Beatrice Lasnier de Lavalette arrives at the Brussels-Capital Assizes Court on March 6. AFP
Beatrice Lasnier de Lavalette arrives at the Brussels-Capital Assizes Court on March 6. AFP
Beatrice Lasnier de Lavalette arrives at the Brussels-Capital Assizes Court on March 6. AFP
Beatrice Lasnier de Lavalette arrives at the Brussels-Capital Assizes Court on March 6. AFP

First victim testifies at Brussels terror attacks trial


Soraya Ebrahimi
  • English
  • Arabic

A teenage girl who lost both her legs and fought back to become a Paralympian after the 2016 Brussels suicide bombing was the first victim to testify at the trial of those accused of plotting or aiding the attacks.

Beatrice Lasnier de Lavalette, now 24, is a French-American equestrian who uses a wheelchair after surviving a coma, months in intensive care, 30 operations, and skin transplants on her legs, hands and shoulders.

At 17, she was preparing to board a flight to visit her family across the Atlantic on March 22, 2016, when a double suicide attack tore through the departures hall.

The blast killed 16 people, a toll that would double an hour later when another explosion hit the Brussels metro.

In total, more than 300 people were wounded in the attacks claimed by ISIS.

"I don't remember the explosion itself. I remember the darkness and being bumped off the ground," Ms Lasnier de Lavalette told the court, describing how her leg was twisted at a right angle.

"After seeing my leg I realised what had happened. I was 17 and my life was over."

