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16 Pages Price 20,000 Rials 1.00 EURO 4.00 AED 39th year No.13285 Sunday DECEMBER 23, 2018 Dey 2, 1397 Rabi’ Al thani 15, 1440 Zarif says S. Arabia is Baqeri-Darmani, Team Melli want to ’s National Orchestra source of problems in corrupt tycoon, win Asian Cup title: to perform Azarbaijan

the region 2 executed 2 Beiranvand 15 music concert in 16

‘South Pars development phases to be complete by 2020’ By Mahnaz Abdi divided into 24 standard phases of IRGC holds military TEHRAN — All development phases development in the first stage. Most of Iran’s South Pars gas field, except for of the phases are fully operational phase 11, will be completed by the end of at the moment. the next Iranian calendar year (March POGC is in charge of implementing 20, 2020), Mohammad Meshkinfam, the development phases of the huge offshore managing director of Pars Oil and Gas field, which is estimated to contain a sig- Company (POGC), announced in a press nificant amount of natural gas, account- drills in Persian Gulf conference on Saturday. ing for about eight percent of the world’s South Pars, which Iran shares reserves, and approximately 18 billion General Pakpour says Iran’s ‘operational doctrine is offensive’ with Qatar in the Persian Gulf, is barrels of condensate. 4 See page 2 Tehran: U.S. military presence ‘wrong’ from the outset POLITICS TEHRAN – Irani- been one of the key contributors to in- deskan Foreign Ministry stability and insecurity in the region,” said spokesman Bahram Qassemi has welcomed Qassemi, the Foreign Ministry website U.S. President ’s decision reported on Saturday. to withdraw American forces from Syria, “A careful study of the history of the saying the U.S. military presence in the regional developments in recent decades Middle East fuels insecurity in the region. until now shows that the presence of foreign “Basically, U.S. forces’ arrival and pres- elements in this important and sensitive ence in the region was a wrong, illogical, region under different pretexts has only tension-provoking and crisis-inducing resulted in tension and intensification of move from the outset, and has always divisions,” he said. 2

UNSC authorizes truce monitors for Yemen’s Hudaydah

Mohammad Khodabakhsh The Security Council The warring parties in Yemen -- the (UNSC) has voted unanimously to au- country’s Houthi Ansarullah movement thorize the deployment of UN monitors and the armed militia loyal to former Yem- to observe the implementation of a new- eni president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi ly-agreed ceasefire in Yemen’s vital port of -- reached an agreement on a ceasefire

Tehran Times/ Tehran Times/ Hudaydah and the pullout of rival forces in the Red Sea Houthi-held port on De- from the flashpoint area. cember 13. 13

ARTICLE The atmosphere is not conducive to sustaining agreements about Yemen: Falk ARTICLE Syed Zafar Mehdi Former United Nations High Com- Martin Love Journalist EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW By Javad Heirannia missioner for Human Rights says “It is Political analyst from from New Delhi likely that on the Saudi side, especial- North Carolina TEHRAN — Richard Anderson Falk, ly in the aftermath of the Khashoggi professor emeritus of international law at murder there was a serious concern Farce of ‘reforms’ Princeton University, believes “the opening about being blamed for another major of the port cities of Al Hudaydah and Sanaa, humanitarian catastrophe if the ports U.S. may be in Saudi: extra- both covered by the Stockholm Agreement, remained closed.” handle up to 80% of humanitarian imports of Following is the full text of the interview: bumping up against judicial executions food and medicine. At this point, according Stockholm talks in Sweden led to a the limit of its to the most reliable international sources, cease-fire agreement in Al Hudaydah and double under MBS 17.8 million Yemenis out of a population of other agreements. What do you think about “empire” schemes 22.2 million are on the brink of starvation.” these agreements? 7 he grandiloquent talk of ‘reforms’ ay Dalio, head of Bridgewater, the in Saudi Arabia had dominated the largest and one of the most most popular discourse in the West af- ‘Yemeni people have had enough of Saudi interference in their domestic affairs’ successful hedge funds in the U.S., terT crown prince Mohammad bin Salman R By Syed Zafar Mehdi making mockery of the ceasefire agreement. Sau- against foreign aggression and he is also a noted and no fool when it comes to finance and (MBS) engineered an unprecedented purge di-led coalition has violated the ceasefire at least 59 commentator on affairs. economic matters, has warned that because of his own family late last year and seized TEHRAN — Following the week-long UN-brokered times since Thursday, launching deadly airstrikes In an interview to Tehran Times, Mr. Agerhus of the expansion of debt both personal control of the palace. peace talks in Sweden, Yemen’s warring parties in the residential areas of Hudeidah. spoke about the ceasefire facilitated by the UN, and governmental the country might be The much-hyped ‘reforms’, which only agreed to an immediate ceasefire in Hudeidah city Rune Agerhus is the chairman of International how Saudi-led coalition violated the truce, hu- facing sooner or later an inflationary debt palace insiders had inkling of, made MBS an and the ports of Hudeidah, Ras Issa and Saleef. Solidarity Committee with Yemen (ISCY) and manitarian situation in the war-ravaged country crisis that could see the value of the dollar overnight ‘darling’ in the West. That was until However, less than 24 hours after the landmark editor-in-chief of Uprising Today Media. His and why the world needs to speak in one voice decline by 30 percent or more. dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi came truce was announced by UN chief Antonio Guterres, work is mainly focused on the Yemeni struggle against the Saudi war crimes in Yemen. 6 This is an ominous warning, and into the picture and punctured the balloon Saudi-led coalition jets again bombarded Hudeidah, from the standpoint of geopolitics, if a of make-believe ‘reforms’. The crown prince crisis ever occurs, it will have immense stands exposed today. His crown has stains The turbulent sea of Europe ramifications for geopolitics – especially of blood. His disgraceful fall from grace was starting point of which has been “France”. It beginning of the economic crisis in Europe) By Hanif Ghafari on the U.S. capacity to project military inevitable but nobody would have possibly might have been supposed that the new wave we have seen severe austerity policies being TEHRAN — As it could be expected, the current power and even apply odious sanctions thought that it would come so soon. of general crisis in Europe would start from adopted in the Green Continent. After 11 years, protests in France against Emmanuel Macron’s on other countries like Iran. In a latest report, demolishing the ‘re- countries such as Greece and Spain (which such policies led to nothing but a rollback of policies didn’t come to an end, but we’re rather Triple-digit inflation has taken hold forms’ charade, a report by a UK-based are the main symbols of the economic crisis the United Europe, and the continuation of witnessing the spread of these protests to other in countries across the globe by storm human rights group has revealed that ex- in the Eurozone). the crisis in the Eurozone. France’s unrests parts of Europe. The anti-capitalist protest of in 2018. Argentina, Iran, Turkey, Sudan, ecutions in Saudi Arabia have doubled during However, we can see that this time, the wave had also affected the Benelux region (Belgium, the French citizens is now spreading to other Zimbabwe and Venezuela and others have the crown prince’s eight months in power. was started from Paris! Undoubtedly, the scope of Holland and Luxembourg). Obviously, some European countries, including the Netherlands all suffered economic and financial blows According to a report by Reprieve, there this crisis is far more extensive than the previous other European countries, including Spain, Italy and Belgium. this year, and in the U.S. virtually every were 133 executions in Saudi Arabia between socio-economic crises in Europe, and Europe- and Greece, will face new upcoming events. According to many European analysts, market – real estate, stocks and bonds June 2017 and March 2018, compared to an authorities are going to have a hard line in These countries continue to pursue austeri- the unrests will also reach other member -- has declined except for the cash dollar. just 67 in eight months prior to that. Among managing the new crisis. ty policies to reduce public spending, reduce states of the Eurozone. In this case, European On top of this, Donald Trump has done those executed have been poor and hapless The fact is that since 2007 (the time for the external debt and etc. officials will face with a massive crisis, the 7 something this month no one predicted migrants forced into smuggling drugs. – announced a withdrawal of some 2000 Almost 150 foreign workers, mostly troops from Syria, which marks a conces- from South Asia, were executed in the sion, if it happens, that the U.S. lost its kingdom during 2018, the report said, Makhmal Kuh: war with its allied and various terrorist bringing into spotlight Saudi regime’s groups on Syria and the Assad government. dismal human rights record. It should be noted that Trump probably Since 2014, the report said, there have rugged, towering won the Presidential election in 2016 because he been nearly 700 extra-judicial executions claimed to want to pull the U.S. out of military in the country. This year, on an average, mountain of engagements in the Middle East, and seemed 13 executions took place every month, to recognize that the war in , the which shot up to 27 executions in July. “velvet”! longest by far in U.S. history, was accomplishing Maya Foa, Reprieve Director, said despite nothing and could not be “won”. promises of ‘reform’ from the crown prince, Makhmal Kuh, literary meaning velvet Trump has also announced plans to halve the kingdom is executing drug offenders at mountain, is an eye-catching and popular the number of U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan. an alarmingly high rate, including many mount that dominates Khorramabad, the In announcing the withdrawal from Syria, teenagers, without following the interna- capital of Lorestan province, western Iran. he also claimed the U.S. had defeated ISIS tionally established legal norms. The name “velvet” comes from what and therefore implying that the U.S. had Commenting on the murder of Saudi the natural scenery induces its passersby no reason to linger in Syria – even though journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Foa said the to think about, “A foothill beneath velvet everyone knows that the U.S. (and Israel’s) diabolical crime “exposed the brutality of blankets”! aim in Syria was to destroy the Assad gov- Saudi Arabia’s rulers to the world”. “Now Such conception stems from the fact ernment and leave Syria in chaos and ruin the kingdom must be held to account for its Ali Karimi that Makhmal Kuh, which has a sedimen- -- something that was almost accomplished use of the death penalty, as political pris- tary texture, is heavily dominated with were it not for the assistance Russia and oners and vulnerable economic migrants IRNA/ lichen and moss that range from green Iran and even Hizballah rendered to the await the executioner’s blade,” she said in to black colors. Syria people. 7 a statement. 6 I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y POLITICS DECEMBER 23, 2018 MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS Jahangiri IRGC holds military drills felicitates Qatar on National Day in Persian Gulf POLITICS TEHRAN — Vice President Es’haq POLITICS TEHRAN — The Islamic The news agency also said a commer- deskJahangiri on Monday congratulated deskRevolution Guard Corps cial-grade drone was also said to have Qatar on National Day and called for expansion of re- (IRGC) held on Saturday military drills flown by, and one Iranian ship could be lations between Tehran and Doha. in the general region of the Persian Gulf, seen with photographers and journalists In his message to the Qatari Prime Minister Abdullah displaying the defensive and deterrent observing the aircraft carrier. bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani, Jahangiri underlined power of Iran. “The Iranian craft drove in front of our the importance of connections between the Iranian and The drills were last stage of the 12th ship and stopped and tried to capture their Qatari governments, Mehr reported. Payambar-e Azam military exercises the first own sort of picture of what was going on,” He expressed the hope that bilateral relations would stage of which had started on December 15 said Navy Captain Randy Peck, command- continue to develop, and peace and security would expand in the central parts of Iran with participa- ing officer of Stennis, told the AP. among Islamic and regional countries under cooperation tion of rapid reaction units, airborne units, “We are trying to be more operationally between the two sides. demolition and combat units, mid-range unpredictable,” said Lt. Chloe Morgan, Qatar National Day is a commemoration of Qatar’s uni- missiles, commandos and special forces. a spokeswoman for the fifth fleet based fication in 1878. It is celebrated annually on December 18. The drills took on Qeshm Island, just off in Bahrain. the coast of southern Hormozgan province “Now we’re switching it up because our Bioterrorism and in the Strait of Hormuz, where roughly adversaries are watching closely. We want one-third of the world’s oil passes through. to be operationally unpredictable to our attacks always Anti-helicopter mines (AHM) were enemies, but strategically predictable to probable: tested in the drills for the first time. our partners.” The anti-armored units of the IRGC The U.S. Navy, it said, invited journalists general Ground Force exercised operations to regain to ride on the nuclear-powered Stennis, the regions occupied by the mock enemy. whose homeport is Bremerton, Washing- POLITICS TEHRAN — Many countries conduct According to the Fars news agency, the ton, as it transited the Strait of Hormuz. deskbioterrorism attacks to advance their BMP personnel carriers were unloaded Despite being so narrow and within economic goals, so such attacks are always probable, head from a landing craft and entered the coastal the territorial of Iran and Oman, of the Civil Defense Organization said on Saturday. areas to evacuate the commandos to free the strait is viewed as an international In an interview with IRNA, Brigadier General Gholam Reza the occupied territories. transit route. Jalali said bioterrorism is used to weaken the infrastructures the operational level, these maneuvers are the commander of the Khatam al-Anbiya The T72 tanks of the IRGC Ground Force Tensions have risen since President of a government, warning that such threats have also targeted offensive, meaning should the enemy seek headquarters, also said that Iran’s armed also advanced towards the freed areas by Donald Trump’s withdrawal from the commanders, authorities and leaders of different countries. to resort to threat and its implementation, forces are prepared to counter “any kind leaving their positions in coastal areas and 2015 nuclear deal and his threat to bring “Yasser Arafat, former president of the Palestinian National it will prompt us to turn thoroughly ag- of threat”. conducting operations. Iran’s oil exports down to zero. Authority, and Chavez, former president of Venezuela, gressive and offensive, and pursue targets “Power of Islamic Republic’s armed forc- ‘Iran’s operational doctrine is President Hassan Rouhani has repeatedly were supposedly killed through bioterrorism,” Jalali added. deep inside the enemy front.” es is within the framework of the country’s offensive’ IRGC chief: Iran’s defense power national interests and can counter any kind warned any attempt to stop Iran’s export Mohammad Pakpour, commander of is deterrent of threat,” he explained. of crude oil could see it close off the strait. Albania has no the IRGC Ground Force, told reporters Commenting on the military exercises, U.S. aircraft carrier Stennis Pakpour on Friday asserted that the embassy in Iran on the southern Qeshm Island that Iran’s Mohammad Ali Jafari, the IRGC chief, said shows up amid drills IRGC is fully prepared to preserve the doctrine at operational level is “offensive”. Iran’s defense power is deterrent. The drills coincided with the return country’s sovereignty and stand in the It was the first time that Iran conducted “The drills were response to the ene- of U.S. aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis face of “all forms of conspiracy”. an offensive operation. mies’ claims and they should know that to the Persian Gulf on Friday after a long “We pose no threat to any country but “The Islamic Republic’s strategy is de- defense power of the Islamic Republic of absence, Press TV reported. if the enemies seek to implement their POLITICS TEHRAN — Since Albania does not have fensive in principle. However, our doctrines Iran is deterrent,” he said as he inspected The Associated Press reported that malicious intentions and attack us we will deskan embassy in Iran, it is not possible to at operational tactical levels are offensive. the scene of war games exercises. some 30 IRGC vessels reportedly fol- be absolutely aggressive and attack the en- make a diplomatic move in retaliation for the expulsion All the tactics displayed in this drill were He added, “We hope the enemies have more lowed the carrier and its accompany- emies with all might and we are practicing of two Iranian diplomats from Tirana, Foreign Ministry offensive,” he stated. than ever grasped the power of our response.” ing warships, at one point launching these tactics in these exercises,” Pakpour spokesman Bahram Qassemi said on Saturday. According to Press TV, he added, “On Major General Gholam Ali Rashid, rockets nearby. asserted. Qassemi’s remarks came after an IRNA correspondent asked him why the Foreign Ministry has not adopted a recip- rocal measure to expel Albanian diplomats after the Iranian diplomats were expelled from the European country, the Zarif says S. Arabia is source of problems in the region ministry website reported. POLITICS TEHRAN — Iranian Foreign Minister ‘When did we say we want to annihilate Israel?’ Since the 1990s, Iran opened an embassy in Tirana, but deskMohammad Javad Zarif has said that Zarif also said that nobody in Iran has said that the for economic reasons Albania could not afford to open an Saudi Arabia is source of problems in the Middle East Islamic Republic is seeking to “annihilate” Israel. embassy in Iran, he added. region, ISNA reported on Saturday. “When did we say we want to annihilate Israel? Find “Saudi Arabia is the problem of our region,” Zarif said one person that has said so. Nobody has said that,” he said. Ambassador in an interview with Le Point published on Thursday. He noted that Imam Khomeini, founder of the Islamic Zarif said, “What has happened to the region is Republic, had said that Israel will be wiped out from rejects rumors not a result of what we have done, but what Riyadh the map because of the policies it follows. of Tehran- is doing.” ‘U.S. will not achieve its objectives through Zarif, who has repeatedly said Iran is ready to sanctions’ Washington talks heal wounds with Riyadh, said “This country makes Zarif also said that the U.S. has imposed sanctions efforts, with support of the U.S., France and Britain, on Iran to exert pressure on the people and make the POLITICS TEHRAN — Iran’s Ambassador to the UK to wipe off Iran from the Middle East or at least desk country change its policies, however, Washington will Hamid Baeidinejad on Saturday rejected isolate it.” not reach its objectives. rumors of talks between Tehran and Washington in London The chief diplomat added, “Any action taken by Saudi U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew Washington as “downright lies”. Arabia at anywhere is aimed at enmity towards Iran, unilaterally from the nuclear deal in May and ordered “Some news outlets have quoted Kuwait’s Al-Jarida while its policies have never yielded to any result.” sanctions against Iran. The first round of sanctions went newspaper as claiming that some Iranian and American In contrast to Saudi rulers, the foreign minister said, “It is the Saudis who has sought to cause us harm into force on August 6 and the second round, which diplomats have met secretly in London and that the Yem- Iran has never sought to wipe off Saudi Arabia from and since they cannot succeed they accuse us of ex- targets Iran’s oil exports and banks, were snapped back eni talks in Sweden were the result of such meetings. This the region. pansionism.” on November 4. news stories are downright lies and are completely denied,” Baeidinejad said in a tweet. According to IRNA, Al-Jarida newspaper has reported that the agreements between the warring Yemeni sides were Israel’s crimes must be exposed to the world: Larijani the result of secret meetings between Iranian and American POLITICS TEHRAN — Parliament ijani said in a meeting with a Palestinian head of the Palestinian delegation, said diplomats who met in London following the mediatory role deskSpeaker Ali Larijani on parliamentary delegation. the issue of Palestine unifies the world’s that European countries and Oman played. Saturday called for sustained efforts to ex- He underscored Iran’s continued support freedom fighters. pose the brutal nature of the Israeli regime for Palestine, saying it is the duty of every He thanked the Islamic Republic for its and its atrocities against the Palestinians to honorable human being to lend a helping support of the Palestinian people, saying Baqeri-Darmani, garner stronger support for the Palestinian hand to the oppressed Palestinian people. Iran’s efforts to prevent the passing of corrupt tycoon, cause, Mehr reported. “I hope all countries in the region and anti-Palestinian resolutions is admirable. “The Zionist regime’s criminal meas- the world would strengthen their support At the end of the meeting, Al-Zahar, executed ures should be exposed to the world … for Palestine, so this movement becomes who is also the co-founder of Hamas and This awareness raising will help boost stronger,” he remarked. a member of the Hamas leadership in Gaza, support for the Palestinian cause,” Lar- For his part, Mahmoud al-Zahar, the invited Larijani to visit the Gaza Strip. POLITICS TEHRAN — As part of efforts to root out deskcorruption, Hamidreza Baqeri-Darmani was executed early on Saturday on charges of “corruption on the earth”, ISNA reported. There’s mutual understanding with EU to preserve JCPOA: Russian diplomat According to his verdict, Baqeri-Darmani had committed By staff and agency laterally from the nuclear deal in May and ordered criminal acts for many years by forming a band and was There is a mutual understanding between Russia and sanctions against Iran. The first round of sanctions went charged with forgery, collusion, and bribery. the European Union to preserve the 2015 nuclear deal, into force on August 6 and the second round, which In October, the Judiciary announced that Baqeri-Darmani officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of targets Iran’s oil exports and banks, were snapped back and Vahid Mazloumin, a mogul known as the “lord of gold Action (JCPOA), Russian Permanent Representative on November 4. coins”, had been sentenced to death. Mazloumin was exe- to the EU said on Friday. Russia, China, and the European Union trio – Ger- cuted in November. “Extensive contacts continue, we have a rather high many, France and Britain – are the remaining parties Since late August, Iran’s Judiciary has been holding level of mutual understanding,” TASS quoted Vladimir of the agreement. public trials for individuals involved in major economic Chizhov as saying. European Union has offered an initiative named corruption cases. He said that Russia and the EU continue to maintain the special purpose vehicle (SPV) which is intended to extensive contacts concerning the implementation of protect trade with Iran against U.S. sanctions. Azeri the nuclear deal. EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini has said “We are in close contact with the EU. Brussels is that the SPV meant to help companies do business with parliament considering a special mechanism that will make it Iran will be completed by the end of the year. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said speaker to visit possible to continue cooperating with Iran,” he added. During a meeting with Iranian Deputy Foreign that Moscow makes efforts to boost cooperation with President Donald Trump withdrew the U.S. uni- Minister for Political Affairs Abbas Araqchi on Friday, Iran and support the country against the U.S. sanctions. Iran POLITICS TEHRAN — Ogtay Asadov, speaker of deskthe National Assembly of Azerbaijan, will Tehran: U.S. military presence ‘wrong’ from pay an official visit to Iran in the near future in a bid to boost Tehran-Baku relations in all spheres. Heading a high-ranking parliamentary delegation, Asa- the outset dov would travel to Tehran upon an official invitation from 1 Trump on Wednesday announced Trump’s decision was met with a “I’ve been campaigning on it for years, Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani, Tasnim reported. that U.S. troops had defeated the Daesh major backlash in America, leading and six months ago, when I very publicly During his two-day visit, the Azeri parliament speaker terrorists in Syria and he sought to pull to the resignation of his military chief wanted to do it, I agreed to stay longer. will hold talks with Larijani and President Hassan Rouhani some 2,000 U.S. troops out of Syria. James Mattis. Russia, Iran, Syria & others are the lo- and some other Iranian officials. “We have defeated ISIS in Syria, my The U.S. president defended his move, cal enemy of ISIS. We were doing there Iran and the Republic of Azerbaijan have accelerated efforts only reason for being there during the saying, “Getting out of Syria was no sur- work. Time to come home & rebuild,” in recent years to forge closer partnership in various areas. Trump Presidency,” Trump tweeted. prise.” he tweeted on Thursday. I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y DECEMBER 23, 2018 INTERNATIONAL

Syrian rebels say U.S. troops U.S. Government partially shut down in fight over remain in key garrison near Iraq Trump’s border wall The U.S. government was partially shut down early on Saturday in a fierce dispute over President Donald Trump’s demands France vows support for Syria militants amid U.S. pullout that Congress assign $5 billion for a wall along the border with Mexico. U.S. troops have not left the strategic Tanf Separately, the French Foreign Ministry After failing to strike a budget deal on Friday, congressional garrison on the Iraq-Jordan border following said in a statement that Paris had started leaders and the White House pledged to keep talking through President Donald Trump’s decision to pull talks with Washington on the timeframe and the weekend in search of a deal to end the shutdown ahead out of Syria, the leader of a Pentagon-backed conditions for the U.S.’s Syria withdrawal. of the Christmas holiday. rebel group there said on Saturday. Meanwhile, Turkey, which has opposed The impasse came after Trump threw a wrench into the Colonel Muhanad al Talaa, leader of American support for the SDF because it be- works earlier in the week by refusing to agree to a short-term Maghawir al-Thawra whose several hundred lieves they are the same group as the outlawed funding deal cut by Democratic and Republican senators fighters work alongside U.S. troops at the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), stressed because it did not include the $5 billion for his border wall. Tanf camp, said although they were notified that it would take over the fight against Daesh The U.S. House of Representatives, where Republicans of Washington’s decision, the situation on in Syria. have a majority until Democrats take over on Jan. 3, then the ground remained as it was. In a speech in Istanbul, Turkish President passed a bill that including the $5 billion, but it ran aground “American troops plan to withdraw com- Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey would pletely form Syria but I don’t have details and mobilize to fight the remaining Daesh ele- things are as they are up until this moment,” ments and temporarily delay plans to attack Talaa told from the base. Kurdish militants in Syria’s northeast. The garrison is located in a strategic area American and Turkish officials told The near Syria’s Tanf border crossing with Iraq at Associated Press that Trump had made the the crossroad of a main Baghdad-Damascus decision for the Syria pullout during the highway. December 14 telephone conversation with Russia and the Syrian government have Erdogan. repeatedly called on Washington to pull its larger air bases the talks France had with U.S. authorities On Thursday, Turkish Defense Minister troops from the Tanf base, where it has de- France vows support for Syria to continue the fight against ISIL (Daesh),” General Hulusi Akar warned that Kurdish clared a 55 km (35 mile)-radius “deconflic- militants amid U.S. pullout the official added. militants operating east of the Euphrates River tion zone” which has become a safe haven A French official says his country has The remarks came two days after President would be “buried in the ditches” they dig. for at least 50,000 civilians, mostly women pledged backing for the so-called Syrian Donald Trump unexpectedly announced that “Now we have Manbij and the east of the and children, who live in the Rukban camp Democratic Forces (SDF), a U.S.-backed the U.S. would be pulling all its 2,000 forces Euphrates in front of us. We are working within it. anti-Damascus alliance of mainly Kurdish out of Syria. He also claimed victory over the intensively on this subject,” he was quoted The garrison was first set up when ISIL militants, amid the planned withdrawal of Daesh Takfiri terror outfit in the war-torn state. as saying by Anadolu news agency. terrorist group fighters controlled eastern American troops from the Arab country. However, France, a leading member of “Right now it is being said that some Syria bordering Iraq but since the militants The Elysee Palace official said that advisers the U.S.-led coalition, purportedly fighting ditches, tunnels were dug in Manbij and in the Senate and the shutdown began at midnight on Friday. were driven out, Tanf has assumed a role to French President Emmanuel Macron had Daesh in Syria, said that it would keep troops to the east of the Euphrates. They can dig After it became clear the House bill lacked the votes to pass, as part of a U.S. strategy to contain Iran’s assured SDF of their support in a meeting with in Syria. tunnels or ditches if they want, they can go Senate leaders huddled with Vice President Mike Pence and military buildup in eastern Syria. the group’s figures, including co-chairs Ilham “For now of course we remain in Syria,” underground if they want, when the time and other White House officials to try to figure out a path forward. Tanf is the only position with a significant Ahmed and Riad Darrar, in Paris on Friday. France’s European Affairs Minister Nathalie place comes, they will buried in the ditches They failed and lawmakers in both houses of Congress U.S. military presence in Syria outside the “The advisers passed on a message of sup- Loiseau said on CNews television, noting “the they dug. No one should doubt this.” were sent home. Kurdish-controlled north, where it has much port and solidarity and explained to them fight against terrorism is not over.” (Source: agencies) Trump tried to blame Democrats. “We’re going to have a shutdown. There’s nothing we can do about that because we need the Democrats to give us Respite in Paris as yellow Russia offers to host Palestine-Israel, their votes,” he said in a video posted to his account two hours before the midnight deadline. vest movement abates Hamas-Fatah meetings Democrats repeatedly reminded Trump, and voters, that he said last week he would be “proud” to shut the government down in order to get wall funding. “President Trump has thrown a temper tantrum and now has us careening toward a ‘Trump shutdown’ over Christmas,” Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said on the Senate floor on Friday. About three-quarters of federal government programs are funded through to Sept 30 next year, but the financing for all others - including the departments of Homeland Security, Justice and Agriculture - expired at midnight. Federal parks will close and more than 400,000 federal “essential” employees in those agencies will work without pay until the dispute is resolved. Another 380,000 will be “furloughed”, meaning they are put on temporary leave. Law enforcement efforts, border patrols, mail delivery and airport operations will keep running. Impasse The yellow vest protests, which have brought which had closed a couple of weeks back, Russia has officially proposed to organize Maliki, in turn, said the Palestinian side For the shutdown to end, both the House and the Senate particular chaos to Paris over the past few remained open. a meeting between chief Palestinian and is always ready to accept the Russian invi- will have to approve any deal negotiated between Trump’s weeks, clearly abated Saturday, as the One reason why the heat has been taken Israeli officials as part of wider efforts to tation to hold a meeting with Israelis, the team and Republican and Democratic leaders. Christmas holiday season begins in earnest. out of the protests relates to the conces- resolve the conflict between the two sides. Palestinian news agency Wafa reported. The shutdown could persist at least until a new Congress The number of protesters demonstrating sions from French President Emmanuel The announcement was made by Rus- He said Palestinian President Mahmoud convenes on Jan. 3, and Democrats take control of the House on Paris’ Champs Elysees is down sharply Macron. They include tax-free overtime sian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Abbas had accepted the initiative of Rus- from Republicans. That does not necessarily mean, however, on recent weeks as an appeal for a sixth and a freeze on gas and electricity prices Friday at a press conference held after a sian President Vladimir Putin to organize that Trump would agree to a compromise. straight Saturday of protests across France this winter. The measures are expected to meeting with his Palestinian counterpart a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Ben- The shutdown comes at the end of a perilous week for appeared to fall on deaf ears. cost an estimated 10 billion euros ($1.14 Riyad al-Maliki in Moscow. jamin Netanyahu in Russia, but the idea the president, one that saw Defense Secretary James Mattis In a stark contrast to the chaos of pre- billion). “We see the desire of some external was rejected by the Israeli side. resign in protest after Trump’s sudden decision to pull U.S. vious weekends, tourists strolled down the Much of France, but particularly Paris, players to push the Palestinian problem Maliki further called on Russia and troops out of Syria. avenue near the Arc de Triomphe and per- has endured weeks of protest by a nation- into the background, depriving it of priority the international community to pressure The Syria move was widely criticized, even by senior haps the grandest of Parisian boulevards wide movement that at times descended in regional affairs,” Lavrov said. Israel to abide by its agreements with the Republicans in Congress. And continued heavy losses in remained open for traffic. into violence. Ten people have died since To counter such attempts, the speed- Palestinians and comply with the relevant the stock market were in part fueled by the political turmoil. Despite the more benign backdrop, the the start of the movement mid-November, iest restoration of Palestinian unity is of international resolutions. While Trump made the promise of building a border wall protests are still having a knock-on effect. mostly in traffic accidents. According to particular importance, he said. The Palestinian minister also stressed the a fixture of his 2016 election campaign, it is not a top-tier The palace of Versailles just outside several reports in French media, a man He also expressed deep concern about need for finding an international mechanism priority for most Americans. Paris, for example, has been shut for the died Friday night near the southern city the United States’ stance on the Palestinian on the basis of international references and According to a Reuters/Ipsos poll in late November, only day after yellow vest protesters said they of Perpignan after his car slammed into issue and its disregard for international resolutions, leading to a settlement based on 31 percent of those surveyed said improved border security will hold a demonstration at the famous the back of a truck that had stopped near resolutions. a two-state solution and the establishment should be one of the top three priorities for Congress. chateau that was home to succession of a group of protesters. During Friday’s talks, Lavrov recalled of an independent Palestinian state with That suggests Trump is taking a political risk by gambling French kings until the French Revolution Outside Paris, around 200 roundabouts that an intra-Palestinian dialogue was held East Jerusalem as its capital. on a shutdown to press his point at a time when Democrats are in 1789. remained occupied across the country. In in 2017, when participants discussed the The Palestinian leadership has been gearing up for their 2020 presidential primary and looking However, only a few protesters wearing southern France near the Spanish border, possibility of repeating this practice in 2019 divided between Fatah and Hamas since for issues with which to seize an advantage. their trademark vests showed up in Ver- dozens of demonstrators blocked trucks with the participation of all Palestinian 2006, when the latter scored a landslide (Source: Reuters) sailles, with most of the protesters gathering and chanted “Macron, Demission,” which factions, including Fatah and Hamas. victory in parliamentary elections in the peacefully at the foot of the Sacre-Coeur translates as “Macron, resign.” In central The Israelis do not rule out in principle Gaza Strip. Hamas has ever since been run- basilica in the picturesque Paris neighbor- France near Saint-Etienne, protesters the possibility of a meeting, but they are ning the coastal enclave, while Fatah has hood of Montmartre. blocked a major road and set fires but not yet ready to agree on a concrete date been based in the autonomous parts the Paris’ other big tourist hotspots such as shops remained open in the city center. because of the absence of unity between Israeli-occupied West Bank. Prince Talal bin Abdulaziz, the Louvre museum and the Eiffel Tower, (Source: AP) the Palestinians, Lavrov said. (Source: Press TV) long-time Saudi political reformer, has died

Palestinian shot by Israeli forces in Gaza rally succumbs to wounds Saudi Arabia’s Prince Talal bin Abdulaziz, father of billionaire A Palestinian teenage boy has died less than a day after being protest rallies began in the Gaza Strip on March 30. More investor Alwaleed bin Talal and a vocal supporter of reform in shot by Israeli military forces during clashes between Israeli than 240 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces. the ruling al-Saud family, has died, family members and Saudi troopers and a group of Palestinian protesters participating Over 23,000 Palestinians have also sustained injuries. media said on Twitter posts Saturday. in an anti-occupation rally along the border between the The Gaza clashes reached their peak on May 14, on the eve besieged Gaza Strip and the Israeli-occupied territories. of the 70th anniversary of Nakba Day (Day of Catastrophe), The spokesman for the Gaza Ministry of Health, Ashraf al- which coincided this year with the U.S. embassy relocation Qidra, said in a statement that 18-year-old Ayman Monir from Tel Aviv to occupied East Jerusalem al-Quds. Mohammad Shbair died on Saturday morning. On June 13, the United Nations General Assembly adopted The statement added that Shbair had been shot in the a resolution, sponsored by Turkey and Algeria, condemning stomach during an anti-occupation protest in the central Israel for Palestinian civilian deaths in the Gaza Strip. Gaza Strip city of Dayr al-Balah, located over 14 kilometers The resolution, which had been put forward on behalf south of Gaza City. of Arab and Muslim countries, garnered a strong majority He received urgently needed treatment by field medics, of 120 votes in the 193-member assembly, with eight votes before being rushed to a local hospital in a very serious were also shot and wounded. against and 45 abstentions. condition. “Among the injuries, there were four paramedics and two The resolution called on UN Secretary General Antonio Shbair underwent surgery and remained in the intensive local photo journalists,” he said, accusing Israeli soldiers Guterres to make proposals within 60 days “on ways and care unit until he succumbed to his wounds. of using live gunshots in a bid to kill and seriously wound means for ensuring the safety, protection, and well-being of At least three Palestinians were killed and more than Palestinian demonstrators. the Palestinian civilian population under Israeli occupation,” 40 injured on Friday during clashes between Palestinian Later on Saturday, Palestinians held funeral processions including “recommendations regarding an international protesters and Israeli soldiers stationed on the border be- for the quartet and 36-year-old Sherif Mohammed Hamad protection mechanism.” The 87-year-old senior member of the royal family had been tween the eastern Gaza Strip and the occupied territories. Radwan, who died of wounds he sustained after a tear gas It also called for “immediate steps towards ending the ill for several years. He lived in exile abroad in the 1960s after Qidra told reporters that 16-year-old Mohamed Jahjouh, canister hit him on May 14. closure and the restrictions imposed by Israel on movement urging a transition to constitutional monarchy, but later returned Atteya Yassin, 40, and 28-year-old Abdil Aziz Abu Sharee’a Tensions have been running high near the fence separating and access into and out of the Gaza Strip.” to Saudi Arabia. were all shot dead by Israeli troops’ gunfire. He said 40 more Gaza from the occupied territories ever since anti-occupation (Source: agencies) (Source: Reuters) I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y 4 ECONOMY DECEMBER 23, 2018

STOCK MARKET ‘South Pars development phases TEDPIX 154550.5 IFX 1780 Sources: tse.ir, Ifb.ir to be complete by March 2020’

1 Asked about phase 11, Meshkinfam Iran started pumping oil from South Pars CURRENCIES said: “CNPC has not officially announced that oil layer in March 2017. USD 42,000 rials it will leave the project; but anyway we an- Meshkinfam further put the field’s cumula- tive production (the total amount of oil and gas EUR 47,905 rials ticipate that the contractor of the project will be designated by the end of current [Iranian recovered from a reservoir as of a particular GBP 53,086 rials calendar] year (March 20, 2019)”. time in the life of the field) at 1.348 trillion On December 12, Reuters reported that cubic meters from 267 wells. AED 11,380 rials China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC) has Some achievements in past year Source: iribnews.ir suspended investment in Iran’s South Pars and current year natural gas project in response to U.S. pres- Elsewhere in his remarks, the POGC manag- sure and to minimize tensions amid trade ing director mentioned some of the achieve- talks between Beijing and Washington, as ments of the company in the past Iranian said by three Chinese state oil executives. calendar year (ended on March 20, 2018) COMMODITIES Last month, Iranian Oil Minister Bijan and also some in the current year. WTI $45.59/b Namdar Zanganeh had said that CNPC had He referred to inaugurating phases 17, 18, Brent $54.10/b officially replaced France’s Total in Iran’s 19, 20 and 21 of the gas field, and laying 400 multibillion-dollar South Pars gas project. kilometers of pipeline as some main achieve- OPEC Basket $53.92/b Total signed a contract in 2017 to develop ments in the past year. Meshkinfam mentioned putting platform Gold $1,248.25/oz Phase 11 of South Pars field with an initial investment of $1 billion, marking the first 14A into operation, installing platform of Silver $14.68/oz major Western energy investment in the development projects. South Korea, Romania, Switzerland, Poland, phase 22, operating first and second trains country after sanctions were lifted in 2016. SP development strengthening China and Russia in order to expand the ca- of refinery of phases 22-24, and second train Platinium $796.50/oz The company was pressured to leave Iran domestic products, services pabilities of Iranian companies”, he added. of refinery of phase 13 as some achievements Sources: oilprice.com, Moneymetals.com after the United States threatened to impose Elsewhere in his remarks, the managing South Pars daily output at 583mcm in the current year and referred to operating sanctions on companies that do business in director of POGC highlighted the role of South Meshkinfam put the current nominal pro- the last trains of refineries of phases 13 and the country. Pars development projects in elevating ca- duction capacity of South Pars at 600 million 22-24 as well as platforms 13B, 13D, 22 and NEWS IN BRIEF Meshkinfam said that some $90 million pabilities of domestic producers ad service cubic meters (mcm) per day and said some 24A as some projects to be completed by the have been already invested in phase 11, of providers and said that 40 Iranian companies 583 mcm of gas is currently extracted from yearend. Next year’s which $45 million has been made by Total. have taken the places of some foreign ones the field. He put the current refining capacity of South budget bill to He also put the total investment made since the start of development projects. He has previously announced that daily Pars refineries at 2 billion cubic feet per day. for development of South Pars at $80 bil- “We have implemented 37 joint projects production will reach 630 mcm by the yearend. He also announced about operating four be submitted to lion and said that the value of Iranian-made with foreign companies from UK, Spain, Nor- He also put the daily extraction of oil from gas condensate tanks each with the capacity parliament in 10 equipment and services is $32.3 billion in way, France, Canada, the Netherlands, Italy, South Pars oil layer at 25,000 barrels. of 500,000 barrels. days ECONOMY TEHRAN — The Head of Budget and Over 269m tons of commodities worth Industry minister calls for more deskPlanning Organization Mohammad Baqer Nobakht announced on Saturday that the budget bill for the $285m traded in IME in a week economic ties with Turkey next Iranian calendar year 1398 (starting on March 21, 2019) ECONOMY TEHRAN — During ECONOMY TEHRAN — Iranian will be submitted to the parliament on December 30, 2018 or deskweekdays ending up deskIndustry Minister Reza January 1, 2019, Tasnim news agency reported. to December 20, approximately 269,869 Rahmani, who accompanied President The official added that the prepared budget bill, which was million tons (MT) of commodities worth Hassan Rouhani in his trip to Turkeys, to be submitted to the parliament on December 16, foresees over $285 million were traded on Iran called for expansion of economic budget management in the next two years. Mercantile Exchange (IME). cooperation between Tehran and Ankara As the presidential chief of staff Mahmoud Vaezi announced According to the report from IME In- during his meetings with the Turkish few days ago the predicted expenses have been reduced in the ternational Affairs and Public Relations president, his Turkish counterpart and budget bill. “All the expenses except those allocated to Imam Department, last week, on the domestic and other senior officials from that country, Khomeini Relief Foundation, State Welfare Organization of export metal and mineral trading floor of Shata reported on Friday. Iran and Civil Servants Pension Organization (C.S.P.O) have IME, 99,699 MT of various products worth were traded. The Iranian minister underlined and transferring knowledge into Iran on been reduced in the bill,” he said. close to $117.5 million were traded. On this trading floor, 12,000 MT of VB Iran’s commitment to the signed the way to boost Iran’s non-oil exports On this trading floor, 97,030 MT of steel, feed stock, 49,252 MT of bitumen, 43,639 preferential trade agreement (PTA) and job creation. 830 MT of copper, 1,700 MT of aluminum, MT of polymer products, 17,221 MT of chemi- with Turkey and called for expansion Referring to the high available capacity Credit Suisse chairman 130 MT of molybdenum concentrates as cal products, 1,270 MT of sulfur, 80 MT of of the types of goods traded via PTA to of free and special zones at Iran-Turkey well as 9 MT of precious metal concentrates slaps waxes as well as 500 MT of insulation reach the set 30-billion-dollar annual border, the Iranian official recommended says on track to boost were traded by customers. were traded. bilateral trade in future. formation of a working group to facilitate The report declares that on domestic and Moreover, on the agricultural trading Rahmani also welcomed construction mutual trade. Accordingly, the committee equity return export oil and petrochemical trading floors floor of IME witnessed trading 46,155 MT of industrial parks in Iran with cooperation to ease Iran-Turkey trade would remove of IME, 123,696 MT of different commodi- of wheat as well as 13 kilograms of saffron of Turkish companies, naming it a good customs barriers and ease mutual Cost cuts and closing a unit where Credit Suisse (CSGN.S) had ties with the total value of $142.8 million strands were traded by customers. opportunity for attraction of investments commerce between the two sides. parked underperforming assets will help boost return on tangi- ble equity (ROTE) to at least 10 percent in 2019, Chairman Urs Rohner said in an interview published on Saturday. U.S. Q3 economic growth revised down to 3.4% The U.S. economy slowed in the third quarter downward revisions to business spending on But the economy appears to be slowing After-tax corporate profits were revised a bit more than previously estimated, but the equipment and nonresidential structures, in the fourth quarter amid a widening up to show them rising at a 3.5 percent pace was likely strong enough to keep growth as well as residential investment. trade deficit, sluggish business spending rate in the third quarter instead of the on track to hit the Trump administration’s 3 The economy grew at a 4.2 percent pace on equipment and a weak housing market. previously estimated 3.3 percent rate. percent target this year, even as momentum in the April-June quarter. The slowdown in growth is expected to Corporate profits rose at a 2.1 percent appears to have moderated further early in The Federal Reserve raised interest rates spill over into 2019 as the fiscal stimulus pace in the April-June period. the fourth quarter. on Wednesday for the fourth time this year, fades and a bitter trade war with China Inventories increased at an $89.8 Gross domestic product increased at a but forecast fewer rate hikes next year and and strong dollar undercut manufacturing. billion rate, instead of the $86.6 billion 3.4 percent annualized rate, the Commerce signaled its tightening cycle is nearing an Growth estimates for the fourth quarter rate estimated in November. Inventory Department said on Friday in its third end in the face of financial market volatility are around a 2.9 percent pace. investment added 2.33 percentage points reading of third-quarter GDP growth. That and slowing global growth. An alternative measure of economic to GDP growth. That was more than the was slightly down from the 3.5 percent The U.S. central bank slightly lowered growth, gross domestic income (GDI), 2.27 percentage points reported last month He said that target was within reach. pace estimated in October and well above its growth projections for 2019. increased at a rate of 4.3 percent in the and was the biggest contribution since the “With that, we will stand out in a cross-comparison with other the economy’s growth potential, which Growth is being driven by the Trump third quarter, instead of the 4.0 percent fourth quarter of 2011. banks in Europe,” Rohner told the Neue Zuercher Zeitung (NZZ), economists estimate to be about 2 percent. administration’s $1.5 trillion tax cut pace reported last month. Consumer spending, which accounts referring to measures such as winding down the bank’s Strategic The revisions to the third-quarter package, which has given consumer The average of GDP and GDI, also for more than two-thirds of U.S. economic Resolution Unit, a home for assets that have been a drag on the GDP reading reflected markdowns to spending a jolt. The fiscal stimulus is part referred to as gross domestic output and activity, increased at a 3.5 percent rate in bank’s performance. consumer spending and exports. Inventory of measures adopted by the White House considered a better measure of economic the third quarter, slightly down from the ROTE was 6.3 percent in the first nine months of 2018. accumulation was, however, much bigger to boost annual growth to 3 percent on a activity, increased at an unrevised a 3.8 3.6 percent rate estimated in November. A lawyer, Rohner has been Credit Suisse’s chairman since than previously estimated. There were sustainable basis. percent rate in the July-September period. (Source: CNBC) 2011. He told the newspaper he would like to remain in the post until 2021, but said that would be up to shareholders. Rohner added that Chief Executive Tidjane Thiam’s efforts Gold markets break resistance to restructure the bank may attract job offers from elsewhere, but he was not worried about his CEO jumping ship. Gold broke above the $1255 level, an area that has caused continue to try to recover. “I know also that he very much enjoys working at Credit Sui- a bit of resistance, and now that we have broken above If we pull back from here, I think the uptrend line sse and that he is not planning to leave the bank,” Rohner said. that it looks like the top of the up trending channel has underneath could offer a lot of support, especially near Credit Suisse shares are down 38 percent on the year, more formed. Overall, if we pull back from here, then I think the $1225 level. If we do break down below there, and than the 33 percent decline of larger rival UBS (UBSG.S). Still, that buyers will probably make another attempt to the more importantly break down below the $1200 level, Rohner told the newspaper he is not anticipating incursions by upside. Overall, if the market does break to the upside, then the market could go much lower. At that point, it activist investors, such as those who have sought to influence we could go looking towards the $1400 level, which was probably opens the door to the $1000 level, but at this other Swiss companies like engineering group ABB (ABBN.S) the top of a massive consolidation area. Overall, I think point it looks likely that the buyers are starting to pick or food giant Nestle (NESN.S). at this point it’s likely that the market will try to reach up to the upside and perhaps entering the market slowly “Our large investors support our direction,” Rohner said. that level, especially if the US dollar starts to fall apart. to the upside is probably the more prudent way to trade. (Source: Reuters) This is a market that will continue to be very volatile, but Keep in mind that the market is going to be less liquid I do think there is enough upward pressure that we will this time a year. (Source: Yahoofinance) Trump has discussed Wall Street could change the game for bitcoin again firing U.S. Federal Reserve By Panos Mourdoukoutas Reducing the price volatility will pave the enchanted with the digital currency. Bitcoin Investment Trust. chairman Powell way for the digital currency to be accepted as This isn’t the first time Wall Street has All these products could help the digital A new product from Wall Street could change a means of payment in everyday transactions. tried to change the game for Bitcoin -- last currency move from the “innovator” and “early U.S. President Donald Trump has discussed firing Federal Re- the game for Bitcoin in 2019. And, perhaps, Like the buying of coffee in Starbucks and year, Wall Street introduced its first Bitcoin adopter” stage in the Rogers Curve, to the serve Chairman Jerome Powell. help its price to rise again. Dunkin Donuts outlets. futures contracts. But those contracts were “early majority.” That’s when demand for a Trump›s frustration with the U.S. central bank chief intensi- Wall Street is seeking regulatory approval If approved, these contracts will be a bullish settled in dollars rather than in Bitcoin. product turns into a cascade, and the product fied after this week›s interest rate increase and months of stock- of a new Bitcoin’s futures contact. It could development for the “people’s currency.” Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, and any other becomes an “epidemic.” market losses, the news agency said, citing four unidentified help reduce the price volatility of the digital Starbucks and Dunkin Brands have been merchants concerned about this prospect can And that would be good news for Bitcoin people familiar with the matter. currency. talking about accepting Bitcoins instead of short Bitcoin Futures. This means that any bulls, as an “epidemic” means higher Bitcoin The president has talked privately about firing Powell many That’s according to a recent story published dollars in their stores. losses in the spot market will be made up in prices, especially since Bitcoin is in limited times in the past few days, it said, citing two of the people. on Friday’s Wall Street Journal. Launched Apparently, accepting Bitcoin as a form of the Futures market. supply. White House spokesmen declined to comment, as did Federal by the Intercontinental Exchange, the new payment for their products will fuel a great Meanwhile, Wall Street has introduced Provided, of course, that big governments, Reserve spokeswoman Michelle Smith, Bloomberg reported. contract will be settled in Bitcoins rather than deal of buzz for the two franchises. That’s other products that allow broader investor big banks, and fraud do not spoil the party (Source: Bloomberg) in dollars. especially the case among young consumers participation in the Bitcoin market, like the again. (Source: Forbes) II NN TT EE RR NN AA TT II OO NN AA LL DD AA II LL YY DECEMBERDECEMBER 23,23 ,2018 2018 ANALYSISENERGY & INTERVIEW 55

