The charity donations taken by Prince Charles were handled properly, according to his office, after a tabloid revealed that he received $3.2 million in cash in shopping bags from a former Qatari prime minister.
The Sunday Times reported that between 2011 and 2015, Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani personally presented Prince Charles with three sums of money.
Britain’s Prince Charles, center, arrives at the Hamad Airport in Doha, Qatar, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2015. (AP Photo/Osama Faisal)
“Charitable donations received from Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim were transferred immediately to one of the prince’s charities,” the prince’s office said in a statement released on Sunday. The charity carried out the appropriate governance and has assured us that all the correct procedures were followed,” the statement continued.
The Sunday Times said that there was no indication that the payments were unlawful.
The anti-monarchy organization Republic stated that it will request an investigation.
Michael Fawcett, who had been Prince Charles’ right-hand man for decades, resigned from his position as head of one of the British royal’s primary charities in November, weeks after the Sunday Times reported that he had given honors in exchange for donations.
The British Charity Commission and the police are examining these claims.
According to a representative for the prince, Charles was unaware of the purported promise of honors or citizenship in exchange for donations.
NASA’s first rocket launch from a commercial spaceport outside the United States took place on an unremarkable piece of red dirt in a remote region of Australia.
Early on Monday morning, local time, the suborbital rocket launched from the tiny launch pad.
NASA believes it will enable astrophysics research that can only be conducted in the Southern Hemisphere.
Additionally, the launch was the first in Australia in almost twenty-five years.
The rocket is the first of three Nasa rockets to launch from the recently completed Arnhem Space Centre on the border of the Northern Territory.
It is hoped that it will assist scientists in studying the effect of a star’s light on the habitability of surrounding planets.
Observers who traveled to the remote location saw the rocket for approximately 10 seconds before it disappeared.
Merrkiyawuy Ganambarr-Stubbs, co-principal of Yirrkala School, said to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, “It happened in the blink of an eye, yet it felt like it happened in slow motion because the whole region suddenly lighted up.”
“It rose, and then I heard a rumbling boom, unlike anything I’ve ever heard before. And I simply trembled with awe.”
The duration of the sounding rocket’s mission in space was similarly brief; the 13-meter-long projectile returned to Earth after 15 minutes.
The executive of Equatorial Launch Australia, which operates the space center, said that the data obtained during this period will assist reveal the secrets of star constellations 430 million light-years distant.
“Without delving too deeply into the science, it was essentially a huge X-ray camera looking at various… phenomena and attempting to record fragments of rocks in the Milky Way and, in particular, the Alpha Centauri star cluster,” Michael Jones explained to the local network Nine.
Natasha Fyles, chief minister of the Northern Territory, described the inauguration as a “very proud” event for Australia, noting that it was undertaken with the approval of the region’s Aboriginal traditional owners.
Ms. Fyles stated, “Here on Yolngu land, young Territorians can look up at the sky and see what is possible.”
When the world’s oldest living civilization combines with the science of space, as is the case here, we may all take pride in this fact.
Australia has recently increased its space activities, launching a defense organization aimed at combating the space ambitions of Russia and China.
The Arnhem Space Centre is the world’s first and only privately owned and operated equatorial launch pad.
Mr. Jones stated in a statement, “We have accomplished a fantastic feat and created an indelible mark in the history of Australia’s voyage into space.”
“[It] confirms that we and Australia can give space access, and this is only the beginning for us.
The next launch is anticipated to occur on July 4.
NASA has committed to collecting all debris and returning it to the United States.
On Monday, troops in Sri Lanka distributed tokens to citizens waiting in line for gasoline due to a severe fuel scarcity caused by the nation’s greatest economic crisis in seven decades. Schools were closed in Colombo and state employees were told to work from home.
With record-low foreign exchange reserves, the 22 million-person island struggles to pay for imports of food, medicine, and, most importantly, fuel.
“I have been in line for four days, I haven’t slept or eaten properly during this period,” claimed 67-year-old autorickshaw driver W.D. Shelton was given a token to retain his place in line until fuel became available.
