Araqchi says Riyadh’s Tehran, Wellington Posters on streets help Iranian producer 21012severance of ties with 4 endorse co-op document to promote environmental Manuchehr Mohammadi

NATION Tehran a ‘miscalculation’ ECONOMY on agro ties SOCIETY culture: artist ART& CULTURE wins 10th FIAPF Award

WWW.TEHRANTIMES.COM I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y Taftian takes bronze at Golden Spike 11

12 Pages Price 10,000 Rials 38th year No.12557 Monday MAY 23, 2016 Khordad 3, 1395 Sha’aban 16, 1437 Zarif urges Modi on landmark visit to Taliban more actions leader by U.S. in implementing Tehran, contracts on target killed in JCPOA POLITICAL TEHRAN — Indian Prime official two-day visit, IRNA reported. highest Indian official in 14 years. drone deskMinister Narendra Modi ar- Accordingg to Iranian Deputy Foreign Min- “Neighborhood is key to opening ties POLITICAL TEHRAN — Iranian rived in Tehran at the head of a high-ranking ister for Asia-Pacific Affairs Ebrahim Ra- with regional countries and India is no ex- deskForeign Minister economic and political team on Sunday for an himpour,himpou the visit is the first one by the ception.” 9 strike Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Sat- By staff & agencies urday that the U.S. should take more actions in removing impediments in A senior commander of the Af- banking transactions with Iran. ghan Taliban confirmed on Sun- “We have not reached what we day that the extremist group’s should have reached and more actions leader, Mullah Mohammed Akhtar should be taken by the U.S.,” Zarif said Iranian Army Mansour, has been killed in a U.S. during a joint press conference in Teh- drone strike. ran with Murray McCully, the foreign Mullah Abdul Rauf, who re- minister of New Zealand. cently reconciled with Mansour Most international economic, fi- stages military drills after initially rebelling against his nancial and energy sanctions on Iran See page 2 ascension to the leadership, told were lifted in mid-January 2016, when The Associated Press that Man- the last year’s nuclear agreement took sour died in the strike late Friday effect. “in the Afghanistan-Pakistan bor- However, foreign firms — especially der area.” European banks — have been reluc- Afghanistan’s intelligence agency tant to start or resume business in Iran confirmed Sunday that Mansour had because of the risk that they will run been killed. afoul of continued U.S. sanctions on Earlier in the day Afghan Chief Iran. Executive Abdullah Abdullah said According to the Wall Street Jour- that Mansour is “more than likely” nal, those sanctions include a ban on dead. dollar-denominated transactions. Speaking live on television as Iran has been insisting that the U.S. he chaired a Cabinet meeting, hasn’t done enough to encourage Abdullah said Mansour’s death banks to do business with Iran. Sever- would have a positive impact on al European banks paid huge fines in attempts to bring peace to Af- recent years for breaching U.S. sanc- ghanistan, where the Taliban have tions. been waging an insurgency for 15

2 Asghar Khamseh years. 3 Mehr/ Limits in Iran cinema transferring money executive, Cannes in euro lifted: Iran Iran still locked out of global financial system: central bank chief president meet

POLITICAL TEHRAN — A top EU and U.S. failing to fully comply with commitments ARTTEHRAN — Cine- deskIranian Foreign Min- deskma Organization of istry official said on Sunday that re- made under landmark nuclear deal, says Valiollah Seif Iran (COI) Director Hojjatollah Ayyu- strictions on Iran for transferring mon- bi and Cannes Film Festival President ey in euro have been removed. The governor of Iran’s central European banksnks remain ValiollahValiolla Seif told the Guard- and western officials have made Pierre Lescure have met on the side- Hamid Baeedinejad, director of bank has said obstacles stopping reluctant to handledle IrIrani-ani- ian that western governments some positive pronouncements, lines of the prestigious international the Political and International Affairs Iranian banks from rejoining the an payments despitespite re- needneed ttoo translate their words but banks need tangible reas- event. Department, said Iran is seeking re- global financial system show that cent efforts by the U.S. into actiaction,o playing a more ac- surances that they would be im- moval of all the “banking and financial the U.S. and the EU are failing to secretary of state,tate, tivetive rolero in making sure that mune from baseless allegations restrictions” against the Iranian insti- fully comply with their commit- John Kerry, to re-e- banksban are confident they [of sanctions breaches],” he said tutions and natural and legal persons. ments under the landmark nu- assure them thatt willwil not be punished for on Thursday on the sidelines of Writing on his Telegram channel, clear deal. dealing withh reestablishingre ties with the Euromoney Iran Conference Baeedinejad cited conversion of $750 Four months after the lifting Tehran is now hish country. in London. million to euro as the first installment of sanctions against Iran, big permissible. “Some movement 4 of Indian corporations’ debts to Iran as an example of removing restrictions. Iran and the 5+1 group - the United India pays part of Iran oil dues ahead of Modi visit States, Britain, France, China and Rus- sia plus Germany - finalized the text of Indian refiners have cleared part of the $6.4 through the Union Bank of India, the 400,000 barrels per day (bpd) from Iran the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Ac- billion owed to Iran for crude oil imports in sources said. in the year from April 1. But it built up a tion (JCPOA) in Vienna in July 2015. euros through Turkey’s Halkbank, three sourc- The refiners had been holding back 55 backlog of payments when Iran was under es privy to the payment said on Saturday. percent of the oil payments to Iran after the sanctions. This is the first payment to Iran by India since route to make payments through Halkbank Modi is making a first trip to Iran since Health minister the lifting of Western sanctions against the Per- was stopped in 2013, although payment of he took office in 2016, aimed at deepening Cannes Film Festival President Pierre Lescure to attend World sian Gulf nation earlier this year and came just some of those funds was allowed after an energy ties. During the visit, India will sign (R) holds a Persian calligraphy work that he ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit initial temporary deal to lift the sanctions. a contract to build and operate the port of received from COI Director Hojjatollah Ayyubi which began on Sunday. It is not yet known when the second install- Chabahar on the southern Iranian coast that Health Assembly (L) during a meeting in Cannes, France. State refiner Mangalore Refinery and ment will be paid, the sources said. is aimed at boosting connectivity with Af- SOCIETY TEHRAN — Iranian Petrochemicals Ltd paid $500 million while India is one of the biggest buyers of ghanistan and central Asia. desk “The great success of Iranian cinema Health Minister Has- Indian Oil Corp has settled $250 million Iranian crude, and is set to import at least (Source: Reuters) over the past few years has regained san Qazizadeh-Hashemi flew to Ge- the trust of the people,” Ayyubi said at neva on Sunday to attend the 69th the meeting with Lescure, the COI an- World Health Assembly which starts Jesus joins Gostaresh Foolad nounced in a press release on Saturday. working today, IRNA reported. “The people’s matchless warm re- One of the main goals pursued by the SPORTS Iranian football club Gos- role in the Esteghlal Khuzestan’s’s surprise chal- ception for Iranian films livened up the World Health Assembly is “sustainable desktaresh Foolad signed Fernan- lenge for the Iran Professional League title. cinema of the country,” he added. development”. Besides other health is- do de Jesus Ribeiro from Esteghlal Khuzestan He kept 17 clean sheets in the 2015–16 sea- He called the emergence of young, sues, the assembly will also work on HIV/ on Sunday. son, conceding 14 goals. promising Iranian filmmakers the most AIDS, viral hepatitis and sexually trans- The Brazilian 31-year-old shot stopper has Gostaresh Foolad finished in ninth place in significant current event in Iranian cin- mitted infections. Qazizadeh-Hashmei is joined Gostaresh on a one-year contract. the table, 18 points adrift of IPL champion Es- ema and added, “The humanistic view scheduled to meet with the ministers of Fernando de Jesus Ribeiro played a pivotal teghlal Khuzestan. of young Iranian filmmakers and their Switzerland, Germany, Finland, Sweden, talent and genius have earned many Austria, India, South Korea and Algeria. achievements for Iranian cinema in the The World Health Assembly is the deci- Iran won’t freeze oil output before OPEC meeting international arena.” sion-making body of the World Health He stressed Iran’s readiness to expand Organization. The main functions of the Iran, which is due to meet with OPEC sanctions were imposed on the country for program to halt the increase in production ties with Cannes and invited Lescure to World Health Assembly are to determine partners on June 2, has no plan to join its nuclear program more than four years and exports and so, the country’s plans to visit the country. The invitation was warm- the policies of the Organization, appoint any freeze in crude output as the country ago. Sanctions were eased in January, and increase crude output continues.” ly received by Lescure who praised Iran the director-general, supervise financial won’t be done ramping up oil exports to Iranian officials said they won’t discuss Iran’s oil production rose to pre-sanctions for its ancient rich civilization and culture. policies, and review and approve the pre-sanctions levels before the second half any output freeze or cut before reaching levels in April, pumping 3.56 million barrels a He called the invitation “a great op- proposed program budget. The assem- of the year, the head of the National Iranian pre-sanctions levels. day -- a rate last reached in November 2011 portunity to become familiar with the bly is held annually in Geneva. Oil Company said. “The government has no plans for the before trade restrictions were imposed, the In- unique cinema of the region and an Correction The country’s oil exports will likely sur- time being to freeze or interrupt its increase ternational Energy Agency said May 12. Exports unparalleled strong culture and civili- pass 2.2 million barrels a day by the middle in oil output and exports based on plans soared more than 40 percent to 2 million bar- zation in the Middle East.” The headline of the news story in the of the summer, Rokneddin Javadi, manag- that are being carried out,” Javadi said. “In rels a day in April -- near pre-sanctions levels, Ayyubi spent last week in France Thursday issue has been refiled to ing director of NIOC, told Mehr news agen- the current context, the oil ministry and according to the IEA. attending the Cannes Film Festival, replace the first “nations” with states. cy. Iran last exported at this level before the government have issued no policy or (Source: Bloomberg) which wrapped up Sunday. I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y NATION 2 MMAYAY 223,3, 22016016 http://www.tehrantimes.com/international

MEDIA MONITOR Araqchi says Riyadh’s severance of Iranian Army stages military drills ties with Tehran a ‘miscalculation’ POLITICAL TEHRAN — Abbas dis. Speaking at the Munich Security Con- TEHRAN — The Iranian Army on Sunday launched deskAraqchi termed on Sun- ference event in Germany in 2016, Iranian military drills dubbed “Beit al-Moqaddas 28” in Isfa- day Saudis’ decision to sever ties with Teh- Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif han province. ran a “miscalculation,” rejecting the two as said he had a simple message: “We need On the first phase of the drills the army test-fired regional rivals, Fars news agency reported. to work together.” a number of domestically produced missiles includ- The deputy foreign minister for legal Saudi Arabia severed diplomatic rela-

IRNA ing Nazeat and Fajr, IRNA reported. and international affairs said this in his tions with Iran in January 2016, escalating In the second phase of the drills, army’s elite speech at the Center for International the regional crisis that erupted after the ex- forces namely “65 Nohed Airborne Brigade” will ex- Public Policy Studies in Japan. ecution of the Shiite cleric Sheik Nimr Baqr ercise military tactics. “We (Iranians) see Iran and Saudi Ara- al-Nimr initiated outrage among Shiites bia in no regional rivalry. Both are key across the Middle East and beyond. ‘West’s double players in the Middle East,” he was quot- In retaliation to the execution, Riyadh’s ed as saying in the session. diplomatic posts in Tehran and Mashhad standards causing According to the top diplomat, with were stormed by angry mobs. discontent in Tehran and Riyadh in peaceful coexist- Prior to the execution, Iran and Saudi ence, counterterrorism attempts will be Arabia were at loggerheads over the Mina region’ more likely to bear fruit. hajj Stampede in 2015 in which more than TEHRAN — Iran’s Ambassador to Russia, Mehdi “Extremism and terrorism are com- 464 Iranian nationals were killed. Sanaei, has censured certain Western countries for mon challenges of our region which de- Another side to Tehran-Riyadh rela- their double-standard approach toward terrorism, mand mutual understanding and joint tions is their strong divergence over the saying their policy has provoked discontent among approach shown by all players.” future of the Syrian government, setting Middle East nations, Tasnim reported. This is not the first time Iranian officials the region’s two biggest powerhouses on While Iran has been backing a political kingdom has been insisting on an “Assad

TASNIM Speaking at the International Likhachov Scien- are extending conciliatory hands to Sau- a collision course fiercer than ever. settlement for the Syrian crisis, the Saudi must go” policy. tific Conference at St. Petersburg University of the Humanities and Social Sciences on Friday, Sanaei emphasized that the West is not supporting popu- lar demands in some Middle East countries. U.S. ‘vague behavior’ slows implementation of nuclear deal, Iran complains The Iranian diplomat went on to say that foreign POLITICAL TEHRAN — Iranian Supreme Nation- build trust between Iran and “non-hostile” countries. intervention in the internal affairs of some coun- deskal Security Council secretary Ali Sham- He also said that there are good opportunities for tries in the Middle East have deteriorated regional khani said on Saturday that the U.S. double standard Iran and New Zealand to expand cooperation in various problems, adding that the problems should be ad- and “vague behavior” are the main reasons behind a spheres. dressed by regional countries not others. slowdown in implementation of the Joint Comprehen- Elsewhere, Shamkhani described extremism and ter- sive Plan of Action, commonly called nuclear deal. rorism as “main threats” to international security and said Interior minister visits Shamkhani made the remarks during a meeting with an “international determination” is required to root out Poland New Zealand Foreign Minister Murray McCully in Tehran. terrorism. According to the terms of the JCPOA, Iran must lim- Adopting a “selective approach” is a “blight” to cam- it its nuclear activities and instead all economic and fi- paign on terrorism, the security official noted. nancial sanctions against Iran be lifted. Though the deal He said crisis in Syria can only be settled through inter-Syri- TEHRAN — The Iranian interior minister paid an of- went into effect on January some financial restrictions ans talks and there is no military solution to the conflict. ficial visit to Poland on Sunday as part of efforts to still remain in place. Shamkhani who served as defense chief from 1997 to boost bilateral relations between the Islamic Republic Shamkhani said despite efforts being made by Iran 2005 also called on the international community to pay and the Eastern European country in various spheres. and the other signatories to the JCPOA to speed up im- attention to the “war crimes” in Yemen. YJC Heading a high-ranking delegation, Abdol- plementation of the deal the U.S. is manifesting a vague For his part, McCully called Iran a “powerful” and “in- reza Rahmani Fazli was scheduled to meet senior behavior. fluential” country in the Middle East and called for ex- He also highlighted the importance of fighting ter- Polish officials, including his counterpart Mariusz The top security official also said the nuclear deal can pansion of ties in various areas. rorism. Blaszczak, the YJC reported. Officials from the two countries planned to sign a 9-article agreement to boost Tehran-Warsaw co- operation in the fight against organized crime. Zarif urges more actionsto sbyU.S. by U.S. in implementing pe JCPOA 1 counterparts from France,nce, Germa-Germa- financial institutions’institu engaging various countries shows the internation- Japanese PM due Zarif said the statement issued on ny and the UK, the governmentsovernments withwith Iran, as lolong as they follow al community’s willingness to cooperate Thursday by the chief diplomats from the pledged to provide moreore informa-informa- allall applicableapplicable llaws,” they said in with Iran. in Iran in near U.S., EU, France, Germany and Britain in- tion and assistance to encourage a joint statemstatement.e For his part, McCully said economic future dicates the fact that these countries are companies to resumee businebusinessss Zarif said a tendency and political relations between the two committed to the nuclear deal. ties with Tehran. by foforeign enterpris- countries will be expanded. However, “practical action” is required “We will not standd in es tot cooperate with He also said that New Zealand makes TEHRAN — Japan’s prime minister will travel to to be taken in this respect, he added. the way of permittedted IranIran has been “re- efforts to be “active” at the UN Security Tehran in the near future, according to director of On Thursday, during a meeting business activity withith markable”ma and the Council as an “effective” and “construc- the presidential office for political affairs. in Brussels between U.S. Secretary of Iran and we will notot economicec and po- tive” actor on issues related to the re- Hamid Abutalebi announced Shinzo Abe’s up- State John Kerry, European Union foreign stand in the way of in-n- liticalli delegations’ gional developments and the ones that

