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TEHRAN - The Iran Carpet Museum hosted a ceremony unveiling two exquisite Safavid-era carpets, drawing the attention of over 150 scholars, artists, and carpet enthusiasts. Held in the Pazyryk Hall of the museum, the event featured an in-depth presentation by prominent carpet researcher and educator Touraj Zhouleh, who provided detailed insights into the intricate beauty and historical significance of the Safavid carpets, Mehr reported on Saturday. Highlighting the value of hand-woven carpet workshops, Zhouleh emphasized the role of advanced technologies in enhancing participants' understanding through immersive, multi-sensory experiences. The expert also traced the origins of carpet studies to the mid-19th century, crediting European scholars as pioneers in the field. He noted that American researchers later expanded this discipline by employing fieldwork techniques to introduce tribal and rural carpets to the global art community. “Carpet studies go beyond technical analysis,”Zhouleh remarked, “encompassing the deep connections between history, culture, society, and beliefs. Safavid carpets, in particular, exemplify the flourishing of art and culture during this period.” The two Safavid carpets will be on display at the Iran Carpet Museum until January 19, 2025, offering visitors a chance to marvel at these masterpieces of Persian artistry. Attendees described the unveiling as a memorable moment that celebrated the artistry of this remarkable era. Persian carpets are sought after internationally, with patterns of Persian garden being arguably the most characteristic feature of them all. Weavers spend several months in front of a loom, stringing and knotting thousands of threads. Some practice established patterns. Some make their own. Each Persian carpet is a scene that seems ageless, a procedure that can take as long as a year. These efforts have long put Iran’s carpets among the most complex and labor-intensive handicrafts in the world. When the weaving is finally done, the carpet is cut, washed, and put out in the sun to dry. Throughout history, invaders, politicians, and even enemies have left their impact on Iran’s carpets. As mentioned by the Britannica Encyclopedia, little is known about Persian carpet-making before the 15th century, when art was already approaching a peak. AM
Protective Eyewear Market Size, Trends 2031 By Key Players- 3M, Kimberly Clark, UVEX, Lincoln Electric Holdings, Smith & Wesson, Miller ElectricWashington — President-elect Donald Trump's choice to lead the Pentagon, Pete Hegseth , is showing defiance amid misconduct allegations as support for his confirmation appeared to be in doubt. There are now several candidates under consideration to replace him as Trump's intended nominee, sources familiar with the transition tell CBS News, among them, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst. But the embattled former Fox News host on Wednesday pushed back on reports that Trump is considering other candidates for defense secretary . On Capitol Hill on Wednesday morning, as he continued to visit Republican members of Congress, Hegseth told CBS News that he does not intend to withdraw his name from consideration. He also said he spoke with Trump Wednesday morning, and the president-elect encouraged him to keep fighting. "I spoke to the president-elect this morning. He said, 'Keep going, keep fighting. I'm behind you all the way,'" Hegseth said. "Why would I back down? I've always been a fighter. I'm here for the fighters. This is personal and passionate for me." In an interview with SiriusXM's "The Megyn Kelly Show" Wednesday, Hegseth said he had spoken with Trump earlier in the day and that the incoming president had told him, "I've got your back." On reports of the possibility that DeSantis could replace him as defense chief nominee, he told Kelly, "It's all the president's choice. I spoke to the president this morning. He said, I'm his guy." Despite the acrimony between DeSantis and Trump during the primary campaign, the Florida governor is interested in the job, according to two sources familiar with DeSantis' thinking. His second and final term as governor ends in January 2027. Trump has already announced a series of Cabinet nominees who hail from Florida, including Sen. Marco Rubio, for secretary of state. Although serving as defense secretary would pose some political risk, DeSantis believes it would position him well for a presidential run in 2028, the source said. Hegseth, a former "Fox & Friends" weekend co-host and Army veteran, has been meeting with Senate Republicans in recent weeks to build support for his confirmation. But reports in recent days that detailed alleged sexual misconduct, financial mismanagement at veterans' charities, repeated intoxication and infidelity appeared to be softening his support. Some Senate Republicans have called the allegations "disturbing" and said they came as a surprise. Still, Hegseth on Wednesday told reporters at the Capitol his meetings with Senate Republicans have been "a wonderful process." In his interview with Kelly, Hegseth said, "No one has looked me in the eye and said, 'I have concerns and I can't vote for you.' In fact, most have said, 'Let's take a picture, and I'm behind