• ANALYSIS: Did Khamenei gamble big by playing the Raisi card?

    There is no doubt that what is known as “presidential election” in Iran is held in a very oppressive atmosphere. It is fake and totally different from democratic elections held around the world. In this fake show, only two candidates out of a total of six, are approved by Guardian Council (which is a council consisting of members selected by Khamenei). The two main selected candidates are given full media attention and coverage and political analysts turn them into election highlights.

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  • Serena Williams takes on new challenge in Silicon Valley

    Tennis star Serena Williams has joined the board at technology firm SurveyMonkey and pledged to tackle the lack of diversity in the industry. Ms Williams, who is due to marry Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, said she is disappointed that high-paid tech jobs are filled by white and Asian men. It is unclear how she plans to address the issue. Tech firms based in Silicon Valley have been accused of failing to deal with sexism and a lack of diversity. "I feel like diversity is something I speak to," Williams said. "Change is always happening, change is always building. What is important to me is to be at the forefront of the change and to make it easier for the next person that comes behind me."

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  • Here's what we know about Donald Trump's daughter Tiffany

    Donald Trump is no stranger to the limelight - and neither are his family. Daughter Ivanka is known for her many business ventures, including clothing ranges and books. And his eldest sons, Eric and Donald Jr. are businessmen, following in their father's footsteps. However, as the president's youngest daughter, Tiffany, looks to move to Washington DC this autumn for law school, we take a look at the life of the lesser-known Trump. She is the only daughter of President Trump and his second wife, actress Marla Maples, to whom he was married for six years. Tiffany grew up in California and went to school in Calabasas and boasts over one million followers on social media. This following has led to

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  • How a botched raid led to martial law in Philippines

    MARAWI: It was meant to be a “surgical operation” to capture one of the world’s most wanted terrorists, who was hiding and wounded in a southern Philippine city. Three days later Marawi, the centre of Islam in the mainly Catholic nation was swarmed by tanks, attack helicopters and thousands of troops fighting Islamic State-linked fighters holed up in homes and buildings. President Rodrigo Duterte had also declared martial law across the southern third of the country to quell the crisis, while many of the 200,000 residents had fled… and security forces had lost their target: Isnilon Hapilon. Forces had initially been confident they would capture or kill the elusive Hapilon, regarded by the United States as one of the world’s most dangerous terrorists.

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  • Melania Trump in black at the Vatican. Why?

    Melania Trump arrived at the Vatican on Wednesday morning the picture of modesty: a knee-length black dress, arms covered and a black veil over her hair. Her choice of outfit - in particular, the elegant veil - did not go unnoticed by those keeping a close eye on the First Lady during her husband's first overseas tour as president. Among them was the BBC's North America editor, Jon Sopel. "Interesting micro point," he tweeted. "Melania Trump wears head covering for meeting with @Pontifex - but not when she was in Saudi Arabia." But BBC's David Willey in Rome was unsurprised. There is a strict protocol to be followed when meeting the Pope, which the White House will have been informed of. A quick

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  • Unidentified object flies from North Korea over border with South

    Seoul, South Korea (CNN)South Korea's military fired warning shots after it spotted an unidentified object flying from North Korea across the Demilitarized Zone that divides the two countries, according to the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff. The object, which the South Korean military said was no longer visible, was spotted two days after Pyongyang test-fired a ballistic missile -- its second missile test in seven days.

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  • 'Game of Thrones' Season 7 first look

    "The dragons this year are the size of 747s," director Matt Shakman told EW. The photo shows Daenerys, played by Emilia Clarke, appearing small on the back of her dragon, which is clearly ready for war. Actor Kit Harington, who portrays Jon Snow on the series, told EW the new season will have a faster pace. "This season is really different than any other season because it's accelerating toward the end, a lot of stuff collides and happens much, much quicker than you're used to seeing on Thrones," Harington said.

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  • Wonder Woman women-only screenings in Texas spark row

    A cinema chain in Austin, Texas, has caused uproar after scheduling women-only screenings of Wonder Woman. The big-budget superhero film, which stars Gal Gadot, is set for US release on 2 June. And on 6 June, the Alamo Drafthouse has reserved two showings for those who identify as female. "The most iconic superheroine in comic book history finally has her own movie, and what better way to celebrate?" organisers said. A post on the Alamo's website read: "Apologies, gentlemen, but we're embracing our girl power and saying 'No Guys Allowed' for one special night at the Alamo Ritz. "And when we say 'People Who Identify As Women Only', we mean it. Everyone working at this screening - venue staff,

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  • Kylie Jenner accepts invite to be California teenager's high school prom date

    Kylie Jenner has surprised teenagers at a high school in California by turning up at their prom. The reality star was invited by student Albert Ochoa after his date turned him down. Videos posted on social media show the 19-year-old walking through crowds of people at Rio Americano High School on Saturday night. Kylie snapchatted a photo of herself in a prom dress with friend Jordyn Woods. "TELL ME WHY MY BROTHER TOOK KYLIE JENNER TO PROM 2NIGHT !!!!!!!", she wrote on Twitter. Albert retweeted videos showing him entering the prom with Kylie. Kylie attended high school until the end of ninth grade before being home schooled, and missed out on her own high school prom. She has previously talked

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  • Pro-Iran, pro-terror group's comments attributed to Qatari Emir sparks GCC outrage

    Jeddah: An outpour of criticism was unleashed via social and traditional media outlets in the Gulf after the official Qatar News Agency (QNA), carried comments attributed to the nation's Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, said to have been made at a graduation ceremony of the national servicd (military conscription) where he has endorsed Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah. He also reportedly spoke of "tensions" with the new US administration and predicted the President Donald J. Trump will not last long, citing domestic political problems in Washington over ties with Russia. Al-Thani also seems to have praised Iran which even the previous US administration under President Obama labeled as the "biggest

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  • Father's ashes stolen from woman in Perranporth

    A man's ashes have been stolen from his daughter as she holidayed in Cornwall. Joanne Young carried her father's ashes in a locket in her wallet, which was stolen along with her handbag as she fed ducks with her two young children. Mrs Young, 28, from Bath, had taken her family on holiday to Perranporth because she had gone there every year with her father every year throughout her childhood. She said: "The money isn't important to me but my dad's ashes mean the world." John Hadley died from cancer aged 61 in June 2014. Mrs Young, 28, said: "I keep the locket with me all the time because wherever I go I want him with me. "He brought me down here with my mum and sisters every single year to the

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  • Indian woman 'forced to marry Pakistani' returns

    An Indian woman who alleges she was forced to marry a Pakistani man at gunpoint has returned to India, a day after a court in Islamabad granted her request to leave. The woman, named only as Uzma, was escorted across the Wagah border by Indian High Commission officials. She has accused her husband, Tahir Ali, of torturing her. He denies the allegations. The incident comes amid increasing tension between India and Pakistan. On Thursday, India's Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj tweeted, welcoming her return: Pakistani security officials escorted Uzma, who is in her early 20s, to the border crossing in the morning. She arrived in Delhi later in the day. Uzma's return comes as India and Pakistan trade

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  • It’s more than a security breach!

    THE Qatari claim that its news agency was hacked and the controversial statements were put in its leader’s mouth is far more than a security breach and appears to have set Doha against the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, analysts believe. Doha launched an inquiry and went into damage control after accusing hackers of publishing false remarks attributed to Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani on state media. The stories quoted him questioning US hostility toward Iran, speaking of “tensions” between Doha and Washington, commenting on Hamas and speculating that President Donald Trump might not remain in power for long. Doha denied all the comments and said it was the victim of a “shameful cybercrime”.