TWITTER coming trip in a commentary on Twitter on Sunday. policy chief Federica Mogherini and their ternational firms or visits to Iran from challenge the UN Security Council. IRGC accuses U.S. of running proxy wars in Rezaee: Civilizational clash between Islamic Revolution and global arrogance West Asia ‘Iran’s main strategy is to turn threats into opportunities’ POLITICAL TEHRAN — Mohsen Rezaee has said “Threats of the era were political and diplomatic TEHRAN — The strategy of the U.S. is to ensure a deskconfrontation between the Iranian Is- in nature and unfortunately, we did not obtain great continuation of proxy wars in West Asia, the Islamic lamic Revolution and the global arrogance is civilization- achievements.” Revolution Guards Corps said in an announcement. al and fundamental in nature, continuing for a long time. A distinction of the third confrontational wave, ac- The announcement was made on the occasion FARS The secretary of the Expediency Council made the cording to Rezaee, a scholar of Imam Hossein University, of the anniversary of the liberation of Khorram- remarks in a gathering on Sunday, Tasnim reported. was a focus on the economic sector. shahr from the Iraqi grip in 1982, Fars reported on Proving a background to the ongoing clash between “Embargoes on trade, sailing of oil, and imports Sunday. the two camps, the former Islamic Revolution Guards Corps and exports led to formation of an economic blockade Aided by Israel, the announcement read, the U.S. (IRGC) commander listed four confrontational periods of vio- against the Islamic Revolution.” intends to keep the Islamic world occupied with nu- lence and terror, post-war détente, threats and sanctions, and While the golden opportunity could be grabbed merous afflictions by creating chaos in the region. infiltration and war of coalitions since the 1979 Revolution. in a best possible way, true heroes of the battle were The first confrontation episode when the revolution the Iranian people, the veteran politician reminded, Intelligence agents was in its infancy was characterized by violence, ter- adding “the Supreme Leader outlined tents of re- stop 2 terrorists on ror, and war, Rezaee noted, adding learnings from the sistance economy to vaccinate our economy against bumpy course helped tackle security and defensive sanctions.” the final document issued by the Organization of Islamic their way to Tehran weaknesses. The fourth confrontational experience is a “war of Cooperation.” During détente years, Americans did their utmost to coalitions,” which is driving the country into a regional Also, the battle of coalitions has been exacerbated by drag Iran into political isolation, pressuring the country face-to-face with regional countries, the official noted. TEHRAN — the signing of the nuclear deal between Iran and global Intelligence forces have recently cap- to sound the retreat on its revolutionary causes and val- “A war of coalitions means a Saudi-backed regional powers as well as by the new situation Iran is dealing tured two terrorists from Daesh and another Takfiri ues, Rezaee stated, lamenting weak performance. coalition which resulted in the passage of four articles in with in the Middle East, Rezaee said. group who were trying to reach the capital Tehran, according to General Abtahi, the intelligence direc- tor of Hamadan Province. IRIB Reformist Aref says seeks all hands on deck in next parliament The official said the two were spotted and arrest- ed in Hamadan, the IRIB reported on Sunday. POLITICAL TEHRAN — Moham- management levels in the Majlis, call- Abtahi did not provide any further details. deskmad Reza Aref has laid ing for participation of all parliamentary emphasis on seeking a “participatory blocs. German politician approach” in the upcoming parliament, Aref is seen to be the main rival of the urges close saying managing the Majlis is more than incumbent Parliament speaker Ali Larijani cooperation with Iran presiding over the legislative body. who won a re-election in the religious city The reformist heavyweight made the of Qom, coming second. remarks in a recent hour-long interview Head of the reformist bloc secured the TEHRAN — Bijan Jirsaraei, former head of the with the Shargh daily in reply to a ques- heaviest share of public backing in the Iran-Germany parliamentary friendship group, on tion on the strategy adopted by the fig- metropolis of Tehran in the February par- Sunday urged the Western countries to start close ure and his parliamentary bloc known as liamentary elections. cooperation with Iran on regional issues. “Hope” to cooperate with other parlia- Aref had previously vowed to seek Jirsaraei made the remarks in a trans-Atlantic mentary rivals. change of tack in the upcoming parlia- IRNA meeting on “Iran-Saudi Arabia Conflict and the A major parliamentary rival will ment, citing people’s hope for a different West”, IRNA reported. be the principlist faction, some of parliament. The West should not repeat the past mistakes whose members are opposed to a Also he had called for more harmony towards Iran and it should establish close coopera- policy of appeasement with the West “Our motto is interaction and partici- was quoted as saying. between the upcoming parliament and tion with Tehran on resolution of regional conflicts, and not in too much harmony with pation. I insist on participation both with The former vice president further government to address issues as unem- the German politician said. the Rouhani administration. the government and within the Majlis,” he denounced any monopolization at ployment, inflation, etc. I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y

http://www.tehrantimes.com/international MMAYAY 223,3, 22016016 INTERNATIONAL 3

Iraqi army tells residents NEWS Turkey’s incoming of ISIL-held Fallujah to prepare to leave PM Yildirim says new ISIL commanders fleeing Iraq town en masse constitution top priority By staff & agencies Daesh Takfiris launched an offensive in Turkey’s incoming prime minister said his new government’s Iraq’s army has asked residents to pre- the country in June 2014 and took con- top priority would be a new constitution to create an exec- pare to leave the ISIL (Daesh)-held city of trol of portions of Iraqi territory. utive presidency, a move that would give President Tayyip Fallujah, state TV reported on Sunday, in The militants have been committing Erdogan the broad powers he has long sought. a possible indication of an offensive. crimes against all ethnic and religious Binali Yildirim also The army “is asking the citizens that communities in Iraq, including Shias, told a special con- are still in Fallujah to be prepared to leave Sunnis, Kurds, Christians and others. gress of the ruling AK the city through secured routes that will Iraqi army soldiers and fighters from al- Party on Sunday that be announced later,” the channel said. lied Popular Mobilization units have been he would continue Fallujah is a city in the Iraqi prov- fighting to win back militant-held regions. the fight against ISIL ince of Al Anbar, located roughly 69 kilo- Salahuddin bombing kills 10 terrorist group and meters (43 mi) west of Baghdad. In Jan- At least ten people were killed in a Kurdish militants at uary 2014, a variety of sources reported bomb attack in Iraq’s Salahuddin Prov- home and in Syria, that the city was controlled by the Islamic ince, north of the capital, Baghdad, secu- saying the change in State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) terror- rity sources say. leadership would not ist group. A terrorist armed with an explosive affect the campaign. Meanwhile, Senior commanders device carried out the bombing out- “The problems of from the Daesh terrorist group have side the police headquarters in the town this nation and the reportedly started fleeing the town of of Dajil, al-Zahra region, Sumer News love of this nation Karma in Iraq’s beleaguered western Agency quoted an Iraqi Interior Ministry are the president’s province of Anbar in masse as Iraqi se- non’s al-Ahed news website reported. attests to the panic, confusion and seri- spokesman as saying. responsibility,” he curity forces are making headway to- In another event, at least 35 Daesh ous cracks within the ranks of Daesh. An unnamed security source said 10 said. “The new con- ward the area. terrorists have turned themselves in to Separately, Iraqi security forces to- people were killed and more than a doz- stitution will be for an executive presidential system.” Iraqi military commander Colonel Iraqi security forces deployed to the gether with Popular Mobilization units en others wounded when the assailant Yildirim, the current transport minister and a close ally of MahmoudMorzi al-Jumaili announced outskirts of the city of Fallujah, which retook control of a strategic highway on was stopped by an officer and blew up Erdogan for two decades, was the sole candidate for party that the terrorist commanders have be- is located roughly 69 kilometers (43 the outskirts of Trebil Village, which lies in the device. head, and therefore the next premier. gun escaping from the town, which is lo- miles) west of Baghdad and is held by Anbar Province and on the Iraq-Jordan The Iraqi Interior Ministry, however, He will replace Ahmet Davutoglu who announced that he cated 48 kilometers (30 miles) west of the Daesh. border, on Friday. has released a different count putting would step down this month following weeks of public ten- capital, Baghdad, and heading toward an A security source, speaking on condi- Violence has plagued the northern the casualty numbers at three killed and sion with Erdogan. unknown location in Anbar Province, Leba- tion of anonymity, said the development and western parts of Iraq ever since eight wounded. The official vote is due later in the day, and Yildirim is ex- pected to speak again once he is elected as party head. A co-founder with Erdogan of the AKP, Yildirim has been the driving force behind major infrastructure projects in Tur- Taliban leader killed in drone strike key which were one of the pillars of the party’s electoral suc- cesses during its first decade in power. Mullah Mohammed Akhtar Mansour posed threat to U.S. troops, peace: Kerry He has been seen as someone who will help pursue two 1 Afghanistan-Pakistan border region.” of Erdogan’s biggest priorities - an executive presidency and Mansour was “the main figure preventing the Taliban Afghan officials, who spoke on the condition that they the fight against militants of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers joining the peace process,” Abdullah said. “From the day not be named as they were not authorized to speak to Party (PKK) in the largely Kurdish southeast. he took over the Taliban following the death of Mullah media on the subject, said the drone strike took place in Erdogan and his supporters see an executive presidency, Omar, he intensified violence against ordinary citizens, Pakistan’s Baluchistan province, near the village of Ah- akin to the system in the United States or France, as a guar- especially in Afghanistan.” mad Wal. antee against the fractious coalition politics that hampered U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, speaking in My- The Afghan government has long accused the Pa- the government in the 1990s. anmar Sunday, repeatedly referred to Mansour in the kistani authorities of harboring and supporting the Af- His opponents, including some sceptics within the AKP, past tense. ghan Taliban. say he is merely furthering his own ambition. Mansour, he said “posed a continuing imminent The drone strike targeted Mansour’s vehicle which Yildirim was elected as a deputy for Istanbul in November threat to U.S. personnel in Afghanistan, Afghan civilians, was carrying Mansour and one other person at the time, 2002 when the AKP won its first election. He was appoint- Afghan security forces” and members of the U.S./NATO a U.S. military source said. ed transport, maritime and communications minister, a post coalition. Another Taliban source identified the driver as Mu- which he then almost continuously held in successive gov- He said the air strike on Mansour “sends a clear mes- hammad Azam Hasanai, and said the vehicle the two ernments. sage to the world that we will continue to stand with our men were traveling in was completely destroyed. His ties to Erdogan date back to the 1990s when Yildirim, Afghan partners.” After taking office in 2014, Ghani prioritized appeas- educated in shipbuilding and marine sciences, was in charge “Peace is what we want, Mansur was a threat to that ing the Pakistani authorities in the hope that they would of a effort,” Kerry said. “He also was directly opposed to encourage the Taliban to participate in a dialogue aimed high-speed ferry company in Istanbul, where Erdogan peace negotiations and to the reconciliation process. It at ending the war. was mayor. is time for Afghans to stop fighting and to start building Overtures to Islamabad failed, however, and earlier (Source: Reuters) a real future together.” this year Mansour’s Taliban said that they rejected peace Mansour formally led the Taliban after the death was talks and would not participate. announced last summer of Mullah Mohammad Omar, A four-country process with Afghanistan, Pakistan, “When they started fighting for power, that was the the movement’s founder. China and the United States appears to have floun- erosion of the legitimacy of their own rank and file,” he Mansour, Mullah Omar’s deputy, concealed Mullah dered, with Kabul refusing to send a delegation to the said. Top U.S. commander for the Omar’s death for more than two years, and ran the Tal- most recent round of talks, sending only the ambassa- The official said there had been a recent shift in the iban in his name until the death was revealed by the dor to Islamabad. balance of power from Mansour to his deputy, Surajud- Middle East visited Syria Afghan government. A senior Afghan official, who also spoke only on con- din Haqqani, a leader of the notoriously brutal Haqqani The top U.S. military commander for the Middle East made The revelation caused wide fissures in the movement dition of anonymity, said Mansour controlled a substan- network. It is not clear, however, which commander or a surprise visit to northern Syria to witness efforts to build up that Mansour worked hard to mend. tial financial empire, largely built on smuggling drugs faction will now take over the leadership of the group. local forces in the fight against ISIL terrorist group, officials Mullah Rauf was an early detractor of Mansour’s but produced in southern Afghanistan’s Helmand province. Mullah Mohammad Yaqub, the son of Taliban found- said. decided earlier this year to declare loyalty to him in the Different Taliban factions have recently fought over con- er Mullah Omar, is popular, charismatic and believed to General Joseph interest of unifying the movement. trol of smuggling routes, the official said, an indication favor participation in a peace talks. He controls the Talib- Votel, head of U.S. Earlier, the U.S. Department of Defense said a drone that the group’s ideological discipline and unity was slip- an’s military commissions in 15 of Afghanistan’s 34 prov- Central Command strike had targeted Mansour “in a remote area of the ping. inces and, like Rauf, recently reconciled with Mansour. (Centcom), met U.S. military advisers working with Syri- Cameron says would meet Trump despite ‘dangerous’ Muslim comments an Arab fighters, a Centcom spokes- British Prime Minister David Cameron said good relationship with Cameron. porary ban on Muslims travelling was “a man said. on Sunday he would be prepared to meet But, amid signs that both sides are very dangerous thing to say ... as well as He also met lead- U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump, backing away from the standoff, Camer- a divisive and wrong one.” ers of the Syrian but kept up his criticism of the Republican’s on told ITV’s “Peston on Sunday” show Trump last week appeared to row Democratic Forces proposed ban on Muslims entering the he would meet the property mogul if he back, saying he expected to have “a (SDF), the spokesman United States, calling it “very dangerous”. came over before the U.S. election. good relationship” with Cameron. On said, without provid- In December Cameron called Trump, “American presidential candidates Friday he said Cameron had invited ing further details. potentially the next leader of Britain’s have made a habit of coming through him to London - though Cameron’s During the secret closest ally, “divisive, stupid and wrong” the UK, and so if that happens I’d be very team later said no invite had been trip, which lasted for calling for the ban. Trump fired back, happy to (meet Trump),” Cameron said. extended. several hours, the Centcom commander visited a handful of saying he would probably not have a He said that Trump’s call for a tem- (Source: Reuters) locations, CNN reported as it accompanied Votel, the high- est-ranking U.S. military official to travel to Syria since its civil conflict began in 2011. U.S. special operations forces are helping train fighters in Sisi says all scenarios possible in EgyptAir crash Syria to combat ISIL as Washington leads a coalition of coun- tries in an air war against the extremists in Iraq and Syria. Egypt sends submarine to hunt for crashed jet ISIL has seized swathes of territory in Syria and Iraq to create a Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi urged the media board, Sisi also said all possible scenarios were still Waters in the area of the Mediterranean under self-styled “caliphate.” Its leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, has received on Sunday not to speculate about the cause of an Egyp- being considered and cautioned against rushing to search could be 3,000 metres deep, which would place pledges of allegiance from extremist groups around the world. tAir plane crash which killed all 66 people on board, and conclusions. the black box locator beacons on the edge of their de- The United States has roughly 200 advisers on the ground said all scenarios are still being considered. “Search equipment has moved today from the oil tectable range from the surface. in Syria, but no combat units. Votel’s visit comes as the first of In a speech he gave at the opening of a fertilizer ministry, they have a submarine that can reach 3,000 Shortly before it disappeared off radar screens, the 250 more U.S. special operations forces are beginning to arrive. plant, Sisi said the investigation into the cause of the metres under water,” he told assembled ministers and plane sent a series of warnings indicating that smoke Kurds play a dominant role in the U.S.-backed SDF, pro- crash could take a long time but that no one could hide members of parliament at the opening of a fertiliser had been detected on board, French investigators said viding the core of the forces that have pushed back ISIS in the facts. plant in the port city of Damietta. on Saturday. the country’s northeast. “Until now all scenarios are possible. So please, it is “It moved today in the direction of the plane crash The signals did not indicate what caused the smoke The SDF has a total of about 25,000 Kurdish fighters and very important that we do not talk and say there is a site because we are working hard to salvage the black or fire but they offered the first clues as to what unfolded about 5,000 Arab fighters. specific scenario,” Sisi told assembled ministers and MPs. boxes”. in the moments before the crash. Washington is pushing to bring more Arab forces into the group. Egypt deployed a submarine on Sunday to hunt Egypt has said its navy has so far found human “Until now all scenarios are possible. So please, it is The Syrian war erupted in early 2011 after Assad’s forces for the EgyptAir plane that crashed in deep Medi- remains, wreckage and the personal belongings of very important that we do not talk and say there is a launched a brutal crackdown on anti-government protests, terranean waters, President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi said, passengers floating in the Mediterranean about specific scenario,” Sisi said. and has since claimed more than 270,000 lives. warning investigations into the disaster would take 290 km (180 miles) north of Alexandria, but is still “This could take a long time but no one can hide Votel’s visit comes after international talks on ending the time. searching for the plane’s two black box recorders these things. As soon as the results are out people will Syrian conflict broke up with no clear breakthrough earlier In his first public remarks on Thursday’s crash of that could provide valuable evidence on the cause be informed.” this week as new faction-fighting erupted and the death toll continued to mount. the Airbus 320 jet, which killed all 66 people on of the crash. (Source: Reuters) (Source: AFP) I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y 4 ECONOMY MMAYAY 223,3, 22016016 http://www.tehrantimes.com/economy

