MBS talked about using a ‘poison ring’ to kill the Saudi king in 2014 so his father could take the throne, exiled spy says

Mohammed bin Salman said in 2014 he could kill the then-king with a poison ring from Russia, a former spy said. Saad al-Jabri, a former Saudi spy chief who fled the country in 2017, made the claim about MBS. Al-Jabri told “60 Minutes” that MBS bragged he could do it so his father could take

Pandora Papers: Qatar ruling family avoided £18.5m tax on London super-mansion

The Qatar ruling family bought two of the UK’s most expensive houses in a deal that allowed them to avoid £18.5m in stamp duty, leaked documents show. The family bought the properties in central London via offshore companies for over £120m and applied to make them into a 17-bedroom “super-mansion”. There is no suggestion that

Prince Andrew is served sexual assault lawsuit in United States

Britain’s Prince Andrew has been served with a sexual assault lawsuit in the United States by lawyers for a woman who says she was forced to have sex with him at the London home of a friend of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, court papers show. In a filing with the U.S. District Court in

Queen secretly lobbied Scottish ministers for climate law exemption

Monarch used secretive procedure to become only person in country not bound by a green energy rule The Queen’s lawyers secretly lobbied Scottish ministers to change a draft law to exempt her private land from a major initiative to cut carbon emissions, documents reveal. The exemption means the Queen, one of the largest landowners in Scotland,

Gender, Guilt, and Fate – Macbeth, Part 2: Crash Course Literature 410

This week on Crash Course Literature, John Green is continuing to talk about Shakespeare’s dark, bloody, Scottish play, Macbeth. This time around, we’re looking at the play’s characters operate, how the play deals with gender, and the Macbeth as an early anti-hero. He’s no Walter White, but you can definitely love to hate him. Or

Free Will, Witches, Murder, and Macbeth, Part 1: Crash Course Literature 409

The Sound! The Fury! Today, we’re talking about Shakespeare’s Scottish play, Macbeth. So, was Macbeth really predestined to do all the murdering and bad kinging and other terrible stuff? That’s the big question in Macbeth, and it’s one of the ideas we’re going to talk about today, among many. Also, Yoda joins us for the

What History Was, Is, and Will Be: Crash Course European History #50

At the end of our journey through modern European history, we’re taking an episode to look back at how the practice of history developed and what the aim and goals and purpose of history have been. We’ll also take time to consider how we should approach history research and writing going forward.

Buckingham Palace banned ethnic minorities from office roles, papers reveal

Exclusive: Documents also shed light on Queen’s ongoing exemption from race and sex discrimination laws The Queen’s courtiers banned “coloured immigrants or foreigners” from serving in clerical roles in the royal household until at least the late 1960s, according to newly discovered documents that will reignite the debate over the British royal family and race.

Prince Michael of Kent accused of selling Kremlin access

Prince Michael of Kent was willing to use his royal status for personal profit, and provide access to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s regime, a Sunday Times and Channel 4 report says. The Queen’s cousin was filmed at a meeting in which undercover reporters were told he could be hired to make representations to the Kremlin. His

Absolute Monarchy: Crash Course European History #13

So far, the rulers of Europe have been working to consolidate their power and expand their kingdoms, and this is it. The moment they’ve been working toward: Absolute Monarchy. We’re going to learn about how kings and queens became absolute rulers in Europe, and where better to start than with Louis XIV of France, who