عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Varieties

Beirut the City of Life, An Initiative to Make the Lebanese Capital’s Heart Beat Again

A Gemmayze cafe, photographed by Fadia Ahmed, who is taking part in the initiative's photography exhibition
A Gemmayze cafe, photographed by Fadia Ahmed, who is taking part in the initiative's photography exhibition
TT
TT

Beirut the City of Life, An Initiative to Make the Lebanese Capital’s Heart Beat Again

A Gemmayze cafe, photographed by Fadia Ahmed, who is taking part in the initiative's photography exhibition
A Gemmayze cafe, photographed by Fadia Ahmed, who is taking part in the initiative's photography exhibition

Following the August 4 explosion in the Lebanese capital, Mar Mikhael and Gemmayze, two Beirut neighborhoods close to the port, were devastated. They had been buzzing with life before a large part of the capital was destroyed that day, when its heart stopped beating, its streets, cafes and neighborhoods froze and its people were traumatized.

Today, “Beirut City of Life” aims to alleviate the pain through an initiative to bring life back to the heart of Beirut. Starting December 7, Mar Mikhael and Gemmayze will come out of darkness and destruction to the light through the efforts of admirers of the city and artists determined to keep the hope alive.

“We will not accept to continue to mourn and cry over the ruins. We stood back up, and we took it upon ourselves to pay tribute to our beloved city and everyone who helped to save lives. We have gathered as volunteers from various fields and started a journey to restore life to the landmarks of a city struck by the explosion,” Executive Director of the Stro'berry Marketing Company Faten Attar, who is overseeing the initiative, told Asharq Al-Awsat.

“In cooperation with the Syndicate of Restaurants and pub owners, various bodies and companies in Gemmayze and Mar Mikhael, we decided to initiate activities to restore life to the heart of Beirut,” Attar continued.

Around 40% of the 90 restaurants, cafes and bars in Gemmayze and 158 in Mar Mikhael joined the initiative. Other business owners, who didn’t participate, expressed their frustration and were left without hope, having not received any support from official agencies.

Attar also decried state inaction, saying the initiative did not receive any support from official or foreign bodies. Beirut admirers and residents funded all the activities.

The initiative includes workshops, exhibitions, concerts, Christmas markets, and sponsored discounts at restaurants, hotels and apartment rentals. There are also special events for children including games and competitions. There will also be panel sessions.

In the first week, from December 7 to December 13, restaurants in the two neighborhoods will offer up to a 50 percent discount. The train station in Mar Mikhael will host panel discussions and live children’s performances.

The opening ceremony on December 12 will feature a concert by a group of young artists. It will start with the song, Beirut My Mother, which was recently composed and produced by musician Jean-Marie Riachi.

That evening, the initiative will honor the brave people on the front lines during the disaster, including doctors, paramedics, civil defense personnel and the Lebanese Red Cross. On December 13, there will be a craft exhibition, live drawing on the street and educational game competitions. A Garage Souq, where people can purchase and sell used and new items, will be set up. The initiative also includes environment-friendly activities in which cars will be banned.

In the second week, from the 14th to the 20th, art exhibitions will be held at the various galleries in the area. “Pop up exhibitions” will also be set up. On the evening of December 20, Matteo Khodr, the star of the French-Lebanese version of The Voice, will perform a live concert.

From December 18 until next January 3, a Christmas fair will be set up at the Frere School in Gemmayze, and gifts will be distributed to children from Saint Anthony Church. In the last week, renowned Lebanese chefs will cook various dishes in front of audiences. All restaurants will open their doors to patrons, offering them discounts and price reductions under the event title “Take your family for a stroll.”

Most Viewed

 
 
Varieties

Australian Firefighters Warn of ‘High-Risk’ Bushfire Season

Country Fire Authority (CFA) crew fill up tankers in the bushfire affected town of Ruffy, Victoria, Australia, 12 January 2026. (EPA)
Country Fire Authority (CFA) crew fill up tankers in the bushfire affected town of Ruffy, Victoria, Australia, 12 January 2026. (EPA)
TT
TT

Australian Firefighters Warn of ‘High-Risk’ Bushfire Season

Country Fire Authority (CFA) crew fill up tankers in the bushfire affected town of Ruffy, Victoria, Australia, 12 January 2026. (EPA)
Country Fire Authority (CFA) crew fill up tankers in the bushfire affected town of Ruffy, Victoria, Australia, 12 January 2026. (EPA)

Australian firefighters warned people on Monday to prepare for more bushfires in a "high-risk" summer, after blazes killed one person and incinerated more than 350 buildings in the southeast.

