“Rice is awfully expensive,” Dolatyari said, describing how its price has nearly doubled. With U.S. sanctions still strangling the economy, record-breaking inflation has hit ordinary Iranians where it hurts most. Inflation has soared to 45%, the highest level since 1994, while food prices have skyrocketed by nearly 60%. How is it possible to get by with such low salaries?”Many Iranians say they’re shopping less than ever before. “The main cause of the current high inflation is internal, bureaucratic and executive inefficiencies,” said economist Morteza Afghahi.

Struggling parents have moved their children from private schools, usually touted as first-class education, to public schools. She was once an Arabic kindergarten teacher, her husband ran a thriving food business, and their three children went to private school. But the past three years, to cut costs, she was forced to move her two boys, now 18 and 15, out of a top-end private school, first to a cheaper school, then to a public school. She knows that in two years, I will have to move her to a public school. For her daughter, a first grader in a public school, Sadaka accepted a job there teaching French, which basically pays for gas.

WASHINGTON (AP) — In their fight over trillions of dollars, their paramount policy goals and perhaps their political fate, this isn’t helping: Democratic progressives and centrists say they don’t trust each other. They’ll need every Democratic vote in the 50-50 Senate and all but three in the House to succeed. But progressives dominating the House are promising to derail it by voting no because they lack confidence that the centrists will back the separate $3.5 trillion legislation, which progressives treasure. The guarantee she and other progressives want is a Senate-passed, compromise $3.5 trillion measure that progressives support and can pass the House. “I don’t want to be rolled.” He said House progressives want “an assurance” that the Senate will send a compromise bill to the House.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea leader Kim Jong Un expressed his willingness to restore stalled communication lines with South Korea in coming days while shrugging off US offers for dialogue as “cunning ways” to conceal its hostility against the North, state media reported Thursday. The U.N. Security Council scheduled an emergency closed meeting on Thursday at the request of the United States, United Kingdom and France on North Korea’s recent tests. It said the “stable operation” of the channels is expected because their restoration was directly instructed by Kim Jong Un. Kim Jong Un has said he would bolster his nuclear arsenal and not resume nuclear diplomacy with Washington unless such US hostility is withdrawn. The diplomacy has been stalled for 2 ½ years due to disagreements over easing the US-led sanctions in return for limited denuclearization steps.

(Reuters) - A 3-0 defeat at Benfica in the Champions League on Wednesday heaped more pressure on Barcelona’s under-fire manager Ronald Koeman but midfielder Frenkie de Jong said sacking him would not solve the club’s problems. Barcelona President Joan Laporta backed Koeman last week but said the board would not shirk tough decisions if they needed to be made. “I don’t think changing the coach is the solution,” Dutchman De Jong said. “As I’ve said just the other day, regarding my future I can’t say anything,” Koeman said. “Because I don’t know what the club is thinking in this respect, and I don’t want to answer any more questions on this because it is not in my hands.

Two goals from Bruno Henrique -- who also bagged a double in last week's first leg win in Rio -- fired Flamengo into the final, the Brazilians completing a 4-0 aggregate victory. Flamengo will be chasing a repeat of their triumph in the 2019 final when the Brazilians defeated Argentina's River Plate in Lima. On the evidence of the semi-finals, Flamengo will fancy their chances of lifting the Libertadores for the third time in the club's history. Mario Pineida squandered a golden chance to pull a goal back for Barcelona on 20 minutes when he shot straight at Flamengo goalkeeper Diego Alves. Another Barcelona chance went begging on 24 minutes when Luis Leon's free-kick was saved by Alves, only for Leandro Martinez to lash the rebound over the bar.

Over 100 thousand COVID19 vaccines departed today from Warsaw of Poland to Cairo- press photoCAIRO - 30 September 2021: Egypt has received more than 100,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine AstraZeneca in donation from the government of Poland, said the Polish Foreign Ministry in a statement on Wednesday. “The donation of vaccines to Egypt is an expression of solidarity with an important Polish partner in North Africa,” the statement said. Over 100 thousand #COVID19 vaccines departed today from Warsaw 🇵🇱 to Cairo 🇪🇬. Egypt’s Health Minister Hala Zayed said the country has received a total of 33.657 million doses of AstraZeneca, Sinovac, Sinopharm, Sputnik V and Johnson & Johnson vaccines. Egypt also plans to release 1.926 million doses of the locally-made Sinovac vaccine between 18 to 24 September.

AFP - Federico Chiesa proved to be a big game player once again with the only goal in Juventus' 1-0 Champions League win over Chelsea which could kick-start their faltering season. Sat 10th in Serie A after a succession of unconvincing performances domestically, Juve top Group H with a perfect six points thanks to a superbly taken winner seconds after half-time from Chiesa, one of Italy's stars at Euro 2020. Juve's gameplan of sitting in and stopping Chelsea from getting a passing rhythm going worked but they initially lacked a focal point and too often let off the hook a Chelsea team missing the dynamism of N'Golo Kante and Mason Mount. Chelsea responded by again pressing Juve back into their box but again struggled to break through the hosts' well-drilled backline. It was Juve who were wondering how Bernardeschi didn't double their lead in the 64th minute when he tripped over his own feet with the goal at his mercy.

