When he was only 18 months old, Zain’s village in the eastern Syrian province of Deir Ezzor came under attack by ISIS. As his parents rushed to escape the shelling, they spilt boiling tea on his arm, leaving him permanently scarred and unable to feel or move his arm properly.
His family could not afford to treat him in a country ripped apart by nearly 12 years of war and the little boy has been affected by the disability for most of his life.
After Deir Ezzor was overrun in 2014, Zain and his family were forced to live under brutal ISIS rule for years.
“We witnessed daily atrocities.” said Yasmina, his 39-year-old mother.
His family managed to flee to Lebanon in 2017, but the little boy was traumatised in addition to being physically scarred by years of violent conflict.
With the help of Inara, an NGO founded in 2015 by former CNN correspondent Arwa Damon with offices in Beirut, he sought life-changing surgery that restored his mobility completely.
“The war experience was very traumatising — for the first time in a long time, Zain is very happy, he is full of life and energy,” Yasmina said.
Now 10 years old, Zain is one of the hundreds of conflict-affected children from all nationalities helped by Inara, which provides them with medical and psychological support.
While he has recovered from his physical injuries, Zain is one of nearly two million Syrian refugees living in destitution in neighbouring Lebanon, according to Lebanese authorities.
Syrians are twice as likely to have a disability as the average person because of war injuries and a lack of access to medical services, UN data show.
But as Christmas approaches, Zain and the 10 other injured children who sing in Inara’s choir have found a space to enjoy holiday cheer and experience the childhood happiness that he was robbed of for so long.
“I get to do a lot of fun activities here and I love it,” he said with a gentle smile, his thin voice almost drowned out by the joyful Christmas songs being played in the next room.
Today, Zain and his friends are rehearsing for a special event: a Christmas concert.
Inara aims to raise $300,000 through the purchase of tickets to the event. The concert is virtual and can be watched at any preferred date or time after making a donation.
“This year, we decided that our fundraising event should include the children we are helping to show them what they are capable of,” Ms Damon said.
In the rented studio where the choir meets for rehearsal, the children enthusiastically sing cheerful music, surrounded by colourful Christmas decorations.
Ms Damon founded the charity after she witnessed countless cases of children in conflict zones who did not have access to proper medical care.
Since the start of the economic crisis in 2019, more Lebanese families are seeking help from NGOs because they are unable to pay for proper medical treatment.
Inara began catering to impoverished Lebanese families after the onset of the crisis, especially after the devastating Beirut blast in August 2020, which put poverty-stricken children at risk of being disabled because of untreated injuries.
“This year’s Christmas concert is spreading a message of diversity and inclusion, by putting these children, who are often disregarded in our society, in the spotlight they deserve,” Inara’s founder said.
UK’s AI plan
- AI ambassadors such as MIT economist Simon Johnson, Monzo cofounder Tom Blomfield and Google DeepMind’s Raia Hadsell
- £10bn AI growth zone in South Wales to create 5,000 jobs
- £100m of government support for startups building AI hardware products
- £250m to train new AI models
What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE
Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.
Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.
Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
Naga
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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.
More on Quran memorisation:
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
The stats
Ship name: MSC Bellissima
Ship class: Meraviglia Class
Delivery date: February 27, 2019
Gross tonnage: 171,598 GT
Passenger capacity: 5,686
Crew members: 1,536
Number of cabins: 2,217
Length: 315.3 metres
Maximum speed: 22.7 knots (42kph)
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
MATCH INFO
World Cup 2022 qualifier
UAE v Indonesia, Thursday, 8pm
Venue: Al Maktoum Stadium, Dubai
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Coming soon
Torno Subito by Massimo Bottura
When the W Dubai – The Palm hotel opens at the end of this year, one of the highlights will be Massimo Bottura’s new restaurant, Torno Subito, which promises “to take guests on a journey back to 1960s Italy”. It is the three Michelinstarred chef’s first venture in Dubai and should be every bit as ambitious as you would expect from the man whose restaurant in Italy, Osteria Francescana, was crowned number one in this year’s list of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants.
Akira Back Dubai
Another exciting opening at the W Dubai – The Palm hotel is South Korean chef Akira Back’s new restaurant, which will continue to showcase some of the finest Asian food in the world. Back, whose Seoul restaurant, Dosa, won a Michelin star last year, describes his menu as, “an innovative Japanese cuisine prepared with a Korean accent”.
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal
The highly experimental chef, whose dishes are as much about spectacle as taste, opens his first restaurant in Dubai next year. Housed at The Royal Atlantis Resort & Residences, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal will feature contemporary twists on recipes that date back to the 1300s, including goats’ milk cheesecake. Always remember with a Blumenthal dish: nothing is quite as it seems.
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
Manchester United v Liverpool
Premier League, kick off 7.30pm (UAE)
RESULT
Huddersfield Town 2 Manchester United 1
Huddersfield: Mooy (28'), Depoitre (33')
Manchester United: Rashford (78')
Man of the Match: Aaron Mooy (Huddersfield Town)
ENGLAND SQUAD
Joe Root (captain), Dom Sibley, Rory Burns, Dan Lawrence, Ben Stokes, Ollie Pope, Ben Foakes (wicketkeeper), Moeen Ali, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes, Jack Leach, Stuart Broad
Biography
Favourite drink: Must have karak chai and Chinese tea every day
Favourite non-Chinese food: Arabic sweets and Indian puri, small round bread of wheat flour
Favourite Chinese dish: Spicy boiled fish or anything cooked by her mother because of its flavour
Best vacation: Returning home to China
Music interests: Enjoys playing the zheng, a string musical instrument
Enjoys reading: Chinese novels, romantic comedies, reading up on business trends, government policy changes
Favourite book: Chairman Mao Zedong’s poems
How does ToTok work?
The calling app is available to download on Google Play and Apple App Store
To successfully install ToTok, users are asked to enter their phone number and then create a nickname.
The app then gives users the option add their existing phone contacts, allowing them to immediately contact people also using the application by video or voice call or via message.
Users can also invite other contacts to download ToTok to allow them to make contact through the app.
