#before the book and 2022 abu

[sigyn-l]

just found out that 2013 Japanese gp conference，seb mentioned the first time he tested f1 car with Mark.

SV：First time I tested the car, it was... Mark drove in the morning, I drove in the afternoon. I shit myself the first couple of laps and I thought, alright, that's for real men, not for me. Then I got used to it and obviously wanted to do more.

https://www.fia.com/news/2013-japanese-grand-prix-post-race-press-conference

[folkloresthings]

BECAUSE I LIKED A BOY / CL16.

in which the world’s favourite pop princess becomes tangled in the life of a certain formula one driver, flipping her entire world upside down.

( charles leclerc x singer!au )

track one: lonesome. track two: fast times. track three: nonsense. track four: opposite. track five: how many things. track six: bad for business.

✩⡱ warnings: nope

INSTAGRAM.

liked by fernandoalo_official, scuderiaferrari, and 720,553 others

charles_leclerc starting P3 in abu dhabi for the final race of the season! fingers crossed for a good result

view all 267,394 comments

carlossainz55 a good result in the race or somewhere else

⤷ charles_leclerc shut it

user 2022 season almost over :(

landonorris bring it on 😏😏😏

scuderiaferrari let’s race!!

INSTAGRAM.

liked by charles_leclerc, badgirlriri, and 943,600 others

yourusername MY NEW ALBUM “emails i can’t send” OUT AUGUST 14. this year has been a whirlwind of emotions but it’s given me a lot of very dear songs. thank you for your patience 💌

view all 510,305 comments

user NEW MUSIC ALERT

gracieabrams squealing with excitement

arianagrande SO excited 🤍

user a whole album inspired by austin AND charles???? yes please

landonorris preordered and presaved can you send me a signed copy

taylorswift EEK!

it was finally here. the weekend of the final grand prix in abu dhabi, the end of another season of racing. you’d had your flight booked for weeks, but you hadn’t decided what you were going to do with it. all of your contemplating had made you late to the airport, having to rush through the terminal just in time to make the flight. and even then, thousands of miles in the air, you kept wanting to turn back.

you wanted charles, that much you knew. but you didn’t want to get hurt again, you were sure your heart was running out of bandaids.

no one knew you were here, besides lewis. he had helped you sneak in and out of the hotel, and into the paddock, without being caught. you didn’t want to let anyone know you were here, considering you might still change your mind at the last second.

but then it was sunday, before you knew it, and you were donning a red ferrari cap as you waited the race prep out in lewis’ driver’s room. every so often, you got the sudden urge to get up and run away, far far away. your heart was racing — maybe charles had changed his mind since you last spoke. three months was a long time, long enough to find someone else.

the race began and you watched it intently on the screens, biting at your fingernails every time charles rounded another corner. come the final lap, your feet were carrying you out to the paddock, away from the mercedes hut and towards ferrari. the crowd erupted nearby, charles crossing the finish line in P2. your heart swelled with a thrill, happiness for him filling you. a podium on the last race, something he’d spoken of time and time again.

you squeezed yourself through the celebrating ferrari employees, right to the front of the fence, watching as charles’ car pulled into it’s space after the cool down lap. you pulled the hat off, hoping your hair on show would catch his attention better. his fist pumped as he clambered out of the car, pulling off of his helmet and beaming at the crowds.

by instinct he moved to run towards the group all in red, the usual celebrations waiting to follow. but the monegasque driver stopped, his eyes stuck in the middle of the group. on you. you had come — you had actually come. charles could have pinched himself, sure he could never have gotten so lucky.

you felt your mouth run dry, unable to read his expression from where he was standing. everyone around you carried on celebrating, but the two of you were frozen. you smiled a little, shoulder shrugging with a slight chuckle. and when he smiled back at you, you knew.

you knew this was where you were meant to be.

INSTAGRAM.

liked by danielricciardo, nicohulkenberg, and 762,401 others

tagged: yourusername

charles_leclerc possibly the best race of my life, i won the greatest prize of all ❤️❤️❤️ oh and i got P2

view all 511,024 comments

user SCREAMING

landonorris i cried seeing that on the screen after the race

carlossainz55 they grow up so fast 🥲

user i never thought i’d live to see this day

scuderiaferrari OUR FAVS!!!!!!

yourusername my one and only ❤️‍🔥

⤷ yourusername pls ignore all the times i curse u out in the new album thanks 👍

writers note: i was THIS 🤏 close to her not getting on the plane

[azaprocky]

┃ pairings ➣ 〔 ❛ lewis hamilton x missu!reader ❜ 〕

┃ summary ➣ 〔 ❛ he was sunshine and she was midnight rain. ❜ 〕

┃ face claim ➣ 〔 ❛ Catriona Gray ❜ 〕

┃ warnings ➣ 〔 ❛ swearing, moved the timeline of the miss universe 2022 ❜ 〕

Rain, he wanted it comfortable, i wanted that pain.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

My boy was a montage, a slow-motion, love potion, jumping off things in the ocean.

six months earlier

f1updates

liked by lewy/ngoalz, livelaughf1 and 267, 956 others

f1updates‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton flies in New Orleans 5 days before the Abu Dhabi grand prix to support his Girlfriend (Y/n) (Y/l/n) in #MissUniverse2022 pageant.

view all 3,795 comments

y/nenthusiast‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ If that ain't love then I don't know what love is

scuderiafer ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ you could really see how Lewis' loves (Y/n), imagine your boyfriend flying from Brazil to New Orleans and travelling over 9 hours just to support you, my ex could never lmao

f1updates‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ @scuderiafer i agree, but girl u okay??

charlsync‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ I just know that he was so proud that (Y/n) won the pageant

beeyonce7‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ him and that black suit tho

lewkitsham‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ he's so supportive of her, I cannot, my heart! 😭❤️

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

I broke his heart 'cause he was nice

It was the day before Christmas, festive decorations fills up the interior of the racer's home in Monaco, laughters of many F1 racers can also be heard through the British's property, everyone was in their festive mood, well except for him, Lewis.

He had received a text from his girlfriend saying "Hey Lew, my love, I'm so sorry I can't celebrate Christmas with you, I have a scheduled photoshoot with Vogue today and meeting with some UNICEF Ambassadors tomorrow, I know it's our thing to celebrate Christmas with the drivers and how much I want to celebrate, Miss Universe duties needs me, I'm so sorry again." Fuck the Miss Universe duties, he hated it, he booked far too many dates and cancelled far too many he only wanted to hangout and be romantic to her but she's too busy with those duties that irritates the soul out of him but nonetheless he replied with "it's okay my love, there's always next year, goodluck, I love you" , (Y/n) had always been busy eversince she had won as Miss Universe he knows she deserves any of it because she worked her ass off just to be in that position, he sighed as he turned off his phone, he didn't want to admit it but his heart is slowly shattering in many pieces, all because of your rising fame.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

He was sunshine, I was midnight rain, he wanted it comfortable, I wanted that pain.

March 03, 2023, 57 days before the break up

"I think I want to break up with him, we aren't working out as we used to be, I'm losing time for him, he's always been so understanding and considerate he's like a sunshine to my dark cloudy sky." (Y/n) said to her phone as she talks to her close friend Gigi Hadid whom replied with "WHAT?! no babe, I mean, he's isn't used to your new schedule with you having your 'Miss Universe Duties', maybe you guys should talk it out? some things are needed to be sort out Hun, you can do this."

(Y/n) sighed "Sure, sure, thanks Gi, love you bye" she had ended the call and heads to the master bedroom little did she know, a drop of tear had fallen to British's eyes who is hanging out by the living room, he heard it all, her wanting to break up with him, and her body language earlier with him when she entered their shared home in New York, luckily she got her time off with her Duties, she didn't greet him with a huge hug that always seem knock him over like she used to do before instead she just smiled at him and kiss his cheek and heads to their bedroom to sleep.

He just wanted to have a comfortable life with you, you gave him comfort through his days that he wasn't feeling himself and vice versa but now you seem to not even acknowledge his existence, you seem to want the pain that you are feeling.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

He wanted a bride, I was making my own name, Chasing that fame, He stayed the same

April 24, 2023 : their anniversary, New York

The beautiful city lights that seems to bright up the night sky is seen through the lounge of the British's almost empty private yacht as he prepares for one of the biggest day of his life, he was now proposing to his long time girlfriend, caressing the diamond Marquise cut engagement ring when footeps he had known for 4 years was heard that made the British put the ring back on the red box and hide it in his beige pants, "Hi Love, I'm so sorry I'm late" the 26 year old Beauty queen had sat down in the chair opposite from the British, as they settled in the two spoke at the same time "I have something to tell you"

They laughed "you go first Lew" the girl said to her boyfriend "no, darling you go first" the man replied "What no— you!" (Y/n) exclaimed

"ladies first darling" the girl nodded as she exhaled deeply and started to speak

"Lewis, we need to break up" the once smiling face of the 38 year old racer immediately vanished "what—why?" the man said as he stumbled through his words he cannot process what his girlfriend was saying, Is she okay?, Why was she doing this especially when he's ready to be with her through his lifetime?

"Lewis baby, listen to me okay" (Y/n) leaned on the table as she caresses the driver's face, "these past months we aren't acting like we used to be, we aren't the same Lewis and (Y/n) that consistently have coffee dates and late night drives . . . I'm not the same (Y/n) who gave time to you, I'm well aware that I was ignoring your existence that made us be far more distance to each other, I also know you've been cancelling too much dates and celebrations that you've prepared for me that I wasn't able to attend, I hate knowing that those stupid actions that I do you still continued to love me endlessly, I don't deserve that, YOU don't deserve that love." (Y/n) continued looking at Lewis as he stands up not believing what he just heard coming from your mouth he walks by her side holding her hands and falling down to his knees

"No,no,no,no, this can't be darling, we can get through this" Lewis said as he squeeze her hand, tears streaming down his cheeks, (Y/n) removed his hand from her hand in a tight grip "Lewis I'm sorry, but we need to end this" those was the last words she said as she stood up from her chair and walking out from the yacht

Lewis weakly stood up from the floor, he seemed weak he hated this feeling that he's experiencing now, his hand absentmindedly goes through his right pocket of his pants, getting the red box

"this was supposed be my best day." he walks inside of the yacht and through his bedroom there, he puts the red box hidden through a safe that he never opened, he wiped the tears forming in his dark brown eyes as he settled on his bed and got his phone from the night stand calling his assistant

"Hey sorry to disturb you at this hour but can you tell the others to have my private jet ready by 12 midnight i'm flying back to Azerbaijan." his voice was hoarse from crying in which his assistant seem to notice but didn't say a word to clearly getting the reason.

