Facebook and Australia's government have been at arms with each other over licensing of news content. Reuters
Facebook and Australia's government have been at arms with each other over licensing of news content. Reuters
Facebook and Australia's government have been at arms with each other over licensing of news content. Reuters
Facebook and Australia's government have been at arms with each other over licensing of news content. Reuters

The media is learning the cost of being 'unfriended' by Facebook


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The decision by Facebook to remove all news content from its site in Australia will seem to many as a bold, even rash, move. On the face of it, the escalation of a simmering dispute with the government in Canberra, which has been attempting to extract payment for the country’s proud news media industry in exchange for the supply of content for the social media behemoth’s users, is sudden and crude.

It is hard to disagree with Scott Morrison, the pugilistic Australian prime minister, that Mark Zuckerberg’s company was “arrogant” in taking the decision to “unfriend Australia”. But what should he have expected? Wrestle with the American technology giants at your peril. The EU and Google have been bogged down in legal wrangles for years. One of the great lines of the newspaper era, used by and attributed to many, but most memorably HL Mencken, seems apt: “Never pick a quarrel with a man who buys ink by the barrel.” Well, today you should never pick a quarrel with a multinational with hundreds of millions of dollars in loose change and valuable access to the identities and internet behaviour patterns of much of the planet’s population. Or if you do, be prepared for pushback.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has led the charge against the power of Big Tech in the country. Getty
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has led the charge against the power of Big Tech in the country. Getty

A particularly barbed response came from Jason Kint, chief executive of a trade body, Digital Content Next, who tweeted: “World’s greatest amplifier of disinfo and toxic sludge to your newsfeed is going to block the most trusted news brands in the world from reaching Australians. Why? Because its business model can’t handle anything other than surveillance capitalism. I hope its employees are proud.”

While he has a point, and was echoed by many others, such comments reflect an industry that is on thin ice when it takes shots like this against digital content distributors. I am obviously not courting popularity by saying this, but the control of their product that out-of-their-depth managements of news organisations ceded to technology companies over the last two decades was nothing less than negligence and a betrayal of their proprietors and the journalists they employed in what would soon become ever-depleted numbers.

The industry’s discombobulation is deserved. Those managers did not even flinch or pause to consider with any seriousness the consequences as they sought the warm embrace of an instantly accessible, global digital presence. They spent increasing sums on technology without understanding that they were signing over all of their intellectual property to people who saw it purely as a raw commodity, not as something that was the output of highly skilled professionals whose discourse was, at least to some extent, a public service.

The control that news organisations ceded to technology companies over the last two decades was nothing less than negligence

Egged on by the technology companies and enchanted by their glamour, their newness, their exotic West Coast geekiness, the blue-blooded media giants shot themselves in the foot only to complain about their hospital bill. I know this because I was present and probably as guilty as the rest who played a small part in that transitional era in news media – and I still don’t pretend to know the ideal solution.

I won't say the battle was lost back then, as there are some successful models still taking shape, where readers are happy to pay a modest subscription charge for quality journalism that cannot be hijacked by third parties such as Facebook. Just as the axe was falling in Australia, there was another glimmer of hope: Newscorp – the Wall Street Journal among its titles – signed a three-year licensing deal with Google. Both sides will benefit. It is a civilised arrangement on the face of it. It is another model that Facebook would do well to consider.

Trust in the media is at a low point, and the value placed on the old-fashioned skills of reporting and writing well, and entertaining readers, has diminished in the eyes of the public. People now invest in a television, in a phone and in a laptop, but take some convincing to then pay for the news when there is so much out there for free. But – as with almost everything in life – someone has to pay for it.

Joe Jenkins is an assistant editor-in-chief at The National

Quick pearls of wisdom

Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”

Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.” 

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In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter

Price: From Dh2,099

ETFs explained

Exhchange traded funds are bought and sold like shares, but operate as index-tracking funds, passively following their chosen indices, such as the S&P 500, FTSE 100 and the FTSE All World, plus a vast range of smaller exchanges and commodities, such as gold, silver, copper sugar, coffee and oil.

ETFs have zero upfront fees and annual charges as low as 0.07 per cent a year, which means you get to keep more of your returns, as actively managed funds can charge as much as 1.5 per cent a year.

There are thousands to choose from, with the five biggest providers BlackRock’s iShares range, Vanguard, State Street Global Advisors SPDR ETFs, Deutsche Bank AWM X-trackers and Invesco PowerShares.

Breast cancer in men: the facts

1) Breast cancer is men is rare but can develop rapidly. It usually occurs in those over the ages of 60, but can occasionally affect younger men.

2) Symptoms can include a lump, discharge, swollen glands or a rash. 

3) People with a history of cancer in the family can be more susceptible. 

4) Treatments include surgery and chemotherapy but early diagnosis is the key. 

5) Anyone concerned is urged to contact their doctor

 

Jeff Buckley: From Hallelujah To The Last Goodbye
By Dave Lory with Jim Irvin

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The biog

Title: General Practitioner with a speciality in cardiology

Previous jobs: Worked in well-known hospitals Jaslok and Breach Candy in Mumbai, India

Education: Medical degree from the Government Medical College in Nagpur

How it all began: opened his first clinic in Ajman in 1993

Family: a 90-year-old mother, wife and two daughters

Remembers a time when medicines from India were purchased per kilo

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

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

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting

2. Prayer

3. Hajj

4. Shahada

5. Zakat 

The story in numbers

18

This is how many recognised sects Lebanon is home to, along with about four million citizens

450,000

More than this many Palestinian refugees are registered with UNRWA in Lebanon, with about 45 per cent of them living in the country’s 12 refugee camps

1.5 million

There are just under 1 million Syrian refugees registered with the UN, although the government puts the figure upwards of 1.5m

73

The percentage of stateless people in Lebanon, who are not of Palestinian origin, born to a Lebanese mother, according to a 2012-2013 study by human rights organisation Frontiers Ruwad Association

18,000

The number of marriages recorded between Lebanese women and foreigners between the years 1995 and 2008, according to a 2009 study backed by the UN Development Programme

77,400

The number of people believed to be affected by the current nationality law, according to the 2009 UN study

4,926

This is how many Lebanese-Palestinian households there were in Lebanon in 2016, according to a census by the Lebanese-Palestinian dialogue committee

Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.

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Set-jetting on the Emerald Isle

Other shows filmed in Ireland include: Vikings (County Wicklow), The Fall (Belfast), Line of Duty (Belfast), Penny Dreadful (Dublin), Ripper Street (Dublin), Krypton (Belfast)

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Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere

Director: Scott Cooper

Starring: Jeremy Allen White, Odessa Young, Jeremy Strong

Rating: 4/5

The President's Cake

Director: Hasan Hadi

Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem 

Rating: 4/5

MATCH INFO

Day 1 at Mount Maunganui

England 241-4

Denly 74, Stokes 67 not out, De Grandhomme 2-28

New Zealand 

Yet to bat

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

The specs: 2018 Chevrolet Trailblazer

Price, base / as tested Dh99,000 / Dh132,000

Engine 3.6L V6

Transmission: Six-speed automatic

Power 275hp @ 6,000rpm

Torque 350Nm @ 3,700rpm

Fuel economy combined 12.2L / 100km