TEHRAN // Iran's foreign ministry has barred Tehran's mayor, Mohammed Bagher Qalibaf, from attending a US non-governmental organisation's awards ceremony in Washington, a move critics say might be an attempt to prevent a rival to the Iranian president from basking in the spotlight.
Along with the mayors of Guangzhou, China; Lima, Peru; Nantes, France; and Leon, Mexico, Mr Qalibaf was picked by the Washington-based Institute for Transportation and Development Policy to receive one of its 2011 sustainable transportation awards. He was chosen for overseeing Tehran's Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and subway system.
Mr Qalibaf is a former Revolutionary Guards air force commander and was chief of the Tehran police during reformist Mohammad Khatami's presidency. He ran unsuccessfully against Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in presidential elections of 2005 and was later elected mayor of Tehran by its city council.
Five BRT lines extending more than 100 kilometres transport 1.8 million passengers a day while the city's subway system, with its 75 stations and 125km of rail, caters to the needs of two million.
Much of the construction and development has taken place during the nearly six years of Mr Qalibaf's tenure as mayor of the capital.
Alireza Dabir, a member of Tehran's City Council, was scheduled to participate in the awards ceremony yesterday evening on behalf of Mr Qalibaf, city officials said on Sunday.
Speaking to reporters after news agencies revealed the foreign ministry's ban on Saturday, Mr Qalibaf chose to downplay the incident.
"Whether I attend the ceremony or not after being invited and the reason [my participation] was opposed doesn't affect the original matter [of being nominated for the award]. I am not for making it a personal issue and [only] want the city of Tehran to achieve more honours," Mr Qalibaf told reporters at the inauguration Sunday of a new new metro line.
However, Tehran Emrouz, a newspaper that tends to support the mayor, strongly criticized the foreign ministry's decision and accused it of "sacrificing national interests at the foot of factional inclinations and political grudges".
Mr Qalibaf has been in a particularly bitter fight in the past year with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad over the metro's development budget, which is supposed to be supplied by the municipality and the national government in equal amounts.
Some analysts believe the hardline faction led by Mr Ahmadinejad is concerned about the prospects of Mr Qalibaf putting up a tough challenge to their candidate, possibly chief of staff Esfandiar Rahim Mashie, in the 2013 presidential elections. The Washington visit could have bolstered the mayor's popularity and provided favorable publicity for him, they say.
Ali Afshari, an Iranian political activist living in the US told Radio Farda: "They want to block Qalibaf and prevent his nomination and success."
Despite parliament legislation authorising it do so nearly a year ago, the Ahmadinejad administration has so far refused to spend an extra US$1 billion on municipal transportation in Tehran from the country's oil reserve fund. The legislation is to expire in two months.
Last week, the minister of economic affairs and finance, Shamseddin Hosseini, claimed the fund had dried up and there was no money to give to the municipality, but many legislators said this was an excuse.
A conservative politician, Ali Mottahar, hinted last week at the possibility of grilling the president in the parliament about his administration's refusal to pay the money.
Mr Qalibaf said on Sunday that if the money is paid, Tehran's metro could increase to 4.5 million passengers a day from about 2 million now, with the construction of new rail lines, additional cars and more stations.
msinaiee@thenational.ae
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The bio
Who inspires you?
I am in awe of the remarkable women in the Arab region, both big and small, pushing boundaries and becoming role models for generations. Emily Nasrallah was a writer, journalist, teacher and women’s rights activist
How do you relax?
Yoga relaxes me and helps me relieve tension, especially now when we’re practically chained to laptops and desks. I enjoy learning more about music and the history of famous music bands and genres.
What is favourite book?
The Perks of Being a Wallflower - I think I've read it more than 7 times
What is your favourite Arabic film?
Hala2 Lawen (Translation: Where Do We Go Now?) by Nadine Labaki
What is favourite English film?
Mamma Mia
Best piece of advice to someone looking for a career at Google?
If you’re interested in a career at Google, deep dive into the different career paths and pinpoint the space you want to join. When you know your space, you’re likely to identify the skills you need to develop.
