Hardliners are set to tighten control of Iran this weekin a parliamentary election stacked in their favor, as the leadership closes ranks in a deepening confrontation with Washington. Big gains by security hawks would confirm the political demise of the country’s pragmatist politicians, weakened by Washington’s decision to quit a 2015 nuclear deal and reimpose sanctions in a move that stifled rapprochement with the West.
It is dark when Abisoye Adeniyi leaves home on the packed Lagos mainland, weaving through cars and minibuses.She reaches her bus stop as the sun rises. The 23-year-old Nigerian lawyer used to hop on a motorbike – known locally as an okada – for a quick ride to the bus that carries her from the mainland, where most of Lagos’s 20 million residents live, to work in the island business district. Since the bikes, along with motorized yellow rickshaws, became illegal in most of the city on Feb. 1, Adeniyi has added a 30-minute walk to her journey. Lagos state governor outlawed the loosely regulated motorbikes and rickshaws, citing safety and security concerns.
U.S.
More than 1,000 former Justice Department officials on Sundaycalled for Attorney General William Barr to resign over his handling of the trial of a longtime adviser of President Trump. The former officials, who served under both Republican and Democratic administrations, criticized Barr for overruling his own prosecutors in a case that has prompted accusations that the Trump administration is weakening the rule of law.
Mississippi urged thousands of people in the Pearl River flood plainto evacuate as the river reached its highest level in 37 years near the state capital and was not expected to recede for days. Governor Tate Reeves had declared a state of emergency on Saturday as managers of the Ross Barnett Reservoir just upstream from the state capital of Jackson warned they had to start releasing more water into the Pearl River because it had reached capacity.
Battle of Iwo Jima 75 years on.This month marks the 75th anniversary of the start of the Battle of Iwo Jima, which saw some of the bloodiest fighting of World War Two take place on a small Japanese island 1,200 km (745 miles) south of Tokyo. Iwo Jima was the first native Japanese soil to be invaded during the Allied advance. Located halfway between Tokyo and Guam, it was regarded as a strategic outpost.
Team LeBron beat Team Giannis by two points at the 69th NBA All-Star gameat a packed United Center that fell silent for eight seconds before tip-off as about 21,000 fans joined hands to pay their respects to global sports icon Kobe Bryant. The silence was broken by a string of thunderous “Kobe, Kobe, Kobe” chants that rocked the stadium as the crowd honored Bryant, who wore the No. 8 and No. 24 during a 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers that was highlighted by five NBA championships.
General Motors said it would wind down its Australian and New Zealand operations and sell a Thai plant in the latest restructuring of its global business, costing the U.S. auto maker $1.1 billion.
Nissan’s new CEO Makoto Uchida doesn’t have time to work his way into the job. He is effectively on probation and has a matter of months to show he can revive the ailing automaker, according to three people familiar with the thinking of some on the company’s board.
European corporate disclosures on climate change and other sustainability issues are generally poor, a study showed, as regional policymakers mull toughening up the rules.
New York on Sunday dropped its fight against the $40 billion merger of U.S. wireless carriers T-Mobile US and Sprint, saying the state would not appeal a judge’s approval of the deal.
