Britain is planning to test its public emergency alert system across all mobile phone networks later this month.
Millions of people across the UK will receive a "siren-like" warning on their phones which would provide information about how to stay safe in the event of a potential emergency.
Here's what we know about the plans so far:
What is it?
On Sunday, April 23, mobile phones and some tablets across all four UK nations will emit a ten-second blast to test the new public alert system.
The alerts will appear on the home screens of people’s devices, accompanied by a loud warning sound and vibration.
Up to 90 per cent of phones are expected to receive the alarm which will sound even if their device is on silent. Devices that are turned off, in airplane mode or connected to 2G or 3G networks will likely not receive the message.
Phone users will be unable to use other features on their devices unless they acknowledge the alert.
Why is it being introduced?
The system – modelled after similar schemes in the US, Canada, the Netherlands and Japan – is intended to be used in life-threatening situations including flooding and wildfires.
It has previously been used by the UK's Environment Agency to warn about the threat of flooding, but will now be rolled out across Britain.
The UAE uses a similar system for alerts about extreme weather events, while some American states use the alert system to send notifications about natural disasters and missing children.
Lord Harris, who is chairman of the National Preparedness Commission, claims that "many lives" could have been saved during the Grenfell Tower disaster had a similar system been in place.
"The fire commander simply had no means of communicating with the residents of the block living 20 floors above the fire. That system could have done that for him", he told the BBC's Today programme.
Why are people worried?
Charities and other public interest groups have raised numerous concerns about the forthcoming tests.
The RAC has warned that the alarm will be a major distraction for unsuspecting motorists and could put road users in danger.
The UK government advice states drivers should not attempt to respond to the noise until they have stopped their vehicle in a safe location.
Women's charities also say they are concerned that the alarm could reveal the whereabouts of second phones belonging to vulnerable domestic violence victims.
Can it be switched off?
Users can opt out of the alerts in their phone's system settings, although some say this varies by device and is not entirely straightforward.
Government advice states that people should keep the alerts switched on for their own safety and claims that no data will be collected or shared.
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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.
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.”
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Troy Payne, head chef at Abu Dhabi’s newest healthy eatery Sanderson’s in Al Seef Resort & Spa, says singles need to change their mindset about how they approach the supermarket.
“They feel like they can’t buy one cucumber,” he says. “But I can walk into a shop – I feed two people at home – and I’ll walk into a shop and I buy one cucumber, I’ll buy one onion.”
Mr Payne asks for the sticker to be placed directly on each item, rather than face the temptation of filling one of the two-kilogram capacity plastic bags on offer.
The chef also advises singletons not get too hung up on “organic”, particularly high-priced varieties that have been flown in from far-flung locales. Local produce is often grown sustainably, and far cheaper, he says.
