It's a strangely unnerving experience, seeing your name in an official account going back 26 years.
The BBC has released, in a response to a Freedom of Information request, its log of events after the Martin Bashir interview for Panorama in 1995 with Princess Diana.
There I am, the first journalist to call, to ask if it was true that Bashir had secured his world scoop by convincing the princess that she and her brother, Earl Spencer, were being tracked by the security service MI5.
Except I'm described as Chris Pankhurst. I was an investigative reporter on The Independent.
I’d received a tip-off that Bashir was researching a programme about MI5 and the British royal family, and that he had produced material that seemed to show the security service was targeting Spencer and Diana.
My source could not provide any corroborative evidence and without that or a second source the story could not be written. It required further research.
This was in November 1995, immediately after the programme, in which the princess famously claimed there were “three of us in this marriage”, a reference to her then husband Prince Charles’s relationship with Camilla Parker Bowles.
The second occasion I called, the account spells my name right. That was in April 1996, when a story broke that Bashir had forged a bank statement to suggest that MI5 was paying Spencer’s former head of security for information.
The fake bank statement indicated a payment from Penfolds, a small, obscure, Channel Islands-registered company, to Spencer’s former security chief.
Colleagues of Bashir had been alerted by the use of the name "Penfolds", which had featured in a previous Panorama, also researched and presented by him, into the business dealings of Terry Venables, the former England football manager. It was too coincidental, they thought.
The BBC confirmed they had looked into the document “two or three months ago” but said it played no part in securing the interview and a “thorough investigation” had been held.
The BBC press officer admitted the statement was false but had been made in connection with another programme.
The BBC will shortly publish a report from a former judge, Lord Dyson, appointed to investigate what happened. Panorama is also due to air its own “special” investigation into what went on.
I've given evidence to Dyson and I've been filmed for Panorama. The latter was scheduled to be aired on Monday this week but was postponed because of concerns that the corporation owed a "duty of care" to Bashir, who last month resigned on health grounds as the BBC's religion editor.
In some ways, this appears highly commendable: the BBC appointing a former senior judge to hold an inquiry and commissioning its flagship programme to investigate.
But it also carries echoes of previous BBC controversies in which the organisation ended up becoming entwined in trying to explain and justify its own poor behaviour and subsequent cover-up – Jimmy Savile springs to mind.
The fact is that Bashir, a young, little-known, relatively inexperienced journalist, had beaten some of the world’s most celebrated interviewers, among them David Frost and Barbara Walters, to the princess.
No one in authority at the BBC seemingly thought to ask how.
Quite the reverse: the internal log is full of congratulations from senior figures in the corporation, including from Tony Hall, now Lord Hall, then its head of news and current affairs, and later, BBC director general.
When reporters started questioning, the BBC claimed Hall had looked into it, found nothing unduly untoward, and the shutters came down.
What’s telling about the log is that Hall reported as much to the BBC board of governors, saying to them that he was going to launch a leak inquiry to find who had been informing journalists.
It took a flurry of 25th anniversary documentaries and a complaint from Spencer, and an indication from Kensington Palace that Prince William was also keen to know what had transpired, for the BBC, finally, to act.
It’s bad enough that the BBC was forging someone’s bank statement. It’s clear too that Diana, who was vulnerable, was influenced and impressionable.
But she is dead, as is Bashir's boss at the time, the Panorama editor, Steve Hewlett. Without them, Bashir may be able to mount some sort of defence, or at least, vital questions must remain unanswered.
Imagine, though, if what Dyson and Panorama now disclose was known back then. Imagine, too, if it was not the BBC that had behaved in this manner but a tabloid newspaper. Consider the row that would have ensued.
That chain of events was prompted by the Panorama interview. It's some statement to make, I know, but it is true.
For decades, UK newspapers, especially the tabloids, were put under scrutiny for their conduct – and in some cases, rightly so.
Much of the finger-pointing came from the BBC, which regarded itself as above such activity.
Yet here we have an interview with a tormented senior member of the royal family being obtained by deception.
Let us, too, remind ourselves of what took place after the Panorama interview. In early 1996, Queen Elizabeth ordered Diana and Charles to speed up their divorce, which they did.
Diana left the royal family and the security blanket it afforded her.
She rejected the offer of maintaining extensive personal protection, partly because she could not trust the royal family or the security service – a feeling presumably exacerbated by Bashir.
The following year she died in the Paris car crash.
That chain of events was prompted by the Panorama interview. It's some statement to make, I know, but it is true.
Roll forward to this year and the Meghan and Harry interview with Oprah Winfrey. Harry referred more than once to wishing to protect Meghan, to ensure that history was not repeated.
Bashir is claiming ill-heath, hence the BBC owes him a duty of care. That in itself is odd, since the BBC ordered this latest Panorama knowing full well the likely outcome.
His health was also said to be poor then, so a duty of care now does not make sense. Unless, of course, this is another attempt to hide and to obfuscate.
It’s to be hoped not. The BBC has an awful lot of explaining to do, even if it is 26 years late.
