabi. The programme is open to all ages.
Collection centres in Abu Dhabi include:
- Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC)
- Biogenix Labs in Masdar City
- Al Towayya in Al Ain
- NMC Royal Hospital in Khalifa City
- Bareen International Hospital
- NMC Specialty Hospital, Al Ain
- NMC Royal Medical Centre - Abu Dhabi
- NMC Royal Women’s Hospital.
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Profile
Name: Carzaty
Founders: Marwan Chaar and Hassan Jaffar
Launched: 2017
Employees: 22
Based: Dubai and Muscat
Sector: Automobile retail
Funding to date: $5.5 million
Company%20profile
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