UAE Cuts Working Week and Shifts Weekend Back a Day

THE GUARDIAN: ‘National working week’ aimed at improving work-life balance and economic competitiveness

Construction workers in Dubai. Moving to a Saturday-Sunday weekend will bring the UAE into line with most of the non-Arab world. Photograph: Karim Sahib/AFP/Getty Images
The United Arab Emirates is cutting its working week to four-and-a-half days and moving its weekend from Friday-Saturday to Saturday-Sunday in a major shift aimed at improving the country’s competitiveness, officials have said.

The “national working week” will be mandatory for government bodies from 1 January and bucks the regional norm of a full day-off on Friday for Muslim prayers.

While becoming the only Gulf state not to have a Friday-Saturday weekend, the move will bring the resource-rich and ambitious UAE into line with the non-Arab world.

Under the new timetable, the public sector weekend starts at noon on Fridays and ends on Sunday. Friday prayers at mosques will be held after 1.15pm all year round. » | Agence France-Presse in Dubai | Tuesday, December 7, 2021

Jewish in Europe (1/2) | DW Documentary

Jul 11, 2021 • What is life like for Jews in Europe today? What are their stories? How do they combine traditional and modern life? And how do they deal with marginalization and threats?

"There is an everyday Jewish life in Europe that rarely gets shown. Debates about politics, the Middle East and anti-Semitism overshadow the diversity of Jewish life. That's why it was important for us to be able to capture it, just by spontaneously going there and seeing what was happening." This was the mission statement that led Swiss writer Yves Kugelmann and German film producer Alice Brauner, both Jewish, on a journey across Europe.

The first part of this two-part documentary takes Brauner and Kugelmann to Marseille, Strasbourg, Frankfurt and Berlin. They talk about life in the Jewish quarter with Harold Weill, Chief Rabbi of Strasbourg, and ask whether he and his community feel threatened. Alon Meyer, chairman of intercultural soccer club Makkabi Frankfurt and president of the Jewish sports organization Makkabi Germany, describes the hostility his team faces away from the field. In Berlin, Brauner and Kugelmann meet the writer and dramatist Sasha Marianna Salzmann.

Michael Lucas Shows You a Gay Israel Heaven | Gay Documentary | Israel: Gay Men in the Promised Land (2019)

A documentary written by American entrepreneur, columnist, gay activist and gay director Michael Lucas, and co-directed by Lucas and Israeli director Yariv Mozer. In his debut as a documentary filmmaker, Michael Lucas focuses on Israel’s thriving LGBTQ+ community through footage of Tel Aviv’s vibrant nightlife, a gay wedding, and candid interviews with a diverse range of local gay Israeli mean and women.

Israel: Gay Oasis

Mar 18, 2010 • We came to Israel from one of Americas most progressive and accepting cities, San Francisco. In search of common ground, we decided to look at Israel through the lens of the gay community. All we really had starting out was a BlueStar postcard telling us that gay Israelis could serve in the army, a right still not enjoyed by our fellow Americans. The question was, how does a country so wrapped up in religion and conflict exceed our relatively peaceful and secular nation in terms of gay rights. What kind of gay community has grown up in Israel in the last sixty years? And where will it lead. We found that Israels gay community has fought at least as hard as ours to secure its rights. And that even a nation surrounded by enemies can find a place for every one of its citizens to belong.

Gay Orthodox Rabbi

Sep 26, 2010 • This story was shot in October 2009. It focuses on Ron Yosef, an orthodox Rabbi living in the Israeli city of Netanya, who has come out of the closet and shaken his conservative community.

The story was filmed and edited by Yermi Brenner for the Video Journalist Movement

The Competition between China and the US - Global Capitalism with Richard Wolff

Dec 5, 2021 • Prof Wolff takes a look at where the United States and China are competing, and how they are influencing the rest of the world. Only time will tell what strategies will determine the future of this relationship.

"There is a fundamentally different strategy emerging on the part of China versus the United States in their struggle, given their interdependence and given their competition... They are trying to compete around the world by developing a different kind of society." - Richard Wolff

Verliebt, verknallt, verweht!

Madly love and blown away. / Fou amoureux et époustouflé.
Ich bedanke mich beim Guardian für dieses schöne, alte, ausdrucksvolle Foto.

The Pandemic Has Your Blood Pressure Rising? You’re Not Alone.

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Average blood pressure readings increased as the coronavirus spread, new research suggests. The finding portends medical repercussions far beyond Covid-19.

Last year was a tough one. Americans grappled with a global pandemic, the loss of loved ones, lockdowns that splintered social networks, stress, unemployment and depression.

It is probably no surprise that the nation’s blood pressure shot up.

On Monday, scientists reported that blood pressure measurements of nearly a half-million adults showed a significant rise last year, compared with the previous year.

These measurements describe the pressure of blood against the walls of the arteries. Over time, increased pressure can damage the heart, the brain, blood vessels, kidneys and eyes. Sexual function can also be affected.

“These are very important data that are not surprising, but are shocking,” said Dr. Donald M. Lloyd-Jones, president of the American Heart Association, who was not involved in the study.

“Even small changes in average blood pressure in the population,” he added, “can have a huge impact on the number of strokes, heart failure events and heart attacks that we’re likely to be seeing in the coming months.” » | Roni Caryn Rabin | Monday, December 6, 2021

Democracy Now! Top US News & World Headlines — December 6, 2021

Myanmar’s Junta Condemned over Guilty Verdicts in Aung San Suu Kyi Trial

THE GUARDIAN: First verdicts announced in cases against Myanmar’s former leader, who was deposed in a coup in February

Aung San Suu Kyi. Photograph: Christophe Archambault/AFP/Getty Images
A military court in Myanmar has found Aung San Suu Kyi guilty of incitement and breaking Covid restrictions, drawing condemnation from the United Nations, European Union and others, who described the verdicts as politically motivated.

The 76-year-old, who was deposed in a coup in February, is set to serve two years in detention at an undisclosed location, a sentence reduced from four years after a partial pardon from the country’s military chief, state TV reported.

The court in the capital Naypyidaw was delivering its first verdicts in numerous cases brought against Aung San Suu Kyi that have previously been described by her lawyer as absurd.

“The conviction of the state counsellor following a sham trial in secretive proceedings before a military-controlled court is nothing but politically motivated,” UN human rights chief, Michelle Bachelet, said. » | Rebecca Ratcliffe South-east Asia correspondent | Monday, December 6, 2021

En Birmanie, la junte militaire inflige sa première condamnation à Aung San Suu Kyi : Condamnée à quatre ans de prison, l’ancienne dirigeante qui s’était opposée au coup d’Etat militaire du 1er février est sous le coup de nombreuses autres inculpations. »

Myanmars Militärjunta macht Aung San Suu Kyi politisch mundtot: Mindestens zwölf Anklagepunkte liegen gegen die einstige Ikone der myanmarischen Demokratiebewegung, Aung San Suu Kyi, vor. In einem ersten Verfahren ist sie am Montag zu vier Jahren Haftstrafe verurteilt worden. Stunden später wurde die Strafe auf zwei Jahre reduziert. Die Bevölkerung Myanmars versinkt abermals in Armut. »

Birmanie : Aung San Suu Kyi condamnée à 4 ans de prison, la peine réduite de moitié par la junte : Un tribunal birman a condamné lundi l'ex-cheffe du gouvernement civil pour incitation aux troubles publics et violation des règles sanitaires liées au Covid-19. La junte annoncé plus tard dans la journée une réduction de cette peine. »

Trump Attacks Media and Mark Milley in Foul-mouthed Mar-a-Lago Speech

THE GUARDIAN: Insults to press and chairman of joint chiefs of staff recall barbs while Trump was in power

Donald Trump looks on during his first post-presidency campaign rally in Wellington, Ohio, on 26 June 2021. Photograph: Shannon Stapleton/Reuters
In remarks to diners at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on Saturday night,Donald Trump called the American media “crooked bastards” and Gen Mark Milley, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, a “fucking idiot”.

