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16 Pages Price 20,000 Rials 1.00 EURO 4.00 AED 39th year No.13353 Saturday MARCH 16, 2019 Esfand 25, 1397 Rajab 9, 1440 U.S. to suffer Iran defeated Tractor Sazi move “Triumph”, “Water heaviest defeat U.S. in Iraq and top of Iran Lilies of Monet” picked in history 2 Syria 2 football league 15 for Fajr Docs in Focus 16

Iran, Azerbaijan stress bolstering Trump factor stands out in trade ties in business forum TEHRAN — Attended by senior officials, Development Shahin Mustafayev and the entrepreneurs and businessmen from Head of Iran-Azerbaijan Joint Chamber of both sides, an Iran-Azerbaijan business Commerce Hossein Pirmoazen were among and investment forum was held in Baku the attendees of the forum. Christchurch massacre on Thursday. Speaking in the event, Mustafayev According to a report by the portal of Iran mentioned the 12 meetings between Iran condemns ‘brutal’ terrorist attacks in New Zealand Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines, the two countries’ presidents during and Agriculture (ICCIMA), Iranian Finance the past five years and said “that is an and Economic Affairs Minister Farhad De- indication of how good the relations See pages 2 & 13 jpasand, Azerbaijan’s Minister of Economic between the two countries are.” 4

Foreign Ministry: U.S. biggest violator of Iranian people’s rights TEHRAN — The Foreign Ministry government] has spared no action in said on Thursday that the U.S. gov- violating the Iranian citizens’ rights ernment is the “biggest violator” of though illegal unilateral sanctions,” the Iranian people’s rights through ministry spokesman Bahram Qas- introducing “illegal” sanctions on the semi stated. Islamic Republic. His comments came as response to “The U.S. government has been the U.S. annual reports on the human the biggest violator of the Iranian rights for 2018 in which Iran was accused nation’s human rights. It [the U.S. of abusing the human rights. 2

Israel launches Gaza air attacks after rockets fired at Tel Aviv At least two rockets launched from the they could hear two loud blasts in the besieged Gaza Strip have landed in the Gush Dan (the greater Tel Aviv area), while Israeli capital Tel Aviv, bypassing the Iron some also claimed to have seen Iron Dome Dome missile system to mark yet another missiles being launched. embarrassing defeat for one of the world’s Authorities in Tel Aviv and Rishon Lezi- most expensive military forces. on municipalities said they would open The attack on Thursday night caused public shelters as a cautionary measure. rocket alerts to blare throughout central The Iron Dome missile system Mark Baker AP/ Mark Israel, Israeli media reported. was activated but apparently failed Ambulance staff take a man from outside a mosque in central Christchurch, New Zealand, Friday, March 15, 2019. Several people told local media that to intercept any of the missiles. 13

ARTICLE The Kashmir conflict and distorted education ARTICLE Sarbaz Roohulla Rezvi By Yuram Abdullah Weiler Blasts, encounters, curfews, hartals (strikes) Every year approximately 50 thousand Peace and Justice activist By Hakim Mohammad Ilyas Analyst and journalist @roohullarezvi KASHMIR — Education plays a positive role in has disrupted life on an almost daily basis and it has students qualify 12th class examination in peace promotion and heals the wounds of war, solve declined the educational standards at large. The Kashmir valley and accordingly they used get youth unemployment, deliver decentralization and exposure to violence and armed conflict reduces admission in different universities/colleges The whole Islamic democracy, build peace and promote economic/ the quantity of education and has pushed many in various courses. The present Educational Normalizing the social development. Unfortunately since last 30 students into depression. Due to the closure of infrastructure consists of 1 central and 4 state world is guilty years of conflict in Kashmir, The education sector schools/colleges, now and then, the academic universities including one agriculture and 1 abnormal: U.S. has been badly hit. Unrest and violence has affected session got badly hit to the extent that it caused cluster university and around 150 associated irreversible loss of study and tuitions to the stu- colleges. Appox. 14% students opt for engineer- he horrible images massacre of Al-Noor young minds the most, the biggest casualty thus Federal Reserve dents. Usually not more than 50 percent of the ing /technology course and 12% students opt mosque of Christchurch that shocked us far has been academia, educational infrastructure total curriculum is covered. for para/medical professional courses. Tall, were of course delightful for some. and it has suffered sabotage in many ways. 7 contemplating Right-wing movements from the divinator United states of America to the black heart of QE replay the green continent, from French white fascists Sheikh Zakzaky and the Nigerians to Anti-non-semitic Zionists, from RSS Hindus That’s not decided yet, but it’s part ZARIA — History has recorded so many men man is Zakzaky the hero of which many ink and understanding, the tribal warriors see him as in Saffron dresses to extremist Buddhists of of what we are discussing now.” and their great works, floating on the pages of tongues are short of worlds to describe this unique secterian vigot. He preaches truth, justice and Rakhine, all have watched those images again —San Francisco Federal Reserve books events has unfold some are ceremonious personality; fairness among all Nigerians, the southern part of “ and again ridiculing those frivolous Muslims Bank President Mary Daly. and some are brutal. The event of karbala to Who is zakzaky? In the view John Husain. the nation refer to him as Hausa man from north. drumming the beats of Arab-Ajam, Kurd-Turk, The U.S. Federal Reserve (FED) en- some people with shallow perceptions takes it Sheikh Zakzaky is a man with good vision He has oustanding policy that will move the Shia-Sunni differences. gaged in quantitative easing (QE), a policy as an historical illusion. and mission to the Nigerians but they see him nation to progress but the politicians see him We Muslims were also guilty in the spread of purchasing longer-term securities to History had brought the event of karbala to as a threat to their daily life routine. Different as a person who will end their monopoly. He of Islamophobic rhetoric when the Ameri- stimulate economic activity, following our era in the event of Zaria massacre were over perception can be drag along different categories got no room for corruption hence the corrupt can discourse of “War Against Terrorism” the financial crisis of 2008. From late one thousands of Muslims were killed of no crime of life within the nation. consider him as an arch rival. He respect women was accepted by us all, overlooking that the 2008 until October 2014, the FED sup- committed other than their love of Ahlulbait. He is an idealistic person with mental magni- all the macho men consider him feminist. He discourse considers every and each Muslim, ported a near zero interest rate policy Were a man six son was killed before his tude but the so called elites see him as a common accomodates christians and the wahabists called be an Arab or Ajam, Kurd or Turk, Shia until a program of progressive interest present, shoot him and also detained him. This Islamic scholar. He is a man of tolerance and him infidel. 7 or Sunni a potential terrorist. We started rate hikes was begun in December 2015. to blame each other as Terrorists naively, By September 2017 the decision was conceiving that this will obtain us respect made to gradually sell off the securities in front of the so called modern world as Bahraini court jails nearly 170 people in crackdown on dissent purchased under the QE program, a pro- cess which was termed “balance sheet non-terrorist Muslims. Here the intrinsic A court in Bahrain has handed down prison finding them guilty of “attacks on police of- six months before being released on bail normalization.” However, by January diversity among Muslims, was revealed sentences to 167 anti-regime protesters as ficers.” The remaining majority of defendants in late 2017. 2019, the FED has conceded that it is more as repulsion, hatred and animosity. the ruling Al Khalifah regime does not shy received one-year terms. The court acquitted “None of the defendants came to the court contemplating a revival of QE if needed Extremists with different ideological away from its heavy clampdown on political four people in the case. when the sentences were announced because to bolster the ailing U.S. economy. backgrounds have never been under attack dissidents and pro-democracy activists in the Court documents obtained by Reuters they feared being arrested,” said one lawyer, According to the latest statement by with the discourse of Terrorism until 2001, tiny Persian Gulf kingdom. showed that the sentences had been handed who declined to be named. the FED, “The Committee is prepared to while during second half of 20th century, The High Criminal Court sentenced 56 of to the defendants at a trial on February 27. Two lawyers involved in the case said they adjust any of the details for completing most of the massacres that took place, vic- the defendants to ten years in jail each after The defendants had been detained for had filed an appeal. 13 timized Muslims but non of the western balance sheet normalization in light of countries, considered those criminals as economic and financial developments.” Terrorists that whole world has to unite In other words, they are prepared to call against them. The discourse of Terrorism a halt to interest rate hikes and pump all started when extremist Muslim groups liquidity back in the economy by a return to tried to retaliate USA in the same way that QE, if economic conditions warrant. The they were attacking Muslim territories, no statement, which was reiterated by San doubt both had to be denounced. “Noruz Khani” Francisco Federal Reserve Bank President The new wave of Islamophobia is a result Mary Daly in the epigraph, is tantamount of hegemony of the discourse of war against to an admission that the U.S. economy terrorism that non of the Islamic countries tradition in has entered an abnormal phase where was able to keep away itself from that. It was low unemployment no longer appears to resonated and repeated by Muslims more, imply high inflation. As a result, the FED rather than others, resulting in widespread northern Iran may again be forced to resort to the abnor- mal tool of QE in hopes of stimulating the penetration of the discourse across the world People of Balajadeh village in Kordkouy as we Muslims were confessing it. faltering U.S. economy and preventing a city, northern Golestan province, take repeat of the 2008 crisis. Lets hope that the blood of innocent part in the Noruz Khani ritual, on the last prayers of Al-Noor mosque of Christchurch As the central bank of the U.S., the FED Wednesday of the year, March 13. has a dual mandate. On the one hand, makes the Muslim countries to review their The tradition, in their opinion, her- attitude and convince them not to be a part there is the goal of full employment, and Faezeh Kaboli alds the coming of the new year (Noruz) on the other, there is the goal of price of the system that reproduces violence and spring. against the Muslims by bowing in front stability, that is, the control of inflation. Noruz Khan (Noruz singer) goes from These two contrary goals are related as of the American discourse of war against house to house, while singing lines of poetry Terrorism. This, of course does not mean described by the Phillips Curve, which in praise of spring, the new year and the illustrates the inverse relationship be- that hardliners among Muslims should not nature. It is customary for householders Tehran Times/ Tehran Times/ tween the unemployment rate and the be confronted by any means, but we have to to give him gifts or sweets in return. find an alternative discourse to fight them. inflation rate. 7 I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y POLITICS MARCH 16, 2019 MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS Ayatollah Emami U.S. to suffer heaviest defeat in Kashani: Iran defeated U.S. in Iraq and Syria history: Ayatollah Khamenei POLITICS TEHRAN — Ayatollah Mohammad POLITICS TEHRAN — Leader of nounced in May 2018 that the U.S. will apply deskEmami Kashani, a Tehran Friday prayer deskthe Islamic Revolution economic and military pressure against Iran leader, says the U.S. used all its energy against Iran but the Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said on and will impose “the strongest sanctions in Islamic Republic withstood Washington and defeated it in Thursday that Washington has imposed history” on the Islamic Republic. Iraq and Afghanistan. the “strongest sanctions in history” on Iran, John Bolton, the national security advi- He said the world is acknowledging this fact. however, the U.S. will suffer “heaviest defeat sor to President Trump, said in November The ayatollah also said the Friday shootings at two mosques in history”. 2018, “We think the (Iranian) government in New Zealand were an attack against the base of the move- “The U.S. has said several times that sanc- is under real pressure and it’s our intention ment of the Islamic Ummah, Mehr reported. tions against Iran are the strongest sanctions to squeeze them very hard. As the British “We should pay attention to Friday prayers and know in history. They are right. I said in response say, squeeze them until the pips squeak.” the enemy and know that the enemy is contemptible and to what they said that the U.S. defeat in this Elsewhere in his remarks, the Leader said that we should perform our duty,” Emami Kashani told respect will be the heaviest in history,” the that when there is discussion about approving worshipers in Tehran. Leader said during a meeting with members an international convention, it is not good Forty-nine people were killed and at least 20 others in- of the Assembly of Experts. for officials to accuse each other of being an jured in shootings at two mosques in New Zealand city of Ayatollah Khamenei said it is “essential” to element of the enemy. Christchurch in the worst attack in the Pacific country’s history. make every effort to offset sanctions. “Maxi- “When a certain convention or agreement mum mobilization against maximum pressure is being discussed in the county, supporters is essential.” and opponents should express their points “Today, the enemies’ pressure is max- of views, and the two sides should not accuse Tehran calls for imum which means that they are using all each other of camaraderie with the enemy” peaceful resolution their resources and capabilities. First the and inflame conflict with one another, Aya- U.S. and then the Zionists along with the tollah Khamenei pointed out. of Pakistan-India Westerners and all the Europeans (on the Ayatollah Khamenei was indirectly sidelines),” the Leader stated. referring to heated debates between the conflict He noted that the U.S. has removed ban and this is a “particular type of enmity”. 2018 and ordered reimposition of sanctions government and the rival faction on whether on purchasing Iran’s oil by certain European U.S. President Trump unilaterally pulled against Iran. to join the Financial Action Task Force POLITICS TEHRAN — Deputy Foreign Minister Washington out of the nuclear deal in May U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo an- deskAbbas Araqchi said on Friday that he has countries, yet they refrain to buy Iran’s oil (FATF) or not. spoken with Pakistani’s Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua over the phone, calling for “de-escalation and peaceful res- olution of Pakistan-India conflict.” “Today I spoke with Tehmina Janjua, Foreign Secretary No power can drive a wedge between Iran and Iraq, Rouhani says of Pakistan over phone. Iran & Pakistan are close neighbors POLITICS TEHRAN — President Hassan Rouhani He also said, “We stressed issues related to borders and desk and friends. We agreed to strengthen our cooperation in all arrived in Tehran on Wednesday night the 1975 treaty, dredging Arvand Rud, and also free visas fields inc. fighting terrorism,” Araqchi tweeted. from his three-day trip to Iraq, which was deemed a new for the tourists and pilgrims to both countries.” chapter in Tehran-Baghdad relations. Tourism is a very important issue with regard to econo- The historic visit came a month after U.S. President Don- my, culture and even politics, and issuing free visas to both ald Trump said he intended to keep a U.S. military base in countries can be effective in developing tourism, Rouhani Tehran slams Iraq “because I want to be looking a little bit at Iran because explained. Pompeo’s anti- Iran is a real problem.” “We also agreed on different fields such as cooperation Trump’s remarks angered yet also unified Iran and Iraq. in energy, electricity, oil and gas.” Iran rhetoric Upon his arrival, Rouhani said, “No power and third He also mentioned regional security issues, saying during country can divide the great Iranian and Iraqi nations and his visit the two sides reached good agreements and shared governments.” close views about the issues. POLITICS TEHRAN — Foreign Ministry spokesman “In this visit, we had meetings with almost all senior On the signing of five memoranda of understanding deskBahram Qassemi on Thursday slammed officials of Iraq, including the prime minister, president, (MOU) between the two countries, the president said, “In U.S. officials for making “fabricated” and “unreal” claims parliament Speaker and other high-ranking officials and our meetings with Iraqi officials, both sides stressed that and accusations to maintain the status quo in West Asia discussed very important issues,” the president said, ac- the good bilateral relations should be expanded to trilateral and keep it a tense region struggling with numerous crises. cording to the Foreign Ministry website. and multilateral relations.” Qassemi’s remarks came after U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo claimed that Iran uses its energy exports to “exert undue influence all across the Middle East, most par- ticularly today on Iraq.” U.S. tried to disrupt Tehran’s power grid: report Qassemi said, “Relations between Iran and Iraq have been An Iranian-American engineer was of- of an earlier plan developed under the established with the [strong] will of two sides’ leaders and fered money by U.S. officials to conduct administration of former U.S. president at the request of Iranian and Iraqi nations and are totally a sabotage mission targeting the power George W. Bush against Iran. based on mutual respect and trust and common interests.” grid of Tehran, Iran’s capital city, a former Known by its code-name “Nitro Zeus,” senior associate at Oxford University and the New York Times first published details Middle East commentator and analyst about the plan in 2016, claiming that IRGC holds drone has claimed. the program sought to target Iranian In a story on the website of MintPress electrical, communication and defense exercise over News, an independent watchdog jour- systems. nalism organization, Sharmine Narwani The report also claimed that the Persian Gulf revealed on Thursday that the engineer, a Obama administration had “serious- friend of hers whom she did not name for ly” considered carrying out the plan if security reasons, was approached twice nuclear negotiations with Iran at the POLITICS TEHRAN — The Islamic Revolution by “U.S. State Department employees” time had failed. deskGuards Corps (IRGC) on Thursday held following Iran’s 2009 post-election un- Narwani believes details revealed to a large-scale war game over the Persian Gulf, during which rest and was offered $250,000 to carry her by the mentioned Iranian-American squadrons of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) were flown out the operation. Night lights from residential and commercial buildings reflected in water. Lake engineer may have been part of the al- to practice an assault operation. The agents allegedly described the Chitgar, western Tehran. File photo. leged sabotage program. During the military exercise the IRGC Aerospace Force operation as “very simple”, demanding The journalist further wrote that she electric dam, causing a widespread and Israel and the U.S. have been conduct- flew tens of military drones toward a target on a tiny island that the engineer went to a specific area discussed the matter with “a colleague ongoing electrical blackout, affecting 23 ing numerous acts of sabotage targeting in the Persian Gulf, Tasnim reported. in Tehran and apply a specific code in a with an engineering background” who of the country’s 24 states. the Iranian people and the county’s crit- The military drones and a number of other combat and communication device during his up- explained that the code could have been Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro ical infrastructure over the past years. assault pilotless planes raided a spot on Bani Farur Island in coming trip to the city. used to hack or deactivate power grids has accused the U.S. of masterminding In 2011, the U.S. and Israel conducted Iran’s territorial waters in the Persian Gulf, and successfully The engineer, however, allegedly de- “governed by electronic or computer a “demonic” plot to destroy his country a cyber-attack against the Iranian nuclear bombed the target at the same time. clined to carry out the operation and systems.” and force him from power by waging an energy program. ultimately notified Narwani in 2010. “You don’t have to physically be there “electromagnetic attack”. Reporting the incident a year later, the Speaking to Narwani, the engineer had if you can hack into it, but that’s of course The heightening tension comes as op- Washington Post said the U.S. National also expressed shock that U.S. officials harder. If they (the Americans) needed position leader Juan Guaido declared Security Agency (NSA), its spy service ‘Netanyahu knew of his planned trip to Tehran and to have someone physically there during himself “interim president” of Venezuela CIA, and Israel’s military had worked attacks also knew that he was “cash-strapped” the sabotage attempt, it probably means in January, vowing to topple Maduro. together to launch a malware dubbed at the time. they didn’t have remote access to the The U.S. has openly backed Guaido, Stuxnet against Iran’s nuclear facilities. Palestinians to Narwani explained her initial ac- system,” the engineer added. imposing economic sanctions on Vene- Iran also says the Israeli regime as- quaintance with the Iranian engineer Narwani said that she sought to pub- zuela and confiscating the country’s state sassinated four of its nuclear scientists win election’ by saying that she and her Iranian-Amer- licize the revelations after news spread oil assets based in the U.S. to channel between 2010 and 2012. POLITICS TEHRAN — A senior foreign policy ad- ican husband “ran an internet company about similar suspected sabotage oper- them to Guaido. The U.S., under President Donald deskvisor to the parliament speaker said on in the telecommunications industry in ations targeting Venezuela’s power grid Narwani, along with other Middle East Trump, along with its regional allies, Friday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is Washington years ago and I was a found- this month. pundits, have raised the prospect that has also sought to weaken Iran by im- not hesitant to commit any kind of crime against Palestin- ing member of the Iranian-American Last week, an overheating incident the attacks on critical Venezuelan infra- posing strict sanctions on the country ians in order to win the upcoming election, Mehr reported. Technology Council.” knocked out Venezuela’s main hydro- structure may be related to an adoption to incite unrest in the country. Hossein Amir Abdollahian denounced the “blind” and “brutal” attacks by the Zionist regime against the Palestinian people in Gaza, saying “time is not in favor of the Zionists”. Amir Abdollahian also called on the people of the world, Iran condemns ‘brutal’ terrorist attacks in New Zealand organizations, Islamic assemblies and human rights insti- POLITICS TEHRAN — Iranian Foreign Ministry of violence.” promote bigotry leads to this: tutions to firmly denounce the Zionist regime’s arbitrary deskspokesman Bahram Qassemi on Friday Officials said that one man in his late 20s, who is in -Israeli thugs enter mosque in Palestine to insult Muslims; attacks and support the innocent Palestinian people. condemned terrorist attacks on two mosques in New Zealand police custody, had been charged with murder, and that -Terrorists in NZ livestream their murder of 49 Muslims.” as “brutal” and “inhuman”. two explosive devices were found attached to a vehicle According to al Jazeera, the Australian-born attacker “Any terrorist action, at any place, by anybody and that they had stopped. on worshippers in Christchurch has published a manifesto Iran bans flight under any pretext and motivation must be condemned Zarif: ‘Western hypocrisy of defending demoni- citing U.S. President Donald Trump and Anders Breivik, by all countries. The governments should not let racist zation of Muslims as freedom of expression must end’ the Norwegian white supremacist who murdered 77 people of Boeing 737 and anti-Islamic ideologies and movements endanger Following the attacks, Iranian Foreign Minister Moham- in Norway in 2011. the countries,” he said. mad Javad Zarif also said the West must end its “hypocri- The 74-page dossier by the shooter, which has been de- MAX in its He urged New Zealand to find perpetrators behind the sy” of demonizing Muslims under the pretext of defending scribed by Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison as a airspace attacks. freedom of expression. “work of hate”, praised Trump as “a symbol of renewed Coordinated attacks on two mosques in New Zealand on “Western hypocrisy of defending demonization of Mus- white identity and common purpose”. POLITICS TEHRAN — Iran is banning Boeing Friday left at least 49 people killed and many others wounded. lims as freedom of expression MUST end,” Zarif wrote on He also claimed that he had “brief contact” with Breivik desk737 Max 8 jets from its airspace amid Prime Minister of New Zealand Jacinda Ardern described his tweeter account. and had received a “blessing” for his actions from the mass safety concerns that arose following a cash of an Ethio- the incident as “an extraordinary and unprecedented act Zarif also said, “Impunity in Western ‘democracies’ to murderer’s acquaintances. pian Airlines flight on March 10, the Transport Ministry announced on Friday. The Ethiopian crash was the second in five months involving the 737 Max 8. A Lion Air flight went down in Indonesia in Foreign Ministry: U.S. biggest violator of Iranian people’s rights October. Both crashes came shortly after takeoff. 1 Qassemi said, “The U.S. levels ac- outside of its lands and has always been report is politically motivated and biased, He noted that the U.S. uses the issue of Reza Jafarzadeh, director of public relations at Iran’s cusations against other countries’ human criticized by many governments and the adding Washington is not qualified to issue human rights as a tool to achieve its political Civil Aviation Organization, said the ban followed after rights situation while it has heavy records United Nations.” reports on the situation of the human rights objectives and put pressure on independent many airlines have decided not to fly the Boeing 737 Max 8. of violating the human rights inside and The Foreign Ministry official said the U.S. when is has a “black record” in this area. countries. I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y MARCH 16, 2019 INTERNATIONAL North Korea may suspend nuclear talks All American diplomats have with ‘gangster-like’ U.S.: diplomat left Venezuela: Pompeo

