Global

The Jewish Home | JUNE 9, 2022

Stay Cool All Summer with Delicious Treats at Dolce Confections!

ALL OUR PRODUCTS ARE CERTIFIED KOSHER

See our certification at: https://www.dolceconfections.com/kosher-certification/

Proudly Serving Miele Gelato (made with Cholov Yisroel Milk)

Frozen Yogurt Desserts

Candy & Chocolate Toppings

Iced Coffees & Frozen Drinks

Delivery or Curbside Pickup Available

Smoothies & Milk Shakes

We Welcome Corporate Accounts! Earn 5% on all purchases when you join our loyalty program

1319 Broadway, Hewlett, NY 11557 (516)374-1940 Info@DolceConfections.com www.dolceconfections.com

A 4-Day Work Week

This week, the world’s largest pilot of a four-day work week commenced in the United Kingdom, with thousands of workers taking part. The trial, which will last for six months, involves 3,300 workers spanning 70 companies, ranging from providers of financial services to a fish-and-chip restaurant.

During the program, workers receive 100% of their pay for working only 80% of their usual week, in exchange for promising to maintain 100% of their productivity.

The program is being run by not-forprofit 4 Day Week Global, Autonomy, a think tank, and the 4 Day Week UK Campaign in partnership with researchers from Cambridge University, Oxford University and Boston College.

Sienna O’Rourke, brand manager at Pressure Drop Brewing, an independent brewery in London involved in the study, told CNN Business that the company’s biggest goal was to improve the mental health and well-being of its employees.

“The pandemic [has] made us think a great deal about work and how people organize their lives,” she said. “We’re doing this to improve the lives of our staff and be part of a progressive change in the world.”

Given the company manufactures and ships products, workers have less flexibility about when and where they work, O’Rourke said. But any difficulties in navigating holiday and sick leave would be tackled as a team.

Until now, Iceland had conducted the biggest pilot of a shorter working week between 2015 and 2019, with 2,500 public sector workers involved in two large trials. Those trials found no corresponding drop in productivity among participants, and a dramatic increase in employee well-being.

Calls to shorten the working week have gathered steam in recent years in several countries. As millions of employees switched to remote work during the pandemic — cutting onerous commuting time and costs — calls for greater flexibility have only grown louder.

Government-backed trials are set to take place in Spain and Scotland later this year.

Joe O’Connor, CEO of 4 Day Week Global, said that the workers have shown they can work “shorter and smarter.”

“As we emerge from the pandemic, more and more companies are recognizing that the new frontier for competition is quality of life and that reduced-hour, output-focused working is the vehicle to give them a competitive edge,” he said.

Stealing Technology

China is becoming experienced at stealing technology and then manufacturing that technology at cheaper prices. This week, a Dutch company accused a former worker of stealing technology and then founding a similar company in China two years later.

Zongchang Yu worked at ASML until 2012 and went on to found Dongfang Jingyuan in China. Now, he’s wanted in California on charges of stealing technology from his former employers.

ASML manufactures cutting-edge semiconductor circuits. The company, which is based in the Netherlands, is the world’s only manufacturer of extreme ultraviolet lithography machines, which run upwards of $160 million and are as large as a bus. The machines are used to create microscopic circuits onto silicon wafers, creating some of the most advanced microchips in the world.

The company is prohibited from selling its advanced machines to China, leaving the country to rely on older technology and struggle to stay competitive in the global economy.

In an annual report, ASML accused Dongfang Jingyuan of stealing its trade secrets. In 2018, ASML sued Xtal, a

14 now-defunct U.S.-based company connected to Dongfang and set up by Yu in 2014, causing the company to go bankThe Jewish Home | JUNE 9, 2022 rupt. But by then, Yu was already in Beijing. In court, ASML accused Dongfang and Xtal of recruiting its engineers, including one who allegedly stole some 2 million lines from the company. In recent years, many Chinese nationals living in the U.S. have been accused of stealing business practices and trade secrets on behalf of Beijing.