Brussels on lockdown after explosions at airport and metro station - in pictures

  • Emergency services at the scene of explosions at Zaventem airport near Brussels, Belgium, on Tuesday. Francois Lenoir / Reuters
    Emergency services at the scene of explosions at Zaventem airport near Brussels, Belgium, on Tuesday. Francois Lenoir / Reuters
  • Smoke is seen at Brussels airport in Brussels, Belgium, after explosions were heard Tuesday. Daniela Schwarzer via AP
    Smoke is seen at Brussels airport in Brussels, Belgium, after explosions were heard Tuesday. Daniela Schwarzer via AP
  • People leave the scene of explosions at Zaventem airport near Brussels, Belgium. Francois Lenoir / Reuters
    People leave the scene of explosions at Zaventem airport near Brussels, Belgium. Francois Lenoir / Reuters
  • Passengers are gathered near Brussels airport, following its evacuation after at least 13 people were killed and 35 injured, according to local media, as twin blasts rocked the main terminal of Brussels airport. John Thys / AFP
    Passengers are gathered near Brussels airport, following its evacuation after at least 13 people were killed and 35 injured, according to local media, as twin blasts rocked the main terminal of Brussels airport. John Thys / AFP
  • People leave the airport area after explosions at Brussels Airport in Zaventem, near Brussels, Belgium. Dozens of people have died or been injured in a double blast in the departure hall of Zaventem Airport in Brussels, Belgian media reported. Laurent Dubrule / EPA
    People leave the airport area after explosions at Brussels Airport in Zaventem, near Brussels, Belgium. Dozens of people have died or been injured in a double blast in the departure hall of Zaventem Airport in Brussels, Belgian media reported. Laurent Dubrule / EPA
  • In this image made from video, emergency rescue workers attend to a victim of an explosion at a metro station in Brussels, Belgium, on March 22, 2016. Explosions rocked the Brussels airport and the subway system Tuesday, just days after the main suspect in the November Paris attacks was arrested in the city, police said. APTN via AP
    In this image made from video, emergency rescue workers attend to a victim of an explosion at a metro station in Brussels, Belgium, on March 22, 2016. Explosions rocked the Brussels airport and the subway system Tuesday, just days after the main suspect in the November Paris attacks was arrested in the city, police said. APTN via AP
  • Two passengers wait, near Brussels airport in Zaventem following its evacuation after at least 13 people were killed and 35 injured as twin blasts rocked the main terminal of Brussels airport. John Thys / AFP
    Two passengers wait, near Brussels airport in Zaventem following its evacuation after at least 13 people were killed and 35 injured as twin blasts rocked the main terminal of Brussels airport. John Thys / AFP
  • Passengers and airport staff are evacuated from the terminal building after explosions at Brussels Airport. Olivier Hoslet / EPA
    Passengers and airport staff are evacuated from the terminal building after explosions at Brussels Airport. Olivier Hoslet / EPA
  • Belgian police and emergency staff arrive in the Wetstraat - Rue de la Loi, which has been evacuated after an explosion at the Maalbeek metro station in Brussels. Laurie Dieffembacq / AFP / Belga
    Belgian police and emergency staff arrive in the Wetstraat - Rue de la Loi, which has been evacuated after an explosion at the Maalbeek metro station in Brussels. Laurie Dieffembacq / AFP / Belga
  • People react as they walk away from Brussels airport after explosions rocked the building in Brussels, Belgium. The Belgian capital is in lockdown after two explosions at Brussels airport and another at a metro station. Geert Vanden Wijngaert / AP
    People react as they walk away from Brussels airport after explosions rocked the building in Brussels, Belgium. The Belgian capital is in lockdown after two explosions at Brussels airport and another at a metro station. Geert Vanden Wijngaert / AP
  • People are evacuated from Brussels Airport after at least 13 people were killed by two explosions in the departure hall of Brussels Airport. Virginie Lefour / AFP / Belga
    People are evacuated from Brussels Airport after at least 13 people were killed by two explosions in the departure hall of Brussels Airport. Virginie Lefour / AFP / Belga
  • Armed police stand on guard at Downing Street in London, Britain March 22, 2016. Britain’s Prime Minister David Cameron said he would chair a crisis response meeting following explosions in Brussels on Tuesday. Eddie Keogh/Reuters
    Armed police stand on guard at Downing Street in London, Britain March 22, 2016. Britain’s Prime Minister David Cameron said he would chair a crisis response meeting following explosions in Brussels on Tuesday. Eddie Keogh/Reuters
  • Federica Mogherini, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, cries during a joint press conference with Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh in Amman, on hearing the news of the fatal terror attacks in Brussels. Jamal Nasrallah / EPA
    Federica Mogherini, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, cries during a joint press conference with Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh in Amman, on hearing the news of the fatal terror attacks in Brussels. Jamal Nasrallah / EPA
  • A victim receives first aid by rescuers, near Maalbeek metro station in Brussels, after a blast at this station near the EU institutions caused deaths and injuries. Emmanuel Dunand / AFP
    A victim receives first aid by rescuers, near Maalbeek metro station in Brussels, after a blast at this station near the EU institutions caused deaths and injuries. Emmanuel Dunand / AFP
  • A picture provided by Twitter user @evanlamos shows passengers leaving a metro train between the Arts-Lois and Maelbeek metro stations after an explosion at Maelbeek station in Brussels, Belgium. EPA / EVAN LAMOS/EURACTIV
    A picture provided by Twitter user @evanlamos shows passengers leaving a metro train between the Arts-Lois and Maelbeek metro stations after an explosion at Maelbeek station in Brussels, Belgium. EPA / EVAN LAMOS/EURACTIV
  • Policemen stand guard near a security perimeter set in the Rue de la Loi near the Maalbeek subway station, in Brussels, after an explosion killed around 10 people, according to spokesman of Brussels' fire brigade. Nicolas Maeterlinck / AFP / Belga
    Policemen stand guard near a security perimeter set in the Rue de la Loi near the Maalbeek subway station, in Brussels, after an explosion killed around 10 people, according to spokesman of Brussels' fire brigade. Nicolas Maeterlinck / AFP / Belga
  • Passengers walk on underground metro tracks to be evacuated after an explosion at Maalbeek train station in Brussels, Belgium. Courtesy @OSOSXE via Twitter / Handout via Reuters
    Passengers walk on underground metro tracks to be evacuated after an explosion at Maalbeek train station in Brussels, Belgium. Courtesy @OSOSXE via Twitter / Handout via Reuters
  • Passengers and airport staff are evacuated from the terminal building after explosions at Brussels Airport in Zaventem near Brussels, Belgium. Laurent Bubrule / EPA
    Passengers and airport staff are evacuated from the terminal building after explosions at Brussels Airport in Zaventem near Brussels, Belgium. Laurent Bubrule / EPA
  • An injured man gestures outsude Brussels airport after explosions rocked the facility in Brussels, Belgium. Geert Vanden Wijngaert / AP
    An injured man gestures outsude Brussels airport after explosions rocked the facility in Brussels, Belgium. Geert Vanden Wijngaert / AP
  • People react outside Brussels airport after explosions rocked the facility in Brussels, Belgium Tuesday. Geert Vanden Wijngaert / AP
    People react outside Brussels airport after explosions rocked the facility in Brussels, Belgium Tuesday. Geert Vanden Wijngaert / AP

