Beyoncé and her large mic. AFP / Stan Honda
Beyoncé and her large mic. AFP / Stan Honda

In pictures: the weird and wonderful pop-culture moments of 2013



January

Beautiful liar?

The entertainment at Barack Obama’s second inauguration was a festival line-up we’d love to see. Alicia Keys, Stevie Wonder, Lady Gaga, Soundgarden, Kelly Clarkson, the Glee cast and Beyoncé. Except, err, Beyoncé didn’t really sing. It may have appeared that she was vigorously emoting all the way through a majestic rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner, but a suspiciously large microphone covering almost all of her mouth gave the game away. She was miming. There was a ­Twitterstorm for about, ooh, a week, before Beyoncé had to admit that she’d not had time to rehearse and “sung along” with a pre-recorded track. The ­horror.

February

Do the Harlem Shake

What to do when even Gangnam Style gets a bit, well, passé? The Harlem Shake, clearly: 2013’s viral dance craze, which involved filming your co-workers randomly convulsing in fancy dress to the music producer Baauer’s electronica (or “trap”, as the kids call it) and then uploading the results to YouTube. Everyone from the Royal Opera House to the Norwegian army had a go, and when protesters did a version outside Mohamed Morsi’s headquarters in Egypt, it was fair to say that the Harlem Shake had gone global. As for Baauer, when asked how much money he made from the billions of views he got, he replied “[US]$1,000,000,000,000 [Dh3.67 trillion]”. He’s probably not joking.

March

Laying it on Thicke

Surely the most controversial song of the year, Robin Thicke’s Blurred Lines has divided opinion. Either you think it’s no worse – or better – than hundreds of other libidinous R&B songs. Or if you can really be bothered to get worked up about it, it’s symptomatic of 21st-century moral decline. Whatever, Blurred Lines became the biggest song of 2013. Not the best: that honour goes to Daft Punk’s Get Lucky. But as Miley Cyrus’s twerking routine with Thicke at the VMAs proved, he did rather well out of the notoriety, even if it’s all a bit sleazy.

April-May

Un-Belieber-ble

In a battle with Miley Cyrus to see who could be the most ridiculous child-star-turned-crazy-adult, Justin Bieber raised the bar pretty high. In New York he was accused of tattooing someone without a licence; in Germany, customs were on his case for the poor care of his “traumatised” pet monkey. In the Netherlands, he proposed aloud that Anne Frank might have been one of his fans, had she not had the inconvenience of hiding from the Nazis, and in London, he’d already made schoolchildren cry hot tears of exhaustion as he came on stage two hours late. And then he hit Dubai, where he was tackled by an overzealous fan on stage and fined for speeding in a Lamborghini.

May

Mohammed Assaf becomes an Idol

Usually, the winner of a talent contest can look forward to making a hit record. In One Direction’s case, coming first isn’t even important. But not many potential pop idols end up becoming a new Palestinian hero – such was the case with Mohammed Assaf, a wedding singer from Gaza brought up in a refugee camp and now an international star after winning Arab Idol. Perhaps it wasn’t such a surprise that he did: two mobile-phone companies were so taken with him that they offered cut-price texts when voting came around. And it hasn’t stopped there. Assaf is on a sell-out, nine-city tour of Canada and the US that wraps up on Saturday and will perform with Shakira at the World Cup in Brazil next year.

June-July

Kimye unveils North

Pity the poor offspring of pop stars. Zowie Bowie, for example, sensibly changed his name to Duncan Jones as soon as he could. Bob Geldof’s daughters Fifi Trixibelle, Peaches Honeyblossom and Little Pixie Frou-Frou somehow kept theirs. So will the first offspring of Kim Kardashian and Kanye West really call herself North in years to come? Will any potential sibling get saddled with “South”? Such were the questions exercising the finest pop commentators this summer – along with working out whether Kanye was serious when he compared himself to Steve Jobs, Walt Disney and Henry Ford. Oh, and he had a record out. He called it Yeezus. Messiah complex, much?

August

Smash hit

When Wrecking Ball was released in late August, the general consensus was that Miley Cyrus had produced a pretty decent modern pop ballad. And then the video was uploaded. “If people get past the point that I’m naked,” protested Cyrus, “you can tell that I actually look more broken than even the song sounds.” But that was the problem; no one could get past the fact the Hannah Montana star was in her birthday suit.

September

Selfie-important

“Selfie” was named by none other than Oxford Dictionaries as 2013’s word of the year. And it has indeed become A Thing: there are so many memorable pictures from our favourite stars, it’s difficult to know where to start. Or end. So we’ll begin with the most inappropriate: Rihanna taking a picture of herself in Thailand with a slow loris – without realising that it’s a protected species. Two men were summarily arrested.

The scene at Nelson Mandela’s memorial service served as confirmation of the selfie’s new-found place in the English language. As the ceremony proceeded, the US president Barack Obama, the British prime minister David Cameron and the Danish prime minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt were captured posing for a self-portrait like a group of excited teenagers.

October

Good girl gone bad

Sorry, it’s Rihanna again. There are places for pop stars to have photos taken of themselves before they upload them to Instagram. Bieber’s house appears to be the main location. Rihanna, however, probably should have engaged her brain before she whipped her iPhone out and started tweeting suggestive pictures of herself in a black jumpsuit and headscarf at the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. Outraged? Actually, most people thought it was just a bit stupid – and quite enjoyed her concert in Abu Dhabi.

November-December

Anak’s the way to do it

You would have thought that speaking Arabic might be a requirement to appear on Arabs Got Talent. So when Jennifer Grout, 23, from Massachusetts, US, couldn’t answer a basic question about her name on the hit show, it didn’t look good. And then she started singing. The point at which the judges – and audience – realised that Grout wasn’t mucking about, and could genuinely perform the Arabic songs of Baeed Anak, was one of our favourite musical moments of the year. She didn’t win – but Grout wasn’t a gimmick either. As the Lebanese judge Najwa Karam told her: “You don’t speak a word of Arabic, yet you sing better than some Arab singers.”

Company%20Profile
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COMPANY PROFILE

Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed 

COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Revibe%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202022%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Hamza%20Iraqui%20and%20Abdessamad%20Ben%20Zakour%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20UAE%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Refurbished%20electronics%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunds%20raised%20so%20far%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%2410m%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFlat6Labs%2C%20Resonance%20and%20various%20others%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs

Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol

Power: 154bhp

Torque: 250Nm

Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option 

Price: From Dh79,600

On sale: Now

How to protect yourself when air quality drops

Install an air filter in your home.

Close your windows and turn on the AC.

Shower or bath after being outside.

Wear a face mask.

Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.

If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.

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.

Tori Amos
Native Invader
Decca

Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
Rating: 2/5
 

Kathryn Hawkes of House of Hawkes on being a good guest (because we’ve all had bad ones)

  • Arrive with a thank you gift, or make sure you have one for your host by the time you leave. 
  • Offer to buy groceries, cook them a meal or take your hosts out for dinner.
  • Help out around the house.
  • Entertain yourself so that your hosts don’t feel that they constantly need to.
  • Leave no trace of your stay – if you’ve borrowed a book, return it to where you found it.
  • Offer to strip the bed before you go.
Cultural fiesta

What: The Al Burda Festival
When: November 14 (from 10am)
Where: Warehouse421,  Abu Dhabi
The Al Burda Festival is a celebration of Islamic art and culture, featuring talks, performances and exhibitions. Organised by the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development, this one-day event opens with a session on the future of Islamic art. With this in mind, it is followed by a number of workshops and “masterclass” sessions in everything from calligraphy and typography to geometry and the origins of Islamic design. There will also be discussions on subjects including ‘Who is the Audience for Islamic Art?’ and ‘New Markets for Islamic Design.’ A live performance from Kuwaiti guitarist Yousif Yaseen should be one of the highlights of the day. 

Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale

Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni

Director: Amith Krishnan

Rating: 3.5/5

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

PRISCILLA
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Company%20profile
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20NOTHING%20PHONE%20(2a)
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Citizenship-by-investment programmes

United Kingdom

The UK offers three programmes for residency. The UK Overseas Business Representative Visa lets you open an overseas branch office of your existing company in the country at no extra investment. For the UK Tier 1 Innovator Visa, you are required to invest £50,000 (Dh238,000) into a business. You can also get a UK Tier 1 Investor Visa if you invest £2 million, £5m or £10m (the higher the investment, the sooner you obtain your permanent residency).

All UK residency visas get approved in 90 to 120 days and are valid for 3 years. After 3 years, the applicant can apply for extension of another 2 years. Once they have lived in the UK for a minimum of 6 months every year, they are eligible to apply for permanent residency (called Indefinite Leave to Remain). After one year of ILR, the applicant can apply for UK passport.

The Caribbean

Depending on the country, the investment amount starts from $100,000 (Dh367,250) and can go up to $400,000 in real estate. From the date of purchase, it will take between four to five months to receive a passport. 

Portugal

The investment amount ranges from €350,000 to €500,000 (Dh1.5m to Dh2.16m) in real estate. From the date of purchase, it will take a maximum of six months to receive a Golden Visa. Applicants can apply for permanent residency after five years and Portuguese citizenship after six years.

“Among European countries with residency programmes, Portugal has been the most popular because it offers the most cost-effective programme to eventually acquire citizenship of the European Union without ever residing in Portugal,” states Veronica Cotdemiey of Citizenship Invest.

Greece

The real estate investment threshold to acquire residency for Greece is €250,000, making it the cheapest real estate residency visa scheme in Europe. You can apply for residency in four months and citizenship after seven years.

Spain

The real estate investment threshold to acquire residency for Spain is €500,000. You can apply for permanent residency after five years and citizenship after 10 years. It is not necessary to live in Spain to retain and renew the residency visa permit.

Cyprus

Cyprus offers the quickest route to citizenship of a European country in only six months. An investment of €2m in real estate is required, making it the highest priced programme in Europe.

Malta

The Malta citizenship by investment programme is lengthy and investors are required to contribute sums as donations to the Maltese government. The applicant must either contribute at least €650,000 to the National Development & Social Fund. Spouses and children are required to contribute €25,000; unmarried children between 18 and 25 and dependent parents must contribute €50,000 each.

The second step is to make an investment in property of at least €350,000 or enter a property rental contract for at least €16,000 per annum for five years. The third step is to invest at least €150,000 in bonds or shares approved by the Maltese government to be kept for at least five years.

Candidates must commit to a minimum physical presence in Malta before citizenship is granted. While you get residency in two months, you can apply for citizenship after a year.

Egypt 

A one-year residency permit can be bought if you purchase property in Egypt worth $100,000. A three-year residency is available for those who invest $200,000 in property, and five years for those who purchase property worth $400,000.

Source: Citizenship Invest and Aqua Properties

Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
Rating: 4/5
The specs

Engine: 1.5-litre turbo

Power: 181hp

Torque: 230Nm

Transmission: 6-speed automatic

Starting price: Dh79,000

On sale: Now

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: ARDH Collective
Based: Dubai
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Sector: Sustainability
Total funding: Self funded
Number of employees: 4
The specs
 
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)

Russia's Muslim Heartlands

Dominic Rubin, Oxford

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
SPECS

Engine: Two-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 235hp
Torque: 350Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Price: From Dh167,500 ($45,000)
On sale: Now

Turning%20waste%20into%20fuel
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The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting 

2. Prayer 

3. Hajj 

4. Shahada 

5. Zakat 

THE SPECS

Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Transmission: six-speed manual
Power: 325bhp
Torque: 370Nm
Speed: 0-100km/h 3.9 seconds
Price: Dh230,000
On sale: now

Company%20Profile
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Company%20Profile
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Singham Again

Director: Rohit Shetty

Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone

Rating: 3/5

Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode

Directors: Raj & DK

Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon

Rating: 4/5

Cricket World Cup League 2

UAE squad

Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind

Fixtures

Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE

Top 5 concerns globally:

1. Unemployment

2. Spread of infectious diseases

3. Fiscal crises

4. Cyber attacks

5. Profound social instability

Top 5 concerns in the Mena region

1. Energy price shock

2. Fiscal crises

3. Spread of infectious diseases

4. Unmanageable inflation

5. Cyber attacks

Source: World Economic Foundation

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)

Planes grounded by coronavirus

British Airways: Cancels all direct flights to and from mainland China 

Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific: Cutting capacity to/from mainland China by 50 per cent from Jan. 30

Chicago-based United Airlines: Reducing flights to Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong

Ai Seoul:  Suspended all flights to China

Finnair: Suspending flights to Nanjing and Beijing Daxing until the end of March

Indonesia's Lion Air: Suspending all flights to China from February

South Korea's Asiana Airlines,  Jeju Air  and Jin Air: Suspend all flights