War and humour do not mix easily. There is nothing funny about suffering, but comedy and conflict formed a unique partnership at a special fundraising event held in London last week to raise crucial awareness of international peace-building. While election fever swept through the UK and millions of people took to the polls, a 600-strong crowd poured into London's Bloomsbury Theatre for Are You Taking the Peace?, a sell-out evening of light-hearted and irreverent live performances with a serious agenda. Featuring the Bafta winner Will Andrews, the stand-up Stewart Lee, Adam Buxton, who is a BBC radio presenter and half of The Adam and Joe Show, and Tim Key, the winner of a 2009 Edinburgh Comedy Award, this was comedy with a difference - not least because none of the comedians were paid for their time.
"We live in a manifestly unfair world, riven by war, famine, disease and monstrous inequality," says Alistair Barrie, the show's compère and a rising comedy star. "The one way humanity has always coped with the horrors it surrounds itself with is by laughing at them, and that's at least something we all have in common. Does comedy change anything? Probably not, but it's a great way to raise money and awareness, and that is what changes things."
Organised by International Alert, an independent "peace-building" group, the event was designed to promote understanding of conflict and make the idea of peace-building more accessible. Arguing that peace needs to precede other aid efforts to lift people out of poverty and that saving a peace agreement is the first step on the path of a peace process, International Alert operates in more than 20 war-affected countries, including Rwanda, Nepal, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Georgia.
"Communities need extended peace-building to stop the peace process from breaking down," says Dan Smith, International Alert's secretary general. "For a peace process to work, it needs to engage with ordinary people." Are You Taking the Peace? is one of many events that Alert organises, including presenting the European premiere of the documentary War Don Don as part of this year's Human Rights Watch Film Festival. Not In Our Name, a benefit concert given by the singer and composer Barb Jungr in which she sang about conflict and the desire for peace, was preceded by a reception to underline the complex relationship between armed conflict and climate change.
"We need public support for our work," says Smith, "and reach out in many ways. Comedy attracts an audience that we would otherwise find it hard to access." For some of the performers at the Bloomsbury, the challenge was to improvise ways to connect their brands of humour with the idea of peace. "English humour can be quite sharp, almost violent," says Smith. "Comedians with self-awareness reflect on the interesting tension this produces."
Nowhere was this more evident than in Lee's routine, If You Prefer a Milder Comedian, Please Ask for One. In between shouting, ranting, and even singing, Lee made the audience laugh with his characteristic hostility directed at sometimes surprisingly inoffensive targets, such as a coffee shop barista, berated for failing to accept Lee's "loyalty" card. The BBC's Top Gear presenters were branded hate figures and people who move to rural areas for a better quality of life were taken down with vitriol.
"War is a grave issue and peace a commendable goal," says Lee, "but nothing is sacrosanct in terms of humour and we hope a light night will still produce some serious results and recognition of Alert's work." Barrie agrees. "Having seen the fantastic work International Alert does, I was very pleased to be able to help - although I have drawn the line at running a marathon for them." He adds: "The downside for me was going on after the brilliant Dan Smith, who invariably addresses some terrible issue that the charity is working to alleviate."
For the audience, the mix of social commentary and social conscience proved irresistible. "If I'm honest, I wouldn't have come to an event supporting peace unless I'd been familiar with the names of the bill," says Keira Finch, who was in the audience. "But I'm glad I came. The comics were in top form and I felt good knowing that I was supporting something worthwhile." Balancing the audience's concern with genocide in Rwanda and its excitement at seeing Lee doing his routine "is a pretty inexact science", according to Barrie. "But the quality of the comedians involved can only be good for the charity. The fact that the show sold out means that more money is raised, more email addresses are collected and people are made more aware of the issues."
The change that International Alert is striving for involves working with governments, world leaders, the EU and the UN to shape policy. "Decision-makers need to fully understand the practical consequences of their decisions and agendas in conflict regions," says Smith. Alert's projects include an outreach programme in Lebanon, which began last year. Focusing on young and emerging leaders in Lebanese politics and society, the organisers hope to achieve peace by promoting dialogue and increasing co-operation between individuals with diverse political standpoints.
Elsewhere, the organisation is working to engage the private sector in support of improved public security. In Nepal, for example, equitable economic recovery is seen as fundamental to consolidating peace. "Most people have a gloomy view of the world," says Smith. "In the polls that we have commissioned, many of those questioned believe that there are more wars going on around the world than there are in reality.
"When you are subjected to a bombardment of images, you forget about places that have been torn apart and have repaired themselves. We see and deal with some of the worst aspects of the world and yet we remain optimistic as we know progress is being made."
