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Iran's presidential runoff is taking place between reformist candidate Masoud Pezeshkian and hardliner Saeed Jalili. The election follows the death of President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash and comes at a time of opposition to Iran's ruling clerical establishment. The low turnout in the first round of voting highlighted the crisis of legitimacy facing the Islamic Republic. Pezeshkian gained support in rural areas, but he must convince disillusioned voters to support him in order to secure a reformist victory. The outcome of the election may also have implications for Iran's relationship with the US, particularly if Donald Trump returns as president. [Extracted from the article]

Iran's presidential runoff will take place between reformist candidate Masoud Pezeshkian and anti-Western Islamist Saeed Jalili. The two candidates have been campaigning on issues such as the nuclear deal, internet censorship, and the struggling economy. The election comes at a time of opposition to Iran's ruling clerical establishment and amid conflict in the Middle East. The low turnout in the first round of voting highlights the crisis of legitimacy facing the Islamic Republic. Regardless of the outcome, the majority of Iranians have little faith in the governing system. [Extracted from the article]

Chinese state media has published an article comparing President Xi Jinping to the paramount leader Deng Xiaoping, highlighting Xi's accomplishments in market and economic reforms. The article aims to dispel skepticism over China's growth outlook and boost confidence in the country's economy. It emphasizes Xi's central role in leading the economy out of Covid slumps and portrays him as a reformer similar to Deng, who transformed China into an economic powerhouse. The article also mentions Xi's performance during the recent National People's Congress meeting and a party conclave in 2013 as significant milestones in China's reform. [Extracted from the article]

The Swiss shell-company industry, which has long provided a haven for the global wealthy seeking to hide their money, is now facing a threat to its secrecy. The Swiss government is pursuing a draft law that would require firms to disclose their true owners and lawyers to report suspicious transactions. This move is in response to international criticism that Switzerland is not doing enough to combat tax evasion and money laundering. However, lawyers argue that the proposed law is vague and infringes on attorney-client privilege. The outcome of the debate on this bill will determine the future of Swiss legal secrecy. [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg) -- China's former Premier Li Keqiang, who gained a reputation as a reformer but later found himself sidelined by President Xi Jinping, died of a heart attack just months after stepping down as the nation's No. 2 official. It also highlighted Li's work under Xi's leadership and noted Li's continued backing of Xi after stepping down as premier, saying he "firmly supported" anti-corruption efforts, without further elaborating. [Extracted from the article]

Despite being eligible to stay on the seven-member Politburo Standing Committee, Li was left off China's most powerful body and replaced as premier by a Xi ally, Li Qiang. (Bloomberg) -- China's former Premier Li Keqiang, who gained a reputation as a reformer but later found himself sidelined by President Xi Jinping, died of a heart attack just months after stepping down as the nation's No. 2 official. [Extracted from the article]

Dubbed "Stock Holding Li" or "Mr Stockmarket" for his bold advocacy of introducing a joint-stock shareholding system to reform state-owned enterprises in the 1980s, Li was regarded as having provided a theoretical basis for China's stock markets, which began in 1990. Born in 1930 in eastern China's Nanjing city, Li began teaching at Peking University, his alma mater in 1955. "During the six years I was in the countryside, my views about China's economy changed", Li told the New York Times in a profile in 1989. [Extracted from the article]

Carmichael, who is Black and gay, said he got the gig presenting the awards on NBC because of his race. (Bloomberg) -- The Golden Globe awards returned to television, facing the scandals that caused its yearlong hiatus head on. [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg) -- The woman who purged Ukraine's financial industry has a message to investors and the next generation of reformers: proceed with caution. Valeriya Gontareva, who as central bank governor between 2014 and 2017 led the overhaul that included nationalization of the country's biggest lender, has come under repeated attack. [Extracted from the article]

U.S. trade negotiators appeal to pro-market voices in Beijing China's most powerful leader since Mao Zedong has only consolidated control over state-owned enterprises and strategic technology sectors, despite promoting perceived economic reformers, such as top trade negotiator, Vice Premier Liu He. [Extracted from the article]

A month ago, Zelensky sought out Danilyuk as he had Abromavicius. If Zelensky wins, it will depend on what role Abromavicius and Danilyuk play on his team. Poroshenko's willingness to let them go opened a door for Zelensky, whose shows have a distinctly post-Soviet flavor, to appeal to patriotic ex-Poroshenko loyalists who would like the country to become more European. [Extracted from the article]

A growing body of evidence links the suspects identified by Turkey in the disappearance of the Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi to the Saudi government led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. When it comes to social change, the prince is unquestionably a major reformer and a largely progressive one. [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg View) -- Poland's Original Reformer Sounds an Alarm: Leonid Bershidsky But to be efficient, the investment push has to occur in the private sector, and in Poland, that would require a higher rate of savings or even more foreign investment. [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg View) -- Trump Is the New Asset for Political Reformers: Albert R. Hunt "Trump is the most unethical president we've had in the modern era", charges Eisen, who was the White House ethics counsel under President Barack Obama. [Extracted from the article]

This was the month that Republicans were going to sell voters on tax reform. Will the Trump administration's tax bill, expected in September, be revenue-neutral or deficit-neutral? Republicans might also try to lengthen the 10-year deficit window, though that wouldn't be easy. [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg View) -- Iranians Re-Elect a Fake Reformer in a Fake Election: Eli Lake The reason Rouhani's speech though is so relevant to Iran today is because, in public at least, the president of Iran has changed his tune. [Extracted from the article]

