News

Meghan Markle has revealed that she had a miscarriage back in July, as she opened up about the “pain and grief” she has suffered.
The Duchess of Sussex penned a heartfelt piece for the New York Times, where she revealed the moment she knew she was losing her baby.

“I knew, as I clutched my firstborn child, that I was losing my second,” she wrote in the piece which was titled ‘Losses We Share’.
The Duchess of Sussex recalled how she knew “something was not right” as she was changing her first-born son Archie Mountbatten Windsor’s nappy and she felt “a sharp cramp”.

“I dropped to the floor with him in my arms, humming a lullaby to keep us both calm, the cheerful tune a stark contrast to my sense that something was not right,” she recalls in the piece.

The 38-year-old went on to reveal she was taken to hospital, and also shared her husband Prince Harry’s heartbreak over the ordeal.
“Sitting in a hospital bed, watching my husband’s heart break as he tried to hold the shattered pieces of mine, I realized that the only way to begin to heal is to first ask, ‘Are you OK?’,” Meghan says.
The piece was written by Meghan to encourage more people to speak about their loss and heartbreak, as well as the importance of checking in on people to ask whether they are okay.
Pointing out that this year has been a particularly hard one given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Duchess emphasised checking in on others is more important than ever.
“This year has brought so many of us to our breaking points,” she writes. “Loss and pain have plagued every one of us in 2020, in moments both fraught and debilitating.”
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In recent years, the use of cash has become less and less. Since the pandemic hit in March, contactless payments have soared more than ever before.
Now, the Dubai government is putting a plan in place to head the emirate on the path to becoming a totally cashless place.

A new initiative entitled the ‘Cashless Dubai Working Group’ is set to form a plan to lead the way for the emirate’s full digital transition.
Aiding in this transition is Smart Dubai and the Dubai Department of Finance who collated a report – the ‘Dubai Cashless Framework Report’ – which supports the development of Dubai to becoming the world’s smartest and happiest city, which directly correlates with the objectives of the UAE Centennial 2071 plan.

According to WAM, the Director-General of the Dubai Department of Finance, His Excellency Abdulrahman Saleh Al Saleh, has said pioneering contactless payments in the emirate will “advance various aspects of economic activity in Dubai”.
Meanwhile, His Excellency Younus Al Nasser, Assistant Director-General of Smart Dubai and CEO of the Dubai Data Establishment outlined that the framework in place is following the example of nations which have already become totally cashless.
“The Cashless Framework Report benchmarks four countries that have successfully led a full transition towards a cashless society,” he said in a statement. “The Smart Dubai team working on the report used references from international studies to identify the benefits of transitioning towards a cashless society.”
Get ready for tapping to be the norm in its entirety.
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Sheikha Bodour Bint Sultan Al Qasimi has become the first-ever Arab woman to head up an 124-year-old international organisation.
It was announced on Monday that Sheikha Bodour has been appointed President of the International Publishers Association (IPA), an organisation which was established in 1896. She will officially assume the position at the beginning of next year in January 2021.

Prior to being appointed president, Sheikha Bodour had been vice president of the international organisation since 2018.
For years, Sheikha Bodour has continually championed the publishing industry in the UAE and the wider GCC region.

In 2007, she founded Kalimat Group, which became the first publishing group in the UAE focussing on children’s books in Arabic. She is also the founder of the Emirates Publishers Association, which was established in 2009, and is the founder of the UAE Board on Books for Young People.
Being an avid supporter and leader in the UAE publishing industry, earlier this year Sheikha Bodour launched a Dhs1 million emergency fund to help the industry which has been struggling due to the knock-on effects of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The Emirates Publishers Emergency Fund worked with local publishers and Emirati bookmakers in order to identify the challenges the industry is currently dealing, with the aim of helping to boost business.
“With every crisis, comes an opportunity, and we need to rope in appropriate mechanisms to boost industry resilience and emerge out of it stronger,” Sheikha Bodour said at the time. “Today, we stand with our publishers to support and lead them onward to fulfilling vital projects that will boost our knowledge and creativity.”
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Lebanese singer Elissa is amongst the most influential people in the world, according to a new survey. According to new […]
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Since she welcomed her daughter a little over two months ago, Gigi Hadid has largely kept the newborn under wraps only sharing a few images of the baby here and there.
However, the supermodel has now given the most candid insight to date into her life as a new mum with baby Hadid-Malik.

