My mother was laid to rest during an unusually warm September in Ireland. I squinted at crowds who couldn’t fit inside the church, spilling out over the avenue and blotting out large doors. The singing was deafening. That was 10 years ago.
My father was buried this month. There was no funeral this time. No wake. No neighbours with home-made cake or trays of sandwiches. No endless kettle boiling or tea making. Nobody standing awkwardly in the narrow hallway, waiting. No handshakes, no kisses and no hugs; definitely no hugs.
Dad had tested negative. Never did we think he could've brought it home from hospital. The terrifying nature of this damned virus is that there is no guarantee
I woke up that dark morning to thick snowflakes falling. The sun broke through later to deliver a blue-sky day. “A powerful day”, Dad would’ve said.
When he was released from hospital for the last time, Dad was unstable and he was sleepy. But, he had tested negative for Covid-19. I’d flown home from the UAE to celebrate his 90th birthday. We had done the necessary quarantine and been tested, but the terrifying nature of this damned virus is that there is no guarantee.
Dad had contracted pneumonia for the third time in as many years. Such was our belief in his extraordinary strength that we were confident he would bounce back once more. And he did. But a few days after a quiet and memorable Christmas in the farmhouse where he lived his whole life, since 1930, he took a turn for the worse.
Looking back now, the signs were there. We watched the news and shared our disbelief at the escalating cases. We went into lockdown for a third time. We stayed away from my brother’s house because my two young boys would not social distance. My sister and I tried to entertain them. I phoned friends. But Dad had tested negative, and so we were relieved. Never did we think he could’ve brought it home from hospital.
There were periods of startling lucidity. When he looked at you, it was resolute. He thanked me for coming home for Christmas
He started waking every two hours. He needed help getting to and from the toilet. He was stiff and unstable, shivering and extremely tired. His appetite wasn’t what it used to be, this tall, broad, lean man who would clear his plate with room for dessert. He didn’t want to get out of bed at 11am, this man who would be downstairs at 7.30am making porridge, tea and toast.
He couldn’t remember things. He complained of a bad taste in his mouth. “This is my summit,” was one of the last things he told me.
There were periods of startling lucidity. Two nights before the ambulance pulled into the front yard to take him back to hospital – the last time I saw him alive – he spoke for 59 minutes on the phone to a neighbour. He wrote 23 Christmas cards. A man of humour, he still recognised a good joke, a familiar glint in his blue eyes. When he looked at you, it was resolute. He thanked me for coming home for Christmas. He told my sister I needed to get a job, that I couldn’t be looking after children full-time. He wanted the best for us all.
When the ambulance took him away, my sister and brother and I stood together, and watched as the doors closed. We were saddened he had to go back to hospital before New Year’s Eve, but we thought it was the same pneumonia, and with oxygen and steroids he would be fine.
In the hospital on New Year's Eve, he sounded in better form. But, we were frustrated with the lack of contact. We felt helpless and desperately wanted to see him
The ambulance drove away, and I felt a sickening combination of sadness and relief. I was ashamed to be looking forward to a night of uninterrupted sleep. Sure, this was not why I had come home for Christmas, but how lucky that I was there to help when he needed it the most. I scolded myself.
Four hours later, I heard my sister across the hallway, talking. Dad had tested positive for Covid-19. We were in shock.
A few days later, on New Year's Eve, we spoke to him on his mobile, and he sounded in better form. He was sitting up, reading the newspaper. I was delighted. I set up a Zoom call with friends, certain that Dad was on the mend.
A couple of days later, his oxygen had been reduced, and this we took as positive news. But, we were frustrated with the lack of contact from the hospital, and often his mobile would ring out. We felt helpless and desperately wanted to see him. The cold days were long.
The restrictions around the burial were overwhelming. Ten people. No funeral. No handshakes, no kisses and no hugs; definitely no hugs
My final conversation with Dad came as a surprise. We stared at my sister’s phone in disbelief. “Dad Mobile”: it still shocked us as it been such a battle to convince him to use one. “I’m told I have to stay here for 14 days or I’m breaking the rules,” Dad told me, a familiar rebellious tone to his voice. He always had a healthy disrespect for rules, born at a time in Ireland when life was too challenging to bother with decrees and orders; his own man. “I’ll see you tonight,” he said.
On the third day of the new year, my sister and I braved the cold for a brisk morning walk. The day was crisp and inviting, a dusting of frost on the ground, sparkling silver threads dangling from bare trees and bushes. My boys delighted in jumping into shimmering pockets of ice.
Then my sister’s phone rang. Her silence. I knew immediately. It reminded me of the call I received from Dad when my mother had passed. The suddenness of it. The walk back was silent, save for intermittent sobs and curses. My children were quiet, absorbing our sadness.
We never got to say goodbye.
We drove to my brother’s house, hugged briefly and cried through our masks. We tried to keep apart as we made the necessary phone calls and drank tea. We couldn’t stay long, so back we drove to my Dad’s house, soon to be empty for the first time in more than 150 years.
The restrictions around the burial were overwhelming. Ten people. No funeral. We drove in separate cars. The hearse drove into the farmyard; a tribute to Dad’s love of farming and his lifelong vocation. Snow covered the ground but the sun shone brightly.
Neighbours and friends lined the four-mile stretch of road from our home to the church, masked, with heads down and hands crossed. Most had known this local legend their whole lives. Many had loved him. This was their goodbye. A rare day for a rare man.
This piece was written under a pseudonym
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
The specs
Engine: 3-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 400hp
Torque: 475Nm
Transmission: 9-speed automatic
Price: From Dh215,900
On sale: Now
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
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
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EPL's youngest
- Ethan Nwaneri (Arsenal)
15 years, 181 days old
- Max Dowman (Arsenal)
15 years, 235 days old
- Jeremy Monga (Leicester)
15 years, 271 days old
- Harvey Elliott (Fulham)
16 years, 30 days old
- Matthew Briggs (Fulham)
16 years, 68 days old
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
Directed by: Craig Gillespie
Starring: Emma Stone, Emma Thompson, Joel Fry
4/5
War 2
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana
Rating: 2/5
Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
- Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
- Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
- Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
- Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
- Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
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Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Stage 3 results
1 Adam Yates (GBR) Mitchelton-Scott 4:42:33
2 Tadej Pocagar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates 0:01:03
3 Alexey Lutsenko (KAZ) Astana 0:01:30
4 David Gaudu (FRA) Groupama-FDJ
5 Rafal Majka (POL) Bora-Hansgrohe
6 Diego Ulissi (ITA) UAE Team Emirates 0:01:56
General Classification after Stage 3:
1 Adam Yates (GBR) Mitchelton-Scott 12:30:02
2 Tadej Pocagar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates 0:01:07
3 Alexey Lutsenko (KAZ) Astana 0:01:35
4 David Gaudu (FRA) Groupama-FDJ 0:01:40
5 Rafal Majka (POL) Bora-Hansgrohe
6 Wilco Kelderman (NED) Team Sunweb) 0:02:06
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.
Earth under attack: Cosmic impacts throughout history
- 4.5 billion years ago: Mars-sized object smashes into the newly-formed Earth, creating debris that coalesces to form the Moon
- 66 million years ago: 10km-wide asteroid crashes into the Gulf of Mexico, wiping out over 70 per cent of living species – including the dinosaurs.
- 50,000 years ago: 50m-wide iron meteor crashes in Arizona with the violence of 10 megatonne hydrogen bomb, creating the famous 1.2km-wide Barringer Crater
- 1490: Meteor storm over Shansi Province, north-east China when large stones “fell like rain”, reportedly leading to thousands of deaths.
- 1908: 100-metre meteor from the Taurid Complex explodes near the Tunguska river in Siberia with the force of 1,000 Hiroshima-type bombs, devastating 2,000 square kilometres of forest.
- 1998: Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 breaks apart and crashes into Jupiter in series of impacts that would have annihilated life on Earth.
-2013: 10,000-tonne meteor burns up over the southern Urals region of Russia, releasing a pressure blast and flash that left over 1600 people injured.
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
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Winners
Best Men's Player of the Year: Kylian Mbappe (PSG)
Maradona Award for Best Goal Scorer of the Year: Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
TikTok Fans’ Player of the Year: Robert Lewandowski
Top Goal Scorer of All Time: Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
Best Women's Player of the Year: Alexia Putellas (Barcelona)
Best Men's Club of the Year: Chelsea
Best Women's Club of the Year: Barcelona
Best Defender of the Year: Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus/Italy)
Best Goalkeeper of the Year: Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG/Italy)
Best Coach of the Year: Roberto Mancini (Italy)
Best National Team of the Year: Italy
Best Agent of the Year: Federico Pastorello
Best Sporting Director of the Year: Txiki Begiristain (Manchester City)
Player Career Award: Ronaldinho
Company%20Profile
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The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Results
STAGE
1 . Filippo Ganna (Ineos) - 0:13:56
2. Stefan Bissegger (Education-Nippo) - 0:00:14
3. Mikkel Bjerg (UAE Team Emirates) - 0:00:21
4. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) - 0:00:24
5. Luis Leon Sanchez (Astana) - 0:00:30
GENERAL CLASSIFICATION
1. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) - 4:00:05
2. Joao Almeida (QuickStep) - 0:00:05
3. Mattia Cattaneo (QuickStep) - 0:00:18
4. Chris Harper (Jumbo-Visma) - 0:00:33
5. Adam Yates (Ineos) - 0:00:39
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
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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