The children are smiling. Dressed in their karate uniforms, the boys and girls of the Golden Bridge School in the Syrian village of Aljiina near Aleppo play and train like any other young students. These pockets of joy and normalcy in a country ravaged by a decade-old conflict are in stark contrast to images often seen of Syria, ones of refugee camps and ruins.
But both sides exist, and they are captured by the likes of photographer Anas Alkharboutli, whose series on the karate school, entitled Sport and Fun Instead of War and Fear, is a finalist for the Sony World Photography Awards.
Alkharboutli's entry into photography was spurred by the same war that he now documents. He was an engineering student at Damascus University just as the the Arab uprisings of 2011 were spreading to Syria. The siege of Eastern Ghouta, which began in 2013 and resulted in thousands of deaths, as well as an act of chemical warfare by the Syrian Army, caused him to stop his studies and pick up a camera.
“As the situation evolved in my region, I was compelled to carry my camera to document the conflict and siege events, and show what was going on to the outside world,” he says.
That was in 2015. Since then, Alkharboutli has been documenting the toll of the civil war on citizens, from airstrike victims in Idlib to families fleeing their homes as their villages become battlegrounds.
He also finds places such as the Golden Bridge School, where people like Waseem Satot try to rebuild lives amid hardship. Satot and his mother, Nour Al Haffar, were displaced from Aleppo in 2016. Together, the two rebuilt the school in Aljiina three years later, with Al Haffar at the helm and Satot, a physical education teacher, as coach.
Twice a week, Satot teaches karate lessons to children aged between 6 and 15, some of whom have disabilities or learning difficulties. He sees these classes as a way to keep the children’s morale up, despite the trauma that many of them have faced. In Alkharboutli’s photographs, the students – boys and girls, young and pre-teens – are training on ropes and monkey bars, or playing around with their coach.
Visiting the students many times to familiarise himself with his subjects, Alkharboutli sees the school as a “support centre”.
“Most students have no other outlet than to go to the Golden Bridge School," he says. "There are many people with special needs who do not get special care because of the difficult living conditions the war has imposed on them.”
He has photographed similar stories in places such as Al Atareb, where boxer Ahmad Dwara has turned to teaching young boys in his spare time. Once a local boxing champion and international competitor, Dwara’s career was halted by the war. He now works as an ambulance driver.
Alkharboutli hopes that these series of photos, which he usually takes when he is not on the front line photographing for news agencies, show other sides of Syrian life.
“I always focus on children and the life-inspiring projects by residents who bring hope despite their difficult lives,” he says. “All people see is the conflict and the killings in Syria, but there are people here who are struggling and working to keep on living despite the circumstances,” he says.
In his work, Alkharboutli continues to find stories that underscore the destructiveness of war without losing the strength of the human spirit. As the fighting rages on 10 years later, with various foreign interventions inflicting more death and destruction, he, like his subjects, carve out ways to live, work and survive.
“What is happening in Syria needs to be documented continuously for the world to see and know what is going on,” he says.
Anas Alkharboutli’s series Sport and Fun Instead of War and Fear’is a finalist for the Sony World Photography Awards 2021 (sport category). Winners will be announced on April 15
The biog
Siblings: five brothers and one sister
Education: Bachelors in Political Science at the University of Minnesota
Interests: Swimming, tennis and the gym
Favourite place: UAE
Favourite packet food on the trip: pasta primavera
What he did to pass the time during the trip: listen to audio books
2019 ASIAN CUP FINAL
Japan v Qatar
Friday, 6pm
Zayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20SAMSUNG%20GALAXY%20S24%20ULTRA
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Mumbai Indians 213/6 (20 ov)
Royal Challengers Bangalore 167/8 (20 ov)
The specs: 2019 Aston Martin DBS Superleggera
Price, base: Dh1.2 million
Engine: 5.2-litre twin-turbo V12
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 725hp @ 6,500pm
Torque: 900Nm @ 1,800rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.3L / 100km (estimate)
Financial considerations before buying a property
Buyers should try to pay as much in cash as possible for a property, limiting the mortgage value to as little as they can afford. This means they not only pay less in interest but their monthly costs are also reduced. Ideally, the monthly mortgage payment should not exceed 20 per cent of the purchaser’s total household income, says Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching.
“If it’s a rental property, plan for the property to have periods when it does not have a tenant. Ensure you have enough cash set aside to pay the mortgage and other costs during these periods, ideally at least six months,” she says.
Also, shop around for the best mortgage interest rate. Understand the terms and conditions, especially what happens after any introductory periods, Ms Glynn adds.
Using a good mortgage broker is worth the investment to obtain the best rate available for a buyer’s needs and circumstances. A good mortgage broker will help the buyer understand the terms and conditions of the mortgage and make the purchasing process efficient and easier.
MIDWAY
Produced: Lionsgate Films, Shanghai Ryui Entertainment, Street Light Entertainment
Directed: Roland Emmerich
Cast: Ed Skrein, Woody Harrelson, Dennis Quaid, Aaron Eckhart, Luke Evans, Nick Jonas, Mandy Moore, Darren Criss
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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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
Day 1, Dubai Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Sadeera Samarawickrama set pulses racing with his strokeplay on his introduction to Test cricket. It reached a feverish peak when he stepped down the wicket and launched Yasir Shah, who many regard as the world’s leading spinner, back over his head for six. No matter that he was out soon after: it felt as though the future had arrived.
Stat of the day - 5 The last time Sri Lanka played a Test in Dubai – they won here in 2013 – they had four players in their XI who were known as wicketkeepers. This time they have gone one better. Each of Dinesh Chandimal, Kaushal Silva, Samarawickrama, Kusal Mendis, and Niroshan Dickwella – the nominated gloveman here – can keep wicket.
The verdict Sri Lanka want to make history by becoming the first team to beat Pakistan in a full Test series in the UAE. They could not have made a better start, first by winning the toss, then by scoring freely on an easy-paced pitch. The fact Yasir Shah found some turn on Day 1, too, will have interested their own spin bowlers.
A list of the animal rescue organisations in the UAE
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Essentials
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct from the UAE to Geneva from Dh2,845 return, including taxes. The flight takes 6 hours.
The package
Clinique La Prairie offers a variety of programmes. A six-night Master Detox costs from 14,900 Swiss francs (Dh57,655), including all food, accommodation and a set schedule of medical consultations and spa treatments.
Series result
1st ODI Zimbabwe won by 6 wickets
2nd ODI Sri Lanka won by 7 wickets
3rd ODI Sri Lanka won by 8 wickets
4th ODI Zimbabwe won by 4 wickets
5th ODI Zimbabwe won by 3 wickets
Game Changer
Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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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
More coverage from the Future Forum
THE SPECS
Engine: Four-cylinder 2.5-litre
Transmission: Seven-speed auto
Power: 165hp
Torque: 241Nm
Price: Dh99,900 to Dh134,000
On sale: now
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
MATCH INFO
Fixture: Thailand v UAE, Tuesday, 4pm (UAE)
TV: Abu Dhabi Sports
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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.
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
NEW ARRIVALS
Benjamin Mendy (Monaco) - £51.75m (Dh247.94m)
Kyle Walker (Tottenham Hotspur) - £45.9m
Bernardo Silva (Monaco) - £45m
Ederson Moraes (Benfica) - £36m
Danilo (Real Madrid) - £27m
Douglas Luiz (Vasco de Gama) - £10.8m
Our Time Has Come
Alyssa Ayres, Oxford University Press
