World-famous performer Britney Spears is ready to appear by video link before a Los Angeles court on Wednesday.
It is a rare request by Spears to speak about control over her personal life and finances, being managed by her father under a 13-year conservatorship.
Fans of the former star of Disney's Mickey Mouse Club and the singer of countless hits including ... Baby One More Time and Toxic are focused on the conservatorship, which they say has affected every aspect of Spears's life.
What is a conservatorship?
A court can order a conservatorship when it decides a person is unable to make independent decisions.
Often placed on elderly or disabled people, conservatorships place an individual's finances and decisions under the direction of a third party – in Spears's case, it is her father, Jamie Spears, and others.
What led to the conservatorship?
Spears, 39, was placed under a temporary court-ordered conservatorship in 2008 by a Los Angeles court after a very public breakdown.
She entered and left rehab twice within a few days and lost custody of her two children in 2007.
Tabloids chronicled her various headline-grabbing escapades, including when she shaved her head and when she attacked a paparazzo's car with an umbrella.
During her performance at the MTV Video Music Awards in 2007, Spears alarmed many by her disoriented appearance on stage.
In 2008, she was admitted to hospital twice for psychiatric observation.
Under the temporary conservatorship, her father and a lawyer managed her financial and business activities as well as decisions in her personal life.
A few months after the initial court order in 2008, a judge extended the conservatorship indefinitely.
Mr Spears now acts as co-conservator with a financial trust.
The star has, since 2008, released three albums, appeared as a judge on the US TV show The X Factor, performed on a world tour and held a two-year concert residency at a Las Vegas theatre.
After recently cancelling another residency, she announced she was going on an “indefinite work hiatus” and has become more active on Instagram, where she has more than 30 million followers.
Does she want the conservatorship to end?
Concerned fans have long questioned the length and necessity of the conservatorship and whether Spears has had proper access to the money she made while under the arrangement.
“If I wasn't under the restraints I'm under right now, with all the lawyers and doctors and people analysing me every day, if that wasn't there, I'd feel so liberated," Spears said in an MTV documentary in 2008.
"When I tell them the way I feel, it's like they hear, but they're really not listening."
In February, The New York Times released a documentary on FX and Hulu chronicling the conservatorship, gaining her legal affairs further attention.
The newspaper on Tuesday published a story citing confidential court documents that show Spears has for years been pushing to end the conservatorship.
What is the #FreeBritney movement?
Born out of a podcast that analysed Spears's Instagram posts, the hashtag #FreeBritney became the slogan of a protest movement in Los Angeles that called for her freedom from the conservatorship.
#FreeBritney participants say her ordeal is a case of abuse of the US conservatorship and guardianship system.
The movement has attracted the attention of the American Civil Liberties Union, which has offered legal support to the performer.
What can we expect from Wednesday's hearing?
Spears's legal representatives have given no clues as to what the singer might say in court.
The New York Times said Spears told a closed-door court hearing in early 2019 about abuses she had experienced during the conservatorship.
Representatives for her father, 68, declined to comment to the Times article before the court hearing.
In 2020, Spears and her legal team objected to Mr Spears's move to seal a court filing in the case.
Her statement to the court ended with the words: "The world is watching."
Mr Spears and the other conservators have said the singer could ask the court to end the conservatorship at any time, but she has largely been mum on the issue in public.
His lawyer, Vivian Thoreen, told CNN this spring: "He would love nothing more than to see Britney not need a conservatorship.
"Whether or not there is an end to the conservatorship really depends on Britney," she said.
"If she wants to end her conservatorship, she can file a petition to end it."
if you go
The flights
Flydubai flies to Podgorica or nearby Tivat via Sarajevo from Dh2,155 return including taxes. Turkish Airlines flies from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Podgorica via Istanbul; alternatively, fly with Flydubai from Dubai to Belgrade and take a short flight with Montenegro Air to Podgorica. Etihad flies from Abu Dhabi to Podgorica via Belgrade. Flights cost from about Dh3,000 return including taxes. There are buses from Podgorica to Plav.
The tour
While you can apply for a permit for the route yourself, it’s best to travel with an agency that will arrange it for you. These include Zbulo in Albania (www.zbulo.org) or Zalaz in Montenegro (www.zalaz.me).
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 1.6-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 217hp at 5,750rpm
Torque: 300Nm at 1,900rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Price: from Dh130,000
On sale: now
More on animal trafficking
Water waste
In the UAE’s arid climate, small shrubs, bushes and flower beds usually require about six litres of water per square metre, daily. That increases to 12 litres per square metre a day for small trees, and 300 litres for palm trees.
Horticulturists suggest the best time for watering is before 8am or after 6pm, when water won't be dried up by the sun.
A global report published by the Water Resources Institute in August, ranked the UAE 10th out of 164 nations where water supplies are most stretched.
The Emirates is the world’s third largest per capita water consumer after the US and Canada.
What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE
Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.
Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.
Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
Five expert hiking tips
Always check the weather forecast before setting off
Make sure you have plenty of water
Set off early to avoid sudden weather changes in the afternoon
Wear appropriate clothing and footwear
Take your litter home with you
MWTC info
Tickets to the MWTC range from Dh100 and can be purchased from www.ticketmaster.ae or by calling 800 86 823 from within the UAE or 971 4 366 2289 from outside the country and all Virgin Megastores. Fans looking to attend all three days of the MWTC can avail of a special 20 percent discount on ticket prices.
THE BIO
Ms Al Ameri likes the variety of her job, and the daily environmental challenges she is presented with.
Regular contact with wildlife is the most appealing part of her role at the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi.
She loves to explore new destinations and lives by her motto of being a voice in the world, and not an echo.
She is the youngest of three children, and has a brother and sister.
Her favourite book, Moby Dick by Herman Melville helped inspire her towards a career exploring the natural world.
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
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The Africa Institute 101
Housed on the same site as the original Africa Hall, which first hosted an Arab-African Symposium in 1976, the newly renovated building will be home to a think tank and postgraduate studies hub (it will offer master’s and PhD programmes). The centre will focus on both the historical and contemporary links between Africa and the Gulf, and will serve as a meeting place for conferences, symposia, lectures, film screenings, plays, musical performances and more. In fact, today it is hosting a symposium – 5-plus-1: Rethinking Abstraction that will look at the six decades of Frank Bowling’s career, as well as those of his contemporaries that invested social, cultural and personal meaning into abstraction.
Bio
Age: 25
Town: Al Diqdaqah – Ras Al Khaimah
Education: Bachelors degree in mechanical engineering
Favourite colour: White
Favourite place in the UAE: Downtown Dubai
Favourite book: A Life in Administration by Ghazi Al Gosaibi.
First owned baking book: How to Be a Domestic Goddess by Nigella Lawson.
