'I warn friends about the risks'


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DUBAI // By the age of 8, Hoda Yaqoub knew how to examine the nutrition facts of every product she picked up at the supermarket.

She knew she could only consume one cup of boiled rice because it has just over 45 grams of carbohydrates - the daily amount prescribed by her doctor.

"It is so that I have control over diabetes, instead of it controlling me," said the Grade 11 student from Al Zahra' School in Sharjah.

Hoda, now 16, learnt she was diabetic in Grade 3. "I began to complain that I couldn't see the blackboard in class and would vomit a lot," she said. "One day, I was so tired that I fell down and my parents had to take me to the doctor."

From that day on, life has been a balancing act for the teenager, sometimes manageable, and at other times extremely challenging.

Her insulin pump is programmed to give her small doses at intervals.

"I have to count the amount of carbohydrates I take in, so I keep a book to record my diet," she said.

"I love swimming and even football, but if I play for a long time I get extremely tired."

When she sees her friends overeat, she highlights the risks and shares her experience with the disease.

Maitha Ahmed, a 16-year-old student at Fatima al Zahra School, believes she is at a risk of diabetes.

"My 17-year-old sister has diabetes and I must take care, too," she said. "I won't give up my pizzas, burgers and chocolates, but I make sure I eat in moderation."

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The specs

Engine: 1.5-litre turbo

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Torque: 230Nm

Transmission: 6-speed automatic

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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.”

UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions

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  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
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  • 600-seat auditorium
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Stree

Producer: Maddock Films, Jio Movies
Director: Amar Kaushik
Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Shraddha Kapoor, Pankaj Tripathi, Aparshakti Khurana, Abhishek Banerjee
Rating: 3.5

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
German intelligence warnings
  • 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
  • 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
  • 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250 

Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution

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1,942 teams

116 pitches

76 nations

26 UAE teams

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Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem

Director: Joseph Kosinski

Rating: 4/5

SPECS

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Power: 235hp
Torque: 350Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Price: From Dh167,500 ($45,000)
On sale: Now

The specs

Engine: Turbocharged four-cylinder 2.7-litre

Power: 325hp

Torque: 500Nm

Transmission: 10-speed automatic

Price: From Dh189,700

On sale: now

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets