• A young girl was rescued by an Emirati team, along with her brother, sister and mother. All photos: Wam
    A young girl was rescued by an Emirati team, along with her brother, sister and mother. All photos: Wam
  • The Emirati search and rescue teams are part of Operation Gallant Knight/2
    The Emirati search and rescue teams are part of Operation Gallant Knight/2
  • The family was pulled from the rubble beneath what used to be their house
    The family was pulled from the rubble beneath what used to be their house
  • The rescue operation lasted more than five hours
    The rescue operation lasted more than five hours
  • The Emirati search and rescue teams are assisting in finding people trapped beneath the rubble
    The Emirati search and rescue teams are assisting in finding people trapped beneath the rubble
  • The boy rescued along with his two sisters and mother
    The boy rescued along with his two sisters and mother
  • Search and rescue teams from all over the world have rushed to assist after the earthquake
    Search and rescue teams from all over the world have rushed to assist after the earthquake
  • Since Monday, thousands of buildings have collapsed, many in the middle of the night, leaving people with little chance to escape
    Since Monday, thousands of buildings have collapsed, many in the middle of the night, leaving people with little chance to escape
  • As time goes on, the urgency of finding victims trapped under the rubble intensifies
    As time goes on, the urgency of finding victims trapped under the rubble intensifies

UAE

UAE team rescue Syrian family trapped under Turkey earthquake rubble

A mother was rescued along with her son and two daughters from what remained of their house

Sarah Forster
Sarah Forster

February 08, 2023

  • English
  • Arabic

Follow the latest news on the earthquake in Turkey and Syria

Emirati search and rescue teams have pulled a Syrian family of four from the rubble in Turkey after earthquakes rocked the region this week.

Under Operation Gallant Knight/2, the team recovered a mother, her son and two daughters from what remained of their house.

The search focused on the Kahramanmaras area and took more than five hours to complete.

Medical teams rushed to attend to the injured family before they were transferred to a hospital in Turkey.

Friends and family of the rescued family were at the site where the house collapsed, according to state news agency Wam, which was with the Emirati rescue team at the time.

The rescue brought a rare moment of joy during a disaster that has so far killed more than 11,200 people.

Nearly 9,000 people have died in Turkey and tens of thousands have been injured by the earthquake in Gaziantep, according to figures from Afad, Turkey’s disaster and emergency authority.

The disaster is now the world's worst earthquake since a 9.1-magnitude tremor and tsunami struck Japan and South-East Asia in March 2011, killing nearly 20,000.

The combined death toll in Turkey and Syria now exceeds 11,000.

More than 900 buildings were damaged in the city of Gaziantep alone.

Aid collected in Dubai to be sent to earthquake victims: in pictures

  • Volunteers fill boxes at Homeward Bound, Al Quoz, Dubai, at in a collection point run by the Turkish consulate. All photos: Chris Whiteoak / The National
    Volunteers fill boxes at Homeward Bound, Al Quoz, Dubai, at in a collection point run by the Turkish consulate. All photos: Chris Whiteoak / The National
  • The collection drive is being sponsored by Turkish Airlines
    The collection drive is being sponsored by Turkish Airlines
  • Members of the public delivered goods to the warehouse all day on Wednesday
    Members of the public delivered goods to the warehouse all day on Wednesday
  • Officials urged donors to bring warm clothing as temperatures plunge in southern Turkey
    Officials urged donors to bring warm clothing as temperatures plunge in southern Turkey
  • Hundreds, if not thousands, of people turned out to help over the course of the day
    Hundreds, if not thousands, of people turned out to help over the course of the day
  • Of particular concern to aid workers is the humanitarian crisis that will result from the earthquake
    Of particular concern to aid workers is the humanitarian crisis that will result from the earthquake
  • Volunteers packing aid boxes in Al Quoz, Dubai, for survivors of the earthquake
    Volunteers packing aid boxes in Al Quoz, Dubai, for survivors of the earthquake
Destroyer

Director: Karyn Kusama

Cast: Nicole Kidman, Toby Kebbell, Sebastian Stan

Rating: 3/5 

UAE release: January 31 

Various Artists 
Habibi Funk: An Eclectic Selection Of Music From The Arab World (Habibi Funk)
​​​​​​​

Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion

The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.

Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".

The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.

He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.

"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.

As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.

Walls

Louis Tomlinson

3 out of 5 stars

(Syco Music/Arista Records)

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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More on Quran memorisation:
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How to become a Boglehead

Bogleheads follow simple investing philosophies to build their wealth and live better lives. Just follow these steps.

•   Spend less than you earn and save the rest. You can do this by earning more, or being frugal. Better still, do both.

•   Invest early, invest often. It takes time to grow your wealth on the stock market. The sooner you begin, the better.

•   Choose the right level of risk. Don't gamble by investing in get-rich-quick schemes or high-risk plays. Don't play it too safe, either, by leaving long-term savings in cash.

•   Diversify. Do not keep all your eggs in one basket. Spread your money between different companies, sectors, markets and asset classes such as bonds and property.

•   Keep charges low. The biggest drag on investment performance is all the charges you pay to advisers and active fund managers.

•   Keep it simple. Complexity is your enemy. You can build a balanced, diversified portfolio with just a handful of ETFs.

•   Forget timing the market. Nobody knows where share prices will go next, so don't try to second-guess them.

•   Stick with it. Do not sell up in a market crash. Use the opportunity to invest more at the lower price.

MATCH INFO

Newcastle United 2 (Willems 25', Shelvey 88')

Manchester City 2 (Sterling 22', De Bruyne 82')

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.”

RACE CARD

5pm: Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Racing Festival Purebred Arabian Cup Conditions (PA); Dh 200,000 (Turf) 1,600m
5.30pm: Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Cup Conditions (PA); Dh 200,000 (T) 1,600m
6pm: Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan National Day Cup Listed (TB); Dh 380,000 (T) 1,600m
6.30pm: Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan National Day Group 3 (PA); Dh 500,000 (T) 1,600m
7pm: Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan National Day Jewel Crown Group 1 (PA); Dh 5,000,000 (T) 2,200m
7.30pm: Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Racing Festival Handicap (PA); Dh 150,000 (T) 1,400m
8pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh 100,000 (T); 1,400m

EA Sports FC 25
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Abu Dhabi traffic facts

Drivers in Abu Dhabi spend 10 per cent longer in congested conditions than they would on a free-flowing road

The highest volume of traffic on the roads is found between 7am and 8am on a Sunday.

Travelling before 7am on a Sunday could save up to four hours per year on a 30-minute commute.

The day was the least congestion in Abu Dhabi in 2019 was Tuesday, August 13.

The highest levels of traffic were found on Sunday, November 10.

Drivers in Abu Dhabi lost 41 hours spent in traffic jams in rush hour during 2019

 

The biog

From: Ras Al Khaimah

Age: 50

Profession: Electronic engineer, worked with Etisalat for the past 20 years

Hobbies: 'Anything that involves exploration, hunting, fishing, mountaineering, the sea, hiking, scuba diving, and adventure sports'

Favourite quote: 'Life is so simple, enjoy it'

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England World Cup squad

Eoin Morgan (capt), Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler (wkt), Tom Curran, Liam Dawson, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, James Vince, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood

Our commentary on Brexit
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Updated: February 09, 2023, 5:09 AM
TurkeySyriaUAE