Nearly three years ago, scenes of Afghans rushing the gates of Kabul’s airport to escape as their country fell to Taliban rule shook the world. More than 120,000 were flown out with help from dozens of foreign governments, international agencies, NGOs and private citizens. Back then, every successful evacuation was cheered in the West.
As The National revealed this week, Britain’s recently defeated Conservative government had restarted this evacuation effort 10 months ago, with great success. But instead of considering it a badge of honour, it treated it how it might treat mark of shame.
In October of last year, the risk to Afghans fearful of Taliban persecution was renewed when Pakistan, a major host country for Afghan refugees, began expelling them en masse back to Afghanistan. At the time, The National spoke to NGO workers on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, who confirmed that many of the people expelled had been approved for resettlement in western countries, such as Britain, and were in Pakistan temporarily, waiting for their cases to be processed.
Afghanistan’s Taliban administration has formally issued an amnesty to all Afghans previously employed with foreign forces and has denied it seeks to punish any returning from Pakistan. But in the past three years, there have been several stories of such Afghans being targeted.
In response, the UK government began Operation Lazurite, which sought to evacuate Afghans who had worked with British forces from Pakistan and Afghanistan and resettle them in Britain. It has been a resounding success; to date, Lazurite has relocated about 5,000 Afghans, temporarily accommodating them on UK military bases.
In normal times, last month’s UK election might have seen this success trumpeted loudly by the Conservative party. Instead, as The National has revealed, the operation was intentionally kept under the radar by officials in Whitehall so as not to tarnish the government’s image of being tough on migration.
Back then, every successful evacuation was cheered in the West
That image was spurious anyway; under 14 years of Conservative rule, Britain’s net migration figures more than doubled. But the fact that a valiant effort such as Lazurite could be a source of embarrassment speaks to how toxic Britain’s political environment has become. As the far right grows as a force in national politics – the recent election of Reform UK leader Nigel Farage to Parliament was a watershed moment – discussion of immigration has become extremely fraught.
That became even more apparent in the aftermath of a grisly crime at a children’s dance studio in the northern English town of Southport on Monday. A Cardiff-born teenager stabbed to death three young girls and injured several others, for reasons yet unknown. The next day, far-right rioters descended on Southport’s mosque, throwing bricks, fireworks and bottles and setting a police vehicle alight. They were incensed by social media posts which incorrectly suggested the stabbing was carried out by an asylum seeker with Islamist motives. Even if that were the case, lawless acts of misplaced vengeance on a local mosque would not be any less appalling.
Editorials from The National
The past era in the UK was drenched in nativism, with some of the country’s leading politicians routinely sowing division along racial and ethnic lines. It not only brought the country Brexit, but saw British extremists born of immigrant parents stripped of citizenship and the spouses of lower-income British citizens denied family visas. The new government seeks to send a signal to the rest of the world that Britain is turning the page. What is needed is a whole new chapter. But undoing years of divisiveness and fearmongering won’t be easy.
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
'My Son'
Director: Christian Carion
Starring: James McAvoy, Claire Foy, Tom Cullen, Gary Lewis
Rating: 2/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Profile
Name: Carzaty
Founders: Marwan Chaar and Hassan Jaffar
Launched: 2017
Employees: 22
Based: Dubai and Muscat
Sector: Automobile retail
Funding to date: $5.5 million
The specs
Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Company%20Profile
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Guide to intelligent investing
Investing success often hinges on discipline and perspective. As markets fluctuate, remember these guiding principles:
- Stay invested: Time in the market, not timing the market, is critical to long-term gains.
- Rational thinking: Breathe and avoid emotional decision-making; let logic and planning guide your actions.
- Strategic patience: Understand why you’re investing and allow time for your strategies to unfold.
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
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RESULT
Aston Villa 1
Samatta (41')
Manchester City 2
Aguero (20')
Rodri (30')
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
MANDOOB
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Company%20Profile
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Company%20profile
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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
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Expert advice
“Join in with a group like Cycle Safe Dubai or TrainYAS, where you’ll meet like-minded people and always have support on hand.”
Stewart Howison, co-founder of Cycle Safe Dubai and owner of Revolution Cycles
“When you sweat a lot, you lose a lot of salt and other electrolytes from your body. If your electrolytes drop enough, you will be at risk of cramping. To prevent salt deficiency, simply add an electrolyte mix to your water.”
Cornelia Gloor, head of RAK Hospital’s Rehabilitation and Physiotherapy Centre
“Don’t make the mistake of thinking you can ride as fast or as far during the summer as you do in cooler weather. The heat will make you expend more energy to maintain a speed that might normally be comfortable, so pace yourself when riding during the hotter parts of the day.”
Chandrashekar Nandi, physiotherapist at Burjeel Hospital in Dubai
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
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The%20specs
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What are the GCSE grade equivalents?
- Grade 9 = above an A*
- Grade 8 = between grades A* and A
- Grade 7 = grade A
- Grade 6 = just above a grade B
- Grade 5 = between grades B and C
- Grade 4 = grade C
- Grade 3 = between grades D and E
- Grade 2 = between grades E and F
- Grade 1 = between grades F and G
Marathon results
Men:
1. Titus Ekiru(KEN) 2:06:13
2. Alphonce Simbu(TAN) 2:07:50
3. Reuben Kipyego(KEN) 2:08:25
4. Abel Kirui(KEN) 2:08:46
5. Felix Kemutai(KEN) 2:10:48
Women:
1. Judith Korir(KEN) 2:22:30
2. Eunice Chumba(BHR) 2:26:01
3. Immaculate Chemutai(UGA) 2:28:30
4. Abebech Bekele(ETH) 2:29:43
5. Aleksandra Morozova(RUS) 2:33:01
Read more about the coronavirus
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Abramovich London
A Kensington Palace Gardens house with 15 bedrooms is valued at more than £150 million.
A three-storey penthouse at Chelsea Waterfront bought for £22 million.
Steel company Evraz drops more than 10 per cent in trading after UK officials said it was potentially supplying the Russian military.
Sale of Chelsea Football Club is now impossible.
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
