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In Baghdad, Guterres affirms UN will never forget staff killed in Canal Hotel attack

António Guterres was speaking during a wreath-laying ceremony at a memorial in Baghdad to honour the victims of the 19 August 2003 Canal Hotel bombing – the worst terrorist attack in UN history.

Twenty-two people were killed, including the then UN Special Representative for Iraq, Sergio Vieira de Mello.  More than 100 others were injured, and several survivors attended the ceremony.

Families still mourning

Mr. Guterres told the audience that “22 years is a long time, but we will never forget the colleagues who were killed that day in the bombing at the Canal Hotel.”

These staff members “were sons, daughters, mothers, fathers and friends who are, to this day, mourned by those they knew and loved,” he said.

“We will always remember their leader, Sergio Vieira de Mello, who was also killed in the attack. We will stand with the survivors whose lives were changed forever,” he added.

“And we will remember the courageous colleagues and others who rushed to help on that terrible day, and in the days and weeks after — showing us the very best of the humanitarian spirit.”

A tribute and reminder

Mr. Guterres said the memorial stands as a tribute to their lives and their contributions to the people of Iraq.  It also serves as a reminder of how far the country has come since 2003.

He noted that the women and men of the United Nations have worked tirelessly together with the brave and resilient people of Iraq to support their quest for stability, development and peace.

He stressed that above all, the memorial is “a clear reminder of the vital work that our organization does around the world — and the dangers our people face in carrying out that work.”

Remembering humanitarians worldwide

Five years after the attack the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution designating 19 August as World Humanitarian…

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Arab Leaders Condemn Gaza Genocide, Urge Action at Baghdad Summit

The Arab League Summit in Baghdad. (Photo: via UNAMI X Page)

By Palestine Chronicle Staff  

Arab League summit urges immediate halt to Israeli attacks, as Spain pushes for UN resolution and Guterres demands humanitarian access.

The 34th Arab League Summit opened in Baghdad on Saturday amid growing regional turmoil and urgent calls to end the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip.

The summit, held under the theme “Dialogue, Solidarity, and Development”, convenes as the situation in Gaza reaches what Iraq’s Prime Minister described as an “unprecedented stage of genocide,” with continued Israeli bombardment, mass displacement, and a worsening humanitarian catastrophe.

Attending the summit are several Arab heads of state and senior officials, including the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, and Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam. 

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and UN Secretary-General António Guterres were also present, underscoring the international dimension of the crisis.

Focus on Gaza

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, who assumed the rotating presidency of the Arab Summit, used his opening remarks to denounce the Israeli campaign in Gaza, calling for serious and united Arab action to halt the genocide and open humanitarian corridors.

“The war in Gaza has reached a horrifying and unprecedented stage,” al-Sudani said, adding that Arab countries must act collectively to stop the bloodshed and ensure the delivery of aid.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi echoed these concerns, stating that Palestinians are being subjected to systematic efforts aimed at erasing…

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New Jersey Youth Chorus presents Sing into Spring on May 18th

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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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‘Unami Is Your Daddy’ – Home Cooks Reveal Their Secrets To Resaturant-Style Dishes

Man and woman preparing food.

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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UNAMI to pull out of Iraq’s Kirkuk

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

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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Visit of Under-Secretary-General for Operational Support to Iraq, 18-21 April 2025 [EN/AR/KU]

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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SRSG for Iraq and Head of UNAMI, Dr. Mohamed Al Hassan, Speech at the 9th Sulaimani Forum [EN/AR]

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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Iraq Discusses Measures To End UNAMIs Mission

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

Iraq discusses measures to end UNAMI's mission

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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UN urges accountability after Iraqi detainee dies following alleged torture

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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Crown Prince receives UN Chief’s Iraq envoy, invite from Qatar PM

Crown Prince receives UN Chief’s Iraq envoy, invite from Qatar PM play icon

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

Crown Prince receives UN Chief’s Iraq envoy, invite from Qatar PM play icon

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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