↩ Accueil

Vue lecture

Palestinian president names Hussein al-Sheikh vice-president of PLO and his likely successor

Mahmoud Abbas appoints veteran aide to newly created role, making him frontrunner to replace ageing leader

Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas on Saturday named a veteran aide and confidant as his new vice-president. It’s a major step by the ageing leader to designate a successor.

The appointment of Hussein al-Sheikh as vice-president of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) does not guarantee he will be the next Palestinian president. But it makes him the frontrunner among longtime politicians in the dominant Fatah party who hope to succeed the 89-year-old Abbas.

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Alaa Badarneh/EPA

© Photograph: Alaa Badarneh/EPA

  •  

Happy meals: is eating together the secret to happiness?

For the first time, the World Happiness report has examined a link between eating together and wellbeing. What’s so special about sharing a meal?

Think back to your school days. At lunchtime, where did you sit? Did you take advantage of the smorgasbord of kids to find someone new and expand your horizons? Probably not. But that’s what Kate Freston advises you do when eating with other people. She’s a veteran of dining at Castlemaine’s Community Lunch – which attracts up to 150 people every Tuesday during school term time.

“I used to do a quick scan around the tables and think, ‘Oh God, I hope I don’t sit next to a dud’,” she says sheepishly. “And then, you’re like … maybe I’m the dud! Now, I really like how this crosses over into general life. You may have had a chat with 80-year-old Margaret, then you see her down the street and you may give a little wave and have a little chat.”

Freston, a community access worker who lives with her teenage son, had been missing the communal eating she’d experienced when travelling overseas, such as in Ghana where she stayed with local families. “It was beautiful, this simple act of fostering closeness with people,” she says. “I thought, why don’t I do that here? But I guess lifestyles and schedules get in the way.”

Sharing meals is the one of the best things we can do for our wellbeing, according to a report released last month. The World Happiness report 2025, based on a Gallup poll of more than 150,000 people from 142 countries and territories, found that people who dine alone have the lowest life evaluation rating globally compared with those who regularly share a meal, who are happier.

Sign up for the fun stuff with our rundown of must-reads, pop culture and tips for the weekend, every Saturday morning

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Anna Ivanova/Alamy

© Photograph: Anna Ivanova/Alamy

  •