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Sima* is 18, but has already given birth four times. Her youngest is a newborn, the eldest is four. Sitting with her children in their mud-brick room in Badghis province, Sima says: “After the Taliban entered the country, I had just finished the sixth grade and was supposed to start the seventh. But two months later, my father pressured me immensely to marry my cousin. After being beaten by my father several times, I was forced to accept.” At 13, Sima became a bride inside the compound where she still lives, and where she has given birth to her children....

Let this be a lesson for everyone foolish enough to cast Spain as underdogs. How they enjoyed dishing it out here, reducing France to passengers and surely guaranteeing nobody will make the same mistake twice. those minded to back against Luis de la Fuente’s side will need a mightily compelling reason. France never came close to finding one. Kylian Mbappé had one last go in added time, shooting harmlessly over, and his forlorn expression upon glancing up to check the clock said more than enough. He knew the game was up but, in truth, that had barely been in question...

Daily Readings from the USCCBMemorial of Saint Bonaventure, Bishop and Doctor of the Church“I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.” Matthew 11:25–27Jesus’ praise of the Father, as recorded in today’s...

"You are . . . a royal priesthood" (1 Pet. 2:9). Christians serve the King and will someday reign with Him in His Kingdom. In Exodus 19:5-6 God says to Israel, "If you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples . . . and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation." They were to be both priests and royalty, but they violated the covenant and forfeited those privileges. Now, according to Peter, Christians are the royal priesthood of God. The Greek...

A large protest occurred Tuesday in Maine, a day after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents were involved in the fatal shooting of a 26-year-old man, who officials say was not the intended target of the operation. Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, said he was briefed on the deadly encounter by Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin, who confirmed that ICE agents conducting an operation in the area were involved in the shooting. The man who was killed was identified as 26-year-old Johan Sebastián Guerrero, a spokesperson for King's office told ABC News. The officer involved in Monday's shooting was a...

As my colleague Ward Clark reported on Friday, the U.S. House of Representatives moved the Sunshine Protection Act, which would make Daylight Saving Time permanent throughout the United States, from committee to the House floor for a vote. On Tuesday, the full House voted and passed the Act, 308-117. VIDEOS AT LINK.................. The House on Tuesday voted to make daylight saving time permanent nationwide, amid a yearslong push to end the twice-annual clock changes. The bill, titled the Sunshine Protection Act, passed in a 308 to 117 vote. In addition to keeping clocks shifted one hour ahead, which happens in...

You hear about moose your whole life, think you've got 'em figured out. Big deer, right? Wrong. There you are minding your own business when one appears, no warning, no sound, like a pickup truck with legs. Up close, you realize real quick... you don't know how big a moose is until one decides you're standing in its living room......... https://video.twimg.com/amplify_video/2076819971942895616/vid/avc1/720x1280/bAZG5l0yqj79HQt0.mp4

There’s one justice on the U.S. Supreme Court who has been determined to be the most partisan of all, pushing a political agenda – against President Donald Trump – in 98 out of 100 cases. The conclusion comes from a report in the Federalist about an analysis released to some readers by the Wall Street Journal. That found Ketanji Jackson voted against President Trump’s plans and agendas in 98 out of 100 major cases. Those often wrongly accused of being partisan – for President Trump – aligned with his arguments 89% (Samuel Alito) and 88% (Clarence Thomas) of the time....

William Kristol, the NeverTrump icon and supporter of President George Bush, wants to destroy the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency that protects Americans from nation-changing, wage-slashing mass migration. “Abolish ICE. Now,” Kristol posted on Monday, prompting a vigorous response from ordinary Americans […] On Tuesday, Kristol celebrated the news that the Department of Homeland Security has temporarily halted the detention of migrants in vehicle stops, following the second fatal shooting of an illegal migrant driver:If ICE is telling the truth here, the lesson should be not be to declare victory (ok, take one minute to enjoy the victory), but to...

Join with fellow FREEPERS to pray for AMERICA: For those in Authority in Government, Family, Military, Business, Agri-Business; End to Sex Slavery; Healthcare, Education, Churches, and the Media. This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. (1 John 5:14) I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone: for kings and all those in authority that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. ~ 1 Timothy 2:1-2 Religion Forum Threads labeled [Prayer] are closed to...

