LONDON // Prince William married Kate Middleton in regal splendor at London's Westminster Abbey Friday as huge crowds and a global TV audience watched Britain's biggest royal celebration for three decades.
Kate, wearing a stunning ivory and white satin wedding dress with long lace sleeves, a veil and a flowing train, stood composed at the altar with the second in line to the throne who wore a smart scarlet military tunic.
"I will," the future king and queen each pronounced solemnly in turn, before William put a ring fashioned from a nugget of Welsh gold on her finger and then Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams pronounced them man and wife.
It is the richest display of pageantry since William's late mother Diana married Prince Charles in 1981 and offers Britain's royal family a chance at renewal after Charles and Diana's bitterly public split.
The absence of Diana, who died in a car crash in Paris in 1997, was keenly felt, and music played at the wedding 30 years ago and at her funeral in the same abbey were played during Friday's service.
Two billion people -- a third of the world's population -- are expected to watch Diana's eldest son wed the commoner he began dating at St Andrews university in Scotland eight years ago.
As a sea of hundreds of thousands of people waved Union Jacks in London, Kate waved to the crowd as she arrived at the abbey with her father Michael in a Rolls-Royce limousine.
She took four minutes to walk down the aisle, which was lined with trees specially brought in to create the feel of an English garden.William Arthur Philip Louis -- as Diana's eldest son and the second in line to the throne was called during the service -- arrived at the church 45 minutes earlier accompanied by his younger brother and best man Prince Harry.
Kate however did not promise to obey her husband in her marriage vows -- following in the footsteps of Diana, who married Charles on July 29, 1981 at St Paul's Cathedral. Charles and Diana divorced 15 years later.Palace officials confirmed her dress was by Sarah Burton at Alexander McQueen, the iconic British designer who committed suicide last year.
Guests inside included footballer David Beckham, singer Elton John and "Mr Bean" actor Rowan Atkinson. Fifty members of the royal family and dozens of foreign royals were due after William.Queen Elizabeth II granted the couple the titles Duke and Duchess of Cambridge as a wedding gift earlier in the day.
Hundreds of thousands of campers transformed The Mall, the wide boulevard leading to Buckingham Palace, into a sea of Union Jack flags.
"They will make the monarchy fashionable again. It's good for the country," said Louise Akehurst, 25, an administrator from London.William, a 28-year-old Royal Air Force search and rescue helicopter pilot, has long been seen as the great hope of the royal family for the future after a string of failed marriages and scandals.
Sandra Russell, 65, who is of French-British nationality, said she thought the marriage would be successful because Kate is "much older than Diana was at the time, much more mature and they are marrying for love."
"Charles was under the pressure of his family. People here are still angry at him, and Camilla (his second wife) too. I hope William will be the next king.
"After the service, the newlyweds will travel in a horse-drawn open carriage from the abbey to Buckingham Palace where the couple will follow tradition by appearing on the balcony with the rest of the royal family and kissing.
More than 8,500 journalists and technical staff are covering the wedding for a global audience.And the world will join in the party. New York's iconic Empire State Building will be illuminated in blue, white and red in honor of the royal couple.
Royalty and celebrities on hand at Westminster Abbey
LONDON // Former England soccer captain David Beckham and singer Elton John mingled with monarchs and politicians as an eclectic cast attended Britain's royal wedding on Friday.
Beckham, his hair swept back and with a medal awarded by Queen Elizabeth on his lapel, chatted with British film director Guy Ritchie before the ceremony in Westminster Abbey.
John waved to the crowds and gave a thumbs-up as he arrived with his partner David Furnish for the wedding of Prince William, second-in-line to the throne, and Kate Middleton.The singer performed in the abbey in 1997 during the funeral of Princess Diana, William's mother.
Former Prime Minister John Major was also among early arrivals at the Abbey. Major, a Conservative, was prime minister from 1990 to 1997. His two Labour successors Tony Blair and Gordon Brown were left off the guest list.Prime Minister David Cameron, preparing to attend the wedding, said he was very excited.
"It's a mixture of this amazing young couple, the fact they love each other, it's also the institution, the national symbolism, the monarchy, the service of the royal family," he told BBC TV.
