One of my clearest memories from my time working as a journalist in Beirut was covering the aftermath of a twin suicide bombing in early 2014. A string of terrorist bombings had taken place in the city, particularly in Shia-majority areas, by extremist groups who targeted civilians in retaliation for Hezbollah's involvement in the war in Syria.
This particular bombing had taken place in a heavily populated area, and one of the cars exploded in front of an orphanage. (Mercifully, all the children there survived.) After covering the attack, I went back the next day to see how residents were coping with the aftermath. I climbed the stairs to an apartment that was directly across from one of the car bombs, and found a home that was completely destroyed, debris and wood and concrete everywhere - a lifetime of memories shattered in an instant.
An elderly man who lived in the apartment was there. His wife was being treated in the hospital. His daughter was there to help them pack and drive them to their hometown. On the balcony outside, the railing had been blown off. But they had set up two chairs and a rakwah or pot of Turkish coffee. I snapped a picture of the scene. In the rubble of their apartment, they were determined to hold on to something – perhaps it was beauty, perhaps a measure of comfort and solace in familiar rituals, perhaps joy. It was an image that epitomised a strength I had never seen in humans.
The balcony railing of an apartment I visited In 2014 had been partially destroyed by bomb blast the previous day. That the family living in this apartment was determined to get on with their lives epitomised a strength I had never seen in humans. Courtesy of Kareem Shaheen
Lebanon itself was like that to me. Surrounded by an unstable region, with a war in Syria, the refugee crisis, sectarianism, the rivalry between regional powers that played out every day – it wasn’t an oasis of calm by any means, the currents driving the country here and there, its people suffering under the corruption and ineptitude of its ruling class. But it nevertheless found ways to be alive, to be a refuge.
Come to think of it, it felt like being on the Titanic and listening to the orchestra play as the ship sank beneath the waves.
But now, the Titanic is underwater. Beirut was brought down by 2,700 tonnes of ammonium nitrate that were left in the city's port, so close to so many homes. Calling it criminal negligence is too kind.
I still can't quite comprehend the level of devastation, the cataclysm brought on by an explosion that large. I keep looking at videos of the shockwave, and my jaw keeps dropping. The wave of white oblivion that crashes over the buildings. Looking at the images of Mar Mikhail and Gemmayze, neighbourhoods I had lived in that used to be vibrant with night life, landmarks I recognised, streets I had walked, now covered in broken glass and debris, shingles torn off the roofs of houses, or homes collapsed all together.
Every friend I had there posted images of their broken homes. Another told us about watching the wave come in from the port and panicking as she searched for her son who was playing downstairs. The pictures of broken children’s rooms got to me the most now that I have a son of my own. I keep imagining what it would have been like had we stayed.
'Aftermath' by Tom Young, an artist who lives between London and Beirut. A number of Young's paintings were damaged following the blast on August 4. Tom Young
I didn’t need to imagine it for very long, because the friend who rented our old apartment near the port posted photos of the broken everything.
I left Beirut at the end of 2016 to take up another post, before moving halfway across the world to Canada. I thought doing so would inure me against the heartbreak that I navigated every day working as a journalist in the Middle East. But it turns out I never really left. Because the grief was all-encompassing and debilitating, and my heart still shattered into a thousand pieces.
I owe everything to the city. I met the love of my life there, at a little cafe in Mar Mikhail called Bar Tartine, along a stretch of road devastated by its proximity to the blast. I proposed to her at a spot overlooking Beirut’s marina. I made friendships in this city that will last a lifetime, and which made me who I am today. I owe to it my career in journalism.
But more importantly, I owe to it everything I learned about love, courage, hope, sacrifice, grief, hatred, dance, music, suffering and violence. Everything about life and meaning. The kind of yearning for life that finds the lone grass shoot in the desert, the diamond in the rough, the steaming pot of coffee on the balcony after the suicide bombing.
Lebanese anti-government protesters pull a protection wall leading to the Parliament square during a protest in Beirut. EPA
A protester strikes a wall with a metal bar inside the Lebanese Banks Association (ABL) headquarters. Bloomberg
Lebanese army soldiers stand guard by a shattered window inside the Lebanese Banks Association (ABL) headquarters during a demonstration. Bloomberg
Protesters break into the Lebanese Banks Association (ABL) headquarters during a demonstration. Bloomberg
A protester strikes the ceiling inside the Lebanese Banks Association (ABL) headquarters during a demonstration. Bloomberg
Protesters light fires inside the Lebanese Banks Association (ABL) headquarters during a demonstration. Bloomberg
A cloud of tear gas drifts through a crowd of protesters during a protest at Martyrs Square. Getty Images
Lebanese security forces run during clashes with anti-government protesters. EPA
A Lebanese anti-government protester flashes a victory sign and holds a blood-stained yellow jacket of a fellow protester during clashes with riot police. EPA
Protesters use fire extinguishers to block protesters' movements from the Internal Security Forces, not pictured, during a protest at Martyrs Square. Getty Images
Protesters move through a cloud of tear gas during a protest at Martyrs Square. Getty Images
Lebanese anti-government protesters face off with riot police. EPA
A Lebanese protester waves the national flag during clashes with security forces in downtown Beirut. AFP
A Lebanese protester speaks to soldiers at the headquarters of the Lebanese association of banks in downtown Beirut. AFP
An injured demonstrator is evacuated during a protest. Reuters
I don't know what comes next. This is only the latest in a battery of crises for the Lebanese people, though it is more monumental. It follows a currency crash, hyperinflation, collapsing economy, coronavirus resurgence, poverty, and hunger. You only rise again after so many beatings. Lebanon's ruling elite deserve the harshest of punishment, but I don't know if they'll get away with it again. I don't know if things can change, or if people will reach the conclusion I reached, that they should just leave everything behind.
I don’t know any of that. I’m not there, though I find myself wishing I could be there. All I have are memories of Beirut that aren’t scarred by the shattered glass, and the tears that well up unprompted. And a dark sadness that has made it impossible to smile.
Kareem Shaheen is a former Middle East correspondent based in Canada
The two riders are among several riders in the UAE to receive the top payment of £10,000 under the Thank You Fund of £16 million (Dh80m), which was announced in conjunction with Deliveroo's £8 billion (Dh40bn) stock market listing earlier this year.
The £10,000 (Dh50,000) payment is made to those riders who have completed the highest number of orders in each market.
There are also riders who will receive payments of £1,000 (Dh5,000) and £500 (Dh2,500).
All riders who have worked with Deliveroo for at least one year and completed 2,000 orders will receive £200 (Dh1,000), the company said when it announced the scheme.
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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.
Pediculus humanus capitis are tiny wingless insects that feed on blood from the human scalp. The adult head louse is up to 3mm long, has six legs, and is tan to greyish-white in colour. The female lives up to four weeks and, once mature, can lay up to 10 eggs per day. These tiny nits firmly attach to the base of the hair shaft, get incubated by body heat and hatch in eight days or so.
Identifying lice
Lice can be identified by itching or a tickling sensation of something moving within the hair. One can confirm that a person has lice by looking closely through the hair and scalp for nits, nymphs or lice. Head lice are most frequently located behind the ears and near the neckline.
Treating lice at home
Head lice must be treated as soon as they are spotted. Start by checking everyone in the family for them, then follow these steps. Remove and wash all clothing and bedding with hot water. Apply medicine according to the label instructions. If some live lice are still found eight to 12 hours after treatment, but are moving more slowly than before, do not re-treat. Comb dead and remaining live lice out of the hair using a fine-toothed comb.
After the initial treatment, check for, comb and remove nits and lice from hair every two to three days. Soak combs and brushes in hot water for 10 minutes.Vacuum the floor and furniture, particularly where the infested person sat or lay.
Courtesy Dr Vishal Rajmal Mehta, specialist paediatrics, RAK Hospital
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
The DMZ was created as a buffer after the 1950-53 Korean War.
It runs 248 kilometers across the Korean Peninsula and is 4km wide.
The zone is jointly overseen by the US-led United Nations Command and North Korea.
It is littered with an estimated 2 million mines, tank traps, razor wire fences and guard posts.
Donald Trump and Kim Jong-Un met at a building in Panmunjom, where an armistice was signed to stop the Korean War.
Panmunjom is 52km north of the Korean capital Seoul and 147km south of Pyongyang, North Korea’s capital.
Former US president Bill Clinton visited Panmunjom in 1993, while Ronald Reagan visited the DMZ in 1983, George W. Bush in 2002 and Barack Obama visited a nearby military camp in 2012.
Mr Trump planned to visit in November 2017, but heavy fog that prevented his helicopter from landing.
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