Chinese refiners aren’t Indonesian coal miners diversify into renewables

Indonesia’s coal miners are slowly making the move to go greener and cleaner, announcing plans to invest in renewable energy buying U.S. crude projects. While looks set to use coal as its base load energy source for the foreseeable future, miners are increasingly Chinese refiners are not buying more U.S. U.S. crude oil exports hit a high of 23.95 keen to diversify their portfolios as a backlash against use of oil despite the three-month truce agreed million barrels in October 2017, data from the so-called black diamond grows across the world. by Presidents Trump and Xi last month, the Energy Information Administration Three major Indonesian coal miners -- Adaro Energy, Indo Reuters reports, citing cargo loading plans shows, but have since then declined, Tambangraya Megah and Tambang Batubara Bukit Asam -- have of Chinese downstream operators. reaching 2.17 million barrels in September all made public their forays into renewable energy, in part to diver- Chinese demand for U.S. crude has been this year before Chinese refiners completely sify their portfolios and manage fluctuations in the price of coal. dampened by political uncertainty around stopped buying U.S. crude in October. While Asia’s benchmark price for thermal coal reached a near the trade war and, more directly, by relatively Yet China’s total oil imports in October, seven-year high in August this year, the price has plummeted high costs of transportation. This means on the other hand, hit 40.80 million tons around 13% since. Miners are keen to mitigate that volatility by that despite the truce and future positive (9.61 million bpd), of which teapots imported earning steady revenue from renewable energy power plants. developments in bilateral talks on trade, 8.22 million tons. This was the highest In August, Indo Tambangraya Megah, one of Indonesia’s major U.S. oil will have yet to become a major monthly oil import amount on record, coal miners, reiterated its readiness to step into the renewable element of China’s imported crude oil mix. according to customs data from Beijing. The energy power plant business. “We will try to focus on two -- hy- One Chinese analyst told Reuters that increase came despite depressed refining dropower and solar energy,” Bramantya Putra, deputy president price was the top consideration of buyers margins that could have motivated lower director at the company, told investors at an event, promising and the price of U.S. oil simply wasn’t Russia,” Seng Yick Tee from consultancy “Even though the trade tension between appetite for crude but apparently did not. to give them an update within the next two to three months. “I competitive. SIA Energy said. Yet trade tensions are not China and the U.S. had been defused The independent refiners drove the increase think we’re quite progressive [with the plans].” “Chinese companies have little incentive helping, either. With the constant threat recently, the executives from the national as they sought to fulfill their import quotas The company is planning to start investing in renewable energy to buy U.S. crude due to the wide availability of more tariffs, refiners are reluctant to oil companies hesitate to procure U.S. crude until year-end. from next year, with aims for the business to contribute around of crude supplies today from Iran and change their buying habits. unless they are told to do so.” (Source: oilprice.com) 20% of its revenue, according to local media. Miners Adaro Energy and Tambang Batubara Bukit Asam are also in the process of developing renewable energy power plants. Political stumbles, savvy activists knock Canada’s oil sector to its knees Adaro Power, a power plant development subsidiary of Adaro, A decade ago, Canada’s oil sector was growing so fast it was curtailing 325,000 bpd starting in January - in the aftermath while approving pipeline expansions. has a 100kW solar power cell being utilized by sister company Ada- predicted to become a global energy superpower, but a series of of a retreat from the oil sands by global companies including The strategy has inflamed both sides. ro Indonesia, to “prove that we have the readiness to move into political missteps and formidable environmental activism has ConocoPhillips (COP.N) and Statoil ASA STL.OL. When a court overturned Ottawa’s approval of the expansion renewables whenever there is a requirement for it,” said Adrian created a dysfunctional system requiring OPEC-style government “It’s become dire now because the writing is clearly on the of Trans Mountain in August, the deal was off and Alberta Premier Lembong, director of Adaro Power. The company is also looking intervention to move its oil to market. wall. The issue is market access,” said Jihad Traya, manager of Rachel Notley yanked support for Trudeau’s carbon plan just into the possibility of building a 100MW solar power plant in Canada produces 4.9 million barrels per day (bpd), more energy advisory service HSB Solomon. hours later. Sumatra, as well as conducting feasibility studies on develop- than any country other than the United States, Saudi Arabia Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government, facing an election Indigenous and environmental opposition to pipelines has ing an off-grid power project -- which generates energy on-site and Russia, but the world’s fourth largest producer has had to next year, offered the oilpatch this week C$1.6 billion in aid. forced Trudeau to push for tighter regulations on future pipelines. -- consisting of a combination of biomass, solar and battery, with nationalize a pipeline and the province of Alberta is exploring In May, Ottawa agreed to buy the Trans Mountain pipeline in The changes are necessary to “depoliticize” the system, Natural an estimated installed capacity of 6.5MW. buying trains to handle a glut of oil sitting in storage. hopes of pushing through an expansion to nearly triple capacity Resources Minister Amarjeet Sohi said. There are “two big trends that we have to watch” regarding coal, Canada’s crisis coincides with big producers taking market as other proposed lines languished. “We need to fix the broken system that we have now so we said Dharma Djojonegor, deputy CEO of Adaro Power. “One share away from OPEC members, mostly clustered in the Middle Politicians and activists are able to build the pipeline capacity that is so necessary.” is that financing [for coal-fired power plants] is getting more East. Global oil demand is expected to surpass 100 million bpd In 2006, then-Prime Minister Stephen Harper boasted But Trudeau has already shelved Enbridge’s Northern Gateway difficult... The second is renewables are decreasing in cost. As a in 2019. The United States has driven exports to record highs Canada would soon become an “energy superpower.” Canada proposal, which would have run through northern Alberta to the power company, we have to recognize these two trends. Therefore on growing demand from China, India and other developing was producing 2.6 million bpd, which moved smoothly to U.S. Pacific coast, and the National Energy Board in 2017 toughened we are quite keen to go into renewables.” countries. refineries through pipelines. Since then, production has nearly its review of TransCanada’s Energy East pipeline while it was Banks, in particular Western ones, are increasingly reluctant But Ottawa has failed under two governments to effectively doubled, but pipeline growth has stalled. underway. to fund coal power projects. At the same time, the cost of elec- counter the strategy of environmental activists to attack the oil Both Conservative Harper and Liberal Trudeau squelched Both projects are now dead. Alberta is seeking to buy rail cars tricity generation for renewables has fallen drastically over the sector’s heart by choking its arteries - pipelines. Roughly 35 million opportunities to complete pipelines just as opposition to more to reduce the glut, and earlier this month, the province ordered years, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency. barrels, twice the normal amount, of Western Canadian crude lines multiplied. Two projects were killed, and legal setbacks producers to cut output after its oil fell to a discount of $52 per Fossil fuel-fired power generation costs vary between G20 used to produce diesel, gasoline and jet fuel is stuck in storage. have stymied the development of TransCanada Corp’s (TRP. barrel from U.S. oil in October. countries, of which Indonesia is a member, and is estimated at The energy sector accounts for nearly 11 percent of Canada’s TO) Keystone XL and the government-owned Trans Mountain Notley told reporters on Tuesday that people in Alberta can between $0.05-0.17 per kilowatt hour. The cost for new hydro gross domestic product. However, Canadian oil trades at a fraction expansion. make profits from oil and gas, “but they need Ottawa to take power, onshore wind, bioenergy and geothermal projects is between of global prices, costing the economy C$80 million per day, the A year after taking office in 2015 Trudeau proposed a bargain the handcuffs off. We need rail. We need long-term support for $0.05-0.07 per kilowatt hour, according to the agency. The cost Alberta provincial government said. aimed at satisfying both environmentalists and the oil industry getting that pipeline built.” for solar, the agency notes, has fallen 73% since 2010, standing at Alberta took the unusual step this month of temporarily - a national carbon-pricing plan to reduce Canada’s emissions (Source: Reuters) $0.10 per kilowatt hour for new projects commissioned in 2017. Bukit Asam reportedly participated in three solar power project tenders in Sumatra, of 35MW, 33.68MW and 30MW, through its subsidiary Bukit Energi Investama. These projects could be 3327 operational in 2022, while it is studying the development of solar Notification for All Suppliers Maduro power plants in South Sumatra, according to local reports. The green move by the coal miners is a welcome boost for Obligation to use special sales Invoice for travelers of foreign countries Indonesia. As a signatory of the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement, may sack oil the country is planning to increase the use of renewables in its In order to implementation VAT refunds, according to note Article 13 of the Value Added Tax Act, all energy mix going forward. expects the country to increase suppliers are required to use special invoices for foreign travelers (at the time of supply of goods), effective its energy supply more than twofold in 2025 to 400 million tons of minister as oil equivalent, with renewable energy targeted to contribute 23%. from August 23, 2018. Whether or not it can achieve the target remains to be seen. Iranian National Tax Administration Indonesia has prioritized the use of coal as its main energy source, Venezuela sinks as it is the easiest and cheapest way to meet energy demand in Ministry of Economic Affairs and Finance When Nicolas Maduro is inaugurated for a second the nation, which has the world’s fourth largest population with The Iranian National Tax Administration six-year term in office next month, Venezuela’s inhabitants dotted across some 17,000 islands. Coal is also in president could sack the Oil Minister and CEO at abundance in the country; it has the 10th-largest coal reserves the state oil firm PDVSA, Manuel Quevedo, as a in the world, according to oil and gas group BP, and nearly 40% فرم شماره 3 وزارت امـور اقـتصـادي و دارايي دارايي scapegoat for plunging Venezuelan oil production, of the country’s energy came from coal in 2016. فرم شماره 3 سـازمان امـور ماليـاتي كشـور S&P Global Platts reported, quoting sources close “Let’s talk about clean energy when our society has developed, to the situation. but who cares about clean energy when our people are still fighting Quevedo—a National Guard major general with hunger every day?” said Tumbur Parlindungan, the newly-ap- Serial Number Sales invoice for foreign passenger travelling to Iran no experience in the oil industry was appointed pointed chief of the Indonesian Petroleum Association, to the شماره سريال : ...... ,as the new head of PDVSA and the oil ministry in Jakarta Post in December. “We are still growing in Indonesia صورتحساب فروش كاال ويژه مسافران تبعه كشورهاي خارجي تاريخ : ...... Date November 2017, in what Maduro touted as a move why do we have to think about [clean energy]?” to root out corruption from PDVSA and Venezuela’s Indonesia’s plan to up the usage of renewable energy to 23% -oil industry. Quevedo’s appointment followed a by 2025 is aimed at substituting the use of oil and not coal pow مشخصات فروشنده Details of the seller string of arrests on corruption allegations, with er; the black diamond is still expected to contribute 30% to the more than 50 PDVSA executives detained as part energy mix, only fractionally down from 31.4% in 2016. Coal is نام شخص حقيقي/حقوقي: ...... شماره اقتصادي: شماره ثبت/شماره ملي:  of the government’s “crusade” on corruption. still expected to make up 25% of the archipelago nation’s energy نشاني : استان: ...... هرستان:ش ...... شهر : ...... كد پستي 10 رقمي :  Thirteen months under Quevedo’s management mix in 2050. شماره later, Venezuela’s oil production slumped to the “Despite Indonesia’s push for more renewables and cleaner آدرس : ...... شماره تلفن/نمابر: ...... گواهي ثبت نام : lowest level in 60 years, and there are no signs energy, we expect coal to still dominate the fuel mix... This is due تاريخ that the endemic corruption and mismanagement to better coal economics and relatively unsupportive renewable مشخصات مسافران تبعه كشورهاي خارجي )خريدار( (Details of the foreign passenger (buyer have been rooted out. energy policies,” said Vicky Adijanto, research analyst at Wood Name and surname: .According to OPEC’s secondary sources, Mackenzie, in a memo ...... ) نام و نام خانوادگي( Venezuela’s crude oil production continues to “Another reason for the rise in domestic consumption is that ...... ) شماره گذرنامه ( :Passport No ...plunge—by another 52,000 bpd from October Indonesia’s reserves of higher calorific value coal are declining ...... ) شماره رواديد ( :.Visa No to stand at 1.137 million bpd in November. To more coal needs to be burnt to generate the same amount of ...... ) نشاني محل اقامت( :. Residence Address compare, Venezuela’s oil production averaged electricity to compensate for its lower energy value,” she add- Detail of the goods bought 2.154 million bpd for 2016 and 1.911 million bpd ed. “New power plants are being designed to suit the declining ”.for 2017. average calorific value in Indonesia مشخصات كاال ي مورد معامله 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 After Unit price With the economy plunging deeper into double- (Source: asia.nikkei.com) Unit of Number / Details Code of Total price + VAT Total VAT discount discount Total price (I.R.I. NO measurement quantity of the goods the good digit recession and unseen hyperinflation, Maduro price Rials) faces increased pressure from creditors and now تعداد/ واحد مبلغ واحد مبلغ كل مبلغ مبلغ كل پس از جمع ماليات و جمع مبلغ كل بعالوه جمع ماليات و from the tumble in the oil prices, which further كد كاال شرح كاال شرح كاال India’s Nov. crude oil imports رديف cripple Venezuela’s oil export revenues. Oil makes مقدار اندازهگيري )ريال( )ريال( تخفيف تخفيف )ريال( عوارض )ريال( عوارض )ريال( up 98 percent of Venezuelan export revenues. fall 11% on year to 4.2m b/d نحوه محاسبه براساس شماره ستون )4 × 6( )8 – 7( مجموع نرخ ماليات و عوارض × 9 )10 + 9( “Venezuela was barely surviving at $80/b, and we can cross it out at $50/b,” Olivier Jakob, an India imported 17 million mt (4.2 million b/d) of crude oil in analyst with consultancy PetroMatrix, told Platts. November, down 11.4% year on year, the latest provisional data According to Platts sources, a leading candidate from the country’s Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell showed. to replace Quevedo could be Jorge Rodriguez, Crude imports were also down 19.4% from October. a close ally of Maduro’s as well as the current Analysts said the biggest decline in nearly four years was mainly minister for communication and information due to lower overseas purchases by refiners after U.S. sanctions on and the brother of current Vice President Delcy Iran, and also due to maintenance shutdowns by some refiners. Rodriguez. Diosdado Cabello, chairman of Maduro’s In November, overall domestic oil products demand shrank جــمع كـل Total value Constituent Assembly, is reportedly favoring Conditions and method of sale year on year due to a decline in diesel demand amid high interest PDVSA’s vice president of refining, Guillermo rates and a 3.4% year-on-year drop in passenger vehicle sales شرايط و نحوه فروش : .Blanco Acosta, for Quevedo’s post, while Jose in October نقدي cash   Vielma Mora and former Central Bank President India’s oil products demand in November fell 1.8% year on غيرنقدي non-cash   Nelson Merentes are also rumored to be potential year to 17.3 million mt, or 4.5 million b/d, PPAC said. replacements. In the first 11 months of the year, crude imports rose 5.4% year توضيحات : Details ...... Two things may save Quevedo from sacking, on year to 207.8 million mt, while oil product imports rose 4.4% according to Platts—the oil minister’s ties with the to 31.8 million mt. Over the same period, oil product demand military and his incoming one-year job as OPEC’s .rose 5% year on year to 192 million mt, PPAC said مهر و امضاء فروشنده Stamp and signature of the seller امضاء خريدار signature of the buyer rotating president—a high-profile position in the India’s infrastructure development drive has supported do-

cartel. mestic demand for crude and oil products. (source: oilprice.com) (Source: Platts) I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y 6 INTERNATIONAL DECEMBER 23, 2018 NEWS IN BRIEF Trump’s decision to withdraw troops from India, exchange prisoners Afghanistan underscores fatigue and failure INTERNATIONAL TEHRAN — In a strikes, so what is the job of government in desksurprise announcement, Kabul,” asks Mohammad Umar, a political INTERNATIONAL TEHRAN — In a great humanitarian U.S. President Donald Trump has researcher based in Kabul. deskgesture, Pakistan and India are exchanging ordered withdrawal of half of the 14,000 President Trump has long wanted to prisoners who were falsely implicated on espionage charges American troops stationed in Afghanistan, pull troops out of Afghanistan, considering and put behind bars. underscoring sense of fatigue and failure. the war a lost cause. However, he was It all started last week when Pakistan announced the release The order came on Friday, shortly persuaded by Defense Secretary Jim Mattis of Indian national who had spent six years in a Pakistani jail after U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and others military leaders to change his on espionage charges. announced that he was stepping down mind. Interestingly, the decision came Hamid Ansari, a 33-year old resident of Mumbai, was because he felt he could “no longer after resignation of Mattis. arrested by Pakistan’s intelligence agencies in 2012, and continue to execute Trump’s policies”. Rift and disagreements between the subsequently sentenced to three years imprisonment by a In Afghanistan, the news evoked mixed two reached a point where Mattis choose Pakistani military court in 2015. response. Some saw it as a welcome to call it quits. His three year jail term came to end on December 15, 2015 development that may give much-needed U.S. forces, which invaded the country but he was not able to leave for India as his legal documents push to peace process, as one of Taliban’s in November 2001, have admitted defeat in were not ready. demands is withdrawal of foreign forces. their longest war, which has now stretched He was finally released on Tuesday and handed over to Others felt that the timing has not been into its 18th year. Indian authorities. Ansari had reportedly gone missing after choreographed well as Taliban has upped The U.S. and NATO formally concluded entering the neighboring country to meet a girl he had come the ante in recent months, striking at will. their combat mission in 2014, but to know online. “It is strange that the U.S. president has Afghan government led by President half years, our security is completely in American and allied troops remained Three days after Ansari’s release, which was widely welcomed announced the drawdown at a time when the Ashraf Ghani has already felt sidelined the hands of Afghans, and the final goal is on the pretext of working to “train and in India, the government of India decided to return the favor Taliban are controlling or contesting at least after U.S. government decided to go ahead that Afghan national defense and security build the Afghan military”. by repatriating Pakistani national Imran Warsi, who was half of the country,” said Nasir Yusufzai, a with direct talks with the Taliban in UAE, forces will stand on their feet to protect However, security situation has sentenced to 10 years in an Indian prison in 2008. Kabul based analyst. “What was the purpose since the insurgent group has refused to and defend our people and soil on their deteriorated in the war-torn country in of fighting the group for 17 years only to beat talk to Kabul. own,” he said in a statement. recent years, with the Taliban and ISIS humiliating retreat?” President Ashraf Ghani’s office However, according to sources Kabul launching complex attacks across the Pakistan-China According to reports, Afghan officials played down the significance of troop has been taken aback by the U.S. decision country. had not been consulted or even warned reduction, saying that the Afghan forces that was taken without consulting it. As a testimony of U.S. failure in JCC sets new by U.S. officials about the sudden had weathered such storms before. “U.S. government decides whether or Afghanistan, Taliban insurgents today targets drawdown, which shows “how seriously the His chief advisor Fazel Fazly also said not to talk to Taliban, it decides when and control or contest nearly half of the country government in Kabul is taken by Trump that the withdrawal of U.S. forces will not how to withdraw troops from Afghanistan, and are more powerful than at any time administration”, as one official put it. affect the security. “In the past four and it decides when and where to launch drone since a 2001 invasion. INTERNATIONAL TEHRAN — The 8th joint cooperation deskcommittee (JCC) meeting between Pakistan ‘Yemeni people have had enough of Saudi interference in their domestic affairs’ and China has set new targets for their bilateral cooperation, making CPEC a true economic corridor with multiple doors. they are also prepared to counter any ag- This was announced by Pakistan’s minister for planning, gression from Saudi led coalition. Could development and reform Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtiar after you update us on the latest situation in the conclusion of 8th JCC proceedings in Beijing on Friday. Hudeidah and adjoining areas? The minister said that as per vision of the leadership, A. Reliable sources have told me that work on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was things are calmer than usual, but the accelerated and its scope was expanded by opening its doors sporadic explosion sounds can be heard for industrial cooperation, agriculture and socio-economic in the distance. As far as I can gather, development. a total ceasefire has not been effectively He added that Pakistan and China had agreed to further implemented yet, as the Saudi Air force strengthen the JCC mechanism through increased frequency continues to hover above the governorate of exchanges. and Hudeidah city. “Signing of MoU on industrial cooperation will steer Pa- The Yemeni Army does indeed want kistan into a new era of industrialisation and help expedite peace and an effective ceasefire, but it development of Special Economic Zones (SEZs) through also affirms its readiness to combat ag- relocation of Chinese industries,” the minister said. gression by the use of force, if necessary. “Enhancing cooperation to cover diverse industries such The U.S. Senate last week passed a as textile, petrochemical, iron and steel, mines and mineral, resolution to withdraw military support and automobile is a new target of CPEC.” to the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen. Do you think it will have any impact on the Al-Qaeda ground? commander A. I doubt the U.S. Senate resolution will have any major impact on the ground, and journalists in the West, who want to killed in Kashmir to be quite frank. But it’s a strong sig- actively do something for Yemeni people 1 Excerpts from the interview: being customary). nal in the face of the Saudi-led coalition and their right to self-determination. There was a ceasefire agreement be- The Hudeidah agreement gives the UN that the Senate has grown tired of Saudi The ISCY will engage in consistent or- access to oversee the flow of humanitarian barbarism. I am personally delighted to INTERNATIONAL TEHRAN — In a significant boost to In- tween Yemen’s warring parties brokered ganising of vigils and protests, fundraisers aid coming into Hudeidah via its strategic finally witness a massive outcry from the deskdian government’s counter-insurgency by the UN in Sweden. But within 24 hours and banner activism, as well as produce port. The Hudeidah de-escalation agree- United States on Yemen. operations in the conflict-torn Kashmir valley, six militants the ceasefire was broken. Can you tell us material which people can buy to support ment also stresses that all warring sides The humanitarian situation in Yemen were killed in an encounter on Saturday. what exactly happened? the project. Printable material such as must pull back and let local authorities has been termed ‘catastrophic’. According The incident took place in south Kashmir’s Pulwama A. According to Yahya Sari’a, spokesman banners, flyers will be distributed free to run the governorate, yet it still remains to ICRC, 22.2 million people in Yemen district. The slain militants were reportedly affiliated with of Yemeni Armed Forces, the Saudi-led anyone to print and distribute themselves unclear who the “local authorities” are. are in need of humanitarian assistance. Ansar Gazwat ul Hind, the al-Qaeda cell in Kashmir coalition launched more than 59 attacks in their local areas. The more people we It is pretty clear that hawks in Riyadh What is being done to tackle it? According to media reports, one of the slain militants, in Hodeidah less than 48 hours from the are, the bigger the impact. were not in favor of any such ceasefire A. Many local NGOs are doing their best was deputy chief of Ansar Gazwat ul Hind and a close aide UN-brokered de-escalation agreement What do you think is the possible way agreement so they decided to welcome to gather and collect funds in order to al- of Zakir Musa, group’s top commander in the valley. in Sweden. out of this simmering crisis? Do you see it in their own characteristic way — by leviate the suffering of people. I trust local Indian Army spokesman Col. Rajesh Kalia confirmed the The Saudi-led coalition is targeting areas peace returning to Yemen anytime soon? bombing Hudeidah. But we haven’t see NGOs more, as they know their country killing of six militants adding that arms and ammunitions around Tuhayta, Al-Duraihimi and fur- A. I hope Saudi-led aggression comes any condemnation from the UN or world and where the food needs to be distributed. were recovered from them. ther northeast around the kilo-16 area into to an end soon, but my hopes aren’t ex- powers. Why are Saudi Arabia and its allies Furthermore, activists across the globe As the news of the killings spread, hundreds of civilians Hudeidah. The spokesman also recently actly ‘high’. Saudi regime and its allies in allowed to get away with such horrendous are putting in tireless efforts to spread took to the streets in Pulwama, clashing with government stated that the Saudi-led coalition had Washington and Tel Aviv need to realize war crimes? awareness, hoping that more action can be forces, said a report in AP. launched over 200 airstrikes since the that Yemen isn’t Saudi Arabia’s exploitable A. The people of Yemen does not com- taken to end this humanitarian crisis. What The trend of civilians pouring into the streets follow- consultations began in Sweden, leading playground anymore. The Yemeni people pletely trust the UN, knowing well how the needs to be done immediately is for the Saudi ing encounters between militants and security forces has to dozens of civilian casualties. have had enough of Saudi interference and world body allowed war crimes to take place in regime to unconditionally lift blockade of become common in the disputed region. Last week, seven The landmark ceasefire agreement meddling in their domestic affairs, and they places like Rwanda and Bosnia. Furthermore, the country, given the fact that the blockade civilians were killed when security forces opened fire at them was widely welcomed. What did the agree- want to rule their country the way they having a Saudi national as chairman of UN’s is solely responsible for the humanitarian following an encounter in Pulwama. ment stipulate to end the fighting and deem right. That’s the main issue at stake. resolve the humanitarian crisis? Human Rights Committee paints them as catastrophe in Yemen today. Saudi Arabia is too stubborn and ignorant A. The consultations in Sweden result- untrustworthy. There are condemnations, Q. You have recently established the to give up Yemen. The Yemeni government India, China to ed in four main agreements. The swap but rarely any action is taken to stop bom- International Solidarity Committee with in Sana’a has stated innumerable times that boost cultural of prisoners between the warring sides, bardments. Saudi regime is holding much Yemen (ISCY). What’s the main objective they do not want this war, and that they de-escalation and ceasefire around the of the world hostage, using its oil resources behind it? would like to engage in deals with their exchanges city of Taiz, de-escalation in all of Hudei- as an effective blackmail tool. A. The ISCY is a non-profit, de-cen- neighbors. But they have to be on mutual dah governorate, and lastly the opening Yemeni army has said that they are tralized project aimed at creating a sole, terms, and not solely for the benefit of of Sana’a airport (with inspections in Aden in favor of ceasefire and peace deal but unifying identity for activists, politicians the other. INTERNATIONAL TEHRAN — India and China have identified deskten areas for boosting cooperation under a new high level mechanism for cultural and people-to-people exchanges. Farce of ‘reforms’ in Saudi: extra-judicial executions double under MBS India’s External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj and her 1 Most of the executions in Saudi Arabia have In a statement July last year, following the execution Chinese counterpart Wang Yi chaired the first meeting of the been based on flimsy grounds. In October this year, an of four Shiite men in country’s eastern province, Amnesty mechanism that was proposed at the summit between Prime Indonesian national was executed by the Saudi regime International said the Saudi regime was employing the Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping at Wuhan without informing her family or the Indonesian government. death penalty as a “political weapon to silence dissent”. in April this year. Tuti Tursilawati was accused of killing her Saudi em- The watchdog said it has documented the cases of at The mechanism will club together more than 40 existing ployer, in self-defense, after he had attempted to rape her. least 34 other Shi’a men currently on death row, including programmes for cooperation in culture and people-to-people Her testimony was dismissed because she was a foreigner al-Nimr, al-Marhoon and al-Zaher. exchanges and also include some new schemes, according to and a hapless woman. Nimr’s planned execution, according to Foa, is “based reports. The report further states that the prosecutions for apparently on the authorities’ dislike for his uncle, and his “Today, we identified 10 areas of people-to-people cooperation political crimes have increased under MBS and that “at involvement in anti-government protests, would violate – cultural exchanges, cooperation in films and television, museum least 54 people are facing death sentences for opposing the international law and the most basic standards of decency. management, sports exchanges, youth exchanges, tourism regime, of whom 30 are at risk of imminent execution.” It must be stopped.” cooperation, exchanges between states and cities, traditional One of them is Abbas al-Hassan, sentenced to death in Al-Nimr’s uncle and noted Shia scholar Baqir al-Nimr medicine, yoga, and education,” Swaraj said. 2016 on dubious charges of ‘treason’, including spreading was executed by the Saudi authorities in January 2016. Wang said the number of tourists travelling between India the Shia faith and taking part in anti-regime protests. In The senior Nimr, who commanded huge following among and China was small compared to their combined population an investigation, UN categorically stated that his trial did Saudi Arabia’s Shiites, demanded freedom of belief for of 2.7 billion. not meet “fair trial and due process guarantees,” and the the Shiites in kingdom. “We both agree that as China-India cooperation embraces a charges were “in contravention of the right to freedom He was slapped with charges of sedition and impris- strong momentum of full growth, people-to-people exchanges of religion.” 2012 at the age of 17, and sentenced to death by crucifixion oned. In prison, he was ruthlessly tortured, forcing him must also step up and this will be helpful to increase our mutual But, if the Saudi regime can make mockery of the UN- which means beheading and public display of the body. to go on hunger strike. Finally, he was executed with 46 understanding and friendship,” he said. brokered ceasefire agreement on Yemen, it can also neglect There have been reports recently that the regime is others, sparking worldwide protests. India, according to a recent report, is making a pitch for UN investigations into regime’s horrible human rights planning to execute four more prisoners, leading to specula- That was the time before MBS came into limelight and tourists as only 300,000 of over 144 million Chinese tourists record. Ironically, Saudi Arabia sits on the UN Human tion that al-Nimr may be one of them. Other names doing promised ‘reforms’. But, during his time, the situation has who travelled abroad visited India last year whereas over 1.4 Rights Council. rounds include Dawood Hussein al-Marhoon and Abdol- only become grimmer. He has surpassed his predecessors million Indians travelled to China. Another prisoner, Ali al-Nimr was framed under dubi- lah Hasan al-Zaher, who were also arrested as teenagers to ruthlessly crush dissent at home and carry out deadly ous charges of participating in pro-democracy rallies in on similar charges attacks in other countries – most notably Yemen. ساعت: امضاء صفحه آرا: ساعت: امضاء مسئول صفحه: ساعت: امضاء ادیتور: ساعت: امضاء سردبیر:

