The family of a famed Syrian archaeologist murdered by ISIS has vowed to continue the search for his body after remains discovered in February have been ruled out as his.
DNA testing determined that a body found near the ancient city of Palmyra earlier this year was not that of Khaled Al Asaad, who was executed by ISIS militants in 2015 as he tried to protect the Unesco World Heritage site.
“The remains are not those of my father, martyr of the world Khaled Al Asaad,” his son Tareq told The National.
Mr Al Asaad said that, despite the anguish, he and his family were determined to continue the search for their father’s remains.
“We will not stop looking for my father’s real body, we will find it, and we will put it to rest in a place suitable for a martyr of the world,’ he said.
The 82-year-old was beheaded by the extremists in 2015 after he refused to lead the group to artefacts hidden to keep them safe amid Syria’s civil war. He had spent the preceding months and years hiding many of Palmyra’s great treasures from the civil war’s belligerents.
When ISIS captured Palmyra, the ancient city the archaeologist had devoted his life to conserving, he was arrested and tortured for a month in the basement of a hotel, as the militants tried to find out the locations of the hidden treasures.
Antiquities experts say the extremist group made millions of dollars by trafficking artefacts looted from across Syria, Iraq, and Libya.
As a former Head of Antiquities at the site, until his retirement in 2003, Al Asaad had unparalleled knowledge of the site's most valuable artefacts.
His heroic refusal to give up the hidden treasures drew widespread acclaim from within Syria and beyond its borders.
For almost six years, the authorities and his family have been unable to find his remains.
Hopes were raised in February when several dismembered bodies were found near Palmyra.
But DNA samples provided by his son and brother Mohammed have now determined that the remains found do not belong to the fallen archaeologist.
The family were informed of the results by the Ministry of Interior on Monday.
Speaking when the remains were discovered, Mr Al Asaad said the family wanted his father to be buried in the grounds of the Palmyra National Museum.
“There is no place more sacred to my late father than this place. This is our wish as his family,” he told The National at the time.
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PREMIER LEAGUE RESULTS
Bournemouth 1 Manchester City 2
Watford 0 Brighton and Hove Albion 0
Newcastle United 3 West Ham United 0
Huddersfield Town 0 Southampton 0
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West Bromwich Albion 1 Stoke City 1
Chelsea 2 Everton 0
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Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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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.
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How to come clean about financial infidelity
- Be honest and transparent: It is always better to own up than be found out. Tell your partner everything they want to know. Show remorse. Inform them of the extent of the situation so they know what they are dealing with.
- Work on yourself: Be honest with yourself and your partner and figure out why you did it. Don’t be ashamed to ask for professional help.
- Give it time: Like any breach of trust, it requires time to rebuild. So be consistent, communicate often and be patient with your partner and yourself.
- Discuss your financial situation regularly: Ensure your spouse is involved in financial matters and decisions. Your ability to consistently follow through with what you say you are going to do when it comes to money can make all the difference in your partner’s willingness to trust you again.
- Work on a plan to resolve the problem together: If there is a lot of debt, for example, create a budget and financial plan together and ensure your partner is fully informed, involved and supported.
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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.
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Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
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Trigger points are irritable knots in the soft tissue that covers muscle tissue. Through injury or overuse, muscle fibres contract as a reactive and protective measure, creating tension in the form of hard and, palpable nodules. Overuse and sustained posture are the main culprits in developing trigger points.
What is myofascial or trigger-point release?
Releasing these nodules requires a hands-on technique that involves applying gentle sustained pressure to release muscular shortness and tightness. This eliminates restrictions in connective tissue in orderto restore motion and alleviate pain. Therapy balls have proven effective at causing enough commotion in the tissue, prompting the release of these hard knots.
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