North Korea is considering suspending return for the North destroying its main The United States has withdrawn all remaining diplomatic per- talks with the United States and may re- known nuclear complex. sonnel from its embassy in Caracas as the crisis in Venezuela think a ban on missile and nuclear tests In Washington this week, the U.S. special deepens, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Thursday. “They unless Washington makes concessions, representative for North Korea, Stephen are fully dedicated to our mission of supporting the Venezuelan news reports from the North’s capital on Biegun, said the United States expected to people’s aspirations to live in a democracy and build a better Friday quoted a senior diplomat as saying. be able to continue its close engagement, future for their families,” Pompeo said in a statement. Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui though he offered no specifics on when Venezuela is gripped by an acute economic crisis that has fueled blamed top U.S. officials for the breakdown new talks might be held. the rise of opposition leader Juan Guaido, the National Assembly of last month’s summit in Hanoi between “Diplomacy is still very much alive,” speaker who in late January declared himself as interim leader. U.S. President Donald Trump and North Biegun said on Monday, but stopped short The embassy closure is set to worsen already tattered re- Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Russia’s Tass of saying if there had been any talks since lations with U.S. President Donald Trump, who has not ruled news agency and the Associated Press said. the summit. out military intervention to oust President Nicolas Maduro as “We have no intention to yield to the U.S. Bolton, who has argued for a tough ap- Washington monitors rapidly unfolding events in the oil-rich demands (at the Hanoi summit) in any form, proach to North Korea, said last week that but crippled South American nation. nor are we willing to engage in negotiations Trump was open to more talks but also The U.S. has already imposed sanctions designed to choke of this kind,” TASS quoted Choe as telling warned of tougher sanctions if the North off Venezuelan oil sales, the lifeblood of the leftist government reporters in the North Korean capital. did not denuclearise. in Caracas. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo In Beijing, Premier Li Keqiang urged Pompeo said the diplomatic staff would continue from outside and national security adviser John Bolton patience and further dialogue between Venezuela to work for its future, help manage the flow of human- “created the atmosphere of hostility and North Korea and the United States. itarian assistance and support those “bravely resisting tyranny.” mistrust and, therefore, obstructed the con- “The peninsula problem can be said The country began returning to normal Thursday, with Ven- structive effort for negotiations between to be complicated and long-standing, and ezuelans resuming work after a weeklong hiatus forced by an the supreme leaders of North Korea and the it cannot be solved overnight,” Li told an unprecedented nationwide blackout that the government has United States”, Tass quoted Choe as saying. annual news conference on Friday, although blamed on what it calls sabotage encouraged by the U.S. Kim is set to make an official announce- his remarks were not made in response to Three storage tanks at the Petro San Felix heavy oil process- ment soon on his position on the denu- the TASS report. ing plant in eastern Venezuela caught fire late Wednesday, Oil clearisation talks with the United States is dependent on Pyongyang and Washington which way things are headed if nothing Earlier on Friday, a spokeswoman for Minister Manuel Quevedo told state television. and the North’s further actions, it added, resolving at least some of their differences, changes,” Pollack, of the James Martin South Korea’s Ministry of Unification told a Quevedo blamed Guaido, accusing him of collusion with the U.S. citing Choe. said it was too early to tell what Choe’s Center for Nonproliferation Studies in press briefing that the weekly inter-Korean “There was a terrorist act that we denounce at an international Choe said Washington threw away a gold- comments might mean. Monterey, California, said. meeting scheduled at a liaison office in level,” Quevedo told the VTV network. en opportunity at the summit and warned “We cannot judge the current situation “No overnight solution” Kaesong, North Korea, had been canceled On Twitter, the minister said Guaido and the opposition were that Kim might rethink a moratorium on based solely on Vice Minister Choe Son Hui’s The second Trump-Kim summit broke after the North Koreans said they would “intensifying terrorist incursions” against the state-owned oil missile launches and nuclear tests, the statements. We are watching the situation down over differences about U.S. demands not be sending senior officials. company PDVSA to impact Venezuela’s vital crude exports. “Trai- Associated Press news agency said. closely. In any situation, our government will for Pyongyang to denuclearise and North The spokeswoman said the ministry tors!” he wrote, adding “the U.S. has decided to rob Venezuela “I want to make it clear that the gang- endeavor for the restart of North Korea-U.S. Korea’s demand for dramatic relief from had not confirmed why the North Korean of its oil resources ... [and] wants blood to flow.” ster-like stand of the U.S. will eventually put negotiations,” South Korea’s presidential Blue international sanctions imposed for its nu- officials decided not to attend. Meanwhile in Caracas and other cities, Venezuelans who had the situation in danger,” AP quoted her as House said in a statement. clear and missile tests, which it pursued for The South Korean won fell to its weakest been prevented working for a week because of the blackout returned saying. But she added: “Personal relations Choe’s comments echoed the North’s years in defiance of U.N. Security Council intraday level in four months soon after the to their activities as best they could after power was restored. between the two supreme leaders are still usual rhetoric at tense points in its deal- resolutions. report, whereas the stock market’s KOSPI The government called all public sector employees back to good and the chemistry is mysteriously ings with Washington. North Korea expert Choe had said after the Hanoi talks that was muted in its reaction. their offices, but state schools remained closed for another day. wonderful.” Joshua Pollack said North Korea may be Kim might lose his commitment to pursue South Korean and Japanese defense-re- Long lines formed in the capital for the few buses running and South Korea, which has an ambitious delivering an ultimatum. a deal with the United States after seeing lated shares surged following the reports. in front of banks. The city’s subway, which usually transports 2 agenda of engagement with North Korea that “They’re putting down a marker, saying it reject a request to lift some sanctions in (Source: Reuters) million people daily, was partly operating and extremely crowded. The resumption marked a degree of relief after the lack of electricity, which deepened Venezuela’s long economic crisis. But things remained far from normal, with many shops remaining shuttered. Left out of peace talks, U.S. allies reassess The national industry federation Conindustria said it would take several days for some activities to come back. According to an economic analysis firm, Ecoanalitica, the blackout cost Venezuela $875 million and paralyzed industry, including the Afghan support all-important oil sector. (Source: AFP) At a dinner party in Kabul’s high-security “green zone” in for Afghanistan until 2020. March, a senior European diplomat poured himself a glass With those pledges due to expire, many countries are of red wine and pulled up a photograph on his iPhone. re-evaluating their military and funding commitments. Released by Qatar’s foreign ministry on Feb. 25, it “Priorities have changed for every EU nation,” a Eu- showed seven Qatari officials alongside U.S. and Taliban ropean diplomat said, adding that countries besides Af- UAE blocks diplomatic negotiators as talks on ending the 17-year-old war in Af- ghanistan needed support. ghanistan had restarted in the Gulf state the previous day. “The donor fatigue is intense and no one is in the mood efforts to free 11 Lebanese “If Qatari officials can be at the negotiating table, then to overlook it after 2020,” another diplomat said. how did the U.S. forget to invite its key allies who have A third diplomat said their country was re-evaluating detainees: Report fought the Afghan war since 2001?” said the diplomat, its future aid with different scenarios in mind, including whose nation has contributed hundreds of troops to NA- whether to continue development if the Taliban joins Af- TO’s mission in the country. ghanistan’s government, and what to do if peace talks fail. “We continue to pour millions of dollars as an act of Any drop-off in international aid would be disastrous solidarity, but when it comes to peace talks, the U.S. de- for Afghanistan, since much of it funds basic health and cided to go solo.” education services, said Adele Khodr, country represent- Reuters spoke with 10 diplomats from countries span- ative for Unicef. ning three continents that are among the 39 that provide “It is definitely something we are concerned about. military personnel to the NATO training operation, known Imagine what would happen - (Afghanistan) would be as Resolute Support, in Afghanistan, and those that pro- Yemen,” Khodr said. “(By) pulling out, the international vide development aid. community will pay a much higher price in insecurity Many of those countries are significant, consistent across the world.” donors. Most of the diplomats spoke on condition of an- Ninety percent of the money spent on the health sector the bill”. onymity, citing the sensitivity of the situation. in Afghanistan comes from the international communi- Shrinking footprint? The diplomats interviewed said their governments were ty, said Toby Lanzer, deputy special representative in The senior diplomats interviewed by Reuters, who are broadly rethinking their commitments to rebuilding the Afghanistan for the UN. based in Kabul and Islamabad, said their governments country. That process had been hastened by feeling excluded An official in Ghani’s office in Kabul declined to com- were finding it harder to justify the continuing presence from peace talks, and also by a weariness for supporting ment on potential risks to future aid. of their troops and the steady drain of aid funding to the Afghan campaign among voters and lawmakers in He said the government was making every effort to Afghanistan. their respective countries, they said. hold peace talks with the Taliban. The militant group “It is increasingly difficult to tell our people why we Asked about those comments, a U.S. State Department said on Tuesday that such talks would have to wait until are still here especially when they read reports about spokesperson said regular reviews of foreign assistance after a troop withdrawal plan is set. more than half of country being under the Taliban The United Arab Emirates has denied Lebanon’s embassy officials was “good practice” and Afghanistan’s development re- ‘Crucial to stick together’ control,” said a Western diplomat. “Almost all NATO the right to meet with 11 Lebanese citizens arrested in the Per- mained in the interest of the international community. Some diplomats caution against a quick retreat. countries are now struggling to justify their presence sian Gulf state over ties to the resistance movement Hezbollah, “We see no signs that interest and investment are wa- “If we leave the country hastily, all these (advances) in Afghanistan to voters back home.” a media report says. vering,” said the spokesperson, adding that U.S. Special will go down the drain,” Ambassador Markus Potzel, The war’s long duration has also weakened commitment. According to a report by Al-Akhbar, the UAE is blocking dip- Representative Zalmay Khalilzad has briefed NATO al- Germany’s special representative for Afghanistan and “If we had known that the war could go on as it has lomatic efforts to secure the release of these Lebanese nationals, lies and other partners three times since December, and Pakistan and one of the 10 diplomats interviewed, told been for 18 years, we would have had a rethink in 2001,” who are in prison for two separate cases. effective coordination remained a priority. Reuters in Kabul. the Western diplomat said. In the first case, three Lebanese citizens Ali Hassan al-Mubdar, Nick Kay, NATO’s newly appointed senior civilian Potzel was referring to gains such as Afghan girls’ at- The withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan Abdullah Hani Abdullah, and Ahmad al-Makkawi have been representative in Afghanistan, said NATO allies “fully tendance in school and new employment opportunities. has always been the Taliban’s main demand, and Trump’s jailed since 2015 on charge of disclosing the UAE government’s support” Khalilzad’s efforts to negotiate a settlement. Maintaining aid was also critical to holding influence interest in drawing down U.S. troops has stimulated ef- “secrets” to Hezbollah. But even the Afghan government has complained of in Afghanistan, he said. forts to end the war. In a video message in October 2018, al-Makkawi said he had being left out. President Ashraf Ghani’s national security “That’s our leverage. We can attach strings,” Potzel “The prime concern is that we may wake up one day to been severely tortured by UAE officials, and called for an inter- adviser on Thursday accused Khalilzad of “delegitimizing” said. “It is crucial to stick together.” a tweet by Trump about a unilateral withdrawal of U.S. national probe into the issue. the Kabul government by excluding it from deliberations. A spokesperson at the British Embassy in Kabul said troops before a peace agreement has been negotiated,” However, the Lebanese embassy’s request to meet the detainees Qatari officials did not respond to a request for comment. any changes to Britain’s troop contribution would be made said a diplomat whose country supports Afghan health- in Abu Dhabi’s Al Wathba Prison was rejected by authorities, In 2017, U.S. development aid for Afghanistan totaled in consultation with coalition partners. care projects. who said such a meeting needed the prosecutor’s permission. about $1.2 billion, well ahead of the next biggest donors As of March 2019, 39 countries contributed 17,034 Neighboring Pakistan sees a similar danger, Foreign The prosecutor in January rejected the Lebanese embassy’s Germany, European Union institutions, Britain and Japan, foreign forces in Afghanistan for Resolute Support, of Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said. second request for a meeting, citing “national security” concerns. according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and which the U.S. provided 50 percent, according to NATO. “An immediate vacuum can also be detrimental for In the second case, the UAE claims the eight Lebanese citi- Development (OECD) data. But the United States’ junior U.S. troops are also deployed in a separate mission directed peace and security and an indefinite presence is also not zens have engaged in establishment of a Hezbollah “cell” in the aid partners collectively contributed nearly two-thirds of against groups such as al Qaeda and ISIL. acceptable, so this is the detail that has to be worked Persian Gulf country. all development assistance, highlighting their critical if U.S. President Donald Trump’s questioning of NATO’s out,” he said. The eight detainees have been imprisoned since February less visible importance to the country’s future. value to Washington, along with the absence of allies at NATO members and partners said they also expect 2018, and the Lebanese government has failed to receive any Changing priorities the negotiating table, has deepened the unease within regional powers to share costs and step up their roles in information about their conditions. U.S. and Taliban negotiators wrapped up their longest the military alliance created in 1949 by the United States, Afghanistan to prevent civil war after foreign forces depart. During the past few years, Emirati officials have in numerous round of peace talks on Tuesday with progress made but Canada, and Western European nations. “China has been sitting on the bleachers for a long cases arrested, tried, and imprisoned individuals from Lebanon no agreement on when foreign troops might withdraw. “The concern is that we need to be appraised of the time now,” a diplomat said. and other Arab states on charge of being linked to the Hezbollah Whether funding countries keep investing in Afghanistan progress of the discussions and to be involved. We have The Chinese embassy in Kabul did not respond to re- resistance group, a key part of Lebanon’s politics. could prove pivotal to sustaining any peace. Diplomats say invested a lot,” said a European diplomat. “This commitment quests for comment. The UAE is criticized by human rights organizations for not that, after troops leave, it may be the only leverage they should be reflected in influence or at least information Michael Kugelman, a South Asia expert at the Washing- having any democratically-elected institutions, disappearances have to retain influence over future Afghan governments. on the peace talks.” ton-based Woodrow Wilson Center, said the U.S. continues of foreign nationals and Emirati citizens, numerous instances Since the 2001 U.S.-led invasion, Afghanistan has The diplomat said it was understandable that access to count on friends to share the burden in Afghanistan. of torture in incarceration, and denying prisoners’ right to a been among the top recipients of foreign government to the negotiating table was narrow right now, but “what “But so long as the war continues with no peace deal, speedy trial and access to counsel. aid to promote economic and social development. In I would find abnormal is that we would be served a deal that supply of states willing to assist will shrink,” said (Source: Press TV) 2016, international donors pledged $15.2 billion in aid in which we had nothing to say and then be asked to foot Kugelman. I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y 4 ECONOMY MARCH 16, 2019

STOCK MARKET Iranian companies are top priority in TEDPIX 169115.5 IFX 2095.65 Syria’s reconstruction projects: envoy Sources: tse.ir, Ifb.ir

ECONOMY TEHRAN — Syrian In August 2018, a delegation comprised deskAmbassador to Tehran of Iranian economic experts traveled to CURRENCIES Adnan Mahmoud said Iranian companies Syria to explore investment opportunities are the top priority in awarding the country’s and finalize the reconstruction plans of the USD 42,000 rials reconstruction projects, Shata reported on war-stricken country. EUR 47,537 rials Thursday. Also in January, the 14th preparatory Speaking in a meeting between the rep- meeting of Iran-Syria high joint technical GBP 55,618 rials resentatives of Syrian private sector with committee of economic cooperation was AED 11,437 rials the Iranian Minister of Industry, Mines held at Damascus. and Trade Reza Rahmani along with offi- The event was attended by the Iranian Source: cbi.ir cials of the Iranian cooperatives chamber, Deputy Transport Minister Amir Amini Mahmoud noted that the Iranian private and Deputy Head of the Planning and In- sector is a key partner in reconstruction of ternational Cooperation Authority of Syria Syria›s infrastructure. Thoraya Idlbi. COMMODITIES The ambassador stressed the need for Amini had also said that Iranian private Brent $67.08/b providing facilities in order to further expand sector has started cooperation with Syria in the economic cooperation between the two order to rebuild the country’s war-damaged WTI $58.60/b countries. infrastructures. He called for the implementation of a free According to the official, Iranian inves- OPEC Basket $66.60/b trade agreement between the two countries Syrian Ambassador to Tehran Adnan Mahmoud (3rd R) met Iranian Industry, Mines tors and enterprises are eager to play a key and Trade Minister Reza Rahmani (C) on Thursday Gold $1,303.10/oz so that the two sides can have a comprehen- role in Syria’s potential $600-billion worth sive economic partnership with each other. private sector in order to encourage them months and Iranian private companies of projects. Silver $15.40/oz A trade delegation from Syria visited Iran to cooperate in the war-stricken country’s are already investing in different areas like Many urban areas across Syria, particularly on March 11 to attend a business forum which around Damascus, have been hard-hit by war, Platinium $837.00/oz reconstruction. providing construction materials especially was held at Iran Chamber of Cooperatives in Iran and Syria have been exchanging nu- cement and working on several reconstruc- and President Bashar Assad said this month Sources: oilprice.com, Moneymetals.com Tehran and also to hold talks with Iranian merous trade delegations in the past few tion projects in Syria. that rebuilding would be his “top priority”.

Tehran to host 15th meeting Iran, Azerbaijan stress bolstering trade ties in business forum 1 “In 2018, trade between the two countries in- Iran’s economy minister called for win-win economic on Wednesday. of Iran-Belarus Joint creased by 74 percent. Azerbaijan hasn’t had such a boost relations between the two sides in a variety of areas including In the meeting, Head of the Organization for Invest- Economic Committee in trade with any other country.” The official said. investment, tourism, services and trade, and announced ment and Technology and Assistance of Iran Ahmad Jamali The Azeri minister referred to energy, transportation, Iran’s readiness for cooperation in these areas. stressed Azerbaijan’s strategic geographical position and ECONOMY TEHRAN — Mohammadreza Modoudi, industry and tourism as good areas for developing bilateral He described Iran as Azerbaijan’s gateway into the south- its importance for Iran. deskhe acting head of Iran’s Trade Promotion relations with Iran, and called for Tehran to strengthen ern waters and called on Baku to use the opportunities that Jamali noted that “using the capacity of the joint eco- Organization (TPO), and Belarusian Ambassador to Tehran relations in these areas. the North-South corridor is providing. nomic committee, we can see a further boom in the volume Yury Lazarchik discussed holding the 15th meeting of Iran- He further mentioned the friendly relations between his Elsewhere in the meeting, Hossein Pirmouzan, the of trade between the two sides.” Belarus Joint Economic Committee in Tehran in the first half country, Iran and Russia and called for the strengthening of chairman of Iran-Azerbaijan Joint Chamber of Commerce, The official pointed to the Qazvin-Rasht railway project, of the next Iranian calendar year (March 21-September 21, trilateral relationship between Tehran, Baku and Moscow. pointed to the exchange of more than 100 trade delegations which is a part of North-South corridor, as a turning point 2019), TPO website published. Importance of private sectors between the two countries in recent years and addressed in the development of relations between the two countries Modoudi said: “Belarus is one of the countries with noticeable Iranian finance minister for his part Referred to the the relations between the two sides to be very positive and and said that this railway is going to further facilitate the effect on Iran-EEU negotiations and as the talks are close to satisfactory volume of trade between the two countries, on the path to growth. trade between Iran and Azerbaijan. their conclusion, we expect a stronger part to be played by stressing the important role of Iran’s private sector in He called for the establishment of a preferential trade The talks between the representatives of the two coun- Belarus.” developing economic relations with the northern neighbor. agreement between the two countries aimed at increasing tries were held in the form of eight committees, including In late November 2018, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin Dejpasand further added that for development of bi- the volume of trade exchanges. trade, industry, investment along with financial and banking, has endorsed a much-awaited agreement for the establishment lateral ties, the interaction between the two sides’ private 13th Joint Economic Committee meeting customs and borders as well as transportation and transit, of a free trade zone between Iran and the Eurasian Economic sectors should be strengthened and joint ventures must Previous to the business forum, the 13th Iran-Azerbaijan energy and environment, agriculture and health, cultural, Union (EEU) thus facilitating the process for the Islamic Republic be formed. Joint Economic Committee meeting was also held in Baku social and humanitarian and finally tourism. to join the Moscow-led regional economic bloc. According to a Kremlin announcement, the agreement became a federal law after Putin’s endorsement and was accordingly Renault to return to Iran: Iran ready to export Mercaptan: forwarded to the relevant institutions to be implemented. Apart from authorizing the creation of a free trade zone deputy minister NIGC managing director between Iran and the EU, the document would be meant to support their cooperation over a wide range of economic and Iranian Deputy Minister of Industry, The managing director of the National commercial areas. Mining and Trade Farshad Moqimi said Iranian Gas Company (NIGC) said it The EEU is comprised of Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Renault has made an investment of $1 was possible for Iran to export some of Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. It is an international organization billion in Iran. its mercaptan output. created with the aim of encouraging regional economic integration “Following the negotiations and con- Hassan Montazer Tarbati stated that through the free movement of goods, services and people sultations that have been made and con- the item’s production capacity would reach within the union. sidering the amount of investment that 800 tons per year by the early months Renault has made in the country (Iran), of the next calendar year, beginning on we would announce that the company will March 21. Eurozone industrial output again return to Iran,” he added. “90 barrels of 150 barrels in the first The deputy minister also noted that a stage of the mercaptan production were shows spark but Germany mechanism has been devised to allow for 2018, many Western companies backed sent to three gas companies in Khorasan He added: “In recent years, the National the resumption of production of Renault out and halted cooperation with Iran. Razavi, Bushehr and Khuzestan provinces Iranian Gas Company has taken major lags behind cars in Iran. In 2017, Renault signed an agreement this week. According to the plans, by early steps towards domestic production of this In July 2018, Renault put its Iran op- with Iran’s Industrial Development and next year, the production capacity of this essential substance, due to the limitations Industrial production in the Eurozone showed signs of stabilization erations on hold to comply with the U.S. Renovation Organization (IDRO) and vital item will reach 800 tons annually,” facing foreign suppliers of the item.” in January across sectors and in most countries, despite a sanctions against Tehran. local dealer Parto Negin Naseh Co. to the official said. Iran Gas Engineering and Develop- contraction in Germany, the bloc’s biggest economy. Since the anti-Iran sanctions were eased boost its local production by 75 percent. Mercaptan is also known as methanethi- ment Company has invested 1.5 trillion Output in the region rose 1.4 percent from the previous in 2016 under the Joint Comprehensive Plan The company said it had not yet started ol is a harmless but pungent-smelling gas rials (about $37.5 million) for developing month, rebounding from a decline of 0.9 percent in December, of Action (JCPOA), Iran emerged as a hot manufacturing vehicles or making in- which has been described as having the a mercaptan production unit with 800 better than a forecast from analysts in a Reuters poll of 1.0 spot for growth, and trade with European vestments under the deal, but has been stench of rotting cabbages or smelly socks. tons per annum of production capacity. percent expansion, Eurostat figures revealed on Wednesday. countries surged to more than $10 billion. producing cars there since 2003 with two It is often added to natural gas, which Iran, along with France, Russia, and the “Expectations of a structural rebound in industrial output But when the U.S. withdrew from the nu- other partners. is colorless and odorless, to make it easier United States, is now a producer of the item. remain alive, as the downward drag from temporary factors clear deal and re-imposed trade curbs in (source: Tasnim News Agency) to detect. (Source: Shana News Agency) should fade out over the coming months,” said Bert Colijn, economist at ING. China premier says can use interest rates, other policy steps to help economy China can use reserve requirements and interest rates to sup- sector and small businesses that are vital for economic growth port economic growth, Premier Li Keqiang said on Friday, and employment. Li said the government hopes to create 13 promising broad policy steps to prevent a sharper slowdown million jobs this year, the same as last year. for the world’s second-biggest economy. “Not allowing the economy to slip out of a reasonable Li’s comments suggest Beijing is ready to roll out more range, that is to say we will not allow waves of layoffs,” said forceful stimulus measures to ease strains on businesses and Li, adding the government will provide support to firms cre- consumers. ating the most jobs. China has so far promised billions of dollars in tax cuts and Data on Thursday showed that China’s survey-based job- infrastructure spending, as economic momentum is expected less rate rose to 5.3 percent in February, from 4.9 percent to cool further due to softer domestic demand and the trade in December, partly due to job shedding by export-oriented war with the United States. companies. Shares in China climbed on Friday after the government Trade war Energy production had the biggest monthly increase, with reiterated its commitment to boosting growth. after fresh data pointed to persistently soft demand in the China is still negotiating with the United States to resolve 2.4 percent, overturning a 0.6 percent decline in the previous China is targeting economic growth of 6.0-6.5 percent Asian economic giant, raising fears of a sharper slowdown. their trade frictions, Li said, adding both sides have far more month. this year, down from 6.6 percent in 2018 - the slowest pace Sources told Reuters in February that the central bank shared interests than conflicts, and it would be “unrealistic” On a less volatile year-on-year change, industrial production in 28 years. is not yet ready to cut benchmark interest rates to spur the to decouple the world’s two largest economies. shrank 1.1 per cent, but this is milder than the 4.2 percent “Of course, we are faced with many uncertain factors this slowing economy, but is likely to cut market-based rates. “We hope that the consultations will be fruitful and will decline in December. Analysts in a Reuters poll predicted a year. We have to prepare more and we have reserved policy An across-the-board cut in borrowing costs could also risk achieve mutual benefit and win-win. I believe that this is also 2.1 per cent fall. room (to address uncertainties),” Li told a news conference another flare-up in debt and speculative activity like that in the expectation of the world,” Li said. In Spain, France and the Netherlands monthly output after the annual parliament meeting ended. the wake of the 2008-9 global financial crisis. A summit to seal a trade deal between U.S. President rose, compared with a contraction in December. Italy remains “Moreover, we can deploy quantity-based or price-based Tax and fee cuts Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping will not marginally in negative territory, up from an annual contraction policy tools such as reserve requirements and interest rates. Promised cuts in value-added tax (VAT) for manufacturing happen at the end of March as previously discussed, Treasury of 5.5 percent in the final month of 2018. This is not monetary easing but to more effectively support and other sectors will take effect from April 1, while social Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on Thursday. In contrast, production declined in the biggest Eurozone the real economy.” security fees will be reduced from May 1, Li said. Washington and Beijing have been locked in a tit-for-tat economy by 3.4 percent year-on-year, a faster contraction than Li’s comments “reconfirm a consistent pro-growth stance, The premier announced on March 5 that the VAT for tariff battle as U.S. presses China for an end to practices and 3.2 percent in December. Germany accounts for the largest with clarity on fiscal easing and an earlier-than-expected effec- the manufacturing sector would be cut to 13 percent from policies it argues have given Chinese firms unfair advantages, share of the Eurozone industrial production. tive date for tax cuts,” Morgan Stanley said in a note, adding 16 percent. VAT for the transport and construction sectors including subsidizing of industry, limits on access for foreign The spark of stabilization comes after the European Central that it expects improved growth from the second quarter. will be reduced to 9 percent from 10 percent. companies and alleged theft of intellectual property. Bank slashed its growth forecast for the region to 1.1 percent for The support measures rolled out so far are taking time to Li on Friday sought to soothe concerns that the tax cuts On Friday, China’s parliament approved a new foreign this year, down from a forecast of 1.7 percent three months ago. kick in and most analysts believe activity may not convinc- will weigh on local finances, promising the central govern- investment law that promises to create a transparent envi- “Overall, today’s data release offers some reassurance that ingly stabilize until the middle of the year. ment will offer support to provinces in central and western ronment for foreign firms, though there is skepticism about the industrial recession is not deepening. But with the business The central bank has cut banks’ reserve requirement ratios China via payment transfers. its enforceability. surveys suggesting that output continued to fall in February, it (RRR) five times over the past year, with a two-stage RRR The premier said the government would take multiple The law, designed to ease concerns among foreign compa- is too soon to sound the all clear” said Andrew Kenningham, cut in January releasing a total of 1.5 trillion yuan ($223.23 measures to lower funding costs for small and micro firms nies about the difficulties they face in China, will ban forced economist at Capital Economics. billion) into the financial system. by 1 percentage point this year. technology transfer and illegal government “interference” (Source: Financial Times) Further cuts in RRR had been widely expected this year, Beijing’s tax cut efforts have focused on the manufacturing in foreign business practices. (Source: Reuters) I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y MARCH 16, 2019 ENERGY 5 U.S. oil hits highest so far this year, but Dueling U.S. oil sanctions give concerns over demand growth drag India unexpected leverage By asking India this week to cut its Venezuelan crude oil imports, the U.S. may be showing its willingness to ease Iran sanctions enforcement Oil prices edged up on Friday, with U.S. With OPEC withholding supply and U.S. for the world’s No. 3 oil consumer. crude climbing to its highest so far this year sanctions preventing Iranian and Venezue- India needs both Iranian and Venezuelan oil to run its refineries, as production cuts led by OPEC and U.S. lan oil from entering markets, global crude but Iranian crude has the advantage of being closer, less expensive sanctions against Venezuela and Iran likely flow data in Refinitiv showed a slight supply and potentially more reliable as Venezuela’s infrastructure collapses. created a slight deficit in global supply in deficit likely appeared in the first quarter. The U.S. is using sanctions against Tehran and Caracas to clamp the first quarter. Preventing oil from rising further have down on both countries’ oil exports to exert economic pressure. For Yet prices have been prevented from ris- been concerns that a economic slowdown that major importer India, the two U.S. policies have collided, likely mak- ing further by concerns that an economic has gripped large parts of Asia and Europe, ing it impossible for diplomats to talk about one without addressing slowdown will soon start denting growth in and which is showing signs of spilling into the other. fuel demand. North America, will soon dent fuel demand India may point to a sharp drop in its Iranian imports, its potential U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude growth. room to cut Venezuelan imports and its increasing reliance on U.S. crude oil futures were up 15 cents at $58.76 per But oil demand has held up well so far. in negotiating for further Iran sanctions relief in May, analysts said. barrel at 0745 GMT, their strongest so far Crude oil use in China, the world’s biggest Iranian shipments to India have dropped to around 270,000 in 2019. importer, in the first two months of 2019 rose bpd so far in 2019, from a 2018 average of 517,823 bpd, according to Brent crude oil futures were at $67.43 per 6.1 percent from a year earlier to a record 12.68 data from Platts trade flow software cFlow. The 2018 imports rose barrel, up 20 cents, or 0.3 percent, from their million bpd, official data showed this week. from 461,977 bpd in 2017 as the Trump administration geared up last settlement, and within a dollar of their “Oil demand concerns are overdone,” to reinstate sanctions along with Iran providing freight discounts $68.14 2019-high reached the previous day. Goldman Sachs said in a note on Friday. to Indian refiners. Oil has rallied around a quarter since the The U.S. bank said January global crude Venezuelan shipments to India, however, have remained relatively start of the year. oil demand growth was “nearly 2.0 million steady despite the exporter’s escalating crisis. India imported 296,356 “Oil continues to grind higher ... in re- barrels per day, with strength visible in both bpd year to date, compared with 285,255 bpd in 2018 and 334,997 sponse to ongoing production cuts from emerging markets and developed economies”. bpd in 2017, according to cFlow data. the OPEC+ group of producers as well as allies like Russia - known as the OPEC+ al- headquarters in Vienna, Austria, on April Goldman said “current fundamentals will Prices favor Iran imports another (output) slump from a blacked-out liance - have been withholding around 1.2 17-18 to decide output policy. tighten physical markets further”, driving up Increasingly steep Iran Heavy discounts are likely designed to Venezuela,” said Ole Hansen, head of com- million barrels per day (bpd) in crude supply “If OPEC+ decide to extend (cuts) ... we spot Brent crude futures above $70 per barrel keep Indian refiners interested, and at the possible expense of similar modity strategy at Denmark’s Saxo Bank. from the start of the year to tighten markets expect that inventories will continue to draw “as supply losses continue (and) demand grades. On a delivered basis into West Coast India, Iran Heavy has held The Organization of the Petroleum Ex- and prop up prices. through at least Q3,” U.S. investment bank growth beats low consensus expectations”. a $6.20/b discount to Venezuelan Mesa and a near-$7/b discount to porting Countries (OPEC) and non-affiliated OPEC+ ministers will meet at the group’s Jefferies said on Friday. (Source: Reuters) the U.S. medium sour benchmark Mars so far in March, according to S&P Global Platts calculations. This is a far cry from the near-parity sellers of Mars and Mesa enjoyed as recently as June and July. Asian LNG prices dip to 3-year Norway plans to expand arctic oil Venezuelan Mesa is similar in quality to Iran Heavy and Mars, albeit slightly less sour, and offers similar refining economics, in particular seasonal low exploration areas for coking on the U.S. Gulf Coast, according to calculations based on Platts prices and Turner, Mason & Co. yield formulas. India’s state-owned refiners are heavily reliant on Iranian oil, while the country’s two private refiners, Reliance Industries and Nayara Energy, are significant buyers of Venezuelan crude. Reliance, which operates two mega refineries at the Jamnagar complex on the west coast of India, has said it will trim crude imports from Venezuela in compliance with U.S. sanctions. The refiner has also halted sales of diluents like naphtha to Venezuela in the past month. State-owned PDVSA uses naphtha to dilute its heavy crude grades to sell overseas. The situation could be a bit trickier for Nayara, as Russia’s Rosneft is its largest owner. Rosneft has continued its operations in Venezue- la, including increasing oil product supplies to the Maduro regime. This week, Rosneft rejected U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s assertion that the company was defying US sanctions by continuing to buy crude from PDVSA. Another layer of complexity is that private companies often have lower risk tolerance than state-owned companies when weighing sanctions and their threat of getting blocked from the U.S. financial system, said Kevin Book, managing director of ClearView Energy Asian spot prices for liquefied natural gas (LNG) purchased spot cargoes earlier this month. Norway’s government is proposing to ex- “53 years after the first licensing round, Partners. this week fell to their lowest for this time of Companies do not typically comment on pand the area that will be offered for oil and this new record confirms the industry’s belief “The discussions are probably pretty complicated,” he said. “All the year since 2016 as more supply entered such deals. gas exploration in the 2019 licensing round in continued value creation and activity in these things are part of the innate challenge of trying to using economic the market from Egypt and Australia, with Still, supply was ample with Egyptian state- of acreage in mature areas, Petroleum and Norway,” Freiberg said in January this year, measures to achieve geostrategic goals. You have to ask businesses the lower prices attracting Indian demand, owned company EGAS offering at least four Energy Minister Kjell-Børge Freiberg said when he announced the new licenses and the to do less well and you have to get them to agree.” trade sources said. LNG cargoes for loading in April, one of the on Thursday. 33 different companies that were awarded U.S. oil diplomacy Spot prices for April delivery to Northeast traders said. Norway plans to include a total of 90 new ownership interests. India’s imports of U.S. crude have marched steadily higher as Gulf Asia LNG-AS dropped to $5.45 per million Australia’s Ichthys project may also have blocks in the so-called APA annual licensing Norway’s oil production is expected to Coast export capacity increases, starting 2019 at a year-to-date average British thermal units (mmBtu) this week, down offered a cargo for late March to early April round this year, including 48 blocks in the drop this year to its lowest level since 1988, of 133,878 bpd, according to cFlow data, compared with 132,134 bpd 25 cents from the previous week. That was loading, a second trader said. Barents Sea, 37 blocks in the Norwegian Sea, but to recover afterwards thanks to two large in 2018 and 26,342 bpd in 2017, according to the Energy Information the lowest for mid-March since 2016. Demand from China remained muted and five blocks in the North Sea, Freiberg said. developments. Administration. While the U.S. government cannot dictate where pri- Prices for cargoes delivered in May are as hopes dimmed that Washington and Bei- “It’s important to maintain the positive Production is expected to jump in 2020 vate drillers send their crude supplies, the flows have become central estimated to be around $5.50 per mmBtu, jing could reach a deal soon to resolve their development in exploration activity in the through 2023, thanks to the start up in late to recent diplomatic talks on trade, sanctions and security issues. indicating some price recovery could be com- long-standing trade dispute. Barents Sea. I hope this will lead to robust 2019 of Johan Sverdrup—the North Sea giant, Last month, state-owned Indian Oil Corp. struck a deal to buy ing, trade sources said. A summit to seal a trade deal between field development solutions and increased as operator Equinor calls it. up to 3 million mt of various U.S. crude grades for delivery over the The continued drop in prices has been U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese value creation in the north,” Reuters quoted But after Johan Sverdrup and after Johan next fiscal year starting in April. Analysts have said the decision was attracting buying interest from India, they President Xi Jinping will not happen at the Freiberg as saying in a statement. Castberg in the Barents Sea scheduled for part of a strategy to broaden its import base, given the uncertainty added. end of March as previously discussed because There has been opposition to the exten- first oil in 2022, Norway doesn’t have major over Iran sanctions. For instance, India’s Reliance Industries more work is needed in U.S.-China negoti- sion of the acreage under the APA licensing oil discoveries and projects to sustain its oil India is still buying Iranian crude after U.S. sanctions snapped issued a tender earlier this month seeking 12 ations, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin round from politicians of the opposition and production after the middle of the 2020s. back in November thanks to a “significant reduction exemption” from cargoes for April 2019 to March 2020, while said on Thursday. from environmentalists, who have argued The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate the State Department. Terms of the agreement are not public, but Emirates National Oil Company had sought Buying interest was also low in Europe, that those licensing rounds with additional (NPD) started warning last year that from the waivers are intended to allow trades to continue as long as the four cargoes for delivery into India over April industry sources said. blocks are being used to expand exploration the mid-2020s onward, production offshore importer reduces volumes every six months. to July, they said. “Europe is quite calm ... more offers than to beyond the scope of those rounds—that is Norway will start to decline “so making new India’s current waiver expires May 4, meaning negotiations over ENOC likely bought the cargoes at $5.50 bids, I would say,” said an LNG trader. mature and well-explored areas. and large discoveries quickly is necessary for another waiver are at a critical stage as refiners decide whether to to $5.60 per mmBtu, they said, though details The tradable price level in Europe is at a In the 2018 APA licensing round, Norway maintaining production at the same level continue booking loadings. of sellers were not immediately known. discount of around 20 cents per mmBtu to awarded 83 production licenses—a record from the mid-2020s.” Bob McNally, president of Rapidan Energy Group and adviser India’s GSPC and Torrent Power had also the Dutch price. (Source: Reuters) number of awards for such rounds. (Source: oilprice.com) to former President George W. Bush, does not expect the State De- partment to make final decisions on the Iran waivers until late April. “Venezuela is obviously a complication and also argues for holding off until that picture is clearer,” he said. “So it’s really hard to say with U.S.-China trade deal driven by energy exports confidence what they’ll do. That said, I assume if waiver extensions are granted (perhaps at lower volumes), India will get one.” Amid signals that the U.S. and China have made some find buyers of its soaring crude oil exports. While India needs no waiver to continue importing Venezuelan progress in trade negotiations in recent weeks, China has On the LNG trade front between the U.S. and China, oil, the U.S. has threatened additional sanctions that could make it tentatively resumed buying U.S. commodities – something things are a bit more complicated as China—the world’s harder for foreign companies to do business with PDVSA. And Pompeo it had stopped doing during the peak of the trade dispute fastest-growing LNG demand market—slapped a 10-percent signaled this week that a U.S. request for India to curb its oil business in the summer and fall of 2018. tariff on U.S. LNG imports amid the heated trade tariff tit- with Venezuela was likely part of the oil sanctions negotiations. China is now once again importing U.S. crude oil and for-tat last summer. (Source: Platts) soybeans, but despite increased inquiries, the Chinese market Between the start of the first U.S. LNG exports to the response to U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) is still tepid, S&P world in February 2016 and end-December 2018, China Global Platts’ Eric Yep writes in an analysis, citing traders. was the third-largest buyer of American LNG behind South “China will agree to purchase a not yet agreed upon, but Korea and Mexico, with a total of 62 cargoes accounting for IEA sees oil market flipping very substantial, amount of agricultural, energy, industrial, itive way when it comes to trade negotiations,” Secretary 10.7 percent of all U.S. LNG exports, U.S. Department of into deficit in second quarter and other product from the United States to reduce the trade Rick added. Energy data shows. imbalance between our two countries,” the White House said Some of the latest signals from ship-tracking data sug- The Chinese import tariff in September 2018, however, The oil market will flip into a modest deficit from the second after the meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump gest that U.S. crude oil appears to be heading to China after stalled American LNG flows to China in the second half of quarter of this year, with OPEC possessing a hefty supply cushion and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the G-20 summit in many months of China abstaining from buying American oil last year, according to data from Thomson Reuters ship to prevent any price rally in case of possible supply disruptions, early December. despite the fact that it’s not on Beijing’s tariff list. tracking and the U.S. Department of Energy. So far this the International Energy Agency said on Friday. While a new summit between the two leaders is yet to Still, a sustained return of U.S. crude oil exports to Chi- year, only one LNG cargo that left U.S. shores traveled to The IEA, which coordinates the energy policies of industrialized be scheduled, the oil market has been recently buoyed by na will depend on two key factors—how the trade dispute China, Reuters data showed earlier this week. nations, kept its 2019 oil demand growth forecast unchanged at prospects of a trade deal between the world’s two largest plays out in coming weeks and months and how wide the If the recent thaw in the trade dispute translates into a 1.4 percent, or 1.4 million barrels per day. economies. And the slow return of Chinese purchases of Brent Crude premium over WTI Crude will be. The wider trade deal, it could create a win-win situation for both the Solid non-OPEC oil output growth led by the United States U.S. crude oil could be a positive sign in the trade talks. the spread, the more economical U.S. oil is for Asian refiners United States and China. The U.S. will have a large export should ensure demand is met, the IEA said. The latest available EIA data shows that at the peak of the compared to Brent-linked grades. In recent weeks, U.S. crude outlet for its increased LNG shipments which are expected The IEA said the market could show a modest surplus in the trade war in the summer, China totally cut off U.S. crude oil for Asian refiners has also been more advantageous than to surge with more liquefaction and export projects coming first quarter of 2019 before flipping into a deficit in the second purchases in the months of August, September, and October. Middle Eastern grades because the Dubai/Oman prices, online. And that export outlet will be the fastest-growing quarter by about 0.5 million bpd. November saw a trickle of 8,000 bpd U.S. crude oil exports to off which the Middle East’s oil producers price their oil to LNG market in the world, as China is betting on natural “At the same time, (OPEC) production cuts have increased China, while in December, Chinese imports averaged 97,000 Asia, are nearly $10 a barrel higher than WTI. gas to switch away from coal-fired use in its efforts to curb the spare capacity cushion. This is especially important now as bpd—up from November’s very small amount but much Total U.S. crude exports set a weekly record of 3.607 pollution. economic sentiment is becoming more pessimistic and the global lower than the 510,000 bpd record imports in June 2018. million bpd in one of the weeks in February and are expected Last week, reports emerged that China’s biggest refiner economy could be entering a vulnerable period,” the IEA added. U.S. energy exports are “part of the mix, it may not be to continue to grow. Sinopec was preparing to sign a 20-year LNG supply deal The agency said it was particularly concerned about a possible the driver, but it’s always hanging out there as part of the Ben Luckock, Co-Head of Oil Trading at one of the world’s with Cheniere Energy if the U.S.-China trade conflict gets further decline in production in Venezuela, where output has matrix,” U.S. Secretary of Energy Rick Perry said in an in- biggest trading houses, Trafigura, said at the CERAWeek resolved. Sinopec is also getting ready to buy U.S. LNG as stabilized at 1.2 million bpd in recent months. terview with CNBC at CERAWeek this week, referring to conference this week that the U.S. would need China as soon as the Chinese government directs it to do so, Sinopec’s It said the degradation of Venezuelan power system, vital for oil the energy exports as part of the trade talks. a buyer in order to absorb the growth in exports over the President Ma Yongsheng told Reuters last week. output, was such that it could not be sure if the fixes were durable. “America now has the ability to use that in a very pos- coming years, so the trade dispute must end for the U.S. to (Source: oilprice.com) (Source: Reuters) ساعت: 17:00 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 6 INTERNATIONAL MARCH 16, 2019 Kuwait’s steady hand in Persian Gulf affairs

Senate takes first step to end By Kristian Coates Ulrichsen hand in 1990, the invasion and occupation of his country by Iraqi forces, it was hardly a Yemen war, reorient foreign When Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov surprise that Sabah responded so energeti- arrived in Kuwait March 5 for talks on the cally to the launch of the blockade of Qatar policy Persian Gulf and the region, it was not just in June 2017, which represented the most a courtesy stop on a tour that also featured serious rupture in Persian GCC politics since consultations in Riyadh, Abu Dhabi and Doha. the 1990-91 Persain Gulf War. By Ben Armbruster Over the past two years, Kuwait has Moreover, the damage done to the PGCC emerged as a critical and essential bro- as an institution is deeply felt in a country ker — and bridge — among an otherwise that was one of the architects of its creation in fractious Persian Gulf Cooperation Council 1981, and whose leaders have devoted much of The Senate on Wednesday passed a measure mandating the (PGCC) split by the blockage of Qatar by Saudi the past four decades to building and strength- withdrawal of U.S. forces from the Saudi/UAE-led war against Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), ening collective policy responses to shared Houthi fighters in Yemen. The vote marks the first time since Bahrain as well as Egypt. regionwide concerns in the Persian Gulf. the War Powers Act of 1973 became law that both chambers of Kuwait, which served as PGCC chair last In May 2015, Sabah was one of only two Congress have directed the president to withdraw American year, as well as Oman, which holds the chair PGCC heads of state to attend in person the forces from a conflict. This is a big deal. now, have pursued policies that have sought U.S.- PGCC summit with President Barack The U.S. role in this needlessly destructive war is unlikely to de-escalate multiple flashpoints, includ- Obama at Camp David. (Emir Tamim bin to end any time soon. Donald Trump, who appears to have a ing preventing the blockade of Qatar from Hamad Al Thani of Qatar was the other head special fealty to the Saudi leadership and its criminal activity, escalating into outright conflict, seeking a of state.) If there is a window for “saving” or has said that he will veto the resolution. But U.S. withdrawal mediated solution, all the while holding to- reviving the PGCC, it probably lies within is only a matter of time — that is, a matter of Trump’s time gether what remains of the PGCC security the remaining lifespan of Sabah, as well as in office. structure. Kuwait’s ability to bridge regional and Sultan Qaboos of Oman, the other wise elder Indeed, one important feature of this vote is that Congress From the start, Kuwait’s emir, Sheikh international approaches to diplomacy statesman of the PGulf. — with the help and prodding of grassroots activists — has of- Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah, has emerged as Kuwait’s ability to bridge regional and ficially normalized a policy of withdrawal from the Yemen war a steady statesman and go-to leader during remains vital. international approaches to diplomacy re- on a bipartisan basis. the Qatar crisis. He embarked on a frenetic mains vital. Currently in the second year of At the same time, the vote also has wider implications for round of shuttle diplomacy in the opening Jazeera’s coverage of regional events. On by an Arab League force, and Iraq dropped its a two-year term as one of the 10 rotating U.S. foreign policy outside of ending the war in Yemen. It has days of the crisis and, at a press conference that occasion, Sabah was unsuccessful, as territorial claim to Kuwait and recognized its members of the United Nations Security put a serious crack in the structure of U.S. foreign policy making. with U.S. President Donald Trump at the the Saudi ambassador only returned to Qatar independence in 1963, the incident provided Council, Kuwait has supported diplomatic, Since at least 9/11, U.S. foreign policy has been dominated by an White House in September 2017, suggested in 2007. But in 2014, Sabah, who was now a sobering lesson to Kuwaiti leaders of the humanitarian and reconstruction initiatives executive branch run by leaders of both parties seemingly bent that his efforts had successfully prevented the emir, embarked on months of patient vulnerability of small states to powerful and in Yemen, Syria and Iraq, in partnership on expanding where and when the United States is involved in military action. Sabah and senior members diplomacy that resolved a first iteration of expansionary neighbors. As a small state, with international organizations and other war, a status quo that allowed the Yemen war to continue without of the Kuwaiti government have continued to the standoff between Qatar and Saudi Arabia, Kuwait has also appreciated the value of Security Council members. At a time when congressional authorization. relay messages between the two sides to keep Bahrain and the UAE. cooperative regional partnerships and bal- U.S. policy in the Persian Gulf is character- By cancelling the blank check in Yemen, Congress now open an indirect channel of communication Several reasons underlie Kuwait’s com- ance in international affairs that eschews ized by a sense of drift that appears to be has momentum to finally repeal the 2001 Authorization for between the parties as the “hot” crisis in its mitment to regional diplomacy, although taking sides or viewing policies through a impacting efforts to secure regional support the Use of Military Force (AUMF), which authorized the U.S. opening days has settled into a prolonged they have evolved over time. Aside from zero-sum mentality. for Trump administration objectives vis-a-vis invasion of Afghanistan but has been used since to justify sub- face-off that has so far defied easy resolution. Saudi Arabia, which never fell under foreign Prior to becoming prime minister in 2003 Iran, Syria or the peace process, this record sequent and unrelated wars. That process gained energy two This is not the first time that Kuwait has domination, Kuwait became the first of the and emir in January 2006, Sabah served for of pragmatic engagement and quiet leader- years ago after a bipartisan majority in a House subcommittee attempted to mediate in intra-PGCC disputes British-protected sheikhdoms in the Persian nearly 40 years as Kuwait’s foreign minis- ship continues to set Kuwait apart from the passed a measure, sponsored by Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA), that involving Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Gulf to gain independence in 1961, 10 years ter between 1963 and 2003, with a short geopolitical straitjacket approach in Riyadh would have repealed the In 2004, Sabah, then-prime minister of Ku- before Bahrain, Qatar and the UAE. British break in the early-1990s. This record of more and Abu Dhabi to regional issues that has 2001 AUMF, only for wait, participated in negotiations in France forces returned to Kuwait within a week of than five decades’ service has given Sabah deepened polarization within the PGCC and the House GOP leader- Change in the U.S.- that sought to find common ground between leaving, however, after Iraq’s military ruler unrivalled experience in regional and for- with Iran, and manifested itself in the con- ship to later strip the Saudi relationship the Saudi and Qatari leadership after Saudi moved forces toward the southern border eign affairs and, as he approaches his 90th tinuing war and humanitarian catastrophe measure. Arabia had withdrawn its ambassador from and appeared ready to move into Kuwait. birthday in June, a reputation as a respected in Yemen. Lee has reintro- is obviously due Doha in 2002, partly in displeasure at Al Although British troops were later replaced elder statesman. Having experienced, at first (Source: Al Monitor) duced a similar measure in large part to in this Congress, and the murder of a bipartisan repeal ef- fort is now underway Washington Post in the House. Mean- columnist Jamal America’s polarization is a foreign policy problem, too while, eight lawmak- Khashoggi, which ers—including rising The fact that Democrats and Republicans hate each other is making the United States weaker stars Reps. Ilhan Omar the CIA concluded (D-MN) and Alexandria with high By Stephen M. Walt polarized, the worst people can still find safe sinecures Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) confidence was within their tribe. Yeats got it exactly right: “The best and two Democratic Partisan politics, one sometimes still hears, are supposed lack all conviction, / While the worst are full of passion- presidential candi- ordered by Saudi to “stop at the water’s edge.” Domestic political quarrels ate intensity.” dates Sens. Elizabeth Crown Prince might be intense and occasionally personal, but Americans Polarization also threatens to defeat the growing effort Warren (D-MA) and are supposed to temper their disagreements and link arms by Congress to wrest back some of the powers over foreign Bernie Sanders (I- Mohammed bin when dealing with the outside world. policy enshrined in the Constitution (such as the capac- VT)—recently signed Salman. This notion was always a bit of an exaggeration — if not ity to declare war), powers that presidents have gradually a separate pledge to an outright myth — even in the heyday of the fabled “Cold usurped over many decades. On balance, U.S. foreign policy “end the forever war.” War consensus.” The supposed need to suppress partisan would be better served if Congress provided a forum for Last week’s Senate differences didn’t prevent nasty accusations about “who genuine debate—in part to better inform the public—and vote on Yemen has also dented another staple of U.S. foreign lost China?” in the 1940s and early 1950s, along with angry if it performed effective oversight over many aspects of the policy: unwavering American support for the Saudi monarchy. debates over the war in Korea, the broader phenomenon of could erode and leave the country less able to handle future country’s foreign policy. But a Congress divided into warring Change in the U.S.-Saudi relationship is obviously due in large part McCarthyism, the supposed “missile gap” of the late 1950s, foreign-policy challenges. factions, that uses its powers not to debate, oversee, and to the murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, or the deep divisions that emerged during the Vietnam War. Morever, as Schultz notes, polarization leaves the country refine U.S. policy, but rather to grandstand, distract, and which the CIA concluded with high confidence was ordered by Nor do I recall a lot of bipartisan restraint in the late 1970s more vulnerable to outside interference. And this sort of thing advance a purely partisan agenda, is hardly an institution Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. That change yielded or the 1980s, when Democrats accused former President can rapidly become self-reinforcing, as opposing sides leap that is likely to have a positive impact on U.S. foreign policy. a tangible outcome in a Senate vote to end U.S. support for the Ronald Reagan’s administration of a cavalier approach toward to accuse each other not just of bad judgment but of being Lastly, as I noted in my recent book, deep polarization Yemen war late in the last Congress. A handful of Republicans nuclear war and giving illegal support to right-wing death actively disloyal. This sort of thing is not unprecedented also makes it harder for the country to learn the right lessons back then offered their support for the measure — or at least squads in Central America. Moreover, too much consensus in U.S. political history: In the early days of the republic, from the past. Learning from past mistakes is essential but wouldn’t block it from moving to a floor vote — because of their can be as harmful as deep disagreement. If the foreign-policy Hamiltonians accused Thomas Jefferson of being overly also difficult, because any historical episode yields many disgust with MbS and with the Trump administration for defend- elite becomes wedded to a bunch of bad ideas and to a flawed sympathetic to revolutionary France, while Jeffersonians lessons and reasonable people can disagree about which ing the Saudis and refusing to enact meaningful consequences grand strategy, the result is likely to be a protracted series believed Hamilton to be a closet monarchist with a poorly lessons to draw. But when politics becomes tribal and there for Khashoggi’s murder. of failures. You know: like the past 25 years. disguised sympathy for Great Britain. It did not take much is little overlap between rival camps, each will simply believe Ten years ago, it would have been unheard of for the Senate That said, there’s no question that the United States is for either group to see the other as more than misguided. its own self-serving narrative and will draw very different to issue such a sharp rebuke to Saudi Arabia. Less than two at a level of political polarization unseen for many decades. Schultz also points out that polarization threatens a na- lessons from the past. One sees this already in the case of years ago, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) delivered an impassioned Most of the attention to this phenomenon has focused on its tion’s ability to reach agreements with other countries. It the Iraq War, which about as clear an example of a foreign- speech defending an arms deal with the Saudis. But now, his effects on America’s internal politics, and some observers is no accident that presidents have come to rely more and policy debacle as one could name. But where Democrats feelings have completely reversed. “The relationship with the are clearly worried that the core institutions of the country more on executive agreements rather than formal, ratified blame the administration of former President George W. crown prince is so toxic, so tainted, so flawed that I can’t ever might be at risk— understandable, given President Donald treaties: It has become increasingly difficult to get the latter Bush for leading the country to war under false pretenses see myself doing business with Saudi Arabia in the future unless Trump’s open hostility towards some of these institutions, through a divided Congress. Of equal concern is the possibility and then bungling the occupation, Republicans now insist there is change there,” he said in December. his apparent fondness for authoritarians, and the emergence that other states will be wary of making mutually beneficial the United States was on the path to victory after the 2007 But Khashoggi’s murder doesn’t account for all Republican of something resembling “state media” (i.e., Fox News). agreements with the United States, simply because they “surge” and blame former President Barack Obama for pulling defections. Both House and Senate measures garnered significant Less attention has been paid, however, to the impact that have no way to be sure whether an agreement reached this the country out too early. Once politics becomes sufficiently bipartisan support before it. Indeed, a lead sponsor of Wednes- hyperpolarization could have on U.S. foreign policy. Apart year will survive the next election. People who think U.S. polarized, we won’t agree on lessons or even on basic facts. day’s Senate bill was Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT), and 18 Republicans from an excellent essay by Ken Schultz of Stanford University, interests are best served by avoiding international agree- What’s to be done about this situation? If I had a quick in the House voted on a similar resolution last month. Referring this topic just hasn’t received a lot of attention. But it should. ments and maximizing the country’s freedom of action (e.g., and easy solution to this problem, I wouldn’t need to to the fact that the Saudis and Emiratis are deliberately starving How might excessive polarization — where members of John Bolton) might welcome such a situation, but this view work for a living. One “solution” would be the emergence Yemenis, Sen. Todd Young (R-IN) said: “It offends my sensibili- a society increasingly cluster into separate “tribes” sharing is dangerously shortsighted. The United States has benefited of a “clear and present danger” that would impart some ties — and I know it offends the sensibilities of all Americans political beliefs with each other, but not with members of greatly from a host of past agreements of various types, and discipline and restraint to American foreign policy, but —that there are countries in this day and age that are using food the opposing group — undermine foreign policy? Grant- it makes no sense to encourage other states to have less and that’s an awfully big price to pay for greater harmony at as a weapon of war.” ing that a degree of disagreement is both unavoidable and less confidence in the value of U.S. pledges. Nobody expects home. Would the United States really be better off facing Largely overlooked throughout this whole process is that often desirable, how might such divisions get out of hand the United States to act contrary to its interests, but how a more dangerous world, even if it did encourage politi- these votes show how U.S. foreign policy, so often a byproduct and begin to damage America’s ability to interact with the can it expect other countries to do something it wants in cians and pundits to be more careful and judicious in their of Washington lobbyists and other powerful special interests, outside world sensibly and successfully? exchange for something they want, if they have no way of public discourse? And there’s no guarantee that a more can be democratized. Saudi Arabia’s lobbyists did indeed mo- We should begin by recognizing that today’s level of po- knowing whether it will deliver? dangerous world would instantly cause the political class bilize to try to quash these votes, but their efforts fell far short, larization may be partly a reflection of America’s privileged Indeed, the problem of inconstancy may be even worse to return to earlier levels of bipartisan amity. It’s equally in large part because of a mass grassroots activist mobiliza- international position. Once the Soviet Union collapsed and than Schultz suggests. Once foreign policy begins to oscillate tempting to pontificate about reining in social media and tion over the last few years pushing Congress to act. Rep. Ro left the United States at the pinnacle of power, the need for between two increasingly divided factions, each of the groups the other accelerants of division, but interfering with free Khanna (D-CA), the lead sponsor of the House measure to national unity declined and ambitious politicians had less has an incentive to pursue its most ambitious, controversial, expression is a slippery slope and would almost certainly end support for the Yemen war, acknowledged the grassroots need to show restraint in attacking their political rivals. As or extreme projects whenever it happens to be in a position make this situation worse. power on Yemen. Michael Desch argued in a seminal article, states facing of power. Not only does the pendulum oscillate with greater There are other remedies that have been proposed — Win Without War, the Yemen Peace Project, the Friends serious national-security challenges tend to be stronger frequency, the swings themselves become more extreme. electoral reforms that would encourage centrist candidates, Committee on National Legislation. They have all been in- and more unified, whereas those in a benign international Another cost of polarization is the erosion of America’s more systematic efforts to “ghost” known trolls, and govern- strumental. We would not have been able to do any of this environment are prone to grow more fractious. America’s broader image for competence and good sense. The more ment and private sector initiatives to halt foreign efforts to without them. They’ve been instrumental in the drafting of the trajectory since 1992 fits Desch’s argument quite well, not- bitter, divided, gridlocked, venal, and downright stupid exacerbate the existing divisions. And we can hope that the legislation. They’ve been instrumental in making sure mem- withstanding the brief surge of patriotic feeling that followed American politics become, the less appealing the American current period of hyperpartisanship is merely a phase, and bers were aware of the legislation and convincing members the 9/11 terrorist attacks. To put it bluntly: Because the system of government is to outside observers. When that that the fever will eventually break and restore the United to support the legislation. United States was now so safe and secure, politicians felt happens, the country’s moral voice — already compromised States to a more healthy political condition. Action on Yemen now shifts to the House, which already passed they could sow division at home without worrying too much by foreign-policy excesses —gets reduced to a whisper. I don’t know if any of these remedies would work, or if any a resolution mandating U.S. withdrawal from the Saudi/UAE about weakening the country abroad. I mean, seriously: What sensible foreign country would of these reasons for optimism are valid. But I do know this: Yemen war. But due to procedural matters, the House must now Unfortunately, one negative impact of excessive polariza- listen to an American telling it how to organize a govern- Polarization doesn’t just make it harder to address America’s vote again on either the Senate version that passed last week, or tion is a decreased ability to do the things that can keep the ment, write a constitution, root out political corruption, domestic challenges; it’s a deep drag on the country’s ability a reconciled version of the House and Senate bills. country on top for a long time. If polarization prevents the or hold officials accountable, when the U.S. system itself to advance its interests overseas. Good thing the United Either way, U.S. support for the Saudi/UAE war in Yemen will federal government from taking effective action on climate seems increasingly broken and the political ecosystem is States is already pretty darn safe and secure. If we had to be end, and changes are coming to the way in which U.S. foreign change, decaying infrastructure, the opioid epidemic, primary populated by unprincipled popinjays, corrupt con men, competent, farsighted, disciplined, and smart these days, policy is debated, enacted, and conducted. education, financial regulation, the deficit, or any number habitual liars, and senior officials whose chief skill is we’d be in real trouble. (Source: Lobe Log) of other problems, America’s long-term position of power failing upward? When a nation’s politics are sufficiently (Source: Foreign Policy) ساعت: 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 MARCH 16, 2019 ANALYSIS & INTERVIEW 7

