‘We are living in the age of the mega-crises,” declared UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon. Speaking at an event in Dubai, he was attempting to draw attention to a massive funding gap in humanitarian aid. The needs are great today because the past decade has witnessed conflicts on a scale unrecalled since the conclusion of the Second World War. There is, of course, Syria, but also a range of crises that don’t show up daily on social media newsfeeds.
Though Mr Ban was speaking of humanitarian needs, his worries need to be placed in a wider context. They are really about how to order the world. And to do this requires – more than money – a new way of thinking. After 1945, there developed a consensus in the West over how relations between states should be conducted. It would involve respect for national sovereignty and diplomacy and a particular interpretation of individual liberty. The Soviet Union, of course, had other ideas. But the consensus was eventually vindicated as echoes from the fall of the Berlin Wall reverberated across the world.
While the old challenges were predicated on differences in ideas and ideologies, our crises today have more varied antecedents. We have a global problem over the availability of clean water, and sometimes just any kind of water. And though many cities such as Los Angeles and Tokyo have cleaned up their air, it almost seems as if the problem has only been transferred to the developing world. Then, there is the hopelessness of bad economics that has launched millions across the world in search of work – too often illegally, too many times through the agency of human traffickers. And with this wave of humanity are also refugees from failed states. For this we might be tempted to blame that old nemesis, an uncompromising ideology. Yet in truth, the self-styled “caliphate” that ISIL represents, for example, offers nothing close to an idea, only a dogma of nihilism to propagate fear and terror.
We shall need to consider anew how to arrange for the virtue of nations and states. It is a thought, but given how the world has of late been coming to Abu Dhabi to discuss issues from security to sustainability, could we not be the locus of an accretion of new thinking to shape the future? As the influence of traditional metropolises such as Washington and London wanes, we can surely expect to see the testing of fresh solutions in new centres. In fact, the Abu Dhabi Consensus does have a nice ring to it.
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Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
if you go
The flights
Flydubai flies to Podgorica or nearby Tivat via Sarajevo from Dh2,155 return including taxes. Turkish Airlines flies from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Podgorica via Istanbul; alternatively, fly with Flydubai from Dubai to Belgrade and take a short flight with Montenegro Air to Podgorica. Etihad flies from Abu Dhabi to Podgorica via Belgrade. Flights cost from about Dh3,000 return including taxes. There are buses from Podgorica to Plav.
The tour
While you can apply for a permit for the route yourself, it’s best to travel with an agency that will arrange it for you. These include Zbulo in Albania (www.zbulo.org) or Zalaz in Montenegro (www.zalaz.me).
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MATCH INFO
Norwich 0
Watford 2 (Deulofeu 2', Gray 52')
Red card: Christian Kabasele (WatforD)
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
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Starring: Colin Farrell, Cristin Milioti, Rhenzy Feliz
Creator: Lauren LeFranc
Rating: 4/5
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.
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions