Author: Ujali Adwani

Women’s clothes are high on the government’s agenda once again in Tajikistan, where authorities and Islamic leaders are working on new guidelines on what women should wear to work and during their leisure time. The new dress code — the second of its kind in six years — is expected to be made public in the coming days, and a special event is reportedly being planned for the capital, Dushanbe, in August to showcase compliant clothes. Sulaimon Davlatzoda, the head of the state Committee for Religious Affairs and the Regulation of Traditions, told a press briefing in the capital this week that…

The Czechs have never forgotten that allies handed over their Sudetenland Province to Hitler in 1938 after the German dictator promised it would be “last territorial demand I have to make in Europe.” The Czechs have never forgotten that allies handed over their Sudetenland Province to Hitler in 1938 after the German dictator promised it would be “the last territorial demand I have to make in Europe.” Months later, Nazis occupied their country and waged war in Europe and around the world for seven more years, killing tens of millions. To many today, Ukraine is the next Sudetenland as it…

Punishing hot weather affects not only a person’s health or work productivity but also affects couples’ fertility and birth outcomes, a project by the National University of Singapore (NUS) found. Rising temperatures could further reduce Singapore’s resident total fertility rate, which dipped below 1 – a record low – in 2023. The rate refers to the average number of babies each woman would have during her reproductive years. Researchers from the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine studied sperm samples from 818 men that were already stored at the National University Hospital’s (NUH) andrology section. The scientists then traced the men’s…

Palestinian Authority (PA) Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh resigned on February 26 in anticipation of postwar governance challenges. “I see that the next stage and its challenges will require new governmental and political arrangements,” Shtayyeh said, emphasizing “the emerging reality in the Gaza Strip, the national unity talks, and the urgent need for an inter-Palestinian consensus.” American and Palestinian officials expect that Abbas will nominate Mohammed Mustafa, the chairman of the Palestine Investment Fund, as Shtayyeh’s successor. Expert Analysis “Bringing in Palestine Investment Fund chief Mohammed Mustafa and pushing out the current prime minister Mohammed Shtayyeh is the rearranging of the…

Former son-in-law of late dictator Suharto was discharged from military over alleged abuses dating back to 1980s The presumed election victory of Indonesian presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto – a former army general with a history of alleged involvement in torture and disappearances – marks a dark chapter in the country’s history, activists have warned, while vowing not to give up their fight for justice. Prabowo, 72, a former special commander under the Suharto dictatorship, is the apparent winner of Indonesia’s presidential election after unofficial counts gave him a strong lead. On Wednesday night he told supporters that his win would be a “victory…

A cyclone which barrelled through India’s southern coast earlier this week has left Chennai city flooded and struggling to return to normal. Authorities are trying to clear rainwater from homes and streets in the city’s suburbs. Some residents say they are unable to access basic necessities and are experiencing frequent power cuts. At least 18 people have died in Tamil Nadu state – of which Chennai is the capital – in rain-related incidents. Cyclone Michaung made landfall on Tuesday in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh state – a child was killed and heavy crop damage was reported there before the cyclone weakened into a…

Indo-Chinese food – the sharp, spicy fusion between Indian and Chinese food – is now being spotted on many restaurant menus in the US. But what makes this comfort food of Indian immigrants such a hit? Christina O’Neill clearly remembers when she had gobi (cauliflower) manchurian for the first time. It was at a friend’s home in an affluent Californian suburb in 2017. The crisp, fried cauliflower florets dunked in a red chilli sauce “melted in her mouth” and quickly became her favourite. “It’s an incredible medley of subtle spicy and sweet,” Ms O’Neill says. She’s not the only one…

The U.S. Navy intends to sell Australia used Virginia-class attack submarines in 2032 and 2035, plus a new boat in 2038, leaders said. This timeline provides a more detailed breakdown of the submarine-sharing arrangement between the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom announced in March. Those three countries, which are signatories to the trilateral security agreement AUKUS, are working to familiarize Australian sailors as well as the shipbuilding and ship repair workforce with nuclear submarines. As training efforts in the U.S. and Australia ramp up, the partners should be ready to declare Australia “sovereign ready” by the early 2030s,…

Toronto, Alaska (16/11 – 50) Our lives are being maneuvered and we are being manipulated by unelected, insidious forces, toward objectives not necessarily in the people’s interest. Now that the so-called “pandemic”, declared by the mysterious self-appointed World Health Organization, and followed obediently by governments everywhere, has been decreed “finished”, we should devote a moment to introspection, considering who is running the show and for whose benefit, as governments gaily abdicated their vested responsibility to govern. Pandemic is over? I hope they told those killer viruses who destroyed the population of Europe and North America. What? Oh, just 1% mortality?…

One of India’s most controversial businessmen, Subrata Roy, died on Tuesday at the age of 75 in Mumbai, the country’s financial capital. Roy was the founder of Sahara Group – a multibillion-dollar conglomerate with businesses ranging from finance, housing, media, manufacturing, aviation and hospitality. He died of a cardiac arrest after an “extended battle with complications arising from metastatic malignancy, hypertension and diabetes”, his firm said in a statement. Roy’s legacy was marked by his swift rise to fame and fortune and a subsequent downfall after his firm was accused of cheating investors of billions of dollars. But despite his…