Latest news with #Rebellion
ITV News
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- ITV News
Manchester to get the UK's tallest building outside of London
ITV Granada's Emma Sweeney reports on plans to build two new skyscrapers in Manchester City centre. Manchester planners have given the go-ahead for the UK's tallest skyscraper outside of London to be built in the city centre. The 76-storey 'Viadux 2' tower will stand at 246m high, which is roughly the height of 12 double decker buses. It will be home to Robert De Niro's luxury hotel and restaurant chain, Nobu, and also house 452 apartments. Manchester City Council also gave the green light for a second skyscraper nearby. But music venue, Rebellion, on Whitworth Street, says it'll be sandwiched between the two. Co-owner Alex Kostayakov says he fears complaints from new residents could impact the business: "At the very worst, we get closed down after noise complaints, and that prohibits our ability to put bands on and give them a performance base." Rebellion puts on around 220 events each year. The two skyscrapers were given approval last month, but the proposals had to go back before planners after the venue said they weren't properly consulted. Jay Taylor from the Music Venue Trust says: "Plans have proceeded for both these developments without engaging in any meaningful way with the operators of the venue, so no conversations have been had about noise, about operational choices, about footfall, about how their customers come and go. There's been no consideration to that at all." But today, concerns around the developments were considered as councillors reassessed the planning proposals and the plan was approved for a second time, as Alex Kostayakov watched on: "As a young person living in Manchester, I totally understand the need for new housing." He went on to say: "We'll have our door open, and we hope the developers talk to us." "We want to be amicable, we want to work with them, we want to co-exist alongside them, but that only works if they talk to us."
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Manchester WILL get tallest tower after council approve it second time
Manchester WILL get a new tallest tower after the council approved a 76-storey skyscraper for the second time. Developer Salboy sought the green light for its 246m-tall 'Nobu Manchester' tower last month, with the skyscraper taking its name from the luxury hotel it will house along with 452 apartments. It was set to become Manchester's tallest tower when it secured planning permission on April 10, overtaking Renaker's Plot D tower, which will be 213m tall when construction finishes. READ MORE: Girl, 13, 'topples into reservoir in front of her dad while taking photo' READ MORE: Boy, 13, beaten up by 'five men' with 'bats and weapons' on busy Manchester road But 'changes to access' to the buildings made during the planning process meant a 'perhaps overcautious' Manchester council decided to 'reconsult' neighbours, according to Dave Roscoe, a senior figure in the council's planning department. That meant the application was re-assessed in full on Thursday (May 29). After opening for consultation again, the Music Venue Trust said 'further acoustic testing should be undertaken' on nearby music venue Rebellion, which feared complaints from new residents. 'It is a long-established Mancunian cultural space, being a home for live music since 2013 and hosting in excess of 220 events annually,' a council report prepared before the meeting said of the Trust's objection. Mr Roscoe said at Thursday's town hall meeting both Rebellion and convention centre Manchester Central — which initially opposed the development — would undergo more acoustic testing to assess the effects of noise from the venues would have on Nobu Manchester. Councillors again voted to approve the development. Simon Ismail, Salboy boss, said: 'As the location of not just the tallest tower outside London but a large number of high quality affordable homes, Viadux has the potential to become a symbol of this city's aspirations and confidence in itself. Viadux now promises to shape not only Manchester's skyline for years to come, but the city's sense of identity on the global stage.' A similar situation unfolded with another apartment block nearby, set to be built on Whitworth Street West. The £118M, 44-storey tower is also near Rebellion, and the Music Venue Trust said its 'operators must be actively included, and venue operations appropriately surveyed' the same report added. 'Without consideration of the venue this proposal would have an adverse impact on the cultural organisation's ongoing viability and would result in homes with unacceptable amenity and quality,' it went on. Applications to keep restaurant, performance venue, and bar Diecast open permanently on Store Street, and a new SEND pupils' unit as William Hulme's Grammar School in Whalley Range were also approved.
The Star
2 days ago
- Health
- The Star
Salt: Essential, but requires a proper balance
It's important to maintain the right level of sodium in our body as too much or too little can both cause health problems. — TNS I have a weird habit of checking out food labels; it goes with the job. This one really grabbed my attention. It was on an electrolyte beverage and stated its case for the 1,000mg of sodium in each 16-ounce (473ml) can. 'Welcome to the Salty Rebellion,' the label reads. 'The latest science reveals we've misunderstood salt. 'Electrolytes, particularly sodium and potassium, are the driving force behind energy production in our cells, nerves, and muscles – but many of us have yet to unlock their full benefits. 'That's why we say MORE SALT, NOT LESS.' Sure enough, the nutrients (which are also electrolytes) in this beverage are salt (sodium chloride), magnesium and potassium, with some added natural flavours and stevia leaf sweetener. Electrolytes – essential minerals such as sodium, calcium, potassium and magnesium – are named for their ability to carry an electric charge when dissolved in water or other body fluids such as blood. In our bodies, they help trigger the action of nerves and the contraction of muscles. And they are crucial to keep the fluids inside and outside of our cells in balance. Sodium is the most abundant electrolyte in the body. If we have too little or too much, serious health issues can result in a hurry. Sodium is a major determinant of blood pressure, for example. So excess is not good, but neither is a deficiency. Believe it or not, science has not yet determined what amount of daily sodium is the best for everyone. Many experts say we should not exceed 2,300mg a day. Others say somewhere between 3,000 to 5,000 mg is more realistic. It's my view that one size does not fit all. Athletes and people who sweat a lot usually need more sodium. People with high blood pressure or poor kidney function generally need less. That's why a universal claim on a beverage for 'more salt, not less' is scary. ALSO READ: Salt: How low should you go? The only way to determine if you need 1,000mg of extra sodium in your diet is to count how much you're already eating in your food. Most of us have no idea. If much of your food comes in a package or from a restaurant, you can rest assured you're getting more sodium than you know. A typical fast food cheeseburger and medium order of fries, for example, contains 1,000mg of sodium, plus a fair share of potassium and magnesium. ALSO READ: The salt we didn't even know was there Unprocessed foods such as fresh produce, fresh meat, fish, poultry, eggs and dairy foods also contain sodium in much smaller amounts. And if you salt your food? One teaspoon of salt contains 2,360mg of sodium. Curious if you need that extra 1,000mg of sodium from a beverage? Check food labels for a few days and count how much sodium you really eat. No label? Look it up at USDA Food Data Central. Then talk to your healthcare provider to see if you need more or less sodium in your diet. – By Barbara Intermill/Tribune News Service Barbara Intermill is a registered dietitian nutritionist in the United States.
Reuters
3 days ago
- Business
- Reuters
Congo ex-president Kabila visits rebel-held Goma for talks, associates say
May 28 (Reuters) - Congolese former president Joseph Kabila has arrived in the rebel-held eastern city of Goma for talks with locals, three people close to him told Reuters, a month after declaring he wanted to help end the crisis in the war-ravaged region. If confirmed, the visit could complicate a U.S.-backed bid to end a rebellion by the Rwandan-backed M23 armed group in eastern Congo, which contains valuable minerals that U.S. President Donald Trump's administration is keen to help mine. Kabila, who has denied accusations by Kinshasa that he supports the M23 insurgency, agreed to step down following protests and external pressure in 2018 after almost two decades in power. He has been out of the country since late 2023, mostly in South Africa. The three people said the former president will begin holding consultations on Wednesday with citizens in Goma, which fell under the control of M23 in January during an advance that has seen the group seize more ground than ever before. The people close to Kabila said he had arrived in Goma on Sunday night. Corneille Nangaa, leader of the rebel alliance that includes M23, has also said on social media that Kabila is in Goma, though Kabila himself has not spoken and no images of him in Goma have been published. The reported visit follows a vote in the Senate in Kinshasa last week overwhelmingly in favour of lifting his immunity from prosecution over his alleged links to M23. Government spokesman Patrick Muyaya said in a briefing aired on state television Tuesday that Kabila was "positioning himself as the rebel leader" along with Rwandan President Paul Kagame. Kabila is wanted in Congo for alleged crimes against humanity for supporting the insurgency in the east, including a role in the massacre of civilians. Congo has also moved to suspend his political party and seize the assets of its leaders. In a speech on Friday evening, Kabila said Congo's justice system was being "openly exploited for political ends" and was "nothing more than an instrument of oppression" for President Felix Tshisekedi's government. Kabila, who came to power in 2001 after his father's assassination, clung to office following Congo's disputed 2018 election for almost two years through an awkward power-sharing deal with Tshisekedi. Tshisekdi cut him out at the end of 2020 by chipping away at his influence and accusing him of blocking reforms. The two men's relationship has since soured to the point that, as M23 marched on east Congo's second-largest city of Bukavu in February, Tshisekedi told the Munich Security Conference that Kabila had sponsored the insurgency. Washington is pushing for a peace agreement to be signed this summer, accompanied by minerals deals aimed at bringing billions of dollars of Western investment to the region, Massad Boulos, Trump's senior adviser for Africa, told Reuters earlier this month. The United Nations and Western governments say Rwanda has provided arms and troops to M23. Rwanda denies backing M23 and says its military has acted in self-defence against Congo's army and a militia founded by perpetrators of the 1994 genocide.
Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- General
- Hindustan Times
The fading gates of Delhi's walled past
When Mughal emperor Shah Jahan built Shahjahanabad as his new capital in the 17th century, he wrapped it in formidable walls and crowned it with 13 grand gateways. These were no mere architectural flourishes. The gates were the city's watchmen—marking entry points for traders and emperors, guiding pilgrims, and standing guard during invasions. Each gate led to a city beyond: Ajmer, Kashmir, Kabul, Lahore. Today, only four stand — Kashmere Gate, Delhi Gate, Ajmeri Gate, and Turkman Gate. The rest have been swallowed by the city's relentless sprawl. And those that survive, now choked by traffic and neglect, stand as crumbling reminders of a Delhi that has all but outgrown its own memory. 'Once proud guardians of an imperial capital, these gates now face a precarious battle against encroachments, neglect, and relentless urbanisation,' said writer and historian Sohail Hashmi. 'They have become invisible in plain sight.' Kashmere Gate: A scarred sentinel Built to lead travellers north toward Kashmir, the Kashmere Gate stands near the Inter-State Bus Terminal (ISBT) in North Delhi. It was originally a single-arch structure, modified into a two-arched gateway by the British in the early 19th century. Its location made it a key node in the colonial network, facilitating trade and administration. But the gate is also a witness to bloodshed. During the 1857 Rebellion, British forces used it as a critical access point to reclaim Delhi from the rebels. The scars of cannon fire and musket shots are still visible on its weathered red sandstone. When HT visited the site, the monument stood hemmed in by traffic and chaos. On Nicholson Road, vendors crowd the footpaths, makeshift shops lean against the gate's flanks, and buses idle behind it. Sandstone and brickwork are stained with soot and peeling with age. 'Recent restoration efforts have included signage and wheelchair ramps, but these are superficial,' said Hashmi. 'The metro station, bus terminal, and commercial encroachments have buried the historical significance of the area.' The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), which has classified the gate as a protected monument, maintains the site. Raj Kumar Patel, superintending archeologist, ASI (Delhi circle) said that on recent visit the impact of growing commercial activities around the gate has become even more apparent. 'The monument is in decent shape, but we noticed that garbage being dropped inside the monument premises from the bus stand next to it. Since it is also a low lying area, there are chances of rain water entering the area from the road, we are planning to rectify these issues as soon as possible,' he said. But conservationists argue that the weight of Delhi's infrastructure is proving too heavy a burden. Delhi Gate: A roundabout relic Built in 1638 AD, Delhi Gate once marked the route from Shahjahanabad to Mehrauli, an ancient city that predates even the Mughals. Today, it finds itself marooned at a busy intersection—where Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg meets Jawaharlal Nehru Marg—reduced to a glorified traffic island near Ambedkar Stadium. 'If you walk out of the Walled City through this gate, you'd find a clear path to Mehrauli,' Hashmi said. 'Now, all you see is a swirl of cars.' A visit revealed that signage around the gate is inadequate, and there is no pedestrian-friendly access. Its base is often submerged during monsoon rains, accelerating decay. 'This area is so commercialised now that most people don't even realise the historical significance of the gate,' said Manzar Hashmi, a Daryaganj resident. 'Waterlogging only adds to the damage.' Colloquially, the gate was once believed to be haunted—an urban legend some residents believe could have been channelled into heritage storytelling. But there's little room now for myth or memory. 'The plight of Delhi Gate,' a conservation expert noted, 'mirrors the fate of many such monuments—sidelined, neglected, and left to disappear beneath the city's wheels.' Though no major restoration has been undertaken in recent years, the gate remains under the protection of ASI. Patel said that the monument is in good shape and the focus is on its conservation. 'There are two roads next to the monument, so there is a lack of space and there is an issue of traffic congestion, so our main focus is to keep the monument in its original form,' he said. Ajmeri Gate: Lost in plain sight Ajmeri Gate, constructed in 1644, once welcomed travellers from Ajmer. It still stands, but its context has evaporated. The gate now gives its name to one of the busiest entry points to the New Delhi Railway Station, but the structure itself is barely noticed, surrounded by shops, tangled wires, and a maze of rickshaws. The original fortification walls that gave the gate its place in Shahjahanabad's defensive line are long gone. The monument, fenced off, is now a mute observer of the chaos around it. 