That Chinese leader Xi Jinping was recently named "the world's most powerful man" in an Economist cover story is both a marker of China's clout in the world and an indicator of where its ambitions lie. But as the next twice-in-a-decade meeting of the country's Communist Party begins on Wednesday, the question at the forefront of many observers' minds is whether Mr Xi is looking to hold on to power beyond his single 10-year term, or if he is beginning to plan for a future for China without him at the helm.
When Mr Xi took over from Hu Jintao as China's most senior leader in 2012, it was unclear which direction he would take, both politically and in terms of leadership style.
"We didn't know if Xi was going to be a reformer or conservative", said Helen Gao, a Beijing native and governance and law analyst at China Policy, a Beijing-based research and advisory company.
"But it's become clear that Xi is a conservative who wants to guarantee party rule".
Since taking the top post, Mr Xi has purged his party of enemies and political rivals such as the charismatic Bo Xilai, once party chief of Chongqing province, and Ling Jihua, a former senior aide to Mr Hu. The powerful military faction was also shown who was boss, with Mr Xi sacking many high-ranking generals.
Through his centralisation of power, experts say Mr Xi wants to ensure the continued dominance and legitimacy of both the Communist Party and himself as the man in charge.
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"What makes this Party Congress significant is that Xi Jinping has shaken up expectations about how Chinese leaders in the post-Tiananmen era are supposed to behave and handle things," says Jeffrey Wasserstrom, a professor and historian of modern China at the University of California, Irvine."
Mr Wasserstrom points to Mr Hu and another of Mr Xi's predecessors, Jiang Zemin, who by the midway points of their own 10-year terms had already made it clear who would succeed them. Mr Xi, however, has not yet designated an heir apparent. Meanwhile, ahead of the 19th party congress he has placed himself at the centre of plans for what the government has termed China's "national rejuvenation", the details of which Mr Xi is expected to set out at the week-long meeting. Mr Wasserstrom says he will be following the congress closely to see if Mr Xi gives any "indications of staying on beyond ten years".
Mr Xi's tight grip on power has drawn comparisons to Russian president Vladimir Putin. Like Mr Putin, Mr Xi works hard on cultivating public approval, with a propaganda campaign that includes a heady dose of nationalism and slogans such as "The China Dream". The upcoming congress is meanwhile expected to focus on "poverty alleviation", something that will bolster Mr Xi's already good standing among China's more rural population - always an important grass roots ally for the country's communist leaders. Alongside this is Mr Xi's long-stated aim of building a "moderately prosperous society" by 2020, a goal that includes raising household incomes and reducing income inequality.
The other big question is what will happen to the man considered China's second most powerful, Wang Qishan. Mr Wang — who met with former Trump adviser Steve Bannon in September — is a member of the seven-man Politburo Standing Committee, which consists of China's top leadership, and has publicly led Mr Xi's anti-corruption campaign since 2013. Mr Wang is 69, a year older than the age when Politburo Standing Committee members are expected to retire. But it is rumoured Mr Xi might replace prime minister Li Keqiang with Mr Wang. Such a move would break with the tradition of prime ministers serving two terms and demonstrate Mr Xi's dominance in the Communist Party.
Also in the spotlight ahead of the party congress is Chen Min'er, who currently holds the most senior political position in Chongqing province. Mr Chen has risen rapidly through the party ranks and observers are waiting to see if Mr Xi will promote him to the Politburo Standing Committee. If Mr Xi does promote Mr Chen but not any other party members from the so-called "sixth generation" — those born in the 1960s — then that would suggest Mr Xi is grooming Mr Chen to be his successor. A promotion to the Politburo Standing Committee would mark a meteoric rise for Mr Chen but his political credentials in governing Chongqing, and previously Guizhou province, suggest even greater power is in the Xi protégé's future.
Looking beyond internal politics, Ms Gao believes China under Mr Xi is not yet willing to take on the United States for the position of the biggest global power and the world's policeman. "China will play a bigger role in things like climate change, but it doesn't have the same ambition as the US does, and won't provide the security the US does," she says, adding that the 19th congress will focus more on strengthening China domestically.
But although Beijing may not yet want to replace the US on the global stage, grand projects such as "One Belt, One World" have seen China pour billions into investments and infrastructure projects abroad and suggest it certainly wants to establish a significant sphere of influence.
With so many important questions looming, there is much for international observers to digest as the 19th congress gets underway — not least because it will be followed shortly after with a three-day visit by US president Donald Trump who arrives in China on November 8 as part of his first Asia tour.
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, Group B
Barcelona v Inter Milan
Camp Nou, Barcelona
Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
Results
5pm: Al Maha Stables – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,600m; Winner: Reem Baynounah, Fernando Jara (jockey), Mohamed Daggash (trainer)
5.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: AF Afham, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
6pm: Emirates Fillies Classic – Prestige (PA) Dh100,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Ghallieah, Sebastien Martino, Jean-Claude Pecout
6.30pm: Emirates Colts Classic – Prestige (PA) Dh100,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Yas Xmnsor, Saif Al Balushi, Khalifa Al Neyadi
7pm: The President’s Cup – Group 1 (PA) Dh2,500,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: Somoud, Adrie de Vries, Jean de Roualle
7.30pm: The President’s Cup – Listed (TB) Dh380,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: Haqeeqy, Dane O’Neill, John Hyde.
The specs
Engine: 1.6-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 217hp at 5,750rpm
Torque: 300Nm at 1,900rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Price: from Dh130,000
On sale: now
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More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
- Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
- Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
- Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
- Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
- Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
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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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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
'Top Gun: Maverick'
Rating: 4/5
Directed by: Joseph Kosinski
Starring: Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Miles Teller, Glen Powell, Ed Harris
On Instagram: @WithHopeUAE
Although social media can be harmful to our mental health, paradoxically, one of the antidotes comes with the many social-media accounts devoted to normalising mental-health struggles. With Hope UAE is one of them.
The group, which has about 3,600 followers, was started three years ago by five Emirati women to address the stigma surrounding the subject. Via Instagram, the group recently began featuring personal accounts by Emiratis. The posts are written under the hashtag #mymindmatters, along with a black-and-white photo of the subject holding the group’s signature red balloon.
“Depression is ugly,” says one of the users, Amani. “It paints everything around me and everything in me.”
Saaed, meanwhile, faces the daunting task of caring for four family members with psychological disorders. “I’ve had no support and no resources here to help me,” he says. “It has been, and still is, a one-man battle against the demons of fractured minds.”
In addition to With Hope UAE’s frank social-media presence, the group holds talks and workshops in Dubai. “Change takes time,” Reem Al Ali, vice chairman and a founding member of With Hope UAE, told The National earlier this year. “It won’t happen overnight, and it will take persistent and passionate people to bring about this change.”
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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If you go
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Funchal via Lisbon, with a connecting flight with Air Portugal. Economy class returns cost from Dh3,845 return including taxes.
The trip
The WalkMe app can be downloaded from the usual sources. If you don’t fancy doing the trip yourself, then Explore offers an eight-day levada trails tour from Dh3,050, not including flights.
The hotel
There isn’t another hotel anywhere in Madeira that matches the history and luxury of the Belmond Reid's Palace in Funchal. Doubles from Dh1,400 per night including taxes.
Pad Man
Dir: R Balki
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Sonam Kapoor, Radhika Apte
Three-and-a-half stars
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