Weather conditions have eased since strong winds and temperatures topping 40C fed dozens of wildfires in southeastern Australia's Victoria, which declared a state of disaster on Saturday.

But officials said 12 major fires were still burning across the state.

Country Fire Authority chief officer Jason Heffernan said another "heating event" was expected towards the end of January, though its intensity was uncertain.

"We are early in the high-risk weather season," Heffernan told a news conference.

"There's been a lot of fire in the landscape. Much work will be done between now and then to contain these fires," he said.

"Whilst we join with community in the rebuilding and the relief and recovery of the fires that have been, we need to turn our minds to the fires that could be as the season continues."

More than 350 structures -- including over 65 homes -- have been lost so far in the state, officials said, with the number likely to rise as fire damage is assessed.

One person died in a fire near the town of Longwood, about two hours' drive north of state capital Melbourne, police say.

Emergency Management Commissioner Tim Wiebusch said weather conditions had become more favorable for firefighters.

"But that doesn't mean that the risk is over," he said.

"Whilst the conditions are easing in some parts of the state, even the slightest of winds are still causing those fires to move around."

High temperatures and dry winds combined last week to form some of the most dangerous bushfire conditions since the "Black Summer" blazes.

The Black Summer bushfires raged across Australia's eastern seaboard from late 2019 to early 2020, razing millions of hectares, destroying thousands of homes and blanketing cities in noxious smoke.

Australia's climate has warmed by an average of 1.51C since 1910, researchers have found, fueling increasingly frequent extreme weather patterns over both land and sea.

Varieties

Some Supplements Can Make Your Medication Less Effective

Some vitamin and mineral supplements can interfere with absorption of medications (Oklahoma State University) 
Some vitamin and mineral supplements can interfere with absorption of medications (Oklahoma State University) 
TT
TT

Some Supplements Can Make Your Medication Less Effective

Some vitamin and mineral supplements can interfere with absorption of medications (Oklahoma State University) 
Some vitamin and mineral supplements can interfere with absorption of medications (Oklahoma State University) 

Health experts warned that some supplements can interact with certain medications and reduce their effectiveness, according to Eating Well website.

While these supplements are usually sold over-the-counter, taking them without asking a health care provider can have dangerous impact on your health.

Naturopathic doctor Jacob Wolf said that for instance, some vitamin and mineral supplements can interfere with absorption of medications.

Other supplements can bind with medications, preventing the drug from being utilized in the body, or they may be metabolized by the same or similar pathways as medications, explains Wolf. That can have a dangerous impact on your health.

Top offenders include calcium, magnesium, iron, fiber, activated charcoal and vitamins C and K.

Minerals like calcium, magnesium and iron can bind with medications, especially levothyroxine, a drug used to treat hypothyroidism, said Wolf.

“This can impact how levothyroxine is utilized in the body, adversely affecting treatment,” he explained.

These minerals can also interact with antibiotics in the tetracycline and fluoroquinolone class, said pharmacist Amanda Corbett.

Taking these mineral supplements at the same time as antibiotics may reduce the bioavailability of the antibiotic, creating risks like bacterial resistance or ineffective treatment.

And while scientists affirm fiber is an important nutrient for digestive regularity, healthy cholesterol levels and blood sugar management, supplementing isn’t always a great idea, as large doses can impact the absorption of certain medications.

Fiber-rich foods are a cornerstone of blood sugar management, even for those taking blood sugar–lowering medications, like metformin.

Fiber may also impair the effectiveness of other drugs, including digoxin (which treats certain heart conditions) and levothyroxine for hypothyroidism, Wolf said.

Therefore, if you do choose to take a fiber supplement, Wolf recommended speaking with your health care provider about spacing out your fiber and medication doses.

As for activated charcoal, it is a form of carbon that is used in the emergency room to treat the ingestion of toxic drugs and poisons.

“Activated charcoal acts like a sponge and can bind to many medications. It is best to completely avoid activated charcoal if on any life-critical medication,” said Wolf.

For Vitamin C, it is an important antioxidant that protects cells from free radical damage and supports proper immune system function.

However, if you are undergoing chemotherapy treatment for cancer, experts strongly caution against taking vitamin C supplements.

“Vitamin C can lead to certain chemotherapies being less effective or ineffective in treating cancer,” said Corbett.