'The roads are so busy that even getting close to the gate feels unsafe,' said Vinay Singh, a Chandni Chowk resident. 'Its connection to the Walled City has been completely severed.' Rana Safvi, historian and author, said the gate suffers from more than neglect—it has been erased from public consciousness. 'No attempt has been made to integrate it into the city's historical narrative. At the very least, civic authorities and ASI should make it accessible and known to the people.' Ajmeri Gate, too, is maintained by ASI, but heritage experts argue that physical maintenance alone is not enough when the monument has been severed from its identity. ASI officials, who asked not to be identified, blamed its proximity to the railway station for affecting the monument's upkeep. 'We are planning to visit the monument in the coming days and then, depending upon the requirement, any work required shall be taken upon,' the official said. Turkman Gate: History boxed in Turkman Gate, named after the 13th-century Sufi saint Shah Turkman Bayabani whose dargah lies nearby, is among the oldest surviving entrances to the walled city. Uniquely, it still sits in a neighbourhood that retains some of Old Delhi's flavour, surrounded by winding alleyways and dense residential clusters. But this proximity has proved a double-edged sword. Renovation work was underway when HT visited, but wires pierced the structure and political banners clung to its fencing. Shops blocked its rear view. Residents said that the tight urban fabric built up over the last 30-40 years has made proper conservation nearly impossible. The gate also carries the burden of more recent history. It was the site of a brutal demolition drive during the Emergency in 1976, when resistance to forced evictions turned violent. 'That history is not marked anywhere at the site,' said Abdul Rasheed, 68, a Chandni Chowk resident. 'Its visibility has diminished. And now it's hemmed in by the Delhi Stock Exchange and nearby shops—torn between the old and the new.' Historian Swapna Liddle added: 'Turkman Gate is one of the few gates still associated with a living community. But that doesn't make it safe. These structures are fragile. Without proper upkeep, they will not survive.' Turkman Gate currently falls under the jurisdiction of the Delhi government's department of archaeology. Sanjay Kumar Garg, head of office (archeology), in the department of Archeology said that keeping the monument encroachment free is a tedious task. 'People have lived here for centuries so the issue of encroachment is sensitive but to keep the monument in good condition, we are doing some conservation work on the monument at the moment including strengthening of pillar and overall maintenance,' he said. He added that few establishments in its vicinity are so old that they predate laws, so only through co-operation and awareness can the monument be maintained in good shape. The vanished gates of Shahjahanabad The surviving gates are only a fraction of Shahjahanabad's original 13. Others have vanished entirely—Calcutta Gate (a British-era addition), Kabuli Gate, Lahori Gate (distinct from the Red Fort's entrance), and Mori Gate were all erased during colonial restructuring and post-Independence development. Several gates along the Yamuna—Rajghat Gate, Kela Ghat Gate, Nigambodh Gate, and Khizri Gate—disappeared as the river's course shifted and infrastructure projects took over the banks. Others, like Badar Gate and Patthar Khati Gate, have been completely erased from collective memory. Farrash Khana Gate, whose historical function remains unclear, likely served a local trade route but has also vanished. 'Each lost gate tells a story of erasure,' said Hashmi. 'Sometimes by war—like Nadir Shah's 1739 invasion. Sometimes by design—like the British response to 1857. And often by sheer apathy.' A city losing its markers Historians and conservationists agree that these gates are more than stone and mortar—they are Delhi's historical waypoints. Their gradual disappearance, or descent into neglect, is a symptom of a city losing touch with its layered past. 'Authorities spend crores beautifying places like Chandni Chowk, but ignore the structures that actually define its history,' said Hashmi. 'These gates are surrounded by trash, traffic, and construction debris. Without a cohesive strategy, we are simply putting Band-Aids on broken monuments.' Liddle added: 'These are not dead artefacts. They are living monuments. Their survival depends on people recognising them as part of their own story. We need guided walks, cultural programming, community engagement—something more than a fence and a plaque.' For now, the four gates stand, their arches casting long shadows over a city too busy to look back.
