Many survivors of the 2015 Paris terror attacks were left with “compromised” brain functions due to post-traumatic stress disorder, a study has found.
Scientists who measured the brain activity of more than 100 survivors of the November 2015 massacre said many could no longer suppress traumatic memories as well as before. Some people's PTSD improved within three years of the attacks, while others continued to suffer from chronic stress.
MRI scans revealed changes in the brain's memory control circuits. Some survivors of the ISIS attack, in which 130 people were killed, experienced “intrusive memories” during a task in which they were supposed to block images out of their minds.
Those memories typically involve “intense and uncontrollable negative emotions, such as fear and sadness, profound distress, and the sensation that the traumatic event is happening again”, according to the study published on Wednesday by scientists in France and Switzerland.
Parisians witnessed violence spread across the French capital on the night of November 13, 2015, as gunmen opened fire at the Bataclan concert hall and in bars and restaurants. A bomb was also detonated at the Stade de France during Europe's worst terrorist attack in more than a decade.
Salah Abdeslam, the only known surviving gunman, described himself in court as an “ISIS soldier” during a trial which ended in a life sentence on murder and terrorism charges. Nineteen other people were found guilty over preparations for the attack.
Survivors who testified in court gave harrowing accounts of how they “played dead” for hours to avoid being shot by the terrorists. One who suffered permanent injuries told of his struggle with “survivor's guilt” and with images that continued to haunt him from the attack.
A total of 114 survivors took part in the brain study, about half of whom were diagnosed with PTSD and the rest classed as “resilient”. A year after the attacks, members of the first group “exhibited compromised brain dynamics, failing to distinguish between intrusive and non-intrusive conditions”.
Survivors were tested again two years later, by which point about 20 people's post-traumatic stress had gone into remission but more than 30 others were still suffering from chronic PTSD. “Notably, participants with PTSD in remission had a rebalancing of their memory control mechanisms within two years”, scientists said.
All those taking part in the study were French, aged between 18 and 60 and had no history of psychiatric or memory problems. Compared to a control group of people not exposed to the Paris violence they showed an “imbalance” in their ability to control intrusive memories.
The results demonstrate “the major role of the memory control mechanisms to the persistence of traumatic memory in PTSD”, the authors believe. They said their study could pave the way for new treatments to make survivors of traumatic events more resilient.
France separately marked 10 years on Tuesday since the shooting at the offices of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo. The gunmen, who claimed to represent Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, said they were taking revenge for cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammed.
The study, Plasticity of human resilience mechanisms by Giovanne Leone et al, is published in the journal Science Advances on Wednesday.
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Greatest Royal Rumble results
John Cena pinned Triple H in a singles match
Cedric Alexander retained the WWE Cruiserweight title against Kalisto
Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt win the Raw Tag Team titles against Cesaro and Sheamus
Jeff Hardy retained the United States title against Jinder Mahal
Bludgeon Brothers retain the SmackDown Tag Team titles against the Usos
Seth Rollins retains the Intercontinental title against The Miz, Finn Balor and Samoa Joe
AJ Styles remains WWE World Heavyweight champion after he and Shinsuke Nakamura are both counted out
The Undertaker beats Rusev in a casket match
Brock Lesnar retains the WWE Universal title against Roman Reigns in a steel cage match
Braun Strowman won the 50-man Royal Rumble by eliminating Big Cass last
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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
The Great Derangement: Climate Change and the Unthinkable
Amitav Ghosh, University of Chicago Press
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
Pearls on a Branch: Oral Tales
Najlaa Khoury, Archipelago Books
The specs
Price, base: Dh228,000 / Dh232,000 (est)
Engine: 5.7-litre Hemi V8
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 395hp @ 5,600rpm
Torque: 552Nm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.5L / 100km
The biog
Prefers vegetables and fish to meat and would choose salad over pizza
Walks daily as part of regular exercise routine
France is her favourite country to visit
Has written books and manuals on women’s education, first aid and health for the family
Family: Husband, three sons and a daughter
Fathiya Nadhari's instructions to her children was to give back to the country
The children worked as young volunteers in social, education and health campaigns
Her motto is to never stop working for the country
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.6-litre turbo
Transmission: six-speed automatic
Power: 165hp
Torque: 240Nm
Price: From Dh89,000 (Enjoy), Dh99,900 (Innovation)
On sale: Now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Global Fungi Facts
• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
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The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm from 3,000-5,750rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh1.05 million ($286,000)
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
Why your domicile status is important
Your UK residence status is assessed using the statutory residence test. While your residence status – ie where you live - is assessed every year, your domicile status is assessed over your lifetime.
Your domicile of origin generally comes from your parents and if your parents were not married, then it is decided by your father. Your domicile is generally the country your father considered his permanent home when you were born.
UK residents who have their permanent home ("domicile") outside the UK may not have to pay UK tax on foreign income. For example, they do not pay tax on foreign income or gains if they are less than £2,000 in the tax year and do not transfer that gain to a UK bank account.
A UK-domiciled person, however, is liable for UK tax on their worldwide income and gains when they are resident in the UK.
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
Business Insights
- As per the document, there are six filing options, including choosing to report on a realisation basis and transitional rules for pre-tax period gains or losses.
- SMEs with revenue below Dh3 million per annum can opt for transitional relief until 2026, treating them as having no taxable income.
- Larger entities have specific provisions for asset and liability movements, business restructuring, and handling foreign permanent establishments.
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Squad
Ali Kasheif, Salim Rashid, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Khalfan Mubarak, Ali Mabkhout, Omar Abdulrahman, Mohammed Al Attas, Abdullah Ramadan, Zayed Al Ameri (Al Jazira), Mohammed Al Shamsi, Hamdan Al Kamali, Mohammed Barghash, Khalil Al Hammadi (Al Wahda), Khalid Essa, Mohammed Shaker, Ahmed Barman, Bandar Al Ahbabi (Al Ain), Al Hassan Saleh, Majid Suroor (Sharjah) Walid Abbas, Ahmed Khalil (Shabab Al Ahli), Tariq Ahmed, Jasim Yaqoub (Al Nasr), Ali Saleh, Ali Salmeen (Al Wasl), Hassan Al Muharami (Baniyas)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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