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Deadly blasts in Lebanon: 42 killed, over 500 wounded
Deadly blasts in Lebanon: 42 killed, over 500 wounded (Reuters) / 24 August 2013 Twin explosions hit two mosques in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli on Friday, killing at least 42 people and wounding hundreds, intensifying the sectarian strife that has spilled over from the civil war in neighbouring Syria. Rescuers carry a body outside one of two mosque hit by explosions in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli on Friday. — Reuters The apparently coordinated blasts — the biggest and deadliest in Tripoli since the end of Lebanon’s own civil war — struck as locals were finishing Juma prayers. Lebanese officials appealed for calm. The explosions in Tripoli, 70km from Beirut came a week after a huge car bomb killed at least 24 people in a part of the capital Beirut that is controlled by militant movement Hezbollah. A recent resurgence of sectarian violence in Lebanon has been stoked by the conflagration in Syria, where President Bashar Al Assad is fighting a rebellion. Both Hezbollah and radical groups in Lebanon have sent fighters over the border to support opposing sides in Syria. Medical and security sources said the death toll from Friday’s blasts in Tripoli had risen to 42 by late afternoon. Hundreds more were wounded, they said. Earlier, the Lebanese Red Cross said more than 500 people were wounded. The first explosion hit the Taqwa Mosque and killed at least 14 people there, according to ac-counts earlier in the day. Further deaths were reported from a second blast outside Al Salam Mosque, which the Interior Ministry said was hit by a car laden with 100kg of explosives. A Reuters reporter at the scene said the crater from the blast was about four metres wide and 2.5 metres deep and the floors of the mosque were covered in blood. A 50-metre stretch of the road was charred black and the twisted remains of cars littered the area. “We were just bowing down to pray for the second time and the bomb went off. The air cleared, and I looked around me and saw bodies,” said Samir Jadool, 39. Lebanon’s Red Cross said more than 500 people were wounded in the two explosions. Television footage showed people running through the streets, some of them carrying bloodied victims. Near the Taqwa Mosque blast site, angry men toting AK-47 assault rifles took to the streets and fired in the air while other men threw rocks at Lebanese soldiers nearby. Video obtained by local news channel LBC showed the moment of the explosion at Al Salam mosque. The blast ripped through a wall of the mosque, showering clouds of dust on people sitting on prayer mats and sending dozens running out of the building. Lebanese officials called for calm as tensions rose in Tripoli, a Mediterranean port that has seen some of the worst Syria crossover violence. Former internal security chief Ashraf Rifi, whose home was damaged by the second blast, warned that Lebanon was facing a gathering storm of violence. “We are still in the beginning of the storm and we must remain aware and try to protect this nation,” he said, speaking outside his home. “This storm has become a huge, grave danger.” Witnesses at the scene of the blasts said anger was rising among locals, who were shouting out accusations that Assad’s government or Hezbollah were behind the attack. Hezbollah released a statement condemning the Tripoli blasts and expressing solidarity with the victims, saying they were targets of efforts to fan more violence in Lebanon. “We consider this the completion of an effort to plunge Lebanon into chaos and destruction,” the statement said. People gather outside the mosque on the site of a powerful explosion in Tripoli. — AFP Hezbollah’s political opponents called on the group to withdraw its forces from Syria in response to Friday’s attack. Lebanese Defence Minister Fayez Ghosn warned against being dragged into deeper sectarian bloodshed. “We are calling for calm and vigilance, because the aim of this (blasts) is to stoke strife between sects,” he told LBC. Continue reading
You swam! And now you have swimmer’s ear
