A woman walks past advertising hoarding for the HS2 high-speed rail link in Birmingham, England on Wednesday. The project, originally announced in 2009, is behind schedule and over budget. EPA
A woman walks past advertising hoarding for the HS2 high-speed rail link in Birmingham, England on Wednesday. The project, originally announced in 2009, is behind schedule and over budget. EPA
A woman walks past advertising hoarding for the HS2 high-speed rail link in Birmingham, England on Wednesday. The project, originally announced in 2009, is behind schedule and over budget. EPA
A woman walks past advertising hoarding for the HS2 high-speed rail link in Birmingham, England on Wednesday. The project, originally announced in 2009, is behind schedule and over budget. EPA


Britain's HS2 railway troubles are a chance for self-reflection


  • English
  • Arabic

September 28, 2023

“The railways!” is one of the first answers given when the topic of the British Empire comes up and people ask, what did the British do for the world?

There is a wild irony – some might say hilarity – to the claim that railways were bestowed on India, and to a lesser extent East Africa, as a symbol of Britain’s greatness and benevolence. Nowhere is this more evident than in current events in the UK as the country teeters from one rail-related problem to another.

In 2009, a high-speed rail project called HS2 was announced. This would establish modern rail infrastructure in the north of England and rejuvenate several regions. Its total length was to be built in two parts: 255 kilometres from London to Birmingham, the UK’s second largest city, with a further network of 530 kilometres beyond that. It was costed at £37.5 billion ($39.5 billion). Fourteen years later, however, approximately £40 billion has been spent, the project now has a total cost estimate of £100 billion and, so far, no track has been laid. The British government even announced this week that its HS2 plans could be severely cut back or even cancelled.

A steam train in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India in 1983. Britain's colonial-era rail network was built with Indian labour and served to export resources out of the country for the empire. Steve McCurry
A steam train in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India in 1983. Britain's colonial-era rail network was built with Indian labour and served to export resources out of the country for the empire. Steve McCurry

If the Indian railways were a symbol of Britain’s greatness, then why is it that we can’t apply the same greatness here at “home”?

Perhaps it is because the story of Britain’s prowess in delivering railways to India is really a story about Indian labour, investment and railway management. It was Indians who actually built the railways. In fact, they did such a good job of it, when the British occupied East Africa, guess who they brought to build the railways… yes, the Indians.

It was also the Indians who took the financial investment and risk. The British who invested in the railways made huge profits because the government guaranteed double returns – which would be paid from Indian taxes.

The railways were never contrived as a benefit for the people – instead it was all about making profits. The Indian railways were actually the idea of the East India Company, and Governor-General Lord Hardinge argued that they would be beneficial to the “commerce, government and military control of the country”. Yes, that’s right: the trains were there to take resources out of the interior as quickly and cheaply as possible, and move the British military around to maintain control. The Indians that were moved around were in shoddy third-class accommodation. Talk to a British rail commuter today and they might say they have some resonance with how that feels.

That analysis of how the Indian railways came to be sheds a great deal of light on why railways are so challenging in the UK. It is a bitter pill to swallow but perhaps not as bitter as the other possible analysis: the fact that such grand rail projects linger uncompleted in Britain itself is a sign of a great power now in apparent decline.

I’ll be accused of doing Britain down ... but it is an act of love to address self-delusion, especially when it is so harmful to our current domestic state

The likelihood is that by saying this I’ll be accused of doing Britain down. That’s the generic, knee-jerk reaction to anyone trying to understand what happened and why, and trying to assess how the country is seen by others. As someone of Asian heritage, this backlash is also likely to include accusations of being “ungrateful” for what Britain has bestowed upon me. This itself is rather ironic since my ancestors were likely contributors to the wealth and power the country has enjoyed. So why do I need to be grateful?

It is an act of love to address self-delusion, especially when it is so harmful to our current domestic state, and particularly when it harms our present and future international stature.

In Britain, we need to better understand ourselves. There are lots of reasons for doing so, including honesty, self-awareness, domestic equality, racism and so on. But harnessing the DNA of success for the future is also among them. While many would argue that Britain’s past success and current wealth are based on exploitation and violence, I think it is reasonable to say that there was and continues to be a talent for innovation and production. The question now is how to achieve the success without the exploitation. How do we do this while recognising how international collaboration, talents and resources were fundamental to this?

Being fit for a world that has changed is why we must see how others perceive us – including hearing their experiences of being colonised. Otherwise, how do we make ourselves fit for purpose in this wildly different era? This is no longer the era of Pax Britannica. This is no longer the era of European powers being able to carve up the world on their own whims. There are other states who now wield as much if not more power. This is not to mention the power of corporations – always a love-hate relationship for the British and other empires – that operate in a transnational and almost invisible way that governments simply do not understand.

There is a bittersweet irony to the fact that railways, which used to symbolise the gift of imperial Britain’s “benevolence”, now expose the false narratives of domination and legacy. The optimist in me hopes that this latest rail crisis can instead become a moment when the country looks honestly at itself, about how we really came to be what we are today, and how we plot our course for international success in the future.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
PRO BASH

Thursday’s fixtures

6pm: Hyderabad Nawabs v Pakhtoon Warriors

10pm: Lahore Sikandars v Pakhtoon Blasters

Teams

Chennai Knights, Lahore Sikandars, Pakhtoon Blasters, Abu Dhabi Stars, Abu Dhabi Dragons, Pakhtoon Warriors and Hyderabad Nawabs.

Squad rules

All teams consist of 15-player squads that include those contracted in the diamond (3), platinum (2) and gold (2) categories, plus eight free to sign team members.

Tournament rules

The matches are of 25 over-a-side with an 8-over power play in which only two fielders allowed outside the 30-yard circle. Teams play in a single round robin league followed by the semi-finals and final. The league toppers will feature in the semi-final eliminator.

US%20federal%20gun%20reform%20since%20Sandy%20Hook
%3Cp%3E-%20April%2017%2C%202013%3A%20A%20bipartisan-drafted%20bill%20to%20expand%20background%20checks%20and%20ban%20assault%20weapons%20fails%20in%20the%20Senate.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E-%20July%202015%3A%20Bill%20to%20require%20background%20checks%20for%20all%20gun%20sales%20is%20introduced%20in%20House%20of%20Representatives.%20It%20is%20not%20brought%20to%20a%20vote.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E-%20June%2012%2C%202016%3A%20Orlando%20shooting.%20Barack%20Obama%20calls%20on%20Congress%20to%20renew%20law%20prohibiting%20sale%20of%20assault-style%20weapons%20and%20high-capacity%20magazines.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E-%20October%201%2C%202017%3A%20Las%20Vegas%20shooting.%20US%20lawmakers%20call%20for%20banning%20bump-fire%20stocks%2C%20and%20some%20renew%20call%20for%20assault%20weapons%20ban.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E-%20February%2014%2C%202018%3A%20Seventeen%20pupils%20are%20killed%20and%2017%20are%20wounded%20during%20a%20mass%20shooting%20in%20Parkland%2C%20Florida.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E-%20December%2018%2C%202018%3A%20Donald%20Trump%20announces%20a%20ban%20on%20bump-fire%20stocks.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E-%20August%202019%3A%20US%20House%20passes%20law%20expanding%20background%20checks.%20It%20is%20not%20brought%20to%20a%20vote%20in%20the%20Senate.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E-%20April%2011%2C%202022%3A%20Joe%20Biden%20announces%20measures%20to%20crack%20down%20on%20hard-to-trace%20'ghost%20guns'.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E-%20May%2024%2C%202022%3A%20Nineteen%20children%20and%20two%20teachers%20are%20killed%20at%20an%20elementary%20school%20in%20Uvalde%2C%20Texas.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E-%20June%2025%2C%202022%3A%20Joe%20Biden%20signs%20into%20law%20the%20first%20federal%20gun-control%20bill%20in%20decades.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Company profile

Date started: Founded in May 2017 and operational since April 2018

Founders: co-founder and chief executive, Doaa Aref; Dr Rasha Rady, co-founder and chief operating officer.

Based: Cairo, Egypt

Sector: Health-tech

Size: 22 employees

Funding: Seed funding 

Investors: Flat6labs, 500 Falcons, three angel investors

If you go

The flights

Fly direct to London from the UAE with Etihad, Emirates, British Airways or Virgin Atlantic from about Dh2,500 return including taxes. 

The hotel

Rooms at the convenient and art-conscious Andaz London Liverpool Street cost from £167 (Dh800) per night including taxes.

The tour

The Shoreditch Street Art Tour costs from £15 (Dh73) per person for approximately three hours. 