"it's alright sir, everything is now organized, the chaffeur will fetch you at your yacht at exactly 11:30, enjoy your flight sir!" the assistant replied clacking of keyboard was heard from the other line, Lewis said his 'thank you' and ended the call

the British decided to go to short slumber, wanting to sleep off the pain he's feeling.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

All the love we unravel and the life I gave away

twitter

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

And he never thinks of me, except when I'm on TV

December 12, 2023 : 8 months after the split, London

your.username

liked by missuniverse, taylorswift and 4,560,890 others

your.username‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ It has been an honor and privilege to be your Miss Universe, I'm forever grateful for the support I had received this past year and even until now!, being Miss Universe not only helped me to fulfill my dreams but it also helped others to make their dreams come true, thank you again, Mahal ko kayong lahat! 🌸❤️ I love you all!

view all 67,890 comments

swiftiediction‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ wtff TAYLOR LIKED (Y/N)'S POST WHAT IN THE MULTIVERSE IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW?!

gigihadid‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ forever proud of you babe! ❤️

your.username‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ thank you, love you!

lewy/nenthusiast‎ ‎ ‎ ‎mom is so pretty omg

charlosrari‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ she's so pretty and so outspoken, I love her!

❝ Auntie (Y/n) is so pretty ❞ Willow exclaimed while her brother was intently watching (Y/n)'s farewell walk in Miss Universe in the television

Lewis was at his parents house after a wild season in Formula 1, he certainly needed a break and one place comes to mind was his family home in London and to surprise him more was that his niece and nephew is staying at the house for a week.

"Who's Pretty?" Lewis has asked entering the living carrying the snack that the younger ones asked for

"Auntie (Y/n)!" The siblings giggled the British driver stopped in his tracks and looking at the screen of the TV, there she is, the woman who he had loved so much and the one who also broke his heart to many pieces, memories came flooding back on his mind about their past relationship, 'it's been a while' he said to himself

"Her blue dress and crown makes her look like a princess! are you gonna meet her soon? Can you take us with you?" Willow asked her uncle, Lewis didn't know what to reply to his niece, he just sighed and went to his niece and nephew's side who's currently cheering for their aunt.

"sure!, I'm pretty sure she misses you guys" he smiled to them, he knows it will not come true but sometimes a little lie wouldn't hurt, right?

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

And I never think of him, except on midnights like this

March 28, 2024

taylorswift

liked by your.username, anyataylorjoy and 7,805,670 others

taylorswift ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 'No body, No Crime' my first ever film will hit the theaters this March 30, I cannot express my never ending gratitude to (Y/n), Gemma, Anya, Chris and to the crew who had incredibly helped this film to be everything I imagined A MASTERPIECE!, this is a gift from us to you ❤️

comments on this post have been limited.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

March 30, 2024: the premiere

(Y/n) was on the way to the priemere of her film after almost 2 years of not acting, she's forever thankful to collaborate with one of her favorite singer, and thanks to Gigi who recommended her for the role.

after a few minutes, she had arrived to the theater everyone was calling out her name and asking questions

❛ (Y/n) how does it feel to be acting again especially in a crime mystery film? ❜

❛ Do you miss being the Miss Universe? ❜

❛ (Y/n) how does it feel to Collab with the Taylor Swift? ❜

❛ (Y/n) do you still talk to Lewis Hamilton? ❜

Lewis, that name who she seem to think about until now, she misses their memories, their trips, she misses him and everything about him, but she chose her career over him it's her fault right?

but now she wonders is it worth it? to leave a relationship you treasure just for fame and career?

[smokefalls]

Hello,

I love the books you choose to read. Would you mind sharing your top picks from this year?

Hi Anon,

It's really kind of you to say that, thank you. I also don't mind sharing at all! So far, I would say my top reads from this year would include (and in no particular order):

Published in 2024

Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar

How to Live Free in a Dangerous World: A Decolonial Memoir by Shayla Lawson

Rejection by Tony Tulathimutte

Feeding Ghosts by Tessa Hulls

The Message by Ta-Nehisi Coates

Published Before 2024

Grass by Keum Suk Gendry-Kim (tr. Janet Hong) (2020)

Swimming in the Dark by Tomasz Jedrowski (2020)

Playing in the Dark: Whiteness and the Literary Imagination by Toni Morrison (1993)

A Little Devil in America: Notes in Praise of Black Performance by Hanif Abdurraqib (2021)

Water & Salt by Lena Khalaf Tuffaha (2017)

A Theory of Birds by Zaina Alsous (2019)

Things You May Find Hidden in My Ear: Poems from Gaza by Mosab Abu Toha (2022)

Human Acts by Han Kang (tr. Deborah Smith) (2017)

Falling Back in Love with Being Human: Letters to Lost Souls by Kai Cheng Thom (2023)

Deaf Republic by Ilya Kaminsky (2019)

Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson (2021)

We'll see if more books will be added to this list when we near the end of this month—

[neferdede]

8 Activities To Add To Your Phuket, Thailand Group Trip Itinerary

The Thailand Hotties Takeover Made It Out Of The Group Chat

Sawasdee Krab, fellow beautiful people! Join me as I recap the amazing adventure of Jewel’s Twenty Fine birthday group trip to Phuket, Thailand. Last year May 2023 we celebrated the fabulous twenty-fifth birthday of my dear friend Jewel. From exciting interactions while swimming with the elephants to dancing the night away at Sugar Phuket. Our 13-day adventure in the Land of Smiles was a celebration of culture, friendship, and unforgettable moments.

In the year 2023 alone I traveled to 4 countries and had the hottest summer full of excitement and fun experiences. My friend Jewel sent out her birthday invitations for her group trip to Thailand back in November of 2022. To confirm and hold our spots we each had to pay a deposit of $200. If you decided last minute you no longer wanted to attend then you would forfeit your deposit. In which I thought was a very smart idea. The group chat originally started with I believe 13 or 14 people. But only 10 of us made it out of the chat. Bare in mind that we were splitting the cost based on the confirmed headcount and deposits paid. However, I would just like to add that if you know financially you are not in a position to afford a trip abroad before you say yes think about the expenses and how it will affect the planning process. Don’t be selfish and drop out 1 month or a few weeks before the trip. It’s inconsiderate and unfair to those who have already put money down.

I honestly commend Jewel because the trip was organized very well from the beginning. She went the extra mile to make sure each of us were accommodated and felt included in the planning process. She created a group chat with everyone who was invited and then informed us to download the app Plannet. This app is genius, it gives you the financial breakdown and itinerary all in one app. You can add your Airbnb to the itinerary, add time slots for each activity, see the cost of each restaurant and excursion, and also connect with locals via the app.

Be sure to download the app Plannet.io to curate the trip itinerary and keep track of the individual financial obligations in the app.

JFK > Germany (10 hour layover) > Singapore > Phuket, Thailand

We left JFK on May 9th in the evening and landed the next day at Frankfurt airport. Our 10 hour layover in Germany was super long but we made the best of it. We took a train ride into a local town shopping center, ate lunch and shopped around. It was my second time to Germany but my German is not the greatest, we had a hard time navigating the train sysytem but figured it out. Have you ever showered in the airport? It was quite the experience, think of showering in the gym or a spa that is what it felt like. Frankfurt airport had the nap pods , I wanted to try it out because I was sooo sleepy but they all were booked out.

Phuket, Thailand > Bangkok > Abu Dhabi > JFK

As we touched down in Thailand, all I remember was that the air was thick and it was extremely HOT!! Our home for the trip, a luxurous villa booked via Air BnB, that sat high up on a hill and came with a scenic view of Phuket.

Check out our Phuket, thailand Itinerary below:

Ma Doo Bua Cafe

This restaurant is one of the top instagrammable places in Thailand. The aesthetic and overall tranquility is extremely aesthetically pleasing. For just 500 Baht and up, you can get drone photos and videos taken of you and share to your instagram. You are on a boat in the middle of an oasis of lily pads and a drone flies over your head, you have to be quick to strike a pose. The cafe offers meals as well, but in my opinion the food was not the best in comparison to the food we ate at other locations. I was honestly just there for the aesthetics and photo opps.

Big Buddha

Please note this is spiritual grounds, be respectful and be mindful of your outfit choice for this day. Cover up, dress modest, and wear flats or sneakers because you will be doing a lot of walking. The guards at the front will direct you to get a scarf for sale if you are not appropriately dressed. The Big Buddha offered panoramic views of Phuket and a sense of spiritual serenity. The intricate details of the statue, standing at 45 meters tall, were awe-inspiring. The surrounding temple grounds provided a peaceful retreat, allowing us to reflect on the beauty of Thai culture. This is a hot spot for tourists it does get crowded just be aware of your surroundings and enjoy the beauty the statue brings.

Swimming with the Elephants

After learning that the elephants are maltreated and we are not supposed to be on their backs, I was hesistant to go. I know there are sanctuaries that take care of their elephants, however we already booked the excursion to the swim with the elephants at the beach. The elephants are trained very well and the trainers will tell the elephants to splash you, smack your butt with their trunk, or give you a kiss. The area in the water where the “swimming” takes place, is not that sanitary becuase the same water you take pictures with the elephants is where the elephants deficate. I personally was not too fond of this excursion but the photos came out super cute. Bare in mid the walk down and up from the beach is long and if you are not in any condition to walk that long and far think twice before booking. Whew chile, it was hot and tiresome.

