- Liverpool suffer Alisson injury blow
- Habosi helps Racing beat Vannes before Auradou's playing return
- Thousands march in London in support of Palestinians, 1 year after Oct 7
- Israel readying response to Iran missile attack
- Schutt, Mooney help Australia beat Sri Lanka in Women's T20 World Cup
- Liverpool extend Premier League lead with win at Palace
- Djokovic 'shakes rust off' to make third round of Shanghai Masters
- 'Imperfect' PSG fighting on all fronts - Luis Enrique
- Struggling Pakistan look to thwart adaptable England
- Child 'trampled to death' in asylum seekers' Channel crossing: minister
- Gauff fights back to set up Beijing final against Muchova
- Guardiola claims Premier League won't delay season for Man City
- Israel to mark October 7 attack as Gaza war spreads
- Gauff fights back to reach China Open final
- Recovering Stokes ruled out of first Pakistan Test
- Hezbollah battles troops on border as Israel pounds Lebanon
- Alcaraz, Sinner breeze into third round of Shanghai Masters
- Bagnaia wins Japan MotoGP sprint to cut Martin's lead
- Alcaraz breezes into third round of Shanghai Masters
- Gaza cultural heritage brought to light in Geneva
- 'Bullet for democracy': Trump returns to site of rally shooting
- Italy targets climate activists in 'anti-Gandhi' demo clampdown
- South Korean cult-horror series 'Hellbound' returns at BIFF
- Nepalis fear more floods as climate change melts glaciers
- Honduras arrests environmentalist's alleged murderer
- Padres pitcher Musgrove needs elbow surgery
- Supreme Court lets stand rules to curb mercury, methane emissions
- Boston beat Denver in NBA exhibition season opener, but Jokic says omens are good
- Chagos diaspora angry at lack of input on islands' fate
- Biden says 'not confident' of peaceful US election
- US trade chief defends tariff hikes when paired with investment
- Lukaku stars as Napoli beat Como to hold Serie A top spot
- Ohtani set for MLB playoff debut as Dodgers face Padres
- Pogba's drug ban cut to 18 months from four years
- Devine leads New Zealand to big win over India in Women's T20 World Cup
- Bosnia floods kill 16 people
- EU court blocks French ban on vegetable 'steak' labelling
- Prosecutors seek dismissal of rape charges against French rugby players
- Meta AI turns pictures into videos with sound
- Bolivia's Morales says claims he raped a minor are a 'lie'
- MLB Reds hire two-time champion Francona as manager
- Daniel Maldini receives first Italy call-up for Nations League
- US dockworkers return to ports after three-day strike
- Ancelotti points finger at Madrid's 'lack of intensity'
- Haiti reeling after 70 killed in gang attack
- Five Czech kids in hospital over TikTok 'piercing challenge'
- What happens next in Iran-Israel conflict?
- Country star Garth Brooks denies rape accusations
- Stubbs hits maiden century as South Africa make 343-4 against Ireland
- DR Congo to begin mpox vaccination campaign Saturday in east
Iraq ex-foreign minister Zebari ruled out of presidential race
Iraq's supreme court on Sunday ruled out a bid by veteran politician Hoshyar Zebari to run for president after a complaint filed against him over corruption charges.
Zebari, 68, who served as foreign minister for a decade after the 2003 US-led invasion that toppled dictator Saddam Hussein, had already been suspended temporarily from the contest on February 6, the eve of the scheduled presidential vote in parliament. He was one of two frontrunner candidates.
Postponement of that vote exacerbates war-scarred Iraq's political uncertainty because the president -- a largely ceremonial post -- names a prime minister from the largest bloc in parliament. Months after legislative elections, the head of government still hasn't been named.
Following the court's decision, Zebari on Sunday protested what he called an "injustice" based on a political decision to keep him out of the race, and stressed his innocence.
"Our behaviour and good conduct are cleaner and purer than the snow on Iraq's highest summit," he told a news conference.
Iraq's highest judicial body made its ruling after MPs submitted a complaint against Zebari. The complaint said his participation would have been "unconstitutional" because of the outstanding corruption charges, leaving him without the required "good reputation and integrity."
"The federal court decided in its verdict to invalidate the candidacy of Hoshyar Zebari to the post of president of the republic," state news agency INA announced.
- Controversial history -
The February 7 voting session was not held due to lack of a quorum after several political blocs and parties announced boycotts -- against the backdrop of competing claims to a parliamentary majority.
Zebari was initially tipped as a favourite, along with incumbent President Barham Saleh, out of a total of roughly 25 candidates.
The complainants to the court cited Zebari's 2016 dismissal from the post of finance minister by parliament "over charges linked to financial and administrative corruption".
Public funds worth $1.8 million were allegedly diverted to pay for airline tickets for his personal security detail.
The complaint also cited at least two other judicial cases linked to Zebari.
"I have not been convicted in any court," Zebari said in an earlier television interview, as the charges resurfaced on the eve of the scheduled parliamentary vote, alongside forecasts that he would unseat Saleh for the four-year posting.
On Tuesday, parliament announced the reopening of registration for presidential candidates, a post reserved for Iraq's Kurds.
Zebari said Sunday that his movement, the Kurdistan Democratic Party which runs the autonomous Kurdish region in northern Iraq, does not for the moment have an alternative candidate.
Controversially, Zebari was a keen supporter of Iraqi Kurdistan's ill-fated 2017 referendum on independence which sparked a crisis between Baghdad and the KDP, almost resulting in bloodshed between the two camps.
Iraqi politics have been in turmoil since general elections were held in October. The polls were marred by a record-low turnout, post-election threats and violence, and a delay of months until final results were confirmed.
Intense negotiations among political groups have since failed to form a majority parliamentary coalition to name a new prime minister to succeed Mustafa al-Kadhemi.
L.Henrique--PC