you all the way.'" Hegseth also defended himself in an opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal Wednesday. Amid reports about his removal as the head of a veterans' charity over allegations of financial mismanagement, intoxication, sexual misconduct and fostering a toxic work climate, Hegseth wrote of his work for that organization, Concerned Veterans for America. "We fought entrenched interests and mobilized veterans and patriotic Americans across the country," he said, denying reports of any misconduct and accusing the media of publishing falsehoods. "We had hundreds of employees and thousands of volunteers—yet based on the anonymous accusations of a few disgruntled employees, the legacy media has made it sound as if we ran a college frat house," he wrote. "That's just untrue." Hegseth also said that he left CVA over "an internal difference of opinion about its future. I wanted to engage in foreign policy; our donors didn't." And he added that the group's leadership "wrote me a glowing letter when I left." In his interview with Kelly, Hegseth addressed the sexual assault allegation that emerged in late November. He responded "absolutely not" when asked if he had raped a woman in a Monterey, California, hotel in 2017. He admitted that it would have once been a fair characterization to call him a "serial cheater" but says he has changed. "I may have been drinking, but I was cognizant enough to remember every single detail. And I'm not here to say that my conduct was good," he said. "Being in a hotel room with someone that's not the person you're with is not OK. I own up to that, and I've had to own up to that, and that's been difficult." He said he paid his accuser "because I had to — or at least I thought I did at the time." He explained that he was newly married, was under consideration for a role in the first Trump administration and wanted to protect his family and his Fox News job. He also responded to reporting by NBC News that cited current and former Fox News employees who said that "on more than a dozen occasions" while Hegseth was a "Fox & Friends Weekend" co-host, "they smelled alcohol on him before he went to air," and appeared on TV "after they'd heard him talk about being hungover as he was getting ready or on set." The report said "[t]hree current employees said his drinking remained a concern up until Trump announced him as his choice to run the Pentagon, at which point Hegseth left Fox." But in the op-ed, Hegseth did not directly address allegations about his alcohol consumption. "I've been at Fox News—where I saw my work as a continuation of my mission to fight for America. Again, the legacy press has used anonymous sources to try to discredit even that," and he referred readers to his X feed for statements of support from professional colleagues. He did tell Kelly, "I've never had a drinking problem." North Dakota GOP Sen. Kevin Cramer is scheduled to meet with Hegseth Wednesday afternoon and told reporters earlier in the day, "The allegations are very, very serious. They can't be trivialized. And I just want to know that, that he's redeemed, and going forward, he's going to be better." Cramer also added, "I think the mood of the conference is one of the pretty serious, really, really serious about it, and serious about how these things affect his ability to do the job, the ability of the troops to look up to him." He suggested the Republican conference was watching for signals from the Trump transition team about Hegseth. "There's the mood of the conference, and then there's the mood of the Trump transition team itself," he said. "So we'll see what kind of messages and signals we hear throughout the course of the day. As you can tell, these things have been breaking pretty fast and furious." Cramer said of Ernst that she would be "easy to confirm, and I think she'd be great," and in fact, "if she wanted it, she'd be my first pick." "I have never backed down from a fight and won't back down from this one," Hegseth wrote, adding, "I look forward to an honest confirmation hearing with our distinguished senators—not a show trial in the press." Hegseth has continued to meet with the Republican senators who will weigh in on his nomination. But one prominent Republican, Sen. Josh Hawley, told reporters Wednesday afternoon that Hegseth canceled their upcoming meeting. "I was supposed to sit down with him tomorrow, but they canceled that meeting," Hawley said. "I don't know where things stand at the moment," he said of Hegseth's expected nomination and added, "It's not 100% clear to me who [Trump] wants as secretary of defense right now." Hegseth told Kelly he planned to keep meeting with senators to earn their support, but he acknowledged that there's a possibility he may not be confirmed. "That's the president's call," he said when asked whether he would withdraw from the process. Jim Defede, Cristina Corujo contributed to this report. Jim DeFede , Nikole Killion and Cristina Corujo contributed to this report. Donald Trump Pete Hegseth Caitlin Yilek is a politics reporter at CBSNews.com, based in Washington, D.C. She previously worked for the Washington Examiner and The Hill, and was a member of the 2022 Paul Miller Washington Reporting Fellowship with the National Press Foundation.
