Queen Elizabeth II with her two youngest grandchildren, Lady Louise and James, Viscount Severn and eight of her great-grandchildren, Prince George of Cambridge, Princess Charlotte of Cambridge, Prince Louis of Cambridge, Savannah Phillips, Isla Phillips, Mia Tindall, Lena Tindall and Lucas Tindall pose for an official portrait during their summer holidays in August 2022, released on what would have been Queen Elizabeth's 97th birthday, at Balmoral in Scotland -April 21st 2023.
(T/N: *BTS are often compared to vegetable fritters, literally '야채튀김/fried vegetables' in Korean, because of how the members like to stick together in one giant happy clump. )
Their Majesties The King and The Queen Consort and The Prince and Princess of Wales pose for an official portrait (on September 18th 2022), at Buckingham Palace in London, England -October 1st 2022.
King Philippe of Belgium, Queen Mathilde of Belgium, Crown Princess Elisabeth of Belgium, Duchess of Brabant, Prince Gabriel of Belgium, Prince Emmanuel of Belgium, Princess Eléonore of Belgium and their dogs, Jeep and Simba, pose for an official portrait to celebrate Christmas and wish everyone a Happy New Year 2023, at The Royal Palace in Brussels, Belgium -December 15th 2022.
Taliban has announced that women in Afghanistan will be stoned to death in public for adultery.
The Afghan Taliban’s supreme leader, Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada, has issued a disturbing proclamation, vowing to implement brutal punishments against women in public. In a chilling voice message broadcasted on state television, Akhundzada directly addressed Western officials, dismissing concerns about violating women’s rights by stoning them to death.
"You say it’s a violation of women’s rights when we stone them to death," Akhundzada stated. "But we will soon implement the punishment for adultery. We will flog women in public. We will stone them to death in public," he declared, marking his most severe rhetoric since the Taliban seized control of Kabul in August 2021.
These grim statements, purportedly from Akhundzada, who has seldom been seen in public except for a few outdated portraits, emanate from Afghanistan’s state TV, now under Taliban control. Akhundzada is believed to be located in southern Kandahar, the Taliban's stronghold. Despite early assurances of a more moderate regime, the Taliban swiftly reverted to harsh public penalties reminiscent of their previous rule in the late 1990s, including public executions and floggings. The United Nations has vehemently criticised these actions, urging the Taliban to cease such practices.
In his message, Akhundzada asserted that the women's rights advocated by the international community contradicted the Taliban’s strict interpretation of Islamic Sharia law. Akhundzada emphasised resilience among Taliban fighters, urging them to oppose women's rights persistently. "I told the Mujahedin that we tell the Westerners that we fought against you for 20 years and we will fight 20 and even more years against you," he stated.
His remarks have sparked outrage among Afghans, with many calling for increased international pressure on the Taliban.
"The money that they receive from the international community as humanitarian aid is just feeding them against women," lamented Tala, a former civil servant from Kabul.
"As a woman, I don’t feel safe and secure in Afghanistan. Each morning starts with a barrage of notices and orders imposing restrictions and stringent rules on women, stripping away even the smallest joys and extinguishing hope for a brighter future," she added.
"We, the women, are living in prison," Tala emphasised, "And the Taliban are making it smaller for us every passing day."
Taliban authorities have also barred 330,000 girls from returning to secondary school for the third consecutive year. University doors were closed to women in December 2022 and participation in the workforce is heavily restricted.
Details from the Miss Universe Vietnam 2022 National Costume: CHIẾU CÀ MAU
Inspired by the beauty of culture and people in the mat weaving village, "Chiếu Cà Mau” carries the story of children. peaceful, simple people in the southernmost part of the country. The new scented mats have reflected the colors of luck and happiness, bringing hope to light up ambitions for a bright future.
The simple, idyllic mat has yet been attached to so many people, through many generations and still exists until today. And now, from a traditional handicraft village of Vietnam, "Chiếu Cà Mau" has been transformed into a masterpiece of national costume representing Vietnam at the Miss Universe arena.
As the excellent work that won the first prize of the National Custome Contest, "Chiếu Cà Mau” by designer Nguyễn Quốc Việt officially accompanies Miss Ngoc Chau to the Miss Universe arena.