We can’t earn, we can’t feed our families,” said Shelton, who was 24th in line at a fuel station in the heart of Colombo, but planned to remain there because he lacked the fuel to travel the 5 kilometers to his home.
It was initially unclear how far the government’s gasoline stockpiles might be stretched.
On Sunday, Power and Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekera stated that diesel and gasoline inventories total approximately 9,000 and 6,000 tonnes, respectively, but that no new deliveries are scheduled.
The government has instructed staff to work from home until further notice, and schools in Colombo and nearby areas have been closed for a week.
Since last week, fuel station lines have steadily expanded.
Shelton stated, “This is a tragedy, and we do not know where it will end.”
Priority will be given to public transportation, electricity generating, and medical services, with some petroleum rationed to ports and airports.
A team from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is now in Sri Lanka for bailout negotiations.
Although the nation in the Indian Ocean hopes to obtain a staff-level agreement before Thursday, it is unclear that this will release immediate money.
During rush hour, climate protesters have paralyzed portions of Sydney by blocking critical roads and a tunnel.
Monday marked the beginning of disruptions by members of Blockade Australia in protest of “Australia’s ecological catastrophe.”
The protestors were “violent” and “erratic,” according to the police, as they marched around the city and blocked streets with barricades and trash cans.
One driver was captured on camera driving through the protest and clashing with protesters.
New South Wales Police reported that more than ten individuals have been apprehended thus far.
They included a woman who blocked the Sydney Harbour Tunnel with her vehicle.
Assistant Commissioner Paul Dunstan stated that the hurling of bicycles, garbage cans, and other objects in the path of police, media, and innocent members of the public walking by will not be permitted.
Police were reviewing footage of a car plowing into demonstrators, he stated, but no injuries had been recorded.
In the last week, police raided suspected protest organizers’ campsites and arrested several other individuals.
This week, Blockade Australia has pledged to bring Sydney to a “standstill,” which they claim is necessary for people to take their message seriously.
The woman who blocked the tunnel live-streamed her protest and explained that she had personally observed “terrifying” climate change. She claimed to be from Lismore, a city ravaged by two devastating floods earlier this year.
After being verbally abused by a man, she stated, “There are people who are quite upset right now, and I can understand that… but we must take a stance.”
This is being done for you and your family’s benefit.
Premier of New South Wales Dominic Perrottet referred to demonstrators on a local radio station as “bloody fools.”
The activist group has halted operations at the world’s largest coal port in Newcastle, near Sydney, and Australia’s largest container port in the past year. Additionally, it has blocked major traffic bridges.
These protests pushed the state administration to draught new legislation imposing harsher fines for specific types of demonstrations.
Demonstrators who obstruct roads or impede traffic now risk a maximum of two years in prison and fines of up to A$22,000 (£12,400; $15,000).
The law also established new offenses for obstructing access to vital facilities such as ports and railroads.
When asked if this could result in a possible violation of international law, Boris Johnson responded, “these are difficult decisions we must make.”
The prime minister has indicated that import restrictions on steel, which were set to expire this week, may be extended.
It follows an approach proposed by the secretary of international trade on Thursday.
However, according to the Department of International Trade, no final decision has been made.
Mr. Johnson stated at the G7 summit in Germany that maintaining controls on foreign steel imports would protect British producers who are already under pressure from rising energy costs.
Mr. Johnson stated, “We need British steel to be supplied with significantly cheaper energy.”
However, until this issue is resolved, I believe it is reasonable for the UK steel industry to enjoy the same protections as every other European steel economy.
Mr. Johnson linked the resignation of his ethics adviser Lord Geidt to a disagreement over future steel tariff decisions earlier this month.
However, Mr. Geidt stated that this interpretation of his resignation did not reflect “the much broader scope of my objection.”
In response to tariffs imposed by the Trump administration, the European Union introduced import restrictions in 2018 that is currently being considered. The United Kingdom replicated the controls after Brexit.
The restrictions, which impose a tariff on steel imports once a certain quota is reached, are referred to as “steel safeguards” because they are designed to protect the domestic market from influxes of cheap steel from abroad.
