A moment of tenderness amid the rubble and devastating destruction caused by war in Iraq is what has won Italian photographer Antonio Denti the Grand Prize at this year's iPhone Photography Awards.
The winning image, The Kid of Mosul, shot on an iPhone 11, shows a soldier cupping the face of a young boy in his hands, with destroyed buildings in the background. A cloud of dust hovers above the scene, the colours muted for a sombre tone.
This year marks the 15th iPhone Photography Awards and thousands of submissions were sent in from across the world.
Scroll through the gallery above to see the winning shots of the 15th iPhone Photography Awards
"Many of this year's winning shots depict beauty rising out of isolation and honour photography’s ability to build bridges across lost connections," reads the announcement.
In first place for the Photographer of the Year award is Rachel Seda from Sweden, for her image Anti-Social Distancing, which shows a man in a top hat with masks on his face and tissue wrapped around his neck like a scarf. She "turns masking up into an act of theatre", says the description.
There are three winners for each of the 16 categories, which include Abstract, Animals, Environment, Landscape, Lifestyle, Nature, People, Portrait, Still Life, Sunset and Travel.
Awarded photographers come from across the world, including Egypt, Canada, China, India, Japan, Australia, the UK and US.
On behalf of Egypt, Reem Borhan secured third place in the Still Life category. Her photo, Old Soul, depicts a cracked plate in a beige wall enclave, shot on iPhone 11 Pro in Fayoum.
Indian photographer Kaustav Sarkar won first place in the Architecture category for Shadows of History, shot on an iPhone 12 Pro. It shows the shadow of the Empire State Building stretching across buildings in New York City.
Also from India is Dimpy Bhalotia, who got third place in Lifestyle for Cycle of Life, shot on an iPhone 13 Pro Max, of two bikers in West Bengal pedalling down two parallel roads on a cloudy day.
Chinese photographer Kuanglong Zhang won second place in the Travel category for his shot of Varanasi, India, during the winter, as four boys bathe in water with sea birds circling overhead.
From the UK, Charlotte Mason-Mottram won second position in Nature for her striking shot Midnight Succulent of a green cactus against a purple wall, taken on an iPhone 7 Plus in Arizona.
American photographer Andrea Buchanan took first place in Nature for Moose in Aspen, shot on an iPhone 12 Pro Max in Utah.
Photographers from the US dominate the winning selection. Arevik Martirosyan, also from America, secured first place in the Portrait category for his Untitled image of a pensive-looking man in Los Angeles, California, shot on an iPhone 12 Pro Max.
In the Series category, American Rich Lemonie got top spot for Abandoned Blues, a series of photos of peeling, blue-hued rooms shot on iPhone 12 Pro Max in New Jersey.
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
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Profile of Tarabut Gateway
Founder: Abdulla Almoayed
Based: UAE
Founded: 2017
Number of employees: 35
Sector: FinTech
Raised: $13 million
Backers: Berlin-based venture capital company Target Global, Kingsway, CE Ventures, Entrée Capital, Zamil Investment Group, Global Ventures, Almoayed Technologies and Mad’a Investment.
Ruwais timeline
1971 Abu Dhabi National Oil Company established
1980 Ruwais Housing Complex built, located 10 kilometres away from industrial plants
1982 120,000 bpd capacity Ruwais refinery complex officially inaugurated by the founder of the UAE Sheikh Zayed
1984 Second phase of Ruwais Housing Complex built. Today the 7,000-unit complex houses some 24,000 people.
1985 The refinery is expanded with the commissioning of a 27,000 b/d hydro cracker complex
2009 Plans announced to build $1.2 billion fertilizer plant in Ruwais, producing urea
2010 Adnoc awards $10bn contracts for expansion of Ruwais refinery, to double capacity from 415,000 bpd
2014 Ruwais 261-outlet shopping mall opens
2014 Production starts at newly expanded Ruwais refinery, providing jet fuel and diesel and allowing the UAE to be self-sufficient for petrol supplies
2014 Etihad Rail begins transportation of sulphur from Shah and Habshan to Ruwais for export
2017 Aldar Academies to operate Adnoc’s schools including in Ruwais from September. Eight schools operate in total within the housing complex.
2018 Adnoc announces plans to invest $3.1 billion on upgrading its Ruwais refinery
2018 NMC Healthcare selected to manage operations of Ruwais Hospital
2018 Adnoc announces new downstream strategy at event in Abu Dhabi on May 13
Source: The National
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE
Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.
Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.
Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.
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Grand Slam Los Angeles results
Men:
56kg – Jorge Nakamura
62kg – Joao Gabriel de Sousa
69kg – Gianni Grippo
77kg – Caio Soares
85kg – Manuel Ribamar
94kg – Gustavo Batista
110kg – Erberth Santos
Women:
49kg – Mayssa Bastos
55kg – Nathalie Ribeiro
62kg – Gabrielle McComb
70kg – Thamara Silva
90kg – Gabrieli Pessanha
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants
Gulf Under 19s final
Dubai College A 50-12 Dubai College B
