Twitter was buzzing this week. From the announcement of the formation of the Islamic coalition to combat extremism to Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed’s state visit to China, events of regional importance kept users engaged. Other topics included the importance of reading and the premiere of Star Wars: The Force Awakens in Abu Dhabi.
United against terrorism
Twitter users reacted warmly to the announcement by Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi deputy crown price and defence minister, that his country would form a coalition of Islamic countries to combat extremist groups.
Many users argued that the coalition would help strengthen Muslim unity in the fight against extremism.
User @9UY tweeted: “King Salman united Muslims to stand against terrorism.”
Faisal Huraiz of SkyNews Arabia (@FaisalHuraizSKY) thought this was a smart move, tweeting that the coalition will help establish an umbrella organisation for fighting extremism.
Yaqoob Al Raisi (@PEP_144) tweeted: “This coalition helped put those countries who support terrorism in the spotlight. The kingdom did very well with this move.”
Official visit to China
Emiratis shared their thoughts on the visit of Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Price of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, to China and how the sons of the late Sheikh Zayed are following in his footsteps by having friendly relationships with countries around the world. Many users compared Sheikh Zayed’s 1990 visit to China with Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed’s trip to the Asian giant.
Ibrahim Bahzad (@ibahzad) posted on Twitter: “Mohammed bin Zayed followed the steps of his father by doing what is best for the UAE and strengthening ties with other countries.”
Aref Omar (@aref_omar) shared two photos, one of Mohammed bin Zayed in China and the other of Sheikh Zayed in the same country, and wrote: “The difference between these two photos is twenty five years of achievements.”
He added “This was a historic visit that is best for the future of the economy of both countries.”
Dr Ali Al Noaimi (@Dralnoaimi) said: “China visit shows the strategic vision of the UAE to serve the benefits of the Emirates, Gulf countries and Arabs.”
Mouza Ghubash (@MouzaGhubash) tweeted: “This is another step in the history of UAE diplomacy and the economy.”
Bookish pursuits
Reading was a big topic on Twitter this week with hashtags about the importance of reading saturating the social media platform. Many users argued that reading was the best way of expanding the horizons of the mind.
Neel wa Furat (@neelwafurat) tweeted: “Sometimes we read to escape the miseries of life.”
Haya NK (@1966_hnhn) tweeted: “Why do you eat? To nourish your body. Reading nourishes your mind.”
Rawan Al Ghamdi (@rawanalghamdi) said: “Reading is healing, reading is medicine, reading is a refuge from ignorance, grief and absence.”
Al Wsm (@wsm_1233) said: “reading is the food for the mind, it is another life to humans, it expands the horizons of knowledge and culture.”
Srean Al Thbete (@sreanalthbete88) offered an advice to parents: “We educate our kids in the best schools but we forget something very important, to teach them the love of reading.”
Al Ostora (@alostora24) argued that reading helps people understand how others think. “Reading is like going for a walk in other people’s minds.”
Hollywood blockbuster
Local Star Wars fans rejoiced at the regional premiere of the latest addition to the storied franchise.
Yaqoob Al Raisi (@PEP_144) tweeted: “Star Wars: The Force Awakens is screening at midnight in Abu Dhabi. I am as excited as a child.”
@KeepingUpWithN shared the same enthusiasm: “At the premiere of Star Wars in Abu Dhabi. So excited.”
CNN reporter Jon Jensen (@jonjensenCNN) captured the importance of the film for the UAE when he wrote: “Star Wars puts Abu Dhabi on Hollywood’s map.”
skhamis@thenational.ae
On Twitter: @SarahKhamisUAE
Is it worth it? We put cheesecake frap to the test.
The verdict from the nutritionists is damning. But does a cheesecake frappuccino taste good enough to merit the indulgence?
My advice is to only go there if you have unusually sweet tooth. I like my puddings, but this was a bit much even for me. The first hit is a winner, but it's downhill, slowly, from there. Each sip is a little less satisfying than the last, and maybe it was just all that sugar, but it isn't long before the rush is replaced by a creeping remorse. And half of the thing is still left.
The caramel version is far superior to the blueberry, too. If someone put a full caramel cheesecake through a liquidiser and scooped out the contents, it would probably taste something like this. Blueberry, on the other hand, has more of an artificial taste. It's like someone has tried to invent this drink in a lab, and while early results were promising, they're still in the testing phase. It isn't terrible, but something isn't quite right either.
So if you want an experience, go for a small, and opt for the caramel. But if you want a cheesecake, it's probably more satisfying, and not quite as unhealthy, to just order the real thing.
SPECS
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Power: 630hp
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: 8-speed Tiptronic automatic
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START-UPS IN BATCH 4 OF SANABIL 500'S ACCELERATOR PROGRAMME
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Joy: Delivers car services with affordable prices
Karaz: Helps diabetics with gamification, IoT and real-time data
Medicarri: Medical marketplace that connects clinics with suppliers
Mod5r: Makes automated and recurring investments to grow wealth
Stuck: Live, on-demand language support to boost writing
Walzay: Helps in recruitment while reducing hiring time
UAE
Eighty6: Marketplace for restaurant and supplier procurements
FarmUnboxed: Helps digitise international food supply chain
NutriCal: Helps F&B businesses and governments with nutritional analysis
Wellxai: Provides insurance that enables and rewards user habits
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Amwal: A Shariah-compliant crowd-lending platform
Deben: Helps CFOs manage cash efficiently
Egab: Connects media outlets to journalists in hard-to-reach areas for exclusives
Neqabty: Digitises financial and medical services of labour unions
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Monak: Provides financial inclusion and life services to migrants
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch auto
Fuel consumption: 10.5L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh129,999 (VX Luxury); from Dh149,999 (VX Black Gold)
The five stages of early child’s play
From Dubai-based clinical psychologist Daniella Salazar:
1. Solitary Play: This is where Infants and toddlers start to play on their own without seeming to notice the people around them. This is the beginning of play.
2. Onlooker play: This occurs where the toddler enjoys watching other people play. There doesn’t necessarily need to be any effort to begin play. They are learning how to imitate behaviours from others. This type of play may also appear in children who are more shy and introverted.
3. Parallel Play: This generally starts when children begin playing side-by-side without any interaction. Even though they aren’t physically interacting they are paying attention to each other. This is the beginning of the desire to be with other children.
4. Associative Play: At around age four or five, children become more interested in each other than in toys and begin to interact more. In this stage children start asking questions and talking about the different activities they are engaging in. They realise they have similar goals in play such as building a tower or playing with cars.
5. Social Play: In this stage children are starting to socialise more. They begin to share ideas and follow certain rules in a game. They slowly learn the definition of teamwork. They get to engage in basic social skills and interests begin to lead social interactions.
Profile Idealz
Company: Idealz
Founded: January 2018
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Size: (employees): 22
Investors: Co-founders and Venture Partners (9 per cent)
