Iraq has demanded an apology from Turkey after an apparent drone strike on the airport in the Kurdish city of Sulaymaniyah on Friday that US military officials said was aimed at a convoy carrying American personnel but did not cause casualties.
There was no claim of responsibility for the attack, which caused an explosion near the airport and a fire that was put out by civil defence, according to airport officials quoted by the Iraq News Agency.
Lawk Ghafuri, head of foreign media affairs for the Kurdistan Regional Government, said security forces were investigating the explosion. The airport was undamaged and flights were operating as usual, he wrote on Twitter.
Haval Abu Bakr, Sulaymaniyah provincial governor, said the explosion was the result of “aerial bombardment”.
A statement from the Iraqi Presidency on Saturday blamed Turkey, which closed its air space to flights from Sulaymaniyah this week in response to what it said was increased activity by the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which it considers a terrorist group.
“Turkish military operations are repeated in the Kurdistan region, the latest of which was the bombing of the Sulaymaniyah civilian airport, and as we condemn these blatant attacks on Iraq and its sovereignty, we affirm that there is no legal justification that authorises the Turkish forces to continue their approach in terrorising peaceful civilians under the pretext of the presence of anti-Iraqi forces on Iraqi soil,” the Presidency statement said.
Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani sent National Security Adviser Qassim Al Araji to Sulaymaniyah on Saturday at the head of a high-level security delegation, INA reported, quoting a statement from Mr Al Araji's office.
The Wall Street Journal and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitor, said the attack was intended to kill Mazloum Abdi, the commander of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces fighting ISIS in Syria.
“The leader of the Syrian Democratic Forces has survived an attack by a Turkish drone in the vicinity of the Sulaymaniyah airport,” the UK-based Observatory said.
However, the SDF's media centre denied the reports, saying “the aim of publishing such news is political blackmail against some forces in the Kurdistan region of Iraq”, the Kurdish news agency Rudaw reported.
The attack caused no casualties and the US military is investigating, according to officials quoted by the Wall Street Journal and the Observatory.
“We can confirm there was a strike on a convoy Friday in Sulaymaniyah that included US military personnel. Fortunately, we can also confirm there were no casualties,” Pentagon spokesman Philip Ventura told Rudaw.
A post on the SDF's leader's Twitter account on Saturday accused Turkey of carrying out the attack.
“We strongly condemn the targeting of Sulaymaniyah Airport by Turkey. These violations continue in Iraq and Syria and have serious dimensions against the region,” Mr Abdi said.
“The position of the National Patriotic Union in support of its brothers in Syria is disturbing Turkey. We will continue our principled relations with our brothers and allies in Sulaymaniyah, and we are united against these violations,” he said, referring to Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, one of the two dominant parties in the Iraqi Kurdish region.
Turkey considers the YPG Kurdish militia in Syria, the dominant force in the SDF, to be part of the PKK and has carried out military campaigns to drive Syrian Kurdish forces away from its southern border.
Ankara has carried also out numerous attacks against PKK targets inside Iraqi territory, as well as sent troops into northern Iraq.
The PKK has waged a decades-long insurgency in Turkey and is also designated as a terrorist group by the US and the European Union.
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How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
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- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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Day 2, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Dinesh Chandimal has inherited a challenging job, after being made Sri Lanka’s Test captain. He responded in perfect fashion, with an easy-natured century against Pakistan. He brought up three figures with a majestic cover drive, which he just stood and admired.
Stat of the day – 33 It took 33 balls for Dilruwan Perera to get off the mark. His time on zero was eventful enough. The Sri Lankan No 7 was given out LBW twice, but managed to have both decisions overturned on review. The TV replays showed both times that he had inside edged the ball onto his pad.
The verdict In the two previous times these two sides have met in Abu Dhabi, the Tests have been drawn. The docile nature of proceedings so far makes that the likely outcome again this time, but both sides will be harbouring thoughts that they can force their way into a winning position.
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
Navdeep Suri, India's Ambassador to the UAE
There has been a longstanding need from the Indian community to have a religious premises where they can practise their beliefs. Currently there is a very, very small temple in Bur Dubai and the community has outgrown this. So this will be a major temple and open to all denominations and a place should reflect India’s diversity.
It fits so well into the UAE’s own commitment to tolerance and pluralism and coming in the year of tolerance gives it that extra dimension.
What we will see on April 20 is the foundation ceremony and we expect a pretty broad cross section of the Indian community to be present, both from the UAE and abroad. The Hindu group that is building the temple will have their holiest leader attending – and we expect very senior representation from the leadership of the UAE.
When the designs were taken to the leadership, there were two clear options. There was a New Jersey model with a rectangular structure with the temple recessed inside so it was not too visible from the outside and another was the Neasden temple in London with the spires in its classical shape. And they said: look we said we wanted a temple so it should look like a temple. So this should be a classical style temple in all its glory.
It is beautifully located - 30 minutes outside of Abu Dhabi and barely 45 minutes to Dubai so it serves the needs of both communities.
This is going to be the big temple where I expect people to come from across the country at major festivals and occasions.
It is hugely important – it will take a couple of years to complete given the scale. It is going to be remarkable and will contribute something not just to the landscape in terms of visual architecture but also to the ethos. Here will be a real representation of UAE’s pluralism.
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
The line up
Friday: Giggs, Sho Madjozi and Masego
Saturday: Nas, Lion Bbae, Roxanne Shante and DaniLeigh
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Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Saturday, May 16 (kick-offs UAE time)
Borussia Dortmund v Schalke (4.30pm)
RB Leipzig v Freiburg (4.30pm)
Hoffenheim v Hertha Berlin (4.30pm)
Fortuna Dusseldorf v Paderborn (4.30pm)
Augsburg v Wolfsburg (4.30pm)
Eintracht Frankfurt v Borussia Monchengladbach (7.30pm)
Sunday, May 17
Cologne v Mainz (4.30pm),
Union Berlin v Bayern Munich (7pm)
Monday, May 18
Werder Bremen v Bayer Leverkusen (9.30pm)
