“Bedfellows” is a loaded term sometimes used in British left-wing politics. “Stablemates” is a useful word the media employs to describe two publications with the same ownership. There is also the concept of the “sister publication” to throw into the mix.
All of these terms are relevant when discussing the recent takeover of the Tribune magazine, the UK’s venerable journal of left-wing politics, by the owner of the TV station Islam Channel. For it is essentially a merger of two very different traditions within the media landscape. There is another well-known phrase in revolutionary politics – “the ends justify the means”. This is clearly the motivation behind the tie-up between the two organisations.
In one sense, this coming together has been more than two decades in the making – not just within the narrow confines of the British media landscape but in geopolitics. I say two decades because there was a moment of fusion before.
The former editor of Tribune, Mark Seddon, caused something of a sensation on Fleet Street in 2005 when he turned in his keys to the editor’s filing cabinet and signed up for the post of Al Jazeera English’s UN correspondent. Two world views came together with this appointment.
Seddon had been a thorn in the side of then-UK prime minister Tony Blair’s New Labour project. As he wrote at the time of his departure, Seddon had seen enough of the “control freakery” that characterised the high points of Mr Blair’s premiership. “A dissident journalist’s life on the inside of “new” Labour, I like to think, has given me all the training I need for what is to come,” he wrote as he went to New York to report amid the fallout from the US-led invasion of Iraq. “But for conflict, I think I prefer diplomacy.”
Indeed, Seddon went on to become a speechwriter for Ban Ki-moon after the latter took over as UN secretary general in 2007.
However, the meeting point in 2005 of the alternative coverage needed at a dedicated political journal and the launch of the international coverage that came on Al Jazeera English was no stretch. In the wake of the political divisions that came about in the UK over the Iraq war, there had been an apotheosis between radical protest politics and the European left on the one side, and communities that felt the need to define and then resist what they viewed as an overbearing West.
Such a fusion certainly existed during the career of erstwhile Labour MP George Galloway and former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn. One only has to look at how Iran’s revolutionary establishment and the Venezuelan leadership are conjoined on international politics to see the international aspect of this phenomenon. It is about fighting the hegemonic, traditional powers and scuppering their designs by mobilising with what is positioned as “the voice of the people”.
Tribune’s current leadership has welcomed the involvement of Islam Channel owner Mohamed Ali Harrath. For those unfamiliar with the broadcaster, it provides a rolling news and discussion format familiar around the world. Within the UK, it is available across the country and regulated by Ofcom, the government-approved independent regulator. Over the years, Ofcom has ruled several times on the channel’s output and even issued a fine of £40,000 (more than $52,000) in 2023.
Mr Harrath built his empire in the UK after fleeing Tunisia. He has spoken about his “very conservative” family background and that growing up, he was inspired by the Islamist uprising in Iran with its combination of religion and revolution. He said Islam Channel was set up after he spent time as an activist, printing leaflets and distributing clandestine magazines. He also published a magazine before the licence to broadcast became available. He has spoken of his involvement in various businesses. The sources of Islam Channel’s financial backing are unclear, with Mr Harrath attributing some of its funding from friends who were able to generate investment to keep the channel going.
Politics in the UK is at a fork in the road. That’s what puts Tribune’s takeover by Islam Channel in play
Jon Trickett, a Labour MP and the chair of the Tribune advisory board, has backed the bailout. “The UK is crying out for an alternative to the establishment media,” he said. “Tribune aims to build on its historic socialist and internationalist legacy and speak with, and for, a new generation.”
Paul Anderson, a former editor of the title, says this interplay between domestic and international concerns has been a perpetual issue in editorial direction going back to the 1930s – and especially now, with Labour in power. The controversies out of the first year of Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government now combines with the fracturing of the left and the rise of a set of Gaza-focused independents as a caucus in Parliament. “It’s definitely Corbynite and there is space for something like that,” Anderson said. “The question is, having missed the internet, if it can find an opening of that kind.”
