How will you remember 2011? As the year of the Arab Spring or the era of the eurozone crisis? As a time when the twin blights of man-made and natural disasters visited our small planet, from the tsunami and earthquakes that arrived like successive curses on New Zealand and Japan, to the warped mind of Norway's Anders Behring Breivik who disturbed the peace and shattered the innocence of an entire nation on the small island of Utoya?
These stories and many more - from royal weddings to revolutions, from 40th birthdays celebrating extraordinary acts of nation-building to stalled bids for statehood in the UN, from riots to returning space shuttles, from the killing of Osama bin Laden to the recent death of Kim Jong-il - have been offering us great pause for thought in recent months, as we shuffled our pack and debated how best to sum up this most extraordinary year in the space available to us.
In the end, the choice proved relatively straightforward. The Arab Spring provided this year's most remarkable, most compelling and most far-reaching narrative. How one act of self-immolation in Tunisia late last year spreads first to Egypt and later bleeds to Libya, Syria and beyond towards, improbably, Wall Street in the US and the frustrated and feral youth of Britain. There are links and shadows, strong correlations and inherent contradictions in sitting each of these stories next to each other, but they share a collective echo that refuses to stop bouncing from pillar to post, from country to country around the world.
As such, it is hard not to begin in the tumult of Tahrir Square in the spring and follow the seasons from the hard-fought battle up and down the long roads to Tripoli, Misurata and Benghazi, to the slow and ungraceful fall of the entire continent of Europe as it struggles to come to terms with an ever-deepening debt pool, rising unemployment and shrinking opportunities, and finally to the winter of discontent, of the gathering gloom on the streets of New York, as economic distress seeped inexorably across the Atlantic. From it all, one thought emerges, that this has been not just a year, but the year of protest.
Or has it? As the Arab Spring unravelled and the fruit it bore proved of vastly different quality, many commentators sought to draw parallels with the past: was this the region's Berlin Wall moment, or its Soviet summer, or something else entirely?
The eminent historian Eric Hobsbawm believes the latter is the case. "It reminds me of 1848," he told the BBC earlier this week, "another self-propelled revolution which started in one country, then spread all over the continent in a short time."
In Hobsbawm's mind, the events of 1848 remind him of the so-called Springtime of the Peoples, which began in France and delivered revolutions right across Europe. In fact, only the Ottoman and Russian empires, the Netherlands and Great Britain remained immune from the sweeping unrest.
It is Hobsbawm's next thought, however, which offers greatest pause for reflection. Demonstrating a clarity of vision and analytical mind of someone several decades his junior - he will turn 95 in June next year - he comments that within two years the European Spring appeared all washed up. But it wasn't, he contends. Many advances had been gained, and while the uprisings settled, the ripples of revolution continued to upset the old order.
This much it would be worth remembering when any one of us seeks to analyse the events of the uprisings. Revolutions occur in perfect and imperfect ways, regimes bite back, struggles ebb and flow. Right now, Egypt's awakening seems close to being derailed, after the almost impossible promise of January and February. That said, it would be worth remembering Hobsbawm and the pages of history: demonstrable change occurs over several years and evolution may be as important as revolution in any nation's future.
if you go
The flights
Emirates flies to Delhi with fares starting from around Dh760 return, while Etihad fares cost about Dh783 return. From Delhi, there are connecting flights to Lucknow.
Where to stay
It is advisable to stay in Lucknow and make a day trip to Kannauj. A stay at the Lebua Lucknow hotel, a traditional Lucknowi mansion, is recommended. Prices start from Dh300 per night (excluding taxes).
The story of Edge
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, established Edge in 2019.
It brought together 25 state-owned and independent companies specialising in weapons systems, cyber protection and electronic warfare.
Edge has an annual revenue of $5 billion and employs more than 12,000 people.
Some of the companies include Nimr, a maker of armoured vehicles, Caracal, which manufactures guns and ammunitions company, Lahab
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
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Trolls World Tour
Directed by: Walt Dohrn, David Smith
Starring: Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake
Rating: 4 stars
How to volunteer
The UAE volunteers campaign can be reached at www.volunteers.ae , or by calling 800-VOLAE (80086523), or emailing info@volunteers.ae.
THE LIGHT
Director: Tom Tykwer
Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger
Rating: 3/5
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
Sunday's games
Liverpool v West Ham United, 4.30pm (UAE)
Southampton v Burnley, 4.30pm
Arsenal v Manchester City, 7pm
German intelligence warnings
- 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
- 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
- 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
FFP EXPLAINED
What is Financial Fair Play?
Introduced in 2011 by Uefa, European football’s governing body, it demands that clubs live within their means. Chiefly, spend within their income and not make substantial losses.
What the rules dictate?
The second phase of its implementation limits losses to €30 million (Dh136m) over three seasons. Extra expenditure is permitted for investment in sustainable areas (youth academies, stadium development, etc). Money provided by owners is not viewed as income. Revenue from “related parties” to those owners is assessed by Uefa's “financial control body” to be sure it is a fair value, or in line with market prices.
What are the penalties?
There are a number of punishments, including fines, a loss of prize money or having to reduce squad size for European competition – as happened to PSG in 2014. There is even the threat of a competition ban, which could in theory lead to PSG’s suspension from the Uefa Champions League.
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
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Emergency
Director: Kangana Ranaut
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
Rating: 2/5
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Profile Periscope Media
Founder: Smeetha Ghosh, one co-founder (anonymous)
Launch year: 2020
Employees: four – plans to add another 10 by July 2021
Financing stage: $250,000 bootstrap funding, approaching VC firms this year
Investors: Co-founders
The biog
From: Upper Egypt
Age: 78
Family: a daughter in Egypt; a son in Dubai and his wife, Nabila
Favourite Abu Dhabi activity: walking near to Emirates Palace
Favourite building in Abu Dhabi: Emirates Palace
The specs: 2017 Dodge Ram 1500 Laramie Longhorn
Price, base / as tested: Dhxxx
Engine: 5.7L V8
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 395hp @ 5,600rpm
Torque: 556Nm @ 3,950rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.7L / 100km
If you go
The flights
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.
Graduated from the American University of Sharjah
She is the eldest of three brothers and two sisters
Has helped solve 15 cases of electric shocks
Enjoys travelling, reading and horse riding
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Golden Shoe top five (as of March 1):
Harry Kane, Tottenham, Premier League, 24 goals, 48 points
Edinson Cavani, PSG, Ligue 1, 24 goals, 48 points
Ciro Immobile, Lazio, Serie A, 23 goals, 46 points
Mohamed Salah, Liverpool, Premier League, 23 goals, 46 points
Lionel Messi, Barcelona, La Liga, 22 goals, 44 points