Princess Beatrice engaged to Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, UAE celebrates Year of Tolerance by building an interfaith complex and more Rave News. Stay in the know with our Rave News Digest which summarizes five of the hottest global news you need to catch up on, saving you time and energy. Consider it your daily news fix.
Here is a rundown of five of the hottest news topics…
1. UK court grants Nigeria stay of execution over $9.6b debt
The Federal Government yesterday achieved a major boost in its effort to upturn the $9.6 billion judgment in favour of Process and Industrial Development (P&ID) as a UK court yesterday granted the country leave to appeal, and a stay of execution of the earlier judgment.
The ruling by the Commercial and Arbitral Court of the United Kingdom (UK) offers Nigeria a fresh opportunity to prove its allegation against P&ID that the company was bent on using its alleged claim of expertise in gas processing to defraud Nigeria. The court heard the Federal Government’s fresh grounds to review the judgment and ruled that a stay of execution be granted subject to a $200 million security payment to court within 60 days pending the determination of the appeal.
Reacting to the condition, Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami said: “I am pleased with today’s development in the court as I see this as a positive resolution that constitutes an important step in the government’s effort to defend itself in a fair and just process. We look forward to challenging the UK Commercial Court’s recognition of the tribunal’s decision in the UK Court of Appeals, uncovering P&ID’s outrageous approach for what it is: a sham based on fraudulent and criminal activity developed to profit from a developing country.
We will study the court rulings, exercise the right of appeal, and consider the legal options available at our disposal as it relates to the payment of $200 million in view of the 60 days window stipulated by the court.”
2. Mosque, church and synagogue to share a home in Abu Dhabi
As world leaders gathered at the United Nations, the United Arab Emirates laid out its vision for religious harmony, unveiling plans for an interfaith complex in the country’s capital that will house a mosque, a church and a synagogue.
Commissioned by the Higher Committee for Human Fraternity, The Abrahamic Family House will serve as a place of individual worship but also for inter-religious dialogue and exchange. The initiative was born out of Pope Francis’ visit to the UAE in February during which the Pope and the Grand Imam of al-Azhar, Sheikh Ahmed el-Tayeb signed a joint declaration promoting human fraternity.
The complex will be located on Saadiyat Island, near the Louvre Abu Dhabi, and designed by award-winning architect David Adjaye. The design incorporates worship spaces for each religion as well as a shared space for collaboration and informal gathering. “Our hope is that through these buildings people of all faiths and from across society can learn and engage in a mission of peaceful coexistence for generations to come,” said Adjaye. The initiative comes as the UAE celebrates its Year of Tolerance.
3. Princess Beatrice Engaged to Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi
Yippie! There’s going to be another royal wedding in 2020 and this time, Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi are engaged and will walk down the aisle in 2020! The Queen’s granddaughter, 31, announced her engagement to the multi-millionaire property tycoon on Thursday in a statement released by Buckingham Palace.
“The Duke and Duchess of York are delighted to announce the engagement of Princess Beatrice to Mr Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi,” the statement read. According to the palace, Mozzi proposed to Beatrice while on vacation in Italy earlier this month. The couple travelled to Italy ahead of their friend Misha Nonoo’s wedding in Rome, which was also attended by Princess Eugenie, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
Princess Beatrice and Edoardo said in a statement after being engaged: “We are extremely happy to be able to share the news of our recent engagement. We are both so excited to be embarking on this life adventure together and can’t wait to be married. “We share so many similar interests and values and we know that this will stand us in great stead for the years ahead, full of love and happiness.”
4. UN launches probe into Venezuela rights abuses
The UN Human Rights Council on Friday voted to send a team of investigators to probe alleged violations, including extrajudicial executions and torture, in crisis-wracked Venezuela. A resolution tabled by more than a dozen countries from Latin America and elsewhere was adopted by the 47-member council with 19 votes in favour, seven opposed and 21 abstaining.
It called for the UN’s top rights body to “dispatch urgently an independent international fact-finding mission” to Venezuela. The mission, the text said, should “investigate extrajudicial executions, enforced disappearances, arbitrary detentions and torture and other cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment. Venezuelans, men and women, cannot wait any longer for justice,” said the representative of Peru, on behalf of the sponsoring nations, who also included Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada and Israel.
The one-year mission should carry out its investigation “with a view to ensuring full accountability for perpetrators and justice for victims,” said the text, which also received the backing of the European Union. Venezuelan Ambassador Jorge Valero slammed the resolution as a “hostile initiative”, and said his country had no intention of cooperating with the new probe.
5. Neymar, Barcelona lawyers seek an end to contract dispute
Lawyers for Brazilian footballer Neymar and Spanish champions Barcelona were meeting Friday in a last-ditch effort to untangle a contract dispute and avert a multi-million-dollar court battle.
Neymar, the world’s most expensive footballer, quit Barcelona in 2017 and joined Paris Saint-Germain in a stunning coup for the French club. The move angered the Spanish giants who filed a complaint for breach of contract against the 27-year-old superstar who had pledged loyalty to the Spanish club by signing a new deal just one year earlier. Neymar arrived in Barcelona Thursday ahead of the court hearing set for 10:00 am (0800 GMT) Friday but was not seen with his lawyers for a pre-hearing reconciliation meeting aimed at resolving the dispute without a court hearing.
“The reconciliation meeting was suspended and will resume at 11:45 am with lawyers from both sides seeking a solution,” a court spokesman said. The dispute stems from Neymar’s shock transfer to PSG for a world record 222 million euros ($250 million at the time), less than a year after signing a contract that would have kept him at the Spanish club until 2021.
Barcelona filed suit and refused to pay him 26 million euros, which were part of his contract renewal bonus. After an unsuccessful appeal to world footballing body FIFA, the young Brazilian quickly hit back with a lawsuit over the unpaid bonus.
Cover photo credit: Instagram – edomapellimozzi
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