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Meet Fahad Toonsi, Secretary-General of the Saudi Secretariat for the G20

Dr. Fahad bin Abdullah Toonsi.
Dr. Fahad bin Abdullah Toonsi.
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Meet Fahad Toonsi, Secretary-General of the Saudi Secretariat for the G20

Dr. Fahad bin Abdullah Toonsi.
Dr. Fahad bin Abdullah Toonsi.

Dr. Fahad bin Abdullah Toonsi was chosen as secretary-general of the Saudi Secretariat for the G20 for his prestigious career in the Royal Court.

Coming from a background in economy, management and engineering, he has been tasked with organizing the G20 in Saudi Arabia, the world’s premier economic event that brings together the leaders of the globe’s top economies.

Toonsi has been an adviser at the Royal Court since December 2018. His appointment as secretary-general did not come out of the blue, but it is based on his experience in overseeing the implementation of various initiatives and programs that are part of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.

In 2011, he graduated with a bachelor’s in production engineering and mechanical systems design from the College of Engineering at King Abdul Aziz University. He then earned a master’s degree in international business management from London’s prestigious King’s College. He obtained a doctorate in financial economics and corporate governance from the same university in 2008.

Toonsi has presented several researches and studies on global governance. One tackled global governance in wake of the 2011 financial crisis and another in 2010 covered the application of governance systems in companies operating in the Middle East and North Africa. Toonsi has participated in numerous seminars and scientific conferences, including one on governance solutions held in the United States in 2014.

Toonsi has been the secretary-general of the Strategic Management Office of Vision 2030 and the secretary-general of the boards of directors for megaprojects which have been launched by the Kingdom’s Public Investment Fund: Qiddiya, Neom, AMAALA and the Red Sea Project.

From 2013 to 2015, Toonsi worked at the Saudi Crown Prince’s diwan as an advisor on governance in tackling affairs at councils and committees. He has been active in contributing to the development of projects chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, the MiSK Foundation and Ministry of Defense.

Toonsi’s work has not been limited to Saudi Arabia, but he has been involved as manager on international corporate governance projects in Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.

Toonsi was the first to reveal Crown Prince Mohammed’s idea to develop a logo for Saudi Arabia’s presidency of the G20.

In February, he revealed that the general secretariat of the G20 had approached various global companies for the design and many proposals were rejected. He said that he then met with the Crown Prince to discuss what feature really represents Saudi Arabia and the idea to host a local competition in Saudi Arabia to come up with the design was born.

Ultimately, a design presented by Saudi Mohammed al-Hawas won and is now the G20 2020 logo. The logo features the al-Sadu, or an embroidery form common in the Arabian Peninsula.

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Fashion

London Fashion Week Opens with Tribute to One of Its Greats

London Fashion Week will pay tribute to iconic designer Paul Costelloe who died in November, and had been a stalwart of the British captial's catwalks since the show was launched in 1984. Niklas HALLE'N / AFP/File
London Fashion Week will pay tribute to iconic designer Paul Costelloe who died in November, and had been a stalwart of the British captial's catwalks since the show was launched in 1984. Niklas HALLE'N / AFP/File
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London Fashion Week Opens with Tribute to One of Its Greats

London Fashion Week will pay tribute to iconic designer Paul Costelloe who died in November, and had been a stalwart of the British captial's catwalks since the show was launched in 1984. Niklas HALLE'N / AFP/File
London Fashion Week will pay tribute to iconic designer Paul Costelloe who died in November, and had been a stalwart of the British captial's catwalks since the show was launched in 1984. Niklas HALLE'N / AFP/File

London Fashion Week, better known for nurturing new talent than for its big-name shows, kicks off on Thursday with a tribute to one of its stalwarts Paul Costelloe.

The Irish-American designer, who died aged 80 last November, was a regular fixture on the opening day of the British capital's fashion week since the inception of the show in 1984, AFP said.

Over four decades, his romantic, sartorial catwalks remained a constant: witness to the rise and fall of London Fashion Week (LFW) which has seen the departure of big fashion names to its counterparts in Milan, Paris and New York in recent years.

His son William Costelloe is now the creative director of the brand, which wrote on social media ahead of its LFW Autumn/Winter 2026 opening show: "A new season. A powerful moment. A legacy moving forward."

Tolu Coker, a British-Nigerian designer who launched her brand in 2018, will also show on Thursday her elegant, mainly-unisex designs inspired by diverse identities.

Notable names including Harris Reed and Richard Quinn will return to the catwalk in London, with Burberry closing the week in its usual fashion on Monday evening.

Other labels will bring a royal flavor to the runway, with brands worn by Princess Catherine including Emilia Wickstead, Edeline Lee and Erdem putting on shows.

However, there will be no show from the breakout Northern Irish designer Jonathan Anderson, who was one of the most eagerly awaited at London Fashion Week in recent seasons.

The 41-year-old took over at Dior last June, leaving him little time for his own brand, JW Anderson, which he founded in 2008.

For several years, London has been losing ground to its star-studded rivals in Paris and Milan, but it has clung onto its role as a breeding ground for young talent.

The British Fashion Council's NewGen initiative provides funding for emerging talent, with several up-and-coming designers finding their stride at LFW through the incubator.

'Great support'

Designers like Simone Rocha, Tolu Coker and Roksanda have become fashion week mainstays after making their debut on the NewGen catwalk.

Among the recent breakouts is Joshua Ewusie, a 27-year-old British creator born to Ghanaian parents who is due to put on his second fashion week show with his brand "E.W.Usie".

The young designer was supported by the King's Foundation, a charity founded by King Charles III, in partnership with Chanel, which gave him a studio space shortly after he graduated from the prestigious Central Saint Martins school.

His hometown London, which boasts several notable fashion schools, provides "great support for young designers," Ewusie told AFP ahead of his LFW presentation on Sunday.

"There's so many opportunities, I think, that London gives to help young brands start," he added.

His new collection is inspired by the 1980s, when his mother moved to London, says the designer. It's all about culture and identity, with leather as the star material.

French designer Pauline Dujancourt, known for her work with knitwear, also chose to stick with London Fashion Week after her studies at Paris's Ecole Duperre and Central Saint Martins in London.

"As much as Paris Fashion Week is incredible and I'm dreaming to be part of it one day, maybe there's a bit more room for younger brands in London at the start," said the 31-year-old designer, who will show her collection on Sunday.

"I think people have come to London Fashion Week expecting to see a bit of newness and younger generations as opposed to Paris and Milan, where it's more like established houses."

Fashion

Online Seller eBay to Buy Secondhand Fashion Marketplace Depop from Etsy for $1.2B in Cash

FILE PHOTO: Ebay logo is seen in this illustration taken February 11, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Ebay logo is seen in this illustration taken February 11, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
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Online Seller eBay to Buy Secondhand Fashion Marketplace Depop from Etsy for $1.2B in Cash

FILE PHOTO: Ebay logo is seen in this illustration taken February 11, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Ebay logo is seen in this illustration taken February 11, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

Online seller eBay wants a bigger share of the Gen Z market.

The online seller has agreed to purchase secondhand fashion marketplace Depop from Etsy for about $1.2 billion in cash, the companies said Wednesday, according to The Associated Press.

The deal comes at a time when used clothing has become increasingly popular, sought out by shoppers searching for unique items that cost less than new ones and keep the old stuff from heading to the landfill.

In a statement, eBay's CEO Jamie Ianonne said that the acquisition is an opportunity to capture a younger demographic.

"We are confident that as part of eBay, Depop will be even more well-positioned for long-term growth, benefiting from our scale, complementary offerings, and operational capabilities,” Ianonne said.

As of Dec. 31, 2025, Depop's marketplace had 7 million active buyers, nearly 90% of which are under the age of 34, and more than 3 million active sellers, the joint release said.

The deal comes five years after Etsy bought Depop for $1.6 billion. The app was founded in 2011.

EBay, based in San Jose, California, said it intends to pay cash. Etsy, based in Brooklyn, New York, plans to utilize the proceeds for general corporate purposes, continued share repurchases and investment in its core marketplace, according to the release.

The transaction, which has been unanimously approved by eBay’s and Etsy’s boards, is currently expected to close in the second quarter, the companies said.

Depop is expected to retain its name, brand, platform, and its culture, the companies said.

EBay's shares rose more than 7%, while Etsy's share soared close to 15% in after-hours trading when the news was announced.

World

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor Arrested on Suspicion of Misconduct in Public Office

FILE - Britain’s Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly known as Prince Andrew, looks round as he leaves after attending the Easter Matins Service at St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, England, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)
FILE - Britain’s Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly known as Prince Andrew, looks round as he leaves after attending the Easter Matins Service at St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, England, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)
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Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor Arrested on Suspicion of Misconduct in Public Office

FILE - Britain’s Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly known as Prince Andrew, looks round as he leaves after attending the Easter Matins Service at St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, England, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)
FILE - Britain’s Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly known as Prince Andrew, looks round as he leaves after attending the Easter Matins Service at St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, England, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)

UK police arrested Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor on Thursday on suspicion of misconduct in public office.

The Thames Valley Police, an agency that covers areas west of London, including Mountbatten-Windsor’s former home, said it was “assessing” reports that the former Prince Andrew sent trade reports to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in 2010. The assessment followed the release of millions of pages of documents connected to a US investigation of Epstein.

The police force did not name Mountbatten-Windsor, as is normal under UK law. But when asked if he had been arrested, the force pointed to a statement saying that they had arrested a man in his 60s. Mountbatten-Windsor is 66.

“Following a thorough assessment, we have now opened an investigation into this allegation of misconduct in public office,’’ the statement said. “It is important that we protect the integrity and objectivity of our investigation as we work with our partners to investigate this alleged offence."

“We understand the significant public interest in this case, and we will provide updates at the appropriate time,” the statement added.

Pictures circulated online appearing to show unmarked police cars at Wood Farm on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, with plainclothes officers appearing to gather outside the home of Mountbatten-Windsor.