London’s long-serving mayor, Sadiq Khan, experienced the ups and downs of politics last week in what could be a critical point in the electoral cycle. He was able to enjoy a full-throated attack on his newly minted Conservative rival for the mayoral election in 2024, but he then was blamed when the Labour Party failed to win the Uxbridge by-election.
It was a week that served to remind all that the mayor of this global city has, at best, a patchy record, one that could be exploited by a challenger with a fresh vision for Britain’s international hub. Yet re-election in 2024 to an unprecedented third term in the post looks straightforward for Mr Khan despite the scare Labour suffered with an upset hold for the Conservatives in outer London’s Uxbridge.
Mr Khan’s signature initiative – a “clean up the air” push with the so-called Ulez scheme that involves expanding a tax on polluting vehicles – is being blamed for Labour’s defeat in Uxbridge.
The choice of Susan Hall as the Tory candidate brings a veteran of local politics into the fray. Her “Safer with Susan” slogan gives a glimpse of how she hopes to appeal to voters. Despite her experience, she is lacking when under pressure, appearing unsettled by the softer questions such as “what is your worst trait”?
Labour’s early attack lines are simple and drawn from her own Twitter timeline. It highlighted her support for Liz Truss and Donald Trump as well as comments that tagged entire ethnic minorities.
The runes, then, are that the current mayor is a formidable politician who should not be troubled next year. Many Londoners would be content with this outcome. With a new biography out, Mr Khan tells the important story of his rise not only as the child of Muslim immigrant parents through the legal profession but also within the Labour Party’s factions.
His authenticity as a resident Londoner, who has, for example, been exposed to late-onset asthma from the preponderance of diesel vehicles in the capital, is well accepted.
Time spent at panels, such as the one organised by the London School of Economics, has granted the mayor a platform for his biography. It also allowed a Labour insider to sideswipe him for promoting his book, not win votes on Thursday.
What his CV is lacking is a sense of a city that’s kept its buzz, and that aspect of London’s future is the world’s business and cultural interest in the city.
As the rise of Boris Johnson showed, the London mayor’s job is one of national importance. It can also open up an international following. Both Mr Johnson and Ken Livingstone, the first mayor, captured global attention with favourite projects such as the London Eye and the bike rental scheme still known as Boris Bikes.
Without the surprise entry of a third-party candidate in next year’s mayoral election, there will be an absence of the futuristic in the forthcoming campaign. That is a great pity because London needs a shot in the arm from something novel.
How much better it would be if digital forces were brought to bear on the city’s government. What if City Hall could be rededicated to the idea that technology can transform how the UK is run? A leader who offered public goods such as digitally secure accessible services could light up London’s reputation.
A fizzier personality could provoke people into exploring how London could be better. This is a poisoned chalice if ever there was one, but after Brexit and the exhaustion of a decade-long property boom, standing up for ideas such as real digital citizenship could be the global boost London needs.
What Mr Khan's CV is lacking is a sense of a city that’s kept its buzz
The current City Hall is managerial rather than trailblazing. Take, for example, Mr Khan’s highest-profile international role. The mayor is a leader in the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, a global platform that includes the likes of Toronto, Los Angeles, Cape Town and other large conurbations. The forum’s primary role is to put its stamp on responding to climate change, liveability and the 15-minute city.
In the kindest possible way, however, this does not put London out in front of the crowd but slips it into the herd. Offering leadership in the pack is not an alternative to the pursuit of a standout vision. This means questions about how London can, as it has always or often done, leapfrog the rest are set in the shade. What then happens to London setting the pace for the world?
The “us versus the rest” mentality has served the UK capital so well. Should not the others seek to emulate the trendsetter?
Now more than ever, London not only has its perpetual rivalry with Paris and New York. It is also in danger of failing to recognise the undoubted challenges of Dubai and Singapore. From a European perspective, the claims of Berlin cannot be discounted. What of New Delhi, Shanghai and Tokyo in a world of fragmentation?
The mayor need not be an avatar for London, but imposing its unique flair on how it becomes the digital city is a very different concept from what has gone before. The vision of the mayor needs to immediately be touchable and capable of unleashing opportunity at every corner. Residents need to spot it and order it. The world should be rushing to beat it.
That opportunity is what is missing as the 2024 mayoral campaign gets under way.
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KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
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
TV (UAE time);
OSN Sports: from 10am
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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If you go
- The nearest international airport to the start of the Chuysky Trakt is in Novosibirsk. Emirates (www.emirates.com) offer codeshare flights with S7 Airlines (www.s7.ru) via Moscow for US$5,300 (Dh19,467) return including taxes. Cheaper flights are available on Flydubai and Air Astana or Aeroflot combination, flying via Astana in Kazakhstan or Moscow. Economy class tickets are available for US$650 (Dh2,400).
- The Double Tree by Hilton in Novosibirsk ( 7 383 2230100,) has double rooms from US$60 (Dh220). You can rent cabins at camp grounds or rooms in guesthouses in the towns for around US$25 (Dh90).
- The transport Minibuses run along the Chuysky Trakt but if you want to stop for sightseeing, hire a taxi from Gorno-Altaisk for about US$100 (Dh360) a day. Take a Russian phrasebook or download a translation app. Tour companies such as Altair-Tour ( 7 383 2125115 ) offer hiking and adventure packages.
The years Ramadan fell in May
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
Farage on Muslim Brotherhood
Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.
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The biog
Born: Kuwait in 1986
Family: She is the youngest of seven siblings
Time in the UAE: 10 years
Hobbies: audiobooks and fitness: she works out every day, enjoying kickboxing and basketball
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Company%20profile
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Zayed Sustainability Prize
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Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Zayed Sustainability Prize
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How much of your income do you need to save?
The more you save, the sooner you can retire. Tuan Phan, a board member of SimplyFI.com, says if you save just 5 per cent of your salary, you can expect to work for another 66 years before you are able to retire without too large a drop in income.
In other words, you will not save enough to retire comfortably. If you save 15 per cent, you can forward to another 43 working years. Up that to 40 per cent of your income, and your remaining working life drops to just 22 years. (see table)
Obviously, this is only a rough guide. How much you save will depend on variables, not least your salary and how much you already have in your pension pot. But it shows what you need to do to achieve financial independence.
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Reading List
Practitioners of mindful eating recommend the following books to get you started:
Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life by Thich Nhat Hanh and Dr Lilian Cheung
How to Eat by Thich Nhat Hanh
The Mindful Diet by Dr Ruth Wolever
Mindful Eating by Dr Jan Bays
How to Raise a Mindful Eaterby Maryann Jacobsen
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Company%20profile
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The Library: A Catalogue of Wonders
Stuart Kells, Counterpoint Press
The specs: 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor
Price, base / as tested Dh220,000 / Dh320,000
Engine 3.5L V6
Transmission 10-speed automatic
Power 421hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque 678Nm @ 3,750rpm
Fuel economy, combined 14.1L / 100km
