Latest news with #then-British
The Sun
12 hours ago
- Sport
- The Sun
Chelsea's Maresca praises Fernandez before Benfica Club World Cup clash
CHELSEA manager Enzo Maresca has praised midfielder Enzo Fernandez ahead of their Club World Cup last-16 clash against Benfica, the Argentinian's former club. Speaking to reporters in Charlotte, Maresca highlighted Fernandez's professionalism and growing influence in the team. 'I am very pleased with Enzo especially because first of all he is a nice and polite boy, and then with us since we started he has been working very well in every aspect on and off the pitch,' Maresca said. Fernandez, who joined Chelsea from Benfica in 2023 for a then-British record fee of £107 million, has been instrumental this season. The 24-year-old contributed to 14 goals in 2025, including a crucial strike in Chelsea's 2-0 win over Los Angeles FC in the Club World Cup group stage. 'This season he struggled a bit at the beginning to understand the way we want to play but (since) then he is doing fantastic also in terms of numbers, goals and assists,' Maresca added. Chelsea face Benfica on Saturday, a team they have beaten in all three previous competitive meetings. However, Maresca remains cautious after Benfica's impressive victory over Bayern Munich in the group stage. 'I think Benfica, not only in this competition, have always shown how big a club they are in Europe,' Maresca said. 'In the last game they beat Bayern so they showed what they can do.' A win would send Chelsea to Philadelphia for a quarter-final on July 4.
The Advertiser
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Advertiser
This is a difficult watch filled with soul-crushing testimony
Grenfell Uncovered (M, 101 minutes, Netflix) 4 stars Avoidable. That's a big takeaway from this devastating and eye-opening Netflix documentary. The loss of 72 innocent lives was avoidable. The Grenfell Tower disaster of 2017 probably still looms large in many people's minds. The high-rise unit block was full of families when a small fire in one apartment turned into an unmitigated disaster in the early hours of June 14. What should have been safely contained in a relatively short amount of time ended up engulfing the whole 24-storey tower due to the use of highly flammable plastic-infused cladding on the outside of the building. It was like The Towering Inferno had come to life. This documentary, from first-time director Olaide Sadiq, speaks to former residents of the tower, family members of tower residents, firefighters, journalists, building and fire experts, lobbyists, a lawyer and even then-British prime minister Theresa May. The picture it paints is frustratingly clear: if advice had been acted upon sooner, 72 lives may have been saved. Through Grenfell Uncovered we learn that the company which manufactured the cladding which was used to beautify the tower in the years before the disaster (being built in the early 1970s, Grenfell was considered an eyesore at the time, and the new facade was supposed to bring the tower up to modern aesthetic standards) had for years known that their product had a high fire risk - a risk which grew exponentially with the height of the building. The cladding was bound with a polyethylene core, and that particular product was illegal to use on apartment buildings in the US and elsewhere in Europe. However, the UK was lagging behind in regulations and the product was technically allowable at the time it was installed, even though it should never have been on the market. Experts explain that the David Cameron government (2010-16) had a deregulation agenda, and its members were forbidden from introducing any new regulations without first getting rid of an existing one. As such, repeated calls for changes to fire safety process and building requirements fell on deaf ears. Aside from the cladding, Grenfell Uncovered also goes into the outdated and ineffective "stay put" policy of the London Fire Brigade. This policy, which was standard for high-rise buildings at the time, instructed residents not to evacuate their homes, but instead to stay inside until told otherwise by firefighters. The advice would have been solid in a building that wasn't clad with flammable material, leading to an uncontainable spread of the fire. But this was not the case at Grenfell, and residents on higher floors who followed the advice found themselves unable to escape. The firefighters were also untrained in the nature of cladding fires, something that should have been put into place well before the disaster struck. In a film filled with horrible, soul-crushing testimony, it is perhaps the experiences of the firefighters that is the most harrowing to watch. One tells of his plight to find a young girl named Jessica after her sister asked him to bring her out from their flat. But he would never find her. Another tells one of the more emotionally devastating stories you'll ever hear, of staying on the phone with a young mother trapped in an apartment in the inaccessible upper storeys of the building, until she was no longer talking. Grenfell Uncovered is a difficult watch, especially considering how avoidable the whole tragedy was. But it also feels like incredibly necessary viewing for anyone in a position of governance, fire management or tenant management. There's a clear indication of the importance of listening to safety advice, and change should not only be made after dozens of lives are lost. Grenfell Uncovered (M, 101 minutes, Netflix) 4 stars Avoidable. That's a big takeaway from this devastating and eye-opening Netflix documentary. The loss of 72 innocent lives was avoidable. The Grenfell Tower disaster of 2017 probably still looms large in many people's minds. The high-rise unit block was full of families when a small fire in one apartment turned into an unmitigated disaster in the early hours of June 14. What should have been safely contained in a relatively short amount of time ended up engulfing the whole 24-storey tower due to the use of highly flammable plastic-infused cladding on the outside of the building. It was like The Towering Inferno had come to life. This documentary, from first-time director Olaide Sadiq, speaks to former residents of the tower, family members of tower residents, firefighters, journalists, building and fire experts, lobbyists, a lawyer and even then-British prime minister Theresa May. The picture it paints is frustratingly clear: if advice had been acted upon sooner, 72 lives may have been saved. Through Grenfell Uncovered we learn that the company which manufactured the cladding which was used to beautify the tower in the years before the disaster (being built in the early 1970s, Grenfell was considered an eyesore at the time, and the new facade was supposed to bring the tower up to modern aesthetic standards) had for years known that their product had a high fire risk - a risk which grew exponentially with the height of the building. The cladding was bound with a polyethylene core, and that particular product was illegal to use on apartment buildings in the US and elsewhere in Europe. However, the UK was lagging behind in regulations and the product was technically allowable at the time it was installed, even though it should never have been on the market. Experts explain that the David Cameron government (2010-16) had a deregulation agenda, and its members were forbidden from introducing any new regulations without first getting rid of an existing one. As such, repeated calls for changes to fire safety process and building requirements fell on deaf ears. Aside from the cladding, Grenfell Uncovered also goes into the outdated and ineffective "stay put" policy of the London Fire Brigade. This policy, which was standard for high-rise buildings at the time, instructed residents not to evacuate their homes, but instead to stay inside until told otherwise by firefighters. The advice would have been solid in a building that wasn't clad with flammable material, leading to an uncontainable spread of the fire. But this was not the case at Grenfell, and residents on higher floors who followed the advice found themselves unable to escape. The firefighters were also untrained in the nature of cladding fires, something that should have been put into place well before the disaster struck. In a film filled with horrible, soul-crushing testimony, it is perhaps the experiences of the firefighters that is the most harrowing to watch. One tells of his plight to find a young girl named Jessica after her sister asked him to bring her out from their flat. But he would never find her. Another tells one of the more emotionally devastating stories you'll ever hear, of staying on the phone with a young mother trapped in an apartment in the inaccessible upper storeys of the building, until she was no longer talking. Grenfell Uncovered is a difficult watch, especially considering how avoidable the whole tragedy was. But it also feels like incredibly necessary viewing for anyone in a position of governance, fire management or tenant management. There's a clear indication of the importance of listening to safety advice, and change should not only be made after dozens of lives are lost. Grenfell Uncovered (M, 101 minutes, Netflix) 4 stars Avoidable. That's a big takeaway from this devastating and eye-opening Netflix documentary. The loss of 72 innocent lives was avoidable. The Grenfell Tower disaster of 2017 probably still looms large in many people's minds. The high-rise unit block was full of families when a small fire in one apartment turned into an unmitigated disaster in the early hours of June 14. What should have been safely contained in a relatively short amount of time ended up engulfing the whole 24-storey tower due to the use of highly flammable plastic-infused cladding on the outside of the building. It was like The Towering Inferno had come to life. This documentary, from first-time director Olaide Sadiq, speaks to former residents of the tower, family members of tower residents, firefighters, journalists, building and fire experts, lobbyists, a lawyer and even then-British prime minister Theresa May. The picture it paints is frustratingly clear: if advice had been acted upon sooner, 72 lives may have been saved. Through Grenfell Uncovered we learn that the company which manufactured the cladding which was used to beautify the tower in the years before the disaster (being built in the early 1970s, Grenfell was considered an eyesore at the time, and the new facade was supposed to bring the tower up to modern aesthetic standards) had for years known that their product had a high fire risk - a risk which grew exponentially with the height of the building. The cladding was bound with a polyethylene core, and that particular product was illegal to use on apartment buildings in the US and elsewhere in Europe. However, the UK was lagging behind in regulations and the product was technically allowable at the time it was installed, even though it should never have been on the market. Experts explain that the David Cameron government (2010-16) had a deregulation agenda, and its members were