NEWS Iran still locked out of global financial Iran’s 4-month crude steel output hits 5.57m tons: WSA system: central bank chief ECONOMY TEHRAN — Iran’s crude steel production deskreached 5.57 million tons in the first four 1 Seif said Iran’s economic situation has months of 2016, a 1.5 percent rise compared to the same The U.S., the UK, France and Germany improved dramatically since the coming period last year, World Steel Association (WSA) reported. said jointly on Thursday that they “will not to power of the moderate president Has- The country produced 5.488 million tons of crude steel in stand in the way of permitted business san Rouhani in 2013. the first four months of 2015. activity with Iran, and we will not stand in “You can’t compare today’s situation Iran’s steel production totaled 1.509 million tons in April the way of international firms or financial to three years ago,” he said. “Three years 2016, the figure grew 7.8 percent compared to the same institutions engaging with Iran as long as ago Iran was experiencing a volatile eco- month last year. Iran had produced 1.399 million tons of steel they follow all applicable laws”. nomic situation, rising inflation, unstable in April 2015, the report said. Officials from the U.S. office of foreign market and fluctuations in foreign curren- It is worth noting that based on WSA, in the first four assets control (OFAC) are travelling to cies on daily basis, but now the govern- months of 2016 world’s steel production stood at 521.2 mil- Europe soon to give further clarifications ment has successfully curbed the infla- lion tons which indicates a 2.8 percent fall compared to the to the banks. But such pleas have so far tion and brought stability to the currency same period last year. failed as banks complain about the threat market.” As a major steel producer in the region, Iran boosted its posed by continuing U.S. sanctions. Seif added: “Falling oil prices shocked steel mills across the country in recent years, as central Isfa- “Banks need enough reassurances, oil-dependent countries – even those han and southwestern Khuzestan provinces remain the major even if this means rewriting guidelines or which were not affected by sanctions, steel producers. revising regulations, or giving banks writ- like Iran – but we felt no shock in our According to WSA, Iran was the biggest producer of crude ten guarantees,” Seif said. economy thanks to good management steel in the Middle East in 2013. The country’s rank was 14th “Until our western interlocutors have and good planning of our financial poli- in the world in 2014. fully fulfilled their obligations under the cies.” nuclear deal, we won’t see a real change David Lipton, a senior official with the in our banking relations.” The British government holds big have access to any payments channel, IMF who visited Tehran recently, said, “In UK firms such as Lloyds Banking stakes in both RBS and Lloyds. RBS de- even though it had enough money. recent years, the authorities have made Group and Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) clined to comment on the issue but a Moreover, restriction on Iran’s access considerable progress in restoring mac- Tata Motors in talks to set have refused to serve as clearing banks spokesman from Lloyds said: “We are not to the dollar system has created serious roeconomic stability under difficult cir- up JV to assemble petrol for their Iranian counterparts, prevent- aware of any such issues arising. We do issues, Seif said, even in cases where no cumstances.” ing them from reopening their London not restrict payments where they are al- dollars are exchanged. “Inflation has declined from 45% in cars in Iran branches, the governor said. lowed by the legal and regulatory frame- “If we want to change Omani rials to eu- 2013 to around 8% recently, the foreign “Our first expectation from Britain works under which we operate.” ros, we don’t need dollars, but the system is exchange market has stabilized, and Tata Motors is in talks with a local manufacturer to set up a is to provide assistance so that our Ira- Seif said Iran was unable to repay its designed in away that it has to be changed some key reforms have been implement- joint venture for assembling its petrol cars in Iran as it looks nian banks can start operating in London debts to some of its foreign suppliers dur- to dollars first, then euros. They should find ed.” to tap the fast growing market that has just emerged from again,” he said. ing the sanctions years because it did not a way for us to resolve this issue.” (Source: Guardian) sanctions. Tata Motors is talking to Iran Khodro Company for a joint venture to assemble knocked down units of the petrol ver- Inflation rate hits 10.2% in Iran Britain trying to facilitate banking sions of its models, including the latest compact car Tiago, Bolt and Zest, which are powered by the company’s new transactions with Iran: Hammond Revotron petrol engines, sources said. Knocked down version of the cars will be imported and assembled at Iran Khodro’s manufacturing facility after add- ing local contents like tires and batteries. Tata Motors will use Iran Khodro’s sales network to sell the cars. The branding will be of Tata Motors and Iran Khodro will be just a contract manufacturer, they said, adding that Tata Motors will start assembling in Iran in less than 2 years. Initially, Tata Motors is looking at 100,000 cars a year which ECONOMY TEHRAN — ECONOMY TEHRAN — will be gradually ramped up. Production at the factory, which The announced that the inflation rate in Britain is tual obligations, Seif called for active desk desk may be located in suburban Tehran and Mashhad, is slated Statistical Center of the past Iranian calendar year of 1394, working in collabora- presence of British banks in the country to begin by 2018. Iran has announced that the inflation which ended on March 19, 2016, com- tion with other European countries to find and also emphasized resuming the full Iran Khodro had earlier this year renewed partnership with rate for the 12-month period ended in pared to its previous year stood at 11.9 practical mechanisms to facilitate banking activities of London-based Iranian banks. French manufacturer PSA Peugeot Citroen. the last day of the second Iranian cal- percent. transactions between Iran and Europe, said The British foreign secretary also re- Iran Khodro Company (public joint stock) was founded endar month of Ordibehesht (May 20) On February 20, Iranian Finance and British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond. affirmed the commitment of his country in August 1962. Starting with contract manufacturing of compared to the same period in the Economic Affairs Minister Ali Tayyebnia Hammond made the remarks on in implementing the JCPOA, and said, sedan ‘Paykan’ for British firm Rootes in 1966, it has manu- previous year hit 10.2 percent. said that the country’s budget plan for Friday in a meeting with Central Bank “The British government has taken sev- factured for France’s Peugeot as well as Tondar 90 sedan The inflation rate for the 12-month the Iranian calendar year of 1395(which of Iran (CBI) Governor Valiollah Seif eral measures to facilitate the coopera- (Renault Logan). It manufactures several Chinese models period ended in the last day of the first began on March 20) has envisaged an who was visiting London to attend a tion between the two countries’ banks.” now. Iranian calendar month of Farvardin inflation rate of 11.3 percent. Euromoney Iran Conference on May It is worth noting that European banks Peugeot had earlier this year signed a contract with Iran (April 19) compared to the same period Curbing inflation was one of the 19, Tasnim news agency reported. are holding back from business with Iran Khodro to start a joint venture that will make three new in the previous year was 10.8 percent, major promises by Iranian President In the meeting, the officials discussed partly due to worries they might breach models. according to the Mehr news agency. Hassan Rouhani during his presidential economic cooperation and ways to re- remaining sanctions although last week (Source: dnaindia.com) Meanwhile, the center put the point- campaign. Under the previous admin- move obstacles to banking transactions U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry told to-point inflation rate at 6.8 percent in istration, inflation skyrocketed to cross between the two countries. Europe’s top banks they have nothing to Ordibehesht, falling from 7.7 percent in 44%. Mentioning the implementation of fear from resuming business with Iran, as its previous month. The CBI aims to lower inflation to Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action long as they make proper checks on ac- The Central Bank of Iran (CBI) has single digits by 2017. (JCPOA) and West’s moral and contrac- cepted trade partners. Russia to increase direct flights to Iran Tehran, Wellington endorse co-op document on agro ties ECONOMY TEHRAN — Iran and New Zealand This is reportedly the second visit of New Zealand’s desksigned an MOU on broadening agri- foreign minister to Iran in the past eleven months. cultural cooperation, increasing volume of investments Six month ago, in October 2015, in a meeting be- and gaining access to each other’s agro products mar- tween Eamon O’Shaughnessy, New Zealand’s Ambassa- kets. dor to Iran, and Ali-Akbar Farazi, the deputy for interna- The MOU was signed by Iran’s Agriculture Minister tional affairs of Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mahmoud Hojjati and New Zealand Foreign Minister Mines, and Agriculture (ICCIMA), the two sides stressed Murray McCully in Tehran on Saturday, IRNA reported. expansion of economic collaboration, the Public Rela- “New Zealand enjoys high capacity in agricultural tions Department of the ICCIMA reported. sector and can have wide range of cooperation with the “Economic cooperation between the two countries Islamic Republic in this regard,” Hojjati said, “It is a large has slumped in recent years, but we are hopeful of ex- producer of agro products and we can collaborate on pansion of bilateral trade in view of the positive changes presenting joint-processed products to different mar- in perspective,” Farazi was quoted as saying in the meet- Iran’s Agriculture Minister Mahmoud Hojjati (R) and New kets.” ing. New Zealand’s foreign minister, for his part, under- Zealand Foreign Minister Murray McCully shaking hand O’Shaughnessy, for his part, stated that considering lined that the signed document would be on agenda after signing a document on agricultural cooperation in the changed international attitude to Iran, time is ripe from the time on to help enhancement of all-out coop- Tehran on Saturday for key decisions to be made to boost bilateral trade eration between the two countries. and agricultural potentials of both sides, McCully said activities through wiping out banking and financial re- The number of direct passenger flights between Russia and Referring to the untapped commercial, economic the two sides should enlarge cooperation in these fields. strictions. Iran will increase substantially in the near future. The Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation has provided the airline Siberia (S7 Airlines is part of the group) Twitter prohibits GM said to pay $100 Barcelona agrees to and Ural Airlines with approval to perform regular flights share option repricing million over SUV kit deal extension to Iran. Two Russia’s leading passenger carriers S7 Airlines and without consent fuel-economy mistake with Nike Ural Airlines managed to get approval from the Russian avia- tion authorities after February, when Moscow and Tehran signed a memorandum on increasing the number of flights Twitter Inc. said it would prohibit without share- General Motors Co. will spend about $100 mil- Barcelona have agreed an extension to their kit- to 28 per week. holder consent the repricing of stock options -- in- lion to reimburse customers who bought 2016 manufacturing deal with Nike which Spanish me- “Indeed, we have been assigned to 4 routes, Moscow — cluding those given to employees by Chief Execu- Chevrolet Traverse, GMC Acadia and Buick En- dia reported was the most lucrative arrangement Tehran, Moscow — Isfahan, Moscow — Mashhad, St. Peters- tive Officer Jack Dorsey last fall -- in the event of a clave sport utility vehicles with overstated fuel of its kind in the world. The Spanish champions is- burg — Tehran. S7 Airline chose this particular route as it buyout or through an option exchange program. economy figures, said a person familiar with sued a statement saying details of the contract will sees a potential in this. The frequency of flights and opening The move is an effort to protect sharehold- the matter. be specified at their next general assembly. Bar- dates are unknown so far, as we have just received the infor- ers while retaining talent as Twitter’s stock price Fuel economy was overstated by 1 to 2 miles celona-based daily newspapers Diario Sport and mation and our colleagues are at a preparatory stage,” Anna tumbles and Dorsey has brought on new board per gallon because the company failed to reflect Mundo Deportivo reported that the deal could be Bazhina, a spokesperson for the airline Siberia (S7 Airlines), members and executives to give new life to the new emissions-related hardware in calculations of worth 155 million euros ($174 million) a season and said in an interview with Sputnik. one-time tech darling. Dorsey handed over a third efficiency for window stickers, according to a state- would run until 2026. Currently, Russian airline Aeroflot flies to Tehran four times of his Twitter stock, amounting to about 1 percent ment. The 135,000 owners of the SUVs will receive “FC Barcelona and NIKE, Inc. have extended their a week, while Iran Air flies only once a week. According to the of the company and valued at $200 million, in Oc- a debit card or a 48-month, 60,000-mile protection current sponsorship deal, which was due to end on summer schedule of 2016 a charter Iranian airline, Mahan Air, tober when the stock was trading at about $30. plan, GM said in an e-mail. The company notified June 30, 2018,” Barcelona said on Saturday. “The is set to start flights to Sochi. The shares were up 1.1 percent to $14.31 at 10:36 dealers today and will start sending letters to vehi- long-term agreement is a landmark in global football NEWS IN BRIEF IN NEWS (Source: Sputnik) BRIEF IN NEWS a.m. in New York. cle owners on May 25. and builds upon a highly successful partnership.” I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y http://www.tehrantimes.com MMAYAY 223,3, 22016016 HISTORY & HERITAGE 5

