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BAGHDAD--Qatar has quickly moved to take advantage of the greater diplomatic margin of manoeuvre created by the Al-Ula summit to enter a race with other Gulf nations for closer ties with Iraq driven by different or conflicting intentions and calculations.

The visit of Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Muhammad bin Abdulrahman Al Thani to Baghdad Wednesday and his meeting with the top Iraqi leaders marked a step in towards exploiting the new diplomatic wiggle room enjoyed by Doha, especially because, in contrast to other Arab Gulf countries, especially Saudi Arabia, Qatars relationship with Iran makes it immune to the threat of a push-back by Iranian-backed Iraqi political groups.

Saudi Arabia had established contact with Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi, and sent its foreign minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan to Baghdad last year. But the Saudi move was opposed by hard-line pro-Iranian militias. This complicated the Saudi overtures to Baghdad after thirty years of diplomatic rift following the Iraqi occupation of Kuwait in 1990.

Qatar however sees Iraq as a prime strategic intersection between regional interests, as Iranians, Turks, Americans and a number of Arab countries compete for influence in a nation that has not yet overcome the repercussions of 2003 US invasion.

Although presented as driven by economic objectives, the latest Qatari move has been widely seen as part and parcel of the Gulf race for influence in Iraq amid the new climate created by the fresh strategic approach of the US Biden administration towards the region.

A Saudi source told The Arab Weekly that Riyadh will not view the Qatari move towards Iraq with great satisfaction.

The Qataris are taking advantage of the space they see available. They are also exploiting Iranian silence and Turkish encouragement, he added, on condition of anonymity. All these are not comforting factors for Saudi Arabia.

The Qatari foreign minister agreed with his Iraqi counterpart, Fuad Hussein, to activate a joint committee for economic cooperation between the two countries. He then headed to Kurdistan in northern Iraq to meet Kurdish leaders.

The Arab Gulf overtures towards Iraq have been met by warmly by Iraqi officials. But the Iraqi public is still awaiting promised tangible benefits from the economic and investment deals by Riyadh and Doha.

Iraqis believe that most of the agreements reached with Saudi Arabia and Qatar are still ink on paper. The general perception is that the failure to implement the various agreements is due to Iranian pressures on the Iraqi government and the opposition of some pro-Iranian political factions to Baghdads rapprochement with its Arab Gulf neighbours.

An Iraqi MP attributed the silence of the Iraqi authorities over their reluctance to carry out Saudi and Qatari projects in Iraq to the Iranian attitudes. These shackle the ability of Iraq to promote its interests with Arab countries, with whom Iran has no inclination to cooperate.

The MP, who declined to be named, doubted that Qatars projects in Iraq would meet a better fate than those of Saudi Arabia, even if Doha believes it enjoys a strategic edge over other Arab Gulf countries when it comes to Iran.

He explained that for Tehran even a partial move of Iraq away from Iranian economic domination could lead to a total detachment from that domination. That kind of shift would seriously damage the Iranian economy, which is still suffering from the impact of US sanctions.

Even if there is room for optimism that Iran could become more responsive to the demands of the international community, the political prospects in Iraq are blurred by the uncertainties surrounding the forthcoming elections and the political shifts that might result from them.

Saudi Arabia and Qatar have previously announced large economic investments in the Badia of Samawah and the Anbar desert, but no start dates have yet been announced.

We discussed the resumption of the work of the joint committee for economic cooperation between Qatar and Iraq as soon as possible, and it was agreed to activate the work of the committee, said the Qatari foreign minister during a press conference held with his Iraqi counterpart Fuad Hussein in Baghdad.

He pointed out that he had held fruitful meetings with Iraqi President Barham Salih and had handed him a written message from the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, which included an official invitation to visit Doha. He also met Kadhimi, and said afterwards there had been a similarity of views about the regional situation between the two countries.

Fuad Hussein said during the press conference that his country will work to activate the Iraqi-Qatari joint committee in charge of economic issues, adding that Iraq will implement all agreements between the two countries.

Iraq and Qatar had agreed in 2013 to form a joint higher committee for political, security, economic, social and cultural coordination. But after ISIS took control of a third of Iraqi territory in 2014, the meetings between the two countries came to a stand still.

Until this week, Sheikh Muhammads January 2020 trip to Iraq was the last Qatari ministerial visit. Sheikh Muhammad worked on that occasion to de-escalate tensions in the region, following the US assassination of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani on January 3, 2020, near Baghdad International Airport.

Iraqi President Barham Salih has emphasised that, The countries of the region bear a great responsibility to overcome the crises and to move beyond the tensions through dialogue, and adopting a political path to resolve the problems of the region,.

During his meeting with the Qatari foreign minister, President Salih called for efforts to ensure regional stability, confront terrorism and extremist ideologies and boost opportunities for economic and commercial cooperation and development.

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Qatar leverages Gulf reconciliation, Iran ties in a race for influence in Iraq | | AW - The Arab Weekly

DUBAI (Reuters) - An explosion killed one person and injured three others on Sunday in a southeastern Iranian town that was the centre of bloody unrest last month, Irans state news agency IRNA reported.

A Revolutionary Guards statement quoted by the agency blamed what it called terrorist groups for the blast in a square in Saravan, near the border with Pakistan.

Earlier this month a U.N. human rights spokesman said at least a dozen people and possibly up to 23 had been killed in Saravan and other parts of Sistan-Baluchestan province where Revolutionary Guards and security forces used lethal force against fuel couriers from ethnic minorities, and protesters.

The shooting of people carrying fuel across the border led to protests that spread from Saravan to other areas of Sistan-Baluchestan, including the capital, Zahedan.

Sistan-Baluchestans population is predominantly Sunni Muslim, while most Iranians are Shiite. Iran has some of the lowest fuel prices in the world and there is some fuel-smuggling to neighbouring countries.

The impoverished province has long been the scene of sporadic clashes between security forces and separatist militants and smugglers carrying opium from Afghanistan, the words top producer of the drug.

Reporting by Dubai newsroom; Editing by Frances Kerry

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Blast kills one in restless Iranian border area - Reuters

Donald Trump has been in talks with no-name app vendors as he contemplates partnering with an existing platform to create his own social media network, according to sources familiar with the private discussions.

Driving the news: Among the social networking apps the former president and his digital adviser Dan Scavino have homed in on is a relatively unknown platform called FreeSpace, these sources told Axios.

Between the lines: It seems surprising that "FreeSpace" caught Trump's attention. It employs touchy-feely positivity language that's the polar opposite of the incendiary and divisive social media persona he cultivated before he was banned from Twitter and Facebook following the Jan. 6 Capitol attack.

FreeSpace is affiliated with Skylab Apps, a platform for building communities for coaches, trainers, etc., to help connect directly with people. The FreeSpace app bills itself as a "social fusion for free-thinkers, athletes and entrepreneurs."

By the numbers: FreeSpace is relatively new and doesn't seem to have many users, so far. The app launched in both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store on Feb. 1.

What they're saying: When asked for comment, Magolnick said, "At this time I have no info to share."

More here:
Scoop: Trump in talks with upstart apps about new social network - Axios

Mar 25: You are likely to go first to the most well-known blogs. The bigger names on social networking sites catch people like flies with honey.

You may need to use social media to promote your blog, but with some of it, you can inspire them indirectly.

To get traffic to your blog, you must use these internet resources and take advantage of your marketing strategies.

Some social networking sites have a large following, encompassing a wide range. Most websites have an insular audience. Facebook isn't just for North America or Europe or Asia!

However, these social networks are a very effective way to market your blog to the general public. Social networking sites are only a distant second to email marketing, which still dominates the market! However, in this age, the Internet has established a solid footing in marketing, and bloggers need to use these platforms to broaden their audience. People mostly opt for the Digital Marketing Institute in Delhi to make the best use of social networking sites like the,

1. Facebook

Though 1.5 billion Facebook users are currently on board, it is straightforward for other seafarers to board this ship. Right now, Facebook is the largest social networking site available on the planet.

No matter who you are or what you do, Facebook will support you. You can use Facebook to communicate with your family, friends, classmates, work colleagues, and associates from one location. You can share your blog with all of your friends on Facebook, which means that millions see your content on Facebook, even people who are not on your friends' list.

Facebook also enables you to easily share your blog with your colleagues, which means you can attract a broader audience. You can share links, facts, photos, and/videos of your blog to interest your audience in following it! Your friends are happy to share your blog with you, helping you to explore new markets!

2. Twitter

Please don't complain about the 280-character limit because it's great Toing elating people to type their thoughts and feelings on a social networking website can have its perks. There is no place for uncertainty!

Twitter covers a vast audience, but the centuries constitute the bulk of them. Using Twitter, you can offer your followers web links to your favourite sites. Your audience may also retweet the connection to their audience, forming a chain. This 'retweeting' increases the number of people who'll see your tweet.

Using the @symbol, Twitter helps you keep track of the people and the audience targeted by the tag! You can create unique hashtags that reciprocate with your blog.

Also Read - Digital Marketing Course in Dwarka

A great part of Twitter's strength has always been its unforgettable hashtags. If you can think of a decent hashtag, you' Additionally, these hashtags can be used by other audiences, resulting in a wider online group of followers. Hence, devising a catchy/formal hashtag is imperative.

Favouriting your tweet on Twitter allows you to save it for later. You may also add your blog to the top of your Twitter profile page. New visitors to your profile get to see your blog at the point of arrival. Your best marketing strategies for building a blog audience would be to use Twitter.

3. LinkedIn

Since it has an emphasis on industry, LinkedIn has over 500 million users. In general, people think of social networking as enjoyable and crazy. However, LinkedIn has changed everything. In other words, LinkedIn has centred all of its efforts on putting together a corporate culture. Its prime motivation is to assist businesses and their staffs to connect easily.

Most likely, employees of your business will be able to locate your site. If your blogs revolve around business, then LinkedIn should be on your list of social media sites to explore. On LinkedIn, no one sends requests to be added as a buddy. Instead, people establish relationships by being associated with various individuals, both within their own company and outside of it. Additionally, it would help if you invited anyone to join LinkedIn.

4. Instagram

Millennials love this region! Instagram is a beautiful space for blogging social media promotion. Instagram is also serving as a very social networking-oriented social networking with hundreds of millions of users! There are millions of people to whom you have to cater, so growing the number of followers should be no problem.

One of the characteristics of Instagram is that it is completely image-based. Your posts contain images or videos. That does not prevent you from using a text-based blog. Bloggers already have found a home on Instagram, and it's as easy as getting on board.

It's possible to post a link to an image that goes back to your blog, so you can use it to promote your images. If you want to keep your article in the spotlight for a while, you have the option to post stories on the topic of your article for 24 hours. The user can connect his/her blog to the bio of his/her Instagram profile. If you are signed up for an account, you have the option to tag people on blogs, and your blog posts can be seen on Instagram.

5. Reddit

Reddit is a combination of fun, socialising, and news and networking. A millennial crowd is on Reddit. To have your blog promoted on Reddit, you'll need to be a registered user, and then you'll be able to post text or URL links. When you post your blog, users will be able to vote on it.

The outcome of this voting process will then be known. The more upvotes a comment gets, the further it will go. If your blog's popularity keeps increasing, it will appear on the 'trending list' on Google.

6. Myspace

Myspace was the most successful social networking sites in its period. That does not indicate that Myspace is dead; it is only gearing up for a comeback in reality.

Musicians are using Myspace more frequently, so if your blog is important, you should see significant success! If you base your blog on Myspace, you'll be able to maintain your customers' interest longer and better than you would on LinkedIn, which tends to gravitate towards work-oriented content.

If this is right, you will have better chances of having good numbers in your blog's promotion. It isn't easy to compete with Facebook when writing about your blog, even though you do so indirectly.

7. Tumblr

Tumblr is a microblogging website as well as a social networking forum. You can also create interactive content such as short-blogs on this website. After a good data import, users can access these posts through a dashboard.

Users may also be added to your profile and watch submissions as they occur. If you have WordPress, you can build a Tumblr Sharing button to post links directly to your Tumblr account.

8. Last.fm

This is the ideal platform for those who enjoy music. Tens of thousands of people are listening to conversations on Last.fm There is many people who take part in the discussions, groups, and large numbers in the use of content. If your blog is in some way associated with music, you can enter this social network to further your blogging career.

(Disclaimer--Features may vary depending on the regions; subject to change without notice.)

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8 Best Social Networking Sites to Promote Your Blog in 2021 - United News of India

During her time working for Entertainment Tonight doing red carpet interviews, Nastacia Nickolaou (18) realized the lack of media coverage on social media influencers compared to mainstream celebrities.

I just realized that while we were reporting on mainstream celebrities, the younger generation didnt really care about mainstream celebrities, Nickolaou said. I realized that somebody needs to start reporting on influencers and talk to YouTubers and start to give the tea because thats really what social media cares about.

This was the start to her social media influencer breaking news outlet, Behind the Filter, created at the beginning of September 2020.

I figured, yeah, lets create a company and lets start reporting on the things that young people care about, Nickolaou said.

Prior to starting her own company, Nickolaou worked as a red carpet interviewer for Entertainment Tonight.

Prior to working for Entertainment Tonight, Nickolaou had an internship at the 70th Emmy Awards during JMUs summer program in Los Angeles. She was also part of the first group to work on Breeze TV, where she interviewed Ashley Iaconetti, a JMU alumna who was on season 19 of The Bachelor.

Because of COVID-19, Nickolaous red carpet interviews with Entertainment Tonight shifted to Zoom interviews with celebrities, so it was an ideal time to start Behind the Filter.

[Behind the Filter] was my side hustle, basically, Nickolaou said. I was trying to build a brand and a business on the side, but its kind of become my main thing over time just because Im so passionate about it.

Nickolaou started accepting applications from School of Media Arts and Design (SMAD) majors to create a team of 10 interns, one of whom is Sydney Benson, a senior SMAD major with a concentration in creative advertising.

I kind of saw it and was like, Wow, this is exactly what I want to do with my life, Benson said. I saw it and immediately applied. I had a really casual Zoom interview with her and kind of just fell in love with the position.

