Iraq: King Abdullah and President El Sisi discuss ‘Levant Alliance’

Iraq's President Barham Salih met Jordan's King Abdullah II and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi in Baghdad on Sunday for talks to strengthen ties and co-operation between the three countries.

The three leaders discussed a transport route and ways to boost trade and security co-operation in the region.

Mr Salih, who welcomed his fellow leaders on the tarmac at Baghdad airport, said the summit was "an eloquent message amid enormous regional challenges".

"Iraq's recovery paves the way to an integrated system for our region built on the fight against extremism, respect for sovereignty and economic partnership," he said on Twitter.

Mr El Sisi's visit is the first by an Egyptian president since before Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait under former dictator Saddam Hussein, in 1990.

Mr El Sisi told Mr Salih that Egypt "looked forward to developing co-operation with Iraq into a sustainable framework of economic integration and strategic co-operation", the Egyptian presidency said.

It said Mr Salih expressed Iraq's "keenness to raise co-operation with Egypt to the level of strategic partnership ... as a cornerstone for maintaining regional security and stability".

While relations between the three have not always been close, they have rebuilt ties since the US-led invasion toppled Saddam in 2003 and upended the political order in Baghdad.

Since Mr Salih took office in 2018 and then under Prime Minister Mustafa Al Kadhimi, Baghdad has sought to re-engage with its neighbours, and senior ministers have met for several rounds of talks to boost trade, political ties and travel since 2019.

They have named the co-operation the New Levant, or Al Mashriq Al Jadeed, Alliance.

The three countries have discussed plans to establish a transport corridor between Egypt and Iraq, through Jordan.

Mr Al Kadhimi's office said the summit would address topics including political and economic co-operation, in particular strengthening investment, and "joint efforts in the fight against terrorism".

As in previous meetings between officials from the three countries, Sunday’s summit ended with no major announcements but Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said the leaders stressed the need to continue discussions on a verity of topics.

They discussed several projects, including establishing an industrial city with Jordan, producing medicine and insecticides, as well as housing and construction, Mr Hussein said.

He said holding the summit amid the current challenges in the region marked a success.

“The leaders of the three countries and the political leaders are continuing co-operation in order to face the challenges and to invest the opportunities, whether in economy and politics,” Mr Hussein said.

Jordanian Foreign Minister, Ayman Al Safadi, said the leaders expressed support to Egypt and Sudan in the Nile dam dispute with Ethiopia, and their support for the Palestinian people to establish their independent state on 1967 borders.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said the next summit would be held in Cairo, but did not set a date.

Sunday’s meeting was supposed to take place in March but was delayed because of a deadly train crash in Egypt that month, and a plot in Jordan involving a former palace adviser to the king, as well as his half-brother.

Previously, the three nations agreed to link up electricity grids to allow the sale and sharing of power to help Iraq reduce its dependence on Iranian electricity and gas imports.

Baghdad must obtain regular sanctions waivers from the US to continue the imports without penalty.

The partners are also working out a deal to export Iraqi crude oil through Jordan to Egypt or to international markets.

Iraq also plans to build an oil pipeline with a capacity of 1 million barrels a day to export crude from Jordan’s Port of Aqaba.

Of that, 150,000 barrels would be supplied to Jordan's Zarqa refinery.

ULTRA PROCESSED FOODS

- Carbonated drinks, sweet or savoury packaged snacks, confectionery, mass-produced packaged breads and buns

- margarines and spreads; cookies, biscuits, pastries, cakes, and cake mixes, breakfast cereals, cereal and energy bars;

- energy drinks, milk drinks, fruit yoghurts and fruit drinks, cocoa drinks, meat and chicken extracts and instant sauces

- infant formulas and follow-on milks, health and slimming products such as powdered or fortified meal and dish substitutes,

- many ready-to-heat products including pre-prepared pies and pasta and pizza dishes, poultry and fish nuggets and sticks, sausages, burgers, hot dogs, and other reconstituted meat products, powdered and packaged instant soups, noodles and desserts.

ENGLAND SQUAD

Goalkeepers Henderson, Pickford, Pope.

Defenders Alexander-Arnold, Chilwell, Coady, Dier, Gomez, Keane, Maguire, Maitland-Niles, Mings, Saka, Trippier, Walker.

Midfielders Henderson, Mount, Phillips, Rice, Ward-Prowse, Winks.

Forwards Abraham, Barnes, Calvert-Lewin, Grealish, Ings, Kane, Rashford, Sancho, Sterling.

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Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill

Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.

Milestones on the road to union

1970

October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.

December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.

1971

March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.

July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.

July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.

August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.

August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.

September 3: Qatar becomes independent.

November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.

November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.

November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.

November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties

December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.

December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.

December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.

The five stages of early child’s play

From Dubai-based clinical psychologist Daniella Salazar:

1. Solitary Play: This is where Infants and toddlers start to play on their own without seeming to notice the people around them. This is the beginning of play.

2. Onlooker play: This occurs where the toddler enjoys watching other people play. There doesn’t necessarily need to be any effort to begin play. They are learning how to imitate behaviours from others. This type of play may also appear in children who are more shy and introverted.

3. Parallel Play: This generally starts when children begin playing side-by-side without any interaction. Even though they aren’t physically interacting they are paying attention to each other. This is the beginning of the desire to be with other children.

4. Associative Play: At around age four or five, children become more interested in each other than in toys and begin to interact more. In this stage children start asking questions and talking about the different activities they are engaging in. They realise they have similar goals in play such as building a tower or playing with cars.

5. Social Play: In this stage children are starting to socialise more. They begin to share ideas and follow certain rules in a game. They slowly learn the definition of teamwork. They get to engage in basic social skills and interests begin to lead social interactions.

Managing the separation process

Choose your nursery carefully in the first place
Relax – and hopefully your child will follow suit
Inform the staff in advance of your child’s likes and dislikes.
If you need some extra time to talk to the teachers, make an appointment a few days in advance, rather than attempting to chat on your child’s first day
The longer you stay, the more upset your child will become. As difficult as it is, walk away. Say a proper goodbye and reassure your child that you will be back
Be patient. Your child might love it one day and hate it the next
Stick at it. Don’t give up after the first day or week. It takes time for children to settle into a new routine.And, finally, don’t feel guilty.

The specs: 2018 Volkswagen Teramont

Price, base / as tested Dh137,000 / Dh189,950

Engine 3.6-litre V6

Gearbox Eight-speed automatic

Power 280hp @ 6,200rpm

Torque 360Nm @ 2,750rpm

Fuel economy, combined 11.7L / 100km