A year on from the ousting of Assad

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  Damascus, Syria — “Hold your head high, you’re a free Syrian.” The refrain of this Arabic song—now widely embraced as the unofficial anthem of a new Syria—echoes throughout Damascus. It blares from market loudspeakers, rings out during celebrations in the central square, and is even sung by the man offering traditional coffee to new arrivals at the airport. For decades, many Syrians lived with lowered gazes under the authoritarian rule of the Al-Assad family. The regime maintained an expansive surveillance system in which the feared Mukhabarat , the intelligence network, kept the population in check. Remaining silent was often the safest choice—until the Arab Spring ignited an uprising, and Assad’s fierce response plunged the nation into a ten-year civil war. Today, Syrians are openly and energetically marking the first anniversary of what they regard as their liberation from Assad’s government. The celebration follows a rapid rebel offensive on December 8 last year, led by fo...
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Prince Andrew: I am giving up my royal titles

 

Having "always put my duty to my family and country first," Prince Andrew has agreed with the King to stop using his titles, including Duke of York. The Royal's relationship with Jeffrey Epstein and his relationship with an alleged Chinese spy were the subjects of a slew of new scandals, which led The Telegraph to first report the development. "In discussion with The King, and my immediate and wider family, we have concluded the continued accusations about me distract from the work of His Majesty and the Royal family," Prince Andrew stated in a statement issued by Buckingham Palace.

"I have made the decision, as I have always done, to prioritize my duty to my family and country. I stand by my decision to withdraw from public life five years ago. "We believe I must now proceed further with His Majesty's consent. As a result, I will no longer use my title or the honors bestowed upon me. As I have said previously, I vigorously deny the accusations against me.”

His decision to put all of his titles “in abeyance” was prompted by huge pressure from the King.  Additionally, the Prince will end his membership in the Order of the Garter. Since the Prince was not employed by the Royal family, he had already agreed to abdicate his title of HRH and render his position as Counsellor of State inactive. His ex-wife, Sarah, Duchess of York, will also relinquish her title and will simply be known as Sarah Ferguson.

He appeared to grunt earlier this month as Prince Andrew stood next to him and laughed and talked after the funeral of the Duchess of Kent at Westminster Cathedral. Since the change took effect immediately, Friday's announcement, which was printed on Buckingham Palace-issued paper, bore the title "A statement from Prince Andrew." In the past, "the Duke of York" would have been said to have written it. According to Letters Patent issued in 1917 by George V and updated in 2012 by the late Queen, he will continue to use the title of Prince because he is still the son of Elizabeth II, according to palace aides. His daughters' titles, Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice, remain unchanged.
The Prince will continue to reside at the family's Windsor residence, Royal Lodge. Due to an impenetrable lease agreement with the Crown Estate that will not expire until 2078, Palace efforts to force him out were unsuccessful. Ms. Ferguson and Prince Andrew had already been informed that they were not welcome to spend Christmas at Sandringham. As aides reached the "tipping point," the agreement was reached following high-level meetings at Buckingham Palace. The King was finally ready to go nuclear after days of more revelations that put the monarchy's reputation in jeopardy.

The King was insistent that what was essentially viewed as a "family distraction" not waste parliamentary time after deciding to act. The priority was to ensure the Prince agreed to put his titles in abeyance and render his membership of the Order of the Garter inactive to ensure MPs did not need to be involved.
 Aides are aware that Prince Andrew's relationship with the late paedophile and financier Epstein will likely be the subject of additional revelations. The Prince also changed his mind after The Telegraph revealed on Thursday that between 2018 and 2019, he had at least three meetings with Cai Qi, the top Chinese official at the center of the Beijing spy case. In addition, in 2018, he invited him to lunch at Buckingham Palace. Just days previously, leaked emails showed that Prince Andrew stayed in touch with Epstein longer than he had claimed, raising questions about what else he may have lied about.
 In a 2019 Newsnight interview, he stated that he had stopped communicating with Epstein in December 2010. However, just days after a picture of Prince Andrew with Virginia Giuffre, the late victim of sex trafficking, was published in 2011, he contacted Epstein to express concerns for his well-being and to emphasize that they were "in this together."




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