Ukraine's "No. 1 Reformer" Says She's Done at Central Bank (1) Gontareva asks president to accept her resignation "soon" Gontareva curbed inflation from a peak of 60 percent, stabilized the hryvnia and cleaned up a banking sector dominated by oligarch-owned banks by shutting down more than 80 toxic lenders. [Extracted from the article]

Guo held other financial-sector roles, including CSRC chairman China has appointed financial-sector expert Guo Shuqing as the new head of the nation's banking regulator, according to people familiar with the matter. [Extracted from the article]

Gerb reiterates call for early elections, Tsvetanov says Bulgaria's ruling Gerb party and the Reformers' Bloc failed to agree on a new cabinet, reiterating their demand for a snap vote after Prime Minister Boyko Borissov resigned last month. Plevneliev offered the bloc to form a cabinet a week ago after Borissov's Gerb and the opposition Socialists refused to compose a government and advocated for early elections. [Extracted from the article]

Emmanuel Macron resigned from his job as President Francois Hollande's economy minister, fueling speculation he's planning to enter the race to replace his former boss next year. Attribution Mark Deen: by reporter Geraldine Amiel: assist Fergal O'Brien: editor responsible Ben Sills: editor Alan Crawford: editor responsible Helene Fouquet: by reporter Flavia Krause-Jackson: editor. [Extracted from the article]

Anti-graft efforts in focus after IMF warns aid may be halted Attribution Balazs Penz: editor responsible Daryna Krasnolutska: by reporter James M. Gomez: editor responsible Paul Abelsky: editor Kateryna Choursina: by reporter Andrew Langley: editor. [Extracted from the article]

Iran has disqualified a grandson of the late Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic, from running in next month's race for the assembly that chooses the country's next supreme leader. Attribution Amy Teibel: editor Karl Maier: editor Ladane Nasseri: by reporter Alaa Shahine: editor responsible. [Extracted from the article]

The ruling ANC could feel impact at local elections next year Top ANC officials are worried that political patronage is tarnishing the party once led by Nelson Mandela and eroding its public support, pitting them against provincial leaders who want looser control of the Treasury. The president's staunchest support comes from a group of governors and party leaders in four rural provinces known within the ANC and the media as the Premier League. [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg Businessweek) -- A Microsoft Alum Is Now Ukraine's Chief Reformer A Microsoft Alum Is Now Ukraine's Chief Reformer Boris Lozhkin, Poroshenko's former media business partner, is now the president's chief of staff, and Yuriy Kosyuk, who owns Ukraine's largest agricultural operation, is Poroshenko's first deputy chief of staff. [Extracted from the article]

Khatami had supported Mousavi and Karrubi when they challenged Ahmadinejad in 2009, and he endorsed Rouhani, whose campaign included pledges for greater civil liberties, in the 2013 election. Attribution Amy Teibel: editor Kambiz Foroohar: by reporter Ladane Nasseri: by reporter Mark Williams: editor Alaa Shahine: editor responsible. [Extracted from the article]

While that proposal fell flat, Zhou and his allies began a campaign for the yuan to join the IMF's SDR unit. "If we look back, Governor Zhou Xiaochuan stayed on the post to accomplish this mission", Lu Feng, economics professor at Peking University, said of the yuan's status as a global reserve currency. [Extracted from the article]

Born in Dongping, Shandong, Wan held administrative positions during China's war with Japan and the subsequent civil war between the Communist Party and Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalists. Like Deng, Wan was rehabilitated toward the end of Mao's reign, becoming Beijing's party chief and then the railway minister. His tennis partners included former U.S. President George H.W. Bush, who served as chief of the U.S. liaison office in China before the two countries established diplomatic ties, as well as former Australian Prime Minister Robert Hawke, according to a Xinhua report. [Extracted from the article]

FIFA is now fully into a crisis that took down Blatter and threatens the future of the organization that owns the World Cup, which generated almost all of the ruling body's $5 billion revenue over four years through the 2014 edition. Even so, Scala will have to convince a majority of FIFA's 209 member nations to go along, the very Congress that has supported Blatter for 17 years. [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg Politics) -- Doug Hughes, the Campaign Finance Reformer Nobody Knew Doug Hughes, the Campaign Finance Reformer Nobody Knew. [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg View) -- Democrats Should Nab Conservative Reformers' Ideas: Clive Crook Especially after Eric Cantor's primary defenestration, the Republican Party in its current mood is unlikely to get excited about the reformers' manifesto, because it's mainly a plan for smarter, not smaller, government. [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg Politics) -- Ferguson's Lopsided Criminal Penalties for African Americans, and What They Mean for Libertarian Reformers Court records show that she twice attempted to make partial payments of $25 and $50, but the court returned those payments, refusing to accept anything less than payment in full. [Extracted from the article]

Media reports cast the new men in charge of the two most populous countries - Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping - as once-in-a-generation reformers who could streamline their lumbering economies by slashing state enterprises and reducing waste. Modi, Xi, and every other supposedly visionary new leader across the developing world won't dislodge state capitalism or seriously liberalize their economies. [Extracted from the article]