The BBC is hardly a stranger to crises of various kinds and rows with powerful political figures. Former prime minister Margaret Thatcher was furious when the BBC interviewed IRA terrorists in Northern Ireland and gave them – as she put it – the “oxygen of publicity".
Over the years when I presented what was billed as the BBC's "flagship" TV news and current affairs programme, Newsnight, our editors made two catastrophic errors. One editor halted an investigation into the popular BBC TV personality Jimmy Savile because – in that editor's view – the researchers had not found enough evidence that Savile was a sexual predator. When that evidence did emerge, the BBC's failures were brutally exposed. Then the BBC ran a report wrongly claiming a leading Conservative member of the House of Lords was himself a sexual predator. He wasn't. The accusations were utterly false, and after this shameful episode, George Entwistle, the BBC director general at the time, was forced to quit after only 54 days in the job.
However, none of these crises is as serious as the way in which the BBC's reputation has been damaged by the extraordinary events surrounding the famous interview with the late Princess Diana a generation ago on the BBC's Panorama programme.
The Panorama reporter, Martin Bashir, secured the "scoop of the century" in 1995. It was the first time a serving member of the British royal family had spoken out on television candidly about her unhappy marriage and other usually private matters. Tens of millions of people around the world watched this BBC scoop, but from the start there were rumours about how the interview was obtained.
As we now know for certain, Bashir forged documents to try to persuade Diana to take part. His conduct was despicable. An organisation based on truth and facts cannot conduct its business through deceit.
Bashir left the BBC to work in the US for many years, yet he was re-employed by the BBC as a religious affairs correspondent in 2016 despite some senior figures – including the then BBC director general Tony Hall – knowing of the serious allegations against him.
Following a new inquiry, Diana's son, Prince William, has been justifiably outraged. His mother was failed "by leaders at the BBC who looked the other way rather than asking the tough questions", he said, and the BBC contributed to the "fear, paranoia and isolation" that blighted his mother's life.
This sorry affair has deeply disappointed those who – like me – generally admire the BBC. It has also delighted the corporation’s enemies. These enemies include some British newspapers who are hopeful that the BBC will now be much diminished – even though these same newspaper journalists and editors themselves made Diana’s life a misery. Her story, her beauty and her unhappiness sold their papers to a public hungry for every detail about her life.
A 1995 file photo showing a selection of front pages of most of Britain's national newspapers. AP Photo
This is the worst BBC crisis I can think of, and it comes at the worst possible time.
The very idea of public service broadcasting worldwide is being questioned as never before. From Netflix and podcasts to new privately funded radio and TV channels, the idea of British people paying a licence fee – in effect, a tax – to fund the BBC has been undermined by technology as well as by commercial competitors. In the US, the impact of Fox News and similar outlets has been to downgrade hard, factual journalism and replace it with fact-free and loudmouthed opinions. The result has been the polarisation of American public life, and a loss of trust in truth itself.
This is an existential crisis for an organisation that has been a pillar of British democracy and a beacon to much of the world for a century
All this means that the new director general, Tim Davie, has three urgent tasks to ensure the BBC’s survival.
First, he has to reassure the British public who pay for the corporation, that he will make sure such conduct never happens again. That may mean setting up a new independent supervisory board of some kind.
Second, he has to demonstrate to the government and Parliament that the BBC can produce new regulatory arrangements independent enough to root out bad conduct.
Third, he has to reassure BBC staff that honest and hard-hitting journalism is still possible, because if the BBC is neutered, the best and brightest creative minds will go elsewhere.
None of this will be easy but this is an existential crisis for an organisation that has been a pillar of British democracy and a beacon to much of the world for a century. Politicians are already talking about cutting or freezing the BBC's funding. BBC journalists are worried that a diminished or cowed corporation will be too scared to scrutinise political figures for fear of yet another row and the government's revenge.
Davie has managed – at last – to address the 25 years of rumours and innuendo about Bashir’s conduct, and what seems to me to be the inexplicable decision to re-employ Bashir in 2016. The next few months will decide whether he can build on the BBC’s glorious past and steer it through the troubles of the present to turn public service broadcasting towards a better future.
