When the leaders of 53 countries, representing 2.4 billion people – around a third of humanity – and coming from states such as Britain, India and South Africa, gather for several days of discussions, dinners and forums, you might expect the world to take notice.
That is not always the case with the biannual Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, or CHOGM. The organisation may be, according to the British peer Lord Howell, "a latticework of connections unmatched by any other world institution or network", but it is often dismissed as a talking shop, while its own secretariat's staff have sometimes been quite rude about how effective it actually is.
But this week’s CHOGM in London is a big deal for Britain’s Theresa May, who in the run up was busy trying to cajole as many heads of government to attend in person, rather than sending representatives. And the reason for that, of course, is that “Global Britain” is going to be looking for new partners – and sharpish – once it leaves the European Union.
The Commonwealth, an Anglophone collection of mostly former British colonies headed by the Queen, is the obvious answer to how the UK will prosper when it inevitably ends up with a trading relationship with the EU inferior to the one it enjoys as a member.
There is still a lot of residual Anglophilia in much of the Commonwealth. Some of this is focused particularly on the Queen, and while Prince Charles is likely to succeed her as its head, the role is not hereditary. Nevertheless, the UK is lucky enough to enjoy wells of goodwill towards Britain and the British in its former colonies. But this alone is far from being enough to assume a success can be made of this strategy.
Firstly, it should not be forgotten that the UK did choose the then European Economic Community over the Commonwealth back in 1973. There may be few who still feel strongly that this was “an abrupt betrayal… Britain turned its back on its allies overseas”, as an Irish Times commentary put it after the Brexit vote in 2016. But all the same, a little humility is due.
But secondly, if Britons think they can just turn on the charm and dazzle with royal pomp and, lo and behold, the Commonwealth will miraculously become “Empire 2.0”, as the former Labour cabinet minister Peter Mandelson put it, they are “living in a fool’s paradise”. (Not that anyone would want to create Empire 2.0 anyway).
Commonwealth countries made their own ways once the UK joined Europe. While many would welcome the organisation assuming a greater role, the UK will have to make much more of a tempting offer for them to commit seriously to the kind of trade deals the Brexiteers have pinned part of their hopes on.
The Institute of Directors’ Allie Rennison made this point earlier this week when she wrote that "the UK will have to talk to New Delhi about easing restrictions on work visas if it is serious about a trade deal, and so it should". I would agree. But then I have always been one of those Eurosceptics who felt that being in the EU meant that we were discriminating in favour of Europeans and against countries with which we had strong historical ties.
Allowing a larger number of Indians, or Africans, or let's be honest, any non-white people, into Britain would, however, not please the large anti-immigration crowd. Personally, I would applaud it. One could even argue that as the former imperial power, Britain still has obligations to the countries it ruled and whose natural and human resources it exploited. But it would take both bravery and dexterity for any British politician to announce, let alone implement, such a policy.
The UK also has to wake up to the fact that it is not the "British" Commonwealth, and that has not been its name for a very long time – since 1947, in fact. There has to be an acknowledgement that while Britain may be a leading state in the Commonwealth, it should be no more than "first among equals" at most, and even that is not defensible for long. In the near future the organisation has to develop a more collegiate leadership. It may be sensible, for instance, to make the British monarch its patron – maybe one of several - and create a rotating executive chairmanship that would be filled by leaders from other nations.
There can also never, ever be a repetition of the 1987 CHOGM when Britain’s then prime minister Margaret Thatcher stood stubbornly against the whole of the rest of the Commonwealth over imposing sanctions on apartheid South Africa.
I wish the Commonwealth well. Any organisation that brings countries together from around the world and helps them understand each other and celebrate what they have in common, rather than let divisions based on ignorance, colour or creed fester, is to be welcomed.
But if leading Tories think of it as a British club that they let slip into irrelevance for decades, but can now revive to suit their own interests, they are sorely mistaken. If, on the other hand, they are prepared to be realistic, generous and seriously committed, there could be much to be gained, including enhanced trading relations, by all the countries that are a part of the Commonwealth, and not just the UK.
The question is: do UK politicians view the Commonwealth solely as a vehicle for their own national self-interests? Or does “Global Britain” have the courage and vision to act truly globally?
Sholto Byrnes is a senior fellow at the Institute of Strategic and International Studies Malaysia
Women’s World T20, Asia Qualifier
UAE results
Beat China by 16 runs
Lost to Thailand by 10 wickets
Beat Nepal by five runs
Beat Hong Kong by eight wickets
Beat Malaysia by 34 runs
Standings (P, W, l, NR, points)
1. Thailand 5 4 0 1 9
2. UAE 5 4 1 0 8
3. Nepal 5 2 1 2 6
4. Hong Kong 5 2 2 1 5
5. Malaysia 5 1 4 0 2
6. China 5 0 5 0 0
Final
Thailand v UAE, Monday, 7am
Name: Colm McLoughlin
Country: Galway, Ireland
Job: Executive vice chairman and chief executive of Dubai Duty Free
Favourite golf course: Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club
Favourite part of Dubai: Palm Jumeirah
Company%20profile
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COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: BorrowMe (BorrowMe.com)
Date started: August 2021
Founder: Nour Sabri
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: E-commerce / Marketplace
Size: Two employees
Funding stage: Seed investment
Initial investment: $200,000
Investors: Amr Manaa (director, PwC Middle East)
THE SPECS
Engine: 4.4-litre V8
Transmission: Automatic
Power: 530bhp
Torque: 750Nm
Price: Dh535,000
On sale: Now
The Great Derangement: Climate Change and the Unthinkable
Amitav Ghosh, University of Chicago Press
The Florida Project
Director: Sean Baker
Starring: Bria Vinaite, Brooklynn Prince, Willem Dafoe
Four stars
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Surianah's top five jazz artists
Billie Holliday: for the burn and also the way she told stories.
Thelonius Monk: for his earnestness.
Duke Ellington: for his edge and spirituality.
Louis Armstrong: his legacy is undeniable. He is considered as one of the most revolutionary and influential musicians.
Terence Blanchard: very political - a lot of jazz musicians are making protest music right now.
Brief scores:
Juventus 3
Dybala 6', Bonucci 17', Ronaldo 63'
Frosinone 0
Game Changer
Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Developer: Treyarch, Raven Software
Publisher: Activision
Console: PlayStation 4 & 5, Windows, Xbox One & Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
Western Clubs Champions League:
- Friday, Sep 8 - Abu Dhabi Harlequins v Bahrain
- Friday, Sep 15 – Kandy v Abu Dhabi Harlequins
- Friday, Sep 22 – Kandy v Bahrain
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Ruwais timeline
1971 Abu Dhabi National Oil Company established
1980 Ruwais Housing Complex built, located 10 kilometres away from industrial plants
1982 120,000 bpd capacity Ruwais refinery complex officially inaugurated by the founder of the UAE Sheikh Zayed
1984 Second phase of Ruwais Housing Complex built. Today the 7,000-unit complex houses some 24,000 people.
1985 The refinery is expanded with the commissioning of a 27,000 b/d hydro cracker complex
2009 Plans announced to build $1.2 billion fertilizer plant in Ruwais, producing urea
2010 Adnoc awards $10bn contracts for expansion of Ruwais refinery, to double capacity from 415,000 bpd
2014 Ruwais 261-outlet shopping mall opens
2014 Production starts at newly expanded Ruwais refinery, providing jet fuel and diesel and allowing the UAE to be self-sufficient for petrol supplies
2014 Etihad Rail begins transportation of sulphur from Shah and Habshan to Ruwais for export
2017 Aldar Academies to operate Adnoc’s schools including in Ruwais from September. Eight schools operate in total within the housing complex.
2018 Adnoc announces plans to invest $3.1 billion on upgrading its Ruwais refinery
2018 NMC Healthcare selected to manage operations of Ruwais Hospital
2018 Adnoc announces new downstream strategy at event in Abu Dhabi on May 13
Source: The National
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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.
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company%20Profile
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Last 10 winners of African Footballer of the Year
2006: Didier Drogba (Chelsea and Ivory Coast)
2007: Frederic Kanoute (Sevilla and Mali)
2008: Emmanuel Adebayor (Arsenal and Togo)
2009: Didier Drogba (Chelsea and Ivory Coast)
2010: Samuel Eto’o (Inter Milan and Cameroon)
2011: Yaya Toure (Manchester City and Ivory Coast)
2012: Yaya Toure (Manchester City and Ivory Coast)
2013: Yaya Toure (Manchester City and Ivory Coast)
2014: Yaya Toure (Manchester City and Ivory Coast)
2015: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Borussia Dortmund and Gabon)
2016: Riyad Mahrez (Leicester City and Algeria)
The Equaliser 2
Director Antoine Fuqua
Starring: Denzel Washington, Bill Pullman, Melissa Leo, Ashton Sanders
Three stars
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
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)
more from Janine di Giovanni
What is a robo-adviser?
Robo-advisers use an online sign-up process to gauge an investor’s risk tolerance by feeding information such as their age, income, saving goals and investment history into an algorithm, which then assigns them an investment portfolio, ranging from more conservative to higher risk ones.
These portfolios are made up of exchange traded funds (ETFs) with exposure to indices such as US and global equities, fixed-income products like bonds, though exposure to real estate, commodity ETFs or gold is also possible.
Investing in ETFs allows robo-advisers to offer fees far lower than traditional investments, such as actively managed mutual funds bought through a bank or broker. Investors can buy ETFs directly via a brokerage, but with robo-advisers they benefit from investment portfolios matched to their risk tolerance as well as being user friendly.
Many robo-advisers charge what are called wrap fees, meaning there are no additional fees such as subscription or withdrawal fees, success fees or fees for rebalancing.
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MATCH INFO
RB Leipzig 2 (Klostermann 24', Schick 68')
Hertha Berlin 2 (Grujic 9', Piatek 82' pen)
Man of the match Matheus Cunha (Hertha Berlin
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The Indoor Cricket World Cup
When: September 16-23
Where: Insportz, Dubai
Indoor cricket World Cup:
Insportz, Dubai, September 16-23
UAE fixtures:
Men
Saturday, September 16 – 1.45pm, v New Zealand
Sunday, September 17 – 10.30am, v Australia; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Monday, September 18 – 2pm, v England; 7.15pm, v India
Tuesday, September 19 – 12.15pm, v Singapore; 5.30pm, v Sri Lanka
Thursday, September 21 – 2pm v Malaysia
Friday, September 22 – 3.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 3pm, grand final
Women
Saturday, September 16 – 5.15pm, v Australia
Sunday, September 17 – 2pm, v South Africa; 7.15pm, v New Zealand
Monday, September 18 – 5.30pm, v England
Tuesday, September 19 – 10.30am, v New Zealand; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Thursday, September 21 – 12.15pm, v Australia
Friday, September 22 – 1.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 1pm, grand final
