Category: Unami

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originally published: 05/13/2025

(BASKING RIDGE, NJ) — The New Jersey Youth Chorus (NJYC), a program of Wharton Arts, presents Sing into Spring on Sunday, May 18, 2025 at Ridge Performing Arts Center (68 South Finley Avenue) in Basking Ridge. Showtime is 4:00pm. The annual spring concert featuring all five NJYC choirs offers a vibrant, moving, and culturally rich program that reflects both the diversity of music and the depth of the choristers’ growth throughout the season.

Said NJYC Founder and Director Trish Joyce, “Audiences will hear music from across centuries and continents, from traditional spirituals and folk songs to contemporary works by living composers. Highlights include Kuwa Furaha by Jim Papoulis, inspired by his work with children in Africa, where joy is expressed through rhythmic clapping and reaching to the sky. The Beat of a Different Drum by Sarah Quartel invites singers and audiences alike to celebrate individuality and embrace what makes them unique, while Family Tree by Stephen Hatfield poetically links generations through lullaby and memory. The concert also features spirited folk tunes such as the whimsical Scottish tale of Aiken Drum, the American railroad ballad Nine Hundred Miles, and the hopeful Georgia Sea Islands spiritual, Yonder Come Day. A barbershop-style rendition of I’m Gonna Live Till I Die adds upbeat energy, while beautiful lyrical selections like By Night by Elaine Hagenberg and Stars Tonight by Judith Herrington provide moments of beauty and reflection.”

The Sing into Spring concert will showcase the world premiere of Long Ago Back East, a new work by Dr. William Linthicum-Blackhorse. Commissioned by Wharton Arts with the generous support of the American Composers’ Forum and Chorus America’s 2024 Dale Warland Singers Commission Grant, the piece is scored for treble voices, flute, strings, and piano. The choral piece honors the legacy of Nora Thompson Dean, one of the last native…

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When you get into taking home cooking seriously, suddenly you are speaking about the joys of a ‘good, fresh lemon’, and having minor meltdowns over running out of onions – “but we always have onions!!”

The other thing that happens is you continue to challenge yourself. Yes, having a good meal rotation is the most important thing, but trying to reach gourmet-level is the real home cook dream.

Now, home cooks have taken to Reddit to share their ‘stupidly simple’ ingredients that have made their cooking taste more professional.

When it comes to cheese, choose quality when you can

Unsurprisingly, the cooks have a lot to say about cheese. User CompanyOther2608 says: “It’s a no-brainer, but blocks of good cheese instead of pre-grated or shredded”.

Breddy adds: “Good quality parmesan cheese.”

While Revolutionary-Bus893 changed my life saying: “I’m amazed how a few tablespoons of cream cheese can richen up sauces.”

When life gives you lemons, zest up your dishes

Sphinxyhiggins adds that they love to add lemon to spicy or savoury food, while crippledchef23 says: “I started adding lemon pepper to my spaghetti sauce and it changes things it a way I can’t describe. More tomato-y, but not acidic. Savory and deep and somehow sweet without any sugar.”

Revolutionary_Sir_76 is knocking the pineapple on pizza debate out of the park, saying: “Lemon on pizza or any kinds cheese sends me.”

As a fellow lemon fiend, I’m not writing it off.

MSG is almost always a good idea

Carpe-Bananum says: “A little MSG. Umami is your Daddy.”

If you’re not familiar, MSG (monosodium glutamate) is a flavour enhancer that’s common in Chinese cuisine but is also frequently used in tinned foods to enhance umamu flavours.

User BumblebeeNo3833 adds: “Came here to say this! MSG has made SUCH…

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2025-04-29T15:52:00+00:00

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Shafaq News/ The United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) will close its field office in Kirkuk on Wednesday as part of a plan to adjust its presence in Iraq, according to Deputy Special Representative Claudio Cordone.

