World

Father of slain Lebanese soldier confesses on TV to carrying out revenge killing

Maarouf Hamieh admitted to murdering a relative of the man he holds responsible for his son's death, and vowed to continue killing others.

BEIRUT // The father of a Lebanese soldier abducted and killed by militants two years ago has phoned a local television station to say he killed a relative of the man he holds responsible for his son’s death. The soldier, Mohammad Hamieh, and 36 other Lebanese soldiers were abducted from neighboring Syria in 2014 by ISIL fighters and other militants. Mr Hamieh and three other soldiers were later killed while 24 have since been released. The whereabouts of the remaining nine are unknown.

Mr Hamieh’s father, Maarouf Hamieh, called in to Al Jadeed TV on Tuesday to say he killed Mohammad Hujairi in an act of revenge, vowing he would continue killing others.

Mr Hujairi is the nephew of an Al Qaeda-linked local figure, Mustafa Hujairi, who in 2014 had promised to negotiate the soldiers’ release.

* Associated Press

Why does a queen bee feast only on royal jelly?

Some facts about bees:

The queen bee eats only royal jelly, an extraordinary food created by worker bees so she lives much longer

The life cycle of a worker bee is from 40-60 days

A queen bee lives for 3-5 years

This allows her to lay millions of eggs and allows the continuity of the bee colony

About 20,000 honey bees and one queen populate each hive

Honey is packed with vital vitamins, minerals, enzymes, water and anti-oxidants.

Apart from honey, five other products are royal jelly, the special food bees feed their queen 

Pollen is their protein source, a super food that is nutritious, rich in amino acids

Beewax is used to construct the combs. Due to its anti-fungal, anti-bacterial elements, it is used in skin treatments

Propolis, a resin-like material produced by bees is used to make hives. It has natural antibiotic qualities so works to sterilize hive,  protects from disease, keeps their home free from germs. Also used to treat sores, infection, warts

Bee venom is used by bees to protect themselves. Has anti-inflammatory properties, sometimes used to relieve conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, nerve and muscle pain

Honey, royal jelly, pollen have health enhancing qualities

The other three products are used for therapeutic purposes

Is beekeeping dangerous?

As long as you deal with bees gently, you will be safe, says Mohammed Al Najeh, who has worked with bees since he was a boy.

“The biggest mistake people make is they panic when they see a bee. They are small but smart creatures. If you move your hand quickly to hit the bees, this is an aggressive action and bees will defend themselves. They can sense the adrenalin in our body. But if we are calm, they are move away.”