II NN TT EE RR NN AA TT II OO NN AA LL DD AA II LL YY DECEMBERِDECEMBER 23,23, 20182018 ANALYSISANALYSIS && INTERVIEWINTERVIEW 77 I am skeptical about need of religious U.S. may be bumping up against the limit of its theory of IR: Friedrich Kratochwil “empire” schemes EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW is no “trust”, no melody, no “trespass”, no “future options” etc. 1 By Javad Heirannia There might be “death” but there are (contrary to the saying ISIS was actually served by the U.S. at critical of Benjamin Franklin about the “sure things”) there are no moments in the conflict. Trump was never going to say TEHRAN — Professor Friedrich Kratochwil, chair in in- “taxes”. Those considerations however, also shoot down the the U.S. was defeated or even that it had not been aiding ternational Politics at the European University Institute in idea that “everything” can be explained by using “science”, since ISIS from time to time, but this is not important. Let him Florence says “I am, in a way, skeptical about the need of a “science deals with the “real” (material). “Theft” and “fraud”, falsely claim the U.S. “won” something in Syria when in religious theory of IR.” and “markets”, even gains and losses, are also “real” only that fact the U.S. squandered many billions and maybe more Author of “Rules, Norms and Decisions” adds that “I cannot they are part of the social and legal, or economic world, not of than a trillion dollars in Syria. see how that will help us to deal with issues of nuclear prolif- the physical one and thus the notion that there is “one world” eration, or questions of counteracting the increasing gap in needs to be re-thought. wealth between countries and within countries, not to speak Some scholars such as “Michael Allen Gillespie” in the about the issues of digitalization for “normal” transnational book “The Theological Origins of Modernity” believe that interactions or of dealing with cyber-attacks, or issues of the modernity was not initially against religion, and in later years, environment (the fouldsing of the seas and global warming).” as a result of social, cultural and political conditions, it has Following is the full text of the interview: led to secularism. So Based on this conception, religion is not When did the religious issues has been a matter of conflict with modernity, so can it be said that religion is not great in Theorizing of International Relations? conflict with the International Relations theory stemming A: It is obvious that for the establishment of the European from modernity? international system the Wars of Religion were instrumental A: I think the above remark also speaks to your third in bringing about the “Westphalian System” and its religious point in which you try to construct a “conflict” in terms of a compromises. They did so by first creating sovereign states genesis, so that if modernity and religion are not in conflict, and “state churches” which the sovereign could establish then religion is not in conflict with IR. The issue is not one but which led over the centuries to the “toleration” of other of genesis it is about different fields with different semantics creeds (such as e.g. the “Charter” of what later would become and logic. The way the market functions has nothing or little the US state of Maryland, allowing Catholics as inhabitants to be widespread agreement that what a field needs is some to say what the problems of astronomy are or whether or with equal rights) and the even later occurring “privatization” “good theory” I think that analogy from the success of the not was a good artist. Here the traditional of religion, making issues of “faith” a matter of individual natural sciences to matters of practice is unwarranted, as I conceptualizations lumping all things together in different conscience rather than a political issue. This type of order have tried to show in my last work (Praxis: On Acting and epochs (modernity etc.) are not helpful. The only discouraging aspects of Trump’s moves are that was the exception as Empires had frequently insisted on Knowing , Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 2018) Some argue that the current International Relations the Neocon and Neoliberal denizens of the U.S. Congress a religious legitimization - but even here both the ancient There is an old tradition from Aristotle to Hume, the modern theory cannot explain some of the current phenomena of and government, especially the corrupt Democratic Party Persian empire had for long periods followed a different pragmatists, to Wittgenstein and ordinary language philos- international relations and we need a religious theory of opposition, are angry about the withdrawal and will use it path: requiring its subjects to have the “same friends and ophers, that practical issues are badly misdiagnosed when International Relations, especially with regard to religious to make Trump look foolish. enemies” as the Great King (or Rome) and to pay tribute but they are subjected to “theoretical” criteria. The second issue issues. What is your opinion? In general, theorizing Religion Trump’s “Defense” secretary, “Mad Dog” general James disiting from institutionalizing an orthodoxy. is then, that even if we reject the idea that “theory” is the in International Relations is feasible? Mattis, also known as a “Chihauhua” if he were literally a The close identification of a certain “true faith” with the “solution”, we cannot thereby conclude that ultimate au- A: For the reasons above I am, in a way, skeptical about “dog”, resigned in a huff of opposition, too. Hilary Clinton political order led during the Middle Ages not only to con- thority for all questions can be vested in “religion”, because the need of a religious theory of IR. I cannot see how that will is also screaming about the Trump decision as some sort flicts between rulers (as “representatives” of the political religion is not a philosophers stone, providing us with a help us to deal with issues of nuclear proliferation, or ques- of “victory” for Vladimir Putin, when it’s really a victory association and its people) and the defenders of the faith unique and ultimate test of what the right and only way of tions of counteracting the increasing gap in wealth between for the entire world. who claimed to provide the single authoritative interpre- for understanding what its message actually is. Even if all countries and within countries, not to speak about the issues How these sudden moves play out, and who might replace tation of the holy “texts” but was historically not always commands are written down or credited with care, issues of digitalization for “normal” transnational interactions or of Mattis, is anyone’s guess. But the Trump-Zionist plan to incompatible with good deal of autonomy between church of interpretation arise as to the authoritative “sources” of dealing with cyber attacks, or issues of the environment (the topple Iran’s government or go to war on Iran will be less and state, or ruler and clergy as the European example or the canon of accepted texts is, what the weight of tradition fouldsing of the seas and global warming). To take just the viable or possible with the withdrawal of U.S. troops from the development of Islamic law show. and custom in interpreting the divine “message” should example of the rich/poor divide: while we obviously have a Syria. Syria is, after all, an ally of Iran and owes it as much In modernity, of course the “secular” version of the in- be, or who can claim to be the authoritative interpreter in problem with the existing economic order-m which bestows support as it can give, even if it’s just moral. ternational system, cast by the end of the 18th century in case of disagreements. It needs no further elaboration that on a few billionaires the created wealth while leaving more Erdogan, meanwhile, has allegedly said Turkey will the language of contract law and custom was extended to those are important issues for the community of believers, than 90 % of the world population “outside” in the cold - it is do whatever it can to reduce the effects of U.S. sanc- the “rest of the world” either by imposition (colonialism, but it also should be clear that those issues are therefore no comfort that no religion has ever mastered the problem tions on Iran, and some of the Arab states are warming imperialism) or through cooperation (as in the case of the not central to the concerns of others, who are not part of either - not to mention the feeble attempts of “philosophy a bit to Syria and Assad and seem to be preparing to Latin American colonies that were recognized as independent that community. To that extent the categorical distinction and IR” to come up with a “theory of justice” which are of establish diplomatic relations once again. And as well, states). Nevertheless, while those two options seemed to between “believers” and “non-believers” is a bit too facile interest mainly to armchair philosophers. One of the issues Muhammad Bin Salman remains in the U.S. Congres- be exhaustive, some strange forms of being “in-between” as it does not come to terms with the fact that we are all is that the problems of an institutional order are different sional “doghouse” by and large with even some of the sovereign autonomy and being subjected to external powers sitting in one boat and that everybody is somewhere and at from those of individual choices so that there is no easy most hawkish Congressional members like Sen. Lindsey came into existence (suzerainty, spheres of influence etc.). some time an “outsider” or non-believer, quite aside that the transfer from prescribing the “right” action to individuals Graham calling for action against MBS. Important was that a supposedly neutral language of “law” experiences of wars fought for “ultimate purposes” - be it (which religion and ethics do) to the next level of the state But here’s the real question: at the far margin, given was the necessary precondition - although the “standard of religion, the nation, or whatever- are dismal indeed (which or the third level of a “world community” which all interact what Trump has stated this month regarding Syria and civilization” which came with it showed - aside from the brings me back to the religious wars with which I began). and are only analytically separate. Afghanistan, and the message he successfully campaigned formal hierarchical elements just mentioned (suzerainty, Some argue that if the theory of International Rela- In one way you are right however that the prevailing on in 2016, is it even slightly possible that he’s having second unequal treaties)- that even among the legal equals, some tions means a constitutive and critical theory, then bringing ideology in the “West” dealing with religion as an entire- thoughts about his Mideast policies to date so far? And with were more equal than others. religion into International Relations is possible, but if the ly “private affair” and as a deficient form of knowing was the stock market collapse and signs of weakening economic This leads me to the second part of your question, which theory of International Relations is an explanatory-empirical seriously problematic, as we had no way of adequately un- activity worldwide, is it possible that Trump sees, or is I understand, addresses the issue whether a “theory” of theory, the theorizing religion in International Relations is derstanding what happened e.g. in the Islamic revolution of beginning to see, that the U.S. is way too far extended in international relations can accommodate “religion” or what not possible and, in fact, there is not theological positivism Khomeini or in the Middle East in general. Here probably every respect overseas and must address growing problems the difficulties are that exist between these two concepts theory in International Relations. What is your opinion? more “local knowledge” would have been much more helpful internally in the U.S., even if it may cost him popularity with that belong to two different semantic fields. Here two issues A: Following up on this your second query whether there than some IR “theory” conceived mainly in the cloisters of the warhawks and imperialistic extremists in both parties, arise. First, “theory” belongs obviously to the semantics of is no “theological positivism” in IR theory the answer is clear. US universities. and also with Netanyahu, who has vowed to step up action epistemology, not to the field of “revealed truth” or “com- There can be as little a theological positivism in IR theory as there If theorizing Religion in International Relations is against Iranian assets in Syria even though the Zionists manded allegiance” that characterizes many religions. To can be a “theological theory of music” or architecture. Theology possible, can this religious theory in International Relations risk facing a solidified and coordinated air defense system that extent “theory” is a form of knowledge that claims for is, after all, not a “science of science” as little as the physical explain all the unresolved issues and problems? run by Syrians and the Russians? My bet, even though it itself universal validity for its assertions which have been world can be the “house” or box whining which everything A: NO; but then look at the bright side: how many things is tentative, is that the U.S. may soon be bumping up hard subjected to “critical” examination through some (empirical) is contained. In the physical world we have mountains and there are still to be done and which cannot be preempted against the limits of its “empire” schemes, which will be a “tests”, and inferential or deductive logic. While there seems rivers, animals and elements, quarks and photions but there by some new doctrine, religious or otherwise. relief for practically the entire world.

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N.I.O.C National Iranian 1 Currently, European leadersThe are facing threeturbulent crisis hubs, France, of seathe deterioration of ofEurope Europe’s current structure in the near future. Drilling Company 1397.4918 the Netherlands and Belgium. In the various cities of the Netherlands, The fact is that many European citizens’ demands were limited to Call for public tender (First/Second publish) Call for public tender (First/Second publish) such as Rotterdam, The Hague, and ..., we are witnessing a new wave the stop of austerity policies, but it was before the French protests! Now N.I.O.C Two-Stages (semi compressed) tender National Iranian Subject of Tender: (CompletionTwo-Stages (sem 7500i compre &ss e10000d) tender psi) of massive protests. The protesters, like the French demonstrators, the equation is basically different from the previous times! Withdrawing 1397.4918Subject of Tender: (Completion 7500 & 10000 psi) Drilling Company demand a reduction in the retirement age, the removal of the head of from the European Union and substituting the current governments with state and, most importantly, the withdrawal of their country from the those that oppose the existence of the Eurozone has become one of the  Tender descriptions: main demands of the protesters. Consequently, the French protests, in European Union. The Tender holder Registration Tender No. Estimated value The final request of the Dutch citizens to leave the European Union addition to exacerbating the security and social crises in Europe, have No. through national electronic tendering sy /Indent No. (Rial/Euro) stem has hit hard on their country’s leaders. The protests are increasing at a been the source of political crises on the Green Continent. National Iranian Drilling PFP/AZD/97/018 Company time when the European Parliamentary elections will be held soon (in Definitely, many European governments will be seriously affected 3185094 48-22-9522023 320,512,000,000 2019). Right now, nationalist groups and far-right extremists across by the spread of new protests in the Green Continent. This is while  Qualitative evaluation of tenderers Europe are pursuing widespread changes inside their countries’ political the governments of Germany and France no longer have the power to and social system. control and manage the crisis (as they used to do before). Method Under such circumstances, Europe’s traditional parties, including As it was mentioned, the beginning of the new round of the Europe’s Based on minimum scoring (60) made in award criterion reflected in the tenderers pre-qualification forms. conservative (right-wing) and social-democratic parties, are at high risk. general crisis from France (traditionally one of Europe’s pioneering 1. The tenderers who have more than four (4) active contracts with NIDC are not allowed to attend in this tender. 2. The tenderers who have more than two (2) active contracts with same subject (exactly compliance with this subject) with NIDC are not allowed to attend in this tender. The failure of the candidates for the French Socialist and Conservative players) has complicated the equations in Europe to a large extent. In Party in reaching the final round of the 2017 presidential competitions, this situation, the EU leaders don’t have a common understanding of the  Purchasing & Submitting existing crises, besides, they have even problems in formulating those TenderDocumentDistributionbyC The distribution of the documents will be started one day after the publishing of second advertisement and ended on the followingtenth days th and the victory of the extremist and anti-EU movement of the Alternative ompany ereof. for Germany (AFD) for the first time in the parliament, are all signs crises, and this is going to make the mire more frightening for them. Distribution Place A) Hall No.:316, 3thfloor, Foreign Procurement Dept.(DRILLING PROJECTS), National Iranian Drilling Company, After Airport square, Ahwaz, IRAN. Tel: 061341468222 B) jomhouri street , yaghma alley nioc 8th building floor no : 04 room no 428 –tehran -iran . Tel: Submitting Method 02166700249  Submitting one original Bank Fund Receipt in the amount of ……Iranian Rials under account number 4001114004020491 (Shaba No. IR520100004001114004020491) in name of “NIDC Incomes Centralized Fund”issued by I.R. Of Iran Central Bank. The atmosphere is not conducive to sustaining  Submitting format Request for the purpose of receiving Tender

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agreements about Yemen: Falk DocumentsReceivingMethod Closing date  14 Days after the last time of Purchasing. 1 A: The atmosphere is not conducive horrible war? sions. Such speculation gains credibility when A: It is difficult to predict with any confidence account is taken of the recent U.S. Senate an- to sustaining agreements as there are apparent- H ly various militia factions on the government any development with respect to Yemen, but if ti-Trump move to oppose further funding and Hall NO.107,1st floor,Tender committee, Operation building, National Airport Address Iranian Drilling Company, square, Ahwaz, IRAN. side that might seek to disrupt the agreement, the Stockholm Agreement holds up, then there involvement in the Yemen War. Tel: +98-61-34148580 +98-61-34148569 and there have been some worrisome incidents is an expectation that the same humanitarian Regarding repeated war crimes of the Saudi along these lines. arguments would lead to the reopening of the coalition in Yemen, will the United Nations At the same time, from a humanitarian Sana Airport in the very near future. and the International Criminal Court review  Tender Guarantee perspective, it is crucial to uphold even this What made the countries involved in the this matter? Value ofguarantee 7,911,000,000 Rial/ 165,693 Euro partial mitigation of the suffering of the Yem- Yemen war come to the negotiating table? A: The answer here depends on the political eni people. The opening of the port cities of A: Again, it is difficult to say as governments context, and whether the war can be brought to a Type ofguarantee  √ Bank guarantees or guarantees issued by non-bank institutions that obtain activity license fromthe central bank of the Islamic Republic of Iran.  √ Submitting one original Bank Fund Receipt under account number 4001114006376636(Shaba Al Hudaydah and Sanaa, both covered by the in situations of this kind do not reveal in public rapid end by diplomacy. If this is done there may No. IR350100004001114006376636) in name of ″NIDC saving account″ by the central bank of Islamic Republic of Iran. Stockholm Agreement, handle up to 80% of disclosure their real motivations. It is likely that be considerable pressure on the various interested “NIDC saving account” by the central bank of Islamic Republic of Iran. humanitarian imports of food and medicine. on the Saudi side, especially in the aftermath parties to refrain from any initiative that would Durationof credit "ation Tender Guarantee and quotation should be valid for 90 days and extendable maximum for onetime in initial validity duration. At this point, according to the most reliable of the Khashoggi murder there was a serious revive hostile reactions and mutual recrimina- international sources, 17.8 million Yemenis concern about being blamed for another major tions. The answer may also be linked indirectly humanitarian catastrophe if the ports remained to whether war crimes allegations are brought out of a population of 22.2 million are on the (Name of department) (Name of department) brink of starvation. closed. For similar reasons, Washington may before the UN and ICC with respect to the Syrian More of this & other tenders are accessiblMoree by click of on: this & other tenders are accessible by click on:

Will this agreement lead to an agreement have exerted pressure to negotiate at this point War, especially in relation to the criminal policies www.nidc.ir http://sapp.ir/nidc_pr www.nidc.ir http://sapp.ir/nidc_pr تهران تایمز نوبت اول 1/10/97نوبت دوم 2/10/تهران 97 تایمز نوبت اول 1/10/97نوبت دوم on the Sana’a airport and brings an end to this with the central aim of reducing regional ten- and practices attributed to the Assad regime. 97/10/2 I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y 8 ADVERTISEMENTS DECEMBER 23, 2018

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II NN TT EE RR NN AA TT II OO NN AA LL DD AA II LL YY DECEMBERDECEMBER 23,22, 20182018 HEALTHADVERTISEMENT 99

‘The visually-challenged in dire Iran, Turkey ink MOU on health, medical care

HEALTH TEHRAN — Iran and Turkey signed a mem- need of access to information’ desk orandum of understanding (MOU) to expand HEALTH TEHRAN — The visual- action,” said Moeini regretfully. bilateral cooperation in the area of health and medical care, desk ly impaired people have “Even though the higher education system IRNA reported on Thursday. hardly access to written and digital sources accepts students with visual impairment, The MOU was signed by Irani- of information, according to Soheil Moeini, a it has no obligation to provide them with an Foreign Minister Mohammad blind journalist who runs the Bavar (‘Belief’) information resources,” announced Moeini. Javad Zarif and Turkish Foreign non-governmental organization. “According to the law, the expanses of Minister Mevlüt Çavu?o?lu. The To solve this problem, the regular sources visually impaired students for higher ed- two sides also signed an MOU of information should change into formats ucation are covered by the government, on media and communication, that are accessible for people with visual but unfortunately the universities don’t but no further details about their impairment, he said in an interview with feel responsible to provide such students content were revealed. IRNA on Thursday. with information accessible to them,” he The agreements were made “There is a major gap between the visually further noticed. over the trip of an Iranian high challenged and other people in their level of Call for empowering programs ranking delegation led by President Hassan Rouhani to Turkey. access to sources of information, including According to Moeini, people with vision The Iranian president arrived in Turkey on Thursday to books, magazines, and educational content,” losse hav great difficulty fending for them- attend the 5th Session of the High Council of Iran-Turkey said Moeini. selves, as they usually have to deal with un- Strategic Relations. “There are less than ten journals in Braille, employment and low-paid jobs. Earlier this month, Iran’s Salamat health insurance organ- and the available ones are mostly periodicals “The problem is that there are no programs ization and Turkey’s Medofas Medical also signed an MOU to published in long intervals,” he added. in any governmental or non-governmental collaborate on developing their healthcare systems through the Shortage of educational content organizations for empowering the individuals use of information technology and electronic infrastructures. “Based on the resolution passed by the with vision loss; by empowering programs cabinet of ministers regarding the rights of we mean teaching the visually challenged the people with disabilities in Iranian calendar skills to live independently,” he explained. year 1394 (ended on March 20, 2016), the Even though the higher education system According to the data released by Iran’s Iranian philanthropist visually impaired should have access to the accepts students with visual impairment, Welfare Organization, there are currently donates $215,000 to the poor journals, so we have called on the Minis- it has no obligation to provide them with 150,000 people with complete vision loss try of Culture and Islamic Guidance to fulfil in the country, and 350,000 people suffer information resources. our needs, but they haven’t yet taken any from visual impairment. HEALTH TEHRAN — A philanthropist from the city deskof Meybod, central province of Yazd, has do- nated 9 billion rials (around $215,000) for giving interest-free Failure to reduce salt in foods is ‘tragedy’ as almost half of targets missed, campaigners warn loans to the underprivileged people, IRNA reported on Saturday. Efforts to reduce the public’s salt intake amount to a “na- The PHE report provides the first detailed analysis of the salt Meat products were the saltiest culprits, with no average The anonymous benefactor tional tragedy”, campaigners said, as it emerged almost half content of foods for which salt reduction targets have been set. targets met and 43 per cent of products with salt levels made the donation to Velayat of Government-set targets were missed. While “clear progress” had been made since work began to above the maximum. Relief Fund that gives financial Just over half (52 per cent) of all average salt reduction reduce salt intakes in 2004, further “realistic but ambitious Ready meals, soups, biscuits, rice, other cereals and meat aids to the financially struggling targets for products consumed in the home were achieved goals” were needed, PHE said. alternatives did not meet any of the average targets set. people, Reza Zare, the Fund’s by 2017, Public Health England (PHE) said in a report. In foods such as bread and baked beans, reducing salt Overall, 81 per cent of products consumed in the home director announced. It said its analysis reveals a “mixed picture” of how the levels had gone “really, really well”, a spokesperson said, had sodium levels at or below their maximum target level. Velayat Relief Fund was es- food industry has responded to the voluntary targets, in- while meat products that were inherently salty had changed For food eaten out of the home, 71 per cent of products were tablished in May 2015 by Imam troduced in 2014 after the Scientific Advisory Committee comparatively little. below maximum target levels. Khomeini Relief Committee to on Nutrition (SACN) recommended that the population Dr Alison Tedstone, PHE chief nutritionist said: “While Public Health Minister Steve Brine said: “While it is serve solely as the provider of should consume less. we have seen some progress, those that have taken little or encouraging to see the food industry is making progress interest-free loans to the poor, Professor Graham MacGregor, chairman of campaign no action cannot be excused for their inactivity. towards the salt reduction targets we set in 2014, we know covering the expenses of educa- group Action on Salt, said: “Such poor progress in PHE’s “It is clear that, with the right leadership from industry, there is more to do. tion, marriage, employment and medical care as well as helping attempt to reduce salt intake is a national tragedy. further salt reduction in foods continues to be possible.” “That’s why we committed to further reducing salt in- the ones convicted with unintentional crimes. “This report confirms what we know already - that voluntary Retailers were found to have made more progress than take in our prevention vision. Next year we will put forward Int the firs half of the current Iranian calendar year (March targets need comprehensive monitoring and guidance - but manufacturers towards achieving average targets, meeting 73 realistic but ambitious goals and set out details of how we 21-September 22), 1,123 interest-free loans were granted to both this has been completely lacking from PHE. per cent compared with manufacturers meeting 37 per cent. will meet them.” people supported by Imam Khomeini Relief Committee and others “As a result, thousands of unnecessary strokes and heart Breakfast cereals, fat spreads, baked beans, pizzas, cakes, The Government said it will announce its next steps for who needed financial aid, said Zare. attacks have occurred and billions of pounds wasted by the pastries, fruit pies and other pastry-based desserts, pasta, salt reduction by Easter 2019. The maximum recommended Last year, Velayat Relief Fund provided 3,022 people in NHS, and tragically more than 4,000 premature deaths per quiche, processed potato products, stocks and gravies met daily intake of salt for an adult is 6g. need with 177 billion rials (around $4.2 million) worth of year have occurred.” the average targets. (Source: The Independent) loans, he added.

