The first edition of The National newspaper sits in the stands in Abu Dhabi. Andrew Parsons / The National
The first edition of The National newspaper sits in the stands in Abu Dhabi. Andrew Parsons / The National
The first edition of The National newspaper sits in the stands in Abu Dhabi. Andrew Parsons / The National
The first edition of The National newspaper sits in the stands in Abu Dhabi. Andrew Parsons / The National

One day, we won't need Facebook to read the news


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In his latest film role, Tom Hanks plays Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd, a veteran who travels through post-Civil War Texas, reading the news to a beleaguered and downtrodden population.

The film, News of the World, is highly watchable fare and, for me as a journalist, it also touches a soft spot for the idea that our work has for a long time been important to people in all countries and walks of life. More importantly, the film's story underlines the powerful ability of newspapers to connect with their readers in an emotive way.

More than 150 years on from the time that this compelling fiction is set, digital technology is in danger of severing that precious connection, as we come full circle from the first industrial revolution and the beginning of a golden age for newspapers in the early to mid-19th century.

A newspaper itself is an evolving, living concept, depending on time, place and purpose. Hanks’s character takes on the job almost of a reader’s editor, picking and choosing which articles to read from a number of publications he finds in locales along his route of travel through the Old West.

Captain Kidd has a knack for knowing precisely which tales will grip his audiences. These include human interest articles and stories of incidents in faraway places, as well as the more mundane and officious local announcements that impact their day-to-day lives.

People willingly hand their coins over to Captain Kidd to pay for this service. They are either too time-poor or too illiterate to read the news for themselves.

In an early scene, Hanks tells his gathered audience in Wichita Falls: "Now, I know how life is in these parts, working a trade sunup to sundown. No time for reading newspapers. Am I correct? Let me do that work for you. And maybe, just for tonight, we can escape our troubles, and hear of the great changes that are happening out there."

The realities of life and survival get in the way but that does not dim the people's thirst for knowing more about the world that they live in.

The cinematic portrayal of this appetite rings true. It has been tapped for thousands of years in one way or another. The first recognised newspaper, however, was printed in the early 17th century in Germany. Today, the World Association of News Publishers represents 18,000 publications in 120 countries. No matter the well-reported travails of the industry at the moment thanks to increasing levels of digitalisation in society and business, it is still very much alive.

Technology – from steam power to the telegraph to the television and the internet – has always been a feature of the industry, although until now, it was a tool to be wielded by the publisher in its delivery of the news direct to its audiences. Instead, the advent of digital platforms and smartphones has created a layer between the newspaper and its reader that is controlled by a separate, third party.

We could argue that the newsagent or newsstand used to be that third party but it was never an intrusive part of the relationship – only ever a facilitator, just a convenience. We cannot say the same for the likes of Facebook and Google.

However, I think back to Hanks and News of the World, and I ask myself how long such a profession as he portrays would have lasted. And I wonder if, by the start of the 20th century, some 30 years after the film was set, such a role would have become redundant.

Rising levels of education and wealth and higher rates of urbanisation in the US would have allowed far more people to pick up a newspaper more regularly. Modern roads and transportation networks meant that distribution channels allowed newspapers to reach more people directly in their homes and places of work.

American internet technology and services companies are dominating the distribution of news these days. AFP
American internet technology and services companies are dominating the distribution of news these days. AFP

The American mass-market newspaper was a feature of the early 1900s.

By the same calculation, I also look into the future and wonder if so many readers will still need digital middle men, such as Facebook and Google, to curate the news for them in the fashion that they do now – electronic versions of Captain Kidd.

At the moment, much of the debate around the future health of the news business is around the point at which newspapers and digital platforms meet. For example, Rupert Murdoch's News Corp has made a deal with Google that will mean the internet giant will pay for the content from its newspapers. This agreement is to some being seen as a watershed for how news is consumed online.

I would argue that it represents something else, which such a deal tacitly acknowledges: the beginning of a shift.

News Corporation's headquarters in midtown Manhattan in New York. The company's content sharing deal with Google comes after years of public disputes between News Corp founder Rupert Murdoch and the Californian tech giant. Reuters
News Corporation's headquarters in midtown Manhattan in New York. The company's content sharing deal with Google comes after years of public disputes between News Corp founder Rupert Murdoch and the Californian tech giant. Reuters
Advances in technology will likely make it far easier for an individual to pick and choose his or her own news sources directly

Currently, newspaper readers are as time-poor as they ever have been. Equally, levels of digital literacy in society are at a nascent stage, with people having only had the internet for a quarter of a century and smartphones for less than half that time.

At some point, people’s understanding and comfort with their digital experiences will catch up with the scale of our digital lives and we will all have the freedom and convenience of being able to directly pick up our news from whichever source we need, without the need for a digital Captain Kidd curating the experience for us.

Equally, advances in technology including payment systems will likely make it far easier for an individual to pick and choose his or her own news sources directly, thus re-establishing the precious, direct link between newspapers and a reader.

Ultimately, we may one day look back and think of platforms such as Facebook, offering us the news as curios, much like we might the concept of Captain Kidd today.