Vitamin E, another antioxidant, can also interfere with chemotherapy’s effectiveness.

If taking Vitamin K, which is a fat-soluble vitamin that helps blood clot and shores up bone health, you should know that it can reduce the effectiveness of a blood-thinning medication called warfarin (Coumadin).

That, in turn, can make blood more likely to clot, which can lead to a heart attack or stroke.

If you are taking warfarin, you don’t necessarily need to avoid vitamin K, but it is critical to keep the amount you consume—from both foods and supplements—consistent to avoid clotting problems.

Experts advise that to take supplements safely, consult with your health care provider.

Many supplements can interact with medications, and so it’s critical to connect with your prescribing health care provider to make sure that the supplements you’re taking play nice with your medications.

Also, look for those that have been independently tested in a laboratory, recommended Corbett.

Experts say you should also know how much to take. Supplement dosages are listed on the label, but they aren’t standardized.

That means they can vary from product to product, and may far exceed safe levels.

 

 

 

Varieties

Rejuvenated Human Eggs… Scientists Revolutionize IVF Success

Egg quality is the primary cause of IVF failure and miscarriage in older women (Reuters) 
Egg quality is the primary cause of IVF failure and miscarriage in older women (Reuters) 
TT
TT

Rejuvenated Human Eggs… Scientists Revolutionize IVF Success

Egg quality is the primary cause of IVF failure and miscarriage in older women (Reuters) 
Egg quality is the primary cause of IVF failure and miscarriage in older women (Reuters) 

German scientists claim to have “rejuvenated” human eggs for the first time in an advance that they predict could revolutionize IVF success rates for older women.

The groundbreaking research suggests that an age-related defect that causes genetic errors in embryos could be reversed by supplementing eggs with a crucial protein, according to The Guardian.

When eggs donated by fertility patients were given microinjections of the protein, they were almost half as likely to show the defect compared with untreated eggs.

If confirmed in more extensive trials, the approach has the potential to improve egg quality, which is the primary cause of IVF failure and miscarriage in older women.

The decline in egg quality is the main reason IVF success rates drop steeply with female age and is why the risk of chromosome disorders such as Down’s syndrome increases with maternal age.

“Overall we can nearly halve the number of eggs with [abnormal] chromosomes. That’s a very prominent improvement,” said Prof Melina Schuh, a director at the Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences in Göttingen and a co-founder of Ovo Labs, which is aiming to commercialize the technique.

“Most women in their early 40s do have eggs, but nearly all of the eggs have incorrect chromosome numbers,” added Schuh, whose lab has been investigating egg biology for the past two decades. “This was the motivation for wanting to address this problem.”

The latest approach targets a vulnerability in eggs linked to a process called meiosis, in which sex cells (eggs or sperm) jettison half their genetic material so they can join together to make an embryo.

In eggs, this requires 23 pairs of X-shaped chromosomes to align along a single axis in the cell. On fertilization, the cell divides causing the chromosome pairs to be – ideally – neatly snapped down their centers to create a cell with precisely 23 single chromosomes from the mother, the rest being delivered by the sperm.

However, in older eggs the chromosome pairs tend to loosen at their midpoint, becoming slightly unstuck or detaching entirely before fertilization.

In this scenario, the X-shaped structures fail to line up properly and move around chaotically in the cell, so when the cell divides they are not snapped symmetrically.

This results in an embryo with too many or too few chromosomes.

Schuh and colleagues previously found that a protein, Shugoshin 1, which appears to act as a glue for the chromosome pairs, declines with age. In the latest experiments in mouse and human eggs, they found that microinjections of Shugoshin 1 appeared to reverse the problem of chromosome pairs separating prematurely.

Using eggs donated by patients at the Bourn Hall fertility clinic in Cambridge, they found that the number showing the defect decreased from 53% in control eggs to 29% in treated eggs. When they looked only at eggs from women over 35 years of age, a similar trend was seen (65% compared with 44%), although this result was not statistically significant, which the scientists said was probably due to them only having treated nine eggs in this age range.

Dr Agata Zielinska, a co-founder and co-CEO of Ovo Labs, said: “Currently, when it comes to female factor infertility, the only solution that’s available to most patients is trying IVF multiple times so that, cumulatively, your likelihood of success increases. What we envision is that many more women would be able to conceive within a single IVF cycle.”

The findings will be presented at the British Fertility Conference in Edinburgh on Friday and have been published as a preprint paper on the Biorxiv website.