British Prime Minister Boris Johnson arrived in the Indian city of Ahmedabad on Thursday on a two-day visit to bolster ties between the two countries and line up a free trade deal.
Mr Johnson and a 70-member British delegation were received by the head of the western Gujarat state — the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi — and began a tour of Ahmedabad city, a major commercial hub known as the “Manchester of India” for its cotton-textile industry. It is also the ancestral home of about half of the Indian-heritage population in Britain.
The trip is his first to India as prime minister and the first by a British leader to Gujarat, which has also hosted the heads of state of China, Japan, Israel, and most recently the former US president Donald Trump in 2020.
Mr Johnson was greeted by traditional dance performances and sounds of drums and carnival puppets outside the airport as hundreds of people gathered waving British and Indian flags.
Mr Johnson, who is embroiled in the “partygate” controversy at home after attending gatherings in breach of coronavirus lockdown rules, waved at the boisterous crowd as he made his way to his hotel, passing several large posters welcoming him to the city.
First up on the list of destinations was the Sabarmati ashram, one of Mahatma Gandhi’s homes, where Mr Johnson received two books as gifts, including an unpublished guide written by the revered independence movement leader on how to live in London.
The British prime minister also tried his hand at the spinning wheel called the ‘charkha’, which became a symbol of the campaign for Indian independence.
In a message in the visitors’ diary, Mr Johnson wrote: “It is an immense privilege to come to the ashram of this extraordinary man, and to understand how he mobilised the simple principles of truth and non-violence to change the world for the better.”
Mr Johnson then met Gautam Adani, India’s richest man and chairman of the Adani Group, and the two discussed climate and sustainability, new energy, defence and aerospace technology.
He also squeezed in time in a jam-packed schedule to inaugurate a new centre for excavator manufacturer JCB near Vadodara city. The company’s chairman Lord Bamford backed Mr Johnson’s Conservative leadership bid in 2019.
Before his visit to India, Mr Johnson announced an array of commercial agreements and collaborations, trade and investments worth £1 billion ($1.30bn).
India is the second largest FDI investor in the UK. Its exports to the UK stood at $8.15 billion in 2020-21, while imports totalled $4.95bn.
Since Britain’s departure from the European Union in January 2020, London has sought free trade agreements (FTAs), especially with countries in the Asia-Pacific region that has some of the world’s fastest-growing economies.
London has also been negotiating a FTA with India aimed at increasing bilateral trade to more than $100 billion by 2030.
Mr Johnson told British journalists that the countries expected to finalise the FTA by “autumn” and he was hopeful that the investments through the agreement would create 11,000 jobs in the UK.
“What we're focusing on today is the incredible opportunities to deepen this partnership … we've got about a billion pounds worth of investment coming from India into the UK,” Mr Johnson told the BBC.
“They're the second-biggest investor in the UK, that investment alone is going to drive 11,000 jobs. We're hoping to complete another free trade agreement with India by the end of the year, by the autumn,” he added.
Mr Johnson is the latest high-ranking dignitary to visit India after a slew of Western diplomats visited New Delhi as the South Asian country walks a tightrope of diplomacy over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
But the British leader said that the UK understands New Delhi’s historic relationship with Moscow and wants the two democracies “to stick together” despite differences over Russia’s actions, because of the growth potential in the Indo-Pacific region which is dominated by “autocracies” — an apparent reference to China.
New Delhi has refused to criticise Moscow, its biggest arms supplier, and the two countries have increased energy trade, much to the dismay of western countries which have imposed economic sanctions on Russia.
“As you know the UK is making an Indo-Pacific tilt in our integrated review of our national defence and security strategy. That's the right thing to do given the huge portion of the … growth of the world economy that can be found in this area,”
“India and the UK both share anxieties about autocracies around the world. We're both democracies, and we want to stick together,” he said.
Mr Johnson will leave for the capital, New Delhi, in the evening where he will hold “in-depth talks” with Mr Modi and India’s External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on bilateral ties, defence, and diplomatic and economic partnership on Friday.
The language of diplomacy in 1853
Treaty of Peace in Perpetuity Agreed Upon by the Chiefs of the Arabian Coast on Behalf of Themselves, Their Heirs and Successors Under the Mediation of the Resident of the Persian Gulf, 1853
(This treaty gave the region the name “Trucial States”.)
We, whose seals are hereunto affixed, Sheikh Sultan bin Suggar, Chief of Rassool-Kheimah, Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon, Chief of Aboo Dhebbee, Sheikh Saeed bin Buyte, Chief of Debay, Sheikh Hamid bin Rashed, Chief of Ejman, Sheikh Abdoola bin Rashed, Chief of Umm-ool-Keiweyn, having experienced for a series of years the benefits and advantages resulting from a maritime truce contracted amongst ourselves under the mediation of the Resident in the Persian Gulf and renewed from time to time up to the present period, and being fully impressed, therefore, with a sense of evil consequence formerly arising, from the prosecution of our feuds at sea, whereby our subjects and dependants were prevented from carrying on the pearl fishery in security, and were exposed to interruption and molestation when passing on their lawful occasions, accordingly, we, as aforesaid have determined, for ourselves, our heirs and successors, to conclude together a lasting and inviolable peace from this time forth in perpetuity.