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I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y 10 HERITAGE & TOURISM DECEMBER 23, 2018 In honor of the longest night: Iran Iran embraces some 600,000 historical structures pursuing UNESCO recognition of Yalda HERITAGE TEHRAN — Some 600,000 historical build- deskings and monuments stand tall throughout HERITAGE TEHRAN — Iran contin- for Noruz celebrations, to join in. Iran, director of the Revitalization and Utilization Fund for deskues collaborating with the Yalda Night (the birth of a new sun) and Historical Places has said. United Nations cultural agency UNESCO to Noruz or Persian New Year (the birth of a new “There are 600,000 historical structures [currently] in Iran register “Celebration of Yalda Night” officially day) are amongst the most popular ancient and efforts should be made to on its Intangible Cultural Heritage list. Persian festivals, which are also celebrated by conserve them through making “Possible UNESCO-registration of Yalda some countries in western and central Asia. investment by the private sec- is top on agenda,” Iran tourism chief Ali As- On that graceful night, which falls on the tor,” IRNA quoted Parham Jan- ghar Mounesan said on Thursday during a last day of Azar (the last month of autumn feshan as saying on Thursday. commemoration ceremony for Yalda. in the Iranian calendar year), the winter Government budgets are A host of cultural figures, foreign repre- chill is vanquished and the warmth of love not sufficient for restoring and sentatives and ambassadors attended the embraces the entire family. Hearts move revitalizing such buildings in event, which was held at Tehran’s Niavaran closer to one another in the company of a limited span of time so that Cultural Center, IRNA reported. loved ones on Yalda. funds from the private sector He underlined that Yalda is amongst According to UNESCO, Yadla cere- should be used, he explained. rich rituals Iran and its neighbors have monies, in a best way, point to cultural “A historical monument, in common, saying “This joint heritage diversity and human creativity, especially while being restored and shows that Persian-speaking countries when one considers the wide range of the repurposed into a cultural have always been together.” communities that celebrate it. place, could at least gener- Mounesan also expressed hope that such Amongst the Iranian entries to the UN- Parham Janfeshan ate jobs for 30 people, yet it ancient feast could develop friendship among ESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list are has a substantial impact on the neighboring states. Radif of Iranian music, traditional skills of tourism development as well.” Iran solely submitted an initial propos- carpet weaving in Kashan, ritual dramatic Based on an initiative scheme, the Fund (known by its Persian al on the event to the UN cultural body in art of Ta’ziye, music of the Bakhshis of Kho- acronym Saabta) provides opportunity for privately-owned busi- 2015. It later issued calls for other nations, rasan and Qalishuyan rituals of Mashhad-e nesses to run certain old structures in order to be maintained and including the ones sharing a UNESCO-tag Ardehal near Kashan. repurposed into hotels, traditional restaurants or lodging places. Iran hosts some of the world’s oldest cultural monuments including bazaars, museums, mosques, bridges, bathhouses, Iranian handicrafts on Iran holds tourism session Germany to ban Iran’s madrasas, gardens, rich natural, rural landscapes as well as 22 show in Beirut in Tokyo Mahan Air flights: source UNESCO World Heritage sites.

Pakistan plans to relax visa policy in bid to revive tourism

Pakistan is planning to ease visa restrictions for visitors from 55 countries, including most European nations. “We are reviewing our visa policies. We are trying to bring 55 countries into a visa-free region, which includes most of the European countries,” Pakistan’s information minister, Fawad Chaudhry, told Reuters. That comes after Portugal this month declared Pakistan safe for travel, while France has also relaxed its advisory on travel to the South Asian nation. HERITAGE TEHRAN — An exhibition of Iranian TOURISM TEHRAN — Iran’s Tokyo embas- TOURISM TEHRAN — Germany is to stop “I’m happy our (travel) advisories are changing,” said Chaudhry. deskhandicrafts has opened its doors to desksy on Wednesday hosted a tourism deskIran’s Mahan Air from operat- Potentially restarting tourism has been one of the most talked the public in Beirut, Lebanon. session with the aim of promoting Iranian culture and ing flights in and out of the country in line with about parts of new Prime Minister Imran Khan’s push to create Over 60 Iranian artisans are promoting their works travel destinations. U.S.-led sanctions against the Islamic Republic, an Islamic welfare state in Pakistan, but visitors to the country to visitors in the event, which is organized by Iran’s The event was attended by tens of Japanese tourists, Reuters quoted Bild, a German newspaper, as often complain of an arduous visa process. embassy, Mehr reported. Visitors also can taste Iranian travel marketers and tourism officials, Mehr reported. saying on Friday. Former Real Madrid soccer stars Kaka of Brazil and Portuguese food and enjoy traditional Persian music. Experts from both nations delivered speeches about Bild assumed that the German government playmaker Luis Figo were recently denied visas to the country An opening ceremony was held on December 17 with the Iranian culture and the tourist sites to make attend- had taken a decision to ban Mahan Air from op- for a promotional visit, Chaudhry said, highlighting the nation’s several high-ranking authorities in attendance, the report said. ees further acquainted with the ancient country and erating its flights to Dusseldorf and Munich after laborious visa process. “This is an ample opportunity for both countries to deepening bilateral tourism ties. intensive deliberations on U.S. demands. “We refused a visa to Kaka and Figo. Can you believe that? I boost cultural cooperation,” Iranian ambassador to Beirut Iranian Ambassador to Japan Morteza Rahma- Talking to Reuters, a German government called the section officer and he never heard of ... Kaka,” Chaudhry Mohammad-Jalal Firouznia said, adding, “We believe ni-Movahed said in mid-September that Iran has its spokesman said he could not comment on the said, laughing. that there are many grounds of cooperation between special attractions for all the tastes of Japanese tourists. report in Bild, which said Mahan Air would be “I spoke to the interior secretary yesterday and gave him a piece Iran and Lebanon.” “Development of tourism relations between the two banned in January. of my mind.” Pakistan was last a prominent tourist destination For his part, Lebanese Minister of Tourism Avedis countries is one of important issues emphasized by The U.S. administration has reportedly sanc- in the 1970s when the “hippie trail” brought Western travellers Guidanian touched upon the importance of holding the Islamic Republic of Iran,” the envoy highlighted tioned several companies for their links to Mahan through the apricot and walnut orchards of the Swat Valley and such events for increasing interactions between artisans in late September. Air, including a Thai aviation company and a Kashmir on their way to India and Nepal. of the two nations. The 2019 Travel Risk Map, which shows the risk -based sales agent. Since then, a deteriorating security situation and the imposi- Carpeting, marquetry, woodcarving, tilework, pottery, level around the world, puts Iran among countries with The privately-owned Mahan Air says on its tion of a harsh interpretation of Islamic laws has chipped away stonework and personal ornamentation are amongst works “insignificant risk”, a category where the UK, Denmark, website that it also operates flights to Paris, Bar- at the number of visitors. Following Pakistan’s participation in selected for the event, running through December 27. Switzerland, Norway, and Finland are placed in. celona, Milan and Athens. the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan after the September 11, 2001 attacks in New York and Washington, the country was rocked by a decade of regular large-scale militant attacks. Surfer’s ear points to ancient pearl divers in Panama (Source: Reuters) Surfer’s ear, associated with cold weather Panama’s Pacific coast long ago. tation or stress. Almost half of the members zooarchaeologist at STRI, unearthed a male and water sports, led a bioarchaeologist at “Bone is a dynamic tissue that responds to of a swimming club in England had surfer’s skeleton with surfer’s ear in Sitio Sierra, near the Smithsonian in Panama to suspect that external stimuli, so changes in bone structure ear according to a report cited in the study. Aguadulce in Panama, he was a STRI post-doc- ROUND THE GLOBE ancient shoreline residents were diving for provide great clues about where and how a Unlike most tropical countries where sea- toral student with only rudimentary knowledge pearls in an area of cold-water upwelling. person lived and died,” Smith-Guzm?n said. water is warm, water temperature in the Gulf of physical anthropology. But he collected all of While examining a skull from an ancient “When I looked at an additional 125 skulls from of Panama plummets between January and the human remains he found, enabling Nicole- Mill Network at burial ground in a pre-Columbian village in nine burial sites across Panama, I found seven April when strong trade winds from the north Smith Guzm?n to reexamine them 43 years later. Kinderdijk-Elshout Panama, Nicole Smith-Guzm?n, bioarchae- cases of surfers’ ear in males and one in a female force warm surface water out into the Pacific Cooke spent much of his career studying ologist at the Smithsonian Tropical Research skull, all from sites near the Gulf of Panama.” and colder, deep water rises to the surface ancient fishing practices. He found that Pan- The outstanding contribution made by the people of the Nether- Institute (STRI), was surprised to discover an No one really understands exactly how the to replace it. This deep, nutrient-rich water ama’s pre-Columbian peoples fished from lands to the technology of handling water is admirably demon- example of surfers’ ear: a small, bony bump bony growths, technically called exostoses, feeds tiny sea organisms, which in turn are boats all along both the Pacific and Caribbean strated by the installations in the Kinderdijk-Elshout area. in the ear canal common among surfers, form. But the skin is thin in the ear canal and eaten by fish and whales. The Gulf becomes coasts of Panama. If fishing alone put people The Mill Network at Kinderdijk-Elshout is a group of kayakers and free divers in cold climates. the accepted theory is that cold water or cold an extraordinarily productive fishing ground at higher risk for surfer’s ear, then more cases buildings in an exceptional human-made landscape in which After inspecting more skulls, she concluded temperatures caused by wind and water make supporting a thriving fishing industry and of the bony growth would be present at all of the centuries-long battle of the Dutch people to drain parts that a select group of male divers -- perhaps the bone react by growing extra layers, similar attracting dolphins, sharks and other top- the sites, but all of the examples came from of their territory and protect them against further inun- looking for pearls and oyster shells coveted to the way bone spurs form on the feet and of-the-food-chain animals. areas near the Gulf. dation is dramatically demonstrated through the survival for jewelry making, may have lived along in other places where there is constant irri- Years ago, when co-author Richard Cooke, (Source: Science Daily) of all the major elements of the complex system that was devised for this purpose. Can a safari camp be eco-friendly? By Shivani Vora can view its wildlife — large crocodiles, spotted hyenas and the rare black rhino among the bunch — on game Five new African camps are ratcheting up the luxury factor drives, walks and boating trips. Nightly rates from $470 while also promoting their commitment to sustainability. a person, inclusive of meals, alcoholic beverages and all The first luxury safari camp in eastern Rwanda opens to game viewing. Opening April 2019. guests while another in South Africa that pioneered safari Chikwenya, Mana Pools National Park, Zimbabwe vacations gets a rebuild. The following five properties are Another new camp from Wilderness Safaris, Chikwenya, among the most noteworthy safari camps scheduled to open only from April to mid-November, is situated in a open in Africa over the next few months. They are all in private concession in Mana Pools National Park and is set prime game-viewing locales and each says it is committed at the confluence of the Sapi and Zambezi rivers. It will have to sustainability. seven large tents, each with an outdoor deck and shower. MalaMala Camp, South Africa Sustainable initiatives include solar-powered geysers and Situated on a 30,000-acre private reserve replete with a water purification system that treats water in the Zambezi Construction of hydraulic works for the drainage of land wildlife on the border of Kruger National Park, MalaMala first River for use in the camp. The park is home to an abundance for agriculture and settlement began in the Middle Ages and opened in 1964 and pioneered the idea of the photographic of wildlife, including hippos, mongoose, buffalos and ele- has continued uninterruptedly to the present day. safari in South Africa. It’s been completely rebuilt over the phants, and guests have the option to take both walking and The property illustrates all the typical features associated last 15 months, and the new look includes African slate floors game driving safaris. Nightly rates from $1,288 a person, with this technology: polders, high and low-lying drainage and in the 19 guest rooms and artworks from contemporary Afri- inclusive of meals, alcoholic beverages and game viewing. transport channels for superfluous polder water, embankments can artists throughout. When it comes to sustainability, the The Chikwenya Lodge is set in Zimbabwe’s Mana Pools Opening April 2019. and dikes, 19 drainage mills, 3 pumping stations, 2 discharge camp has eliminated single-use plastics and uses reed beds National Park and is at the confluence of the Sapi and Namiri Plains, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania sluices and 2 Water Board Assembly Houses. to filter its liquid waste and sewerage before the “clean” water Zambezi rivers. Asilia Africa’s Namiri Plains led the way for safaris in The beautifully preserved mills can be divided into three is released back into the surrounding rivers. Nightly rates camp uses electric game driving vehicles, energy-efficient the Eastern Serengeti, an area that was closed to tourism categories: 8 round brick ground-sailers, 10 thatched octagonal from $925 a person, inclusive of meals, alcoholic beverages, appliances and a filtration system that recycles waste water. for 20 years for wildlife research. Now, this simple camp is smock mills, and one hollow post mill. laundry and game viewing. Opening Dec. 15. Nightly rates from $6,600 for four people, inclusive of meals, being rebuilt for its fifth anniversary. It will have 10 canvas The installations in the Kinderdijk-Elshout area demon- Cheetah Plains, Sabi Sand Game Reserve, alcoholic beverages and game viewing. Opening Dec. 15. tents with organic stone walls and floors made out of a mix strate admirably the outstanding contribution made by the South Africa Magashi, Akagera National Park, Rwanda of recycled materials including wood and metal. Namiri people in Netherlands to the technology of handling water. Bordering Kruger National Park, Cheetah Plains is made From the eco-tourism operator Wilderness Safaris, the means “big cat’’ in Swahili, and the area is famous for its The landscape is striking in its juxtaposition of its hori- up of three houses, each with four bedrooms, multiple com- six-tent Magashi will be the first high-end property to lions, cheetahs and leopards. Asilia has partnered with the zontal features, represented by the canals, the dikes, and the munal spaces, a wine cellar, a pool and indoor and outdoor open in Akagera National Park, spanning nearly 250,000 Serengeti Cheetah Project to be part of the protection of one fields, with the vertical rhythms of the mill system. There is dining areas. Each home has its own private chef, and a spa acres, in eastern Rwanda. Overlooking Lake Rwanyaka- of the last remaining healthy populations of cheetah in East no drainage network of this kind or of comparable antiquity therapist. Guests can go on twice-daily game rides where zinga, the camp is being built with sustainably harvested Africa. Nightly rates from $900 a person, inclusive of meals, anywhere else in the Netherlands or in the world. they can expect to see lions, white rhinos, leopards and more wood. Akagera has a diverse ecosystem of open plains, alcoholic beverages and game viewing. Opening June 2019. (Source: UNESCO) than 300 bird species, including the elusive hawk eagle. The woodlands, lakes and grassy low mountains, and guests (Source: The New York Times) I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y DECEMBER 23, 2018 SCIENCE 11

Pollutants from wild fires affect crop Prehistoric shark vs giant and vegetation growth, research shows flying reptile Around 85 million years ago, a fearsome prehistoric shark took a bite out of the neck of a giant flying reptile, losing a tooth in The startling extent to which violent wild vast array of existing measurement datasets, the process. fires, similar to those that ravaged large to assess the separate and combined effects We know this because researchers from the University of swathes of California recently, affect forests of fire pollutants from 2002-11. Southern California have examined a remarkable fossil, which and crops way beyond the boundaries of Ozone increases recorded the moment for posterity as part of a study published the blaze has been revealed. It found that the Gross Primary Produc- in the journal PeerJ. A pioneering new study by Professor tivity (GPP) - essentially plant photosyn- The flying reptile fossil from a pterosaur species known as Nadine Unger of the University of Exeter thesis - was significantly reduced when the Pteranodon was first discovered in the Smoky Hill Chalk region and Professor Xu Yue of the Institute of amount of surface ozone increases. of Kansas (which was once an ocean) in the 1960s. It has been Atmospheric Physics in Beijing, has revealed Crucially, this reduction in GPP was locked away in the archives at the Los Angeles County Natural that pollutants released by the devastating not confined to the areas immediately in History Museum ever since. wild fires can affect crop and vegetation and surrounding the fires. It found that But recently, the research team took an interest in the bones growth hundreds of kilometers from the areas downwind from the fires, hundreds of because one of the vertebrae had a 1-inch shark tooth wedged fire impact zone. kilometers away, experienced significantly into it. They say that this fossil offers a rare glimpse into the The study examined how ozone and reduced plant productivity. interactions between wildlife in the age of the dinosaurs. aerosols - two by-product pollutants of Crops and vegetation in sub-Saharan “We have a number of Pteranodon bones with bites from wildfires - influences healthy plant growth Africa were identified as a particularly vul- sharks on them, but this is the first with an actual tooth in as- in areas that are seemingly unaffected by nerable hot spots to fire ozone pollution sociation,” Hone, from Queen Mary University London, the destructive natural disasters. damage. told Newsweek. Plant productivity The study suggests that the ecological “We have over 1,100 Pteranodon fossils and hundreds of other It found that there was a significant disaster. Globally, over the past decade, amounts of carbon directly into the at- impacts of this air pollution is far greater pterosaurs and this is only the second with a tooth in it — the reduction in plant productivity in are- fire ozone pollution reduced plant produc- mosphere. This immediate carbon loss is than previously thought - potentially im- other was from a Canadian pterosaur that lived on land and has as far away from the fire’s borders. The tivity substantially more than estimated partially compensated by a boost in new pacting crop production that is crucial to a dinosaur tooth stuck in it — so this is rare.” study suggests that fire pollution could drought losses.” ecosystem productivity, driven by changes the survival of rural, remote communities. “Pteranodon was a large marine pterosaur that probably lived pose an increasing threat to regional, and The impact of fire on the Earth’s car- to canopy composition and soil respiration. Professor Unger added: “To the extent somewhat like a giant gull or albatross,” he said. even global, productivity in the warming bon budget has been well documented. For the study, scientists used state-of- that we are worried about fire particulate But despite its large size, Pteranodon would have made a future world. Each year, global fires directly emit large the-art computer models, together with a pollution affecting human respiratory tasty meal for the large sharks that roamed the ancient oceans. Professor Unger, from the University health, we need to be concerned about While the researchers stress that it is impossible to know exactly of Exeter’s Mathematics department said: fire ozone pollution damaging forest and what happened during the incident, or even if the pterosaur was The “impacts of these wildfires on public The study suggests that the ecological impacts agricultural productivity downwind. alive or dead when it was bitten, the flying reptile was likely on health has been widely recognized, but the of this air pollution is far greater than Model to predict how increasing fire the water when the shark tried to take a bite. impact they also have on our ecosystems activity, air pollution, and drought affect (Source: Newsweek) is less known. previously thought - potentially impacting the ability of the land surface to grow food “What we have found is that the pollut- crop production that is crucial to the survival and to take up carbon dioxide in the future ants released by these fires impact plants warmer world.” in areas way beyond the boundaries of the of rural, remote communities. (Source: eurekalert.org) Bees can count with small number of nerve cells in their Gas jets make beautiful lens for New study questions whether brains, research suggests light we can’t normally focus death rate levels off in old age Bees can solve seemingly clever counting tasks with very small numbers of nerve cells in their brains, according to researchers at Queen Mary University of London. In order to understand how bees count, the researchers sim- ulated a very simple miniature ‘brain’ on a computer with just four nerve cells -- far fewer than a real bee has. The ‘brain’ could easily count small quantities of items when inspecting one item closely and then inspecting the next item closely and so on, which is the same way bees count. This differs from humans who glance at all the items and count them together. In this study, the researchers propose that this clever behavior makes the complex task of counting much easier, allowing bees to display impressive cognitive abilities with minimal brainpower. Previous studies have shown bees can count up to four or five items, can choose the smaller or the larger number from a group and even choose ‘zero’ against other numbers when trained to choose ‘less’. They might have achieved this not by understanding numerical If you turn over your cell phone, you even if a material were to focus it nicely. Back in June, in a study published in Sci- in a decades-long debate over whether concepts, but by using specific flight movements to closely inspect will find the lens on your camera. This is To get around this problem, people use ence, demographers observed something the human lifespan has an upper limit. items which then shape their visual input and simplifies the task what lets the camera create a nice image. mirrors to focus and otherwise manipulate interesting about human mortality. They Michael Rose, a University of California, to the point where it requires minimal brainpower. But for light in the wavelength range of extreme ultraviolet light. Mirrors make life looked at the death rates of Italians who Irvine, evolutionary biologist who was not This finding demonstrates that the intelligence of bees, and 1-100nm (called the extreme ultraviolet), really tough when designing a high-quality lived to at least 105 years and found that involved in either study and who researches potentially other animals, can be mediated by very small nerve lenses don’t work. Or, rather, that was optical system. Not only that, these mirrors while the probability of dying in any given late-life mortality in fruit flies, explains that cells numbers, as long as these are wired together in the right way. the accepted wisdom until now. But that aren’t all that reflective, so you still lose year increases rapidly during adulthood, plateaus in humans were first reported in The study could also have implications for artificial intelligence wisdom will change, as researchers have lots of light. the rate of increase then starts to taper 1939, in a paper that got little attention. because efficient autonomous robots will need to rely on robust, shown how to make a lens for extreme It turns out that there are ways to get in old age. Interest in the topic resurfaced in computationally inexpensive algorithms, and could benefit from ultraviolet radiation. something with a refractive index at extreme By 105, the researchers found, people 1992 after the publication of two papers employing insect-inspired scanning behaviors. Lenses are basically a curved surface of a ultraviolet wavelengths. The refractive index have a 50/50 chance of dying each year in Science reporting these plateaus in “Careful examination of the actual inspection strategies used material in which light moves at a different of a material is generated by the electrons — and that probability holds steady in fruit flies and medflies. Since then, Rose by animals might reveal that they often employ active scanning speed. When light hits the material of a jiggling about in response to the incoming subsequent years. says, the animal data have continued to behaviors as shortcuts to simplify complex visual pattern dis- glass lens, for example, it slows down (by light field. An electron’s willingness to jiggle “We found that mortality rates, which strengthen, such that the “phenomenon crimination tasks. about 30 percent) — this is the effect of is highly dependent on the combination go up rapidly with age at younger ages, had of late-life mortality plateaus is now abun- (Source: Science Daily) the refractive index of the material. Since of its environment and the wavelength of leveled off at these extreme ages,” Univer- dantly demonstrated in model organisms, the lens is curved, the light at the edge of the light causing it to jiggle. sity of California, Berkeley, demographer in experiments about which there is no the lens gets to travel that little bit further Energetic state Kenneth Wachter, who led the study, tells doubt whatsoever.” before it slows down, putting it ahead of If the light is just about the right wave- The Scientist. This phenomenon is called a At the same time, demographers have ESA spacecraft captures light that is near the center of the lens. length to cause the electron to jump from late-life mortality plateau. Demographers been studying the phenomenon in humans But, what if light didn’t slow down on one energetic state to another, then the also think of it as the point at which aging and coming up with different answers to image of ‘winter entering a material? Well, then nothing electron can get very jiggly indeed. stops — that is, among those who believe the questions of whether aging stops and wonderland on Mars’ would happen; the wave continues on as A group of researchers has made use that these plateaus exist. also whether the human lifespan is fun- if nothing was in the way. of this fact. They shone a beam of extreme For 20 years, as Newman notes, scien- damentally limited or has the potential Breathtaking photos of Mars’ Korolev crater could be mistaken for Extreme ultraviolet light ultraviolet light through a jet of helium tists have argued over what may cause these to increase. a huge ice skating rink. The ESA stitched together several pictures This is almost what happens with ex- gas. The wavelengths that were close to the mortality plateaus and a related phenome- Wachter is of the latter opinion. In the taken from months ago by the Mars Express satellite. treme ultraviolet light. For these wave- energy required to drive helium’s electrons non called late-life mortality deceleration, Science study, his team found not only that A stunning photo of what seemed to be an ice skating rink is lengths, most materials have a refractive from their normal energy state to a higher when the rate at which death becomes the mortality rate plateaus at 105 but that circulating online, but it isn’t a man-made one. It’s actually the index that is just very slightly less than energy state were strongly bent. Indeed, more likely every year starts slowing down. the probability of dying each year after this Korolev crater on Mars, captured in all its glory by the European one. This means that the light speeds up the results fit theory very well. Newman believes that both of these phe- age was slightly lower than 50/50 in people Space Agency spacecraft. by about less than one percent on entering Wavelengths that are just a bit shorter nomena can be explained by mistakes in who were born later. This suggests to the From afar, it may look like a material. The difference is just too small than required for excitation are defocused recordkeeping on mortality data. The “core authors that the human lifespan might puddle of milk or an ice skating to make good optics. by a gas jet (because the refractive index of my finding is that you can explain this not have a fixed limit. This isn’t saying rink. However, it’s one of the But that’s not the only problem. All ma- is just less than one), while wavelengths pattern with errors,” he says. that people won’t die eventually, but that Red ’s most picturesque terials strongly absorb extreme ultraviolet just a bit longer than required are focused. Late-life mortality humans might continue to push longevity. features. The crater spans 82 light. You would lose most of the light, (Source: arstechnica.com) Newman’s new paper is the latest volley (Source: the-scientist.com) kilometers across and 1.8 kilo- meters deep. Although some may say that Measuring individual argon atoms helps in understanding ocean ventilation the crater is filled with snow, it’s The age of the water in the world’s oceans is critical for Using this method, the research group led by Prof. Dr. actually brimming with ice. It is understanding ocean circulation, especially for the transport Markus Oberthaler at the Kirchhoff Institute for Physics located at the south of Olympia of gases from the atmosphere into the deep ocean. was able to reduce the sample size needed for dating from Undae, the dune-filled terrain in Researchers from Heidelberg University recently used the minimum of 1,000 liters of water to five. the northern polar cap. an atomic physics technique they developed to determine Conventional methods This wonderful view doesn’t the age of deep ocean water ranging from 50 to 1,000 years. “Unlike with conventional methods, we do not wait for just appear during the Martian This new dating method, which measures individual argon the isotope to spontaneously decay to capture it; we slow winter. It’s a fixture on the Red Planet. This Mars crater was atoms, was used in a pilot study in the North Atlantic. the atoms down using modern laser technology, capture named after Russian scientist Sergei Korolev, dubbed as the The circulation of the world’s oceans is of great them in atom traps, and selectively count individual atoms,” father of Soviet space technology. importance for life in the ocean as well as for the global explains Dr. Sven Ebser, the study’s primary author. “This ever-icy presence is due to an interesting phenomenon climate system. For future climate prognoses, it is important Each isotope responds to minimally different laser known as a ‘cold trap’, which occurs as the name suggests,” the to understand not only how deep water is supplied with light, which the physicists use to their advantage in this ESA explained. fresh oxygen but also how quickly and in what quantities process. This slight effect in the wavelength is enough to Despite the summer on the northern part of Mars that lasts the oceans absorb human-generated CO2 greenhouse especially suitable for the 50- to 1,000-year range. This “manipulate” and detect the desired 39Ar atoms while for six months, the Korolev crater remains filled with ice. This is gas from the air. period of time is critical for understanding the movement of all the other atoms can freely pass through atom trap attributed to the deep parts that trap the moving air from above To do that requires knowing the age of the deep water. surface water into the deep ocean. But there is only a single unobserved. the surface by cooling and sinking it down. Therefore, cold air How long does it take for water from the surface to reach a atom of the sought-after 39Ar isotope in a thousand billion The “39Ar method was available for our work only because directly “sits” at the top. specific location in the ocean’s interior? For periods of up (1015) argon atoms in the atmosphere and surface water. of the greatly reduced sample size,” explains oceanographer Meanwhile, the breathtaking view is gaining attention, thanks to around 50 years, there are multiple dating methods. But How many of these isotopes can still be detected in Dr. Toste Tanhua of the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for to the technology used, a High Resolution Stereo Camera, from for older water – and hence most of the ocean – there has deep water that has had no contact with the atmosphere Ocean Research. As the pilot study off the Cape Verde the ESA’s Mars Express satellite, which has been circling around been no optimal dating method until now, the Heidelberg for some time? Until now, answering this question Islands demonstrated, the method enables the researchers the planet for more than a decade already. researchers emphasize. required substantial effort and an enormous sample to identify much more precisely when a water sample last Such a remarkable photo, however, wasn’t taken in one shot. Rare radioactive isotope size. The Heidelberg researchers have now adapted a had contact with the atmosphere. This provides new insights It is actually a composite picture of different shots taken earlier The rare radioactive isotope 39Ar of the noble gas argon fundamentally new measurement method, Atom Trap into the movement of trace substances in the ocean. this year by the Mars Express, which will be celebrating its 15th (Ar) is used for dating. With a half-life of 269 years, it is Trace Analysis (ATTA), especially for 39Ar. (Source: phys.org) year on Dec. 25. (Source: Tech Times) I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y DECEMBER 23, 2018 SOCIETYANALYSIS & INTERVIEWDECEMBER 23, 2018 12ِ 12

