The world is paying close attention to the drama over the confirmation of US Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, but this is less for reasons of prurience than those of perturbation. Mr Kavanaugh is accused by several women of sexual misconduct while in school and college. One of them testified in the Senate, as did Mr Kavanaugh. The emotional nine-hour hearing was live-streamed in America and internationally.
Its fallout – a belated, time-bound, and initially circumscribed FBI investigation – has become a point at which partisan politics has collided with gender politics.
Around the world, women are asking if their stories of assault and harassment matter enough to the men in charge for them to bring about any meaningful change.
Consider the international response to the Kavanaugh hearings. In the days after the highly charged Senate testimony by Dr Christine Blasey Ford, Mr Kavanaugh’s first accuser, a well-known Indian lawyer wistfully asked if judicial appointments in her country would ever factor in “the nominee’s conduct and treatment [of] women”.
In Brazil, reflecting the broader effects of a worldwide surge in female activism, countrywide protests were organised by women against the sexism and misogyny of Jair Bolsonaro, far-right front-runner in Sunday's presidential election.
Mr Bolsonaro has been convicted for saying a female fellow legislator was not “worth raping” and commenting on how ugly he believed her to be. The protests have generated the anti-Bolsonaro #elenão or "#NotHim" hashtags, which are being shared by Twitter users around the world, including celebrities such as Madonna.
And in Bollywood, where stories about the casting couch and harassment of starlets are as notorious as they are neglected, an actress now based in the US has renewed a decade-old allegation of harassment. Tanushree Dutta made accusations against Nana Patekar, an award-winning actor who has a record of supporting progressive, humanitarian causes.
The allegations have drawn unexpected attention and sympathy. A woman journalist corroborated Ms Dutta’s account of events on the day in question in 2008, prominent stars such as Priyanka Chopra tweeted about the need to #BelieveSurvivors, and younger actresses demanded a reckoning with India’s largely unexamined culture of sexual abuse.
Mr Patekar denies Ms Dutta’s charges, as does Mr Kavanaugh. Both cases are very different, of course. Mr Patekar is not in line for a lifetime appointment in America’s highest court. His predicament is unlikely to trigger a party-political fight with national consequences. Even so, there is a resonance. The attention being given to the allegations against a respected actor illustrates the new importance of women’s accounts, even in countries such as India, where gender rights are more an aspiration than a given.
But women – in the US, India and elsewhere – are dissatisfied. They admit they are being heard and possibly with more sympathy than before the so-called "Weinstein effect" of a year ago. In the past year, the #MeToo movement has brought about the downfall of several US federal officials, including one senator, eight members of the House of Representatives, one federal judge and two White House aides.
And yet many women complain that the new openness is a sham and nothing is really changing in terms of male entitlement. The Kavanaugh confirmation process has only buttressed these claims of patronising paternalism. The Republican senators are seen to have paid lip service to Dr Ford’s account, hearing her out but just as quickly casting doubt on her stated “100 per cent” certainty Mr Kavanaugh was her attacker.
They then presented Mr Kavanaugh as victim of a politically motivated character assassination and moved with indecent haste in their efforts to have him voted into the position of Supreme Court justice. When forced into ordering an FBI inquiry, the White House insisted that it accommodate the desires of Senate Republicans, which basically meant a severely limited scope. The impression is of a whitewash, a self-serving exercise in getting the optics right with little intention of getting to the truth of the matter. It has incensed women all over again.
So, where do we go from here? A war of the sexes is a dismal prospect. In the 18th century, English philosopher Mary Wollstonecraft declared in A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, "I do not wish [women] to have power over men; but over themselves." She called for "a revolution in female manners", one that would overthrow an iniquitous system of socialisation that prevented women from standing up and speaking alongside men as moral equals.
Wollstonecraft offers useful lessons for us today. Rather than gender animosity, it is far better for wise men, in the truest sense of the term, to assess the just and virtuous way forward. Meanwhile, farsighted women must work alongside them without anger, self-pity or a sense of entitlement. In other words, in the #MeToo age, women should not become that from which they seek to liberate themselves.
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Shubh Mangal Saavdhan
Directed by: RS Prasanna
Starring: Ayushmann Khurrana, Bhumi Pednekar
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Indoor Cricket World Cup Dubai 2017
Venue Insportz, Dubai; Admission Free
Day 1 fixtures (Saturday)
Men 1.45pm, Malaysia v Australia (Court 1); Singapore v India (Court 2); UAE v New Zealand (Court 3); South Africa v Sri Lanka (Court 4)
Women Noon, New Zealand v South Africa (Court 3); England v UAE (Court 4); 5.15pm, Australia v UAE (Court 3); England v New Zealand (Court 4)
MATCH INFO
Iceland 0 England 1 (Sterling pen 90 1)
Man of the match Kari Arnason (Iceland)
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
%3Cp%3E%3Ca%20href%3D%22https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thenationalnews.com%2Fbusiness%2Feconomy%2Fislamic-economy-consumer-spending-to-increase-45-to-3-2tn-by-2024-1.936583%22%20target%3D%22_self%22%3EGlobal%20Islamic%20economy%20to%20grow%203.1%25%20to%20touch%20%242.4%20trillion%20by%202024%3C%2Fa%3E%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Ca%20href%3D%22https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thenationalnews.com%2Fbusiness%2Feconomy%2Fuk-economy-plunges-into-worst-ever-recession-after-record-20-4-contraction-1.1062560%22%20target%3D%22_self%22%3EUK%20economy%20plunges%20into%20worst-ever%20recession%20after%20record%2020.4%25%20contraction%3C%2Fa%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Ca%20href%3D%22https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thenationalnews.com%2Fbusiness%2Feconomy%2Fislamic-economy-consumer-spending-to-increase-45-to-3-2tn-by-2024-1.936583%22%20target%3D%22_self%22%3EIslamic%20economy%20consumer%20spending%20to%20increase%2045%25%20to%20%243.2tn%20by%202024%3C%2Fa%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
The specs: 2019 BMW X4
Price, base / as tested: Dh276,675 / Dh346,800
Engine: 3.0-litre turbocharged in-line six-cylinder
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 354hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 500Nm @ 1,550rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 9.0L / 100km
Company profile
Company: Rent Your Wardrobe
Date started: May 2021
Founder: Mamta Arora
Based: Dubai
Sector: Clothes rental subscription
Stage: Bootstrapped, self-funded
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Key Points
- Protests against President Omar Al Bashir enter their sixth day
- Reports of President Bashir's resignation and arrests of senior government officials
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
Karwaan
Producer: Ronnie Screwvala
Director: Akarsh Khurana
Starring: Irrfan Khan, Dulquer Salmaan, Mithila Palkar
Rating: 4/5
CREW
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ERajesh%20A%20Krishnan%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ETabu%2C%20Kareena%20Kapoor%20Khan%2C%20Kriti%20Sanon%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The%20specs
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Mrs%20Chatterjee%20Vs%20Norway
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