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A8 WORLD NEWS
Friday 6 March 2020
Judge: Dubai ruler threatened wife, had daughters abducted

Associated Press them to be made wards of
LONDON (AP) — The ruler the British court and stay in
of Dubai conducted a the U.K.
campaign of fear and in- The sheikh later dropped
timidation against his es- his bid to take the children
tranged wife and ordered back to Dubai, and fought
the abduction of two of his unsuccessfully to prevent
daughters, a British judge the court issuing a fact-
ruled in documents that finding judgment on his
were unsealed Thursday. wife's allegations.
A judge at the High Court in The judge found that Ha-
London found that Sheikh ya's allegations about the
Mohammed bin Rashid threats and abductions
Al Maktoum, 70, "acted met the civil standard of
in a manner from the end proof on the balance of
of 2018 which has been probabilities.
aimed at intimidating and Princess Haya also alleged
frightening" his ex-wife Prin- that Sheikh Mohammed
cess Haya, 45. had made arrangements
Judge Andrew McFarlane for Jalila — then aged 11 —
also said the sheikh "or- to be married to the Crown
dered and orchestrated" Prince of Saudi Arabia,
the abductions and forced Mohammed bin Salman.
return to Dubai of two of In this Sunday, Jan 17, 2016 file photo, Princess Haya bint al-Hussein, the wife of the Prime Minister The judge said the hearsay
his adult daughters from of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, attends a press conference in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. evidence for that allega-
another marriage: Sheikha Associated Press tion fell "well short of the re-
Shamsa in August 2000, quired standard" of proof.
and Sheikha Latifa in 2002 that attempt on Thursday. the youngest of the ruler's adding that the sheikh had Sheikh Mohammed, who
and again in 2018. Princess Haya, daughter 25 children. used the apparatus of the is also vice president and
The judge made rulings in of the late King Hussein of In April 2019, Princess Haya state "to threaten, intimi- prime minister of the United
December and January Jordan, married the Dubai fled the Gulf emirate with date, mistreat and oppress Arab Emirates, is popular
after a battle between the ruler in 2004, becoming his her children, saying she with a total disregard for at home and is seen as a
estranged spouses over the second official wife, the had become terrified of the rule of law." modernizing force. He has,
welfare of their two chil- court said. Sheikh Moham- her husband's threats and In May 2019, Sheikh Mo- however, faced criticism
dren, but the sheikh fought med also has several un- intimidation. hammed launched legal abroad following reports
to prevent them from be- official wives. The couple The threats continued af- action, seeking the chil- that his daughter Latifa
ing made public. The U.K have a daughter, Jalila, 12, ter the princess moved to dren's return to Dubai, while tried to flee the country and
Supreme Court quashed and 8-year-old son Zayed, London, the judge said, Princess Haya asked for was forcibly returned.q
Van attack suspect admits to carrying out Toronto attack

Associated Press contact with a California cule by women. He told
TORONTO (AP) — A man killer who seethed at wom- a detective that he was
accused of killing 10 peo- en for rejecting him. part of the so-called "in-
ple when he drove a van Eight women and two men cel movement," which is a
into crowds of pedestrians ranging in age from 22 to fringe internet subculture
on a busy Toronto sidewalk 94 died. that attracts males who are
in 2018 has admitted to Prosecutor John Rinaldi involuntarily celibate.
planning and carrying out read out an agreed state- Minassian told Det. Rob
the attack, a court heard ment of facts between the Thomas that he saw himself
Thursday. prosecution and defense. on the bottom rung of soci-
Alek Minassian faces 10 "While driving the van in ety as an incel, and want-
counts of first-degree mur- the said area, (Minassian) ed to be part of an "upris-
der and 16 of attempted drove his van into, or oth- ing" in an effort to change
murder in connection with erwise struck, at least 26 his societal status.
the attack on April 23, 2018. people, 10 of those people "This is the day of retribu-
His trial is scheduled to be- were killed and 16 injured Alek Minassian, top, is seen during a police interview in a still tion," Minassian told Thom-
gin in front of a judge, with- to various degrees,'' Rinaldi frame taken from handout video footage. as.
out a jury, in April. said. Associated Press He also told the detective
Minassian told police short- The 27-year-old is in court he had "accomplished" his
ly after the attack that he for a pre-trial motion hear- "Yes. I am a murdering attack were in the court- mission.
carried it out in retribution ing where his lawyer, Boris piece of shit," Minassian room. Some wiped tears Minassian conceded that
for years of sexual rejection Bytensky, is fighting over said. away and others stared interview in court on Thurs-
and ridicule by women. the admissibility of a state- The defense concedes Minassian when the video day, which will now form
His arrest drew attention to ment Minassian gave to a Minassian made that state- showed him making that part of the agreed facts in
an online world of people booking officer shortly after ment, but argues Minas- statement to police. the case.
expressing sexual loneli- his arrest. sian's constitutional rights Minassian later told police The judge has said the case
ness, rage and misogyny As part of a standard set of — the right to remain silent in a lengthy interview after will turn on Minassian's state
after the suspect invoked questions, the booking of- — were violated. the attack that he carried of mind at the time of the
an uprising by "involuntary ficer asked Minassian if he Several victims and families it out in retribution for years attack, not whether he did
celibates" and said he had had any illnesses. of those who died in the of sexual rejection and ridi- it.q