At long last, the ruling political elite in Iraq breathed a sigh of relief after the parliament succeeded in holding a session with a legal quorum, wrote Nasrin Murad in an opinion piece for the UAE newspaper Al Bayan.
Among the most important resolutions reached was the decision to re-elect the incumbent president Jalal Talibani, who asked the prime minister to form a new government under his leadership, while Al Iraqiyya list was granted the privilege to preside over the parliament.
Yet there are many challenges likely to face the new government and its veteran head, Nouri al Maliki. First, it is possible that the process of national reconciliation will achieve little progress, hampering efforts to rebuild the country, given rampant administrative, financial and economic corruption.
Second, while theoretically there is a great prospect for a positive change in services and security, on the ground, there is no reason for optimism since the same "failing" leaders will rule again.
Lastly, if the government crisis is aggravated, this may lead to a popular movement in protest against the present regime, similar to what happened in Iraqi cities in reaction to the power crisis.
It has been reported that the regime is engaged in a campaign to reinforce a system based on sectarian quotas, which is less likely to benefit the country because of external interference.
The US grows worried about Iranian missiles
"US intelligence assessments said that Iran had obtained a number of advanced missiles modelled on Russian designs. This was a summary of a cable dated February 24, 2010, and recently published by WikiLeaks," wrote Mazen Hammad in an opinion article for the Qatari newspaper Al Watan.
Washington believes that these new missiles are more powerful than it had expected. According to the same cable, Iran received 19 of these missiles from North Korea. This point was discussed at length between senior Russian officials and an American delegation headed by an official in charge of curtailing nuclear weapons proliferation.
It is believed that the missiles are of a range that would enable Iran, for the first time, to strike regions as far as western Europe. The US expressed fear that this step could strengthen Iran's efforts to develop ballistic missiles.
In fact, this issue has been raised since 2006, when reports mentioned that North Korea may have sold missiles of Russian technology to Iran. Some of the details brought out by WikiLeaks indicated that Iran had been investing efforts to build a new generation of such missiles known as BM-25, which can carry nuclear warheads.
In light of the new information, the West might grow more concerned about new repercussions, especially after Iran launched into space its first satellite last year.
Morocco and Spain need to co-exist
The massive march in Casablanca, Morocco, held last Sunday to defend the Moroccan stance towards the Sahara was a natural reaction against the injustice that millions of Moroccans had felt when they saw security forces slaughtered in the Laayoune events, observed Mohammed al Achab in a commentary for the London-based newspaper Al Hayat.
Security forces were ordered not to use arms when dismantling the camps pitched by Sahrawis outside Laayoune. It was an ethical decision by authorities not to use force in handling such a thorny question, in which the Spanish People's Party (PP) explicitly interfered by promoting ideas that Spain and Sahrawis share "cultural roots". Some even went so far as to say that the Sahara is Spanish.
The PP, which lobbied the last resolution by the European Parliament concerning the Laayoune events, appointed itself a defender of human rights and claimed that one of the victims holds Spanish citizenship. The Casablanca March was an occasion, however, to highlight the common points that unite the Spanish and Moroccan peoples, away from tension and hostility.
Despite the diplomatic crises between Madrid and Rabat, Spain knows well that success in Africa, politically and economically, will inevitably depend on good relations with North African countries, especially Morocco.
WikiLeaks jeopardises US credibility first
The latest set of documents posted by the WikiLeaks and the secrets therein about US diplomacy will hurt its credibility world-wide, observed the UAE newspaper Al Khaleej.
This would add to the crisis of its diplomacy as a result of its foreign policies and involvement in many wars. In fact, the information leaked would reaffirm that Washington cannot be trusted for anything.
Many would argue whether the publication of these documents and also its timing is "innocent". And whether the choices of particular cases and the target parties were made at random. Many also question who are behind this "campaign", and who are those who would like to seed division among countries of the region.
Another question worth raising is who leaked the information, even from strongholds of the US administration like the Pentagon and the US Department of State. Unfortunately, those who did so were not held accountable. Moreover, information on brutal acts carried out by Israel were not mentioned at all.
The US has caused many to feel suspicious about its attitudes, either now or in the future, while its reputation in the Arab world is becoming worse because of its biased policies towards Israel.
* Digest compiled by Mostapha El Mouloudi
melmouloudi@thenational.ae
Jurassic%20Park
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Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
Pros%20and%20cons%20of%20BNPL
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Most match wins on clay
Guillermo Vilas - 659
Manuel Orantes - 501
Thomas Muster - 422
Rafael Nadal - 399 *
Jose Higueras - 378
Eddie Dibbs - 370
Ilie Nastase - 338
Carlos Moya - 337
Ivan Lendl - 329
Andres Gomez - 322
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
Tightening the screw on rogue recruiters
The UAE overhauled the procedure to recruit housemaids and domestic workers with a law in 2017 to protect low-income labour from being exploited.
Only recruitment companies authorised by the government are permitted as part of Tadbeer, a network of labour ministry-regulated centres.
A contract must be drawn up for domestic workers, the wages and job offer clearly stating the nature of work.
The contract stating the wages, work entailed and accommodation must be sent to the employee in their home country before they depart for the UAE.
The contract will be signed by the employer and employee when the domestic worker arrives in the UAE.
Only recruitment agencies registered with the ministry can undertake recruitment and employment applications for domestic workers.
Penalties for illegal recruitment in the UAE include fines of up to Dh100,000 and imprisonment
But agents not authorised by the government sidestep the law by illegally getting women into the country on visit visas.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Best Academy: Ajax and Benfica
Best Agent: Jorge Mendes
Best Club : Liverpool
Best Coach: Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool)
Best Goalkeeper: Alisson Becker
Best Men’s Player: Cristiano Ronaldo
Best Partnership of the Year Award by SportBusiness: Manchester City and SAP
Best Referee: Stephanie Frappart
Best Revelation Player: Joao Felix (Atletico Madrid and Portugal)
Best Sporting Director: Andrea Berta (Atletico Madrid)
Best Women's Player: Lucy Bronze
Best Young Arab Player: Achraf Hakimi
Kooora – Best Arab Club: Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia)
Kooora – Best Arab Player: Abderrazak Hamdallah (Al-Nassr FC, Saudi Arabia)
Player Career Award: Miralem Pjanic and Ryan Giggs
Tom Fletcher on 'soft power'
UAE%20v%20West%20Indies
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First Person
Richard Flanagan
Chatto & Windus
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder turbo
Transmission: CVT
Power: 170bhp
Torque: 220Nm
Price: Dh98,900
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Springtime in a Broken Mirror,
Mario Benedetti, Penguin Modern Classics
More on animal trafficking
Company profile
Company name: Suraasa
Started: 2018
Founders: Rishabh Khanna, Ankit Khanna and Sahil Makker
Based: India, UAE and the UK
Industry: EdTech
Initial investment: More than $200,000 in seed funding
The%20specs
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The%20specs%3A%20Taycan%20Turbo%20GT
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Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