Mustafa Alrawi is an assistant editor-in-chief at The National

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric

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Power: 905hp

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Price: From Dh439,000

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The specs: 2017 Porsche 718 Cayman

Price, base / as tested Dh222,500 / Dh296,870

Engine 2.0L, flat four-cylinder

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Power 300hp @ 6,500rpm

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Fuel economy, combined 6.9L / 100km

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
While you're here

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LAST-16 EUROPA LEAGUE FIXTURES

Wednesday (Kick-offs UAE)

FC Copenhagen (0) v Istanbul Basaksehir (1) 8.55pm

Shakhtar Donetsk (2) v Wolfsburg (1) 8.55pm

Inter Milan v Getafe (one leg only) 11pm

Manchester United (5) v LASK (0) 11pm 

Thursday

Bayer Leverkusen (3) v Rangers (1) 8.55pm

Sevilla v Roma  (one leg only)  8.55pm

FC Basel (3) v Eintracht Frankfurt (0) 11pm 

Wolves (1) Olympiakos (1) 11pm 

Titan Sports Academy:

Programmes: Judo, wrestling, kick-boxing, muay thai, taekwondo and various summer camps

Location: Inside Abu Dhabi City Golf Club, Al Mushrif, Abu Dhabi, UAE

Telephone:  971 50 220 0326

 

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs

Engine: 5.2-litre twin-turbo V12

Transmission: eight-speed automatic

Power: 715bhp

Torque: 900Nm

Price: Dh1,289,376

On sale: now

Sarfira

Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad

Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal 

Rating: 2/5

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F1 The Movie

Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem

Director: Joseph Kosinski

Rating: 4/5

Frankenstein in Baghdad
Ahmed Saadawi
​​​​​​​Penguin Press

The specs
 
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
The finalists

Player of the Century, 2001-2020: Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus), Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Mohamed Salah (Liverpool), Ronaldinho

Coach of the Century, 2001-2020: Pep Guardiola (Manchester City), Jose Mourinho (Tottenham Hotspur), Zinedine Zidane (Real Madrid), Sir Alex Ferguson

Club of the Century, 2001-2020: Al Ahly (Egypt), Bayern Munich (Germany), Barcelona (Spain), Real Madrid (Spain)

Player of the Year: Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)

Club of the Year: Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Real Madrid

Coach of the Year: Gian Piero Gasperini (Atalanta), Hans-Dieter Flick (Bayern Munich), Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool)

Agent of the Century, 2001-2020: Giovanni Branchini, Jorge Mendes, Mino Raiola

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
Global state-owned investor ranking by size

1.

United States

2.

China

3.

UAE

4.

Japan

5

Norway

6.

Canada

7.

Singapore

8.

Australia

9.

Saudi Arabia

10.

South Korea

Federer's 19 grand slam titles

Australian Open (5 titles) - 2004 bt Marat Safin; 2006 bt Marcos Baghdatis; 2007 bt Fernando Gonzalez; 2010 bt Andy Murray; 2017 bt Rafael Nadal

French Open (1 title) - 2009 bt Robin Soderling

Wimbledon (8 titles) - 2003 bt Mark Philippoussis; 2004 bt Andy Roddick; 2005 bt Andy Roddick; 2006 bt Rafael Nadal; 2007 bt Rafael Nadal; 2009 bt Andy Roddick; 2012 bt Andy Murray; 2017 bt Marin Cilic

US Open (5 titles) - 2004 bt Lleyton Hewitt; 2005 bt Andre Agassi; 2006 bt Andy Roddick; 2007 bt Novak Djokovic; 2008 bt Andy Murray

SERIE A FIXTURES

All times UAE ( 4 GMT)

Saturday
Roma v Udinese (5pm) 
SPAL v Napoli (8pm)
Juventus v Torino (10.45pm)

Sunday
Sampdoria v AC Milan (2.30pm)
Inter Milan v Genoa (5pm)
Crotone v Benevento (5pm)
Verona v Lazio (5pm)
Cagliari v Chievo (5pm)
Sassuolo v Bologna (8pm)
Fiorentina v Atalanta (10.45pm)

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
Key figures in the life of the fort

Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.

Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.

Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.

Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.

Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.

Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.

Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.

Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.

Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae

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 

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

Tree of Hell

Starring: Raed Zeno, Hadi Awada, Dr Mohammad Abdalla

Director: Raed Zeno

Rating: 4/5

The bio

Favourite food: Japanese

Favourite car: Lamborghini

Favourite hobby: Football

Favourite quote: If your dreams don’t scare you, they are not big enough

Favourite country: UAE

Biography

Favourite book: Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

Holiday choice: Anything Disney-related

Proudest achievement: Receiving a presidential award for foreign services.

Family: Wife and three children.

Like motto: You always get what you ask for, the universe listens.

Our family matters legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

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.

What are the GCSE grade equivalents?
 
  • Grade 9 = above an A*
  • Grade 8 = between grades A* and A
  • Grade 7 = grade A
  • Grade 6 = just above a grade B
  • Grade 5 = between grades B and C
  • Grade 4 = grade C
  • Grade 3 = between grades D and E
  • Grade 2 = between grades E and F
  • Grade 1 = between grades F and G
What can victims do?

Always use only regulated platforms

Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion

Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)

Report to local authorities

Warn others to prevent further harm

Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence

Business Insights
  • As per the document, there are six filing options, including choosing to report on a realisation basis and transitional rules for pre-tax period gains or losses. 
  • SMEs with revenue below Dh3 million per annum can opt for transitional relief until 2026, treating them as having no taxable income. 
  • Larger entities have specific provisions for asset and liability movements, business restructuring, and handling foreign permanent establishments.
MATCH INFO

FA Cup fifth round

Chelsea v Manchester United, Monday, 11.30pm (UAE), BeIN Sports

COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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