Spectators hoping to catch a glimpse of Prince William and Kate Middleton camp out along the procession route a day ahead of the Royal Wedding  in London, England.
Spectators hoping to catch a glimpse of Prince William and Kate Middleton camp out along the procession route a day ahead of the Royal Wedding in London, England.

London's streets fill with wedding fans



LONDON // Millions of Britons were last night poised for the biggest party the nation has seen in a generation as the countdown continued to today's marriage of Prince William to Kate Middleton.

As the couple issued a statement saying they had been "incredibly moved" by the public's show of affection towards them, organisers around the country were putting the final touches to almost 6,000 street parties - the most since Queen Elizabeth's silver jubilee in 1977. More than 800 are being held in London alone.

Just as with most weddings, the main concerns centred on the weather after forecasters' suggestions that showers, blustery wind and maybe even thunderstorms could make it day for umbrellas rather than barbecues.

Yet the hundreds of people already camping out along the processional route from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey were not prepared to let a little rain spoil their celebration.

"Even if there was a thunderstorm, it's not going to dampen the spirit," Faith Nicholson, one of those camping out along the Mall, said yesterday. "We're all looking forward to this. Bring it on, I don't care. I'm here and that's all I want."

Dozens of Union Jack flags fluttered around Parliament Square outside the abbey where, hours before, empty flagpoles had stood. In the overcast skies above, news helicopters criss-crossed the overcast skies.

The pavement across from the vast abbey doors, through which the newlyweds will emerge, was filled by the hardy campers who continued to arrive all day.

Twenty-four hours earlier there had been a sparse smattering of tents. By midmorning yesterday, there was a dense tented village bedecked with bunting, balloons and home-made banners wishing the couple luck.

All along Whitehall, Union Jacks hung from lampposts and shop and restaurant awnings. In Trafalgar Square, where several thousand are expected to gather to watch the event on two huge screens, the sculpted lions that guard the four corners of the base of Nelson's Column now do so from a cage of lighting and speaker struts.

Through Admiralty Arch and down onto the Mall, the crowds and the clutter of flags, tents, banners and canvas chairs were more apparent with every step along the processional route to Buckingham Palace.

Friends Renee Gauthier, from Canada's West Coast, Janet Sanburg, from Australia, and Londoner Babs Kell and her daughter Phoebe, were busily setting up a campsite at the top of the Mall.

"It's always been my dream to attend a state occasion," said Ms Sanburg. "I guess it was either going to be a wedding or a funeral. I'm glad it's this."

The campers are expected to be joined by 600,000 other spectators along the route for the wedding, to be attended by 1,900 guests.

Thousands of journalists and camera crews from around the world have also been setting up temporary studios along the route and outside Buckingham Palace, ready to bring minute-by-minute reports and pictures to a television audience that is estimated to be anywhere between one and two billion.

Not everyone was in a festive mood, however. Bahraini pro-democracy campaigners mounted a vigil outside Saudi Arabia's embassy in London to protest the wedding invitation to Prince Mohammed bin Nawaf bin Abdulaziz, following the Saudi military intervention in their country.

As well, the wedding invitation to the Syrian ambassador was withdrawn at the last minute yesterday because of the brutal suppression of anti-government protests in his country and there were rumblings of discontent among Labour Party politicians because ex-premiers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown had been left off the guest list, while the former Conservative prime minister, John Major, had not.

Prince William and his bride-to-be spent yesterday well away from the spotlight that will envelop them today. Prince William was to spend last night with his father, Prince Charles, his stepmother, the Duchess of Cornwall, and his brother, Prince Harry, at Clarence House, the family's official residence.

Miss Middleton and her family gathered for the night at the Goring Hotel in Belgravia, just around the corner from the palace, which had been sealed off by armed police earlier in the day.

The Queen, meanwhile, hosted an event for British and foreign royals, including Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al Nahyan, at the Mandarin Oriental hotel, near Hyde Park, which had also been sealed off.

On Wednesday evening, Prince William and Miss Middleton had taken part in their final wedding rehearsal ahead of their big day, accompanied at the abbey by Prince Harry - the best man - Miss Middleton's parents, and senior clergy.

Yesterday, the official souvenir wedding programme was released, in which the couple wrote: "We are both so delighted that you are able to join us in celebrating what we hope will be one of the happiest days of our lives.

"The affection shown to us by so many people during our engagement has been incredibly moving, and has touched us both deeply. We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone most sincerely for their kindness."

It was also revealed that Miss Middleton will not promise to "obey" her new husband when they exchange wedding vows. Instead of the traditional vow to "love, honour and obey" her husband, she will promise to "love, comfort, honour and keep" him.

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MATCH RESULT

Liverpool 4 Brighton and Hove Albion 0
Liverpool: 
Salah (26'), Lovren (40'), Solanke (53'), Robertson (85')    

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The biog

Born: Kuwait in 1986
Family: She is the youngest of seven siblings
Time in the UAE: 10 years
Hobbies: audiobooks and fitness: she works out every day, enjoying kickboxing and basketball

Sinopharm vaccine explained

The Sinopharm vaccine was created using techniques that have been around for decades. 

“This is an inactivated vaccine. Simply what it means is that the virus is taken, cultured and inactivated," said Dr Nawal Al Kaabi, chair of the UAE's National Covid-19 Clinical Management Committee.

"What is left is a skeleton of the virus so it looks like a virus, but it is not live."

This is then injected into the body.

"The body will recognise it and form antibodies but because it is inactive, we will need more than one dose. The body will not develop immunity with one dose," she said.

"You have to be exposed more than one time to what we call the antigen."

The vaccine should offer protection for at least months, but no one knows how long beyond that.

Dr Al Kaabi said early vaccine volunteers in China were given shots last spring and still have antibodies today.

“Since it is inactivated, it will not last forever," she said.

COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAlmouneer%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202017%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dr%20Noha%20Khater%20and%20Rania%20Kadry%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EEgypt%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E120%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EBootstrapped%2C%20with%20support%20from%20Insead%20and%20Egyptian%20government%2C%20seed%20round%20of%20%3Cbr%3E%243.6%20million%20led%20by%20Global%20Ventures%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FIXTURES

All kick-off times 10.45pm UAE ( 4 GMT) unless stated

Tuesday
Sevilla v Maribor
Spartak Moscow v Liverpool
Manchester City v Shakhtar Donetsk
Napoli v Feyenoord
Besiktas v RB Leipzig
Monaco v Porto
Apoel Nicosia v Tottenham Hotspur
Borussia Dortmund v Real Madrid

Wednesday
Basel v Benfica
CSKA Moscow Manchester United
Paris Saint-Germain v Bayern Munich
Anderlecht v Celtic
Qarabag v Roma (8pm)
Atletico Madrid v Chelsea
Juventus v Olympiakos
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Company Profile

Founders: Tamara Hachem and Yazid Erman
Based: Dubai
Launched: September 2019
Sector: health technology
Stage: seed
Investors: Oman Technology Fund, angel investor and grants from Sharjah's Sheraa and Ma'an Abu Dhabi

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
 
Started: 2020
 
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
 
Based: Dubai, UAE
 
Sector: Entertainment 
 
Number of staff: 210 
 
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The specs

Engine: four-litre V6 and 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo

Transmission: six-speed and 10-speed

Power: 271 and 409 horsepower

Torque: 385 and 650Nm

Price: from Dh229,900 to Dh355,000

Moon Music

Artist: Coldplay

Label: Parlophone/Atlantic

Number of tracks: 10

Rating: 3/5

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Defending champions

World Series: South Africa
Women’s World Series: Australia
Gulf Men’s League: Dubai Exiles
Gulf Men’s Social: Mediclinic Barrelhouse Warriors
Gulf Vets: Jebel Ali Dragons Veterans
Gulf Women: Dubai Sports City Eagles
Gulf Under 19: British School Al Khubairat
Gulf Under 19 Girls: Dubai Exiles
UAE National Schools: Al Safa School
International Invitational: Speranza 22
International Vets: Joining Jack

Normal People

Sally Rooney, Faber & Faber
 

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Airev
Started: September 2023
Founder: Muhammad Khalid
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: Generative AI
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
 
Company%20Profile
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1,000 Books to Read Before You Die: A Life-Changing List
James Mustich, Workman

SPECS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202-litre%204-cylinder%20turbo%20and%203.6-litre%20V6%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeven-speed%20automatic%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20235hp%20and%20310hp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E258Nm%20and%20271Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh185%2C100%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
SPECS

Engine: Two-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 235hp
Torque: 350Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Price: From Dh167,500 ($45,000)
On sale: Now

The specs

Engine: 1.5-litre turbo

Power: 181hp

Torque: 230Nm

Transmission: 6-speed automatic

Starting price: Dh79,000

On sale: Now

The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Power: 268bhp / 536bhp
Torque: 343Nm / 686Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
On sale: Later this year
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Joker: Folie a Deux

Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson

Director: Todd Phillips 

Rating: 2/5

Company Profile

Company name: Fine Diner

Started: March, 2020

Co-founders: Sami Elayan, Saed Elayan and Zaid Azzouka

Based: Dubai

Industry: Technology and food delivery

Initial investment: Dh75,000

Investor: Dtec Startupbootcamp

Future plan: Looking to raise $400,000

Total sales: Over 1,000 deliveries in three months

THE BIO

Occupation: Specialised chief medical laboratory technologist

Age: 78

Favourite destination: Always Al Ain “Dar Al Zain”

Hobbies: his work  - “ the thing which I am most passionate for and which occupied all my time in the morning and evening from 1963 to 2019”

Other hobbies: football

Favorite football club: Al Ain Sports Club

 

Jigra
Director: Vasan Bala
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
Rated: 3.5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs: 2018 Audi RS5

Price, base: Dh359,200

Engine: 2.9L twin-turbo V6

Transmission: Eight-speed automatic

Power: 450hp at 5,700rpm

Torque: 600Nm at 1,900rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 8.7L / 100km


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