forbidden from introducing any new regulations without first getting rid of an existing one. As such, repeated calls for changes to fire safety process and building requirements fell on deaf ears. Aside from the cladding, Grenfell Uncovered also goes into the outdated and ineffective "stay put" policy of the London Fire Brigade. This policy, which was standard for high-rise buildings at the time, instructed residents not to evacuate their homes, but instead to stay inside until told otherwise by firefighters. The advice would have been solid in a building that wasn't clad with flammable material, leading to an uncontainable spread of the fire. But this was not the case at Grenfell, and residents on higher floors who followed the advice found themselves unable to escape. The firefighters were also untrained in the nature of cladding fires, something that should have been put into place well before the disaster struck. In a film filled with horrible, soul-crushing testimony, it is perhaps the experiences of the firefighters that is the most harrowing to watch. One tells of his plight to find a young girl named Jessica after her sister asked him to bring her out from their flat. But he would never find her. Another tells one of the more emotionally devastating stories you'll ever hear, of staying on the phone with a young mother trapped in an apartment in the inaccessible upper storeys of the building, until she was no longer talking. Grenfell Uncovered is a difficult watch, especially considering how avoidable the whole tragedy was. But it also feels like incredibly necessary viewing for anyone in a position of governance, fire management or tenant management. There's a clear indication of the importance of listening to safety advice, and change should not only be made after dozens of lives are lost. Grenfell Uncovered (M, 101 minutes, Netflix) 4 stars Avoidable. That's a big takeaway from this devastating and eye-opening Netflix documentary. The loss of 72 innocent lives was avoidable. The Grenfell Tower disaster of 2017 probably still looms large in many people's minds. The high-rise unit block was full of families when a small fire in one apartment turned into an unmitigated disaster in the early hours of June 14. What should have been safely contained in a relatively short amount of time ended up engulfing the whole 24-storey tower due to the use of highly flammable plastic-infused cladding on the outside of the building. It was like The Towering Inferno had come to life. This documentary, from first-time director Olaide Sadiq, speaks to former residents of the tower, family members of tower residents, firefighters, journalists, building and fire experts, lobbyists, a lawyer and even then-British prime minister Theresa May. The picture it paints is frustratingly clear: if advice had been acted upon sooner, 72 lives may have been saved. Through Grenfell Uncovered we learn that the company which manufactured the cladding which was used to beautify the tower in the years before the disaster (being built in the early 1970s, Grenfell was considered an eyesore at the time, and the new facade was supposed to bring the tower up to modern aesthetic standards) had for years known that their product had a high fire risk - a risk which grew exponentially with the height of the building. The cladding was bound with a polyethylene core, and that particular product was illegal to use on apartment buildings in the US and elsewhere in Europe. However, the UK was lagging behind in regulations and the product was technically allowable at the time it was installed, even though it should never have been on the market. Experts explain that the David Cameron government (2010-16) had a deregulation agenda, and its members were forbidden from introducing any new regulations without first getting rid of an existing one. As such, repeated calls for changes to fire safety process and building requirements fell on deaf ears. Aside from the cladding, Grenfell Uncovered also goes into the outdated and ineffective "stay put" policy of the London Fire Brigade. This policy, which was standard for high-rise buildings at the time, instructed residents not to evacuate their homes, but instead to stay inside until told otherwise by firefighters. The advice would have been solid in a building that wasn't clad with flammable material, leading to an uncontainable spread of the fire. But this was not the case at Grenfell, and residents on higher floors who followed the advice found themselves unable to escape. The firefighters were also untrained in the nature of cladding fires, something that should have been put into place well before the disaster struck. In a film filled with horrible, soul-crushing testimony, it is perhaps the experiences of the firefighters that is the most harrowing to watch. One tells of his plight to find a young girl named Jessica after her sister asked him to bring her out from their flat. But he would never find her. Another tells one of the more emotionally devastating stories you'll ever hear, of staying on the phone with a young mother trapped in an apartment in the inaccessible upper storeys of the building, until she was no longer talking. Grenfell Uncovered is a difficult watch, especially considering how avoidable the whole tragedy was. But it also feels like incredibly necessary viewing for anyone in a position of governance, fire management or tenant management. There's a clear indication of the importance of listening to safety advice, and change should not only be made after dozens of lives are lost.
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
127-year-old Havelock Bridge in Andhra to be revamped
The 127-year-old Havelock Bridge, one of the oldest railway bridges in India, built on Godavari river at Rajahmundry in Andhra Pradesh's East Godavari district, will be restored and repurposed into a world-class heritage, cultural, and entertainment zone, according to an official statement. The Havelock Bridge (right) was decommissioned in 1997 after the Godavari Arch Bridge was built next to it. (HT photo) The initiative will be undertaken with an estimated budget of ₹ 94.44 crore under the Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI) scheme for 2024–25, funded by the Central government, tourism and cinematography minister Kandula Durgesh announced on Monday. He said the project is being taken up as part of the Akhanda Godavari tourism project, for which Union minister for tourism and culture Gajendra Singh Shekhawat would lay the foundation stone on Thursday. Deputy chief minister Pawan Kalyan and Rajamahendravaram MP Daggubati Purandeswari would also take part in the programme, he said. The construction of the Havelock Bridge commenced on November 11, 1897 and opened for traffic on 30 August 1900. The bridge was named after Sir Arthur Elibank Havelock, the then-British governor of Madras Presidency. As per the details mentioned on the plaque installed at the bridge, the construction was taken up by then engineering-in-chief Frederick Thomas Granville Walton, assisted by executive engineers RA Delanougerede, FD Couchman and JE Eaglesome. The Havelock Bridge was constructed with stone masonry and steel girders. It has 56 spans each of 45.7 metres and is 3,480 metres long. The rail bridge, which served as a critical railway bridge across the Godavari river, lies on the busy Howrah-Chennai line. Having served its full life span of 100 years, it was decommissioned in 1997, after the present Godavari Arch Bridge was built on the river adjacent to it, which is now being used to host civic water supply pipelines. According to the tourism minister, out of these 56 spans, 25 spans will be revamped and themed individually. 'Each span will be developed with a unique experiential theme to reflect the cultural, historical, and modern identity of Andhra Pradesh and Rajamahendravaram,' he said. The proposed themes include history of Rajamahendravaram, history of Andhra Pradesh, artificial waterfalls, glass skywalks, gaming zones, space-themed installations, urban handicraft bazaar, hanging gardens, hologram zoo, time travel experience, rail museum and aquarium tunnel. 'In order to support the themed zones, as many as 10 buffer zones will be set up with essential tourist amenities, rest areas, and navigation points. This development aims to convert the non-functional bridge, which was earlier proposed to be demolished by Indian Railways, into a vibrant public space,' he said. He said the decision to revive bridge was taken keeping in view the sentiments of the people of the twin Godavari districts, who view the bridge as a symbol of their cultural heritage. 'The restoration will be carried out in compliance with strict safety standards, ensuring it is structurally safe for visitors. Environmental measures will also be implemented under the National River Conservation Programme, to ensure eco-friendly tourism development around the Godavari riverfront,' Durgesh said. He added that the project is expected to become a major crowd-puller, generating employment, encouraging local artisans, and boosting the regional economy. He said as part of the Akhanda Godavari tourism project, various other projects would be taken up keeping in view the 2027 Godavari Pushkaralu (a once-in-12 years religious event on the lines of Kumbh Mela), aiming to make the area accessible to tourists. Tenders have already been finalized for the beautification of Pushkar Ghat, adjacent to the Havelock Bridge. The bridge and Pushkar Ghat will be interconnected to develop it as a dynamic tourist destination.
