LONDON: Russian oil major Rosneft will invest in gas pipelines in Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan, expanding its commitment to the region ahead of an independence referendum to help it become a major exporter of gas to Turkey and Europe.
Kurdistan’s Parliament approved a plan on Friday to hold a referendum on independence on Sept. 25, ignoring opposition from Baghdad and the wider region as well as Western concerns that the vote could heighten tensions in the region.
Kurdistan has been exporting oil independently from Baghdad since 2014 and Kremlin-controlled Rosneft joined the list of buyers this year, lending the region hundreds of millions of dollars in loans guaranteed by future oil sales.
Now Rosneft is widening its investments to gas by agreeing to fund a natural gas pipeline in Kurdistan, Rosneft and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) said on Monday. Two sources close to the deal said the investments would amount to more than $1 billion.
Erbil, the seat of the KRG in northern Iraq, needs money to fund the fight against Daesh and ease a budget crisis caused by low oil prices.
Kurdistan has relied on oil pre-finance deals to improve its fiscal position but has struggled to develop its large gas reserves.
For Rosneft, the world’s largest publicly listed oil company by production, the deal is a major boost to its international gas ambitions. Rosneft has long sought to challenge Gazprom, Russia’s gas export monopoly, in supplying gas to Europe.
For Turkey, it means the arrival of new supplies for its energy-hungry economy and the potential to become a major center for gas supplies to Europe.
The pipeline’s capacity is expected to handle up to 30 billion cubic meters (bcm) of gas exports a year, in addition to supplying domestic users. Kurdistan sits on some of the largest untapped gas deposits on Europe’s doorstep.
The volumes that Rosneft wants to help Kurdistan supply to export markets represent 6 percent of total European gas demand and one-sixth of current gas export volumes by Russia, by far the largest supplier of gas to Europe.
The pipeline will be constructed in 2019 for Kurdish domestic use, with exports due to begin in 2020.
“Successful implementation of the project ... will enable Rosneft to play a leading role in the building and expanding Kurdistan Region’s gas transport infrastructure and create synergy with existing projects for development of the oil and gas fields of the five blocks awarded to the company,” Rosneft said.
Rosneft secured a deal to develop five fields and has also agreed to help the region expand its oil pipeline infrastructure through which crude is exported via Turkey to global markets.
Kurdistan is seeking to boost oil exports to 1 million barrels per day (bpd) by the end of this decade from the current 0.65 million bpd.
The statement said Rosneft and the KRG had finished inspecting Kurdistan’s oil export pipelines and Rosneft would soon complete developing final documents for the expansion project.
Rosneft agreed to help Kurdistan expand the oil pipeline via so-called monetization, when investments are repaid via tariffs and oil flows.
Kurdish oil production has been mainly led in recent years by mid-sized firms such as Genel and DNO. Larger companies such as Exxon Mobil and Chevron are still at the exploratory stage.
Rosneft wins major Kurdistan gas deal
Rosneft wins major Kurdistan gas deal
82 killed in three days of Pakistan sectarian violence
- Mobile network across Kurram is suspended and traffic on main highway remains halted amid tensions
- Around 300 families fled on Saturday as gunfights with light and heavy weapons continued into the night
PESHAWAR: Three days of bitter sectarian gunfights in northwestern Pakistan have killed at least 82 people and wounded 156 more, a local official said Sunday.
Pakistan is a Sunni-majority country but Kurram district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province — near the border with Afghanistan — has a large Shiite population and the communities have clashed for decades.
The latest bout of violence began on Thursday when two separate convoys of Shiite Muslims traveling under police escort were ambushed, killing at least 43 and sparking two days of gunbattles.
“The clashes and convoy attacks on November 21, 22, and 23 have resulted in 82 fatalities and 156 injuries,” said a local administration official speaking on condition of anonymity.
“Among the deceased 16 were Sunni, while 66 belonged to the Shia community,” he told AFP.
Around 300 families fled on Saturday as the gunfights with both light and heavy weapons continued into the night, however no fresh casualties were reported on Sunday morning.
“The mobile network across Kurram remains suspended and traffic on the main highway is halted,” said the local administration official.
Police have regularly struggled to stymy violence in Kurram, which was part of the semi-autonomous Federally Administered Tribal Areas until it was merged with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in 2018.
A delegation from the provincial government held talks with the Shiite community on Saturday and is scheduled to meet the Sunni community later on Sunday.
A security official in the provincial capital of Peshawar told AFP the negotiators’ helicopter had come under fire as it arrived in the region, although no one was harmed.
“Our priority today is to broker a ceasefire between both sides. Once that is achieved, we can begin addressing the underlying issues,” provincial Law Minister Aftab Alam Afridi said Sunday.
Last month at least 16 people, including three women and two children, were killed in a sectarian clash in Kurram.
Previous clashes in July and September killed dozens of people and ended only after a jirga, or tribal council, called a ceasefire.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan said 79 people died between July and October in sectarian clashes.
Several hundred people demonstrated against the violence on Friday in Pakistan’s second largest city of Lahore and Karachi, the country’s commercial hub.
Pakistan’s Iram Parveen Bilal bags Best Director award for ‘Wakhri’ at Indian film festival
- Wakhri, meaning one of a kind, is inspired by life of murdered Pakistani social media star Qandeel Baloch
- Yellowstone International Film Festival is an Indian festival that showcases films from around the world
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani director Iram Parveen Bilal this week bagged the Best Director Feature Film award at the fifth Yellowstone International Film Festival, held in India’s New Delhi, for her film “Wakhri.”
Wakhri, meaning one of a kind in the Punjabi language, was inspired by the life of murdered Pakistani social media celebrity Qandeel Baloch. The film’s plot revolves around the challenges faced by a widowed schoolteacher named Noor, who becomes a social media sensation overnight.
Yellowstone International Film Festival is an Indian film festival that showcases films from around the world, providing a platform for filmmakers. With special categories such as women empowerment films, environmental films and student films, this year’s YIFF was held from Nov. 15-20 in New Delhi.
“Thank you for the honor, [YIFF] jury and organizers,” Bilal wrote on Instagram on Thursday. “[Wakhri] shines brightest with its audiences. Deep gratitude to my entire team, cast and crew alike, for enhancing my vision every step of the way.”
Wakhri had its world premiere at the Red Sea International Film Festival in December 2023 before its release in Pakistan on Jan. 5 this year.
Written by Bilal and Mehrub Moiz Awan, Wakhri has been produced by Abid Aziz Merchant, Apoorva Bakshi and Bilal’s Parveen Shah Productions.
The film stars prominent Pakistani actress Faryal Mehmood in the lead role, Gulshan Mated, Sajjad Gul, Salem Mairaj, Sohail Sameer, Bakhtawar Mazhar, Akbar Islam, Tooba Siddiqui, Behjat Nizami and Bushra Habib.
Verstappen wins fourth consecutive Formula One world title
- The 27-year-old Dutchman came home in fifth place in a race won by George Russell of Mercedes
- McLaren’s Lando Norris, who was Verstappen’s only title rival, finished in sixth place
LAS VEGAS: Max Verstappen claimed a fourth consecutive Formula One world title under the lights of the Las Vegas Grand Prix on Saturday.
The 27-year-old Dutchman came home in fifth place in a race won by George Russell of Mercedes as he became just the sixth man after Michael Schumacher, Lewis Hamilton, Juan Manuel Fangio, Sebastian Vettel and Alain Prost to claim four championships.
McLaren’s Lando Norris, who was Verstappen’s only title rival, finished in sixth place.
“Oh my god what a season, four times, thank you guys,” Verstappen told his Red Bull team on the radio.
“It’s a little more difficult than last year, but we pulled through. Thank you so much guys.”
Russell came home 7.313 seconds clear of seven-time champion and Mercedes teammate Hamilton, who had started from 10th on the grid.
The Ferraris of Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc were third and fourth places respectively.
Norris, in sixth, was 43 seconds adrift ahead of McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri.
Nico Hulkenberg was eighth for Haas ahead of RB’s Yuki Tsunoda and Sergio Perez in the second Red Bull.
Norris, who needed to outscore Verstappen by three points to keep his title hopes alive, took an extra point for fastest lap, but his challenge was over.
On a dry, windy and milder night in the Nevada desert, the air and track temperature was 18 degrees as Russell made a perfect start from his fourth pole position to lead with Leclerc, from fourth, leaping to second off the grid.
Everyone except Fernando Alonso started on mediums, the Spaniard taking softs that lasted only four laps while, at the front, Leclerc made an early bid to pass Russell and Verstappen swept by Pierre Gasly for fourth.
The Dutchman, looking imperious, made more progress on lap nine by passing Leclerc for third as Norris overtook Gasly for fifth while Hamilton moved up to eighth.
Piastri was given a five-second penalty for a false start, from outside his grid box, as Sainz, Leclerc and Norris pitted for hards, followed by Verstappen and Russell on lap 12.
Hamilton profited from the frantic action to lead the race for a lap before the order settled with Russell leading ahead of Perez, who made an early stop, and Verstappen.
On lap 15, Perez waved Verstappen through to second behind Russell and Gasly retired with engine failure in his Alpine.
Hamilton, showing great speed, climbed to fifth by lap 20 behind the two Ferraris, leaving Norris struggling in sixth.
“The front right looks like it is about to go any lap,” reported Norris. His title dream, like his tires, appeared to be evaporating as McLaren slithered in pursuit, unable to find any grip.
By half-distance, Russell led Verstappen by 11 seconds with Sainz, complaining about his tires, third ahead of Leclerc and Hamilton before, on lap 28, both multiple champions pitted.
Hamilton was hampered by Sainz, crossing in and out of the pit lane as Ferrari ordered him to stay out and swap places with Leclerc. The Spaniard pitted a lap later, falling to sixth.
All this saw Norris rise to third before he pitted again on lap 31 falling to seventh while Hamilton, in the mood, cruised past Verstappen for second behind Russell.
Irked by suggestions that his “shelf life” was ending, Hamilton, on older tires, trimmed Russell’s lead from 11 seconds to six in five vintage laps.
Verstappen, concentrating on the big prize, was passed by Sainz but kept Leclerc behind him with Norris 10 seconds adrift in sixth until lap 47 when the Monegasque passed him for fourth.
Uruguay votes for next president in closely fought runoff race
- Final opinion polls suggest the Nov. 24 runoff promises to be razor tight
- Fewer than 25,000 votes potentially separating the frontrunners
MONTEVIDEO: Voters in South America’s laid-back Uruguay, known for its beaches, legalized marijuana and stability, will head to the polls on Sunday in a second-round presidential race between moderates that closes out a bumper year of elections.
The vote in the small nation of 3.4 million people sees opposition center-left candidate Yamandu Orsi take on continuity conservative runner, Alvaro Delgado, who has the backing of a third-placed ally.
Final opinion polls suggest the Nov. 24 runoff promises to be razor tight, with fewer than 25,000 votes potentially separating the frontrunners.
Unlike sharp right-left divides in recent elections in Argentina, Brazil or Mexico, Uruguay’s political arena is relatively tension-free, with significant overlap between the conservative and liberal coalitions vying for office, taking some of the sting out of Sunday’s final result.
Ballot stations open at 8 a.m. (1100 GMT) and close at 7:30 p.m. local time, with first results expected two hours later.
Orsi, who has pledged a “modern left” policy approach, won 43.9 percent of the October vote for the Broad Front and will face Delgado, who secured 26.8 percent but also has the backing of the conservative Colorado Party that together with his National Party made up almost 42 percent of votes. The two parties did the same in 2019, winning the election.
Orsi has sought to reassure Uruguayans that he does not plan a sharp policy shift in the traditionally moderate and relatively wealthy nation.
Delgado meanwhile has asked voters to “re-elect a good government,” seeking to capitalize on the popularity of President Lacalle Pou, who constitutionally cannot run for immediate re-election.
Neither coalition has an absolute majority in the lower house following October’s elections. But Orsi’s Broad Front won 16 of 30 Senate seats. He argues his senate majority places him in a better position to lead the next government.
Both contenders on Sunday are hoping to attract the roughly 8 percent of first-round voters who went for smaller, unaligned parties, as well as those who failed to turn out in October.
But neither has made new pledges in the final weeks to appeal to them, and pollsters say a televised debate on Nov. 17 appears to have had little effect.
“I don’t know who I’m voting for,” said Rosario Gusque, 42, from the region of Canelones where Orsi was previously mayor. “Even less so after seeing the debate.”
One question as the biggest year for elections in history comes to an end is whether Uruguay will buck a global trend of incumbent parties losing vote share compared with the previous election. Voters hurt by inflation and high living costs have punished parties in power, including in Britain, Japan and the United States.
A robust Uruguayan economy though could help Delgado on Sunday: “There are few indications that voters are clamoring for significant political change,” said Uruguayan analyst Nicolas Saldias of the Economist Intelligence Unit.
82 killed in three days of Pakistan sectarian violence: official
Peshawar: Three days of bitter sectarian gunfights in northwestern Pakistan have killed at least 82 people and wounded 156 more, a local official said Sunday.
“Among the deceased, 16 were Sunni, while 66 belonged to the Shia community,” said a local administration official in Kurram district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Pakistan is a Sunni-majority country but Kurram district — near the border with Afghanistan — has a large Shiite population and the communities have clashed for decades.
The latest bout of violence began on Thursday when two separate convoys of Shiite Muslims traveling under police escort were ambushed, killing at least 43 and sparking two days of gunbattles.
“Our priority today is to broker a ceasefire between both sides. Once that is achieved, we can begin addressing the underlying issues,” provincial Law Minister Aftab Alam Afridi said Sunday.