Taking to Instagram, Hadid shared a rare photo with her baby girl and also showed off her Christmas decorations after getting in the festive spirit early.
“A whole new kind of busy & tired,” the 25-year-old admitted in the caption of the post. “But she’s da bestie so she got Christmas decorations early.”

Clearly tugging at heartstrings with her series of photos, the model’s father, Mohamed Hadid, commented saying, “Need to be close to her. Love you and her so much.”
It’s not the first snap Hadid has shared of her baby girl. In celebration of Halloween, the model shared the first Hadid-Malik family photo complete with herself, baby girl Hadid-Malik and new dad Zayn Malik in celebration of Halloween.
While it’s the first family photo she has shared, Hadid kept her daughter’s face hidden and prior to this only photos of the newborn’s hand had been shown.
Similarly, to date, the name of baby Hadid-Malik has been kept private, but according to E! News, the newborn’s moniker is “unique”.
Regardless, the model appears to be taking to motherhood naturally and enjoying every minute of it.
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Images: Gigi Hadid Instagram More

It’s been quite a year for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
In January 2020, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced they would be stepping down from their roles as senior royals and would be splitting their time between North America and the United Kingdom.

The couple have been back to the UK once together, and Harry a further time alone, but given the ongoing pandemic the pair have stayed put in California for the last six months with their son Archie Mountbatten-Windsor.
It appears the pair don’t have any plans to return to the UK permanently either, given that they recently offered up their Windsor home to Princess Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank.

According to ITV, the couple are “delighted to be able to open up their home to Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank as they start their own family.”
However, this doesn’t mean Harry and Meghan won’t be staying away from the UK permanently. In fact, when the pair travel to the UK they will “share the property” with Eugenie and Jack.
But this latest move from the Sussexes does make it evermore likely they will not be returning to their roles as senior royals, as their formal royal roles are subject to a twelve-month review period which will be approaching in March 2021.
What remains in store for the couple as senior royals remains to be seen.
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Images: Getty/Sussex Royal Instagram More

World-renowned barrister and human rights activist Amal Clooney has been recognised for her work in defending the rights of journalists and freedom of the press, receiving a prestigious award.
During the virtual ceremony for the 2020 CPJ International Press Freedom Award which took place on November 19, Clooney was awarded the Gwen Ifill Press Freedom Award for her legal work defending journalists.

Presenting the award was Oscar-winning actress Meryl Streep. During her acceptance speech, Clooney joked about Streep’s connection with her husband George Clooney, pointing out the fact they were “married”.
“I regret missing the opportunity to share a stage with the brilliant Meryl Streep,” Clooney said at the start of her speech.
READ: Everything in George Clooney’s life changed after he met Amal

“Meryl, thank you for your kind words while introducing me. You are an inspiration as a woman, as an artist, as a press freedom advocate,” she continued. “I know I can’t ever hope to win the number of awards that you’ve won, but it does occur to me that we have something special in common, which is that we’ve both been married to my husband.
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“And honestly, the fact that you did it as Mr. and Mrs. Fantastic Fox just makes that so much less awkward.”
The actors starred together in the 2009 animated film Fantastic Mr. Fox.
While she was able to make some lighthearted comments, Clooney also noted the importance the award and the Committee to Protect Journalists had for “shining a light on the importance of press freedom at a time when many of our fundamental freedoms have been under threat”.
“It is true that hope springs eternal and this is a time for optimism,” she continued. “But, optimism should not mean complacency…What we see happening in the world should remind us that rights should not only be secured, but jealously guarded.
“Democracy must constantly be defended and journalists vigilantly protected.”
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Whilst we only had a public holiday some two weeks ago, you may be already looking forward to the next break.
And we’re here to tell you there’s not long to wait at all.

Want even better news? The next long weekend is set to be a five-day break.
Three public holidays are set to combine with a weekend, making that week a two-day work week and a five-day weekend.

So, when exactly can we look forward to this break? The answer – in just a few weeks.
Tuesday, December 1, in the UAE will mark Commemoration Day which honours the Emiratis who have sacrificed their lives to protect their country.
Then, on Wednesday, December 2 and Thursday, December 3, the UAE will celebrate UAE National Day, which celebrates the unification of the seven emirates.
Starting off the final month of 2020 with a five-day weekend really doesn’t sound bad at all.
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Feature Image: Christoph Schulz on Unsplash More