It’s difficult not to be nervous in your first few days in a new job – especially if that new job is to become king. True, King Charles III has been training for this moment for all his 73 years, and there is plenty of goodwill. But the challenges are plentiful, too.
So far things have gone well. In his first speech he praised his "darling mama" for "a life well lived". He managed to bring his family together, including those supposedly feuding sons, William and Harry. He also issued a regretful apology to the charities he has supported, saying, quite reasonably, that "it will no longer be possible for me to give so much of my time and energies to the charities and issues for which I care so deeply. But I know this important work will go on in the trusted hands of others".
Now comes the difficult bit. How do you follow the longest-serving British monarch in history, while bringing something new and fresh to an ancient institution? Some priorities – which are full of opportunities as well as potential pitfalls – are already clear.
King Charles’s first priority is the union of the United Kingdom. This has grown increasingly fractious over the past 20 years. The monarch has an important role, though it is a subtle one. King Charles is a figurehead and symbol of unity, but he cannot solve political problems.
King Charles has a pulpit and also an attentive audience. Most of all he has an issue
A second opportunity is leading the 54 nations of the Commonwealth. The British monarch is head of the Commonwealth and head of state of some Commonwealth nations. The organisation brings together north and south, rich and poor, from every continent except Antarctica. Following the humanitarian disaster of the floods in Pakistan – a Commonwealth country – King Charles could emphasise the ways in which the Commonwealth can bring diverse nations together in a time of need, to help those suffering from the consequences of climate change, poverty and migration.
And that’s where the third opportunity may be important. As Prince of Wales, Charles was a champion for environmental issues long before they became fashionable.
One small personal example came almost two decades ago, when I was making a BBC radio documentary series. I was invited to go with the prince on a factory visit in the Highlands of Scotland, near Balmoral where Queen Elizabeth spent her last days. Charles wore the kilt, in deference to Scottish tradition, and spoke warmly with workers in the factory that made organic biscuits. He made it clear how proud he was that ideas of organic farming – which he had championed for years and which were once at best eccentric and at worst plain crazy – had now become mainstream. The result was new jobs and new products made in Scotland.
The next few days will see King Charles as someone who can bring people together, beginning in religious services and ceremonial occasions in Edinburgh, Belfast, Cardiff and London. But keeping the United Kingdom together is not in his gift. The union depends much more on the attitude of Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has a fractious relationship with the main political party in Scotland, the Scottish National Party. She once clumsily said that she intends to "ignore" the democratically elected First Minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon, who Ms Truss claimed was an "attention seeker". There are other intractable problems with the union, too, especially in Northern Ireland.
Yet for King Charles, the opportunities outweigh the difficulties.
More than 100 years ago, then US president Theodore Roosevelt called the American presidency a "bully pulpit". Roosevelt meant that he had the power to preach and change people’s minds and behaviour. A hereditary monarch like King Charles does not have a direct mandate from voters, yet he does indeed have a "pulpit" and also an attentive audience. Most of all he has an issue, a long history of caring about the environment and a liveable planet.
This is a great opportunity for King Charles to rise above partisan politics as a champion of global green issues, organic farming and diverse wildlife. His voice on global warming and the need to prevent climate-related disasters would echo from the Scottish Highlands to the flooded plains of Pakistan and the bushfires of Australia. In a diverse Commonwealth and an often divided world, King Charles III could surely be a uniter not a divider.
There, however, remains one further problem. When the mourning for Queen Elizabeth ends, there is going to be a prolonged period of reflection about the UK and our place in the world of the 21st century. One piece of good news is that in the month of September 2022, we have peacefully changed our head of state and also changed our head of government, finding a new prime minister in Ms Truss. Ms Truss has then changed personnel in the top level of our government.
But the only people who voted on any of this are about 140,000 members of the Conservative party, not our 68 million other citizens. The system appears to work, but it’s an odd way to run a democracy.
Final round
25 under - Antoine Rozner (FRA)
23 - Francesco Laporta (ITA), Mike Lorenzo-Vera (FRA), Andy Sullivan (ENG), Matt Wallace (ENG)
21 - Grant Forrest (SCO)
20 - Ross Fisher (ENG)
19 - Steven Brown (ENG), Joakim Lagergren (SWE), Niklas Lemke (SWE), Marc Warren (SCO), Bernd Wiesberger (AUT)
Company%20profile
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RESULTS
6.30pm: Maiden Dh165,000 (Dirt) 1,200
Winner: Miqyaas, Adrie de Vries (jockey), Rashed Bouresly (trainer).
7.05pm: Handicap Dh165,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Untold Secret, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer.
7.40pm: Maiden Dh165,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Shanty Star, Fabrice Veron, Rashed Bouresly.
8.15pm: Handicap Dh190,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Alkaamel, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi.
