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Iran court changes jail time to home confinement for pop singer – Lawyer
By Francesca Hangeior
An Iranian court has changed the sentence against a pop singer who criticised the mandatory headscarf for women to home confinement instead of jail time, due to health issues, his lawyer said.
Mehdi Yarrahi, 42, was arrested in August for releasing an “illegal song” that challenged “the morals and customs of Islamic society”. He was released on bail in October.
In January, the court sentenced Yarrahi to “a total of two years and eight months in prison” on multiple charges.
Under Iranian law jail sentences run concurrently, meaning he would only have to have served one year behind bars, which will now be changed to home confinement.
“Due to my client’s illness and his need for medical care, the one-year imprisonment was changed to electronic tagging (bound with a movement radius of 1000 metres),” lawyer Zahra Minouei said on X, formerly Twitter, late Sunday.
It was not immediately clear what Yarrahi’s illness was.
She said Yarrahi has been under electronic monitoring since February 20, and the court order included paying a bail of 15 billion tomans (around $270,000).
The singer released the track “Roosarito”, which means “your headscarf” in Persian, shortly before the anniversary of the death of Mahsa Amini.
Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurd, died in police custody on September 16, 2022 following her arrest for allegedly flouting Iran’s mandatory hijab law for women.
Hundreds of people, including dozens of security personnel, were killed in protests that broke out across Iran after Amini’s death and nine men were executed for protest-related “crimes.”
Thousands of protesters were also arrested, accused by the authorities of taking part in “riots” fomented by the West.
In a three-minute video accompanying the release of “Roosarito”, Yarrahi had voiced support for women’s right to choose whether to wear the headscarf and dedicated the song to the “courageous Iranian women” involved in the protest movement.
Yarrahi is a past winner of the best pop singer award at the Fajr Festival, Iran’s most important government-held music event.
His song “Soroode Zan” (Woman’s Anthem), which was released in October 2022, became a protest anthem, particularly on university campuses.
Yarrahi has repeatedly criticised the authorities during his concerts, especially for discrimination in his ethnically diverse southwestern home province of Khuzestan.
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Just in :INEC announces date for Anambra governorship election
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed the date for the Anambra governorship election.
Addressing representatives of political parties at the INEC headquarters in Abuja on Thursday, October 17, INEC national chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu said the election will be held on Saturday 8th November 2025.
Hear him: “As you are aware, the last governorship election in Anambra State was held on 6th November 2021. By the effluxion of time, the governorship election is due next year.
In compliance with the mandatory requirement of 360 days, the formal notice for the election will be published on 13th November 2024. Party primaries will be held from 20th March 2025 to 10th April 2025.
“The candidate nomination portal will open at 9.00 am on 18th April 2025 and close at 6.00 pm on 12th May 2025. The final list of candidates will be published on 9th June 2025.
“Campaign in public by political parties will commence on 11th June 2025 and end at midnight of Thursday 6th November 2025. Voting will take place in all the 5,720 Polling Units across the State on Saturday 8th November 2025.
In compliance with the mandatory requirement of 360 days, the formal notice for the election will be published on 13th November 2024. Party primaries will be held from 20th March 2025 to 10th April 2025.
“The candidate nomination portal will open at 9.00 am on 18th April 2025 and close at 6.00 pm on 12th May 2025. The final list of candidates will be published on 9th June 2025.
“Campaign in public by political parties will commence on 11th June 2025 and end at midnight of Thursday 6th November 2025. Voting will take place in all the 5,720 Polling Units across the State on Saturday 8th November 2025.
The candidate nomination portal will open at 9.00 am on 18th April 2025 and close at 6.00 pm on 12th May 2025. The final list of candidates will be published on 9th June 2025.
“Campaign in public by political parties will commence on 11th June 2025 and end at midnight of Thursday 6th November 2025. Voting will take place in all the 5,720 Polling Units across the State on Saturday 8th November 2025.
“In the coming weeks, the Commission will provide details of other electoral activities, including the registration of new voters, transfer of voters and the replacement of lost or damaged PVCs.
“The detailed Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2025 Anambra State Governorship election will be uploaded to our website and social media platforms before the end of this meeting.”
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Despite heavy hunger, World Bank Tells Nigerians Not To Oppose, Reverse Tinubu’s Economic Reforms
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
Despite hunger, World Bank has urged Nigerians to support the ongoing economic reforms, warning that opposing or reversing them could have serious negative consequences for the country.
Speaking at the launch of the Nigeria Development Update (NDU) report in Abuja, the World Bank Country Director for Nigeria, Dr. Ndiame Diop, emphasized that while the reforms may be challenging, they are crucial for the nation’s long-term stability.
Dr. Diop cautioned that rolling back these reforms would be detrimental, saying, “Reversing the reforms would spell doom for Nigeria.”
In the same vein, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, reiterated the importance of staying committed to the reforms. He stated, “Any effort that is not sustained will be a waste. Together with the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Minister of Budget and National Planning, we’ve been discussing how to stay on course.”
Edun further explained that the government’s focus is on reducing inflation while ensuring investments flow into critical sectors such as industry, where jobs can be created. “We are prioritizing market pricing and sat down with labor unions to explain why we cannot afford to let this opportunity slip.”
On the removal of subsidies, Edun noted, “Every day without subsidies means more funds available for education, healthcare, and other essential expenditures.”
Also speaking, Central Bank Governor Mr. Olayemi Cardoso highlighted the importance of promoting exports in light of the exchange rate adjustments. “The moderation in the FX rate should make our goods more competitive for export and discourage the importation of unnecessary goods,” he said
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