It doesn't take much to sway us teenagers. We can be quite cynical, but the world of celebrities is exempt from our misgivings. Girls with a fondness for glossy magazines are quite prone to this. All we need to see is Kristen Stewart or Kim Kardashian sporting something that could be outrageously unwearable in daily life, and we go tearing off to scour the high street for imitations. Whatever all the celebs are doing got them fame and sackfuls of money, therefore they must be doing something right, and therefore their advice is advice we should be heeding.
In my home country, India, a television series has been causing quite a stir. The Bollywood actor Aamir Khan, besides starring in box office smashers such as Lagaan and 3 Idiots, has begun exploring the less glitzy small screen. His show Satyamev Jayate (Truth Alone Prevails) seems to have been watched and loved by every Indian I know, including the teenagers in Dubai. Essentially an Oprah-esque talk show, it explores a different problem facing the country in each episode - female foeticide, a lack of public facilities for the disabled and food poisoning because of excessive use of pesticides and fungicides on crops.
Usually, teenagers wouldn't be seen dead with our TV set playing a programme with a title that translates to "truth alone prevails". The only thing that name could pass as moderately cool for would be a New Age alternative music group.
However, we tuned in because we have all watched Khan play likeable, funny roles in his movies. We have seen him propound an education system where you don't have to study things you dislike. We have smiled indulgently as, in classic Bollywood style, he danced around in the movie-studio rain, singing lustily to his girlfriend. And so if he is hosting a talk show that promises to bring India's many social problems to light, it must be worth a watch.
And it was certainly worth a watch. The show makes you realise the giant scale of the dilemmas the world is having to battle. Not all the problems he explores are specific to the region. Alcoholism is universal. "Honour killings" not only occur in South Asia, but in the United Kingdom, too, albeit usually by families of Asian origin. It's reasonable to envisage a scene where a mother and father don't approve of their daughter's choice of boyfriend or husband. Parents rarely do. What is unbelievable is that parents are murdering their own child for "bringing dishonour upon the family", and these murders are more widespread than you might think.
It is pleasing to see a prominent personality with a loyal fan base making an effort to bring about much-needed change. Encouraging the discussion of sensitive issues such as child sexual abuse, in a sometimes-conservative society, will hopefully help propel us to a world where the next generation of teenagers will be able to lead more secure lives. It's far off, but perhaps they'll inherit a world where truth alone prevails - however sanctimonious that may sound.
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
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
THE BIO
Bio Box
Role Model: Sheikh Zayed, God bless his soul
Favorite book: Zayed Biography of the leader
Favorite quote: To be or not to be, that is the question, from William Shakespeare's Hamlet
Favorite food: seafood
Favorite place to travel: Lebanon
Favorite movie: Braveheart
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
yallacompare profile
Date of launch: 2014
Founder: Jon Richards, founder and chief executive; Samer Chebab, co-founder and chief operating officer, and Jonathan Rawlings, co-founder and chief financial officer
Based: Media City, Dubai
Sector: Financial services
Size: 120 employees
Investors: 2014: $500,000 in a seed round led by Mulverhill Associates; 2015: $3m in Series A funding led by STC Ventures (managed by Iris Capital), Wamda and Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority; 2019: $8m in Series B funding with the same investors as Series A along with Precinct Partners, Saned and Argo Ventures (the VC arm of multinational insurer Argo Group)
The five pillars of Islam
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
more from Janine di Giovanni
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
UAE%20ILT20
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UK's plans to cut net migration
Under the UK government’s proposals, migrants will have to spend 10 years in the UK before being able to apply for citizenship.
Skilled worker visas will require a university degree, and there will be tighter restrictions on recruitment for jobs with skills shortages.
But what are described as "high-contributing" individuals such as doctors and nurses could be fast-tracked through the system.
Language requirements will be increased for all immigration routes to ensure a higher level of English.
Rules will also be laid out for adult dependants, meaning they will have to demonstrate a basic understanding of the language.
The plans also call for stricter tests for colleges and universities offering places to foreign students and a reduction in the time graduates can remain in the UK after their studies from two years to 18 months.