Bert van Marwijk factfile

Born: May 19 1952
Place of birth: Deventer, Netherlands
Playing position: Midfielder

Teams managed:
1998-2000 Fortuna Sittard
2000-2004 Feyenoord
2004-2006 Borussia Dortmund
2007-2008 Feyenoord
2008-2012 Netherlands
2013-2014 Hamburg
2015-2017 Saudi Arabia
2018 Australia

Major honours (manager):
2001/02 Uefa Cup, Feyenoord
2007/08 KNVB Cup, Feyenoord
World Cup runner-up, Netherlands

Opening Premier League fixtures, August 14
  • Brentford v Arsenal
  • Burnley v Brighton
  • Chelsea v Crystal Palace
  • Everton v Southampton
  • Leicester City v Wolves
  • Manchester United v Leeds United
  • Newcastle United v West Ham United
  • Norwich City v Liverpool
  • Tottenham v Manchester City
  • Watford v Aston Villa
What is the FNC?

The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning. 
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval. 
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
 

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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Nabil%20Ayouch%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Nisrin%20Erradi%2C%20Joud%20Chamihy%2C%20Jalila%20Talemsi%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E4%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
CONFIRMED%20LINE-UP
%3Cp%3EElena%20Rybakina%20(Kazakhstan)%3Cbr%3EOns%20Jabeur%20(Tunisia)%3Cbr%3EMaria%20Sakkari%20(Greece)%3Cbr%3EBarbora%20Krej%C4%8D%C3%ADkov%C3%A1%20(Czech%20Republic)%3Cbr%3EBeatriz%20Haddad%20Maia%20(Brazil)%3Cbr%3EJe%C4%BCena%20Ostapenko%20(Latvia)%3Cbr%3ELiudmila%20Samsonova%3Cbr%3EDaria%20Kasatkina%3Cbr%3EVeronika%20Kudermetova%3Cbr%3ECaroline%20Garcia%20(France)%3Cbr%3EMagda%20Linette%20(Poland)%3Cbr%3ESorana%20C%C3%AErstea%20(Romania)%3Cbr%3EAnastasia%20Potapova%3Cbr%3EAnhelina%20Kalinina%20(Ukraine)%3Cbr%3EJasmine%20Paolini%20(Italy)%3Cbr%3EEmma%20Navarro%20(USA)%3Cbr%3ELesia%20Tsurenko%20(Ukraine)%3Cbr%3EEmma%20Raducanu%20(Great%20Britain)%20%E2%80%93%20wildcard%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
What drives subscription retailing?

Once the domain of newspaper home deliveries, subscription model retailing has combined with e-commerce to permeate myriad products and services.

The concept has grown tremendously around the world and is forecast to thrive further, according to UnivDatos Market Insights’ report on recent and predicted trends in the sector.

The global subscription e-commerce market was valued at $13.2 billion (Dh48.5bn) in 2018. It is forecast to touch $478.2bn in 2025, and include the entertainment, fitness, food, cosmetics, baby care and fashion sectors.

The report says subscription-based services currently constitute “a small trend within e-commerce”. The US hosts almost 70 per cent of recurring plan firms, including leaders Dollar Shave Club, Hello Fresh and Netflix. Walmart and Sephora are among longer established retailers entering the space.

UnivDatos cites younger and affluent urbanites as prime subscription targets, with women currently the largest share of end-users.

That’s expected to remain unchanged until 2025, when women will represent a $246.6bn market share, owing to increasing numbers of start-ups targeting women.

Personal care and beauty occupy the largest chunk of the worldwide subscription e-commerce market, with changing lifestyles, work schedules, customisation and convenience among the chief future drivers.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Specs

Engine: 2-litre

Transmission: Eight-speed automatic

Power: 255hp

Torque: 273Nm

Price: Dh240,000

ELIO

Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett

Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina

Rating: 4/5

The biog:

Favourite book: The Leader Who Had No Title by Robin Sharma

Pet Peeve: Racism 

Proudest moment: Graduating from Sorbonne 

What puts her off: Dishonesty in all its forms

Happiest period in her life: The beginning of her 30s

Favourite movie: "I have two. The Pursuit of Happiness and Homeless to Harvard"

Role model: Everyone. A child can be my role model 

Slogan: The queen of peace, love and positive energy

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
Updated: September 28, 2023, 2:00 PM`