Yas Waterworld and Make-A-Wish team up for charity duck dash

For a third year running, The Make-A-Wish Foundation and Yas Waterworld teamed up to raise funds for a good cause with a charity duck race on Monday, July 27.

Throughout Ramadan, rubber ducks were available to buy for Dh20 with the proceeds going toward the foundation, and buyers getting a 50 per cent discount on the entry fee into the water park on the day of the race.

Nine hundred ducks were sold and on Monday were released in the water of the Yadi Yas river in an exciting (and adorable) race.

The owner of the winning duck received an annual pass to Yas Waterworld and a one-night stay on Yas Island, while the runner-up received a gold ticket, and the third-place finisher got a silver ticket.

Last year, the Make-A-Wish Foundation granted 247 wishes to sick children throughout the UAE.

Check out The National's photo gallery of the event.

• For more on Yas Waterworld, visit www.yaswaterworld.com or to find out about Make-A-Wish UAE, check its Facebook page

elau@thenational.ae

Who is Mohammed Al Halbousi?

The new speaker of Iraq’s parliament Mohammed Al Halbousi is the youngest person ever to serve in the role.

The 37-year-old was born in Al Garmah in Anbar and studied civil engineering in Baghdad before going into business. His development company Al Hadeed undertook reconstruction contracts rebuilding parts of Fallujah’s infrastructure.

He entered parliament in 2014 and served as a member of the human rights and finance committees until 2017. In August last year he was appointed governor of Anbar, a role in which he has struggled to secure funding to provide services in the war-damaged province and to secure the withdrawal of Shia militias. He relinquished the post when he was sworn in as a member of parliament on September 3.

He is a member of the Al Hal Sunni-based political party and the Sunni-led Coalition of Iraqi Forces, which is Iraq’s largest Sunni alliance with 37 seats from the May 12 election.

He maintains good relations with former Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki’s State of Law Coaliton, Hadi Al Amiri’s Badr Organisation and Iranian officials.