Rose Hanbury could be a main character in a dominant conspiracy surrounding the British royal family – and this time it’s not rooted in rumors of infidelity.

Hanbury, 40, is making headlines for her connection with Prince William if questions about Princess Kate Middleton‘s whereabouts continue to rise, but now some of her home furnishings appear to be in question.

Internet sleuths have unearthed several photo shoots of Hanbury and her husband. David Cholmondeley, 7th Marquess of Cholmondeley, posing in various rooms of their home in Norfolk, England, Houghton Hall. The images – mainly from May 2013 Vanity fair profile and May 2023 Financial times The piece shows the couple posing next to what appears to be several oriental set pieces reportedly looted from China during the Qing dynasty.

“So, because of the #KateGate / #WhereIsKate drama about Kate Middleton / Princess of Wales #Katespiracy, many people around the world have increased interest in Rose Hanbury and her mysterious connection to Prince William,” wrote an X user earlier this week she shared the photos of Hanbury and her husband. “Unfortunately, people in China looked a little too closely at this photo shoot of the Marquis and Marchioness of Cholmondeley in their beautiful stately home, and noticed that it is full of authentic Chinese furniture and artefacts. [sic] stolen from China during the fall of the Qing dynasty, and they are angry.”

The message continued: “Apparently the Marquis of Cholmondeley inherited these controversial pieces from his Sassoon side of the family, and the Sassoons acquired them by plundering Qing China while trading opium there,” the same X-thread read. “Now Chinese netizens spotted them in the background of their photo shoot at Houghton Hall.”

The Sassoon family reportedly ran a trading empire in the 19th century, trading goods in several countries, including China. It is unclear how the Sassons – and now the Marquis and Marchioness of Cholmondeley – acquired the items in question. However, Sybil Sassoon is Cholmondeley’s grandmother, so it seems there is a connection.

Former royal reporter for BuzzFeed Ellie Hall even weighed in on the new controversy, calling it a “favorite unexpected side-plot” of the ongoing royal family drama.

Hanbury’s connection to the royal family actually dates back many years. She even attended Kate and William’s wedding in 2011. Eight years later, affair rumors began swirling between Hanbury and William. (In 2019, multiple media outlets reported that Kate and Hanbury had a falling out over alleged infidelity.)

Royal Watchers recently raised the affair rumors when Kate’s whereabouts were questioned after she underwent abdominal surgery in January. Social media users went rogue with theories about the Princess of Wales’s well-being, with some claiming William and Hanbury’s affair was the reason she has not stepped out of the public eye.

“The rumors are completely false,” Hanbury’s lawyers reportedly said Business insider denied the affair earlier this week.

Editor-in-chief of True Royalty TV Nick Bullen told exclusively We weekly on Tuesday, March 19, that Hanbury is “very upset” by the infidelity rumors resurfacing.

“I know people who know the Marchioness of Cholmondeley very, very well, and she absolutely did not have an affair with the Prince of Wales,” Bullen added.

They’re bullet trains, but not quite in bullet mode.

Rather than shooting along at speeds of up to 200mph (320kph), these glossy marvels of engineering are trundling in and out of Tokyo Station.

I’m watching this scene from my room at Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo At Marunouchi, both a boutique sanctuary and a trainspotter’s fantasy fulfilled.

My room, a Deluxe King, overlooks the eastern side of the station, which sees more than 4,000 arrivals and departures each day. As well as a commuter hub, it’s Tokyo’s main Shinkansen (bullet train) terminal, serviced by the majority of the eight major high-speed lines, including the ever-popular Tokaido line, on which bullet trains rocket past Mount Fuji towards Osaka and Kyoto at up to 177mph/285kph.

A Four Seasons representative can greet you from your train, ushering you from the platform to the hotel in under five minutes via an underground passageway.

The intimate 57-room hotel, which has been welcoming guests for two decades, occupies the lower seven floors of the glass-walled Pacific Century Place tower in the Marunouchi district in dazzling downtown Tokyo.

While east-facing hotel rooms offer ample opportunity for train-track-gazing, the prize for the best view goes to Maison Marunouchi, the Michelin-recommended restaurant on the seventh floor, where a corner table looks directly onto the Shinkansen platforms.

During dinner, I watch as Shinkansen passengers swarm into carriages, marshalled by white-gloved conductors.

The trains themselves line up like bullets in a belt of ammunition, ready to set off right on time – Shinkansen are rarely delayed.

My waiter tells us the view is especially popular with children, with staff occasionally having to clean mini fingerprints off the windows.