Iran welcomes more visitors from China NEWS Iran’s vice president and chairman more Chinese tourists and more Chi- of the Cultural Heritage and Tourism nese investors for Iran’s tourism in- Idyllic Thai island Koh Organization(CHTHO) Masoud Soltani- dustry. Tachai closed indefinitely far said Iran expects to deepen tourism Iran has already established two tour- cooperation with China and that Iran ism offices in Guangzhou and Shanghai. will welcome more visitors and inves- The purpose is to introduce Iran’s tourist tors from China during a May 18 meet- attractions to Chinese tourists, and offer ing in Beijing dedicated to introducing vacation packages. policies and investment opportunities Vice President Soltanifar said that Iran in Iran’s tourism industry. is already trying to attract more visitors According to Soltanifar, the country by simplifying visa application procedures has abundant travel resources and is and improving tourism facilities to cater capable of providing its visitors with a to Chinese visitors. variety of travel experiences. He hoped Iran also welcomes Chinese inves- that more Chinese visitors would come tors for the country’s tourism facili- to Iran to enjoy its rich cultural heritage. ties. “Iran needs to build at least 300 Iran is a secure country in a relatively three-star and five-star hotels within unsecure region and has a lot of natural the country to meet the demand of and cultural sites which are worth visit- increasing foreign visitors,”said Sol- ing. tanifar. “Iran will become one of the top 10 Currently, less than 50,000 Chinese Thai authorities have closed a popular island in the Andaman hottest tourist destinations in 2016,” said tourists visit Iran every year. But with the Sea to visitors, blaming high tourist numbers for damaging Soltanifar. The number of foreign visitors relationship between China and Iran be- its ecosystem. has increased by 2.7% since the sanc- coming closer, the number of Chinese Known for its idyllic white beaches and excellent diving, tions against Iran were lifted in January CHTHO director Masoud Soltanifar (l) held a meeting with China National Tourism tourists visiting Iran will likely grow in fu- Koh Tachai is the northernmost of the Similan Islands archi- this year. Administration Chairman Li Jinzao on May 19, during the First World Conference on ture. pelago, a national park in southern Thailand. Therefore, Iran wants to attract Tourism for Development at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. (Source: china.org.cn) Tunya Nethithammakul, director general of the Depart- ment of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, told CNN Tuesday that the island had been closed to visitors “in- definitely,” due to the severe deterioration of its ecosystem. Dos and don’ts for visiting the world’s most popular landmarks The problems included litter and food waste, gasoline from tour boats leaching into the water and damage to coral, When you’re planning a trip to a new place, what do you the Cupola. your time. he said, adding that overwhelming numbers of tourists were typically put on your “must-see” itinerary? For many of *DON’T: Plan your visit without a specific date in mind. *DON’T: Take this landmark’s significance for grant- to blame. us, it’s the iconic spots we see everywhere—from TV and The Papal Audiences are typically held on Wednesday ed. To put into perspective – not only will you get “This is such a small island, I would say it could accom- magazines to history books and travel brochures—the mornings at 10:00 A.M. in St Peter’s Square. During this to observe the grand Lincoln statue but also read his modate just a few hundred tourists a day,” he said. destination’s landmarks, if you will. So to help you plan time the Basilica remains closed until around noon time. words from the Gettysburg Address that are inscribed “But it turned out that at certain points there were almost for your next adventure, we named the top landmarks If you plan accordingly, you could put in a request for on the wall. The Reflection Pool is the site of yet an- 2,000 tourists visiting the island (daily).” in the world in our Travelers’ Choice awards. These are Papal Audience tickets, which are free of charge. other historical speech—Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Situated about 137 kilometers (85 miles) northwest of the the famed places that millions of travelers have said are Taj Mahal, Agra, India have a dream …” tourist hub of Phuket, Koh Tachai has no hotels, and the ma- really worth visiting. *DO: Pay close attention to what date you purchase Milan Cathedral, Milan, Italy jority of visitors stay only for the day, eating lunch on the There isn’t necessarily a right or a wrong way for you your ticket for, as the ticket will only be valid for the date *DO: Allocate 2-3 hours of your day to spend dur- island. to visit these landmarks (unless of course you show up that is shown. ing your visit here. If you go during the summer, bring Tourist boats are blamed for leaching gasoline into the when its closed), but this advice, collected from the Tri- a hat to protect yourself from the sun and be sure to island’s waters. pAdvisor Forums and traveler reviews, will help arm you *DON’T: Let the Monsoon Season (roughly July drink plenty of water (and also grab some delicious Some tourism operators have offered overnight trips with the info you need to have the best visit possible. through September) keep you away! It doesn’t typically gelato)! where guests stay in tents. Machu Picchu, Machu Picchu, Peru rain all day (perhaps a maximum of half an hour), so just *DON’T: Let the excitement of being in Milan get The island is marketed by local tour operators as the “Mal- *DO: Book well in advance for the Inca Trail – we’re be proactive and bring a rain jacket and umbrella! the best of you! You know visiting the Milan Cathe- dives of Thailand.” talking as far as 3-4 months in advance if you plan on Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba, Cordoba, Spain dral is certainly something to tick off your list, but the Nethithammakul said that many of the islands in Similan making your trip between the months of June and Au- *DO: Keep in mind that opening times for the Cathedral’s rooftop is often overlooked and is a great National Park would have been closed soon anyway due gust. Mezquita actually vary from day to day. To guarantee way to take in the breathtaking skyline and architec- to the monsoon season, along with other national parks in *DON’T: Let crowds interfere with getting your well- it’ll be open, make sure you check out the hours on their ture. coastal areas. deserved, Instagram-worthy shot! You can book an website. (Source: Trip Advisor) (Source: CNN) overnight accommodation in Aguas Calientes and take *DON’T: Worry about crowds. Even during busy pe- the first bus up to the ruins, so you can see Machu Pic- riods, there is still ample space to move through the lus- chu before all the visitors arrive. trous space. Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Center, Abu Church of the Savior on Spilt Blood, Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Petersburg, Russia Khaghan Restaurant *DO: Dress moderately. Aim for long trousers/skirts, * DO: Some research on the historical background of loose fitting long sleeve shirts, and a headscarf for this landmark. You’ll have a different appreciation and women. Alternatively for women, there are abaya cloaks understanding for what you see inside of the “not to be available to borrow during their visit. missed” Cathedral. www.khaghan.com *DON’T: Forget to check if there is a free tour avail- *DON’T: Assume the stunning exterior architecture able on the day you visit. It’s a great way to expand your is the main attraction. It’s not enough to just admire Suitable for Embassies knowledge of the UAE’s history and meet an Emirati na- from the outside, this is a must-see on the inside as well. tional. The Church of the Savior on Spilt Blood dates from the & Foreign Companies Angkor Wat, Siem Reap, Cambodia late 1800s, has more than 7,500 square meters of truly *DO: Plan your visit strategically. Angkor Wat opens breathtaking mosaics and captivating historical details. Outdoor Space, Intl. Cuisine, for sunrise while the temples open at 7:30 A.M., so make The Alhambra, Granada, Spain your first stop at the temple you wish to see first and plan *DO: Book your tickets as soon as you’ve finalized the Located in a Calm the rest of your day around that. date of your planned visit. Remember you’ll also need *DON’T: Be afraid to NOT follow the crowds. If you around 5 hours to see the whole monument that day, so and Cozy Environment, wish to climb the Bakan Sanctuary (upper level of Ang- don’t schedule too much else to do that day. kor Wat) then try going right after sunrise when groups *DON’T: Be late. Plan to arrive at least 30 minutes Enough Parking Lot typically head back to town for breakfast, meaning less before the time printed on your ticket. wait time for queues. Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, Washington D.C. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City, Italy *DO: Consider taking a guided tour. Washington D.C. *DO: Plan on dedicating a minimum of 1-2 hours for is crawling with monuments and museums, and even the your visit. A good plan would be to arrive right when biggest history buffs can benefit from having an expert the Basilica opens and make the Cupola your first stop. share all the details. Many tours hit multiple landmarks Although the Basilica is free, you will need a ticket for and let you skip the lines, which can help you maximize

PICTURE OF THE DAY ISNA/Mohsen Esmaeilzadeh

Add.: Dooma Crossroad, Golestan Blvd., Africa Ave. Reservation Tel: 26215990 & 22050119

A woman holds a basket of roses picked for rosewater in a rose garden at Farkhad village, near Mashhad for making rosewater I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y

6 INTERNATIONAL MMAYAY 23,23, 22016016 http://www.tehrantimes.com Tunisia’s interest in a viable Libya

By Khemaies Jhinaoui a climate of civil peace and coexistence in the United Nations initiatives and to the efforts of Tunisians rose in unity against the terrorist country. The Nobel Peace Prize awarded to Prime Minister-designate Fayez Sarraj. That threat. Our government thoroughly reviewed or the first time in five years, Libya is pro- the Tunisian civil society groups who led the was the gist of the message Tunisian Prime and strengthened anti-terrorism efforts. With the gressing toward the establishment of a via- process was in recognition of the value this Minister Habib Essid and I carried to Tripoli help of our regional and international partners, Fble national government. That is good news consensus-based approach that helped Tuni- earlier this month. especially the United States, we have boosted for Libya and also for Tunisia. The agreement to sians avoid the tragedy of zero-sum politics The tensions and conflicts that Libya went the readiness and the efficiency of our security form a Libyan Government of National Accord and its disastrous repercussions. through since 2011 have created a perfect en- forces, which have successfully dismantled many vindicates Tunisia’s approach of settling differenc- Today, stability in next-door Libya can only vironment for violent jihadists, including those terrorist cells and prevented a number of attacks. es through compromise and negotiations. serve Tunisia’s national interest. That is why who were involved in terrorist attacks in Tunisia We have also enhanced our border security with Tunisia’s free and fair elections of 2014 we have spared no effort bridging differences in 2015. These attacks were meant to desta- Libya and are in the process of erecting a border came only after an inclusive dialogue be- between Libyan protagonists. Toward this end, bilize Tunisia, wreck its economy and cut it off fence with a state-of-the-art electronic monitor- tween the various political actors had created we have consistently extended our support to from the rest of the world. The terrorists failed. ing system. 9

Apt. in Elahieh Duplex Villa in Farmanieh New Whole Bldg. in Jordan New Brand apt. in Jordan In nice Tower 900 sq.m built up in 1800 sq.m land, 6 5-Storey, each floor 4 units, each unit 80 sq.m, 1 bed, luxury furn, 210 sq.m, 3 bdrs, equipped kitchen, lobby, bdrs, outdoor pool, Pkg, Suitable for 90 sq.m with one room, furn & unfurn, nice & cozy, 1700 USD SPJ, gym, Diplomatic, 4000 USD Embassies & Residency, 15000 USD lobby, Pkg, separated or whole, each Diba: 09128103206 Diba: 09128103206 Diba: 09128103206 Apt. 1700 USD Diba: 09128103206 Apt. in Shahrak-Qarb Apt. in Zaferanieh Duplex Villa in Shahrak-Qarb 2nd Fl., 120 sq.m, 2 bdrs, 2nd Fl., 350 sq.m, 4 bdrs, nice 400 sq.m built up, 4 bdrs, furn, small Whole Bldg. in Elahieh fully furn, renovated, 1300 USD balcony, fully furn, SPJ, yard, yard, pool, quit, 6500 USD 5-Storey, each floor 4 units, Diba: 09128103206 Diplomatic, 5000 Euro Diba: 09128103206 each unit 100 sq.m & 200 sq.m, Diba: 09128103206 20 Pkg, pool, renovated, Suitable for Apt. in Vali Asr Duplex Villa in Elahieh Embassies & Companies Upper than ParkWay Duplex Penthouse in Jordan 500 sq.m built up, 5 bdrs, Diba: 09128103206 400 sq.m, 4 bdrs, furn, SPJ, quite 400 sq.m, 5 bdrs, fully furn, un furn, completely renovated, bldg., Diplomatic, $4000 nice balcony, SPJ, green garden Suitable for Embassies Office in Vali-E-Asr Diba: 09128103206 Diplomatic, $10000 Diba: 09128103206 8th floor, 150 sq.m, flat, Diba: 09128103206 nice view, Pkg, lobby, Apt. in Elahieh nd Duplex Villa in Farmanieh Diplomatic Tower, 7500 USD 2 Fl., 300 sq.m, 4 bdrs, Apt. in Elahieh furn & unfurn, SPJ, 4000 USD nd 400 sq.m built, 4 bdrs, Diba: 09128103206 2 Fl., 290 sq.m, 4 bdrs, furn & Diba: 09128103206 unfurn, lobby, SPJ, 4500 USD furn & unfurn, completely renovated, Suitable for Diba: 09128103206 green garden, Pkg, Whole Bldg. in Mahmoudieh Apt. in Qeytarieh Residency & Office , 15000 USD 4-Storey, each floor one unit, 150 sq.m, 3 bdrs, fully furn, Pkg, Suitable for Apt. in Elahieh Diba: 09128103206 11 rooms, Pkg, Diplomatic, 1700USD th Embassies& Residency 18 Fl., 350 sq.m, 4 bdrs, equipped Diba: 09128103206 kitchen, SPJ, lobby, Duplex Villa in Shahrak-Qarb Price: Negotiable balcony, excellent view, $7500 600 sq.m built up, 8 bdrs, Diba: 09128103206 Apt. in Elahieh Diba: 09128103206 outdoor pool, green garden, Pkg, 160 sq.m, 3 bdrs, furn, $2800 Suitable for Embassies & Whole Bldg. in Mahmoudieh Diba: 09128103206 Apt. in Zafranieh Residencies, 15000 USD 3-Storey, each floor 175 sq.m with 3 1st Fl., 160 sq.m, 3 bdrs, furn, Diba: 09128103206 rooms + one extra 85 sq.m apt. with 2 Apt. Jordan nd Diplomatic, 2700 USD rooms, Pkg, Suitable for Embassies 2 Fl., 150 sq.m, 3 bdrs, Diba: 09128103206 Diba: 09128103206 fully furn, Pkg, 1800 USD Diba: 09128103206

Villa for rent At Fereshteh side ave. Jordan: 160 sq.m,3 bedrs,nice view,furn.2000$ 700 sq.m land – 550 sq.m Jordan: 250 sq.m,4 bedrs,nice view,all brand new,balcony,furn.3300$ duplex, 5 bedrooms, including Elahieh: 250 sq.m,3 bedrs,nice view,balcony,idoor s/p,f.furn.3500$ private suit for the guest and Zafrnaieh:220 sq.m,3 bedrs,3 bathrs,nice view,f.furn.2700$ servant quarter – swimming pool, sauna. Tel: 0912 2124901

Advertising Dept: Apt. in Darband St. [email protected]

3rd Flr., 210 sq.m, +9821 430 51 450

4bdrs, fully furn. www.tehrantimes.com Diplomatic, TEHRAN TIMES Iran’s Leading International Daily $3500 USD Advertising Dept Tel: Since:Since: 1 1969969 Address: NoNo.52,52 Darya-NooraniDarya Nooranni Blv.Crossroad,Blv C Te l : 021 -430 51 450 22707740 Farahzadi Blv, Shahrak-e-Gharb Tel: 88562040 - 88562050 [email protected] 09385556334 I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y http://www.tehrantimes.com/international MMAYAY 23,23, 22016016 ADVERTISEMENTS 7

TAJ MAHAL HOTEL

Proudly introduces the First class luxurious hotel apartment located in the heart of the city Tehran. The newly constructed section has an enormous segments of rooms with all the amenities, Experience the TAJ MAHAL advantage & Hospitality 24/7

TAJ MAHAL INDIAN RESTAURANT

Enjoy the authentic North Iranian unique culinary, Experience the home made country style recipes!!

