President Sheikh Mohamed has celebrated the achievements of young people. Photo: UAE Presidential Court
President Sheikh Mohamed has celebrated the achievements of young people. Photo: UAE Presidential Court
President Sheikh Mohamed has celebrated the achievements of young people. Photo: UAE Presidential Court
President Sheikh Mohamed has celebrated the achievements of young people. Photo: UAE Presidential Court

President Sheikh Mohamed urges nation's youth to help build better future


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President Sheikh Mohamed has paid tribute to the "ambition and achievements" of the nation's next generation in a message to mark International Youth Day.

The UAE leader highlighted the crucial role young people have to play in forging a “better future for all” and said the Emirates remained committed to providing a launch pad for their aspirations.

The UAE has long placed a strong emphasis on harnessing the potential of its youth and to equip them with the tools to serve as the leaders of tomorrow.

“On International Youth Day, we celebrate the ambition and achievements of youth in fostering a better future for all,” Sheikh Mohamed said in a message on X.

“Recognising their important role in our nation’s continued advancement, the UAE remains committed to empowering youth to serve as leaders in their communities and contribute to our collective progress.”

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, said the UAE's youth were at the heart of the country's progressive vision.

"To all our youth, the sons and daughters of the homeland, we say: You are the fuel, the spirit, and the driving force of our progress," Sheikh Mohammed said on X.

The UAE is investing heavily in education to help shape the country's brightest young minds and is promoting careers of the future in sectors such as coding and artificial intelligence.

The country also has a ministerial position in its Cabinet dedicated to championing young people.

International Youth Day, established by the UN in 2000, is observed on August 12 each year.

This year's event aims to shine a light on the efforts of young people around the world in helping countries achieve sustainable development goals and their work in bringing about change in their communities.

Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed, chairwoman of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, spoke about the capability of young people to change the world for the better, the emirate's media office reported.

"Through their creativity, effortless ease as communicators and spirit of collaboration, the youth are redefining progress, making it more inclusive, inventive and responsive to the challenges the world faces," she said.

Across the UAE, she added, "young people are transforming global challenges into local opportunities, weaving hope into policy and progress into the fabric of daily life".

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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Starring: Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Maia Kealoha, Chris Sanders

Director: Dean Fleischer Camp

Rating: 4.5/5

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Buy a four-person Family & Friends ticket and pay for only three tickets, so the fourth family member is free

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Dir: Eleanor Coppola
Starring: Alec Baldwin, Diane Lane, Arnaud Viard
Two stars

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Uefa Nations League: How it works

The Uefa Nations League, introduced last year, has reached its final stage, to be played over five days in northern Portugal. The format of its closing tournament is compact, spread over two semi-finals, with the first, Portugal versus Switzerland in Porto on Wednesday evening, and the second, England against the Netherlands, in Guimaraes, on Thursday.

The winners of each semi will then meet at Porto’s Dragao stadium on Sunday, with the losing semi-finalists contesting a third-place play-off in Guimaraes earlier that day.

Qualifying for the final stage was via League A of the inaugural Nations League, in which the top 12 European countries according to Uefa's co-efficient seeding system were divided into four groups, the teams playing each other twice between September and November. Portugal, who finished above Italy and Poland, successfully bid to host the finals.

Common OCD symptoms and how they manifest

Checking: the obsession or thoughts focus on some harm coming from things not being as they should, which usually centre around the theme of safety. For example, the obsession is “the building will burn down”, therefore the compulsion is checking that the oven is switched off.

Contamination: the obsession is focused on the presence of germs, dirt or harmful bacteria and how this will impact the person and/or their loved ones. For example, the obsession is “the floor is dirty; me and my family will get sick and die”, the compulsion is repetitive cleaning.

Orderliness: the obsession is a fear of sitting with uncomfortable feelings, or to prevent harm coming to oneself or others. Objectively there appears to be no logical link between the obsession and compulsion. For example,” I won’t feel right if the jars aren’t lined up” or “harm will come to my family if I don’t line up all the jars”, so the compulsion is therefore lining up the jars.

Intrusive thoughts: the intrusive thought is usually highly distressing and repetitive. Common examples may include thoughts of perpetrating violence towards others, harming others, or questions over one’s character or deeds, usually in conflict with the person’s true values. An example would be: “I think I might hurt my family”, which in turn leads to the compulsion of avoiding social gatherings.

Hoarding: the intrusive thought is the overvaluing of objects or possessions, while the compulsion is stashing or hoarding these items and refusing to let them go. For example, “this newspaper may come in useful one day”, therefore, the compulsion is hoarding newspapers instead of discarding them the next day.

Source: Dr Robert Chandler, clinical psychologist at Lighthouse Arabia

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Updated: August 12, 2025, 2:18 PM