Editor John Peter

  Runaway   Princess Haya bint al-Hussein   ‘was too close’ to British bodyguard The sixth wife of Dubai ruler Princess Haya bint al-Hussein has been telling her friends and members of her family back in Jordan that she found her “soulmate” in Russell Flowers, the former infantry soldier of the British Army, with whom she has been secretly dating for years. Her boyfriend Russell Flowers, who is a former infantry soldier of the British Army became too intimate with Haya bint al-Hussein during his five-year posting as the bodyguard at royal family’s Dalham Hall Stud, a stunning 3,300-acre country estate owned by Sheikh Maktoum about six miles from Newmarket town center in the United Kingdom. Although Flowers went into hiding soon after his intimacy with Princess Haya bint al-Hussein was exposed, it is learnt from credible sources that he is having regular contact with Haya bint al-Hussein , mostly over the phone. Due to her extremely nasty private life and madness of having...

 He was apparently referring to the deal the US inked with the Taliban in February 2020 after fighting it for two decades After drawing flak for not condemning Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, India on Tuesday turned the table on Europe and the United States, slamming them for ignoring China’s belligerence in Asia for years and for clinching a deal with the Taliban “by throwing the common people of Afghanistan under the bus” “You spoke about Ukraine. I remember, less than a year ago, what happened in Afghanistan, where an entire civil society was thrown under the bus by the world,” External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said at the Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi, in response to a question from Norwegian Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt. from Afghanistan, leaving the people of the war-torn country under the regressive rule of the Sunni Islamist militia that returned to power in August 2021. “When the rules-based order was under challenge in Asia (due to aggression by China), th...

 In a recent article , The Stanford Review implied that activists misled the community in campaigning for Phi Kappa Psi to cancel an event with Palantir co-founder Joe Lonsdale ’03. This couldn’t be further from the truth. It is undisputed that in 2012, while serving as a mentor in a Stanford class, Lonsdale violated Stanford Admin Guide Policy 1.7.2, which bans sexual and romantic relationships between teachers, including mentors, and undergraduate students. The policy serves to protect undergraduates from exploitation, unfairness and favoritism, stating that “Not only can these relationships harm the educational environment for the individual student involved, they also undermine the educational environment for other students.” Lonsdale doesn’t deny that he violated University policy. In 2013, Stanford banned him from mentoring undergraduates for 10 years . Lonsdale was also separately banned from campus for sexual harassment, a finding that was later reversed. But the mentors...

  A court in Singapore has executed a Malaysian drug smuggler, his sister has confirmed to the BBC. Nagaenthran Dharmalingam had been on death row for more than a decade for attempting to bring around three tablespoons of heroin into Singapore. His case was highly controversial as he was assessed by a medical expert to have an IQ of 69 — a level that indicates an intellectual disability. But the government said he “clearly understood the nature of his acts”. In an earlier statement, the government said they found he “did not lose his sense of judgment of the rightness or wrongness of what he was doing”. The court had earlier on Tuesday dismissed a last-ditch appeal by his mother, adding that Nagaenthran had been given “due process in accordance with the law”, adding that he had “exhausted his rights of appeal and almost every other recourse under the law over some 11 years”. At the end of Tuesday’s hearing, Nagaenthran and his family had reached through a gap in a glass screen to g...

Spanish ambassador Gustavo de Arístegui comes from a long-standing diplomatic background, his father and grandfather were both senior diplomats posted as ambassadors in Latin America, Europe and the Middle East. He is well-versed in different languages like Spanish, English, French and German. His English is impeccable as becoming of a scion of a diplomat family. His father, the then Spanish ambassador to Lebanon was killed in another withering artillery exchange between Christian and Muslim gunners in beleaguered Beirut. He had seen man many acts of terrorism and is the eminent personality to comment on the same. Gustavo de Arístegui outlined terrorism and fanaticism as among the major challenges in the world. There cannot be any justification for terrorism or the ideology of fanaticism. National court of Spain is of the view that combined forces are necessary to put an end to terrorism. Those that think that terrorism has any kind of justification or that fanatical ideologies ...