Taking note of their fascination, the hotel created a package that gives children the chance to dress up as a conductor and play with a Takara Tomy Plarail toy train set as they watch the trains go by.

But this trackside vantage point isn’t the only ace in the hotel’s hand.

It has cut through the high-stakes culinary competition in Tokyo and become a big player in the city’s gastronomy scene with its two-Michelin-starred restaurant Sézanne, where British chef Daniel Calvert masterminds classically-derived French fare.

Calvert also oversees the menu in the more casual Maison Marunouchi, a Parisian-style bistro with teal leather booths and Art Deco room dividers.

There I have Japanese ‘kegani’ crab meat in a brioche bun, steeped in a moreish fish broth (3,800JPYyen/£20/$25), followed by buttery monkfish from Japan’s Hokkaido region (6,300JPY/£33/$42) and a delicate strawberry mille-feuille (3,000JPY/£16/$20).

I sample another slice of Calvert’s wares at breakfast the following morning with a serving of avocado on Sézanne’s light yet crunchy sourdough bread (3,000JPY/£16/$20).

The Surrey-born chef’s deft touch is also seen in the savoury section of the afternoon tea menu (7,600JPY/£40/$51), while jewel-like desserts such as a ruby-red strawberry tart are crafted by Executive Pastry Chef Patrick Thibaud.

Afternoon tea is served in the seventh-floor Bar and Champagne Lounge, a space filled with elegantly dressed Tokyoites, asymmetrical sofas and a colourful stacked-ball sculpture by British artist Annie Morris.

Along with Maison Marunouchi and Sézanne, it’s been dreamt up by Hong Kong interior designer André Fu, who says he wished to cultivate ‘a sense of escape from the city’ for diners.

Toronto-based firm Yabu Pushelberg designed the rest of the hotel, with lustrous black-walled hallways leading to spacious guest rooms.

Simple in design, my room has mint carpet underfoot and a sweeping headboard, with slate grey pyjamas left thoughtfully during the turndown service.

Panoramic windows are the star attraction, with triple-glazed glass reducing the lull of train traffic to a faint rumble.

The understated luxury continues in the bathroom, with a deep limestone-edged bathtub and Epsom salts to sprinkle in it, along with Diptyque toiletries and thick bathrobes.

The hotel sets out to be a peaceful haven away from Tokyo’s high-energy streets, and you feel this sense of calm the most in the spa, a bijou space with an ‘onsen’ hot spring bath and steam room.

There I try a ‘Dermadrop’ facial (23,908JPY/£127/$160), during which a wand gently sprays ‘supercharged ingredients’ onto the skin.

After the treatment, my skin rosy with the promise of boosted moisture levels and elasticity, I’m invited to relax with a steaming cup of ginger and lemon tea and crepe-wrapped ‘wasanbon’ sugar sweets, a Japanese delicacy.

My whole stay is underpinned by service that’s ultra attentive but never overbearing, which Four Seasons says is based on Japanese ‘omotenashi’ – a centuries-old culture of wholeheartedly looking after guests. 

One staff member shares advice for sightseeing in the nearby Ginza neighbourhood, kindly pointing me in the direction of the Kengo Kuma-designed Kabukiza Theatre and the stellar seafood and crockery stalls of the Tsukiji Outer Market.

Meanwhile, those who are too relaxed to leave the hotel can sightsee from the comfort of bed, watching as one of Japan’s most iconic sights – the Shinkansen bullet trains – parade below the window.

If you’re using Tokyo as a jumping-off point for exploring the rest of Japan by rail, this is just the spot for a luxurious night’s stay before you catch a bullet train to your next destination – with superior gastronomy, spa facilities and service making the ride all the more memorable.

ERIK TEN HAG promised to save Manchester United’s season when he told Sir Jim Ratcliffe: Stay with me.

The Red Devils boss claims his side are right behind him ahead of Sunday’s FA Cup quarter-final against Liverpool at Old Trafford.

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Defeat could jeopardize the Dutchman’s position with former Chelsea coach Graham Potter, England chief Gareth Southgate and Brighton’s Roberto De Zerbi linked with his job.

But defiant Ten Hag sent a message to new co-owner Ratcliffe, stating: “Sometimes you have setbacks and we have had a lot this season.

“It’s about staying together, you have to go at it together, make sure you’re on the same page together.

“There is always noise around Manchester United, don’t let it distract you, know together where we are going.

“And how can we improve to always give your best every day and then finally achieve your goals.”

Ten Hag has seen his side decimated by injuries this season, while also dealing with a series of player controversies.

