Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is due to face the Parliament's finance committee after conflict of interest accusations involving coronavirus funds.
Mr Trudeau could be subjected to penalties over his ties with the WE Charity, which won a contract to run a C$900 million (Dh2.47 billion/$674.6m) programme to help students find work during the coronavirus outbreak.
Although a time and date has not been set for Mr Trudeau’s appearance, it is likely to be this week.
Canadian Finance Minister Bill Morneau is also involved in the scandal and apologised for accepting travel expenses paid for by the charity. Last week he said he had repaid C$41,366.
Mr Trudeau's brother and mother had already received speaking fees from WE, which also employs one of Mr Morneau's daughters.
The affair is hurting the popularity of the ruling Liberals, leading some to call for Mr Trudeau’s resignation.
Mr Morneau said he had written a cheque last week to cover the costs of expenses WE paid during private trips he and his family took to Kenya and Ecuador.
He said the matter was an oversight and insisting he had always intended to pay the full cost.
"Not doing so, even unknowingly, is not appropriate. I want to apologise for this error," Mr Morneau told the committee.
The main opposition Conservative Party expressed disbelief and called on him to resign.
"Do you expect us to believe that it is a mere coincidence that you repaid over C$41,000 on the same day you were expected to testify under oath about it?" Conservative legislator Pierre Poilievre asked.
Mr Trudeau and Mr Morneau have apologised for not recusing themselves during Cabinet discussions on the choice of WE to receive coronavirus funds.
The charity later walked away from the contract.
Mr Morneau, 57, is a multimillionaire who has been finance minister since November 2015.
He was fined by the ethics commissioner in 2017 for not declaring a French villa he owns.
The WE Charity, formerly known as Free the Children, was founded by brothers Craig and Marc Kielburger 25 years ago.
The latest scandal adds to the list of ethical issues Mr Trudeau has faced during his time in office, including riding in a helicopter belonging to the Aga Khan, whose organisation has benefited from millions of dollars in Canadian federal grants.
His government was also found to have pressured the country’s attorney general not to prosecute Canadian engineering giant SNC Lavalin for bribery.
Mr Trudeau has been criticised for wearing blackface on three different occasions, for which he later apologised.
"I shouldn't have done that. I should have known better and I didn't. I'm really sorry," he told Time Magazine after the photos emerged.
A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
- 2018: Formal work begins
- November 2021: First 17 volumes launched
- November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
- October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
- November 2024: All 127 volumes completed
if you go
The flights
Direct flights from the UAE to the Nepalese capital, Kathmandu, are available with Air Arabia, (www.airarabia.com) Fly Dubai (www.flydubai.com) or Etihad (www.etihad.com) from Dh1,200 return including taxes. The trek described here started from Jomson, but there are many other start and end point variations depending on how you tailor your trek. To get to Jomson from Kathmandu you must first fly to the lake-side resort town of Pokhara with either Buddha Air (www.buddhaair.com) or Yeti Airlines (www.yetiairlines.com). Both charge around US$240 (Dh880) return. From Pokhara there are early morning flights to Jomson with Yeti Airlines or Simrik Airlines (www.simrikairlines.com) for around US$220 (Dh800) return.
The trek
Restricted area permits (US$500 per person) are required for trekking in the Upper Mustang area. The challenging Meso Kanto pass between Tilcho Lake and Jomson should not be attempted by those without a lot of mountain experience and a good support team. An excellent trekking company with good knowledge of Upper Mustang, the Annaurpuna Circuit and Tilcho Lake area and who can help organise a version of the trek described here is the Nepal-UK run Snow Cat Travel (www.snowcattravel.com). Prices vary widely depending on accommodation types and the level of assistance required.
Business Insights
- Canada and Mexico are significant energy suppliers to the US, providing the majority of oil and natural gas imports
- The introduction of tariffs could hinder the US's clean energy initiatives by raising input costs for materials like nickel
- US domestic suppliers might benefit from higher prices, but overall oil consumption is expected to decrease due to elevated costs
Ticket prices
- Golden circle - Dh995
- Floor Standing - Dh495
- Lower Bowl Platinum - Dh95
- Lower Bowl premium - Dh795
- Lower Bowl Plus - Dh695
- Lower Bowl Standard- Dh595
- Upper Bowl Premium - Dh395
- Upper Bowl standard - Dh295
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl
Power: 153hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 200Nm at 4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Price: Dh99,000
On sale: now
MATCH INFO
Rugby World Cup (all times UAE)
Third-place play-off: New Zealand v Wales, Friday, 1pm
Final: England v South Africa, Saturday, 1pm
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EEducatly%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2020%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EUAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMohmmed%20El%20Sonbaty%2C%20Joan%20Manuel%20and%20Abdelrahman%20Ayman%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EEducation%20technology%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%20size%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%242%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EEnterprise%20Ireland%2C%20Egypt%20venture%2C%20Plus%20VC%2C%20HBAN%2C%20Falak%20Startups%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE v United States, T20 International Series
Both matches at ICC Academy, Dubai. Admission is free.
1st match: Friday, 2pm
2nd match: Saturday, 2pm
UAE squad: Mohammed Naveed (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Shaiman Anwar, Rameez Shahzad, Amjad Gul, CP Rizwan, Mohammed Boota, Abdul Shakoor, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Sultan Ahmed, Zahoor Khan, Amir Hayat
USA squad: Saurabh Netravalkar (captain), Jaskaran Malhotra, Elmore Hutchinson, Aaron Jones, Nosthush Kenjige, Ali Khan, Jannisar Khan, Xavier Marshall, Monank Patel, Timil Patel, Roy Silva, Jessy Singh, Steven Taylor, Hayden Walsh
