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Mexico's Pacific coast braces for Hurricane Polo

Photo: BBC

People living on the northern Pacific coast of Mexico are bracing for the arrival of Hurricane Polo, which is forecast to make landfall later on Monday or early on Tuesday.

The category three storm, with maximum sustained winds near 115 mph (185 km/h), is expected to move over the state of Baja California Sur, a region popular with tourists and home to the resort destination of Los Cabos.

Meteorologists at the US-based National Hurricane Center (NHC) have warned of heavy rainfall which could lead to life-threatening flooding and mudslides, especially in areas of steep terrain.

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Stand-up comic set for release after being convicted of insulting Erdoğan

An Istanbul court has convicted a popular comedian of insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan – and handed down a sentence of almost 19 months – but ordered his release due to time served. It has also placed him under a travel ban, preventing him from travelling outside Turkey. Deniz Göktaş - who denied the charges - has already spent nearly 90 days in prison. Prosecutors had asked for up to 12 years. His case comes amid a wave of arrests in Turkey that human rights groups say is aimed at crushing dissent.

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Iran court upholds lashes sentence for singer who performed without hijab

An appeals court in Iran has confirmed a sentence of 74 lashes handed to a prominent singer who performed without the mandatory hijab, lawyers say. Parastoo Ahmadi sang while wearing a sleeveless dress during a concert livestreamed on her YouTube channel in December 2024 , external . Iran's laws ban public performances by women and require them to wear headscarves and modest clothing. Iran's judiciary launched proceedings against the 29-year-old after the video went viral, gaining millions of views, saying the performance was "in violation of the country's legal and cultural regulations".