Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza
Authorities in Sweden were bracing for pro-Palestine protests over Israel's participation in the Eurovision Song Contest, which began in the city of Malmo on Tuesday.
Israel's entrant, Eden Golan, is competing with the song Hurricane, which initially went under the name October Rain. The artist was forced to tweak the original version, which appeared to contain references to the deadly attacks cled by Hamas on October 7 in the south of Israel.
The fallout continued on Tuesday night, when Swedish singer Eric Saade wore a keffiyeh, commonly used by people who want to show support for Palestine, prompting a statement from the European Broadcasting Union to say it regretted the politicisation of the event.
The broadcasting union also told Ireland's first Eurovision Song Contest finalist since 2018 to change their face-paint message, which translated to the word ceasefire, in a nod to the situation in the Gaza Strip.
“The writing seen on Bambie Thug’s body during dress rehearsals contravened contest rules that are designed to protect the non-political nature of the event," a spokeswoman for the EBU said.
“After discussions with the Irish delegation, they agreed to change the text for the live show.”
Swedish armed police patrolled outside the concert venue over fears of unrest due to the European Broadcasting Union's decision not to bar Israel's participation, despite the country's military action in Gaza leading to rising tensions.
Police stepped up security but said no direct threat had been made against the event, which will run until Saturday.
“The threat assessments are primarily for the security service, but we can state that Sweden as a country is on a four on a five-point terror threat level scale,” police spokesman Jimmy Modin said.
“And, of course, we include this in our planning work with the security measures that we’re taking for the Eurovision Song Contest, but it’s important to note that there’s no direct threat to Eurovision.”
A pro-Palestinian march is due to be held on Thursday when Israel competes in the second semi-final.
“The demonstrators are going to march from one square to another square in Malmo,” Mr Modin added. “We anticipate that there’s going to be a lot of people joining this demonstration so there might be disturbance to traffic.”
Denmark and Norway have also sent officers to help police the event.
“We can’t rule out something could happen,” Mr Modin said. “We are very well prepared for this event. I don’t think [people] have to be worried about going to Malmo.”
Artists in Finland have led calls for Israel to be banned and the UK's entrant, Olly Alexander, joined others in signing an open letter accusing Israel of genocide.
Ahead of the contest, Israel's artist said she only wished to unite people.
“I come here to show my voice, to share my love, my gift from God and to hopefully make people feel something and leave a mark in their souls and to unite by music,” she said.
“It's up to the people what to do. They have the right to speak their voice, but I'm focusing on my part, which is giving the best performance, and on the good vibes, the good people.
“It's a super important moment for us, especially this year. I feel honoured to have the opportunity to be the voice of my country.”
The UK's Foreign Office warned that there was a possibility of “an increased number of protests in Malmo during Eurovision week.”
“Where more than one protest happens at the same time, on opposing issues, clashes can occur,” it said. “Protests can block access routes. Avoid demonstrations wherever possible and follow the advice of the local authorities.”
The EBU has issued a statement acknowledging the heightened tensions at this year's event but urged people to support the artists.
“The European Broadcasting Union acknowledges the depth of feeling and the strong opinions that this year’s Eurovision Song Contest – set against the backdrop of a terrible war in the Middle East – has provoked,” it said.
The artists are restricted from making political messages during their performances and could face penalties for doing so.
It will be the 68th version of the world's biggest song contest, which is being held in Sweden following the success of Swedish singer Loreen with the song Tattoo last year.
Sweden has won the song contest seven times.
Company%20profile
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Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
'Ghostbusters: From Beyond'
Director: Jason Reitman
Starring: Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace
Rating: 2/5
Zakat definitions
Zakat: an Arabic word meaning ‘to cleanse’ or ‘purification’.
Nisab: the minimum amount that a Muslim must have before being obliged to pay zakat. Traditionally, the nisab threshold was 87.48 grams of gold, or 612.36 grams of silver. The monetary value of the nisab therefore varies by current prices and currencies.
Zakat Al Mal: the ‘cleansing’ of wealth, as one of the five pillars of Islam; a spiritual duty for all Muslims meeting the ‘nisab’ wealth criteria in a lunar year, to pay 2.5 per cent of their wealth in alms to the deserving and needy.