8.50pm: Handicap Dh175,000 (D) 1,400m
Winner: Speedy Move, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
9.25pm: Handicap Dh175,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Quartier Francois, Fernando Jara, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
Company%C2%A0profile
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Ballon d’Or shortlists
Men
Sadio Mane (Senegal/Liverpool), Sergio Aguero (Aregentina/Manchester City), Frenkie de Jong (Netherlans/Barcelona), Hugo Lloris (France/Tottenham), Dusan Tadic (Serbia/Ajax), Kylian Mbappe (France/PSG), Trent Alexander-Arnold (England/Liverpool), Donny van de Beek (Netherlands/Ajax), Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon/Arsenal), Marc-Andre ter Stegen (Germany/Barcelona), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal/Juventus), Alisson (Brazil/Liverpool), Matthijs de Ligt (Netherlands/Juventus), Karim Benzema (France/Real Madrid), Georginio Wijnaldum (Netherlands/Liverpool), Virgil van Dijk (Netherlands/Liverpool), Bernardo Silva (Portugal/Manchester City), Son Heung-min (South Korea/Tottenham), Robert Lewandowski (Poland/Bayern Munich), Roberto Firmino (Brazil/Liverpool), Lionel Messi (Argentina/Barcelona), Riyad Mahrez (Algeria/Manchester City), Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium/Manchester City), Kalidou Koulibaly (Senegal/Napoli), Antoine Griezmann (France/Barcelona), Mohamed Salah (Egypt/Liverpool), Eden Hazard (BEL/Real Madrid), Marquinhos (Brazil/Paris-SG), Raheem Sterling (Eengland/Manchester City), Joao Félix(Portugal/Atletico Madrid)
Women
Sam Kerr (Austria/Chelsea), Ellen White (England/Manchester City), Nilla Fischer (Sweden/Linkopings), Amandine Henry (France/Lyon), Lucy Bronze(England/Lyon), Alex Morgan (USA/Orlando Pride), Vivianne Miedema (Netherlands/Arsenal), Dzsenifer Marozsan (Germany/Lyon), Pernille Harder (Denmark/Wolfsburg), Sarah Bouhaddi (France/Lyon), Megan Rapinoe (USA/Reign FC), Lieke Martens (Netherlands/Barcelona), Sari van Veenendal (Netherlands/Atletico Madrid), Wendie Renard (France/Lyon), Rose Lavelle(USA/Washington Spirit), Marta (Brazil/Orlando Pride), Ada Hegerberg (Norway/Lyon), Kosovare Asllani (Sweden/CD Tacon), Sofia Jakobsson (Sweden/CD Tacon), Tobin Heath (USA/Portland Thorns)
MATCH INFO
Fulham 0
Aston Villa 3 (Grealish 4', Hourihane 15', Mings 48')
Man of the match: Jack Grealish (Aston Villa)
MATCH INFO
BRIGHTON 0
MANCHESTER UNITED 3
McTominay 44'
Mata 73'
Pogba 80'
MATCH INFO
Tottenham Hotspur 3 (Son 1', Kane 8' & 16') West Ham United 3 (Balbuena 82', Sanchez og 85', Lanzini 90' 4)
Man of the match Harry Kane
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
BELGIUM%20SQUAD
%3Cp%3EGoalkeepers%3A%20Thibaut%20Courtois%2C%20Simon%20Mignolet%2C%20Koen%20Casteels%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EDefenders%3A%20Jan%20Vertonghen%2C%20Toby%20Alderweireld%2C%20Leander%20Dendoncker%2C%20Zeno%20Debast%2C%20Arthur%20Theate%2C%20Wout%20Faes%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EMidfielders%3A%20Hans%20Vanaken%2C%20Axel%20Witsel%2C%20Youri%20Tielemans%2C%20Amadou%20Onana%2C%20Kevin%20De%20Bruyne%2C%20Yannick%20Carrasco%2C%20Thorgan%20Hazard%2C%20Timothy%20Castagne%2C%20Thomas%20Meunier%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EForwards%3A%20Romelu%20Lukaku%2C%20Michy%20Batshuayi%2C%20Lo%C3%AFs%20Openda%2C%20Charles%20De%20Ketelaere%2C%20Eden%20Hazard%2C%20Jeremy%20Doku%2C%20Dries%20Mertens%2C%20Leandro%20Trossard%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Director: Romany Saad
Starring: Mirfat Amin, Boumi Fouad and Tariq Al Ibyari
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Date started: March 2020
Co-founder/CEO: Ahmed Eissa
Based: UAE, Abu Dhabi
Sector: Insurance Sector
Size: 50 full-time employees (Inside and Outside UAE)
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Xpanceo
Started: 2018
Founders: Roman Axelrod, Valentyn Volkov
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Smart contact lenses, augmented/virtual reality
Funding: $40 million
Investor: Opportunity Venture (Asia)
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
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
Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere
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Rating: 4/5
