Author: HeraldStar

The recent downward revision of U.S. payroll figures by 818,000 jobs, the largest since 2009, has sparked debate over whether it signals an impending recession. The revisions, which cover the period from April 2023 to March 2024, have raised concerns about the accuracy of the economic models used by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), with some economists questioning whether the data overstates the economy’s strength amid signs of softening in the labor market. Historical parallels have been drawn to 2009 when a similar revision overstated jobs by 824,000. At that time, the National Bureau of Economic Research had already…

The Iranian parliament has officially confirmed Seyyed Abbas Araghchi as Iran’s new Foreign Minister, securing a critical position in President Masoud Pezeshkian’s cabinet. Araghchi garnered strong support, receiving 247 out of 288 votes in Wednesday’s confidence vote. Araghchi, a seasoned diplomat with extensive experience, has held the position of Secretary of Iran’s Strategic Council on Foreign Relations since 2021. His career includes a significant tenure as Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs from 2017 to 2021, where he worked closely with former Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif. A key architect of the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Iran’s…

A growing number of tennis players, including former top 10 player Denis Shapovalov, have voiced concerns over perceived double standards in the sport following the clearance of world number one Jannik Sinner, who was allowed to continue competing despite failing two drug tests earlier this year. The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) announced on Tuesday that an independent tribunal had cleared Sinner after he tested positive for clostebol, a banned substance, during the Indian Wells tournament in March and in a subsequent test days later. Despite these positive tests, the tribunal concluded that Sinner’s explanation—that the substance entered his system…

A devastating explosion at a pharmaceutical manufacturing plant in Anakapalli district, Andhra Pradesh, has resulted in the deaths of at least 15 people, with the toll expected to rise. The blast occurred on Wednesday during lunchtime at Escientia Advanced Sciences, a privately held company that produces intermediate chemicals and active pharmaceutical ingredients. The explosion, which took place in a 40-acre (16-hectare) manufacturing unit that has been operational since 2019, also left nearly 40 workers injured, many of whom suffered severe chemical burns. Rescue operations, involving six fire engines and personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), continued late into…

Johanna Motlhamme, a 74-year-old grandmother, has spent over a decade fighting to reclaim her family home in Soweto after it was sold without her consent, leaving her and her four children without their rightful inheritance. Her struggle underscores the lingering impact of apartheid-era laws and the complications introduced by post-apartheid legislation, according to housing activists. Motlhamme’s story begins in 1977, when she married her husband under a community of property arrangement, which entitled both spouses to equal ownership of their assets. The couple moved into a small two-bedroom house in Soweto, where they lived together until their divorce in 1991.…

A devastating storm off the coast of Sicily has claimed multiple lives, including two recently discovered on a sunken superyacht. The luxury vessel, Bayesian, was caught in the violent weather on Monday, leaving six people missing, including British tech mogul Mike Lynch and several high-profile friends. Rescue efforts have been ongoing since the incident, with 15 of the 22 people on board surviving. However, hopes of finding more survivors are dwindling. The latest discovery brings the confirmed death toll to three, including the ship’s cook, Recaldo Thomas. Lynch, often referred to as “Britain’s Bill Gates,” had invited friends and acquaintances…

The COP29 Azerbaijan Operating Company has unveiled a daily television programme to be broadcast globally during the climate summit in November in Baku, Azerbaijan. Aligned with the Presidency’s goals of enhancing ambition and enabling action worldwide, the show aims to ensure accessibility to conference-related information by providing daily summaries of COP events for a global audience. The programme will be broadcast live from a studio on-site at Baku Stadium and distributed through television syndication, online streaming platforms, and official COP29 channels. It will feature in-depth interviews, expert analysis, and other insights into the climate negotiations. The show will focus on…

Preparations for the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP29) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), scheduled to take place in Baku this November, are progressing. To ensure that the event is organised in line with UNFCCC protocols and standards, the COP29 Azerbaijan Operating Company (Operating Company) has started a technical testing phase for seamless and uninterrupted provision of ICT systems. The Proof of Concept (PoC) phase was launched on August 19th at Baku Stadium, the venue for COP29, with representatives from both the Operating Company and the UNFCCC in attendance. On the first…

Iran has pledged to retaliate for the assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, but officials indicate that the response may be delayed. Ali Mohammad Naeini, a spokesperson for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), stated on Tuesday that Iran’s response could take time, suggesting a more measured approach. “Time is on our side, and the waiting period for this response may be prolonged,” Naeini said, according to state media. Former IRGC commander Mohsen Rezaee echoed this sentiment in an interview with CNN, emphasizing that Iran’s actions will be “very calculated.” The Middle East has remained tense since…

Kazakhstan is bracing for economic turbulence in the latter half of 2024 as a projected surplus of wheat, the nation’s primary agricultural export, threatens to depress prices. Adding to the challenges, Kazakhstan has unexpectedly halted wheat exports to China, one of its largest markets, following abrupt tariff changes imposed by Beijing. The Kazakh Ministry of Agriculture recently announced that more wheat was planted this spring than anticipated, which is expected to result in a substantial harvest and, consequently, lower market prices. Compounding this issue, the ministry also revealed the suspension of wheat exports to China due to what it described…