Sam Warburton was delighted to make an impact on his return to the starting line-up as Wales kept themselves in the Six Nations title hunt with a 28-18 win over Scotland at Murrayfield.
Wales hooker Richard Hibbard scored the only try of the game, with fullback Leigh Halfpenny adding the conversion and seven penalties.
Scotland’s only points came courtesy of six penalties from scrum-half Greig Laidlaw, in a game dominated by the whistle of referee Craig Joubert.
Flanker Warburton did not start Wales’ wins over France and Italy but his return to the starting XV saw him produce one of his best performances of the season, boosting his British and Irish Lions aspirations.
He told BBC1: “It’s a brilliant win and we are so pleased. We knew it would be tough as it is always tough up here but we are delighted with the win.
“I did not really feel I had a point to prove, I just wanted to get straight back in and make sure we won.
“We are lucky to have a fantastic squad which is very competitive and I am glad to be back in a winning team.
“[Assistant coach] Shaun Edwards has emphasised our defence every week, he is a superb defence coach and he wanted us to stop Scotland, and we are delighted to have gone another game without conceding a try.”
After three straight wins Wales will now face England in a title decider at the Millennium Stadium next Saturday. Warburton said: “We have 24 hours to relax and then we will start looking forward to England on Monday.”
Scotland became increasingly annoyed with Joubert’s interpretations during the course of the second half, particularly at the scrum and breakdown area.
But interim head coach Scott Johnson was not prepared to criticise the South African official.
He said: "I am frustrated but I have said in the dressing room we have to acknowledge our ills.
“It is easy to criticise one man, but we have to look at ourselves and understand what we are doing wrong.
“We showed great heart and great resolve but we have to look at ourselves rather than at anyone else.
“I don’t want to coach a side that apportions blame to someone else, we will go back and have a look and if we have to make changes we will do so, but we will go to Paris next weekend to compete.”
In the later match, deflated Ireland captain Jamie Heaslip was left to rue his side's inability to hold off a France fightback as the sides drew 13-13 in an attritional encounter in Dublin.
Ireland had forged into a 13-3 half-time lead on the back of a powerful forward display, with Heaslip getting their try and fly-half Paddy Jackson adding the conversion and two long-range penalties.
But Les Bleus hit back as Morgan Parra added a penalty to Frederic Michalak's three-pointer, before outstanding No 8 Louis Picamoles barged over and Michalak converted to level the scores.
The result is unlikely to ease the pressure on Ireland coach Declan Kidney.
And Heaslip told BBC1: "It probably wasn't the prettiest game to watch but I think the score reflected the game. There was not much between the teams but they came back strong in the last 20 minutes. It was a very tough game.
"Picamoles took his chance well at the end and did well despite our best efforts and we took our opportunities when they came."
Heaslip also refused to criticise the decision not to award Ireland a potential match-winning penalty late on.
Wing Keith Earls was eased out of his chase for a try in the right-hand corner by France replacement Vincent Debaty.
Referee Steve Walsh referred the decision to the video official, but no penalty was given.
Heaslip said: "From what I saw, Keith got bumped a bit but they went upstairs, the video referee called it as he did and you have to get on with it."
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THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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.”
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
BORDERLANDS
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis
Director: Eli Roth
Rating: 0/5
The%20specs
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SPECS
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The years Ramadan fell in May
The years Ramadan fell in May
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The biog
Name: Mohammed Imtiaz
From: Gujranwala, Pakistan
Arrived in the UAE: 1976
Favourite clothes to make: Suit
Cost of a hand-made suit: From Dh550
Company%20profile
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Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
JOKE'S%20ON%20YOU
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Results
3pm: Maiden Dh165,000 (Dirt) 1,400m, Winner: Lancienegaboulevard, Adrie de Vries (jockey), Fawzi Nass (trainer).
3.35pm: Maiden Dh165,000 (Turf) 1,600m, Winner: Al Mukhtar Star, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass.
4.10pm: Handicap Dh165,000 (D) 2,000m, Winner: Gundogdu, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer.
4.45pm: Handicap Dh185,000 (T) 1,200m, Winner: Speedy Move, Sean Kirrane, Satish Seemar.
5.20pm: Handicap Dh185,000 (D) 1,600m, Winner: Moqarrar, Dane O’Neill, Erwan Charpy.
5.55pm: Handicap Dh175,000 (T) 1,800m, Winner: Dolman, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
Company%20Profile
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World ranking (at month’s end)
Jan - 257
Feb - 198
Mar - 159
Apr - 161
May - 159
Jun – 162
Currently: 88
Year-end rank since turning pro
2016 - 279
2015 - 185
2014 - 143
2013 - 63
2012 - 384
2011 - 883