The young athlete, seriously burnt all over her body, realised rescuers were focused on treating the other injured victims, who were considered more likely to survive.

"I was labelled red. They didn't think I'd survive," she sobbed.

Ms Lasnier de Lavalette was already unconscious by the time she was taken to hospital.

"I kept saying I just want to go to sleep. Somebody told me you cannot sleep," she said.

"After that it was just darkness and I lost consciousness. The next memory I have is waking up after a month-long coma at hospital."

At the time of the attacks, Ms Lasnier de Lavalette was completing her penultimate year of high school in Belgium.

Having ridden horses since childhood, she hoped for a future as a professional equestrian.

After the attack, Ms Lasnier de Lavalette fought back and continued to pursue her ambitions.

Brussels the day after deadly attacks on airport and metro - in pictures

  • A sign reading ‘I am Brussels’ (Je suis Bruxelles) sits among candles and flowers at a makeshift memorial at Place de la Bourse (Beursplein) in Brussels on March 23, 2016. Patrik Stollarz / Agence France-Presse
    A sign reading ‘I am Brussels’ (Je suis Bruxelles) sits among candles and flowers at a makeshift memorial at Place de la Bourse (Beursplein) in Brussels on March 23, 2016. Patrik Stollarz / Agence France-Presse
  • A Belgian flag and a sign reading ‘United Against Hatred’ hangs from the Bourse De Brussels bulding in the Place de la Bourse on March 23, 2016, a day after three terrorist attacks in Brussels, Belgium. The country is observing three days of national mourning after 31 people were killed in a twin suicide blast at Zaventem Airport and a bomb attack at Maalbeek metro station. Two brothers are thought to have carried out the airport attack and an international manhunt is under way for a third suspect. The attacks come just days after a key suspect in the Paris attacks, Salah Abdeslam, was captured in Brussels. Christopher Furlong / Getty Images
    A Belgian flag and a sign reading ‘United Against Hatred’ hangs from the Bourse De Brussels bulding in the Place de la Bourse on March 23, 2016, a day after three terrorist attacks in Brussels, Belgium. The country is observing three days of national mourning after 31 people were killed in a twin suicide blast at Zaventem Airport and a bomb attack at Maalbeek metro station. Two brothers are thought to have carried out the airport attack and an international manhunt is under way for a third suspect. The attacks come just days after a key suspect in the Paris attacks, Salah Abdeslam, was captured in Brussels. Christopher Furlong / Getty Images
  • Men place candles an a street memorial on March 23, 2016 in Brussels, Belgium. Francois Lenoir / Reuters
    Men place candles an a street memorial on March 23, 2016 in Brussels, Belgium. Francois Lenoir / Reuters
  • Belgian soldiers patrol in the Schaarbeek district of Brussels, Belgium, on March 23, 2016. Security services are on high alert following the previous day’s deadly explosions in the departure hall of Zaventem Airport and on the metro system in Brussels, Belgium. SIL has claimed responsibility for the attacks. Christophe Petit Tesson / EPA
    Belgian soldiers patrol in the Schaarbeek district of Brussels, Belgium, on March 23, 2016. Security services are on high alert following the previous day’s deadly explosions in the departure hall of Zaventem Airport and on the metro system in Brussels, Belgium. SIL has claimed responsibility for the attacks. Christophe Petit Tesson / EPA
  • A minute of silence is observed at the Place de la Bourse in the centre of Brussels on March 23, 2016. Bombs exploded Tuesday at the city’s airport and one of its metro stations, killing and wounding scores of people, as a European capital was again locked down amid heightened security threats. Martin Meissner/ Associated Press
    A minute of silence is observed at the Place de la Bourse in the centre of Brussels on March 23, 2016. Bombs exploded Tuesday at the city’s airport and one of its metro stations, killing and wounding scores of people, as a European capital was again locked down amid heightened security threats. Martin Meissner/ Associated Press
  • A woman and children mourn for the victims of the bombings at the Place de la Bourse in the centre of Brussels on March 23, 2016. Martin Meissner / Associated Press
    A woman and children mourn for the victims of the bombings at the Place de la Bourse in the centre of Brussels on March 23, 2016. Martin Meissner / Associated Press
