A controversial samba performance has caused an outcry in Jazan, Saudi Arabia. A video posted on Twitter on January 11 showed a group of samba dancers performing on the street during the Jazan Winter Festival.

By Abdulla Gaafarelkhalifa

On January 13, a couple involving an adult male and an adult female, after being charged with adultery in the Aceh province of Indonesia, were punished with public lashings.

The man, who refused to confess to the accusation, received 15 lashes, while the woman, who did confess, received an overwhelming 100. The amount of lashes was so excruciating that she needed a break at one point before continuing on.

On January 10, Pope Francis warned against the growing cancel-culture trend, calling it "one-track thinking" that can alter historical accounts. Speaking to diplomats from more than 180 countries, the pontiff effectively endorsed mandated vaccination while condemning vaccine misinformation.

On Monday, December 6, Pope Francis commented on a leaked internal document of the European Commission, calling it "anachronistic." The pope's comments were from an interview aboard the papal plane on his way back to Rome from Greece and Cyprus.

On November 9, Iran’s parliament confirmed receiving a bill that will criminalize owning pets, especially animals deemed “unclean” by Islamic law. The bill on the “protection of public rights against dangerous and harmful animals” was drafted by 75 conservative members of Iran’s parliament. The bill aims to amend the Islamic Penal Code to include the importation, sale, and keeping of various animals.