The%20specs
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Fixtures
Tuesday - 5.15pm: Team Lebanon v Alger Corsaires; 8.30pm: Abu Dhabi Storms v Pharaohs
Wednesday - 5.15pm: Pharaohs v Carthage Eagles; 8.30pm: Alger Corsaires v Abu Dhabi Storms
Thursday - 4.30pm: Team Lebanon v Pharaohs; 7.30pm: Abu Dhabi Storms v Carthage Eagles
Friday - 4.30pm: Pharaohs v Alger Corsaires; 7.30pm: Carthage Eagles v Team Lebanon
Saturday - 4.30pm: Carthage Eagles v Alger Corsaires; 7.30pm: Abu Dhabi Storms v Team Lebanon
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One in four Americans don't plan to retire
Nearly a quarter of Americans say they never plan to retire, according to a poll that suggests a disconnection between individuals' retirement plans and the realities of ageing in the workforce.
Experts say illness, injury, layoffs and caregiving responsibilities often force older workers to leave their jobs sooner than they'd like.
According to the poll from The Associated Press-NORC Centre for Public Affairs Research, 23 per cent of workers, including nearly two in 10 of those over 50, don't expect to stop working. Roughly another quarter of Americans say they will continue working beyond their 65th birthday.
According to government data, about one in five people 65 and older was working or actively looking for a job in June. The study surveyed 1,423 adults in February this year.
For many, money has a lot to do with the decision to keep working.
"The average retirement age that we see in the data has gone up a little bit, but it hasn't gone up that much," says Anqi Chen, assistant director of savings research at the Centre for Retirement Research at Boston College. "So people have to live in retirement much longer, and they may not have enough assets to support themselves in retirement."
When asked how financially comfortable they feel about retirement, 14 per cent of Americans under the age of 50 and 29 per cent over 50 say they feel extremely or very prepared, according to the poll. About another four in 10 older adults say they do feel somewhat prepared, while just about one-third feel unprepared.
"One of the things about thinking about never retiring is that you didn't save a whole lot of money," says Ronni Bennett, 78, who was pushed out of her job as a New York City-based website editor at 63.
She searched for work in the immediate aftermath of her layoff, a process she describes as akin to "banging my head against a wall." Finding Manhattan too expensive without a steady stream of income, she eventually moved to Portland, Maine. A few years later, she moved again, to Lake Oswego, Oregon. "Sometimes I fantasise that if I win the lottery, I'd go back to New York," says Ms Bennett.
Panipat
Director Ashutosh Gowariker
Produced Ashutosh Gowariker, Rohit Shelatkar, Reliance Entertainment
Cast Arjun Kapoor, Sanjay Dutt, Kriti Sanon, Mohnish Behl, Padmini Kolhapure, Zeenat Aman
Rating 3 /5 stars
Palestine and Israel - live updates
Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE squad
Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind
Fixtures
Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE
bundesliga results
Mainz 0 Augsburg 1 (Niederlechner 1')
Schalke 1 (Caligiuri pen 51') Bayer Leverkusen 1 (Miranda og 81')
Company profile
Name: Infinite8
Based: Dubai
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Number of employees: 90
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RESULTS
5pm: Maiden | Dh80,000 | 1,600m
Winner: AF Al Moreeb, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer)
5.30pm: Handicap | Dh80,000 | 1,600m
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7pm: Shadwell Farm for Private Owners Handicap | Dh70,000 | 2,200m
Winner: Nawwaf KB, Patrick Cosgrave, Helal Al Alawi
7.30pm: Handicap (TB) | Dh100,000 | 1,600m
Winner: Treasured Times, Bernardo Pinheiro, Rashed Bouresly
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More from Neighbourhood Watch:
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Lexus LX700h specs
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Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
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Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
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North Pole stats
Distance covered: 160km
Temperature: -40°C
Weight of equipment: 45kg
Altitude (metres above sea level): 0
Terrain: Ice rock
South Pole stats
Distance covered: 130km
Temperature: -50°C
Weight of equipment: 50kg
Altitude (metres above sea level): 3,300
Terrain: Flat ice