The EU will send election observers to Iraq to monitor October’s polls as Europe seeks to ensure stability in the country.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell made the announcement after Iraq's Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein held talks with his European counterparts at a summit on Monday where he won support for Iraq's efforts to mediate in the Middle East.
Describing Iraq as “extremely important for the whole region”, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said it was vital for leaders in Baghdad to win a democratic mandate as they sought to reform Iraq’s economy.
“This government or any incoming government will need a high degree of legitimacy from this election, which means it will need to be carried out under international standards,” he said.
Germany said it was willing to participate in the observer mission that Mr Borrell announced would monitor the elections on October 10.
“The country continues to face severe challenges,” Mr Borrell said.
“They are undertaking comprehensive reform but the economic and security situation remains a critical issue.”
New elections were a key demand of Iraqi protesters who staged major anti-government protests beginning in late 2019.
Mustafa Al Kadhimi became Iraq’s Prime Minister in May last year with a mission to guide the country towards the new elections that are now scheduled for October.
Mr Maas praised the reform plans unveiled by Mr Al Kadhimi's government in a white paper last year that set out a vision for a revamped economy.
“Iraq’s government has great reform ambitions. The prime minister’s white paper absolutely goes in the right direction,” he said.
“Iraq has conducted a balanced foreign policy and mediates between Tehran and Riyadh and also with other Gulf states.
“It is important that Iraq continues this course and we give our Iraqi colleagues our united support for this.”
Migration issue
Meanwhile, Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias raised the issue of illegal migration in his talks with Mr Hussein.
The intervention was welcomed by EU member Lithuania, which is sheltering hundreds of migrants from Iraq.
Lithuania accused its neighbour Belarus of weaponising migration flows by bringing dozens of refugees to the border in recent days.
The summit ended on Monday with new sanctions against Belarus aimed at increasing pressure on the country’s President Alexander Lukashenko.
Measures against Mr Lukashenko have ratcheted up since he claimed victory in a disputed election last year and launched a clampdown on opposition figures.
But the EU has taken a harder line since Belarus arrested an opposition journalist last month after forcing his Ryanair plane to land in Minsk.
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Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
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Dr Amal Khalid Alias revealed a recent case of a woman with daughters, who specifically wanted a boy.
A semen analysis of the father showed abnormal sperm so the couple required IVF.
Out of 21 eggs collected, six were unused leaving 15 suitable for IVF.
A specific procedure was used, called intracytoplasmic sperm injection where a single sperm cell is inserted into the egg.
On day three of the process, 14 embryos were biopsied for gender selection.
The next day, a pre-implantation genetic report revealed four normal male embryos, three female and seven abnormal samples.
Day five of the treatment saw two male embryos transferred to the patient.
The woman recorded a positive pregnancy test two weeks later.
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
