Clashes erupted on Thursday between two rival Iranian dissident groups based in northern Iraq, leaving at least two fighters killed, an Iraqi Kurdish official said.
The exchange of fire started in the Zirgwez region in Sulaimaniyah province in Kurdistan, the security official said.
The situation, which started in the early morning, calmed following intervention from Kurdistan Peshmerga forces, he added.
The Komala of Revolutionary Toilers of Iranian Kurdistan, known as Shorshger, and the Komala of the Toilers of Kurdistan, known as Zahmatkeshan, are two divided factions for the Komala party, a leftist Kurdish opposition group from Iran.
They are among several Iranian and Turkish dissident groups who have had bases in Iraqi Kurdistan for decades and fight for more rights for Kurds.
According to Kurdish media outlets, the clashes were over Zahmatkeshan's decision to end a unification with Shorshger. They both announced that they were uniting in November.
The Kurdish Rudaw media outlet reported that Zahmatkeshan said there were unimplemented agreements and political disagreements, accusing its rival of following policies that were not in favour of the general interests of the Kurdish people.
Zahmatkeshan claims that their camp was targeted by Shorshger snipers killing two fighters, while Shorshger says that its rival started firing.
“We tried to prevent this from happening, but they [Shorshger] will commit any act and crime to compensate for their failures,” Zahmatkeshan said in a statement published by Rudaw.
The presence of the Turkish and Iranian Kurdish groups in northern Iraq has been a source of tension between Baghdad and its neighbours.
Iran and Turkey have been attacking the armed Kurdish opposition groups, accusing them of destabilising security inside their homelands.
Tehran and Ankara have repeatedly called on Baghdad and Kurdish officials to disarm and expel these groups.
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
How will Gen Alpha invest?
Mark Chahwan, co-founder and chief executive of robo-advisory firm Sarwa, forecasts that Generation Alpha (born between 2010 and 2024) will start investing in their teenage years and therefore benefit from compound interest.
“Technology and education should be the main drivers to make this happen, whether it’s investing in a few clicks or their schools/parents stepping up their personal finance education skills,” he adds.
Mr Chahwan says younger generations have a higher capacity to take on risk, but for some their appetite can be more cautious because they are investing for the first time. “Schools still do not teach personal finance and stock market investing, so a lot of the learning journey can feel daunting and intimidating,” he says.
He advises millennials to not always start with an aggressive portfolio even if they can afford to take risks. “We always advise to work your way up to your risk capacity, that way you experience volatility and get used to it. Given the higher risk capacity for the younger generations, stocks are a favourite,” says Mr Chahwan.
Highlighting the role technology has played in encouraging millennials and Gen Z to invest, he says: “They were often excluded, but with lower account minimums ... a customer with $1,000 [Dh3,672] in their account has their money working for them just as hard as the portfolio of a high get-worth individual.”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
RESULT
Manchester City 5 Swansea City 0
Man City: D Silva (12'), Sterling (16'), De Bruyne (54' ), B Silva (64' minutes), Jesus (88')
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UK’s AI plan
- AI ambassadors such as MIT economist Simon Johnson, Monzo cofounder Tom Blomfield and Google DeepMind’s Raia Hadsell
- £10bn AI growth zone in South Wales to create 5,000 jobs
- £100m of government support for startups building AI hardware products
- £250m to train new AI models
How to register as a donor
1) Organ donors can register on the Hayat app, run by the Ministry of Health and Prevention
2) There are about 11,000 patients in the country in need of organ transplants
3) People must be over 21. Emiratis and residents can register.
4) The campaign uses the hashtag #donate_hope
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Neil Thomson – THE BIO
Family: I am happily married to my wife Liz and we have two children together.
Favourite music: Rock music. I started at a young age due to my father’s influence. He played in an Indian rock band The Flintstones who were once asked by Apple Records to fly over to England to perform there.
Favourite book: I constantly find myself reading The Bible.
Favourite film: The Greatest Showman.
Favourite holiday destination: I love visiting Melbourne as I have family there and it’s a wonderful place. New York at Christmas is also magical.
Favourite food: I went to boarding school so I like any cuisine really.
In numbers
1,000 tonnes of waste collected daily:
- 800 tonnes converted into alternative fuel
- 150 tonnes to landfill
- 50 tonnes sold as scrap metal
800 tonnes of RDF replaces 500 tonnes of coal
Two conveyor lines treat more than 350,000 tonnes of waste per year
25 staff on site