14 provinces blanketed with Marriage rates falling by 5% snow

ENVIRONMENT TEHRAN — Fourteen provinces across Iran deskare covered with snow on the very first day of winter, Rescue and Relief Organization director Morteza annually, says health official Salimi has said. ENVIRONMENT TEHRAN — The rate of of children born per woman—at which deskmarriage is dropping by a population exactly replaces itself from 5 percent annually in Iran, director general one generation to the next, without mi- for population health and family office at gration. This rate is roughly 2.1 children the Ministry of Health has said. per woman for most countries, although Currently both marriage rate and fertility it may modestly vary with mortality rates. rate are dropping in the country, Hamed The Ministry of Health is not the sole Barakati said, adding that annually mar- body responsible for population man- riage rate is decreasing by 5 to 7 percent. agement, it’s a multispectral task, he In the year 1389 (March 2010-March said, noting that if population growth 2011) 890,000 marriages were registered is a priority couples should be provided while in 1396 (March 2017-March 2018) with bigger houses to be encouraged to 670,000 marriages were reported, IRNA have more children. news agency quoted Barakati as saying Job security for women after giving Snow piled up in provinces of Hamedan, Lorestan, Golestan, on Saturday. birth and 9-month maternity leave are Mazandaran, Gilan, Kermanshah, Kordestan, Qazvin, Zanjan, In the year 1395 (March 2016-March also other issues, he stated. Khuzestan, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, Ardebil, East Azarbaijan, 2017) some 1.04 million children were The Ministry of Health, he said, was the and West Azarbaijan over the past two days, Fars news agency born while in the 1360s (1980s) the first entity to agree with 9-month mater- quoted Salimi as saying on Saturday. number of children born in some years nity leave instead of 6-month maternity Some 1,500 individuals who got stranded in snow received reached 2 million, he added. leave, however, in private sector due to relief services and 264 vehicles which were stuck in snow were Currently couples have their first child staff shortages some women should have released, he added. between the first 4 to 5 years from their go to work right after giving birth or it will marriage, he explained. cost them their job. Barakati went on to say that based on In the year 1395 (March 2016-March 2017) 15-day paternity leave proposed to the the latest census figures in 2016 total fer- parliament was also a policy for ensuring Iran’s Rescue and Relief tility rate in Iran was 2.01 which reaches some 1.04 million children were born while mother’s mental health, as currently many replacement level fertility. in the 1360s (1980s) the number of children couples are living far away from their Organization to be equipped “Replacement level fertility” is the parents and need help with the baby, born in some years reached 2 million. with drones total fertility rate—the average number he suggested.

SOCIETY TEHRAN —The Iranian Red Crescent deskSociety’s Rescue and Relief Organization HS2 accused of inadequate planning as company prepares to will be equipped with drones, said the Organization’s di- rector Morteza Salimi. commit ‘unacceptable’ damage to wildlife Wildlife experts have accused the company behind HS2 They noted that with over half of British species of failing to make adequate environmental preparations already in decline, large developments like HS2 must as it plans to build over irreplaceable habitats. commit to “net gain”, as recommended by government The Wildlife Trusts say the new railway will cause planning guidance. “unacceptable” damage to nature, without sufficient “The government has committed in their 25-year efforts to conserve the woodlands and endangered environment plan to embed an environmental net gain species that will be harmed. in development,” explained Rachel Hackett, living land- As a public consultation into the environmental impact scapes development manager for the trusts. of the scheme comes to a close, the organisation have HS2 has previously come under fire after it emerged urged the government-owned company to increase that the route would destroy hundreds of homes and efforts to restore threatened wild places. businesses. Campaigners accused those behind the They also called on HS2 Ltd to save habitats like project of opting for a more damaging route to keep wetlands and ancient woodlands, which take hundreds costs down. of years to form and are considered irreplaceable. Responding to the accusations, a HS2 Ltd spokes- The Rescue and Relief Organization’s equipment have increased The company’s own figures show the latest phase person said: “HS2 aims to be one of the most envi- by 4 percent compared to the last year (March 2017-March 2018), under consideration will impact over 100 important ronmentally responsible infrastructure projects ever Salimi said, ISNA news agency reported on Saturday. wildlife sites. delivered in the UK. “Using drones in operations has been a priority for some Among these are 19 ancient woodlands, 12 sites “We are committed to reducing the potential impact years and we have led some primary negotiations in this regard deemed significant by scientists, and the homes of on the natural environment and aim to build a railway and singed a memorandum of understanding as well,” he added. vulnerable species including lizards, hares and water to compensate for nature’s loss, and to make matters that supports new wildlife habitats, woodlands and New technology used in drones, or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles voles. The company is obliged to make an attempt to even worse, there’s very little information about the community spaces which future generations can enjoy.” (UAVs), is making it possible for civilians, emergency response restore or replace areas it harms. impact on species. “Local communities and The Wildlife Trusts have a personnel, as well as military forces to work together to fight Yet in its plans for Phase 2b of the railway, covering “On the evidence we have been given, this phase will huge role to play. Their feedback will help us to design disasters and help save lives. 176 miles from Crewe to Manchester and the West result in an unacceptable level of damage to wildlife and build the best possible railway, and we encour- Drones can assist in tasks from documenting property damage Midlands to Leeds, campaigners said it was difficult along the route.” age them to have their say and take part in the public to pinpointing the locations of people in need of rescue. to see how they would compensate for the damage. Ms Hawkins highlighted the Great Manchester consultation.” “HS2 Ltd’s work on this latest phase of the HS2 Wetlands Living Landscape as one of the essential The Trusts say they will make their views known route is derisory in its assessment of the environmental wild areas under threat the current environmental in the consultation, which closes on Friday. Among LEARN ENGLISH impact,” said Katherine Hawkins, senior living land- statement appears to overlook. their recommendations for a greener approach to the scapes officer at The Wildlife Trusts. “It’s almost as if it doesn’t exist,” she said. project were wide strips of wild countryside established Learning the Piano “It is incomplete, there isn’t enough detail, there The group also took issue with the company’s com- on either side of the new line. are significant omissions, it lacks sufficient proposals mitment to “no net loss” of wildlife. (Source: The Independent)

Charles: Hi Cody, how did practicing go this week? Cody: Well I had several tests and an oral presentation this week so I didn’t get a chance to memorize the second page, but Industry ministry making Second Announcement N.I.O.C National Iranian I think I mastered the tricky section. Drilling Company 1397.4893 Charles: Great! Warm up with some scales and arpeggios no move to promote electric first. Good, good. This week, work on keeping the rhythm steady Call for publicCall for public tender tender (First/Second (First/Second publish) publish) One –Stages )Retender ( when you play the last part with the sixteenth note. Now let’s N.I.O.C (One –Stages )Retender National Iranian Subject of Tender: P/F”MALBRANQUE”SAFETY GATE VALVE take a look at this tricky section. motorcycles: official Subject 1397.4893of Tender: P/F”MALBRANQUE”SAFETY GATE VALVE Drilling Company Cody: Charles? Before I start I was wondering if it was ok if I ENVIRONMENT TEHRAN —Vahid Hosseini, head of the na-  Tender description put a small crescendo in here and then decrescendo back to desktional working group for air pollution mitiga- pianissimo again over here? Tender No. Estimated value tion, has criticized the Ministry of Industry, Mining and Trade The Tender holder Registration No. through national electronic tendering system Charles: It might work. I’ll have to hear it. Show me what you’ve for not taking any actions in manufacturing and promoting /Indent No. (Rial/Euro) done. Not bad, not bad. electric motorcycles. Tender No. :FP/09-97/040 National Iranian Drilling Company 3,184,968 Rials 7,430,000,000 Cody: It was horrible! I played play it much better at home! As per a statute passed by the national working group for air Indent No.:08-22-9645019 Charles: It’s just nerves. Just play the right hand for now. One pollution mitigation the industry ministry had to take action in two three four five six, ta ti tri-ple-ti. Good, good. Don’t forget manufacturing and developing electric motorcycles to tackle air  Qualitative evaluation of tenderers the accidentals! The key signature says that note should be a pollution over the past year but so far no visible action has been taken, Hosseini regretted. Qualification process will be done in plain mode in offers opening session according to presentation of valid practice G-sharp but now it’s a G-natural. Now add the bass clef. You’re certificate / legal documents (certificate of corporation/ supply announcement up to latest changes) which should be going too fast. Remember the tempo for this piece is andante. Normally, governments worldwide provide customers with sub- related to tender subject. Method Cody: Is that better? sidies for encouraging cleaner transport options such as electric 1- Applicants who have more than 4 in process contracts with NIDC are not allowed to participate in this tender. Charles: Yes, much better. Watch where you lift your foot off motorcycles, ISNA quoted him as saying on Saturday. 2- Applicants which have more than 2 in process contracts with NIDC in similar subject ( exclusively the pedal. What was that? The industry ministry is tasked with formulating all policies re- same subject) are not allowed to participate in another tender garding production and promotion of electric cars, he highlighted. Cody: Sorry! The stretch for that octave is always hard to make. Additionally the ministry must provide incentives and detailed  Purchasing & Submitting Charles: That’s ok, keep going, you’re moving ahead by leaps strategies to the government for importation and production of and bounds. Watch your dynamics! Keep your elbows lifted. The distribution of the documents will be started one day after the publishing of second advertisement and ended on electric motorcycles, he added. the following seventh day thereof. Remember to stroke the keys, don’t pound. That’s better! A few months ago the ministry have proposed an incomprehen- Distribution Place Hall No.:113, 1thfloor, Foreign Procurement Dept., National Iranian Remember that as a pianist or any other musician, your technique sible plan for granting subsidies to electric motorcycles, bicycles Drilling Company, Airport square, Ahwaz, IRAN Tel: 061-34148601 will be what separates you from the pack just as much or more Tender Document Distribution by Company  Submitting one original Bank Fund Receipt in the amount and hybrid taxis, however the proposal was inefficient, he lamented. of 510,000 Iranian Rials under account number 4001114004020491 in name of “NIDC Incomes Centralized Fund” so as your musicianship. Hosseini went on to explain that the plan was not approved due Submitting Method issued by I.R. of Iran Central Bank. Key vocabulary to the numerous non-transparent policies proposed in the plan.  Submitting format Request for the purpose of receiving tricky: requiring skill or caution The production of carbureted-engine motorcycles was halted in Tender Documents. scale: a series of musical notes Iran as of late September 2016 as carburetor-equipped motorcycles Closing date .Days after the last time of Purchasing 35  arpeggios: the notes of a musical chord played separately but which are typically less fuel efficient and emit more emissions com- Documents Receiving Method Hall No. 107, 1stfloor, Tender Committee, Operation building, quickly one after the other pared to newer, fuel injection technology. Address National Iranian Drilling Company, Airport square, Ahwaz, In order to tackle the problem, the national working group for air IRAN. note: a specific musical tone Tel: +98-61-34148580 +98-61-34148569 tempo: the speed at which a musical piece is played pollution mitigation, affiliated to the Department of Environment by leaps and bounds: very quickly (DOE), made a proposal to bring production of the pollutant carbu-  Tender Guarantee reted-engine motorcycles to halt some two years ago. The cabinet of dynamics: changes in how loudly a piece of music is played ministers approved the proposal in June 22, 2016 which went into Value of guarantee 7,729 Euro / 371,500,000 Rial key: a button depressed with fingers to produce sounds effect as of September 2016. Bank guarantees or guarantees issued by non-bank institutions that obtain activity license from the central bank of the musicianship: the skill of performing music Type of guarantee Islamic Republic of Iran. However, in June, Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani-Faz- Submitting one original Bank Fund Receipt under account number 4001114006376636 in name of “NIDC saving Supplementary vocabulary account” by the central bank of Islamic Republic of Iran. li, and the then Industry, Mining and Trade Minister Mohammad Duration of credit & quotation hammer: a wooden piece which strikes the strings Shariatmadari claimed that some manufacturers were not aware of Tender Guarantee should be valid for 90 days and extendable maximum for one time in initial validity duration. string: wires that when hit by the hammer produces sounds the production halt and that not issuing license plate for the 1,000 plate: the iron frame which holds the strings in place (Foreign Procurement Dept.) (Foreign Procurement Dept.) motorcycles may have some adverse social and economic consequenc- More of this & other tenders are accessible by click on: hitch pin: a metal screw that holds one end of the string More of this & other tenders are accessible by click on: es. They have further urged the cabinet to approve the issuance of www.nidc.ir www.nidc.ir http://sapp.ir/nidc_pr http://sapp.ir/nidc_pr grand piano: a specific type of piano license plate for the already-manufactured motorcycles. تهران تایمز نوبت اول 1/10/97نوبت دوم 2/تهران 10/97تایمز نوبت اول 1/10/97نوبت دوم Source: irlangiuage.com) Nonetheless, the cabinet didn’t approve the proposal. 97/10/2) ساعت: 19:40 امضاء صفحه آرا: ساعت: امضاء مسئول صفحه: ساعت: امضاء ادیتور: ساعت: امضاء سردبیر:

I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y DECEMBER 23, 2018 WORLD IN FOCUS 13 UNSC authorizes truce monitors for U.S. Saudi mission deletes Yemen’s Hudaydah tweet promoting pro- 1 According to the agreement, which Leading a coalition of its allies, Saudi democracy protests was signed during UN-brokered peace talks Arabia invaded Yemen in March 2015 in The U.S. embassy in Saudi Arabia has deleted a video posted on held in the Swedish capital of Stockholm, an attempt to reinstall Saudi-backed Hadi, its Twitter account promoting peaceful pro-democracy demon- Houthi fighters and Hadi’s forces, which who had resigned amid popular discontent strations against oppressive regimes. have put the city under a tight siege since and fled to Riyadh. June, must withdraw from the port and hand The imposed war initially consisted of it over to UN observers. an aerial campaign, but was later coupled On Friday, a UK-drafted resolution sup- with a naval blockade and the deployment porting the truce was adopted, the first UN of ground mercenaries to Yemen. Further- resolution on the impoverished country in more, armed militia forces loyal to Hadi, more than three years. in line with invaders, launched frequent The limited ceasefire and withdrawal, if attacks against Yemeni people in regions implemented, could offer a potential break- held by Houthis. through in the nearly four-year imposed Since the onset of aggression, the Yem- war that has brought Yemen to the brink eni army, backed by fighters from Houthi of starvation and created the world’s worst Ansarullah movement, has been defending humanitarian crisis. the impoverished nation against the invad- Britain’s UN Ambassador Karen Pierce ers. The coalition is also resolute to crush praised the UNSC’s unanimity “on this very the movement as another goal in its war important issue that affected so many mil- on Yemen, which is teetering on the edge Footage, which had been produced by the U.S. State Depart- lions of citizens in Yemen today.” is heading the UN monitoring operation in immediate implementation of the Stockholm of famine. ment, was shared on Twitter by the American mission in Riyadh “The most important matter now is Yemen, has already deployed to the region agreement.” The aggression is estimated to have left earlier this week. that we turn to urgent implementation. with a small advance team. It also endorses the truce agreement, a 56,000 Yemenis dead. Featuring archival photos of famous protest movements with It’s vital that the parties follow through “We’ll be deploying additional personnel prisoner exchange agreement, and a “state- The Saudi-led war has also taken a Arabic subtitles, the video promoted peaceful demonstrations on their commitments to pave the way in the coming days as we scale up to sup- ment of understanding” aimed at reducing heavy toll on the country’s infrastructure, for “positive social and political changes,” and nonviolent civil for a formal re-launch of (peace) negoti- port and facilitate the implementation of fighting in the central city of Ta’izz, another destroying hospitals, schools, and factories. disobedience as a means “to guarantee a truly civil society.” ations, and at the same time deliver real the agreement,” he further said, stressing hotspot in the Yemeni conflict. The UN has already said that a record 22.2 “Even in oppressive, authoritarian conditions, protesters can improvements on the ground that make a that Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is The resolution also requests Guterres million Yemenis are in dire need of food, tailor their campaigns to succeed,” said a voiceover on the video. tangible difference to ordinary Yemenis,” insisting that monitors are deployed very to submit proposals “as soon as pos- including 8.4 million threatened by severe “When large, nonviolent groups of people organize concen- she added. “quickly.” sible before December 31” on how the hunger. According to the world body, Yemen trated methods like protests, along with dispersed methods like The fragile truce, which went into effect Dujarric also said the monitoring team, UN will fully support the truce, the is suffering from the most severe famine in boycotts or strikes, even the most brutal regimes have trouble on Thursday, has halted months of heavy whose members will not wear uniforms but redeployment of the rival forces from more than 100 years. stifling the movements indefinitely.” fighting in Hudaydah, through whose docks will be clearly identified as being from the the port city and other provisions in A number of Western countries, the U.S. On Friday, the Middle East Eye (MEE) news portal asked more than 70 percent of Yemen’s imports UN, will include some observers from other the agreement. and Britain in particular, are also accused of Washington whether the embassy in Riyadh was encouraging used to pass. UN missions. Meanwhile, at least four people were being complicit in the ongoing aggression the Saudis to hold anti-regime protests. UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric urged The resolution authorizes the UN chief killed in Yemen’s province of Jawf after Sau- as they supply the Riyadh regime with ad- However, the post was deleted, with a State Department official all parties “to abide by the commitments “to establish and deploy, for an initial pe- di warplanes’ airstrikes hit an ambulance. vanced weapons and military equipment as saying that the video portrayed historical events as part of the made in Stockholm.” He added that retired riod of 30 days ... an advance team to begin According to the Yemeni Health Ministry, well as logistical and intelligence assistance. “ShareAmerica” series. “The post was not an incitement or call Dutch Major General Patrick Cammaert, who monitoring and to support and facilitate the the victims were paramedics. (Source: Press TV) to protest,” the official added. Sarah Leah Whitson, executive director of Human Rights Watch’s Middle East and North African division, said that the tweet had apparently “slipped through the Saudi account.” Baghdad’s Green Zone opens its gates to public after 15 years “Protest rights for Saudis, Egyptians, Palestinians, and Bah- For 15 years, most Iraqis have been unable to access the as families cheered on the government while entering the rainis? Not so much. This deleted tweet debacle is a perfect il- heart of Baghdad. But the tall concrete walls and barbed once heavily fortified area. And yet, Iraqis hope more will lustration of America’s absurd hypocrisy. It just doesn’t work to wire that have closed off the Green Zone for years are finally be done to bring Bagdad back to its former self. selectively promote human rights,” she said. coming down. The Green Zone, a 10 square kilometre area Festive atmosphere Bruce Riedel, an ex-CIA officer and scholar at the Brookings in central Baghdad, has been partially open to the public The reopening, ordered by Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Institution, told MEE, “It’s very odd. The kingdom is more re- since December 10 for a two-week trial period that is likely Abdul Mahdi, coincided with the first anniversary of Bagh- pressive under Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman than ever to become permanent. dad’s victory over the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant before: no dissent or protest is tolerated. It’s baffling what the Cars are now allowed to traverse the area from 5pm (ISIL), the armed group that had overtaken large swaths State Department was thinking.” to 1am along the 14th of July Road, a key thoroughfare of the country since 2014. Saudi journalist Hani al-Abndi described the deleted tweet as that extends from the 14th July Bridge - also known as “This is a reason for real celebration,” said Adnan Qure- a “political joke that the U.S. embassy have said,” noting, “They the hanging bridge - and connects the city’s east and west. ishi, a journalist and Baghdad resident. “The area has an encourage Saudi citizens to protest peacefully. But Saudi citizens However, side roads where Iraqi officials are based re- important place in our memory. It had been under occu- are scared to protest because they fear of being arrested and killed.” main closed and government buildings and foreign missions pation by the Americans and the government for too long.” Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, known as MbS, continue to be under heavy security and surveillance. Hassan Jaber, a professor at Baghdad University, who has been involved in an aggressive push to purge royals and Following the United States-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, has been driving along the previously closed off thoroughfare palaces and former government buildings too.” businessmen critical of his policies under the banner of an “an- the neighborhood was cordoned off by the U.S. military, for several days, feels equally elated by the move. Long-neglected road networks in the city of almost nine ti-corruption campaign.” which set up its headquarters there, at former ruler Saddam “It’s a double celebration of a big achievement [victory million residents make movement across Baghdad difficult Bin Salman’s crackdown on critics came to light following Hussein’s palace. As the area later hosted the U.S. embassy over ISIL] and brave move [reopening of the Green Zone],” and traffic jams ubiquitous. the brutal murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi inside Riyadh’s and the Iraqi parliament, the Green Zone became a symbol Jaber told Al Jazeera. But with two of the capital’s key thoroughfares - Haifa Istanbul consulate. of the U.S. occupation and the estrangement felt by many “For 15 years, this area has been off limits. A whole Street and 14th of July Boulevard - traversing the Green A CIA assessment concluded that it was probably bin Salman Iraqis towards their government. generation has never seen it,” he added, explaining that Zone, the reopening has reduced some of Baghdad’s heavy who had ordered Khashoggi’s assassination. Additionally, the This led Baghdad residents to receive the move with cel- the last time he traversed the area was in 2003. road congestion. U.S. Senate unanimously adopted a resolution that assigned ebrations. Iraqi flags were seen hanging from car windows, “We just hope the reopening will extend to all roads, old (Source: Al Jazeera) responsibility to the heir to the Saudi throne for the killing. U.S. President Donald Trump, however, avoided rebuking Saudi Arabia over Khashoggi’s murder and vowed to stand with its ally, citing lucrative arms deals among the reasons for his support. U.S. jets kill dozens in Syria after Trump announces pullout Back in August, the Canadian embassy in Riyadh expressed The United States and its allies have con- victory over ISIL there. tion against the east of the Euphrates river Erdogan’s comments come as Turkey grave concerns over a spike in the arrests of human rights cam- ducted air raids on Syria’s eastern Dayr al- The Pentagon also confirmed that it had until we see on the ground the result of Amer- has expressed frustration over what it be- paigners in Saudi Arabia and called for their immediate freedom. Zawr province, killing more than two dozen started the process of withdrawing all 2,000 ica’s decision to withdraw from Syria,” said lieves is a slow implementation of an ear- The criticism infuriated Saudi authorities and led to the ex- people, including eight children. American troops from Syria Erdogan, signaling that a Turkish operation lier June agreement for the withdrawal of pulsion of Canadian Ambassador Dennis Horak. The so-called Syrian Observatory for Trump’s announcement, however, raised will begin once the U.S. troops have left the Washington-backed Kurdish militants from Commenting on the recent tweet by the U.S. mission, Horak Human Rights (SOHR) said the deadly concerns among Washington’s European region. “In the next months we will see an the strategic northern Syrian city of Manbij. told MEE that he was surprised by the video promoting protests strikes hit the village of al-Sha’afa, situat- and regional allies, which have long been operational style aimed at removing the YPG Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavu- in Saudi Arabia. ed on the eastern bank of the Euphrates supporting a myriad of anti-Damascus (Kurdish People’s Protection Units militia) soglu also raised the matter speaking earlier. “You had the Senate resolution last week, holding MbS ac- River, on Friday. militants. and Daesh (Islamic State in IIraq and the “We have the Manbij road map, we dis- countable for the murder, and then the Saudis reacted quite “At least 27 people were killed this morn- Analysts described the U.S. forces’ with- Levant/ISIL terrorist group) elements on cussed whether we can implement this by negatively to that, but said that they value the relationship,” he ing in al-Sha’afa,” SOHR head Rami Abdel drawal from Syria as a victory for Damas- the ground in Syria.” the time that they (U.S. forces) withdraw,” said on Friday. “It’s a complete contrast to the massive overre- Rahman said, adding that several people cus and its allies, which was made possible Last week, Erdogan promised a Turk- said Cavusoglu. “So many issues that Turkey action they had with us this summer, but they are the United were seriously injured in the U.S.-led co- through the resistance of the Syrian nation ish-led operation against the Kurdish-con- and the United States should coordinate, States and we’re not.” alition attacks. and government during the foreign-spon- trolled regions in “the next few days.” and there shouldn’t be any vacuum in the (Source: Press TV) He further noted that eight children were sored militancy in the country. The president, however, announced the country that terrorist groups might also fill.” among the civilian victims of the airstrikes. Erdogan welcomes U.S. troop operation’s delay today just a few days after Turkey, which has opposed American Al-Shaafa and Hajin are the two main withdrawal from Syria Trump called for a withdrawal of the U.S. support for the SDF because it believes they villages in the last pocket of territory still Elsewhere, Turkish President Recep troops from Syria, earlier. are the same group as the outlawed PKK, At least 16 killed in occupied by the Islamic State in Iraq and Tayyip Erdogan has welcomed the United Many American forces are currently de- stressed that it would take over the fight the Levant (ISIL/Daesh) Takfiri terrorist States’ announced withdrawal from Syria, ployed in the Kurdish-controlled regions against ISIL in Syria. Mogadishu car bomb group in Dayr al-Zawr near the Iraqi border. temporarily postponing a planned invasion of Syria. On Thursday, Turkish Defense Minister claimed by Al-Shabab The Syrian army managed to liberate of Syria’s Kurdish-controlled northeastern Turkey saw the U.S.-led military presence General Hulusi Akar warned that Kurdish Dayr Al-Zawr city from the grip of ISIL in regions. as an obstacle in dealing with the Kurdish militants operating east of the Euphrates Riv- At least 16 people were killed and 20 wounded in a car bomb November 2017. Erdogan announced the decision speak- People’s Protection Units (YPG/Yekîneyên er would be “buried in the ditches” they dig. attack claimed by Al Qaeda-linked group Al-Shabab close to the The United States and its allies have been ing at a rally in the Turkish city of Istanbul Parastina Gel). U.S. soothes Iraq concerns president’s residence in the Somali capital Mogadishu, police bombarding what they call ISIL positions on Friday. The YPG gained de facto autonomous rule In another development on Saturday, the said Saturday. inside Syria since September 2014 without “We had decided last week to launch a in the region adjoining Turkey’s southern U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told Those killed include three staffers from the London-based any authorization from Damascus or a United military incursion in the east of the Euphrates border as Syria’s central government fo- Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi that Universal TV station, including prominent journalist Awil Dahir Nations mandate. river... Our phone call with President Trump, cused its resources on fighting a foreign-led Washington would continue operations in Salad, said police Capt. Mohammad Hussein, who gave the latest The aerial assaults have failed to fulfill along with contacts between our diplomats Takfiri insurgency that plunged the country the country despite the Syria exit. toll of dead and wounded. their declared aim of countering terrorism, and security officials and statements by the in turmoil in recent years. Abdul-Mahdi’s office said in a statement A second explosion followed nearby. Al-Shabab, in comments but destroyed much of Syria’s infrastructure United States, have led us to wait a little Turkey sees the YPG as its enemy and a that he had “received a phone call from Pompeo broadcast on its Radio Andalus, claimed responsibility for both and left many civilian casualties. longer,” said Erdogan. “terrorist offshoot” of the separatist Kurdis- who explained the details of the upcoming blasts and said the second was also a car bomb. The fresh U.S. air raids came two days The Turkish president, however, stressed tan Workers’ Party (PKK/Partiya Karkerên withdrawal from Syria and affirmed the United Among those killed were two security personnel and a driver after the U.S. President Donald Trump that the delay was not an “open-ended wait- Kurdistanê) militant group. The PKK has States is still committed to fight Daesh and working for local station Universal TV, whose car was passing announced an abrupt decision to pull out ing period.” been engaged in a prolonged insurgency terrorism in Iraq and other areas.” the checkpoint at which the first blast went off, another reporter American troops from Syria after claiming “We have postponed our military opera- against Ankara since 1984. (Source: Press TV) working for the station said. “My colleague Awil Dahir Salad died in the blast together with the driver and two security guards. They were killed by the first U.S. provides with additional $10 million in military aid blast as they drove. May Allah rest their souls,” journalist Abdiasis Ibrahim who works for Universal TV, told Reuters. The United States says it will provide an additional $10 and ignored warnings to stop while maneuvering dangerously. The move prompted Russia to increase patrols off its Police had earlier said the first car bomb at the checkpoint million in military aid to Ukraine to boost its naval capa- The State Department called on Russia “to keep the Kerch Azov coast to guarantee free navigation by Russian ships. killed five, mostly soldiers. bility, after Russia seized three Ukrainian navy ships off Strait and the Sea of Azov open to ships transiting to and Following the November incident, the European Un- A Reuters witness at the scene of the second blast said he saw the coast of Crimea last month. from Ukrainian ports, and to respect Ukraine’s sovereignty ion said tensions in the Azov Sea and Kerch Strait had at least two bodies. Ahmed Abdi, another police officer, said the The State Department announced the decision on Fri- and territorial integrity.” “increased dangerously,” and that Russia must restore first car bomb exploded at a checkpoint some 400 meters from day, urging Moscow to “immediately return to Ukraine the The Sea of Azov is a strategic ocean route linked to the freedom of passage. the president’s residence. seized vessels and detained Ukrainian crews.” Black Sea by the narrow Strait of Kerch where Russia has built EU extends sanctions against Russia Al-Shabab carries out frequent attacks in Mogadishu. Its Last month, Russian naval forces seized two Ukrain- a bridge to link the Crimean Peninsula with the mainland. The European Council said on Friday that the bloc formally members want to dislodge the government and impose its rule ian armored artillery vessels and a tug boat, saying they Tensions escalated earlier this year after Ukraine de- agreed to extend its economic sanctions against Moscow based on its own strict interpretation of sharia law. had illegally entered its territorial waters. tained two Russian ships for port calls on Crimea, which by six more months. (Source: Daily Star) The flotilla, it said, had not notified Russia of its plans in advance rejoined Russia in a 2014 referendum. (Source: agencies) I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y 14 WORLD SPORTS DECEMBER 23, 2018

UEFA hits three clubs with Football violence: South sanctions for breaking FFP rules America’s interminable problem Argentina’s problems with football hooli- He told AFP that the organized criminals Three clubs have been sanctioned by UEFA for breaching ganism were thrown into the spotlight by are the ones who provoke fans into commit- Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations, with two facing a one the postponement of the historic Copa Lib- ting acts of violence. season-ban from continental competition unless they make ertadores final between Buenos Aires arch Unlike the Argentine groups, these crimi- overdue payments. rivals River Plate and Boca Juniors. nals “have no relation with the clubs but join FK Vardar of Macedonia and Bulgarian side Levski Sofia The match had to be postponed twice af- the supporters groups as fans so that they will not be able to compete in the next Europa League or ter River fans attacked the Boca team bus, can sell drugs and weapons.” Champions League competition for which they qualify in the and the South American football federation The battle to rid football of these destabi- next two seasons unless they prove in the coming months that ultimately chose to relocate it to Spain. lizing elements that sow carnage is hamstrung they have paid their “overdue payables”. But this phenomenon is not confined to by police collaboration, said Murzi. UEFA’s FFP regulations state clubs that have qualified just one country in South America, where In Argentina, “all the police know the for its competitions “have to prove they do not have overdue several others also wrestle with the scourge hooligans, it suits the police for them to ex- payables towards other clubs, their players and social or tax of football-related thuggery. ist. They run a ton of businesses alongside authorities throughout the season.” It’s a blight that has left hundreds of the hooligans.” European soccer’s governing body said in a statement on people dead and which transcends local Murzi said the police are “contributing Friday that both clubs have also been hit with a 100,000 euros rivalries and street brawls among fans, more to the problem than helping to solve it.” ($114,050) fine under FFP rules which were introduced in 2011 to into organized crime and corruption fa- It’s not just police collaborating, but pol- stop teams from spending more than the revenue they generate. cilitated by politicians. iticians and clubs. Vardar have until the end of January to pay their bills, while “In Argentina, people tend to think that Ocampos says that in Paraguay, it is Levski Sofia must do so before March. football violence is monopolized by the Bar- common knowledge that hooligans “receive Portuguese side Sporting were fined 50,000 euros for mak- ras bravas” organized hooligan groups, said expert at the Paraguayan public ministry. “The fans operate underground where they financial support from sporting and political ing overdue payments after the deadlines set by UEFA’s Club sociologist Diego Murzi. Football hooligans in Argentina are can move certain funds that allow them to leaders.” Financial Control Body. The member of the Let’s Save Football deeply ingrained in the myriad of mon- keep themselves going, both with legal and Chile and Paraguay sanctions (Source: Reuters) (Salvemos al Futbol) charity told AFP that ey-making businesses that operate around illegal businesses,” sociologist John Alex- There are some efforts to rein in the crim- “what is overlooked is that in Argentina there football matches. ander Castro, a football violence expert at inal and hooligan groups, though. is a football culture in which violence is (seen Hooligan groups use their criminal con- Colombia’s national university, told AFP. In Chile, in 2012, President Sebastian as) legitimate, and not just by the hooligans, nections “to obtain benefits in the resale of Those groups organize sports events, Pinera promulgated a law against violence “This is false” – Sanchez on but by all the sectors that participate.” tickets, control of parking, food stalls within arrange the sale and distribution of replica in stadiums that was updated in 2015 ahead Mourinho sacking ‘bet’ story Even so, football violence is fed by illicit stadiums, participation in political and un- jerseys, and also sell drugs. of the Copa America in the country. businesses run by hooligan organizations. ion activities, and activities in the world of The phenomenon is slightly different in It included punishments for xenophobic In Paraguay, “behind the violent fans there crime,” said Murzi. Brazil, where the “groups linked to organized chanting by fans and even fines for violence Manchester United forward Alexis Sanchez has denied a report are drugs, prostitution” and business rela- Legal and illegal businesses crime and drug trafficking infiltrate organized away from the stadium, at training grounds, he made a bet with team-mate Marcos Rojo about the sacking tions between them and “both sporting and In Colombian, the hooligan groups are supporter groups,” said Mauricio Murad, celebrations or during the teams’ travel. of Jose Mourinho. political leaders,” said Eugenio Ocampos, an even involved in money laundering. author of a book on football violence. (Source: AFP) After Mourinho was sacked as United boss on Tuesday, it was reported Chile international Sanchez told Argentina defender Rojo he owed him £20,000. NBA star James slams NFL owners’ We might need 105 points to win title, But Sanchez, who joined the Red Devils from Premier League rivals Arsenal in January, said the story was “false”. ‘slave mentality’ says Klopp “Jose gave me the chance to play for the best team in the world,” he wrote. “I only have gratitude for him. We are a truly United team.” Sanchez, 30, signed a four-and-a-half-year deal worth £14m when he moved to Old Trafford at the start of the year. He has since scored four times in 30 appearances and has not played since November because of a hamstring problem. “I can’t wait to help the team,” he added. Former United striker Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will take charge of the team for Saturday’s Premier League match against Cardiff. (Source: BBC)

Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s deal could be MLS record, worth up to $7.5M NBA superstar LeBron James offered a The NFL hasn’t been able to shake the Juergen Klopp said his Liverpool side Manchester City, Tottenham, Arsenal, Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s new deal with the LA Galaxy could end up scathing take on NFL team owners on the controversy that erupted after former may need to surpass Manchester City’s they will probably win, then they will have being the biggest payday in MLS history. latest episode of his HBO show “The Shop” San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin record points total to win the Premier 40-something points, nobody is dropping The Galaxy announced Ibrahimovic’s signing earlier this week on Friday, saying the gridiron league is run Kaepernick began kneeling during the League after a 2-0 win at Wolverhampton points from one down to five. without revealing terms, but multiple sources with knowledge of by “old white men” with a “slave mentality”. pre-game national anthem to protest Wanderers on Friday guaranteed them “You will probably need 105 to be the contract told ESPN FC that he’ll be paid between $7 million James was chatting with his business social and racial injustice. top spot at Christmas. champions, you don’t know!” he added. and $7.5 million in 2019. partner Maverick Carter, Los Angeles Kaepernick, who remains without a job Goals by Mohamed Salah and Virgil Tottenham Hotspur, in third place, That constitutes a considerable raise from the $1.5 million Rams star Todd Gurley and actor/rap- in the league, alleged he has been blacklisted van Dijk were enough to take Liverpool have 39 points ahead of this weekend’s the Swede earned in 2018, a season that saw him score 22 per Ice Cube about NFL player protests over his protests. four points clear of champions Manchester clash with Everton, while fourth-placed goals and add 10 assists in 27 games and be nominated for over social injustice. His former teammate Eric Reid also City who face Crystal Palace on Saturday. Chelsea are on 37 before their home clash the league’s MVP award. His goal tally was the second most Gurley noted it was a “touchy subject,” took legal action against the NFL claiming Liverpool, who have topped the Premier with Leicester City. in the league behind the 31 goals scored by eventual league but James, who hasn’t been shy to take on he was being frozen out over his support League table on three previous occasions Liverpool’s title challenge has been MVP Josef Martinez of Atlanta United. political and social issues, criticized NFL for the kneeling protests. without winning the title, have 48 points built on a rock-solid defence which has Data provided by the MLS Players Association lists the owners for wanting to “control” players. Although Reid is now back in the league from 18 games and only two teams — Chel- been breached only seven times in the salary and total compensation for each player dating to 2013. He went on to praise NBA commis- playing for the Carolina Panthers, he has sea in 2005-06 and City last season — have League so far this season with Van Dijk Former Orlando City midfielder Kaka holds the record in both sioner Adam Silver for his support of suggested he is still being targeted for his had more points at that stage. outstanding. categories, earning a salary in 2017 of $6.66 million and total players who use their platform to speak views, questioning the number of drug tests City won the title last season with a re- The Dutchman even proved effective compensation of $7,167,500. out on social issues. he’s been subjected to. cord 100 points but such has been the pace at the other end of the pitch on a rainy If Ibrahimovic’s compensation ends up even in the middle “In the NFL, they got a bunch of old Reid said he’d been selected for testing at the top this season that Klopp believes night in the Midlands as he scored his part of the range, he will hold the record in both categories. white men owning teams and they got that seven times in 11 games this season. even more might be needed this time. first Premier League goal to double Liv- Toronto FC’s Sebastian Giovinco was the highest-paid player slave mentality,” James said. “There’s no way that’s random,” “Everybody asks me about the situ- erpool’s lead. in 2018 with total compensation of $7,115.555.67. Silver, in contrast, “doesn’t mind us Reid said. ation, first in the table and all that stuff “I’m more happy that I’m keeping clean There had been reports that Ibrahimovic, 37, was willing to having... a real feeling and be able to ex- Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeB- and that the last four times a team was sheets with my team and winning games,” return to AC Milan in a bid to improve his salary, but the forward press that,” James said. “It doesn’t even ron James scoffed at the notion he was first in the table at Christmas they won Van Dijk told Liverpoolfc.com. ultimately re-signed with the Galaxy. matter if Adam agrees with what we are violating NBA rules when he told re- the league, but was it ever such a tight “Obviously scoring a goal is a bonus “There was a lot of talks, a lot of rumors, a lot of whispers saying, he at least wants to hear us out. porters it would be “amazing” to play race?” Klopp said. and obviously a very proud moment and around. But actually I never left,” Ibrahimovic said in a video And as long as we are doing it in a very alongside New Orleans Pelicans star “So far it looks like a really special sea- hopefully there’s more to come, but I’m posted on the Galaxy’s website when he signed Tuesday. “I stayed educational, non-violent way, then he’s Anthony Davis. son, 48 points before Christmas is crazy. more focused on winning games.” here, and like I said, I’m not finished yet with the MLS. I’m still absolutely OK with it.” (Source: France24) “But there are other teams. Chelsea, (Source: Eurosport) not satisfied with the outcome. I have things still to do. (Source: Soccernet) WADA denied Moscow lab data access, leaving Russia facing ban Russia’s Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) is again on the verge The good faith displayed in conditionally reinstating Juventus under-15 squad of suspension after a World Anti-Doping Agency inspection RUSADA on the guarantee it would meet all requirements banned for ‘seriously team visiting a Moscow laboratory was denied access to raw appears to have blown up in WADA’s face. WADA came under data to complete its full reinstatement, WADA said on Friday. scathing criticism from athlete and global anti-doping groups offensive’ Napoli chant The five-member WADA team had spent a week in when it approved RUSADA’s reinstatement in September. Russia but left the Moscow lab and returned home frus- “Let’s hope WADA doesn’t get played again and imme- trated and without having retrieved any of the data in the diately declares them non-compliant,” United States An- Twenty-five Juventus under-15 players have been banned for one Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) it ti-Doping Agency (USADA) CEO Travis Tygart told Reuters game after posting a video that showed them insulting Napoli had been promised access to. after learning of WADA’s unsuccessful trip. following a win over their rivals. If RUSADA is found to be non-compliant Russian ath- LONG-RUNNING SCANDAL The Juventus youngsters beat Napoli 3-0 to reach the final letes could again be on the outside looking in with another The opening up of the Moscow lab was supposed to be for the Scudetto in their age group in June. Olympics approaching in Tokyo in 2020. the end of the long-running doping scandal that began in One player posted a video on Instagram of them chanting: Russian authorities said that the inspection team’s 2015 and prevented Russian athletes from competing in “We have one dream, that Napoli will use some soap” in the equipment was not certified under Russian law. Access two Olympics and world championships. dressing room after the match. to the lab and data was a condition of WADA’s September Russian authorities, at first, downplayed the latest crisis Russia was banned from this year’s Pyeongchang Win- Disciplinary proceedings were opened and Juventus tweeted decision to reinstate RUSADA. with Russian Sports Minister Pavel Kolobkov describing the ter Games but some athletes were allowed to compete as that they would take their own action, offering to forfeit the final The inspection team will now prepare a formal report problems in a TASS report as “technical issues”. an ‘Olympic Athlete of Russia’, as long as they satisfied which they ended up losing to Inter Milan. which will be sent to the independent Compliance Review Kolobkov added: “The experts are satisfied with the visit,” strict conditions. The Federal Tribunal has ruled that all 25 members of the Committee (CRC). The CRC will meet on Jan 14-15 when and said there were plans for a follow-up visit to the lab. A limited number of Russian athletes competed at the Juve squad for the Napoli fixture must be banned for a game for RUSADA’s code compliance status will again be considered. However, the head of RUSADA, Yuri Ganus, said on 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro under their own “having made a seriously offensive chant against their opponents, The CRC’s recommendation will then be considered by Saturday that if WADA experts fail to obtain the Moscow flag but only after they met strict criteria, including a clean their fans and the city of Naples.” the WADA executive committee. lab data before the deadline, this would be “destructive” doping past and sufficient testing at international events. They will miss Juve’s next fixture against Carpi, for which WADA had set a Dec. 31 deadline for RUSADA to meet for the Russian sport. The International Association of Athletics Federations only a handful of players will be available. Some may have to be the condition or once again be found non-compliant and “I want to stress that it is in Russia’s interests, first, to (IAAF) has, however, yet to reinstate the Russian Athletics brought in from the U14s for the game to be played. face even tougher sanctions laid out in the International provide the data, it is in our national interests,” Ganus told Federation (RusAF) and this month voted to continue its Juve had to play their Serie A fixture against Genoa in Oc- Standard for Code Compliance by Signatories. TASS, adding that the issue should be solved before Dec. 31. doping-related ban of RusAF. tober with part of the Curva Sud at the Allianz Stadium closed RUSADA was suspended in 2015 after a WADA-commis- WADA told Reuters there were no more visits planned This has been in place since 2015, until there is full access after fans made discriminatory chants during a league game sioned report outlined evidence of massive state-backed, but that the team of experts would remain on standby to the doping data stored in Moscow and financial compen- against Napoli. systematic doping in Russian athletics, allegations Mos- ready to proceed with full data extraction should the sation for investigation and legal costs. (Source: ESPN) cow has denied. matter be resolved. (Source: Reuters) I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y DECEMBER 23, 2018 SPORTS 15