Fernandez sings the aria "Ebben? Ne andrò lontana", from Act I of Catalani's opera "La Wally." The piece is a haunting reverie on the theme of traveling alone and far from home. This performance plays a prominent role in the 1981 film "Diva", a 1981 French thriller directed by Jean-Jacques Beineix. It eschewed the realist mood of the 1970s French cinema and instead adopted a colorful, melodic style, later described as cinéma du look. Aria from the film "Diva" (1981, Wilhelmenia Wiggins Fernandez)

Oil producers in the Persian Gulf are making plans to bypass the Strait of Hormuz with new pipelines and a new port after Iran has repeatedly attacked ships and blocked traffic. The idea is to minimize Tehran’s leverage on the waterway that once saw 20% of the world’s oil pass through it as the war stretches into its fifth month. Iran has already insisted that it will impose tolls on the strait, which could cost tens of billions of dollars. And in some cases, it is extracting millions of dollars of protection money per oil tanker. Two such projects are...

Riyadh strikes Yemeni airport (Sana’a) after Trump backs military action against Houthis The strike on Monday (13 July) damaged the runway and prevented an Iranian airliner from landing in the Yemeni capital, which is controlled by the Houthis, a pro-Tehran proxy militia... ...Two US officials told Axios that Donald Trump gave Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia his support for the military action... ...The incident breaks a four-year truce between Riyadh and the Shia militia, which followed a decade-long war that killed approximately 377,000 people, according to United Nations estimates, most of which were caused by starvation and...

A Washington teacher has admitted having sex with a 16-year-old boy in a sweetheart deal that drastically cuts any time behind bars — as it emerged she is divorcing her husband, who first exposed her twisted behavior. Mackenzie Naught, 25, had faced five years in prison after being charged with sexual misconduct with a minor for romping with the teen from a neighboring school in her truck — soon after she started her job teaching first grade at St. John Elementary School. But the now-fired teacher pleaded guilty Friday in a deal that means she now faces a maximum of...

Ancient mathematical texts discovered at the Maya city of Xultun in Guatemala have revealed the name of a Maya astronomer for the first time, offering rare evidence of the scholars behind one of the ancient world’s most advanced systems of mathematics and astronomy. Researchers reconstructed and transcribed dozens of tiny inscriptions found on the plaster walls of a small building at the site. Their work uncovered a unique mathematical formula and identified its author, marking the first known case of a Classic Maya mathematician-astronomer being directly credited for his work. The findings were published in the journal Antiquity. Wall writings...

Robbie Avila has heard the chants. He heard the fans inside of Thomas & Mack Center shouting “We Want Rob-bie!” during the second half of the Lakers’ summer league game on Friday against the Thunder. SNIP Cream Abdul-Jabbar — a nickname popularized by Kentucky Sports radio host Matt Jones in 2024 while Avila, who wears protective goggles like NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, was playing at Indiana State before he transferred to Saint Louis for his junior and senior seasons. “It’s one of the most unique nicknames I think I’ve ever seen,” Avila told the Post. But Avila’s personal favorite nickname...

The day after Pervez Siddiqui’s adult day care center was raided by the FBI last year, the pharmacist headed to a fundraiser for Mayor Zohran Mamdani at the home of the top adviser on Medicaid affairs in the Pakistani-American community. Ijaz Ahmad, 50, a Pakistani-American cardiologist and healthcare entrepreneur with a sprawling home in Nassau County, advises his fellow countrymen on setting up community healthcare facilities, which rake in tens of millions in Medicaid cash. He also introduces them to the city’s most powerful lawmakers at his 10,000 square foot residence in Old Westbury, according to a source in the...

Donald Trump has unleashed a fresh barrage on Iran in a bid to smash Tehran's power to wreak havoc in the Strait of Hormuz. US Central Command struck Iranian missile and radar sites along the Persian Gulf on Tuesday, hours before American forces were due to reimpose a naval blockade on the country's ports and coastline. 'The blockade goes into effect at 4 p.m. ET,' Central Command said. Tehran hit back within hours, unleashing its own salvo of missiles at American bases and allied targets across the region. One Iranian rocket was plastered with a sticker carrying a Biblical message...

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Mick Jagger briefly waded into Louisiana politics, taking a verbal jab at the state’s conservative governor, as The Rolling Stones performed at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. The band had finished “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” during Thursday evening’s set when Jagger began talking about inclusion, according to New Orleans news outlets. “We want to include him too,” Jagger said of Gov. Jeff Landry. “Even if he wants to take us back to the Stone Age.” Jagger didn’t mention specific policies. Landry is a Republican who was endorsed by former President Donald...

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