Where you stand on Prince Harry and his new life in America probably says more about you than him.
Some figures unveiled last week exposed how attitudes are formed within the UK. The growth of what’s broadly called the Culture Wars was analysed as stemming from an exponential rise in the reporting of divisive terms in the country’s media.
The media focus matters because it leads the discourse in national life. Prince Harry’s interviews talking about how his relatives are “trapped” in their role is just the sort modern controversy that affirms the prejudices on all sides.
Changes in the media landscape are too strong and coming too quickly to leave traditional institutions untouched. Not only will the royals be affected but also the BBC, mainstream broadcasters and, ultimately, the public concept of what news is.
Getting ahead of the changes is something officials are now under pressure to demonstrate. The question is already whether or not the state has left it too late to play its leadership role.
A report from the policy institute of King's College London has found some startling increases in reporting on morally charged or identity issues in the UK press over the past five years.
The term "Culture Wars" has been around in common usage since the 1990s. It was popularised by James Davison Hunter, a researcher into the differences between progressive and orthodox outlooks.
It has now become an umbrella term for such concepts as "wokeness", micro-aggressions, safe spaces, white privilege, metropolitan elites and "cancel culture".
Terms such as these appeared in UK newspapers 808 times in 2020, up from 106 mentions five years before. The papers used this language to refer not only to developments at home and in the US but also in Australian, Brazil, France, Italy, Ireland, Germany, Poland and Turkey.
Often-mentioned fault lines in society were not limited to the big issues, such as immigration. They spanned a whole range of areas and topics, including veganism, Covid-19 lockdowns and the removal of statues in Black Lives matter protests.
According to a survey cited in the KCL report, 33 per cent of members of the public had heard a lot about being woke, whereas 32 per cent claim to have never heard the term. Being described as woke would be taken as a compliment by 26 per cent, but 24 per cent would view it as an insult.
Separate polling for YouGov, also released last week, found that 25 per cent viewed calls for removal of colonialist statues in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement as “specifically woke”.
Cultural issues appear to outweigh narrow political battles. The deep UK divisions over Brexit are well known yet only nine per cent see rejoining the EU as a woke interest.
The findings show rapid change and polarisation playing out in the media.
In the UK’s highly regulated media landscape, the BBC has played an outside role in setting standards of impartiality for journalism that is often incompatible with the divisions outlined above.
The BBC is suddenly vulnerable on several fronts. Journalism standards have been damaged by the long refusal to acknowledge that Martin Bashir used forgery to secure an interview with Princess Diana in the 1990s.
Prince Harry’s hurt, for example, can be directly traced to the events in his mother’s life, including this notorious event.
Set in a wider context this controversy exposed key vulnerabilities for the broadcaster. It is squeezed by its failure to keep the faith of older viewers while losing out on the younger audience. Its style issues have opened up an opportunity that new television news channel is seeking to exploit. GB News launches next week with a promise to conform to rigid British broadcast rules. The channel's remit is to pursue coverage actively of the topics that people are talking about in the streets and in their homes.
The mix can been expected to be more explicitly controversial and aim to stake a place in the daily national conversation for the divisive topics that are growing in popularity.
Andrew Neil, the veteran broadcaster, is its public face and is slightly too fond of proclaiming that it won’t be a UK version of Fox News.
Its output will be more shock jock than anything on offering on other 24-hour news channels. And its work must be set against the backdrop of a shake-up in how the system works.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government announced last week it was rerunning the competition for a new head of Ofcom, the British media regulator. Its preferred candidate is the hulking figure of Paul Dacre, a former editor of the Daily Mail and a man who over decades seeded the ground for the UK's culture wars.
The virtues of Mr Dacre’s appointment is that as a former poacher he would be well-skilled the role of gamekeeper. Even if he is not eventually appointed, the writing is on the wall for how the government would like to see the system evolve.
America is often seen in London as where the future is headed in broadcasting.
The challenge for the British is to incorporate more emotive issues in the news media without allowing the system to be poisoned by excess.
