BAGHDAD: Hundreds of thousands of Iraqis heeded the call of an influential Shiite cleric to gather in a show of strength for a mass prayer in the heart of Baghdad’s heavily fortified government zone on Friday. The gathering took place amid an escalating political crisis that has put the country’s capital on edge.
The powerful cleric, Muqtada Al-Sadr, had called on his followers from across Iraq to come to pray inside Baghdad’s Green Zone — a heavily fortified area in the heart of the city that houses government buildings and foreign embassies. They arrived and stood outside in the scorching summer-time heat, with temperatures reaching 48 degrees Celsius (118 degrees Fahrenheit).
Friday’s mass prayer was the latest display of strength by the cleric, whose political power derives from his strong grassroots support base.
Al-Sadr has used his large grassroots following as a pressure tactic against his rivals, after his party was not able to form a government despite having won the largest number of seats in federal elections held last October. He exited the political process to form the next government in June.
His followers gathered facing the Victory Arch, a monument erected during Saddam Hussein’s regime to commemorate the Iran-Iraq war. It was built for the purpose of holding military parades.
Farid Jaafar, 16, arrived from Babylon province to show his support for Al-Sadr. His transport was paid by Al-Sadr’s party he said. “I love Muqtada,” he said.
Holding the prayer within the highly restrictive zone that is closed off to most Iraqis points to the cleric’s power and influence.
Last Saturday, thousands of his followers stormed parliament in a bid to derail attempts by Al-Sadr’s Shiite rivals to form a government. Around 125 people were injured in the violence, most of them protesters and 25 members of the security forces.
Al-Sadr’s followers camped out inside the parliament until he ordered them, after four days to withdraw from the assembly building, but maintain a sit-in outside. He’s calling for the dissolution of parliament and early elections.
His Shiite rivals in the Iran-backed Coordination Framework have said they would consider holding early elections in the event of a national consensus.
Hundreds of thousands gather for mass prayer in Baghdad
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Hundreds of thousands gather for mass prayer in Baghdad
- Powerful cleric, Muqtada Al-Sadr, had called on followers from across Iraq to pray inside Baghdad’s Green Zone
- The mass-prayer call follows Al-Sadr’s demand for early elections
Bangkok set to host Asian Boxing U19 & U22 Boxing Championships
- Event will see bouts take place across a range of weight divisions in men’s, women’s categories at Stadium Huamark
DUBAI: Asian Boxing, the first continental confederation established under World Boxing, has said the Asian Boxing U19 & U22 Boxing Championships will take place from July 30 to Aug. 12 at the Indoor Stadium Huamark in Bangkok, Thailand.
The continental event, organized in collaboration with World Boxing and the Thailand Boxing Association, will feature both male and female athletes in two age divisions: U-19 (born in 2007 or 2008) and U-22 (born between 2004 and 2006).
The championship is looking to build on the success of Asian Boxing’s inaugural continental event held in Amman, Jordan — the Asian Boxing U15 & U17 Championships in April 2025 — which featured more than 400 boxers from 18 countries.
Both age group competitions will include the following weight categories:
Men: 47–50 kg, 55 kg, 60 kg, 65 kg, 70 kg, 75 kg, 80 kg, 85 kg, 90 kg and +90 kg.
Women: 45–48 kg, 51 kg, 54 kg, 57 kg, 60 kg, 65 kg, 70 kg, 75 kg, 80 kg and +80 kg.
Syria’s central bank plans currency unification and return to global payment system SWIFT
- Governor Abdulkader Husrieh said reforms aim to eliminate role of unauthorized money changers
- Reintegration into SWIFT marks milestone in new government’s economic liberalization efforts
RIYADH: Syria will adopt a unified exchange rate before transitioning to a managed float system as it seeks to stabilize a currency that has lost nearly all its value against the US dollar.
In an interview with the Financial Times, Central Bank of Syria’s Governor Abdulkader Husrieh confirmed the reforms, emphasizing efforts to eliminate the role of unauthorized money changers in the country’s foreign exchange market as part of broader financial reconstruction.
Syria is also set to be fully reintegrated into the SWIFT international money transfer system within weeks, reconnecting the country to global finance after 14 years of war and sanctions.
The country is working to revive its economy after years of conflict, with its transitional government, led by President Ahmed Al-Sharaa, implementing reforms such as privatizing state-owned firms, easing import restrictions, and attracting foreign investment.
“We aim to enhance the brand of the country as a financial hub given the expected foreign direct investment in rebuilding and infrastructure — this is crucial,” Husrieh told the FT.
Key developments in Syria include a $7 billion energy deal with Qatar, the reopening of the Damascus Securities Exchange, and a $300 million fiber-optic project with Gulf telecom companies. These initiatives come as Saudi Arabia and Qatar pledge financial support to help stabilize Syria’s economy amid a gradual easing of Western sanctions.
SWIFT reconnection to boost trade and investment
The reintegration into SWIFT marks a milestone in the new government’s economic liberalization efforts following the lifting of US sanctions last month.
The Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunications is a global cooperative that facilitates secure international money and security transfers through a vast messaging network, enabling banks and financial institutions to exchange information and instructions for financial transactions.
Husrieh, who took office in April, said that significant progress has been made but acknowledged that there’s still much work ahead.
Post-war economic challenges
Since 2011, Syria has been isolated from global markets due to war and sanctions. The economy collapsed under ex-President Bashar Assad and when Al-Sharaa took power last December, his government swiftly introduced free-market reforms to revive the economy and reassure wary foreign investors.
Last month, President Donald Trump’s announcement of lifting sanctions provided a major boost, but Husrieh stressed that “a full policy shift is still needed,” calling for comprehensive sanctions removal rather than selective measures.
“The central bank previously micromanaged the financial system, overregulated lending, and restricted withdrawals,” he said. “We’re reforming through recapitalization, deregulation, and re-establishing banks as intermediaries between households and businesses.”
Reconnecting to SWIFT will reduce import costs, facilitate exports, and curb reliance on informal financial networks. Husrieh said all foreign trade will now go through formal banks, cutting out money changers who took a 40 percent cut on dollar transactions.
Before Assad left the presidency, the Syrian pound plummeted. While it has since strengthened, volatility remains. Husrieh aims to unify official and black-market rates before transitioning to a managed floating exchange rate system.
Gulf nations are actively supporting the reforms in Syria, and Saudi Arabia and Qatar cleared the country’s World Bank debt and pledged to cover public sector salaries for three months.
“Effective May 12, 2025, the arrears of approximately $15.5 million due to the International Development Association by the Syrian Arab Republic have been cleared,” the World Bank confirmed on May 16.
Italians head to polls in referendum on citizenship and labor, but vote risks sinking on low turnout
Italians head to polls in referendum on citizenship and labor, but vote risks sinking on low turnout
- Opinion polls published in mid-May showed that only 46 percent of Italians were aware of the issues driving the referendums
ROME: Italians headed to the polls Monday on the second and final day of referendums that would make it easier for children born in Italy to foreigners to obtain citizenship, and on providing more job protections. But partial data showed a low turnout, well below the required 50 percent plus one threshold, risking to invalidate the vote.
Campaigners for the change in the citizenship law say it will help second-generation Italians born in the country to non- European Union parents better integrate into a culture they already see as theirs.
Partial data from Italy’s Interior Ministry published at 2100 GMT on Sunday showed that national turnout stood at 22.7 percent, just over half of the 41 percent registered at the same time of the day in the latest comparable referendum held in 2011. The polling stations close later Monday at 1300 GMT.
The new rules, if passed, could affect about 2.5 million foreign nationals who still struggle to be recognized as citizens.
The measures were proposed by Italy’s main union and left-wing opposition parties. Premier Giorgia Meloni showed up at the polls on Sunday evening but didn’t cast a ballot — an action widely criticized by the left as antidemocratic, since it won’t contribute to reaching the necessary threshold to make the vote valid.
“While some members of her ruling coalition have openly called for abstention, Meloni has opted for a more subtle approach,” said analyst Wolfango Piccoli of the Teneo consultancy based in London. ”It’s yet another example of her trademark fence-sitting.’’
Rights at stake
Supporters say this reform would bring Italy’s citizenship law in line with many other European countries, promoting greater social integration for long-term residents. It would also allow faster access to civil and political rights, such as the right to vote, eligibility for public employment and freedom of movement within the EU.
“The real drama is that neither people who will vote ‘yes’ nor those who intend to vote ‘no’ or abstain have an idea of what (an) ordeal children born from foreigners have to face in this country to obtain a residence permit,” said Selam Tesfaye, an activist and campaigner with the Milan-based human rights group Il Cantiere.
Activists and opposition parties also denounced the lack of public debate on the measures, accusing the governing center-right coalition of trying to dampen interest in sensitive issues that directly impact immigrants and workers.
In May, Italy’s AGCOM communications authority lodged a complaint against RAI state television and other broadcasters over a lack of adequate and balanced coverage.
