Shiite rallies demanding the release of Abdulhadi Al Khawaja have often led to clashes with Bahrain security forces.
Shiite rallies demanding the release of Abdulhadi Al Khawaja have often led to clashes with Bahrain security forces.

Bahrain says Al Khawaja is fed fluids and not in critical state

Bahrain's government however issued medical details saying Mr Al Khawaja showed no signs of critical problems and is taking fluids.

Associated Press

April 12, 2012

MANAMA // Denmark's prime minister has urged Bahrain to release a jailed activist with dual citizenship, saying he's in "very critical" condition after a two-month hunger strike.

But the Gulf kingdom denies his health is failing.

Abdulhadi Al Khawaja, 52, and seven other opposition leaders were sentenced to life in prison for anti-state crimes last year in a special security court created after Bahrain imposed martial law to quell political unrest. Bahrain's majority Shiites began an uprising in February last year seeking a greater political voice.

The Danish prime minister, Helle Thorning-Schmidt, said: "What we're hearing now is that Al Khawaja's condition is very critical. And we continue our efforts at all levels".

Bahrain's government however issued medical details saying Mr Al Khawaja showed no signs of critical problems and is taking fluids.

International pressure on the Gulf state has been stepped up after a judicial panel last week refused Denmark's request to take custody of Mr Al Khawaja.

Human rights organisations have urged Bahrain to free him immediately because of fears he could die. A statement issued on Tuesday by Amnesty International in London said the activist's "health is rapidly deteriorating as he passes his 60th day of hunger strike".

Mr Al Khawaja, 52, is a former Middle East and North Africa director of the Frontline Defenders Rights organisation in Ireland. He has been refusing food since February 8.

Bahrain's opposition supporters have been staging daily rallies for Mr Al Khawaja's release, frequently clashing with security forces. The demonstrations have fuelled rising tensions in the kingdom less than two weeks before it is to stage the Formula One grand prix race - its premier international event that was cancelled last year because of the political unrest.

Mr Al Khawaja was arrested last April during a government crackdown on dissent. At least 50 people have died in 14 months of unrest.

Mobs with iron rods and sticks ransacked a supermarket belonging to a major Shiite-owned business group yesterday, a company official said, as part of a spike in violence in retaliation for a bomb attack on police. The attack appeared to be linked to a wave of reprisals and intimidation by suspected Sunni groups angered by the 14-month uprising by Bahrain's Shiite majority.

Which honey takes your fancy?

Al Ghaf Honey

The Al Ghaf tree is a local desert tree which bears the harsh summers with drought and high temperatures. From the rich flowers, bees that pollinate this tree can produce delicious red colour honey in June and July each year

Sidr Honey

The Sidr tree is an evergreen tree with long and strong forked branches. The blossom from this tree is called Yabyab, which provides rich food for bees to produce honey in October and November. This honey is the most expensive, but tastiest

Samar Honey

The Samar tree trunk, leaves and blossom contains Barm which is the secret of healing. You can enjoy the best types of honey from this tree every year in May and June. It is an historical witness to the life of the Emirati nation which represents the harsh desert and mountain environments

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3. Primoz Roglic (SLV) Jumbo-Visma same time 

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BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES

SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities

Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails

Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies

Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments

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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.
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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.

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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.

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  • The zone is jointly overseen by the US-led United Nations Command and North Korea.
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  • Panmunjom is 52km north of the Korean capital Seoul and 147km south of Pyongyang, North Korea’s capital.
  • Former US president Bill Clinton visited Panmunjom in 1993, while Ronald Reagan visited the DMZ in 1983, George W. Bush in 2002 and Barack Obama visited a nearby military camp in 2012. 
  • Mr Trump planned to visit in November 2017, but heavy fog that prevented his helicopter from landing.
Real estate tokenisation project

Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.

The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.

Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.

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