Contrasting scenes from the past few days. One is of thugs in Rotherham rolling a flaming wheelie bin into the doorway of a hotel housing asylum seekers.
The other is of Tommy Robinson, reclining on a sun lounger in Cyprus reading US conspiracy theorist and Donald Trump supporter Patrick Byrne’s memoir, Danger Close.
Or another pair: one of rioters in Middlesbrough setting up a road block and demanding drivers reveal if they are “white and English”; another of Robinson, real name Stephen Christopher Yaxley-Lennon, on the same sunbed, this time hunched over his mobile phone.
The UK far-right leader had posted on X, ahead of Sunday’s violence: “The time is now …”
The parallels between what is unfolding in the UK and the scenes in the US, on Capitol Hill on January 6, 2021, are striking. The same wanton destruction, same heightened violence against the police and authorities, the same declarations of patriotism and hatred of the left and immigrants.
The vandals even look the same, albeit with different national flags tied around their shoulders. And in the background are the orchestrators, studying the same texts while guiding their stormtroopers.
In the UK, the trigger was the stabbings of little girls at a dance class in Southport. As news of the atrocious event spread, social media was awash with untrue claims that the perpetrator was an illegal migrant and Muslim.
It’s apparent now that the riots would have occurred regardless. This just happened to be the catalyst that Robinson and his associates were waiting for.
Thankfully, the allegations were false as doubtless the subsequent violence would have been far worse and more widespread. As it is, the thuggery – protests does not seem an appropriate description since there is little legitimate protesting taking place – has occurred all over the country and is continuing.
Caught unawares, packing up for the holidays, the government was at first slow to react. Now, it appears to be moving quickly, although we are still waiting for the courts to hand down the promised tough sentences.
Until they do there is precious little sign of a deterrent. Britain’s creaking criminal justice system must step up.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer, taken aback at the level of thuggery directed at the police, has faced a dilemma. It would be very tempting to send in the army and invite troops to respond as they know how and are trained to do.
However, that would be interpreted as a loss of control. Nevertheless, the police at present look underpowered and vulnerable. His solution has been to announce the creation of a “standing army” of police specially trained in maintaining public order.
So, an army in other words but not the military type. How that will operate when the rioting is in different areas, hundreds of kilometres apart, remains to be seen.
Just as the US government moved against the Capitol Hill rioters, they also arrested those who remained out of sight, the ringleaders. That must happen here. Robinson and his pals must not be allowed to be at large, with access to social media.
That brings us to the question of X and Elon Musk. His tweet that “civil war is inevitable”, sent after watching footage of riots in Liverpool, must condemn him.
That, plus his repeated support for Robinson and allowing the posting of untruths, cannot be allowed to continue. Surely the moment has come for everything regulatory to be directed against Musk and X.
Timing-wise, the Online Safety Bill presents an opportunity to create an effective weapon. If needs be it ought to be strengthened and passed into law, and acted on – all in double-quick time. Musk should be made subject to financial and legal scrutiny. He and X must be brought to heel.
There is a sense of the police, politicians, officials, ministers sleepwalking into this crisis. But, as Southport provided the spark, so should the riots serve to galvanise.
There is a sense of the police, politicians, officials, ministers sleep-walking into this crisis.
It’s been obvious for some time that Robinson and Co have a feeding ground in areas of white deprivation. Mostly, but by no means exclusively, in the post-industrial North and Midlands, these are districts populated by people who feel they have no future, no meaningful career prospects. Their education and life chances have been minimal. They regard themselves as betrayed and ignored, let down by successive councils and central governments.
Yes, many of them are pure thugs, who are just as happy fighting at football matches. When questioned about their behaviour, the football hooligans say they do it because they can, they’re letting off steam, it’s enjoyable. There is no higher objective. They aren’t seeking to make their voices heard, there was no voice.
Likewise, in the last set of mass riots in the UK in 2011, they began with opposition to the shooting dead by police of a well-known criminal and escalated into wholesale looting. On this occasion as well, looters have kicked in shop windows and ransacked the shelves.
This, though, feels different. Here their enemy is the left, liberals, human rights lawyers (police fear they are in danger of being singled out), police and authorities, and people of colour. There is an element of mindless hatred at work, and of blind, bigoted racism.
But there is also a degree of violence that is shocking and it’s accompanied by a total disregard for their own protection – they know there is CCTV everywhere, they know that while they wear masks, in some cases it will not be enough and they will be identified. They must be aware that they face long jail sentences. Yet they appear not to be concerned.
Far-right riots in the UK – in pictures
It’s similar to the gang-on-gang incidents in London and other cities. There, knifings and shootings are often played out on camera.
Sometimes they make attempts at disguise, frequently they do not. The police clear-up rate suggests they will be caught and receive prison terms running into decades. Nevertheless, they do not seem unduly bothered and the killings occur.
That suggests a degree of uncaring that is beyond anything seen before. Same with these rioters.
They have no social parameters, no life guides. What they see is immigrants put up in a smart hotel in the centre, and given clothing and meals.
What they witness as well is “two-tier” policing, that demonstrators over the bombing of Gaza and Black Lives Matter were treated, as Robinson cleverly claims, relatively leniently. All he has to do is keep pointing out what he maintains is the injustice, stoke the flames and sit back.
Years of neglect have brought us to this. At the ballot box it has resulted in huge swings as those same places went one way, then the other, as the “Northern Wall” sought understanding and assistance. Less legitimately, on the streets, it’s tipped over into direct action.
In London, the government must get a grip but also take a hard look in the mirror, at the messages it sends and the support it provides.
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Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
Scores
Wales 74-24 Tonga
England 35-15 Japan
Italy 7-26 Australia
Series info
Test series schedule 1st Test, Abu Dhabi: Sri Lanka won by 21 runs; 2nd Test, Dubai: Play starts at 2pm, Friday-Tuesday
ODI series schedule 1st ODI, Dubai: October 13; 2nd ODI, Abu Dhabi: October 16; 3rd ODI, Abu Dhabi: October 18; 4th ODI, Sharjah: October 20; 5th ODI, Sharjah: October 23
T20 series schedule 1st T20, Abu Dhabi: October 26; 2nd T20, Abu Dhabi: October 27; 3rd T20, Lahore: October 29
Tickets Available at www.q-tickets.com
Stat Fourteen Fourteen of the past 15 Test matches in the UAE have been decided on the final day. Both of the previous two Tests at Dubai International Stadium have been settled in the last session. Pakistan won with less than an hour to go against West Indies last year. Against England in 2015, there were just three balls left.
Key battle - Azhar Ali v Rangana Herath Herath may not quite be as flash as Muttiah Muralitharan, his former spin-twin who ended his career by taking his 800th wicket with his final delivery in Tests. He still has a decent sense of an ending, though. He won the Abu Dhabi match for his side with 11 wickets, the last of which was his 400th in Tests. It was not the first time he has owned Pakistan, either. A quarter of all his Test victims have been Pakistani. If Pakistan are going to avoid a first ever series defeat in the UAE, Azhar, their senior batsman, needs to stand up and show the way to blunt Herath.
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi
Director: Kangana Ranaut, Krish Jagarlamudi
Producer: Zee Studios, Kamal Jain
Cast: Kangana Ranaut, Ankita Lokhande, Danny Denzongpa, Atul Kulkarni
Rating: 2.5/5
Tuesday's fixtures
Kyrgyzstan v Qatar, 5.45pm
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
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%3Cp%3EEncourage%20innovation%20in%20the%20metaverse%20field%20and%20boost%20economic%20contribution%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EDevelop%20outstanding%20talents%20through%20education%20and%20training%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EDevelop%20applications%20and%20the%20way%20they%20are%20used%20in%20Dubai's%20government%20institutions%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAdopt%2C%20expand%20and%20promote%20secure%20platforms%20globally%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EDevelop%20the%20infrastructure%20and%20regulations%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Match info
Uefa Champions League Group H
Juventus v Valencia, Tuesday, midnight (UAE)
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
ZAYED SUSTAINABILITY PRIZE
Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Transmission: seven-speed auto
Power: 420 bhp
Torque: 624Nm
Price: from Dh293,200
On sale: now
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
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Aayan%E2%80%99s%20records
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What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
- Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
- Tourism industry knowledge.
