Parastoo Ahmadi’s performance in December 2024 has been viewed millions of times An Iranian singer who performed without a hijab in a viral online concert has been sentenced to 74 lashes.The case has sparked condemnation from human rights groups and artists around the world.29-year-old Parastoo Ahmadi was handed the punishment over a livestreamed performance that…

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Chinese proverb of the day (Image generated via Google Gemini) There is a quiet, almost funny cruelty to this saying. Picture someone striding ahead, chin up, certain they are leading the way. Then they glance over their shoulder and find nobody there. Not a single person followed. In that instant, the grand march turns into…

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John Edwards has resigned as the UK’s Information Commissioner after an independent workplace investigation found there was a “case to answer” regarding allegations about his conduct.In a statement announcing his departure, Edwards admitted that some of his attempts at humour were “inappropriate and caused offence”, adding that he had exercised “poor judgement” on certain occasions.…

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Queen Elizabeth (Image: Wikipedia) We are told, more or less constantly, that happiness is something you get. Buy the thing, win the prize, land the promotion, treat yourself. Queen Elizabeth II spent more than ninety years watching people from one of the most unusual vantage points on earth, and she came to almost the opposite…

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UAE opens sovereign Sukuk market to individual investors / Image – file For the first time, UAE residents and citizens will be able to invest directly in government-backed Islamic Treasury Sukuk with as little as Dh1,000, opening a market that was previously reserved largely for institutional investors.The UAE Ministry of Finance has launched the country’s…

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Boy, 3, critical after crocodile enclosure incident as man arrested at UK zoo / Image – file A routine family visit to a popular Cambridgeshire zoo turned into a nightmare when a three-year-old boy was found critically injured inside a crocodile enclosure, triggering a major police investigation and the arrest of a man on suspicion…

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For generations, the Canaanites have occupied a curious space between archaeology and biblical tradition. Mentioned repeatedly in the Hebrew Bible as the inhabitants of the land before the rise of ancient Israel, they have often been viewed through the lens of scripture rather than material evidence. Now, a remarkable discovery in southern Israel is offering…

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US President Donald Trump US President Donald Trump on Thursday rejected suggestions that the conflict with Iran exposed limits to American power, declaring that there were ‘no limits’ to what the United States could achieve.His remarks came after the United States and Iran formally entered into a peace agreement by digitally signing a memorandum of…

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Jamie Varley jailed for life for murdering 13-month-old boy. A school teacher has been jailed for life without parole for sexually abusing and murdering a 13-month-old boy he adopted with his partner, bringing an end to a case detectives described as one of the most disturbing they had encountered.Jamie Varley, 37, received a whole-life order…

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DOJ probes Iran Supreme leader’s link to US banks The US Department of Justice is reportedly investigating Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei as part of a broader probe into alleged money laundering and corruption.The investigation is examining how Khamenei allegedly built a global investment portfolio with exposure to major Wall Street banks, according to officials…

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