Moscow Resorts to Artificial Snow in Warmest Winter since 1886

Varieties

December 31st, 8:04am

London - Asharq Al-Awsat

People walk in Red Square during heavy snowfall in Moscow, Russia, Jan 27, 2019. (Reuters)

Moscow has been so warm this December that the government has resorted to sending trucks filled with artificial snow to decorate a New Year display in the city center. Videos of the delivery for a snowboarding hill went viral as observers noted the irony of bringing snow to a city that spends millions each year on its removal. "This is all the snow there is in Moscow," one Instagram user wrote, accompanied with a photograph from near the Kremlin. The Moscow region is witnessing one of its warmest winters since temperatures began to be systematically recorded 140 years ago. The temperature in the Russian capital rose to 5.4C on 18 December, topping the previous record for the month set in 1886. The current warmth in Moscow is not normal at all. Concerns are growing about the effects of global warming on Russia. Permafrost under the country's northern towns is slowly melting, and receding Arctic ice is driving hungry polar bears to forage in urban areas, The Guardian reported. The balmy December weather has interrupted hibernation at Moscow zoo and caused crocuses, lilacs and magnolias at Moscow State University's apothecary garden to flower early. Zoo officials said they had put five jerboas – a type of hopping rodent with long hind legs – into specially refrigerated enclosures to encourage them to hibernate. The most visible impact, however, has been the lack of snow, which usually begins blanketing Russia in October or November. Light flurries have fallen in Moscow and its parks are dusted white, but most of the snow in the city center has melted. City officials said the artificial snow had been brought in for a snowboarding demonstration that will begin on New Year's Day. The snow was produced by cutting ice for a local skating rink, said Alexei Nemeryuk, the head of Moscow's trade and services department.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2059921/moscow-resorts-artificial-snow-warmest-winter-1886

Saudi Arabia's Relief Arm Signs Two Agreements to Support Yemen

Gulf

December 31st, 7:57am

Asharq Al-Awsat

KSrelief Signs Two Agreements to Support Yemen via SPA

King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) signed in Riyadh this week two agreements to provide humanitarian aid to Yemenis at a total cost of approximately SR14 million. The first agreement in the field of emergency response to hygiene and environmental sanitation in Aden Governorate was signed by Advisor at the Royal Court and KSrelief Supervisor General Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Rabeeah with Hand by Hand Foundation, benefiting 865,000 people in Aden Governorate. The second agreement in the field of securing and distributing food aid in Yemen in 2020 was signed by Dr. Al Rabeeah with the Charity Coalition for Humanitarian Relief, benefiting 90,000 people in Hadramout Governorate, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported. Dr. Al Rabeeah said the value of the Saudi projects implemented in Yemen during the past five years amounted to USD16.7 billion, placing Saudi Arabia as the largest international supporter for Yemen. Meanwhile, KSrelief and in cooperation with Selah Foundation for Development, launched the distribution of 700 winter bags for the displaced and the affected people in Taiz Governorate, benefiting 4,200 people. The Riyadh-based center also conducted on Monday 15 surgeries, including 3 open-heart surgeries and 12 heart catheterization operations in Mukalla City. This medical campaign aims to conduct approximately 90 surgeries for low-income people in Mukalla City, according to SPA.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2059901/saudi-arabias-relief-arm-signs-two-agreements-support-yemen

New Video Game Aims to Boost Attention among Teens

Varieties

December 31st, 7:51am

Cairo - Hazem Bader

Boys play Tencent's Honor of Kings game. (Reuters)