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ARTHUR Gourounlian and Brian Dowling enjoyed an "incredible" night at the Strictly Come Dancing live show last night. The celebrity couple, who are parents to Blake, two, and five-month-old Blu, enjoyed a quick trip away to London this weekend. Arthur and Brian often keep fans up to date on their day-to-day life together. Brian took to his Instagram on Saturday to reveal that they had "planned a little 22-hour trip to London" a few weeks ago. And on Saturday morning, the pair headed to the airport where they caught a flight to London. During their short stay, Arthur and Brian enjoyed some quality time together as they headed out for dinner while also exploring the city. Last night, they attended the Strictly Come Dancing live show to watch all the outstanding performances. Both Arthur and Brian took to their social media 's after the incredible night to express their gratitude. The dads-of-two captured a number of snaps together in the Strictly studio. They also posed alongside the judges and host Tess Daly , who kindly invited them to come to the show. Arthur looked dapper in black trousers paired with a black satin shirt and a black blazer with diamante detailing on it. Meanwhile, Brian was sporting black jeans and a black polo neck top paired with a brown bomber jacket. Alongside his post, Brian wrote: "London, you NEVER disappoint!!!! What fun we @gourounlian had at @bbcstrictly this evening. "Thank you to my darling @tessdalyfor inviting us. It’s such a joy to see you in FULL PRESENTING MODE!!! Let me tell you, this BLONDE BOMBSHELL knows how to work a room. "We’ve known each other 23 years & you still make me laugh as much now as you did back on those SMTV Live Days. We have memories together I will CHERISH FOREVER. "Arthur & I are currently in a car back to the hotel where I can’t wait for some room service & a movie, we are clearly going WILD. The GLAMOUR of Strictly was fun while it lasted." Arthur wrote in the comments: "What a STUNNING night. @tessdaly WE LOVE YOU. Merci for tonight." The Dancing With The Stars judge also wrote a lengthy heartfelt caption alongside his post. Arthur said: "Now, tonight was truly a full-circle moment for me, 20 years later. I had butterflies sitting in that ballroom, reliving such a significant part of my journey. "Back in May 2004, during the first season of @bbcstrictly, I had the incredible honor of performing alongside the one and only Emma Bunton . "Never in a million years did I think I’d be sitting on a judging panel 18 years later, in the beautiful Ireland, on @rteone for my first season of @dwtsirl. It’s an opportunity I’ll forever be grateful for and will always cherish. "Now, 20 years later, to be back in the OG ballroom at the invitation of the queen herself, @tessdaly celebrating 20 years of the show, was absolutely surreal. "Watching her shine and do what she does best was just incredible. I loved every single minute of it this time from the other side of the judges’ table, enjoying the magic of the show. "Naturally, I couldn’t leave without snapping a quick pic with the beauties that are the judges. Though it was a brief visit with my gorgeous husband @bprdowling it was worth every moment. "Tess, you are simply OUTSTANDING. We adore you thank you so much for having us. Now, I’m more excited than ever to kick off DWTS Season 8 this January 2025. I CAN’T WAIT!"
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Surrey was an entertaining place to live and work in 2024, judging by stories worth revisiting for Year in Review packaging: After a one-year break in 2023, 48,000 dance music fans filled Holland Park for July's sold-out , which featured Swedish House Mafia, Kx5 (the collaboration of Canadian DJ Deadmau5 and American producer Kaskade), Diplo and dozens of other hip-hop and electronic artists. Starting in 2015, tens of thousands of ticket-holders have flocked to FVDED, and the 2024 festival represented a triumphant return to Holland Park for Blueprint Events and partner Live Nation Entertainment. Looking ahead, the dates of July 4-5 have been booked for . Much bigger and boasting more things to do, the expanded was revealed in September. First launched in 2020 by the Whalley-raised Vilio brothers, the Bridgeview-area indoor amusement park is now around 100,000 square feet, three times larger than the original facility and now among Canada's largest such parks. New features include carnival-themed mini golf, a new carousel, full-sized "Roller Disco" rink, more than 100 new arcade games, 16-person laser tag arena, larger bowling alley, two karaoke party booths, a 200-capacity banquet room and more, with an indoor go-kart track to come. "We may have both indoor and outdoor go-karts here one day, but we'll see how the indoor ones do first, starting in early 2025," Steve Vilio reported. Sept. 30 was a special night at Bell Performing Arts Centre, where Canadian entertainer sang and made people laugh as headliner of a gala concert for Surrey-based . The "Building Hope" gala event raised funds and awareness for the construction of affordable housing in the city. Indigenous folk duo Twin Flames and Surrey's Ranj Singh & The Discriminators also performed at the event, tickets for which sold for $200 and up. A live auction included two first-class tickets to any Air Canada destination, generating $14,000 for the charity. In a raffle for Taylor Swift concert tickets, the initial winners weren't in their seats to claim the prize, so other names were drawn. Whisky curator Stacy Kyle spent a good portion of her summer sorting, cleaning, cataloguing