The Bio
Hometown: Bogota, Colombia
Favourite place to relax in UAE: the desert around Al Mleiha in Sharjah or the eastern mangroves in Abu Dhabi
The one book everyone should read: 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It will make your mind fly
Favourite documentary: Chasing Coral by Jeff Orlowski. It's a good reality check about one of the most valued ecosystems for humanity
Brighton 1
Gross (50' pen)
Tottenham 1
Kane (48)
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DRIVERS' CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
1. Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari) 171 points
2. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-GP) 151
3. Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes-GP) 136
4. Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull Racing) 107
5. Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari) 83
6. Sergio Perez (Force India) 50
7. Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing) 45
8. Esteban Ocon (Force India) 39
9. Carlos Sainz (Torro Rosso) 29
10. Felipe Massa (Williams) 22
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PSA DUBAI WORLD SERIES FINALS LINE-UP
Men’s:
Mohamed El Shorbagy (EGY)
Ali Farag (EGY)
Simon Rosner (GER)
Tarek Momen (EGY)
Miguel Angel Rodriguez (COL)
Gregory Gaultier (FRA)
Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY)
Nick Matthew (ENG)
Women's:
Nour El Sherbini (EGY)
Raneem El Welily (EGY)
Nour El Tayeb (EGY)
Laura Massaro (ENG)
Joelle King (NZE)
Camille Serme (FRA)
Nouran Gohar (EGY)
Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG)
MATCH INFO
Argentina 47 (Tries: Sanchez, Tuculet (2), Mallia (2), De La Fuente, Bertranou; Cons: Sanchez 5, Urdapilleta)
United States 17 (Tries: Scully (2), Lasike; Cons: MacGinty)
World Test Championship table
1 India 71 per cent
2 New Zealand 70 per cent
3 Australia 69.2 per cent
4 England 64.1 per cent
5 Pakistan 43.3 per cent
6 West Indies 33.3 per cent
7 South Africa 30 per cent
8 Sri Lanka 16.7 per cent
9 Bangladesh 0
The Gandhi Murder
- 71 - Years since the death of MK Gandhi, also christened India's Father of the Nation
- 34 - Nationalities featured in the film The Gandhi Murder
- 7 - million dollars, the film's budget
What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
- Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
- Tourism industry knowledge.
- Professional ethics.
Uefa Nations League: How it works
The Uefa Nations League, introduced last year, has reached its final stage, to be played over five days in northern Portugal. The format of its closing tournament is compact, spread over two semi-finals, with the first, Portugal versus Switzerland in Porto on Wednesday evening, and the second, England against the Netherlands, in Guimaraes, on Thursday.
The winners of each semi will then meet at Porto’s Dragao stadium on Sunday, with the losing semi-finalists contesting a third-place play-off in Guimaraes earlier that day.
Qualifying for the final stage was via League A of the inaugural Nations League, in which the top 12 European countries according to Uefa's co-efficient seeding system were divided into four groups, the teams playing each other twice between September and November. Portugal, who finished above Italy and Poland, successfully bid to host the finals.
Company profile
Name: Thndr
Started: October 2020
Founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: pre-seed of $800,000
Funding stage: series A; $20 million
Investors: Tiger Global, Beco Capital, Prosus Ventures, Y Combinator, Global Ventures, Abdul Latif Jameel, Endure Capital, 4DX Ventures, Plus VC, Rabacap and MSA Capital
'Nightmare Alley'
Director:Guillermo del Toro
Stars:Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara
Rating: 3/5
How to get exposure to gold
Although you can buy gold easily on the Dubai markets, the problem with buying physical bars, coins or jewellery is that you then have storage, security and insurance issues.
A far easier option is to invest in a low-cost exchange traded fund (ETF) that invests in the precious metal instead, for example, ETFS Physical Gold (PHAU) and iShares Physical Gold (SGLN) both track physical gold. The VanEck Vectors Gold Miners ETF invests directly in mining companies.
Alternatively, BlackRock Gold & General seeks to achieve long-term capital growth primarily through an actively managed portfolio of gold mining, commodity and precious-metal related shares. Its largest portfolio holdings include gold miners Newcrest Mining, Barrick Gold Corp, Agnico Eagle Mines and the NewMont Goldcorp.
Brave investors could take on the added risk of buying individual gold mining stocks, many of which have performed wonderfully well lately.
London-listed Centamin is up more than 70 per cent in just three months, although in a sign of its volatility, it is down 5 per cent on two years ago. Trans-Siberian Gold, listed on London's alternative investment market (AIM) for small stocks, has seen its share price almost quadruple from 34p to 124p over the same period, but do not assume this kind of runaway growth can continue for long
However, buying individual equities like these is highly risky, as their share prices can crash just as quickly, which isn't what what you want from a supposedly safe haven.
