The administration of US President Joe Biden sanctioned Iran's hardline former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Monday after the completion of a prisoner swap with Tehran that included the release of five American detainees.
Mr Ahmadinejad, who was sanctioned for his alleged involvement in the wrongful detention of US citizens, has not made any public appearances lately.
The former firebrand leader has been silent on X, formerly Twitter, where up until last year, he frequently posted political commentary as well as sports news.
White House officials said the sanctions were due to Mr Ahmadinejad's role in the detention of US citizens, as well as the presumed death of Bob Levinson, a retired FBI agent who disappeared in Iran after he was detained in 2007.
Iran has never acknowledged Mr Levinson's detention. His family, under the advice of the US government, announced his presumed death in Iranian custody in March 2020.
Later that year, the US Treasury Department sanctioned two employees Iran's Ministry of Intelligence in connection with Mr Levinson's disappearance.
“We will never stop demanding that Iranian leaders answer for what happened to Robert Levinson, the greatest man we have ever known,” his family said in a statement on Monday.
“His abduction on Iranian soil in March 2007, his years of imprisonment with a total lack of any human rights or decency, and ultimately his murder, are on their hands.”
Mr Ahmadinejad, 66, a populist leader who was president from 2005-2013, challenged the West by rapidly advancing Tehran’s nuclear programme, which he insisted was for peaceful purposes.
During his address to the UN General Assembly in 2011, Mr Ahmadinejad, who was known for wearing smart suits but never a tie, prompted diplomats to walk out of the chamber after referring to the 2001 terrorist attacks against the US as the “mysterious September 11 incident”.
He also said Zionists in Israel were responsible for “mass murder and terror against the Palestinians”.
Amid nationwide mass protests in Iran in 2017-2018, Mr Ahmadinejad criticised then-president Hassan Rouhani’s economic policies. He later took to social media to denounce corruption in Iran's government.
Mr Ahmadinejad attempted to run for another term office in 2017, in defiance of Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who said that such a move would harm the country. He was later disqualified from running.
In May 2021, he registered to run for president once more, but along with other candidates, was also prevented from doing so.
Last year, Mr Ahmadinejad expressed support for the people of Ukraine and praised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy over his resistance to Russia's invasion, contradicting Iran's official stance on the war and its alliance with Russia.
The five Americans who were freed on Monday were detained under Mr Ahmadinejad's successors Mr Rouhani and Ibrahim Raisi.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Scores:
Day 4
England 290 & 346
Sri Lanka 336 & 226-7 (target 301)
Sri Lanka require another 75 runs with three wickets remaining
Tightening the screw on rogue recruiters
The UAE overhauled the procedure to recruit housemaids and domestic workers with a law in 2017 to protect low-income labour from being exploited.
Only recruitment companies authorised by the government are permitted as part of Tadbeer, a network of labour ministry-regulated centres.
A contract must be drawn up for domestic workers, the wages and job offer clearly stating the nature of work.
The contract stating the wages, work entailed and accommodation must be sent to the employee in their home country before they depart for the UAE.
The contract will be signed by the employer and employee when the domestic worker arrives in the UAE.
Only recruitment agencies registered with the ministry can undertake recruitment and employment applications for domestic workers.
Penalties for illegal recruitment in the UAE include fines of up to Dh100,000 and imprisonment
But agents not authorised by the government sidestep the law by illegally getting women into the country on visit visas.
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2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Countries offering golden visas
UK
Innovator Founder Visa is aimed at those who can demonstrate relevant experience in business and sufficient investment funds to set up and scale up a new business in the UK. It offers permanent residence after three years.
Germany
Investing or establishing a business in Germany offers you a residence permit, which eventually leads to citizenship. The investment must meet an economic need and you have to have lived in Germany for five years to become a citizen.
Italy
The scheme is designed for foreign investors committed to making a significant contribution to the economy. Requires a minimum investment of €250,000 which can rise to €2 million.
Switzerland
Residence Programme offers residence to applicants and their families through economic contributions. The applicant must agree to pay an annual lump sum in tax.
Canada
Start-Up Visa Programme allows foreign entrepreneurs the opportunity to create a business in Canada and apply for permanent residence.
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In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