The Kashmir conflict and distorted Normalizing the abnormal: U.S. Federal Reserve Education contemplating QE replay 1 Reference; AISHE-2017 MHRD (All be the biggest challenge before the society. India Survey on Higher Education, Ministry Also challenge for upcoming aspirants to of Human Resource Development). It is perti- which there seems to be no way forward as nent to mention here, there is only one private alternative. In such sensitive scenario there engineering college with 180 seating capacity is every likelihood that kashmiri students and 2 Government medical colleges with 150, can once again become hostage. All sections 100 seating capacity each. Since 2003, Kashmir of society must sit together and should try is without a government engineering college to find solutions. Religious and community after Regional Engineering College was con- leaders across country have a role to play verted into National Institute of Technology wherein they can counsel the majority to (NIT) whose seats get filled at all India level. respect for human rights and the accept- Besides there are many professional col- ance of responsibility. Kashmiri students leges indicated in AISHE (All India Survey on also need to learn skills of negotiation, avoid 1 In other words, when inflation is low, unemployment Higher Education 2017) mostly operating in discussions, critical thinking that will en- should be high and vice versa, and during the 1960s, the two rented buildings or does not have required able them to complete education without rates seemed to follow closely the predictions published by New infrastructure/ machinery equipment. In or- indulging in violence. Zealand economist A. H. William Phillips in 1958. In fact, the der to overcome the dearth of educational Although United Nations organization curve fit the data so closely, that government policymakers began infrastructure, State government needs to pay (UNO) and World community has failed to to use it cavalierly in the 1970s as a tool to predict the tradeoff special attention towards its development. resolve century old Kashmir conflict. But a between inflation and unemployment. They should encourage the emergence of small favour can be expected from them on In 1973 U.S. president Richard Nixon took the dollar off the private colleges and universities of excellence humanitarian grounds by reserving professional gold standard and inflation began to increase, along with un- thereby augmenting the educational eco-sys- education seats in medicine, engineering and employment, in contradistinction to the Phillips Curve, thus tem. Reportedly there are 100s of files pending other courses in their colleges and universities confounding economists. The FED raised interest rates to a since years for the establishment of new private the deaths of 44 Central Reserve Police rity of Kashmiris students, the members of on scholarship for distressed Kashmiri students. high of 13 percent to curtail the inflation rate, which by 1974 had colleges for want of government clearance. Nev- Force (CRPF). In the back drop of this at- (VHP) Vishiv Hindu Pereshad and Bajrang This will not only boost the morale of helpless risen to over 12 percent, concurrently with the Arab oil embar- ertheless lack of educational infrastructure, the tack, Majority of students studying outside Dal succeeded to extrude most of students students in particular but will be a contribution go. Predictably, the result of this economic double-shock was candidates who opt for engineering/technology, state, including girls, have been humiliated, thus becoming self-styled lawmakers and to humanity in general. a recession, so the FED began to lower interest rates in hope of medical and allied courses etc have no other intimidated and threatened. prosecutioners. A sizeable number of students At this crucial juncture, there is a pivotal moderating the unemployment rate, which stubbornly continued option to move out of valley. Approximately 13 There were cases of beatings and physical have cancelled their admissions or are not role of OIC (Organisation of the Islamic con- to climb, reaching a high of 10.8 percent in 1982. High inflation thousand students move every year in different harm too. At places, colleges have been forced agreeing to go back for studies. ference) and its associated nations to take a continued along with high unemployment into the 1980s, until states of India in order to get admission in to expel the Kashmiri students and police It has been observed most of the students strong note of the matter. They should also inflation finally dropped below 4 percent by December 1982, various professional courses. has been pressurised to register cases against belonging from average middle class families come forward unanimously by paving way but the unemployment did not fall below 6 percent until 1987. This scenario changed after 14 February them on fictitious charges. Students were and have taken education loans which is of to support the students of the conflict. Un- Throughout this period of what was then termed “stagfla- 2019, when a convoy of vehicles carrying also given ultimatum to leave the colleges/ no avail now. The move has pressurised them less affected students, are not protected and tion” the FED raised and lowered interest rates, which at times security personnel on the Jammu Srinagar universities by the angry mobsters who are to leave studies mid-way as safeguarding the educated, their future is seriously imperilled. were as high as 20 percent in 1979 and 1980, in reaction to the National Highway was attacked by a vehi- taking law in their hands. life takes precedence over education. Yet the world would be a better place for all of double-digit inflation rate. FED chairman Paul Volker put a halt cle-borne suicide bomber in the Pulwama Despite Prime Minister and Chief Justice The forced expulsion of thousands of us if every child has an education and every to the so-called stop-go monetary policy of frequent and unpre- district of Kashmir. The attack resulted in of India directed all the states to ensure secu- Kashmiri students from outside colleges will child had a fair chance in life. dictable interest rate changes, and instead fought inflation with consistent, relatively high interest rates. The result was that the U.S. economy continued to have its ups and downs, but inflation has stayed well below the double-digit range. Sheikh Zakzaky and the Nigerians Also, it was becoming clear that the FED was leaning in favor of its mandate to control inflation at the expense of full employment, 1 He didn’t believe in Boko Haram (says its government know the ideology of this man, Sheikh Zakzaky.” again saying Buhari is even better. Now, if Babangida is to which the FED interprets as an unemployment rate of between made to serve a perpose) the security wants to name him a Sheikh zakzaky is a man of foresight and a man of eloquent step aside, people will agitate why will he not come back? 4 and 5 percent. Presently, the FED feels that 2 percent “is most terrorist. He always help the needy, the poor, the tycoons speech; His view on the world political system in general It is like a spoilt car. You keep changing drivers because consistent over the longer run with its mandate for price stability says he is a foriegn agent. and in Nigeria in particular: of your erroneous belief that the problem is with the drivers. and maximum employment.” But maintaining such a tight leash He passed his university papers with first class some “We must realize that this will not take us out of the As long as the car is not repaired, the journey will never be on inflation has a high social cost. “There is very little basis in academicians says he is a drop out. He enjoys millions of woods. Even if all the people were to call for the resignation smooth. The problem is not about drivers. economic research for maintaining that a stable 3.0 inflation rate followers and the government says he wants to change the of Babangida, a worse tyrant will take up the mantle. That For the avoidance of doubts, only a just system will pro- is more costly to the country than having 1 million people being government, the system and way of leadership, he wants is the fact. When Shagari was the president, people wanted duce just leaders. Thus, our efforts must be geared towards needlessly unemployed,” wrote economist Dean Baker in 2015. to revolutionalise the nation. Funny isn’t it. him out. The moment he was toppled, Buhari took over. ensuring a just system. A just system will necessarily have At that time, the actual unemployment rate, U6 in U.S. Bureau of Who is this man please, why are many against him, doesn’t Then people felt that things were much better with Shagari to precede just leaders. 1992, at Ahmadu Bello University Labor Statistics parlance, was at 10 percent, and the latest figures he have the answers to our countless problems? It is time to than with Buhari. Now after removal of Buhari, people are (ABU) Zaria. from February 2019 peg it at 7.3 percent. During a recent meeting, the FED conceded that “it would not be appropriate to specify a fixed goal for employment,” but participants in the Federal Open Market Committee meeting estimated “the longer-run normal rate of unemployment was 4.4 percent.” Maduro failure to Nab Guaido will sap Venezuela army’s Of course inflation eats into the profits of bankers and finan- ciers, and since the FED is composed of people who are either from the banking and financial services sector, or intend to have morale: ex-U.S. official future careers in it, the policies adopted by the FED tend to be congruent with the interests of the banks and investment firms. TEHRAN (Tasnim) — Dr. Paul Craig Rob- gerous provocation in Venezuela by arming the Venezuelan military understand that if These are the types of people who are invited to the FED’s annual erts, former U.S. assistant secretary of the the country’s opposition while moving its the American coup succeeds, then the whole gathering in late August in Jackson Hole, Wyoming of bankers, Treasury for Economic Policy, said the failure own forces closer to the borders of the Latin country will be back into poverty and will be policymakers, economists, academics and other influential people of Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro to American country for a military invasion. plundered again as it has been in the past. from around the world. Last year’s symposium included such arrest opposition leader Juan Guaido would Again, recently a Russian official said Mos- So they have an incentive to stand with the notables as Claudia M. Buch, Vice President, Deutsche Bundesbank; damage the military’s morale and pave the cow will do all it can to prevent any potential elected government. Whatever Maduro’s fail- Andrew G. Haldane, Chief Economist, Bank of England; Agustín way for his government’s collapse. intervention against Venezuela by the U.S. I ures, they are very small compared to what Carstens, General Manager, Bank for International Settlements; Following is the full text of the interview: would like to know your take on this as well. will happen to Venezuela once it is back in Stephen S. Poloz, Governor, Bank of Canada; Sylvie Goulard, Recently, U.S. National Security Ad- A: What the Russian government means America’s clutches. But the stress and strain Deputy Governor, Banque de France; Ilan Goldfajn, Governor, viser John Bolton said Washington is working by doing all that it can means diplomatically. of the constant threats and bribes…you know Bank of Brazil; Jing Liu, Deputy Representative, U.S Office of to build a coalition seeking to replace Ven- It does not mean a military intervention; the United States is offering his Venezue- The People’s Bank of China; and, Karnit Flug, Governor, Bank ezuela’s president Nicolas Maduro and his it means that the Russian government will lan officers huge sums of money to commit of Israel. The absence of labor leaders or, for that matter, any government. The U.S. has also threatened speak out against the American coup, will treason and if you get worn down by stress representative of the common people leaves one gasping for breath. Venezuela with military action. What is your expose it and will try to organize diplomatical and strain; the Americans have convinced In 2007, the first tremors of what was to be the worst economic take on this? opposition against it. Of course, whatever you; they are coming with an invasion force crisis since the Great Depression of the 1930s were felt. Home- A: The United States government is unable the Russians say is unlikely to be reported and they are going to bomb Caracas and the owners who had taken adjustable rate mortgages (ARMs) began to tolerate any country that has an independent in the American media. The Americans do alternative is you take millions of dollars to default on their loans after the FED had raised interest rates, policy. This is the reason the United States not have a media, they have a ministry of and change sides; this is a serious threat to causing monthly mortgage payments to rise. The financial sector government tried to overthrow (Bashar) propaganda. There is no such thing as a of Venezuela because that is what the coup the legitimate government and so the longer had created sophisticated financial instruments, mortgage-backed Assad in Syria and the reason it wants to free press in the United States except the is aimed at, namely to restore the ability of these stress and strains go on, the bigger securities otherwise known as derivatives, from these mortgages overthrow the Iranian government. Those alternative media that still exist on the in- Washington and its friends to loot Vene- chance the Americans have that it will break to create investments. The defaults on the mortgages rippled governments that do not follow Washing- ternet. So Russia is not really doing all it can. zuela because it has important resources. the courage of the Venezuela military. Then through to the derivatives causing their value to fall. Likewise, ton’s rule are unacceptable and so in the case They could send a regimen of crack troops; The world needs to understand much of the they will desert their own government. That as homeowners defaulted on mortgages, banks began foreclosing of Venezuela and in many other examples, this would increase the confidence of the American wealth comes from looting of coun- is what Washington is trying to do. I doubt on homes, driving housing prices down. the situation is magnified by the fact that Venezuelan military. The Chinese could do tries. That’s what it is about. If Israel then that Washington would actually invade and As the housing market crumbled, the FED began to cut interest Venezuela has the largest oil reserves in the the same. Both China and Russia have large takes this interest, Israel’s lobby becomes particularly if the Venezuelans are going to rates in January 2008, and continued to do so feverishly until by world (and) that these oil reserves, prior to investments in Venezuela and of course, all just another lobbying force in Washington resist because American invasions do not December the target rate for federal funds was between zero and the Chavez government to the revolution as of these could be lost if the American coup preaching Trump actually to do more and always succeed very well. You can look at one-quarter percent. In the meantime, the FED began to buy so- they call it there, were exploited by Ameri- succeeds. So yes they could do that but this use the military. So I would imagine it is just Afghanistan where after 18 years they are called toxic securities, primarily mortgage-backed securities that can and western firms and the money was would be regarded by the Russian govern- all part of John Bolton’s view of maximizing unable to defeat a few thousand lightly armed financial firms had purchased and could not resell due to the col- taken out of the country and was not there ment as too much of provocation I think. the pressure Washington can put to over- Taliban. But I think the Americans will put lapse of the housing market. When the Federal National Mortgage to help with the development of Venezuela So they are speaking mainly of diplomatic throw Venezuela. This so-called opposition heavy, heavy pressures on the Venezuelan Association (Fannie Mae) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage or the improvement of the situation of the efforts, of their efforts in the United Nations leader … first of all the only opposition are military with threats and bribes and try to Corporation (Freddie Mac), both quasi-governmental corporations Venezuelan people. So the nationalization Security Council; they will speak in defense the Venezuelans who formally participated crack the resistance and I think in this sense created to expand mortgage accessibility, began to flounder under of the oil by Chavez exactly as happened in of the Venezuelan government; they expose with the Americans in plundering the country Maduro is making a serious mistake not ar- the avalanche of foreclosures, they were nationalized, giving them Iran in the early 1950s when your first-elected the American plot. and they want to recover this opportunity resting the American puppet. The man has access to money from the U.S. Treasury general fund. democratic government nationalized the oil Venezuela’s self-declared leader Juan to plunder their own country. They are tiny clearly committed sedition and treason. He is Over the decade from 2008 to 2018, the FED pumped some and was overthrown by the CIA, that is now Guaido said recently that he was working to number of people; they are obstacle elite clearly in violation of the laws recognized all $4 trillion into the U.S. economy, which remains in an abnormal in process in Venezuela. So it is really two restore ties with Israel that Caracas cut off a elements and their candidate, of course, over the world and Maduro’s failure to arrest state, with historically low unemployment rates but uncharacter- things behind it: one is Washington will not decade ago in solidarity with the Palestinians. was picked by Washington because he is a this man and all of his supporters and put istically low inflation. This $4 trillion appears on the FED balance tolerate countries, especially in Latin America What do you think about his comments? puppet; he is servant of Washington; he does them on trial will contribute to the military sheet as assets, which, under the normalization program, were because of the so-called “Monroe Doctrine” A: Well, I would imagine that they are not represent Venezuelan people and he has losing confidence in Maduro’s government. slowly being disposed of. But due to economic concerns, such which means that the United States regards inspired by John Bolton and the American never run for president; he has never been So Maduro will not deal with the American as the recent partial federal government shutdown, continued entirety of Latin America as American vas- neo-conservatives and Zionists who are allied a candidate and it is really so absurd and it puppet who says he is the real president, a weakness in the housing sector and slowing global economic sals. This was challenged by Chavez and by with Israel and the American neo-conservative is so audacious; it makes you wonder why person no one has ever voted for, and at the growth, particularly in China and Europe, the FED appears ready Maduro, so then Maduro has to go. Second: policy of U.S. hegemony works to Israel’s the United State would expose itself to this same time the Americans are pressuring, to normalize the abnormal: drop interest rates to zero and revive the oil needs to be put back into the hands benefit in the Middle East and so probably type of ridicules; it is too open. It is showing threating and bribing the military… so that’s QE to resuscitate an ailing U.S. economy. of American oil companies. So that is what it is just Bolton trying to expand his network too much of an open illegality and obvious a very bad decision on the part of Maduro; I So it appears U.S. taxpayers will continue to be stuck with the is going on down there and the whole thing and no doubt if the American coup succeeds, coup. Usually, Washington tries to hide the do not know who is advising him; maybe he bill for bailing out the “too big to fail” financial giants when their is set-up, is an egregious obvious violation Venezuela will be made a member of NATO. coup. This one is just too blatant. So it shows is scared, maybe he thinks if he does arrest risky financial ventures go awry. As economist Edward Kane of international law and United States law. So it is just the neo-conservatives or Zionists some people are running amok. this man, America will invade. No. I think his noted, assurance of governmental rescue “permits aggressive And yet it has the support of much of Latin allied with Israel. Some of them are dual What the United States in banking on government will collapse if he does not take managements to back risky positions” knowing there is a safety America and primarily all of Europe. So it citizens, U.S.-Israeli citizens; they are just in Venezuela is that stress and strain will action against this obvious treason and so I net of “equity capital extracted from hapless national or foreign shows the extent of the American empire. expanding their network and also opening up break the Venezuelan military. So far it has would say that the chance of John Bolton not taxpayers.” Furthermore he stated, “Corruption deepens as the Russia has warned that the U.S. is for Israel the chance to participate alongside stood with the elected government in Ven- succeeding (is low), at least it is 50-50 chance stakes rise and when incentive conflict tempts other players to using humanitarian aid to instigate a dan- the Americans with the plundering, looting ezuela and I think most likely members of to overthrow the Venezuelan government. join in a coalition to exploit taxpayers.” I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y 8 ADVERTISEMENTS MARCH 16, 2019