Enjoy the original taste of India !! The professional chef prepares the amazing varieties of kebabs , Tandoori nans, Biryani, veg or non-veg curries and the famous Indian desserts.

Adress: No.29 South Sheikhbahaei Ave. Mollasadra Ave., Vanak Sq. Tehran – Iran Http: //www.tajmahalhotel.ir E-mail: [email protected] TAJ MAHAL ANNOUNCES ITS SECOND RESTAURANT MAHI – MAHI Tel: (+9821) 88035444(20) Fax: (+9821) 88057399 Cellphone: (+98910) 789 52 83 I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y

8 MED & SCI MMAYAY 23,23, 22016016 http://www.tehrantimes.com

NEWS IN BRIEF Chinese Space Vision to send Iranian scientists design system hiding military equipment from radars people into space with a balloon

Iranian researchers at Islamic Azad University, Islamshahr Branch, A Chinese firm, which has developed the meters, which was established by former central Iran, have developed a nano-composite which is capable country’s first space parachute suit, has Google executive Alan Eustace for space of absorbing radar electromagnetic and infrared thermal waves hit on a novel business idea to send peo- sky diving,” she said. with high efficiency. ple into space using a high-tech balloon Flight system technology Hassan Hosseini, the lead author of the study, said in this and return to earth using a parachute for Jiang Fang, founder and president of research, firstly, SrTiO3 was synthesized as thermal infrared (TIR) $77,000. Space Vision, said many technical experts absorbent and core and then BaFe12O19 as microwave absor- Traveling to space and returning in a have endorsed the feasibility of the com- bent was prepared on SrTiO3 parachute will soon become available in mercial tour, and China’s flight system tech- via co-precipitation method as China by JHY Space Technology Co Ltd nology for manned spacesuits is mature first shell. (Space Vision), a Beijing-based company enough for such projects. Secondly, polyaniline which has released China’s first-ever space “We hope to lead the growth of the (PANI) was coated on SrTiO3/ parachuting suit. domestic commercial aerospace sector by BaFe12O19 NPs (NPs) via in In the next few months, the high-tech starting with space parachuting, and grad- situ polymerization by multi company will test related equipment, and ually establish a path for the public to travel core-shell structures (SrTiO3/ recruit more parachuting volunteers to into the space,” he said. BaFe12O19/PANI). train them, state-run China Daily reported. The commercial space parachuting pro- Nanometer size and struc- The first three challengers are an entrepre- ject will be launched in Sanya, Hainan prov- tures of samples were meas- neur, a champion woman parachutist and ince, where the tropical island has ocean ured by TEM, XRD and FTIR, an aircraft engineer, it said. and space resources, clean air and a space he said, adding, Morphol- Challengers will soar into the stratosphere launch center. ogy of nano-composite was in a high- tech balloon, and return to the Challengers will soar into the stratosphere in a high- tech Meanwhile, Hainan is starting its com- showed by SEM images. Earth in a parachute. The especially custom- prehensive space travelling industry. By The TIR absorption and mi- ized suit has a radar, ground-based monitor- balloon, and return to the Earth in a parachute. 2030, China hopes to become an aero- crowave reflection loss of nano-composites were investigated at ing operations, space-ground communica- space power, partly because of the 13th 10-40 m and 8-12 GHz, TIR and microwave frequencies, respec- tions and an image transmission system. cal strength, skills and wealth, profession- ally after her tryout. Five-Year Plan (2016-20) to drive aero- tively, the Iranian scientist explained. Out of plenty of potential customers in al parachutist He Yufeng would become “I want to challenge myself, and chal- space growth. The infrared thermal image testing showed that the ability of China who have enough courage, physi- the first woman space parachutist glob- lenge the current world record of 41,419 (Source: The Indian Express) infrared thermal imaging was increased by increasing SrTiO3/ BaFe12O19 as core and independent to increasing PANI as final shell, he continued. The electromagnetic waves are mainly used in military and aerospace fields for tracking planes, ships and military equipment, Hosseini noted. Low-salt diets not beneficial: global study finds Hosseini said the absorbents are capable of keeping military A large worldwide study has found that, contrary to popu- “While our data highlights the importance of reducing equipment including ship, planes and soldiers hidden from night lar thought, low-salt diets may not be beneficial and may high salt intake in people with hypertension, it does not cameras in day and night, adding they can be used in hospitals and actually increase the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) support reducing salt intake to low levels. radiation therapy centers to preserve technicians and nurses. and death compared to average salt consumption. “Our findings are important because they show that (Source: ISNA) In fact, the study suggests that the only people who lowering sodium is best targeted at those with hyperten- need to worry about reducing sodium in their diet are sion who also consume high sodium diets.” those with hypertension (high blood pressure) and have Current intake of sodium in Canada is typically between Fatty foods in teens and high salt consumption. 3.5 and 4 grams per day and some guidelines have recom- The study, involving more than 130,000 people from 49 mended that the entire population lower sodium intake to later breast cancer risk countries, was led by investigators of the Population Health below 2.3 grams per day, a level that fewer than five per- Research Institute (PHRI) of McMaster University and Ham- cent of Canadians and people around the world consume. Teens who eat high amounts of saturated fats or low amounts of ilton Health Sciences. pared to average intake. Previous studies have shown that low-sodium, com- healthier mono- and polyunsaturated fats tend to have denser They looked specifically at whether the relationship be- Important findings pared to average sodium intake, is related to increased breasts 15 years later, new research suggests. tween sodium (salt) intake and death, heart disease and “These are extremely important findings for those cardiovascular risk and mortality, even though low sodium That's important because greater breast density is a risk fac- stroke differs in people with high blood pressure compared who are suffering from high blood pressure,” said Andrew intake is associated with lower blood pressure. tor for breast cancer, the study authors said. to those with normal blood pressure. Mente, lead author of the study, a principal investigator This new study shows that the risks associated with low- But the researchers noted they didn't find a large change in The researchers showed that regardless of whether of PHRI and an associate professor of clinical epidemiol- sodium intake – less than three grams per day – are con- breast density volume based on dietary fat intake. people have high blood pressure, low-sodium intake is as- ogy and biostatistics at McMaster’s Michael G. DeGroote sistent regardless of a patient’s hypertension status. "It was a modest difference in breast density," said the study's sociated with more heart attacks, strokes, and deaths com- School of Medicine. (Source: Newswise) senior author Joanne Dorgan. She's a professor of epidemiology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore. While this study can't prove cause-and-effect, the researchers speculated that different fats may play different roles in breast Beyond Pluto: What New Horizons New treatment for deadly skin cancer tissue formation and maintenance. Teen years are a critical time for breast development, the study authors noted. found in the Kuiper Belt causes cells to rupture, die Dorgan and her team reviewed data from the Dietary Inter- NASA announced Thursday New Hori- After battling melanoma for more than vention Study in Children. This clinical trial, sponsored by the zons’ recording of 1994 JR1, a 90-mile a decade, Herbert Schwartz was having U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, started in 1988, Kuiper Belt Object (KBO) currently orbit- a routine visit with his dermatologist last enrolling more than 600 children between ages 8 and 10. More ing 3 billion miles from the sun. The space year when his doctor detected three dark than 300 of the children were girls. probe was able to capture 1994 JR1 us- spots on his lower left leg. On multiple occasions, the participants reported details of ing its on-board Long-Range Reconnais- Schwartz, 83, had previously experi- their diets. Later, in a follow-up of the same group, the research- sance Imager (LORRI) from a distance of enced melanoma — the leading cause of ers used MRI scans to measure breast density in 177 female par- 69 million miles away. skin cancer-related deaths — on his back ticipants when they were ages 25 to 29. NASA said the LORRI instrument and neck. In those two previous cases, he The researchers found that higher intakes of unhealthy fats and caught the KBO twice on April 7 and 8, underwent outpatient surgery to remove lower intake of healthy fats during adolescence were associated breaking the record for the closest view of the cancer cells. This time, the lesions on with an increased risk of denser breasts. Experts and organizations a KBO - set by a New Horizons observa- his leg returned after surgery. such as the American Heart Association (AHA) recommend that a tion of 1994 JR1 late this past year, from 1,000 kilometers (about 600 miles), far So Schwartz visited Dr. Jose Lutzky, cancer, people who are fair-skinned, have healthy diet should contain about 5 percent saturated fat. approximately 170 million miles away, better than any small KBO,” said SwRI medical oncologist and director of the had a lot of sun exposure, or have a lesion (Source: WebMD) which at the time set its own record for New Horizons team member Simon melanoma program at Mount Sinai that is bleeding or not healing should visit closest KBO picture. Porter said in a joint release. The new Medical Center in Miami Beach, Fla., to a dermatologist once a year, Lutzky said. The first of the space agency’s New information allowed the team to dispel undergo treatment to remove the lesions. Another treatment in the fight against Frontiers missions, New Horizons will a previous theory that JR1 is a Plutonian Lutzky treated Schwartz with oncolytic vi- melanoma is Mohs surgery, which was de- Plant cell wall development send back data from its encounter with quasi-satellite, and learn more about its rus therapy, approved by the Food and veloped by Dr. Frederic Mohs in the 1930s Pluto through this year as it continues on rotation period. Drug Administration last October. In the to microscopically remove all cancer. revealed in space and time its path to fly by the KBO 2014 MU69 in By analyzing light curve information therapy, a modified live herpes virus is in- Thin skin layers are progressively for the first time January, 2019. taken from JR1, measuring the chang- jected directly into the melanoma lesions, removed and examined until only can- While the find represents a milestone ing intensity of light reflected off of the where it replicates inside the cancer cells, cer-free tissue remains. Mohs surgery Scientists have mapped changes in composition of plant cell for New Horizon’s observational capaci- KBO, scientists were able to confirm the causing them to rupture and die. allows surgeons to verify that all cancer New cases of melanoma walls over space and time, providing new insights into the de- ties, it also provided researchers insight length of a day on 1994 JR1: 5.4 hours. In cells have been removed at the time velopment and growth of all plants. into 1994 JR1 and other KBOs. comparison, Pluto’s rotational period lasts Melanoma is the sixth most common of surgery. The work is a first step towards precision-breeding to enhance Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) slightly less than 6.4 days, nearly 30 times type of cancer in the United States, accord- Mohs surgery is recommended for the properties of plant-based products such as timber and biofuels. scientists were able to place the minor longer than its Kuiper Belt neighbor. ing to the National Cancer Institute. An es- people with skin cancer that is difficult to Conducted by an international research team using the mod- planet in its region in space more accu- Spencer also said in the NASA release timated 76,380 new cases of melanoma are treat such as a recurring tumor, as well el laboratory plant Arabidposis, the study is published today in rately than ever before using a composite that observations of objects like JR1 are expected in 2016, with an estimated 10,130 as for skin cancer located on the face, the journal Current Biology. of the previous two JR1 sightings. good preparation for the New Horizons deaths projected for the year. ears or above the neck, said Catherine Location of JR1 The cell wall is a defining team ahead of potential flybys of other “It increases the chances eight to nine Balestra, a Mohs surgeon at the Minars feature of plant cells, provid- “Combining the November 2015 KBOs on the probe’s path to an ultra- times of a patient having a second unre- Dermatology Skin and Laser Center in ing essential functions like and April 2016 observations allows us close look at 2014 MU69. lated melanoma,” Lutzky said. Hollywood, Fla. strength and mechanical sup- to pinpoint the location of JR1 to within (Source: The CSM) To be proactive about preventing skin (Source: Miami Herald) port to plant tissues. The cell wall is also associated with cellular function, including enabling the plant to grow and Airbus channels H.R. Giger for world's first 3D-printed motorcycle to sense and respond to de- velopmental cues and environ- Airbus is typically associated with making airplanes, but a The frame of the Light Rider weighs all of 6 kg (13 lb) In 2015, TE Connectivity created what was then billed as mental stresses such as patho- subsidiary called APWorks just announced the creation of and is made of a material created and patented by AP- the first 3D-printed motorcycle, but it was a prototype only, gen invasion. the world's first 3D-printed motorcycle that can actually be Works called Scalmalloy. This is a second-generation alu- weighed in at around 200 kg (440 lb) and was powered by Plant cell walls are also the used as a daily rider. Aptly named the Light Rider, given minum-magnesium-scandium alloy (AlMgS) that the com- a 750-W (1-hp) electric motor. main component of plant bio- that it weighs in at a mere 35 kg (77 lb), the electric-pow- pany claims is stronger than the aluminum-silicon powder While the Light Rider might be low on weight, the cost mass, our only renewable bio- ered two-wheeler appears to be what would happen if H.R. material used in most production-scale 3D printing today. to buy one could be considered pretty heavy for the aver- energy resource, and are consumed by humans as a component Geiger designed a motorcycle. Solid frame parts age motorcycle owner. of food - dietary fiber. The company said the exoskeleton-like design of The use of Scalmalloy allowed APWorks to create hol- APWorks said it would consider creating different "Despite their importance to society, we currently know very the Light Rider came from the need to make the frame low rather than solid frame parts, which made it easier to styles of motorcycles, like an enduro or motocross bike, little about how these walls are built and refined during plant structurally able to withstand the loads and stresses of hide most of the cables and other elements that might be before it would venture into mass producing the Light development" said study co-author Dr. Monika Doblin from the everyday riding. Powered by a 6-kW (8-hp) electric mo- more visible on a standard motorcycle. Bionic algorithms Rider. So anyone lucky enough to afford one of the 50 ARC Center of Excellence in Plant Cell Walls situated within the tor with a top speed of 80 km/h (50 mph), it may not be were also used to optimize the entire structure, resulting in currently being constructed may be the owner of one School of Biosciences at the University of Melbourne. at home on the freeway, but can be used for daily city a cleaner overall design and a finished bike that weighs 30 very limited edition motorcycle. (Source: EurekAlert) driving and commuting. percent lighter than other eBikes currently in production. (Source: gizmag.com) I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y http://www.tehrantimes.com/international MAY 23, 2016 WORLD IN FOCUS 9

1 The country is emerging as a neighboring Pakistan. neo-economic power both worldwide Iran and India are also pursing the and regionally,” Rahimpour was quoted Modi on landmark visit to transfer of gas via pipeline on the as saying. seabed. So far the Indian side has NEWS Modi may prove to be the harbinger Tehran, contracts on target proposed to construct a $4.5 billion of a will to push past bilateral discussions seabed pipeline for taking Iran’s gas Hadi delegation to rejoin into some final agreements. to India. Yemen peace talks: UN envoy The first of Iranian projects now avail- There is also the Binaloud oil field. A able to India is the Farzad-B oil field. A consortium led by India’s ONGC Videsh The UN special envoy for Yemen says representatives of the preliminary contract for the exploration in 2008 discovered the field off the Farsi former president, Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, will come back and expansion of the field was signed offshore block in 2008. The consortium is to negotiations aimed at putting an end to the conflict grip- between Iran and a consortium of three now keen to seal a contract for develop- ping the Arabian Peninsula country. Indian companies in 2000. ing the gas field. Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed said on Sunday that Hadi had India is also interested in running pro- Furthermore, India is currently the agreed to end its latest boycott of the discussions after medi- jects in Chabahar Port in southeastern main consumer of agricultural fertilizers ation by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and Qatari Emir Iran. Recently, New Delhi proposed in- and Iran is a main producer of the prod- Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. vesting $20 billion in petrochemical pro- ucts. On April 21, the UN-brokered peace talks started in Ku- jects, including LNG plants, in the area. According to a recent report by IRNA, wait City between Houthi Ansarullah fighters and their allies The port has also caught India’s eye as India is also looking forward to investing in one side and loyalists to Hadi on the other side. The talks a transport joint in that it could be used $20 billion in fertilizer plants in Chabahar came against the backdrop of an open-ended shaky cease- to beat China’s Gwadar port project in through a credit line. fire that began on April 10 in the impoverished state. The Saudi-backed delegation, however, suspended its par- ticipation in the negotiations on May 17, saying it would only re- ISIL leader urges attacks in Europe and U.S. turn if the Houthis withdrew from areas under their control and handed over their weapons. However, Abdulmalek al-Mikhlafi, a An ISIL terrorist group spokesman has urged sympathiz- gest action by us ... there are no innocents in the heart week, Brett McGurk, the U.S. presidential envoy to the representative of the pro-Hadi side, said on Twitter that its dele- ers in Europe and the U.S. to launch attacks on civilians of the lands of the Crusaders.” 66-country anti-IS coalition, said that “this perverse gation had agreed to give the peace talks a “last chance.” there if they are unable to travel to the group’s self-de- Al-Adnani also said the U.S.-led war against the caliphate is shrinking.” “We have fixed all the references. This is a first step on the clared caliphate in Syria and Iraq. group was doomed to failure and that America “fell in Addressing these losses, al-Adnani said that even if path for a real peace that leads to implementing Resolution In a 31-minute audio message released late Satur- the swamp of perdition.” it was pushed out of its strongholds such as Raqqa and 2216 beginning with withdrawals, surrender of weapons and day by the ISIL media arm al-Furqan, Abu Mohammed The speech may have been aimed at boosting mo- Mosul this would not count as defeat because “defeat is the restoration of state institutions,” he said, referring to the al-Adnani told his followers that, “the tiniest action you rale after the group suffered a string of military set- the loss of will and the desire to fight.” resolution adopted by the UN Security Council last April. do in the heart of their land is dearer to us than the big- backs and lost territory in both Iraq and Syria. Last (Source: AP) Yemen has seen almost daily military attacks by Saudi Arabia since late March 2015. More than 9,400 people have been killed and at least 16,000 others injured since the onset Saudi offers to change stance on Israel of the aggression. Saudi Arabia launched its offensive against Yemen in a bid to bring Hadi, a staunch ally of the Riyadh re- Saudi Arabia and its allies have asked Is- reported on its website. gime, back to power and undermine the Houthi Ansarullah rael to resume Middle East negotiations “If he announces that he accepts the movement. (Source: Press TV) under new terms which include changes initiative and gives all rights to Palestin- to Riyadh’s “peace” initiative, Israeli media ians, Saudi Arabia will start to make an reports say. embassy in Tel Aviv,” Eshki said. Tunisia’s interest in a The kingdom, its Persian Gulf allies, Eshki met publicly in June with Dore Jordan and Egypt have been sending Gold just before the latter was appoint- viable Libya messages to Israel through various em- ed director-general of the Israeli foreign issaries, including former British PM Tony ministry. Gold said then Israel had con- 6 Efficient shield Blair, the Israeli newspaper Arutz Sheva tacts with “almost every Arab state.” The vigilance of Tunisian troops is proving to be an effi- reported. In the interview, Eshki said the Saudis cient shield against terrorist infiltration. Earlier this year, Tuni- “They are expecting to receive from are not interested in “Israel becoming sian forces swiftly crushed an attempted incursion by Islamic Israel a response and are also expecting isolated in the region.” State extremists in the border town of Ben Guerdane. En- Israel to make gestures toward the Pales- In March, Netanyahu said Israel’s re- hancing our security is not a luxury. It is a necessity to pro- tinians” in the West Bank, the paper said. lations with regional Arab countries were tect our young democracy. Tunisia is at a crucial junction. In The Saudi “peace” initiative, unveiled “dramatically warming” in what analysts addition to restoring security, we must generate economic in 2002, offers to normalize ties with Is- said was an acknowledgement of be- recovery. Neither of these objectives are easy tasks, but Tuni- rael by 22 Arab countries in return for Tel hind-the-scenes ties. sia’s democratically elected leadership has the vision and the Aviv’s withdrawal from the occupied West The report comes days after Egyptian treat Palestinian resistance movement Moshe Ya’alon, Israel’s minister of determination to make the necessary reforms. Bank. President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi urged Is- Hamas the same way as the United States military affairs who resigned on Friday, We are working to set forth new rules of governance that Tel Aviv has rejected the Saudi initia- raelis and Palestinians to seize what he treated “the Japanese in World War II.” pointed to open channels between the enshrine transparency and fairness between citizens. Tunisia’s tive due to the fact that it calls for Israel to said was a “real opportunity” and renew Israeli-Saudi links regime and Arab states in February. Parliament will soon examine a package of legislative initiatives accept the right of return for the Palestin- “peace” talks. On Saturday, an Israeli website Ya’alon said he was unable to shake designed to promote a friendlier environment for business and ians who were forced to flee their homes Most extremist cabinet in the works said the “nightmare” of those critical of hands with Arab officials in public due investment so as to speed up growth and reduce joblessness. under the Israeli occupation. PM Benjamin Netanyahu, however, is the new Israeli cabinet ”is if Saudi King to the “sensitive” political realities, how- We will rely above all on our own resources to meet the Saudi Arabia and its allies are now set to form the most extremist cabinet in Is- Salman and Egyptian President Abdel ever, the two sides ”can meet in closed daunting challenges at hand. Some of these challenges are prepared to discuss changes to the initia- rael’s history after revealing his intention to Fattah el-Sisi, along with Netanyahu and rooms.” the cumulative result of decades of inadequate development tive in order to resume talks between Tel name notorious politician Avigdor Lieber- Lieberman, will sit on the same podium The Israeli minister later publicly shook policies. But the unmet expectations of disadvantaged seg- Aviv and the Palestinian Authority, Israels’ man as the new minister of military affairs. and sign a cooperation agreement.” the hand of Saudi Prince Turki bin Faisal ments of the population require immediate attention. Recent Channel 10 News revealed. Palestinians have denounced the “But this is a reality that is happening al-Saud, who himself has openly met with expressions of discontent by unemployed youth were a re- The daily Maariv revealed earlier this planned appointment, saying the deci- every day, not just wishful thinking,” the a number of Israeli officials in the past. minder of the risks involved in failing to address the demands month that the Israeli regime would pres- sion showed Israel was intent on spread- Israeli military intelligence website Deb- Israeli training Saudi forces: Hezbollah of young Tunisians who five years ago took to the streets ent a bill to the Knesset in the coming ing extremism and expanding illegal set- kafile wrote. Sheikh Naim Qassem, deputy sec- demanding freedom, dignity and jobs. Our tourism indus- weeks, calling for the annexation of 60% tlements. Last month, a well-connected former retary general of Lebanon’s Hezbollah try is still suffering from last year’s terror attacks, as are the of the West Bank. As the minister of military affairs, Lieb- general in the Saudi military said the resistance movement, said in April that half-million Tunisians whose livelihood depends on tourism. According to the paper, preliminary erman would oversee military operations kingdom would open an embassy in Tel Israel was training Saudi military forces The time has come for foreign governments to review their talks have been held to annex Area C of in the Palestinian territories and have a Aviv if Israel accepted the Saudi initiative under the framework of clandestine re- travel advisories regarding Tunisia in light of the tangible im- the West Bank where more than 350,000 major say in policy towards the settle- to end the Middle East conflict. lations. provements in our security situation. Our international part- illegal Israeli settlers are based. ments. Anwar Eshki was asked during an Al Dozens of Saudi military officers were ners know full well the progress achieved in this area. Nevertheless, there is a desire among Lieberman himself lives in a settlement Jazeera interview how long it would be being trained following secret contacts There should be no doubt also about our commitment the leadership of the Arab countries in which the international community con- before Riyadh opened an embassy in Is- that led to military cooperation, he said. to democracy. Five years after the 2011 revolution, Tunisia’s the region to change their attitude to- siders illegal and persistent expansion of rael. “The Saudis are currently fulfilling the democratic experiment is on the right track and Tunisians’ wards Israel and to start taking an active settler units as one of the biggest causes “You can ask Mr. Netanyahu,” Eshki cycle of the Israeli project in public and hard-earned freedoms are irreversible. Recently, the interna- mediating role, Channel 10 reported, cit- of the escalating tensions. replied, referring to Israeli Prime Minister secret meetings,” he added. tional media watchdog Reporters Without Borders ranked ing diplomatic sources. He has called on the Israeli regime to Benjamin Netanyahu, the Jerusalem Post (Source: Press TV) Tunisia the leading Arab country in terms of press freedom. And while we appreciate the assistance we have received from our friends, we also believe that the scope of support should be more commensurate with our challenges and with Iran to Increase Regional Market Share by 2025 the fact that Tunisia serves as a model for other struggling ECONOMY In-depth studies sug- Iran’s Ministry of Industry, Trade and a feasible strategy for us but this is of our car industry. Instead we should societies in the Middle East and North Africa. This calls for ex- deskgest that the regional Mine, the Iranian car makers should pro- not possible without close cooperation of put our focus on strengthening our local ceptional initiatives from the international community to spur countries would enjoy a market of about duce three million vehicles and export influential organizations in our economy brands, producing further driving forces the growth and development that our economy — and our 6,700,000 vehicles in 2025, 4m of which one third of them by 2025. and industry.” and increasing our research programs,” people — need, the same kind of initiatives the world under- would be new demands, said the CEO of IKCO CEO also added, Iran and its 24 “In 2015, IKCO’s turnover stood at he concluded. Iran Khodro is the largest took to bolster the economies of Eastern European countries Iran’s leading vehicle manufacturer, Iran neighboring countries establish a boom- about $23 billion but we predict that the car manufacturer in the Middle East with following the fall of the Soviet Union. Investing in Tunisia’s Khodro. ing market with a population of 575 mil- amount would reach $50 billion by 2025 a capacity to produce over one million unique democratic experiment will yield dividends to all. In an address to the first International lion people. due to the considerable potential of Iran’s vehicles annually. (Source: The Washington Times) Conference on Industrial Management in “The region’s car makers produce car industry,” he said. IKCO’s products have already been ex- Tehran, Hashem Yekehzare provided the 2,700,000 cars; however 4,400,000 ones Yekehzare noted that IKCO has al- ported to CIS region. Meanwhile, some “SINA BANK” backs Euromoney participants with a detailed report on the are being sold in this market. The rest ready signed a number of MoUs with the Arab countries including Iraq, Syria, regional production, import and export 1,700,000 cars are supplied via import. French and German car makers Peugeot Egypt and Algeria are among the main Conference financially of cars. Unfortunately, the Iranian car manufac- and Mercedes-Benz. export destinations of IKCO’s vehicles. “Now the main question is that how turers have a relatively little share in this “Another important agreement is set The company has recently put on its ECONOMY “Euromoney Institute Conference” will be many shares the Iranian car makers market,” he noted. to be signed with a well-known car agenda establishing new rounds of coop- deskheld with the sponsorship of SINA BANK are willing to gain in the market,” he Yekehzare emphasized that Iran manufacturer in the near future. But eration with its foreign partners with the and SINA Investment Holding Company with the aim of noted. should gain greater shares of the the main point we have in mind is that aim of bringing variety to its production providing a platform for Iranian and international banks to Yekehzare further went on saying that market and added, “Meeting at least signing contracts with foreign partners portfolio and increasing production discuss the necessary steps for Iran’s re-integration into the according to a plan developed by one-fourth of the regions needs is is not the only way to the development for further export. international financial community. In addition, capital market participants will discuss the means by which international institutional investors can get exposure to one of the best Caretaker: materializing objectives of performing frontier markets. Setting up an association for policymakers, removing key “Resistance Economy”, atop agenda of BMI in current year obstacles and challenges behind entry of Iran to the interna- tional banking system arena and introducing opportunities ECONOMY Helping materialize objectives of “re- mestic productions.” on Iran have been lifted after a landmark nuclear deal in an interactional ambience have been cited as the other desksistance economy” has been cited as Speaking among industrious staff and personnel of was signed between Iran and P5+1 (the five permanent main objective of this prestigious conference which will be the main objective of Bank Melli Iran (BMI), details of the Bank, he, who is member of the Board of Directors members of UN Security Council plus Germany), he em- held on May 19 in London Park Hotel. Managing Director which will be followed up strictly in the current Iranian of the bank, said: “Bank Melli Iran is one of the largest phasized. of SINA Bank Eng. Pishro announced the above statement calendar year in 1395 (started March 20, 2016). economic enterprises in the country which has always In the end, he pointed to the main objectives of the and said: “Euromoney Institute is one of reliable international Caretaker of BMI Mohammad-Reza Hosseinzadeh had significant role in supporting government’s eco- bank in the current year as follows: attracting maximum institutions in world which is tasked with conducting feasibility announced the above statement and said: “According to nomic projects.” financial resources, collecting the outstanding claims, studies in banking system, capital market and investment.” the predefined planning made in this regard, the bank Given the above issue, the bank tries its utmost effort generating more job opportunities and presenting bet- It should be noted that CEO of the bank will respond to will focus on paying small-scale and job-generating fa- to materialize objectives of “resistance economy” es- ter banking services in line with gaining customers’ sat- the questions of economic activists and participants in this cilities in order to facilitate export activities and spur do- pecially at the condition that most economic sanctions isfaction. prestigious event, the report ended. I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y 10 ENVIRONMENT MMAYAY 23,23, 20162016 http://www.tehrantimes.com/society

