Rowdy MPs bring shame to India

Some of the recent events in the Indian parliament - when legislators resorted to physical violence and used pepper spray on colleagues - over the creation of a new state called Telangana marked a new low in the country's parliamentary democracy and etiquette. If the leaders behave in this manner, what can one expect from demonstrators on the street?
Rajendra K Aneja, Dubai
Don't spare those who drive under the influence
Drink driving should not be tolerated under any circumstance (Call for legal crackdown on drivers in UAE who kill, February 19).
However, the authorities should also understand that in some fatal accidents, the driver is not completely at fault. For instance, a pedestrian suddenly moves in front of a car and the driver hits him or her. In such cases, it is actually the driver who becomes a victim.
On the other hand, those who drink and drive, regardless of whether they cause an accident or not, should be punished. A driver needs to be focused and have responsibility.
Drink driving is a serious offence and should not be dealt with lightly.
Moreover, instead of safety campaigners and authorities asking for stiffer penalties to be imposed against traffic offenders, they should ban the consumption and sale of alcohol across the country.
Fatima Suhail, Abu Dhabi
In my humble opinion, a person who drives under the influence of alcohol is a criminal as he knows that by doing so he is breaking the law, but he chooses to do it anyway. That's like saying it is OK for shisha cafe owners to sell shisha even though a law has been passed banning it in certain areas.
Laws are made for a reason. They are there to protect the citizens and residents of a nation, but if the sentence is weak, those inclined to break the law will continue to do so knowing their sentence won't be long and when they are released, they are more than likely to repeat the same behaviour.
Name withheld by request
I wonder how many people have responded to the article while driving.
Drink driving is just a minority act compared to the habitual lane changing, using phones, speeding, having ill-maintained cars, lack of driver training and competence, arrogance shown by certain people, tailgating, having children running around inside and on the driver, lack of indicators, using hazard lights to stop where ever you want, double parking at corners, dropping people off on highways, school buses ignoring road rules, impatience and so on. Do I need to go on?
Mat Kennedy, Dubai
I am commenting on the news report FNC members have mixed reaction to lowering driving age in UAE (February 17).
I think age, to a degree, is irrelevant. It is ultimately the training and quality of the driver that matters.
There are more than enough older people who should not be allowed on the road.
Brett Pearson, Abu Dhabi
Rolling Stones gave their best
This concert was the best performance that has ever taken place at the du Arena (Rolling Stones show knowledge of UAE as they rock Yas Island arena, February 21). Those "wrinkly rockers" put musicians half their age to shame.
John Campbell, Abu Dhabi
The review of the concert, The Rolling Stones thrill Abu Dhabi (February 22), mentions some of the "glaring omissions". That's a bit harsh for a band that had so many hits to choose from that they couldn't possibly play them all.
If I'm half as fit as Mick Jagger when I reach 70, then I'll be a lucky woman indeed. It was outstanding.
The only sad part was the two merchandise stalls. They could have had rows of them and sold so much more.
Lesley Cully, Dubai
I was intrigued to read that 60-year-old Briton, John Francis of Al Ain, had "first watched The Rolling Stones in Richmond when they had not yet had their first hit record" (Rolling Stones show knowledge of UAE as they rock Yas Island arena, February 21).
That would have been in 1963, when Mr Francis was 10 years old. Interesting. Did he sneak into the Crawdaddy Club at that age, or did they play at his Primary School fete?
Gareth Jones, Abu Dhabi
The concert was great. But there was no proper arrangement for transportation.If Yas or the du Arena cannot manage and organise transportation for fans, then perhaps they should not go for such a big concert.
We waited for two hours and there wasn't one taxi in sight. This is unacceptable. How are we supposed to get home?
Homa Vafaie Farley, Abu Dhabi

How to avoid crypto fraud

Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.

On Women's Day

Dr Nawal Al-Hosany: Why more women should be on the frontlines of climate action

Shelina Janmohamed: Why shouldn't a spouse be compensated fairly for housework?

Samar Elmnhrawy: How companies in the Middle East can catch up on gender equality

The National Editorial: Is there much to celebrate on International Women's Day 2021?

Married Malala

Malala Yousafzai is enjoying married life, her father said.

The 24-year-old married Pakistan cricket executive Asser Malik last year in a small ceremony in the UK.

Ziauddin Yousafzai told The National his daughter was ‘very happy’ with her husband.

Sole survivors

Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.

How will Gen Alpha invest?

Mark Chahwan, co-founder and chief executive of robo-advisory firm Sarwa, forecasts that Generation Alpha (born between 2010 and 2024) will start investing in their teenage years and therefore benefit from compound interest.

“Technology and education should be the main drivers to make this happen, whether it’s investing in a few clicks or their schools/parents stepping up their personal finance education skills,” he adds.

Mr Chahwan says younger generations have a higher capacity to take on risk, but for some their appetite can be more cautious because they are investing for the first time. “Schools still do not teach personal finance and stock market investing, so a lot of the learning journey can feel daunting and intimidating,” he says.

He advises millennials to not always start with an aggressive portfolio even if they can afford to take risks. “We always advise to work your way up to your risk capacity, that way you experience volatility and get used to it. Given the higher risk capacity for the younger generations, stocks are a favourite,” says Mr Chahwan.

Highlighting the role technology has played in encouraging millennials and Gen Z to invest, he says: “They were often excluded, but with lower account minimums ... a customer with $1,000 [Dh3,672] in their account has their money working for them just as hard as the portfolio of a high get-worth individual.”

BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES

(All games 4-3pm kick UAE time) Bayern Munich v Augsburg, Borussia Dortmund v Bayer Leverkusen, Hoffenheim v Hertha Berlin, Wolfsburg v Mainz , Eintracht Frankfurt v Freiburg, Union Berlin v RB Leipzig, Cologne v Schalke , Werder Bremen v Borussia Monchengladbach, Stuttgart v Arminia Bielefeld