Dr Ahmed Al Tayeb, Grand Imam of Al Azhar, said recent extreme weather events must lead to action on climate change. AP
Dr Ahmed Al Tayeb, Grand Imam of Al Azhar, said recent extreme weather events must lead to action on climate change. AP
Dr Ahmed Al Tayeb, Grand Imam of Al Azhar, said recent extreme weather events must lead to action on climate change. AP
Dr Ahmed Al Tayeb, Grand Imam of Al Azhar, said recent extreme weather events must lead to action on climate change. AP

Grand Imam of Al Azhar calls for climate action amid flooding and record heatwaves


Rory Reynolds
  • English
  • Arabic

Deadly flooding and heatwaves around the world must be followed by action on climate change, the Grand Imam of Al Azhar, Dr Ahmed Al Tayeb, has said.

"The recent flooding and record rise in temperatures around the world, which have caused hundreds of deaths and displaced many more, should reinforce the need for serious action towards combating climate change and safeguarding humanity from this undeniable threat," he wrote on Twitter.

Dr Al Tayeb is the latest senior religious figure to warn of the risks of failing to act.

In April, as US President Joe Biden held a summit of global leaders to gain commitments to tackle climate change, Pope Francis said the world was "at the edge" of an abyss.

"Both the global catastrophes, Covid and climate change, prove that we do not have time to wait," he said.

China's worst floods in centuries and a deadly heatwave in Canada, where the mercury hit 49ºC last month, are the latest catastrophes linked to rising global temperatures.

In Germany this month, nearly 200 people died and bridges and homes were destroyed when torrential rain led to fast-moving floods in the Rhineland states.

Earlier this month, the EU announced several climate change proposals aimed at pushing the bloc towards becoming carbon neutral by 2050.

The draft measures include effectively banning the sale of petrol and diesel cars within 20 years, and taxing jet fuel.

But it is feared the proposals, likely to push up the cost of flights and household heating, could be bogged down in negotiations for years.

In November, heads of state from across the globe will meet in Glasgow, Scotland, for the UN Cop26 climate summit to hammer out fresh commitments for action.

There are already fears that countries are struggling to find common ground, which a meeting of 50 environment ministers in London on Sunday was due to tackle.








Tearful appearance

Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday. 

Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow. 

She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.

A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.

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Name: Abeer Al Bah

Born: 1972

Husband: Emirati lawyer Salem Bin Sahoo, since 1992

Children: Soud, born 1993, lawyer; Obaid, born 1994, deceased; four other boys and one girl, three months old

Education: BA in Elementary Education, worked for five years in a Dubai school

 

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Company name: Suraasa

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The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

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The schedule

December 5 - 23: Shooting competition, Al Dhafra Shooting Club

December 9 - 24: Handicrafts competition, from 4pm until 10pm, Heritage Souq

December 11 - 20: Dates competition, from 4pm

December 12 - 20: Sour milk competition

December 13: Falcon beauty competition

December 14 and 20: Saluki races

December 15: Arabian horse races, from 4pm

December 16 - 19: Falconry competition

December 18: Camel milk competition, from 7.30 - 9.30 am

December 20 and 21: Sheep beauty competition, from 10am

December 22: The best herd of 30 camels

Scorecard

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K Coetzer 95, J Siddique 3-49, R Mustafa 3-35

UAE 224-3 in 43,5 overs

C Suri 67, B Hameed 63 not out

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How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
  1. Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
  2. Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
  3. Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
  4. Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
  5. Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
  6. The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
  7. Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269

*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Updated: July 25, 2021, 5:56 PM`