Tiger Kingdom Phuket

Our next adventure took us to the Tiger Kingdom in Phuket, where we shared ooohs and awwws at the baby cubs. From playful cubs to the adults tigers, interacting with these cats up close was both exhilarating and humbling. It was an experience that left me with a appreciation for wildlife. I was extremely nervous to take pictures with the tigers. Once I learned the tigers were sedated and the trainers are there to ensure you are okay, I calmed down. I enjoyed taking pictures with the tigers more than the elephants to be honest.

Yacht Day - Shades of Brown

Jewel celebrated her birthday on the Yacht with balloons and a chef. The theme was for everyone to wear bathing suits in shades of brown because her last name is Brown which was such a cute idea. Unfortunately on this day was not feeling well at all. I was coming down with a cold due to the tropical weather and going in and out of the water. I got to take some really cute photos and even ride the jet ski. I recommend adding a yacht day to your birthday trip itinerary becuase it’s all about the experience. Popping champagne in the middle of the ocean is always a grand time!

Day Trip to Phi Phi Islands

We were originally supposed to spend 2 nights in Phi Phi Islands but changed the plan to take a day trip instead. We were greeted by coach bus driver that took us the marina where the boats were docked to carry us to Phi Phi Islands. We took the fastest speed boat to the islands and the the waves were too much I was literally scared the entire time. When we arrived we went to Monkey Beach where the monkeys were scattered all over the beach. They were cute but the staff inormed us not to bring anything off of the boats on to the beack because the monkies will attack and some people did not listen. They brought their items onto the beach and of course there were a few tussles with the mokeys. LOL it was scary because they were small but vicous.

Maya Beach Club

We visited Maya Beach club on our first day of the trip where we had lunch. This beach club is cool and hip to the Afrobeats. The drinks were so cute, we rented cabanas on the beach but the waves were crashing into the shore so strongly that the cabanas were getting wet. I took the cutest photos at the beach club that I never posted of course. But overall if you are looking for a fun daytime activity that is chill, check out this spot. We heard at night it is really live and I believe they star serving hookah after 5:00pm, however hookah or no hookah this beach club is great for photos and a lovely day at the beach.

Visit Patong Beach at night - Sugar Club Phuket (Afrobeats nights on Thursdays)

We partied at Sugar nightclub from the very first night and each night we visited it was a vibe. We did visit another club on the strip but our favorite nightclub on the island was Sugar due to the Afrobeats they played. Being that we were a group of all Africans who listen to Afrobeats it was only right to enjoy a spot that catered music to us. The memories created on the dance floor and on the stage (iykyk) will be remembered for a lifetime.

Bonus: Ride a Tuk Tuk in Patong Beach to one of your destinations and get Henna Tattoos at the beach.

As our Thai adventure came to an end, I was sad to go but a time was had in this tropical paradise. Thailand had given us more than memories! I cannot wait to travel back and this time to Bangkock.

Sawadee Krap, Thailand! Your beauty, warmth, and hospitality will be eternally cherished in our hearts.

[f1letters]

lavender haze | mv1

"I been under scrutiny, you handle it beautifully"

summary: after winning his second championship in another controversial way, max needed her by his side more than ever as the media tried to tear him apart

warning: a little bit of angst for Max, but overall fluff for the couple, swearing, suggestive language, mentions of the championship-deciding races of Abu Dhabi GP 2021 and Japan GP 2022 from Max's point of view, mentions of scrutiny from the media, Jos Verstappen lol

pairing: max verstappen x reader

word count: 2.8k

note: everything in bold are song references and in italic are thoughts, which includes memories from the past. also, I would like to point out that I didn't write this as a personal opinion/critique of Ted or anyone involved in the whole Sky Sports scandal (which is why I didn't use his name or his exact words in the story and why I only used the controversy as a reference/inspiration very loosely), but rather wrote about what I imagine were the thoughts/feelings of people on Max's side (himself, the Red Bull team, Jos, etc), regarding this matter.

dutch words used: schatje = baby; liefje = honey

and we are back! once again, thank you all for being so understanding about me skipping last weekend 💜 I hope you enjoy this little story, as always!

masterlist

Meet me at midnight

Ever since he was just a little boy, all Max dreamed of was being a Formula 1 champion.

To have his name written in the history books. To have his legacy immortalized in the records for eternity.

From then, Max spent all of his hours, days, weeks, months and years preparing for it. He gave all of his blood, sweat and tears for it.

For that exact moment: when he stood right there in Japan, tall and proud, with his trophy in hand, after being announced World Champion for the 2nd time.

Lying in bed that night, staring at the ceiling next to his girlfriend, the driver could still feel the euphoria coursing through his veins.

He couldn't believe how lucky he was to be in that position. 

He had everything he could ever want: his biggest dream came true twice, he had a successful career that so many envied, and most of all, he had the best person in the world by his side.

At the end of the day, it didn't matter all the money, the victories, the parties, the luxury if he couldn't have her there in his arms.

Y/N was everything to him, and he knew that the championship victory was as much hers as his.

Max let his hand run through the shiny strands of his partner's hair, the warm skin of their bodies pressed together, while Y/N drew random figures with her soft fingers across the man's toned chest.

The couple remained in each other's arms, not saying too much, both still over the moon and completely in awe from the unforgettable day they just had.

"I'm so proud of you, my love." Y/N broke the silence installed in the hotel room, whispering her words. "You can't imagine how happy I am for you."

Staring at the ceiling with you

Oh, you don't ever say too much

And you don't really read into

My melancholia

Max half smirked with his eyes half closed as sleep began to creep in.

With his eyes locked on the girl before him, the boy tucked the hair that covered her face behind her ear and stayed like that for a few minutes. Just living in the moment, letting her words sink in, appreciating what life had given him.

"Thanks, schatje. For everything." He placed a soft kiss on her forehead, caressing her cheek with the back of his hand. "I'm completely crazy about you, you know that?"

Y/N laughed shyly, moving her body even closer to her boyfriend's, laying down on his chest. "Stop, Max! You know I get all embarrassed when you start saying stuff like that."

"You stop! I'm just telling the truth!" Their laughter filled the room in pure harmony. Max stopped, returning to his moment of gratitude. "I just love you. So much, Y/N. This is all thanks to you."

"This is all thanks to your talent, baby." The young woman rested her cheek against the driver's bare shoulder. "Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."

Y/N knew that Max would immediately understand what she was trying to say.

The girl couldn't help but fear that the Dutchman would let all the scrutiny behind yet another championship win bring him down.

Max had a whole facade around him. Max appeared to be confident, poised, collected, unfazed by all adversity, and sometimes even self-centred and arrogant because of his posture on the track. 

But deep down, Max was nothing but a fragile little boy, still trying to seek his father's approval.

Max was obsessed with perfection. Everything he had to do had to be absolutely spot on: every corner had to be perfectly executed, his car had to be at its best at all times, any position other than the first one was simply not good enough.

Knowing him better than anyone, Y/N knew how to handle him beautifully and knew that in the back of Max's mind, the fact that this was yet another victory tainted by controversy was tormenting him, even if he tried to hide it.

I've been under scrutiny

You handle it beautifully

All this shit is new to me

Both of them could only imagine all the headlines, the comments, the criticism. All because of a loophole that was never under the driver's control.

"Don't worry about me." Max answered the unspoken question the girl posed. "I don't give a damn what people say."

The harsh words that came out of his mouth seemed to be an attempt to convince himself more than her. They both knew that.

It had been almost a year since the boy had been named champion for the first time and yet to that day he still suffered attacks due to something that (once again) was not in his power to change.

Y/N didn't push, knowing the argument was going nowhere, and instead chose to joke with her boyfriend to lighten the mood. "Well, I don't know if you know this... but you look so much hotter as a two-time world champion."

Happiness filled Max's chest as he chuckled, turning their position so that his body was on top of hers. His lips roamed over her neck, leaving soft kisses and nibbles along the way, until he strayed away to deposit an intense and passionate kiss on her mouth.

His head lifted slightly, creating enough distance between them for him to speak, though their lips were still touching. "What if I showed again how it feels like to fuck a two-time world champion, hmm?"

I feel a lavender haze creeping up on me

So real, I'm damned if I do give a damn what people say

No deal, the 1950s shit they want for me

I just wanna stay in that lavender haze

Two weeks passed until the next race, the couple trapped in their lavender haze.

The Texas sun cut through the clouds in the sky and reflected warmly on the girl's skin as she entered the circuit, side by side with Carola.

Both friends over the last few years since they met in the Red Bull garage through their partners, the young women understood each other perfectly: both were reserved, with no great desire for attention on them, just there to support their lovers.

As always, a peaceful and relaxed conversation was taking place between the two, as they strolled around the paddock with smiles on their faces. 

Carola told Y/N all about the latest incident at the Perez house, with the small sibling clashes between Checo Jr. and Carlota, and the other girl just laughed. She knew how happy those children made her friend and she couldn't wish anything else for Carola.

Suddenly the mood around them seemed to change. 

The environment that before was serene, relaxed, and enthusiastic now gave off a heavy, tense, nervous energy.

Y/N started looking into the faces of the people they passed for answers, aware that they were looking at her. What the fuck is going on, she thought to herself.

Carola sensed the discomfort on her friend, placing a concerned hand on the girl's shoulder. "Y/N, are you okay?"

"Well, I'd like to know the answer to that question too," Y/N confessed without too much thought. "I don't know, honestly. I have a feeling something is wrong."

"Maybe it's nothing," The Mexican tried to calm her down, running her hand up and down along her friend's forearm, although she was aware of the gazes in their direction too. "We're almost at the garage and we'll clear everything up."

Walking through the navy blue walls, the tension only intensified in the air. 

The faces of the team members showed worry and nervousness, and the PR team rushing back and forth relentlessly was a sign that something had gone wrong during the drivers' media duties following their practice session.

Knowing Max like the back of her hand... Y/N knew it was him.

All they keep asking me

Is if I'm gonna be your bride

The only kind of girl they see

Is a one-night or a wife

"Hey, where's Max?" Y/N asked her father-in-law, Jos, who wore an angry look on his face. Although their relationship was distant, she knew that if anyone was aware of everything that was going on in her boyfriend's career, it was his father.

