Swedish prosecutors have announced they are reopening an inquiry into a rape allegation against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.
He has been resisting attempts to extradite him from the UK to Sweden to face the allegations, which he denies, for the last seven years after seeking refuge at the Ecuadorean embassy in London.
Assange is serving a 50-week jail sentence in the UK for breaching his bail conditions after the embassy lost patience and invited the Metropolitan Police into their quarters to arrest him last month.
He is also facing an extradition request from the US over the leaking of sensitive military documents in 2010.
It now means the UK has to decide whether to extradite him to the US or Sweden.
In making the decision, the UK's Home Secretary Sajid Javid will have to consider the seriousness of the offences and the date each warrant was issued, according to UK extradition law.
Last month more than 70 MPs and peers signed a letter urging the home secretary to ensure Assange faces authorities in Sweden first before the US if they want his extradition.
Sweden issued an arrest warrant for Assange in 2010. He fought the extradition up to the UK's highest court and lost but while he was out on bail, he sought asylum in Ecuador’s embassy and as the years dragged on, Swedish prosecutors dropped the investigation because it had become impossible to pursue the probe in his absence.
On Monday, Sweden's deputy director of public prosecutions, Eva-Marie Persson, said they will reopen the case into a report of alleged rape made to them on August 17, 2010.
She said there was still probable cause to suspect the crime occurred, although the investigation had been shelved while Assange hid in the embassy.
It comes as the alleged victim in the case asked for him to face prosecution.
The case was previously dropped as Swedish prosecutors said they were unable to pursue the case while he was in the embassy.
Under Swedish law, they have until next year to pursue the case.
Assange has vowed to fight the extradition requests.
He is due back in court in the UK on May 30 to face extradition matters.
The US accuses the 47 year old of directing the former solider and intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning to hack into a Pentagon computer system. He could face five years in jail but is likely to wage a lengthy battle to stop his extradition.
Assange previously told Westminster Magistrates Court he did not want to surrender himself for extradition “for doing journalism that has won many awards protected many people”.
This week Ecuador's attorney general announced that it will be handing over all Assange's files, computer, mobile phones and other electronic devices to the US.
Assange's actions have cost British taxpayers £16 million (Dh76.7m).
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Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
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Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
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Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
The story of Edge
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, established Edge in 2019.
It brought together 25 state-owned and independent companies specialising in weapons systems, cyber protection and electronic warfare.
Edge has an annual revenue of $5 billion and employs more than 12,000 people.
Some of the companies include Nimr, a maker of armoured vehicles, Caracal, which manufactures guns and ammunitions company, Lahab
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
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Transmission: 10-speed auto
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The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
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About Karol Nawrocki
• Supports military aid for Ukraine, unlike other eurosceptic leaders, but he will oppose its membership in western alliances.
• A nationalist, his campaign slogan was Poland First. "Let's help others, but let's take care of our own citizens first," he said on social media in April.
• Cultivates tough-guy image, posting videos of himself at shooting ranges and in boxing rings.
• Met Donald Trump at the White House and received his backing.
Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
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Euro 2020 qualifier
Fixture: Liechtenstein v Italy, Tuesday, 10.45pm (UAE)
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What drives subscription retailing?
Once the domain of newspaper home deliveries, subscription model retailing has combined with e-commerce to permeate myriad products and services.
The concept has grown tremendously around the world and is forecast to thrive further, according to UnivDatos Market Insights’ report on recent and predicted trends in the sector.
The global subscription e-commerce market was valued at $13.2 billion (Dh48.5bn) in 2018. It is forecast to touch $478.2bn in 2025, and include the entertainment, fitness, food, cosmetics, baby care and fashion sectors.
The report says subscription-based services currently constitute “a small trend within e-commerce”. The US hosts almost 70 per cent of recurring plan firms, including leaders Dollar Shave Club, Hello Fresh and Netflix. Walmart and Sephora are among longer established retailers entering the space.
UnivDatos cites younger and affluent urbanites as prime subscription targets, with women currently the largest share of end-users.
That’s expected to remain unchanged until 2025, when women will represent a $246.6bn market share, owing to increasing numbers of start-ups targeting women.
Personal care and beauty occupy the largest chunk of the worldwide subscription e-commerce market, with changing lifestyles, work schedules, customisation and convenience among the chief future drivers.
Top 5 concerns globally:
1. Unemployment
2. Spread of infectious diseases
3. Fiscal crises
4. Cyber attacks
5. Profound social instability
Top 5 concerns in the Mena region
1. Energy price shock
2. Fiscal crises
3. Spread of infectious diseases
4. Unmanageable inflation
5. Cyber attacks
Source: World Economic Foundation
The five pillars of Islam
GAC GS8 Specs
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Ep1: A recovery like no other- the unevenness of the economic recovery
Ep2: PCR and jobs - the future of work - new trends and challenges
Ep3: The recovery and global trade disruptions - globalisation post-pandemic
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Ep5: Travel and tourism
SPECS
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RIDE%20ON
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UAE squad to face Ireland
Ahmed Raza (captain), Chirag Suri (vice-captain), Rohan Mustafa, Mohammed Usman, Mohammed Boota, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Waheed Ahmad, Zawar Farid, CP Rizwaan, Aryan Lakra, Karthik Meiyappan, Alishan Sharafu, Basil Hameed, Kashif Daud, Adithya Shetty, Vriitya Aravind
The specs: 2018 Chevrolet Trailblazer
Price, base / as tested Dh99,000 / Dh132,000
Engine 3.6L V6
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power 275hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque 350Nm @ 3,700rpm
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