Was Attack on Syria Base an Insider Job?

The U.S. military is investigating whether an American servicemember set off explosives on a small U.S. base in northern Syria. Four servicemembers were injured in the attack, which took place on April 7.

The attack on Green Village is being investigated by the Army’s Criminal Investigation Division and the Air Force Office of Special Investigations. There have not yet been any charges in the case. It is said that the suspect is no longer in Syria.

According to a Monday military statement, “Army CID and Air Force OSI are conducting a joint investigation of the incident. A possible suspect, a U.S. service member, has been identified.”

“At this point, these are just allegations. All suspects are presumed to be innocent until/unless convicted in a court of law. The investigation is ongoing, which may or may not develop sufficient evidence to identify a perpetrator(s) and have enough evidence to ensure a conviction in a court of law. No further information will be released at this time.”

At first, U.S. officials believed that the attack was caused by indirect fire on the base. But a week later, a military statement said that “further investigation” indicated that the attack was due to “deliberate placement of explosive charges by an unidentified individual(s) at an ammunition holding area and shower facility.”

Security footage shows two instances of a quick-moving figure; it is not yet clear if the two figures are the same individual.

In 2024, only one USB charging cable will be acceptable in Europe.

European Union lawmakers have reached an agreement that will require companies to make USB-C the standard charging port for devices sold in the region, in yet another example of European regulators facing off against big tech in the name of consumers.

After more than a decade of trying to mandate a universal charging port for devices, the European Parliament on Tuesday announced that it reached a deal that would amend the Radio Equipment Directive and force manufacturers to adopt the USB-C as the common charging port for a variety of devices, such as smartphones, tablets, and cameras. The law would deal a major blow to Apple, which ships iPhones with proprietary Lightning charging ports. Android devices are more frequently compatible with standard charging ports.

In a press release, the European Parliament said that all devices covered by the directive would need to have a USB-C port by autumn of 2024. Besides those mentioned above, affected devices include e-readers, earbuds, headphones, headsets, handheld video game consoles, and portable speakers that are charged using a wired cable.

“Today we have made the common charger a reality in Europe,” Parliament rapporteur Alex Agius Saliba said in a statement.

Lawmakers who championed the common charger argued it would make products in the EU more sustainable, reduce e-waste, and make life easier for customers in the region. The European Parliament claims that disposed of and unused chargers generate 11,000 tons of e-waste per year; it also stated that a common charger would help consumers save up to €250 million ($266 million) each year.

“European consumers were frustrated long with multiple chargers piling up with every new device. Now they will be able to use a single charger for all their portable electronics,” Saliba said.

Officials said that the EU’s new requirements will only apply to products released after the law is applied, or roughly 24 months after it’s published in the EU Official Journal. The deal will formally be approved after the summer.

The one charger requirement also applies to laptops. In that case, however, manufacturers would have 40 months to adapt their devices to the new common charger standard.

Iraqi Jail for UK Geologist

A British geologist has been sentenced to 15 years in an Iraqi prison for attempting to smuggle artifacts out of Iraq.

Jim Fitton, 66, had collected 12 stones and shards of broken pottery from the historically famous “Eridu” archaeological site in southern Iraq. He was arrested last March, alongside German tourist Volker Waldmann, who was arrested on the same charges.

Fitton has insisted that he did not know he was breaking Iraqi laws. His family said they were “absolutely shattered” and “heartbroken” by the news.

The sentence seems to be outsized for the crime.

“I thought the worst-case scenario would be one year, with suspension,” Fitton’s lawyer, Thair Soud, said.

Waldmann, who was arrested for the same infraction and actually had ten of the twelve artifacts in his possession at the time of arrest – Fitton had two – was acquitted of the charges and is set to be released.

The maximum sentence for removing artifacts is the death penalty, though the judge said he decided to reduce the sentence “because of the advanced age of the accused.”

“For a man of Jim’s age, 15 years in an Iraqi prison is tantamount to a death sentence,” said Fitton’s son-in-law. “We are raising an appeal and will continue to fight for Jim’s freedom and urge the government to support us in every way possible and to open lines of communication with us at a senior level,” he added.

China’s Naval Facility in Cambodia

China is secretly building a naval facility in Cambodia, The Washington Post reported.

The Post quoted Western officials as saying that the facility is for the exclusive use of China’s military. Despite the reports, both countries deny the construction of the facility and are making efforts to conceal the operation.

The military presence will be on the northern portion of Cambodia’s Ream Naval Base, located in the Gulf of Thailand. There will be a groundbreaking ceremony at the site this week.

According to the officials, the naval base – China’s second such overseas outpost and the first to be located in the Indo-Pacific region – is part of the country’s strategy to build a network of facilities across the globe.

The other overseas outpost is a naval facility in Djibouti on the Horn of Africa.

One Western official explained, “We assess that the Indo-Pacific is an important piece for China’s leaders, who see the Indo-Pacific as China’s rightful and historic sphere of influence. They view China’s rise there as part of a global trend toward a multipolar world where major powers more forcefully assert their interests in their perceived sphere of influence.”

China, he said, is banking on the region being “unwilling or unable to challenge China’s core interests.”

“Essentially, China wants to become so powerful that the region will give in to China’s leadership rather than face the consequences [for not doing so].”

Over the weekend, a Chinese official in Beijing confirmed that “a portion of the base” will be used by “the Chinese military” but added that it was not for their “exclusive” use. The official assured that China is not involved in any activities on the Cambodian portion of the base.

A second Western official added that the secrecy seems to stem from Cambodia’s sensitivities and fear of domestic repercussions.

In a statement, the Cambodian Embassy in Washington said that it “strongly disagrees with the content and meaning of the report as it is a baseless accusation motivated to negatively frame Cambodia’s image.”

Cambodia, the statement added, “firmly adheres” to the nation’s constitution, which does not permit foreign military bases or presence on Cambodian soil.

“The renovation of the base serves solely to strengthen the Cambodian naval capacities to protect its maritime integrity and combat maritime crimes including illegal fishing,” the statement said.

Mexico Boycotts Summit of the Americas

U.S. President Joe Biden is preparing to host Latin American leaders in Los Angeles this week, as the White House downplays Mexico’s boycott of the event.

According to a senior administration official, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador’s decision to skip the Summit of the Americas is “a sovereign decision” that “we just disagree with.”

According to the official, “We believe the best use of this summit is to bring together countries that share a set of democratic principles.”

Lopez Obrador made his decision after Biden decided not to invite Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Cuba to the summit, since, in Biden’s opinion, those countries’ leaders are “dictators.”

Biden is expected to make several announcements at the summit, including a plan for economic partnership to strengthen governments and to combat climate change. He is also expected to promise over $300 million in food aid.

The official noted, “This summit is about building and strengthening our foundation with our key partners on these issues that are most consequential for the countries and people of the region.”

He added that, for decades, Biden has “worked to realize his vision of the [Western] hemisphere that is middle class, secure, democratic.

Boris Johnson Holds On

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday night survived a no-confidence vote, with Conservative MPs voting 211-148 in favor of allowing him to remain in power.

Johnson said the vote ended with a “decisive result,” even though 40% of his own party members split from him.

He added, “I think it’s an extremely good, positive, conclusive, decisive result which enables us to move on, to unite and to focus on delivery (of services).”

Prior to the vote, the British politician had praised it as “a chance to end months of speculation and allow the government to draw a line and move on.”

Johnson is facing criticism from his party as his government faces pressure to lower the rising gas and food prices.

On Monday, Conservative Party official Graham Brady said he had received letters calling for a no-confidence vote from at least 54 Tory legislators – enough to trigger the vote according to party rules. The vote was held just hours later.

The next no-confidence vote can only be held one year from now.

Jordan, Egypt Deepening Ties With Iraq

Minister Ayman Safadi. According to a report by Al-Ain, Shoukry will meet a list of leaders and senior officials, focusing on increasing and coordinating policy in the future.

