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British royals gather for a memorial service honoring Queen Elizabeth’s late husband

The US Time Today reported, citing Reuters, Britain’s Queen Elizabeth could make her first public appearance in five months on Tuesday when the royal family and other dignitaries gather for a memorial service honoring her husband Prince Philip, who died last year.
Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, who was at his wife’s side for more than seven decades, died at their home at Windsor Castle in April, two months before his 100th birthday.
Strict coronavirus rules only allowed 30 mourners to attend his funeral service at the time, meaning the Queen sat poignantly alone as her 73-year-old husband was lowered into the royal vault of the castle’s St George’s Chapel.
Tuesday’s Thanksgiving service at London’s Westminster Abbey will be a much bigger event, with Buckingham Palace saying the 95-year-old Queen was actively involved in its planning.
The monarch herself has been forced to scale down her duties since spending a night in hospital with an unspecified illness last October and being advised to rest, and there have been concerns about her health after she has since had a number of planned canceled engagements.

A palace source said she hoped to attend the service, which would be her first public appearance since her illness.
The occasion will also mark the first public appearance of their second son Prince Andrew since he made an undisclosed payment to settle a US lawsuit alleging he allegedly sexually assaulted a young girl decades ago.
British Vogue magazine puts Queen Elizabeth on cover to mark Platinum Jubilee this year
Joining him at the gathering will be other senior royals, foreign kings and queens, friends of the late Duke, politicians such as Prime Minister Boris Johnson, military officials and more than 500 representatives from charities and other organizations he has championed.
Rare skill
David Hoyle, Dean of Westminster, said: “A man of rare ability and distinction, justly honored and celebrated, he has always diverted our attention from himself."
Philip, who married Elizabeth in 1947 at the Abbey, where she was also crowned six years later, helped his wife adapt the monarchy to the changing times of the post-World War II era, as the loss of the Empire and the decline in honor swept the world challenged the most prominent royal family.
Queen Elizabeth not attending Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey
On their golden wedding anniversary, she described Philip, who was known for his no-nonsense attitude and propensity for the occasional slip-up, as her “strength and endurance.”
In the absence of clear precedent, he had to carve out a role of his own and focused on helping young people through his Duke of Edinburgh Awards program and promoting environmental issues.
Hoyle will say that it was “a long life fully lived.”
Duke and Duchess of Cambridge setting off on Caribbean tour to mark Queen's Platinum Jubilee
The service to the life of the one-time royal modernizer comes as his grandson and future king Prince William, 38, also seeks to lead the monarchy into the future.
On Monday, three tabloids ran front-page articles, all citing an unnamed source who said William and his wife Kate want to “rip up the rule book” and do things differently after criticism that parts of their recent week-long Caribbean -Tour “Ton” appeared -deaf” and a reminiscence of the colonial era.
The source was quoted as saying: “It’s not a criticism of how it’s been done in the past. But times are changing."
Source: ustimetoday
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BENEFIT AGM approves 10%...
- March 27, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the company’s headquarters in the Seef District.
During the meeting, shareholders approved all items listed on the agenda, including the ratification of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 26 March 2024. The session reviewed and approved the Board’s Annual Report on the company’s activities and financial performance for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024, and the shareholders expressed their satisfaction with the company’s operational and financial results during the reporting period.
The meeting also reviewed the Independent External Auditor’s Report on the company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. Subsequently, the shareholders approved the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. Based on the Board’s recommendation, the shareholders approved the distribution of a cash dividend equivalent to 10% of the paid-up share capital.
Furthermore, the shareholders endorsed the allocation of a total amount of BD 172,500 as remuneration to the members of the Board for the year ended 31 December 2024, subject to prior clearance by related authorities.
The extension of the current composition of the Board was approved, which includes ten members and one CBB observer, for a further six-month term, expiring in September 2025, pending no objection from the CBB.
The meeting reviewed and approved the Corporate Governance Report for 2024, which affirmed the company’s full compliance with the corporate governance directives issued by the CBB and other applicable regulatory frameworks. The AGM absolved the Board Members of liability for any of their actions during the year ending on 31st December 2024, in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law.
In alignment with regulatory requirements, the session approved the reappointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the company’s External Auditors for the fiscal year 2025, covering both the parent company and its subsidiaries—Sinnad and Bahrain FinTech Bay. The Board was authorised to determine the external auditors’ professional fees, subject to approval from the CBB, and the meeting concluded with a discussion of any additional issues as per Article (207) of the Commercial Companies Law.
Speaking on the company’s performance, Mr. Mohamed Al Bastaki, Chairman BENEFIT , stated: “In terms of the financial results for 2024, I am pleased to say that the year gone by has also been proved to be a success in delivering tangible results. Growth rate for 2024 was 19 per cent. Revenue for the year was BD 17 M (US$ 45.3 Million) and net profit was 2 Million ($ 5.3 Million).
Mr. Al Bastaki also announced that the Board had formally adopted a new three-year strategic roadmap to commence in 2025. The strategy encompasses a phased international expansion, optimisation of internal operations, enhanced revenue diversification, long-term sustainability initiatives, and the advancement of innovation and digital transformation initiatives across all service lines.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to the CBB for its continued support of BENEFIT and its pivotal role in fostering a stable and progressive regulatory environment for the Kingdom’s banking and financial sector—an environment that has significantly reinforced Bahrain’s standing as a leading financial hub in the region,” said Mr. Al Bastaki. “I would also like to thank our partner banks and valued customers for their trust, and our shareholders for their ongoing encouragement. The achievements of 2024 set a strong precedent, and I am confident they will serve as a foundation for yet another successful and impactful year ahead.”
Chief Executive of BENEFIT; Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi commented, “The year 2024 represented another pivotal chapter in BENEFIT ’s evolution. We achieved substantial progress in advancing our digital strategy across multiple sectors, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to the development of Bahrain’s financial services and payments landscape. Throughout the year, we remained firmly aligned with our objective of delivering measurable value to our shareholders, strategic partners, and customers. At the same time, we continued to play an active role in enabling Bahrain’s digital economy by introducing innovative solutions and service enhancements that directly address market needs and future opportunities.”
Mr. AlJanahi affirmed that BENEFIT has successfully developed a robust and well-integrated payment network that connects individuals and businesses across Bahrain, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies in the banking and financial services sector and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a growing fintech hub, and added, “Our achievements of the past year reflect a long-term vision to establish a resilient electronic payment infrastructure that supports the Kingdom’s digital economy. Key developments in 2024 included the implementation of central authentication for open banking via BENEFIT Pay”
Mr. AlJanahi concluded by thanking the Board for its strategic direction, the company’s staff for their continued dedication, and the Central Bank of Bahrain, member banks, and shareholders for their valuable partnership and confidence in the company’s long-term vision.
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