Filipino salesman plans dream wedding after winning Dh1 million Mahzooz lotto prize

A Filipino salesman is looking forward to a dream wedding after scooping a Dh1 million ($272,260) lottery win.

Persistence paid off in spectacular style for Antonio, 33, who plays the UAE's Mahzooz lotto every week.

The Dubai resident, whose surname was not disclosed by lotto organisers, is regularly glued to the live broadcast, but this week he missed the draw.

Instead, he received a life-changing call from the Mahzooz team to tell him of his good fortune.

This is a life-changing win to say the least. I feel blessed and overwhelmed

Now wedded bliss is on the cards for Antonio and his partner after he matched five of the six numbers.

“I participate in Mahzooz every week and never miss a draw. However, I couldn’t watch the live draw this week and I didn’t realise I won until I received a call from the Mahzooz team congratulating me," he said.

"I was shocked and couldn’t believe it. I’ve never expected I would win such a big amount of money. This is a life-changing win to say the least. I feel blessed and overwhelmed."

Dubai's latest millionaire has lived in the emirate for three years and can now look forward to the future with an extra spring in his step.

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“This money is such a blessing for us and our whole family,” Antonio said.

“My fiancé and I can finally have our dream wedding and set ourselves up for the future.”

He will also use his newfound wealth to support his family and community members affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

“I have a nephew who was dreaming of studying abroad and I plan on helping him pay for that,” Antonio said.

“Also, my friend works in a church in Oud Metha, and I know a lot of people in that community have really been hit hard during the Covid-19 pandemic. I will donate some of my winnings to the church to help those in need.”

Antonio is grateful for the win that has transformed his life and has a message to his fellow Mahzooz participants.

“Life won’t always be easy, but Mahzooz is there to help. Always look at the bright side: no matter what you go through, there will be blessings along the way,” Antonio said.

Participants in the draw must register online and buy a Dh35 bottle of water to enter. The water is collected by the organisation and donated to charity.

UAE's lucky lottery winners:

Tips to stay safe during hot weather

Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.

UAE currency

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Conflict, drought, famine

Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.

Band Aid

Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.

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Yemen's Bahais and the charges they often face

The Baha'i faith was made known in Yemen in the 19th century, first introduced by an Iranian man named Ali Muhammad Al Shirazi, considered the Herald of the Baha'i faith in 1844.

The Baha'i faith has had a growing number of followers in recent years despite persecution in Yemen and Iran.

Today, some 2,000 Baha'is reside in Yemen, according to Insaf.

"The 24 defendants represented by the House of Justice, which has intelligence outfits from the uS and the UK working to carry out an espionage scheme in Yemen under the guise of religion.. aimed to impant and found the Bahai sect on Yemeni soil by bringing foreign Bahais from abroad and homing them in Yemen," the charge sheet said.

Baha'Ullah, the founder of the Bahai faith, was exiled by the Ottoman Empire in 1868 from Iran to what is now Israel. Now, the Bahai faith's highest governing body, known as the Universal House of Justice, is based in the Israeli city of Haifa, which the Bahais turn towards during prayer.

The Houthis cite this as collective "evidence" of Bahai "links" to Israel - which the Houthis consider their enemy.

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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
NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
600-seat auditorium
Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
Specialist robotics and science laboratories
AR and VR-enabled learning centres
Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills