The 2011 Tunisian protests were in part symbolised by the appearance of Captain Khobza a middle-aged man who turned to confront the approaching ranks of riot police holding a baguette as if it were a machine-gun. Fred Dufour / AFP Photo
The 2011 Tunisian protests were in part symbolised by the appearance of Captain Khobza a middle-aged man who turned to confront the approaching ranks of riot police holding a baguette as if it were a Show more

Ceyda Sungur, the 'Woman in Red', becomes iconic image of Turkey protests



A woman in a red dress recoils from a tear-gas assault by a Turkish riot policeman. Another young woman gasps out her last breath on a Tehran street. A student brings a column of Chinese tanks to a halt with nothing more than two supermarket bags.

In historic events involving tens of thousands, often hundreds of thousands, sometimes a single image of a single person can capture the spirit of the moment.

So it is with the mass demonstrations this week in Istanbul's Taksim Square.

Captured by a Reuters photographer, Osam Orsal, the defiance of the mostly young and secular protesters was epitomised by, in the initial absence of her name, the Woman in Red.

In the past few days her image has been reproduced not just in publications and on news websites, but on posters, stickers and walls across Istanbul.

In a simple but elegant outfit more suitable for a garden party than a riot, the woman, identified as Ceyda Sungur, an academic at Istanbul Technical University, has become a symbol of the innocence and naivety of the city's young in confronting the brutal machinery of authority.

Such images linger in the public consciousness long after the events they evoke have passed into history.

Perhaps the most famous of all occurred in June 1989, near Beijing's Tiananmen Square. A column of tanks sent in by the government to crush mass demonstrations was halted by a lone man, who blocked their path.

Out of the estimated one million people who gathered in the square, this one man came to symbolise their cause. Known to this day only as Tank Man, his identity and fate have been fiercely debated but never resolved.

Anonymity, and with it the ambiguity of motive, can sometimes play an important factor in the iconography of these photographs.

One of the earliest came in 1967 as demonstrators marched on Washington to protest against the Vietnam War. Facing the ranks of national guardsmen, a young man in a baggy sweater placed a carnation down the barrel of one of their guns.

The moment was captured by Bernie Boston, a photographer for the Washington Star newspaper. And while the protester has never been firmly identified, his action helped to define a movement still remembered as Flower Power.

More recently, the 2011 Tunisian protests that ended the rule of the president, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, were in part symbolised by the appearance of "Captain Khobza", a middle-aged man who turned to confront the approaching ranks of riot police holding a baguette as if it were a machine gun.

The symbolism of the bread - introduced under the colonialist era of France but frequently in short supply under the regime of Ben Ali - was not lost in the Arab world.

Sometimes, though, the story is as significant as the image. Neda Algha-Soltan was heading for a demonstration against the results of the 2009 Iranian election when she was cut down by gunfire from a militiaman loyal to the president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Several videos captured the moment, but a single frame came to represent her death and the crushing of the Iranian opposition movement. The 26-year-old former student lies on her back, eyes wide with fear and pain, as others try hopelessly to stem the bleeding.

According to some, her last words were, "I'm burning, I'm burning." Time magazine called it "probably the most widely witnessed death in human history".

In the final weeks of the regime of Libya's Col Muammar Qaddafi, it was Iman Al Obeidi, a woman in her mid-20s, who confronted the international press corps at a Tripoli hotel with her allegations of rape and beatings by government forces.

Her bloodied appearance and clear distress, and the attempt by government security forces to abduct her under the noses and cameras of the world's media, gave the opposition to Qaddafi's repression a human face. Al Obeidi was later given asylum in the US.

As with Algha-Soltan, Al Obeidi's ordeal was captured not in the single frame, but on a digital stream that was almost instantly uploaded to the internet.

In contrast, Boston's flower power image of 46 years ago was ignored at the time, placed on an inside page of the paper. It only acquired its power months after the demonstration was over, when he won a photo contest with it.

Compare this with the woman in red. In a matter of hours, she became the face of Taksim Square.

Iconography in the digital age is almost instantaneous.

The Sand Castle

Director: Matty Brown

Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea

Rating: 2.5/5

What is double taxation?
  • Americans living abroad file taxes with the Internal Revenue Service, which can cost hundreds of dollars to complete even though about 60 per cent do not owe taxes, according to the Taxpayer Advocate Service
  • Those obligations apply to millions of Americans residing overseas – estimates range from 3.9 million to 5.5 million – including so-called "accidental Americans" who are unaware they hold dual citizenship
  • The double taxation policy has been a contentious issue for decades, with many overseas Americans feeling that it punishes them for pursuing opportunities abroad
  • Unlike most countries, the US follows a citizenship-based taxation system, meaning that Americans must file taxes annually, even if they do not earn any income in the US.
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.

When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.

How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
Business Insights
  • Canada and Mexico are significant energy suppliers to the US, providing the majority of oil and natural gas imports
  • The introduction of tariffs could hinder the US's clean energy initiatives by raising input costs for materials like nickel
  • US domestic suppliers might benefit from higher prices, but overall oil consumption is expected to decrease due to elevated costs
Farasan Boat: 128km Away from Anchorage

Director: Mowaffaq Alobaid 

Stars: Abdulaziz Almadhi, Mohammed Al Akkasi, Ali Al Suhaibani

Rating: 4/5

A little about CVRL

Founded in 1985 by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory (CVRL) is a government diagnostic centre that provides testing and research facilities to the UAE and neighbouring countries.

One of its main goals is to provide permanent treatment solutions for veterinary related diseases. 

The taxidermy centre was established 12 years ago and is headed by Dr Ulrich Wernery. 

The BIO:

He became the first Emirati to climb Mount Everest in 2011, from the south section in Nepal

He ascended Mount Everest the next year from the more treacherous north Tibetan side

By 2015, he had completed the Explorers Grand Slam

Last year, he conquered K2, the world’s second-highest mountain located on the Pakistan-Chinese border

He carries dried camel meat, dried dates and a wheat mixture for the final summit push

His new goal is to climb 14 peaks that are more than 8,000 metres above sea level

The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Power: 268bhp / 536bhp
Torque: 343Nm / 686Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
On sale: Later this year
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.

The specs

Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel

Power: 579hp

Torque: 859Nm

Transmission: Single-speed automatic

Price: From Dh825,900

On sale: Now

Essentials

The flights

Emirates and Etihad fly direct from the UAE to Geneva from Dh2,845 return, including taxes. The flight takes 6 hours. 

The package

Clinique La Prairie offers a variety of programmes. A six-night Master Detox costs from 14,900 Swiss francs (Dh57,655), including all food, accommodation and a set schedule of medical consultations and spa treatments.

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The Bio

Ram Buxani earned a salary of 125 rupees per month in 1959

Indian currency was then legal tender in the Trucial States.

He received the wages plus food, accommodation, a haircut and cinema ticket twice a month and actuals for shaving and laundry expenses

Buxani followed in his father’s footsteps when he applied for a job overseas

His father Jivat Ram worked in general merchandize store in Gibraltar and the Canary Islands in the early 1930s

Buxani grew the UAE business over several sectors from retail to financial services but is attached to the original textile business

He talks in detail about natural fibres, the texture of cloth, mirrorwork and embroidery 

Buxani lives by a simple philosophy – do good to all