OSN is launching a channel dedicated to women to commemorate International Women’s Day. The channel, dubbed OSN Woman, will feature a variety of lifestyle programming across topics such as fashion, health, relationships and parenting.
The line-up of content will include the hit documentary Framing Britney Spears, which charts the turbulent career of the Grammy Award-winning singer; A Perfect 14, a documentary showing how plus-sized models are fighting to reshape the fashion industry; and Royals Declassified, a three-part series that draws back the curtain on Queen Elizabeth II's relationships with her family as well as British and foreign officials.
The shows will be available to watch on the stand-alone OSN Woman channel as well as OSN's streaming app.
The driving force behind the OSN Woman project are several female programming specialists at OSN. To celebrate the launch of the channel, an all-female cast and crew created a video that showcases women of different backgrounds and professions from across the Middle East, giving them a platform to voice what they want to see on screens.
"We want to send a message to all the women of the region that we listen to them and care about bringing content that connects with them," said Rolla Karam, interim chief content officer at OSN.
“We are tapping into a wider base of modern women through a mix of strong programming that was planned entirely by women like them and made available as a channel and on demand across our digital platforms. And as one of the women who led this exciting project, I [am] very positive it will be supported across the board.”
Karam added that the next phase of the project involves producing more OSN Original content, boosting work by female creatives from the region and providing a platform for them to present their work.
Here are six not-to-be-missed films and TV shows that will be available to watch on OSN Woman:
‘Framing Britney Spears’
The 2021 documentary that reignited the #FreeBritney movement. Framing Britney Spears explores the Toxic singer's meteoric rise to fame as well as the struggles she faced across her three-decade career. The film, directed by Samantha Stark, highlights the star's treatment by the paparazzi and the events leading up to her highly publicised breakdown in 2007. It also sheds light on how Spears has been living under a court-appointed conservatorship since 2008, giving her father control over her finances as well as important life decisions.
Since the documentary’s release, at a hearing on February 11, the judge ruled that Spears's father must share power over her conservatorship, but did not entirely strip him of his role as co-conservator. The next court hearing is on Wednesday, March 17.
The film will air on OSN Woman at 8am on Wednesday
‘Project Runway: Fashion Startup’
If you want to discover what it takes to make it as a start-up in the cut-throat fashion industry, then this is the show for you. The hit 2016 reality series Project Runway: Fashion Startup shows a group of aspiring fashion entrepreneurs pitching their best ideas to investors.
The judging panel includes Katia Beauchamp, chief executive and co-founder of make-up subscription Birchbox; Christine Hunsicker, chief executive and founder of the designer wardrobe subscription service Gwynnie Bee; fashion designer Rebecca Minkoff; and Gary Wassner, chief executive of Hilldun Corporation and chairman and co-founder of Interluxe Holdings, both of which have financed some of the world's most renowned designer labels.
The show will air on OSN Woman at 10am on Monday
‘Inside Missguided: Made in Manchester’
A TV series that lets us see the inner workings of Missguided, one of the UK’s biggest fast-fashion brands. The show is witty, fun and full of insightful moments on the fast-fashion business model, which replicates catwalk trends and high fashion designs at an attainable cost. The series also celebrates female empowerment, introducing viewers to the creative and industrious women behind the Missguided fashion brand.
The show will air on OSN Woman from 9am on Tuesday
‘Royals Declassified’
While Netflix's critically acclaimed, but governmentally disdained series The Crown does much to show us what goes on within Buckingham Palace, many historical events seen in the show have been dramatised for storytelling purpose. Royals Declassified takes no such liberties.
Based on declassified documents, including letters, diary entries, testimonies and voice recordings, the series – comprised of three one-hour episodes – reveals what Queen Elizabeth II really thought of those around her.
The first episode of the series explores the tensions between her and her prime ministers, including her disagreements with Margaret Thatcher that nearly sparked a constitutional crisis. The series then goes on to examine Queen Elizabeth II's relationship with her husband, Prince Philip, and her family. The final chapter shows how a spy was stationed in the Queen's inner circle and managed to pass information to the Soviet authorities even after he was ousted.
The series will air on OSN Woman from 1pm on Monday
'A Perfect 14'
A documentary that takes us into the world of plus-sized modelling. A Perfect 14 celebrates the journey of three women as they struggle to subvert the warped notions of beauty that have become the norm. A heartfelt perception on what it takes to reshape the fashion industry, A Perfect 14 is an eye-opening watch, prompting viewers to rethink how they define beauty.
The film will air on OSN Woman at 9am on Wednesday, March 17
‘Public Figure’
This 2019 documentary dives into the lives of influencers while exploring the psychological effects of daily social media use. Directed by Brian Corso, the film features appearances by several influencers and celebrities active on social media including Donterio Hundon, Rose McGowan and Bonang Matheba. The hour-long documentary comes as a warning of the addictive nature of social media and highlights some of the grimmer effects the technology has on society.
The film will air on OSN Woman at 9am on Wednesday, March 24
Understand What Black Is
The Last Poets
(Studio Rockers)
RACE SCHEDULE
All times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Friday, September 29
First practice: 7am - 8.30am
Second practice: 11am - 12.30pm
Saturday, September 30
Qualifying: 1pm - 2pm
Sunday, October 1
Race: 11am - 1pm
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
England World Cup squad
Eoin Morgan (capt), Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler (wkt), Tom Curran, Liam Dawson, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, James Vince, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood
The biog
Occupation: Key marker and auto electrician
Hometown: Ghazala, Syria
Date of arrival in Abu Dhabi: May 15, 1978
Family: 11 siblings, a wife, three sons and one daughter
Favourite place in UAE: Abu Dhabi
Favourite hobby: I like to do a mix of things, like listening to poetry for example.
