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Candidate registrations for Iran’s parliamentary elections hit record high

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:09 GMT

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — A record number of people registered to become candidates in Iran’s parliamentary elections scheduled for March, the Interior Ministry said Monday.The elections will be the first since nationwide protests rocked the country last year.Nearly 49,000 people filed paperwork seeking to run as candidates during a one-week registration period that ended on Sunday, the ministry website said.That number is more than three times the 16,000 registrations filed in the last election in 2020, when voter turnout was its lowest since 1979, with just over 42% of eligible voters casting ballots.There were no details on the registration of prominent political figures or pro-reform groups. The increase in filings was seen as a result of an easy online registration process.Some 14% of submissions were from women, an increase from 12% in 2020. About 250 current members of the 290-seat parliament also registered.Authorities in the coming weeks will verify the documents filed by w...

Iran arrests 9 members of Baha’i faith on charges of smuggling medicine and financial wrongdoing

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:09 GMT

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran’s intelligence ministry arrested nine members of the Baha’i faith on charges of smuggling medicine and financial wrongdoing, state media reported on Monday.State IRAN newspaper said the arrested people, mostly members of one family, had roles in smuggling medicine though a network of dozens of pharmacies. It said they bribed medics to send clients to the pharmacies and were involved in money laundering and tax evasion.Iran bans the Baha’i religion, which was founded in the 1860s by a Persian nobleman considered a prophet by his followers, and from time to time has arrested and prosecuted members of the faith on spying and security charges.Muslims consider the Prophet Muhammad the highest and last prophet.In 2013, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who has final say on all state matters, urged Iranians to avoid all dealings with the Baha’i. Khamenei’s fatwa, or religious order, supported similar fatwas in the past by other clerics.In 2022, authorities arrest...

Recent graduates: New high in employment in 2022

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:09 GMT

In 2022, 82% of recent graduates (ISCED 2011 levels 3-8) aged 20-34 in the EU were employed. From 2014 to 2022, the employment rate for this group rose by 7 percentage points (pp), showing a consistent rising trend interrupted only by the COVID-19 pandemic.The employment rate in 2022 marked a new peak, surpassing the previous high of 81% achieved in 2018, a rate that had remained unchanged in 2019.Source dataset: edat_lfse_24The employment rate for recent male graduates has consistently been higher than that for recent female graduates. However, in 2022, the gap was narrowed down to 2 pp, marking the smallest disparity recorded in the eight-year span from 2014 to 2022. Meanwhile, the largest disparity between 2014 and 2022 was recorded in 2019 (4 pp). The disparities in employment rates may be explained by the nature of the fields studied, as there are differences in labour market demand. Women and men tend to study different fields - for example, a higher proportion of science...

Jill On Money: Note to the Fed — Time to pause

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:09 GMT

Nobody at the Federal Reserve has asked for my opinion, but here it is: Once again, it is time to pause on rate hikes.Related ArticlesBusiness | A megahost might run your Airbnb: Why it matters Business | 4 ways restarting student loan payments could impact economy Business | More cardholders carrying credit card balances in high rate environment Business | Women’s soccer games are way cheaper than men’s, so cheer them on Business | How climate change could make your home harder to insure I know that central bankers are terrified that inflation will rear its ugly head again — and admittedly, the July CPI report could show an increase in the annual inflation rate from June’s 3 percent.Adding to the Fed’s concerns is a rise in oil prices after Saudi Arabia’s announced production cuts, which has caused prices at the pump to jump by almost $0.30 per gallon over the past month.Fed officials do not want to be ...

The six most expensive reported home sales in Fremont the week of July 31

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:09 GMT

A house in Fremont that sold for $2.9 million tops the list of the most expensive residential real estate sales in Fremont in the past week.In total, six residential real estate sales were recorded in the area during the past week, with an average price of $1.3 million, $902 per square foot.The prices in the list below concern real estate sales where the title was recorded during the week of July 31 even if the property may have been sold earlier.6. $454,000, condominium in the 47100 block of Warm Springs BoulevardThe property in the 47100 block of Warm Springs Boulevard in Fremont has new owners. The price was $454,000. The condominium was built in 1982 and has a living area of 760 square feet. The price per square foot is $597. The condominium features one bedrooms and one bathrooms.Warm Springs Boulevard5. $640,000, condominium in the 100 block of Hackamore LaneThe property in the 100 block of Hackamore Lane in Fremont has new owners. The price was $640,000. The condominium was b...

Spain nervous ahead of Women’s World Cup semifinal, a match against tournament stalwart Sweden

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:09 GMT

SYDNEY (AP) — Spain failed to qualify for the first six editions of the Women’s World Cup, but once La Roja made the tournament in 2015 they’ve made a steady climb toward joining the global elite. Spain scored its first point with a draw in its World Cup debut. Four years later, Spain advanced to the knockout round before it was eliminated by the U.S. team that went on to clinch a second consecutive championship. Now in their third World Cup, the Spaniards have reached a new level and face Sweden in the first World Cup semifinal on Tuesday at Eden Park in Auckland, New Zealand. It is Spain’s first semifinal match in a major tournament since the 1997 European Championships, and the reward for making it this far? A match against the second-ranked team in the world that has already eliminated the U.S. and Japan in this tournament. The Swedes are playing in a fifth World Cup semifinal: they were runners-up in 2003, finished third three times, and, just to note how cons...

New York plays Las Vegas, aims for 25th victory of season

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:09 GMT

New York Liberty (24-6, 13-3 Eastern Conference) at Las Vegas Aces (26-3, 15-1 Western Conference)Las Vegas; Tuesday, 9 p.m. EDTBOTTOM LINE: New York will look for its 25th win of the season when the Liberty face the Las Vegas Aces.The Aces have gone 15-0 at home. Las Vegas leads the Western Conference at limiting opponent scoring, allowing 80.1 points while holding opponents to 42.6% shooting.The Liberty have gone 12-2 away from home. New York scores 88.5 points while outscoring opponents by 7.8 points per game.The two teams match up for the third time this season. The Liberty defeated the Aces 99-61 in their last matchup on Aug. 6. Sabrina Ionescu led the Liberty with 31 points, and Jackie Young led the Aces with 16 points.TOP PERFORMERS: Chelsea Gray is averaging 15.1 points and 6.9 assists for the Aces. A’ja Wilson is averaging 21.3 points, 9.7 rebounds and 2.2 blocks over the last 10 games for Las Vegas.Ionescu is averaging 16.8 points, 5.9 rebounds and 5.9 assists for th...

“Ese pedazo de madera nos salvó la vida”: sobreviviente del incendio de Lahaina relata su escape al océano

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:09 GMT

Cuando las llamas avivadas por fuertes vientos arrasaron la histórica ciudad de Lahaina, Jubee Bedoya buscó refugio en el único lugar que no parecía abrumado por el fuego.Un residente de toda la vida de Lahaina cuenta cómo corrió hacia el océano.“Estábamos atrapados”, dijo Bedoya. “No había nada que pudiéramos hacer. Que el fuego y el viento llegaron tan rápido. No había nada que nadie pudiera hacer”. Casi un centenar de muertos dejan los incendios en Hawaii En su camino hacia el agua, Bedoya se encontró con una familia de cinco personas de California en Front Street, donde el tráfico se había paralizado mientras la gente intentaba escapar del fuego. Los conductores en filas de tres autos intentaban escapar en la carretera de dos carriles.El padre le entregó a Bedoya a su hijo de 2 años y se metieron en el agua.“Cuando estás en esa situación de vida o muerte, no te importa quién está alrededor”, dijo Bedoya. “Solo quieres tratar de ayudar a alguien”.E...

Poland arrests 2 Russians after Wagner recruitment posters appear in Kraków

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:09 GMT

Polish authorities have arrested two Russians who distributed propaganda material about the Wagner mercenary group in Warsaw and Kraków, Interior Minister Mariusz Kamiński said Monday.Poland’s Internal Security Agency, working with the police, identified the two Russians and both are now in custody facing espionage and other charges, Kamiński said in a social media post.The arrests came after posters featuring Wagner’s skull logo reportedly appeared on the streets of Kraków, with a QR code which led to a recruitment page for the Kremlin-funded paramilitary group.“We are here,” the Wagner poster pronounced, adding: “Join us.”Kraków local councillor Łukasz Wantuch published a photo of one of the posters on Facebook, calling it a “provocation” and adding that it was happening “not only in Kraków.”Earlier this month, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki had warned that Wagner might carry out “sabotage actions” in his countr...

Zuckerberg calls off Musk cage fight: ‘Elon isn’t serious’

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:09 GMT

Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg has called off his cage fight with fellow tech billionaire Elon Musk, accusing the Tesla CEO of wasting his time. “I think we can all agree Elon isn’t serious and it’s time to move on,” Zuckerberg said in a post on Threads Sunday night. “Elon won’t confirm a date, then says he needs surgery, and now asks to do a practice round in my backyard instead.”But Zuckerberg left the door open to a fight in the future, continuing: “If Elon ever gets serious about a real date and official event, he knows how to reach me.”It comes after Musk challenged Zuckerberg to a “cage match” in June, with the two tech billionaires then seemingly making plans to make it happen, reportedly working with Dana White, president of Mixed Martial Arts organization UFC, to set up a charity bout.But after weeks of trading barbs on their competing social networks — Musk’s X (formerly known as Twitter) and Zuckerberg’s Th...