Science journalist Laura Spinney's new book, Pale Rider: The Spanish Flu of 1918 and How It Changed the World, details what she refers to as "the greatest massacre of the twentieth century". This was the wave of influenza commonly referred to as "Spanish flu" that swept across the entire planet in 1918, infecting about a third of Earth's population at the time – 500 million people – and killing somewhere in the range of 100 million of those infected before it began to abate in 1920.
That death toll, what Spinney refers to as "a number so big and so round that it seems to glide past any notion of human suffering without even snagging on it", puts the pandemic far beyond the casualty range of the world war that preceded it, and it also reached far beyond the front lines of that war. The world-wide nature of the catastrophe is portrayed very effectively in Spinney's book, making it a perfect complement to John Barry's great 2004 bestseller, The Great Influenza, a stunning, short-strokes portrait of a paralysed international community.
All this damage was done by an enemy that was not even technically alive. Influenza, which has likely killed more humans than any other single cause in history, is a virus, a quasi-alive string of very determined chemicals that do not eat or excrete or procreate. These chemicals do only one thing – replicate themselves. And they cannot even do that unaided; they need to hijack the bodily systems of a living organism in order to make more copies of themselves. This is how flu operates.
Most of Spinney's readers will have some experience of the flu. They will have experienced a miserable week of chills, cough and muscle aches, some missed work time, perhaps a picky appetite upon their return to health. But the most common modern variations of the virus bear little resemblance to the strand that roared to life in the summer of 1918. It was pointedly deadly, striking not the very youngest and the very oldest as viral outbreaks usually do but rather men and women in their prime. This strand of sickness attacked the lungs with such ferocity that it provoked a body-wide overreaction of the immune system, so the stronger the immune system, paradoxically, the more vulnerable the patient.
Tens of thousands of soldiers were stricken, and the disease spread with astonishing speed through the civilian world from the US to the Middle East. Virtually every street of every town in every country was touched by the pandemic; virtually no family escaped unscathed. And the nature of the plague's typical presentation only enhanced the terror of the whole thing. As Spinney points out, the key characteristic of this flu was that a patient was intensely infectious before they showed any symptoms. "For at least a day and sometimes longer, a person may appear to be well though they are infected – and infectious," Spinney writes. "In 1918, if you heard a neighbour or a relation coughing or saw them fall down in front of you, you knew there was a good chance you were already sick yourself."
Those stricken with what the front-line German soldiers referred to as blitzkatarrh went from visible, mobile health to full collapse in a matter of hours, rapidly developing a bluish tint to their skin. In addition to the usual flu symptoms they reported dizziness, hearing loss, and, thanks to optic nerve inflammation caused by the virus, a loss of colour vision. "Many patients remarked, on regaining consciousness, how washed out and dull the world appeared to them," Spinney writes. "As if those cyanosed faces had drained all the colour from it."
As Pale Rider's international scope makes clear, the world of 1918 was very nearly as ill-equipped to confront a gigantic pandemic as the world of 1018 might have been. It was, as Spinney puts it, a world that knew both motor cars and mules but preferred the latter, a world in which quantum theory was being worked out but millions of common folk still believed in witches, a world that "straddled the modern and premodern eras", reacting to this newly rampant influenza with desperate scientific efforts to counteract a thing so small the microscopes of the day could not even see it, but also reacting with older and darker plague gestures such as horse-drawn carts slowly progressing down streets, their drivers calling for people to bring out their dead.
The odd half-formed nature of the early 20th century world, drawn with such affecting humanity by Spinney, only serves to further underscore the tremendous heroism of the doctors and scientists who worked to fight the Spanish flu. Their efforts were ultimately useless – the 1918 influenza strain abated on its own, obeying the weird vagaries of its viral nature or perhaps rapidly evolving into some milder, more successful version of itself, able to sicken people and thus propagate, but not so ferocious as to eradicate its population of potential hosts. These doctors and scientists could combat the secondary bacteriological infections that often attacked patients weakened by the virus, and one of the many strengths of Pale Rider is to show its readers the regional variations that combat took throughout the world, from Bristol Bay to Zamora to Unalaska Island.
Spinney contends that this combat reshaped the world, hastening the collapse of the Central Powers on the First World War battlefield and changing the political landscape everywhere from India to South Africa to Switzerland, in everything from re-drawn representation of decimated centres to an upheaval in the ways central governments respond to epidemics. She argues that the plague played a pivotal role in everything from population genetics to social mobility to the language of art ("The artistic waters didn't flow on smoothly," she writes. "There was a rupture as violent as the parting of the Red Sea"). In the aftermath of war and disease, the still young 20th century drew a deep, nervous breath before stumbling on.
As in all books of this nature, Pale Rider is in many ways as concerned with the future as with the past. The 1918 influenza strain was a classic example of a violent new pathogen striking communities that had no immunological preparation for it – wide-open communities where the virus could wreak havoc virtually unimpeded. The virus mutated as it spread and travelled; it gradually tamed itself.
"If the strain that caused the Spanish fu were to emerge again today, it would likely cause a mild disease, since our immune systems are more or less primed to it," Spinney writes.
"The danger is that a new strain appears in our midst, to which nobody alive has ever been exposed."
One of the book's best sections is "Roscoe's Legacy", a short chapter in which Spinney speculates on what the next great pandemic might be. Influenza still kills about 60,000 people every year, but the concentration in this chapter is on the next truly wildfire event, an airborne and easily communicated new virus that erupts from slums or farmland and spreads quickly in a world that is much more interconnected than it was in 1918.
