Iraq and Iran on Tuesday hailed their "deeply rooted" and "historic" bilateral relations, pledging to boost economic, political and security co-operation.
The announcement was made as Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani began an official visit to Iran, a staunch regional supporter of his government and several influential Shiite militias, which form a branch of the official security forces known as the Popular Mobilisation Forces.
Mr Al Sudani's delegation included Iraqi Foreign Minister Fouad Hussein, Oil Minister Hayan Abdel-Ghani, National Security Adviser Qassim Al Araji and the head of the state-run Trade Bank of Iraq.
"Our relations with Iraq are not normal ones but deeply rooted that bring the two countries and their governments side by side," Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi told a joint press conference.
"Iraq has an important statute for establishing peace, security and stability in the region," Mr Raisi said, adding that his government is willing to co-operate with Baghdad in facing "any element that threatens security and stability in the two countries".
The visit comes as Iran intensifies its cross-border attacks against armed Kurdish opposition groups in Iraqi Kurdistan. It accuses them of fanning unrest amid demonstrations across Iran.
Last week, Baghdad decided to deploy Border Guard units to its borders with Turkey and Iran in a bid to stop continuous attacks from its neighbours against these groups.
The continuing demonstrations in Iran were sparked by the death in custody on September 16 of Iranian Kurd Mahsa Amini, 22, who had been arrested by Tehran's morality police.
Iranian and Turkish-Kurdish rebel groups have for decades sought refuge in northern Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region.
For his part, Mr Al Sudani underlined that security with Iran "is integrated" and that his government would "not allow any group or parties to use the Iraqi lands to destabilise the security of Iran".
"We will discuss the security issues and there will be a formula for the field co-operation to avoid any escalation."
Mr Al Sudani’s office did not release the full agenda before the visit, but a politician had earlier told The National the discussions would focus on the Iranian shelling of Kurdish dissident groups in northern Iraq and resuming Tehran-Riyadh talks in Baghdad.
Since last year, Baghdad has hosted five rounds of talks between Saudi Arabia and Iran on the normalisation of their relations. The last round was in April.
Riyadh severed ties with Tehran in 2016 after Iranian protesters stormed the Saudi embassy in the Iranian capital following the execution of a Shiite cleric in Saudi Arabia.
Mr Al Sudani has said his government would continue to push for negotiations.
Iraq's new government was asked to continue to mediate talks between the two countries, he said this month.
The visit to Iraq is his third since taking office, after Jordan and Kuwait.
Mr Al Sudani’s government, approved late last month after a year-long political stalemate following the national elections in October last year, has the support of Tehran.
He was the nominee of the Iran-aligned Co-ordination Framework, the largest political group in the Iraqi Parliament with 138 out of 329 seats.
The group comprises powerful Iran-backed Shiite militias and political parties.
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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.
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BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES
SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities
Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails
Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies
Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
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THE DETAILS
Deadpool 2
Dir: David Leitch
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Josh Brolin, Justin Dennison, Zazie Beetz
Four stars
What are the main cyber security threats?
Cyber crime - This includes fraud, impersonation, scams and deepfake technology, tactics that are increasingly targeting infrastructure and exploiting human vulnerabilities.
Cyber terrorism - Social media platforms are used to spread radical ideologies, misinformation and disinformation, often with the aim of disrupting critical infrastructure such as power grids.
Cyber warfare - Shaped by geopolitical tension, hostile actors seek to infiltrate and compromise national infrastructure, using one country’s systems as a springboard to launch attacks on others.
Results:
Men's wheelchair 800m T34: 1. Walid Ktila (TUN) 1.44.79; 2. Mohammed Al Hammadi (UAE) 1.45.88; 3. Isaac Towers (GBR) 1.46.46.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
'Spies in Disguise'
Director: Nick Bruno and Troy Quane
Stars: Will Smith, Tom Holland, Karen Gillan and Roshida Jones
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
