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China records 1st population fall in decades as births drop

China has announced its first population decline in decades as what has been the world's most populous nation ages and its birthrate plunges.

The National Bureau of Statistics reported Tuesday that the country had 850,000 fewer people at the end of 2022 than the previous year. The tally includes only the population of mainland China, excluding Hong Kong and Macao as well as foreign residents.

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Kabul's mannequins, hooded and masked under Taliban rules

Under the Taliban, the mannequins in women's dress shops across the Afghan capital of Kabul are a haunting sight, their heads cloaked in cloth sacks or wrapped in black plastic bags.

The hooded mannequins are one symbol of the Taliban's puritanical rule over Afghanistan. But in a way, they are also a small show of resistance and creativity by Kabul's dress merchants.

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SchoolTec exhibition to be held Jan. 18-20 at Mövenpick

SchoolTec, the first event of its kind in the country, is inviting school principals, school administrators, teachers, IT managers, professionals, university teachers, training managers, trainers, and parents to get ready to attend the exhibition that will take place for three days starting Wednesday January 18th until Friday January 20th, 2023, from 3:00 until 9:00 p.m. in Mövenpick Hotel Beirut.

WHY ATTEND?

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Second Greek Jewish memorial vandalized in Thessaloniki

Greece's top Jewish body said a memorial to thousands of Jews killed in the Holocaust had been vandalized in Thessaloniki, the second such incident in as many weeks.

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Bahrain donkey races draw crowds and condemnation

Donkeys pulling wooden carts churn up the desert dust as they race down a track in Bahrain, the riders whipping their backs with sticks as an excited crowd looks on.

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Judge tells Detroit museum: Don't move van Gogh painting

A judge on Wednesday ordered a Detroit museum to hold onto an 1888 painting by Vincent van Gogh in response to a lawsuit by its owner, who claims it has been missing for nearly six years.

The painting, titled "The Novel Reader" or "The Reading Lady," is part of a rare van Gogh exhibit, which ends Jan. 22 at the Detroit Institute of Arts.

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Afghan women athletes barred from play, fear Taliban threats

Noura's determination to play sports was so great that she defied her family's opposition for years. Beatings from her mother and jeers from her neighbors never stopped her from the sports she loved.

But the 20-year-old Afghan woman could not defy her country's Taliban rulers. They have not just banned all sports for women and girls, they have actively intimidated and harassed those who once played, often scaring them from even practicing in private, Noura and other women say.

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Italy's Meloni makes first state visit to meet with Francis

Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni, who came to power on a campaign motto of "God, Family, Fatherland" made her first official visit to see Pope Francis on Tuesday, fulfilling what she said was a hoped-for opportunity to better understand the Argentine pontiff.

Meloni spent 35 minutes with Francis alone, before she met with the Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, and the foreign minister. The Holy See said the talks with Parolin focused on the fight against poverty, family issues and Italy's demographic problems — a big concern for both Meloni and Francis who have lamented Italy's low birth rate. The war in Ukraine and migration were also discussed, according to a press statement.

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Saudi Arabia: Hajj pilgrimage returning to pre-COVID levels

Islam's annual hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia will return to pre-pandemic levels this year after restrictions saw the annual religious commemoration curtailed over concerns about the coronavirus, authorities say.

The hajj, required of all able-bodied Muslims once in their life, represents one of the world's largest gatherings of people. Before the pandemic, the pilgrimage drew millions each year to Islam's holy city of Mecca, home to the cube-shaped Kaaba that observant Muslims pray toward five times a day.

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Opportunity for girls in Lebanon to become an ambassador for a day

The British Embassy in Beirut is launching the ‘Ambassador For A Day’ competition where winners will be able to shadow an Ambassador in Lebanon for one day. The competition aims to encourage young girls to become leaders and advocates for change.

The theme of the competition is Embrace Equity which is the theme for this year’s International Women’s Day, 8 March 2023. All girls aged 15-18 years old and who are not at university are eligible. The competition is open from now until 9 February 2023.

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