NEW DELHI // India's prime minister marked his 80th birthday yesterday, as he struggled to save his reputation as a principled reformer amid a string of corruption scandals.
After years of policy logjam and corruption allegations, Manmohan Singh's administration burst into life last week when it announced a sudden blitz of reforms designed to revive the sharply slowing economy.
Ahead of his expected retirement at the next elections, due in 2014, the plans have given his image a boost with the Economic Times newspaper proclaiming he has got his "mojo back".
The prime minister spent the day with his family and at public engagements, including a speech to a science conference.
"There are no celebrations. He prefers to be with his family in the morning - then work as usual," Mr Singh's spokesman said.
Mr Singh was credited with helping light the fuse for the nation's rapid growth in 1991 when as finance minister he rescued an economy teetering on the brink of bankruptcy.
But his reputation has taken a battering since he returned as prime minister in 2004, and especially since the 2009 re-election of the Congress government, with his administration buffeted by graft scandals.
Had Mr Singh retired in 2009, history would have remembered him as a key architect of liberalisation "but unable to resist the lure of office he stayed on", the Indian historian Ramachandra Guha wrote on Tuesday.
"In his second term, he has presided over what is arguably the most corrupt government in Indian history," Mr. Guha said in a column for the BBC, referring to the scandals that Mr Singh failed to prevent or take swift action against.
Birthday greetings from Indian politicians flowed in on Tuesday and Russian President Vladimir Putin called Mr Singh an "outstanding statesman" in a personal message.
"You have earned well-deserved respect as an outstanding statesman and eminent economist," said Mr Putin, whose country enjoys close ties with India even as New Delhi's relationship with the United States has blossomed.
But New Delhi and Moscow were on the same side of the fence during the Cold War and Russia is still India's largest arms supplier.
Mr Singh was tapped to be premier in 2004 by party president Sonia Gandhi, the widow of slain premier Rajiv Gandhi, after she led Congress to a surprise win.
Pundits believe Ms Gandhi still calls the shots, taking on India's bruising political wheeler-dealers.
There are also cynics who say she opted for Mr Singh because his self-effacing style meant he would not overshadow the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty which has given India three premiers.
She is seen as seeking to manage the rise to the prime ministership of her son Rahul Gandhi, 42. But Rahul's fumbling parliamentary performance has sparked major questions about his suitability for the job.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Company%20Profile
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COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm from 3,000-5,750rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh1.05 million ($286,000)
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
MANDOOB
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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EA Sports FC 25
Developer: EA Vancouver, EA Romania
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4&5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE squad
Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind
Fixtures
Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE
BMW%20M4%20Competition
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Company%20Profile
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COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
More coverage from the Future Forum
Plan to boost public schools
A major shake-up of government-run schools was rolled out across the country in 2017. Known as the Emirati School Model, it placed more emphasis on maths and science while also adding practical skills to the curriculum.
It was accompanied by the promise of a Dh5 billion investment, over six years, to pay for state-of-the-art infrastructure improvements.
Aspects of the school model will be extended to international private schools, the education minister has previously suggested.
Recent developments have also included the introduction of moral education - which public and private schools both must teach - along with reform of the exams system and tougher teacher licensing requirements.
RESULTS
West Asia Premiership
Thursday
Jebel Ali Dragons 13-34 Dubai Exiles
Friday
Dubai Knights Eagles 16-27 Dubai Tigers
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
Tips for taking the metro
- set out well ahead of time
- make sure you have at least Dh15 on you Nol card, as there could be big queues for top-up machines
- enter the right cabin. The train may be too busy to move between carriages once you're on
- don't carry too much luggage and tuck it under a seat to make room for fellow passengers
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Fire and Fury
By Michael Wolff,
Henry Holt
Company%20Profile
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SERIE A FIXTURES
Friday Sassuolo v Torino (Kick-off 10.45pm UAE)
Saturday Atalanta v Sampdoria (5pm),
Genoa v Inter Milan (8pm),
Lazio v Bologna (10.45pm)
Sunday Cagliari v Crotone (3.30pm)
Benevento v Napoli (6pm)
Parma v Spezia (6pm)
Fiorentina v Udinese (9pm)
Juventus v Hellas Verona (11.45pm)
Monday AC Milan v AS Roma (11.45pm)
pakistan Test squad
Azhar Ali (capt), Shan Masood, Abid Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Asad Shafiq, Babar Azam, Fawad Alam, Haris Sohail, Imran Khan, Kashif Bhatti, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Abbas, Yasir Shah, Usman Shinwari
Joker: Folie a Deux
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson
Director: Todd Phillips
Rating: 2/5
Tips to keep your car cool
- Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
- Park in shaded or covered areas
- Add tint to windows
- Wrap your car to change the exterior colour
- Pick light interiors - choose colours such as beige and cream for seats and dashboard furniture
- Avoid leather interiors as these absorb more heat