UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has appealed to the world to help Pakistan as he arrived in the country on Friday to assess the devastation caused by months of floods that have left half a million people living in tents.
Mr Guterres's trip comes less than two weeks after he appealed for $160 million in emergency funding to assist Pakistanis affected by the monsoon rains and floods that have caused at least $10 billion in damages and killed 1,391 people.
International aid is arriving, including the first planeload of aid from the US, which pledged $30m in assistance.
“I have arrived in Pakistan to express my deep solidarity with the Pakistani people after the devastating floods here,” Mr Guterres said. “I appeal for massive support from the international community as Pakistan responds to this climate catastrophe,” he said on Twitter.”
Last week, the UN chief issued a stern warning about the effects of climate change.
“Let’s stop sleepwalking toward the destruction of our planet by climate change,” he said in a video message at the time. “Today, it is Pakistan. Tomorrow, it could be your country.”
Pakistan’s Information Minister Maryam Aurangzeb thanked the UN chief for visiting the country at a time when, she said, one third of Pakistan was underwater. She said she wanted the visit to help to elevate the crisis for flood victims at a global level.
“The visit will also help in realising the consequences of the deadly effects of climate change,” she said.
Ms Aurangzeb urged the international community to step up efforts to help poor countries affected by floods and natural disasters.
Mr Guterres will be briefed by Pakistani officials about the flood damage before addressing a news conference with Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif in Islamabad on Friday, she said.
So far, UN agencies and several countries have sent about 60 planeloads of aid. Authorities said the UAE was one of the most generous contributors, having sent 26 planes carrying aid for flood victims.
The US said it would provide $30 million in assistance to help flood victims.
The floods have affected more than 3.3 million people across Pakistan.
Heritages sites have also been damaged, including Mohenjo Daro, a Unesco World Heritage Site considered one of the best-preserved ancient urban settlements in southern Asia.
The ruins near the Indus River were discovered in 1922 and to this day, mystery surrounds the disappearance of a civilisation dating back 4,500 years to around the same time as ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia.
The UN heritage agency announced an emergency amount of $350,000 on Thursday to help flood-damaged cultural heritage sites to recover.
Mr Guterres was received on his arrival by Deputy Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar and is expected to meet Mr Sharif and other government and military officials.
Before the UN chief’s arrival, Mr Sharif told a visiting American diplomat that the world should step up its fight against climate change to avoid more deadly flooding.
Derek Chollet, a senior State Department official, was visiting Islamabad to assess the damage and arrange aid. Mr Chollet said the US would stand by Pakistan and help it rebuild.
The first American plane carrying aid is set to arrive in the country on Friday, according to Pakistan officials, who said Washington was setting up a humanitarian aid air bridge to deliver much-needed relief for flood victims.
Since June, heavy rains and floods have added new burdens to cash-strapped Pakistan and highlighted the disproportionate effect of climate change on impoverished populations.
Pakistan is responsible for only 0.4 per cent of the world’s historic emissions responsible for climate change, experts have said. The US is responsible for 21.5 per cent, China for 16.5 per cent and the EU 15 per cent.
The floods in Pakistan have also injured 12,722 people, destroyed thousands of kilometres of roads, toppled bridges and damaged schools and hospitals, according to the National Disaster Management Agency.
THE SPECS
Aston Martin Rapide AMR
Engine: 6.0-litre V12
Transmission: Touchtronic III eight-speed automatic
Power: 595bhp
Torque: 630Nm
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SPECS
Engine: Two-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 235hp
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Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
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Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
MATCH INFO
First Test at Barbados
West Indies won by 381 runs
Second Test at Antigua
West Indies won by 10 wickets
Third Test at St Lucia
February 9-13
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Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
match info
Chelsea 2
Willian (13'), Ross Barkley (64')
Liverpool 0
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FINAL RECKONING
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed
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Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion
The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.
Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".
The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.
He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.
"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.
As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.
Farage on Muslim Brotherhood
Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.
The specs: 2018 Chevrolet Trailblazer
Price, base / as tested Dh99,000 / Dh132,000
Engine 3.6L V6
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power 275hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque 350Nm @ 3,700rpm
Fuel economy combined 12.2L / 100km
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
The Bio
Hometown: Bogota, Colombia
Favourite place to relax in UAE: the desert around Al Mleiha in Sharjah or the eastern mangroves in Abu Dhabi
The one book everyone should read: 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It will make your mind fly
Favourite documentary: Chasing Coral by Jeff Orlowski. It's a good reality check about one of the most valued ecosystems for humanity
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Muslim Council of Elders condemns terrorism on religious sites
The Muslim Council of Elders has strongly condemned the criminal attacks on religious sites in Britain.
It firmly rejected “acts of terrorism, which constitute a flagrant violation of the sanctity of houses of worship”.
“Attacking places of worship is a form of terrorism and extremism that threatens peace and stability within societies,” it said.
The council also warned against the rise of hate speech, racism, extremism and Islamophobia. It urged the international community to join efforts to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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United States
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Constant Variable (CVT)
Power: 141bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: Dh64,500
On sale: Now
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EKinetic%207%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202018%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Rick%20Parish%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Abu%20Dhabi%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Clean%20cooking%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%2410%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Self-funded%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