There are currently controls in place for fifteen categories of steel. While import restrictions on ten of these categories have already been extended to 2024, import restrictions on five categories will expire on June 30.
The extension of tariffs on steel imports is viewed as a potential violation of World Trade Organization (WTO) obligations.
When asked if the government was considering imposing tariffs that may be illegal, cabinet minister Brandon Lewis stated that the government’s priority was to “ensure compliance with international law.”
The Northern Ireland Secretary stated on the BBC’s Sunday Morning program that he was “not saying the government will do this” but that “this is something that is supported across the sector” and that the government must “look at all these things” and “get the balance right.”
UK Steel, a lobbying organization for the British steel industry, expressed confidence that extending the steel controls would be “WTO compliant” and that “there would be no legitimate reason for challenges.
Before making a final decision on whether or not to extend the safeguards, the Department of International Trade is consulting with foreign counterparts by World Trade Organization rules.
UK Steel stated that removing import restrictions would expose British steelmakers to a distorted global market, which could cause up to £150 million in annual losses.
Also speaking on the BBC’s Sunday Morning program, shadow foreign secretary David Lammy stated that the Labour Party would support the continuation of the tariffs.
“Both the EU and the United States have continued with this extension, so we would support him,” he said.
“Steelworkers, unions, industry, and the Labour Party all support him.”
Today, however, Tom Tugendhat, a Conservative member of parliament and chairman of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, tweeted: “Protectionism is detrimental to everyone. Tariffs are not conservative because they are a consumer tax.”
Russian missiles targeted Kiev for the first time in three weeks, as G7 leaders assembled in Germany with the invasion at the top of their agenda.
A nine-story apartment building and the grounds of a kindergarten were attacked, and officials reported that one person was murdered and six others were injured.
A nine-story apartment building and the grounds of a kindergarten were attacked, and officials reported that one person was murdered and six others were injured.
Earlier, Vitali Klitschko, the mayor of Kiev, stated that four people were brought to the hospital and a seven-year-old girl was rescued from the rubble.
He suggested that the bombings may have been a “symbolic attack” by Moscow in advance of the NATO conference in Madrid this week.
Andriy Yermak, the president’s chief of staff, stated: “Again, the Russians attacked Kiev. A kindergarten and an apartment complex were hit by missiles.”
The residential building in the central Shevchenkivskiy neighborhood was left smoldering with a crater in its roof after firefighters extinguished a fire there, and debris was scattered over parked automobiles outside.
At a different location 400 meters distant, there was a massive bomb crater near a private kindergarten playground with shattered windows. The area’s storage garages were completely damaged.
Referring to the Russian strikes, US Vice President Joe Biden stated, “it’s more of their brutality” while attending a conference in Bavaria with the leaders of seven leading nations.
Boris Johnson stated that the West must maintain a united front against Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia.
“The price of capitulating, the price of allowing Putin to triumph, to sever vast portions of Ukraine, and to continue his conquest campaign, would be much, much greater,” the prime minister told reporters.
There were up to four explosions heard in the center of Kiev. Mykola Povoroznyk, the deputy mayor of Kiev, stated that explosions heard later in other sections of the city were air defenses destroying other incoming missiles.
Oleksiy Goncharenko, a Ukrainian lawmaker, tweeted on the Telegram messaging service, “according to preliminary data, 14 missiles were launched against the Kiev region and the city of Kiev.”
Yuriy Ignat, a spokesman for the air force, stated that the missiles were Kh-101 air-launched cruise missiles launched from aircraft over the Caspian Sea.
The capital was last struck by Russian warplanes on June 5.
Oleksandr Skichko, a former regional governor, stated via Telegram that explosions were also heard in the central city of Cherkasy. He did not provide further information.
Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February in what Mr. Putin termed a unique military operation to safeguard Russian security and de-Nazify Ukraine, Cherkasy has mainly escaped bombardment.
Russia’s Ministry of Defense stated that it had employed high-precision weaponry to strike Ukrainian army training centers in the areas of Chernihiv, Zhytomyr, and Lviv, an apparent allusion to Saturday’s attacks reported by Ukraine.
In the meantime, Russian soldiers have been attempting to seize the last remaining Ukrainian stronghold in the eastern region of Luhansk.
They have already seized complete control of Severodonetsk and the chemical factory where hundreds of Ukrainian soldiers and civilians had taken refuge.
Governor of the Luhansk area, which contains Severodonetsk, Serhiy Haidai, reported that Russia was conducting extensive airstrikes on the neighboring city of Lysychansk, destroying its television tower and severely damaging a road bridge.
He posted on Facebook, “There is a great deal of wreckage – Lysychansk is virtually unrecognizable.”
Gemma Godfrey, an expert in personal finance, responds to a question posed by a significant number of individuals seeking to climb the housing ladder.
First-time buyers throughout the United Kingdom are faced with a crucial question: should we buy now or wait for the market to cool?
The Office of National Statistics reported that the average house price increase in the United Kingdom jumped to 12,4 percent last month, a substantial increase from 9,7 percent.
Saving enough money to purchase a first home is a significant accomplishment, and waiting for a “better time to buy” could be risky for three reasons.
First, there is no assurance that home prices will decline, especially in highly desirable areas where there are more buyers than sellers.
A mortgage could become more expensive if interest rates continue to rise, especially if you were considering a fixed-rate mortgage that could be fixed at a lower rate today.
Thirdly, during difficult economic times, banks have made it more difficult to qualify for a mortgage, so there is a chance that it will be more difficult to qualify for mortgage offers on the market today.
Buying a home that you will reside in for many years can be an emotional decision.
It can be time-consuming to find a suitable item, and once you do, the risk of losing it to another buyer may outweigh the benefit of waiting for a price reduction.
The Japanese government urged residents of Tokyo and its surrounding areas to use less electricity on Monday, warning that supplies will be strained due to a heatwave sweeping the country.
This afternoon, the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry anticipates “severe” electricity demand.
It was recommended that people turn off unnecessary lights but continue to use air conditioning to prevent heatstroke.
As temperatures rise, officials have warned for weeks of an impending power shortage.
Over the weekend, the temperature in central Tokyo surpassed 35 degrees Celsius, while the city of Isesaki, located northwest of the capital, reached a record 40.2 degrees Celsius. This was the warmest June temperature ever recorded in Japan.
June marks the beginning of summer in Japan, with average temperatures below 30 degrees Celsius.
In a statement released on Sunday, the ministry stated that excess electricity generation capacity was expected to drop to 3.7% in Tokyo and eight surrounding prefectures on Monday afternoon. It considers a 3 percent buffer necessary for a stable power supply.
The government requested that people turn off unnecessary lights for three hours beginning at 15:00 Tokyo time (07:00 BST) while “using air conditioning and staying hydrated during hot hours.”
Despite efforts by electricity providers to increase supply, the ministry stated that the situation is “unpredictable” as temperatures continue to rise.
“Should there be an increase in demand and sudden supply difficulties, the reserve margin will fall below the minimum of 3 percent,” it stated.
Since a March earthquake in the country’s northeastern region caused several nuclear power plants to cease operations, Japan’s power supply has been limited.
To reduce carbon dioxide emissions, officials have also closed several aging fossil fuel plants.
These issues, coupled with an increase in electricity demand, have resulted in a power shortage.
The Japanese government urged households and businesses earlier this month to conserve as much electricity as possible during the summer.
As of Sunday afternoon, the Japanese public broadcaster NHK reported that 46 people in Tokyo had been hospitalized for suspected heatstroke.
It was also reported that a 94-year-old man from the nearby city of Kawagoe was believed to have died from the condition.
Officials in the Australian state of New South Wales, which includes the nation’s largest city, Sydney, urged residents to turn off their lights in news of an energy crisis. Late last week, restrictions on the Australian wholesale energy market were lifted.
According to reports, Russia has missed a payment deadline for its international bonds, which would mark the country’s first default since the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution.
The Russian Ministry of Finance asserts that it has made the payments and fulfilled its obligations, suggesting that western sanctions have impeded the country’s efforts.