He loaned the hapless Jadon Sancho to Borussia Dortmund and had to lose striker Mason Greenwood to Getafe.

And he has also had to deal with the fallout from Marcus Rashford’s match in Belfast in January, with the England star calling in sick for training the next day.

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Ten Hag says his entire team has come together under him as they prepare for Jurgen Klopp’s quad-chasing juggernaut.

The Dutchman admitted: “We have to save the season. And the only chance of silverware is the FA Cup.

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“We have to do our best and it is a test, but we like a challenge.”

United will again be without key defenders Lisandro Martinez and Luke Shaw, while Harry Maguire and Aaron Wan-Bissaka are in doubt.

Mason Mount, who has made just 12 appearances since joining from Chelsea for £55m last summer, has been out of action since November.

But the attacking midfielder could be in United’s squad today.

Ten Hag added: “If he gets his rhythm, he will contribute to a successful Manchester United.”

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MAN UTD NEWS LIVE: All the latest news from Old Trafford

SOUND waves linked to a meteor crash thought to suggest an extraterrestrial origin have been linked to a less mysterious source.

The meteor crash occurred in 2014 and landed north of Papua New Guinea, confusing many researchers and people.

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The incident was linked to some sound waves linked to material recovered from the ocean last year, reports said Phys.org.

It is now believed that the sound waves were created by a truck driving on a nearby road, casting doubt on whether the materials collected were of extraterrestrial origin.

The finding was made by some researchers from Johns Hopkins University.

“The signal changed direction over time and corresponded exactly to a path passing by the seismometer,” said Benjamin Fernando, the planetary seismologist who led the study.

“It’s really hard to get a signal and confirm that it’s not coming from somewhere.”

“But what we can do is show that there are a lot of these kinds of signals, and show that they have all the characteristics we expect from a truck, and none of the characteristics we expect from a meteor.”

The researchers will discuss their findings at the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference in Houston.

The conference will take place on March 12.

The meteor in question entered Earth in January 2014 and was associated with the tremors recorded in Papua New Guinea.

Last year, several materials were recovered near the meteor landing.

Many believed these to be of extraterrestrial origin due to the relationship that existed between the sound waves and the meteor crash.

“The location of the fireball was actually very far from where the oceanographic expedition went to retrieve these meteor fragments,” Fernando explains.

“Not only were they using the wrong signal, they were looking in the wrong place.”

Fernando and the team of researchers concluded that the materials found were likely common meteorites and not related to extraterrestrials.

“Whatever was found on the seabed is completely unrelated to this meteor, regardless of whether it was a natural space rock or a piece of alien spacecraft – even though we strongly suspect it was not aliens,” Fernando concluded.

According to unofficial counts from Indonesian polling stations, Subianto had between 57% and 59% of the votes, with more than 80% of votes counted in the polling stations surveyed.

Jakarta, Indonesia: Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto, an ex-general with ties to past human rights abuses, claimed victory in Indonesia's presidential election on Wednesday based on unofficial figures.

The 72-year-old candidate, who was once denied entry by the United States for two decades because of his human rights record, told thousands of supporters at a sports stadium in the capital Jakarta that the victory, according to an early The unofficial ' rapid count' was 'the victory of all Indonesians'.

There was no explanation from election officials and the two former provincial governors who also contested elections in the world's third-largest democracy have not conceded defeat.

Subianto was an army general during the brutal period of Suharto's dictatorship, which ended just over 25 years ago. He served as a special forces commander in a unit linked to torture and disappearances, allegations he strongly denies.

According to unofficial counts from Indonesian polling stations, Subianto had between 57% and 59% of the votes, with more than 80% of votes counted in the polling stations surveyed.

The rapid counts are based on the actual number of votes in a number of polling stations throughout Indonesia. The laborious official count may take another month, but rapid counts have provided an accurate picture of the results of all four presidential elections held in Indonesia since the country began direct voting in 2004.

“We are grateful for the quick counting results,” he said in the nationally televised speech. “We should not be arrogant, we should not be proud, we should not be euphoric, we should still be humble, this victory should be a victory for the entire Indonesian people.”

To avoid a second round against his rivals, Anies Baswedan and Ganjar Pranowo, Subianto needs more than 50% of all votes cast and at least 20% in every province of the country.

Subianto has presented himself as the heir to the immensely popular incumbent President Joko Widodo, whose son he chose as his running mate.

Widodo's successor will inherit an economy with impressive growth and ambitious infrastructure projects, including the continued transfer of the country's capital from overcrowded Jakarta to the border island of Borneo at a staggering cost of more than $30 billion.

The election also has major stakes for the United States and China, as Indonesia has a huge domestic market, natural resources such as nickel and palm oil, and diplomatic influence over its neighbors in Southeast Asia.

Widodo's rise from a riverside slum to president has showcased the vibrancy of Indonesian democracy in a region full of authoritarian regimes.

But with a leading candidate linked to a former dictator and Widodo's son on the ballot, some observers fear democracy is eroding.

Indonesians voted on Wednesday in an election that lasted just six hours. The logistics of voting across the tropical country's 17,000 islands, inhabited by 270 million people, were daunting: ballot boxes and ballot papers were transported by boat, motorcycle, horseback and on foot to some of the more remote locations.

Apart from the presidency, some 20,000 national, provincial and district parliamentary posts were contested by tens of thousands of candidates in one of the world's largest elections, which authorities said concluded without major problems. About 10,000 candidates from 18 political parties contested the 580 seats of the national parliament alone.

Voters interviewed by The Associated Press expressed hope that their next leader would help them achieve greater prosperity in a country where nearly a tenth of the population still lives in poverty.

“I hope that Indonesia can develop better and that I didn't vote for the wrong person,” said Indra Nurohim, a 17-year-old high school student and first-time voter. “I hope we get a better government.”

Subianto, at 72 the oldest presidential candidate, lost to Widodo in two previous runs but led in independent surveys. His running mate, Widodo's eldest son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, was allowed to stand as a candidate when the Constitutional Court made an exception to the minimum age of 40. The court was then headed by Widodo's brother-in-law, who was dismissed due to an ethics issue. panel for not rejecting himself, and Widodo was accused of favoritism and nepotism.

Critics have accused Widodo of trying to build a political dynasty despite being the first president to emerge outside the political and military elite since the end of Suharto's dictatorial rule in 1998, which was marked by widespread human rights abuses, plunder and political upheaval.

Subianto, a former lieutenant general who married one of Suharto's daughters, was a longtime commander in the army's special forces called Kopassus. He was dishonorably discharged in 1998 after Kopassus forces kidnapped and tortured Suharto's political opponents.

Of the at least 22 activists kidnapped that year, thirteen remain missing to this day, and their families protest weekly outside the presidential palace demanding that the activists be taken into account. Subianto never faced trial and denied any involvement, although several of his men were tried and convicted.

During the campaign period that ended last weekend, Subianto and his strategists used AI and social media platforms such as TikTok to soften his image, portraying him as a cuddly grandfather to his youthful running mate. Rejected by human rights activists, he danced on the campaign stage and promised to generate nearly 20 million jobs in his first term if elected.

Baswedan, a former head of an Islamic university, was governor of Jakarta until last year. Baswedan, a former Fulbright scholar, was minister of education and culture from 2014 to 2016, when Widodo removed him from the cabinet after accusing him of failing to address the problems of thousands of students affected by forest fires.

Baswedan opposes Widodo's plan to move Indonesia's capital from Jakarta to Nusantara on the island of Borneo, building government buildings and residential enclaves by clearing lush tropical rainforests.

In an interview with the AP last month, he said democracy in Indonesia was under threat given Subianto's choice of the president's son as his running mate.

“This means that trust is declining, it means that our democracy is experiencing a decline in quality, it means that many rules of law are being bent,” he said.

Pranowo is a candidate for the ruling party, but does not receive the support of Widodo. He served as a national lawmaker for Indonesia's ruling Democratic Struggle Party for a decade before being elected in 2013 for the first of two terms as governor of the vote-rich Central Java region.

While he was governor, Pranowo refused to allow Israel to participate in the FIFA Under-20 World Cup held in his province. FIFA subsequently dropped Indonesia as host of the games, angering Indonesian football fans and Widodo.

Israel and Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim-majority country, have no diplomatic ties.

Under Widodo, Indonesia enjoyed a period of remarkable growth averaging 5% per year, except for 2020, when the economy shrank due to the coronavirus pandemic.

His economic roadmap, called 'Golden Indonesia 2045', predicts that Indonesia will become one of the world's five largest economies with a gross domestic product of up to $9 trillion, exactly a century after the country gained independence from Dutch colonists.

WhatsApp's latest developments include an upgrade to the new Chat Lock feature, which now allows users to lock chats on all connected devices with a single tap. Read more here.

New Delhi: WhatsApp, Meta's widely used social messaging app with more than 2 billion users worldwide, is reportedly developing a new feature that will allow users to lock their chats across all their linked devices. This handy feature provides users with an extra layer of security and privacy.

Here are all the details about the upcoming WhatsApp feature:

WhatsApp chat lock on all devices

A report from WABetaInfo shows that WhatsApp is also preparing to add new features for Android users, allowing them to have more control over the privacy of their conversations across platforms. The latest WhatsApp beta for Android 2.24.4.14 update, available on the Google Play Store, shows that WhatsApp is working to bring the chatlock feature to linked devices. WhatsApp has already developed a new feature for its web client called chat lock, which will provide an extra level of security for conversations in the future.

How does WhatsApp Chat Lock work on different devices?

The next version of WhatsApp will allow users to lock a chat on their primary device and also have it automatically locked on all other connected devices, improving privacy. Chat locks are synced across devices, so specific conversations are always protected no matter which device is used. Additionally, users must enter a secret code to view the list of locked chats from a paired device, adding an extra security measure to conversations across multiple devices.

WhatsApp Chat Lock Benefits

A big step forward in improving user privacy and security is the soon-to-be available chat lock feature for paired devices. This feature not only ensures users are consistently protected across devices, but also streamlines the user experience by coordinating security measures. WhatsApp will benefit from expanding this feature to connected devices by making it easier for users to switch between platforms, such as from their phone to a desktop or tablet. WhatsApp's commitment to providing users with a secure messaging experience across multiple platforms is reflected in this unified approach to privacy management. The chat lock feature for paired devices is currently under development and will be part of a future app update.

WhatsApp update: new carnival stickers

Meta-owned WhatsApp has also launched new stickers on the social messaging platform based on the carnival theme. The sticker pack is called “It's carnival, honey.” and comes with a message from WhatsApp “Let the rhythm take over your chats with the new It's Carnival, Baby sticker pack. Dance, eat and parade all week long. Vamos là!.” WhatsApp also recently launched custom stickers for iOS users and is reportedly developing the same for web users.

Americans are starting to feel happier about the economy for the first time in two years, thanks to increasing affordability of eggs, gas and growth in their savings.

Optimism about the U.S. economy rose 10 percent this month, according to the University of Michigan's consumer sentiment index, which examines people's attitudes about their personal finances and spending.

It was the largest monthly increase since 2005 and puts the measure at the highest level since July 2021.

Thereafter, pandemic-era inflation increased and by June 2022, economic optimism had fallen to an all-time low.

“That was entirely due to the increase in inflation, the increase in gas prices and the dominance of inflation on people's economic lives,” said Joanne Hsu, director of research at the university. 'High prices are people's top priority.'

But finally, Americans appear to be experiencing relief after a series of unprecedented rate hikes by the Federal Reserve appear to have kept inflation in check for the time being.

“The most important thing in December and January over the past few months is that consumers are finally confident that the slowdown in inflation is continuing and will continue to slow in the coming months,” Hsu said.

The recent boost corresponds with significant improvements in the affordability of everyday items such as eggs, milk and gasoline. Many household items are even cheaper than a whole year ago.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, a dozen eggs cost $4.25 last January. In January they were more than 41 percent cheaper, at $2.51.

Meanwhile, a liter of milk is now 20 cents cheaper than last year, when the price was $4.21. Gas also fell more than 7 percent over the year, costing $3.20 per gallon in January, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

According to Hsu, the price of such items determines how people feel. “Every home will consume food and even people who don't drive or pump gas will see gas prices on the street,” she said.

Moreover, savers with money in their 401(K)s will have benefited from a gain of more than 20 percent for the S&P 500.

While the slightly higher unemployment rate of 0.2 percent may mean a greater number of people are looking for jobs, it could also help reduce inflation by reducing the amount consumers can spend.

Consumer spending is critical to the state of the economy because it makes up about two-thirds of GDP. When people have more money to spend, there is greater demand for products and the costs of those products rise.

“Consumers are truly the backbone of our economy,” Hsu says.

Although inflation is on its way down, sentiment is still 7 percent below the historical average and will not rise again overnight, Hsu warned.

“People react very, very quickly to a rise in inflation, and much more slowly to disinflation,” she said.

Although a much larger share of Americans now believe that good economic times lie ahead, many are still not so sure.

“Consumer confidence is a lot better than in 2022, but still not great,” Hsu said. “Forty-eight percent of people still expect challenging times in the coming economy and 41 percent expect good times,” she added.

“Consumers are still very divided on the trajectory of the economy, it's just a huge improvement over everyone agreeing we're headed for bad times.”