Queen Elizabeth II remembers Prince Philip in Xmas speech

London: Queen Elizabeth II, in her Christmas Day message, shared the pain she felt after the death of her husband as she encouraged people everywhere to celebrate with friends and family, despite the grief caused by a pandemic now stretching into its second year. Saying she understood the difficulty of spending the holiday season “with one familiar laugh missing,” the monarch said her family was a “source of great happiness,” noting that she had welcomed four great-grandchildren this year. AP

Mrs India-Earth for promoting women’s education

Dubai: This year’s Mrs India Earth winner is a UAE-based reproductive endocrinologist and a fertility specialist, who has been fulfilling dreams of motherhood to countless women for more than 16 years. She says she wants to direct her energies towards women’s education and empowerment in India. Dr Monika Chawla, born and raised in New Delhi, has been trained in the UK, Spain, Germany, and is currently based in Abu Dhabi. PTI

Indian-origin philanthropist bags award

Johannesburg: Indian-origin philanthropist and founder of disaster relief group ‘Gift of the Givers’, Dr Imtiaz Sooliman has won the prestigious South African of the Year Award, run by the Daily Maverick newspaper. South Africans across the board voted for Sooliman, putting Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo in second place. Zondo heads the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture, which investigates fraud and corruption in the public sector, including that of state organs. PTI

La Palma eruption’s end brings ‘emotional relief’

Madrid: Authorities on one of Spain’s Canary Islands declared a volcanic eruption that started in September officially finished on Saturday, following 10 days of no lava flows, seismic activity or significant sulfur dioxide emissions. But the emergency in La Palma, the most northwest island in the Atlantic Ocean archipelago, is not over due to the widespread damage the eruption caused, the director of the Canaries’ volcanic emergency committee said in announcing the much-anticipated milestone. Pevolca director Julio Pérez described it as a feeling of emotional relief and hope. PTI