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In India there is a presumption that good, juicy dates are procured only in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. Little do we know that similar quality dates can be grown in India too. Despite India being the one of the largest importers of dates in the world - around 3.5 million metric tons every year - there is good market for homegrown dates both locally and abroad. Meet Nizamuddin S., who cultivates 32 varieties of the luscious fruit as well as date palms.

However, it remains to be seen whether Wednesday's event signals a permanent shift in allowing Iranian women to watch men's sporting events In a statement sent to CNN when Iran played their first World Cup game against Morocco on Saturday, FIFA said President Gianni Infantino had been reassured by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani during a March visit that the ban on women would eventually be lifted, though no time frame was provided. The Center for Human Rights in Iran also posted photos of women inside the Azadi Stadium, saying: "All they are asking for is to be treated as EQUALS." The Center is not in Iran, but was posting other people's photos. According to the Twitter account of Tara Sepehri

The European Commission is investigating the bloc’s biggest sea-borne gas supplier Qatar Petroleum over potentially restrictive 20-year supply agreements inhibiting development of a single gas market, its latest challenge to a major gas supplier. The bloc, having just wrapped up a seven-year market abuse probe into Russian giant Gazprom, said it sought to determine if Qatar’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply deals with European utilities barred them from diverting shipments within the region.

Saudi Arabia detained two more women’s rights advocates earlier this month and imposed a travel ban on several others in an ongoing crackdown in the conservative Muslim kingdom, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Wednesday. The arrests, just weeks before the much-hyped lifting of a decades-old ban on women driving, have revived criticism of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s approach to ambitious reforms as part of his push to diversify the world’s top oil exporter’s economy. The powerful young heir apparent is trying to open up the kingdom by easing strict social rules, but reforms hailed as proof of a new progressive trend have been accompanied by a crackdown on dissent, souring that image. Activists

Tens of Iranian women demonstrated in front of the offices of the governor of Iranshahr city in Baluchestan province southeast of Iran on Tuesday, denouncing reports of an incident involving rape of dozens of women. Protests calling for the prosecution of those involved in the alleged rape. (Supplied) Rich and powerful Protesters demanded investigation of the rape cases. (Supplied) Protection of women Last Update: Wednesday, 20 June 2018 KSA 17:18 - GMT 14:18

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has renewed his call for a dialogue with his country's neighbours, saying the region cannot entrust the security of the Middle East to the "dangerous" and "erratic behaviour" of US President Donald Trump. Regional neighbours can reach a "non-aggression" pact and solve their own problems among themselves "without outside interference and patronage", Zarif said in an article published on Thursday by the Iranian Mehr news agency.  Zarif issued the statement in response to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's speech in May laying out 12 preconditions for Iran to fulfil in order to achieve a new nuclear treaty with the US.  "Impulsive and illogical decisions

The Saudi Football Federation on Tuesday received a written apology from the organizing committee of the 2018 World Cup in Russia. The apology addressed “the conditions that accompanied the landing of the plane that flew the Saudi team from St Petersburg on Saturday to Rostov in preparation for Uruguay on Wednesday,” a Saudi Press Agency statement said. The soccer team landed safely after one of the engines on the plane appeared to catch fire.