"It's all those things and a chance to celebrate. We are quite a reserved lot, the British, but then when we go for it, we really go for it.
"Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and opposition leader Ed Miliband joined the 1,900 inside the abbey, along with Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard.
The guest list draws from a broad spectrum of society, the old establishment colliding with the brasher world of celebrity, reflecting William's privileged background and his attempts to reach out to a wider public.
Among those invited was Lance-Corporal Martyn Compton, a friend of the prince who served alongside him in the Household Cavalry and was so severely burned in an ambush in Afghanistan in 2006 that he lost his ears and nose.
Photographer Mario Testino, who took the official engagement pictures, and singer Joss Stone, who performed at a tribute concert for William's late mother in 2007, are included, as is "Mr. Bean" actor Rowan Atkinson.
Australian swimmer Ian Thorpe, former England rugby coach Clive Woodward, ex-England soccer star Trevor Brooking and Welsh rugby player Gareth Thomas will represent the sporting world.
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya
Directors: Amit Joshi and Aradhana Sah
Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Kriti Sanon, Dharmendra, Dimple Kapadia, Rakesh Bedi
Rating: 4/5
Essentials
The flights: You can fly from the UAE to Iceland with one stop in Europe with a variety of airlines. Return flights with Emirates from Dubai to Stockholm, then Icelandair to Reykjavik, cost from Dh4,153 return. The whole trip takes 11 hours. British Airways flies from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Reykjavik, via London, with return flights taking 12 hours and costing from Dh2,490 return, including taxes.
The activities: A half-day Silfra snorkelling trip costs 14,990 Icelandic kronur (Dh544) with Dive.is. Inside the Volcano also takes half a day and costs 42,000 kronur (Dh1,524). The Jokulsarlon small-boat cruise lasts about an hour and costs 9,800 kronur (Dh356). Into the Glacier costs 19,500 kronur (Dh708). It lasts three to four hours.
The tours: It’s often better to book a tailor-made trip through a specialist operator. UK-based Discover the World offers seven nights, self-driving, across the island from £892 (Dh4,505) per person. This includes three nights’ accommodation at Hotel Husafell near Into the Glacier, two nights at Hotel Ranga and two nights at the Icelandair Hotel Klaustur. It includes car rental, plus an iPad with itinerary and tourist information pre-loaded onto it, while activities can be booked as optional extras. More information inspiredbyiceland.com
TO CATCH A KILLER
Director: Damian Szifron
Stars: Shailene Woodley, Ben Mendelsohn, Ralph Ineson
Rating: 2/5
The specs
Engine: 1.8-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 190hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 320Nm from 1,800-5,000rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed dual-clutch auto
Fuel consumption: 6.7L/100km
Price: From Dh111,195
On sale: Now
MATCH INFO
West Ham United 2 (Antonio 73', Ogbonna 90+5')
Tottenham Hotspur 3 (Son 36', Moura 42', Kane 49')
TWISTERS
Director:+Lee+Isaac+Chung
Starring:+Glen+Powell,+Daisy+Edgar-Jones,+Anthony+Ramos
Rating:+2.5/5
What is safeguarding?
“Safeguarding, not just in sport, but in all walks of life, is making sure that policies are put in place that make sure your child is safe; when they attend a football club, a tennis club, that there are welfare officers at clubs who are qualified to a standard to make sure your child is safe in that environment,” Derek Bell explains.