The meandering, foul-mouthed speech to Turning Point USA, a group for young conservatives, was streamed by Jack Posobiec, a rightwing blogger and provocateur.

The insult to the press recalled barbs while Trump was in power, including calling reporters and editors “fake news” and the “enemy of the people”, attacks many in the media regarded as dangerous, inviting political violence.

“The country is at a very important, dangerous place,” Trump said, amid familiar lies about his defeat in the 2020 election, which he says was the result of electoral fraud. » | Martin Pengelly | Monday, December 6, 2021

Hamilton Says He's 'Not Comfortable' Racing, Calls Out Saudi Arabia's LGBTQ+ Laws

dpa/SIPA
SPORTS ILLUSTRATED: Lewis Hamilton continues to take a stand on human-rights issues and condemned Saudi Arabia's "terrifying" LGBTQ+ laws ahead of Sunday's Grand Prix.

"Do I feel comfortable here? I wouldn't say I do," the 36-year-old driver for Mercedes told reporters Thursday, per CNN. "But this was not my choice. Our sport has chosen to be here and whether it's fair or not, I think that, while we're here, it's still important to do some work on raising awareness."

Similarly to the Qatar Grand Prix, Hamilton will again wear a helmet with the Pride Progress Flag with the words "We Stand Together" during the Saudi Arabia Grand.

"A lot of change needs to take place and our sport needs to do more," Hamilton said.

This penultimate race marks the first in Saudi Arabia for Formula One, which will be held at the Red Sea port city of Jeddah. The country has been widely criticized for its human-rights record, and per The Guardian, multiple groups wrote to the league, criticizing their decision to compete there. » | Madeline Coleman | Friday, December 3, 2021

Leaving the Ultra-orthodox – Jews Seeking a New Life in Germany | DW Documentary

Feb 16, 2021 • Increasing numbers of Jews have been leaving ultra-orthodox communities in recent years. Surprisingly, Germany has become a popular refuge for them. Rabbi Akiva Weingarten has been helping them.

More than 1.3 million Jews live in ultra-orthodox communities worldwide. It’s a kind of parallel universe — in which only God’s laws count. Every aspect of everyday life is clearly regulated: The women are responsible for the home and for looking after the children while the men devote their lives to religious study. But some ten percent of ultra-orthodox Jews in Israel go on to quit their communities - and that figure is growing. The majority are young adults and, surprisingly, many come to Germany. Akiva Weingarten was one of them. He grew up in an ultra-orthodox Satmar community in New York State but made a radical break in 2014. He left his wife and children and started a new life in Berlin - without a credit card, a bank account or a job, or any relatives to fall back on. He is now surrounded by a free community of former ultra-orthodox Jews - who turn to the rabbi for practical and religious advice. Moshe Barnett and David Lamberger have only been flat mates in Dresden for a few months now. They are not just seeking a new life, but a new relationship with God.

Far-right French Presidential Candidate Put in Headlock by Protester at Rally

THE GUARDIAN: Éric Zemmour formally declared his candidacy on Tuesday, highlighting his anti-migrant and anti-Islam views

The far-right French presidential candidate Éric Zemmour appeared to be put in a headlock by a protester at his first campaign, a few days after he formally declared his candidacy in a video highlighting his anti-migrant and anti-Islam views.

Videos online appeared to show Zemmour being grabbed by a man at the heated rally near Paris on Sunday, during which anti-racism activists were also reportedly attacked. He was later reported to have suffered light injuries.

The former TV pundit announced on Tuesday that he would run in next April’s election, joining the field of challengers seeking to unseat centrist President Emmanuel Macron.