Gavin Esler is a broadcaster and UK columnist for The National
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum
Rating: 4/5
Who has lived at The Bishops Avenue?
George Sainsbury of the supermarket dynasty, sugar magnate William Park Lyle and actress Dame Gracie Fields were residents in the 1930s when the street was only known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’.
Then came the international super rich, including the last king of Greece, Constantine II, the Sultan of Brunei and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal who was at one point ranked the third richest person in the world.
Turkish tycoon Halis Torprak sold his mansion for £50m in 2008 after spending just two days there. The House of Saud sold 10 properties on the road in 2013 for almost £80m.
Other residents have included Iraqi businessman Nemir Kirdar, singer Ariana Grande, holiday camp impresario Sir Billy Butlin, businessman Asil Nadir, Paul McCartney’s former wife Heather Mills.
Hunting park to luxury living
Land was originally the Bishop of London's hunting park, hence the name
The road was laid out in the mid 19th Century, meandering through woodland and farmland
Its earliest houses at the turn of the 20th Century were substantial detached properties with extensive grounds
There are direct flights from Dubai to Sofia with FlyDubai (www.flydubai.com) and Wizz Air (www.wizzair.com), from Dh1,164 and Dh822 return including taxes, respectively.
The trip
Plovdiv is 150km from Sofia, with an hourly bus service taking around 2 hours and costing $16 (Dh58). The Rhodopes can be reached from Sofia in between 2-4hours.
The trip was organised by Bulguides (www.bulguides.com), which organises guided trips throughout Bulgaria. Guiding, accommodation, food and transfers from Plovdiv to the mountains and back costs around 170 USD for a four-day, three-night trip.
Expo details
Expo 2020 Dubai will be the first World Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia
The world fair will run for six months from October 20, 2020 to April 10, 2021.
It is expected to attract 25 million visits
Some 70 per cent visitors are projected to come from outside the UAE, the largest proportion of international visitors in the 167-year history of World Expos.
More than 30,000 volunteers are required for Expo 2020
The site covers a total of 4.38 sqkm, including a 2 sqkm gated area
It is located adjacent to Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai South
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl
Power: 153hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 200Nm at 4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Price: Dh99,000
On sale: now
Astroworld
Travis Scott
Grand Hustle/Epic/Cactus Jack
INDIA V SOUTH AFRICA
First Test: October 2-6, at Visakhapatnam
Second Test: October 10-14, at Maharashtra
Third Test: October 19-23, at Ranchi
RESULTS - ELITE MEN
1. Henri Schoeman (RSA) 57:03
2. Mario Mola (ESP) 57:09
3. Vincent Luis (FRA) 57:25
4. Leo Bergere (FRA)57:34
5. Jacob Birtwhistle (AUS) 57:40
6. Joao Silva (POR) 57:45
7. Jonathan Brownlee (GBR) 57:56
8. Adrien Briffod (SUI) 57:57
9. Gustav Iden (NOR) 57:58
10. Richard Murray (RSA) 57:59
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Starring: Charlie Plummer, Mark Wahlberg, Michelle Williams, Christopher Plummer
Four stars
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 247hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 370Nm from 1,500-3,500rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 7.8L/100km
Price: from Dh94,900
On sale: now
Key products and UAE prices
iPhone XS
With a 5.8-inch screen, it will be an advance version of the iPhone X. It will be dual sim and comes with better battery life, a faster processor and better camera. A new gold colour will be available. Price: Dh4,229
iPhone XS Max
It is expected to be a grander version of the iPhone X with a 6.5-inch screen; an inch bigger than the screen of the iPhone 8 Plus. Price: Dh4,649
iPhone XR
A low-cost version of the iPhone X with a 6.1-inch screen, it is expected to attract mass attention. According to industry experts, it is likely to have aluminium edges instead of stainless steel. Price: Dh3,179
Apple Watch Series 4
More comprehensive health device with edge-to-edge displays that are more than 30 per cent bigger than displays on current models.
Results:
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 2,200m | Winner: AF Al Montaqem, Bernardo Pinheiro (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer)