Sunday’s expiration of a grace period revealed that some Taiwanese holders of Russian Eurobonds had not received accrued interest.
Moscow owed $100 million (£81.4 million) on two Eurobonds: $29 million on a euro-denominated 2036 bond and $71 million on a dollar-denominated 2026 bond.
It was unclear how any possible default occurred.
The Russian Ministry of Finance stated that the payments were made in euros and dollars and that Russia had fulfilled its obligations.
However, it signaled last week that it was attempting to meet looming payment deadlines by making payments in roubles, citing the impact of Western sanctions over its involvement in the Ukraine conflict.
They have witnessed the freezing of hundreds of billions of dollars in foreign currency reserves.
Additionally, the country’s banking system has been cut off from significant portions of the global market.
The Russian finance minister was quoted by Bloomberg News as calling the apparent default a “farce.”
The Kremlin has repeatedly stated that Russia has no reason to default.
It was unclear whether a rouble payment through the Belgian bank Euroclear had been blocked or whether bondholders had declared Russia in default because the money was not in the correct currency.
When the US Treasury decided not to renew an exemption to sanctions rules that had permitted payments to foreign bondholders, a default was deemed inevitable.
Jay S. Auslander, a leading sovereign debt attorney at Wilk Auslander in New York, stated that determining a default could take some time.
“There is a possibility that magic could occur, but nobody is willing to wager on it.
There is a high likelihood that they won’t be able to because no bank will move the money.
While a formal default would be largely symbolic because the country cannot borrow internationally at this time, the stigma could increase Russia’s borrowing costs when it returns to the bond market in the future.
Approximately half of its $40 billion in outstanding international bonds are held by foreign investors.
Major corporations, including Disney, JP Morgan, and Meta, the owner of Facebook, have informed their employees that they will cover travel expenses for abortions, as millions of American women face restricted access.
It follows a landmark decision by the Supreme Court of the United States, which invalidated the constitutional right to abortion.
The decision allows individual states to prohibit the procedure.
Amazon and other companies had already announced similar moves.
Since the ruling, however, an increasing number of employers have confirmed they will cover travel expenses for employees who leave their home state for abortion under their health insurance plans.
Disney stated that it had informed its employees that it understood the impact of the Supreme Court’s decision and remained committed to providing them with “comprehensive access” to affordable healthcare, including family planning and reproductive care “regardless of where they live.”
Disney employs approximately 80,000 people at its Florida resort, where a ban on abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy went into effect on 1 July after being signed by the governor.
According to an internal memo dated 1 June and seen by the Reuters news agency, the banking giant JP Morgan informed its US employees that it would cover travel expenses for medical services, including “legal abortions.
A bank spokesperson stated on Friday, “We are committed to the health and well-being of our employees and want to ensure equitable access to all benefits.
According to Reuters, another prominent US investment bank, Goldman Sachs, announced it would cover travel expenses for employees who needed to travel to another state for an abortion beginning July 1.
The social media company Meta stated that it would reimburse travel expenses, where allowed by law, “for employees who require them to access out-of-state medical care.”
Given the legal complexities involved, we are evaluating how best to proceed, a spokesperson added.
Conde Nast, the publisher of Vogue, Levi Strauss, and Lyft and Uber, ride-hailing services, are among the other companies that have indicated they will take similar steps.
A spokesperson for Lyft added that “no driver should be required to ask a passenger where they are going and why”
Several other businesses, including Amazon, the review website Yelp, and the banking behemoth Citigroup, had previously stated that they would reimburse employees who travel to circumvent local abortion restrictions.
CEO of Yelp Jeremy Stoppelman tweeted that the court’s decision “threatens the health of women” and that “business leaders must speak out.
Individual states will now decide whether or not to allow abortions. Abortion will not automatically become illegal in the United States.
Thirteen states have already enacted abortion-banning “trigger laws” that take effect if Roe v. Wade is overturned.
According to the Guttmacher Institute, over twenty states have taken steps to restrict access.