He held his first event at an exhibition centre in a suburb of Paris where thousands cheered every mention of reducing immigration and booed every reference to Macron loudly.

“The stakes are huge: if I win it will be the start of winning back the most beautiful country in the world,” Zemmour told the crowd. » | Guardian staff and agency | Sunday, December 5, 2021

Meeting d’Eric Zemmour : des militants antiracistes agressés par des participants : Des militants de l’association SOS-Racisme ont été violemment frappés par des participants au meeting après avoir scandé « Non au racisme » dans la salle. Ces militants « n’avaient pas à être là, il ne faut pas venir faire de provocation dans notre salle », a réagi l’équipe de campagne d’Eric Zemmour. »

Immigration, sécurité, identité, haine des médias… Pour son premier meeting, Eric Zemmour décline ses thèmes de prédilection : Le candidat d’extrême droite a officialisé, dimanche, le nom de sa formation politique, « Reconquête », lors d’un discours marqué par de violents affrontements entre des participants au meeting et des militants antiracistes. »

Zemmour agressé à son meeting et blessé au poignet, selon son équipe : L'essayiste et candidat à l'élection présidentielle a été agressé par un individu avant qu'il ne monte sur scène pour prononcer son discours. »

Tumulte und Protest bei Wahlkampfauftritt von Rechtspopulist Zemmour »

Zemmour-Anhänger greifen Aktivisten und Journalisten an: Eric Zemmour wirbt mit einem strammen Law-and-Order-Kurs. Aber die erste Wahlkampfkundgebung des französischen Präsidentschaftskandidaten war von Gewalt und Chaos geprägt. »

Jan Lisiecki – Chopin: Nocturne in E Minor, Op. posth. 72/1 | Live from Würzburg, 2018

Sep 17, 2021 • “These remarkable pieces invite you to think and feel whatever you want", says Lisiecki, "There’s no ‘right’ response to them, other than the one you’re having.”

Veteran Republican Leader Bob Dole Dies

GETTY IMAGES
BBC: Bob Dole, a World War Two veteran who went on to be a long-time Republican senator and US presidential candidate, has died aged 98.

His death was announced in a statement from the Elizabeth Dole Foundation: "It is with heavy hearts we announce that Senator Robert Joseph Dole died early this morning in his sleep. At his death, at age 98, he had served the United States of America faithfully for 79 years."

Earlier this year Dole had said that he was receiving treatment for lung cancer.

His political career was marked by a decade-long stint as the top Republican in the US Senate, and running unsuccessfully for the White House against Bill Clinton in 1996.

But decades before his bid for the presidency, on 14 April 1945, Bob Dole was lying on a World War Two battlefield in northern Italy, left for dead. » | BBC | Sunday, December 5, 2021

Bob Dole, Old Soldier and Stalwart of the Senate, Dies at 98: Mr. Dole, a son of the Kansas prairie who was left for dead on a World War II battlefield, became one of the longest-serving Republican leaders. »

L'ex-sénateur Bob Dole, figure de la politique américaine, est mort à 98 ans : L'ancien sénateur avait été le candidat malheureux du Parti républicain face au président démocrate sortant Bill Clinton en 1996. »

Einstiger US-Präsidentschaftskandidat gestorben: Der Republikaner war ein Gegenspieler von Bill Clinton – unterlag ihm aber bei der amerikanischen Präsidentschaftswahl 1996. Nun ist Bob Dole im Alter von 98 Jahren gestorben. »

Bob Dole: ehemaliger amerikanischer Senator und Präsidentschaftskandidat im Alter von 98 Jahren gestorben: Der Weltkriegsveteran hat als einflussreicher Senator Jahrzehnte der amerikanischen Politik geprägt. Um den Chefsessel im Weissen Haus bemühte sich Bob Dole mehrfach vergeblich. »

The Preprandial Expression of Love and Affection.

Der präprandiale Ausdruck von Liebe und Zuneigung. / L’expression préprandiale de l'amour et de l'affection.
With many thanks to Andrew BeauChamp for this delightful photo on Pinterest.

