The storm over Rudy Giuliani's comments last weekend that "truth isn't truth" are a reminder of the dispiriting sense that we are all suffering from "truth decay". That's the phrase used by the highly respected Rand Corporation to account for a world in which lying and deceit have become normalised.
It is so pervasive that, as Pope Francis reminded us, “there is no such thing as harmless disinformation; trusting in falsehood can have dire consequences”.
Among those dire consequences is an erosion of trust in governments, the media and democracy itself. Hence the US president's lawyer had no qualms about telling an incredulous Chuck Todd on Meet the Press, in response to questions about why Donald Trump might not testify to special counsel Robert Mueller, that "when you tell me [he] should testify because he's going to tell the truth and he shouldn't worry, that's so silly because it's somebody's version of the truth, not the truth...truth isn't truth."
In her brilliant new book The Death of Truth, the New York Times writer Michiko Kakutani analyses what has gone wrong and what we need to do to put it right and limit the damage caused by truth decay. Ms Kakutani begins with the implications of a world in which the president of the United States lies so often that US newspapers claim to have found several thousand lies – and he is not even halfway through his term. But America is not alone.
In Britain we have endured plenty of lies from the Vote Leave campaign to exit the European Union. The most ridiculous was the idea that Turkey was about to join the EU, with the poisonous insinuation that tens of millions of Turkish people, plus Syrian refugees and others, were somehow about to move to Britain.
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Then there was the lie that pulling out of the EU would somehow deliver a miraculous Brexit dividend, including £350 million a week for the cash-strapped National Health Service. And of course we were also told (falsely) that Brexit would be “easy” with trade deals with foreign countries, including the US, simple to negotiate.
The current British government of Theresa May is being tortured by the result of those lies. The decision has been taken to leave the EU by March next year, even if no deal has been negotiated. Since the British government is still privately divided, as are the Conservative and Labour parties, the lies we endured in the campaign continue to split Britain down the middle.
Politicians have always stretched the truth. But this is different. In the world of lies in which we now live, truth decay extends from politics to science.
Those who deny that climate change is taking place or those who claim that vaccines against serious diseases harm our children broadcast on the internet and are often offered a platform on mainstream media too.
Every time a respected broadcaster puts non-scientific nonsense on television or radio, it adds a veneer of credibility to the people responsible for our truth decay.
Then there are the “concerned American citizens” on social media – who turn out not to be Americans at all but bots and internet trolls created in Russia.
And of course there is Mr Trump himself. He uses what was once called the “bully pulpit” of the presidency to tell his version of the truth, which directly contradicts what we can see or hear in real life.
It has become so shameless that as with the summit with Vladimir Putin, Mr Trump tells us something one day and says the opposite the next. And for some people – Mr Giuliani included – this does not matter.
Ms Kakutani’s book is fascinating because it dissects our truth decay. It is also terrifying.
With remarkable scholarship, she points the way to a world in which truth, facts and science no longer matter. She quotes the 1951 book The Origins of Totalitarianism by Hannah Arendt, who examines how the 20th century was blighted by Stalin and Hitler and similar ideologies.
As she puts it: “The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the convinced communist but people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction … and the distinction between true and false …no longer exist.”
In this Orwellian world when chocolate is in short supply, the totalitarian newspapers say the ration has been doubled even though the truth is that it has been halved – and people accept the “alternative truth”, or, to quote Mr Trump's adviser Kellyanne Conway, "alternative facts".
Ms Arendt was writing about the past. But her words are particularly frightening in the present. In Britain, we face the possibility of a “no deal” Brexit. It means economic disruption, including of medical supplies, lost jobs, a slowing economy and a poorer country.
But when company CEOs talk of moving their manufacturing abroad, investing elsewhere, or the governor of the Bank of England warns how tough things might get, they are dismissed by many British people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction no longer exists.
In the US, it is the same dismal picture. I have spoken to some Americans who simply shrug their shoulders when confronted with Mr Trump’s lies. For them, the distinction might still exist but they do not care which is which.
Put simply, truth matters. It is difficult to believe that Ms Kakutani or anyone else needs to point this out. Such is the world of truth decay. Even the obvious truths have to be reaffirmed constantly.
Gavin Esler is a journalist, author and television presenter
TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
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Results
Stage 7:
1. Caleb Ewan (AUS) Lotto Soudal - 3:18:29
2. Sam Bennett (IRL) Deceuninck-QuickStep - same time
3. Phil Bauhaus (GER) Bahrain Victorious
4. Michael Morkov (DEN) Deceuninck-QuickStep
5. Cees Bol (NED) Team DSM
General Classification:
1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates - 24:00:28
2. Adam Yates (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers - 0:00:35
3. Joao Almeida (POR) Deceuninck-QuickStep - 0:01:02
4. Chris Harper (AUS) Jumbo-Visma - 0:01:42
5. Neilson Powless (USA) EF Education-Nippo - 0:01:45
The Bio
Amal likes watching Japanese animation movies and Manga - her favourite is The Ancient Magus Bride
She is the eldest of 11 children, and has four brothers and six sisters.
Her dream is to meet with all of her friends online from around the world who supported her work throughout the years
Her favourite meal is pizza and stuffed vine leaves
She ams to improve her English and learn Japanese, which many animated programmes originate in
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAlmouneer%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202017%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dr%20Noha%20Khater%20and%20Rania%20Kadry%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EEgypt%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E120%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EBootstrapped%2C%20with%20support%20from%20Insead%20and%20Egyptian%20government%2C%20seed%20round%20of%20%3Cbr%3E%243.6%20million%20led%20by%20Global%20Ventures%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
more from Janine di Giovanni
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
Company profile
Name: Infinite8
Based: Dubai
Launch year: 2017
Number of employees: 90
Sector: Online gaming industry
Funding: $1.2m from a UAE angel investor
CHATGPT%20ENTERPRISE%20FEATURES
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In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
More on Quran memorisation:
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Bedu%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202021%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Khaled%20Al%20Huraimel%2C%20Matti%20Zinder%2C%20Amin%20Al%20Zarouni%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20AI%2C%20metaverse%2C%20Web3%20and%20blockchain%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Currently%20in%20pre-seed%20round%20to%20raise%20%245%20million%20to%20%247%20million%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Privately%20funded%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
Fixture and table
UAE finals day: Friday, April 13 at Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
- 3pm, UAE Conference: Dubai Tigers v Sharjah Wanderers
- 6.30pm, UAE Premiership: Dubai Exiles v Abu Dhabi Harlequins
UAE Premiership – final standings
- Dubai Exiles
- Abu Dhabi Harlequins
- Jebel Ali Dragons
- Dubai Hurricanes
- Dubai Sports City Eagles
- Abu Dhabi Saracens
THE LIGHT
Director: Tom Tykwer
Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger
Rating: 3/5
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
Name: Peter Dicce
Title: Assistant dean of students and director of athletics
Favourite sport: soccer
Favourite team: Bayern Munich
Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer
Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates
The specs
Engine: 8.0-litre, quad-turbo 16-cylinder
Transmission: 7-speed auto
0-100kmh 2.3 seconds
0-200kmh 5.5 seconds
0-300kmh 11.6 seconds
Power: 1500hp
Torque: 1600Nm
Price: Dh13,400,000
On sale: now
Despacito's dominance in numbers
Released: 2017
Peak chart position: No.1 in more than 47 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Lebanon
Views: 5.3 billion on YouTube
Sales: With 10 million downloads in the US, Despacito became the first Latin single to receive Diamond sales certification
Streams: 1.3 billion combined audio and video by the end of 2017, making it the biggest digital hit of the year.
Awards: 17, including Record of the Year at last year’s prestigious Latin Grammy Awards, as well as five Billboard Music Awards
What is dialysis?
Dialysis is a way of cleaning your blood when your kidneys fail and can no longer do the job.
It gets rid of your body's wastes, extra salt and water, and helps to control your blood pressure. The main cause of kidney failure is diabetes and hypertension.
There are two kinds of dialysis — haemodialysis and peritoneal.
In haemodialysis, blood is pumped out of your body to an artificial kidney machine that filter your blood and returns it to your body by tubes.
In peritoneal dialysis, the inside lining of your own belly acts as a natural filter. Wastes are taken out by means of a cleansing fluid which is washed in and out of your belly in cycles.
It isn’t an option for everyone but if eligible, can be done at home by the patient or caregiver. This, as opposed to home haemodialysis, is covered by insurance in the UAE.