Elon Musk has found a rich seam of worldwide division to work with since he took over the Twitter mines.
When treasure maps used to declare that "X marks the spot", I’m not sure political power was the prize but it is now.
Social media creates new channels of these divisions every day and Mr Musk as the proprietor of X, formerly Twitter, has what is proving to be the most effective force to shape the landscape.
It is important to say that this peculiar mix of Mr Musk’s talents and background is a perfect amalgamation to exploit the seams of the new political scene.
When a South African-born serial entrepreneur decided to revive the Maga project this year, he brought not only the powerful X machine, but also a perspective that chimed with the basic Maga grievance of displacement. Mr Musk was practically displaced from his own first country after the rainbow nation took shape in the 1990s and now offers America lessons in holding out against transformational change.
After having helped Donald Trump secure a second term, Mr Musk has in recent weeks seems to want give a shove to Mega (Make Europe Great Again) and Muga (Make UK Great Again).
The tragedy in the town of Magdeburg on Friday gave immediate bite to Mr Musk’s broadcast on X the day before, that only the AfD (the far-right party second placed in the polls) could save Germany.
Never mind that the AfD populists had campaigned against his billion-dollar battery project in Germany. Then came the attack on a Christmas market, allegedly by a Saudi-born doctor who was, among other things, a supporter of the AfD.
Yet the crosscurrents of Taleb A’s views were forged in the rebellion he was carrying out against his own background, religion and culture.
It will be no surprise to anyone that intelligence channels between Saudi Arabia and Germany saw the dangers he posed and Saudi officials warned German police about him. But the idea that he was a dissident granted him wide latitude in the German mind.
Those ignored warnings made headlines after the attack and now frame the public and media reaction to the disaster. Germany mourns Andre Gleissner, the nine year “teddy bear” boy who did no harm to anyone, and four unsuspecting women.
Their loss and the cultural significance of the Christmas market raise the stakes for Germany’s February election.
The AfD can prosecute the argument that a weak state machinery in thrall to a culture of inclusivity was the fundamental cause of the deaths. The basic problem is the origin of the perpetrator and how Germany faces threats brought into its midst. The Magdeburg attack has supercharged the issue of Angela Merkel’s 2015 open-borders policy.
Remember, Mr Trump is promising millions of deportations. And Mr Musk is playing on Mr Trump's idea of America first as well as Europe's open borders. AfD has coined the innocuous-sounding term "remigration" for its deportation policy.
In hosting the UK Reform Party’s Nigel Farage and his treasurer Nick Candy at Mar-a-Lago, under a portrait of a young Mr Trump wearing a Ralph Lauren-style cricket jumper, Mr Musk was open to the possibility of bankrolling the anti-establishment upstart. It is a picture to tell a thousand words.
In the UK, Keir Starmer is a relatively new prime minister with a massive majority. But so too was Boris Johnson in 2019 and that majority got wiped away within five years.
Mr Farage is a veteran of tearing up the political script and Mr Musk clearly has ill will towards the UK. It is said his own English-born grandmother would stand up when Queen Elizabeth II was broadcast on South African television. His grandmother hailed from near Stockport, the town that was the focus of the summer’s race riots.
Mr Musk's intervention has seen him cold-shouldered by Team Starmer. The animus between Downing Street and the businessman runs deep and bitter. This is something that augurs well for Mr Farage but not for the UK's relations with the Trump White House.
Mr Musk may be a South African who made his fortune in the US, but he is deeply engaged at an emotional level with the currents of politics and history in the UK – and, by extension, Europe.
The trends in both places challenge the idea of the country in which he grew up, in a way that acts as motivation to back the political outsiders. For those who hold the levers of power, Mr Musk's interest represents an uncomfortable challenge. In the fallout from Magdeburg and Mr Musk’s doubling down on his intervention over the weekend, the consequences of promoting this type of politics are only just being glimpsed.
A force ripping through politics and society has only just started its work and X indeed hits the spot.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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United States
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China
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3.
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UAE
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4.
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Japan
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5
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Norway
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6.
