Former prime ministers of Iraq, Nouri al-Maliki and Haider al-Abadi, both rejected having a plan to run for the office once again as the premiership is vacant now. With ongoing deadly protests in Iraq and at the request of the country’s Shia religious leadership, Adil Abdul Mahdi stepped down from premiership on Saturday. Abdai, who now leads Nasr alliance, said in a statement that he has no intention to replace Abdul Mahdi, and that his political faction will stay aside in the process of appointing a new prime minister.
A powerful typhoon that struck the Philippines late Monday has prompted authorities to close the country’s largest airport due to powerful winds and heavy rains.The storm, Typhoon Kammuri, made landfall on the southeastern part of Luzon, the Philippines’ most populous island. It hit as the equivalent of a Category 4 Atlantic Hurricane, packing maximum sustained winds of nearly 215 kilometers per hour (130 miles per hour). Thousands had evacuated ahead of time.
Barcelona forward Lionel Messi has won the Ballon d’Or award for the world’s best player for a record sixth time. It is the 32-year-old Argentine’s first Ballon d’Or since 2015 and comes after he scored 54 times for club and country in 2018-19, in which Barca won La Liga.
