🌏 Taliban Bans Women From University, Iran Arrests Famous Actress Over Mahsa Amini Protests And More

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The Taliban has ordered all higher education institutions in Afghanistan to ban women from attending classes, in the latest restriction on women.

The announcement on Tuesday Dec. 20 came just a few months after students had completed university entrance exams.

“You all are informed to implement the mentioned order of suspending education of females until further notice,” the announcement from Afghanistan's minister of higher education, Neda Mohammad Nadeem, read.

Previously, the Taliban had only allowed women to attend university as long as classes were segregated by gender.

At the same time, only women professors and older men were allowed to teach women students.

Women were also restricted from obtaining degrees in journalism, engineering, economics, agriculture, and veterinary science according to the BBC.

Just last year, the Taliban banned girls from going to middle and high school after it announced that secondary schools were re-opening for boys.

The government denied banning girls from school, saying they needed to build "safer and better educational environment" and rethink girls’ uniforms to follow Islamic law.

At the moment, only elementary schools are opened to girls, but classes are segregated starting from fourth grade.

Since its takeover, women in Afghanistan have been stripped of many of their rights and can’t participate equally in public life.

Also Happening Around The World

🇦🇫 Following the news of the Taliban banning women from university, male students in Afghanistan walked out of their exams in an act of protest to stand with their women classmates.

🇨🇩 Devastating floods and landslides caused by heavy rains in the Democratic Republic of Congo have left at least 169 people dead.

🇳🇱 The Netherlands’ prime minister, Mark Rutte, has offered a formal apology for the role the country played in the slave trade.

🇯🇵 After finally becoming the top trainer in the world, Ash Ketchum and Pikachu, are leaving the “Pokémon” series, after 25 years.

In one of the most exciting World Cup finals in history, Argentina beat France 4-2 in a penalty kick shootout on Sunday Dec. 18 to win the 2022 World Cup.

Argentina was leading by 2-0 at half time, but France made an extraordinary comeback with about 10 minutes left.

With the teams tied 3-3 after extra time, Argentina ultimately won after France missed twice during penalties.

With the win, Lionel Messi finally achieved his lifelong dream of taking Argentina to World Cup glory.

This is the last World Cup for Messi, who scored twice in the final, as well as a successful penalty during the shootout.

The 35-year-old was also awarded the Golden Ball – the award for the tournament’s best player – becoming the only player in World Cup history to win it twice.

Although his team ended up on the losing side, France’s Kylian Mbappe led its spectacular comeback by scoring a hat-trick – three goals in one match – a feat that has not happened in a World Cup final since 1966.

He ended up beating Messi for the Golden Boot – the award for the player who scored the most goals in the tournament – at eight, over Messi’s seven.

More World Cup Stories

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England’s players Kyle Walker and John Stones have adopted a stray cat from Qatar after loosing at quarter finals to France in the World Cup.

🇯🇵🇪🇸 An England fan explained Japan’s controversial goal against Spain during the Group stage and now it makes total sense.

Taraneh Alidoosti, one of Iran’s most famous actresses, has been detained for showing her support of the Mahsa Amini protests.

Alidoosti – who appeared in the film “The Salesman”, which won the Oscar for Best International Film in 2016 – had shared a photo on Instagram in November of herself without a headscarf, holding a sign reading “Woman, Life, Freedom”.

She was arrested on Dec. 17 after she criticized authorities for executing Mohsen Shekari, the first known protester to be hanged.

“His name was Mohsen Shekari. Every international organization who is watching this bloodshed and not taking action, is a disgrace to humanity,” she wrote.

State media said Alidoosti was arrested due to a “lack of evidence for her claims.”

Shekari was the first known executions over the recent anti-government protests sparked by the death of 22-year-old Amini after she was detained by “morality” police for allegedly breaking the country’s mandatory hijab law.

More than 18,000 people have been arrested in the protests, which broke out three months ago, according to rights groups, with many also tried under “moharebeh” charges.

400 protesters have since been sentenced to prison for up to 10 years for participating in the demonstrations.

Other Women You Should Know About

🇦🇺 Sharon Claydon, the Australian Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, called out the leader of the Australian opposition, Peter Dutton, for repeatedly addressing her incorrectly as “Mr. Speaker”.

🇯🇵 Yoshimi Yamashita has become the first Japanese woman to officiate a match as a referee at the World Cup.

Scotland’s parliament has passed a law that will make it easier for people to legally change their gender.

The new law will allow people to self-determine their legal gender without needing to get medical or judicial approval.

People aged 16 and up will now be able to change their gender on official documents through a declaration.

The new rules, expected to come into effect in 2023, lowers the age people can legally change gender from 18 to 16.

People no longer need to get a medical diagnosis for gender dysphoria and only need to live in their acquired gender for three months, or six months for 16 to 17 year olds, instead of two years.

There is a three month “reflection period” after for people to change their mind.

Scotland has allowed people to change their legal gender from male to female or vice versa since 2004.

The new bill was first proposed by Scotland’s first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, six years ago, with the goal of making it less intrusive and distressing for people to apply to change their legal gender, according to the BBC.

The law passed on Dec. 22 by 86 to 38 votes. Nine members of Sturgeon’s Scottish National Party party opposed the reforms, in the biggest rebellion since the party came to power in 2007, the BBC reported.

Conservative groups argued the law will make it easier for “criminal men” to attack women and children. The UK said it will examine the law and strike it down if necessary.

More Good News For Your Week

🇪🇸 Spain's lower house of parliament also passed a new bill allowing anyone aged 14 and older to change their gender without a medical diagnosis.

🇫🇷 France will make condoms free in pharmacies for young people aged 18 to 25 starting from January 1, 2023.

🇹🇼 Beginning from Taiwan, a very good golden retriever followed his human on a 315 kilometer pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago, also known as the Way of St. James, in Spain and received a very special certificate for completing the journey.

🇹🇼 A video of a large balloon of Taiwan’s 7-Eleven mascot flying away has gone viral on Twitter and inspired some hilarious memes.

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