On Syria’s Ruins, a Drug Empire Flourishes

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Powerful associates of Syria’s president, Bashar al-Assad, are making and selling captagon, an illegal amphetamine, creating a new narcostate on the Mediterranean.

BEIRUT, Lebanon — Built on the ashes of 10 years of war in Syria, an illegal drug industry run by powerful associates and relatives of President Bashar al-Assad has grown into a multibillion-dollar operation, eclipsing Syria’s legal exports and turning the country into the world’s newest narcostate.

Its flagship product is captagon, an illegal, addictive amphetamine popular in Saudi Arabia and other Arab states. Its operations stretch across Syria, including workshops that manufacture the pills, packing plants where they are concealed for export and smuggling networks to spirit them to markets abroad.

An investigation by The New York Times found that much of the production and distribution is overseen by the Fourth Armored Division of the Syrian Army, an elite unit commanded by Maher al-Assad, the president’s younger brother and one of Syria’s most powerful men.

Major players also include businessmen with close ties to the government, the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and other members of the president’s extended family, whose last name ensures protection for illegal activities, according to The Times investigation, which is based on information from law enforcement officials in 10 countries and dozens of interviews with international and regional drug experts, Syrians with knowledge of the drug trade and current and former United States officials. » | Ben Hubbard and Hwaida Saad | Sunday, December 5, 2021

At the Lights? Ft. Werner Patzelt, Emeritus Professor of Comparative Government

Dec 5, 2021 • Like her trademark jackets, Angela Merkel’s political style came in one shape and size but all colours of the rainbow. Measured and at times even dull, she nonetheless managed to steer Germany and Europe through many upheavals. Can the traffic light coalition, now poised to replace her, do the same without running into red at every corner? To discuss this, Oksana is joined by Werner Patzelt, Emeritus Professor of Comparative Government at Dresden Technical University.

Fraudsters of the World, Come to London. And Bring Your Dirty Money

THE OBSERVER: Kleptocrats love this country, knowing full well they’ll be free from proper scrutiny

There is no better representation of the decline of the English upper class into the global rich’s servant class than Ben Elliot. On the one hand, the co-chairman of the Tory party is now a rent collector, hauling in money for the Johnson administration from the Russian rich and native hedge fund bosses.

On the other, he is an actual servant: an upmarket flunkey, to be sure, praised by society magazines for his “puppyish schoolboy charm”, but a flunkey nonetheless. Elliot is a founder of the Quintessentially “concierge” service that gives the super-rich anything they want: luncheon on an iceberg; the Sydney Harbour bridge closed for a wedding proposal. There’s nothing Elliot won’t do for paying customers up to and including arranging a meeting with our future sovereign. Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, is Elliot’s aunt and it appears that no considerations of good form or good manners have prevented him monetising the connection. Not that the prince appears to mind. A Quintessentially advert interrupts a montage of shots of yachts and celebrities to quote his royal highness as saying he is “particularly grateful” to Quintessentially for organising a party he attended. Members of Elliot’s Quintessentially club donate to the Conservatives. The Conservatives gave Elliot £1.4m of taxpayers’ money in 2016 to “attract the right high-value individual investors to the UK through bespoke programmes”. If on arrival, those high-value individuals went on to show how valuable they were by hiring Quintessentially and donating to the Tories, the circle would be complete.

Upstairs has moved downstairs in the remains of the Tory day and a large segment of British capitalism is now employed as the best servants money can buy. The law, PR, City, estate agency and banking know that easy riches come from serving the large part of the world where it pays to forget Balzac’s warning that the secret of a great fortune no one can explain is invariably an undetected crime. For want of an agreed name I propose “Corruptistan” to cover Russia and the ex-Soviet states, the kleptocracies of Africa and the Middle East and probably soon China as the communist elite learns how to expatriate its wealth. » | Nick Cohen | Saturday, December 2021