A UAE-based non-profit is bringing light to people in need. Founded by Sheikha Shamma bint Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, Beacon of Hope UAE provides children in impoverished countries with solar light boxes.
“This light kit is disassembled,” said Sarah Bawazir, a Beacon of Hope board member. “So the kids in war torn or impoverished areas get together in a workshop and actually make their own solar rechargeable LED lights.”
Beacon of Hope aims to not only provide children with important light sources but to also teach them about solar energy and electronics.
The organisation has already helped more than 7,000 children in nine countries. It has sent missions, to Yemen, Jordan, Iraq, Liberia, Morocco, Tanzania, Somalia, Djibouti and Puerto Rico.
Where there is life, there is hope, said Ms Bawazir. “And we want to get that message across and empower children in disadvantaged areas, build their confidence in making them want to build their communities sustainably in the future.”
Beacon of Hope UAE is committed to making an impact on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The UN’s SDGs are a set of environmental and education-based targets that may help ensure a better future for the world.
The organisation provides educational material developed by youth in the UAE targeting the SDGs.
Ms Bawazir recently travelled to the United Nations General Assembly in New York where she spoke at the Solutions Summit.
The UAE initiative was also represented at the UN Social Good Summit and was chosen to be amongst 1,000 solutions presented to the UN Foundation.
hopes the international exposure will help it find new partners so it can expand and create new projects that can improve the lives of children in need.
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FINAL RECKONING
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg
Rating: 4/5
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House-hunting
Top 10 locations for inquiries from US house hunters, according to Rightmove
- Edinburgh, Scotland
- Westminster, London
- Camden, London
- Glasgow, Scotland
- Islington, London
- Kensington and Chelsea, London
- Highlands, Scotland
- Argyll and Bute, Scotland
- Fife, Scotland
- Tower Hamlets, London
UK's plans to cut net migration
Under the UK government’s proposals, migrants will have to spend 10 years in the UK before being able to apply for citizenship.
Skilled worker visas will require a university degree, and there will be tighter restrictions on recruitment for jobs with skills shortages.
But what are described as "high-contributing" individuals such as doctors and nurses could be fast-tracked through the system.
Language requirements will be increased for all immigration routes to ensure a higher level of English.
Rules will also be laid out for adult dependants, meaning they will have to demonstrate a basic understanding of the language.
The plans also call for stricter tests for colleges and universities offering places to foreign students and a reduction in the time graduates can remain in the UK after their studies from two years to 18 months.
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Libya's Gold
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
What are the main cyber security threats?
Cyber crime - This includes fraud, impersonation, scams and deepfake technology, tactics that are increasingly targeting infrastructure and exploiting human vulnerabilities.
Cyber terrorism - Social media platforms are used to spread radical ideologies, misinformation and disinformation, often with the aim of disrupting critical infrastructure such as power grids.
Cyber warfare - Shaped by geopolitical tension, hostile actors seek to infiltrate and compromise national infrastructure, using one country’s systems as a springboard to launch attacks on others.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