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  • Everyone wants to run for US president in 2020

    Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson has become the latest celebrity to put his name forward for president. In an interview with GQ Magazine, the former wrestler turned actor says he has given the idea a lot of thought. He says, "I feel that if I were president, poise would be important. Leadership would be important. Taking responsibility for everybody." But Johnson's not the only star with their sights set on moving into the Whitehouse in 2021. Mark Zuckerberg, the billionaire CEO of Facebook, may also be considering a career change. He's been on a mission to visit people in all 50 US states and is broadcasting it all on Facebook Live, which could be seen as a bit of a PR push. There's also been plenty

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  • Pregnant teenager banned from graduation ceremony

    A pregnant US teenager branded "immoral" by her school and barred from its graduation ceremony is to have her own event, organised by her parents. Maddi Runkles, 18, who attends a small private Christian school in Maryland, has been told she is not welcome at the event, on 2 June, because she must be "accountable for her immorality". Instead, her parents have decided to organise a special party for their daughter the following day. The decision by the board of governors of the Heritage Academy, in Hagerstown, has drawn criticism on social media from those who say the school is showing no Christian compassion to the teenager. "Heritage Academy has opportunity to demonstrate love & grace of Jesus.

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  • Celebrities pay tribute to Manchester victims

    London (CNN)Celebrities took to Twitter to pay tribute and express their sympathy in the wake of a terror attack at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, England on Monday evening that left at least 22 people dead and dozens injured. Fellow singers including Katy Perry, Taylor Swift and Harry Styles were among those who tweeted their condolences.

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  • Zayn Malik defends Gigi Hadid after 'racist' Snapchat video

    Zayn Malik has defended his girlfriend Gigi Hadid in a single tweet after her sister Bella posted a Snapchat video of her. In it, Gigi holds up a Buddha-shaped cookie, squints her eyes and smiles. Bella has since deleted it after fans called the model racist against Asians. But it's still been widely shared online. Critics were keen to highlight Zayn's Asian heritage, prompting him to defend her. After being questioned by fans about the video, Zayn replied to one saying: "Trust me.. she likes asians ;)". Gigi Hadid was named international model of the year at the 2016 Fashion Awards last December. But this isn't the first time she's been criticised. She had to apologise after co-hosting the American

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  • 2017 NBA Finals: Buckle up for Cavs-Warriors 3.0

    But it all evaporated. And in Game 7, with LeBron James notching a triple double plus a massive block and the dagger three-point shot from Kyrie Irving, the Cavaliers won the game and the title, ending a sports championship drought the city of Cleveland had been living under since 1964. James wept on the Warriors home court in Oakland, where he was named unanimous NBA Finals MVP.

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  • 'I was forced to carry my baby, knowing she would die'

    Ashleigh Topley was four-and-a-half months pregnant when she found out her baby wouldn't survive outside the womb. "At that point, my whole world came crashing down," she tells Newsbeat. At her scan, on Valentine's Day 2013, a consultant was called in and delivered the bad news: the baby's limbs weren't growing properly and it was going to die. But because Ashleigh, then 27, lives in Northern Ireland, she was told there was nothing to be done. In the rest of the UK, women whose babies have what doctors call a "foetal abnormality" have the option of a termination. The condition is defined by NI's government as: "where death will occur before or during birth or, if a live birth should occur, there

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  • India opens longest bridge on China border

    India has inaugurated a 9.15km (5.68-mile) bridge over the Lohit river, easily its longest ever, which connects the disputed state of Arunachal Pradesh with the north-eastern state of Assam. China claims Arunachal Pradesh as its own, and refers to it as "southern Tibet". Beijing recently strongly objected to India's decision to allow Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama to visit the state and has also protested against the development of military infrastructure there. But India has defended its right to do so. "With China getting more and more aggressive, it is time we strengthened our physical infrastructure to defend our territory," India's junior Home Minister Khiren Rijiju, a native of Arunachal

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