- Professional ethics.
The bio
Academics: Phd in strategic management in University of Wales
Number one caps: His best-seller caps are in shades of grey, blue, black and yellow
Reading: Is immersed in books on colours to understand more about the usage of different shades
Sport: Started playing polo two years ago. Helps him relax, plus he enjoys the speed and focus
Cars: Loves exotic cars and currently drives a Bentley Bentayga
Holiday: Favourite travel destinations are London and St Tropez
MATCH INFO
Crawley Town 3 (Tsaroulla 50', Nadesan 53', Tunnicliffe 70')
Leeds United 0
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
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
Basquiat in Abu Dhabi
One of Basquiat’s paintings, the vibrant Cabra (1981–82), now hangs in Louvre Abu Dhabi temporarily, on loan from the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.
The latter museum is not open physically, but has assembled a collection and puts together a series of events called Talking Art, such as this discussion, moderated by writer Chaedria LaBouvier.
It's something of a Basquiat season in Abu Dhabi at the moment. Last week, The Radiant Child, a documentary on Basquiat was shown at Manarat Al Saadiyat, and tonight (April 18) the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi is throwing the re-creation of a party tonight, of the legendary Canal Zone party thrown in 1979, which epitomised the collaborative scene of the time. It was at Canal Zone that Basquiat met prominent members of the art world and moved from unknown graffiti artist into someone in the spotlight.
“We’ve invited local resident arists, we’ll have spray cans at the ready,” says curator Maisa Al Qassemi of the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.
Guggenheim Abu Dhabi's Canal Zone Remix is at Manarat Al Saadiyat, Thursday April 18, from 8pm. Free entry to all. Basquiat's Cabra is on view at Louvre Abu Dhabi until October
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Scoreline
Man Utd 2 Pogba 27', Martial 49'
Everton 1 Sigurdsson 77'
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
LUKA CHUPPI
Director: Laxman Utekar
Producer: Maddock Films, Jio Cinema
Cast: Kartik Aaryan, Kriti Sanon, Pankaj Tripathi, Vinay Pathak, Aparshakti Khurana
Rating: 3/5
Jewel of the Expo 2020
252 projectors installed on Al Wasl dome
13.6km of steel used in the structure that makes it equal in length to 16 Burj Khalifas
550 tonnes of moulded steel were raised last year to cap the dome
724,000 cubic metres is the space it encloses
Stands taller than the leaning tower of Pisa
Steel trellis dome is one of the largest single structures on site
The size of 16 tennis courts and weighs as much as 500 elephants
Al Wasl means connection in Arabic
World’s largest 360-degree projection surface
UK’s AI plan
- AI ambassadors such as MIT economist Simon Johnson, Monzo cofounder Tom Blomfield and Google DeepMind’s Raia Hadsell
- £10bn AI growth zone in South Wales to create 5,000 jobs
- £100m of government support for startups building AI hardware products
- £250m to train new AI models
More from Neighbourhood Watch
Greatest Royal Rumble results
John Cena pinned Triple H in a singles match
Cedric Alexander retained the WWE Cruiserweight title against Kalisto
Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt win the Raw Tag Team titles against Cesaro and Sheamus
Jeff Hardy retained the United States title against Jinder Mahal
Bludgeon Brothers retain the SmackDown Tag Team titles against the Usos
Seth Rollins retains the Intercontinental title against The Miz, Finn Balor and Samoa Joe
AJ Styles remains WWE World Heavyweight champion after he and Shinsuke Nakamura are both counted out
The Undertaker beats Rusev in a casket match
Brock Lesnar retains the WWE Universal title against Roman Reigns in a steel cage match
Braun Strowman won the 50-man Royal Rumble by eliminating Big Cass last
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
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
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Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
The years Ramadan fell in May
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