  • People write messages at the Place de la Bourse, in Brussels, Belgium, on March 23, 2016, in a tribute to the many people killed and injured in multiple terrorist attacks the day before. Security services are on high alert following explosions at the Zaventem Airport and Maalbeek metro station in Brussels. ISIL has claimed responsibility for the attacks. Yoan Valat / EPA
    People write messages at the Place de la Bourse, in Brussels, Belgium, on March 23, 2016, in a tribute to the many people killed and injured in multiple terrorist attacks the day before. Security services are on high alert following explosions at the Zaventem Airport and Maalbeek metro station in Brussels. ISIL has claimed responsibility for the attacks. Yoan Valat / EPA
  • From left, in the first row: France’s prime pinaster Manuel Valls, Belgium King Philippe, European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker, Belgium Queen Mathilde and Belgian prime minister Charles Michel observe a minute of silence on March 23, 2016, at EU Commission headquarters in Brussels. Olivier Hoslet / EPA
    From left, in the first row: France’s prime pinaster Manuel Valls, Belgium King Philippe, European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker, Belgium Queen Mathilde and Belgian prime minister Charles Michel observe a minute of silence on March 23, 2016, at EU Commission headquarters in Brussels. Olivier Hoslet / EPA
  • The mayor of Brussels, Yvan Mayeur (centre left) and mayor of Paris, Ann Hidalgo (centre right) pay tribute on March 23, 2016, at Place de la Bourse, Brussels, Belgium, to the victims of the terrorist attacks. Yoan Valat / EPA
    The mayor of Brussels, Yvan Mayeur (centre left) and mayor of Paris, Ann Hidalgo (centre right) pay tribute on March 23, 2016, at Place de la Bourse, Brussels, Belgium, to the victims of the terrorist attacks. Yoan Valat / EPA

In 2021, she achieved her goal and represented the US in the dressage event at the Tokyo Paralympic Games.

Nine defendants are facing justice at Belgium's biggest criminal trial in the disused former headquarters of the Nato alliance. A 10th suspect is believed to have been killed in Syria.

The prime suspect is Salah Abdeslam, who was convicted in a separate trial in France for his role in 2015 attacks in Paris that killed 130 people.

Hundreds of other survivors and relatives of those who died are expected to follow Ms Lasnier de Lavalette in giving their testimonies.

The trial is set to run until June.

ANDROID%20VERSION%20NAMES%2C%20IN%20ORDER
%3Cp%3EAndroid%20Alpha%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAndroid%20Beta%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAndroid%20Cupcake%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAndroid%20Donut%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAndroid%20Eclair%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAndroid%20Froyo%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAndroid%20Gingerbread%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAndroid%20Honeycomb%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAndroid%20Ice%20Cream%20Sandwich%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAndroid%20Jelly%20Bean%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAndroid%20KitKat%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAndroid%20Lollipop%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAndroid%20Marshmallow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAndroid%20Nougat%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAndroid%20Oreo%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAndroid%20Pie%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAndroid%2010%20(Quince%20Tart*)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAndroid%2011%20(Red%20Velvet%20Cake*)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAndroid%2012%20(Snow%20Cone*)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAndroid%2013%20(Tiramisu*)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAndroid%2014%20(Upside%20Down%20Cake*)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAndroid%2015%20(Vanilla%20Ice%20Cream*)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cem%3E*%20internal%20codenames%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
How the UAE gratuity payment is calculated now

Employees leaving an organisation are entitled to an end-of-service gratuity after completing at least one year of service.

