Months after he was struck in the face by a rubber bullet during a protest in Beirut, Jean-Georges Prince’s scarred lip still hurts when he speaks.
It took 56 stitches in a six-hour surgery to repair his torn lower lip when a rubber bullet smashed into his jaw and broke six teeth in January .
The injury has stretched and pulled down the right side of his lip.
Some days it goes from uncomfortable to actually hurtful
Mr Prince, 32, wears it as a badge of honour and a reminder of nationwide anti-government protests that started in Lebanon on October 17.
“Today it’s written on my face. This is something I see every day when I look at myself in the mirror. Instead of taking me back to a dark place which is the injury itself, it takes me to a very hopeful place which is the fight we put up on the ground,” he said.
“My lip is skewed so it’s actually not straight anymore. I will have to go through two different surgeries but I’m proud keeping it the way it is. It’s a scar that is a reminder of what happened, and also a scar of what we are still doing.”
The advertising professional was one of a dozen people hit with rubber bullets on January 18 during one of the most violent stand-offs with security forces in Beirut.
He had described to The National the intense pain and loss of blood he suffered after being shot but was back on the streets a month later as soon as the stitches were removed.
Mr Prince has since moved to Dubai to take up a job as a copywriter.
Although back on a regular diet, he continues to avoid food that is tough to chew.
“When they stitched my lip, they had to pull it to the side and it’s an uncomfortable feeling because my lip is constantly pulling to the right side and I can feel it when I speak,” he said.
“Some days when I speak or laugh a lot, it starts pulling badly and goes from uncomfortable to actually hurtful.”
Since his beard does not cover the scar, Mr Prince is often asked about the injury.
“The fact that I got injured within that movement has made it somehow easier for me to cope,” he said.
“It was a big shock but I kept reminding myself that this happened because I was fighting the right fight and the injury was for good reason. So psychologically it made it easier to deal with it.”
“It is still hurts today but it is a constant reminder and that makes it easier to live with.”
Mr Prince’s family and friends will join rallies planned this weekend to observe the one-year anniversary of the protests.
They are part of repeated calls for change amid a deepening economic crisis.
People have raised their voices against corruption, fuel shortages, crumbling infrastructure and limited access to medical facilities.
Like thousands of Lebanese living overseas, Mr Prince will be checking updates on his phone and television.
“I’m going to be extremely worried because I know how things can go out of hand,” he said.
“I worry for my friends and family who are still on the ground in Beirut.”
His anxiety is mixed with pride for the spirit of his countrymen.
“It has been the fight of my life so far and I’m very proud of what we have done and to have been a part of this,” Mr Prince said.
“This is my biggest pride, to know that I’m part of a people that actually decided to sustain this fight.
“My heart is with every single person who will be on the street on October 17. It pains me very much not to be there and that stands for every Lebanese scattered around the world.”
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
SHOW COURTS ORDER OF PLAY
Wimbledon order of play on Saturday, July 8
All times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Centre Court (4pm)
Agnieszka Radwanska (9) v Timea Bacsinszky (19)
Ernests Gulbis v Novak Djokovic (2)
Mischa Zverev (27) v Roger Federer (3)
Court 1 (4pm)
Milos Raonic (6) v Albert Ramos-Vinolas (25)
Anett Kontaveit v Caroline Wozniacki (5)
Dominic Thiem (8) v Jared Donaldson
Court 2 (2.30pm)
Sorana Cirstea v Garbine Muguruza (14)
To finish: Sam Querrey (24) leads Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (12) 6-2, 3-6, 7-6, 1-6, 6-5
Angelique Kerber (1) v Shelby Rogers
Sebastian Ofner v Alexander Zverev (10)
Court 3 (2.30pm)
Grigor Dimitrov (13) v Dudi Sela
Alison Riske v Coco Vandeweghe (24)
David Ferrer v Tomas Berdych (11)
Court 12 (2.30pm)
Polona Hercog v Svetlana Kuznetsova (7)
Gael Monfils (15) v Adrian Mannarino
Court 18 (2.30pm)
Magdalena Rybarikova v Lesia Tsurenko
Petra Martic v Zarina Diyas
The specs: 2019 BMW i8 Roadster
Price, base: Dh708,750
Engine: 1.5L three-cylinder petrol, plus 11.6 kWh lithium-ion battery
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power: 374hp (total)
Torque: 570Nm (total)
Fuel economy, combined: 2.0L / 100km
Keep it fun and engaging
Stuart Ritchie, director of wealth advice at AES International, says children cannot learn something overnight, so it helps to have a fun routine that keeps them engaged and interested.
“I explain to my daughter that the money I draw from an ATM or the money on my bank card doesn’t just magically appear – it’s money I have earned from my job. I show her how this works by giving her little chores around the house so she can earn pocket money,” says Mr Ritchie.
His daughter is allowed to spend half of her pocket money, while the other half goes into a bank account. When this money hits a certain milestone, Mr Ritchie rewards his daughter with a small lump sum.
He also recommends books that teach the importance of money management for children, such as The Squirrel Manifesto by Ric Edelman and Jean Edelman.
Generation Start-up: Awok company profile
Started: 2013
Founder: Ulugbek Yuldashev
Sector: e-commerce
Size: 600 plus
Stage: still in talks with VCs
Principal Investors: self-financed by founder
The biog
Favourite film: Motorcycle Dairies, Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday, Kagemusha
Favourite book: One Hundred Years of Solitude
Holiday destination: Sri Lanka
First car: VW Golf
Proudest achievement: Building Robotics Labs at Khalifa University and King’s College London, Daughters
Driverless cars or drones: Driverless Cars
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.
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Florida: The critical Sunshine State
Though mostly conservative, Florida is usually always “close” in presidential elections. In most elections, the candidate that wins the Sunshine State almost always wins the election, as evidenced in 2016 when Trump took Florida, a state which has not had a democratic governor since 1991.
Joe Biden’s campaign has spent $100 million there to turn things around, understandable given the state’s crucial 29 electoral votes.
In 2016, Mr Trump’s democratic rival Hillary Clinton paid frequent visits to Florida though analysts concluded that she failed to appeal towards middle-class voters, whom Barack Obama won over in the previous election.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