"Would also like to know." The man replied dryly, running a hand impatiently through his hair. "He just walked out of here like a fucking coward, and left the others here to sort out his shit."

Y/N swallowed hard, knowing it wasn't worth wasting time trying to defend Max as all the words she would say would go in one ear and out the other. "What happened?"

"That shitty reporter, that's what happened." The older Verstappen replied, raising his tone. "That bastard had the nerve to say on live TV that Max didn't deserve any of his titles, and he panicked like a pussy. I didn't raise him like that - I raised him to be a man, not a little boy."

Without a second thought, Y/N turned her back on the man and grabbed her phone, trying to call her partner, only for her call to go to voicemail.

Unconsciously, the girl opened her Instagram and immediately came across the reporter's now-viral video.

"He doesn't seem to be capable of winning a championship without some sort of scandal. First, Hamilton was obviously ripped off in Abu Dhabi; now, they award full points in a race that wasn't even half finished because of some apparent 'loophole'?! Favouritism at its best."

All of a sudden, the air seemed to have difficulty getting into the girl's lungs, the temperature seemed to have risen dramatically, and Y/N started to feel dizzy as the media started to bring up Max's history.

Max, where are you, she asked herself, begging for a sign of his presence.

I find it dizzying

They're bringing up my history

But you aren't even listening

Y/N looked everywhere: in the garage, in his driver's room, in all the different rooms in the motorhome, in the back of the building, in the cafeteria, everywhere. 

She was starting to run out of options, but she knew he had to be around somewhere since his exit from the circuit would not be discreet at all, quite the contrary.

If I were Max where would I hide from the world, she reflected, desperate to be reunited with her boyfriend. Of course! In the place where everyone least expected to find him.

With a hurried step and depositing complete confidence in this last and risky idea, Y/N set off on her way until she came face to face with the red walls, embellished with the Prancing Horse symbol.

Deviating towards the back of the Ferrari building, Y/N felt her heart return to its normal rhythm when she set her eyes on the image of his lover.

There he was, sitting on the grass, with his vision pointed to the sky, so small and so fragile that no one else would be able to see him hiding there.

The girl slowly approached the driver, almost afraid to startle him, until he eventually noticed her presence when she was only a few inches away from him. His shoulders visibly relaxed at the sight of his girlfriend, and a small, forced smile appeared on his face.

"Of course you found me," Max whispered, placing his hand on the girl's thigh, who was now sitting on the grass next to him. "I guess you already know what happened."

Y/N laid her head on his shoulder, hugging his strong arm. "Yeah, I saw it... I'm sorry Max, you don't deserve this."

I feel a lavender haze creeping up on me

So real, I'm damned if I do give a damn what people say

No deal, the 1950s shit they want for me

I just wanna stay in that lavender haze

That lavender haze

"I don't really care," Max spoke, shaking his head. "Let them say what they want. It doesn't matter to me."

"Baby…" The young woman knew that he was doing what he always did: bottling it up inside, hiding his feelings, just like he was taught to do his whole life.

"Liefje, don't worry. I'm fine, I promise."

"Max, stop doing this." Y/N touched his face, forcing him to look at her with his noticeably teary eyes.

"Y/N-"

"Max, please." The girl begged. "You don't have to pretend to be strong with me. You can be honest; you can scream, cry, freak out, you name it, and I'll always be here to listen."

The Dutchman took a deep breath in acceptance, leaning his head back against the red wall. "I'm just tired, you know? I try and try to do my best at all times and it's never enough. Not for the media, not for my dad, or-"

"For me, it's more than enough." The girlfriend interrupted. "And it should be enough for you too. You shouldn't care what others say… Especially your father." She teased, forcing a laugh out of Max's mouth.

The boy contemplated her words for a few seconds, placing a kiss on her temple. "I love you, you're the best."

"I know," She replied, bumping his shoulder playfully. "But I'm serious, Max. No one should have enough power over you that they can make you feel inferior, or less than you are. You are Max fucking Verstappen, two-time Formula 1 world champion. And so much more to come, I don't doubt it for a second."

Talk your talk and go viral

I just need this love spiral

Get it off your chest

Get it off my desk

Talk your talk and go viral

I just need this love spiral

Get it off your chest

Get it off my desk

The girl jumped to her feet, waking the driver from his own thoughts, and reached out to him with both her hands to help him get up on his feet too. "Come on, champ! Enough sulking here and let's face the world with our heads held high, shall we?"

Much calmer after getting it off his chest, Max looked at her with eyes shining with pride and, accepting her help, he got up. Instantly, his arms found their place around her waist, as did his lips on hers.

The couple shared a calm kiss, enjoying their moment of peace in the midst of such a chaotic situation.

"Thanks, schatje." Max said, returning his mouth to hers seconds later. "I can never thank you enough for everything you've done and do for me every day."

"I would do anything for you, baby." Y/N smiled wide, the dimples in her cheeks becoming noticeable. "Anything."

I feel a lavender haze creeping up on me

So real, I'm damned if I do give a damn what people say

No deal, the 1950s shit they want for me

I just wanna stay in that lavender haze

On their way to the Red Bull garage, the two reappeared in the paddock, hand in hand, eyes only on each other.

With them, dozens of photographers and journalists emerged from the shadows, hunting the Dutchman for his comments and trying to get controversial headlines for their next articles.

But from Max, they only managed to take away the magical smile he had stamped on his face while talking to his girlfriend.

It was almost as if nothing had happened to him, such was the confident and determined posture the driver now assumed.

There was nothing like a good dose of love to make someone feel on top of the world, and Max was living proof of that in front of all those prying eyes.

Get it off your chest

Get it off my desk

That lavender haze

I just wanna stay

The world could crumble around them and they would still manage to stay on their feet.

They were a team. They had the perfect balance between them, the strength to face any obstacle together. Like two separate souls born to be reunited, in this life and all lives to come. Born to be on their lavender haze forever.

"Just you and me, liefje." Max whispered so only she could hear over the screams and camera flashes.

Y/N pulled him by the arm closer to her body in search of the comfort he conveyed to her every time, and smiled discreetly at him.

"You and me against the world, my love."

I just wanna stay

In that lavender haze

taglist: @dan3avocado @starxqt @roseinnej @spiidergirlsworld @ccloaned @hotpigeon22 @dr3lover @lovelytsunoda @primadonnasdream @luxebeautystyle @wallfloweriism @ilivefortheleague @gwynethhberdara @satellitelh @adavenus @audreyscodes @wifeoflucyboynton @th6ccnsp6cyy @classifiedsblog @flyingmushroomss @motylekrozi @claramllera @gabrielamaex @handsupforamiracle @pierre-gasssllyy @lorenaloveslewis

@idkiwantchocolatee @simpforsunwoo @kissatelier @xweirdxsceletton @micksmidnights @miniminescapist @inchidentwithmax @hopelesslyromantics-world @alwaysclassyeagle @indieclarke @capela-miranda @okokoksblog-blog @pulpfixion @sins-only33 @sainzclerc @allisonxf1 @honethatty12

@amsofftrack @flannel-cures @junkiespromise @loudoperahumanoidpanda @honeyric3 @holy-macncheese-balls @ricciardosheart @pierreverstapkin @ravenqueen27 @majkaftorek @home-of-disaster @buendiabebeta @itgirlofnowhere @roses-of-eden @thewintersunset @rubychocolatechips

(taglist continues in the comments)

thank you to everyone that asked to be tagged! please let me know if you want to be added to the next stories! 💌

[luxurytravelcurator]

Farewell Abu Dhabi and GOOD MORNING #Dubai and our hotel in the #BurjKalifa the ARMANI Dubai. Booking #ARMANIDubai directly with me, my clients will enjoy a suite of #VIP Amenities such as and not limited to: Room upgrades + Early Check IN & Late Check OUT + Complimentary Breakfast + Food & Beverage and/or Spa Credits + Free WIFI among many others. #Turkey and #UnitedArabEmirates for 10-days. Site inspections for my VIP Corporate Group towards #FIFA #Qatar #WorldCup 2022, next December. Time to curate and experience every hotel, restaurant, tour and experience before my clients arrival. Stay tuned for my next upcoming trips: Milan & Lake Como, Italy ( OCT 24-31 ). Turkey ( DEC 9-15 ). Argentina ( DEC 23-JAN 17 2023)… and more, including 2022 FIFA Qatar World Cup (at Dubai UAE) https://www.instagram.com/p/CjwlLPWJYXY/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[in-land-of-pharaohs]

Top Egypt Nile river cruises 2022

Egypt is a place of magic and mystery, a great destination for a cruise, and the Nile River offers some of the most beautiful landscapes and sights in the world. There are many different options when you come to book Egypt Nile River cruises.

Here are some of my favorite options for 2022.

MS Alexander the Great Nile cruise from Luxor to Aswan or from Aswan to Luxor. This is one of the most popular choices for anyone visiting Egypt. The cruise takes you up the Nile River and gives you plenty of time to explore each stop along the way. And Alexander the Great Nile cruise from Aswan to Luxor also allows you to get a closer look at the temples in Luxor, Karnak Temple, and more.

Take a 5 days Lofian Nile cruise from Luxor to Aswan. This is a great option for those who want to see both the ancient sites in Luxor and the temples at Abu Simbel. The cruise also includes stops at Kom Ombo, Edfu, and Esna. Or you could choose a 4-day Lofian Nile cruise from Aswan to Luxor. This itinerary includes stops at Philae Temple, Dendara Temple, Kalabsha Temple, Abu Simbel, and more.

If you're looking for a great way to see the sights of Egypt, one of the best ways to do so is by taking an MS Tosca Luxury Nile cruise from Luxor. The scenery along the Nile is beautiful and unique, offering plenty of photo opportunities for travelers.

The Jaz Jubilee Nile cruise is one of the top cruises recommendations for Egypt and offers some pretty amazing views. A luxury cruise that will take you from Aswan to Luxor or vice versa. It has all the amenities to make your trip as comfortable as possible.

