WATCH: Leaders of Yemen, Lebanon and Afghanistan speak at UNGA

It's day two of the United Nations General Assembly debate in New York, with Yemen, Lebanon, Afghanistan and Kuwait among the countries due to take part.

Yemen's speech will be the subject of particular interest. The UN has been instrumental in attempts to broker a peace deal, end the Houthi insurgency and restore the internationally recognised government.

The morning session started at 9am in New York (Coordinated Universal Time-5), and runs until 2.45pm. The afternoon session runs from 3pm until 9pm.

Watch live:

Away from the General Debate, US President Donald Trump chaired a Security Council meeting on the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Iran is expected to be the primary focus of the meeting.

Moments before speaking at the Security Council Mr Trump affirmed his commitment to a two state solution between Israel and Palestine, saying he will release his plan for a solution in two to three months.

Watch the UN Security Council live here:

A number of other major events in New York are also taking place today. They include a high-level meeting on the fight to end tuberculosis, the Bloomberg Global Business Forum and the European Union hosts a meeting on Syria.

Schedule of speakers for Wednesday, September 26

Morning

Panama

Nambia

Ghana

Estonia

Lebanon

Croatia

Yemen

Colombia

Uruguay

Tonga

Mali

Angola

Cuba

Liberia

Slovakia

Republic of Korea (South Korea)

Romania

United Kingdom

Afghanistan

Italy

Afternoon

Cabo Verde

Ukraine

Eswatini

Honduras

Kenya

Kiribati

Zimbabwe

Poland

Portugal

El Salvador

Nauru

Bolivia

Palau

Venezuela

Central African Republic

Kuwait

Luxembourg

Norway

Netherlands

__________

Read more:

UN General Assembly 2018 schedule

Day one: Donald Trump, Hassan Rouhani and Antonio Guterres speak at UNGA

How is the order of speakers at the UN General Assembly decided?

The most memorable moments of the UN General Assembly

Our legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

All you need to know about Formula E in Saudi Arabia

What The Saudia Ad Diriyah E-Prix

When Saturday

Where Diriyah in Saudi Arabia

What time Qualifying takes place from 11.50am UAE time through until the Super Pole session, which is due to end at 12.55pm. The race, which will last for 45 minutes, starts at 4.05pm.

Who is competing There are 22 drivers, from 11 teams, on the grid, with each vehicle run solely on electronic power.

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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Our family matters legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

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Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.

Electric scooters: some rules to remember

Riders must be 14-years-old or over
Wear a protective helmet
Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
Do not drive outside designated lanes

The specs: 2018 Opel Mokka X

Price, as tested: Dh84,000

Engine: 1.4L, four-cylinder turbo

Transmission: Six-speed auto

Power: 142hp at 4,900rpm

Torque: 200Nm at 1,850rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L / 100km