Uzbekistan has launched Central Asia’s largest wind farm, developed by Abu Dhabi’s clean energy company Masdar, to boost the country's clean energy capacity.
The Zarafshan wind farm, with 500-megawatt capacity, was inaugurated by Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in the presence of Dr Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and chairman of Masdar, and Suhail Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure.
“The UAE and Uzbekistan’s enduring relationship is critical to a shared commitment to drive low-carbon socioeconomic progress and clean energy capacity growth,” said Dr Al Jaber.
“Uzbekistan has become a leading investment destination and a clean energy hub for the region as we work to deliver our shared goal of tripling global renewable energy capacity by 2030, as outlined in the historic UAE Consensus.”
Masdar has committed to invest $2 billion in clean energy projects in Uzbekistan with a total capacity of more than two gigawatts. It also has four gigawatts of renewables projects in the early stages of development in the country.
In addition, Masdar and the Uzbekistan Ministry of Energy are teaming up to develop a one-gigawatt wind farm in the Mingbulak region of the country. The two parties signed an agreement during the Cop29 climate summit in Azerbaijan last month.
Uzbekistan has ambitions to achieve 20 gigawatts of clean energy capacity by 2030 including the development of solar and wind farms and the country's first battery storage project in partnership with Masdar.
“Uzbekistan has built upon its legacy as a vital artery on the ancient Silk Road – the historic trade route uniting east and west – becoming a key hub for renewables in the region, moving at pace and at scale to develop landmark clean energy projects and attract investment,” Mohamed Al Ramahi, chief executive of Masdar, said.
Countries are boosting investment in renewable energies to cut emissions and work to limit the rise in global temperatures.
International investment in renewable energy must triple to $1.5 trillion a year by 2030 to meet global goal of tripling capacity. Despite record spending of $570 billion last year, national plans are set to deliver only half the required renewable power growth, the Abu Dhabi-based International Renewable Energy Agency said in a report this year.
To meet the global goals, installed renewable capacity needs to reach 11.2 terawatts by 2030, from the current levels of 3.9 terawatts.
Since Masdar was established in 2006, it has developed and partnered in projects in more than 40 countries, with a mandate to increase its renewable energy portfolio capacity to 100 gigawatts by 2030, from more than 30 gigawatts at present.
Last month, Masdar and China’s Silk Road Fund (SRF) signed an initial agreement to jointly invest in renewable energy projects in Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) countries, mainly in developing countries.
Under the deal, Masdar and SRF will establish a strategic partnership to pursue co-investment opportunities in renewable energy projects developed, invested in or operated by Masdar.
The Silk Road Fund plans to invest up to 20 billion yuan ($2.76 billion) in projects alongside Masdar.
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sept 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
How Islam's view of posthumous transplant surgery changed
Transplants from the deceased have been carried out in hospitals across the globe for decades, but in some countries in the Middle East, including the UAE, the practise was banned until relatively recently.
Opinion has been divided as to whether organ donations from a deceased person is permissible in Islam.
The body is viewed as sacred, during and after death, thus prohibiting cremation and tattoos.
One school of thought viewed the removal of organs after death as equally impermissible.
That view has largely changed, and among scholars and indeed many in society, to be seen as permissible to save another life.
How does ToTok work?
The calling app is available to download on Google Play and Apple App Store
To successfully install ToTok, users are asked to enter their phone number and then create a nickname.
The app then gives users the option add their existing phone contacts, allowing them to immediately contact people also using the application by video or voice call or via message.
Users can also invite other contacts to download ToTok to allow them to make contact through the app.
World ranking (at month’s end)
Jan - 257
Feb - 198
Mar - 159
Apr - 161
May - 159
Jun – 162
Currently: 88
Year-end rank since turning pro
2016 - 279
2015 - 185
2014 - 143
2013 - 63
2012 - 384
2011 - 883
CHELSEA'S NEXT FIVE GAMES
Mar 10: Norwich(A)
Mar 13: Newcastle(H)
Mar 16: Lille(A)
Mar 19: Middlesbrough(A)
Apr 2: Brentford(H)
MATCH INFO
Rugby World Cup (all times UAE)
Final: England v South Africa, Saturday, 1pm
Quick facts on cancer
- Cancer is the second-leading cause of death worldwide, after cardiovascular diseases
- About one in five men and one in six women will develop cancer in their lifetime
- By 2040, global cancer cases are on track to reach 30 million
- 70 per cent of cancer deaths occur in low and middle-income countries
- This rate is expected to increase to 75 per cent by 2030
- At least one third of common cancers are preventable
- Genetic mutations play a role in 5 per cent to 10 per cent of cancers
- Up to 3.7 million lives could be saved annually by implementing the right health
strategies
- The total annual economic cost of cancer is $1.16 trillion
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Zakat definitions
Zakat: an Arabic word meaning ‘to cleanse’ or ‘purification’.
Nisab: the minimum amount that a Muslim must have before being obliged to pay zakat. Traditionally, the nisab threshold was 87.48 grams of gold, or 612.36 grams of silver. The monetary value of the nisab therefore varies by current prices and currencies.
Zakat Al Mal: the ‘cleansing’ of wealth, as one of the five pillars of Islam; a spiritual duty for all Muslims meeting the ‘nisab’ wealth criteria in a lunar year, to pay 2.5 per cent of their wealth in alms to the deserving and needy.
Zakat Al Fitr: a donation to charity given during Ramadan, before Eid Al Fitr, in the form of food. Every adult Muslim who possesses food in excess of the needs of themselves and their family must pay two qadahs (an old measure just over 2 kilograms) of flour, wheat, barley or rice from each person in a household, as a minimum.