The 4-day MS Royal Isadora Nile Cruise from Aswan to Luxor takes you through some of the most beautiful areas in Egypt, including Edfu and Kom Ombo. It also includes stops at Philae Temple and Karnak Temple, so it's perfect if you want to learn about ancient Egyptian history while enjoying the scenery. If you want more time on the water, then consider taking the 5-day MS Royal Isadora Nile Cruise from Luxor to Aswan instead. This trip allows you plenty of time to explore Luxor itself as well as stop off at Kom Ombo and Edfu temples along with other historic sites along the Nile River.

The MS Radamis Nile Cruise from Luxor to Aswan or from Aswan to Luxor: This cruise will take you on an unforgettable journey through ancient temples and monuments located along the banks of the Nile River. You will see many beautiful sites such as Karnak Temple, Valley of the Kings, and Abu Simbel Temple. It’s also possible to stop off at Edfu temple if time permits.

If you're looking for a more relaxed, peaceful trip, we recommend taking the MS Esplanade Nile Cruise from Aswan. This cruise will take you through some of the most beautiful sites on the Nile River—the Valley of the Kings and Queen Hatshepsut's Temple among them. You'll also have plenty of time to explore before and after your cruise in your free time in Aswan.

MS Royal Ruby Nile Cruise from Aswan or from Aswan. This cruise will take you on an unforgettable journey through ancient temples and monuments located along the banks of the Nile River. You will love it!

The MS Al Jamila Nile cruise is a beautiful ship with elegantly decorated cabins and public areas. It is a great way to experience Egypt's stunning scenery. This river cruise ship sails from Luxor to Aswan and back, giving you the chance to see some of the country's most iconic sights.

The MS Semiramis II Nile cruise is a very relaxing experience, where you can enjoy the breathtaking views of the Nile river, temples, and monuments along the way. Also, you can choose another itinerary for MS Semiramis II from Luxor. This cruise is perfect for individuals and families looking for a relaxing holiday.

The luxury MS Historia Boutique Hotel Nile Cruise from Aswan takes you on a journey through the heart of Egypt, passing by some of the most iconic landmarks in the world. During your Nile cruise, you will experience all that Egypt has to offer - from its unique culture and rich history to its incredible wildlife and stunning landscapes.

Experience the wonders of Egypt on this 4-day MS Salacia Nile cruise from Aswan. This trip is ideal for travelers who want to see the sights of Egypt by boat, but also want a more intimate experience with fewer people. You'll be able to explore the sites at your own pace, without having to worry about lines or crowds.

[giftofshewbread]

According to the Bible (Prophecy Update)

 By Daymond Duck    Published on: June 27, 2021

One, according to the Bible, there will be a one-world religion headed up by someone called the False Prophet during the Tribulation Period.

In Feb. 2019, Pope Francis and a Muslim Sheikh, Ahmed al-Tayeb, signed an agreement called the Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace.

The purpose of this document is to merge the religions to create world peace.

Francis and the Imam established a Higher Committee of Human Fraternity to bring together people of all backgrounds, beliefs, and nationalities.

The committee met twice in Sept. 2019.

They announced plans to build a complex called the “Abrahamic Family House” in Abu Dhabi.

Plans called for the “Abrahamic Family House” to have a church, a mosque and a synagogue (separate places for Christians, Muslims and Jews to worship) and a fourth place for people of all religions to come together as one body.

Francis and the Imam would promote peace, coexistence, and brotherhood among all religions.

On June 15, 2021, it was reported that construction on the Abrahamic Family House is well underway.

The foundations of the church, mosque and synagogue have been laid, construction is about one-fifth done, and the buildings are projected to open in 2022.

The mosque will be called the Imam Al Tayeb Mosque; the church will be called St Francis Church, and the synagogue will be called the Moses ben Maimon Synagogue (after a famous 12th-century Jewish scholar).

The UAE views itself as a tolerant nation and boasts that it allows dozens of religions to worship there.

A UAE official said Christians, Jews and Muslims make up more than half the world’s population.

The article also said the first Hindu Temple is scheduled to open in the UAE in 2023.

At least a few Bible prophecy teachers believe Pope Francis and the Imam Al Tayeb are trying to establish Chrislam (the merging of Christianity, Judaism and Islam; the three faiths that trace their beginning to Abraham) as the one-world religion.

Two, according to the Bible, the Tribulation Period will begin when the Antichrist confirms a covenant for peace in the Middle East.

On June 12, 2021, it was reported that the Biden administration is supporting the Abraham Accords negotiated by the Trump administration and is eager to expand them.

However, Biden’s state department is recommending that these agreements be called normalization agreements instead of the Abraham Accords.

The change in administrations has not stopped the quest for a covenant of peace in the Middle East.

Three, according to the Bible, Jerusalem will be a cup of trembling and a burdensome stone for the world at the end of the age.

In 1967, 80,000 or more troops from several Arab nations moved 1,000 or more tanks and heavy weapons close to Israel’s borders in preparation for an attack.

On June 5, 1967, Israel launched a pre-emptive strike, defeated the Arab nations, captured East Jerusalem, and reunited the city.

Jews call the reunification of Jerusalem “Jerusalem Day.”

They celebrate “Jerusalem Day” and their sovereignty over the city by singing, dancing, and waving the Israeli flag in a parade through the center of the city.

Under the direction of Iran, the terrorist group Hamas located in Gaza called the celebration offensive and threatened violence if the Jews did not cancel it.

Jerusalem Day fell on May 10, 2021; the Jews did not cancel the parade, but it was interrupted by sirens at the Wailing Wall because Hamas was firing rockets at Jerusalem (during the recent May 11-day war).

The May 11-day war ended; the parade was rescheduled for June 15, 2021; Hamas threatened violence again; the Jews still did not cancel it, but they revised the route to keep the parade just outside the city.

This time Hamas responded by launching incendiary balloons (balloons carrying fire bombs) into Israel that started several mostly small fires.

On June 17, 2021, Israel retaliated by bombing 10 Hamas targets in the Gaza strip.

This controversy over Jerusalem clearly fits in with Bible prophecy.

A very interesting comment came from Yair Golan, a member of the new Prime Min. Naftali Bennett’s coalition: “This is not just a parade of flags; there will be other nationalist initiatives, the purpose of which is to bring about the War of Gog and Magog.”

Many Bible prophecy teachers believe the Battle of Gog and Magog is close, and the Bible says it will take place in the latter years and latter days.

It must happen.

On June 20, 2021, following more riots and violence by Hamas, Israeli Prime Min. Bennett sent a warning to Hamas that our patience “has run out,” we will not tolerate “any more violence” from you of any kind.

Some Israeli officials said the violence must stop or Israel will resume the May 11-day war.

Four, according to the Bible, the Jews will return to the Promised Land in two great waves at the end of the age: the first great wave will be unbelieving Jews before the Tribulation Period, and the second great wave will be believing Jews at the end of the Tribulation Period.

On June 17, 2021, it was reported that 6% of the global Jewish population lived in Israel in 1948, but more than 40% of the global Jewish population lives in Israel today.

Covid, lockdowns, closed airports, closed borders, war, etc., slowed the return in recent months, but these things could not stop it, and the number of applications from young adult Jews (age 18-35) wanting to relocate to Israel has surged (up more than 40%).

The global pandemic, grounded airplanes, thousands of rockets fired at Israel, Muslim threats, etc., have not stopped God’s Word from being fulfilled.

Five, according to the Bible, knowledge will greatly increase at the time of the end.

It was recently reported that IBM said knowledge will soon double every 12 hours because of quantum computing.

Britt Gillette, founder of the “End Times Bible Prophecy” website and author of several books, recently noted that Google plans to build a million-qubit quantum computer by 2029. IBM and the UK have agreed to invest 300 million dollars on a quantum computing project, and many other corporations around the world are investing in quantum computing applications.

Quantum computing will accelerate knowledge, weapons development, tracking everything, make it possible for one nation to control everyone on earth, and more.

It seems obvious that the prophesied increase of knowledge at the time of the end is taking place (Dan. 12:4).

Six, according to the Bible, the God that created this world and all humans has warned the nations that He will cut them into pieces and drag them into the Battle of Armageddon for coming against Jerusalem, scattering the Jews, and dividing the land of Israel at the time of the end (during the Tribulation Period; Zech. 12:1-3; Joel 3:2).

History is not there yet, but God appears to be warning world leaders to leave Israel and Jerusalem alone.

In his June 18, 2021 issue of “Koenig’s Eye View from the White House,” William Koenig inferred that Trump, Netanyahu and the world seemed to be moving along in a normal fashion until they signed the “Peace to Prosperity Plan” at the White House on Jan. 28, 2020.

Immediately after the signing of that document, leaders of Germany, France, the UK, the EU, the Arab League, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) expressed their support for the Two-State Solution, UN resolution 242 and 338, and the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative that will divide the land of Israel, etc.

Then, on Sept. 15, 2021, Trump and Netanyahu signed the Abraham Accords, which will also divide the land of Israel.

Koenig noted that Covid-19 came on the scene as a global pandemic and caused worldwide problems, Trump was removed from office, and Netanyahu is now out of office.

If the world keeps ignoring God’s warnings (and it will), the Church will be Raptured, and world leaders will be in the Tribulation Period.

Seven, according to the Bible: Russia, Iran, Turkey, and others will attack Israel at the Battle of Gog and Magog in the latter days and latter years (Ezek. 38:1-8, 16).

Iran is enriching uranium for use in nuclear missiles, and some speculate that the Battle of Gog and Magog might be triggered by Israel striking Iran’s nuclear facilities first.

On June 18, 2021, Iran elected a new President named Ebrahim Raisi.

Russia and Turkey quickly congratulated Raisi on his victory.

He will take office in August 2021.

On June 18, 2021, Israel’s Foreign Minister Lapid said Raisi is known as the Butcher of Tehran because he is responsible for killing thousands of Iranians.

Israel expects Raisi to build up Iran’s uranium stockpile, and an unnamed Israeli source said, “There will be no choice but to go back and prepare attack plans for Iran’s nuclear program.”

Think about it; Iran started the recent May 11-day war with Israel, Iran is seeking nuclear missiles, and the Butcher of Tehran is the soon to be Pres. of Iran.

Other than the latter days and latter years, only God knows when this war will take place, but it appears to be close.

Incidentally, Paul said, “in the last days, perilous times shall come” (II Tim. 3:1), and on June 18, 2021, it was reported that US Sec. of State Blinken told Congress, “The situation (in Iran) is becoming increasingly perilous.”

Also, concerning the election of Raisi, a US State Department spokesperson said, “Iranians were denied their right to choose their own leaders in a free and fair electoral process.”

Millions think that is what happened in the US.

Eight, according to the Bible, the nations that burden themselves with Jerusalem at the end of the age will face the judgment of God (Zech. 12:3).

On Dec. 6, 2017, Pres. Trump recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and ordered the US embassy to be moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem (opened on May 14, 2018).

He followed that with an order to close the US Consulate in East Jerusalem that served the Palestinians (Mar. 4, 2019).

On June 22, 2021, it was reported that Pres. Biden wants to reopen the US Consulate in East Jerusalem, and that would reverse Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as the undivided capital of Israel.

Biden needs Prime Min. Bennett’s approval to open a Consulate in Jerusalem, and the report said he opposes it but is likely to approve it to avoid embarrassing Biden.

If Bennett lets Biden do this, the US and Israel could both be in trouble with God (Gen. 12:3, Joel 3:2; Zech. 12:3).

Nine, concerning the ability to track everyone: on June 21, 2021, it was reported that some people that have been vaccinated for Covid are being tracked in real time by 5G Cell phone towers.

Data on their location, vital signs, etc., is being uploaded to computers and stored in massive databases.

This writer cannot prove the accuracy of this report, but if it is true, people are likely unknowingly agreeing to be tracked when they agree to be vaccinated.

I have little knowledge of things like this, but it seems to me that they have nanochips in their body that act somewhat like a computer operating system.

Some say this internal operating system is not the Mark of the Beast, but it is a step in that direction, and future vaccinations will take them there.

Finally, are you Rapture Ready?

If you want to be rapture ready and go to heaven, you must be born again (John 3:3). God loves you, and if you have not done so, sincerely admit that you are a sinner; believe that Jesus is the virgin-born, sinless Son of God who died for the sins of the world, was buried, and raised from the dead; ask Him to forgive your sins, cleanse you, come into your heart and be your Savior; then tell someone that you have done this.

[atbaa-as-salaf]

The Messenger of Allāh صلى الله عليه وسلم said to a boy,

((يا غلام سم الله، وكل بيمينك، وكل مما يليك))

“O’ young boy, say Allāh’s Name (before you eat), eat with your right hand, and eat from what is nearest to you.”*

* Related by Bukhaaree (5376), Muslim (2022), Ahmad (15895), Abu Daawood (3777), Ibn Maajah (3267), Maalik (1738), and Ad-Daarimee (2045). And the wording mentioned above is taken from Bukhaaree’s narration of the Hadeeth.

Book: The Book Of Manners - كتاب الآداب

Compiled by: Fu’âd Ibn ‘Abdul-‘Azeez Ash-Shulhoob

Published by: Darussalam

Translated by: Faisal Shafiq

Page: 192

[fandom-space-princess]

Read: 2022

Because I - somehow - managed to only pick up books I liked, or loved, this year, and I know I like hearing about what others are reading: a list of what I read in 2022.

Series

The Witcher (The Last Wish, Sword of Destiny, Blood of Elves, Time of Contempt, Baptism of Fire, The Tower of Swallows, Lady of the Lake, Season of Storms) - Andrzej Sapkowski: Working through these took me most of the year, but it was worth it. I grew up reading 90s sf&f magazines much like Fantastyka, and the tone of the first two books, especially, was very nostalgic for that. If you have the patience for an eight-novel trek and a love for dry, snarky fantasy, or any interest in the source material for the franchise, I'd recommend these. And that isn't even the hyperfixation talking.

The Locked Tomb (Gideon the Ninth, Harrow the Ninth, Nona the Ninth) - Tamsyn Muir: Singing my appreciation for this insane series every day. These get hyped for a reason, and that reason is that they will take you out at the kneecaps. I mean - what if your obnoxious millennial lesbian protagonists were also a profound exploration of mortality and grief? What if God was real and present and also just some particularly mediocre guy? What if tragedy and magic and Pyrrhic victory and no happy endings for anybody? I think Alecto might be the end of me when it gets published, and I will go to that death gladly.

Poetry

Water I Won't Touch - Kayleb Rae Candrilli: Reflections on transitioning, growing up in hostility, and finding joy in adulthood. Melancholy; also, hopeful. Made me smile a lot. Gay. The Necessity of Wildfire - Caitlin Scarano: I picked this up because part of the description - "the unraveling of long-term relationships, the complexity of their sexuality, and the decision not to have children" - sucked me in. Very glad I did. The nature imagery here is particularly vivid and effective. Things You May Find Hidden in my Ear: Poems from Gaza - Mosab Abu Toha: Poems about Palestinian life in Gaza. While good poetry often moves me, it doesn't usually make me shed actual tears, but this did. Pecking Order - Nicole Homer: Reflections on motherhood and Blackness and identity within family and other social hierarchies. This one had teeth. Immediate favorite. Drinking to Sainthood - Devin Devine: Local author out of Portland. Themes: religion, queer sexuality, death and addiction, aftermath and recovery. This was fascinating, and heartbreaking, and gorgeous.

Short story collections

The Glassy, Burning Floor of Hell - Brian Evenson: Short horror stories. The fear here is mostly the subtle psychological kind, with a definite sci-fi lean in most cases. The Lonely Stories - ed. Natalie Eve Garrett: Meditations on loneliness in various forms, from before and during the pandemic, but not mostly focusing on lockdown. Report From Planet Midnight - Nalo Hopkinson: NH is among my favorite modern authors, and this collection is part essay/lecture, part short works of fiction. I'd read the stories before, but the lecture was new to me. If you care about science fiction's recent history of grappling with racism (or watched any part of the drama around RaceFail circa 2009), I'd go so far as to call this fandom history required reading. Everyone on the Moon is Essential Personnel - Julian K. Jarboe: The opening line of the first story is "The first nice thing I ever did to my body was tear it open." It's a hell of a beginning to a hell of a book. The tagline is "body-horror fairy tales and mid-apocalyptic Catholic cyberpunk," which is apt. I'm actually almost done with this, and I started it a day and a half ago. I haven't been able to put it down.

Longform Fiction

Small Things Like These - Claire Keegan: A very quick read. Deeply unsettling historical fiction about a common man's encounter with one of Ireland's Magdalene laundries, and the horrors they contained. CK's writing style is very stark, spare, and lovely for it. I wish I could do half as much in 100 words as she does in 10. Comfort Me With Apples - Catherynne Valente: The premise here is: what if Eve hadn't been the first woman after all (read: this is a horror story)? Short and… well, not sweet (more gory), but as good as everything else CV writes. A Dowry of Blood - S. T. Gibson: Vampire romance about the brides of Dracula. Come for the polyamory, stay for the grisly murder. I wanted this to be scarier than it was, but it was certainly fun. The Only Harmless Great Thing - Brooke Bolander: An alternate-history sci-fi novella. In a past where humanity learned to communicate with elephants by sign language, US Radium begins buying them to work in factories after the social fallout of the radium girls incidents. Inspiring, in the "will make you want to commit acts of uncivil disobedience" kind of way. Haven - Emma Donoghue: Non-genre historical fiction, which is not usually my kind of thing, but I picked this one up on the recommendation that the story was mostly in the incredible character development, which it was. It examines the consequences of isolation and fanaticism on a trio of seventh-century monks, who set out to found a monastery on Skellig Michael off the Irish coast. The Book Eaters - Sunyi Dean: A modern dark fairy tale, about people who eat books - and occasionally, human minds. This was an excellent look at the worst things love can do to people, and what kind of monster someone might be willing to become for the sake of their family. I'm excited to see what this author does in the future.

And that's it! If anyone wants to share what they read this year, please tag me; I'm curious to hear what you've got 👀

[f1]

Alpine convinced they now have the upper hand over McLaren in fight for P4

Alpine see themselves as favourites to secure fourth in the constructors’ championship as the 2022 season draws to a close, with Sporting Director Alan Permane convinced the A522 is now a “quicker car” than the McLaren MCL36. Alpine and McLaren have been locked in a close battle for P4 for much of the campaign, the two teams swapping places amid differing levels of performance from circuit to circuit and a flurry of updates from both sides. READ MORE: Alonso’s US Grand Prix penalty overturned after Alpine appeal After 19 of 22 races, it’s Alpine who hold an 11-point advantage and, while Permane expects the scrap to go down to the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, he thinks the advantage lies with his team. Asked about the prospect of P4 being settled at the finale, Permane said: “I hope not! [But] I’m sure it will. We need to be 44 points in front of them before we get to Abu Dhabi, so I’m sure it will go down to the wire. Alpine’s points tally was boosted by Alonso’s P7 finish at the United States GP being reinstated “The aim is, of course, to score as much as we can in these next couple of races to make Abu Dhabi as stress-free as possible, but let’s see. “It’s been up and down [over the course of the season]. I’d like to think… well, we have got the upper hand. We’ve got a quicker car and we’re ahead in the points, so we’re going to do it.” READ MORE: FP1 debutant Doohan reflects on ‘emotional’ Mexico City outing as De Vries signs off with Mercedes Alpine’s championship aspirations aside, Permane also shared optimism about their junior driver pool after the team handed academy member and Formula 2 race winner Jack Doohan his FP1 debut at the Mexico City Grand Prix. Assessing the 19-year-old Australian’s performance en route to P19, Permane said: “He did a great job. He was taking things very easy, very steady. While Alpine will field Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly in F1 next season, Doohan is on their books for the future “In the areas where we saw Max [Verstappen] spin and we saw Charles [Leclerc] crash, I think he was losing half a second to Fernando [Alonso] and he just said, ‘Look, I don’t want to take any risks.’ He was very conscious that he was in someone else’s car.” Permane continued: “What impresses me most about Jack, honestly, is out of the car, his preparations, the work he does behind the scenes. He’d never driven here and it hadn’t been a plan for him to drive here. READ MORE: Wolff satisfied with ‘rigourous’ Cost Cap process, as Shovlin calls Horner’s ‘draconian’ penalty claim ‘an exaggeration’ “A few weeks ago he was in Brisbane doing some F2 sponsor commitments, and then we told him he was going to be driving in Mexico, so he flew back to the UK and did a day in the sim and came onwards to Austin and here. “But that’s what impresses me most, his preparation. There’s no doubt about his speed and, when he makes it to F1, that will be a nice differentiator for him.” via Formula 1 News https://www.formula1.com

[middleeastlifestyle]

How To Select Tickets For Abu Dhabi Grand Prix For Yas Marina Circuit Locations

The Abu Dhabi Formula 1 Grand Prix 2022 is right around the corner and its tickets are already selling out fast. Yas Marina Circuit has introduced several new packages and tickets for the 2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. With these many options, it can surely get tough to select one ticket or package that perfectly ticks all the boxes. If you too are facing that difficulty, a good way to select your ticket is by going as per the track configuration. You can select the venue of your seat/accommodation depending upon what part of the track it overlooks. To help you choose your Abu Dhabi Formula 1 2022 tickets, here is a brief guide on the seating locations.

