Author: Press Room

A wife, wearing a nightgown and her hair uncovered, lies down next to her husband in bed. An older man and woman, drunk on red wine, dance wildly and discuss the complexities of sex and nudity at their age. A distressed young woman navigates the sexual advances of a male employer in a job interview.These scenes may seem to be simply ordinary life snippets on the big screen. But their existence — in three Iranian films released over the last few years — is nothing short of extraordinary, representing a new era of filmmaking in Iran’s storied cinema.These movies, and…

The following is the transcript of an interview with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent that aired on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” on March 2, 2025.MARGARET BRENNAN: Good morning to you, Mr. Treasury Secretary. SECRETARY SCOTT BESSENT: Good morning Margaret. MARGARET BRENNAN: So let’s dig on- in on this, because it seems there’s a bit of a perception gap there. Our polling also shows at least half the country reports concern about paying for food and groceries and housing. They continue to call the economy bad, even more so than last month, and 49% told us the economy is getting worse. When…

Justice Department lawyers, confronting an onslaught of legal challenges, have made a case in court that expansive executive power inherent in the Constitution buttresses the lawfulness of President Trump’s aggressive unilateral actions.Outside the courtroom, however, legal niceties have little to do with the strategies pursued by White House officials and their allies as they attack individual judges, question the legitimacy of the courts — and undermine the separation of powers that has been at the core of American governance since the nation’s beginning.The two-pronged defense of Mr. Trump’s actions may be an understandable reaction to the run of successes that…

Mark Mullen was one of the first people on scene at a Friday home explosion and fire in Langley. The thunderous blast rocked his normally quiet neighbourhood on 196th Street, just north of 72 Avenue, around 10:40 a.m. on Friday.“When we got there, there was nobody around and we heard some popping, so we were telling everyone back up, back up,” Mullen said.“We heard some noise and we looked over, and these two guys climbed out of the rubble.”Other neighbours likened the sound and rumble to an earthquake or a vehicle smashing into their home.Yellow flowers were laid at the…

Dylan Naidoo’s victory in the rain-hit South African Open is the first win by a player of Indian heritage in the tournament and has been achieved on the course where one of the uglier incidents in apartheid sport played out decades earlier.The 27-year-old Naidoo took the biggest prize in South African golf in Sunday’s play-off against Laurie Canter of England at the Durban Country Club.It was at this venue where another South African golfer of Indian ethnicity once had to collect his prize in the rain because racial laws meant he was not allowed in the club house.Papaw Sewgolum had…

HANOI: Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said on Saturday (Mar 1) he had directed authorities to quickly grant a license to Elon Musk’s Starlink to provide satellite internet services in the country under a pilot scheme.Hanoi is trying to avoid US duties on its ballooning exports, which contributed to a record trade surplus with Washington last year, making the Southeast Asian nation vulnerable to reciprocal tariffs threatened by President Donald Trump.”The PM has directed the Ministry of Science and Technology to quickly issue a license to Starlink internet (services) on a trial basis,” the government said on its website, reporting…

In SummaryIn 2025, Dakar’s all-electric BRT system—verified as the first of its kind on the continent—is projected to cut travel times by up to 30% and reduce emissions dramatically. Cape Town’s MyCiTi network continues to serve thousands daily despite financial challenges, while Nairobi is set to break ground on BRT Line 5 in January. These tangible projects, backed by concrete investments and policy shifts, are reshaping urban mobility. Deep Dive!!!Recent studies reveal that across Africa, innovative public transportation systems are reducing commute times by up to 30% and significantly lowering urban emissions. In 2025, these achievements aren’t projections or promises—they’re documented results driven…

On February 28, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a long-awaited meeting with US President Donald Trump in an attempt to persuade him to continue US support for Ukraine. The encounter was likely not what the Ukrainian head of state had expected. Trump and US Vice President JD Vance chastised Zelenskyy in front of TV cameras for being “disrespectful” and for refusing to embrace their initiative for a ceasefire with Russia. It is evident that Zelenskyy will not make a return to Washington during Trump’s presidency. It is also evident that US pressure on Ukraine will significantly escalate in the following…

The National Plant Germplasm System, a vast federal collection of seeds, roots, branches and stems, is probably unknown to most Americans. But to Rachel Spaeth the system is a “living library” — and America’s safeguard against “famine on a global scale.”Dr. Spaeth was a horticulturalist at an Agriculture Department research site near Davis, Calif., where she oversaw 7,000 trees that produce “stone fruits,” including apricots, cherries, peaches, plums, prunes and nectarines. Her mission: to keep the plants healthy and genetically diverse, so breeders can produce disease-resistant strains.She was fired two weeks ago.The extraordinary campaign underway by President Trump and his…

A U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) crew on Friday interdicted 21 illegal immigrants aboard a 25-foot boat about 20 miles west of the Point Loma coast in San Diego, California.The 21 illegal immigrants were taken into custody and later transferred to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) personnel, according to a USCG news release.The military branch shared a photo of the catch, showing two orange USCG boats alongside a small white boat. Crews on board the Coast Guard cutters Haddock and Forest Rednour interdicted 21 illegal migrants aboard a 25-foot boat approximately 20 miles west of Point Loma, Calif., Friday. The…