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II NN TT EE RR NN AA TT II OO NN AA LL DD AA II LL YY MARCH 16, 20192019 HEALTHADVERTISEMENT 99 In need of organ transplant: 25,000 Quarter of all deaths worldwide linked to lives hanging in the balance environmental damage and HEALTH TEHRAN — Currently Based on the data published on IRODaT pollution, UN says desksome 25,000 individu- by the end of 2017 Iran’s per million popu- als are in need of organ transplantation in lation of actual deceased organ donors was One in four deaths worldwide can be linked to pollution and the country, Mehdi Shadnoush, head of the 11.43. In 1996 Iran’s per million population other environmental damage caused by humans, the United Health Ministry’s management center for of actual deceased organ donors was 0.1, Nations has warned. transplantation and special diseases, has said. which compared to the current per million Polluted drinking water, filthy air and land destroyed by “me- The ministry is striving to promote the people in the population (pmp) shows a ga-farms” are among the threats that must be urgently addressed, culture of organ transplant among the public, great increase. according to a new report compiled by hundreds of scientists. Mehr Quoted Shadnoush as saying on Friday. Understanding the meaning of neurological Based on data from 2015, they estimated 9 million deaths Of the 25,000 who need organ transplant, death is also another factor helping families each year can be attributed just to pollution – with outdoor and 8,600 are suffering kidney diseases and in to consent for organ donation. indoor fumes posing the biggest danger. some cases their survival highly depend on Neurological death is defined as ‘irre- The report’s authors warned humanity faces a “bleak future”, receiving an organ, he added. versible loss of capacity for consciousness as parts of Asia and Africa, in particular, could see millions more While last year (March 2017-March 2018) combined with the irreversible loss of the premature deaths in the coming decades. the rate of organ transplant was at its highest capacity to breath’. It is a pre-requisite for The gap between rich and poor countries is expected to grow in the country only 926 individuals donated donation, although to families the body still as overconsumption and food waste in the developed world are their organs while some 4,000 dies of brain appears to have life. matched by hunger and the spread of preventable diseases elsewhere. death which means only 25 percent of them Making families of the deceased aware of Pollutants entering freshwater systems could lead to anti-mi- donated their organ, he lamented. the fact that they can find a sense of mean- crobial resistance becoming the number one cause of death by However, if each brain dead patient on patients will never survive and they have only organs is not met by the supply of those from ing and creating a positive outcome of their the middle of the century as infections become harder to control. average donate three organs no one will re- short amount of time to decide whether they live or deceased donors. tragic loss by organ donation is a must to The UN released its Global Environment Outlook, a project six main on the waiting lists for organ transplant, want to donate their organs or not. According to the figures revealed by In- promote the culture. Families should have years in the making, at a major meeting in Nairobi on Wednesday. he suggested. Transplantation is the optimal treatment ternational Registry in Organ Donation and a desire to help others and apprehend that It draws on hundreds of data sources to establish various He went on to highlight that people should for many patients with end-stage organ fail- Transplantation (IRODaT) Spain leads the the deceased’s legacy will continue to exist factors driving the prevalence of more than 100 diseases. become aware of the fact that brain dead ure. However, the demand for transplantable world in organ donation. through donation. The report concluded preventable environmental problems will “cause approximately 25 per cent of global disease and mortality”. “The science is clear. The health and prosperity of humanity is directly tied with the state of our environment,” said Joyce Breast cancer test could predict chances of disease’s return 20 years later Msuya, acting executive director of UN Environment. “We are at a crossroads. Do we continue on our current path, A new test could identify breast cancers that are likely to area in which they originate, and other features such as size. be more reassuring,” Ms Scott said. “It would definitely be which will lead to a bleak future for humankind, or do we pivot return more than 20 years later – a development that might The researchers said around 12,300 women in the UK better than feeling you have to cross your fingers.” to a more sustainable development pathway? That is the choice herald an era of personalized medicine. could belong to one of these “late recurring” subgroups, The research comes after another Cambridge University our political leaders must make, now.” The way a patient’s cancer will progress can be deter- which are currently clumped together within cancers classed group released an online calculator for men with prostate The Paris climate agreement was established in 2015 as a strategy mined by categorizing molecular and genetic markers of as oestrogen receptor positive tumors. cancer. The tool helps them understand their cancer risks to address climate change, with nations committing to cut their breast tumors into 11 subtypes, University of Cambridge If doctors are able to test for molecular features, these and the side-effects of treatments. carbon emissions and hold back soaring global temperatures. researchers found. patients could benefit from longer courses of chemotherapy, The findings also follow the launch of schemes such as the But while awareness of climate change’s catastrophic impacts Following around 2,000 women over 20 years, the team or more frequent follow-up screening checks. NHS Genomic Medicine Service, which offers free testing to grows, there is no equivalent agreement by nations to deal with funded by the Cancer Research charity found some women The new model also helps predict where cancers are likely patients with rare disease or cancers. Such developments the other environmental challenges facing the planet. with initially aggressive cancers had a low chance of tumors to spread and how aggressive – or treatment-resistant – bring the prospect of an affordable personalized cancer test Negotiations taking place at the current UN environment as- returning after five years. they are likely to be when they return. The tests would have in hospitals closer. sembly are expected to focus on critical issues including tackling However, other tumors that might initially respond to the added benefit of giving women reassurance about their “We hope these 11 molecular subtypes could in future food waste and plastic pollution in the oceans. treatment were found to be more likely to reappear up to personal risks. help us better predict long-term outcomes and lead to more However, the team behind the new report said that most of 20 years later, potentially in an incurable form. “It’s quite scary and definitely a worry,” said Catherine personalized treatment plans for patients based on the prop- the policies and technologies that can help avoid the worst al- “We’ve shown that the molecular nature of a woman’s Scott, 51, from Cambridge. She joined the study after being erties of their tumor,” said Dr Simon Vincent, director of ready exist. breast cancer determines how their disease could progress, diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer – a form with research of the charity Breast Cancer Now. According to their analysis, investing 2 per cent of each nation’s not just for the first five years, but also later,” said Dr Oscar the fewest treatment options – in 2016. “Crucially, this major study could help us tease apart the GDP would ensure economic growth continues while avoiding Rueda, lead author of the paper published in the journal Na- When her treatment ended, she asked her doctor about diverse set of hard-to-treat breast cancers currently grouped much of the impact of climate change, water loss and habitat ture. “We hope that our research tool can be turned into a test her chances of it returning because her next checkup was together as ‘triple negative’, and identify certain patients destruction. The UN team called for nations to take responsibility doctors can easily use to guide treatment recommendations.” not for a year. The doctor could only predict the chances that are unlikely to experience a recurrence more than five for the harm they are causing and implement such policies as Using molecular markers is a booming field for cancer based on old cases. years after their treatment.” soon as possible. research. Previously, tumors have been classified by the “If they were able to make it more personalized that would (Source: The Independent) (Source: The Independent)

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Identity in cyberspace Iran working on key space atop agenda of Supreme Cyberspace Council TECHNOLOGY TEHRAN — The identity system document technology projects deskfor cyberspace is amongst the high priorities of the Supreme Cyberspace Council, the secretary Abolhassan TECHNOLOGY TEHRAN — The head Iran launched homegrown Payam satel- Firuzabadi announced, Mehr reported on Friday. deskof the Iranian Space Re- lite on January 15, however, the satellite’s “We aim to develop an infrastructure for clean and dynamic search Center Hossein Samimi announced carrier rocket could not reach the “neces- interaction regarding personal that the center is working on five key pro- sary speed” and so did not reach the orbit. and social rights in cyberspace jects, which are considered as the main Payam, a 90kg non-military satellite, by defining the identification achievements of Iran’s space technology, was planned to be sent into a 500km orbit system document,” he said. Mehr reported on Thursday. using domestically-made Simorgh satel- In this way, the social, eco- The Nahid 1 telecommunication sat- lite-carrier rocket. nomic, political and technolog- ellite will launch into orbit and Nahid 2 Manufactured by Amirkabir University ical relations between internet satellite will be completed during the next of Technology, the image resolution of the users are developed, which Iranian calendar year 1398 (starting on Payam satellite was 45 meters and could leads into boosting of digital March 21), he said. stay in orbit for three years. marketing, digital media, and The satellite engineering model for During a speech in February, Infor- online administrative affairs, Pars 1 remote sensing satellite has already mation and Communication Technology he added. been completed and its satellite flight Minister Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi In the document, the digital model will be prepared during the next announced that despite the sanctions that identity should be verified ac- year, he explained. have slowed down the country’s space tech- cording to the user’s interaction The upper-stage system, known as nology development, there are no specific in cyberspace regarding personal privacy. SAMAN, is one of the other key projects problems and the national space program “We only aim to provide a system in which, there would be no the center aims to complete during next is well progressing. need to render documents for several times for administrative year, he added. The U.S. tries definitely to impede procedures and the state-run as well as private sector have access The internet balloon is another one, Iran’s space technology and the Europe- to them,” he said. which become operational in the first half including Management and Planning Or- In late February, Electromagnetic Com- an countries do not have any cooperation The identification system is one of the main principles of of 1398, he said. ganization of Iran, ministry of culture and patibility (EMC) testing lab was inaugu- with Iran and our absolute message is that cyberspace governance, which is important to digital develop- He said that center aims to develop Iran Meteorological Organization during rated at the venue of the Iranian Space space technology improves lives of Iranians ment, he said. its cooperation with other organizations the next year. Research Center. and people worldwide, he said. Providing digital ID in cyberspace, the safety for personal information, the interaction between digital and physical data are amongst the issues discussed in the document, he concluded. INOTEX 2019 to gather ‘Innovation Iran’s IT sector to flourish next year: Ecosystem under One Roof’ minister Tehran to host ELECOMP 2019 in July

TECHNOLOGY TEHRAN — The 25th edition of Iran Inter- desknational Exhibition of Electronics, Computer & E-commerce (ELECOMP 2019) will be held from July 18 to 21. The Elecomp will be held with the motto of ‘better future’ this year, the head of Iranian Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Guild Organization Mohammad Baqer As- na-Ashari said on Wednesday, Mehr reported.

TECHNOLOGY TEHRAN — The 8th Over 400 startups, startup accelerators, TECHNOLOGY TEHRAN — Despite In economic war, we should fight with deskInternational Innova- technology parks, innovators, incubator desksanctions, Iran’s infor- our economic power, which is the digital tion and Technology Exhibition (INOTEX centers, venture capitals, and mentors will mation and communication technolo- economy, he said. ELECOMP Jobs is a new section, which will be added to 2019) will be held from June 9 to 12 at attend the event, he said. gy (ICT) sector will flourish in the next Technology leads to counterparts in the exhibition in order to boost entrepreneurship for ICT the Tehran international permanent fair- A congress for pioneers of knowledge Iranian calendar year (starting March different fields of politics and economics, graduates, he said. ground, IRNA reported on Thursday. economy will be held on the sideline of 21), the ICT minister has said, IRNA however the technology transformation Unfortunately, there is no connection between alumni and With the motto of “Innovation Ecosys- the event, he announced. reported on Wednesday. is multidimensional and different parts the companies, which may be facilitated by the ELECOMP tem under One Roof”, the exhibition aims The INOTEX, one of the leading events The IT is crucial in boosting efficiency should grow with each other, he said. Jobs section, he said. to connect entrepreneurs and investors, for professional engaged in technology in different fields, he said. The governments should act as fa- He named ELECOMP Trends as another important section Akbar Qanbarpur, an official with the Pardis and innovation, hosted over 1000 par- The IT has a great role in transfor- cilitators and let the creation develop in in which, hi-techs like big data and blockchain are discussed. Technology Park announced. ticipants from 25 countries during the mation in different fields of culture, businesses, he said. A total of six halls are allocated to startups, while the halls for The festival also paves the way to de- past seven editions. economy and policy making, he said. “We have no time to meet the demands startups are limited to four in past editions, he said. velop cooperation between companies and The event is held by the vice presidency It is not rational to cope with technol- in digital transformation since if we cannot The ICT Ministry is negotiating with some foreign countries startups and solve the challenges in the for science and technology and is supported ogy but we should know more about the provide it for people, they attract to other to take part in the ELECOMP 2019, he announced. innovation ecosystem, he said. by the innovation and prosperity fund. potentialities provided by ICT, he added. markets,” he said. ELECOMP is the biggest event in the Iranian electronics and computer market. Since its first edition in 1995, the event has been providing a unique opportunity for businesses to increase Digital transformation is not about technology their share of this huge and ever-growing market. A recent survey of directors, CEOs, and senior executives their jobs will be saved (or so the thinking goes). It found that digital transformation (DT) risk is their #1 is critical for leaders to recognize those fears and to concern in 2019. Yet 70% of all DT initiatives do not emphasize that the digital transformation process is an reach their goals. Of the $1.3 trillion that was spent on opportunity for employees to upgrade their expertise Olympics: Tokyo 2020 DT last year, it was estimated that $900 billion went to to suit the marketplace of the future. unveils robots to help waste. Why do some DT efforts succeed and others fail? At CenturyLink, where one of us works, the sales team Fundamentally, it’s because most digital technologies had been considering adopting artificial intelligence wheelchair users, workers provide possibilities for efficiency gains and customer to increase their productivity. Yet, how AI should be intimacy. But if people lack the right mindset to change deployed remained an open question. Ultimately, the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paralympics organizers launched their and the current organizational practices are flawed, team customized an AI tool to optimize each sales- ambitious Robot Project on Friday, unveiling two of the robots DT will simply magnify those flaws. Five key lessons person’s effort by suggesting which customers to call, designed to assist supporters, workers and athletes at the Games. have helped us lead our organizations through digital when to call them and what to say during the call in Toyota’s Human Support Robot (HSR) delivers a basket to a transformations that succeeded. any given week. The tool also contained a gamifica- woman in a wheelchair at a demonstration of Tokyo 2020 Robot Lesson 1: Figure out your business strategy before tion component, which made the selling process more Project for Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, March you invest in anything. Leaders who aim to enhance satisfaction and intimacy, then any effort must be interesting. Vernon Irvin, who watched this process 15, 2019. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-hoon organizational performance through the use of digital preceded by a diagnostic phase with in-depth input from the inside, observed that it made selling more The two products, Toyota’s Human Support Robot (HSR) technologies often have a specific tool in mind. “Our from customers. The staff of Santa Clara County’s fun, which translated into an increase in customer and the Power Assist Suit from Panasonic, were demonstrated organization needs a machine learning strategy,” per- Department of Planning and Development conducted satisfaction – and a 10% increase in sales. to the public for the first time in Tokyo. haps. But digital transformation should be guided by more than ninety individual interviews with customers Lesson 5: Bring Silicon Valley start-up culture The HSR, a small white robot with built-in facial features, will the broader business strategy. in which they asked each customer to describe the de- inside. Silicon Valley start-ups are known for their agile assist wheelchair users at the Olympics, which begin in July 2020. At Li & Fung (where one of us works) leaders devel- partment’s strengths and weaknesses. In addition, the decision making, rapid prototyping and flat structures. The robots can carry food and other goods, guide viewers to oped a three-year strategy for serving a marketplace in department held focus groups during which they asked The process of digital transformation is inherently un- their seats and provide event information. which mobile apps were just as important as bricks- various stakeholders – including agents, developers, certain: changes need to be made provisionally and then “We will support people at the Olympics and at the stadium and-mortar stores. They chose to focus their attention builders, agriculturalists and crucial local institutions adjusted; decisions need to be made quickly; and groups in wheelchair accessible areas,” said Minoru Yamauchi, who is in three areas: speed, innovation, and digitalization. like Stanford University – to identify their needs, es- from all over the organization need to get involved. in charge of Toyota’s 2020 robots program. Specifically, Li & Fung sought to reduce production tablish their priorities, and grade the department’s As a result, traditional hierarchies get in the way. It’s “In terms of service, we will be offering stress-free entry and lead times, increase speed-to-market, and improve the performance. The department then built the input best to adopt a flat organizational structure that’s kept viewing and the robot can also carry bags and other luggage use of data in its global supply chain. After concrete into their transformation. To respond to customer somewhat separate from the rest of the organization. items for the customers.” goals were established, the company decided on which requests for greater transparency about the permit This need for agility and prototyping is even more There will be 16 HSR robots at Tokyo 2020 venues and Toyota digital tools it would adopt. approval process, the department broke down the pronounced than it might be in other change-manage- hope to have similar products available for general sale by the There is no single technology that will deliver “speed” process into phases and altered the customer portal; ment initiatives because so many digital technologies early 2030s. or “innovation” as such. The best combination of tools customers can now track the progress of their appli- can be customized. Leaders have to decide on what Panasonic also presented their offering, a battery-powered for a given organization will vary from one vision to cations as they move from one phase to the next. To apps from which vendors to use, which area of business exoskeleton that assists with picking up heavy objects. another. shorten processing time, the department configured best benefit from switching to that new technology, People are strapped into the Power Assist Suits, which ena- Lesson 2: Leverage insiders. Organizations that staff software so that it would automatically identify whether the transition should be rolled out in stages, ble users to repetitively lift and carry objects without putting a seek transformations (digital and otherwise) frequently stalled applications. To enable personalized help, and so on. Often, picking the best solution requires strain on their back. bring in an army of outside consultants who tend to the department gave Permit Center staff dashboard extensive experimentation on interdependent parts. If They will be used by workers at Olympic and Paralympic apply one-size-fits-all solutions in the name of “best control of the permit workflow. Leaders often expect each decision has to go through multiple layers of man- venues, as well as the athletes’ village. practices.” Our approach to transforming our respective that the implementation of one single tool or app will agement to move forward, mistakes cannot be detected Tokyo 2020 organizers have long maintained next year’s organizations is to rely instead on insiders — staff who enhance customer satisfaction on its own. However, and corrected quickly. Furthermore, for certain digital summer showpiece will be the most innovative ever and more have intimate knowledge about what works and what the department’s experience shows that the best way technologies, the payoff only occurs after a substantial robots are expected to be announced later. doesn’t in their daily operations. to maximize customer satisfaction is often to make portion of the business has switched to the new system. “At Pyeongchang there are examples of robots being used at Santa Clara County in California (where one of us smaller-scale changes to different tools at different For example, a cloud computing system designed to the Games but I don’t think it was to this sort of practical level,” works) provides an example. The Department of Planning points of the service cycle. The only way to know where aggregate global customer demand can only generate said Tokyo 2020 Vice Director General Maasaki Komiya. and Development was re-engineering work flows with to alter and how to alter is through obtaining extensive useful analytics when stores in different countries all “So, let me reiterate, we want to give the impression that robots the goal of improved efficiency and customer experience. and in-depth input from the customers. collect the same type of data regularly. This requires are actually usable and they can become part of our daily lives.” Initially, external consultants made recommendations Lesson 4: Recognize employees’ fear of being re- ironing out differences in existing organizational pro- “At past Games I do not believe that we really saw robots as for the permit-approval process based on work they placed. When employees perceive that digital trans- cesses across different regions. If the details of how a part of the Games.” themselves had done for other jurisdictions, which formation could threaten their jobs, they may con- new technology will be used are chiefly developed by The Olympics begin on July 24, 2020 with the Paralympics tended to take a decentralized approach. sciously or unconsciously resist the changes. If the employees from one country, they might not be aware commencing a month later. Lesson 3: Design customer experience from the digital transformation then turns out to be ineffective, of the potential incompatibilities. (Source: reuters.com) outside in. If the goal of DT is to improve customer management will eventually abandon the effort and (Source: Harvard Business Review) I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y MARCH 16, 2019 SCIENCE 11 There’s nothing we can do now to stop Arctic A NASA journey to the moon may need to find another temperature rise, new research shows rocket or two, team says

A new paper from the UN reveals that even set off another. Struggling to get its new giant rocket ready in time for a scheduled if we pull the plug on all carbon emissions “When permafrost thaws, it contributes launch next year, NASA might just leave it on the ground and turn tomorrow, our hands are ultimately tied; the substantially to the organic matter load of to commercial alternatives. Arctic region is still going to warm by up to 5 surface fresh water delivered to the ocean, “NASA has a history of not meeting launch dates,” said Jim Bri- degrees Celsius come the end of the century. which in turn contributes to acidification denstine, NASA’s administrator, at a Senate committee hearing on Even under the terms of the Paris through decomposition,” the report explains. Wednesday, “and I’m trying to change that.” Agreement, the research shows that winter The “release of methane by thawing subsea NASA plans to send its Orion capsule, designed to carry astronauts temperatures in the Arctic are set to rise by permafrost also contributes substantially to on deep space missions, on a crewless test trip around the moon at least 3°C by 2050 and 5 to 9°C by 2080 acidification.” next year. compared to pre-industrial levels. The climate change But the schedule for completing The Arctic region is the virtual bull’s eye Similar to climate change, the Arctic is the rocket that is to carry Orion — of climate change, but that doesn’t mean the disproportionately affected ocean acidification. known as the Space Launch System rest of the world gets off scot-free. As the top This region’s marine species are especially — has slipped repeatedly despite of our planet begins to melt, the consequences vulnerable because the cold water they live NASA’s spending more than $10 are certain to trickle down like a dripping in can hold more dissolved CO2, leading to billion on the program so far. ice-cream cone. greater acidity. Last year, in announcing the There is plenty of research to suggest Today, surface waters are 30 percent more latest delay, NASA said that the that climate changes in the Arctic region will acidic than they were before the Industrial mission was penciled in for the unleash dangerous sea level rises around era, disrupting the food chain by causing end of 2019 but even then conceded the world, causing coastal flooding, erosion, corals, molluscs. Sea urchins, and plankton that June 2020 was a more realistic and damage to buildings and infrastructure. Some climate models even predict that the temperatures, thawing even more ice in a to use more and more energy to build their target date. It will also flip ecosystems on their head, Arctic’s ice cap could disappear completely vicious cycle called a ‘positive feedback’ shells and skeletons. “Cost increases and schedule contaminate drinking water, and drive mass come summertime in the 2030s. As the melting loop. The consequences could include What’s happening in the Arctic right now is delays of core stage development human migration. reaches deeper and deeper it could awake a more frequent wildfires, habitat loss, and a warning sign to prevent further warming. If can be traced largely to management, technical, and infrastructure “What happens in the Arctic does not stay “sleeping giant” - a tipping point that could infrastructure damage. we don’t act soon, the paper suggests we may issues driven by Boeing’s poor performance,” the report said. “For in the Arctic,” says Joyce Msuya, the acting derail all our climate goals. One recent study found that by 2050, soon face a dead end, with no way to escape. example, Boeing officials have consistently underestimated the scope executive director at UN Environment. Even if the Paris Agreement is met, Arctic four million people and around 70 percent The “urgency to achieve the goals of the of the work to be performed and thus the size and skills of the work “We have the science; now more urgent permafrost is expected to shrink 45 percent of today’s Arctic infrastructure could be Paris Agreement is clearly manifested in force required.” climate action is needed to steer away from more, releasing billions of metric tons of threatened by thawing permafrost. the Arctic, because it is one of the most On Wednesday, Mr. Bridenstine said that last week it had become tipping points that could be even worse for carbon and methane into the atmosphere. Just as one domino knocks over the next, vulnerable and rapidly changing regions clear that the rocket would probably not be ready even by June 2020. our planet than we first thought.” This will ultimately lead to even warmer scientists think this tipping point will also in the world,” says the Finnish Minister He said he had directed managers to explore whether there would Changes devastating regions of the Environment, Energy and Housing, be another way to launch. A major part of the problem is that the One recent study found that by 2050, four Kimmo Tiilikainen. The two pieces would then rendezvous and dock in orbit before changes are going to devastate an already “We need to make substantial near-term heading to the moon. Mr. Bridenstine noted that Orion currently devastated region. Since 1979, research shows million people and around 70 percent cuts in greenhouse gas emissions, black lacks the ability to dock with another spacecraft in orbit. that the Arctic has lost roughly 40 percent of today’s Arctic infrastructure could be carbon and other so-called short-lived climate “Between now and June of 2020, we would have to make that a of its sea ice, and the ice that still remains is pollutants all over the world.” reality,” Mr. Bridenstine said. thinner and more vulnerable than ever before. threatened by thawing permafrost. (Source: sciencealert.com) Senator Roger Wicker, Republican of Mississippi and chairman of the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, noted: “This is 2019.” A commercially launched mission would allow extended testing Solar-powered moisture harvester collects Early animal life exploded on Earth even of Orion and the service module, one of the main goals, but it would push the first flight of the Space Launch System further into the future. and cleans water from air, scientists find earlier than once thought: new analysis (Source: NYT) Access to clean water remains one of the Beginning about 541 million years ago, life biggest challenges facing humankind. A on Earth exploded. Over a 53-million-year breakthrough by engineers at The University period, gigantic sea creatures, armored Scientists track patterns of of Texas at Austin may offer a new solution worms and bizarre-looking filter feeders through solar-powered technology that filled the primordial seas. Nearly all the island growth in crystals absorbs moisture from the air and returns animal body plans that exist today first it as clean, usable water. appeared in primitive form during that time. Understanding how crystals grow impacts broad areas of materials The breakthrough, described in a recent In fact, a new analysis suggests that the science, from developing better microelectronics to discovering new issue of the journal Advanced Materials, Cambrian explosion may not have been a materials. At the atomic level, crystals can grow in several different could be used in disaster situations, water true explosion at all, but rather a series of ways, and scientists have recently discovered an intriguing behavior crises or poverty-stricken areas and devel- The team’s new innovation takes that waves — and those waves began millions thought to be typically Ediacaran and what associated with a common way that crystals grow. oping countries. The technology relies on work a step further by using the water of years earlier than previously believed. is typically Cambrian,” Wood said. In this mode of crystal growth, called “layer-by-layer,” the surface hydrogels, gel-polymer hybrid materials that already exists in the atmosphere. Since the days of Charles Darwin, The scientists also noted that changes of the crystal starts out very smooth at the atomic level. New atoms designed to be “super sponges” that can For both hydrogel-based technologies, Yu scientists have found Cambrian-era rocks swept through early animal life in waves, that arrive on the surface tend to skate around until they find each retain large amounts of water. and his research team developed a way that were chock-full of fossils. Those fossils beginning as early as 571 million years ago other. When this happens, they begin to form a new one-atom-thick A research team led by Guihua Yu in UT to combine materials that possess both seemingly appear in the geologic record “in and producing multiple surges in animal layer by joining, creating a flat region known as an island. As more Austin’s Cockrell School of Engineering hygroscopic (water-absorbing) qualities an abrupt way and with great diversity,” diversity during the Cambrian. atoms arrive, additional islands form at other places on the surface. combined hydrogels that are both high- and thermal-responsive hydrophilicity said lead study author Rachel Wood, a “It begs the question: Is it sensible to Eventually the growing islands cover the whole surface, coalescing ly water absorbent and can release water (the ability to release water upon simple professor of carbonate geoscience at the isolate the Cambrian explosion as one event, to form a new atomic layer. upon heating. heating). University of Edinburgh in Scotland. or should it simply be seen as one event “If we understand how crystals grow in this mode, we might be This unique combination has been suc- Producing clean water “There’s no doubt that in the Cambrian amongst many?” Wood said. able to better understand some of the mechanisms behind defect cessfully proved to work in humid and The “new material is designed to both there was an explosion of bilaterian forms The Cambrian explosion formation, as well as develop techniques to synthesize new types dry weather conditions and is crucial to harvest moisture from the air and produce (bodies with two symmetrical sides) — that’s Their conclusions, while “not shocking of crystals.” enabling the production of clean, safe clean water under sunlight, avoiding in- all the animals except the sponges, corals, news,” were absent from prior studies In a new study scientists have found that the seemingly random drinking water from the air. tensive energy consumption,” said Yu, an jellyfish and so on,” Wood told Live Science. because most researchers tended to focus arrangement of islands that form to begin new layers can actually be The filtration system associate professor of materials science Fossil discoveries on the “ abruptness, explosiveness, and very similar from layer to layer. With an estimated 50,000 cubic kilom- and mechanical engineering. But recent fossil discoveries dating to uniqueness of the Cambrian explosion,” Using coherent X-ray scattering techniques to observe the crystal eters of water contained in the atmosphere, Harvesting water from moisture is not the Ediacaran period (635 million to 542 Shuhai Xiao, a professor of geobiology in surface at the atomic scale during crystal growth, the researchers this new system could tap into those reserves exactly a new concept. Most refrigerators million years ago) suggest that many new the Department of Geosciences at Virginia were able to characterize the exact arrangements of the islands as and potentially lead to small, inexpensive keep things cool through a vapor conden- soft-bodied species first arose long before Tech, told Live Science in an email. they form, or “nucleate,” in each layer of the crystal. and portable filtration systems. sation process. However, the common creatures with skeletons showed up during Xiao, who was not involved in the study, “You can think of what we’re doing as something like making “We have developed a completely passive fridge requires lots of energy to perform the Cambrian, Wood told Live Science. said that paleontologists will now need to pancakes in a pan,” said Argonne Distinguished Fellow and study system where all you need to do is leave the that action. For the study, the researchers conducted untangle the evolutionary relationships author Brian Stephenson. “As we randomly add more atomic ‘batter,’ hydrogel outside and it will collect water,” The UT team’s technology requires only a sweeping evaluation of existing research between Ediacaran and Cambrian fossils our pancake islands start to run together and coalesce. The interesting said Fei Zhao, a postdoctoral researcher solar power, is compact and can still pro- in fields such as geochemistry, stratigraphy to determine how big the extinctions were thing is that every time we grow a new layer, the pattern of pancakes on Yu’s team and co-author of the study. duce enough water to meet the daily needs and paleontology, Wood said. They before the Cambrian explosion. repeats the pattern of the original layer.” The “collected water will remain stored of an average household. Prototype tests also analyzed fossil finds from both the The new study will help scientists to (Source: newswise.com) in the hydrogel until you expose it to sun- showed daily water production of up to 50 Ediacaran and the Cambrian, creating the study early animal diversity as a continuous light. After about five minutes under natural liters per kilogram of hydrogel. first integrated picture of what happened process, “rather than just thinking it all sunlight, the water releases.” Representing a novel strategy to improve before, during and after the Cambrian happened in a very short period of time There may be 50 billion This technology builds upon a 2018 upon atmospheric water harvesting tech- explosion. in the Cambrian,” Wood said. breakthrough made by Yu and Zhao in niques being used today, the technology They discovered that some physical “We’ll start to be able to really rogue planets in our galaxy, which they developed a solar-powered water could also replace core components in exist- features found in Cambrian creatures understand the pace and the dynamics purification innovation using hydrogels ing solar-powered water purification systems were also present in organisms from older of evolution, and the origin of animal new study claims that cleans water from any source using or other moisture-absorbing technologies. rocks. These collections of creatures form complexity,” she added. only solar energy. (Source: phys.org) a transitional bridge “between what was (Source: livescience.com) People used to argue about whether or not planets like the eight (or more) in our Solar System were rare. Starting in the 1990s with the discovery of the first exoplanets, it became clear planets are common around other stars. What about planets without stars? Astronomers have identified a handful of such planets, but a new simulation devel- oped at the University of Leiden suggests there could be as many as Researchers use quantum computer to ‘reverse’ time 50 billion rogue planets in the Milky Way. Scientists have reported that they were able However, another program altered the com- In the immortal words of Douglas Adams: “Space is big. You just to turn back time, albeit only for a fraction puter’s state, allowing it to return to its original won’t believe how vastly, hugely, mind-bogglingly big it is.” Rogue of a second, with a quantum computer. form, restoring order from the chaos. planets, even the largest among them, are but tiny specs floating in the infinite cosmic void without a star to point the way. That we’ve In a study, a team of researchers from According to the researchers, the two- spotted any of them is a minor miracle, but the technology doesn’t exist the Moscow Institute of Physics and their qubit quantum computers returned to their to conduct an accurate survey of rogue planets. Thus, the importance colleagues from the United States and orderly original state in 85 percent of the of the new simulation. Switzerland successfully returned the state cases. In three-qubit quantum computers, The team built a simulation of 1,500 stars in a region of space called of an IBM quantum computer into the past. the success rate went down to 50 percent. Orion Trapezium. Of course, we don’t know how many planets really The feat challenges the basic laws of Unfortunately, the discovery does not mean exist around these stars, but the model included between four and six physics and the current understanding that the researchers have just invented time planets in orbit around about 500 of those planets. That’s a total of of the mechanics that govern the entire travel. The experiment can be compared to 2,522 planets in the model. universe. watching a video and pressing the rewind Over the course of millions of simulated years, gravitational inter- The second law of thermodynamics which button. actions between the stars kicked more than 350 of those planets out states that, as energy is transferred and It is not exactly a TARDIS or Dr. Brown’s of their solar systems. That works out to approximately 14 percent of transformed, the more it is wasted. It also DeLorean. However, researchers believe all the planets in the model becoming rogue planets. states that any isolated system will descend that their study could be useful for testing We don’t know how many planets exist in the galaxy, but there are into a more disorder state naturally. quantum programs and aiding in the devel- about 200 billion stars. Most of them are in clusters not unlike Orion The second law of thermodynamics is opment of more precise quantum computers Trapezium. Estimating even a modest number of planets on average also closely associated with the “arrow of in the future. that could mean billions of rogue planets in the Milky Way. The team time,” a concept that posits time only has “Our algorithm could be updated and used a number of guesstimates to arrive at 50 billion. Some of those one direction and it goes forward. Using an evolution program “superposition.” used to test programs written for quantum might even have come from our own solar system. However, experiments like the one that In the study, the researchers used an evo- The evolution program was launched, computers and eliminate noise and errors,” Most of the confirmed or suspected rogue planets we’ve spotted was published in the journal Scientific lution program that will affect qubits, a basic causing the qubits to form into increasingly stated Gordey Lesovik, the lead author of are under 100 light years away, and several of those are too faint to Reports on Tuesday, March 11, shows that unit of quantum information described by complex changing patterns of ones and zeroes. the study. characterize beyond the most basic details. these laws can be violated. a “one,” “zero,” or a mixture of both called During the process, the order was lost. (Source: techtimes.com) (Source:extremetech.com) I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y 12 SOCIETY MARCH 16, 2019