Favourite Syrian artist: Sabah Fakhri, a tenor from Aleppo
Favourite food: fresh fish
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
SUE%20GRAY'S%20FINDINGS
%3Cp%3E%22Whatever%20the%20initial%20intent%2C%20what%20took%20place%20at%20many%20of%20these%20gatherings%20and%20the%3Cbr%3Eway%20in%20which%20they%20developed%20was%20not%20in%20line%20with%20Covid%20guidance%20at%20the%20time.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%22Many%20of%20these%20events%20should%20not%20have%20been%20allowed%20to%20happen.%20It%20is%20also%20the%20case%20that%20some%20of%20the%3Cbr%3Emore%20junior%20civil%20servants%20believed%20that%20their%20involvement%20in%20some%20of%20these%20events%20was%20permitted%20given%20the%20attendance%20of%20senior%20leaders.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%22The%20senior%20leadership%20at%20the%20centre%2C%20both%20political%20and%20official%2C%20must%20bear%20responsibility%20for%20this%20culture.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%22I%20found%20that%20some%20staff%20had%20witnessed%20or%20been%20subjected%20to%20behaviours%20at%20work%20which%20they%20had%20felt%20concerned%20about%20but%20at%20times%20felt%20unable%20to%20raise%20properly.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%22I%20was%20made%20aware%20of%20multiple%20examples%20of%20a%20lack%20of%20respect%20and%20poor%20treatment%20of%20security%20and%20cleaning%20staff.%20This%20was%20unacceptable.%22%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, second leg
Real Madrid (2) v Bayern Munich (1)
Where: Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
When: 10.45pm, Tuesday
Watch Live: beIN Sports HD
How will Gen Alpha invest?
Mark Chahwan, co-founder and chief executive of robo-advisory firm Sarwa, forecasts that Generation Alpha (born between 2010 and 2024) will start investing in their teenage years and therefore benefit from compound interest.
“Technology and education should be the main drivers to make this happen, whether it’s investing in a few clicks or their schools/parents stepping up their personal finance education skills,” he adds.
Mr Chahwan says younger generations have a higher capacity to take on risk, but for some their appetite can be more cautious because they are investing for the first time. “Schools still do not teach personal finance and stock market investing, so a lot of the learning journey can feel daunting and intimidating,” he says.
He advises millennials to not always start with an aggressive portfolio even if they can afford to take risks. “We always advise to work your way up to your risk capacity, that way you experience volatility and get used to it. Given the higher risk capacity for the younger generations, stocks are a favourite,” says Mr Chahwan.
Highlighting the role technology has played in encouraging millennials and Gen Z to invest, he says: “They were often excluded, but with lower account minimums ... a customer with $1,000 [Dh3,672] in their account has their money working for them just as hard as the portfolio of a high get-worth individual.”
THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
In numbers
Number of Chinese tourists coming to UAE in 2017 was... 1.3m
Alibaba’s new ‘Tech Town’ in Dubai is worth... $600m
China’s investment in the MIddle East in 2016 was... $29.5bn
The world’s most valuable start-up in 2018, TikTok, is valued at... $75bn
Boost to the UAE economy of 5G connectivity will be... $269bn
AIDA%20RETURNS
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Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
Company%20Profile
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THE LOWDOWN
Photograph
Rating: 4/5
Produced by: Poetic License Motion Pictures; RSVP Movies
Director: Ritesh Batra
Cast: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Sanya Malhotra, Farrukh Jaffar, Deepak Chauhan, Vijay Raaz
Mina Cup winners
Under 12 – Minerva Academy
Under 14 – Unam Pumas
Under 16 – Fursan Hispania
Under 18 – Madenat
The%20Last%20White%20Man
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Company Profile:
Name: The Protein Bakeshop
Date of start: 2013
Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani
Based: Dubai
Size, number of employees: 12
Funding/investors: $400,000 (2018)
The five pillars of Islam
'My Son'
Director: Christian Carion
Starring: James McAvoy, Claire Foy, Tom Cullen, Gary Lewis
Rating: 2/5
Results
STAGE
1 . Filippo Ganna (Ineos) - 0:13:56
2. Stefan Bissegger (Education-Nippo) - 0:00:14
3. Mikkel Bjerg (UAE Team Emirates) - 0:00:21
4. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) - 0:00:24
5. Luis Leon Sanchez (Astana) - 0:00:30
GENERAL CLASSIFICATION
1. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) - 4:00:05
2. Joao Almeida (QuickStep) - 0:00:05
3. Mattia Cattaneo (QuickStep) - 0:00:18
4. Chris Harper (Jumbo-Visma) - 0:00:33
5. Adam Yates (Ineos) - 0:00:39
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
The biog
Favourite car: Ferrari
Likes the colour: Black
Best movie: Avatar
Academic qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in media production from the Higher Colleges of Technology and diploma in production from the New York Film Academy
Thor: Ragnarok
Dir: Taika Waititi
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett, Jeff Goldblum, Mark Ruffalo, Tessa Thompson
Four stars
if you go
The flights
Etihad, Emirates and Singapore Airlines fly direct from the UAE to Singapore from Dh2,265 return including taxes. The flight takes about 7 hours.
The hotel
Rooms at the M Social Singapore cost from SG $179 (Dh488) per night including taxes.
The tour
Makan Makan Walking group tours costs from SG $90 (Dh245) per person for about three hours. Tailor-made tours can be arranged. For details go to www.woknstroll.com.sg