International
Iran extends the vote in the presidential elections until midnight
Iran extended this Friday until midnight the voting time of the early presidential elections after the death of the previous president, Ebrahim Raisí, in elections without a clear favorite.
“Due to the influx of citizens in the presidential elections, the voting time in all schools in the country is extended until 00:00 hours,” said the Iranian Electoral Commission, according to the IRNA agency.
Previously, the Iranian authorities had extended the initial closing time twice from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., a common practice in the elections of the Persian country.
Around 58,000 polling stations opened their doors at 08:00 in the morning, local time (04:30 GMT) throughout the country, where more than 61 million people are called to the polls.
The favorite candidates are the conservative pragmatic Mohamad Baqer Qalibaf, the ultra-conservative Saeed Jalili and the reformist Masoud Pezeshkian to succeed President Ebrahim Raisí, who died in a helicopter crash in May.
Data from local polls point to a possible second round within a week, given that it seems that no candidate will achieve 50% of the votes.
Data from local polls point to a possible second round within a week, given that it seems that no candidate will achieve 50% of the votes.
The results are expected to be announced tomorrow, Saturday at noon.
The Iranian president has decision-making power in national matters and to a lesser extent in foreign and security policy in Iran, where the supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, serves as head of state with vast powers.
As is traditional, Khamenei voted first thing in the morning in front of the television cameras and called again to participate in the elections.
“The continuation, strength, dignity and honor of the Islamic Republic before the world depends on the participation of the people,” said the highest political and religious authority of the country.
Among the voters reigns, however, skepticism and apathy in the midst of an economy weighed down by 40% inflation, a devalued rial and 20% youth unemployment.
To this is added the disenchantment of many Iranians, especially young people, with the Islamic Republic in the face of the lack of social freedoms, especially the imposition of the Islamic veil, a hot issue since the death of Mahsa Amini in 2022 after being arrested for not wearing it well, which provoked strong protests.
This apathy among the 61 million voters worries the Islamic Republic, which attaches great importance to participation in the elections as a sign of its legitimacy and popular support.
In the parliamentary elections of March, the lowest turnout was recorded in the 45 years of the Islamic Republic, when only 41% of the electorate went to the polls, while in the 2021 presidential elections they voted 48%.
International
U.S. warns China over Taiwan during high-level defense talks in Kuala Lumpur
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth expressed concerns over China’s growing military activity near Taiwan during a meeting on Friday with Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun in Kuala Lumpur.
“It was a constructive and positive meeting,” Hegseth wrote on X. “I emphasized the importance of maintaining a balance of power in the Indo-Pacific and raised U.S. concerns about China’s actions around Taiwan,” the self-governed island that Beijing claims and does not rule out invading.
The meeting took place on the sidelines of the ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting-Plus, one day after U.S. President Donald Trump met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Busan, South Korea. According to Trump, Taiwan was not discussed during their talks.
“The United States does not seek conflict and will continue to firmly defend its interests, ensuring it maintains the capability to do so in the region,” Hegseth added in his message.
Friday’s encounter followed a September 9 video call between Hegseth and Dong. Their previously planned meeting at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore was canceled due to Dong’s absence from the event.
Trump’s sit-down with Xi — their first since 2019 — resulted in some trade agreements but avoided addressing the issue of Taiwan, a long-standing source of tension between the world’s two largest powers.
Trump has taken a more ambiguous stance on Taiwan’s future compared with former President Joe Biden, who repeatedly stated that Washington would support Taipei if China launched an invasion. The Republican president has also criticized Taiwan for “stealing” the U.S. semiconductor industry.
International
U.S. considering airstrikes on military sites in Venezuela, reports say
The United States may soon carry out airstrikes on military facilities inside Venezuela as part of an escalating offensive against Nicolás Maduro’s regime, according to reports Friday from the Miami Herald and The Wall Street Journal, citing sources close to the Trump administration.
Airstrikes could take place “within days or even hours,” the Herald reported. The Journal noted that while the option is under serious consideration, President Donald Trump has not yet made a final decision on authorizing strikes on Venezuelan soil.
Potential targets allegedly include military-controlled ports and airports used in drug trafficking operations, such as naval installations and airstrips, officials told the Journal.
The Herald also quoted a source saying that “Maduro’s time is running out”, suggesting that more than one Venezuelan general may be ready to detain and hand him over. However, officials declined to confirm whether the Venezuelan leader would be among the military targets.
Trump has repeatedly vowed to block the flow of illegal drugs into the United States, following nearly two months of airstrikes against vessels in the Pacific and the Caribbean. Those operations have destroyed 15 boats and left 61 people dead and three survivors since September 1.
“We are finally waging a war against the cartels — a war like they’ve never seen before — and we are going to win that battle. We are already winning at sea,” Trump told U.S. troops during a speech in Japan.
The reports on possible airstrikes come on the same day the United Nations accused the U.S. of violating international law with its maritime operations, saying those killed at sea may have been victims of extrajudicial executions.
International
Pope Leo XIV revives Global Compact on Education to confront cultural crisis
Pope Leo XIV announced on Friday that he will revive and update the Global Compact on Education, an initiative launched by the late Pope Francis aimed at deeply transforming global culture through education.
The announcement was made during an audience in St. Peter’s Square, held on the occasion of the Jubilee of the Educational World, which this week gathers more than 20,000 participants from 124 countries in Rome.
During his address, the pontiff — who is of U.S. origin and Peruvian nationality — emphasized the importance of restoring the value of educators and reinforcing the principles that support the pact.
“We must be careful: damaging the social and cultural role of educators means mortgaging our own future,” he warned before thousands in attendance. “A crisis in the transmission of knowledge leads to a crisis of hope.”
The Global Compact on Education, launched by Pope Francis, seeks an integral and long-term cultural transformation. It is structured around five pillars: dignity and human rights; fraternity and cooperation; technology and integral ecology; education for peace and citizenship; and culture and religions. To date, the initiative has been joined by over 553 schools and nearly 410,000 students, according to Catholic Schools data.
Pope Leo XIV also expressed concern over the widespread inner fragility affecting both students and teachers — many of whom feel overwhelmed by bureaucratic burdens.
He additionally addressed the role of artificial intelligence in education, warning that it may worsen emotional isolation among learners: “It can further isolate students who are already isolated, giving them the illusion that they do not need others — or worse, the feeling that they are unworthy of them,” he said.
U.S. warns China over Taiwan during high-level defense talks in Kuala Lumpur
U.S. considering airstrikes on military sites in Venezuela, reports say
Pope Leo XIV revives Global Compact on Education to confront cultural crisis
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
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