‘Almost certain extinction’: Police on bikes in central 1,200 species under severe threat across world Tehran to promote bike-riding More than 1,200 species globally face threats to their survival in more than 90% of their habitat and “will almost certainly SOCIETY TEHRAN — In an at- they get off the bicycle and walk along the face extinction” without conservation intervention, according desktempt to encourage bicy- street, he highlighted. to new research. cling among citizens of Tehran Traffic police Mousavi went on to say that using bikes Scientists working with Australia’s University of Queensland has started using bikes instead of motorbikes, especially in crowded neighborhood makes and the Wildlife Conservation Society have mapped threats Mehr news agency reported on Friday. it much easier for the traffic officers to faced by 5,457 species of birds, mammals and amphibians to In the current year (started on March get to their destination. determine which parts of a species’ habitat range are most 21, 3018) Tehran Traffic Police, aiming to As traffic police we want to promote affected by known drivers of biodiversity loss. promote best traffic practices, especially the culture of bicycling among the pub- The project is from the same team of researchers that found in crowded neighborhoods, have started a lic, he noted, stating that bicycles are just five countries are responsible for 70% of the world’s re- pilot plan letting traffic police to use bikes eco-friendly options. maining wilderness. instead of other vehicles in districts 6 and 12 “The scheme has gone into effect in other The new research, published in PLOS Biology, maps “hot- of Tehran, the director of public education at provinces such as Mazandaran, Gilan, Isfahan, spots” where species are most affected by threats such as ag- social directorate of Tehran Traffic Police said. Yazd and Kish Island.” riculture, urbanization, night lighting, roads, rail, waterways The plan was organized in collaboration Police officers adopted the bicycle late in and population density, and “coolspots” that provide refuge with Tehran Municipality directorate for the 19th century, initially using their own. from these threats. transport and traffic affairs, Seyyed Moslem However, they eventually became a standard The team looked only at threats that were known to affect Mousavi explained. issue, particularly for police in rural areas. a species within its habitat range and found that for the ma- The scheme is planned to be implement- The Kent police purchased 20 bicycles in jority of wildlife studied, intrusions were “extensive” across ed in two more districts in the next year 1896, and by 1904 129 rural police bicycle most habitat, “severely limiting the area within which species (starting on March 21), Mousavi added. patrols were operating. can survive”. The scheme can play a role in tackling Some countries retained the police bicy- They said most concerning was their finding that 1,237 air pollution and encouraging the public cle while others replaced them with motor species – nearly a quarter of the animals assessed – were to use bicycles especially in central parts vehicles. In the 21st century there has been affected by threats across more than 90% of their distribution. of the city, he suggested. renewed interest in police bicycles, since The situation was worse for 395 species, or 7%, which were Moreover, Mousavi added, implementing they provide greater accessibility to bicycle found to be affected by at least one relevant threat across their the scheme would help traffic officers to attend Police-on-bikes visibly advertise bicycles and pedestrian zones and allow access when entire habitat range. at the scenes sooner and make police officers roads are congested. “These results are very alarming and that’s because the more easily approachable, most importantly as ideal urban vehicles. If bicycles can Police-on-bikes visibly advertise bicy- threats we’ve mapped are specific to the species,” said James in areas which are highly congested. function as instruments of the law, then cles as ideal urban vehicles. If bicycles can Allan, a University of Queensland post-doctoral researcher Also using bicycles would not entail the surely they can handle trips to the store function as instruments of the law, then and the study’s lead author. traffic officers to follow traffic laws, for instance surely they can handle trips to the store “They’re the primary causes of the species’ decline and they can take one way streets provided that and elsewhere. and elsewhere. the reason they are threatened with extinction. Where a threat overlaps with a species, we know that species will continue to decline.” Mammals were identified as the most affected group Northwestern Kani Barazan Wetland Precipitations to hit normal, above- studied, with on average 52% of a species’ distribution de- play host to 30,000 migratory birds normal levels in spring graded by threats. One in three of the species studied were found to have no exposure to threats across their habitat range, but the re- searchers cautioned that this result “should be interpreted within the context of threats we consider”. Two major threats they had not mapped were diseases affecting amphibians and climate change, which threatens all species. Human impacts were found on species across 84% of the earth’s terrestrial surface. The top five countries most affected by threats were all in south-east Asia. Malaysia was the most affected, followed by Brunei and Singapore. The most affected biomes included mangroves, tropical and sub-tropical moist broadleaf forests in southern Brazil, Malaysia and Indonesia, and tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests of India, Myanmar and Thailand. The countries with the greatest areas of “coolspots” or refuges from threats were also in south-east Asia, as well as the Ama- zon rainforest, parts of the Andes and Liberia in West Africa. Allan said that in some cases, hotspots and coolspots were ENVIRONMENT TEHRAN — Some of Urmia Lake, this wetland covers an area ENVIRONMENT TEHRAN — Iran’s the same period displays a sharp drop of 47.7 found side by side, which he attributed to the fact there was desk30,000 migratory birds of 907 hectares. deskClimatological research percent compared to the long-term means. such a high diversity of species there. have winged their ways to Kani Barazan According to the persiaport.com the wet- Institute announced that the country will Fluctuation in precipitations amounts “The obvious thing we need to do is protect the coolspots, Wetland, located in northwestern prov- land hosts a range of native and migrating receive normal and above-normal levels of received in provinces of Sistan-Baluchestan, the unimpacted areas of species ranges,” he said. “We need ince of West Azarbaijan, Mahabad chief birds. Kani Barazan Wetland is one of the precipitations in the first two months of spring. Fars, South Khorasan, Yazd and Hormozgan to stop threats getting into those areas. of department of environment has said. main wildlife habitats in northwestern Iran Based on the weather maps the condition in mid-winter is one of the main sings of “There’s room for optimism. Every threat that we mapped Birds including grey-lag geese, pelicans, being supplied by Mahabad dam and its for receiving normal and above normal future climate of the country which not can be stopped through conservation effort.” white-headed duck, marbled duck and some downstream river. precipitations, particularly in northern only result in an increase in water resources (Source: The Guardian) other endangered bird species have flown Birdwatchers call it Iran birds’ paradise and eastern parts of the country, is fairly but it would lead to recurrent destructive to this area and made the habitat much being the first bird-watching site of Iran. The good, the report highlighted. floods in the regions. more attractive than ever, IRNA quoted best time for bird-watching in the region Temperatures will be normal in the Furthermore, Iran’s Climatological LEARN ENGLISH Farouq Sokhanvar as saying on Thursday. is from mid-January to mid-February. same period as well. research Institute report highlights that Agreeable environmental conditions as Interestingly, the local residents vol- As per the data released on Friday by the despite the increase in precipitation levels This Is Your Captain well as enough water resources has turned untarily assume the responsibility of National Drought Warning and Monitor- most provinces located in southern and Kani Barazan Wetland into a suitable hab- protecting this wetland and its wild life ing Center affiliated to the Meteorological southeastern Iran have experienced a Speaking itat for bird species in northwestern Iran, from poaching. Organization the whole country received 10 to 30 percent decrease compared to Sokhanvar explained. Due to its topography and mass cane- 186.7 millimeters of precipitations since long-term averages which are a sign of A: And the next thing you know; we’re running towards the... The birds will spend some time in the brakes, the wetland is mainly frequented by the beginning of the current water year climate disruption. Oh...did you feel that? wetland and continue their journey to the water birds including white-headed duck, (starting on September 23) which indi- Climate disruption or global climate dis- B: Yeah, don’t worry about it; we’re just going through a bit of northern regions, he added. pelican, flamingo, marbled duck, heron, cates an 18-percent rise compared to the ruption, is the new term scientists are using turbulence. He also called on locals to report poach- spotted eagle, goose, ruddy shelduck, tern, long-term averages. to explain the extreme fluctuations that C: Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. It looks ers, had they spotted any, to the department coot, black winged stilt, great crested grebe. Moreover, the amount also shows can and will occur to our weather systems like we’ve hit a patch of rough air, so we’re going to have a bit of environment. According to the estimates, there are 75 a 125.4-percent increase compared to as anthropogenic-caused carbon dioxide of a bumpy ride for the next several minutes, and... Kani Barazan Wetland is located south of kinds of aquatic species identified in the last year’s precipitations in the corre- and other greenhouse gases increase in A: This why I hate flying... Oh! great Urmia Lake and 30 kilometers north wetland, belonging to 11 broader catego- sponding period. our atmosphere, the oceans get warmer, C: At this time, I’d like to remind all of our passengers to fasten of Mahabad. Being part of southern ecology ries of birds. This is while last year’s precipitation in and weather events go wild. their seat belts and remain seated until the fasten seat belt sign is turned off. Please ensure that allcabin baggage is carefully stowed under the seat in front of you. I’ll be back to update you in a minute. ENGLISH IN USE A: Did you hear that? Oh my God! Brent! B: Don’t worry about it. This is totally normal. It happens LEARN NEWS TRANSLATION all the time. C: Ah, ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain again. We’ve got quite a large patch of rough air ahead of us, so for your safety, 12,000 traffic-related deaths از ابتدای فروردین تا پایان آبان ماه 12 هزار نفر we will be suspending in-flight service. I would ask all in-flight crew to return to their seats at this time. I would also like to ask occurred in 8 months بر اثر حوادث رانندگی جان باختند that all our passengers refrain from using the lavatory until the seat belt sign has been switched off We can expect... The number of traffic-related deaths occurred in the country in the ســازمان پزشــکی قانونــی کشــور اعــام کــرد: از ابتــدای فروردیــن تــا پایــان آبــان مــاه ,Key vocabulary first 8 months of the current Iranian calendar year (started March 21 امســال 12 هــزار و 261 نفــر بــر اثــر صدمــات ناشــی از حــوادث رانندگــی در کشــور turbulence: sudden, strong movement of air especially that causes a plane to move up and down 2018) amounted to 12,261, a 0.9 percent rise year on year. جــان خــود را از دســت دادنــد کــه ایــن آمــار نســبت بــه ســال گذشــته 0.9 درصــد patch: small area According to Iran’s forensics organization, of the total number 9,587 افزایــش را نشــان مــی دهــد. rough: having or causing sudden violent movements were men and the rest were women, IRNA news agency reported on bumpy: having sudden up and down movements بــه گــزارش روز شــنبه ایرنــا، از مجمــوع 12 هــزار و 261 نفــری کــه در تصادفــات .Saturday هشــت ماهــه امســال جــان باختــه انــد، 9 هــزار و 587 نفــر مــرد و بقیــه زن بودنــد. fasten: do up; connect one part with another cabin baggage: suitcases and luggage that travels inside the Provinces of Fars, Tehran and Isfahan with 992, 916 and 848 deaths در ایــن گــزارش تاکیــد شــده اســت: اســتان فــارس بــا 992، تهــران بــا 916 و plane with the passengers respectively are the regions with the highest number of deaths recorded اصفهــان بــا 848 نفــر اســتان هــای دارای بیشــترین فوتــی هــا ناشــی از حــوادث stow: put something in a place where it is safe, but can be ac- while provinces of Ilam, Kohgiluyeh and Boyer Ahmad and Ardebil رانندگــی و اســتان هــای ایــام بــا 110، کهگیلویــه و بویراحمــد بــا 141 و اردبیــل cessed easily suspend: stop something for a short time with 110, 141, and 161 deaths reported the lowest number of deaths بــا 161 نفــر، دارای کمتریــن آمــار تلفــات حــوادث رانندگــی در ایــن مــدت بودنــد. .refrain: avoid doing respectively lavatory: room with a sink and toilet, chiefly on an airplane or train Supplementary vocabulary overhead bin: place above the seat in an airplane where you PREFIX/SUFFIX PHRASAL VERB IDIOM can store luggage carry-on: cabin baggage “-age” Turn around Face the music table tray: a table that folds down from the seat in front of you on an airplane Meaning: a word ending used to form nouns that Meaning: if a business, department etc. that is not Explanation: to accept criticism or punishment for life jacket: piece of clothing that you wear to stay floating in water show condition, function, relation, or action successful turns around, or if someone turns it around, something you have done oxygen mask: a mask worn over your mouth and nose so For example: They moved to a house with lots of it starts to be successful For example: If we do nothing to curb this pollution, you can breathe storage space. For example: The company turned around from I guarantee we will face the music in the future. (Source: irlanguage.com) losses of £1.4 million last year to profits of £26,800. I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y MARCH 16, 2019 WORLD IN FOCUS 13 Trump factor stands out in U.S. report intends to Christchurch massacre whitewash Israel’s human Forty-nine people have been killed and at least and intensify international efforts to fight rights violations: PLO official 20 others grievously injured when gunmen terrorism, violence and extremism.” entered two mosques in Christchurch, New Qatar said it condemned in the strongest A high-ranking member of the Palestine Liberation Organ- Zealand, and opened indiscriminate fire terms the “terrorist and brutal attack” in ization (PLO) says a U.S. decision to drop Israeli-occupied at worshippers, including women and chil- New Zealand. designation from the Golan Heights and Palestinian terri- dren, who had gathered for Friday prayers. In a statement on Friday, the Ministry of tories in its latest annual human rights report is meant to This is the worst attack in the Pacific Foreign Affairs said Qatar reiterated its firm whitewash the Israeli occupation and human rights violations country’s history. stance on rejecting violence and terrorism, against the Palestinian nation. New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda regardless of motives and reasons. “After the release of the Ardern told a news conference that the Indonesia, the world’s biggest Mus- so-called human rights report mosque shootings appeared to be a well- lim-majority country, strongly condemned by the U.S. State Department, planned “terrorist attack”. the shooting as authorities were checking it is now abundantly clear “This is, and will be, one of New Zealand’s on whether any of its citizens were victims. that [U.S. President Donald] darkest days,” an ashen-faced Ardern said. “The government and the people of Indo- Trump’s administration is The prime minister also said two explosive nesia convey deep condolences to the victims gearing all branches of the devices attached to suspect vehicles were and their families,” Foreign Minister Retno government to whitewash found and were disarmed. Marsudi said in a statement. the Israeli occupation and The mosques on target were the Masjid In Muslim-majority Malaysia, Anwar its pervasive violations of hu- Al Noor in central Christchurch and anoth- Ibrahim, the leader of the biggest party in man rights,” Hanan Ashrawi, er one in suburban Linwood. its ruling coalition, said one Malaysian had a member of the Executive Trump factor been wounded in the attack he described Committee of the PLO, said The Australian gunman, identified as as a “black tragedy facing humanity and in a statement released on Brenton Tarrant, broadcast live footage on prejudiced they became.” “It is clear that the understanding rep- universal peace”. Thursday. Facebook of the attack on one mosque in the He was, however, careful to add that New resented by the killer that also targets our “I am deeply saddened by this uncivilised She added, “The report also de-contextualizes the reality city of Christchurch, mirroring the carnage Zealand is a multi-cultural society which is country, our people and myself, has started act, which goes against humanistic values by omitting the inescapable fact of Israeli occupation of played out in video games, after publishing accepting of all groups. “There have been to take over Western societies like a cancer.” and took the lives of civilians,” he said in Palestine, reflecting this administration’s infatuation with a “manifesto” in which he denounced im- only a handful of incidents in which Muslims Erdogan’s spokesman separately con- a statement. an alternative yet fallacious version of reality and legality.” migrants, calling them “invaders”. were harassed or their properties vandalized. demned what he called a “racist and fascist” “We extend our deepest sympathies and The senior Palestinian official further denounced the re- In his manifesto, Tarrant said he saw “Things here are not like they are in Aus- attack. condolences to the families of the victims port for describing Palestinians as mere “residents,” saying Trump as “symbol of renewed white identity tralia, the US or the West,” he said. “This attack shows the point which hos- and the people of New Zealand.” the account negates Palestinian people’s national identity and common purpose.” Overwhelmingly, Dr Shaver said New tility to Islam and enmity to Muslims has Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan and deep roots in their homeland. “This is both morally and The 28-year-old terrorist said he chose Zealand media tends to absorb content gen- reached,” Ibrahim Kalin wrote on Twitter. blamed the New Zealand attacks on rising politically reprehensible,” Ashrawi said. to use a gun over other weapons because it erated by US and European news outlets “We have seen many times Islamophobic Islamophobia after 2001’s September 11 “The intention of this publication is clear. It is to exonerate would spark a debate around the second without providing context. discourse against Islam and Muslims turning attacks. Israel from its indisputable human rights violations, while amendment. “In the western media, the focus is only into a perverse and murderous ideology. “Shocked and strongly condemn the deliberately attempting to depict the racist policies and at- “With enough pressure the left wing on the conflicts in the Middle East,” he said. The world must raise its voice against such Christchurch, New Zealand, terrorist attack titudes of the Israeli regime as benign despite the fact that within the United States will seek to abolish He went on to say that there is very lit- discourse and must say stop to Islamophobic on mosques. This reaffirms what we have they deny the Palestinian people’s humanity, nationality, the second amendment, and the right wing tle coverage in the New Zealand media of fascist terrorism,” he said. always maintained: that terrorism does not and narrative,” she said. within the US will see this as an attack on the Muslim population in country which US President Trump sent out a 270 have a religion. Prayers go to the victims Ashrawi noted: “In its zealous pursuit to justify and their very freedom and liberty,” Tarrant said. is very diverse and has a history of more character Tweet but failed to mention the and their families,” he tweeted. mainstream the right-wing agenda in Israel, the Trump “This attempted abolishment of rights than 100 years. word Muslims when condemning the deadly “I blame these increasing terror attacks administration has made a mockery of the human rights by the left will result in a dramatic polar- “Instead of focusing on the domestic shootings. on the current Islamophobia post-9/11 where report and reaffirmed its complicity in the promotion and ization of the people in the United States Muslim population, the media focuses on Instead, he sent his “warmest sympathy Islam & 1.3 bn Muslims have collectively support of human rights violations against Palestinian peo- and eventually a fracturing of the US along violence and looks at the community from and best wishes” to the people of the country. been blamed for any act of terror by a Mus- ple. The legal and political standing of Palestine and the cultural and racial lines. a western media lens,” he said. “49 innocent people have so senselessly lim. This has been done deliberately to also Syrian Golan Heights as territory under Israeli occupation “Eventually, when the white population Close shave for Bangladesh died, with so many more seriously injured. demonize legitimate Muslim political strug- is indisputable under international law. Under the Trump of the USA realizes the truth of the situation, cricketers The US stands by New Zealand for anything gles,” he added. administration, these facts have been discarded and denied war will erupt,” he added. ESPN Cricinfo reporter Mohammed we can do,” Trump wrote in a post on Twitter. Afghanistan’s ambassador to Australia, in these reports. However, denial of facts cannot alter re- Dressed in black Isam said the members of the Bangladesh Earlier, White House press secretary New Zealand and Fiji, Wahidullah Waissi, ality nor change the legal and standing moral obligations Len Peneha, a witness, said he saw a man cricket team, who were to play a Test match Sarah Sanders said in a statement that the said on Twitter three Afghans had been of states under international law to respect and ensure re- dressed in black enter the Masjid Al Noor in Christchurch scheduled from Saturday, US strongly condemned the attack. wounded. spect of human rights.” mosque and then heard dozens of shots, escaped unhurt from the mosque. “The United States strongly condemns “My thoughts are with the family of Af- “The Trump administration has spared no effort to reas- followed by people running from the mosque Mario Villavarayen, the strength and con- the attack in Christchurch. Our thoughts ghan origin who’ve been shot and killed at sert its destabilizing role and hostile agenda in the region in in terror. ditioning coach of the Bangladesh cricket and prayers are with the victims and their this heinous incident.” collusion with Israel. It is futile to engage with such disrup- He said he also saw the gunman flee before team, was quoted by the New Zealand Herald families. We stand in solidarity with the peo- Organization of Islamic Coop- tive actors, especially given their aversion to facts and their emergency services arrived. as saying the team was close to where the ple of New Zealand and their government eration demonstrable hostility to the Palestinian people’s national Peneha, who lives next to the mosque, shooting occurred, but was safe. against this vicious act of hate,” Sanders said. The Jeddah-based Organization of Islamic and human rights. However, the Palestinian leadership and said he went into the building to try and help. “The players are shaken up but fine,” According to the Jordanian Foreign Min- Cooperation (OIC) said the attack “served people will continue to engage with partners who share our “I saw dead people everywhere.” Villavarayen was quoted as saying. istry, a Jordanian man was among those as a further warning on the obvious dangers values and commitment to international law and peace based ’Anger towards Muslims through The world reacts to mosque at- killed and five other Jordanian nationals of hate, intolerance, and Islamophobia.” on respect, dignity, and justice,” she concluded. media’ tacks have been injured in the attack. OIC’s Secretary General, Youssef al-Oth- In its so-called Country Human Rights Practices for Media portrayal of Muslims is fueling Political and religious leaders from across “This heinous massacre is an appalling aimeen, urged the New Zealand government 2018 published on Wednesday, the U.S. State Department anger against the community according to the world have expressed their condemna- terrorist crime. It unites us against extrem- to provide more protection to Muslim com- dropped references to the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, a 2017 academic research in which 16,000 tion at the deadly shooting at two mosques ism, hatred and terrorism, which knows no munities living in the country. the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. New Zealanders were surveyed. in the New Zealand city of Christchurch. religion,” Jordan’s King Abdullah said. Al-Azhar Israel seized the Golan Heights from Syria after the 1967 Speaking to Al Jazeera from Dunedin, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Lebanon’s Foreign Minister Jubran Bassil Al-Azhar, the world’s foremost Sunni Six-Day War and later occupied it in a move that has never the lead researcher, Dr John Shaver of the condemned the deadly attack on the mosques, warned against the rise of extremism in the Islamic institution and university, said the been recognized by the international community. The re- University of Otago, said, “Highly educated describing them as “the latest example of West, saying it puts “communities at great attacks reflects an “escalation of the discourse gime has built dozens of settlements in the area ever since and leftist-oriented people normally tended rising racism and Islamophobia.” risk and in direct confrontation that will of hate, xenophobia and Islamophobia” in and has used the region to carry out a number of military to have a positive attitude toward not just “With this attack, hostility towards Islam, only lead to the scourge of war.” Western countries. operations against the Syrian government. Muslims but migrant populations in general.” that the world has been idly watching and Egypt said it stands by New Zealand and Ahmed al-Tayyeb, the Grand Imam of Any change in U.S. language and terminology in regard “Our study found that highly educated even encouraging for some time, has gone the families of the victims, and condemned the Cairo-based institution, condemned “the to the West Bank and Gaza Strip is a cause of concern for people, even those on the left, developed beyond individual harassment to reach the “the despicable act of terrorism that goes atrocious terrorist attack,” and conveyed his Muslims as it reflects Washington’s intentions about sup- anger towards Muslims through the media. level of mass killing,” Erdogan said at the against all principles of humanity and serves condolences to the families of those killed. porting the establishment of a Palestinian state envisaged The more they watched the news, the more funeral of a former Turkish minister. as a new reminder of the need to continue (Source: agencies) by interim peace agreements in the 1990s. Analysts believe the Trump administration is turning its back on Palestinians and its international obligations towards the establishment of a Palestinian state to further Israel launches Gaza air attacks after rockets fired at Tel Aviv serve and defend Israel’s interests. 1 The Israeli military confirmed the news but tried Netanyahu calls emergency meeting ing defeat during the latest military flare-up between Gaza In an interview with Press TV last November, American to pass off the interception failure as a result of the missile Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who also and Tel Aviv in November, when Hamas fired more than political analyst Mark Glenn said the neoconservatives in system’s self-destruction mechanism which kicked in once acts as the regime’s minister for military affairs, called an 460 rockets at the occupied lands in less than 24 hours in the Trump administration want a greater Israel and pur- it realized the missiles were going to land in open areas. emergency meeting at army headquarters after the rocket response to Israeli aggression. sue furtherance of the Israeli empire. Initial reports suggested that the rockets caused no attack. The clashes ended after an Egypt-brokered ceasefire Former U.S. Congressman and presidential candidate damages or injuries. However, several people had to be According to reports, Israelis had asked an Egyptian took effect in Gaza. Ron Paul also said in an interview that neoconservatives treated for shock as this was the first time since Israeli’s security delegation in Gaza to leave the area. Media outlets The truce was criticized by some Israeli officials and had taken over U.S. foreign policy. last war with Gaza in 2014 that missile sirens were being in Gaza reported that the Hamas resistance movement had led Avigdor Lieberman to step down as the minister of (Source: agencies) activated in Tel Aviv. evacuated military posts in anticipation of Israeli attacks. military affairs. The resignation, which could bring about Military spokesman Ronen Manelis said nobody in Tel The delegation has been mediating indirect talks be- early elections in the occupied lands, was hailed by Hamas Aviv expected Palestinian rockets to travel this far. tween Hamas and Israel since late February reportedly in as “an admission of defeat” and a “political victory” for the “We did not have advance knowledge of this fire today, hopes of striking a truce deal that could lead to a long-term Palestinian resistance. U.S. in first sanctions and in fact it surprised us,” Manelis said. agreement lasting between five to 10 years. Back then, Hamas leader in Gaza Yahya Sinwar warned against ICC Israel launches attacks on Gaza A Palestinian source in Gaza told Haaretz that the rock- Israel not to test the resistance group again or it will target Shortly after the attack, the Israeli military said it was ets were fired from the northern part of the enclave. No Tel Aviv. “attacking terror targets in Gaza” but did not provide any Palestinian groups claimed responsibility for the attack. Sinwar noted that he had spoken to Muhammad Deif, the The United States announced its first sanctions against the details. Palestinian sources reported Israeli attacks near Palestinian resistance movements Hamas and Islamic Jihad leader of Hamas’s military wing the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam International Criminal Court Friday, threatening visa restric- the Khan Yunis port, in southern Gaza. denied any role in the attack. Brigades about the possible response to next aggression tions for anyone involved in a potential probe of American Eyewitnesses in Gaza said Israeli warplanes were car- Iron Dome’s failure by Israel. soldiers’ actions in Afghanistan. rying out airstrikes across the enclave. The missile attack further hurts Iron Dome’s reputation “Deif asked me to say that Tel Aviv and Gush Dan are “If you’re responsible for the proposed ICC investiga- Press TV’s correspondent said there had been no reports as a missile shield system that was supposed to once and next. The first barrage to hit Tel Aviv will surprise Israel,” tion of U.S. personnel in connection with the situation in of casualties from the Israeli attacks, but people living in for all end concerns about rocket attacks from Gaza. he said. Afghanistan you should not assume that you still have, or Gaza feared a major escalation from the Israeli military. The multi-billion dollar system experienced a humiliat- (source: agencies) will get, a visa or that you will permitted to enter in the U.S.,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters. Pompeo told a news conference in Washington the first visa denials had already been issued under the new regime but Bahraini court jails nearly 170 people in crackdown on dissent gave no idea of how many people might be targeted in total. In November 2017, ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda an- 1 The defendants had been arrest- “This is a massively unfair trial which Thousands of anti-regime protesters Scores of people have lost their lives and nounced that she would ask judges for permission to open ed at a 2017 sit-in in support of distin- has passed completely unnoticed ... this have held demonstrations in Bahrain on hundreds of others sustained injuries or an investigation into alleged war crimes committed in the guished Shia cleric Sheikh Isa Qassim, trial is a textbook example of the culture an almost daily basis ever since a popular got arrested as a result of the Al Khalifah Afghan conflict, including by the U.S. military. who had been stripped of his citizenship by of impunity that prevails in Bahrain,” Di- uprising began in the country in mid-Feb- regime’s crackdown. In an unprecedented attack on the global body, charged with the Manama regime, outside his home in rector of Advocacy at BIRD, Sayed Ahmed ruary 2011. On March 5, 2017, Bahrain’s parlia- judging war crimes and crimes against humanity, the White the northwestern village of Diraz, situated Alwadaei, said. They are demanding that the Al Khal- ment approved the trial of civilians at House threatened its judges or prosecutors in September some 12 kilometers west of the capital. The US State Department, in its lat- ifah regime relinquish power and allow military tribunals in a measure blasted last year with sanctions if they target Americans or Israel. Bahraini regime forces killed five pro- est annual human rights report published a just system representing all Bahrainis by human rights campaigners as being Pompeo said the new visa restrictions would include testers and arrested hundreds more in a on Wednesday, said that authorities were to be established. tantamount to imposition of an undeclared “persons who take or have taken action to request or further raid on the sit-in. still investigating the “circumstances Manama has gone to great lengths to martial law countrywide. such an investigation.” London-based rights group Bahrain In- surrounding the death of five protesters clamp down on any sign of dissent. On Bahraini monarch King Hamad bin “These visa restrictions may also be used to deter ICC stitute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD) during a May 2017 security operation to March 14, 2011, troops from Saudi Arabia Isa Al Khalifah ratified the constitutional efforts to pursue allies’ personnel, including Israelis,” the said the majority of those arrested have been clear protesters outside the house of Shia and the United Arab Emirates were de- amendment on April 3, 2017. secretary of state added. subjected to “the most atrocious torture.” cleric Isa Qassim.” ployed to assist Bahrain in its crackdown. (Source: Press TV) (Source: Daily Star) I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y 14 WORLD SPORTS MARCH 16, 2019 Man Utd to face Messi again in Champions Napoli face Arsenal, outsiders Slavia meet Chelsea League quarter-finals Napoli, chasing their first European title since Diego Maradona’s Barcelona will meet Manchester United in The last time the Premier League had team won the old UEFA Cup in 1989, were drawn against Arsenal the Champions League last eight in a repeat four teams in the quarter-finals, in 2008/09, in the quarter-finals of the Europa League on Friday. of the 2009 and 2011 finals which were both Barcelona beat the Old Trafford side 2-0 in Rank outsiders Slavia Prague, who ousted Sevilla in thrilling won by the Catalans, with the help of goals the final in Rome. The clubs clashed again style on Thursday, were rewarded with a tie against Chelsea, the from Lionel Messi. in the final at Wembley in 2011, with Barca other English Premier League team in the last eight. Manchester City face Tottenham Hotspur winning 3-1 on that occasion. Villarreal and Valencia were drawn together in an all-Spanish in an all-Premier League clash, their first-ever Repeat of ‘96 final tie and Benfica will meet Eintracht Frankfurt, who eliminated European meeting, while Cristiano Ronaldo’s UEFA also drew the semi-finals on Friday, Inter Milan with a 1-0 win at San Siro. Juventus meet Ajax Amsterdam, who are meaning the winners of the Barcelona v United Arsenal were initially drawn at home in the second leg against back in the last eight after a 16-year absence. will face either Liverpool or Porto in the last Napoli but the order was reversed by UEFA to avoid a clash with Liverpool, the fourth English represent- four. Jurgen Klopp’s side, fresh from knocking Chelsea, who host Slavia in the return of their tie in London. ative, will face Porto in a repeat of last year’s out Bayern Munich in the last 16, will be con- Arsenal or Napoli will meet Villarreal or Valencia in the semi-fi- last 16 tie which they won 5-0 on aggregate. fident of beating the Portuguese champions nals while Benfica or Eintracht play Slavia or Chelsea. The semi-final pairings were also made after defeating them 5-0 on aggregate in the (Source: Reuters) with Tottenham or City to face Ajax or Ju- last 16 on their way to the final last season. ventus and Manchester United or Barcelona Liverpool will host two-time European to meet either Liverpool or Porto. Cup winners Porto at Anfield in the first leg The draw had an unusual feel with nei- before heading to the Estadio do Dragao in ther Bayern Munich nor Real Madrid in the the return on April 16 or 17. Japan swim king Hagino hat, the first time both European giants have There is guaranteed to be one English loses mojo, sparking Olympic failed to reach the last eight since 2005-06. team in the semi-finals after Tottenham and Barcelona, who are in the last eight for the rector Pavel Nedved. “I liked them a lot against succession, as Ajax’s reward for eliminating City were paired together, with the first leg fears 12th successive season, will be away in the first Madrid so we will have to be very careful. We the holders Real Madrid is a two-legged tie to be played in London. leg after UEFA switched the order to avoid will have to face Ajax with great commitment: against Cristiano Ronaldo and Juventus. With Pep Guardiola’s team top of the I expect two great games.” English hopes are high that this could be Olympic swim champion Kosuke Hagino said Friday he has pulled United’s home match clashing with Manchester Premier League, 13 points ahead of Spurs Remarkably, Juventus are unbeaten in their year in Europe’s elite club competition out of next month’s Japanese championships, blaming a lack of City, who host Spurs in their second leg. in third, City will be the favourites to ad- their last ten meetings with Ajax, winning after all four of their representatives made hunger and triggering concerns about his appetite for Tokyo 2020. Ajax, once a major European power who vance to their first semi-final since 2016. five of the last six. it through to the last eight. The 24-year-old was Japan’s best hope for a swimming gold struggle to compete financially with clubs City have also won their last three meetings Solskjaer goes back to Camp Nou However, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s United medal next year alongside Olympic poster girl Rikako Ikee, who from bigger leagues, ousted Real Madrid in with Mauricio Pochettino’s team. Manchester United will face Barcelona in will have their work cut out if they are to go was diagnosed with leukaemia last month. the last 16 and their tie against Juventus will The draw means there will be three clashes the Champions League quarter-finals while any further as they take on the Barcelona of “I’ve been unable to achieve the results I had hoped for since be a repeat of the 1996 final, which the Serie between the sides in 10 days -- they are also Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur Lionel Messi in the headline tie. the 2017 season,” Hagino said in a statement. A club won on penalties. due to meet in the Premier League at the clash in an all-Premier League tie following With City and United not allowed to play “As the gap between my targets and reality has widened, it They also met in the final of the old European Etihad Stadium on April 20. Friday’s draw. their home leg in the same week, United will has become harder for me to maintain my motivation.” Cup in 1973 with the Dutch side winning 1-0. The winner of that tie will host either Ajax Liverpool were drawn to play FC Porto in entertain the leaders of La Liga at Old Trafford The former Asian champion has struggled with form since “I’m neither happy nor sad. Ajax eliminated or Juventus in the first leg of the semi-finals. the knockout rounds for the second year in on April 9 or 10, with the return a week later. capturing gold in the men’s 400 metres individual medley at Madrid so they are no joke,” said Juventus di- (Staff & Agency) the 2016 Rio Olympics. Japan coach Norimasa Hirai admitted that Hagino was in no shape to contest the nationals in Tokyo after skipping another Man City face FIFA transfer ban: report Three newcomers in Germany squad as local meet last month. “In his current condition it would be really hard,” Hirai told Japanese media. overhaul continues “He’s not in very good spirits. He needs to rest and when he decides to comes back, he needs to start swimming for himself.” Hagino shot to fame by scooping four gold medals at the 2014 Asian Games, including a stunning upset over Chinese giant Sun Yang in the 200m freestyle. He stormed to victory in his pet 400m individual medley in Rio and added a silver behind Michael Phelps in the 200m. But Hagino has lost his mojo since, his alarming slump in form coinciding with American Chase Kalisz’s emergence as the world’s premier medley swimmer and the hot favourite for gold at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. “The ball is in his court,” shrugged Hirai, asked when he thought Hagino would return. (Source: AFP)