Zakat Al Fitr: a donation to charity given during Ramadan, before Eid Al Fitr, in the form of food. Every adult Muslim who possesses food in excess of the needs of themselves and their family must pay two qadahs (an old measure just over 2 kilograms) of flour, wheat, barley or rice from each person in a household, as a minimum.
Haircare resolutions 2021
From Beirut and Amman to London and now Dubai, hairstylist George Massoud has seen the same mistakes made by customers all over the world. In the chair or at-home hair care, here are the resolutions he wishes his customers would make for the year ahead.
1. 'I will seek consultation from professionals'
You may know what you want, but are you sure it’s going to suit you? Haircare professionals can tell you what will work best with your skin tone, hair texture and lifestyle.
2. 'I will tell my hairdresser when I’m not happy'
Massoud says it’s better to offer constructive criticism to work on in the future. Your hairdresser will learn, and you may discover how to communicate exactly what you want more effectively the next time.
3. ‘I will treat my hair better out of the chair’
Damage control is a big part of most hairstylists’ work right now, but it can be avoided. Steer clear of over-colouring at home, try and pursue one hair brand at a time and never, ever use a straightener on still drying hair, pleads Massoud.
Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi
Director: Kangana Ranaut, Krish Jagarlamudi
Producer: Zee Studios, Kamal Jain
Cast: Kangana Ranaut, Ankita Lokhande, Danny Denzongpa, Atul Kulkarni
Rating: 2.5/5
What are NFTs?
Are non-fungible tokens a currency, asset, or a licensing instrument? Arnab Das, global market strategist EMEA at Invesco, says they are mix of all of three.
You can buy, hold and use NFTs just like US dollars and Bitcoins. “They can appreciate in value and even produce cash flows.”
However, while money is fungible, NFTs are not. “One Bitcoin, dollar, euro or dirham is largely indistinguishable from the next. Nothing ties a dollar bill to a particular owner, for example. Nor does it tie you to to any goods, services or assets you bought with that currency. In contrast, NFTs confer specific ownership,” Mr Das says.
This makes NFTs closer to a piece of intellectual property such as a work of art or licence, as you can claim royalties or profit by exchanging it at a higher value later, Mr Das says. “They could provide a sustainable income stream.”
This income will depend on future demand and use, which makes NFTs difficult to value. “However, there is a credible use case for many forms of intellectual property, notably art, songs, videos,” Mr Das says.
Moral education needed in a 'rapidly changing world'
Moral education lessons for young people is needed in a rapidly changing world, the head of the programme said.
Alanood Al Kaabi, head of programmes at the Education Affairs Office of the Crown Price Court - Abu Dhabi, said: "The Crown Price Court is fully behind this initiative and have already seen the curriculum succeed in empowering young people and providing them with the necessary tools to succeed in building the future of the nation at all levels.
"Moral education touches on every aspect and subject that children engage in.
"It is not just limited to science or maths but it is involved in all subjects and it is helping children to adapt to integral moral practises.
"The moral education programme has been designed to develop children holistically in a world being rapidly transformed by technology and globalisation."
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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.”
The Indoor Cricket World Cup
When: September 16-23
Where: Insportz, Dubai
Indoor cricket World Cup:
Insportz, Dubai, September 16-23
UAE fixtures:
Men
Saturday, September 16 – 1.45pm, v New Zealand
Sunday, September 17 – 10.30am, v Australia; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Monday, September 18 – 2pm, v England; 7.15pm, v India
Tuesday, September 19 – 12.15pm, v Singapore; 5.30pm, v Sri Lanka
Thursday, September 21 – 2pm v Malaysia
Friday, September 22 – 3.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 3pm, grand final
Women
Saturday, September 16 – 5.15pm, v Australia
Sunday, September 17 – 2pm, v South Africa; 7.15pm, v New Zealand
Monday, September 18 – 5.30pm, v England
Tuesday, September 19 – 10.30am, v New Zealand; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Thursday, September 21 – 12.15pm, v Australia
Friday, September 22 – 1.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 1pm, grand final
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