 1. The Grandstands

The Grandstands are Yas Marina Circuit’s most popular choices for viewing the Grand Prix races. There are four Grandstands at Yas Marina Circuit. These are the North Grandstand, the South Grandstand, the Main Grandstand, and the Marina Grandstand.

-        The South Grandstand is located near the newly modified Turn 9 of the Yas Marina Circuit. So, if you want to watch some intense action of drivers going head-to-head before entering the new hairpin turn (Turn 9), you can book a seat for the South Grandstand.

-        The North Grandstand is located near Turn 5 of the circuit, which is also a hairpin turn. Since this is the circuit’s tightest and the most challenging turn, you can witness some great driving skills applied here.

-        The Main Grandstand is located right in front of the starting point of the racetrack. Here, you can witness the beginning and the finishing of the races.

-        The Marina Grandstand is in front of the straight path between Turn 8 and Turn 9. Here, you will get to see some exhilarating head-to-head competition between participating Formula 1 drivers.

If you wish to witness on-track action from multiple Grandstands, you can also select one of Yas Marina Circuit’s Triple Grandstand Tickets which cover all three days of the event.

 2. The Abu Dhabi Hill

The Abu Dhabi Hill offers free roaming and picnic-style seating under the open sky. As per its location, you can get perfect 360-degree views of the track along with the best views of Turn 2, Turn 3, Turn 4, and the straight path between Turn 5 and Turn 6.

 3. Hospitality Locations

The Hospitality Packages are for accommodations in the Lounges and Suites of Yas Marina Circuit.

-        Sunset Lounge: The Sunset Lounge is located in front of the straight path between Turn 4 and Turn 5. The DRS Detection Zone 1 is also located in front of this lounge.

-        Luna Lounge: This is located between Turn 14, Turn 15, and Turn 16, where you can witness the final few moments of a race.

-        Shams Suite: The Shams Suite is located right beside the North Grandstand, in front of Turn 5.

-        Yas Suites: There are two Yas Suites - North and Main Yas Suites. These are located right beside the North and Main Grandstands respectively.

-        Clubs: There are two Clubs known as the South Club and West Club. These are located right beside the South and West Grandstands respectively.

-        Marsa Box: This is a small suite located in the Marina Grandstand.

-        Marina Views Brunch: This is also a suite, located in the Marina Grandstand.

 The sale for Abu Dhabi F1 tickets for 2022, has already begun! Visit the official website of Yas Marina Circuit and grab yours today!

[rmpmw]

Former Al-Qaeda leaders Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahri in Afghanistan, November 2001 - Dawn via Reuters

Al Qaeda’s Next Move

What Zawahiri’s Death Means for Global Jihadism

By Cole Bunzel | August 3, 2022

Ayman al-Zawahiri was the ultimate survivor—until he wasn’t. For 20 years, a parade of other jihadist leaders—including Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, Osama bin Laden, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, and Anwar al-Awlaki—came to violent ends at the hands of U.S. forces. But Zawahiri stayed alive, seemingly invulnerable to American intelligence and drones.

Then, this past Sunday, the man who succeeded bin Laden as the emir of al Qaeda in 2011 finally met his fate, struck by two Hellfire missiles while standing on the balcony of a safe house in the Afghan capital, Kabul. According to U.S. President Joe Biden, who announced the successful strike in a televised address on Monday night, there were no civilian casualties.

For the United States, the killing of Zawahiri puts an end to a chapter in the U.S.-led war on terror aimed at bringing to justice those responsible for the 9/11 attacks, even if Zawahiri’s role in planning those attacks has sometimes been exaggerated. And the fact that Zawahiri was in Kabul—and that U.S. intelligence was able to target him there—revives long-simmering debates about the decision to withdraw U.S. forces from Afghanistan and how to approach the Taliban regime. For al Qaeda, Zawahiri’s death poses an immediate, short-term challenge regarding succession, and a more difficult, longer-term challenge of resolving a host of internal tensions and contradictions that the organization has glossed over for years.

DR. JIHAD

Born in 1951 outside Cairo, Zawahiri hailed from a wealthy and prestigious Egyptian family. His father, Muhammad, was a surgeon, and young Zawahiri would follow him in the profession, graduating from Cairo University with a medical degree in 1974. His true calling, however, was the cause of jihad, as embodied by armed struggle against the Egyptian state, whose rulers he believed had committed apostasy by virtue of not implementing sharia and enjoying friendly relations with infidel states, including Israel. This ideology drove the assassination of Egyptian President Anwar al-Sadat in 1981, an event in which Zawahiri was implicated but played no real role. After spending some four years in prison, during which he was subjected to torture and compelled to testify against fellow jihadis, Zawahiri emerged in the late 1980s as the leader of Egyptian Islamic Jihad (EIJ), also known as the Jihad Group, an Egyptian organization in exile that sought to topple the Egyptian government. In the 1990s, Zawahiri took refuge in Afghanistan and drew close to bin Laden, eventually merging his organization with that of the wealthy Saudi. A formal merger took place in June 2001, shortly before the 9/11 attacks, yielding the name Qaedat al-Jihad, which is still the official name of al Qaeda.

In Afghanistan, Zawahiri would discard his strategy of regional jihad in favor of the global fight pursued by bin Laden, who stipulated that attacking the United States and the West was the prerequisite for revolution in the Muslim world. Only by striking the United States and driving its military and diplomatic power from the region, the thinking went, would it be possible to achieve the desired change at home. The concept was the basis for the 9/11 attacks and has continued to be the rallying cry of al Qaeda, even though the group has failed to execute the strategy successfully for the last 20 years, including under the leadership of Zawahiri.

Zawahiri will be remembered for many things, including numerous ideological texts and several hefty tomes on history and religion. These include a 500-page memoir titled Knights Under the Prophet’s Banner and a more recent 850-page book on Islamic political theory and the history of Western missionary efforts in the Middle East. He also leaves behind a sizable collection of speeches and lectures captured on video or audio totaling hundreds of hours, if not more. He was not, however, particularly eloquent. Indeed, Zawahiri was strikingly lacking in charisma, and his media output—ceaseless, ponderous, repetitive—probably did more to hurt his reputation than to enhance it.  

So productive was Zawahiri that one wonders how he had time to manage the affairs of a global terrorist organization—a fact that speaks to the most controversial aspect of his legacy: the rise of the Islamic State (also known as ISIS), which came to eclipse al Qaeda as the world’s most influential jihadist organization. When Zawahiri assumed the leadership of al Qaeda after bin Laden’s death in 2011, it was the uncontested leader of the global jihadi movement. By late 2014, that was no longer the case, and even today, ISIS retains a far stronger jihadist brand—an outcome that Zawahiri helped bring about.

In mid-2013, Zawahiri set out to settle a dispute between two rival subordinates in Iraq and Syria. Baghdadi had announced the expansion of the al Qaeda offshoot that he led, the Islamic State of Iraq, to Syria, establishing what he called the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham. The leader of a Syrian branch of al Qaeda called Jabhat al-Nusra, however, balked at the perceived intrusion, publicly appealing to Zawahiri to intervene. In a letter that was obtained and released by Al Jazeera in 2013, Zawahiri ordered Baghdadi to retract his claim and restrict his activities to Iraq. But Baghdadi resisted, claiming that the order was contrary to sharia. Not long afterward, ISIS would declare that Zawahiri and al Qaeda had deviated from the true jihadist path by going soft on apostate Muslim rulers and on Shiites, whom Sunni jihadists saw as deviant schismatics. A year later, ISIS declared itself a renewed caliphate, seizing major cities and vast swaths of territory in Iraq and Syria and capturing the world’s attention—and the imaginations of jihadist sympathizers throughout the Muslim world, thousands of whom traveled to the region to join the group.

Two years later, the Syrian branch of al Qaeda that Zawahiri had intervened to save also left the fold as it sought a greater role in the Syrian rebellion against the regime of Bashar al-Assad in Damascus. Seeking to cater to a broader audience and reassure new allies, its leaders renounced the oath of allegiance they had pledged to Zawahiri, who complained loudly and publicly about this act of betrayal. Just like that, al Qaeda had lost its presence in the heart of the Arab world. Zawahiri’s authority had been challenged twice, and twice he had lost. Meanwhile, compounding the group’s decline were the deaths—by drone strikes—of a number of senior figures who had sought refuge in Syria.

Of course, not all was going well for ISIS at this time, either. By 2019, the caliphate had lost control of its last redoubts in Iraq and Syria, and in October of that year, U.S. forces killed Baghdadi. In February of this year, they eliminated his successor, as well.

SAFE HAVEN?