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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A Prayer Before Dawn
Director: Jean-Stephane Sauvaire
Starring: Joe Cole, Somluck Kamsing, Panya Yimmumphai
Three stars
ILT20%20UAE%20stars
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ELEADING%20RUN%20SCORERS%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3E1%20Nicholas%20Pooran%2C%20261%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E2%20Muhammad%20Waseem%20(UAE)%2C%20248%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3E3%20Chris%20Lynn%2C%20244%3Cbr%3E4%20Johnson%20Charles%2C%20232%3Cbr%3E5%20Kusal%20Perera%2C%20230%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBEST%20BOWLING%20AVERAGE%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3E(minimum%2010%20overs%20bowled)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E1%20Zuhaib%20Zubair%20(UAE)%2C%209%20wickets%20at%2012.44%3Cbr%3E2%20Mohammed%20Rohid%20(UAE)%2C%207%20at%2013.00%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3E3%20Fazalhaq%20Farooqi%2C%2017%20at%2013.05%3Cbr%3E4%20Waqar%20Salamkheil%2C%2010%20at%2014.08%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E5%20Aayan%20Khan%20(UAE)%2C%204%20at%2015.50%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3E6%20Wanindu%20Hasaranga%2C%2012%20at%2016.25%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E7%20Mohammed%20Jawadullah%20(UAE)%2C%2010%20at%2017.00%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
MIDWAY
Produced: Lionsgate Films, Shanghai Ryui Entertainment, Street Light Entertainment
Directed: Roland Emmerich
Cast: Ed Skrein, Woody Harrelson, Dennis Quaid, Aaron Eckhart, Luke Evans, Nick Jonas, Mandy Moore, Darren Criss
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
THE BIO
Favourite holiday destination: Whenever I have any free time I always go back to see my family in Caltra, Galway, it’s the only place I can properly relax.
Favourite film: The Way, starring Martin Sheen. It’s about the Camino de Santiago walk from France to Spain.
Personal motto: If something’s meant for you it won’t pass you by.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
England XI for second Test
Rory Burns, Keaton Jennings, Ben Stokes, Joe Root (c), Jos Buttler, Moeen Ali, Ben Foakes (wk), Sam Curran, Adil Rashid, Jack Leach, James Anderson
Normcore explained
Something of a fashion anomaly, normcore is essentially a celebration of the unremarkable. The term was first popularised by an article in New York magazine in 2014 and has been dubbed “ugly”, “bland’ and "anti-style" by fashion writers. It’s hallmarks are comfort, a lack of pretentiousness and neutrality – it is a trend for those who would rather not stand out from the crowd. For the most part, the style is unisex, favouring loose silhouettes, thrift-shop threads, baseball caps and boyish trainers. It is important to note that normcore is not synonymous with cheapness or low quality; there are high-fashion brands, including Parisian label Vetements, that specialise in this style. Embraced by fashion-forward street-style stars around the globe, it’s uptake in the UAE has been relatively slow.
Age 26
Born May 17, 1991
Height 1.80 metres
Birthplace Sydney, Australia
Residence Eastbourne, England
Plays Right-handed
WTA titles 3
Prize money US$5,761,870 (Dh21,162,343.75)
Wins / losses 312 / 181
How to donate
Text the following numbers:
2289 - Dh10
6025 - Dh 20
2252 - Dh 50
2208 - Dh 100
6020 - Dh 200
*numbers work for both Etisalat and du
Results
Stage seven
1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates, in 3:20:24
2. Adam Yates (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers, at 1s
3. Pello Bilbao (ESP) Bahrain-Victorious, at 5s
General Classification
1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates, in 25:38:16
2. Adam Yates (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers, at 22s
3. Pello Bilbao (ESP) Bahrain-Victorious, at 48s
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Usain Bolt's time for the 100m at major championships
2008 Beijing Olympics 9.69 seconds
2009 Berlin World Championships 9.58
2011 Daegu World Championships Disqualified
2012 London Olympics 9.63
2013 Moscow World Championships 9.77
2015 Beijing World Championships 9.79
2016 Rio Olympics 9.81
2017 London World Championships 9.95
Voy!%20Voy!%20Voy!
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Omar%20Hilal%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Muhammad%20Farrag%2C%20Bayoumi%20Fouad%2C%20Nelly%20Karim%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
If you go...
Fly from Dubai or Abu Dhabi to Chiang Mai in Thailand, via Bangkok, before taking a five-hour bus ride across the Laos border to Huay Xai. The land border crossing at Huay Xai is a well-trodden route, meaning entry is swift, though travellers should be aware of visa requirements for both countries.
Flights from Dubai start at Dh4,000 return with Emirates, while Etihad flights from Abu Dhabi start at Dh2,000. Local buses can be booked in Chiang Mai from around Dh50
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
Results
United States beat UAE by three wickets
United States beat Scotland by 35 runs
UAE v Scotland – no result
United States beat UAE by 98 runs
Scotland beat United States by four wickets
Fixtures
Sunday, 10am, ICC Academy, Dubai - UAE v Scotland
Admission is free
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Raw Tag Team Championship (currently vacant) Cesaro and Sheamus v Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt
Casket match The Undertaker v Chris Jericho
Singles match John Cena v Triple H
Cruiserweight Championship Cedric Alexander v tba
