Britain’s Prince Charles has acknowledged the impact slavery had on the Commonwealth’s “most painful period” of history and said the time has come to have a conversation about past injustices.
Addressing Commonwealth leaders in Rwanda's capital Kigali on Friday, the Prince of Wales said the potential of the family of nations for good cannot be realised until we all “acknowledge the wrongs which have shaped our past”.
He told the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (Chogm) he was on a personal journey of discovery and was continuing to “deepen my own understanding of slavery’s enduring impact”.
The heir to the throne said he recognised the roots of the Commonwealth, which go back to the British Empire, “run deep into the most painful period of our history” and acknowledging the wrongs of the past was a “conversation whose time has come”.
But despite Prince Charles’s decision to use his address to delve into the sensitive and contentious subject, he stopped short of issuing an apology for role the royal family played in the slave trade.
For centuries, British royals supported and facilitated the trade or profited from it.
Prince Charles told the gathering of prime ministers and presidents, who included Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson, he could not “describe the depths of my personal sorrow at the suffering of so many” during slavery.
In recent years, the royals have started to discuss the legacy of slavery.
Earlier this year, Prince William and his wife Kate faced protests during a Caribbean tour from demonstrators demanding an apology for the royal family’s role in facilitating slavery.
The Duke of Cambridge called the practice “abhorrent” and expressed his “profound sorrow”. But he did not issue the apology locals had hoped for and the tour was dubbed a PR disaster by many observers.
Following his speech in Kigali, Prince Charles held a much-anticipated meeting with Mr Johnson.
The behind-closed-doors discussion took place two weeks after the Prince of Wales criticised the UK government’s plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda.
Before they met, Mr Johnson had stepped back from comments that he would tell Prince Charles to be open-minded about the initiative.
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Checks continue
A High Court judge issued an interim order on Friday suspending a decision by Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots to direct a stop to Brexit agri-food checks at Northern Ireland ports.
Mr Justice Colton said he was making the temporary direction until a judicial review of the minister's unilateral action this week to order a halt to port checks that are required under the Northern Ireland Protocol.
Civil servants have yet to implement the instruction, pending legal clarity on their obligations, and checks are continuing.
What is a black hole?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League final:
Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
Titanium Escrow profile
Started: December 2016
Founder: Ibrahim Kamalmaz
Based: UAE
Sector: Finance / legal
Size: 3 employees, pre-revenue
Stage: Early stage
Investors: Founder's friends and Family
Can NRIs vote in the election?
Indians residing overseas cannot cast their ballot abroad
Non-resident Indians or NRIs can vote only by going to a polling booth in their home constituency
There are about 3.1 million NRIs living overseas
Indians have urged political parties to extend the right to vote to citizens residing overseas
A committee of the Election Commission of India approved of proxy voting for non-resident Indians
Proxy voting means that a person can authorise someone residing in the same polling booth area to cast a vote on his behalf.
This option is currently available for the armed forces, police and government officials posted outside India
A bill was passed in the lower house of India’s parliament or the Lok Sabha to extend proxy voting to non-resident Indians
However, this did not come before the upper house or Rajya Sabha and has lapsed
The issue of NRI voting draws a huge amount of interest in India and overseas
Over the past few months, Indians have received messages on mobile phones and on social media claiming that NRIs can cast their votes online
The Election Commission of India then clarified that NRIs could not vote online
The Election Commission lodged a complaint with the Delhi Police asking it to clamp down on the people spreading misinformation
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
