Wall Street rises at the start of a holiday-shortened weekNEW YORK (AP) — Shortly before he was to be flogged and imprisoned for eight years, Mohammad Rasoulof fled Iran. Read this article for free: Already have an account? As we navigate through unprecedented times, our journalists are working harder than ever to bring you the latest local updates to keep you safe and informed. Now, more than ever, we need your support. Starting at $14.99 plus taxes every four weeks you can access your Brandon Sun online and full access to all content as it appears on our website. or call circulation directly at (204) 727-0527. Your pledge helps to ensure we provide the news that matters most to your community! NEW YORK (AP) — Shortly before he was to be flogged and imprisoned for eight years, Mohammad Rasoulof fled Iran. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? NEW YORK (AP) — Shortly before he was to be flogged and imprisoned for eight years, Mohammad Rasoulof fled Iran. His weekslong journey would take him from Tehran, through rural Iranian villages, on foot across a mountainous borderland and ultimately to Hamburg, Germany. As arduous and dangerous as the trip was, Rasoulof’s travels had an added wrinkle: He was trying to finish a movie at the same time. A week after arriving in Germany, Rasoulof would premiere his film, “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” at the Cannes Film Festival in France. As he fled, Rasoulof was preoccupied with the movie’s edit, which was being carried out in Germany. “I remember when I was sitting in the car that was driving me to the border,” Rasoulof says. “I had my laptop and I was taking notes and sending them to my editor. The two friends who were taking me kept saying, ‘Put that thing away for a second.’” In Cannes, “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” won a special jury prize and Rasoulof was celebrated with a 13-minute standing ovation. The movie has since been hailed as one of the best of the year, and arguably its most daring. Rasoulof made “Sacred Fig” clandestinely in Iran, directing scenes from a separate location to avoid raising suspicions. (The opening titles read: “When there is no way, a way must be made.”) Its story — a devastating family drama set during the 2022 protests that engulfed Iran — would surely only add to Rasoulof’s prison sentence. So after all of this, how is he feeling? When he recently met with The Associated Press for an interview, Rasoulof shrugged. “Ordinary,” he says. Rasoulof, 52, has a more gentle, bemused presence than some of his films would suggest. But how could Rasoulof, after what he’s lived through this year, feel anything like ordinary? “I still haven’t grasped the meaning of exile,” he explains. “I think it will take some time. The feeling of that void has not hit me yet, and I think it may never come.” Rasoulof has been busy traveling from film festival to film festival. In September, he and his 24-year-old daughter attended the Telluride festival in Colorado. Many more such stops were to come. Since fleeing Iran, Rasoulof has effectively been immersed in the world he’s long known: cinema. “Maybe I am living in the world of cinema, and maybe that’s why things are so familiar,” he agrees. “Maybe that’s why I don’t feel I’m in exile.” “The Seed of the Sacred Fig,” currently playing in theaters, is the Oscar submission from Rasoulof’s adoptive home, Germany. He’s settled in with his family, grateful for how the country has welcomed him. Speaking through an interpreter, Rasoulof grants that he’ll probably always mentally have a bag packed, ready to return to Iran should the chance ever come. But what “home” constitutes has changed for him. “I might be able to change this concept of home for myself,” he says. “I walk on the streets here and I see people of different colors and forms from all over the place, and they all call this place home. So there’s always the chance that one can build something new.” How oppressive politics can infiltrate the home is central to “The Seed of the Sacred Fig.” It concerns a family of four: Iman (Missagh Zareh), a lawyer newly appointed to the Revolutionary Court in Tehran; his wife, Najmeh (Soheila Golestani) and their two daughters, Rezvan (Mahsa Rostami) and Sana (Setareh Maleki). Iman is proud of his high position, but, when the government crackdown on protesters following the death of Mahsa Amini accelerates, his daughters are increasingly at odds with him. After Iman’s gun goes missing, his wife and daughters turn