DUBAI // A government worker repeatedly raped a 14-year-old boy in his car last summer, a court heard yesterday.
MA, a 26-year-old Emirati, was charged with homosexual assault and threatening the boy.
Prosecutors told the Dubai Criminal Court of First Instance that he raped the boy 10 times between June 14 and July 24. They also presented transcripts of text messages from MA's phone, in which they said he threatened to expose the boy as a homosexual in front of his family.
The boy said he met MA at Bin Sougat mall in Rashidiya, and that the man often offered him sweets.
"He was nice to me and always said good things to me," the boy said.
On June 14, said the boy, MA asked him to get in his car.
"He placed blinds over the windshield and sexually assaulted me," the boy said. "I was afraid, and whenever I asked him to stop, he told me he would inform my mother."
The boy's mother said she had noticed a change in the boy's demeanour. "I saw him with the man and asked him what was going on," she said.
MA "denied any knowledge of my son, but later my son confessed to me what was going on", she said.
After she reported the case to the police, the boy picked MA out in an identity parade. "The man said that this was a child's lie and that the boy wanted to get him in trouble," said an investigating officer.
"When we told him we would do a semen scan of his car, he said that was no problem because it was his car and he had the right to do whatever he wanted in private," the officer said.
MA denies the charges. The case was adjourned until December 28.
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How much of your income do you need to save?
The more you save, the sooner you can retire. Tuan Phan, a board member of SimplyFI.com, says if you save just 5 per cent of your salary, you can expect to work for another 66 years before you are able to retire without too large a drop in income.
In other words, you will not save enough to retire comfortably. If you save 15 per cent, you can forward to another 43 working years. Up that to 40 per cent of your income, and your remaining working life drops to just 22 years. (see table)
Obviously, this is only a rough guide. How much you save will depend on variables, not least your salary and how much you already have in your pension pot. But it shows what you need to do to achieve financial independence.
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Tell-tale signs of burnout
- loss of confidence and appetite
- irritability and emotional outbursts
- sadness
- persistent physical ailments such as headaches, frequent infections and fatigue
- substance abuse, such as smoking or drinking more
- impaired judgement
- excessive and continuous worrying
- irregular sleep patterns
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Acknowledge how you are feeling by listening to your warning signs. Set boundaries and learn to say ‘no’
Do activities that you want to do as well as things you have to do
Undertake at least 30 minutes of exercise per day. It releases an abundance of feel-good hormones
Find your form of relaxation and make time for it each day e.g. soothing music, reading or mindful meditation
Sleep and wake at the same time every day, even if your sleep pattern was disrupted. Without enough sleep condition such as stress, anxiety and depression can thrive.
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