Some may be pleased to receive a nice sweater as a holiday gift, but foodies know the best way to win over their loved ones is through their stomachs. Whether you wrap them with a bow, jar them or present them on a decorative plate, these budget-friendly, hand-made treats inspired by the flavors of Israel and the Middle East will provide bouts of holiday cheer without breaking the bank. Quince in Spiced Syrup Makes about 3 8-ounce jars Quince, the pear’s wobbly perfumed cousin, is the perfect celebratory gift thanks to the bright pink tone of its finished syrup. Wait…
Author: zenger.news
The mass of human-produced materials, such as concrete, steel and asphalt, has grown to equal the biomass of all life on the planet, according to a study from the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel. Humans are adding new buildings, roads, vehicles and products at a rate that doubles every 20 years. This “concrete jungle” is predicted to weigh more than twice the total biomass of living things by 2040. The study, published December 9 in Nature, was led by Emily Elhacham and Liad Ben Uri in the lab of Prof. Ron Milo of the plant and environmental sciences department.…
VIENNA — Misinformation about COVID-19 is spread worldwide. In Austria, a right-wing parliamentarian caused an uproar after performing a COVID-19 test on Coca-Cola during a Dec. 14 speech. The test, conducted in the Austrian Parliament, came out positive, which Michael Schnedlitz, member of the far-right Freedom Party (FPO), claimed as evidence the government’s mass testing wastes taxpayer money. His party has been critical of the country’s coronavirus restrictions and testing regime. The manufacturers of the DIAQUICK COVID-19 Ag test, local pharmaceutical company DIALAB, quickly countered Schneditz’s results, noting he used the test incorrectly. “Before making such embarrassing statements, it might…
Immigrants from the Jewish “lost tribe” of Bnei Menashe landed at Ben-Gurion Airport this week to build a new life in Israel. Hailing from northeast India, the Bnei Menashe community is said to be descended from the Lost Tribes of Israel – specifically the tribe of Menashe — that scattered across the globe after being exiled at the end of the First Temple period in the eighth century B.C. The 252 new immigrants who made their way to Israel this week with the help of the Israeli Ministry of Aliyah and Absorption and the Shavei Israel organization joined the 3,000-strong…
Are you craving a corn tortilla filled with reddish well-marinated meat, accompanied by lemon, salsa, pineapple and cheese? The taco al pastor is a delicious dish eaten throughout Mexico. An experienced taquero, the person who prepares tacos, is ready to serve hungry customers on every corner. What may surprise foodies: The taco al pastor’s origin is thousands of miles away. During the 19th century, variations of a vertically-grilled meat dish spread throughout the Ottoman Empire. In 1920, when Mexico received a huge Lebanese migration, they brought traditional foods to their new home, but replaced certain ingredients with home-grown variations. Shawarma,…
MUMBAI — Switzerland-based agrochemical company Syngenta is at the center of a new complaint related to pesticide poisoning of farmers in Yavatmal, India. A complaint over the alleged poisoning of Indian farmers from Syngenta’s pesticide Polo in 2017 has been accepted by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s national contact point. The acceptance allows for the aggrieved parties to begin negotiations over compensation. In September, three victims of pesticide poisoning, allegedly from Polo, filed a lawsuit against Syngenta in a civil court in Basel, Switzerland. “It’s time for Syngenta to come to the table and end its strategy of…
CHINA — This talented Chinese artist uses his illustrative skills to make funny clips. The optical illusions are unusual enough to attract — and baffle — his 8.8 million online followers. Za Gang, 31, paints and draws all the props used in his short videos, including one in which he reveals the lipstick he is applying is actually his finger. In another, he moves his head and shows his hairline is also a doodle. In other videos, he uses his illustrations as clothes or parts of his body before revealing them as fake to the unsuspecting viewer. Gang loves the…
MEDELLIN, Colombia — A British firm paid nearly $12 million at auction for gold formerly owned by a Colombian guerrilla group. The unprecedented auction took place Dec. 15 in the city of Medellin, Colombia, and was organized by the Special Assets Corporation (SAE) in coordination with the Presidential Council for Stabilization and Consolidation Directorate. SAE auctioning off a little over 458 pounds of gold. All proceeds will be given as reparations to the families of victims who suffered at the hands of the now-disbanded Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). The British investment firm Condor Partners bought the gold, which…
During his presidential campaign, Democratic president-elect Joe Biden made addressing climate change a central issue, vowing to promote clean energy production. He specifically pointed to nuclear power as a carbon-free energy source that could help meet his plans to ensure the U.S. achieves a 100% clean energy economy and net-zero emissions no later than 2050. Now, officials in the nuclear industry are optimistic that they can help Biden fulfill this commitment through promotion of advanced nuclear reactors and policies to break a decades-long log jam on nuclear waste disposal and recycling. Biden’s campaign website said he would create an Advanced…
KOLKATA — Food security, early marriages and a family’s purchasing power are cited among the key reasons why child malnutrition is on the rise in India. While the infant mortality rate for children under age 5 has come down in 18 states and union territories, 16 states recorded an increase in underweight and severely wasted children under 5. The findings are from 22 states and union territories surveyed during the first phase of the fifth National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) conducted between July and December with approximately 6.1 million people. The neonatal mortality rate per 1,000 live births decreased in…