During a Cabinet meeting held Wednesday under Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouli, Saeed said the key objectives sought by the government include achieving inclusive and sustainable economic growth as well as increasing decent work opportunities for all. These targets require ensuring high levels of balanced investment and stimulating promising sectors with high added-value through structural reforms, she underlined. In this regard, the minister said investment is the major growth engine mainly in the middle-income countries, noting that the stimulus packages allocated for addressing the coronavirus pandemic which are estimated at EGP 100 billion helped, along with other initiatives launched by the president and the Central Bank of Egypt, to raise growth rates by about 0.3 percentage points in FY 2019/2020 and by about 0.6 percentage points in FY 2020/2021.

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan for talks Wednesday in the Black Sea resort of Sochi that were expected to focus on war-torn Syria. As the two leaders sat down for talks, Putin pointed out that relations between the two countries “develop positively.”“Negotiations are sometimes difficult, but with a positive final result. The talks between the two presidents come amid an increase in airstrikes on Turkey-backed opposition fighters’ positions in northern Syria, especially in the province of Idlib. For its part, Russia accuses Turkey of failing to take measures to push out radical groups from northern Syria. The talks between Putin and Erdogan on Wednesday lasted for about three hours, Russia’s state news agency Tass reported.

Often used in aromatherapy, essential oils are plant extracts that are used in alternative medicine to support emotional and physical wellbeing. Each essential oil has its own healing properties and is used for a different function. Here are the top 5 essential oils and their benefits. Peppermint: Peppermint is best for digestive problems and helps to ease irritable bowel syndrome symptoms as well as relieving feelings of nausea and upset stomach. Carrier oils you can include are:• Coconut oil• Sweet almond oil• Jojoba oil• Argan oil• Rosehip oil

CAIRO – 30 September 2021: Egypt attaches great importance to strengthening cooperation in the field of electricity and energy with African countries, according to Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy, Mohamed Shaker. Shaker explained that the total electricity projects being implemented in Africa exceed $3 billion, including the project to raise the capacity of the electrical interconnection line between Egypt and Sudan to 240 to 300 megawatts, at a cost of about LE 452 million. "This is in addition to the consultancy work for approving the studies and designs for the project, at a cost of $289,000,” the minister added. The minister added that the Egyptian-Sudanese dual circuit electrical interconnection project has been completed with investments amounting to LE 497.6 million, and the maximum electric capacity to be exported to the Sudanese side is about 84 megawatts. He referred to the construction of a 250-megawatt solar plant at a cost of $1.288 million, a 300-kilowatt solar plant at a cost of $1.498 million, and the supply and installation of 61 solar-powered submersible pumps for water wells at a cost of $1.372 million in Djibouti.

Both parties agreed on the intensification of joint efforts, and others with international partners over preparations for coming Libyan elections. On that front, Sullivan renewed the U.S. Administration's commitment to deploying efforts that would maintain Egypt's water security, in a way that preserves the water and developmental rights of all parties. Sullivan expressed his country's deep appreciation for the Egyptian efforts aimed at containing the situation in Gaza and inhibiting its worsening. The president noted that such partnership has contributed to the security and stability efforts in the Middle East, which is experiencing instability and tensions. That is in light of the central and balanced Egyptian role in the Middle East, and which has become a main factor in achieving peace, security, and stability.

REUTERS/Tingshu Wang/File PhotoCAIRO - 29 Septemebr 2021: Minister of Health and Population Dr Hala Zayed Wednesday announced receiving 4,424,400 Covid-19 vaccines from China's Sinopharm Group as part of the state's efforts to provide jabs against the pandemic. One million doses of the vaccine were received at Cairo International Airport Tuesday evening from the Chinese company along with 3,000 liters of raw ingredients enough to manufacture 4.6 million doses, according to Assistant Health Minister and Health Ministry Spokesman Dr Khaled Megahed. Ministry of Health announced on Tuesday that 718 new coronavirus cases were registered, raising the total number of confirmed infections in the country to 303,045. Egypt started receiving students of university and high institutes to be vaccinated against coronavirus ahead of the new academic year scheduled to begin on 9 October. Megahed noted that 270 youth centers are currently being used as vaccination venues, in cooperation with provincial governors and the youth and sports ministry

Egypt received 4.4 million doses of the Chinese Sinopharm vaccine on Wednesday at Cairo International Airport, Health Minister Hala Zayed announced. Egypt previously received one million doses of vaccine, produced by the Chinese company “Sinovac”, on Tuesday at the Cairo International Airport, in addition to 3,000 liters of raw materials sufficient to manufacture 4.6 million doses of the vaccine, Health Ministry Spokesperson Khaled Megahed stated. Tuesday’s shipment comes as part of 8,600 liters of raw materials, which Egypt is scheduled to receive successively in three shipments, as part of an agreement signed between VACCERA company and the Chinese Sinovac company. According to Megahed, all vaccines that Egypt receives have emergency use approval from the World Health Organization and the Egyptian Drug Authority. The vaccine shipments that have been received will be subject to analysis in the laboratories of the Egyptian Drug Authority before being distributed to the 1,100 vaccination centers nationwide, he added.