Iraq's southern and western deserts are popular with hunters in search of falcons. Reuters
Iraq's southern and western deserts are popular with hunters in search of falcons. Reuters

Search on for two GCC citizens missing in Iraqi desert



Two GCC citizens have gone missing in a desert while on a hunting trip in central Iraq, locals and security officials said on Monday.

Two local hunters said the Kuwaiti and the Saudi citizens were in a desert between Anbar province, west of Baghdad, and Salaheddin province north of the capital.

The area is one of the hiding places for ISIS, they told The National.

A security official confirmed two foreigners have gone missing, but did not confirm their nationalities.

Security forces have launched a wide-scale search for the two, he said.

Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Salem Abdullah Al Sabah phoned his Iraqi equivalent Fuad Hussein “to inquire about the circumstances of the disappearance of a Kuwaiti citizen”, Kuwaiti News Agency reported.

An Iraqi Foreign Ministry statement referred only to one Kuwaiti national.

It said Mr Hussein told Sheikh Salem that the Iraqi government would "determine the fate of the Kuwaiti national". The statement followed a phone call between the two ministers on Monday.

Hunters from wealthy Gulf states often make trips to Iraq's southern and western deserts in search of falcons.

In December 2015, two dozen Qataris and two Saudis were kidnapped while on a hunting party in the Samawa desert south of Iraq.

The hunters, including prominent members of the Qatari royal family, were held captive for 16 months before they were released under a complex regional deal linked to the Syrian civil war.

There was no claim of responsibility for the 2015 kidnapping, but it was widely believed to have been carried out by Iran-backed militias.

In mid-2014, ISIS overran large parts of Iraq and Syria, declaring a caliphate in the neighbouring countries.

Iraqi forces, backed by a US-led international coalition, reclaimed all the territory in Iraq held by ISIS in late 2017 after three years of fighting.

But the terrorist group's cells continue to mount hit-and-run attacks, particularly in the vast desert regions of northern and western Iraq, near the border with Syria.

Iraqi security forces often launch air strikes and small-scale military operations against ISIS in remote areas.

Duminy's Test career in numbers

Tests 46; Runs 2,103; Best 166; Average 32.85; 100s 6; 50s 8; Wickets 42; Best 4-47

The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Power: 268bhp / 536bhp
Torque: 343Nm / 686Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
On sale: Later this year
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)
If you go:

 

Getting there:

Flying to Guyana requires first reaching New York with either Emirates or Etihad, then connecting with JetBlue or Caribbean Air at JFK airport. Prices start from around Dh7,000.

 

Getting around:

Wildlife Worldwide offers a range of Guyana itineraries, such as its small group tour, the 15-day ‘Ultimate Guyana Nature Experience’ which features Georgetown, the Iwokrama Rainforest (one of the world’s four remaining pristine tropical rainforests left in the world), the Amerindian village of Surama and the Rupununi Savannah, known for its giant anteaters and river otters; wildlifeworldwide.com

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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

Famous left-handers

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- Leonardo Di Vinci

- David Bowie

- Paul McCartney

- Albert Einstein

- Jack the Ripper

- Barack Obama

- Helen Keller

- Joan of Arc

The specs

  Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now

SPECS%3A%20Polestar%203
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Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode

Directors: Raj & DK

Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon

Rating: 4/5

Electoral College Victory

Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate. 

 

Popular Vote Tally

The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
 
Started: 2020
 
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
 
Based: Dubai, UAE
 
Sector: Entertainment 
 
Number of staff: 210 
 
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
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Our family matters legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

Biog

Mr Kandhari is legally authorised to conduct marriages in the gurdwara

He has officiated weddings of Sikhs and people of different faiths from Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Russia, the US and Canada

Father of two sons, grandfather of six

Plays golf once a week

Enjoys trying new holiday destinations with his wife and family

Walks for an hour every morning

Completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Loyola College, Chennai, India

2019 is a milestone because he completes 50 years in business

 

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Updated: December 25, 2023, 7:57 PM