You swam! And now you have swimmer’s ear Staff Reporter / 24 August 2013 Swimmer’s ear is an infection of the ear canal. If you stick your finger in your ear, you’re feeling a little of the ear canal. But if you have swimmer’s ear and you stick your finger in your ear — YOW! Let’s find out more about this painful type of ear infection, which often affects swimmers. Swimmer’s ear — also called otitis externa — is different from a regular ear infection. Usually, when people say a kid has an ear infection, they mean otitis media, an infection of the middle ear. This sometimes happens when a kid gets a cold. But swimmer’s ear happens when bacteria grow in the ear canal, which is a passageway to the eardrum. In that canal, you’ll find delicate skin that’s protected by a thin coating of earwax. Most of the time, water can run in and out of the ear canal without causing a problem. For instance, you don’t usually get swimmer’s ear from taking baths or showers. Bacteria get a chance to grow when water stays in the ear canal. The protective covering of delicate wax and skin of the ear canal is disrupted. A lot of swimming can lead to these wet conditions in the ear canal. Bacteria grow and the ear canal gets red and swollen. Sometimes you can get an infection in the ear canal even if one hasn’t been swimming. A scratch or other irritation to the ear canal can also lead to swimmer’s ear. Symptoms of swimmer’s ear usually appear within a few days of swimming and include: Itchiness inside the ear. Redness and swelling of the ear. Pain when the infected ear is tugged or when pressure is placed on the ear. Pus draining from the infected ear. Although all age groups are affected by swimmer’s ear, it is more common in children and can be extremely painful. How do I protect myself and my family? To reduce the risk of swimmer’s ear: Do keep your ears as dry as possible: Use a bathing cap, ear plugs, or custom-fitted swim molds when swimming. Do dry your ears thoroughly after swimming or showering. Use a towel to dry your ears well. Tilt your head to hold each ear facing down to allow water to escape the ear canal. Pull your earlobe in different directions while your ear is faced down to help water drain out. If you still have water left in your ears, consider using a hair dryer to move air within the ear canal. Put the dryer on the lowest heat and speed/fan setting. Hold the dryer several inches from your ear. Don’t put objects in your ear canal (including cotton-tip swabs, pencils, paperclips, or fingers). Don’t try to remove ear wax. Ear wax helps protect your ear canal from infection: – If you think that your ear canal is blocked by ear wax, consult your doctor. Consul your doctor about using ear drops after swimming: Drops should not be used by people with ear tubes, damaged ear drums. Please note: Do not swim if you have had any ear surgery or ear tubes done without the approval of your doctor. Consult your doctor if you have ear pain, discomfort, or drainage from your ears. Swimmers have an essential role in helping to protect themselves, their families, and others from Recreational Water Illnesses (RWIs). Continue reading
All new Dubai mosques will be eco-friendly
All new Dubai mosques will be eco-friendly Ahmed Shaaban / 18 August 2013 All mosques to be built in Dubai starting next year will be environment-friendly. Dubai’s Awqaf and Minors Affairs Foundation (AMAF) secretary-general Tayeb Al Rais said the first of these eco-mosques, which is also the first in the Middle East, was expected to be completed and opened in the first quarter of next year, with some 60 per cent of the work already finished. “We do want to make all mosques built in the emirate in the future power- and water-saving, and help reduce harmful gas emissions from the air-conditioners.” The new eco-mosques would reduce water consumption by 20 per cent and electricity by 25 per cent, he said. “All construction work at the mosque, named ‘Khalifa, the Merchant’, is being done according to the set schedule.” Al Rais said the Dh22-million mosque’s 25-metre-long minaret was now completed with work continuing on external decoration and the internal finish. The utility buildings and power station attached to the mosque had been completed. “The mosque, to be the biggest in the emirate, is being built in the Garhoud area…and can accommodate 3,500 worshippers.” The eco-mosque was being constructed in a total area of 105,000 square feet, he added. “Solar panels shall be used in heating ablution water, as well as imam accommodation and other utilities.” The mosque was equipped with a technique for recycling and purifying ablution water, and using it for agriculture work and the toilets. “Eco materials have been used in the construction of the mosque to be in line with the renewable power resources and heat insulation system.” The mosque was also using “advanced technology” to curb the use of harmful gases used in air-conditioning, he said. “This strategy is aimed to enhance the performance of these buildings, curb power and water consumption, and boost public health.” – ahmedshaaban@khaleejtimes.com Continue reading