The tenure is calculated on the number of days worked and does not include lengthy leave periods, such as a sabbatical. If you have worked for a company between one and five years, you are paid 21 days of pay based on your final basic salary. After five years, however, you are entitled to 30 days of pay. The total lump sum you receive is based on the duration of your employment.

1. For those who have worked between one and five years, on a basic salary of Dh10,000 (calculation based on 30 days):

a. Dh10,000 ÷ 30 = Dh333.33. Your daily wage is Dh333.33

b. Dh333.33 x 21 = Dh7,000. So 21 days salary equates to Dh7,000 in gratuity entitlement for each year of service. Multiply this figure for every year of service up to five years.

2. For those who have worked more than five years

c. 333.33 x 30 = Dh10,000. So 30 days’ salary is Dh10,000 in gratuity entitlement for each year of service.

Note: The maximum figure cannot exceed two years total salary figure.

The specs

Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six

Power: 650hp at 6,750rpm

Torque: 800Nm from 2,500-4,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto

Fuel consumption: 11.12L/100km

Price: From Dh796,600

On sale: now

Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

The specs: 2018 Mercedes-Benz E 300 Cabriolet

Price, base / as tested: Dh275,250 / Dh328,465

Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder

Power: 245hp @ 5,500rpm

Torque: 370Nm @ 1,300rpm

Transmission: Nine-speed automatic

Fuel consumption, combined: 7.0L / 100km

So what is Spicy Chickenjoy?

Just as McDonald’s has the Big Mac, Jollibee has Spicy Chickenjoy – a piece of fried chicken that’s crispy and spicy on the outside and comes with a side of spaghetti, all covered in tomato sauce and topped with sausage slices and ground beef. It sounds like a recipe that a child would come up with, but perhaps that’s the point – a flavourbomb combination of cheap comfort foods. Chickenjoy is Jollibee’s best-selling product in every country in which it has a presence.
 

'How To Build A Boat'
Jonathan Gornall, Simon & Schuster

Museum of the Future in numbers
  •  78 metres is the height of the museum
  •  30,000 square metres is its total area
  •  17,000 square metres is the length of the stainless steel facade
  •  14 kilometres is the length of LED lights used on the facade
  •  1,024 individual pieces make up the exterior 
  •  7 floors in all, with one for administrative offices
  •  2,400 diagonally intersecting steel members frame the torus shape
  •  100 species of trees and plants dot the gardens
  •  Dh145 is the price of a ticket
Diriyah%20project%20at%20a%20glance
%3Cp%3E-%20Diriyah%E2%80%99s%201.9km%20King%20Salman%20Boulevard%2C%20a%20Parisian%20Champs-Elysees-inspired%20avenue%2C%20is%20scheduled%20for%20completion%20in%202028%3Cbr%3E-%20The%20Royal%20Diriyah%20Opera%20House%20is%20expected%20to%20be%20completed%20in%20four%20years%3Cbr%3E-%20Diriyah%E2%80%99s%20first%20of%2042%20hotels%2C%20the%20Bab%20Samhan%20hotel%2C%20will%20open%20in%20the%20first%20quarter%20of%202024%3Cbr%3E-%20On%20completion%20in%202030%2C%20the%20Diriyah%20project%20is%20forecast%20to%20accommodate%20more%20than%20100%2C000%20people%3Cbr%3E-%20The%20%2463.2%20billion%20Diriyah%20project%20will%20contribute%20%247.2%20billion%20to%20the%20kingdom%E2%80%99s%20GDP%3Cbr%3E-%20It%20will%20create%20more%20than%20178%2C000%20jobs%20and%20aims%20to%20attract%20more%20than%2050%20million%20visits%20a%20year%3Cbr%3E-%20About%202%2C000%20people%20work%20for%20the%20Diriyah%20Company%2C%20with%20more%20than%2086%20per%20cent%20being%20Saudi%20citizens%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Updated: March 06, 2023, 10:17 PM