During her internship, Benson played a large part in branding the company.

I helped design the logos for the company, Benson said. I pretty much came up with all the graphics and ideas for branding the company with [Nickolaou].

Brianne Petrone, a junior SMAD major with a concentration in digital video and cinema, is another Behind the Filter intern, whose main position is video editor.

A large part of her job is making Instagram reels to promote Nickolaous upcoming influencer interviews.

I would go out and find the content myself for the video and find a way to edit it together to give our audience a sense of who [the influencers] were, while also not spoiling too much about what we were gonna dive into in the interview, Petrone said.

An interesting aspect to the company is that its 100% female. However, this wasnt how Nickolaou envisioned it to be.

I didnt really intend for it to be all female, but out of all of the applicants, those were the best people for the team, Nickolaou said. They had the credentials, they had the experience, they were hungry to learn and so many of them are so talented.

Petrone said it feels amazing to be working at an all-female company because its working toward eliminating some of the inequalities that women face in the entertainment industry.

Although it wasnt what she planned, Nickolaou said shes really enjoyed creating an all-female atmosphere. Nickolaou spoke about how women are often viewed as catty and competitive toward each other, especially in the media business, but Behind the Filter has shown how women can create more when they work together.

I just think girls are so intelligent, and I think women have the ability to do anything, Nickolaou said. I dont think theres any limit to what women can do, and I think that when girls support girls, we really get so much more done.

Benson also discussed how empowering it was to work with a group of women who constantly build each other up. She said it was exciting to watch the company gain followers over time while knowing everything was run by women.

Its pretty cool to see the growth and know that its an all-female voice thats behind it, Benson said.

Despite this being Nickolaous first time as a CEO, shes created a positive and fun work environment for the women involved, both Benson and Nickolaou said.

Benson said Nickolaou is determined, helpful, empowering and that she wants the best for everyone.

I think Im still very much figuring out how to be a boss because Ive never been in this position, Nickolaou said. Im learning how to manage a team and learning how to do what Im doing, but were all, kind of, figuring it out together.

Benson said Nickolaou has been an inspiration to her and has allowed her to prosper as a creative advertiser.

She also said working at Behind the Filter has given her a broader perspective on what its like to work in the social media field as well as opened up many networking opportunities for her.

I found myself growing so much as a creator because of her, Benson said. I feel like she just really inspired me to want to go into the field. Shes just extremely helpful and wants the best for everyone, and shes extremely determined.

Petrone also said team meetings would often end up being about much more than Behind the Filter; it became a space for people to ask Nickolaou questions about the entertainment business in general.

Nastacia built an environment that was very much open for us to ask her questions about the entertainment industry and what it was like to move from Virginia to L.A., to make that East Coast to West Coast transition, Petrone said.

Nickolaou stressed that Behind the Filter wasnt born overnight. She said it was all about grabbing different opportunities she was presented with during her jobs working for different magazines. She said living in L.A. has also been a large contributor to the growth of her company.

Living in L.A. is crazy because you meet famous people all the time, Nickolaou said. Sometimes, you just meet people and you get connected with certain social media stars just through mutual friends, and that is the benefit of living in that city.

Working at the American Music Awards in L.A. and getting an interview with David Dobrik, a well-known YouTuber, was something that Nickolaou said allowed her to become more legitimate in the influencer space.

That was me literally hanging my body over a fence and yelling, David, what do you think about the new Tesla truck? Nickolaou said. So, some things are not really handed to you or set up for you. Sometimes things are not really opportunities until you make them opportunities.

Considering that Behind the Filter is focused on social media influencer breaking news, there may be people who have a negative reaction toward this line of work, as some may not consider it as legitimate as traditional broadcast news.

I know my parents definitely thought [negatively], Benson said. They were like, Why do you care about Emma Chamberlain? but they have truly transformed the entertainment industry. They are the ones that are influencing the younger generations.

Nickolaou said this line of thinking is most likely a result of the lack of understanding people have for influencers.

I think we judge and criticize the things that we dont understand, Nickolaou said. If you really saw how much work it takes to be an influencer, I think people would have more grace for them.

Petrone spoke about how Nickolaou has made an effort to stand apart from other pop culture news outlets. While other outlets thrive off gossip, Petrone said Nickolaous goal for Behind the Filter is to highlight the struggles that influencers have had to overcome.

I think thats what makes us stand out, Petrone said. The fact that its very human-oriented is what makes us different.

Contact Avery Goodstine at goodstaj@dukes.jmu.edu. For more on the culture, arts and lifestyle of the JMU and Harrisonburg communities, follow the culture desk on Twitter and Instagram @Breeze_Culture.

Originally posted here:
Behind the Filter: alumna starts social media company in LA - The Breeze