Zawahiri’s tenure was not a complete shambles. Under his leadership, al Qaeda’s franchises in North Africa, Somalia, and Yemen resisted the ISIS pull and remained loyal, and new branches formed in South Asia and Mali, the latter of which has been particularly active. But even as Zawahiri could claim a measure of success in holding the network together, there was no denying that he had overseen a period during which al Qaeda had been surpassed by a rival and seen its core leadership decimated. Nor had Zawahiri achieved his main goal: attacking the United States. As the scholar Nelly Lahoud has shown, al Qaeda’s central leadership has not directed a successful attack on the United States since 9/11, and its last successful act of international terrorism took place in 2002 in Mombasa, Kenya—an operation that was planned before 9/11.

The return of the Taliban to power in Afghanistan in August 2021, however, seemed like it might reverse al Qaeda’s fortunes. Al Qaeda praised the restoration of Taliban rule as a dramatic victory for the cause of global jihad, and many worry that the Taliban will provide the space for the group to consolidate and rebuild. Those worries are surely justified, though the group’s ties to the Taliban are complex. As the Pentagon recently reported: “While al-Qaeda’s leaders have longstanding relationships with senior Taliban leaders, the group maintains limited capabilities to travel and train within Afghanistan and is likely restricted due to the Taliban’s efforts to achieve international legitimacy.” Those restrictions may well expire “over the next 12 to 24 months,” according to the Pentagon, but they reflect the fact that although the groups’ interests have often overlapped, they are not identical. Al Qaeda seeks to destroy the international system; the Taliban seeks to join it (even if only to subvert it). One of Zawahiri’s final videos was a thinly veiled critique of the Taliban for seeking to represent Afghanistan at the United Nations, an organization that he saw as representing a global system of unbelief that needed to be destroyed, not joined.

A current of distrust has long run through al Qaeda’s relationship with the Taliban. Documents recovered from the compound in Pakistan where U.S. forces killed bin Laden in 2011 show that he was concerned with the direction of the Taliban leadership, which he saw as divided between a camp of pious believers and a hypocritical faction doing the bidding of Pakistani intelligence—and perhaps willing to sell al Qaeda out. This echoed the concerns of other Arab jihadists: in the late 1990s, for instance, the Syrian jihadist strategist Abu Musab al-Suri complained that a faction of the Taliban leadership wanted nothing to do with global jihad and sought only to create in Afghanistan a conservative state akin to that of Saudi Arabia. The ISIS leadership has taken a more aggressive stance, arguing that the anti-jihadist part of the Taliban is now firmly in control. Since Zawahiri’s death was announced, ISIS supporters online have heaped mockery on him for believing that the Taliban would protect him, suggesting that the group had instead served him up on a silver platter for the Americans.

Such claims are overblown. The Taliban is not a pro-American movement, and its leadership did not want Zawahiri killed. The house where Zawahiri was targeted was reportedly owned by a top aide to Sirajuddin Haqqani, the Taliban government’s interior minister; Zawahiri was likely there at his invitation. But someone else in the Taliban, perhaps, was more interested in the $25 million bounty offered by Washington than in protecting the aging jihadist leader. The fact that Zawahiri was in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan raises questions about the Taliban’s pledges to prevent its territory from being used to launch terrorist attacks. But the fact that U.S. forces were able to kill him there casts doubt on the idea that Afghanistan can serve as a platform for an al Qaeda revival—even if the Taliban were to allow one. Evidently, the United States still has eyes and ears on the ground in Afghanistan and plenty of willing collaborators—perhaps even within the Taliban.

WHO’S NEXT?

The greatest challenge facing al Qaeda in the near term will be succession. The next in line, most analysts believe, is the younger Egyptian militant Saif al-Adel, who has been living in Iran since shortly after the 9/11 attacks. After him comes Abd al-Rahman al-Maghrebi, Zawahiri’s Moroccan son-in-law and the head of al Qaeda’s media operations, who is also based in Iran. The fact that both reside in Iran is not immaterial. Although they may not be there willingly, their presence there complicates their potential ascension. Iran is ostensibly an enemy of al Qaeda, whose followers revile Iranian Shiites and the country’s security forces as apostate “rejectionists” who have run roughshod over the Middle East, massacring Sunnis in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen. It would be a hard sell for al Qaeda to present its next leader as running the show from quasi house arrest in Iran, which would encourage suspicions that the group was under Tehran’s thumb.

Perhaps, then, the next leader will instead hail from one of the al Qaeda affiliate groups. The line of succession, according to a recent UN report, names Yazid Mebrak in North Africa and Ahmed Diriye in Somalia as next in line, after the two Iran-based leaders. But in Iran, Adel and Maghrebi, long operating in the shadows, may not wish to relinquish authority to the regional affiliates. Nor is it clear that the affiliate leaders would be interested in taking up the mantle, as they have not demonstrated a commitment to Zawahiri’s “far enemy” strategy.

What comes next for al Qaeda, then, is unclear. The group is unlikely to fold, as the brand still offers a great deal of jihadist legitimacy for its regional affiliates, providing an identity and flag around which to rally. But the group will no longer be able to ignore problems that have festered ever since the 9/11 attacks: the inconvenient relationship with Iran, the distrust and lack of alignment with part of the Taliban, and the absence of a shared strategy among the central leadership and the affiliates. Running a global organization of ideologically committed militants has never been easy—and for al Qaeda, it just got much harder.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

COLE BUNZEL is a Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University, and Editor of the blog Jihadica.

[coinwealth]

Emirates airline launches NFT as it flies into the Metaverse

The United Arab Emirates’ biggest carrier, Emirates Airline, has announced that it’ll launch its own non-fungible tokens (NFT) which would be geared toward helping it improve its revenue and customer interaction.

It was also revealed that the airline is planning to convert its pavilion at the Expo 2020 in Dubai into a Web3, NFTs, and Metaverse projects center.

“The Emirates Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai will (also) be repurposed into a center for innovation, including developing the airline’s metaverse and NFT projects.”

Emirates at the forefront of innovation

Emirates Airlines has been at the forefront of innovation within the air travel sector. The carrier was the first to use web virtual reality on its Emirates app and Emirates.com. This gave people the chance to have an immersive 3D experience and view its cabin.

This technology lets prospective customers explore seats and book what they prefer online. Passengers can also use the 3D seat map to explore their seats before checking in.

The airline was also the first to have a VR app on the Oculus store. Users get a real life-size cabin interior experience on the Emirates A380 aircraft and Boeing 777-300ER Gamechanger. 

Users can explore the cockpit through this app, “turn on” the shower in the Shower spa, or “pick up” items from the Onboard lounge.

Given that it already has a clear approach to innovation, adopting the latest technologies to improve its services further is no surprise. It remains to be seen how it’ll utilize NFTs and Web3 technology.

UAE is positioning itself as a crypto hub

The UAE has recently been positioning itself as a crypto hub in recent years and has made efforts to attract the top crypto exchanges. One way it has been able to cement its intent is by introducing a slate of regulations for the space.

The Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airlines, Ahmed Al Maktoum, said, government regulations and policies have supported the digital economic development in the country, especially within Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

In his words,

“Emirates has always embraced advanced technologies to improve our business processes, enhance our customer offering, and enrich our employees’ skills and experiences. We are excited about the opportunities in the digital space of the future and are committing significant investment in financial and resource terms…”

Authorities in the country recently granted Binance approval to offer its services in Abu Dhabi through its subsidiary Binance (AD) Limited.

Get an Edge on the Crypto Market

Become a member of CryptoSlate Edge and access our exclusive Discord community, more exclusive content and analysis.

On-chain analysis

Price snapshots

More context

Join now for $19/month Explore all benefits

source https://usapangbitcoin.org/emirates-airline-launches-nft-as-it-flies-into-the-metaverse/

source https://usapangbitcoin.wordpress.com/2022/04/16/emirates-airline-launches-nft-as-it-flies-into-the-metaverse/

[luxurytravelcurator]

Back to my hotel Emirates Palace by Mandarin Oriental, after a full day exploring #AbuDhabi. Booking directly with me #EmiratesPalace by #MandarinOriental, my clients will enjoy a suite of #VIP Amenities such as and not limited to: Room upgrades + Early Check IN & Late Check OUT + Complimentary Breakfast + Food & Beverage and/or Spa Credits + Free WIFI among many others. #Turkey and #UnitedArabEmirates for 10-days. Site inspections for my VIP Corporate Group towards #FIFA #Qatar #WorldCup 2022, next December. Time to curate and experience every hotel, restaurant, tour and experience before my clients arrival. Stay tuned for my next upcoming trips: Milan & Lake Como, Italy ( OCT 24-31 ). Turkey ( DEC 9-15 ). Argentina ( DEC 23-JAN 17 2023)… and more, including 2022 FIFA Qatar World Cup Subscribe to my IG Chanel, for full access to exclusive content, curated tips and recommendations, unique experiences, vip amenities and benefits, plus much more. My mission is to transform Tourists into Travelers by experiencing unique travel experiences, moments and destinations worldwide. Luxury Travel Curator, Concierge, Blogger & Lifestyle Consultant. Over 28 years curating the world of Authentic and Sophisticated Travel, Hospitality & Lifestyle, one destination at the time. Member of the exclusive @VirtuosoLTD Luxury Network, #AmericanExpress Membership Rewards, Fine Hotels & Resorts and Pay with Points Programs. Luxury #TravelAdvisor. #Jetsetter #Globetrotter #BonVivant. Founder of @LGTNetwork Luxury #GayTravel Curator, member of @IGLTA. #Travel Hotel Restaurant & Airline reviews. Follow, read and share my travel experiences worldwide. #TravelAgent, #TravelBlogger, #WeddingPlanner #TravelBlog #LuxuryTravel #Luxury #Lifestyle #LuxuryTravelCurator #Concierge Blogger #VirtuosoTravel #QasrAlWatan #gpscarlosmeliauae #UnitedArabEmirates #UAE @emiratespalace @mo_hotels Luxury Travel Curator & Co Mobile & WhatsApp +1 (917) 754-5515 / Email info@carlosmelia.com / www.luxurytravelcuratorco.com (at Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cjso3ORuDb7/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=