Boris Johnson departed Downing Street on Tuesday with his usual mixture of swagger, colourful turns of phrase and a classical reference that hinted at a possible comeback.
The outgoing prime minister, who compared climate change to a James Bond plot and coronavirus vaccines to the Battle of Waterloo during his three-year term in office, saved a few last rhetorical flourishes for his farewell speech.
Mr Johnson told assembled journalists and MPs that he was returning to his plough like the Roman statesman Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus — who, according to legend, was restored to power in an hour of need.
Switching metaphors, Mr Johnson said he was “one of those booster rockets that has fulfilled its function… I will now be gently re-entering the atmosphere and splashing down invisibly in some remote and obscure corner of the Pacific”.
But Mr Johnson’s bluster could not disguise his regret at leaving office in mid-term as he offered an impassioned defence of his record.
Roman comeback hint
“Like Cincinnatus, I am returning to my plough”
An Oxford University classics graduate, Mr Johnson often peppers his speeches with references to the ancient world. However, his mention of Cincinnatus raised more eyebrows than usual amid speculation about his future plans.
The story goes that Cincinnatus was appointed Roman dictator in 458 BC. But after defeating his enemies within 15 days, he chose to lay down his powers and return to his farm.
Legend has it that Cincinnatus was summoned back to power during a crisis in 439 BC and restored to his dictatorial powers at the age of 80, although scholars doubt whether that part of the story is true.
Either way, Mr Johnson’s reference did nothing to dispel the suspicion that he will attempt a comeback if things turn sour for his successor Liz Truss.
Change of the rules
“The baton will be handed over in what has unexpectedly turned out to be a relay race – they changed the rules halfway through but never mind that now”
Mr Johnson delivered this line in a jokey manner but there was no hiding his resentment at being thrown out of office in mid-term.
Tory MPs lost patience with Mr Johnson and forced a leadership election in July after a series of scandals that fatally weakened his authority.
But Mr Johnson blamed his removal on a herd mentality and described it as eccentric to change leaders nearly three years after his landslide election victory.
Opposition MPs said Mr Johnson had shown no contrition or acknowledgement of why he was forced out.
Young Boris on a space hopper
“Unemployment as I leave office: down to lows not seen since I was about 10 years old and bouncing around on a space hopper”
This was Mr Johnson’s unusual way of saying that unemployment in Britain is at its lowest since the mid-1970s.
Mr Johnson, born in 1964, was a schoolboy at the time.
The unemployment figures are a rare bright spot in the British economy as it faces the highest inflation for decades and teeters on the brink of recession.
And not all is well in the labour market as worker shortages cause chaos at airports and unions launch a wave of strikes to demand higher pay.
Cats and dogs
“If Dilyn and Larry can put behind them their occasional difficulties, then so can the Conservative Party”
Larry, the Downing Street cat, has resided at Number 10 under three prime ministers since 2011 — David Cameron, Theresa May and Mr Johnson — and is about to serve as “chief mouser” under a fourth.
Dilyn is the dog belonging to Mr Johnson personally and his wife Carrie, and has featured prominently on Downing Street Christmas cards.
Mr Johnson’s message was that if cat and dog can coexist, then so can supporters of Ms Truss and her defeated leadership rival Rishi Sunak after a sometimes bitter two-month leadership contest.
But Ms Truss was expected to appoint a team of loyalists to senior positions when she starts forming her Cabinet on Tuesday.
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
The biog
From: Ras Al Khaimah
Age: 50
Profession: Electronic engineer, worked with Etisalat for the past 20 years
Hobbies: 'Anything that involves exploration, hunting, fishing, mountaineering, the sea, hiking, scuba diving, and adventure sports'
Favourite quote: 'Life is so simple, enjoy it'
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The Great Derangement: Climate Change and the Unthinkable
Amitav Ghosh, University of Chicago Press
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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
heading
Iran has sent five planeloads of food to Qatar, which is suffering shortages amid a regional blockade.
A number of nations, including Iran's major rival Saudi Arabia, last week cut ties with Qatar, accusing it of funding terrorism, charges it denies.
The land border with Saudi Arabia, through which 40% of Qatar's food comes, has been closed.
Meanwhile, mediators Kuwait said that Qatar was ready to listen to the "qualms" of its neighbours.
Lexus LX700h specs
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
more from Janine di Giovanni
The specs
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What is Folia?
Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal's new plant-based menu will launch at Four Seasons hotels in Dubai this November. A desire to cater to people looking for clean, healthy meals beyond green salad is what inspired Prince Khaled and American celebrity chef Matthew Kenney to create Folia. The word means "from the leaves" in Latin, and the exclusive menu offers fine plant-based cuisine across Four Seasons properties in Los Angeles, Bahrain and, soon, Dubai.
Kenney specialises in vegan cuisine and is the founder of Plant Food Wine and 20 other restaurants worldwide. "I’ve always appreciated Matthew’s work," says the Saudi royal. "He has a singular culinary talent and his approach to plant-based dining is prescient and unrivalled. I was a fan of his long before we established our professional relationship."
Folia first launched at The Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills in July 2018. It is available at the poolside Cabana Restaurant and for in-room dining across the property, as well as in its private event space. The food is vibrant and colourful, full of fresh dishes such as the hearts of palm ceviche with California fruit, vegetables and edible flowers; green hearb tacos filled with roasted squash and king oyster barbacoa; and a savoury coconut cream pie with macadamia crust.
In March 2019, the Folia menu reached Gulf shores, as it was introduced at the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay, where it is served at the Bay View Lounge. Next, on Tuesday, November 1 – also known as World Vegan Day – it will come to the UAE, to the Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach and the Four Seasons DIFC, both properties Prince Khaled has spent "considerable time at and love".
There are also plans to take Folia to several more locations throughout the Middle East and Europe.
While health-conscious diners will be attracted to the concept, Prince Khaled is careful to stress Folia is "not meant for a specific subset of customers. It is meant for everyone who wants a culinary experience without the negative impact that eating out so often comes with."
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Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