People have always complained about teens' addiction to video games. However, a research team sought to prove an opposite point of view by designing a new game aimed at boosting attention. The study carried out by researchers from the University of Wisconsin and their colleagues from the University of California showed that the new game "helped improve mindfulness in middle-schoolers and found that when young people played the game, they showed changes in areas of their brains that underlie attention." Most educational video games are focused on presenting declarative information about a particular subject, like biology or chemistry. But, the aim of the new game is different: it seeks to change the cognitive or emotional processes by raising alertness and improving attention. The game, called "Tenacity," was designed for middle-schoolers and requires players to count their breaths by tapping a touch screen to advance. It leads players through relaxing landscapes such as ancient Greek ruins and outer space. Players tap once per breath while counting breaths for the first four breaths and then tap twice every fifth breath. Players earn more points and advance in the game by counting sequences of five breaths accurately. The game's tests are explained in a report published on the University of Wisconsin-Madison's website. In the study, 95 middle school-aged youth were randomly assigned to one of two groups, either the Tenacity gameplay group or a control group that played the game Fruit Ninja. Kids in each group were instructed to play their assigned game for 30 minutes per day for two weeks while researchers conducted brain scans with participants before and after the two-week period.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2059896/new-video-game-aims-boost-attention-among-teens

Big Ben to Ring on New Year's Eve

Varieties

December 31st, 7:46am

London - Asharq Al-Awsat

Britain's Big Ben Construction. AP.

Britain's Big Ben bell in parliament's landmark clock tower will ring at midnight on New Year's Eve, marking the start of a year for the first time since its new face was revealed from under scaffolding halfway through restoration work. The work has seen the 96-metre-tall Elizabeth Tower, enveloped in scaffolding for the last two years as the four clock dials are reglazed, ironwork repainted and intricately carved stonework cleaned and repaired. In March, part of the scaffolding was removed, showing that the clock's once black numerals and hands have been repainted blue, in line with what scientists say was its original color. Since restoration work began in 2017, Big Ben has been largely silenced, sounding only for important events. It last tolled on Remembrance Day on November 11. The bell will be tested several times in the run-up to New Year's Eve, parliament said in a statement. The restoration of the entire Elizabeth Tower, worth an estimated 61 million pounds ($79.78 million), will see it repaired and redecorated, including bringing colors back to the original design. The restoration work is due to be completed in 2021 and will be followed by a 4-billion-pound ($5.2 billion) restoration program of the entire parliament building.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2059886/big-ben-ring-new-years-eve

Zarif, Lavrov Say US Attack In Iraq, Syria 'Unacceptable'

Iran

December 31st, 7:38am

London, Moscow – Asharq Al-Awsat

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov attend a news conference following their meeting in Moscow, December 30, 2019

The Russian and Iranian foreign ministries described on Monday the US strike that hit several bases belonging to the Hezbollah brigades in Iraq and Syria late last week as “unacceptable,” while a joint press conference held by the two countries’ Foreign Ministers mainly focused on Syria, Libya, and the Nuclear Deal. Russian FM Sergei Lavrov and his Iranian counterpart Mohammad-Javad Zarif held talks in Moscow on Monday and the two men condemned last Sunday’s US airstrikes against a pro-Iran group in Iraq, which killed at least 25 fighters. Tehran described the attacks as “a clear example of terrorism,” and it called on the US to respect Iraq's sovereignty and territorial integrity. In a statement released Monday, Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi also condemned the attacks and said: “the US has demonstrated its decisive support for terrorism and disregard for the independence and sovereignty of nations by launching these attacks, and it must accept the responsibility for the consequences of such illegal measure.” For his part, member of the national security and Foreign Affairs Committee in the Parliament, Hishmatallah Falahat Beeshah, warned that the “US challenge in Iraq could be a trap used against Iran and which Tehran must avoid.” Washington military carried out airstrikes on Sunday against the Kataib Hezbollah militia in response to the killing of a US civilian contractor in a rocket attack on an Iraqi military base. In Moscow, Zarif condemned Sunday’s attack and he renewed his previous accusations against Washington for killing people in Iraq and Syria under the pretext of defending itself. "Unlike the US which sheds the blood of people in Iraq and Syria thousands of miles farther from its borders under the pretext of defending itself, and the unbelievable US measure yesterday was one of these cases, Iran and Russia cooperated for peace in Iraq and Syria and the Astana process is a successful instance," Zarif said after his meeting with Lavrov in Moscow. For his part, Russia’s FM said the US airstrikes were unacceptable and counterproductive, and he urged all sides to avoid fuelling tensions in the region, Reuters reported. Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the US had not informed Russia about the strikes. Lavrov and Zarif also tackled the Nuclear Deal a few days before the expiry of a fourth deadline, offered by Iran to the European signatories to meet Tehran’s list of demands. The Russian FM said the US and the European Union should either comply with the terms of the 2015 nuclear agreement with Tehran or recognize it as nonexistent. “The European signatories to the deal were not taking any practical steps" to support it,” he said.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2059876/zarif-lavrov-say-us-attack-iraq-syria-unacceptable

Actress Sophie Marceau: Favorite Female Personality in France

Varieties

December 31st, 7:31am

Paris - Asharq Al-Awsat

Sophie Marceau, December 3, 2012 - Goh Chai Hin - AFP

The French Le Journal du Dimanche newspaper has broken its annual tradition of choosing France's favorite personality of the year by announcing two lists: one for males and one for females on Sunday. Actress Sophie Marceau, 53, has topped the list of favorite woman personality in France followed by Oscar-winner Actress Marion Cotillard, while Author-composer Jean-Jacques Goldman, 68, has been chosen as the most favorite male personality for the third year in row. The survey organizers indicated that the "gender separation" this year was applied for a positive goal, after the significant low female presence observed over the recent years. Sophie Marceau ranked 16th last year. The survey was carried out in partnership with the IFOP survey institute, and involved a random sample of men and women aged 18 years old and above. Based on the highest number of votes, 25 female and 25 male personalities have been selected. Senegalese-born Actor Omar Sy has been elected the second favorite male personality, while Footballer Kylian Mbappé dropped from fourth to 14th place. Algerian-born comedian Danny Boon, whose original name is Daniel Hamidou, also ranked second on the male list. The surprise was rapper Soprano, a young artist from Marseille whose original name is Saïd M'Roumbaba, who ranked fourth.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2059866/actress-sophie-marceau-favorite-female-personality-france

Houthi Oppression Deprives Tens of Thousands of Yemenis of their Salaries

Arab World

December 31st, 7:24am

Aden - Ali Rabih

Houthis refuse to accept the newly printed Yemeni rial. (AFP)

Yemen’s Finance Ministry demanded the international community, the United Nations, World Bank and International Monetary Fund to bear their responsibility to counter the tyrannical practices of the Iran-backed Houthi militias. In their latest violation, the militias have delayed the payment of salaries to public civil servicemen and pensioners in areas under their control in northern Yemen after they refused to work with newly printed banknotes. “The militias have banned the circulation of the new Yemeni rials that were released by the central bank in Aden,” the ministry said in a statement. This has led to the paralysis of bank activity and deprived tens of thousands of employees and pensioners from receiving their salaries. The central bank had printed the new currency some three years ago. The Houthis’ latest move is part of their ongoing efforts to combat the legitimate government. They have called for the withdrawal of the new currency, giving people a month to hand over the new banknote. In the latest farce, they said they will compensate them in old currency or so-called electronic rial. Yemeni legal sources and activists said they had earlier received a notice from the legitimate government expressing its inability to pay the salaries of employees working in Houthi-controlled areas starting December 2019 as a result of the militias’ decision not to deal with the new banknote. The sources said that those salaries, worth more than 10 billion Yemeni rials per month, include employees working in the health sectors, the judiciary, university teachers, civilian retirees and the control and accounting apparatus. Bankers in Saana told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Houthi decision aims to prevent Yemenis from using the new notes and instead, flood the market with the old banknote. Accordingly, the Yemeni Trade Union called for an open strike, starting next month, to protest the militias’ decision.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2059846/houthi-oppression-deprives-tens-thousands-yemenis-their-salaries