The Conservatives have won a majority of votes in the Iranian parliamentary elections, a number of Iranian media reported on Monday.
On March 4, the election commission completed the vote count in the elections to the country’s legislature. According to preliminary results, conservative candidates are leading in all provinces of Iran, including Tehran, local media reported.
The candidates will compete for 45 of the 290 seats in the parliament in the second round.
Approximately 25 million Iranian citizens took part in the March 1 elections to the country’s parliament and the Council of Experts. According to preliminary unofficial data, the turnout was approximately 41%.
A record number of candidates were allowed to participate in the parliamentary elections – more than 15.2 thousand people, which was almost 75% of the total number of candidates who initially registered. About 1.7 thousand of the candidates admitted to the elections are women.
According to the Iranian Constitution, five seats in the 290-seat parliament should go to representatives of religious minorities. 144 candidates competed for 88 seats in the Council of Experts, which elects the country’s Supreme Leader.
Many candidates who advocate reforms in Iran were banned from participating in the parliamentary elections, and some political figures, including former Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, were not allowed to run for the Council of Experts, Iranian media reported.
The first meeting of the newly convoked parliament will be held in late May.
Earlier, the Experts Club think tank made a video dedicated to the top 10 elections in the world this year. More detailed analysis is available at
On Saturday, March 2, Kyiv will host a training seminar “First Aid for Injuries and Traumas” specially designed for journalists and bloggers. The event is organized by the Experts Club Kyiv Analytical Center with the support of its medical partner, ADONIS Medical Center Group, and its general partner, Pryirpinia Community Foundation.
The training aims to teach participants the basics of first aid in case of injuries and traumas, which is an important knowledge for everyone in times of war.
The seminar will be conducted by an anesthesiologist and co-author of 12 scientific publications, Mariana Bolyuk, who is a representative of the ADONIS Medical Center Group.
ADONIS, EXPERTS_CLUB, FIRST_AID, MEDICAL_AID, MEDICINE, URAKIN, БОЛЮК
In Kyiv, the Experts Club training center in collaboration with Art Gallery Universe has launched a unique art therapy program aimed at helping people suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). As part of this initiative, an exhibition titled “Restoring Life: Art and Rehabilitation Project” was organized, where prominent Ukrainian artists such as Igor Moshkov and E-Ludmyla Svitla presented their works reflecting their personal experience of struggling with and rethinking the emotional states caused by PTSD.
Maksim Urakin, the initiator of Experts Club, emphasized the importance of the exhibition as an art therapy method for the correction of stressful conditions, including PTSD, especially in the context of the current challenges faced by many Ukrainians.
“This exhibition is more than art. It is an opportunity for visitors to experience healing and hope through painting, because the psycho-emotional state of many Ukrainians now needs support in the context of war and constant exposure to traumatic factors,” he said.
Lyudmyla Svitla, founder of Art Gallery Universe, shared her goal to encourage self-discovery and self-expression through art, considering it the key to inner peace.
Visitors of the exhibition shared their impressions, noting the deep emotional perception and personal meaning of each art object. The Restoring Life project highlights art not just as a means of aesthetic pleasure, but as an effective tool for spiritual healing and stress management.
Art therapy plays an important role in the treatment of PTSD and other stress-related disorders, as it allows individuals to express their feelings and experiences through art, which is often inaccessible through words. This form of psychotherapy helps reduce anxiety and stress, improves mood, and promotes emotional recovery. The inclusion of art therapy in rehabilitation programs for people with PTSD and other stress-related disorders can significantly increase their effectiveness by providing a unique approach to treatment and self-expression.
In 2023, Ukraine received external financing totaling $42.5 billion, of which $11.6 billion (27%) was non-repayable grant aid, the Ministry of Finance reported.
“Long-term concessional loan financing totaling $30.9 billion was attracted, in particular from the EU ($19.5 billion), the IMF ($4.5 billion), Japan ($3.4 billion), Canada ($1.8 billion), the UK ($1 billion), the World Bank ($660 million), and Spain ($50 million),” the report cites statistics on revenues.
Grant assistance was provided by the United States, Japan, Norway, Germany, Spain, Finland, Switzerland, Ireland, Belgium, and Iceland.
“Funds from the EU were raised as part of macro-financial assistance. Loans under the EU macro-financial assistance programs have a 35-year maturity (including a 10-year grace period), and the costs of servicing them are reimbursed by the EU,” the Ministry of Finance said.
As of the end of 2023, the weighted average cost of public and publicly guaranteed debt was 6.24%, which is 1.4 percentage points less than in the previous year, the Ministry added.
At the same time, the weighted average term to maturity of Ukraine’s public and publicly guaranteed debt increased by more than two years to 10.56 years last year.
In total, in 2023, the total amount of Ukraine’s public and publicly guaranteed debt increased by UAH 1,444 billion in hryvnia equivalent and by $33.9 billion in dollar equivalent, mainly due to an increase in long-term concessional financing from international partners.
As of December 31, 2023, Ukraine’s public and publicly guaranteed debt amounted to UAH 5.5 trillion, or $145.3 billion.
A detailed video analysis of the situation in the Ukrainian and global economy is available on the Experts Club YouTube channel – https://youtu.be/byJnfmie7bM?si=ZI410qh5NBA-jcpi
This Saturday, the Experts Club Kyiv Training Center in cooperation with Art Gallery Universe opens an exhibition that goes beyond the usual understanding of art, approaching therapy and recovery. “Restoring Life: Art and Rehabilitation Project” is a series of works created by contemporary Ukrainian artists Igor Moshkov and E-Ludmyla Svitla, who convey deep emotional states and ways to rethink and overcome them through painting.
“Each painting in our exhibition is not just an image, it is a dialog between the artist and the visitor that helps to find inner harmony and peace. We are creating a space where art becomes a tool for psychological recovery for those who have faced challenges,” says Maksym Urakin, founder of Experts Club.
“For me, every brushstroke is a step towards comprehension and healing. My works are the stories I want to tell, and I believe they can help others find their way to inner light,” said E-Ludmyla Svitla.
The exhibition offers an extraordinary experience that combines art therapy and art, giving visitors the opportunity not only to enjoy painting, but also to discover a new tool in the fight against post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and its consequences. The project focuses on supporting spiritual health and mental recovery through artistic expression, creating a safe space for personal growth and self-expression.
“Recovering Life” reflects the true power of artistic symbolism, which lies not only in aesthetic pleasure, but also in its ability to heal and unite people around art.
Address of the event: 51/1A Vasyl Tyutyunnyk Street, Kyiv, office 112.
The beginning is February 17, 2024 at 15:00.
The number of participants is limited. For media accreditation, please contact fam@experts.news by 23-00 on February 16, 2024.
The results of last Thursday’s parliamentary elections in Pakistan have been summarized, with independent candidates, mostly affiliated with the party of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who is serving a prison term, taking first place, Al Jazeera reports.
According to the Central Election Commission, out of 266 seats in the lower house of parliament (National Assembly) of Pakistan, 101 seats were won by independent candidates, 96 of them supported by the right-wing centrist party, the Justice Movement, founded by former Prime Minister Khan. However, after a court found Khan guilty on a number of charges, the Supreme Court and the CEC ruled that Khan’s supporters could only run as independent candidates and were prohibited from using party symbols.
The second place went to the party of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, the Pakistan Muslim League, with 75 seats. The third place went to Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s center-left Pakistan People’s Party with 54 seats.
It took more than 60 hours to count the votes. None of the parties achieved the required majority of 169 seats to form a government on their own.
On Friday, Sharif said that despite his failure in the parliamentary elections, he would try to form a coalition government. He had previously rejected the possibility of a coalition with other parties.
For 2024 – 2029, 336 seats are available in the National Assembly of Pakistan. In the 2024 elections, the number of seats was 266. Another 70 seats in the lower house of parliament are reserved for women and minority representatives. These seats are distributed among all parties.
The elections were held against the backdrop of a difficult economic situation in the country, as well as tensions in the border regions.
Earlier, the Experts Club information and analytical project included the 2024 elections in Pakistan in the list of the TOP-10 most important elections of 2024 for the whole world, see the video for more details at https://youtu.be/73DB0GbJy4M?si=pMUPbHSYKI8YrDFR
