Bachir Ramadan plays the drums like a demon, only now, he uses his ferocious sounds to keep his nightmares at bay.
The Lebanese musician and drummer for regional metal powerhouse group Nervecell has been sitting behind the kit at home almost daily, pummelling away the trauma and anxiety of the past 12 months.
A victim of the August 4 Beirut port explosion, Ramadan says he's lucky to be alive.
His office, located within a four-storey building in Lebanon's capital, was only 800 metres away from the blast, which eviscerated the area, killing at least 190 people and wounding more than 6,500.
Ramadan remembers a blinding light, before emerging from the wreckage dazed and bloodied.
He spent three days in hospitals, where glass was removed from his face and eyes, and he was treated for several skull fractures and some nerve damage to his hands.
Playing through the pain
Ironically, Ramadan credits his daily regimen of jamming along to the thunderous sounds of Slayer and Rivers of Nihil for speeding up his recovery.
“After all the treatment in the hospital I had to go to physical therapy three times a week for about a month and a half to treat my hands," he tells The National.
“The fact that I was also playing at home for stress relief accelerated the recovery without a doubt. I am back to my full ability now, which is awesome.”
While Nervecell fans will be happy to hear that, the news marks only a small moment of optimism in what has been a torrid year for Ramadan and his fellow Lebanese citizens.
For one thing, those drumming sessions have occasionally had to take place in the dark or under natural light, because with Lebanon suffering a crippling economic crisis, Ramadan’s home only receives up to four hours of electricity a day.
Coupled with the crashing value of the Lebanese pound, which has rendered staple food items unaffordable, and the current lack of official accountability for the explosion, the mood in Beirut, Ramadan says, is grim.
“It is teaching me something about the recovery process in that is not a straight line and that it stops and starts,” he says.
“And that is especially the case here in Lebanon as there is always a new obstacle thrown at us to stop us all from healing. There is an anger in the streets in that no one is taking responsibility for what happed at the port.
“People don’t understand how important that is for those who suffered directly and the country as a whole to heal.”
Sharing stories
Post-traumatic stress is palpable in the streets, Ramadan says, but with the explosion affecting all facets of society, citizens are freely sharing their own experiences for comfort.
He and his colleagues often share stories from that day as they work from their new office, now located a 30-minute drive from Beirut port.
“In that sense, that has brought a lot of people together here in Lebanon,” he says. “And it’s not like a lot of us are scared to talk about it or we are skirting the issues.
“We accept what happens will be part of us for ever. The conversations are not easy, but they help.”
There are some things it's too soon to confront, though, he says. He admits that seeing the gaping hole that was once the port on the drive to work can trigger bouts of anxiety.
That said, he has found solace and comfort from friends and family.
The international metal community also rallied in support of an injured comrade. “Man, I can’t tell how emotional it was to get all these messages from artists and people who I don’t know. I mean, this is what the metal community is all about,” he says.
I am living proof that death metal is good for you
Bachir Ramadan,
drummer of Nervecell
“I remember I got a message from [US group] Overkill, who Nervecell played with some time ago in Bangalore, India. They reached out to me and even posted on their page what happened and I was really blown away.
“I also received messages from bands in Greece who offered support. Some of these groups that reached out I am a big fan of and grew up listening to, so the encouragement meant a lot and really motivated me when it came to recovery.”
With Nervecell back on the bill for music festivals next summer, Ramadan plans to get gig-ready by continuing to thrash away at the drum kit at home.
“It keeps me healthy physically and mentally,” he says. “I am living proof that death metal is good for you.”
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
Silent Hill f
Publisher: Konami
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Rating: 4.5/5
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
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How has net migration to UK changed?
The figure was broadly flat immediately before the Covid-19 pandemic, standing at 216,000 in the year to June 2018 and 224,000 in the year to June 2019.
It then dropped to an estimated 111,000 in the year to June 2020 when restrictions introduced during the pandemic limited travel and movement.
The total rose to 254,000 in the year to June 2021, followed by steep jumps to 634,000 in the year to June 2022 and 906,000 in the year to June 2023.
The latest available figure of 728,000 for the 12 months to June 2024 suggests levels are starting to decrease.
The bio
Job: Coder, website designer and chief executive, Trinet solutions
School: Year 8 pupil at Elite English School in Abu Hail, Deira
Role Models: Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk
Dream City: San Francisco
Hometown: Dubai
City of birth: Thiruvilla, Kerala
FIXTURES
Thu Mar 15 – West Indies v Afghanistan, UAE v Scotland
Fri Mar 16 – Ireland v Zimbabwe
Sun Mar 18 – Ireland v Scotland
Mon Mar 19 – West Indies v Zimbabwe
Tue Mar 20 – UAE v Afghanistan
Wed Mar 21 – West Indies v Scotland
Thu Mar 22 – UAE v Zimbabwe
Fri Mar 23 – Ireland v Afghanistan
The top two teams qualify for the World Cup
Classification matches
The top-placed side out of Papua New Guinea, Hong Kong or Nepal will be granted one-day international status. UAE and Scotland have already won ODI status, having qualified for the Super Six.
Thu Mar 15 – Netherlands v Hong Kong, PNG v Nepal
Sat Mar 17 – 7th-8th place playoff, 9th-10th place playoff
The Buckingham Murders
Starring: Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ash Tandon, Prabhleen Sandhu
Director: Hansal Mehta
Rating: 4 / 5
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
Fifa Club World Cup quarter-final
Kashima Antlers 3 (Nagaki 49’, Serginho 69’, Abe 84’)
Guadalajara 2 (Zaldivar 03’, Pulido 90')
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Russia's Muslim Heartlands
Dominic Rubin, Oxford
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Gender equality in the workplace still 200 years away
It will take centuries to achieve gender parity in workplaces around the globe, according to a December report from the World Economic Forum.
The WEF study said there had been some improvements in wage equality in 2018 compared to 2017, when the global gender gap widened for the first time in a decade.
But it warned that these were offset by declining representation of women in politics, coupled with greater inequality in their access to health and education.
At current rates, the global gender gap across a range of areas will not close for another 108 years, while it is expected to take 202 years to close the workplace gap, WEF found.
The Geneva-based organisation's annual report tracked disparities between the sexes in 149 countries across four areas: education, health, economic opportunity and political empowerment.
After years of advances in education, health and political representation, women registered setbacks in all three areas this year, WEF said.
Only in the area of economic opportunity did the gender gap narrow somewhat, although there is not much to celebrate, with the global wage gap narrowing to nearly 51 per cent.
And the number of women in leadership roles has risen to 34 per cent globally, WEF said.
At the same time, the report showed there are now proportionately fewer women than men participating in the workforce, suggesting that automation is having a disproportionate impact on jobs traditionally performed by women.
And women are significantly under-represented in growing areas of employment that require science, technology, engineering and mathematics skills, WEF said.
* Agence France Presse
UAE%20PREMIERSHIP
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How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Student Of The Year 2
Director: Punit Malhotra
Stars: Tiger Shroff, Tara Sutaria, Ananya Pandey, Aditya Seal
1.5 stars
Banthology: Stories from Unwanted Nations
Edited by Sarah Cleave, Comma Press
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company%20Profile
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Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
RESULTS
Catchweight 82kg
Piotr Kuberski (POL) beat Ahmed Saeb (IRQ) by decision.
Women’s bantamweight
Corinne Laframboise (CAN) beat Cornelia Holm (SWE) by unanimous decision.
Welterweight
Omar Hussein (PAL) beat Vitalii Stoian (UKR) by unanimous decision.
Welterweight
Josh Togo (LEB) beat Ali Dyusenov (UZB) by unanimous decision.
Flyweight
Isaac Pimentel (BRA) beat Delfin Nawen (PHI) TKO round-3.
Catchweight 80kg
Seb Eubank (GBR) beat Emad Hanbali (SYR) KO round 1.
Lightweight
Mohammad Yahya (UAE) beat Ramadan Noaman (EGY) TKO round 2.
Lightweight
Alan Omer (GER) beat Reydon Romero (PHI) submission 1.
Welterweight
Juho Valamaa (FIN) beat Ahmed Labban (LEB) by unanimous decision.
Featherweight
Elias Boudegzdame (ALG) beat Austin Arnett (USA) by unanimous decision.
Super heavyweight
Maciej Sosnowski (POL) beat Ibrahim El Sawi (EGY) by submission round 1.
Results
5.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Dirt) 1,600m, Winner: Panadol, Mickael Barzalona (jockey), Salem bin Ghadayer (trainer)
6.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Turf) 1,400m, Winner: Mayehaab, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass
6.40pm: Handicap (TB) Dh85,000 (D) 1,600m, Winner: Monoski, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer
7.15pm: Handicap (TB) Dh102,500 (T) 1,800m, Winner: Eastern World, Royston Ffrench, Charlie Appleby
7.50pm: Handicap (TB) Dh92,500 (D) 1,200m, Winner: Madkal, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass
8.25pm: Handicap (TB) Dh92,500 (T) 1,200m, Winner: Taneen, Dane O’Neill, Musabah Al Muhairi
THE LOWDOWN
Photograph
Rating: 4/5
Produced by: Poetic License Motion Pictures; RSVP Movies
Director: Ritesh Batra
Cast: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Sanya Malhotra, Farrukh Jaffar, Deepak Chauhan, Vijay Raaz
TOP%2010%20MOST%20POLLUTED%20CITIES
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The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre 6-cyl turbo
Power: 374hp at 5,500-6,500rpm
Torque: 500Nm from 1,900-5,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.5L/100km
Price: from Dh285,000
On sale: from January 2022
Company%20profile
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1,000 Books to Read Before You Die: A Life-Changing List
James Mustich, Workman
The%20specs
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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