In such a scenario, the influenza pandemic of a century ago may pay its most valuable dividend. For all the tragedies and upheavals, the book portrays, Pale Rider actually paints an oddly hopeful picture of a population more sensitised to early warnings and largely more willing to heed them. "Fear makes people vigilant," Spinney writes. "It impels them to notice things they might not otherwise have noticed; to pay attention to certain associations and ignore others; to remember prophecies they might previously have dismissed as absurd."
Methods of prediction, prevention and treatment have all vastly improved since 1918, often in direct response to that epidemic. Which is just as well, since that next pandemic will almost certainly be another strain of influenza, back to try again.
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Price: From Dh2,099
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Emergency
Director: Kangana Ranaut
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
Rating: 2/5
The rules of the road keeping cyclists safe
Cyclists must wear a helmet, arm and knee pads
Have a white front-light and a back red-light on their bike
They must place a number plate with reflective light to the back of the bike to alert road-users
Avoid carrying weights that could cause the bike to lose balance
They must cycle on designated lanes and areas and ride safe on pavements to avoid bumping into pedestrians
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
How to join and use Abu Dhabi’s public libraries
• There are six libraries in Abu Dhabi emirate run by the Department of Culture and Tourism, including one in Al Ain and Al Dhafra.
• Libraries are free to visit and visitors can consult books, use online resources and study there. Most are open from 8am to 8pm on weekdays, closed on Fridays and have variable hours on Saturdays, except for Qasr Al Watan which is open from 10am to 8pm every day.
• In order to borrow books, visitors must join the service by providing a passport photograph, Emirates ID and a refundable deposit of Dh400. Members can borrow five books for three weeks, all of which are renewable up to two times online.
• If users do not wish to pay the fee, they can still use the library’s electronic resources for free by simply registering on the website. Once registered, a username and password is provided, allowing remote access.
• For more information visit the library network's website.
Company%20Profile
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The Written World: How Literature Shaped History
Martin Puchner
Granta
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Ferrari
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
THE%20SPECS
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The biog
Favourite pet: cats. She has two: Eva and Bito
Favourite city: Cape Town, South Africa
Hobby: Running. "I like to think I’m artsy but I’m not".
Favourite move: Romantic comedies, specifically Return to me. "I cry every time".
Favourite spot in Abu Dhabi: Saadiyat beach
The biog
Name: Sarah Al Senaani
Age: 35
Martial status: Married with three children - aged 8, 6 and 2
Education: Masters of arts in cultural communication and tourism
Favourite movie: Captain Corelli’s Mandolin
Favourite hobbies: Art and horseback ridding
Occupation: Communication specialist at a government agency and the owner of Atelier
Favourite cuisine: Definitely Emirati - harees is my favourite dish
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
Anghami
Started: December 2011
Co-founders: Elie Habib, Eddy Maroun
Based: Beirut and Dubai
Sector: Entertainment
Size: 85 employees
Stage: Series C
Investors: MEVP, du, Mobily, MBC, Samena Capital
Employment lawyer Meriel Schindler of Withers Worldwide shares her tips on achieving equal pay
Do your homework
Make sure that you are being offered a fair salary. There is lots of industry data available, and you can always talk to people who have come out of the organisation. Where I see people coming a cropper is where they haven’t done their homework.
Don’t be afraid to negotiate
It’s quite standard to negotiate if you think an offer is on the low side. The job is unlikely to be withdrawn if you ask for money, and if that did happen I’d question whether you want to work for an employer who is so hypersensitive.
Know your worth
Women tend to be a bit more reticent to talk about their achievements. In my experience they need to have more confidence in their own abilities – men will big up what they’ve done to get a pay rise, and to compete women need to turn up the volume.
Work together
If you suspect men in your organisation are being paid more, look your boss in the eye and say, “I want you to assure me that I’m paid equivalent to my peers”. If you’re not getting a straight answer, talk to your peer group and consider taking direct action to fix inequality.
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed
RESULT
Everton 2 Huddersfield Town 0
Everton: Sigurdsson (47'), Calvert-Lewin (73')
Man of the Match: Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Everton)
Honeymoonish
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A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
The Laughing Apple
Yusuf/Cat Stevens
(Verve Decca Crossover)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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The Transfiguration
Director: Michael O’Shea
Starring: Eric Ruffin, Chloe Levine
Three stars
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
Ukraine
Capital: Kiev
Population: 44.13 million
Armed conflict in Donbass
Russia-backed fighters control territory
UNSC Elections 2022-23
Seats open:
- Two for Africa Group
- One for Asia-Pacific Group (traditionally Arab state or Tunisia)
- One for Latin America and Caribbean Group
- One for Eastern Europe Group
Countries so far running:
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
Company profile
Name: Dukkantek
Started: January 2021
Founders: Sanad Yaghi, Ali Al Sayegh and Shadi Joulani
Based: UAE
Number of employees: 140
Sector: B2B Vertical SaaS(software as a service)
Investment: $5.2 million
Funding stage: Seed round
Investors: Global Founders Capital, Colle Capital Partners, Wamda Capital, Plug and Play, Comma Capital, Nowais Capital, Annex Investments and AMK Investment Office
The bio:
Favourite film:
Declan: It was The Commitments but now it’s Bohemian Rhapsody.
Heidi: The Long Kiss Goodnight.
Favourite holiday destination:
Declan: Las Vegas but I also love getting home to Ireland and seeing everyone back home.
Heidi: Australia but my dream destination would be to go to Cuba.
Favourite pastime:
Declan: I love brunching and socializing. Just basically having the craic.
Heidi: Paddleboarding and swimming.
Personal motto:
Declan: Take chances.
Heidi: Live, love, laugh and have no regrets.
