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French teen fined in Singapore 'straw licking' case

A French teenager was fined in Singapore on Thursday after pleading guilty to a public nuisance charge for a straw-licking stunt that landed him in hot water in the city state. Didier Gaspard Owen Maximilien, 19, was handed a Sg$600 ($465) fine after admitting to posting to social media a video of himself putting a straw he had licked back into the dispenser on an orange juice vending machine. The clip went viral on Instagram shortly after the incident on March 12, triggering a backlash that led to his arrest in Singapore, which is known for its strict enforcement of public order and hygiene rules. Handing down the sentence, Judge Kelly Ho said given Maximilien's "age and nature of the offence", alternatives like probation or a community-based sentence would not be imposed. Prosecutors agreed to the defence's proposal for a fine, saying the offence was at the "lower end" of its seriousness and while hygiene was compromised, no member of the public u...
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Hajj pilgrims stone the devil in final ritual

Muslim faithful took part in the climactic ritual of the annual Hajj pilgrimage on Wednesday, symbolically stoning the devil near Makkah. From dawn, crowds of pilgrims gathered in the valley of Mina, southeast of the holy city of Makkah, to throw pebbles at concrete pillars symbolising the devil. It reenacts Prophet Ibrahim's (AS) stoning of the devil at three places where Satan is said to have tried to dissuade him from obeying God's command to sacrifice his son, Prophet Ismail (AS). More than 1.7 million people are taking part in the Hajj this year. The pilgrimage is a requirement for all Muslims to perform at least once in their life if they have the means. Read: Pak pilgrims slam Hajj arrangements The most important festival in Islam has, for the third year in a row, been overshadowed by war — this time the United States-Israeli conflict with Iran that has drawn in the Gulf nations. A fragile ceasefire, in place since April 8, has mostly brought a halt to the fighting but diplomatic efforts to bring the war to a definitive end have proved inconclusive so far. The Hajj, which involves a series of mostly outdoor rituals over several days, is taking place during intense heat this year. On Tuesday, pilgrims prayed atop Mount Arafat, where the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) is believed to have delivered his last sermon, enduring temperatures of 45 °C. They then spent the night under the stars at Muzdalifah, halfway between Arafat and Mina, where they collected pebbles for the stoning. Read More: Hajj sermon stresses Muslims to uphold unity, prepare for Day of Judgment After this final ceremony, the pilgrims return to Makkah for a last circumambulation of the Kaaba at the heart of the Grand Mosque.

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