Chris Blackhurst is a former editor of The Independent, based in London
UPDATE: BBC report finds journalist Martin Bashir used deceit to land Princess Diana interview
A list of the animal rescue organisations in the UAE
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
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
Brighton 1
Gross (50' pen)
Tottenham 1
Kane (48)
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
ACC 2019: The winners in full
Best Actress Maha Alemi, Sofia
Best Actor Mohamed Dhrif, Weldi
Best Screenplay Meryem Benm’Barek, Sofia
Best Documentary Of Fathers and Sons by Talal Derki
Best Film Yomeddine by Abu Bakr Shawky
Best Director Nadine Labaki, Capernaum
TOUR RESULTS AND FIXTURES
June 3: NZ Provincial Barbarians 7 Lions 13
June 7: Blues 22 Lions 16
June 10: Crusaders 3 Lions 12
June 13: Highlanders 23 Lions 22
June 17: Maori All Blacks 10 Lions 32
June 20: Chiefs 6 Lions 34
June 24: New Zealand 30 Lions 15 (First Test)
June 27: Hurricanes 31 Lions 31
July 1: New Zealand 21 Lions 24 (Second Test)
July 8: New Zealand v Lions (Third Test) - kick-off 11.30am (UAE)
ENGLAND SQUAD
Team: 15 Mike Brown, 14 Anthony Watson, 13 Ben Te'o, 12 Owen Farrell, 11 Jonny May, 10 George Ford, 9 Ben Youngs, 1 Mako Vunipola, 2 Dylan Hartley, 3 Dan Cole, 4 Joe Launchbury, 5 Maro Itoje, 6 Courtney Lawes, 7 Chris Robshaw, 8 Sam Simmonds
Replacements 16 Jamie George, 17 Alec Hepburn, 18 Harry Williams, 19 George Kruis, 20 Sam Underhill, 21 Danny Care, 22 Jonathan Joseph, 23 Jack Nowell
SHAITTAN
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
The essentials
What: Emirates Airline Festival of Literature
When: Friday until March 9
Where: All main sessions are held in the InterContinental Dubai Festival City
Price: Sessions range from free entry to Dh125 tickets, with the exception of special events.
Hot Tip: If waiting for your book to be signed looks like it will be timeconsuming, ask the festival’s bookstore if they have pre-signed copies of the book you’re looking for. They should have a bunch from some of the festival’s biggest guest authors.
Information: www.emirateslitfest.com
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Bullet%20Train
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Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
If%20you%20go
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Company%20Profile
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Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
Dark Souls: Remastered
Developer: From Software (remaster by QLOC)
Publisher: Namco Bandai
Price: Dh199
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company%20profile
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UAE SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Ali Khaseif, Fahad Al Dhanhani, Mohammed Al Shamsi, Adel Al Hosani
Defenders: Bandar Al Ahbabi, Shaheen Abdulrahman, Walid Abbas, Mahmoud Khamis, Mohammed Barghash, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Hassan Al Mahrami, Yousef Jaber, Salem Rashid, Mohammed Al Attas, Alhassan Saleh
Midfielders: Ali Salmeen, Abdullah Ramadan, Abdullah Al Naqbi, Majed Hassan, Yahya Nader, Ahmed Barman, Abdullah Hamad, Khalfan Mubarak, Khalil Al Hammadi, Tahnoun Al Zaabi, Harib Abdallah, Mohammed Jumah, Yahya Al Ghassani
Forwards: Fabio De Lima, Caio Canedo, Ali Saleh, Ali Mabkhout, Sebastian Tagliabue, Zayed Al Ameri
A cheaper choice
Vanuatu: $130,000
Why on earth pick Vanuatu? Easy. The South Pacific country has no income tax, wealth tax, capital gains or inheritance tax. And in 2015, when it was hit by Cyclone Pam, it signed an agreement with the EU that gave it some serious passport power.
Cost: A minimum investment of $130,000 for a family of up to four, plus $25,000 in fees.
Criteria: Applicants must have a minimum net worth of $250,000. The process take six to eight weeks, after which the investor must travel to Vanuatu or Hong Kong to take the oath of allegiance. Citizenship and passport are normally provided on the same day.
Benefits: No tax, no restrictions on dual citizenship, no requirement to visit or reside to retain a passport. Visa-free access to 129 countries.
Company%20profile
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Tips to avoid getting scammed
1) Beware of cheques presented late on Thursday
2) Visit an RTA centre to change registration only after receiving payment
3) Be aware of people asking to test drive the car alone
4) Try not to close the sale at night
5) Don't be rushed into a sale
6) Call 901 if you see any suspicious behaviour
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.
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
Financial considerations before buying a property
Buyers should try to pay as much in cash as possible for a property, limiting the mortgage value to as little as they can afford. This means they not only pay less in interest but their monthly costs are also reduced. Ideally, the monthly mortgage payment should not exceed 20 per cent of the purchaser’s total household income, says Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching.
“If it’s a rental property, plan for the property to have periods when it does not have a tenant. Ensure you have enough cash set aside to pay the mortgage and other costs during these periods, ideally at least six months,” she says.
Also, shop around for the best mortgage interest rate. Understand the terms and conditions, especially what happens after any introductory periods, Ms Glynn adds.
Using a good mortgage broker is worth the investment to obtain the best rate available for a buyer’s needs and circumstances. A good mortgage broker will help the buyer understand the terms and conditions of the mortgage and make the purchasing process efficient and easier.
Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre supercharged V8
Power: 712hp at 6,100rpm
Torque: 881Nm at 4,800rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 19.6 l/100km
Price: Dh380,000
On sale: now
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE squad
Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind
Fixtures
Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE
Copa del Rey
Semi-final, first leg
Barcelona 1 (Malcom 57')
Real Madrid (Vazquez 6')
Second leg, February 27
Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
MATCH RESULT
Liverpool 4 Brighton and Hove Albion 0
Liverpool: Salah (26'), Lovren (40'), Solanke (53'), Robertson (85')
SHALASH%20THE%20IRAQI
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Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
