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“The most important thing is to preserve the olive trees,” fireman Anis Abla, who heads the Civil Defence centre in southern Lebanon's Marjayoun, says with exhaustion in his voice. After half an hour of battling the blaze, his team managed to control the flames before they reached a field of Mediterranean plants further up the hill.
But repeated fires have scorched the rest of the land, and past blazes have burnt dozens of olive trees, leaving their blackened skeletons standing on the torched soil.
This is not an uncommon scene in south Lebanon, which has been battling a surge of fires ignited by Israeli shelling, including the use of controversial white phosphorus, exacerbated by abnormally high temperatures, drought and heatwaves.
Over nearly nine months, firefighters in south Lebanon have been exposing their lives to great danger since October 8th, the day Hamas's Lebanese ally Hezbollah opened a “pressure” front along the border with Israel to divert it away from its war in Gaza.
Tensions have risen in recent weeks both on the ground and in terms of rhetoric exchange, sparking fears of a full-fledged conflict. On Thursday, Hezbollah launched more than 200 rockets and a swarm of drones at 10 Israeli military sites, one of its biggest salvos so far, in response to the assassination of a senior commander by an Israeli strike.
With the violence increasing, firefighters are now bracing for a challenging summer of fires.
“The bombing and the heat together are like fuel for the fires,” Mr Abla says, back in the centre in Marjayoun, a few kilometres away from the Israel-Lebanon border, which has been the scene of daily exchange of fire between Hezbollah and Israel.
During the three days spent at the barracks, The National heard multiple Israeli strikes and shelling attacking the nearby town of Khiam and several sonic booms from Israeli jets breaking the sound barrier.
Once ignited, these fires are also difficult to control, and spread easily, Mr Abla said, because rescue teams have a hard time reaching the location due to constant Israeli shelling.
Mr Abla says that the fire they fought that day was not caused by shelling; it was relatively small compared to what they have seen since the fire season began. In June alone, they responded to 21 missions, a significant increase from around four missions for the whole month of June last year.
A “recipe for catastrophic fires”
“It's a disastrous recipe for catastrophic fires,” George Mitri, director of the Land and Natural Resources Program, Institute of the Environment, University of Balamand, told The National.
“This year, temperatures are already abnormally high,” he added. In June, they were three degrees above the monthly average, Mr Mitri added, warning that forecasts for July and August predict similarly alarming trends.
South Lebanon is already one of the “hot spot areas”, he added, a region considered at very high risk of fires, with land covered in dense and highly flammable vegetation.
This, combined with Israel's constant use of white phosphorus, an incendiary chemical that can reignite when in contact with oxygen, even weeks after it has been used, and the reported use of at least one trebuchet to launch flaming projectiles into south Lebanon, has sparked widespread blazes in the region, destroying large areas of farmland and forests.
Right groups have condemned Israel for repeatedly using the shell in south Lebanon, calling for an investigation into potential war crimes.
Since the war started, white phosphorus shells and incendiary weapons have sparked about 812 fires, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Agriculture.
According to the latest update from the National Early Warning System Platform, managed by the National Council for Scientific Research and based on satellite images, about 1,698 hectares of land have been burnt by Israeli attacks as of June 13.
But, the worse might be yet to come. “We expect a continuous increase, burnt agriculture area and lands,” Mr Mitri said.
Yet the cash-strapped country, battling with an economic crisis now in its fifth year, has scarce resources to tackle the danger and is unable to provide firefighters with the adequate equipment.
“The civil defence lacks basic resources, even in normal times, and even more so now with the situation being much more challenging this year,” Mr Mitri said.
Mr Abla told The National that their main lorry is almost 30 years old, and belongs either to “a museum or the bin”. His team, he said, uses COVID masks against toxic white phosphorus fumes.
Making the land 'unlivable'
The fires have torched parts of the particularly rich biosphere in the southern part of the country. But they have also deeply impacted the social and economic fabric.
Mohammad Hussein, head of South Lebanon's Agricultural Union, slammed what he said is a deliberate strategy by Israel to make the land there uninhabitable.
“Most villages rely on their plantations for resources. Burning their land destroys their livelihoods and prevents them from returning to their villages for a years to come.”
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Israeli shelling has destroyed more than 60,000 olive trees.
Mr Hussein says the damages will take a long time to recover.
“The Israeli army is burning trees, some of which are 200 years old. It's going to take at least a decade to grow back. Can the farmers who rely on these plantations wait that long?” he asked.
Other crops, he said, would recover quicker, such as tobacco and fruits. When it comes to torched land, the issue lies in the financing of a restoration programme. “The municipalities can't finance it, who else will?” he said.
“Lebanon needs to address social recovery and economic recovery for the day after,” Mr Mitri said.
“The destruction goes far beyond the land itself”.
Profile of Hala Insurance
Date Started: September 2018
Founders: Walid and Karim Dib
Based: Abu Dhabi
Employees: Nine
Amount raised: $1.2 million
Funders: Oman Technology Fund, AB Accelerator, 500 Startups, private backers
Sri Lanka World Cup squad
Dimuth Karunaratne (c), Lasith Malinga, Angelo Mathews, Thisara Perera, Kusal Perera, Dhananjaya de Silva, Kusal Mendis, Isuru Udana, Milinda Siriwardana, Avishka Fernando, Jeevan Mendis, Lahiru Thirimanne, Jeffrey Vandersay, Nuwan Pradeep, Suranga Lakmal.
The specs: 2019 Haval H6
Price, base: Dh69,900
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 197hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 315Nm @ 2,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km
The%20specs
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Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
Five famous companies founded by teens
There are numerous success stories of teen businesses that were created in college dorm rooms and other modest circumstances. Below are some of the most recognisable names in the industry:
- Facebook: Mark Zuckerberg and his friends started Facebook when he was a 19-year-old Harvard undergraduate.
- Dell: When Michael Dell was an undergraduate student at Texas University in 1984, he started upgrading computers for profit. He starting working full-time on his business when he was 19. Eventually, his company became the Dell Computer Corporation and then Dell Inc.
- Subway: Fred DeLuca opened the first Subway restaurant when he was 17. In 1965, Mr DeLuca needed extra money for college, so he decided to open his own business. Peter Buck, a family friend, lent him $1,000 and together, they opened Pete’s Super Submarines. A few years later, the company was rebranded and called Subway.
- Mashable: In 2005, Pete Cashmore created Mashable in Scotland when he was a teenager. The site was then a technology blog. Over the next few decades, Mr Cashmore has turned Mashable into a global media company.
- Oculus VR: Palmer Luckey founded Oculus VR in June 2012, when he was 19. In August that year, Oculus launched its Kickstarter campaign and raised more than $1 million in three days. Facebook bought Oculus for $2 billion two years later.
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Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Brief scoreline:
Manchester United 2
Rashford 28', Martial 72'
Watford 1
Doucoure 90'
Profile box
Founders: Michele Ferrario, Nino Ulsamer and Freddy Lim
Started: established in 2016 and launched in July 2017
Based: Singapore, with offices in the UAE, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Thailand
Sector: FinTech, wealth management
Initial investment: $500,000 in seed round 1 in 2016; $2.2m in seed round 2 in 2017; $5m in series A round in 2018; $12m in series B round in 2019; $16m in series C round in 2020 and $25m in series D round in 2021
Current staff: more than 160 employees
Stage: series D
Investors: EightRoads Ventures, Square Peg Capital, Sequoia Capital India
England 12-man squad for second Test
v West Indies which starts Thursday: Rory Burns, Joe Denly, Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root (captain), Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes, Moeen Ali, Ben Foakes, Sam Curran, Stuart Broad, Jimmy Anderson, Jack Leach
PAKISTAN SQUAD
Pakistan - Sarfraz Ahmed (captain), Azhar Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Hafeez, Haris Sohail, Faheem Ashraf, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Amir, Hasan Ali, Aamer Yamin, Rumman Raees.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MATCH STATS
Wolves 0
Aston Villa 1 (El Ghazi 90 4' pen)
Red cards: Joao Moutinho (Wolves); Douglas Luiz (Aston Villa)
Man of the match: Emi Martinez (Aston Villa)
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The advice provided in our columns does not constitute legal advice and is provided for information only. Readers are encouraged to seek independent legal advice.
