STORY HIGHLIGHTS Middle East’s private jet market expected to grow 12% in next two years Configuration is important: Arab clients want separate areas for men and women Bathrooms must be located near the front of the plane Regional industry’s biggest problem is “gray market” — unlicensed renting by private individuals The Middle East might account for less than one tenth of global private jet sales, but the passengers flying on […]

STORY HIGHLIGHTS 5-year-old Johari is bitten in neck by male in her pride, zoo says “You’re watching it and you just can’t believe your eyes,” witness tells WFAA Exhibit closed after Sunday attack; lionesses expected back on Monday A lion at the Dallas Zoo bit and killed a lioness in their exhibit as visitors watched Sunday afternoon in an attack officials said they couldn’t immediately explain. The 5-year-old lioness, Johari, […]

For mega-wealthy young men of the Gulf Arab states nothing says ‘I am rich’ more aptly than to Instagram yourself and your lion or cheetah posing alongside your Mercedes or Lamborghini or motoring along in a speedboat. Showing off the Persian Gulf’s latest ‘ultimate status symbol’, the penchant for posting big cat photos on Instagram betrays the young men’s sheer bravado or stupidity, depending on your point of view. Indeed, […]

  The Afghan government has rejected a key proposal of a security agreement with the US, putting the entire deal in doubt days before Afghan tribal leaders gather in Kabul to consider the matter. The government in Kabul is refusing to allow US forces to enter Afghan homes after combat operations end next year. Negotiations are going on to produce a document acceptable to both sides, to present to Afghan […]

Alastair Sooke looks through the ultimate Renaissance man’s anatomical sketchbooks – scientific masterpieces full of lucid insights into the functioning of the human body. We tend to think of Leonardo da Vinci as a painter, even though he probably produced no more than 20 pictures before his death in 1519. Yet for long periods of his career, which lasted for nearly half a century, he was engrossed in all sorts […]

Passenger jet crashes in Russia STORY HIGHLIGHTS NEW: NTSB, Boeing to aid Russian investigation The Tatarstan Airlines jet had 44 passengers and a crew of six aboard The Boeing 737 was flying from Moscow to Kazan when it crashed on landing Security official, regional leader’s son aboard crashed jet A Russian jetliner crashed on landing in the city of Kazan, killing all 50 aboard, authorities there reported Sunday. Tatarstan Airlines […]

The Gilded Years of the late nineteenth century and the start of World War I were a glamorous era in New York City as wealthy families sought to demonstrate their new position by building vast Fifth Avenue mansions. Brownstone town houses were turned into dazzling mansions that became filled with precious objects, important painting collections and hosted elaborate parties and balls. It was the rise of many familiar names that […]

Volunteers in Tacloban in the Philippines arranged the bodies in bags A huge trench had been dug through a cemetery to contain them The vast majority of those buried had not been identified Corpses still lie decaying in the streets while workers rush to remove them before disease begins to spread Meanwhile aid efforts to more remote areas of the country intensified Piled unceremoniously in an ugly trench, almost 400 […]

Two die after light aircraft crashes at Hawarden Airport in Flintshire Dramatic photos show plane hurtling nose-first towards the ground Pilot Gary Vickers, 58, was pronounced dead at the scene, while his female passenger died later in hospital North Wales Police are investigating the incident at 1.10pm yesterday These horrific pictures show the moment a light aircraft crashed into the ground while trying to land – killing both of the […]

Sri Lanka’s government has rejected UK PM David Cameron’s call for an international probe into alleged human rights abuses following the civil war. Mr Cameron urged President Mahinda Rajapaksa to ensure an independent inquiry, or face a UN investigation. But senior minister Basil Rajapaksa said such a probe would “definitely” not be allowed to take place. The abuses are alleged to have been committed mainly against Tamils since the end […]