Iraq on Monday rolled out the red carpet for Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who held talks in Baghdad in an official visit that promises to boost co-operation between Baghdad and Ankara.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani, who received Mr Erdogan at Baghdad International Airport as a 21-gun salute rang out, hailed the visit as a "clear expression of the depth of the relationship between the two countries".
In an official ceremony, a strategic framework agreement to boost co-operation in different fields, including security, energy and the economy, was signed.
"The signing of the framework agreement is a road map for a strategic and sustainable co-operation in all fields," Mr Al Sudani said in a joint press conference, adding that permanent joint committees will be established to oversee co-operation.
Discussions also focused on security co-operation and ways to deal with "the challenges of the presence of armed actors that could co-operate with terrorist groups," Mr Al Sudani added, referring to the Kurdish militant group the Kurdistan Workers' Party, known as the PKK.
The presence of the rebel group in the mountainous region of northern Iraq has been one of the contentious issues between the two counties.
The Iraqi PM acknowledged that there are "soft spots that require more control and stability in the shared border areas".
Mr Erdogan said he discussed the "joint steps the two countries could take against the terrorist [group] PKK" and welcomed Iraq's designation of them as a banned group.
Before meeting with Mr Al Sudani, Mr Erdogan held talks with the Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid.
The discussions focused on political, security and economic issues and ways to enhance trade, encourage investment opportunities and the issue of water rights, according to a statement from Mr Rashid's office.
The Iraqi President stressed the need for "co-ordination to combat terrorism and ensure the common security of the two countries and the region", the statement said.
Referring to PKK, he said that "Iraq rejects [the idea] that its territory is being used as a launching pad for aggressions or threats to neighbouring countries".
"We also reject any attack or violation against Iraqi cities," he said, stressing the necessity of respecting "Iraq’s sovereignty and national security". Turkey has carried out military operations inside Iraq targeting PKK fighters.
In a statement from Mr Erdogan's office, he told his Iraqi counterpart that Turkey "had expectations of Iraq regarding the fight against the terrorist organisation PKK, and that Iraq must be rid of all forms of terrorism".
PKK which has been fighting since early 1980s to gain greater autonomy for the Kurdish people.
Last month, a Turkish delegation held talks in Baghdad. During the meeting, Ankara asked for greater co-operation in its fight against the PKK ahead of a military operation this summer, according to Iraqi officials.
The two sides hailed the talks as “productive” and Turkey welcomed Iraq’s move to designate the PKK as a “banned organisation”.
The conflict between the Turkish army and PKK, escalated in the 1990s, when Turkey launched several ground operations in northern Iraq following the 1991 Gulf War.
Since then, Ankara has launched several military operations in Iraq against the group. These operations have been expanded in recent years in northern Iraq, with ground troops supported by artillery and air strikes.
The PKK is designated as a terrorist group by the US and the EU. It took up arms against the Turkish state in 1984. More than 40,000 people have been killed in the insurgency.
Mr Erdogan's last visit to Iraq was in 2011, when he was Turkey’s prime minister. During his one-day visit this time, he will meet Kurdish officials in Erbil, the capital of the Kurdish region.
Mr Rashid demanded Iraq receive a "fair share" of water. Mr Erdogan expressed his country's "understanding of Iraq's water needs, and its keenness to co-operate in this field", the statement said.
The two countries also signed a 10-year agreement on management of water resources that aims to ensure Iraq gets fair share of water flowing to its two main rivers, the Tigris and the Euphrates, Mr Al Sudani announced.
The two countries will carry out joint projects to exchange expertise in for agricultural projects such as irrigation systems.
Late on Sunday, Iraqi government spokesman Basim Al Awadi told state TV that the agreement stipulates establishing a fund in which Iraq will divert some of its oil revenue to mega water and agriculture projects to be carried by Turkish companies.
In another significant step, Mr Al Sudani and Mr Erdogan oversaw the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Iraq, Turkey, United Arab Emirates and Qatar to co-operate in the $17 billion rail and road project linking Asia to Europe through Iraq's under-construction Al Faw port on the Arabian Gulf coast.
The plan is known as the Dry Canal or Development Road. The proposed road and rail link will run from southern Iraq to Turkey, where it will connect to rail and road networks in Europe.
Transport ministers of United Arab Emirates and Qatar joined the discussions and signed quadripartite agreement.
"This project will economically transform the region and give it multiplied economic significance, opening up unprecedented opportunities for integration," Mr Al Sudani said.
More than 20 memorandums of understandings between Iraqi and Turkish institutions were also signed.
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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Why does a queen bee feast only on royal jelly?
Some facts about bees:
The queen bee eats only royal jelly, an extraordinary food created by worker bees so she lives much longer
The life cycle of a worker bee is from 40-60 days
A queen bee lives for 3-5 years
This allows her to lay millions of eggs and allows the continuity of the bee colony
About 20,000 honey bees and one queen populate each hive
Honey is packed with vital vitamins, minerals, enzymes, water and anti-oxidants.
Apart from honey, five other products are royal jelly, the special food bees feed their queen
Pollen is their protein source, a super food that is nutritious, rich in amino acids
Beewax is used to construct the combs. Due to its anti-fungal, anti-bacterial elements, it is used in skin treatments
Propolis, a resin-like material produced by bees is used to make hives. It has natural antibiotic qualities so works to sterilize hive, protects from disease, keeps their home free from germs. Also used to treat sores, infection, warts
Bee venom is used by bees to protect themselves. Has anti-inflammatory properties, sometimes used to relieve conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, nerve and muscle pain
Honey, royal jelly, pollen have health enhancing qualities
The other three products are used for therapeutic purposes
Is beekeeping dangerous?
As long as you deal with bees gently, you will be safe, says Mohammed Al Najeh, who has worked with bees since he was a boy.
“The biggest mistake people make is they panic when they see a bee. They are small but smart creatures. If you move your hand quickly to hit the bees, this is an aggressive action and bees will defend themselves. They can sense the adrenalin in our body. But if we are calm, they are move away.”
HEADLINE HERE
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The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
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Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
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Company name: baraka
Started: July 2020
Founders: Feras Jalbout and Kunal Taneja
Based: Dubai and Bahrain
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: $150,000
Current staff: 12
Stage: Pre-seed capital raising of $1 million
Investors: Class 5 Global, FJ Labs, IMO Ventures, The Community Fund, VentureSouq, Fox Ventures, Dr Abdulla Elyas (private investment)
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Awar Qalb
Director: Jamal Salem
Starring: Abdulla Zaid, Joma Ali, Neven Madi and Khadija Sleiman
Two stars
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MATCH INFO
Bayern Munich 2 Borussia Monchengladbach 1
Bayern: Zirkzee (26'), Goretzka (86')
Gladbach: Pavard (37' og)
Man of the Match: Breel Embolo (Borussia Monchengladbach)
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
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Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
PULITZER PRIZE 2020 WINNERS
JOURNALISM
Public Service
Anchorage Daily News in collaboration with ProPublica
Breaking News Reporting
Staff of The Courier-Journal, Louisville, Ky.
Investigative Reporting
Brian M. Rosenthal of The New York Times
Explanatory Reporting
Staff of The Washington Post
Local Reporting
Staff of The Baltimore Sun
National Reporting
T. Christian Miller, Megan Rose and Robert Faturechi of ProPublica
and
Dominic Gates, Steve Miletich, Mike Baker and Lewis Kamb of The Seattle Times
International Reporting
Staff of The New York Times
Feature Writing
Ben Taub of The New Yorker
Commentary
Nikole Hannah-Jones of The New York Times
Criticism
Christopher Knight of the Los Angeles Times
Editorial Writing
Jeffery Gerritt of the Palestine (Tx.) Herald-Press
Editorial Cartooning
Barry Blitt, contributor, The New Yorker
Breaking News Photography
Photography Staff of Reuters
Feature Photography
Channi Anand, Mukhtar Khan and Dar Yasin of the Associated Press
Audio Reporting
Staff of This American Life with Molly O’Toole of the Los Angeles Times and Emily Green, freelancer, Vice News for “The Out Crowd”
LETTERS AND DRAMA
Fiction
"The Nickel Boys" by Colson Whitehead (Doubleday)
Drama
"A Strange Loop" by Michael R. Jackson
History
"Sweet Taste of Liberty: A True Story of Slavery and Restitution in America" by W. Caleb McDaniel (Oxford University Press)
Biography
"Sontag: Her Life and Work" by Benjamin Moser (Ecco/HarperCollins)
Poetry
"The Tradition" by Jericho Brown (Copper Canyon Press)
General Nonfiction
"The Undying: Pain, Vulnerability, Mortality, Medicine, Art, Time, Dreams, Data, Exhaustion, Cancer, and Care" by Anne Boyer (Farrar, Straus and Giroux)
and
"The End of the Myth: From the Frontier to the Border Wall in the Mind of America" by Greg Grandin (Metropolitan Books)
Music
"The Central Park Five" by Anthony Davis, premiered by Long Beach Opera on June 15, 2019
Special Citation
Ida B. Wells
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Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Pad Man
Dir: R Balki
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Sonam Kapoor, Radhika Apte
Three-and-a-half stars
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
About Karol Nawrocki
• Supports military aid for Ukraine, unlike other eurosceptic leaders, but he will oppose its membership in western alliances.
• A nationalist, his campaign slogan was Poland First. "Let's help others, but let's take care of our own citizens first," he said on social media in April.
• Cultivates tough-guy image, posting videos of himself at shooting ranges and in boxing rings.
• Met Donald Trump at the White House and received his backing.
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Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylturbo
Transmission: seven-speed DSG automatic
Power: 242bhp
Torque: 370Nm
Price: Dh136,814
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Analysis
Maros Sefcovic is juggling multiple international trade agreement files, but his message was clear when he spoke to The National on Wednesday.
The EU-UAE bilateral trade deal will be finalised soon, he said. It is in everyone’s interests to do so. Both sides want to move quickly and are in alignment. He said the UAE is a very important partner for the EU. It’s full speed ahead - and with some lofty ambitions - on the road to a free trade agreement.
We also talked about US-EU tariffs. He answered that both sides need to talk more and more often, but he is prepared to defend Europe's position and said diplomacy should be a guiding principle through the current moment.
McLaren GT specs
Engine: 4-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: seven-speed
Power: 620bhp
Torque: 630Nm
Price: Dh875,000
On sale: now
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
South Africa squad
: Faf du Plessis (captain), Hashim Amla, Temba Bavuma, Quinton de Kock (wkt), Theunis de Bruyn, AB de Villiers, Dean Elgar, Heinrich Klaasen (wkt), Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Morne Morkel, Chris Morris, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Duanne Olivier, Vernon Philander and Kagiso Rabada.