Everybody Loves Touda
Director: Nabil Ayouch
Starring: Nisrin Erradi, Joud Chamihy, Jalila Talemsi
Rating: 4/5
PRIMERA LIGA FIXTURES
All times UAE (+4 GMT)
Saturday
Atletico Madrid v Sevilla (3pm)
Alaves v Real Madrid (6.15pm)
Malaga v Athletic Bilbao (8.30pm)
Girona v Barcelona (10.45pm)
Sunday
Espanyol v Deportivo la Coruna (2pm)
Getafe v Villarreal (6.15pm)
Eibar v Celta Vigo (8.30pm)
Las Palmas v Leganes (8.30pm)
Real Sociedad v Valencia (10.45pm)
Monday
Real Betis v Levante (11.pm)
Company profile
Name: Khodar
Based: Cairo and Alexandria, in Egypt
Founders: Ayman Hamza, Yasser Eidrous and Amr El Sheikh
Sector: agriculture technology
Funding: $500,000
Investors: Saudi Arabia’s Revival Lab and others
Employees: 35
Top 10 most competitive economies
1. Singapore
2. Switzerland
3. Denmark
4. Ireland
5. Hong Kong
6. Sweden
7. UAE
8. Taiwan
9. Netherlands
10. Norway
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km
Price: Dh133,900
On sale: now
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Klipit
Started: 2022
Founders: Venkat Reddy, Mohammed Al Bulooki, Bilal Merchant, Asif Ahmed, Ovais Merchant
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Digital receipts, finance, blockchain
Funding: $4 million
Investors: Privately/self-funded
SPEC SHEET: SAMSUNG GALAXY Z FOLD5
Main display: 7.6" QXGA+ Dynamic Amoled 2X, Infinity Flex, 2176 x 1812, 21.6:18, 374ppi, HDR10+, up to 120Hz
Cover display: 6.2" HD+ Dynamic Amoled 2X, 2316 x 904, 23.1:9, 402ppi, up to 120Hz
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, 4nm, octa-core; Adreno 740 GPU
Memory: 12GB
Capacity: 256/512GB / 1TB (online exclusive)
Platform: Android 13, One UI 5.1.1
Main camera: Triple 12MP ultra-wide (f/2.2) + 50MP wide (f/1.8) + 10MP telephoto (f/2.4), dual OIS, 3x optical zoom, 30x Space Zoom, portrait, super slo-mo
Video: 8K@24fps, 4K@60fps, full-HD@60/240fps, HD@960fps; slo-mo@60/240/960fps; HDR10+
Cover camera: 10MP (f/2.2)
Inner front camera: Under-display 4MP (f/1.8)
Battery: 4400mAh, 25W fast charging, 15W wireless, 4.5W reverse wireless
Connectivity: 5G; Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC (Samsung Pay)
I/O: USB-C
Cards: Nano-SIM + eSIM; dual nano-SIMs + eSIM
Colours: Cream, icy blue, phantom black; online exclusives – blue, grey
In the box: Fold5, USB-C-to-USB-C cable
Price: Dh6,799 / Dh7,249 / Dh8,149
Employment lawyer Meriel Schindler of Withers Worldwide shares her tips on achieving equal pay
Do your homework
Make sure that you are being offered a fair salary. There is lots of industry data available, and you can always talk to people who have come out of the organisation. Where I see people coming a cropper is where they haven’t done their homework.
Don’t be afraid to negotiate
It’s quite standard to negotiate if you think an offer is on the low side. The job is unlikely to be withdrawn if you ask for money, and if that did happen I’d question whether you want to work for an employer who is so hypersensitive.
Know your worth
Women tend to be a bit more reticent to talk about their achievements. In my experience they need to have more confidence in their own abilities – men will big up what they’ve done to get a pay rise, and to compete women need to turn up the volume.
Work together
If you suspect men in your organisation are being paid more, look your boss in the eye and say, “I want you to assure me that I’m paid equivalent to my peers”. If you’re not getting a straight answer, talk to your peer group and consider taking direct action to fix inequality.
La Mer lowdown
La Mer beach is open from 10am until midnight, daily, and is located in Jumeirah 1, well after Kite Beach. Some restaurants, like Cupagahwa, are open from 8am for breakfast; most others start at noon. At the time of writing, we noticed that signs for Vicolo, an Italian eatery, and Kaftan, a Turkish restaurant, indicated that these two restaurants will be open soon, most likely this month. Parking is available, as well as a Dh100 all-day valet option or a Dh50 valet service if you’re just stopping by for a few hours.
How to improve Arabic reading in early years
One 45-minute class per week in Standard Arabic is not sufficient
The goal should be for grade 1 and 2 students to become fluent readers
Subjects like technology, social studies, science can be taught in later grades
Grade 1 curricula should include oral instruction in Standard Arabic
First graders must regularly practice individual letters and combinations
Time should be slotted in class to read longer passages in early grades
Improve the appearance of textbooks
Revision of curriculum should be undertaken as per research findings
Conjugations of most common verb forms should be taught
Systematic learning of Standard Arabic grammar
SUCCESSION SEASON 4 EPISODE 1
Created by: Jesse Armstrong
Stars: Brian Cox, Jeremy Strong, Kieran Culkin, Sarah Snook, Nicholas Braun
Rating: 4/5
Kanye West
Ye — the rapper formerly known as Kanye West — has seen his net worth fall to $400 million in recent weeks. That’s a precipitous drop from Bloomberg’s estimates of $6.8 billion at the end of 2021.
Ye’s wealth plunged after business partners, including Adidas, severed ties with him on the back of anti-Semitic remarks earlier this year.
West’s present net worth derives from cash, his music, real estate and a stake in former wife Kim Kardashian’s shapewear firm, Skims.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Xpanceo
Started: 2018
Founders: Roman Axelrod, Valentyn Volkov
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Smart contact lenses, augmented/virtual reality
Funding: $40 million
Investor: Opportunity Venture (Asia)
MATCH INFO
Euro 2020 qualifier
Russia v Scotland, Thursday, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
The specs
Engine: 2.9-litre, V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: seven-speed PDK dual clutch automatic
Power: 375bhp
Torque: 520Nm
Price: Dh332,800
On sale: now
Liz Truss
Ministerial experience: Current Foreign Secretary.
What did she do before politics? Worked as an economist for Shell and Cable and Wireless and was then a deputy director for right-of-centre think tank Reform.
What does she say on tax? She has pledged to "start cutting taxes from day one", reversing April's rise in National Insurance and promising to keep "corporation tax competitive".
CABINET OF CURIOSITIES EPISODE 1: LOT 36
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Stars: Tim Blake Nelson, Sebastian Roche, Elpidia Carrillo
Rating: 4/5
Ponti
Sharlene Teo, Pan Macmillan
Anti-semitic attacks
The annual report by the Community Security Trust, which advises the Jewish community on security , warned on Thursday that anti-Semitic incidents in Britain had reached a record high.
It found there had been 2,255 anti-Semitic incidents reported in 2021, a rise of 34 per cent from the previous year.
The report detailed the convictions of a number of people for anti-Semitic crimes, including one man who was jailed for setting up a neo-Nazi group which had encouraged “the eradication of Jewish people” and another who had posted anti-Semitic homemade videos on social media.
Jeff Buckley: From Hallelujah To The Last Goodbye
By Dave Lory with Jim Irvin
The US Congress, explained
- US Congress is divided into two chambers: the House of Representatives and Senate
- 435 members make up the House, and 100 in the Senate
- A party needs control of 218 seats to have a majority in the House
- In the Senate, a party needs to hold 51 seats for control
- In the event of a 50-50 split, the vice president's party retains power in the Senate
The biog
Born November 11, 1948
Education: BA, English Language and Literature, Cairo University
Family: Four brothers, seven sisters, two daughters, 42 and 39, two sons, 43 and 35, and 15 grandchildren
Hobbies: Reading and traveling
WORLD'S 10 HIGHEST MOUNTAINS
1. Everest
2. K2
3. Kangchenjunga
4. Lhotse
5. Makalu
6. Cho Oyu
7. Dhaulagiri
8. Manaslu
9. Nanga Parbat
10. Annapurna
Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
SPECS
Engine: 2-litre direct injection turbo
Transmission: 7-speed automatic
Power: 261hp
Torque: 400Nm
Price: From Dh134,999
Company Profile
Company name: Namara
Started: June 2022
Founder: Mohammed Alnamara
Based: Dubai
Sector: Microfinance
Current number of staff: 16
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Family offices
TOURNAMENT INFO
Women’s World Twenty20 Qualifier
Jul 3- 14, in the Netherlands
The top two teams will qualify to play at the World T20 in the West Indies in November
UAE squad
Humaira Tasneem (captain), Chamani Seneviratne, Subha Srinivasan, Neha Sharma, Kavisha Kumari, Judit Cleetus, Chaya Mughal, Roopa Nagraj, Heena Hotchandani, Namita D’Souza, Ishani Senevirathne, Esha Oza, Nisha Ali, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi