NoneThe man reaches into a deep oven that looks like a door to hell, pulling flat, hot rounds of bread from its clay walls. The naan is rolled quickly into white paper and tucked under the arms of waiting customers, who disappear into the dark night. Romal Saleh-Zada with naan from the Maiwand Bakery. Credit: Eddie Jim The Maiwand Bakery is warm and steamy as a team of Afghan men and boys in T-shirts works in a chain, conversations in Dari switching to English as they proffer a round of sesame-studded naan roghani hot from the tandoor. In the 1950s and 60s, Afghanistan was a must-visit on the overland hippie trail through Central Asia, but Afghanistan’s deep blue chain of Band-e Amir lakes , the high peaks of the Hindu Kush and the glittering turquoise domes of Mazar-i-Sharif’s Blue Mosque are currently unreachable for all save the most intrepid traveller. However, get a taste of the Central Asian country without breaching smarttraveller’s red-flagged, “Do not travel” warning. In fact, you don’t even have to leave Melbourne. A 45-minute train ride from Flinders Street Station, Dandenong is the home ground for Melbourne’s Afghan population. Romal Saleh-Zada has spent a decade as a cultural ambassador for the City of Dandenong, where 163 dialects are spoken by people from over 100 countries. Originally from the capital, Kabul, Romal is one of 23,500 people born in Afghanistan who now live in Melbourne, ahead of Sydney’s population of 14,000 – not counting the next generation of Australian-Afghan children born here. Romal’s family moved to New Delhi for his father’s heart operation, their return blocked as the country spiralled into civil war. They came to Melbourne as refugees in 1997, where Romal – now a printer by trade and a tour guide by chance – has stayed. Romal Saleh-Zada, right, with the owner of Afghan Kitchen, Naueed Ahmadi. Credit: Eddie Jim Afghans are not new to Australia; remember that our signature luxury train – The Ghan – is named for Afghan cameleers working on the Central Australia Railway, in the 1860s. Romal leads groups to Thomas Street, the heartland of Afghan Melbourne, its footpaths stencilled in turquoise and lapis lazuli geometric designs inspired by Mazar-i-Sharīf. The street is lined with Afghani-run old-school grocers and homewares stores, bakeries and butchers. In Maiwand grocer, named for the district in Kandahar Province, there are barberries for rice dishes, rose jam, a tray of saffron-flavoured rock sugar on sticks, used to swirl in your tea. For curious foodies yet to fossick through Central Asia’s spice rack, there’s a cornucopia of the unknown – unripe grape powder, plantago major, balangu and ajwain seeds. Due to the crumbling of the Afghan export market, much of the goods hail from Iran, Tajikistan, Turkiye, says Romal. “And it’s not just Afghans, but a lot of Pakistanis, Iranians and Indians who come here to shop.” Shops are stacked haphazardly with gold-rimmed dinner sets, racks of bright rugs, silver platters for a whole lamb, stock pots to fit enough rice for a diaspora. “If you have 10 guests over, there will be cooking for 20. Anything can happen, but food must not be short,” advises Romal. That principle is amply displayed at dinner at Afghan Kitchen, where trays jostle for table space, slow-cooked lamb shanks hidden in Uzbeki rice pilau, manto (beef dumplings), are doused in a tomato and lentil sauce and lashed with yoghurt, and borani banjan – fried eggplants in tomato sauce and garlic yogurt. Bread, half a metre long and grooved, is central to the table. The Dandenong Market Cooks’ Tour visits the 154-year-old Dandenong Market, where a queue waits outside Kabul Kitchen for Kabuli pulao (rice), manto, kebabs and some of the 700 loaves of naan the kitchen bakes daily. Founder Ali Haidari fled Taliban-occupied Afghanistan for neighbouring Pakistan in 2009, where he trained as a chef before arriving in Australia by boat. After a year’s detention in Darwin and Christmas Island, he was released and, in 2017, opened Kabul Kitchen with fellow refugee Mohammad Sarwari. Belatedly, they realised they’d travelled on the same boat to Australia; the pair says they were reunited by fate. “Kabul Kitchen really says a lot about the market,” says market guide and chef Tim Holland. “A refugee came here with nothing, and within a few years, he’s got a cast of thousands!” As the Afghan proverb goes, “Even on a mountain, there is still a road.” TOUR Take a walking tour of Afghan Dandenong with Romal Saleh-Zada, $100 includes dinner, dandenongtours.com.au The Dandenong Market Cooks’ Tour includes a market walk, cooking demonstration and three-course meal, $100-$150, dandenongmarket.com.au STAY Holiday Inn Dandenong has rooms from $180, holidayinn.com/dandenong EAT Maiwand Bakery , 7 Scott St. Afghan Kitchen , 247 Thomas St. Kabul Kitchen , in Dandenong Market. The writer was a guest of Holiday Inn Dandenong and the City of Greater Dandenong. How we travel Sign up for the Traveller Deals newsletter Get exclusive travel deals delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up now . Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. License this article Melbourne Australia Victoria Culture holidays From Melbourne to the Middle East, Belinda Jackson is drawn to curious alleyways, street-eat carts and places of wild emptiness. She searches the globe for the weekly Expert Expats column. Connect via email . Most viewed on Traveller Loading
Hezbollah fires more than 180 rockets and other projectiles into Israel, wounding at least 7 BEIRUT (AP) — Hezbollah has fired at least 185 rockets and other projectiles into Israel, wounding seven people in the militant group's heaviest barrage in several days. Sunday's attacks in northern and central Israel came in response to deadly Israeli strikes in central Beirut on Saturday. Israel struck southern Beirut on Sunday. Meanwhile, negotiators press on with cease-fire efforts to halt the all-out war. And Lebanon's military says an Israeli strike on a Lebanese army center in the southwest killed one soldier and wounded 18 others. Israel's military has expressed regret and said its operations are directed solely against the militants. Israel cracks down on Palestinian citizens who speak out against the war in Gaza UMM AL-FAHM, Israel (AP) — In the year since the war in Gaza broke out, Israel's government has been cracking down on dissent among its Palestinian citizens. Authorities have charged Palestinians with “supporting terrorism” because of posts online or for demonstrating against the war. Activists and rights watchdogs say Palestinians have also lost jobs, been suspended from schools and faced police interrogations. Palestinians make up about 20% of Israel's population. Many feel forced to self-censor out of fear of being jailed and further marginalized in society. Others still find ways to dissent, but carefully. Israel's National Security Ministry counters that, “Freedom of speech is not the freedom to incite.” Israel says rabbi who went missing in the UAE was killed TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israel says the body of an Israeli-Moldovan rabbi who went missing in the United Arab Emirates has been found, citing Emirati authorities. The statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office on Sunday said Zvi Kogan was killed, calling it a “heinous antisemitic terror incident.” It said: “The state of Israel will act with all means to seek justice with the criminals responsible for his death." Kogan went missing on Thursday, and there were suspicions he had been kidnapped. His disappearance comes as Iran has been threatening to retaliate against Israel after the two countries traded fire in October. The rising price of paying the national debt is a risk for Trump's promises on growth and inflation WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump has big plans for the economy. He also has big debt problem that'll be a hurdle to delivering on those plan. Trump has bold ambitions on tax cuts, tariffs and other programs. But high interest rates and the price of repaying the federal government’s existing debt could limit what he’s able to do. The federal debt stands at roughly $36 trillion, and the spike in inflation after the pandemic has pushed up the government’s borrowing costs such that debt service next year will easily exceed spending on national security. Moscow offers debt forgiveness to new recruits and AP sees wreckage of a new Russian missile KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law granting debt forgiveness to new army recruits who enlist to fight in Ukraine. The measure, whose final version appeared on a government website Saturday, underscores Russia’s needs for military personnel in the nearly 3-year-old war, even as it fired last week a new intermediate-range ballistic missile. Russia has ramped up military recruitment by offering increasing financial incentives to those willing to fight in Ukraine. Ukraine’s Security Service on Sunday showed The Associated Press wreckage of the new intermediate-range ballistic missile that struck a factory in the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro on Thursday. Forecasts warn of possible winter storms across US during Thanksgiving week WINDSOR, Calif. (AP) — Forecasters in the U.S. have warned of another round of winter weather that could complicate travel leading up to Thanksgiving. California is bracing for more snow and rain while still grappling with some flooding and small landslides from a previous storm. The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning for California's Sierra Nevada through Tuesday, with heavy snow expected at high elevations. Thousands remained without power in the Seattle area on Sunday after a “bomb cyclone” storm system hit the West Coast last week, killing two people. After Trump's win, Black women are rethinking their role as America's reliable political organizers ATLANTA (AP) — Donald Trump's victory has dismayed many politically engaged Black women, and they're reassessing their enthusiasm for politics and organizing. Black women often carry much of the work of getting out the vote, and they had vigorously supported the historic candidacy of Kamala Harris. AP VoteCast, a survey of more than 120,000 voters, found that 6 in 10 Black women said the future of democracy was the single most important factor for their vote this year, a higher share than for other demographic groups. But now, some Black women are renewing calls to emphasize rest, focus on mental health and become more selective about what fight they lend their organizing power to. Pakistani police arrest thousands of Imran Khan supporters ahead of rally in the capital ISLAMABAD (AP) — A Pakistani security officer says police have arrested thousands of Imran Khan supporters ahead of a rally in Islamabad to demand the ex-premier’s release from prison. Khan has been behind bars for more than a year. But he remains popular and his party says the cases against him are politically motivated. Police Sunday arrested more than 4,000 Khan supporters in eastern Punjab province, a Khan stronghold. They include five parliamentarians. Pakistan has sealed off the capital with shipping containers. It also suspended mobile and internet services “in areas with security concerns.” Uruguay's once-dull election has become a dead heat in the presidential runoff MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay (AP) — Uruguayans are heading to the polls to choose their next president. In Sunday's election, the candidates of the conservative governing party and the left-leaning coalition are locked in a close runoff after failing to win an outright majority in last month’s vote. It's a hard-fought race between Álvaro Delgado, the incumbent party’s candidate, and Yamandú Orsi from the Broad Front, a coalition of leftist and center-left parties that governed for 15 years until the 2019 victory of center-right President Luis Lacalle Pou — overseeing the legalization of abortion, same-sex marriage and the sale of marijuana in the small South American nation. Chuck Woolery, smooth-talking game show host of 'Love Connection' and 'Scrabble,' dies at 83 NEW YORK (AP) — Chuck Woolery, the affable, smooth-talking game show host of “Wheel of Fortune,” “Love Connection” and “Scrabble” who later became a right-wing podcaster, skewering liberals and accusing the government of lying about COVID-19, has died. He was 83. Mark Young, Woolery’s podcast co-host and friend, said in an email early Sunday that Woolery died at his home in Texas with his wife, Kristen, present. Woolery, with his matinee idol looks, coiffed hair and ease with witty banter, was inducted into the American TV Game Show Hall of Fame in 2007 and earned a daytime Emmy nomination in 1978. He teamed up with Young for the podcast “Blunt Force Truth” and became a full supporter Donald Trump.
LOS ANGELES , Dec. 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Cadiz, Inc. (NASDAQ: CDZI / CDZIP) ("Cadiz," the "Company"), a California water solutions company, today announced that its Board of Directors has declared the following cash dividend on the Company's 8.875% Series A Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock (the "Series A Preferred Stock"). Holders of Series A Preferred Stock will receive a cash dividend equal to $560.00 per whole share. Holders of depositary shares, each representing a 1/1000 fractional interest in a share of Series A Preferred Stock (Nasdaq: CDZIP), will receive a cash dividend equal to $0.56 per depositary share. The dividend will be paid on January 15, 2025 , to applicable holders of record as of the close of business on January 3, 2025 . About Cadiz, Inc. Founded in 1983, Cadiz, Inc. (NASDAQ: CDZI) is a California water solutions company dedicated to providing access to clean, reliable and affordable water for people through a unique combination of water supply, storage, pipeline and treatment solutions. With 45,000 acres of land in California , 2.5 million acre-feet of water supply, 220 miles of pipeline assets and the most cost-effective water treatment filtration technology in the industry, Cadiz offers a full suite of solutions to address the impacts of climate change on clean water access. For more information, please visit https://www.cadizinc.com . Safe Harbor Statement This release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. "Forward-looking statements" describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies and are generally preceded by words such as "anticipates", "expect", "may", "plan", or "will". Forward-looking statements include, without limitation, projections, predictions, expectations, or beliefs about future events or results and are not statements of historical fact, including statements regarding the Company's expectations regarding payments of dividends in the future. You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. These and other risks are identified in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission"), including without limitation our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 and our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other filings subsequently made by the Company with the Commission. All forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date on which they were made and are based on management's assumptions and estimates as of such date. We do not undertake any obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of the receipt of new information, the occurrence of future events or otherwise. View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cadiz-inc-declares-quarterly-dividend-for-q4-2024-on-series-a-cumulative-perpetual-preferred-stock-302339009.html SOURCE Cadiz, Inc.None
Incoming House majority squeezed by Trump's planned appointments
DAMASCUS In the Kabun neighborhood of Damascus, Syrians are struggling to rebuild their lives after the regime's devastation. The most visible scars of the 13-year civil war are found in Kabun, where Syrians fought for freedom against the Bashar Assad regime. Located 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) from central Damascus, Kabun was once home to a thriving Tailors Bazaar with a population of nearly 100,000. Today, much of Kabun is reduced to rubble, with remnants of the Ba'ath regime’s oppression evident in the ruins. Some debris has even become mass graves, said residents. In the nearby Tishreen neighborhood, returnees are living without services like electricity or water, surrounded by buildings scarred by shrapnel, bullets and fires. The remnants of bombs used by Assad and his allies are found on the roofs of the few houses left standing. Amid the destruction, children playing symbolize hope for a better future. Al-Merri family holds on in last standing house The al-Merri family -- father, son and grandson -- is holding on in the last remaining house in Kabun. Samir al-Merri, 58, has lived in Kabun since the 1980s. Before the war, the neighborhood was home to people from across Syria, Iraq and Yemen, with a bustling Tailors Bazaar. "The Tailors Bazaar used to be busy. Now, nothing is left. It’s completely destroyed," Samir noted. He shared the pain of losing his son in 2012, who was detained by the regime. "I stayed here under bombardment until 2015, hoping to find him. I saw nearly 300 bodies in the streets, executed with shots to the head," he said. “In the end, I lost hope. We had four houses, but now only one remains.” Samir received confirmation that his son, Faris, died in 2016 in the Sednaya Prison, known as the “human slaughterhouse.” His other son was killed in an Israeli airstrike during mandatory military service near a base housing Iranian forces. 'I felt like a criminal in my own country' Samir's son, Ahmed, 40, fled the bombings in 2016 and returned to Kabun in 2021. Before the revolution, they avoided politics, but after the uprising, Ahmed realized the oppression they had been living under. “We were living on a farm. The regime’s men controlled everything -- our house, car, property -- they all belonged to them,” said Ahmed. Ahmed, who avoided military service, explained that after returning to Syria, the military tried to force him into the army. “I’m 40 now, what could I do in the army? I have five children. Who would take care of them? Who would I fight against? Syrians like me," he said. “I always felt like a criminal in my own country. I was constantly running, paying bribes at every checkpoint. They threatened to send me to Sednaya. My house was looted. I’m happy the regime has fallen,” he added. “I’m happy for my children. Now I can travel freely without checkpoints or questions.” 'Regime stole my childhood' Mohammed, 22, the youngest member of the al-Merri family, said his childhood was marked by “bombardments, bombs, and explosions.” “The regime stole my childhood, my youth, my life. I have nothing left. At 22, I’m starting my life from scratch,” he said. “I was a deserter, hiding at home. They tried to force me into the army for no reason.” *Writing by Alperen Aktas in IstanbulUW women’s basketball team set to embark on Big Ten play