UAE aid 'urgently needed' in Somalia

ABU DHABI // The former president of Ghana, Jerry Rawlings, has stressed the urgent need for UAE financial aid to help with the crisis in Somalia.

Speaking on the sidelines of the Centre for Technology and Economic Development conference in the capital yesterday, Mr Rawlings said: "Africa is Africa and you don't turn down any opportunity to assist your brothers and sisters."

The two-day annual event, organised by New York University in Abu Dhabi, focused on how to enhance economic development in African countries through technology and innovation.

Food security, energy, education and health care were at the top of the agenda.

Mr Rawlings, the African Union envoy to Somalia, said he was thankful for the "occasional assistance" towards the famine but stressed the need to go beyond that.

In the past year Somalia has been plagued by famine, drought and violence from the conflict between the armed forces and the Islamist insurgent group Al Shabab, which last week announced its official allegiance to Al Qaeda.

The former military dictator who became elected president, and who ruled Ghana for two decades, said making a change would not be easy, but would be possible with aid from the UAE Government and the international community.

Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi, the Minister of Foreign Trade, who inaugurated the conference, said the Government was making big investments in the field of technology and was excited about the considerable trade opportunities Africa represents.

Non-oil trade between the Emirates and African countries more than octupled between 2001 and 2010, to US$14.5 billion (Dh53.2bn) from $1.7bn, Sheikha Lubna said.

A self-professed "techie" with a degree in computer science, Sheikha Lubna said she had seen how technology had influenced the growth of the UAE economy.

"This is something I would like Africa and other developing regions in the world to experience as well," she said.

Sheikha Lubna said many of the fastest growing nations in the world were in Africa, including Ghana, which was last year the second-fastest growing economy in the world at 13.6 per cent.

She said it was important to understand the "full spectrum" of the various African governments and industries to be able to properly adapt and optimise technology to the continent.

"This is the rationale behind today's gathering: to share our experiences as nations, governments and industry leaders in technology-enabled growth," Sheikha Lubna said.

molson@thenational.ae

Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale

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Director: Amith Krishnan

Rating: 3.5/5

Michael Young: Washington is starting to realise the limitations of its diplomatic power

Coronavirus: what the Spanish flu taught the world about how to respond to a pandemic

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Wu-Tang Clan

(36 Chambers / Entertainment One)

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.

Try out the test yourself

Q1 Suppose you had $100 in a savings account and the interest rate was 2 per cent per year. After five years, how much do you think you would have in the account if you left the money to grow?
a) More than $102
b) Exactly $102
c) Less than $102
d) Do not know
e) Refuse to answer

Q2 Imagine that the interest rate on your savings account was 1 per cent per year and inflation was 2 per cent per year. After one year, how much would you be able to buy with the money in this account?
a) More than today
b) Exactly the same as today
c) Less than today
d) Do not know
e) Refuse to answer

Q4 Do you think that the following statement is true or false? “Buying a single company stock usually provides a safer return than a stock mutual fund.”
a) True
b) False
d) Do not know
e) Refuse to answer

The “Big Three” financial literacy questions were created by Professors Annamaria Lusardi of the George Washington School of Business and Olivia Mitchell, of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Answers: Q1 More than $102 (compound interest). Q2 Less than today (inflation). Q3 False (diversification).

Company Profile

Name: JustClean

Based: Kuwait with offices in other GCC countries

Launch year: 2016

Number of employees: 130

Sector: online laundry service

Funding: $12.9m from Kuwait-based Faith Capital Holding

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
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Rating: 2/5

Three ways to get a gratitude glow

By committing to at least one of these daily, you can bring more gratitude into your life, says Ong.

During your morning skincare routine, name five things you are thankful for about yourself.
As you finish your skincare routine, look yourself in the eye and speak an affirmation, such as: “I am grateful for every part of me, including my ability to take care of my skin.”
In the evening, take some deep breaths, notice how your skin feels, and listen for what your skin is grateful for.

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Director: Ali Abbasi

Starring: Sebastian Stan, Maria Bakalova, Jeremy Strong

Rating: 3/5

Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021

Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.

The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.

These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.

“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.

“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.

“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.

“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”

Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.

There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.

“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.

“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.

“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”

Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode

Directors: Raj & DK

Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon

Rating: 4/5

Wicked

Director: Jon M Chu

Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey