An army of supporters trailed Rahul Gandhi, the Indian parliamentarian and the scion of the country's main opposition Indian National Congress party on Tuesday as he resumed his months-long march across India.
Wearing his signature white short-sleeve T-shirt as temperatures hovered around 17°C in the capital city, Mr Gandhi, 52, walked through Ghaziabad, an industrial city in the political bellwether state of Uttar Pradesh.
A sea of followers carrying the Indian national flag walked along with the leader who took a nine-day break last month from his ambitious 150-day march.
Three rows of security forces separated Mr Gandhi from the crowds in the sensitive areas bordering Delhi and Ghaziabad that were rocked by communal riots in 2020.
He will be walking across the state for four days before reaching northern Punjab.
Mr Gandhi began the unprecedented five-month march in India’s southernmost tip Kanyakumari in September with an aim to cover 12 states and two federally-ruled territories. The march will culminate in the restive Kashmir region.
He said the objective of the march is to unite the world’s largest democracy and get rid it of the “politics of fear, bigotry and prejudice”.
Over the last 100 days, he has walked more than 3,000 kilometres — at least 30 kilometres a day without significant breaks — traversing through nine states and meeting enthusiastic followers.
He has also garnered massive support from celebrities. Bollywood superstars such as Kamal Haasan, artists, authors and former bureaucrats such as a former Reserve Bank of India chief and the former secretary of India’s Research and Analysis Wing Amarjit Singh Dulat joined in along the way.
This overwhelming support for the march is no mean feat for the leader, who was previously dismissed by critics as an inept politician, aloof and distanced from ground realities, and a product of nepotism.
Mr Gandhi comes from India's so-called first political family that has produced three prime ministers since independence from the British in 1947.
But both he and his party have experienced a rapid decline in support after Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party stormed to power in 2014.
Congress leaders and workers have blamed Mr Gandhi’s “reluctant” leadership for the election defeats and have demanded robust strategy and an organisational overhaul of the party, the reins of which remain with his mother Sonia Gandhi.
Political experts say that the sustainability of the march and its popularity with voters will definitely help bolster Mr Gandhi’s political image.
“It is a successful march because there was a lot of speculation that he would not be able to walk for so long, various questions were raised on its survival but it has survived so far,” Sanjay Kumar, a Delhi-based political analyst, told The National.
“He has been able to change his image among the common people. Now he is no more seen as a reluctant politician who goes on vacations but someone who can be on the streets and connect with the common citizens and their problems.”
The party might also be seeing the foot march as a massive mass contact with the people ahead of the 2024 national elections.
Mr Gandhi’s walk through Uttar Pradesh is even more significant as the state with a population of 220 million people, is country’s most crucial political state as it sends 80 — the maximum number of representatives to the upper house of the Parliament and defines the narrative of Indian politics.
However, political analysts such as Mr Kumar are doubtful that the support and popularity for Mr Gandhi will translate into ballots to help revive the party.
He believes that the party has bigger issues than just the absence of a strong leader.
Several top leaders have quit the party in recent years including the recent exit of senior politician Ghulam Nabi Azad who called Mr Gandhi “childish and immature”.
Mr Kumar also said that many in India, where Hindus make 86 per cent of the population, see Congress as a party that seeks to appease minorities.
“Having a weak leader is one of the problems but not the only problem for the party. He has established his legitimacy but many leaders have left the party and there is a lot of anxiety. It needs to first bring the house in order,” Mr Kumar said.
“Then the politics of the country has changed in last ten years. A large population share the Hindu sentiment, even if not aggressive, and see the BJP as a party that is doing work for Hindus but Congress is seen as pro-minority. The problem is how to change this image?”
Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
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Country-size land deals
US interest in purchasing territory is not as outlandish as it sounds. Here's a look at some big land transactions between nations:
Louisiana Purchase
If Donald Trump is one who aims to broker "a deal of the century", then this was the "deal of the 19th Century". In 1803, the US nearly doubled in size when it bought 2,140,000 square kilometres from France for $15 million.
Florida Purchase Treaty
The US courted Spain for Florida for years. Spain eventually realised its burden in holding on to the territory and in 1819 effectively ceded it to America in a wider border treaty.
Alaska purchase
America's spending spree continued in 1867 when it acquired 1,518,800 km2 of Alaskan land from Russia for $7.2m. Critics panned the government for buying "useless land".
The Philippines
At the end of the Spanish-American War, a provision in the 1898 Treaty of Paris saw Spain surrender the Philippines for a payment of $20 million.
US Virgin Islands
It's not like a US president has never reached a deal with Denmark before. In 1917 the US purchased the Danish West Indies for $25m and renamed them the US Virgin Islands.
Gwadar
The most recent sovereign land purchase was in 1958 when Pakistan bought the southwestern port of Gwadar from Oman for 5.5bn Pakistan rupees.
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
Abu Dhabi race card
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
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- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
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- 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
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
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