Taken from Britain and Saudi Arabia, 1925-1939: the Imperial Oasis, by Clive Leatherdale
GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
RESULTS
5pm: Sweihan – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 2,200m
Winner: Shamakh, Fernando Jara (jockey), Jean-Claude Picout (trainer)
5.30pm: Al Shamkha – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m
Winner: Daad, Dane O’Neill, Jaber Bittar
6pm: Shakbout City – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m
Winner: AF Ghayyar, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
6.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,200m
Winner: Gold Silver, Sandro Paiva, Ibrahim Aseel
7pm: Masdar City – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner: AF Musannef, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
7.30pm: Khalifa City – Maiden (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner: Ranchero, Patrick Cosgrave, Bhupat Seemar
Results
5pm: Wadi Nagab – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,200m; Winner: Al Falaq, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Ahmed Al Shemaili (trainer)
5.30pm: Wadi Sidr – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: AF Majalis, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
6pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: AF Fakhama, Fernando Jara, Mohamed Daggash
6.30pm: Wadi Shees – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: Mutaqadim, Antonio Fresu, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7pm: Arabian Triple Crown Round-1 – Listed (PA) Dh230,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Bahar Muscat, Antonio Fresu, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7.30pm: Wadi Tayyibah – Maiden (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Poster Paint, Patrick Cosgrave, Bhupat Seemar
$1,000 award for 1,000 days on madrasa portal
Daily cash awards of $1,000 dollars will sweeten the Madrasa e-learning project by tempting more pupils to an education portal to deepen their understanding of math and sciences.
School children are required to watch an educational video each day and answer a question related to it. They then enter into a raffle draw for the $1,000 prize.
“We are targeting everyone who wants to learn. This will be $1,000 for 1,000 days so there will be a winner every day for 1,000 days,” said Sara Al Nuaimi, project manager of the Madrasa e-learning platform that was launched on Tuesday by the Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, to reach Arab pupils from kindergarten to grade 12 with educational videos.
“The objective of the Madrasa is to become the number one reference for all Arab students in the world. The 5,000 videos we have online is just the beginning, we have big ambitions. Today in the Arab world there are 50 million students. We want to reach everyone who is willing to learn.”
Company Profile
Company name: OneOrder
Started: October 2021
Founders: Tamer Amer and Karim Maurice
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Industry: technology, logistics
Investors: A15 and self-funded
Where to submit a sample
Volunteers of all ages can submit DNA samples at centres across Abu Dhabi, including: Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (Adnec), Biogenix Labs in Masdar City, NMC Royal Hospital in Khalifa City, NMC Royal Medical Centre, Abu Dhabi, NMC Royal Women's Hospital, Bareen International Hospital, Al Towayya in Al Ain, NMC Specialty Hospital, Al Ain
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203S%20Money%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202018%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20London%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ivan%20Zhiznevsky%2C%20Eugene%20Dugaev%20and%20Andrei%20Dikouchine%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20FinTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%245.6%20million%20raised%20in%20total%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Akeed
Based: Muscat
Launch year: 2018
Number of employees: 40
Sector: Online food delivery
Funding: Raised $3.2m since inception
Countries recognising Palestine
France, UK, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Belgium, Malta, Luxembourg, San Marino and Andorra
ICC T20 Rankings
1. India - 270 ranking points
2. England - 265 points
3. Pakistan - 261 points
4. South Africa - 253 points
5. Australia - 251 points
6. New Zealand - 250 points
7. West Indies - 240 points
8. Bangladesh - 233 points
9. Sri Lanka - 230 points
10. Afghanistan - 226 points
The team
Photographer: Mateusz Stefanowski at Art Factory
Videographer: Jear Valasquez
Fashion director: Sarah Maisey
Make-up: Gulum Erzincan at Art Factory
Model: Randa at Art Factory Videographer’s assistant: Zanong Magat
Photographer’s assistant: Sophia Shlykova
With thanks to Jubail Mangrove Park, Jubail Island, Abu Dhabi
Muslim Council of Elders condemns terrorism on religious sites
The Muslim Council of Elders has strongly condemned the criminal attacks on religious sites in Britain.
It firmly rejected “acts of terrorism, which constitute a flagrant violation of the sanctity of houses of worship”.
“Attacking places of worship is a form of terrorism and extremism that threatens peace and stability within societies,” it said.
The council also warned against the rise of hate speech, racism, extremism and Islamophobia. It urged the international community to join efforts to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
German plea
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told the German parliament that. Russia had erected a new wall across Europe.
"It's not a Berlin Wall -- it is a Wall in central Europe between freedom and bondage and this Wall is growing bigger with every bomb" dropped on Ukraine, Zelenskyy told MPs.
Mr Zelenskyy was applauded by MPs in the Bundestag as he addressed Chancellor Olaf Scholz directly.
"Dear Mr Scholz, tear down this Wall," he said, evoking US President Ronald Reagan's 1987 appeal to Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev at Berlin's Brandenburg Gate.
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
