UK’s Prime Minister Theresa May met with her Iraqi counterpart Haider al-Abadi in a surprise visit on Wednesday in Baghdad, her first trip to the country. May promised the UK will continue as a “partner” to Iraq to help stabilize and rebuild the country, adding that London has allocated financial support for the Iraqi forces and to help people return to their homes. The UK’s Foreign Minister last week confirmed there are “serious efforts” in place to help begin talks between Erbil and Baghdad on the basis of the constitution.
Meanwhile, a Bosnian Croat war criminal has died after drinking poison during an appeal hearing in The Hague. Slobodan Praljak, 72, died in hospital, with the UN court announcing that the courtroom was now “a crime scene”. On hearing that his 20-year jail term had been upheld, the ex-commander of Bosnian Croat forces said he was not a criminal and then drank from a bottle.
Lastly, for the first time since 1999, there are no white male solo artists nominated for a best album Grammy. This year’s nominees for album of the year are Jay-Z’s “4:44,” “Awaken, My Love!” by Childish Gambino, “DAMN” by Kendrick Lamar, “Melodrama” by Lorde and “24K Magic” by Bruno Mars. Ed Sheeran’s absence was most notably felt.