At the same time, Anderson can’t help but observe that the new partnership is “most bizarre”. Yet contradictions between the differing audiences of the sister outlets will matter little. For one, the magazine’s staff are happy to keep going when failure was the only other option. As for the new ownership, it will gain access to a different political entry point. And keeping that access – for the two publications to push their shared antipathy towards western hegemony – will be the most important thing.
Politics in the UK is at a fork in the road. That’s what puts Tribune’s takeover by Islam Channel's owner in play. It’s about having a voice amid the potential fracturing of the progressive left that could well match the break-up of the right over the past year. This explains why these two very different stablemates have come together.
The years Ramadan fell in May
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
UFC Fight Night 2
1am – Early prelims
2am – Prelims
4am-7am – Main card
7:30am-9am – press cons
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
INFO
Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Need to know
The flights: Flydubai flies from Dubai to Kilimanjaro airport via Dar es Salaam from Dh1,619 return including taxes. The trip takes 8 hours.
The trek: Make sure that whatever tour company you select to climb Kilimanjaro, that it is a reputable one. The way to climb successfully would be with experienced guides and porters, from a company committed to quality, safety and an ethical approach to the mountain and its staff. Sonia Nazareth booked a VIP package through Safari Africa. The tour works out to $4,775 (Dh17,538) per person, based on a 4-person booking scheme, for 9 nights on the mountain (including one night before and after the trek at Arusha). The price includes all meals, a head guide, an assistant guide for every 2 trekkers, porters to carry the luggage, a cook and kitchen staff, a dining and mess tent, a sleeping tent set up for 2 persons, a chemical toilet and park entrance fees. The tiny ration of heated water provided for our bath in our makeshift private bathroom stall was the greatest luxury. A standard package, also based on a 4-person booking, works out to $3,050 (Dh11,202) per person.
When to go: You can climb Kili at any time of year, but the best months to ascend are January-February and September-October. Also good are July and August, if you’re tolerant of the colder weather that winter brings.
Do not underestimate the importance of kit. Even if you’re travelling at a relatively pleasant time, be geared up for the cold and the rain.
UAE central contracts
Full time contracts
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Part time contracts
Aryan Lakra, Ansh Tandon, Karthik Meiyappan, Rahul Bhatia, Alishan Sharafu, CP Rizwaan, Basil Hameed, Matiullah, Fahad Nawaz, Sanchit Sharma
Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
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The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Tewellah by Nawal Zoghbi is out now.
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.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
City's slump
L - Juventus, 2-0
D - C Palace, 2-2
W - N Forest, 3-0
L - Liverpool, 2-0
D - Feyenoord, 3-3
L - Tottenham, 4-0
L - Brighton, 2-1
L - Sporting, 4-1
L - Bournemouth, 2-1
L - Tottenham, 2-1
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Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Mobile phone packages comparison
bundesliga results
Mainz 0 Augsburg 1 (Niederlechner 1')
Schalke 1 (Caligiuri pen 51') Bayer Leverkusen 1 (Miranda og 81')
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Western Region Asia Cup T20 Qualifier
Sun Feb 23 – Thu Feb 27, Al Amerat, Oman
The two finalists advance to the Asia qualifier in Malaysia in August
Group A
Bahrain, Maldives, Oman, Qatar
Group B
UAE, Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia
The biog
Favourite Emirati dish: Fish machboos
Favourite spice: Cumin
Family: mother, three sisters, three brothers and a two-year-old daughter
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The specs
Price, base / as tested Dh1,470,000 (est)
Engine 6.9-litre twin-turbo W12
Gearbox eight-speed automatic
Power 626bhp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 900Nm @ 1,350rpm
Fuel economy, combined 14.0L / 100km
Tips to keep your car cool
- Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
- Park in shaded or covered areas
- Add tint to windows
- Wrap your car to change the exterior colour
- Pick light interiors - choose colours such as beige and cream for seats and dashboard furniture
- Avoid leather interiors as these absorb more heat
Cracks in the Wall
Ben White, Pluto Press
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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 specs: 2018 Audi RS5
Price, base: Dh359,200
Engine: 2.9L twin-turbo V6
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 450hp at 5,700rpm
Torque: 600Nm at 1,900rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.7L / 100km
