Iran’s six presidential candidates spoke about ways to solve the country's economic issues in a four-hour televised debate ahead of the June 28 election to pick a new leader.
The country is set to choose a new head following a helicopter crash last month that killed President Ebrahim Raisi and other officials.
The debate on Monday was the first of five planned for the next 10 days, before Iranians head to the polls amid heightened regional tension and political and economic issues, worsened by US sanctions.
Without much time to prepare their campaigns, the candidates put forward plans to cope with international sanctions, promising to introduce to reforms and fight corruption – without providing any tangible detail.
The June 28 vote also comes against the backdrop of increasing pressure on Iran over its nuclear programme, crackdown on opposition and support for regional proxy groups.
Five of the candidates are hardliners and one is a reformist.
All are vying to replace Mr Raisi, a hardliner and a favourite of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Mr Raisi has been seen as a successor to the cleric.
Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf
Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, 62, is the most prominent candidate.
A former mayor of Tehran and commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, he promised that the removal of sanctions through diplomatic efforts would be his top priority.
He also vowed to be a supporter of the poor and to ensure economic growth by managing the economy efficiently and tackling inflation.
Mr Qalibaf said that with “strong management” and “a strong president,” inflation could be brought under control, according to state-run Irna news agency.
Mr Qalibaf, 62, has run unsuccessfully in previous presidential elections. In 2017, he pulled out of the contest to avoid splitting the vote against Mr Raisi.
He is part of a circle of conservatives appointed and promoted by the supreme leader.
Amirhossein Ghazizadeh Hashemi
Currently Iran's Vice President, Amirhossein Ghazizadeh Hashemi stood in the 2021 presidential election, finishing fourth.
Mr Ghazizadeh Hashemi, 53, used the debate as an opportunity to showcase the achievements of the government under Mr Raisi, which he was a part of.
“People are fed up with promises,” he said, adding that the president should introduce economics roadmaps and how they are intended to be carried out to the people.
Alireza Zakani
Hardliner and current Mayor of Tehran, Alireza Zakani, 58, said that while US and Western sanctions were crippling the economy, the country's currency – the rial – needed to be strengthened.
He argued that economic independence needs to be achieved by stabilising the economy and ensuring that Iranians rely on the national currency.
“If we want people to stand for the revolution, we must make the people participate in the economy,” Mr Zakani said, adding that the private sector should be at the helm of the economy and stressing the importance of the participation of the population.
Saeed Jalili
A member of the Supreme National Security Council and a former nuclear negotiator, Saeed Jalili, 58, touched upon the importance of investment in achieving economic growth.
He also highlighted the importance of the government allocating resources for “national talent” and that investing in people will ultimately improve the economy.
Despite his experience with nuclear negotiations, Mr Jalili – like the other candidates – did not touch upon the issue.
Mostafa Pourmohammadi
Mr Pourmohammadi, 64, has served in different ministerial positions – the most recent one being justice minister in 2013.
He also served as prosecutor of the revolutionary court.
He said work needed to be put into “national reconciliation” to gain people's trust and that economic issues should not be separated from social ones.
He added that sanctions were obstructing international trade, stating that Iran's ties to other countries were “locked.”
Masoud Pezeshkian
Masoud Pezeshkian, 69, is the only reformist in the race but it remains to be seen whether he can gain the support of undecided voters.
He called for more openness towards other countries to achieve economic growth.
He remains the favourite of pro-reformists and critics say conservatives may seek to discredit him.
Prominent disqualified figures include former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and veteran politician Ali Larijani, who were both previously barred from the 2021 election.
Several members of former president Hassan Rouhani’s administration, including his vice president Eshagh Jahangiri, also had their candidacy rejected by the Guardian Council.
All six candidates promised a better economic outlook for the country without offering any specifics on how this would be achieved.
Four more debates will take place, with the last one set for June 25 – three days before Iranians head to the polls.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
RESULT
Australia 3 (0) Honduras 1 (0)
Australia: Jedinak (53', 72' pen, 85' pen)
Honduras: Elis (90 4)
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Asia Cup 2018 Qualifier
Sunday's results:
- UAE beat Malaysia by eight wickets
- Nepal beat Singapore by four wickets
- Oman v Hong Kong, no result
Tuesday fixtures:
- Malaysia v Singapore
- UAE v Oman
- Nepal v Hong Kong
Dengue%20fever%20symptoms
%3Cul%3E%0A%3Cli%3EHigh%20fever%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EIntense%20pain%20behind%20your%20eyes%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3ESevere%20headache%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EMuscle%20and%20joint%20pains%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3ENausea%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EVomiting%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3ESwollen%20glands%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3ERash%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3C%2Ful%3E%0A%3Cp%3EIf%20symptoms%20occur%2C%20they%20usually%20last%20for%20two-seven%20days%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Results
3pm: Maiden Dh165,000 (Dirt) 1,400m, Winner: Lancienegaboulevard, Adrie de Vries (jockey), Fawzi Nass (trainer).
3.35pm: Maiden Dh165,000 (Turf) 1,600m, Winner: Al Mukhtar Star, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass.
