BAGHDAD: Iraqi Vice President Ayad Allawi on Monday warned there could be a “civil war” over the Kurdish-administered city of Kirkuk if talks over Kurdish independence are left unresolved.
Allawi, in an interview with The Associated Press, urged Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani, as well as Iraq’s central government and its Iranian-backed militias, to show restraint and resolve their disputes over the oil-rich city.
Ruling out a military solution to the crisis, Ihssan Al-Shimari, an adviser to Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar Al-Abadi, told Arab News: “Talking about a civil war between Kurds and Arabs is an attempt to pressure both sides — Baghdad and Kurdistan — but the reality on the ground doesn’t indicate any of these expectations.”
Al-Shimari said: “The prime minister has flatly refused to fight Kurdish citizens and still relies on constitutional measures, which offer a wide range of options to the federal government to deal with the crisis.”
He added: “Kirkuk is a disputed area, and according to the constitution its administration has to go back to the Iraqi federal government.”
Kirkuk was included in Iraqi Kurdistan’s independence referendum last month, even though it falls outside the autonomous Kurdish region in the country’s northeast.
The ethnically mixed city has been administered by Kurdish forces since 2014, when the Iraqi military fled a Daesh advance.
The referendum was held despite strong objections from Baghdad, Ankara and Tehran. Barzani has not yet declared independence.
“Iraqis should be left alone to discuss their own problems without interference,” said Allawi. “Kirkuk has become a flashpoint.”
The head of the Asaib Al-Haq militia, Qais Khazali, on Sunday warned that the Kurds were planning to claim much of northern Iraq, including Kirkuk, for an independent state, after they voted for independence in a controversial but non-binding referendum two weeks ago.
He said it would be tantamount to a “foreign occupation,” reported the Afaq TV channel, which is close to the state-sanctioned militia.
Allawi, a former prime minister, said any move by the country’s Popular Mobilization Units (PMUs), which include Asaib Al-Haq, to enter Kirkuk would “damage all possibilities for unifying Iraq” and open the door to “violent conflict.”
He said if the government controls the PMUs, as it claims, it “should restrain them, rather than go into a kind of civil war.” Allawi also urged the Kurdish side “not to take aggressive measures to control these lands.”
Mohammed Naji, a lawmaker and a senior leader of Badr — one of the most prominent Iraqi Shiite militias — told Arab News: “It’s early to pick up the last option (confrontation). The federal government will use all available measures to contain the crisis, and using (military) power to impose federal authority (in Kirkuk) and preserve the unity of Iraqi lands and people will be the last option.”
Naji said: “From the beginning, we’ve said the referendum is unconstitutional. It violates the first item of the Iraqi constitution, and any action that aims to divide Iraq is unacceptable to all Iraqis.”
He added: “Resolving the problem of Kirkuk and the other disputed areas would be according to the constitution, and we can go back to talks (with the Kurds) under the umbrella of the constitution.”
He continued: “We’ve asked both parties (Baghdad and Irbil) to abide by the constitution, but if the Kurdish brothers insist on their stubbornness, this means they want to go with the hardest option, which is confrontation.”
Al-Abadi demanded that the Kurdistan Regional Government annul the referendum result, and called for joint administration of Kirkuk. Baghdad has closed Iraqi Kurdistan’s airspace to international flights.
Turkey and Iran have threatened punitive measures against the Kurdish region, fearing the encouragement of separatist sentiment among their own Kurdish populations.
Iraqi VP warns of ‘civil war’ over Kurdish-held Kirkuk
Iraqi VP warns of ‘civil war’ over Kurdish-held Kirkuk
Pakistan hopes for fair deal from ICC on Champions Trophy impasse with India
- PCB says it’s unacceptable that Pakistanis play in India while Indians don’t come to Pakistan
- Pakistan has spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of three stadiums chosen for tournament
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan hopes it will get a fair deal on “equality” when the International Cricket Council (ICC) holds a virtual meeting on Friday to finalize details for next year’s Champions Trophy.
There’s an impasse for the eight-team, 50-over format tournament after India declined to tour Pakistan for the event, scheduled to be held from Feb. 19 to March 9.
A decades-long tense political situation between the two South Asian countries hasn’t seen India playing international cricket in Pakistan since 2008 when it competed in Asia Cup.
Both nations have competed in ICC tournaments with Pakistan touring India last year for the 50-overs World Cup.
“I promise we’ll do what is best for Pakistan cricket,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi said in Lahore. “We’re still clear in our stance that it’s not acceptable that we play cricket in India, and they don’t play cricket here. Whatever will happen, will happen on the basis of equality. We’ve told the ICC very clearly, and what happens next we’ll let you know.”
The ICC board could decide the issue in a vote among members.
“Whatever we do, we will make sure the best outcome for Pakistan is achieved,” Naqvi said. “But I repeat, and I am sure you know what I mean, it’s not possible that Pakistan play in India, and they don’t come here.”
Earlier this month, the ICC told the PCB that the Board of Control for Cricket in India had informed the game’s governing body it will not tour Pakistan for the event. The PCB sent an email, asking the ICC reasons behind India’s refusal.
Naqvi said he’s been in “constant touch” with the ICC chairman Greg Barckley, but didn’t say whether he got the answers from the game’s governing body as to why India was not willing to tour Pakistan.
Naqvi, who is also the interior minister in the Pakistan government, said that whatever decision the ICC makes on Friday, he will go to his government for the final approval.
Pakistan has spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of three stadiums in Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi — the three venues chosen for the Champions Trophy. Naqvi said he hoped the renovation of three stadiums will be completed well in time to host the event.
Bencic and Badosa join strong line-up at 2025 Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open
- Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic returns having won the inaugural tournament in 2023
- Ons Jabeur and Beatriz Haddad Maia already confirmed to compete next February
ABU DHABI: Belinda Bencic and Paula Badosa are the latest entries confirmed for the 2025 Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open, with the third edition of the WTA-500 event scheduled for Feb. 1-8 at the International Tennis Centre, Zayed Sports City.
Swiss star Bencic, 27, became the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open’s inaugural champion in 2023 when she beat Liudmila Samsonova to clinch the title. She was unable to defend her crown earlier this year because she was pregnant.
The former world No. 4 is an eight-time singles winner on the WTA Tour, having also claimed Olympic gold at the Tokyo Games, held in 2021, when she defeated the Czech Republic’s Marketa Vondrousova in three sets.
Bencic produced a stunning comeback to claim the 2023 Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open, overturning a one-set deficit and saving three match points against Samsonova.
"I’m so excited to return to the UAE and compete in the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open once again,” Bencic said. “Winning this tournament in 2023 was an unforgettable moment in my career, and I’m looking forward to coming back as a new mother and experiencing the amazing atmosphere.
“It’s been a special journey returning to the tour after giving birth, and I can’t wait to be back on court in a place which holds such special memories.”
Bencic will be joined in the competition by Dubai resident Badosa, who is currently 12th in the rankings. She clinched a fourth WTA Tour title with the Mubadala Citi DC Open in August after entering as a wildcard, defeating Marie Bouzkova in the final.
Badosa, 27, will be making her Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open debut after missing the previous two tournaments through illness and injury respectively.
“I’m thrilled to be competing in the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open,” she said. “It’s a tournament I’ve wanted to play since it began in 2023, but unfortunately, I had to withdraw previously due to injuries, however I’m determined to make the most of this opportunity in 2025.
“Abu Dhabi is an incredible city with amazing fans, and the tournament always attracts such a strong field. I’m feeling good about my form right now, and I’m looking forward to showing what I’m capable of in February.”
Bencic and Badosa will be joining a line-up of 28 leading players, which includes three-time Grand Slam finalist Ons Jabeur of Tunisia, who joins the field after a lengthy lay-off with a shoulder injury, along with Brazilian Beatriz Haddad Maia, a semi-finalist in the last two editions of the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open.
Saudi Arabia boosts R&D spending to $6bn in 2023 amid Vision 2030 push
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia ramped up its research and development spending to SR22.61 billion ($6.02 billion) in 2023, marking a 17.4 percent increase from the previous year, according to official data.
The General Authority for Statistics reported a rise in R&D personnel, with the workforce reaching 49,337 by the end of 2023, up 12.2 percent year on year. Researchers accounted for 36,832 of this figure, representing a 22.1 percent annual growth.
The Kingdom is prioritizing R&D across sectors like energy, technology, and sustainability as part of its Vision 2030 strategy to diversify its oil-dependent economy.
“The percentage distribution of employees in the field of R&D at the level of different sectors indicates that the number of employees in higher education reached 37,540 employees, representing 76.1 percent, followed by the private sector, with 8,810 employees, at 17.9 percent, then the government sector, with 2,987 employees. at 6.1 percent,” GASTAT noted.
The authority also revealed that Saudi Arabia had 32,209 researchers in higher education by the end of 2023. The private and government sectors employed 2,790 and 1,883 researchers, respectively.
In terms of funding, the government sector accounted for the largest share of R&D spending at SR12.12 billion in 2023, representing 53.6 percent of the total. The private sector contributed SR9.31 billion, while the higher education sector received SR1.17 billion.
When it comes to expenditure, the private sector led with SR8.70 billion spent on R&D, followed by the government sector at SR8.66 billion and the higher education sector at SR5.24 billion.
In August, energy giant Saudi Aramco announced a $100 million commitment to fund research and development at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology over the next decade.
The partnership aims to accelerate innovation in Saudi Arabia and develop commercially viable solutions that support the global energy transition and sustainability goals, according to a press statement.
The agreement will focus on areas including energy transition, sustainability, materials science, upstream technologies, and digital solutions.
Aquazzura’s Edgardo Osorio talks Saudi expansion amid ‘cultural revolution’
DUBAI: Fans of Italy-based luxury shoe brand Aquazzura are in good company, with the likes of Princess of Wales Kate Middleton, Beyonce and Meghan Markle showing off the label’s heels on numerous occasions. With new boutiques in Riyadh and Jeddah, creative director and founder Edgardo Osorio sat down with Arab News to discuss his decision to tap into the Saudi market.
The brand, founded in 2012, is going through a speedy expansion in the region with new boutiques opening in the Kingdom, Bahrain and Kuwait in 2024, with another UAE boutique sscheduled for 2025. This is after the brand’s first regional outlet opened in Dubai in 2018.
“It’s a very special time to be in Saudi and be a part of cultural revolution,” the Colombian designer said of his foray into Saudi Arabia at Riyadh’s Centria Mall and Jeddah’s Al-Khayyat Center — the brand’s first mono-brand concept stores in the country.
“We have a very large Saudi clientele already existing, at the shop here (in Dubai) the shop in London, and the shop in Paris, so for us it was a natural step.”
Fashion aficionados the world over will be familiar with Aquazzura’s often-copied designs, including the gem-encrusted Tequila Collection, the sparkling Gatsby Collection and the popular Twist line with its butter soft nappa leather and double padded insoles.
“The best sellers are the best sellers worldwide, but I think that Saudi women tend to dress up more,” Osorio said of Saudi footwear trends.
While a distinct focus on attention-grabbing heels is part of the Aquazzura design ethos, Osorio is keen to reiterate that the brand was born out of a desire to provide comfort.
“The reason (this) exists is because one summer I was invited to 13 weddings. I went to 12 … and I noticed women complaining about their shoes — and this was a time pre-designer sneakers, pre-there being all heel heights … Comfort was a dirty word in fashion at the time,” he said.
“And so I said … there’s an opportunity in the market to make beautiful, comfortable shoes because if you can choose, which one would you choose?”
That savvy insight proved to be the making of a designer who showed his fashion chops from a young age, interning at fashion companies in his native Colombia at the age of 14 before moving to London to study at the London College of Fashion at 16.
After dropping out to pursue a career at Italian accessories label Salvatore Ferragamo, Osorio found himself as the head of footwear at Roberto Cavalli at just 23.
His own venture began with the study of the human foot, a far cry of the glitz and glam of the red carpet where Osorio’s designs would end up.
“I worked with a technician who had been studying the human foot and making shoes for over 40 years and the way (our) shoes are constructed, the weight of your body is more evenly distributed … so our shoes are more ergonomic. The weight of your body is more evenly distributed between the front, the arch and the back.
“I also use extra-soft materials and I put in memory foam,” he said. “Almost nobody works like this. I don't know why except for me … and so obviously women feel the difference.”
Women and fashion’s leading awarding bodies, it seems, for Osorio has just been named Footwear News’s 2024 Designer of the Year — a prestigious prize in the international style industry.
Osorio was named Designer of the Year once before, in 2015, and he is part of a cohort of previous winners including Jordanian Romanian celebrity designer Amina Muaddi, London-based Charlotte Olympia Dellal and Italy’s Gianvito Rossi, among others.
“It’s obviously a huge honor to be recognised by my peers and by Footwear News … this is a very pivotal moment for the brand,” he said.
“(We are) part of a major expansion for the brand, in the major face of growth in a difficult moment, people are believing in us and people are choosing to buy and wear Aquazzura.
“When I launched Aquazurra, we were in the middle of an economic depression and everyone was telling me ‘you’re crazy to open a brand and to leave Cavalli’ … I read somewhere ‘crisis means opportunity’ … and in the moment of crisis is when you need to get crafty and creative,” he said.
Twelve years on, as his latest gilded boutique in the Middle East joins his growing list of international outlets, it seems the designer took a step in the right direction.
Olympic rugby stars and fresh faces ready for sevens action in Dubai
- The HSBC SVNS 2025 from Nov. 30 to Dec. 1 is at The Sevens Stadium in Dubai
- South Africa men and Australia women look to extend their Emirates Dubai 7s title-winning streaks
DUBAI: After the record-breaking Olympic Games competitions, the wait is over for rugby sevens fans as the HSBC SVNS 2025 season kicks off with the Emirates Dubai 7s on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1.
With interest in rugby sevens on a high following Paris 2024, the many millions of fans who watched the Games can expect to see Olympic medallists on show in Dubai alongside debutants out to make their mark at the first round of a highly anticipated new HSBC SVNS campaign.
Men’s Olympic champions France will be looking to retain their SVNS champions crown after they defeated SVNS league winners Argentina to claim the inaugural men’s title in 2024. Meanwhile, Olympic bronze medallists South Africa will hope to continue their incredible form in Dubai during which they have won five consecutive titles and seven of the past eight tournaments.
New Zealand’s women won their second successive Olympic title in Paris and will be aiming to reclaim the SVNS champions title they lost to Australia in 2024. They will have to break Australia’s dominance in Dubai, which has resulted in four consecutive titles at The Sevens Stadium.
The Emirates Dubai 7s features the top 12 men’s and 12 women’s teams in the world competing over two days, and the 24 captains gathered by Old Dubai Creek on Wednesday to launch the latest edition of an event that has featured on the global rugby sevens calendar since its inception in 1999.
The competition format replicates the Olympic model, in which the top two teams from each pool, plus the best two third-placed teams, qualify for the quarter-finals from where it is knock-out rugby.
Following a successful inaugural year for World Rugby’s revamped and rebranded competition, HSBC SVNS 2025 will feature seven events over seven months at seven global destinations.
Six regular season events will be played in Dubai, Cape Town, Perth, Vancouver, Hong Kong and Singapore to decide the HSBC SVNS League winners, before the HSBC SVNS World Championship at Dignity Health Sports Park in Los Angeles, which will host the 2028 Olympic Games rugby sevens competitions.
The top eight teams based on cumulative series points after six events in Singapore will compete in the “winner takes all” World Championship, where the women’s and men’s SVNS champions will be crowned.
Los Angeles will also host the high stakes promotion and relegation play-off competition where teams ranked ninth to 12th will join the top four teams from the World Rugby Sevens Challenger, in a battle to secure their places in the next HSBC SVNS.
In a huge year for women’s rugby, World Rugby’s commitment to grow the women’s game is unwavering and at all HSBC SVNS events men’s and women’s teams will receive equal participation fees and share the platform equally on the biggest stages around the world. For the first time in history, there is an all-female panel of match officials for the women’s SVNS 2025.
World Rugby chief executive Alan Gilpin said: “Following a ground-breaking Olympic Games which captivated a huge new global audience, we can’t wait for HSBC SVNS 2025 to start and for these incredible athletes to showcase their awesome skills at seven iconic destinations around the world.
“Dubai has been a mainstay on the global rugby sevens circuit since 1999 and will no doubt provide the perfect lift-off for what promises to be an exciting campaign with seasoned Olympians inspiring audiences around the globe and new stars hoping to make their mark.”
