
Zara founder Ortega's real estate fortune hit $20 billion in 2022
MADRID The investment firm of Spanish billionaire Amancio Ortega, the founder of fashion giant Inditex, on Thursday reported
2023-07-27 15:26

Kuwait executes 5 prisoners, including a man convicted in 2015 Islamic State-claimed mosque bombing
Kuwait says it executed five prisoners including an inmate convicted over an Islamic State group-claimed mosque bombing in 2015 that killed 27 people
2023-07-27 15:22

Jordan Henderson bids farewell to Liverpool ahead of move to Al-Ettifaq
Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson has bid farewell to the club as he closes in on a move to Al-Ettifaq. The 33-year-old will bring to an end a 12-year spell at Anfield, in which he won every single major club honour, when his move to the Saudi Pro League club is confirmed. “It’s hard to put these last 12 years into words and it’s even harder to say goodbye. I will always be a Red. Until the day I die,” he posted on Instagram. “Thank you for everything. You’ll never walk alone.” He added in a video accompanying his post: “I’m in the (Liverpool) dressing room for the last time so, as you can imagine, it is very emotional. “I need to somehow explain what these last 12 years have meant for me and my family. “Being made the captain of Liverpool Football Club was one the greatest honours of my life. “From the day the armband was passed to me I did everything I could to behave like a Liverpool captain should. “Thank you for allowing me to be part of your club, thank you for your support in good time and bad.” Henderson’s move to the Middle East – where he will be reunited with former Liverpool team-mate Steven Gerrard as manager – has been in the pipeline for several weeks but on Wednesday a fan posted a video on social media of him training with his new club in Croatia. Despite the very public interest in the England international he flew out to Liverpool’s training camp in Germany 11 days ago, although he did not play in either of their friendlies out there after an offer of an initial £12million was accepted. In contrast, fellow midfielder Fabinho was left at home as a £40m bid from Al-Ittihad arrived hours before they were due to travel. The Brazil international is still awaiting the conclusion of the deal but that is expected to go through this week. Henderson’s decision to move to Saudi Arabia has come in for criticism after his staunch support for the LGBT+ community and Rainbow Laces Premier League initiative. Homosexuality is illegal and punishable by death in Saudi Arabia, while the state stands accused of a host of other abuses including placing harsh restrictions on women’s rights and the right to political protest. “Jordan Henderson is of course free to play for whoever he chooses, but we would urge him to examine Saudi Arabia’s human rights record and be prepared to speak out about human rights violations in the country,” Amnesty’s UK economic affairs director Peter Frankental told the PA news agency last week. Pride in Football, a network of LGBT+ fan groups, said in a statement: “When you see someone who has been an ally so publicly transfer to a club in a country where LGBT+ people are attacked and imprisoned, it is disappointing. “Good luck in Saudi Arabia Jordan, but you have lost the respect of so many people who valued you, and trusted you.” Liverpool’s own LGBT+ fans group Kop Outs were even more damning, saying: “Given choices he has recently made, Kop Outs doubt & question if Henderson was ever an actual ally.” While Al-Ettifaq wait to confirm Henderson’s arrival they have signed Scotland international Jack Hendry’s from from Club Brugges and former Celtic forward Moussa Dembele. Read More Jordan Henderson risks tarnishing Liverpool legacy after career built on triumph of character
2023-07-27 15:21

Is Britney Spears' 'memoir' factual? Singer reportedly removes scandalous details about mom and sister after reconciliation
Britney Spears seems to have made peace with her mother and sister, months before the release of her memoir, 'The Woman In Me'
2023-07-27 14:58

Xi Protege’s Sudden Removal Adds to Rough Start for Third Term
The sudden ouster of Xi Jinping’s handpicked foreign minister is the latest example of how the Chinese president’s
2023-07-27 14:57

Ukraine MP being investigated for taking family holiday in Maldives amid Russian invasion
Ukrainian authorities are reportedly conducting an investigation to determine whether a member of parliament violated the law by taking a family holiday to the Maldives. Earlier in January this year, the Ukrainian president banned officials from travelling abroad for non-governmental purposes. The security service has initiated a criminal case to ascertain whether member of parliament, Yuriy Aristov provided false information to the authorities. He faces up to three years in prison if convicted. During a video address in January, Volodymyr Zelensky said: “Ignoring the war is a luxury that no one can afford.” He added: “There is a principled decision of the NSDC [National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine] on officials travelling abroad. It applies to all officials of the central government and various other levels of local government. It applies to law enforcers, people’s deputies, prosecutors and all those who are supposed to work for the state and in the state. If they want to rest now, they will rest outside the civil service. Officials will no longer be able to travel abroad for vacation or for any other non-governmental purpose.” Mr Aristov is accused of providing false information while applying to leave the country. He reportedly went on a family vacation to the Maldives. The MP reportedly told authorities he was going on sick leave. But investigations found that Mr Aristov had been on the private island of Ithaafushi in the Maldives in mid-July with his wife and children. The State Bureau of Investigation and the Security Service of Ukraine have opened a criminal case against him. Mr Aristov was abroad from 5 June to 22 July, during which he embarked on a three-day business trip to Poland before being observed in the Maldives by Ukrainian media. Kyiv Independent said that he was first spotted in the luxurious 5-star Waldorf Astoria Maldives hotel on the private island in mid-July. An investigation by the Ukrainian outlet, Slidstvo.info revealed that Mr Aristov had indeed been a guest at the Maldives resort after the hotel confirmed. However, by the time they received the inquiry, he had already checked out. The accommodation costs at this exclusive resort vary significantly – starting from 100,000 hryvnias [$2,600] and reaching 323,000 hryvnias [$8,800] for a single night. Additionally, there is a premium villa option that surpasses one million hryvnias per night [$26,700], according to local media. In response to the publication of the investigation, Mr Aristov promptly resigned from his position as a people’s deputy. Parliament speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk made the announcement of his resignation on Facebook. Read More North Korea’s Kim Jong-un shows Russia’s defence minister banned ballistic missiles Bluffing or not, Putin’s declared deployment of nuclear weapons to Belarus ramps up saber-rattling Ireland unlikely to offer condolences to Russia if Putin dies, Varadkar says The Body in the Woods | An Independent TV Original Documentary The harrowing discovery at centre of The Independent’s new documentary
2023-07-27 14:56

ECB to hike rates again but keep options open for September
By Balazs Koranyi and Francesco Canepa FRANKFURT The European Central Bank will raise interest rates for the ninth
2023-07-27 14:56

How old is Mitch McConnell? Republican senator freezes mid-speech at media briefing, Internet wants ‘younger’ politicians
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell froze and remained silent for 20 seconds during a press conference on Wednesday before colleagues intervened
2023-07-27 14:51

Canada's Sinclair faces uncertainty in her run for a scoring record at the Women's World Cup
Canada captain Christine Sinclair’s quest to become the first player to score in six World Cups faces uncertainty
2023-07-27 14:49

Ukraine Recap: Ukraine Starts Major Assault in Counteroffensive
Ukraine launched an attack in the southwestern Zaporizhzhia region that analysts said appears to have broken through Russian
2023-07-27 14:45

Church sex abuse is the elephant in the room as Pope Francis visits scandal-hit Portugal
Pope Francis is making a five-day visit next week to Portugal, where a scandal that erupted earlier this year over Catholic Church sex abuse is still simmering
2023-07-27 14:29

Pinch-hitter Austin Slater hits go-ahead 2-run homer in 6th, Giants beat Athletics 8-3
Pinch-hitter Austin Slater hit a tiebreaking two-run homer in the sixth, Alex Wood earned the win with three scoreless innings of relief, and the San Francisco Giants beat the Oakland Athletics 8-3
2023-07-27 14:28