Teachers' pay - what you need to know
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
2020 Oscars winners: in numbers
- Parasite – 4
- 1917– 3
- Ford v Ferrari – 2
- Joker – 2
- Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood – 2
- American Factory – 1
- Bombshell – 1
- Hair Love – 1
- Jojo Rabbit – 1
- Judy – 1
- Little Women – 1
- Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You're a Girl) – 1
- Marriage Story – 1
- Rocketman – 1
- The Neighbors' Window – 1
- Toy Story 4 – 1
Expo details
Expo 2020 Dubai will be the first World Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia
The world fair will run for six months from October 20, 2020 to April 10, 2021.
It is expected to attract 25 million visits
Some 70 per cent visitors are projected to come from outside the UAE, the largest proportion of international visitors in the 167-year history of World Expos.
More than 30,000 volunteers are required for Expo 2020
The site covers a total of 4.38 sqkm, including a 2 sqkm gated area
It is located adjacent to Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai South
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
Engine: 3.6 V6
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Power: 295bhp
Torque: 353Nm
Price: Dh155,000
On sale: now
Reputation
Taylor Swift
(Big Machine Records)
Top financial tips for graduates
Araminta Robertson, of the Financially Mint blog, shares her financial advice for university leavers:
1. Build digital or technical skills: After graduation, people can find it extremely hard to find jobs. From programming to digital marketing, your early twenties are for building skills. Future employers will want people with tech skills.
2. Side hustle: At 16, I lived in a village and started teaching online, as well as doing work as a virtual assistant and marketer. There are six skills you can use online: translation; teaching; programming; digital marketing; design and writing. If you master two, you’ll always be able to make money.
3. Networking: Knowing how to make connections is extremely useful. Use LinkedIn to find people who have the job you want, connect and ask to meet for coffee. Ask how they did it and if they know anyone who can help you. I secured quite a few clients this way.
4. Pay yourself first: The minute you receive any income, put about 15 per cent aside into a savings account you won’t touch, to go towards your emergency fund or to start investing. I do 20 per cent. It helped me start saving immediately.
Tips for newlyweds to better manage finances
All couples are unique and have to create a financial blueprint that is most suitable for their relationship, says Vijay Valecha, chief investment officer at Century Financial. He offers his top five tips for couples to better manage their finances.
Discuss your assets and debts: When married, it’s important to understand each other’s personal financial situation. It’s necessary to know upfront what each party brings to the table, as debts and assets affect spending habits and joint loan qualifications. Discussing all aspects of their finances as a couple prevents anyone from being blindsided later.
Decide on the financial/saving goals: Spouses should independently list their top goals and share their lists with one another to shape a joint plan. Writing down clear goals will help them determine how much to save each month, how much to put aside for short-term goals, and how they will reach their long-term financial goals.
Set a budget: A budget can keep the couple be mindful of their income and expenses. With a monthly budget, couples will know exactly how much they can spend in a category each month, how much they have to work with and what spending areas need to be evaluated.
Decide who manages what: When it comes to handling finances, it’s a good idea to decide who manages what. For example, one person might take on the day-to-day bills, while the other tackles long-term investments and retirement plans.
Money date nights: Talking about money should be a healthy, ongoing conversation and couples should not wait for something to go wrong. They should set time aside every month to talk about future financial decisions and see the progress they’ve made together towards accomplishing their goals.
Abaya trends
The utilitarian robe held dear by Arab women is undergoing a change that reveals it as an elegant and graceful garment available in a range of colours and fabrics, while retaining its traditional appeal.
Company profile
Name: Thndr
Started: October 2020
Founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: pre-seed of $800,000
Funding stage: series A; $20 million
Investors: Tiger Global, Beco Capital, Prosus Ventures, Y Combinator, Global Ventures, Abdul Latif Jameel, Endure Capital, 4DX Ventures, Plus VC, Rabacap and MSA Capital
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
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
