For the past three years the world’s attention has been focused, and rightly so, on the Mediterranean refugee crisis. Few will ever forget the heartbreaking photograph of three-year-old Syrian boy Alan Kurdi, drowned and washed up on a Turkish beach in 2015.
Unscrupulous profiteers continue to ferry desperate people from Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and Africa to Europe and more than a thousand refugees have shared Alan’s fate so far this year alone. According to the United Nations’ Refugee Agency there are now 25.4 million refugees worldwide, including 6.3 million Syrians, 5.4 million Palestinians, 2.6 million Afghans and 2.4 million South Sudanese.
But to this list must now be added millions more, from an unexpected quarter.
Venezuela, transformed by the discovery of oil in the 20th century, was one of the region’s economic success stories. Today, following the collapse of oil prices in 2014, it is in meltdown. Rampant inflation is on course to hit one million per cent this year and many of its citizens are starving.
The UN says that this year more than 2.3 million Venezuelans – seven per cent – have fled, with more than half the refugees suffering from malnutrition. By some estimates, 35,000 a day are flooding into Colombia, which is struggling to cope with the one million people it has taken in since 2017. Ecuador, inundated by thousands daily, has declared a state of emergency and closed the border. In Brazil, tensions between locals and refugees are now escalating into violence.
To compound the sense that a true disaster is unfolding, the US Pentagon is to despatch a hospital ship to help with the unfolding humanitarian crisis.
Venezuela's president, Nicolas Maduro, blames the crisis on an "economic war" being waged by the US and Europe. Opponents say it is down to poor management and a failure to diversify away from reliance on oil. Whatever the cause, the crisis unfolding halfway around the world is evidence that the Middle East and North Africa have no monopoly on such tragedies.
It serves as a chilling reminder that even in the 21st century, catastrophic instability can erupt anywhere and at any time.
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
Day 1 results:
Open Men (bonus points in brackets)
New Zealand 125 (1) beat UAE 111 (3)
India 111 (4) beat Singapore 75 (0)
South Africa 66 (2) beat Sri Lanka 57 (2)
Australia 126 (4) beat Malaysia -16 (0)
Open Women
New Zealand 64 (2) beat South Africa 57 (2)
England 69 (3) beat UAE 63 (1)
Australia 124 (4) beat UAE 23 (0)
New Zealand 74 (2) beat England 55 (2)
Abu Dhabi race card
5pm Abu Dhabi Fillies Classic Prestige | Dh110,000 | 1,400m
5.30pm Abu Dhabi Colts Classic Prestige | Dh110,000 | 1,400m
6pm Abu Dhabi Championship Listed | Dh180,000 | 1,600m
6.30pm Maiden | Dh80,000 | 1,600m
7pm Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap | Dh80,000 | 1,400m
7.30pm Handicap (TB) |Dh100,000 | 2,400m
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Difference between fractional ownership and timeshare
Although similar in its appearance, the concept of a fractional title deed is unlike that of a timeshare, which usually involves multiple investors buying “time” in a property whereby the owner has the right to occupation for a specified period of time in any year, as opposed to the actual real estate, said John Peacock, Head of Indirect Tax and Conveyancing, BSA Ahmad Bin Hezeem & Associates, a law firm.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-finals, first leg
Liverpool v Roma
When: April 24, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Anfield, Liverpool
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
West Indies v England ODI series:
West Indies squad: Jason Holder (c), Fabian Allen, Devendra Bishoo, Darren Bravo, Chris Gayle, Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope, Evin Lewis, Ashley Nurse, Keemo Paul, Nicholas Pooran, Rovman Powell, Kemar Roach, Oshane Thomas.
Fixtures:
1st ODI - February 20, Bridgetown
2nd ODI - February 22, Bridgetown
3rd ODI - February 25, St George's
4th ODI - February 27, St George's
5th ODI - March 2, Gros Islet
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Racecard
5pm: Al Maha Stables – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,600m
5.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,600m
6pm: Emirates Fillies Classic – Prestige (PA) Dh100,000 (T) 1,600m
6.30pm: Emirates Colts Classic – Prestige (PA) Dh100,000 (T) 1,600m
7pm: The President’s Cup – Group 1 (PA) Dh2,500,000 (T) 2,200m
7.30pm: The President’s Cup – Listed (TB) Dh380,000 (T) 1,400m
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Votes
Total votes: 1.8 million
Ashraf Ghani: 923,592 votes
Abdullah Abdullah: 720,841 votes
