As Thursday mornings go, this one had not been at all bad. I was up in excellent time but quickly decided that it would be cutting things too fine to squeeze in a visit to the gym – not an uncommon conclusion, I must confess, but one that always leaves me feeling jolly good about life.
Instead, I put the kettle on, poured myself a large glass of orange juice and settled down with the newspaper. Big mistake. Almost immediately, my morning began to unravel, as I was forced to confront my impending and premature demise. I probably shouldn’t say this, given my line of work, but the best advice I can offer is to leave newspapers well alone. They ruin everything. Even orange juice.
Beaming out from the news pages was a report that scientists from the French National Institute for Health and Medical Research have discovered that drinking one glass of orange juice a day may eventually kill you. More than 100,000 people were analysed over a nine-year period for this study, which, though inconclusive (a point we must cling valiantly to), suggests that a daily intake of 100ml of fruit juice could increase the risk of cancer by 12 per cent.
It transpires that fruit juice is actually just as bad for us as fizzy drinks. “When the group of sugary drinks was split into 100 per cent fruit juices and other sugary drinks, the consumption of both beverage types was associated with a higher risk of overall cancer,” the report states.
By now, and despite all that potentially lethal sugar washing about in my glass, each sip was tasting increasingly bitter. I was becoming anxious, as I began to think about the many thousands – or was it tens of thousands? – of glasses of orange juice I must have enjoyed over the years. If only I’d gone to the gym instead, rather than sitting here killing myself, gulp by pulpy gulp.
From somewhere, though, I found new resolve. I pushed on, finished the glass and very nearly poured myself another. It was a petty rebellion, really, witnessed by no-one, but it was a stand I felt I needed to make. Haven’t we all got quite enough to worry about without being made to feel guilty for drinking a glass of orange juice with breakfast?
Haven't we all got quite enough to worry about without being made to feel guilty for drinking a glass of orange juice with breakfast
As ever, I blame newspapers. This report, no doubt extremely long and complicated, was published in the British Medical Journal, which no one who doesn't own a stethoscope should be reading. If it wasn't for over-eager reporters, you know, doing their jobs properly, none of us would have to think about this stuff. But the information is out there now, so think about it we must.
The first thing to note is that there are reports like this all of the time. The list of things that have been linked to cancer in recent years includes caffeine, chocolate, eggs, mouthwash and peanut butter. In 2013, two US doctors selected at random 50 ingredients from The Boston Cooking-School Cook Book and discovered that 40 of them had been included in studies about cancer risk or prevention. And just to confuse matters further, the UK's National Health Service actually states that a glass of fruit juice counts towards our "five-a-day" intake of fruit and vegetables. So who knows what to believe?
We are being fed far too much information when, surely, the most sensible thing to do is stick to the age-old maxim, “everything in moderation”. Even Dr Mathilde Touvier, the scientist who led the research, agrees: “As usual with nutrition, the idea is not to avoid foods, just to balance the intake.”
Don’t drink two litres of soda every day, then, but, by all means, enjoy a can of Coke at lunch or a glass of orange juice before work, so long as you’re also eating a balanced diet and doing some exercise. The choice is often presented as stark. Is it a diet of McDonald’s for you? Or a diet of purified water and lentils? But there can – and must – be a compromise. The vast majority of us have realised this.
Studies such as these, though no doubt useful to the scientific community, only complicate what should be straightforward decisions for the public. I don’t want to spend my days obsessively checking ingredients to see if something is good or bad for me. I’d rather get on with the business of enjoying life, sugary drinks and all. As a doctor wrote in a British newspaper last week: “The question is whether we really want to spend every day focusing on ensuring we spend a few extra years in a nursing home at the end of our lives.” I’ll raise a glass of orange juice to that.
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
RESULT
Valencia 3
Kevin Gameiro 21', 51'
Ferran Torres 67'
Atlanta 4
Josip Llicic 3' (P), 43' (P), 71', 82'
The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
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The UAE is the fourth-largest exporter of crude oil for India
Indians comprise the largest community with 3.3 million residents in the UAE
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi first visited the UAE in August 2015
His visit on August 23-24 will be the third in four years
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, visited India in February 2016
Sheikh Mohamed was the chief guest at India’s Republic Day celebrations in January 2017
Modi will visit Bahrain on August 24-25