 Residential property prices in Abu Dhabi increased 1.5 per cent in the 12 months to March, as the wider UAE market made a strong start to the year, according to a report by property consultancy CBRE. Average apartment prices increased 1.6 per cent in the year to March, to Dh10,904 ($2969) per square metre, while average villa prices rose 1.1 per cent to Dh8,850 per square metre. The capital also saw average rents rise 0.6 per cent during the period. However, while apartment rents were up 1.1 per cent, villa rents fell by 1.6 per cent. New supply in Abu Dhabi "remains limited", with less than 200 new units delivered in the first quarter of 2022, the report said. A further 9,588 units are scheduled for delivery during the remainder of the year, mostly in Al Raha Beach, Al Maryah Island and Reem Island. In the office sector, visitation to workplaces in Abu Dhabi sits 25.3 per cent above its pre-pandemic baseline, according to Google mobility data. CBRE estimates visitation to w...

 The number of people fleeing the war in Ukraine has reached 5,085,360, the latest figures from the UN's refugee agency show. More than half of those escaping the violence have gone to Poland, where 2,847,540 refugees are registered. Romania has welcomed 763,769 refugees while Hungary has accepted 476,213, figures show. More than 428,577 Ukrainians have fled to Moldova, 346,175 to Slovakia and 23,900 to Belarus. Another 563,266 Ukrainians have arrived in Russia since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine was launched on February 24. “The scale of human suffering and forced displacement due to the war far exceeds any worst-case scenario planning,” said Antonio Vitorino, director-general of the International Organisation for Migration. The influx of Ukrainians into neighbouring countries is made up predominantly of women, children and the elderly. More than 7.1 million people are internally displaced. These people have fled their homes but are still in Ukraine, the IOM said on April 14....

 Sir David Attenborough has been named a UN Champion of the Earth in recognition of the environmentalist's commitment to sharing stories about the natural world and climate change. He has played a key role in bringing the dangers facing the natural world into people’s homes and encouraging action. Sir David said more is needed to prevent further destruction of the planet but there is hope. “Fifty years ago, whales were on the very edge of extinction worldwide. Then people got together and now there are more whales in the sea than any living human being has ever seen,” the 95-year-old said. “We know what the problems are and we know how to solve them. All we lack is unified action.” The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) honoured Sir David with a Champions of the Earth Lifetime Achievement Award for his dedication to research, documentation, and advocacy for the protection of nature and its restoration. Sir David’s career as a broadcaster, natural historian, author and environmental ad...

 The number of migrants who won lawful permanent residence in the United States dropped sharply in 2020, impacted by a pandemic that locked down both those who would enter the country and slowed the work of American officials who process their requests. Just over 700,000 new people won lawful residence in the last fiscal year, according to an annual report from the Department of Homeland Security, down from more than a million people who became lawful residents in each of the previous six years. The DHS report found about one in seven of those who gained permanent legal residence, 100,325 people, came from Mexico, a higher share than any other nation. About 46,000 people moved in from India, and another 41,000 moved from China, according to the DHS data. More people moved from Asian countries — 272,000 — than from North American countries — 222,000 — the data show. Along with Mexico, North American nations like the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Cuba and Jamaica are among the lar...

 The Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, a landmark deal between the UAE and India, will come into effect on May 1, said Thani Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade. In line with the move, the Ministry of Economy unveiled a new web page dedicated to CEPA on Thursday, which provides information to companies and investors in the UAE who wish to capitalise on the benefits provided by the agreement. The benefits of CEPA include enhanced market access, lower or eliminated tariff rules, simpler customs procedures, clear and transparent rules and rule-based competition, the website says. “The web page provides all the necessary resources and relevant information to private sector stakeholders and companies in the UAE who are interested in enhancing their businesses and investment in India. It also gives them an overview of the trade and investment opportunities and features of this historic agreement," Juma Al Kait, assistant undersecretary of International Trade Affa...

 Police in London have launched an investigation into allegations of a racially aggravated assault after a group of men were said to have attacked members of a mosque. Worshippers were allegedly attacked by a gang armed with bottles and hockey sticks outside the Sri Lankan Muslim Centre in East London as they went inside for iftar. A bin containing paper was set on fire outside the mosque in Pilgrims Way, East Ham. Several people incurred minor injuries in the incident on Tuesday evening, but did not require medical treatment. The Metropolitan Police sent officers to the scene, but no trace of the suspects was found. The force said patrols in the area have been stepped up in light of the alleged attack and is appealing for anyone with information to come forward. No arrests have been made and enquiries continue. “Police are investigating a report of racially aggravated common assault following an incident outside a mosque in East Ham,” the Met Police said in a statement. “Police we...

 Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday ordered his forces to blockade the last pockets of Ukrainian resistance at a steelworks in Mariupol “so that a fly cannot pass through”. Mr Putin ordered his Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu to scrap plans to storm the Azovstal steel plant after being told there were more than 2,000 Ukrainian fighters still holed up in its tunnels. Ramzan Kadyrov, the Chechen leader whose forces are fighting in Ukraine, had predicted on Thursday the Azovstal plant would be under Russian control “before lunchtime, or after lunch”, completing the capture of Mariupol. But Mr Putin, who described the rest of Mariupol as having been liberated by Russian troops, said in a televised exchange with Mr Shoigu that “there is no need to climb into these catacombs and crawl underground” at the plant. “I consider the proposed storming of the industrial zone unnecessary,” he said. "Block off this industrial area so that a fly cannot not pass through." The seizure ...

 Queen Elizabeth is getting her own Barbie doll two months after marking her 70th year on the throne.  Mattel revealed Wednesday the $75 Platinum Jubilee doll on its website. “This collectible doll wears an elegant ivory gown and blue riband adorned with decorations of order. A stunning crown and matching accessories complete her regal ensemble,” the company wrote.  “Barbie celebrates the longest ruling monarch in British history, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, whose extraordinary reign has seen her lead with an immeasurable devotion to duty and a life of service,” it added.  The 95-year-old Queen officially marked 70 years on the throne on Feb. 6. For her celebration, she was at her Sandringham residence hosting community groups while wearing a light blue dress. The queen cut her own cake and had a curry and mayonnaise-based dish for the occasion. The celebration came after Queen Elizabeth had missed multiple public events due to health concerns. he queen has still...

 Ramzan Kadyrov, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, said the Ukrainian city of Mariupol will fall to Moscow’s forces on Thursday.  Kadyrov, the head of Russia’s republic of Chechnya, predicted the last stronghold in the city will collapse, leaving the city completely under Russian control, Reuters reported.  “Before lunchtime, or after lunch, Azovstal will be completely under the control of the forces of the Russian Federation,” Kadyrov said, referring to a steel plant that has been a final holdout after weeks of attacks and shelling. Ukrainian Maj. Serhiy Volyna, who is leading the small number of troops left in the city and protecting civilians at the plant, pleaded to the world for help in a video from Mariupol. “We appeal and plead to all world leaders to help us. We ask them to use the procedure of extraction and take us to the territory of a third-party state,” he said, NBC News reported. Vadym Boichenko, the mayor of Mariupol, said in a TV interview ...

 More than 40 percent of the U.S. population — or 137 million people — are living in areas with unhealthy levels of particle pollution or ozone, according to the American Lung Association’s newest “ State of the Air ” report card. That’s 2.1 million people living in counties with unsafe air compared to last year’s report card — and 8.9 million more people impacted by daily spikes in potentially deadly particle pollution, the authors found. “‘State of the Air 2022’ shows that an unacceptable number of Americans are still living in areas with poor air quality that could impact their health,” Harold Wimmer, national president and CEO of the American Lung Association, said in a statement. The report card is an annual publication from the Lung Association that tracks and grades exposure to particle pollution and ground-level pollution, or smog, and to short-term spikes in particle pollution, or soot. Each report card covers a three-year period: 2018-2020 in the latest version and 2...