LONDON // It sounds like Harry Potter will vote for the Labour Party when the boy wizard is old enough to cast a ballot. Harry Potter author JK Rowling made a rare foray into Britain's bruising political battles today, donating £1 million (Dh6.7mln) to the struggling Labour Party and accusing the rival Conservatives of discriminating against poor parents trying to work their way out of poverty.
In a statement that referred back to the days when she was struggling to feed and clothe her family, Mrs Rowling said prime minister Gordon Brown has worked hard to reduce child poverty while conservative chief David Cameron has proposed tax changes that would hurt working single parents. "I believe that poor and vulnerable families will fare much better under the Labour Party than they would under a Cameron-led Conservative Party," said Mrs Rowling, who has become one of the world's richest and most successful authors with the unprecedented appetite for Harry Potter stories.
The Labour Party opens its annual conference trailing the resurgent Conservatives by more than 20 points in most opinion polls with an election due within two years. Mr Brown, who is trying to quash a rebellion from some members of his own party, thanked Mrs Rowling for the donation, which comes at a time when the Labour Party is saddled with extensive debts. He said he was "delighted" with her help.
Generally staying out of the political frays, Mrs Rowling is upset by Conservative tax plans that she said would increase benefits for married couples without helping single parents. "David Cameron's promise of tax perks for the married is reminiscent of the Conservative government I experienced as a lone parent." Mrs Rowling said. "It sends the message that the Conservatives still believe a childless, dual-income, but married couple is more deserving of a financial pat on the head than those struggling, as I once was, to keep their families afloat in difficult times."
British newspapers this year estimated Rowling's wealth at £560 million. * AP
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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.
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“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.
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Emirates and Etihad fly to Johannesburg or Cape Town daily. Flights cost from about Dh3,325, with a flying time of 8hours and 15 minutes. From there, fly South African Airlines or Air Namibia to Namibia’s Windhoek Hosea Kutako International Airport, for about Dh850. Flying time is 2 hours.
The stay
Wilderness Little Kulala offers stays from £460 (Dh2,135) per person, per night. It is one of seven Wilderness Safari lodges in Namibia; www.wilderness-safaris.com.
Skeleton Coast Safaris’ four-day adventure involves joining a very small group in a private plane, flying to some of the remotest areas in the world, with each night spent at a different camp. It costs from US$8,335.30 (Dh30,611); www.skeletoncoastsafaris.com
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