Days 4 and 5: March 20-21, 2016, Kolkata-Delhi-Mohali
On Sunday I shook hands with a man who once shook hands with one of the most famous men in the world.
I met, at Kolkata airport, an Indian gentleman who worked at a leading record label in the United States in the 1970s. One of the artists on that label was Elvis Presley, with whom the aforesaid gent shook hands once while Presley was on a tour of the plant.
On the six degrees of separation flowchart, that handshake I rightly felt, opened me up to having shaken hands, with just a couple of degrees of separation, to some of history’s greatest characters.
What better way to start a short two-hour journey to Delhi, and then onwards to Mohali? For reasons too pedantic to detail here, the journey to Delhi ended up taking over 15 hours and two planes neither of which wanted to take off.
It was easily one of the worst aviation experiences I have undergone, and also indicative of the challenges of traveling in a country as vast and bureaucratically convoluted as India.
And had it not been for the fate of the New Zealand women’s team, I probably would still be wallowing in a pool of self-pity.
Their side had to fly from Chandigarh to Nagpur on Friday evening, after completing a win over Ireland in Mohali. What is a four-hour direct flight somehow morphed into a logistical nightmare that involved stopovers in Delhi, Bangalore and Mumbai and two changes of aircraft before landing in Nagpur.
It took them 12 hours and it hardly mattered as they rolled over Australia for a comfortable win. And I figured, if an international team of elite athletes cannot beat this system, then who am I? Well I did shake hands with a man who shook hands with Presley.
Osman Samiuddin’s World T20 diary:
Day 3: In Kolkata, Flurys is on everybody’s radar
Day 2: A decade hence, Kolkata is still just as enchanting
Day 1: Buzz in Delhi and Kolkata, but nothing to do with cricket
osamiuddin@thenational.ae
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BlacKkKlansman
Director: Spike Lee
Starring: John David Washington; Adam Driver
Five stars
What's in the deal?
Agreement aims to boost trade by £25.5bn a year in the long run, compared with a total of £42.6bn in 2024
India will slash levies on medical devices, machinery, cosmetics, soft drinks and lamb.
India will also cut automotive tariffs to 10% under a quota from over 100% currently.
Indian employees in the UK will receive three years exemption from social security payments
India expects 99% of exports to benefit from zero duty, raising opportunities for textiles, marine products, footwear and jewellery
What is Reform?
Reform is a right-wing, populist party led by Nigel Farage, a former MEP who won a seat in the House of Commons last year at his eighth attempt and a prominent figure in the campaign for the UK to leave the European Union.
It was founded in 2018 and originally called the Brexit Party.
Many of its members previously belonged to UKIP or the mainstream Conservatives.
After Brexit took place, the party focused on the reformation of British democracy.
Former Tory deputy chairman Lee Anderson became its first MP after defecting in March 2024.
The party gained support from Elon Musk, and had hoped the tech billionaire would make a £100m donation. However, Mr Musk changed his mind and called for Mr Farage to step down as leader in a row involving the US tycoon's support for far-right figurehead Tommy Robinson who is in prison for contempt of court.
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
The Settlers
Director: Louis Theroux
Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz
Rating: 5/5
ICC Women's T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier 2025, Thailand
UAE fixtures
May 9, v Malaysia
May 10, v Qatar
May 13, v Malaysia
May 15, v Qatar
May 18 and 19, semi-finals
May 20, final
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
ZAYED SUSTAINABILITY PRIZE
How much sugar is in chocolate Easter eggs?
- The 169g Crunchie egg has 15.9g of sugar per 25g serving, working out at around 107g of sugar per egg
- The 190g Maltesers Teasers egg contains 58g of sugar per 100g for the egg and 19.6g of sugar in each of the two Teasers bars that come with it
- The 188g Smarties egg has 113g of sugar per egg and 22.8g in the tube of Smarties it contains
- The Milky Bar white chocolate Egg Hunt Pack contains eight eggs at 7.7g of sugar per egg
- The Cadbury Creme Egg contains 26g of sugar per 40g egg