into suspects. “The Seed of the Sacred Fig,” populated with real cellphone videos from the protests, plays out as an excruciating microcosm of Iranian society. “It wasn’t like I put those videos in. They just came in,” says Rasoulof. “The reality is that it was through those videos I realized what happened. When the Woman, Life, Freedom movement occurred, I was in prison.” Rasoulof has spent several spells in Tehran’s Evin Prison. In 2010, he was arrested on set for filming without a permit. In 2022, he was jailed for seven months after pursuing the release of another of Iran’s most prominent filmmakers, Jafar Panahi. Panahi, who secretly made the film “No Bears,” was only released in 2023 after commencing a hunger strike. “My windows at home opened to the hills that have the Evin prison in them,” says Rasoulof. “I knew behind those walls many of my friends were sitting.” Rasoulof, inspired by the courage of the younger generation, resolved to pour the same spirit into “The Seed of the Sacred Fig.” Although it wasn’t until Rasoulof’s appeal of his sentence failed that he resolved to flee, he grants that deciding to make “Sacred Fig” essentially sealed his fate. “Making this film was part of that decision,” he says. “Although I had made up my mind earlier, because it was such a bitter decision, I was denying it and delaying it, waiting for a miracle to allow me to stay.” “I would open the fridge to make sure there was nothing there that would go bad,” he adds. “It was a strange circumstance.” For the film’s actors and crew members, signing up for the movie meant also becoming co-conspirators. Everyone knew the risks. And, like Rasoulof, many of them have since left Iran. Rostami and Maleki also now live in Germany. Asked if his collaborators are all currently safe, Rasoulof responds: “No one is safe from the Islamic Republic.” In his new life, Rasoulof is experiencing freedoms he never had in Iran. His films, for example, are widely available outside his native country but not in Iran. His prize-winning 2020 drama “There Is No Evil,” about capital punishment in Iran, is banned — though, ironically, Rasoulof’s prison guards enjoyed watching it with him from a flash drive. “I haven’t seen many of my films on a big screen, especially my last film,” he says. “I really want to see ‘There Is No Evil’ on a big screen. A festival in Portugal has promised to take me to see my own film.” The name of Rasoulof’s film comes from his memory of an ancient fig tree he once visited on an island in the south of Iran. It’s a tree that, with apparent metaphorical meaning for the Iranian government, spreads its seeds onto other trees, killing them and growing in their place. Rasoulof pulls out his phone to share a photo of his apartment in Tehran. Outside a large window, you can see the walls of Evin running along a craggy hillside. Inside are many houseplants. “This is my home,” he says. “I have a lot of plants. I really miss my plants. I have a neighbor who takes care of them for me. I actually have a fig tree at home.” Advertisement AdvertisementTitle: "Beijing Weather Forecast: Persistent Cold for the Next Two Days, Keep Warm Morning and Night"
Equifax and Mastercard Join Forces to Combat Payment Fraud in Latin America
Ship strikes kill thousands of whales. A study of hot spots could map out solutionsWith a significant depreciation of the Mexican peso, five interest rate cuts, Tesla’s announcement that its Nuevo León gigafactory project is “paused,” tensions over Mexico’s trade and investment relationship with China, multibillion-dollar investment announcements, it’s been another eventful year for business and economic news in Mexico. Foreign direct investment likely hit a record high in 2024, even as we continue to wait for the much-anticipated nearshoring boom to fully arrive. At Mexico News Daily, we’ve closely followed business and economic developments this year, reporting on a wide range of data, scores of investment announcements and events that have crimped the economy and hurt investor confidence, such as the recently enacted judicial reform . As 2024 draws to a close, here’s a look back at 10 of the biggest business and economy stories in Mexico this year. Many of the developments, events and issues outlined below had a significant impact on the economic situation in Mexico this year and, in several cases, will help shape the future the country will face in the years to come. The Mexican peso has been on a rollercoaster ride this year — one with far more downs (depreciations) than ups (appreciations). The year started off well for the peso, and by early April, it had reached 16.30 to the US dollar , its strongest position in almost nine years. Then, on the first Sunday in June, Mexico held its general elections, made Claudia Sheinbaum as the country’s first female president and voted in favor of a federal Congress dominated by the ruling Morena party and its allies. The peso — trading at 17 to the greenback just before the elections — didn’t take kindly to the results. The currency began to depreciate immediately, and by ten days after the elections had plummeted to almost 19 to the dollar due to factors that included the likelihood of Morena approving a range of constitutional reforms that former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador submitted to Congress in February. Congress has approved more than a dozen of those reforms. A range of factors had the peso trending weaker during subsequent months, including Donald Trump’s victory in the Nov. 5 presidential election in the United States. The peso flirted with a 21-to-the-dollar rate on Nov. 6 but has recovered somewhat since then. At the time of publication of this article it was trading at 20.22 to the greenback. When I sat down to plot out our “10 biggest business stories of 2023” article , I had no hesitation in including Tesla’s Mexico gigafactory announcement . Elon Musk announced in March 2023 that the electric vehicle manufacturer would build a multibillion-dollar plant near Monterrey, Nuevo León, generating excitement across the country and especially in the northern border state governed by Tesla enthusiast and Governor Samuel García. Almost two years later, one could reasonably expect that Tesla would have made significant progress with its gigafactory plans, right? Wrong. Musk said in July that the gigafactory project in Nuevo León was “paused” because of the possibility that Donald Trump would impose tariffs on vehicles made in Mexico if he won the Nov. 5 presidential election in the United States. And at that time, the Tesla CEO hadn’t yet openly cozied up to Trump, who has made several threats to impose tariffs on vehicles made in Mexico, even those manufactured by U.S. companies. Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard said last month that he would seek a meeting with Musk to discuss Tesla’s plans for Mexico, but at the time of publication of this article, there had been no reports of such a meeting taking place. Will Tesla’s gigafactory project go ahead? Stay tuned in 2025. The nearshoring trend — the relocation of companies to Mexico to shorten their supply chains and take advantage of a range of favorable business conditions — continued to receive significant media attention in 2024. A year ago we asked this question : “Is Mexico on the verge of a nearshoring boom?” The question is equally valid today. While there are conflicting opinions, hard data indicates that Mexico can indeed expect to reap the rewards of an oncoming nearshoring boom. Foreign companies continued to make investment announcements in 2024, unveiling plans to invest around US $65 billion in projects in Mexico . That amount — based on investment announcements made in the first nine months of the year — is on top of more than $110 billion in pledged investment last year. If the majority of the announced projects actually go ahead — of which there is no certainty (see Tesla example above) — Mexico can indeed expect a nearshoring boom in coming years. MND CEO Travis Bembenek looked at some of the other key nearshoring data in a recent column before opining that “we are still in the early innings of what will be a significant nearshoring opportunity for both Mexico and North America as a whole for years to come.” Nearshoring to Mexico was a big story in 2024, but it could (or should) be an even bigger one in 2025, 2026 and beyond. As noted above, foreign companies continued to announce plans to invest in Mexico this year, suggesting that a nearshoring boom is on the horizon. Among the major companies that announced projects were: All these projects, and many others, have the potential to provide a significant boost to the Mexican economy. Final numbers won’t be in until early 2025, but all indications are that a new record for foreign direct investment (FDI) in Mexico will be set in 2024. The most recent Economy Ministry data showed that FDI exceeded US $31 billion in the first six months of the year , a 7% increase compared to the same period of 2023. The Mexican