4.10pm: Handicap Dh165,000 (D) 2,000m, Winner: Gundogdu, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer.
4.45pm: Handicap Dh185,000 (T) 1,200m, Winner: Speedy Move, Sean Kirrane, Satish Seemar.
5.20pm: Handicap Dh185,000 (D) 1,600m, Winner: Moqarrar, Dane O’Neill, Erwan Charpy.
5.55pm: Handicap Dh175,000 (T) 1,800m, Winner: Dolman, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EEjari%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ERiyadh%2C%20Saudi%20Arabia%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EYazeed%20Al%20Shamsi%2C%20Fahad%20Albedah%2C%20Mohammed%20Alkhelewy%20and%20Khalid%20Almunif%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EPropTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETotal%20funding%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%241%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESanabil%20500%20Mena%2C%20Hambro%20Perks'%20Oryx%20Fund%20and%20angel%20investors%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E8%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Marathon results
Men:
1. Titus Ekiru(KEN) 2:06:13
2. Alphonce Simbu(TAN) 2:07:50
3. Reuben Kipyego(KEN) 2:08:25
4. Abel Kirui(KEN) 2:08:46
5. Felix Kemutai(KEN) 2:10:48
Women:
1. Judith Korir(KEN) 2:22:30
2. Eunice Chumba(BHR) 2:26:01
3. Immaculate Chemutai(UGA) 2:28:30
4. Abebech Bekele(ETH) 2:29:43
5. Aleksandra Morozova(RUS) 2:33:01
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Farage on Muslim Brotherhood
Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
ALRAWABI%20SCHOOL%20FOR%20GIRLS
%3Cp%3ECreator%3A%20Tima%20Shomali%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%C2%A0Tara%20Abboud%2C%C2%A0Kira%20Yaghnam%2C%20Tara%20Atalla%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
Palestine and Israel - live updates
Top 5 concerns globally:
1. Unemployment
2. Spread of infectious diseases
3. Fiscal crises
4. Cyber attacks
5. Profound social instability
Top 5 concerns in the Mena region
1. Energy price shock
2. Fiscal crises
3. Spread of infectious diseases
4. Unmanageable inflation
5. Cyber attacks
Source: World Economic Foundation
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Zayed Sustainability Prize
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Results
5pm Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m
Winner No Riesgo Al Maury, Szczepan Mazur (jockey), Ibrahim Al Hadhrami (trainer)
5.30pm Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 1,600m
Winner Marwa W’Rsan, Sam Hitchcott, Jaci Wickham.
6pm Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 1,600m
Winner Dahess D’Arabie, Al Moatasem Al Balushi, Helal Al Alawi.
6.30pm Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 2,200m
Winner Safin Al Reef, Connor Beasley, Abdallah Al Hammadi.
7pm Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 2,200m
Winner Thulbaseera Al Jasra, Shakir Al Balushi, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami.
7.30pm Maiden (TB) Dh 80,000 2,200m
Winner Autumn Pride, Szczepan Mazur, Helal Al Alawi.
Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
|
1.
|
United States
|
|
2.
|
China
|
|
3.
|
UAE
|
|
4.
|
Japan
|
|
5
|
Norway
|
|
6.
|
Canada
|
|
7.
|
Singapore
|
|
8.
|
Australia
|
|
9.
|
Saudi Arabia
|
|
10.
|
South Korea
|
Zayed Sustainability Prize
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
More from Neighbourhood Watch
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
23-man shortlist for next six Hall of Fame inductees
Tony Adams, David Beckham, Dennis Bergkamp, Sol Campbell, Eric Cantona, Andrew Cole, Ashley Cole, Didier Drogba, Les Ferdinand, Rio Ferdinand, Robbie Fowler, Steven Gerrard, Roy Keane, Frank Lampard, Matt Le Tissier, Michael Owen, Peter Schmeichel, Paul Scholes, John Terry, Robin van Persie, Nemanja Vidic, Patrick Viera, Ian Wright.
The years Ramadan fell in May
PROFILE OF HALAN
Started: November 2017
Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport and logistics
Size: 150 employees
Investment: approximately $8 million
Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
RIDE%20ON
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Larry%20Yang%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStars%3A%20Jackie%20Chan%2C%20Liu%20Haocun%2C%20Kevin%20Guo%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%202%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Zakat definitions
Zakat: an Arabic word meaning ‘to cleanse’ or ‘purification’.
Nisab: the minimum amount that a Muslim must have before being obliged to pay zakat. Traditionally, the nisab threshold was 87.48 grams of gold, or 612.36 grams of silver. The monetary value of the nisab therefore varies by current prices and currencies.
Zakat Al Mal: the ‘cleansing’ of wealth, as one of the five pillars of Islam; a spiritual duty for all Muslims meeting the ‘nisab’ wealth criteria in a lunar year, to pay 2.5 per cent of their wealth in alms to the deserving and needy.
Zakat Al Fitr: a donation to charity given during Ramadan, before Eid Al Fitr, in the form of food. Every adult Muslim who possesses food in excess of the needs of themselves and their family must pay two qadahs (an old measure just over 2 kilograms) of flour, wheat, barley or rice from each person in a household, as a minimum.
LIKELY TEAMS
South Africa
Faf du Plessis (captain), Dean Elgar, Aiden Markram, Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers, Quinton de Kock (wkt), Vernon Philander, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Morne Morkel, Lungi Ngidi.
India (from)
Virat Kohli (captain), Murali Vijay, Lokesh Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Hardik Pandya, Dinesh Karthik (wkt), Ravichandran Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ishant Sharma, Mohammad Shami, Jasprit Bumrah.
SANCTIONED
- Kirill Shamalov, Russia's youngest billionaire and previously married to Putin's daughter Katarina
- Petr Fradkov, head of recently sanctioned Promsvyazbank and son of former head of Russian Foreign Intelligence, the FSB.
- Denis Bortnikov, Deputy President of Russia's largest bank VTB. He is the son of Alexander Bortnikov, head of the FSB which was responsible for the poisoning of political activist Alexey Navalny in August 2020 with banned chemical agent novichok.
- Yury Slyusar, director of United Aircraft Corporation, a major aircraft manufacturer for the Russian military.
- Elena Aleksandrovna Georgieva, chair of the board of Novikombank, a state-owned defence conglomerate.
More on Quran memorisation:
RESULTS
%3Cp%3E%0D%3Cstrong%3E1.45pm%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Green%20Oasis%20Trading%20%E2%80%93%20Maiden%20(PA)%20Dh50%2C000%20(Dirt)%201%2C400m%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EWinner%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Meeqat%2C%20Saif%20Al%20Balushi%20(jockey)%2C%20Khalifa%20Al%20Neyadi%20(trainer)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E2.15pm%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAl%20Shafar%20Investment%20%E2%80%93%20Maiden%20(TB)%20Dh60%2C000%20(D)%201%2C400m%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EWinner%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Flying%20Hunter%2C%20Ray%20Dawson%2C%20Ahmad%20bin%20Harmash%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E2.45pm%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EThe%20Union%2051%20Cup%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(TB)%20Dh84%2C000%20(D)%201%2C400m%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EWinner%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ibra%20Attack%2C%20Adrie%20de%20Vries%2C%20Ahmed%20Al%20Shemaili%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E3.15pm%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20ASCANA%20Thakaful%20%E2%80%93%20Maiden%20(TB)%20Dh60%2C000%20(D)%201%2C200m%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EWinner%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Onda%20Ruggente%2C%20Royston%20Ffrench%2C%20Salem%20bin%20Ghadayer%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E3.45pm%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ECommercial%20Bank%20of%20Dubai%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(TB)%20Dh76%2C000%20(D)%201%2C200m%0D%3Cbr%3EWinner%3A%20Dignity%20Joy%2C%20Antonio%20Fresu%2C%20Musabah%20Al%20Muhairi%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E4.15pm%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDubai%20Real%20Estate%20Centre%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(TB)%20Dh76%2C000%20(D)%201%2C600m%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EWinner%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Tolmount%2C%20Xavier%20Ziani%2C%20Salem%20bin%20Ghadayer%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E4.45pm%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EJebel%20Ali%20Racecourse%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(TB)%20Dh84%2C000%20(D)%201%2C950m%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EWinner%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ERakeez%2C%20Tadhg%20O%E2%80%99Shea%2C%20Bhupat%20Seemar%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Virtual banks explained
What is a virtual bank?
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority defines it as a bank that delivers services through the internet or other electronic channels instead of physical branches. That means not only facilitating payments but accepting deposits and making loans, just like traditional ones. Other terms used interchangeably include digital or digital-only banks or neobanks. By contrast, so-called digital wallets or e-wallets such as Apple Pay, PayPal or Google Pay usually serve as intermediaries between a consumer’s traditional account or credit card and a merchant, usually via a smartphone or computer.
What’s the draw in Asia?
Hundreds of millions of people under-served by traditional institutions, for one thing. In China, India and elsewhere, digital wallets such as Alipay, WeChat Pay and Paytm have already become ubiquitous, offering millions of people an easy way to store and spend their money via mobile phone. Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines are also among the world’s biggest under-banked countries; together they have almost half a billion people.
Is Hong Kong short of banks?
No, but the city is among the most cash-reliant major economies, leaving room for newcomers to disrupt the entrenched industry. Ant Financial, an Alibaba Group Holding affiliate that runs Alipay and MYBank, and Tencent Holdings, the company behind WeBank and WeChat Pay, are among the owners of the eight ventures licensed to create virtual banks in Hong Kong, with operations expected to start as early as the end of the year.
More on animal trafficking
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Read more about the coronavirus
Tips to avoid getting scammed
1) Beware of cheques presented late on Thursday
2) Visit an RTA centre to change registration only after receiving payment
3) Be aware of people asking to test drive the car alone
4) Try not to close the sale at night
5) Don't be rushed into a sale
6) Call 901 if you see any suspicious behaviour
More on animal trafficking
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
