The spiritual leader of Iraq's Yazidi religious minority, Baba Sheikh Khurto Haji Ismail, died on Thursday at the age of 87, drawing rich tributes for his stance in welcoming back women of the community who were forced into sexual slavery by ISIS.
Nadia Murad, a former ISIS slave who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2018 for championing the cause of victims of sexual violence, said the Yazidi community "lost a beacon of light with the passing Baba Sheikh".
"The Yazidi spiritual leader embodied our values of wisdom, kindness and tolerance," Ms Murad wrote on Twitter. "He led the community by example and treated Yazidi survivors with love and respect. He will be forever missed."
Baba Sheikh served as the Yazidi spiritual head since 2007 and lived in the town of Ain Sifni in northern Iraq. He was buried on Friday in Sheikhan, the town about 50 kilometres from the northern city of Mosul in Nineveh province.
Iraqi President Barham Salih issued a message of condolence to Yazidis on Twitter, describing Baba Sheikh as "one of the symbols of tolerance and coexistence in the country".
"His national stances in the face of injustice and terrorism were admired and appreciated, and his wisdom dealing with Yazidi female survivors is an example to follow," President Salih said.
The Free Yazidi Foundation, a nonprofit set up in 2014 after ISIS attacked the Yazidi homeland in Iraq's northern Sinjar district, said Baba Sheikh would be remembered as "one of the most important leaders of the Yazidis".
"His office has worked hard to help Yazidis maintain their identity despite the struggles and challenges our people face. After the 2014 genocide, it was Baba Sheikh [who] made the religious decision to accept Yazidi female survivors back into the community," the foundation said in a statement announcing the spiritual leader's death.
The death of Baba Sheikh is the second loss suffered by Yazidis this year. In January, the head of the world's Yazidi community died in Germany at the age of 85 after a lengthy illness.
Prince Tahseen Said Ali had led the Yazidi community since the age of 11, following the death of his father. Born in the Yazidi homeland in northern Iraq in 1933, the prince later moved to Germany, which is home to the religious minority's largest expatriate community.
He appointed his son, Hazem, to succeed him.
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.
Sui Dhaaga: Made in India
Director: Sharat Katariya
Starring: Varun Dhawan, Anushka Sharma, Raghubir Yadav
3.5/5
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
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- Deliveroo will team up with Pineapple Express to offer customers near JLT a special treat: free banana caramel dessert with all orders on January 26
- Jones the Grocer will have their limited edition Australia Day menu available until the end of the month (January 31)
- Australian Vet in Abu Dhabi (with locations in Khalifa City A and Reem Island) will have a 15 per cent off all store items (excluding medications)
Generation Start-up: Awok company profile
Started: 2013
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Sector: e-commerce
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Stage: still in talks with VCs
Principal Investors: self-financed by founder
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England's lowest Test innings
- 45 v Australia in Sydney, January 28, 1887
- 46 v West Indies in Port of Spain, March 25, 1994
- 51 v West Indies in Kingston, February 4, 2009
- 52 v Australia at The Oval, August 14, 1948
- 53 v Australia at Lord's, July 16, 1888
- 58 v New Zealand in Auckland, March 22, 2018
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
Bharatanatyam
A ancient classical dance from the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Intricate footwork and expressions are used to denote spiritual stories and ideas.
England squads for Test and T20 series against New Zealand
Test squad: Joe Root (capt), Jofra Archer, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Zak Crawley, Sam Curran, Joe Denly, Jack Leach, Saqib Mahmood, Matthew Parkinson, Ollie Pope, Dominic Sibley, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes
T20 squad: Eoin Morgan (capt), Jonny Bairstow, Tom Banton, Sam Billings, Pat Brown, Sam Curran, Tom Curran, Joe Denly, Lewis Gregory, Chris Jordan, Saqib Mahmood, Dawid Malan, Matt Parkinson, Adil Rashid, James Vince