Hindustan Times
7 days ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Delhi's Roshanara Club to reopen clubhouse
The Roshanara Club in north Delhi is set to make its return as a social hub, with the Delhi Development Authority (DDA)—in a first, since its takeover of the club in 2023—planning to reopen the clubhouse and resume food and beverage (F&B) service after months of restricted activity. The 103-year-old club, which was established during the British era, remained partially functional since its takeover from private management, offering sports facilities—cricket, tennis and swimming—on a pay-to-play model. (HT Archive) The 103-year-old club, which was established during the British era, remained partially functional since its takeover from private management, offering sports facilities—cricket, tennis and swimming—on a pay-to-play model. While the club remained exclusive to its members since the British era, the DDA opened it to the public after its takeover. 'We gradually made repairs and started most of the sports facilities in phases, starting with indoor sports. It is now open for cricket and several other court games too. The restaurant and club area will also be refurbished and opened to the public soon. As of now, there are no memberships and everything is available on a pay-and-play basis,' a senior DDA official said. Earlier in the week, the DDA also floated a tender inviting licensed F&B operators to run the cafeteria and restaurant services in the main club building. According to the document, the scope of services includes providing catering across multiple areas—indoor restaurant, outdoor seating, and event-based buffet services—while maintaining the heritage ambience of the site. 'We are focusing on a careful revival of the Roshanara Club that balances modern expectations with its historic character. People can expect a high-quality dining experience within the preserved colonial-era architecture,' the official said. The tender document specifies that the food operator will be given a two-year licence, extendable based on performance, and will have to comply with detailed hygiene, staffing, and decor requirements in line with heritage norms. No structural changes will be allowed, and branding will be strictly regulated to ensure the old-world charm of the premises is not lost, according to the document. DDA officials said the decision to initiate F&B services was taken following multiple requests from former club members and those who used the sports facilities. The club's takeover in 2023 sparked controversy and legal back-and-forth between DDA and the former private management. Since then, the authority has stated that it intends to operate the club as a public facility with an affordable and inclusive model. Membership norms are being reworked, officials said. In 1922, Civil Lines was populated by then-British bureaucrats and the emerging Indian elite, who joined hands to set up the club on 22 acres on the western side of Roshanara Bagh. The club is renowned for hosting a meeting that led to the ideation and creation of the Board of Cricket Control Of India (BCCI). It also hosted the first test match of the country—India vs England—in 1931. According to the club website, its pre-independence members included viceroys and governor-generals. Among regular visitors were Jawaharlal Nehru, Zakir Hussain, V.V. Giri, and Dr Rajendra Prasad. Several Indian cricketers, including Kapil Dev and Virat Kohli, have played here and iconic films, such as 'Gandhi', have been shot on the premises.
Straits Times
06-06-2025
- Sport
- Straits Times
Britain's Wiggins says he owes recovery from addiction to Armstrong's support
Five-time Olympic champion Bradley Wiggins said that disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong has played a key role in his recovery from cocaine addiction, saying he feels "indebted" to the American. Last month former Tour de France winner Wiggins said he became addicted to cocaine after his retirement from the sport in 2016 and was "lucky" after getting sober a year ago. The 45-year-old described Armstrong, who was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles for doping, as a "great strength and inspiration" after receiving his support since ending his career. "Lance has been very, very good to me. That's not something everyone wants to hear because people only like to hear the bad stuff," Wiggins said in an interview with BBC Radio 5 Live on Friday. "It's on a human level. You can only take someone how they treat you. "Lance has been a source of inspiration to me and a constant source of help towards me and is one of the main factors why I'm in this position I am today mentally and physically, so, I'm indebted to him for that." Wiggins became the first Briton to win the Tour de France in 2012 and collected a then-British record eight Olympic medals, including gold in the time trial at the 2012 London Games. He is now collaborating on Armstrong's podcast The Move, where they will be covering this summer's Tour de France, and said their relationship has been grounded in mutual understanding beyond cycling. In December last year, Wiggins said Armstrong had offered to fund his therapy for mental health issues. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
