Trending Middle East brings you the latest social media and search trends from the region and around the world. Here are today’s headlines.
Lebanon’s parliament elected army chief Gen Joseph Aoun as president on Thursday. It ends two years of political deadlock and marks a significant political milestone before crucial developments in the country, including the fate of a ceasefire with Israel and the start of postwar reconstruction efforts.
Mr Aoun secured 99 votes in the second round of voting to clinch the presidency. He failed to win the first round of voting, receiving 71 out of the 86 votes needed in the 128-member house.
Meanwhile, open-source investigators in Syria have warned of attempts to discredit the country's interim government through a rise in online disinformation. Since the downfall of former president Bashar Al Assad's regime, videos containing false or misleading information about the government have been posted on social media.
They include allegations of kidnappings, sectarian violence, hate speech and extremism.
And Coldplay began their record-setting run in Abu Dhabi yesterday. The band brought their Music of the Spheres world tour to Zayed Sports City Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Thursday night for the first of four performances in the capital.
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.”
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
