The semi-autonomous Kurdish region of Iraq welcomed Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani on Wednesday as the two governments in Erbil and Baghdad attempted to resolve a long-running oil dispute.
Mr Al Sudani was received by Prime Minister Masrour Barzani in Erbil, the seat of the Kurdistan Regional Government, before holding talks on several issues. He later met with the region's President, Nechirvan Barzani.
Mr Al Sudani congratulated the Kurds for holding the long-delayed parliamentary elections last month, which saw a turnout of 72 per cent. He encouraged the Kurdish parties to form a new government as soon as possible to “enhance co-operation between the Federal Government and the Regional one,” the Kurdistan Region's Government said.
“The political stability in the region is a fundamental pillar for Iraq's overall stability,” the statement cited Mr Al Sudani as saying. He also offered to assist in the process.
Baghdad and Erbil have disagreed over several issues since the 2003 US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein, including natural resources and control over disputed lands claimed by both sides.
After the 2003 invasion, the Kurds gained official autonomy, formalising a situation that had been in place since 1992, when Iraqi government forces withdrew from the region after their defeat in the 1991 Gulf War. That autonomy was strengthened and formally recognised in the 2005 constitution.
As Baghdad and Erbil failed to agree on a federal law to govern the oil and gas sector, the Kurdish authorities signed dozens of oil and gas deals with foreign companies and countries. Unlike other parts of federal Iraq, they offered lucrative production-sharing deals, which allowed international oil companies to rapidly recover costs and split profits between the government and the oil company.
The Kurds argued that Iraq's constitution gave them the right to sign agreements without consulting the Iraqi government, but Baghdad maintained that those deals were illegal as it did not approve them. The Kurdistan Regional Government ultimately passed its own oil and gas law, which Iraq has never recognised.
Since March last year, oil exports from the Kurdish Region through Turkey have been halted after an arbitration court ruled in favour of Baghdad, saying Ankara had breached a 1973 agreement when it allowed Kurds to pump without Baghdad's consent.
Both sides have failed to agree on different pending issues to resume exports, including the approval of the deals the Kurds signed with oil companies and a system for payment for the developers.
Last week, Iraq's cabinet approved plans that will allow the region to receive compensation for the costs of producing and transporting oil, in a significant move to ease the long-running oil dispute.
According to the plan, an international technical consulting body will be commissioned in agreement with the Kurdistan Region’s Natural Resources Ministry to calculate the “fair estimated costs for production and transportation for each field”, the statement issued by the cabinet said. If an agreement is not reached on the consulting company within 60 days, Baghdad will choose one, the cabinet added.
It also issued a decision for the “immediate commencement” of oil delivery produced in the region to the State Oil Marketing Organisation and the Federal Ministry of Finance will cover production and transport costs “as an advance” at a rate of $16 a barrel, to be reconciled retroactively after the completion of the assessment by the consulting company.
Mr Al Sudani and Mr Barzani also discussed the issues of salaries, Kurdistan's share of the federal budget and the resumption of the oil exports. Both sides “stressed the necessity of resuming oil exports at the earliest possible time and to work on overcoming all obstacles and issues that hinder the process”.
UAE squad to face Ireland
Ahmed Raza (captain), Chirag Suri (vice-captain), Rohan Mustafa, Mohammed Usman, Mohammed Boota, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Waheed Ahmad, Zawar Farid, CP Rizwaan, Aryan Lakra, Karthik Meiyappan, Alishan Sharafu, Basil Hameed, Kashif Daud, Adithya Shetty, Vriitya Aravind
Mina Cup winners
Under 12 – Minerva Academy
Under 14 – Unam Pumas
Under 16 – Fursan Hispania
Under 18 – Madenat
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Dubai Rugby Sevens
November 30-December 2, at The Sevens, Dubai
Gulf Under 19
Pool A – Abu Dhabi Harlequins, Jumeirah College Tigers, Dubai English Speaking School 1, Gems World Academy
Pool B – British School Al Khubairat, Bahrain Colts, Jumeirah College Lions, Dubai English Speaking School 2
Pool C - Dubai College A, Dubai Sharks, Jumeirah English Speaking School, Al Yasmina
Pool D – Dubai Exiles, Dubai Hurricanes, Al Ain Amblers, Deira International School
Blonde
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Stats at a glance:
Cost: 1.05 billion pounds (Dh 4.8 billion)
Number in service: 6
Complement 191 (space for up to 285)
Top speed: over 32 knots
Range: Over 7,000 nautical miles
Length 152.4 m
Displacement: 8,700 tonnes
Beam: 21.2 m
Draught: 7.4 m
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THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Getting there
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly to Johannesburg or Cape Town daily. Flights cost from about Dh3,325, with a flying time of 8hours and 15 minutes. From there, fly South African Airlines or Air Namibia to Namibia’s Windhoek Hosea Kutako International Airport, for about Dh850. Flying time is 2 hours.
The stay
Wilderness Little Kulala offers stays from £460 (Dh2,135) per person, per night. It is one of seven Wilderness Safari lodges in Namibia; www.wilderness-safaris.com.
Skeleton Coast Safaris’ four-day adventure involves joining a very small group in a private plane, flying to some of the remotest areas in the world, with each night spent at a different camp. It costs from US$8,335.30 (Dh30,611); www.skeletoncoastsafaris.com
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The specs: 2017 Dodge Ram 1500 Laramie Longhorn
Price, base / as tested: Dhxxx
Engine: 5.7L V8
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 395hp @ 5,600rpm
Torque: 556Nm @ 3,950rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.7L / 100km
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
The Equaliser 2
Director Antoine Fuqua
Starring: Denzel Washington, Bill Pullman, Melissa Leo, Ashton Sanders
Three stars
House-hunting
Top 10 locations for inquiries from US house hunters, according to Rightmove
- Edinburgh, Scotland
- Westminster, London
- Camden, London
- Glasgow, Scotland
- Islington, London
- Kensington and Chelsea, London
- Highlands, Scotland
- Argyll and Bute, Scotland
- Fife, Scotland
- Tower Hamlets, London
How it works
Booklava works on a subscription model. On signing up you receive a free book as part of a 30-day-trial period, after which you pay US$9.99 (Dh36.70) per month to gain access to a library of books and discounts of up to 30 per cent on selected titles. You can cancel your subscription at any time. For more details go to www.booklava.com
Keane on …
Liverpool’s Uefa Champions League bid: “They’re great. With the attacking force they have, for me, they’re certainly one of the favourites. You look at the teams left in it - they’re capable of scoring against anybody at any given time. Defensively they’ve been good, so I don’t see any reason why they couldn’t go on and win it.”
Mohamed Salah’s debut campaign at Anfield: “Unbelievable. He’s been phenomenal. You can name the front three, but for him on a personal level, he’s been unreal. He’s been great to watch and hopefully he can continue now until the end of the season - which I’m sure he will, because he’s been in fine form. He’s been incredible this season.”
Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s instant impact at former club LA Galaxy: “Brilliant. It’s been a great start for him and for the club. They were crying out for another big name there. They were lacking that, for the prestige of LA Galaxy. And now they have one of the finest stars. I hope they can go win something this year.”
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre 6-cyl turbo
Power: 374hp at 5,500-6,500rpm
Torque: 500Nm from 1,900-5,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.5L/100km
Price: from Dh285,000
On sale: from January 2022
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How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster