A passerby comforts a woman as she sits on a street corner near the shooting site at the Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on August 27. Two children were killed and 17 others wounded before the gunman took his own life. EPA
A passerby comforts a woman as she sits on a street corner near the shooting site at the Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on August 27. Two children were killed and 17 others wounded before the gunman took his own life. EPA
A passerby comforts a woman as she sits on a street corner near the shooting site at the Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on August 27. Two children were killed and 17 others wounded before the gunman took his own life. EPA
A passerby comforts a woman as she sits on a street corner near the shooting site at the Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on August 27. Two children were killed and 17 others wo


Is America's perennial gun problem ever going away?


The National
  • English
  • Arabic

August 29, 2025

With reference to The National's report Two children dead and 17 injured in Minneapolis school shooting (August 28): It's incredible to me that the America still has a ban on Kinder Surprise eggs because of their "potential harm" but guns are okay. What kind of a world do we live in?

Zahra H, Dubai

Back to School was just this week and we've already managed to instil anxiety all over again in a whole bunch of American children who will be afraid to enter a classroom again, and for no fault of theirs.

Faraz M, Rockford, Illinois

Tom Barrack's dubious choice of words in Lebanon

In reference to Nada Homsi's report Beauty and beast versus 'animalistic' media: Barrack and Ortagus in awkward Beirut briefing (August 26): I am surprised the media did not walk out of the room.

Amal Harb, Abu Dhabi

It may be that he's never seen his own country from the outside.

Angie Hickman, Franklin, Tennessee, US

"Act civilised... this is the problem happening in the region". His audacity is shocking in actually saying that. The biggest problem in the region is the continual interference from European nations and the US creating political lines and conditions that are unsustainable to the local populations, who have known civilisation for thousands of years longer than the west.

Shiva Naik, Dubai

An Emirati role model for young women

With regard to Shireena Al Nowais's article First Emirati to hold top UN tourism job reveals plan to unlock Africa and Latin America (August 28): This is great to see, what a remarkable inspiration to young Emirati women.

Amaal Maaki, Abu Dhabi

No limit to the worsening horrors in Gaza

In reference to the piece by Nada AlTaher and Rakan Abdel El Rahman Startling new details reveal how Gazans are lured to their deaths in aid queues (August 5): This is one of the most heartbreaking and depraved situations I have ever heard about. I can't understand how any human being can commit or condone this kind of behaviour and to have this on their conscience.

Laura May, Abu Dhabi

What kind of people commit such crimes and keep repeating them when the cost is so apparent. How is it that there is no fear of an eventual judgment and no love in their hearts or any basic humanity?

Anna Catarina Ferreira Fonseca, Lisbon, Portugal

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.”

A State of Passion

Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi

Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah

Rating: 4/5

HAJJAN
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Labour dispute

The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.


- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law 

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
RedCrow Intelligence Company Profile

Started: 2016

Founders: Hussein Nasser Eddin, Laila Akel, Tayeb Akel 

Based: Ramallah, Palestine

Sector: Technology, Security

# of staff: 13

Investment: $745,000

Investors: Palestine’s Ibtikar Fund, Abu Dhabi’s Gothams and angel investors

How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE

When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.

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Updated: August 29, 2025, 3:00 AM