Proposed 2021 F1 rules to be presented to teams this month Manchester City will be banned by FIFA Nordsjaelland and the Right To Dream Germany coach Joachim Loew on Friday unexpected and forced international retire- from making signings in the next two football academy in Ghana that is also called up three newcomers to his squad ment, with Mueller and Hummels saying Formula One and the governing FIA will present teams with a transfer windows after they broke rules owned by the Danish side’s president, for this month’s internationals, saying his they would continue fighting for places in ‘global package’ of proposed rules for the 2021 season at a meeting related to the protection of youth players Tom Vernon. team overhaul was ongoing after a disap- the team. “These are not decisions taken in London on March 26, FIA president Jean Todt said on Friday. and third-party ownership, according to Last year, two players from the academy, pointing 2018. from one day to the next,” Loew said. “It The sport is set for major change when the current commercial a report in the Sun newspaper. Sierra Leone’s George Davies and Ghanaian Lukas Klostermann, Niklas Stark and was a process where changes would happen. agreements expire at the end of 2020 as rights holders Liber- The club are already being investigated Dominic Oduro, told Danish newspaper Maximilian Eggestein were included in a I told them I am not planning with them ty Medias seek to create a more level playing field and more by the Football Association and Premier Jyllands-Posten that they signed for City 23-man squad for a friendly international for the Euro qualifiers and Euro 2020.” competitive racing. Todt told reporters ahead of Sunday’s sea- League over allegations related to youth and played in youth matches before they against Serbia on March 20 and the Euro “For me personally the most impor- son-opening Australian Grand Prix that the various proposals transfers and financial fair play rules. turned 18. 2020 qualifier against Netherlands in tant thing was that I inform the players would be presented at a meeting of the F1 Strategy Group before European football’s governing body Both have since left City -- Davies now Amsterdam four days later. personally.” the Bahrain Grand Prix. UEFA is also looking into potential breaches plays in Latvia and Oduro in the United “We have young players to give respon- He said his young German team would The Group includes six teams as voting members — Mercedes, of financial fair play, an investigation that States -- but FIFA has been investigating sibility and see how they handle it,” Loew now look to recover their dominance dur- Ferrari, Red Bull, McLaren, Williams and Renault — with the could result in City being banned from the their time with the English club. told a news conference. “We have the players ing matches while also increasing speed remaining four able to attend as observers. Champions League. And that investigation was broadened who can grow into these roles.” and efficiency in the last third of the pitch. The package will include the commercial side relating to dis- A transfer ban for the Premier League later in 2018 when a second Danish news- Loew last week announced he would “Possession, dominance will continue. tribution of revenues and a planned cost cap, along with proposed champions would come less than a month paper, Politiken, published a story that no longer call up 2014 world champions Possession football is certainly not dead, regulations on engines and chassis and on future governance. after Chelsea were hit with the same sanction said City had a secret deal with Vernon Jerome Boateng, Mats Hummels and look at Manchester City or Barcelona,” Loew Todt said the engine regulations had already been sent to for 29 breaches of article 19 of FIFA’s regu- to have first refusal on the best prospects Thomas Mueller, after Germany’s shock said. “We need to be more focussed and teams while the cost control initiative was “quite well advanced”. lations on the transfer and status of players. from Right to Dream. 2018 World Cup first-round exit and their efficiency... and faster in attack.” “These are all the different chapters that we are working on The west London club have already If true, that would be a breach of the Nations League relegation late last year. Loew also gave Neuer his backing, saying and we should be in a position to have a finalised package to lodged an appeal against that punishment rules preventing the third-party ownership He said the decision was a necessary the keeper, who has been far from convincing discuss with the teams on March 26,” said Todt. but were told by world governing body FIFA of players, as City could be argued to have one as Germany, World Cup winners in this season and was to blame for Liverpool’s If approved by the Strategy Group, the rules will be voted on by last week that the sanction would not be undue influence over another club’s players. 2014, looked to change their playing style. first goal in their 3-1 win at Bayern in the the FIA’s Formula One commission, which includes all the teams. frozen while the case is being reviewed, Neither FIFA nor City were available Only captain Manuel Neuer, Toni Kroos Champions League on Wednesday, would Formula One chairman Chase Carey, appearing with Todt at as Chelsea had hoped. for comment on Thursday. and Matthias Ginter were also part of the remain his number one choice ahead of Bar- a joint news conference, said “good headway” had been made FIFA has been investigating City’s City have welcomed the UEFA investi- 2014 World Cup squad. celona’s Marc-Andre ter Stegen. but expected plenty of debate. The top three teams, who have international transfers for several years, gation into allegations that the club tried to “A new cycle is starting with the Euro “Neuer is currently our number one. This the biggest budgets, have expressed concerns about the cost cap although the club were cleared of breaking circumvent financial fair play regulations, 2020 qualifiers and given last year’s results year we have almost exclusively qualifiers. while Ferrari, who have special historical privileges, are reluctant the rules when they signed Benjamin Garre and Blues boss Pep Guardiola said on the changes are necessary,” Loew said. Ter Stegen will get his chances and then we to see their share of the revenue pot reduced. from Velez Sarsfield in 2016 just after the issue last week: “I said last season I trust a “After the end of the Nations League will see what happens,” Loew said. (Source: Mirror) Argentine midfielder’s 16th birthday. lot what the club has done because I know we thought about how the team should “Neuer knows he has to deliver per- According to the Sun report, FIFA be- them. Hopefully they can solve it as soon play in the next qualifiers, how it should formances. But for the moment he is our lieves City have crossed the line, though, as possible.” look in 2020.” number one.” in regards to their relationship with FC (Source: AFP) The Bayern trio were irritated by their (Source: Reuters) Zidane: I would love to coach Mbappe European clubs say will boycott FIFA’s Club World Cup Zinedine Zidane has said he would love to coach Paris Saint-Ger- main star Kylian Mbappe one day. Europe’s top clubs say they will boycott FIFA’s proposed ganisation’s board, including officials of Manchester United, ‘CONTRACTUAL COMMITMENTS’ Zidane, returning to the Bernabeu for a second spell in charge new Club World Cup, leaving FIFA president Gianni In- Barcelona and Ajax Amsterdam, made clear the opposition. The letter also referenced a 2015 agreement between of the team, stressed that his job was to finish the season well fantino’s latest plans in serious doubt and risking a major The letter, sections of which were published in the Ger- FIFA and the ECA and said that any decision which was before moving on to transfer plans. split in the world game. man newspaper Suddeutsche Zeitung says they are “firmly against their wishes would “not be in accordance” with it. Asked whether he would like to coach France international Infantino had hoped to get backing this week for creating against any approval of a revised Club World Cup at this The agreement stated that “any changes to the International Mbappe at some point, Zidane said: “Like with all good players, two new, potentially money-spinning, tournaments — a new point in time and confirm that no ECA clubs would take Match Calendar... will require explicit consent from ECA.” I would love to.” worldwide Nations League for national teams and a fresh part to such a competition”. The letter said: “We are therefore certain that FIFA will However, he said he had not asked Madrid president Flor- 24-team Club World Cup to start with a ‘pilot’ edition in 2021. The ECA represents 232 European clubs, including all honour its contractual commitments and we reserve all entino Perez to sign Mbappe, adding: “No, not at all. It’s not the However, even before Friday’s meeting of the ruling the leading teams who would be expected to feature in a rights in this regard.” moment to talk about this.” FIFA Council, Infantino was forced to drop the Nations Club World Cup. FIFA did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Zidane’s return to the Bernabeu was confirmed on Monday, League plan after his own task force found there was no The ECA says a decision on potential new competitions Infantino is expected to hold a news conference following when Perez suggested that Mbappe being a compatriot of the consensus for such a tournament and a lack of space in the can only be made as part of an agreed framework for the the council meeting on Friday. coach might convince him to come to the Bernabeu, and also international calendar. international match calendar post-2024. The Club World Cup is currently an annual seven-team indicated that he would like to sign PSG’s Neymar. Infantino still wants to move ahead with his plans for a A spokesperson for the ECA declined to comment on tournament which attracts minimal interest in Europe — the But the coach said he would not be drawn on potential plans, ‘pilot edition’ of a 24-team Club World Cup, with the council the content of the letter but told Reuters that they would be centre of the football business. adding: “I am not going to talk about this as the season is still expected to allow the idea to move forward ahead of June’s meeting later this month to discuss the situation. UEFA, European football’s governing body, is unlikely ongoing. FIFA Congress which would be asked to endorse the plan. “We are following developments around the FIFA Coun- to fight Infantino’s plans at Friday’s council, with the pro- “We know the quality of the two players, but I am just interested But a letter to UEFA and Infantino from the European cil closely. Any decision impacting our members will be posal expected to be passed on to a further meeting ahead in tomorrow’s game [at home to Celta Vigo] -- nothing else.” Club Association (ECA) head Andrea Agnelli, chairman of discussed and assessed in detail at our upcoming board of June’s congress. (Source: ESPN) Italian side Juventus, and signed by 15 members of the or- meeting to be held on 26th March,” they said. (Source: Eurosport) I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y MARCH 16, 2019 SPORTS 15

Tractor Sazi Hassan Tabatabaei elected as Iran’s Karate Federation new move top of Iran president SPORTS TEHRAN — Hassan Tabatabaei has been deskelected as new president of Iran’s Karate Federation on Thursday. He has been elected for a four-year term till 2023 by re- football league ceiving 36 votes out of 41 votes in the presidential elections held at the Iran’s Academy Olympic. SPORTS TEHRAN — A 1-0 win the back of the Foolad’s net from the pen- Tabatabaei replaced Sadegh Faraji who left his post due deskover Padideh in Tabriz’s alty spot in the 69th minute but Hassan to a law barring the employment of retirees in government, Yadegar-e Emam Stadium, sent Tractor Sazi Beyt Saeed’s shot into the area leveled the state or public institutions which use state funds or facilities. top of Iran Professional League (IPL) table. score in the 81st minute. Karate will be included for the first time in the Tokyo 2020 On Thursday, Tractor Sazi edged past “Football punished us today because Olympic Games as an additional discipline. favorites Padideh thanks to the Anthony we missed so many chances. Of course, The Iranian athletes have a great potential of winning Stokes’s first half header. Foolad had also opportunities to score. medal in this sport. Georges Leekens’s team now sit top of We are a team that the Foolad’s fans are the table for the first time in the current happy with a draw against us at their season with 43 points. home and it’s satisfying,” Sepahan coach Sepahan could leapfrog Tractor Sazi on Amir Ghalenoei said in the post-match his team so far. against us,” Faghani said. Chemidor win FIBA Asia Friday but the team were held by Foolad news conference. “I will not forgive four referees including On Saturday, Persepolis will meet strug- in Ahvaz at the Foolad Arena. He also criticized the Iranian referees, Alireza Faghani. We could have been top gling Sepidrood in Rasht, while Esteghlal Champions Cup WABA Brazilian forward Kiros Stanley found saying their decisions have gone against of the table if the decisions had not gone host Nassaji in Tehran’s Azadi Stadium. Qualifiers

Iranian duo win two bronzes at 2019 Herve Renard candidate for next coach TASNIM — Chemidor of Iran claimed the title of the FIBA Asia Champions Cup WABA Qualifiers 2019 on Thursday. Asian Youth Athletics Championships of Iran: Report The Iranian representative defeated Naft Baghdad 66-58 in its last match and claimed the title. Another Iranian team Petrochimi, who had won the pre- vious edition, became runners-up. Naft Baghdad finished in third place and Syria’s Al Jaych and Qalandia from Palestine came fourth and fifth respectively. This was a monumental tournament for the Iraq capi- tal, because the city hosted its first major basketball event since 1988.

Iran futsal remain third in world ranking

IRNA — Iran national futsal team remained third in the latest ranking released by Futsal World Ranking on Thursday. The Iranian team sit third with 1663 points. SPORTS TEHRAN — Fatemeh the hammer throw event with a throw SPORTS TEHRAN — Moroccan be played in Egypt from June 21 to July 19. Brazil and Spain are first and second with 1901 and 1781 deskSima Shadkam and Sa- of 65.85 m. deskcurrent coach Herve Re- Team Melli are without a coach since points, respectively. hand Nouri both won bronze medals for Indian Vipin Kumar claimed the gold nard has reportedly reached an agreement parting company with Carlos Queiroz in Iran national futsal team prepare for the 2020 AFC Futsal Iran at the 2019 Asian Youth Athletics medal with 69.63 m and Fan Yanfeng from with Iran football federation to take charge late January. Championship Qualifiers and also 2020 FIFA Futsal World Cup. Championships. China stood second with 66.64 m. of Team Melli. Iran didn’t extend the Portuguese Iran finished third at the FIFA Futsal World Cup Colombia Shadkam stood third at the 2000 me- The 2019 Asian Youth Athletics Champi- The sources close to Iran football feder- coach’s contract after he failed to bring an 2016 after a 4-3 penalty shootout win over Portugal following ters steeplechase with a time of 7:32.53. onships are the third edition of the biennial, ation president Mehdi Taj say the 50-year- end to Team Melli’s 43-year title drought a 2-2 draw. Japanese Yuzuki Murakami won the continental athletics competition for Asian old French coach will be introduced as new in the AFC Asian Cup. gold medal with 7:06.53 and the silver athletes aged 15 to 17. head coach of Team Melli. Renard attended the 2019 AFC Asian medal went to Kazakhstan’s Vassilissa The competitions are being held at the Renard has recently announced the list Cup in the UAE in January, fueling spec- Fakhrutdinova who clocked 7:22.88. Tseung Kwan O Sports Ground in Hong of Morocco national football team for the ulation that he will continue his work in Azmoun is showing why he Nouri also seized a bronze medal at Kong from 15 to 17 March. 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, scheduled to an Asian football team. should’ve been Celtic’s record Alireza Jahanbakhsh loved the derby. Now bring on the FA Cup signing Alireza Jahanbakhsh, the man who – via our back page – didn’t play, who came in all, the staff, everyone worked “It was a double feeling. On the one side, we needed three Celtic tried and failed to lure Sardar Azmoun to the Scot- called for cool heads at Selhurst Park, has lived through and hard to get three points.” points, on one side winning against Palace gives you a really tish Premiership and now he’s playing in Russia for Zenit triumphed in a highly-charged derby with Albion. Asked whether the Palace game and a highly-charged good feeling. Both league and cup are really important to us. We St Petersburg. And he reckons a case of “same again” can get the Sea- quarter-final can be compared to something like Iran v know it is going to be another difficult game away from home. It is almost a year now since Sardar Azmoun was tipped gulls through their next test of temperament, at Millwall Iraq, Jahanbakhsh referred to the responsibility players “But the most important thing is we just continue the to become Celtic’s new record signing. on Sunday. feel towards those cheering them on. same performance level, winning the games, get back to a According to The Sunday People. the Scottish Premier- Albion go into the Lions’ den for an FA Cup quarter-final He added: “It is kind of the same game because it is good shape, get back to basics, which we always try to do. ship champions were hoping buoyed by 2-1 success at Crystal Palace which completed important for the people. You know if you win the game Playing in a semi-final and going further would be great.” to lure the so-called ‘Iranian a derby double. you give a really good feeling to the people. It is incredible Jahanbakhsh has had some testing times but is back Messi’ to Glasgow despite As a star player for Iran, Jahanbakhsh knows all about to win such a game. on a high with four starts in the last six games, including interest from the likes of carrying the hopes of a nation. Not least when his country “I have played in many games like this before and I know both of the last two. Everton, Wolves and Fulham. take on Iraq, as happened recently in the Asian Cup. how it feels afterwards between the fans.” His many fans in Iran and those who supported him at With a £10 million price There is a huge responsibility involved and the hope is Palace fans were loud at times on Saturday. But they last season at AZ Alkmaar follow his fortunes closely and tag, Azmoun would have been to make as many people around you as happy as possible. were not at their best by any means and that had a lot to are just waiting for him to explode as a Premier League star. the most expensive player in Which means Jahanbakhsh has been well prepared for the do with what was going on in front of them. Some of that They will love the fact Albion have won seven of the eight Celtic’s history. And on current last couple of weeks, in the run-up to a derby at Crystal was their own failings. games he has started in league and cup, the exception coming form, it looks like he would Palace and now only the fourth FA Cup quarter-final of The time when Palace really could have got on a roll came at Everton. A first goal would be rapturously welcomed. have been worth every penny. the club’s history. after their penalty equalizer but a lot of passes went astray He dipped a shot inches over at Palace and went even Despite continued links He sensed a different feel ahead of the trip to Selhurst at key times, which killed their momentum. closer the previous week when he hit the bar with Hud- with a move to British shores, Park, which resulted in a 2-1 win. That left him braced for But Albion also took a lot of the credit for the way they dersfield goalkeeper Jonas Lossl well beaten. How timely Azmoun swapped one Russian growing excitement this week as the Millwall trip looms. were organized and disciplined, offering no real chances would a goal against the Terriers have been? club for another in January. Jahanbakhsh, back as first choice out wide in Albion’s once the hosts had drawn level. Jahanbakhsh was back at Alkmaar the following afternoon He left Rubin Kazan to join the giants of Zenit St Petersburg league XI, told The Argus: “It was amazing (at Palace). We Selhurst Park went unusually quiet once Anthony Knoc- as VIP guest for the 4-2 win at home to Fortuna Sittard. for a fee of £10.5 million, according to L’Equipe. needed the points to get higher and higher. kaert had restored Albion’s lead, right up until added time. It was his official farewell to the club for whom he scored And now he is in the form of his life. Azmoun has scored “Even the couple of days before the game, there was a lot Still, it was pretty lively to start with, especially for a 21 league goals last term. five times in his last four games for Zenit, including a clinical of talk about just how important that game was and if we 12.30pm kick-off. The talk afterwards was of how Millwall He said: “They always welcome me and it was a good double in a Europa League victory against Fenerbahce. could win for the second time this season it would be great. could be something similar. feeling to see my old team-mates, coaches, everyone there. I Blessed with a ruthless finish and a terrific leap, Azmoun “Away from home every game is tough, especially at Jahanbakhsh said: “Everyone has been saying it will always had a good feeling, being there with my team-mates. looks more like a young Cristiano Ronaldo than Lionel Messi such a stadium – really compact, Palace fans really loud. be quite the same. “That is the feeling I get right now at Brighton and it is right now. But everyone did a great job. When you are out in the street, “This felt a little bit nicer because it is three league points, just getting better and better every single game. Hopefully And with Celtic’s strikers enduring rather mixed sea- on social media, everywhere, people showed us how im- winning, this gives you a better feeling which is hard to explain. I can just perform better for the club. They are following sons, Odsonne Edouard struggling to convince while Leigh portant this game is. “We know how important it was for the players, for the what I am doing and how the team is doing. Griffiths remains absent, it is tempting to wonder whether “Everyone worked hard – the players who played, who fans and for the club. (Source: The Argus) Azmoun would have been worthy of becoming the club’s first ever eight-figure signing. Iran knocked out of AFC Beach Soccer Championship (Source: HITC) Japan came from two goals down to secure from a free-kick after being fouled by Naoya Iran head coach Marco Octavio intro- a place in the AFC Beach Soccer Champion- Matsuo in the ninth minute. duced shot-stopper Peyman Hosseini Sousa takes charge of Bahrain ship Thailand 2019 semi-finals, after earn- Iran extended their lead in the very next into the action for the first time, and he ing a stunning 3-2 extra time win against minute, with a wild bounce off the sand ren- made a superb save to deny Ozu Moreira’s defending champions Islamic Republic of dering goalkeeper Shingo Terukina helpless, free-kick just after Mirshekari thundered Portuguese Helio Sousa will replace Miroslav Soukup as the Iran on Thursday. and allowing Mohammad Moradi to make it a sensational bicycle kick into the crossbar new head coach, the Bahrain Football Association (BFA) an- A 38th minute free-kick from Takuya 2-0, with only the upright stopping Moradi with just six minutes to go. nounced on Thursday. Akaguma decided what was a sensational, from adding a third goal before the first break. It was frenetic, dramatic and superbly The appointment was confirmed by BFA on social media, see-sawing match, after the Continental But just when Ruy Ramos’ Japan looked to entertaining action, as both sides fought to stating its President H.E. Shaikh Ali bin Khalifa Al Khalifa’s heavyweights were locked at 2-2 at the end be heading for a second successive scoreless stay in the competition, with Japan producing approval of Sousa to take over the national team. of regulation time. period, Shusei Yamauchi popped up to force the vast majority of late attacks as the match “The Chairman of the Bahrain Football Federation (BFA), The loss comes as a crushing blow to Iran, home his seventh goal of the tournament, went into extra-time. Chairman of the National Teams Committee, Shaikh Ali bin who will miss the FIFA Beach Soccer World and have the East Asians back to a one-goal The late Japanese dominance continued and we weren’t calm. After Iran’s first goal, Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, met with Portuguese coach Cup after having qualified for seven of the last deficit in the 21st minute. into extra time, and it paid dividends when the players started to rush, which made it Helio Souza. It was agreed that Helio Souza will be coach of the eight editions, and finishing third in 2017. Okuyama was unlucky not to square the Akaguma steered home a free-kick in the more difficult. We thought we’d play Iran national football team for the coming period,” the BFA said. Fans had been anticipating a match to ledger in the final minute of the period, but his 38th minute to give them the lead for the after we’d booked our ticket to the World Soukup, who led Bahrain to the Round of 16 at the AFC remember between the two Asian giants, and acrobatic bicycle kick crashed into the upright first time in the match, sealing a priceless Cup, and the players were nervous against Asian Cup UAE 2019, was out of contract following the Czech’s it certainly began in memorable style, with instead of the net to leave the make-or-break tie and unforgettable win for the East Asians. such a tough opponent.” role after the Continental tournament concluded last month. Masanori Okuyama stealing the ball from tantalizingly poised at 2-1 with 12 minutes to play. ---Ruy Ramos, Japan head coach Marco Octavio, IR Iran head coach The 50-year-old Sousa coached the Portugal U-19 national Iranian goalkeeper Hamid Behzadpour in Japan had one period to keep their World “We knew it was going to be a difficult “This is a match that could have been the team, and helped them win the UEFA European U-19 Cham- the first passage of play of the game, only to Cup qualification streak alive, and they took game. As we analyzed their team, we knew match for the final. These are technically the pionship in 2018. miss the empty net that awaited. just two final period minutes to draw level, they had a suspended player and some inju- best teams of Asia. I have to say congratula- He also steered Portugal to the UEFA European U-17 It was a missed opportunity that Japan this time through Akaguma, who found space ries, and for both of us, it wasn’t ever going tions to the Japanese team, and I want to say Championship title in 2016. Sousa’s first assignment will be would come to rue, particularly when Mahdi at the back post to score with a header despite to be an easy game. We made it difficult for thank you very much to my brave players.” the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2022 qualifying stage. Shirmohammadi blasted in the opening goal a solid touch from Behzadpour. ourselves at the start. We made many mistakes (Source: the-afc) (Source: AFP) Prayer Times Noon:12:13 Evening: 18:30 Dawn: 4:50 (tomorrow) Sunrise: 6:13 (tomorrow) MARCH 16, 2019 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 Editor-in-Chief: Mohammad Ghaderi Actor Mohammad-Ali Keshavarz writes Editorial Dept.: Fax: (+98 21) 88808214 — 88808895 [email protected] Switchboard Operator: Tel: (+98 21) 43051000 Advertisements Dept.: Telefax: (+98 21) 43051450 statement for National Dramatic Arts Day Public Relations Office: Tel: (+98 21) 88805807 Subscription & Distribution Dept.: Tel: (+98 21) 43051603 www.eshterak.ir Distributor: Padideh Novin Co. ARTTEHRAN – Mohammad- Tel: 88911433 deskAli Keshavarz, an actor Webmaster: [email protected] from Iran’s early golden generation of Printed at: Hamshahri No. 3 - ISSN: 1017-94 such stage and screen artists as Ezzatollah Entezami, Ali Nasirian, Jamshid Mashayekhi Tehrantimes79 Tehrantimesdaily and Davud Rashidi has issued the statement for this year’s National Dramatic Arts Day. No. 18, Bimeh Alley, Nejatollahi St., Tehran, Iran P.o. Box: 14155-4843 The director of Iran’s Dramatic Arts Zip Code: 1599814713 Center, Shahram Karami, and the director of the Iranian Association of Dramatic Arts, Hamid Nili, met Keshavarz at his home in Tehran last Wednesday to receive the statement, the Dramatic Arts Center announced on Thursday. “As quickly as the time is passing, we have realized how much we need your presence, energy, smiles and advice,” Karami told Keshavarz at the meeting. “Your generation has enriched our GUIDE TO dramatic arts so much and given them an SPIRITUAL AWAKENING identity, and this structure stands based on the strong foundation that you laid,” He who opposes right, fails. he added. “It’s a great honor that you have written Imam Ali (AS) the statement for this year’s National Dramatic Arts Day,” Karami noted. Iran will celebrate the National Dramatic WHAT’S IN ART GALLERIES Arts Day simultaneously with World Theater Painting Day on March 27. The Dramatic Arts Center An exhibition of paintings asks a veteran stage artist every year to issue by Farid Jahangir is underway at the statement of the National Dramatic Arts Iranshahr Gallery. Day. The exhibition will be running “We should regard this occasion as an until April 9 at the gallery located at omen of good fortune since it helps people get 69 Sepand St., off Karim Khan Ave. closer to theater,” 88-year-old Keshavarz said. Paintings by a large number He has played roles in numerous memorable movies including “Mother”, Actor Mohammad-Ali Keshavarz (C) signs a poster for the National Dramatic Arts Day at his home in Tehran during a meeting with of Iranian artists, including Farideh Dramatic Arts Center, director Shahram Karami (L) and Iranian Association of Dramatic Arts director Hamid Nili on March 13, 2019. Lashai, Jalal Shabahangi, Hossein “Kamalolmolk” and “Delshodegan” by Ali Mahjubi, Manuchehr Niazi and Beh- Hatami, as well as “Through the Olive Trees” series such as “Sarbedaran” and “Hezar- community,” Keshavarz said. culture. jat Sadr, are on view in an exhibition by Abbas Kiarostami and “Once Upon a Dastan”. He also asked the younger generation Keshavarz also autographed a poster for at the Iranian Art Museum Garden. Time, Cinema” by Mohsen Makhmalbaf. “Having dignity is my first advice to of stage artists to read as well, so as to raise the National Dramatic Arts Day at the end The exhibit entitled “From the He has also acted in several popular TV the younger people who join the theatrical their knowledge of Persian literature and of the meeting. Nature 2” will run until April 4 at the museum located at Dr. Hesabi St., Fayyazi St., Vali-e Asr Ave.

Sculpture Leila Hosseini selected for jury of Belgian doc festival An exhibition of sculptures by ARTTEHRAN – Iranian film scholar Nina Toussaint, Dan Cukier, Freddy Sartor and Yves Tara Ravasi and Mahmud Shahruz deskLeila Hosseini has been selected for Calbert are the other members of the panel. is underway at Ordibehesht Gallery. the international competition jury of the Millenium A number of documentaries by Iranian filmmakers The exhibit titled “Pottery” will International Documentary Film Festival, which will will also be screened in various sections of the event. continue until April 1 at the gallery be held in Brussels, Belgium from March 22 to 30. Reza Farahmand’s acclaimed film “Women with located at No. 7, 2nd Alley, Seif St. in She has been working for the international section of Gunpowder Earrings” will go on screen in the international the Shahrak-e Gharb neighborhood. Iran’s Documentary and Experimental Film Center (DEFC) competition. since 2001 and is a translator of several film scripts. The film is about Nur, a female journalist who covers Illustration She is a festival programmer for DEFC’s Cinéma Vérité stories about Syrian and Iraqi women and children in An exhibition of illustrations international documentary film festival. the war against the ISIS terrorists. by a large group of artists, including The jury is also composed of Balkan Documentary “Light, Shade, Life” by Shahriar Purseyyedian, Kambiz Derambakhsh, Qobad Shiva, Center director Martichka Bozhilova and Millenium “#Expression” by Belal Taheri and “HE” by Sam Kalantari Majid Baluch, Alireza Vakili and Ki- festival senior advisor Antonio Vigilante. Iranian film scholar Leila Hosseini. will be screened in the New Perspectives section. arash Zandi, is currently underway at Dena Gallery. The exhibit named “Postal” will be running until March 20 at the gallery, which can be found at 4 “Triumph”, “Water Lilies of Monet” Sussan Alley off Qarani St.

Multimedia picked for Fajr Docs in Focus Paintings, photos and sculp- ARTTEHRAN – “Triumph” and “Water Lilies Produced in 2017, the documentary shows the history of tures by Nastaran Safai, Ailar Shah- deskof Monet - the Magic of Water and Light” political tensions, war and genocide following the Albanian bazi and Dadbeh Basir are on display will go on screen in Docs in Focus, a section dedicated to National Team to their first EURO cup appearance. in an exhibition at Aran Gallery. documentary cinema, at the 37th Fajr International Film “Water Lilies of Monet” directed by Giovanni Troilo from The exhibit named “Urban Cha- Festival, the organizers announced on Friday. Italy provides a deep insight into the works and personal os” runs until April 8 at the gallery Co-directed by Kreshnik Jonuzi, Luftar Von Rama and obsessions of the genius of Impressionism, Claude Monet. that can be found at 5 Lolagar St., Charlie Askew, “Triumph” centers on the football match The 2018 film focuses on Monet’s “Water Lilies”, a series Neauphle-le-Château St. between the Albanian and Serbian national teams during of approximately 250 oil paintings. Works by a large number of the EURO cup in 2014, which ended abruptly when Serbian The 37th Fajr International Film Festival will be held in This combination photo shows posters for “Triumph” (L) artists in various media are on dis- fans attacked Albanian players in the middle of the match. Tehran from April 18 to 26. and “Water Lilies of Monet - the Magic of Water and Light”. play in an exhibition at Ace Gallery. The exhibition will run until April 5 at the gallery located at 1831 Shariati Ave. near the Qeitarieh Zadie Smith, Anna Burns among Filmmaker Almodovar walks Cruz, Banderas neighborhood. Artworks in various media by winners of critics prizes down memory lane in “Pain and Glory” a large number of renowned artists, NEW YORK (AP) — Anna Burns’ MADRID (Reuters) — Oscar-winning including Works by Ardeshir Mo- “Milkman,” her Booker Prize-winning Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodovar pre- hasses, Aidin Aghdashlu, Kambiz novel about an 18-year-old girl during “The miered his retrospective drama “Pain and Derambakhsh, Hanibal Alkhas, Troubles” in Northern Ireland, has been Glory” in Madrid on Wednesday, reuniting Manuchehr Niazi, Sahar Alizadeh, awarded the National Book Critics Circle actors Penelope Cruz and Antonio Banderas, are on display in an exhibition at prize for fiction. Zadie Smith, best known who had risen to Hollywood stardom after Negar Gallery. for such novels as “White Teeth” and “On starting in his movies. The exhibition will run until Beauty,” received the criticism award for The autobiographical narrative, where March 19 at the gallery located at her essay collection “Feel Free.” Banderas plays Almodovar’s present-day 33 Delaram Alley, Roshanai St. in Steve Coll was the nonfiction winner for tormented alter ego, and Cruz his mother the Qeitarieh neighborhood. “Directorate S: The C.I.A. and America’s at the time of his youth, wraps up a trilogy secret wars in Afghanistan and Pakistan,” which includes the 1987 “Law of Desire” Director Pedro Almodovar and actor An- his sequel to the Pulitzer Prize-winning In this Oct. 16, 2018 file photo, author Anna and 2004 “Bad Education”. “Ghost Wars.” Nora Krug’s “Belonging: A The 69-year-old screenwriter and direc- tonio Banderas pose during the premiere Book on Iran’s Burns smiles after being presented with of their latest film “Pain and Glory” in German Reckons With History and Home” the Man Booker Prize for Fiction 2018 tor, whose films often use nonlinear plots received the award for autobiography. and feature gay and transsexual characters, Madrid, Spain, March 13, 2019. (Reuters/ post-revolution cinema for “Milkman,” during the prize’s 50th Sergio Perez) Others winners Thursday night included year at the Guildhall in London. Burns’ returns to the big screen circuit after a three- published in Istanbul Ada Limón’s “The Carrying” for poetry and “Milkman” has been awarded the National year hiatus on March 22, when his 21st movie ask me what it’s like to collaborate with “Christopher Bonanos’ “Flash,” about the Book Critics Circle prize for fiction.(AP will be released in Spain. Pedro and what they have to do to work CULTURE TEHRAN – “Iranian Cinema”, a study photographer Weegee, for biography. Photo/Frank Augstein, File) European and U.S. release dates are yet with him, and I always tell them the same deskabout Iran’s post-revolution cinema, has All the winners but Burns, a resident of to be confirmed, Almodovar’s El Deseo pro- thing: learn Spanish,” said Cruz, who in recently been published by the United Kingdom, were in attendance Honorary prizes were presented to NPR duction company told Reuters. 2006 became the first Spanish actress to be Seyyah Publications in Istanbul, Thursday night at the New School in critic Maureen Corrigan and the Latino “It was a relief, but it is a dangerous thing nominated for an Oscar in the Best Actress Turkey. Manhattan. The acceptance speeches were publisher Arte Publico, which helped to play with your own life and turn it into category for her role in Almodovar’s 2006 Written by Turkish cinema expressions of gratitude for everyone from launch the career of Sandra Cisneros and fiction” Almodovar said of making the film drama “Volver”. expert and researcher Riza agents and editors to literary heroes and numerous other writers. Tommy Orange’s while standing on the red carpet before the Three years later she won the Best Sup- Oylum, the book has shed light mentors, and the general theme was one of novel “There There” was named winner screening. porting Actress Oscar for her performance on the impacts of the Islamic contrasting the perceived solitude of writing of best debut book. Orange is a member Banderas, 58, and Cruz, 44, were previ- in the 2008 film Vicky Cristina Barcelona. revolution on Iranian films, with the sense of community the winners of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of ously billed together in Almodovar’s 2013 In the new film, Cruz also sings a Lola filmmakers and film festivals, felt. As Limón told the hundreds gathered, Oklahoma, and has been widely praised eccentric comedy “I’m So Excited”, which Flores piece along with Spanish Grammy the publisher has announced. she “never wrote a poem alone.” Krug, as a gifted new voice. received mixed or average reviews. award winner Rosalia, known for mixing The book will be unveiled meanwhile, recalled having a dream in which “It’s a good moment (for Native American The elegiac “Pain and Glory” focuses on traditional flamenco with urban music. during a book signing ceremony, she had fallen asleep at the ceremony, and writers) that I hope doesn’t come and go various stages in the life of a film director, “I can tell you that it has been very emo- which will be held tomorrow at woke up in time to see a “more deserving” as it has in the past,” he said. the relationship with his mother, romances, tional, it’s been almost 40 years that we’ve Front cover of “Iranian the Yapi Kredi Culture and Arts nominee get the award. The critics circle was founded in 1974 and and the emotional distress of not knowing been doing movies together,” said Banderas, Cinema” by Turkish cinema Complex in Istanbul’s Beyoglu “I’m glad to say my dreams have not includes around 800 reviewers, authors, whether he will be able to keep directing films. for whom “Pain and Glory” is his 8th col- expert Riza Oylum. district. come true,” she said. bloggers and others in the books community. “All the actresses I meet in Hollywood laboration with the filmmaker.