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Catriona Gray from the Philippines claimed the Miss Universe crown for 2018 on Monday, beating contestants from 93 other countries. The 24-year-old Filipina-Australian pipped South African Demi Leigh Nel-Peters for the top spot, becoming the fourth Filipina to bring home the coveted title. Miss Venezuela, Sthefany Gutiérrez, rounded out the top three at the contest in Bangkok. Thailand's own Sophida Kanchanarin made it to the final ten, to huge cheers from the home crowd, but did not progress further. History and controversy Ahead of Monday's final, much attention was on Miss Spain, Angela Ponce, the first transgender contestant in the competition's history. "I'm competing because it's what I've

Around two weeks ago, in a move that caught many by surprise, Iran's security forces arrested Iranian-Australian academic Meimanat Hosseini-Chavoshi, a widely respected population researcher at the University of Melbourne, as she was leaving Iran. They also summoned her colleague, Mohammad Jalal Abbasi-Shavazi, who is a professor of demography at the University of Tehran and director of Iran's National Institute of Population Research, for questioning. Iran's state news agency IRNA said Hosseini-Chavoshi and Abbasi-Shavazi, who had previously conducted research on population growth and fertility in Iran, were charged with "espionage" and intrusion "in the area of population control". Iranian

The appointment of President Hassan Rouhani’s son-in-law as head of Iran’s geological survey has renewed accusations of nepotism and led on Sunday to the resignation of a senior official, according to conservative media. The appointment of Kambiz Mehdizadeh, in his early thirties and reportedly married to Rouhani’s daughter in a low-key wedding this August, was widely criticised by Iranians on social media.

JEDDAH: A video on social media alleging that a young girl jumped on stage and leapt into the arms of Spanish singer, Enrique Iglesias, during his concert in Saudi Arabia on Thursday has gone viral. Pro-Qatari Twitter users were sharing the video widely over the weekend. However, the video is actually a clip from the renowned artist’s concert in Baku, Azerberijan in June 2016 when he performed at the city’s Formula One grand prix, and not from his performance in the Saudi capital, Riyadh. Users suggested that neither the girl, nor the security personnel attempting to remove her, were of Saudi origin. Iglesias performed on day one of the Ad Diriyah concert festival, ahead of the inaugural Formula

On January 23, 2015, the world woke up to the news that Salman bin Abdul Aziz had been crowned king of Saudi Arabia, and he was making important decisions such as the appointment of his 29-year-old son as defence minister. Prince Mohammed bin Salman was new to the world of diplomacy. He had a degree in private law and had worked in commercial companies, but had only been part of the royal court for a few months. While analysts scrutinised the young minister of defence, Prince Mohammed made his first decisive move - one still being dissected today. On March 26, 2015, the crown prince launched Operation Decisive Storm against Yemen's Houthi rebels, turning the conflict into a devastating war that

An Indian man living in the U.S. on a work visa was sentenced to nine years in prison Thursday for assaulting a sleeping woman during an overnight flight to Detroit. Prabhu Ramamoorthy was in a middle seat between the victim and his wife on a Spirit Airlines flight from Las Vegas last January. Prosecutors asked for a sentence of nearly 11 years, but U.S. District Judge Terrence Berg settled on a nine-year term. He said he hoped it would be “grave enough” to deter others from committing similar crimes. A jury convicted Ramamoorthy in August . He will be deported to India after serving his sentence. The victim, a model, declined an opportunity to speak in court. She watched the hearing from the

Jennifer Lopez wore a gown so big it needed its own seat. The 49-year-old singer and actress stunned at the premiere of her new film, 'Second Act', on Wednesday night in New York City in a Giambattista Valli couture dress which had a train so long it needed its own chair on the bus at the star travelled to the occasion. The 'On The Floor' hitmaker stole the spotlight at the glitzy event thanks to her glamorous high-low bubblegum pink gown, which featured an empire waist a short dramatic tulle skirt followed by a massive fluffy train. The 'Selena' star paired the lavish ensemble with a pair of sky-high metallic silver open-toe heels, as well as a pair of dew drop diamond earrings and a matching diamond bangle while she styled her brunette locks in a high tight bun.