⏳ Wednesday Fix: The Price of Power
Morning all,
A costly day for the ruler of Dubai, but not just in financial terms - as the UK courts gave a damning account of the intimidation campaign inflicted on his ex-wife.
Meanwhile, all eyes move from a UK court to another in the US, as jury deliberations continue in the trial of Ghislaine Maxwell.
Until tomorrow,
Your Fixers
COURT RULES AGAINST DUBAI RULER
The ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, has been ordered to pay his ex-wife more than half a billion pounds in an extraordinary divorce settlement.
In what is believed to be the largest ever post-divorce financial settlements in English courts, Princess Haya's payout will include £210 million for security costs. The judge in the UK High Court made a point of saying the biggest need for Princess Haya's security costs was to protect her against the very man being forced to pay them.
Background: Princess Haya is the daughter of the late King Hussein of Jordan, and half-sister to the country's king. She was Sheikh al-Maktoum's sixth wife, and the couple had two children together. In 2019, Princess Haya fled to Britain with her kids, fearing for their safety. That fear was driven by the previous abduction of two of the sheikh's older daughters. The court found her phone had been tapped into, using Israeli spyware. The court also learned she had separately been blackmailed out of £7 million by some of her former security staff, over an affair she had with one of them.
How much is the divorce settlement? £554.5 million, which is being reported as $728m in US dollars, and €650 million in euro.
Click below for our full explainer of this extraordinary case.
TUESDAY'S OTHER TOP LINE
The suspect accused of killing MP Sir David Amess in October has pleaded not guilty to his murder, and to a charge of planning terrorist attacks.
Ali Harbi Ali will go on trial in March 2022.
Only Fans will now have a woman at the helm of the controversial company, as the current chief executive makes way for the head of marketing to take over.
The company - which hosts adult content - has been in the headlines a lot in recent months, and many are curious to see what direction the company goes in. Back in August, the company announced it would no longer be a platform to host sexually explicit photos and videos, citing pressure from banking partners.
Within a week, intense backlash from users led to that position being reversed.
KEEPING A CLOSE EYE...
The jury in the trial of Ghislaine Maxwell failed to reach a verdict on Tuesday, and will continue deliberations today.
The jury is said to have deliberated for eight hours yesterday, and it remains to be seen whether or not a verdict will be reached ahead of Maxwell's 60th birthday on Christmas Day.
In what has been seen as a promising sign for Maxwell and the defence team, jurors asked for more information about one accusers' account of what happened. Why does that matter? Well, during the trial the defence emphasised the difference in what the accuser told the FBI, to what they said on the stand.
As The Telegraph noted, "two of the criminal counts in the indictment, sex-trafficking conspiracy and sex-trafficking of a minor" are based on this accuser's testimony. The sex-trafficking charge carries the largest prison sentence of all the charges Maxwell faces, up to 40 years.
PANDEMIC
- Prime Minister Boris Johnson has ruled out any further restrictions in England on this side of Christmas. Meanwhile, Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced a £1 billion fund to assist businesses hit by the recent rise in infections.
- The same goes for Ireland, where Taoiseach Martin said no new measures will be introduced ahead of Christmas. Meanwhile, Dr Tony Holohan has advised people to limit their social interactions this week to those they are planning to spend Christmas Day with.
- In terms of vaccines in Ireland, a record 108,000 jabs were administered on Tuesday - 103,000 of those being booster jabs.
- Israel has suggested they could be the first country in the world to offer a fourth dose of the vaccine to its healthcare workers and those above the age of 60.
- The White House has made headlines for a frankly-worded statement issued earlier this week, that made reference to the impact those who are not vaccinated are said to be having on society.
"For the unvaccinated, you’re looking at a winter of severe illness and death for yourselves, your families, and the hospitals you may soon overwhelm." - White House statement
MOST READ
- BBC News: Covid isolation cut from 10 days to seven with test
- The Guardian: Covid self-isolation cut to seven days with negative test in England
- The Financial Times: Turkey's currency surges after Erdogan unveils lira saving scheme
- Al Jazeera: Perfectly kept dinosaur embryo from 66 million years ago found
- The Irish Times: Taoiseach rules out further coronavirus restrictions before Christmas
THE LAND BEFORE TIME
A dinosaur embryo has been found in China, and is believed to be somewhere around 66 million years old.
Described as "one of the best dinosaur embryos ever found in history," researchers have dubbed it "Baby Yingliang".
Yeah, it's a bit random - but it makes for a fascinating read.
HEADLINE OF THE DAY
No, seriously. The man argued his flatulence was as a result of heart medication. Here's the full article.
#SPREADTHEWORD
WATCHING OUT FOR...
Emily is... back in Paris! Season 2 releases on Netflix later today.
What are the reviews saying? Well, The Telegraph gave it 2/5, saying it is "now as offensive to the British as it is to the French". An American review from The Hollywood Reporter was much more supportive.
ON A LIGHTER NOTE...
I wish you all well in these coming days.