Opinion polls published in mid-May showed that only 46 percent of Italians were aware of the issues driving the referendums. Turnout projections were even weaker for a vote scheduled for the first weekend of Italy’s school holidays, at around 35 percent of around 50 million electors, well below the required quorum.
“Many believe that the referendum institution should be reviewed in light of the high levels of abstention (that) emerged in recent elections and the turnout threshold should be lowered,” said Lorenzo Pregliasco, political analyst and pollster at YouTrend.
Some analysts note, however, that the center-left opposition could claim a victory even if the referendum fails on condition that the turnout surpasses the 12.3 million voters who backed the winning center-right coalition in the 2022 general election.
City Football Schools and Al-Jazira Club Academy announce talent development program
- The groundbreaking partnership will help provide a path to professional football for young players in the UAE
ABU DHABI: City Football Schools and Al-Jazira Club Academy have announced a landmark collaboration that will see talented players in the UAE helped on a professional pathway from the age of 6 years old.
From the start of next season, City Football Schools will deliver coaching for the Al-Jazira Club Academy’s foundation phase for 6- to 9-year-olds.
With more than a decade of coaching in the UAE, built on the philosophy and training program of the Manchester City Academy, City Football Schools will supply the coaches, all of whom hold a minimum UEFA B qualification and have undergone Manchester City’s in-house coach education.
They will coach and develop Al-Jazira’s young players, introducing them to a structured methodology designed to create elite players, one that is used globally across all City Football Group clubs. This will be combined with the principles of a safe, creative and positive space, with player happiness and welfare at the forefront of the learning environment.
The move will allow players who have demonstrated talent and aptitude for the game to flourish in a professional club and work through different age groups, with the ultimate aim of signing a professional first-team contract in the future.
For those behind this partnership, this not only offers the opportunity to help produce the stars of tomorrow for Al-Jazira Club, but it will also contribute to the wider development of football in the UAE.
Simon Hewitt, City Football Group’s head of football operations in the Middle East and North Africa, said: “This is a revolutionary partnership that will provide young players an incredible footballing opportunity for years to come. Early sports and football fundamentals are so important for a player’s development. We will look for the best 6- to 9-year-olds in Abu Dhabi and give them an incredible start to their football journey. Everything from coaching to facilities and wider pastoral care will be best in class with the goal of harnessing their skills and supporting them to reach the next level.”
The new partnership will complement the market-leading City Football Schools program that coaches over 2,500 players, both male and female, who train with City coaches on a weekly basis across eight venues in the UAE.
“The pathway being created between City Football Schools and Al-Jazira Club hasn’t been seen before in the UAE and will benefit players, the club, and the wider football ecosystem in the country,” added Hewitt.
Scott Sellars, sporting director of Al-Jazira Club, said: “We are delighted to partner with City Football Schools on such an exciting and visionary initiative. As the Pride of Abu Dhabi, we want to be able to offer young players the opportunity to excel and go as far as possible in the world of football. We are excited that some of the players who join us next season might be those running out with not only our first team, but also the UAE national team in the future.”
Open trials for young players born in 2017, 2018, or 2019 will take place on Saturday, June 21, at Active Al-Maryah Dome, Al-Maryah Island, Abu Dhabi.
Robert Lewandowski says he’ll no longer play for Poland while Michal Probierz is coach
- The 36-year-old Poland captain has played a record 158 games for his country and is the leading scorer with 85 goals
WARSAW: Robert Lewandowski will no longer play for Poland while Michał Probierz remains head coach, the Barcelona striker said.
The 36-year-old Lewandowski, who has played a record 158 games for his country and is the leading scorer with 85 goals, cited tiredness from a La Liga title-winning season with Barcelona for pulling out of last Friday’s 2-0 friendly win over Moldova and Tuesday’s World Cup qualifier against Finland.
Probierz subsequently named Inter Milan midfielder Piotr Zieliński as the new captain.
The Polish football association said: “Piotr Zieliński has been named the new captain of the national team by head coach Michał Probierz. The coach personally informed Robert Lewandowski, the entire team and the coaching staff of his decision.”
Lewandowski replied with a post on X: “Taking into account the circumstances and the loss of trust in the head coach of the Polish national team, I have decided to step down from playing for the national team for as long as he remains in charge. I hope I will still have the chance to play again for the best fans in the world.”
Lewandowski suffered an injury to his left thigh on April 19 in a La Liga match against Celta Vigo and was sidelined for two weeks. He missed four games, including a thrilling 3-3 Champions League semifinal first leg against Inter in Barcelona.
He recovered in time for the second leg and was used as substitute in a 4-3 defeat that sent Inter to the final.
Poland leads World Cup Group G qualifying with two wins from two games.