Republicans who oppose abortion are likely to retaliate against businesses that offer to cover the cost of travel to another state for the procedure.
Legislators in Texas have already threatened Citigroup and Lyft with legal action, and the state’s Republican Party chairman, Matt Rinaldi, has urged Republicans to avoid using Citi’s services.
Abortion is a contentious issue in the United States. According to a recent Pew survey, 61% of adults believe abortion should be legal all or most of the time, while 37% believe it should be illegal all or most of the time.
A motoring organization suggests that the CMA’s review of the petrol market should consider why petrol prices are not falling, accusing retailers of acting slowly to protect their margins.
Retailers of gasoline have been accused of forcing “rocket and feather” pricing after the average price of unleaded reached a new, unexpected record high over the weekend.
However, Experian Catalyst data revealed on Monday that petrol reached 191.1p per liter on Sunday, contrary to the expectations of motoring organizations.
It meant that the average cost of filling a family vehicle had surpassed £105, putting additional strain on businesses and family budgets amid the cost of living crisis.
On Saturday, diesel prices reached a new high of 199.1p, before falling back to 198.9p the following day.
The RAC was surprised by the unleaded figure and asserted that there is a clear and well-established strategy in place whereby retailers are quick to pass on rising costs but slow to react when they fall.
Simon Williams, the spokesman for the company’s fuel, said: “We find it difficult to understand how retailers can continue to raise unleaded prices when the wholesale price of gasoline has decreased substantially.
“Sadly, this is a classic case of rocket and feather pricing in action, and the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) will undoubtedly examine it closely.
Despite having a clear opportunity to reduce their forecourt prices, retailers appear to be making matters worse for themselves.
He added: “The only explanation for retailers’ unwillingness to reduce prices is that they are protecting profits if wholesale costs suddenly increase.
“The longer they hold out, the greater their gain, and the longer the misery endures for drivers struggling with high prices.”
Similarly, the AA expressed frustration regarding the issue.
President Edmund King stated: “During the summer when airports are struggling and dramatic diesel prices are impacting the industry, haulage, and fuel inflation, record gasoline prices could stifle staycations.
The government must act immediately to increase price transparency and reduce duty levels.
It is unknown when the business secretary-ordered CMA market review will report back its findings.
The industry has been contacted for comment, as gasoline retailers have consistently denied previous claims of profiteering.
After eight months of treatment, Radio 1 DJ Adele Roberts has disclosed she is cancer-free.
She wrote on Instagram that it was “the day I’ve been waiting for” and that the news “left me speechless.”
Adele revealed for the first time that she was undergoing treatment for colon cancer on October 24, 2021.
She wrote, “Everything we’ve been through seems to be swirling around in my body, and life feels a bit surreal right now.”
“But I am so grateful! I am grateful for my blessings.”
Adele has been candid about her battle with cancer and her stoma during treatment.
She paid tribute to other cancer patients in her post, revealing that they had inspired her during treatment.
“I am also in awe of those who are battling cancer. “The courage, the strength, the determination, and, at times, the humor you’ve displayed are nothing short of superhuman,” she wrote.
“You have motivated and inspired me to never give up. You are warriors, and my perseverance has been sustained by your strength.
Feel the dread, but do it anyway. Even though it took me all my strength to get out of bed and face the day, I did it.
Adele also expressed gratitude to her friends, family, and physician for their support over the past eight months.
She singled out her partner Kate Holderness, describing her as “the reason I had the strength to get up every morning.”
Adele was recently honored at the Diva Awards, where she received the Diva Choice Award for promoting LGBTQ+ awareness in broadcasting and sharing her cancer journey.
What are the signs and symptoms of colon cancer? A persistent change in bowel habits is characterized by more frequent urination, looser stools, and occasional abdominal pain. Blood in the feces in the absence of other symptoms, such as piles Abdominal pain, discomfort, or bloating is always caused by eating, sometimes leading to a reduction in food intake and weight loss. The majority of people with these symptoms do not have colon cancer, but the NHS recommends that you see your doctor if you have one or more of these symptoms and they have persisted for at least four weeks.
