TEHRAN // The Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his hardline rivals feuded yesterday as a presidential appointee was dismissed and his government pushed ahead with corruption claims against the brother of the parliament speaker.
Mr Ahmadinejad has faced more than a year of withering political attacks after challenging Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the country's supreme leader, over the selection of the intelligence minister. Dozens of Mr Ahmadinejad's allies have been arrested or driven from power by backers of Mr Khamenei, and Mr Ahmadinejad has been left severely weakened with less than a year left in his second and final term.
The official IRNA news agency said a court dismissed a top government official who was implicated in the deaths of prisoners. The ruling against Saeed Mortazavi, the head of Iran's social security organisation, followed a lawsuit filed by a group of anti-Ahmadinejad parliamentarians.
In 2010, a parliamentary probe found Mr Mortazavi - then the chief Tehran prosecutor - responsible for the deaths by torture of at least three anti-government protesters who were in custody. Angry lawmakers in April threatened to impeach the country's labour minister, who made the appointment, over the case.
In a separate report, IRNA said Javad Larijani - the brother of both the country's parliament speaker and powerful judiciary chief - was under investigation over alleged land abuses.
Tehran's chief prosecutor Alireza Avaei said that a court was studying allegations that Mr Larijani illegally took control of hundreds acres of protected land. The claims were filed by the government agency in charge of natural resources.
The Larijani family are prominent critics of Mr Ahmadinejad.
One of Mr Larijani's brothers, Sadegh, heads the judiciary and another brother, Ali, is the parliament speaker. Javad Larijani leads the judiciary's human-rights council.
What is a robo-adviser?
Robo-advisers use an online sign-up process to gauge an investor’s risk tolerance by feeding information such as their age, income, saving goals and investment history into an algorithm, which then assigns them an investment portfolio, ranging from more conservative to higher risk ones.
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Investing in ETFs allows robo-advisers to offer fees far lower than traditional investments, such as actively managed mutual funds bought through a bank or broker. Investors can buy ETFs directly via a brokerage, but with robo-advisers they benefit from investment portfolios matched to their risk tolerance as well as being user friendly.
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A State of Passion
Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi
Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah
Rating: 4/5
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.
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million