The specs
Price, base / as tested Dh1,100,000 (est)
Engine 5.2-litre V10
Gearbox seven-speed dual clutch
Power 630bhp @ 8,000rpm
Torque 600Nm @ 6,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined 15.7L / 100km (est)
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
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Miss Granny
Director: Joyce Bernal
Starring: Sarah Geronimo, James Reid, Xian Lim, Nova Villa
3/5
(Tagalog with Eng/Ar subtitles)
The Buckingham Murders
Starring: Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ash Tandon, Prabhleen Sandhu
Director: Hansal Mehta
Rating: 4 / 5
More on Yemen's civil war
Diriyah%20project%20at%20a%20glance
%3Cp%3E-%20Diriyah%E2%80%99s%201.9km%20King%20Salman%20Boulevard%2C%20a%20Parisian%20Champs-Elysees-inspired%20avenue%2C%20is%20scheduled%20for%20completion%20in%202028%3Cbr%3E-%20The%20Royal%20Diriyah%20Opera%20House%20is%20expected%20to%20be%20completed%20in%20four%20years%3Cbr%3E-%20Diriyah%E2%80%99s%20first%20of%2042%20hotels%2C%20the%20Bab%20Samhan%20hotel%2C%20will%20open%20in%20the%20first%20quarter%20of%202024%3Cbr%3E-%20On%20completion%20in%202030%2C%20the%20Diriyah%20project%20is%20forecast%20to%20accommodate%20more%20than%20100%2C000%20people%3Cbr%3E-%20The%20%2463.2%20billion%20Diriyah%20project%20will%20contribute%20%247.2%20billion%20to%20the%20kingdom%E2%80%99s%20GDP%3Cbr%3E-%20It%20will%20create%20more%20than%20178%2C000%20jobs%20and%20aims%20to%20attract%20more%20than%2050%20million%20visits%20a%20year%3Cbr%3E-%20About%202%2C000%20people%20work%20for%20the%20Diriyah%20Company%2C%20with%20more%20than%2086%20per%20cent%20being%20Saudi%20citizens%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The%20specs%3A%20Panamera%20Turbo%20E-Hybrid
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The UAE squad for the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games
The jiu-jitsu men’s team: Faisal Al Ketbi, Zayed Al Kaabi, Yahia Al Hammadi, Taleb Al Kirbi, Obaid Al Nuaimi, Omar Al Fadhli, Zayed Al Mansoori, Saeed Al Mazroui, Ibrahim Al Hosani, Mohammed Al Qubaisi, Salem Al Suwaidi, Khalfan Belhol, Saood Al Hammadi.
Women’s team: Mouza Al Shamsi, Wadeema Al Yafei, Reem Al Hashmi, Mahra Al Hanaei, Bashayer Al Matrooshi, Hessa Thani, Salwa Al Ali.
UAE%20set%20for%20Scotland%20series
%3Cp%3EThe%20UAE%20will%20host%20Scotland%20for%20a%20three-match%20T20I%20series%20at%20the%20Dubai%20International%20Stadium%20next%20month.%3Cbr%3EThe%20two%20sides%20will%20start%20their%20Cricket%20World%20Cup%20League%202%20campaigns%20with%20a%20tri-series%20also%20involving%20Canada%2C%20starting%20on%20January%2029.%3Cbr%3EThat%20series%20will%20be%20followed%20by%20a%20bilateral%20T20%20series%20on%20March%2011%2C%2013%20and%2014.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
SPECS
Mini John Cooper Works Clubman and Mini John Cooper Works Countryman
Engine: two-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Transmission: nine-speed automatic
Power: 306hp
Torque: 450Nm
Price: JCW Clubman, Dh220,500; JCW Countryman, Dh225,500
Gran Gala del Calcio 2019 winners
Best Player: Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus)
Best Coach: Gian Piero Gasperini (Atalanta)
Best Referee: Gianluca Rocchi
Best Goal: Fabio Quagliarella (Sampdoria vs Napoli)
Best Team: Atalanta
Best XI: Samir Handanovic (Inter); Aleksandar Kolarov (Roma), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Kalidou Koulibaly (Napoli), Joao Cancelo (Juventus*); Miralem Pjanic (Juventus), Josip Ilicic (Atalanta), Nicolo Barella (Cagliari*); Fabio Quagliarella (Sampdoria), Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus), Duvan Zapata (Atalanta)
Serie B Best Young Player: Sandro Tonali (Brescia)
Best Women’s Goal: Thaisa (Milan vs Juventus)
Best Women’s Player: Manuela Giugliano (Milan)
Best Women’s XI: Laura Giuliani (Milan); Alia Guagni (Fiorentina), Sara Gama (Juventus), Cecilia Salvai (Juventus), Elisa Bartoli (Roma); Aurora Galli (Juventus), Manuela Giugliano (Roma), Valentina Cernoia (Juventus); Valentina Giacinti (Milan), Ilaria Mauro (Fiorentina), Barbara Bonansea (Juventus)
The%20Sandman
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The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh219,000
On sale: Now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