Team Melli want to win Bimeh Razi win GR World Wrestling Clubs Cup

MNA — The Iranian team of Bimeh Razi clinched the title of Greco Roman Wrestling Clubs Cup 2018, held in Ardabil, Asian Cup title: Beiranvand northwest Iran. The 2018 Edition of Greco-Roman World Wrestling SPORTS TEHRAN — Iran the tournament started in 2003. Clubs Cup kicked off on December 20. The two-day event desk national football team “We will participate in the 2019 AFC was conducted under UWW world cup regulations in 10 goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand says they Asian Cup to win the title. It’s time to senior weight categories of 55, 60, 63, 67, 72, 77, 82, 87, are ready to end the Team Melli’s 43-year win the trophy after 43 years. 97, and 130 kg. title drought in the AFC Asian Cup. The players are highly motivated as Bimeh Razi, the reigning champion of the event, gained The last of Iran’s three triumphs in they know they can win and there is no a commanding victory 8-2 over Russia in the final bout. The the AFC Asian Cup was in 1976, meaning way but to claim the title,” Beiranvand team had also clinched the title in 2015 edition of the games. that it will be 43 years since the Persians said. The Iranian team of Sina Sanat Izeh edged Turkey’s Istanbul last won the title by the time the action “We performed very well in the Büyüksehir 6-4 and snatched the third place. in the UAE 2019 kicks off next January. 2018 World Cup and all the experts Teams from Georgia, Iran, Ukraine, Serbia, and Kyrgyzstan Team Melli have been drawn along and football fans expect we also play ranked next. with Iraq, Vietnam and Yemen in the well in the UAE. Of course, Team Melli World Wrestling Clubs Cup was initiated in 2014 upon the tournament’s Group D. will have a difficult task ahead since the proposal of Islamic Republic of Iran Wrestling Federation. Beiranvand was a standout in the 2018 competition will bring Asian powerful Teams from Iran, USA, Turkey, Georgia, and Kyrgyzstan an- World Cup in Russia. The goalkeeper teams together. nually participate in the event. starred as Team Melli came close to getting Japan, , South Korea and out of a difficult group containing Spain, Saudi Arabia are favorites to win the Portugal and Morocco. cup as well as the UAE and Qatar,” the He put himself on the global stage in Persepolis goalie stated. IPL: Tahmasebi named Russia after saving Cristiano Ronaldo’s “In the previous edition in Australia, penalty. we lost to Iraq in penalty shootout but Paykan caretaker coach Beiranvand also was a key player in we’ve learned from our mistakes and will Iran’s Persepolis reaching the final of the do our best to meet high expectations,” Champions League for the first time since Beiranvand concluded. TASNIM — Mohammad Reza Tahmasebi has been named care- taker coach of Paykan football team on Saturday. The 42-year-old coach has replaced Majid Jalali who left the Iranian top-flight football team by mutual consent in Ozil creates two goals to help Arsenal back to winning ways early December. Jalali stepped down following the poor results in Iran It took one swipe of his left leg for Mesut Ozil to si- nerable at the back, as was underlined by a Burnley side Professional League (IPL). multaneously take out six Burnley defenders and have that arrived at the Emirates having scored only six league Tahmasebi palyed in Paykan from 2008 to 2014 and was his legion of loyal followers reaching for their social goals on the road. Jalali’s assistant in the current season. media accounts. Ashley Barnes took that tally to seven in the 63rd Paykan sits 9th with 16 points from 15 games, 15 points No player splits opinion quite like Ozil, but the man minute to ensure Arsenal could not coast towards victory, adrift of IPL leaders. whose perspective really counts, Arsenal manager thanks to some terrible defending. Former Sepahan and Foolad coach Hossein Faraki is one Unai Emery, is doing a pretty good job of figuring Phil Bardsley floated a hopeful pass towards the back the candidates to take charge of Paykan. out the German. post that was headed down by Ben Mee. Substitute Lucas Having left Ozil out of his squad for ‘tactical reasons’ Torreira and Granit Xhaka both had chances to clear the for the highly-charged Carabao Cup quarter-final against danger, but failed to do so and Barnes eventually lashed Tottenham Hotspur, Emery felt this was the perfect day the ball into the net. Four Iranian players to for Arsenal’s highest-earner. Barnes had seen Arsenal goalkeeper Bernd Leno stop Not only did Emery bring Ozil back into his team, but him from giving Burnley a shock fourth-minute lead after attend WRBCC 2018 he also handed the 30-year-old the captain’s armband Nacho Monreal had missed a straightforward header to – just as he had done against Leicester City in October. allow the visitors a sight of goal. MNA — Four Iranian chess players will participate in World Ozil scored and assisted against the Foxes and the With Burnley threatening to make it a dramatic finish, Rapid and Blitz Chess Competition 2018, which will be held pass in the build-up to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s Emery replaced Alexandre Lacazette with Alex Iwobi, in St. Petersburg, Russia, from Dec. 25-31. opener that set Arsenal on their way to this victory over much to the frustration of the French forward. The chess grandmasters Parham Maghsoodloo, Alireza Burnley demonstrated his value against opposition three minutes into second half, following an Arsenal break Lacazette moaned to members of the Arsenal bench Firouzja, Ehsan Ghaem Maghami, and Sara Khademalsharieh that like to sit back. from the edge of their own area, to effectively secure the as he took his seat, but Ozil seemed to take his leadership will represent the Islamic Republic in the competition. Sead Kolasinac’s run had not been spotted by any of three points but it is the debate over Ozil that will rage on. role seriously by shouting ‘calm down’ at his team-mates The world’s strongest chess players have expressed their the six defenders Ozil took out with a pass from the edge His critics will argue that he his defense-beating pass in the final minutes. readiness to vie at WRBCC 2018, where only those with chess of the area that had the Emirates purring. And Arsenal’s was a flash of brilliance in an otherwise above average He then took matters into his own hands to eradicate ratings over 2,500 are accepted. The event’s total prize fund left-back cut the ball back for Aubameyang to score and performance. But his thousands of fans will be ‘retweet- any lingering nerves by carrying the ball past a couple of is $1.15 million. ensure the Gunners took a lead into the break for the ing’ and ‘liking’ videos and still images of his ball for challenges into the Burnley penalty area and his blocked Iranian players have shown an outstanding presence in first time in the Premier League this season. Kolasinac well into the New Year. shot fell to Iwobi to score. international competitions during the past years. According Aubameyang netted his 12th League goal of the season What cannot be debated is that Arsenal remain vul- (Source: Telegraph.co.uk) to the latest FIDE ratings, in the ranking of countries, Iran moved one place up compared to last month with 2555 points, sitting in the 25th place. Guardiola: Advantage for Solskjaer to have played for Man United The ranking is measured by the average rating of the country’s Pep Guardiola said it can be an advantage “I was quite similar, we were young and against Wolves on Friday, with Klopp saying “We’ll train in the afternoon on the 25th top 10 players. Maghsoodloo stands at the world’s 4th place for a player to return to manage an old club were given this opportunity. I had done dif- that they are playing like champions. before we travel to Leicester,” he said. “We with 2,688 points in the juniors’ standard category. Another after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was named Man- ferent jobs, you cannot compare playing to “Of course, any team has strong points and will train on Sunday and do the regeneration, teen player, Firouzja (2607) stands in 12th spot in the same chester United’s caretaker boss. being manager, I wish him all the best. weak points of course we have weaknesses,” we have to train before the game we have to. category. With 2470 points, grandmaster Khademalsharieh The Manchester City coach started his “I was there [Barcelona] since 13-years- Guardiola said. “We are working on it, but “Normally we train at 3 p.m. or 4 p.m. gained the rank of 19th in the standard women’s section in managerial career at Barcelona B -- the club old, you know the club that’s an advantage that’s normal. These kind of comments have but we have to train at 5 p.m., [so the players the December ratings of FIDE. he had joined as a 13-year-old -- and said it for sure, knowing the people and how it to be put in perspective.” can] stay later for one hour with the peo- helped to know how the club worked. works, everything, it’s important yes. it’s City will be without David Silva and ple at home, but we have to train before an Solskjaer spent 11 years as a player at important. you have been there in he past Vincent Kompany for the visit of Crystal official game. Old Trafford between 1996 and 2007 and and you know many things about the club, Palace on Saturday, although they could “The players know they are in England. Masoud Shojaei a key has returned in temporary charge following that’s something positive.” return to action during the busy Christmas In Germany and most other leagues they the sacking of Jose Mourinho. Meanwhile, Guardiola dismissed sug- schedule. stop the leagues. If we played on the 27th component of Team Melli: AFC “When a young manager like Ole Gunnar gestions from Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp Guardiola’s side travel to Leicester City then the 25th would have been the day off. Solskjaer has this chance, it’s because the that City have no weaknesses. on Boxing Day and he said his players will But the 26th means we train on the 25th, Asian Football Confederation (AFC) website says Masoud club decided he can do it,” Guardiola told Liverpool can move four points clear at train at the Etihad Campus on Christmas Day that’s normal.” Shojaei is among the veteran players who have graced the a news conference. the top of the Premier League with a win before travelling down to the East Midlands. (Source: ESPN) AFC Asian Cup previously and may very well be doing so for the last time on the con- tinental stage. Olympic champ Allyson Felix gives birth by emergency C-section Next in the-AFC.com’s ‘10 of the Best’ series, the-afc.com LOS ANGELES (AFP) — Six-gold Olympic athletics unit) and watch her fight. Every day she gets stronger and compiled a list of veterans champion Allyson Felix revealed on Thursday (Dec 20) more beautiful.” who continue to perform at that she has given birth to a baby daughter who was born Felix, looking to a fifth Olympics appearance at Tokyo in the very highest level for club prematurely and only after an emergency C-section operation. 2020, is the only woman to win six Olympic golds in track and country, and will be striv- She delivered Camryn on Nov 28 after only 32 weeks and field and is level with Jamaican Merlene Ottey as the ing to inspire their nations to when emergency surgery was performed on the 33-year-old most decorated woman in athletics history with nine medals. glory come January. American due to complications. Felix won silver medals at 200 metres in 2004 at Athens According to the site, a key Both mother and baby are doing fine, although the infant and 2008 at Beijing before taking gold in the event at London component of Carlos Queiroz’s will spend more time in an intensive care unit before going in 2012, and then grabbed silver at 400m in 2016 at Rio. side in his near eight years as home with Felix and her husband Kenneth. She was also a member of US gold medal 4x400m relay Iran coach, Shojaei looks set to “I’m trying to be open to what God has in store for me teams in 2008, 2012 and 2016 as well as 4x100m relay take his place in Team Melli’s and my family,” Felix said in a posting on the US Olympic champions at the past two Olympics. squad for the fourth successive team website. “I still feel nervous and vulnerable. But I also Felix has 11 world championship golds and her 16 podium AFC Asian Cup, while he has feel brave and excited. finishes overall make her the most decorated man or woman also appeared at two FIFA World Cups. “Every day I sit with my daughter in the (intensive care in the history of the world championships. The midfielder enjoyed several successful seasons in Spain between 2008 and 2014 and recently returned to his homeland after two seasons in Greece. He will be desperate to go beyond : Iran’s Izadyar makes a splash the quarter-final for the first time. (Source: tha-afc) The swimming competition at the Asian Para Games was Wei Soong took gold in the men’s 50m freestyle S7. one of the most dramatic and memorable sports of the whole “It’s fantastic. I think it’s a combination of several event. Here are four of the key moments. months of work, several training camps and coming and Unified Korean Team wins bronze training every day, twice every day, and I’m really happy Friendly: Iran U-23 football The Asian Para Games were the first Para sport competition with the result,” he said. where South Korea and North Korea competed together. Hong Kong’s Tang Wai Lok was another standout swimmer team beat Syria They even claimed an historic medal as they reached as he claimed the men’s 200m freestyle S14 title. the third place of the podium in the men’s 4 x 100m free- Two gold medals awarded style relay 34 points on the second night of swimming The Asian Para Games featured one of the most thrilling TASNIM — Iran U-23 football team defeated Syria 3-1 in a competition at the GBK Aquatic Centre. races of 2018 as a double gold medal was awarded in the friendly match on Friday. Japan and China ended first and second respectively. men’s 100m backstroke S7. Vahid Namdari, Alireza Arta and Mohammad Reza Azadi Small but mighty Japan’s Daisuke Ejima and Ernie Gawilan of the Philip- were on target for Iran in the friendly match held on the southern The opening night saw a staggering 16 countries win pines both touched the wall in a time of 1:19.90. As a result, island of Kish in the Persian Gulf. medals in the pool, with some of the Games’ smallest they both shared the top step of the podium. Iran had defeated Syria 2-0 in its first friendly match on Tuesday. nations making it to the podium. Queen of the pool Iran prepare for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-23 The Philippines’ Ernie Gawilan collected two med- Uzbekistan’s 19-year-old Amilova Fotimakhon deliv- faster than the record she set at Rio 2016. Championship 2020. als; he won gold in the men’s 200m individual medley ered an outstanding performance in the pool. Fotimakhon Fotimakhon followed that up with another world record Zlatko Kranjcar’s team have been drawn along with Iraq, SM7, then followed it up with silver in the men’s 50m claimed seven medals, including four golds, and broke of in the women’s 100m breaststroke SB13, taking a second Yemen and Turkmenistan in Group C. freestyle S7. two world records. off the record set by Italy’s Carlotta Gilli at the European The AFC U-23 Championship 2020 is scheduled to take place In another surprising result, Iran’s Izadyar Sahin touched She first set a new world record in the women’s 200m Championships in August. in Thailand. It will act as the AFC qualifiers for the men’s football in first in the men’s 100m butterfly S10, while ’s individual medley SM13 by clocking 2:21.82, three seconds (Source: Paralympic.org) tournament at the 2020 Olympics. Prayer Times Noon:12:03 Evening: 17:16 Dawn: 5:41 (tomorrow) Sunrise: 7:12 (tomorrow) DECEMBER 23, 2018 ART&CULTURE I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y www.tehrantimes.com Managing Director: Ali Asgari Iran’s National Editor-in-Chief: Mohammad Ghaderi Editorial Dept.: Fax: (+98 21) 88808214 — 88808895 [email protected] Switchboard Operator: Tel: (+98 21) 43051000 Orchestra Advertisements Dept.: Telefax: (+98 21) 43051450 Public Relations Office: Tel: (+98 21) 88805807 Subscription & Distribution Dept.: Tel: (+98 21) 43051603 www.eshterak.ir Distributor: Padideh Novin Co. to perform Tel: 88911433 Webmaster: [email protected] Printed at: Rooztab - ISSN: 1017-94 Azarbaijan No. 18, Bimeh Alley, Nejatollahi St., Tehran, Iran P.o. Box: 14155-4843 Zip Code: 1599814713 music concert in Tehran ARTTEHRAN – Iran’s National Orchestra is deskscheduled to present a concert of Azarbai- GUIDE TO jan music at Tehran’s Vahdat Hall on January 16, 2019. SPIRITUAL AWAKENING The orchestra will perform under the baton of guest con- ductor Vahid Alipur, the Foundation has announced. Vocalist Rashid Vatandust will sing a repertoire of Azarbai- Beware of being seen by God in sinning and being jan songs, including “Tez Gal”, “Sanda Galmaz”, “Gaitagi” considered a stranger and forgotten when you and “Asgarin Nagmasi”, duirng the concert titled “A Night of Azarbaijan Music”. knock at the door of devotion and worship, and The National Orchestra put on performance on Thursday then you will be the loser. If you have ability, at Vahdat Hall in memory of prominent Iranian composer The National Orchestra performs a concert in memory of composer Ali Tajvidi at Tehran’s Vahdat Hall on December endeavor in His worship, and when you are Ali Tajvidi. 20, 2018. (Honaronline/Mojtaba Arabzadeh) feeble, show your feebleness in sinning, too. Imam Ali (AS) “The Salafists” at Iranian Lisa Jewell’s “Then She Was Gone” bookstores published in Persian ARTTEHRAN – Austrian ARTTEHRAN – Siavash Talai’s artwork deskIslamic studies deskInternationally on display at Italy’s Talent scholar Rüdiger Lohlker’s 2017 book bestselling author Lisa Jewell’s “The Salafists: The Uprising of the 2017 novel “Then She Was Gone” has Prize exhibition Pious, Saudi Arabia and Islam” (“Die recently been published in Persian Salafisten: Der Aufstand der Frommen, in Tehran. ARTTEHRAN – Iranian artist Siavash Talai’s Saudi-Arabien und der Islam”) has Translated by Ali Shahmoradi, deskpainting “Portrait” is on view at an exhibition recently been published in Persian the book tells the story of Ellie, a displaying artworks by Italy’s Talent Prize winners and finalists in Tehran. 15-year-old girl who disappears at La Pelanda Hall in Rome. Kuleh Poshty is the publisher of the unexpectedly. Her mother, Laurel, Earlier in October, the book translated by Ali Abdollahi and has never given up hope of finding artwork won the Emmanuele Leila Qanbarian. her even after ten years, until she Emanuele Prize at the 11th The book is about the origins of meets a nine-year-old girl, who looks edition of the Talent Prize in Salafism, which is a transnational re- like Ellie. Italy. The prize has been named ligious-political ideology based on a Khazeh and Sang Publications after Fondazione Terzo Pilastro belief in physical jihadism. has released the book, which was president Emmanuele F.M. In the book, Lohlker tries to explain Front cover of the Persian version of “The the New York Times Bestseller in Front cover of the Persian version of Emanuele. about this branch of Sunni Islam and how Salafists: The Uprising of the Pious, Saudi 2017 and nominated for Goodreads British author Lisa Jewell’s 2017 novel Organized by Inside Art, an it has spread worldwide with Saudi help. Arabia and Islam”. Choice Award in 2018. “Then She Was Gone”. art and cultural center in Rome, the Talent Prize is presented to the artists under 40 years of age in various media including installation, sculpture, painting, “Blue Sky, Clean Earth” receives video and sound works. Works by Corinna Gosmaro, Nicole Voltan, Matteo Fato, nomination at Cambridge festival Leonardo Petrucci, Elke Dreier ARTTEHRAN – Iranian director Mahyar have announced. Iranian artist Siavash Talai’s deskMandegar’s acclaimed short film “Blue The films have been selected from among over 1000 painting “Portrait”. and several other artists are also on display at the exhibition, Sky, Clean Earth” was nominated for the award for best submissions after two intensive rounds of judging. which will be running until January 13, 2019. editing at the Watersprite International Student Film Twenty-six films will compete in various categories Festival, which will take place in Cambridge from March at the Watersprite International Student Film Festival. 7 to 10, 2019. “Blue Sky, Clean Earth” has been screened at various Ivory Coast honors Iranian The movie is about Masud, a small time thief who is international events. Earlier in November, it won the charged with terrorism. Outstanding Asian Student Film Award at the 17th filmmaker Khosro Sinai “Body Echo” from the UK and “Living Like Heta” from International Student Film and Video Festival of the Beijing “Blue Sky, Clean Earth” by Iranian director Mahyar Man- Switzerland are nominees in the category, the organizers Film Academy in China. degar. ARTTEHRAN – The Embassy of Ivory Coast hon- deskored Iranian filmmaker Khosro Sinai on Friday during the closing ceremony of an art show the country organized at Tehran’s Contemporary and Modern Art Gallery – CAMA. Will Ferrell promises smart jokes and Paul McCartney, Emma Stone join on He was honored for the documentary films he has made about Iranian artists such as Jazeh Tabatabai, Farah Osuli, Gizella Varga slapstick in “Holmes & Watson” anti-bullying music video Sinai and Mohammad-Ebrahim Jafari, who highlight folklore motifs LOS ANGELES (Reuters) — Comic Saddles” and “Young Frankenstein.” LONDON (Reuters) — Former Beatle ing bullied — and there are ... maybe by in their works, the Persian service of ILNA reported. actors Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly The “Holmes & Watson” film “has Paul McCartney has teamed up with Oscar listening to this song and watching this reunite on the big screen on Christmas some smart jokes, but it also has some winner Emma Stone on the music video video, they might just think it’s not as in the film “Holmes & Watson,” a spoof jokes that are pure slapstick and go for for his new single “Who Cares”, a song bad,” McCartney said on his website. of the famous stories about the legendary the joke that will make you blush,” Ferrell he hopes will inspire youngsters to stand “That it’s the kind of thing you can British detective duo. told Reuters. up to bullying. just stand up to and laugh off and get In the movie, Sherlock Holmes Ferrell and Reilly previously appeared The pair are shown miming and dancing through.” (Ferrell) and his partner Doctor Watson together on screen in “Step Brothers” on an all black and white set alongside McCartney, who on Sunday was joined (Reilly) set out to stop a plot to assassinate and “Talladega Nights.” harlequin-like figures who torment Stone on stage by fellow Beatle Ringo Starr and Queen Victoria. Reilly said he hopes Holmes purists before she and McCartney make their Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood as The film takes a far different tone will welcome the new take. escape in his car. he performed in London, has collaborat- from the classic mysteries written by “Most of the jokes in the movie I The veteran singer-songwriter has also ed with other stars in the past including Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Ferrell said think are based on stuff in the books,” joined forces with non-profit organization rapper Kanye West and singer Rihanna. from the beginning that he envisioned he said. “We’re riffing on things that are Creative Visions to launch the #WhoCa- Stone won the Best Actress Academy a film with “almost a Mel -ian kind in the books that are done seriously in resIDo campaign, inspired by a line in Award for “La La Land”. of approach,” referring to the director the books but then we look at them in the song - “Who Cares About You, I do”. “Who Cares” features on McCartney’s Iranian filmmaker Khosro Sinai (2nd L) receives an artwork famous for spoofs such as “Blazing a funnier way.” “My hope is that if there are kids be- 17th solo studio album, “Egypt Station”. from Ivory Coast Ambassador Tamakolo Ouattara at CAMA Gallery in Tehran on December 21, 2018. (ILNA) A collection of 30 traditional African masks and 20 sculptures Movie maker Harvey Weinstein loses bid to dismiss criminal case by artists from Ivory Coast were showcased in an exhibition at CAMA Gallery from December 7 to 21. NEW YORK (Reuters) — A New York longer pursue the charge. “infect the integrity” of the other charges, him and one of the women. said that “Art can bridge the gap between nations and cultures,” Sinai said state judge on Thursday denied Harvey In his motion to dismiss the remaining which concern different women. while prosecutors must disclose evidence at the ceremony, which was attended by Ivory Coast Ambassador Weinstein’s motion to dismiss criminal counts, Weinstein said the detective’s Weinstein has also argued that the favorable to a defendant before trial, they Tamakolo Ouattara. charges that he sexually assaulted two withholding of information compromised indictment should be dismissed because do not have to show it to a grand jury. “This exhibition was one of the most attractive exhibits I have women, rejecting the movie producer’s the integrity of the entire grand jury process the grand jury had not been shown Weinstein, who faces a up to life in prison seen over the past few years,” he added and noted that the artworks argument that the case was tainted by that led to the indictment. Burke, however, communications that he said showed a if convicted of the five charges against him, have inspired many artists in the world. police and prosecutorial misconduct. wrote that a problem with one charge did not long-term, consensual relationship between has denied having nonconsensual sex with Supreme Court Justice James Burke anyone following accusations by more in Manhattan announced his decision at a than 70 women, mostly young actresses hearing in a packed courtroom. Benjamin and other women employed in the movie Audrey Geisel, widow of Brafman, a lawyer for Weinstein, told business, of sexual misconduct, including Dr. , dies at age 97 reporters outside the courthouse he was rape, going back decades. disappointed in the decision but was The accusations led to the #MeToo LOS ANGELES (Reuters) — Audrey Geisel, the widow of confident his client would prevail at trial. movement in which hundreds of women beloved children’s book author Dr. Seuss and an avid promoter of his Burke scheduled a pretrial hearing in have publicly accused powerful men in legacy, died this week at her California home at age 97, a representative the case on March 7. business, politics and entertainment of confirmed on Friday. In a written decision released after the sexual harassment and abuse. Geisel married the writer, whose real name was Theodor Geisel, in hearing, Burke said there was “no basis As the accusations against Weinstein 1968. After his death in 1991, she founded Dr. Seuss Enterprises to license for the defendant’s claim of prosecutorial mounted, his company Weinstein Co fired the characters he created and protect their use outside of his books. or law enforcement misconduct in the him and filed for bankruptcy, and he was Audrey Geisel served as an executive producer on film adaptations proceedings.” expelled from the Academy of Motion of Dr. Seuss books including the current hit, “The Grinch,” which has The ruling came about two months Picture Arts and Sciences. earned more than $380 million at global box offices since its release after Weinstein won dismissal of a charge Through his company and another in theaters last month. involving a third woman after prosecutors studio, Miramax, Weinstein won Talent and literary agency ICM Partners, which represents Dr. Seuss revealed that a New York City police Film producer Harvey Weinstein attends a hearing in New York State Supreme Court plaudits and awards for movies including Enterprises, confirmed that Audrey Geisel died on Wednesday. No detective had withheld information during in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York, U.S., December 20, 2018. “ in Love,” “Pulp Fiction” and cause of death was revealed. the investigation, and said they could no (Alec Tabak/Pool via Reuters) “The King’s Speech.”