Let's face it, Donald Trump's new reality TV show, Presidential Apprentice, is compelling viewing. The second season, now under way, has introduced an unexpected plot twist: Mr Trump will meet the North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un next month. Cue collective gasps.
It would be ridiculous if millions of lives weren't at stake. But this opening has actually been telegraphed for several months, and anyone who's very surprised hasn't been paying attention.
After the American and North Korean leaders traded bloodcurdling threats and preposterous personal insults throughout 2017, a thaw between Pyongyang and Seoul developed early in 2018. South Korean President Moon Jae-in said: "I am giving a lot of credit to President Trump," and that the United States would be willing to begin talks with North Korea "at the appropriate time, under the right circumstances".
Around the same time, Mr Trump was quoted by The Wall Street Journal as saying, "I probably have a very good relationship with Kim Jong-un." The White House denied this, insisting Mr Trump had said they "would" have a good relationship if he wanted one, but the recordings seemed to vindicate the journalists.
South Korean overtures to North Korea continued during the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, which featured a great deal of collaboration and communication including shared teams and unprecedented interactions, and a much-publicised visit to the South by Mr Kim's powerful and sinister sister.
Mr Trump's Vice President, Mike Pence, snubbed the North Koreans, but no one cared.
In subsequent meetings following this remarkable rapprochement, South Korea first indicated North Korea's preparedness to enter into talks with the United States, and then its willingness to consider total nuclear disarmament.
At that point, a presidential summit was no longer unthinkable. But this is one of the most complex diplomatic equations imaginable.
Both leaders can plausibly claim victory.
Mr Trump will undoubtedly say that his bellicose rhetoric and, more plausibly, greatly intensified international sanctions, as well as major pressure on Pyongyang by China which he encouraged, has brought North Korea to the table at last after years of obstinacy.
Mr Kim, on the other hand, is almost certainly doing a victory lap. He has insisted that North Korea would become an intercontinental nuclear power capable of threatening all parts of the United States, and join the international nuclear club as a de facto equal member, to be treated as such. Given recent missile tests, it would seem that North Korea has got close enough to intercontinental missile capability that, prudently, one can only assume they have it. The same applies to an apparent successful hydrogen bomb test by Pyongyang a few months ago. Can they fit the two together now and successfully deliver hydrogen bomb against Los Angeles or even New York City? No one knows, but any sensible person has to proceed on the assumption they either already can, or soon enough will.
Mr Kim has long maintained that his nuclear programme is mainly designed to relieve all kinds of external pressure on the regime, to ensure it is treated with maximal respect internationally and therefore allow it to focus on economic development.
So, while it may be true that Mr Trump's bellicosity and threats of "fire and fury" have incentivised North Korean cooperation, in fact Mr Kim is getting exactly what he wants. He's meeting the American president, with whom he is technically still at war, apparently without any other precondition besides a generalised pledge not to conduct any major missile or nuclear tests during the period of negotiations.
If Mr Kim was hoping his nuclear programme would ensure North Korea is treated as an equal of sorts by Washington, apparently that's happening essentially as planned. He may be concerned about the possibility of a sudden and unprovoked American attack. But, judging by his pronouncements, this meeting is exactly what he would want precisely on schedule.
Mr Kim seems to be following the playbook of his father and grandfather: ratchet up tensions to the highest degree, and then offer some kind of enticing compromise. The next phase traditionally is to then take as much advantage of the period of calm as possible before resuming provocative and bellicose behaviour. Rinse and repeat as needed.
Mr Trump says he will only accept full North Korean denuclearisation. That seems extremely unlikely; indeed, it's hard to imagine what either side can offer that resolves this fundamental dispute.
Mr Trump may claim that he has accomplished more progress with North Korea than any of his immediate predecessors and at very little cost. We'll see if that's true. And we’ll also see if the same applies to his brinksmanship regarding the international nuclear deal with Iran and if he can secure new supplementary agreements restricting Tehran's missile development and testing or its regional destabilisation.
The whole thing may, of course, prove to be just another episode of a particularly silly and melodramatic TV show. As things stand, Mr Kim is definitely pocketing a huge achievement while Mr Trump may or may not be making progress, to be determined. Tune in next week, unless you're incinerated.
GULF MEN'S LEAGUE
Pool A Dubai Hurricanes, Bahrain, Dubai Exiles, Dubai Tigers 2
Pool B Abu Dhabi Harlequins, Jebel Ali Dragons, Dubai Knights Eagles, Dubai Tigers
Opening fixtures
Thursday, December 5
6.40pm, Pitch 8, Abu Dhabi Harlequins v Dubai Knights Eagles
7pm, Pitch 2, Jebel Ali Dragons v Dubai Tigers
7pm, Pitch 4, Dubai Hurricanes v Dubai Exiles
7pm, Pitch 5, Bahrain v Dubai Eagles 2
Recent winners
2018 Dubai Hurricanes
2017 Dubai Exiles
2016 Abu Dhabi Harlequins
2015 Abu Dhabi Harlequins
2014 Abu Dhabi Harlequins
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
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Company%20profile
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Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
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MATCH INFO
Rugby World Cup (all times UAE)
Final: England v South Africa, Saturday, 1pm
Key products and UAE prices
iPhone XS
With a 5.8-inch screen, it will be an advance version of the iPhone X. It will be dual sim and comes with better battery life, a faster processor and better camera. A new gold colour will be available.
Price: Dh4,229
iPhone XS Max
It is expected to be a grander version of the iPhone X with a 6.5-inch screen; an inch bigger than the screen of the iPhone 8 Plus.
Price: Dh4,649
iPhone XR
A low-cost version of the iPhone X with a 6.1-inch screen, it is expected to attract mass attention. According to industry experts, it is likely to have aluminium edges instead of stainless steel.
Price: Dh3,179
Apple Watch Series 4
More comprehensive health device with edge-to-edge displays that are more than 30 per cent bigger than displays on current models.
GROUPS
Group Gustavo Kuerten
Novak Djokovic (x1)
Alexander Zverev (x3)
Marin Cilic (x5)
John Isner (x8)
Group Lleyton Hewitt
Roger Federer (x2)
Kevin Anderson (x4)
Dominic Thiem (x6)
Kei Nishikori (x7)
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Company%20Profile
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Profile box
Founders: Michele Ferrario, Nino Ulsamer and Freddy Lim
Started: established in 2016 and launched in July 2017
Based: Singapore, with offices in the UAE, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Thailand
Sector: FinTech, wealth management
Initial investment: $500,000 in seed round 1 in 2016; $2.2m in seed round 2 in 2017; $5m in series A round in 2018; $12m in series B round in 2019; $16m in series C round in 2020 and $25m in series D round in 2021
Current staff: more than 160 employees
Stage: series D
Investors: EightRoads Ventures, Square Peg Capital, Sequoia Capital India
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets