Lebanon is taking a first step towards a better tomorrow

I write to you in reference to The National's editorial Power in the wrong hands can corrupt (April 15).

This article shed light on an issue that often goes underreported.

I was baffled to hear that after decades of power cuts and poor access to electricity, Lebanese politicians have yet to come up with a solution for their people, who suffer power cuts of up to 20 hours a day.

It is simply unfair that Lebanese residents must pay two electricity bills, one for privately generated energy and one for the energy provided by the government, yet still lack full coverage.

This is unheard of almost anywhere else in the world.

Lebanese energy minister  Nada Boustani has promised her plan will put an end to this endemic problem in a very short space of time. She has a big task ahead and I can only wish her success.

Lebanon used to be a beacon for other nations and I hope the country will regain its old glory, sooner rather than later.

K Ragavan, Bengaluru

Our shared history lives on in artefacts and in our memory

I write to you in reference to Justin Thomas' opinion piece, Are we losing our collective memory? (April 15).

It certainly seems like age-old relics are being lost in that part of the world.

The indisciminate looting of antiquities and cultural artefacts is not a new problem but it is worsened by conflict and the brutal rule of extremist groups such as ISIS.

Classical paintings, relics and rare handwritten manuscripts have been stolen in the past and their loss is truly painful. It imposes a forced disconnection between a people and their rich past, erasing the cultural heritage that comes along with it.

We must not become lost travellers, who have forever missed their caravan.

Let us embrace our history and cherish its treasures.

Nazim Hasan Khan, India

There are lots of factors in deciding where to live

I write to you in reference to Claire Corkery's article Could Brexit encourage more Britons to retire in the UAE? (April 16).

This would be a great idea but I am concerned the cost of health insurance for a retired person, as well as the general cost of living in the UAE, might make it too high to be affordable.

Claire Wyness, Abu Dhabi