A helmsman like Mr Dacre would give it a fighting chance.
Damien McElroy is the London bureau chief at The National
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All the Money in the World
Director: Ridley Scott
Starring: Charlie Plummer, Mark Wahlberg, Michelle Williams, Christopher Plummer
Four stars
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
Bangladesh tour of Pakistan
January 24 – First T20, Lahore
January 25 – Second T20, Lahore
January 27 – Third T20, Lahore
February 7-11 – First Test, Rawalpindi
April 3 – One-off ODI, Karachi
April 5-9 – Second Test, Karachi
Roll of honour 2019-2020
Dubai Rugby Sevens
Winners: Dubai Hurricanes
Runners up: Bahrain
West Asia Premiership
Winners: Bahrain
Runners up: UAE Premiership
UAE Premiership
Winners: Dubai Exiles
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes
UAE Division One
Winners: Abu Dhabi Saracens
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes II
UAE Division Two
Winners: Barrelhouse
Runners up: RAK Rugby
SHOW COURTS ORDER OF PLAY
Wimbledon order of play on Saturday, July 8
All times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Centre Court (4pm)
Agnieszka Radwanska (9) v Timea Bacsinszky (19)
Ernests Gulbis v Novak Djokovic (2)
Mischa Zverev (27) v Roger Federer (3)
Court 1 (4pm)
Milos Raonic (6) v Albert Ramos-Vinolas (25)
Anett Kontaveit v Caroline Wozniacki (5)
Dominic Thiem (8) v Jared Donaldson
Court 2 (2.30pm)
Sorana Cirstea v Garbine Muguruza (14)
To finish: Sam Querrey (24) leads Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (12) 6-2, 3-6, 7-6, 1-6, 6-5
Angelique Kerber (1) v Shelby Rogers
Sebastian Ofner v Alexander Zverev (10)
Court 3 (2.30pm)
Grigor Dimitrov (13) v Dudi Sela
Alison Riske v Coco Vandeweghe (24)
David Ferrer v Tomas Berdych (11)
Court 12 (2.30pm)
Polona Hercog v Svetlana Kuznetsova (7)
Gael Monfils (15) v Adrian Mannarino
Court 18 (2.30pm)
Magdalena Rybarikova v Lesia Tsurenko
Petra Martic v Zarina Diyas
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How Islam's view of posthumous transplant surgery changed
Transplants from the deceased have been carried out in hospitals across the globe for decades, but in some countries in the Middle East, including the UAE, the practise was banned until relatively recently.
Opinion has been divided as to whether organ donations from a deceased person is permissible in Islam.
The body is viewed as sacred, during and after death, thus prohibiting cremation and tattoos.
One school of thought viewed the removal of organs after death as equally impermissible.
That view has largely changed, and among scholars and indeed many in society, to be seen as permissible to save another life.
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
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BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
Cases of coronavirus in the GCC as of March 15
Saudi Arabia – 103 infected, 0 dead, 1 recovered
UAE – 86 infected, 0 dead, 23 recovered
Bahrain – 210 infected, 0 dead, 44 recovered
Kuwait – 104 infected, 0 dead, 5 recovered
Qatar – 337 infected, 0 dead, 4 recovered
Oman – 19 infected, 0 dead, 9 recovered
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Background: Chemical Weapons
A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
- 2018: Formal work begins
- November 2021: First 17 volumes launched
- November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
- October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
- November 2024: All 127 volumes completed
6 UNDERGROUND
Director: Michael Bay
Stars: Ryan Reynolds, Adria Arjona, Dave Franco
2.5 / 5 stars
Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
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
The biog
Full name: Aisha Abdulqader Saeed
Age: 34
Emirate: Dubai
Favourite quote: "No one has ever become poor by giving"
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
'The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window'
Director:Michael Lehmann
Stars:Kristen Bell
Rating: 1/5
PROFILE OF HALAN
Started: November 2017
Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport and logistics
Size: 150 employees
Investment: approximately $8 million
Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
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The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