Business Council for Foreign Trade, Investment and Technology (COMCE) predicts that FDI will total $38.41 billion this year , which would represent an increase of 6.5% compared to the record high of $36.06 billion in 2023 . There is some concern that the majority of the FDI in Mexico this year has been “reinvestment of profits” by companies that already have a presence here, rather than “new investment.” But foreign investment of any kind represents confidence in Mexico, and the “new investment” percentage of overall FDI should increase in coming years, as long as a good proportion of the companies that have announced investment plans go ahead with their proposed projects. COMCE, for one, is confident that will happen, predicting that FDI will reach $39.3 billion next year before surging to $48 billion in 2026. We included this story in our selection of the biggest news and politics stories of 2024 (see here). We’re including it here as well because of the current impact China is having in Mexico via trade and investment, as well as the country’s potential impact in the future. Let’s look at trade first. An influx of Chinese imports has had a significant impact on Mexico’s consumer market, and even changed the face of the retail landscape in Mexico City’s historic center , one of the country’s most important commercial hubs. Chinese cars have also established a foothold in the Mexican market. “Mexico finds itself, quite suddenly, awash in Chinese cars. Hundreds of thousands of them,” auto-sector analyst Michael Dunner wrote in November . If demand for Chinese cars continues to grow in Mexico, Mexican consumers will buy fewer vehicles made in Mexico, which would hurt the Mexican auto sector. Chinese automakers such as BYD have plans to open plants in Mexico , and while that investment could benefit Mexico in a variety of ways, it could also generate problems in Mexico’s relationship with its North American trade partners. Two Canadian provincial leaders have expressed concerns about Chinese investment in Mexico and even advocated a termination of the USMCA due to their belief that Mexico is too open to such investment. Donald Trump doesn’t want Chinese plants setting up plants on the United States’ doorstep either. While a termination of the USMCA would appear unlikely — the three-way pact will be “reviewed” in 2026 — any deterioration in Mexico’s trade relationship with the U.S. and Canada as a result of its openness to Chinese investment would have a detrimental impact on the Mexican economy. As I wrote last month : “From Mexico’s perspective, there are some important questions to consider. Is Chinese investment a blessing, a curse or both? Should Mexico continue welcoming all Chinese companies, including automakers, in pursuit of investment-related benefits such as job creation and higher economic growth? Or should it be very selective in the Chinese investment it accepts in order to avoid upsetting its North American trade partners?” The federal government has made it clear that its priority is strengthening trade and investment relationships with its North American neighbors, but it hasn’t shut the door completely on China. However, with regard to trade with China, Mexico is now making a concerted effort to reduce reliance on Chinese goods . For the import substitution plan to succeed production in Mexico will have to increase, which would benefit the Mexican economy. Additional tariffs on imports will also likely be needed to make Mexican-made goods more competitive. Just last week, the federal government announced new tariffs on textile goods including clothes to protect the Mexican textile industry. Cheap Chinese clothes will inevitably become more expensive, potentially upsetting Mexican consumers. Despite that, look out for more tariffs on Chinese products in 2025. We also included this story in our selection of the biggest news and politics stories of 2024 (see here). We’re including it here as well given the major impact U.S. tariffs would have on the Mexican economy if they were to be imposed on Mexican exports. Gabriela Siller, director of econonomic analysis at Banco Base, said in late November that the Mexican economy would go into recession if Trump keeps his word and imposes a 25% tariff on Mexican exports to the United States. Similarly, the Associated Press reported that “the tariffs would probably plunge Mexico into an immediate recession.” Some 150,000 export sector jobs would immediately be lost, according to manufacturing association INDEX . Siller also said that if the incoming U.S. president’s tariff threat “materializes,” foreign companies will “gradually” leave Mexico. Tariffs on Mexican exports to the United States would, of course, significantly diminish Mexico’s attractiveness as a nearshoring destination and make a “nearshoring boom” less likely in coming years. Mexico’s export sector — an engine of the Mexican economy — would inevitably suffer. Earlier this month, Bloomberg reported that Japanese auto manufacturer Mazda was reconsidering its investment strategy in Mexico over uncertainty related to tariff threats made by Trump. In that respect, Mazda is certainly not alone. The Bank of Mexico’s benchmark interest rate was a record high 11.25% at the start of the year, having reached that level in March 2023 at the end of a 21-month tightening cycle aimed at combating high inflation. Now, after five interest rate cuts this year, the central bank’s key rate is 125 basis points lower at an even 10%. And Bank of Mexico Deputy Governor Jonathan Heath recently told reporters that the central bank could vote continue its easing cycle at its February 6 meeting and cut interest rates up to 50 basis points . At 4.55% in November , Mexico’s annual headline inflation is still above the Bank of Mexico’s 3% target, but the central bank has focused more on the decline in core inflation, which it has said “better reflects inflation’s trend.” The annual core inflation rate declined for a 22nd consecutive month in November to reach 3.58%. More interest rate cuts are expected in 2025 — and they would be very welcome in what is forecast to be a low-growth environment in Mexico. As is the case with FDI, economic growth data for 2024 won’t be published until early 2025, but there is no doubt that the Mexican economy slowed this year. GDP increased just 1.5% annually in the first nine months of the year compared to the same period last year, according to national statistics agency INEGI . That level of growth represents a significant slowdown compared to the 3.2% expansion of 2023 . The consensus forecast of analysts recently consulted by the Bank of Mexico is that the Mexican economy will record a growth rate of 1.6% in 2024 , and just 1.12% next year. Such low levels of growth are clearly not indicative of an economy that is booming as a result of high levels of foreign investment. The new federal government will certainly hope that growth will increase as it pursues a range of economic initiatives including a plan to develop 10 new industrial corridors spanning all 32 federal entities of Mexico . One positive despite this year’s economic slowdown is that Mexico’s job market has remained strong. The unemployment rate was 2.5% in October , just above the record low of 2.3% in March. The announcement that the United States would partner with Mexico in a new semiconductor initiative whose ultimate aim is to strengthen and grow the Mexican semiconductor industry was big news this year. The expectation is that the partnership — provided it continues during Trump’s second term — will bear fruit in the coming years. “What I see in five years is a very well-integrated [semiconductors] supply chain [in North America],” Pedro Casas Alatriste, executive vice president and CEO of the American Chamber of Commerce of Mexico, told Mexico News Daily in July . The U.S. also announced a regional semiconductor initiative in July that U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said would “turbocharge” capacity in the Americas to assemble, test and package the critical electronic components. And in October the United States Embassy in Mexico and the National Chamber for the Electronic, Telecommunications and Information Technology Industry presented a joint Master Plan for the Development of the Semiconductor Industry in Mexico for 2024 to 2030. As things stand, it appears that the semiconductor industry could play a significant role in the Mexican economy in coming years. Indeed, the growth of Mexico’s semiconductor sector could become one of Mexico’s biggest economic success stories in the years ahead. By Mexico News Daily chief staff writer Peter Davies ( [email protected] )None
On the other hand, the data also revealed a 0.1% decrease in residential prices, indicating a slight softening in the real estate market. This decline in housing prices can be attributed to various factors, including government policies aimed at curbing speculative investment in the property market and promoting affordable housing initiatives.
ASUNCION, Paraguay -- Gaston Martirena and Adrian Martinez scored first-half goals as Argentina's Racing won its first Copa Sudamericana championship by beating Brazil's Cruzeiro 3-1 in the final on Saturday. Martirena opened the scoring in the 15th minute and Martinez added a goal five minutes later to give “La Academia” its first international title since 1988 when it won the now defunct Supercopa Sudamericana. “Maravilla” Martinez scored 10 goals in 13 matches and finished as the top scorer in the competition. “We suffered until the last minute, but to be able to win a cup after so many years is a blessing,” Martinez said. “It's historic, it was a long time without being able to raise an international cup, we have a poor year in the league, but we were able to give the fans this satisfaction.” Roger Martinez sealed the victory with a goal in the 90th. Kaio Jorge scored in the 52nd for Cruzeiro. Racing, a team based in the city of Avellaneda, took the lead when Martirena, a Uruguayan right-back, sent in what appeared to be a cross from the right but the looping ball went over Cruzeiro goalkeeper Cassio and into the far corner of the net. Martinez doubled the lead with a shot from five meters. The game was played in Estadio General Pablo Rojas in Asuncion, Paraguay, where most of the 45,000 fans were supporting Racing. Copa Sudamericana is the second most prestigious club competition in South America behind the Copa Libertadores, and its first edition was in 2002. Racing is the first Argentinian team to win the competition since 2020 when Defensa y Justicia beat Lanus. The last two competitions were won by Ecuadorian teams. Brazilian teams Atletico Mineiro and Botafogo will play next weekend in the Copa Libertadores final in Buenos Aires, Argentina. ___ AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccerJoining forces with Wayne Rooney, who recently took the reins as Plymouth Argyle's manager, Phelan's arrival at the club signals the start of an exciting new chapter for the League One side. With Rooney's playing career at the highest level and his impressive start to coaching, the duo is sure to form a formidable partnership that will benefit the players and the team as a whole.4 easy, comforting bean dishes for fall
To her surprise, the man initially denied any wrongdoing, insisting that he was simply capturing the scenery around him. However, when pressed further, he made the alarming statement about smashing her phone if he had indeed been filming her. This blatant disregard for the woman's privacy and the dismissive attitude towards her concerns only served to escalate the situation.
Barcelona, one of the giants of world football, has been facing a rough patch in recent times, managing only one victory in their last five matches. However, the on-field struggles seem to be just the tip of the iceberg as reports of internal discord and infighting within the team have started to emerge.
Furthermore, the village committee expressed their commitment to prioritizing public safety in all future events and activities organized by the community. They pledged to review and enhance their safety protocols, conduct regular drills and training sessions for staff and volunteers, and engage with relevant authorities to ensure compliance with all safety regulations and guidelines.
49ers QB Brock Purdy resumes throwing but status for this week remains unknown
Former U.S. President Bill Clinton was admitted to a Washington-area hospital on Monday. “President Clinton was admitted to Georgetown University Medical Center this afternoon for testing and observation after developing a fever,” Clinton’s deputy chief of staff Angel Ureña on X. “He remains in good spirits and deeply appreciates the excellent care he is receiving.” “The former president will be fine,” a source close to Clinton NBC News. “He developed a fever and wanted to be checked out. He is awake and alert.” Clinton, 78, was at home in Washington when he was taken to the hospital, CNN . The former president was with a non-Covid infection that spread to the blood stream in 2021. He also has a history of cardiac issues, requiring a to open an artery in 2010 and a quadruple bypass heart surgery in 2004. Throughout the fall, Clinton on behalf of fellow Democrat Vice President Kamala Harris in her ultimately unsuccessful race against Donald Trump. On the trail, Clinton hammered Trump and made the occasional joke about his own age. “Two days ago I turned 78 – the oldest man in my family,” Clinton told the Democratic National Convention in August. “And the only personal vanity I want to assert, is that I’m still younger than Donald Trump.” “[H]ow does Donald Trump use his voice? Mostly to talk about himself—his vengeance, vendettas, complaints, conspiracies,” the former president added. “The next time you hear him, don’t count the lies, count the I’s. He’s like the tenor warming up before the opera: me, me, me, me.” Clinton’s name also surfaced during lighter fare, when actor Gwyneth Paltrow told the long-running YouTube series that Clinton very publicly fell asleep during a screening of her 1996 film at the White House. “True – he was snoring right in front of me,” Paltrow . In November, Clinton published a memoir, , about his time in public life after leaving the presidency.
Amidst the ongoing conflict in Syria, the evacuation of Chinese citizens has become a top priority for the Chinese government. In a bid to ensure the safe passage of its citizens out of the war-torn region, a green corridor was established for their evacuation. However, the journey through this corridor was not without its challenges, as the threat of anti-aircraft fire loomed large over the evacuees.The discovery of the knife tip left inside the bar owner's body sent shockwaves through the medical team, as they scrambled to rectify the mistake and ensure that no further harm would come to him. A second round of intensive surgery was quickly organized, with the goal of locating and removing the foreign object before it could cause any complications.