Following his meeting with the head of the Kirkuk Provincial Council, Mohammad Ibrahim al-Hafez, Cordone stated UNAMI would “continue carrying out its mandate across Iraq until the end of the year” despite the closure, adding jycoordination with local authorities would continue to support the completion of existing programs and projects.

The two sides discussed political, administrative, and electoral challenges in Kirkuk, and emphasized the importance of maintaining UN support for good governance, development initiatives, and the promotion of civil peace and coexistence among the province’s communities.

Al-Hafez expressed appreciation for UNAMI’s efforts in Kirkuk, particularly its role in “supporting electoral processes and encouraging peaceful coexistence,” emphasizing the Provincial Council’s commitment to ongoing coordination with the United Nations on shared areas of work.

During the meeting, Al-Hafez also raised humanitarian issues, including the situation of 138 demolished Arab villages, and requested UNAMI’s support to “rebuild the villages and facilitate the voluntary and safe return of displaced residents.”

About UNAMI

The United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) was established under UN Security Council Resolution 1500 in 2003 to assist Iraq’s political transition following the fall of Saddam Hussein. Its mandate includes political mediation, electoral assistance, humanitarian coordination, and human rights advocacy.

UNAMI’s operations were suspended temporarily after the August 2003 bombing of its Baghdad headquarters, which killed Special Representative Sérgio Vieira de Mello and 21 other personnel. The Mission later resumed operations and continues to operate under a Security Council mandate renewed annually.

Today, UNAMI…

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Baghdad, 21 April 2025 – The Under-Secretary-General for Operational Support, Mr. Atul Khare, visited Iraq from 18 to 21 April 2025 in the context of the upcoming drawdown and transition of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), followed by a period of in-situ liquidation as mandated by Security Council Resolution 2732 (2024), to determine the nature and extent of Headquarters support to these processes.

During his visit, USG Khare, accompanied by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Iraq Dr. Mohamed Al Hassan, was received by His Excellency, Mr. Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, Prime Minister of the Republic of Iraq. USG Khare also held separate meetings with His Excellency, Mr. Abdul Amir al-Shammari, Minister of Interior; His Excellency, Mr. Thabet Muhammad Saeed Al-Abbasi, Minister of Defence; and His Excellency, Mr. Mohammad Hussein Bahr Aluloom, Undersecretary of the Foreign Ministry for Bilateral Relations who is tasked with working with UNAMI on the Mission transition and liquidation plan.

Discussions with senior Government officials emphasized the shared commitment to ensuring a smooth and orderly drawdown of UNAMI by the end of December 2025, and to completing all in-situ liquidation activities by the end of September 2026.

USG Khare expressed his appreciation to the Iraqi authorities for their steadfast support throughout the UNAMI presence in the country, and noted the positive developments towards lasting peace and stability. He assured the Iraqi authorities of the United Nations’ commitment to the safe removal of all hazardous waste prior to the handover of facilities and locations. He underscored that the continued cooperation and engagement of the Iraqi leadership will be critical to ensure the successful conclusion of this transition.

The Under-Secretary-General also toured the UN Integrated Compound in Baghdad where UN personnel reside and work, and held a series of internal meetings, including with representatives of…

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Middle East in a Transforming Global Order
Wednesday, 16 April 2025

Excellency Prime Minister Mohamed Shia Al-Sudani

Excellency President of the Kurdistan Region Nechirvan Barzani

Excellency Dr. Barham Salih Chairman of the Board of Directors of the University

Mr. Ammar Al-Hakim

Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen

Dear brother Bafel Talabani

Greetings,

I join you in (Sulaymaniyah Forum) on behalf of the United Nations Secretary-General, who thanks you for this invitation wishing you a fruitful, constructive, and in-depth discussions and dialogue on the situation in the Middle East and on Iraq present and future.

I would like to take this opportunity to express our appreciation to the sponsors and local partners for Sulaymaniyah Forum, in particular, His Excellency Dr. Barham Salih as well as Dr. Bilal, for facilitations that shall contribute to and facilitate participation in the Forum in the arms of this beautiful, historical and hospitable city: Sulaymaniyah. I would like here to express my admiration of the quote by Mr. Hoshyar Zebari that this forum is the Davos of the Middle East.

Ladies and gentlemen,

In the Middle East, we have a recurring habit of beginning speeches by declaring that the times we live in are unprecedented, but the past few years were difficult in the Middle East region and on the people of the whole region in all sense of the word unfortunately. This leads us to ask three questions: First: Why is that? Second: Is there a peculiarity about the Middle East that makes it different from other parts of the world? And the most important and significant question: Is there a chance to change such a reality towards a secure and stable Middle East? We are not in the right time or place to answer these questions, despite their importance.

I will say in English what…

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Mohammad Ali (@ChaudhryMAli88) Published April 15, 2025 | 07:47 PM

BAGHDAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM – 15th Apr, 2025) Prime Minister Mohammed S. Al-Sudani of Iraq met with the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Iraq, Mohamed Al Hassan, the Iraqi news Agency (INA) reported.

Quoting a statement of the Media Office of the Iraqi Prime Minister, INA stated that the meeting reviewed the course of cooperation with the UN and the procedures related to concluding the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI).

Iraqi Prime Minister praised the significant and valuable role played by the UN mission in assisting Iraq over the past two decades.

He reaffirmed the Iraqi government’s commitment to continued cooperation with UN specialised agencies, particularly in the areas of administrative reform and climate change.

Prime Minister Al-Sudani also stressed the region’s pressing need for collaboration and coordination among its nations to achieve shared security.

For his part, the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Iraq affirmed the organisation’s readiness to support Iraq’s vision in addressing the challenges facing the region.

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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – The United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) on Tuesday urged Iraqi authorities to investigate the death of Bashir Khalid Lateef in Baghdad, ten days after he was taken into custody amid allegations that he was tortured in detention. 

“The Mission is deeply concerned about reports the victim suffered from traumatic injuries during detention and was transferred to hospital where he died on 7 April, 10 days after having been taken into custody and held in a police station first and then in a detention centre,” UNAMI said on X. 

Lateef, an engineer, was arrested on March 30 in Baghdad’s al-A’amiriya neighborhood. In a video published on Saturday, the Iraqi interior ministry said that Lateef was filmed “sneaking through a fence” to enter an apartment in a residential complex reportedly belonging to Major General Abbas al-Tamimi. According to the ministry, a fight broke out between Lateef and Tamimi’s sons before police detained him.

The ministry said Lateef was taken to a detention center, where security camera footage purportedly showed him being “severely beaten” by other detainees.

In the statement, UNAMI said it “emphasizes the importance of conducting a fair, transparent, and independent investigation that leads to accountability for those responsible for human rights abuses, and the adoption of measures and procedures to prevent their recurrence.”

Sabah al-Numan, spokesperson for both the Iraqi Joint Operations Command and the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, revealed on Monday that Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani has directed a “high-level investigative committee” to investigate Lateef’s death. 

He stressed that the incident “will not pass without holding those responsible accountable and determining the true reasons that led to his death.” 

“We affirm that we will not be lenient with anyone who dares to harm Iraqis or act outside the legal framework, disregarding the principles of human rights and dignity,”…

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His Highness the Crown Prince receives UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Iraq and Head of UNAMI.

His Highness the Crown Prince receives Qatar’s Ambassador to Kuwait Ali bin Abdullah Al-Mahmoud.

KUWAIT CITY, April 8 : His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah on Tuesday received UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Iraq and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) Ambassador Dr. Mohammad Al-Hassan at Bayan Palace on his visit to Kuwait. Crown Prince’s Office Director Lieutenant General Jamal Al-Theyab and Undersecretary for Foreign Affairs at the Crown Prince’s Diwan Mazen Al-Issa attended the meeting. Also on Tuesday, His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah received at Bayan Palace an invitation from Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammad bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani. The invitation is for participating in the fifth edition of the Qatar Economic Forum, scheduled in cooperation with Bloomberg, from May 20 to 22, 2025, which will be held under the patronage of Amir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani. The invitation was delivered to His Highness by Qatar’s Ambassador to Kuwait Ali bin Abdullah Al- Mahmoud. His Highness Crown Prince’s Office Director Lieutenant General Jamal Al-Theyab and Undersecretary for Foreign Affairs at His Highness Crown Prince’s Diwan Mazen Al-Issa attended the meeting.  (KUNA)

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Baghdad – INA

Iraq’s Representative to the United Nations in New York, Abbas Kazim Obaid, confirmed on Wednesday that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has accepted Iraq’s official invitation to participate in the Arab Summit in Baghdad.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated in a statement received by the Iraqi News Agency (INA), “The Representative of the Republic of Iraq to the United Nations in New York, Abbas Kazim Obaid, met with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres at the organization’s headquarters. During the meeting, the Iraqi representative presented the official letter addressed by the President of the Republic, Abdul Latif Jamal Rashid, to the Secretary-General, which includes his invitation to attend and participate in the upcoming Arab Summit scheduled to be held in the capital, Baghdad, on May 17, 2025.”

According to the statement, Obaid conveyed “the greetings of the President of the Republic, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Fuad Hussein to the Secretary-General,” stressing their keenness for “his attendance, given the value his participation will add to the summit discussions.”

The statement added that “the meeting also discussed the most prominent issues on the United Nations agenda in light of regional and international geopolitical changes, as well as the priorities and concerns of the Group of 77 and China, currently chaired by Iraq, particularly in the areas of financing for development, climate change, and sustainable development.”

According to the statement, the Iraqi representative affirmed “the group’s keenness to strengthen partnership with the United Nations and its specialized agencies to achieve common goals in accordance with the principle of collective responsibility.”

He continued, “The meeting addressed prospects for cooperation between Iraq and the United Nations in the post-conclusion phase of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), appreciating the efforts made by the mission over the past…

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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – The United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) on Thursday stated that it strongly condemns an attack on Assyrian Christians in Duhok city earlier this week while they were celebrating Akitu – the Assyrian-Babylonian New Year. The mission also commended the security forces for swiftly arresting the perpetrator. 

An axe attack targeted Assyrian, Chaldean, and Syriac Christian celebrants gathered in Duhok city on Tuesday to celebrate Akitu. The assailant injured a young man and an elderly woman from Nineveh province who had come to Duhok to partake in the festivities. 

The UN mission in Iraq said in a statement that it strongly condemns the attack, stating that the assault “disrupted what was meant to be a peaceful and joyful religious celebration.”

The statement cited its chief Mohamed al-Hassan as praising “the swift and effective response by Iraqi authorities, which led to the immediate apprehension of the perpetrator.”

He added that the attack “threatens the spirit of coexistence and tolerance that Iraqis and the Iraqi authorities have worked diligently to rebuild and preserve,” calling the authorities to “to ensure those responsible are held accountable.”

The Kurdistan Region Presidency on Wednesday strongly condemned the attack.

“While strongly condemning this crime, we assure all Kurdistanis that the Kurdistan Region, as always, will remain a homeland of coexistence, peace, and stability for all its components, and in no way will it allow the disruption of the culture of coexistence, mutual acceptance, and tolerance. The criminal will face legal punishment,” the Kurdish presidency said in a statement. 

It noted that it remains in contact with relevant authorities to uncover the circumstances behind the “criminal attack.” 

On Tuesday night, the Kurdistan Region Security Council said the attacker shared the Islamic State’s (ISIS) ideology. “A person with terrorist beliefs sharing the ISIS ideology attacked citizens…

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