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InterNations
Sources

Watch Beckham Bend It In Paris

Worldcrunch

PARIS - David Beckham has finally made his much anticipated debut in Paris, almost one month after signing for Paris Saint-Germain. Here's Becks warming up before Sunday's kick-off.

Although he only played for the last 14 minutes of Sunday night's game, Becks was finally given a chance to get his much-advertized bottom off the freezing bench and show he could still be of use.

Here's his looping pass to Jeremy Menez (1'15), who then knocked the ball off Zlatan Ibrahimovic"s knee to score PSG's second goal.

Cuteness ensued:

[rebelmouse-image 27086337 alt="""" original_size="400x226" expand=1]

Source: gfsports tumblr

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Society

Iran's War On Abortion Rights, A Toxic Mix Of Theocracy And Demographic Panic

Ending a pregnancy has become a major complication, and a crime, for Iranian women who cannot or will not have children in a country wracked by socio-economic woes and a leadership.

photo of a young child surrounded by women in chadors

Iran's government wants to boost the birth rate at all costs

Office of Supreme Leader/ZUMA
Firoozeh Nordstrom

Keen to boost the population, Iran's Islamic regime has reversed its half-hearted family planning policies of earlier years and is curbing birth control with measures that include banning abortion.

Its (2021) Law to Support the Family and Rejuvenate the Population (Qanun-e hemayat az khanevadeh va javani-e jam'iyat) threatens to fine the women who want to abort, and fine, imprison, and dismiss the performing physician, if the pregnancy is not deemed to be life-threatening. The law also bans contraceptives.

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The measures are in line with the dictates of Iran's Supreme leader, Ali Khamenei. He was already denouncing birth control policies by 2018-19, though conservative elements among Iran's rulers have always dismissed birth control as a piece of Western corruption.

Today, measures to boost families include land and credit incentives for young couples, but it is difficult to say how far they will counter a marked reluctance among Iranians to marry and procreate. Kayhan-London had an online conversation with individuals affected by the new rules in Iran.

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