It has been a sobering week as the first phase of the Grenfell inquiry has drawn to a close. These initial days have been given over to recollections and tributes of the survivors, family and friends. It has been harrowing for all of us, but I can't imagine the emotion and horror felt by those who suffered directly.
Ahmed Algwahry recounted listening to his mother and sister die on the phone. “I heard my Mum’s voice. She was struggling for breath. She said her last words: ‘I can’t breathe, I can’t breathe’. She was so frightened.”
Paulos Tekle described the loss of his five year old boy Isaac. He says firefighters told them to stay put in their flat, but if they had left he feels his son would still be alive rather than lost in the smoke. “My joy has gone. I will do everything to find the truth.”
It is that truth that the inquiry is setting out to find. But in many ways, residents and neighbours say they knew the truth: that multiple complaints had been raised to the authorities, and their safety had not seriously been considered or valued.
What appeared true to those who have suffered is that Kensington and Chelsea, the local area in which Grenfell is located, is also one of the richest areas of the UK. Yet basic costs for safety were not paid for its poorest residents. What seemed true from initial reports was that the cladding, which appears to have caused the fire's rapid spread, was more about ensuring an ugly building was palatable to rich local residents than ensuring the safety of its inhabitants.
What survivors like Mr Tekle will be looking to find out is how many of these instinctive reactions in the immediate aftermath of the tragedy are in fact the truth.
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The tragedy was of such epic proportions that it galvanised a nation. It dominated UK and global coverage for days. The awful event took place during a hot Ramadan, and many of both the victims and the local communities that were involved in rescues during that night and the subsequent days were Muslims, who fasted in the heat.
The 24 storey tower ablaze against the dark blue night sky, the thought of people inside waiting for death to reach them is unforgettable. Even today, if you drive through west London, the charred ghoulish remains of the building tower over the area. It makes your stomach churn.
Promises were made, oh how many promises. The survivors were all guaranteed re-housing. But almost a year on, of the 209 households that needed rehousing, only 62 have moved into permanent new accommodation; 188 have accepted offers of temporary or permanent homes, but only 128 have moved in. There are still 82 households in emergency accommodation including 25 families and 39 children.
Promises were made to ensure that other unsafe buildings would be brought up to scratch. But it was eleven months later that Prime Minister Theresa May pledged £400 million to address the problem. Still, the government won’t even commit to banning combustible cladding, saying it will merely consult on the issue.
There was also an implicit promise, that the systemic issues that led to this awful horror would be righted.
As much as Grenfell was about building regulations, about the incompetence of authorities, about cost-savings, it was also about something bigger – whose voices get heard, whose rights matter and who we take seriously. And even bigger than that, who we see as having rights in society which must be addressed and protected.
It happened in the aftermath of the fire, and the dark-hearted conversations still happen today – they were illegals, they were immigrants, they were subletting, it was their fault. Because they looked different, they were from different backgrounds, they were poor and the "other".
But this is not just the trolls, or the far right. These attitudes are deep rooted and embedded in the systems that determine who should be listened to and whose voices to give weight to, as the recent Windrush scandal demonstrated.
This week's person-by-person memorial has done great work in humanising the victims and is much needed. But nearly a year on, it feels like the pain for survivors is as brutal and fresh as ever. Let’s hope the inquiry gives them the truth that so many of them seek.
Shelina Janmohamed is the author of Love in a Headscarf and Generation M: Young Muslims Changing the World
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
65
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
SUNDAY'S ABU DHABI T10 MATCHES
Northern Warriors v Team Abu Dhabi, 3.30pm
Bangla Tigers v Karnataka Tuskers, 5.45pm
Qalandars v Maratha Arabians, 8pm
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
FIGHT%20CARD
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How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
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F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
How England have scored their set-piece goals in Russia
Three Penalties
v Panama, Group Stage (Harry Kane)
v Panama, Group Stage (Kane)
v Colombia, Last 16 (Kane)
Four Corners
v Tunisia, Group Stage (Kane, via John Stones header, from Ashley Young corner)
v Tunisia, Group Stage (Kane, via Harry Maguire header, from Kieran Trippier corner)
v Panama, Group Stage (Stones, header, from Trippier corner)
v Sweden, Quarter-Final (Maguire, header, from Young corner)
One Free-Kick
v Panama, Group Stage (Stones, via Jordan Henderson, Kane header, and Raheem Sterling, from Tripper free-kick)
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
Honeymoonish
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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
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