Last month, Jordan said it was working with Egypt, Iraq, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to build political and economic cooperation between the countries.

These three countries, with their prime location and moderate policies, form an important bloc across the center of the Middle East. At the same time, while Jordan and Egypt have diplomatic ties with Israel, Iraq does not.

Meanwhile, a source from the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) in Iraq’s Kurdistan region confirmed this week that a number of civil complaints brought by the Minister of Oil in Baghdad against international oil and gas companies (“IOCs”) operating in the Kurdistan Region must be delayed. This is because, under Iraqi law, civil proceedings cannot take place while a criminal investigation related to them is underway. In this case, the context is a gas dispute with Iraq.

According to Al-Ain, the “Iraqi foreign minister will hold talks with his Jordanian and Egyptian counterparts on many issues of common interest. Among these issues are energy issues, as well as food security in light of the Russia-Ukraine war.”

EU: Russia to Blame for Food Crisis

European Council President Charles Michel on Monday accused Russia of using food supplies as a “stealth missile against developing countries.”

Michel blamed Russia for the global food crisis, prompting the Russian ambassador to the United Nations (UN) to walk out of a Security Council meeting.

Directly addressing Russian Amb. Vassily Nebenzia, Michel said at the Council meeting that he saw millions of tons of grain and wheat in containers and ships at Ukraine’s Odessa port, just a few weeks ago, trapped “because of Russian

warships in the Black Sea” and its attacks on transport infrastructure and grain storage facilities.

Michel asserted, “This is driving up food prices, pushing people into poverty, and destabilizing entire regions. Russia is solely responsible for this looming food crisis. Russia alone.” He also accused Russian forces of stealing grain from occupied areas, “while shifting the blame of others.”

In response to the accusations, Nebenzia walked out of the meeting.

Ukraine and Russia produce nearly one-third of the world’s wheat and barley and half its sunflower oil. Russia and Belarus are also major producers of potash, which serves as a key ingredient in fertilizer.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken claimed Russian President Vladimir Putin is acting “aggressively using his propaganda machine to deflect or distort responsibility because he hopes it will get the world to give in to him and then the sanctions. In other words, quite simply put: It’s blackmail.

“The Kremlin needs to realize that it is exporting starvation and suffering well beyond Ukraine borders,” he emphasized.

Millions Missing in Afghanistan

Tens of millions of dollars disappeared from Afghan government bank accounts during the Taliban takeover in August, according to a U.S. government watchdog report released on Monday.

The assessment by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, or SIGAR, examined allegations that Afghan government officials took tens of millions of dollars with them as they fled the country. Former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani was accused of loading millions of dollars onto the helicopters that he and his close aides used to flee Kabul as Taliban fighters entered the city. Some reports said that he stole more than $150 million in government funds when he fled.

Despite the outrageous numbers cited by the media after Afghanistan fell, SIGAR found the theft of millions by Ghani “unlikely” but said the former president did leave with some cash, adding that “evidence indicates that this number did not exceed $1 million and may have been closer in value to $500,000.”

The report quotes one former senior official who fled with Ghani on the helicopters stating, “Everyone had $5,000 to $10,000 in their pockets. … No one had millions.” The official was not named in the public version of the assessment. Ghani has repeatedly denied the allegations of theft.

Among the reasons SIGAR found it unlikely Ghani stole millions as he fled the country are details of his final hours in the palace. SIGAR determined Ghani’s departure was sudden, not leaving the leader or his aides time to collect the cash.

The report also assessed that over $150 million in hundred-dollar bills “would have been difficult to conceal” and if “stacked end to end … would be somewhat larger than a standard American three-seater couch.”

Ghani and many of those who fled with him live in the United Arab Emirates, which welcomed him and his family on humanitarian grounds.

Still, tens of millions of dollars remain unaccounted for. SIGAR found evidence of “$5 million taken from the presidential palace and tens of millions taken from the vault at the National Directorate of Security,” the former Afghan government’s main intelligence agency. The investigation has not determined whether the money was removed from the country by government officials.

“With Afghan government records and surveillance videos from those final days likely in Taliban hands, SIGAR is currently unable to determine how much money was ultimately stolen, and by whom,” the report said.

One of the largest budgets SIGAR is investigating is the estimated $70 million in cash in the hands of Afghanistan’s main intelligence agency for discretionary use, like the funding of “anti-Taliban militias and to maintain the support of local power brokers and communities.” When the Taliban reached the vault on August 15, only a few bills of Afghan currency remained, a former senior official told SIGAR.

Protecting the Penguins

A rehab center in Otago Peninsula, New Zealand, is helping penguins heal and hoping to save an endangered species.

The hoiho penguin – hoiho means “noise shouter” in Māori – has an estimated 3,000 individuals left in the wild, making it one of the most endangered penguin species globally, CNN reported recently. Much of the damage has occurred within the past decade, due to increased threats from disease, predators, and the environment.

Penguin Place, in Otago Peninsula, was founded in 1985 by local farmer Howard McGrouther, when McGrouther fenced off 150 acres of his land to create a reserve for eight breeding pairs of penguins who were nesting on his property.

Today, Penguin Place offers hoiho penguins a place to rest and recuperate; the Wildlife Hospital nearby in Dunedin treats penguins with serious injuries and disease.

Jason van Zanten, conservation manager at Penguin Place in Otago Peninsula, noted that although he offers a refuge for all birds, hoiho penguins are the majority of his patients. Until COVID-19 hit, the center was funded entirely by tourism; now, it receives government funding through the Department of Conservation.

According to van Zanten, around 80% of the penguins arriving at the center are underweight; commercial fishing has reduced the availability of their natural prey of small fish and squid, and fluctuating temperatures have changed where their prey live.

He explained, “They do like it to be a little bit cooler, and with our rising temperatures, they are getting stressed out a lot more and overheating.”

According to van Zanten, most birds stay at Penguin Place for around two weeks before being released into the reserve, noting that “the more they’re in the wild, the better for them.” Penguin Place, meanwhile, has an over 95% success rate, with the vast majority of birds released back into the wild.

20 “The work we are doing is absolutely critical for these (penguins), and their survival here on the mainland,” he emThe Jewish Home | JUNE 9, 2022 phasized. Meanwhile, at The Wildlife Hospital, staff treat hoiho that suffer injuries from mammals which hunt them and their chicks, as well as hoiho suffering from various diseases, including malaria, dermatitis, avian diphtheria, and more. Additionally, a new mysterious disease known as “red lung” has appeared, affecting hoiho chicks and causing respiratory problems. Though the disease does not seem to be infectious, researchers are not yet certain what causes it – and those chicks which suffer from it cannot be saved. But, according to Lisa Argilla, a senior wildlife vet and director of The Wildlife Hospital, “If we get them at a certain age, when they’re very young, we can actually prevent them from getting this disease.” Argilla added that the chicks are taken from their nests shortly after they hatch and are then reunited with their parents in the wild when they’re 10-14 days old.

Turkey’s New Name: Türkiye

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu recently sent a letter to the United Nations (UN) formally requesting that his country be allowed to change its name to Türkiye. The name change is part of an attempt to disassociate from the bird with the same name and negative associations that stem from the word “turkey.”

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres’ spokesman Stephane Dujarric confirmed receipt of Cavusoglu’s letter and said that the name change was effective “from the moment” the letter was received.

In December 2021, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan began pressing for his country’s name to be changed to Türkiye, pronounced “tur-key-YAY,” as it is in Turkish and as the country named itself following its 1923 declaration of independence.

According to TRT World, Turks prefer that their country be called its original name, in keeping with “the country’s aims of determining how others should identify it.”

No one expected Ukraine to still be fighting Russia over 100 days after the February invasion, but as Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky said in April, “They didn’t know us.”

A recent report by the Associated Press about the war highlighted the initial advice given to the Ukrainian leader that Zelensky flee his country, as well as his nightly video speeches, rallying Ukrainian citizens to take heart and not give up the fight against the Russians.

The nightly social media broadcasts, which now number over 100, have called for mounting resistance and provided updates regarding the progress of the battles in various areas of the country.

In one address in April, Zelensky noted that the world “didn’t know how brave Ukrainians are, how much we value freedom.” In others, Zelensky tells of his efforts in the international arena, urging governments to help Ukraine militarily or enact stronger sanctions on Russia.

The speeches often begin with Zelensky addressing the “free people of a brave country” or the “invincible people of our great country.” They end with the words, “Glory to Ukraine.”

At one point in one of his addresses, Zelensky addressed a Russian audience, saying, “We do not need new dead people here. Take care of your children so they do not become villains, do not send them to the army. Do whatever you can to keep them alive. At home.”

Last Friday, in his 100th address marking the war’s 100th day, Zelensky asserted, “There are three words for which we have been fighting for 100 days after eight years: peace, victory, Ukraine. Glory to Ukraine!”

Infighting in Ethiopia

along with the disappearance of journalists and activists.

As of May 23, over 4,500 people have been arrested, though activists estimate that the real number may be much higher. They claim that the government is targeting ethnic Amhara.

The arrests are a sign that the federal government in Ethiopia is working to centralize its authority with dozens of ethnic groups; the Amhara are the country’s second-largest ethnic group and the source – along with the Tigrayans – of many of the country’s leaders and critics.

Yilkal Getnet, deputy chairman of the opposition party Hibir Ethiopia, said that the arrests are “a pre-emptive action to consolidate their power, which they think is slowly slipping out of their hands, especially in the Amhara region. For me, these mass arrests are politically motivated.”

At the same time, the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission – created by the government itself – slammed the “unlawful detention” of at least 19 journalists, calling it a “new low.”

The Ethiopian government and Amhara officials, for their part, defended the arrests and said that they would continue.

Speaking to a press conference, regional spokesman Gizachew Muluneh said, “There were attempts to portray the government as weak and to cause public unrest and violence. This conspiracy has failed. Anarchism and illegal activities have no place here.”

According to the Ethiopian Government Communication Service, action is being taken against “groups that pit society against one another,” following requests by the public to ensure law and order.

The arrests are not limited to the Amhara region, but the protests against them are the loudest there. Meanwhile, three of the country’s largest opposition parties have called on the government to end the arrests.

In a joint statement, the Enat Party, All-Ethiopia Unity Party and Ethiopian Peoples’ Revolutionary Party said, “Journalists, activists, Fano militia members, academicians, political party members and retirees are being ab-

Indian Comments Spark Arab Uproar

On May 26, a spokeswoman for India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) made a derogatory comment about Islam’s Prophet Mohammad on an Indian news channel. Nupur Sharma’s comments produced waves in the Arab world as Qatar, Kuwait and Iran summoned India’s ambassadors, and the Gulf Cooperation Council, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation issued statements of condemnation. At least 14 countries so far condemned her remarks.

Since the public outcry, India had scrambled to discipline those responsible for the derogatory remarks, suspending Sharma and expelling another official, Naveen Jindal, over comments he made about Islam on social media.

“India was taken aback by the response,” noted Kabir Taneja, a fellow with the Observer Research Foundation, a think tank in New Delhi. “Communal issues are not new in India and in previous cases, we have not had such a response [from Arab states].”

Sharma said on Twitter she had “said some things” in response to comments made about a Hindu god but it was “never my intention to hurt anyone’s religious feelings.”

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has walked a tightrope between keeping his Muslim international allies happy while pushing his party’s Hindu nationalist agenda at home.

Offending depictions of Islam’s prophet have in the past led to mass boycotts, diplomatic crises, riots and even terror attacks.

The controversy comes as Gulf states and India look to significantly enhance their economic partnership. India, the world’s third-biggest importer of oil, looks to the Middle East for 65% of its crude imports. On the other hand, the