Candidates began registering Monday for Iran’s third-ever local council elections, a December vote expected to be a test of public approval for hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Any public dissatisfaction is likely to come from fellow hard-liners, unhappy with the economy and the way Ahmadinejad is running the government, and not from reformers. Some conservatives criticize the president as being strong on populist slogans but weak on achievement. Full Story