Britain's former foreign secretary Boris Johnson, who is tipped as a future prime minister, revealed on Friday that he has separated from his wife and the couple are getting a divorce.
The 54-year-old, who quit his role in July in opposition to the government's plan for Brexit, made the announcement after a front-page report in The Sun that the pair had split over his infidelity.
"Several months ago, after 25 years of marriage, we decided it was in our best interests to separate," the joint statement from Johnson and his wife Marina Wheeler said.
"We have subsequently agreed to divorce and that process is under way.
"As friends we will continue to support our four children in the years ahead. We will not be commenting further."
Mr Johnson is widely believed to be making moves for the leadership of Prime Minister Theresa May's Conservative party, which is deeply divided on its approach to Britain's withdrawal from the EU.
He was a leading figure in the campaign for Brexit ahead of the 2016 EU referendum, and since resigning has repeated his criticism of May's plan to maintain close economic ties with the bloc.
The Sun tabloid suggested that fresh revelations of Mr Johnson's infidelity, which he has admitted in the past, could damage his chances of taking power.
However, other commentators suggested they could be a way of "clearing the decks", publishing all embarrassing material before any leadership bid.
The statement comes just weeks before the Conservative party's annual conference, when Johnson is expected to make a speech to a large rally.
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Read more:
Boris Johnson vents spleen over UK Brexit plan
Supporters of ex-minister Boris Johnson post anti-Muslim comments on Facebook page
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Fixtures and results:
Wed, Aug 29:
- Malaysia bt Hong Kong by 3 wickets
- Oman bt Nepal by 7 wickets
- UAE bt Singapore by 215 runs
Thu, Aug 30:
- UAE bt Nepal by 78 runs
- Hong Kong bt Singapore by 5 wickets
- Oman bt Malaysia by 2 wickets
Sat, Sep 1: UAE v Hong Kong; Oman v Singapore; Malaysia v Nepal
Sun, Sep 2: Hong Kong v Oman; Malaysia v UAE; Nepal v Singapore
Tue, Sep 4: Malaysia v Singapore; UAE v Oman; Nepal v Hong Kong
Thu, Sep 6: Final
Shubh Mangal Saavdhan
Directed by: RS Prasanna
Starring: Ayushmann Khurrana, Bhumi Pednekar
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
From Europe to the Middle East, economic success brings wealth - and lifestyle diseases
A rise in obesity figures and the need for more public spending is a familiar trend in the developing world as western lifestyles are adopted.
One in five deaths around the world is now caused by bad diet, with obesity the fastest growing global risk. A high body mass index is also the top cause of metabolic diseases relating to death and disability in Kuwait, Qatar and Oman – and second on the list in Bahrain.
In Britain, heart disease, lung cancer and Alzheimer’s remain among the leading causes of death, and people there are spending more time suffering from health problems.
The UK is expected to spend $421.4 billion on healthcare by 2040, up from $239.3 billion in 2014.
And development assistance for health is talking about the financial aid given to governments to support social, environmental development of developing countries.
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
If you go
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Funchal via Lisbon, with a connecting flight with Air Portugal. Economy class returns cost from Dh3,845 return including taxes.
The trip
The WalkMe app can be downloaded from the usual sources. If you don’t fancy doing the trip yourself, then Explore offers an eight-day levada trails tour from Dh3,050, not including flights.
The hotel
There isn’t another hotel anywhere in Madeira that matches the history and luxury of the Belmond Reid's Palace in Funchal. Doubles from Dh1,400 per night including taxes.
The biog
Name: Fareed Lafta
Age: 40
From: Baghdad, Iraq
Mission: Promote world peace
Favourite poet: Al Mutanabbi
Role models: His parents