and showcasing bottles at , a Surrey bar that boasts Canada’s largest whisky collection with close to 1,300 different kinds, or “expressions,” as Kyle calls them, with most of the focus on Scotch and American varieties. “The total number of bottles is closer to 2,000. I haven’t counted them but I’ve touched them all now,” Kyle added with a laugh. The collection was bought from the owners of Fets Whisky Kitchen, a landmark restaurant/bar that closed in 2022 after 36 years of business on Commercial Drive, Vancouver. "This tour has been an experience I’ll never forget, and I’m truly blessed," Surrey-raised rapper said of spring concerts opening for hip-hop legend Snoop Dogg across Canada, including a homecoming show at Rogers Arena on June 25. Signed to Death Row Records, now owned by Snoop, . Years ago, Merkules was better known as Cole Stevenson while growing up in a rancher on 90A Avenue, in the Green Timbers area of Surrey. The house, since demolished, is where Merkules honed his rap skills (starting out as Merk Mikz), during a period of isolation there following a brutal attack he suffered at age 16, while walking home from a New Year’s Eve party. More than 90,000 people soaked up the sun and festivities during Surrey's Canada Day festival in Cloverdale on July 1, breaking a record for the largest crowd in the event's 20-year history at Bill Reid Millennium Amphitheatre. Saskatchewan's The Sheepdogs certainly didn't disappoint with a headlining set of old-school rock 'n' roll as the sun set, followed by fireworks. The event's large summer attendance is "a testament to the incredible spirit and community pride that makes Surrey such a special place to live," Mayor Brenda Locke said later. It's fun for Surrey residents to watch and spot local landmarks in , the second season of which airs starting Jan. 15. Both set and filmed in Surrey, the police drama debuted in February and became CBC's most-watched new series of the 2023-24 season. Last February, during an invite-only launch party for the night before its TV and streaming debut. The series, which stars Supinder Wraich and Enrico Colantoni, is a CBC original series from Lark Productions in association with Universal International Studios. It was quite a story how Surrey-based actors Chelsea Rose and Jonathan Winsby met on set, began dating, got engaged and then co-starred in a big, fun, Broadway musical on an iconic Vancouver stage (Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage) where their romance first blossomed. In May they played Bible-thumping Sarah Brown and high-rolling gambler Sky Masterson in the Arts Club Theatre Company’s . Rare is a chance for real-life lovers to play characters who kiss and, in this story set in 1950s New York City, fall for each other in a song-filled adventure of attracted opposites. Winsby has performed in several shows at the Stanley over the years, including a 2021 production of , which also starred Rose. That’s when they first met. Talk about a memorable late-October trip to Kansas City for Surrey-based , which competed at the and placed sixth on the international stage. "We improved 67 points over 2022 (after improving 104 points between 2018 and 2022!), and I could not be more proud about what we put on the stage this year," raved director Anne Downton. An a cappella chorus with more than 60 members of varying ages, Westcoast rehearses Wednesdays at Parkland Community Church at 96 Avenue and 160 Street, where singers learn "new, challenging repertoire, from traditional barbershop to contemporary pop and rock arrangements." More details on . Thirty years ago last August, a landmark concert was held in Surrey when close to 28,000 people paid $35 each to see and hear some popular alt-rock bands of the day (Smashing Pumpkins, Beastie Boys, Green Day and others) perform at the Fraser Downs horse racetrack of Cloverdale Fairgrounds. The touring festival still represents one of the largest single-day ticketed concerts in Surrey history. I was there, and so was Jill, my partner. We didn't know each other then, but that day I took a single photo of the stage and crowd, and we're almost certain that the 14-year-old Jill is in that rare photo, with her back turned to the camera. Quite a coincidence!Published 5:19 pm Sunday, November 24, 2024 By Data Skrive The outings on the Monday college basketball lineup for which we have suggested picks against the spread include the Memphis Tigers taking on the UConn Huskies at Lahaina Civic Center. Watch men’s college basketball, other live sports and more on Fubo. What is Fubo? Fubo is a streaming service that gives you access to your favorite live sports and shows on demand. Use our link to sign up for a free trial. Not all offers available in all states, please visit BetMGM for the latest promotions for your area. Must be 21+ to gamble, please wager responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, contact 1-800-GAMBLER .Money Research Collective’s editorial team solely created this content. Opinions are their own, but compensation and in-depth research determine where and how companies may appear. Many featured companies advertise with us. . Gold has been a highly prized commodity for thousands of years, and yet much of it still remains within the Earth’s surface. A considerable amount of the precious metal can be found as deposits in gold mines around the world, most of which are owned and operated by gold mining companies. Operating a single gold...
Greece to Face Higher Costs if It Rejects Russian Gas – Russian AmbassadorTrump disavowed Project 2025. Now he's hiring its contributors for his administration