UAE gets rid of ‘honor’ killing defense in major legal overhaul

A cycling spectator who caused a mass pileup has told investigators she feels ashamed of her "stupidity." She is worried about the huge public interest in her case.

Dozens of states and the District of Columbia have begun legal action against Google in the United States over what they allege is monopolistic behaviour in its Google Play app download store. The case argues that the tech giant blocks competition through technical and other barriers, but the company has described the case as "strange" and "meritless". Also, we look at a positive signal for the French tourism sector: hotel bookings have increased at the start of the summer season.

With an embassy in Tel Aviv, the UAE has plans to broaden economic ties with Israel after tourism, aviation and financial services deals. Israel's president called diplomatic ties to the UAE a milestone toward peace.

Last week, lawmakers at California's 2nd District Court of Appeal agreed with the Maleficent star that John Ouderkirk should have disclosed prior business dealings with Pitt's lawyers

The close ally of former US President Donald Trump pleaded not guilty to charges that he illegally lobbied on behalf of the Emirati government.

Afghan restaurant owner Aziz Ahmed, who has called the UAE home for over 20 years, says the Taliban's return to power is little short of a nightmare. The Taliban, who overran Afghanistan in 10 days, previously ran a brutal form of Islamist government when they ruled between 1996 and 2001, confining women to home, forbidding entertainment and publicly beating and executing prisoners.

French ministers Florence Parly (Defence) and Jean-Yves Le Drian (Foreign Affairs) arrive at Al-Dhafra Air Base 104 in the United Arab Emirates, where the French Air Force has set up an air bridge to Kabul. They are due to meet with military personnel, diplomats and all the staff who are organising evacuations from Afghanistan.

El Salvador has become the first country in the world to make Bitcoin legal tender, despite surveys showing widespread scepticism about the move. The government has invested more than $20 million in the cryptocurrency in recent days, saying it will open up access to banking for many Salvadorans. Bitcoin will be accepted for payments in parallel with the US dollar. Also today, millions of Americans have lost their unemployment benefits as several pandemic-era welfare programmes have expired.

On 7 September 2021, El Salvador became the first country to embrace bitcoin as legal tender. Consumer demand saw its brand-new cyber wallet system crash on its first day of use as the currency's value seesawed against the US dollar. While thousands of Salvadorans are already using the cryptocurrency for everyday transactions, hundreds have taken to the streets to protest with concerns about the safety and legitimacy of the cyber currency.

Dubai's Expo has released figures on construction-related casualties for the first time — amid criticism of the Gulf state's workers' rights record.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has told Ethiopia's prime minister that the international organization does not accept the country's decision to expel seven UN officials, amid a war and looming famine in Tigray.

Recent violent attacks against Hindus have reopened old wounds for religious minorities in Muslim-majority Bangladesh. Rights groups say these attacks often are forgotten by the legal system and go unpunished.