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Showing posts from December, 2025

A year on from the ousting of Assad

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  Damascus, Syria — “Hold your head high, you’re a free Syrian.” The refrain of this Arabic song—now widely embraced as the unofficial anthem of a new Syria—echoes throughout Damascus. It blares from market loudspeakers, rings out during celebrations in the central square, and is even sung by the man offering traditional coffee to new arrivals at the airport. For decades, many Syrians lived with lowered gazes under the authoritarian rule of the Al-Assad family. The regime maintained an expansive surveillance system in which the feared Mukhabarat , the intelligence network, kept the population in check. Remaining silent was often the safest choice—until the Arab Spring ignited an uprising, and Assad’s fierce response plunged the nation into a ten-year civil war. Today, Syrians are openly and energetically marking the first anniversary of what they regard as their liberation from Assad’s government. The celebration follows a rapid rebel offensive on December 8 last year, led by fo...
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A year on from the ousting of Assad

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  Damascus, Syria — “Hold your head high, you’re a free Syrian.” The refrain of this Arabic song—now widely embraced as the unofficial anthem of a new Syria—echoes throughout Damascus. It blares from market loudspeakers, rings out during celebrations in the central square, and is even sung by the man offering traditional coffee to new arrivals at the airport. For decades, many Syrians lived with lowered gazes under the authoritarian rule of the Al-Assad family. The regime maintained an expansive surveillance system in which the feared Mukhabarat , the intelligence network, kept the population in check. Remaining silent was often the safest choice—until the Arab Spring ignited an uprising, and Assad’s fierce response plunged the nation into a ten-year civil war. Today, Syrians are openly and energetically marking the first anniversary of what they regard as their liberation from Assad’s government. The celebration follows a rapid rebel offensive on December 8 last year, led by fo...
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Location: Israel
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Japan tells residents to evacuate as powerful earthquake strikes north-east

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  Here is a fully rewritten (spun) version of your article while keeping the original meaning intact and avoiding added facts: A powerful 7.5-magnitude earthquake struck north-eastern Japan, triggering evacuation orders for roughly 90,000 people and prompting tsunami warnings that were later reduced to lower-level advisories. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) initially warned that waves up to 3 metres (10ft) could reach the region’s coastline after the quake hit offshore at 11:15pm (2:15pm GMT) . Tsunami warnings were put in place for Hokkaido, Aomori, and Iwate , and waves measuring 20–70cm (7–27in) were recorded at several ports, according to the JMA. By early Tuesday morning, however, the agency downgraded those warnings to advisories , indicating that expected wave heights had decreased and the risk of coastal flooding had diminished. Here is a fully rewritten (spun) version of your text, keeping all the original facts but expressing them in new wording and st...
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Location: Japan
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Apple Music Replay 2025 Rolls Out With New Listening Stats and Global Charts

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  December 2025 — Apple Music has officially released Apple Music Replay 2025 , giving subscribers a full breakdown of their year in music with expanded analytics, a redesigned visual experience, and new listening categories that reflect how users discovered and revisited music throughout the year. The annual recap, which began rolling out to users this week, highlights each listener’s most-streamed songs, artists, albums, genres, and total minutes listened. This year’s update builds on the company’s push to make Replay a more dynamic and social feature, rivaling Spotify Wrapped with deeper insights and a smoother in-app experience. A More Seamless, In-App Experience With iOS 26, Apple Music Replay is now fully native inside the Apple Music app , eliminating the web-based interface previously required for the visual recap. Users can access it directly from the Home tab, where Apple has added a “Replay: Your Top Music” section that opens an interactive highlight reel. The new ...
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Location: United States
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Paul Dano Continues to Redefine Hollywood’s Quiet Power

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  Paul Dano has long been recognized as one of Hollywood’s most distinctive talents—an actor whose performances are marked not by volume or flash, but by an uncanny ability to inhabit complex, emotionally charged roles with understated precision. While he rarely courts the spotlight, Dano’s work consistently generates it. From early breakthroughs in Little Miss Sunshine and There Will Be Blood to later acclaim in Prisoners , Love & Mercy , and The Fabelmans , Dano has built a career defined by range rather than repetition. Critics and audiences alike often cite his performances as “quietly devastating,” “uncomfortably immersive,” or “eerily authentic”—phrases that have become synonymous with his name. A Career Built on Subtlety and Substance Unlike many actors of his generation, Dano has deliberately avoided typecasting. His roles have spanned troubled prodigies, soft-spoken villains, earnest creatives, and deeply flawed but sympathetic everyday men. What ties them togeth...
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Location: United States
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Costco Business Center, once known primarily as a wholesale destination for restaurants and small businesses

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 Costco Business Center, once known primarily as a wholesale destination for restaurants and small businesses, is quickly gaining traction among everyday shoppers as inflation and rising food costs push consumers to look for larger quantities and lower prices. Industry analysts say foot traffic at Costco Business Center locations has increased steadily over the past two years, driven by families, meal-preppers, event planners, and bulk-buying enthusiasts who prefer the early hours, broader food selection, and business-focused inventory. A Different Kind of Costco Unlike traditional Costco warehouses, Costco Business Centers operate with a streamlined, no-frills model designed to support high-volume purchasing. They typically open as early as 4–6 AM , offer faster checkout, and stock thousands of products not sold at regular Costco stores. Shoppers will not find optical centers, bakeries, pharmacies, or the popular Costco gas stations at these locations. Instead, the aisles are...
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Location: United States
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