Hailed as groundbreaking by Time Magazine, Humza Yousaf has said he hopes to inspire others like him into politics, as he reflected on the importance of his appointment as Scotland's first Muslim leader and his role achieving independence.
Mr Yousaf said being a Muslim running a government in a western nation “means a lot” to him and his family.
The Scottish National Party (SNP) leader and the country's First Minister said he was proud, adding: "It's not something I dwell on too often, because it's important job to just get on with.
“But if I can just inspire one person who never thought politics was for them to go you know what, yes it is for me, then that's a pretty good feeling.”
He made the comments to Time as he appeared on the cover of US publication after being included in a list of 10 "next generation leaders" by the magazine's international edition, owing to his youth and the fact he is the first Muslim leader of a Western country.
Mr Yousaf, whose party has been in turmoil in recent months amid a police investigation into its finances, said his experiences growing up in Scotland were similar to many other boys who loved football.
“And for a lot of my life, I wasn't overtly conscious of being different, despite my race and despite my religion,” he said.
Pivotal role
When the 9/11 attacks took place, his own reaction underscored what it meant to be a Muslim to Yousaf and subsequently played a pivotal role in his decision to enter politics.
“My Muslim identity came to the fore, partly because people were questioning or asking about what it meant in terms of my loyalty to this country. And you had two choices,” he said.
“You either just tried to put your head in a bunker and hope that it all passed by, or actually you stop in search and all these people don't act in our name. And you know what, I don't have to feel guilty for the actions of an extreme fringe.
“And I stand in absolute solidarity with those who value and treasure freedom and democracy and the rule of law.”
He said he remembers his dad telling him the world needed more people “like us” in politics.
“So you go for it. I’ve got your back”, his father said.
Turning to the scandal over the party’s finances, he said the issue has clouded the country’s independence cause over the past few months.
“We've not been able to get cut through because of other events that have dominated the party space,” he said.
He said “too many people” were living in poverty in Scotland, however, he reiterated that independence was the solution.
“We have too many people in Scotland, in fact, right across the UK, living in poverty, because we have had 13 years of austerity. And my belief, unsurprisingly, is that we need the powers of independence to truly unleash the potential of this country for every single Scot that lives here,” he said.
But an independent Scotland would not isolate itself from the world.
Instead, Scotland would show “global leadership”, he said, in issues including the “climate emergency”, which he described as top of the list of issues where he thinks Scotland can punch above its weight.
“We are bursting with potential when it comes to renewables. So for me the future of this country can be like many other European nations of our size, who are wealthier, more productive, have fewer people in poverty than the UK.
"The big question is, well then why not Scotland?”
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Key facilities
- 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
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
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Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
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GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
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Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
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ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
Should late investors consider cryptocurrencies?
Wealth managers recommend late investors to have a balanced portfolio that typically includes traditional assets such as cash, government and corporate bonds, equities, commodities and commercial property.
They do not usually recommend investing in Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies due to the risk and volatility associated with them.
“It has produced eye-watering returns for some, whereas others have lost substantially as this has all depended purely on timing and when the buy-in was. If someone still has about 20 to 25 years until retirement, there isn’t any need to take such risks,” Rupert Connor of Abacus Financial Consultant says.
He adds that if a person is interested in owning a business or growing a property portfolio to increase their retirement income, this can be encouraged provided they keep in mind the overall risk profile of these assets.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
