TRIPOLI, LEBANON // Omar Karami, Lebanon’s first post-war prime minister and a staunch ally of the Syrian government, has died at the age of 80, his family announced on Thursday.
“With great sadness... the Karami family announces the death of the great Omar Abdel Hamid Karami,” they said in a statement.
Family sources said he had died of stomach cancer.
Karami came from a Lebanese Sunni political dynasty – his father was one of the architects of Lebanon’s independence in 1943 – and served as prime minister twice.
But both his terms ended with him resigning under public pressure.
His first term began in 1990, and was marked by the huge challenges of rebuilding the country after its 15-year civil war.
He stepped down in May 1992 after massive protests against rising living costs caused by the collapse of the Lebanese pound against the dollar.
He was succeeded by Rafik Hariri, a billionaire who orchestrated massive reconstruction projects throughout Lebanon.
Karami’s second term began in 2004, but he was forced to resign the following year after the assassination of Hariri.
Hariri's death provoked a political firestorm in Lebanon, including accusations that Syria's government was involved in the murder.
Karami was a longtime ally of the Syrian regime and was accused of subservience to President Bashar Al Assad.
He was educated in Cairo, and was married with four children, including son Faisal, a former minister.
His health had been deteriorating for the past two years, and he was admitted to hospital a month ago, falling into a coma a few days before his death.
*Agence France-Presse
Abu Dhabi traffic facts
Drivers in Abu Dhabi spend 10 per cent longer in congested conditions than they would on a free-flowing road
The highest volume of traffic on the roads is found between 7am and 8am on a Sunday.
Travelling before 7am on a Sunday could save up to four hours per year on a 30-minute commute.
The day was the least congestion in Abu Dhabi in 2019 was Tuesday, August 13.
The highest levels of traffic were found on Sunday, November 10.
Drivers in Abu Dhabi lost 41 hours spent in traffic jams in rush hour during 2019
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
How much sugar is in chocolate Easter eggs?
- The 169g Crunchie egg has 15.9g of sugar per 25g serving, working out at around 107g of sugar per egg
- The 190g Maltesers Teasers egg contains 58g of sugar per 100g for the egg and 19.6g of sugar in each of the two Teasers bars that come with it
- The 188g Smarties egg has 113g of sugar per egg and 22.8g in the tube of Smarties it contains
- The Milky Bar white chocolate Egg Hunt Pack contains eight eggs at 7.7g of sugar per egg
- The Cadbury Creme Egg contains 26g of sugar per 40g egg
