Leaders of Iran and Qatar meet for talks

The two countries have signed more than a dozen agreements of cooperation. [Forward to a friend]( | [Subscribe]( | [View in your browser]( [Top of The World]( --------------------------------------------------------------- What The World is following Leaders of Iran and Qatar meet for talks [President Ebrahim Raisi listens to Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in Doha, Qatar, Feb. 21, 2022.] Credit: Iranian Presidency Office via AP Iran-Qatar Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi is in Doha and met with Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani for talks. The two leaders [signed 14 agreements of cooperation]( in areas including aviation, trade, shipping, media, electricity, culture and education. It comes amid Iran’s ongoing nuclear deal talks and just ahead of a global gas summit. Iran and Qatar are regional neighbors, separated by the Persian Gulf, and share a vast underwater gas field. The two countries have [developed closer ties since 2017]( when Saudi Arabia and other Arab nations severed diplomatic relations with Qatar, imposing a blockade. Ethiopia Ethiopia has begun electricity production at its Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). The $5 billion project will be able to [generate a total of 5,150 megawatts]( when it is completed in 2024. Egypt and Sudan have condemned the move. The two nations, which also share parts of the Nile River, say the dam will cause [severe water shortages]( in their countries further downstream. But Addis Ababa says it is essential to its long-term development goals. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed officially inaugurated the process on Sunday, accompanied by high-ranking officials. Myanmar Myanmar’s military junta has appeared at the UN’s top court, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), in an [attempt to throw out a case]( alleging that it committed genocide against the country’s Rohingya minority. The junta attended in place of detained leader Aung San Suu Kyi, but rights groups have [sharply criticized the decision]( to allow the military-installed government to represent the country. The Gambia brought the claim of genocide to the ICJ after the 2017 military crackdown that forced an estimated 700,000 Rohingya to flee over the border to neighboring Bangladesh. UN investigators have also alleged that the operations were conducted with “genocidal intent.” --------------------------------------------------------------- From The World [Ghana’s fantasy coffins: Fulfilling burial dreams one coffin at a time]( [A pen-shaped coffin is designed for a deceased teacher or author.]( Credit: Ridwan Karim Dini-Osman/The World In Ghana, coffin makers have elevated death into an art form, building fantasy coffins, despite some raised eyebrows at this uncommon profession. They come in designs that take the shapes of cars, airplanes and even fish, among [other fantasy images](, to align with a person's profession or status. --------------------------------------------------------------- Bright spot One of the largest gem-quality opals has been sold for $143,750 at an auction in Alaska. It's called “Americus Australis” and weighs more than 11,800 carats — larger than a brick. Fred von Brandt, who mines for gold in Alaska and whose family has deep roots in the gem and rock business, says the opal is broken into two pieces because of a practice used decades ago to prove gem quality. [Screenshot of ABC News tweet]( [Credit: Twitter]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [In case you missed it from The World]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Don't forget to subscribe to The World's Latest Edition podcast using your favorite podcast player: [RadioPublic](, [Apple Podcasts](, [Stitcher](, [Soundcloud](, [RSS]( [The World logo]( [The World on Facebook]( [The World's Twitter account]( [Donate]( | [Forward to a friend]( | [Subscribe]( | [Edit your subscription]( | [Unsubscribe]( | [View in your browser]( Top of the World is written weekday mornings by the team at [The World](. [The World]( is produced by [PRX]( and [GBH](.