IRAN’S WILDLIFE Posters on streets help to promote Shocking discovery by Iranian herpetologists environmental culture: artist

By Farnaz Heidari INTERVIEW By Maryam Qarehgozlou ranian herpetologists have made the remarkable dis- TEHRAN — Environmental catastrophes af- Icovery of new genus and species of gekkonid from two fect almost all aspects of our lives and one gravid specimens which were found within Koh-e Homag way or another we are all responsible for protected area, Hormozgan Province, Southern Iran. what we have done to the Earth. We all share Even more significantly, these specimens distinguished the same earth and are fully responsible for as a new genus that scientifically described by Iranian sci- what we do on it. entists not just by solo foreign researchers. Description of One of the most important steps needed new genus is a unique phenomenon. to be taken towards having a better environ- Appreciating the importance of discovery ment is to raise public awareness and artistic With a greater human works ranging from films to paintings and population density and cor- graphic designs as a global language can set responding development, the scene for such accomplishment. Iran reptiles declines more Parisa Tashakkori is an Iranian graphic de- and more. Geckos has the signer whose works of art mostly carry envi- greatest number of species ronmental implications. Being a jury member and genera in the Palaearc- for poster contests in Mexico, France, and tic Realm and equally so in Iran are of the few of her career highlights. Iran where there are 40 spe- She was also awarded with honorary cies in 12 genera. diploma in international design and il- In recent years the num- lustration festival “COW!!!” of Ukraine in ber of reptile species of Iran 2007, came in third in 10th international has increased rapidly and poster triennial “Ekoplagat’ 05” of Slova- descriptions of new species kia in 2005, and was the prizewinner in continue to be published. graphic category of first exhibition of ma- ronmental catastrophes. ity efforts in setting up billboards in the city hardly memorable graphic designs about Thirty new lizards have Tail dorsal view of different terial recycling of Tehran in 2002. How art can foster environmental seeking social reforms which are designed by environmental event in Iran. The posters of been added between 2000 The Tehran Times had an interview with culture among the public? professional graphic designers for the past these events are also designed with unpro- species, Photographs by B. and 2015, among which are Safaei-Mahroo. Tashakkori on the sidelines of the Fifth Inter- A: The impact of art on the environmen- few years. fessional designers at the very last moments. nine species of gekkonids. national Green Film Festival May 13-20, 2016. tal culture and its stewardship is more than What was your role in the Fifth In- Even when we achieve some positive re- Barbod Safaei Mahroo is Tashakkori was also in charge of the interna- you can imagine. In almost all communities ternational Green Film Festival visual arts sults in this field the director will be removed an Iranian pathfinder herpetologist who leads this project tional visual arts exhibition of the festival and the artists are role models for the public and exhibition? from the office and a new director will be by collaboration of Dr. Hanyeh Ghaffari and his colleague, managed to add graphic arts of Mexican and that’s why they can promote environmental A: I was in charge of arranging the inter- appointed and all the hard work will be de- Professor Steven C. Anderson. Brazilian artist to the exhibition. culture among them. Particularly graphic de- national visual arts exhibition and I succeed- stroyed. Safaei Mahroo told the Tehran Times that “to appreciate In what comes next Tashakkori explained signers can play a key role in raising aware- ed in adding Brazilian and Mexican works of How do you suggest improving the importance of any given discovery, we must consider it her motives and the importance of the art ness and visual literacy of the public. art to the exhibition. such festivals and exhibitions? in its scientific context.” in encouraging environmental preservation. Images are more effective communica- The Mexican posters and graphic designs A: We can take such festivals and exhi- “Herein we describe a new genus and species of gecko What made you decide to choose en- tors and it is proved that an image can con- belonged to a biannual poster contest coor- bitions to the streets. Unlike paintings which from southern Iran, easily distinguishable from all other vironmental challenges as your main focus? vey a message way more quickly than a writ- dinated by Gus Morainslie, a Mexican graphic are kept in art galleries and showcased to the genera of gekkonid lizards by a unique combination of A: In 2001 as I was looking for a topic for ten text. Professional graphic designers can designer and was comprising of 88 black and artists and their friends the posters belong characters, although we have not identified any autapo- my bachelor’s degree thesis I used to go to readily interpret the environmental crisis and white posters revolving around water short- to the streets were their addresses are. The morphies,” he noted. the library to search through the documents the strategies to respond and phase out the age and overuse of plastic. public needs to see the posters closely, know He went on to say that “ordinarily we would be reluctant and books and I was looking for a radical crisis in a way that is easy to comprehend and The “Global Mix” section of the exhibition what’s happening around them and even to name a new monotypic genus; however, assigning this subject which was less discussed earlier. After appreciate for the public. By facilitating mu- also included 28 posters designed by world’s tear them to show their objection. new, distinct species to any existing genus would be arbi- months of research and study specifically on tual understanding through their works of art renowned designers, which was organized How a housewife should know that plastic trary and would artificially broaden the concept of such a the UNESCO magazines I started to under- they can even involve the public to resolve by the Brazilian designer Felipe Taborda. bags or the bleach are detrimental to the en- genus without justification.” stand how important and serious environ- How do you evaluate art exhibi- vironment without being informed about its Where and how the complex environmental issues. mental predicaments are in the world. How artists can be encouraged to coop- tions in Iran? harms. I’m sure that if they know about their Field surveys conduct- I checked with my professor who wel- erate in addressing environmental problems? A: Unfortunately in Iran the artistic works harmful effects they would stop using them ed in June 2015 in Koh-e comed my idea and introduced me to A: I believe that the artists have the po- which are rather good would mean no more and would change their lifestyle. Homag protected area, be- another professor and we decided to con- tential to take part in projects tackling such than a piece of paper which turn into a pile Posters are not being used efficiently in tween Bandar Abbas and centrate on environmental posters and issues and are interested in working in this of trash after the exhibition especially regard- Iran. I strongly believe that environmental Haji Abad County, Hormoz- on the theoretic part of the thesis I went field. What matters is that the officials have to ing the posters. The designers would be for- predicaments are so much significant that gan Province, Iran. through the activities of the artists who had ask them to work in this field. A good exam- gotten too and the award winner works are need to be broadcast both in the TV and Holotype is a single phys- tried to raise public awareness about envi- ple of such cooperation is Tehran’s municipal- never put into good use. That’s why there are even showcased on the streets. ical example or illustration of an organism, known to have been used when the species or lower-ranked tax- How southern Africa is coping with worst global food crisis for 25 years on, was formally described. From Angola to Zimbabwe, food prices are soaring and The situation is worst in the south and central regions. Zambia The holotype was collected malnutrition is on the rise as the latest El Niño weather Namibia Zambia has been rationing electricity because of a lack at dusk and the para-type event takes a brutal toll About 500,000 Namibians are dependent on govern- of water in dams, but the maize harvest has been the most which is a specimen of an Angola ment food aid after crops failed for a third year running. successful in the region. Zimbabwe Female holotype of Parsi- organism that helps to de- Drought is affecting 1.4 million people across seven Businesses in Windhoek, the capital, have been ordered by fine scientific name or taxo- of Angola’s 18 provinces. Food prices have rocketed and city authorities to cut water consumption by 30%. A state of disaster has been declared. Half the coun- gecko ziaiei sp. nov. Photo- South Africa graph by B. Safaei-Mahroo. nomic classification was col- acute malnutrition rates have doubled, with more than try’s rural population of 10 million people will need food lected during the night. 95,000 children affected. Food insecurity is expected to Seven provinces have declared a drought crisis. Maize produc- assistance by Christmas. The government has appealed for worsen from July to the end of the year. tion is down 40%. South Africa, which normally exports about 1m $1.5bn but only $200m has been pledged. Remarkable feature Botswana tons of food a year, will have to import about 3.5m tons of corn. South Sudan Geckos are among the smallest lizards and therefore a Three years of drought have hit the country’s livestock Swaziland Up to 5.3 million people face severe food shortages, es- principal prey species, so their presence is vital for ecosys- and arable farming sectors hard. At least 50,000 people are Food prices have escalated and the country’s staple pecially in the non-conflict affected states of Northern Bahr tem. A feature that distinguishes geckos from other lizards in danger of severe malnutrition. food, maize, has been subject to a 66% price hike since el Ghazal and Eastern Equatoria. From January to March, 2.8 and most other reptiles is voices. Geckos can squeak and Mozambique January. The UN has provided $3m (£207m) for food and million people were classed as being in “crisis” or “emergency” growl, make rolling trills and issue quite unsettling barking A “red alert” has been announced for southern and emergency relief for 95,000 affected people. food situations. The UN humanitarian plan for South Sudan sounds, among other vocalizations. central provinces. Some rain fell in April in southern Mo- Tanzania has received only 27% of the $1.29bn needed. Inevitably this is part of their nocturnal life and their spe- zambique, but most of this year’s harvest has been lost. Tanzania has an electricity crisis after it had to shut its Ethiopia cific adaptation that has made geckos so successful. Safaei Nearly 500,000 people are being given food aid. hydropower plants because drought is causing low water After one of its worst droughts in decades, Ethiopia Mahroo and his colleagues’ surveys confirmed that Parsi- Malawi levels in its dams. Food prices have soared. Local farmers is now being lashed by heavy rains and flash floods. The gecko genus is the only endemic genus of Gekkonidae in Up to 8 million people, or half the country, will need and pastoralists have clashed over dwindling pasture and government and international donors have pledged more Zagros Mountains. food aid after a second year of drought and disastrous water supplies and Kenyan and Ugandan farmers have in- than $700m in emergency aid but experts say the country Zagros Mountains forest steppe contains numerous en- floods in 2015. More than 1m tons of food are needed. vaded national parks with their cattle. still needs $600m more. (Source: The Guardian) demic lizards but Parsigecko found in an isolated patch of the habitat. Among seven IN FOCUS Tehran Times/ Maryam Qarehgozlou endemic geckos of the Za- TV meteorologist gros, the new species was found at the highest altitude running on trail of 1596–1697 meters. Other geckos occur mostly from rescues baby 500 to 1500 meters eleva- tion, and Cyrtopodion hor- mozganum was reported screech owl from only 70 meters. PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A Philadel- Mission impossible phia television meteorologist has bro- in vertebrate field ken off from a trail run to rescue an During the last 100 years injured baby screech owl and take it to there were no similar gain a wildlife center, where it’s doing well. in zoology field for Iranian Longtime WPVI-TV personality Ceci- Barbod Safaei Mahroo researchers. It is also spec- ly Tynan says on her Facebook page she tacular in the family of Gek- found the injured owl on the ground konidae because similar discovery occurred in 1914 and Monday clacking its beak at her. 1957. The Schuylkill (SKOO’-kul) Center The genus Parsigecko and its sole species, P. ziaiei, can for Environmental Education says the be distinguished from other genera by some specific iden- month-old owl fell out of its nest and tification keys such as dorsal scales, post-mental scales, ab- probably wouldn’t have survived for dominal scales, nasal scales and so on. long on the ground. The sole species has been named in honor of Iranian Center officials say the owl was “very famous ecologist Hooshang Ziaiei. He is one of the estab- dehydrated and had very little energy” lishers of Department of the Environment (DoE) and the but is doing better with intravenous writer of magnificent field guidebook of “Mammals of Iran”. fluids and even has another baby owl As a university lecturer, Ziaie has trained many students in After getting on the Ramsar cable car, located in the city of Ramsar, Mazandaran province, you can reach Ilmieli mountainous there for company. They hope to re- the field of wildlife conservation. area, with an altitude of 700 meters, the closest peak to the Caspian Sea. lease it into the wild in August. I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y

http://www.tehrantimes.com/sports MMAYAY 23,23, 22016016 SPORTS 11

IIran’sran’s TaftianTaftian takestakes bronzebronze atat WRESTLING Iran comes first at GGoldenolden SpikeSpike Greco-Roman World Cup Iran captured the Greco-Roman World Cup title for the fifth time in seven years after defeating Russia 8-0 in final on Friday. SPORTS Hassan Taftian of Iran Younger brother of Saeid ABDVALI, Saman gave his nation deskclaimed a bronze medal in the first win of the finals with a tight 2-1 victory over Sergei the 100 meters at the Golden Spike meet in Os- EMELIN (RUS) at 59kg. trava, Czech Republic on Friday. The second win for Iran came by hometown hero Omid Taftain came third clocking 10.25 seconds . NOROOZI who had raucous support from many Iranian fans. Six-time Olympic gold medallist Usain Bolt, A 2012 Olympic champion, Noroozi won the first period 2-0 who owns the 100m world record at 9.58 and by a gut wrench and blow up the hall in second period by a the world 200m record of 19.19, finished in side throw. 9.98 seconds. The third straight win for “My reaction was good,” Bolt said about the Iran was at 71kg, where Afshin start. “This is a very important season. This is a BYABANGARD had a come- very big year for me.” from-behind 3-2 victory over “I have a lot work to do. I just need to contin- Abuiazid MANTSIGOV. ue, need more races to go,” he added. Russia didn’t send a wres- Silver medal went to Barbadian Ramon Git- tler on mat at 71kg, giving Iran tens with 10.21 seconds. the 4-0 lead. It was the eighth time Bolt has raced at the The deciding match of Golden Spike. In 2012, he won the 100 in Ostra- the meet came at 85kg be- va in 10.04, a poor time by his standards, before tween Iran’s Ramin TAHERI he won three more gold medals at the London and Ramazan ABACHARAEV Olympics. He won his first three golds at the (RUS) as TAHERI’s 6-4 win 2008 Beijing Games. brought bout and team title victory to Iran. Habibollah AKHLAGHI, Ghasem REZAEI and Bashir BABA- Iran learns rivals at AFC U-16 Iran discovers AFC U-19 Women’s JANZADEH added three other wins to host country, beating Women’s Championship Championship Qualifying fate Russia 8-0 in the 2016 Greco-Roman World Cup final match. “We were deserved to win World Cup trophy. I should thank Shiraz people who supported us well during the tourna- ment,” said Iranian Wrestling president Rasoul KHADEM. Before this year, Iran had captured World Cup team title four times (2010, 2011, 2012 and 2014). This is the nation’s fifth vic- tory in the last seven years. Russia had not sent their best wrestlers to World Cup in or- der to prepare for Olympic Games. “It was our third or fourth team. Our main wrestlers are training for Olympic Games and best Russian team will show off at Olympic Games.” said Russian Greco-Roman head coach Gogi Koguashvili. In third place match, Turkey had a tough win 4-4 (16-14) over Kazakhstan to place third. Russia advanced to the final match in group A as defeated Belarus and Germany and Kazakhstan (all 7-1). In group B, Iran beat Ukraine (8-0), Azerbaijan (7-1) and Tur- key (7-1) for reaching the final match. Iran is pooled in Group C of the AFC U-16 Draw Result Iran learned its opponents at the Islands Final match Women’s Championship 2017 qualifiers. Group A: Thailand (host), Myanmar, AFC U-19 Women’s Championship Group B: Uzbekistan, Chinese IRAN (IRI) df. RUSSIA (RUS), 8-0 The Iranian football team has been Jordan, Guam, Laos, Pakistan Qualifying. Taipei, Hong Kong, Tajikistan (host), 59 kg - Saman Morad ABDOULI (IRI) df. Sergey EMELIN drawn along with Chinese Taipei, Bang- Group B: Korea Republic, India, Phil- The team has been pitted against Pakistan (RUS), 2-1 ladesh (host), the United Arab Emirates, ippines, Malaysia, Northern Mariana Is- Vietnam (host), India and the Philip- Group C: Thailand (host), Myan- 66 kg - Omid Haji NOROOZI (IRI) df. Zaur KABALOEV (RUS), Kyrgyzstan and Singapore. lands, Lebanon pines in Group D. mar, Palestine, Kyrgyzstan 7-2 The top four teams from the last edition – Group C: Iran, Chinese Taipei, Bang- The top four teams in the 2015 edi- Group D: Iran, Vietnam (host), In- 71 kg - Afshin Nemat BYABANGARD (IRI) df. Abuiazid MANT- DPR Korea, Japan, China PR and Thailand (who ladesh (host), United Arab Emirates, Kyr- tion of the AFC U-19 Championship dia, Philippines SIGOV (RUS), 3-2 expressed a desire to also play in the qualifiers) gyzstan, Singapore in China – Japan, DPR Korea, Korea Each group will play a one-round 75 kg - Saeid Morad ABDVALI (IRI) df. Irakliy KALANDIYA – have directly qualified for the finals. Group D: Uzbekistan, Australia, Viet- Republic and China PR – received a league in a centralized venue and (RUS) by Injury Default, 0-0 The winner from each group (total nam (host), Hong Kong, Palestine, Iraq direct qualification to the tournament the winner from each group (total 80 kg - Ramin Soltanmorad TAHERISARTANG (IRI) df. four teams) will qualify to the finals (eight Each group will play a one-round leaving the 18 teams above to battle it four teams) will qualify to the finals Ramazan ABACHARAEV (RUS), 6-4 teams in total). If Thailand finish top of league in a centralized venue. out in the qualifiers. (eight teams in total). 85 kg - Habibollah Jomeh AKHLAGHI (IRI) df. Sosruko KOD- their group in the qualifiers, the sec- The qualifiers will be played from Au- Draw Result The qualifiers will be held from ZOKOV (RUS), 3-0 ond-placed team from the same group gust 27 to September 4, 2016. Group A: Australia, Jordan, Leb- October 29 to November 6, 2016. 98 kg - Ghasem Gholamreza REZAEI (IRI) df. Kantemir MAG- will also qualify to the final competition. (Source: the-afc) anon, Singapore, Northern Mariana (Source: the-afc) OMEDOV (RUS), 2-1 130 kg - Bashir Asgari BABAJANZADEH DARZI (IRI) df. Sergey SEMENOV (RUS), 7-2 Third place match Late Iranian keeper Hejazi commemorated TURKEY (TUR) df. KAZAKHSTAN (KAZ), 4-4 59 kg - Fatih Orhan UCUNCU (TUR) df. Mirambek AINAGU- SPORTS Iranian football fans commemorated him the second best Asian goalkeeper of the 20th cen- LOV (KAZ), 3-0 deskthe five year anniversary of the death tury behind former Saudi Arabia keeper Mohamed 66 kg - Askhat ZHANBIROV (KAZ) df. Enes Nogman BASAR of the legendary goalkeeper Nasser Hejazi in Tehran’s Al-Deayea. (TUR), 3-0 Behesht-e Zahra cemetery on Sunday. In his coaching career, he led Esteghlal from 1996 to 71 kg - Darkhan BAYAKHMETOV (KAZ) df. Murat Huseyin Hejazi died on May 23, 2011 at the age of 62 after a 1999 and later in 2007. DAG (TUR), 3-2 long battle with lung cancer. The Iranian giant finished runner-up in the AFC 75 kg - Doszhan KARTIKOV (KAZ) df. Furkan BAYRAK He played for Iran as a goalkeeper in late 1960s and Champions League in 1999 under tutelage of Hejazi. (TUR), 2-0 1970s. Hejazi won the AFC Asian Cup twice for Iran and Hejazi earned 62 caps for Iran from 1968 to 1980. He 80 kg - Burhan AKBUDAK (TUR) df. Askhat DILMUKHAMED- also played for the Persians in the 1976 Olympic Games received an offer from Manchester United after the 1978 OV (KAZ) by TF, 8-0 and the 1978 FIFA World Cup. FIFA World Cup, and trained with them for a month, ap- 85 kg - Kansu ILDEM (TUR) df. Khussein MUTSOLGOV (KAZ), In 2000, the Asian Football Confederation ranked pearing in a reserve match against Stoke City. 5-2 98 kg - Fatih Cemal BASKOY (TUR) df. Alimkhan SYZDYKOV (KAZ) by TF, 10-2 FIFA Futsal World Cup: Iran draws Iran’s Mehdi Taremi set to join 130 kg - Nurmakhan TINALIYEV (KAZ) df. Atilla Serafettin GUZEL (TUR), 6-4 with Spain CD Leganes Fifth place match BELARUS (BLR) df. AZERBAIJAN (AZE), 4-4 SPORTS SPORTS Iran has been drawn Iranian international 59 kg - Sakit GULIYEV (AZE) df. Elbek TAZHYIEU (BLR) by TF, desk desk in a tough-looking striker Mehdi Taremi is 8-0 Group F alongside two-time world cham- on the verge of joining Spanish Segunda 66 kg - Elman MUKHTAROV (AZE) df. Mikita ZINEVICH (BLR) pion Spain, African champion Morocco, Division side Leganes with a three-year by TF, 9-0 and tournament debutant Azerbaijan in deal according to local media. 71 kg - Pavel LIAKH (BLR) df. Ruhin MIKAYILOV (AZE), 4-1 the FIFA Futsal World Cup. Leganes is currently top of Spanish 75 kg - Tsimur BERDYIEU (BLR) df. Shamistan GULUZADE There will be six groups of four teams Segunda Divison with 65 points with (AZE) by FALL, 4-0 with the top two in each section plus the three games until the end of the season. 80 kg - Pavel PAMINCHUK (BLR) df. Emin AHMADOV (AZE), four best third-placed teams will advance They are the favorites to win the promo- 1-0 to the knockout phase. tion to La Liga. 85 kg - Islam ABBASOV (AZE) df. Hoha HAHNIDZE (BLR), 3-2 Iran will open the campaign with a match Taremi finished the 2015-16 season 98 kg - Siarhei STARADUB (BLR) df. Orkhan NURIYEV (AZE), 5-2 against Spain on September 12 at the Coli- as the Iran Professional League top scor- 130 kg - Oyan NAZARIANI (AZE) df. Heorhi CHUHASHVILI seo Cubierto Mayor in Medellin, Colombia. er with 16 goals. The 23-year old striker (BLR), 8-7 The groups were defined as follows: who made a name for himself with Iran- Seventh place match Group A: Colombia, Portugal, Uzbek- Group D: Ukraine, Brazil, Mozam- javan after he became the second top summer of 2014 with a two-year contract UKRAINE (UKR) df. GERMANY (GER), 5-3 istan, Panama bique, Australia scorer of Azadegan league in 2013-14 was one of the key members of Branko 59 kg - Ievgen MIAGKYI (UKR) df. Dustin SCHERF (GER) by Group B: Thailand, Russia, Cuba, Egypt Group E: Argentina, Kazakhstan, Solo- season has scored five goals in 9 appear- Ivankovic team who nearly missed the TF, 8-0 Group C: Paraguay, Italy, Vietnam, mon Islands, Costa Rica ances for Team Melli. title and finished second on the goal dif- 66 kg - Artur POLITAIEV (UKR) df. Muhammet Yasin YETER Guatemala Group F: Iran, Spain, Morocco, Azerbaijan Taremi who joined Persepolis in the ference in the IPL 2015-16 season. (GER) by TF, 8-0 71 kg - Maximilian Andreas SCHWABE (GER) df. Olexandr LYTVYNOV (UKR) by TF, 11-2 75 kg - Jan ROTTER (GER) df. Ievgen PYSHKOV (UKR), 4-1 Persepolis linked with a move for Ronaldinho: report 80 kg - Yaroslav FILCHAKOV (UKR) df. Hannes WAGNER (GER), 5-0 SPORTS Iranian most-popular football team Perse- The media reports suggest that Ronaldinho has a lucra- 85 kg - Andrii GLADKYKH (UKR) df. Florian NEUMAIER (GER), 2-1 deskpolis has been reportedly linked with a tive offer from Antalyaspor to be reunited with his former 98 kg - Muhammed Etka SEVER (GER) df. Zielimkhan DZIH- summer move for former Brazil midfielder Ronaldinho. Barcelona team-mate Samuel Eto’o in Turkish side. ASOV (UKR) by TF, 9-0 The 35-year-old has offered a contract worth $3 million Persepolis finished in second place in the Iranian Profes- 130 kg - Ihor DIDYK (UKR) df. Christian JOHN (GER) by TF, to the Iranian club but Persepolis coach Branko Ivankovic sional League behind Esteghlal Khuzestan due to inferior 11-0 has turned down the offer. goal difference. (Source: Unitedworldwrestling) b

Managing Director: Ali Asgari Editor-in-Chief: Hassan Lasjerdi Poem of the day Editorial Dept.: Fax: (+98(21) 88808214 [email protected] I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y Switchboard Operator: Tel: (+98 21) 43051000 If someone asks me for his description, Advertisements Dept.: Telefax: (+98 21) 43051450 [email protected] http://www.tehrantimes.com/culture What shall I despairing say of One who has no Public Relations Office: Tel: (+98 21) 88805807 form? Subscription & Distribution Dept.: Tel: (+98 21) 43051603 Sadi www.eshterak.ir Distributor: Padideh Novin Co. Tel: 88911433 No. 18, Bimeh Lane, Nejatollahi St., Tehran, Iran Webmaster: [email protected] P.o. Box: 14155-4843 Prayer Times SINCE 1979 Printed at: Kayhan - ISSN: 1017-94 Zip Code: 1599814713 Noon:13:01 Evening: 20:29 Dawn: 4:12 (tomorrow) Sunrise: 5:53 (tomorrow)

NEWS Intl. Green Film Festival Painter Parviz Kalantari dies at 85 announces winners ARTTEHRAN — The diligent artist and illustrator ARTTEHRAN — The 5th International deskParviz Kalantari, famous for his indigenous deskGreen Film Festival honored its winners drawings of Iranian nomadic life, died on Friday. He was 85. in various sections during a closing ceremony held at Teh- “Parviz had a brain stroke more than a year ago (December ran’s Aseman Cultural Center on Friday. 2014) and he was suffering from ill health since then,” the artist’s The ceremony was attended by Foreign Minister Mo- wife Farah Yusefi told the Persian service of MNA on Saturday. hammad Javad Zarif, Department of the Environment “He went through very hard days for the past two months. Director Masumeh Ebtekar and dozens of cineastes and He was unable to eat anything and we were obliged to feed him environmental activists. with a dropper, although even that was hard for him,” his wife The award for best short film went to “Wound” from asserted. Iran. The directors of the film, Alireza Salmanpur and Yunes A winner Kalantari was born in 1931 Tarrahi, also won the award for best director. Salmanpur, (R) receives in Zanjan and was a graduate an award Tarrahi and Jafar Shakuri are the producers of the film. of the Fine Arts Faculty of Teh- from Foreign “Killing Mother” directed by Hojjat Tarrahi and pro- ran University. He was most Minister duced by Mohammad Shakibania also emerged as a big Mohammad famous for his illustrations in winner as it won the awards for best film and best director Javad Zarif school texts. in the feature-length documentary section. during the The young artist who had “The Orchard Keepers” by Irish director and producer closing begun with illustrations in the ceremony Bryony Dunne won the best short documentary. early days of his work, contin- of the 5th Iranian documentarian Alireza Dehqan won the award ued to focus on nomadic life International for best director in the section for “Owsia” that is about Green Film in his paintings, making urban ancient aqueducts in the central Iranian city of Yazd. Festival at dwellers more familiar with The jury special prize in the short documentary section Tehran’s those that move to and fro Aseman went to filmmakers Kip Andersen and Keegan Kuhn from the with the change of seasons. Cultural U.S. for “Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret” that uncovers He was from a generation Center on the most destructive industry the earth is facing today. whose main concern was making a bridge between modern May 20, “Suddenly the Wing” produced by Edris Samani was 2016. (Mehr/ paintings and the venerable cultural heritage, which is tradition. crowned best animation while Simone Giampaol from the Hossein He had made efforts to create new works with today’s inter- UK bagged the award for best director in this section for Esmaeili) national language of painting. He believed that tradition was his “Espero?”. yesterday’s language while modernism is the language of today, der between Namibia and Angola. ing limited water resources across the country. “OMEVA–Water” by Sarah Sandring from Germany and and that tradition should be expressed in the language of today. Actors Reza Kianian and Fatemeh Motamed-Arya are The 5th International Green Film Festival was held Oshosheni Hiveluah from Namibia won the jury special His art had also been exhibited in other countries such as the the ambassadors of the festival that aims to raise aware- in Tehran and several other Iranian cities from May prize. The documentary is about water scarcity on the bor- UK and the USA and were very well received in every case. His ness about conservation of the environment and protect- 13 to 20. artwork entitled “Iranian City” was put on display at the UN office in Nairobi, Kenya in October 2005. Kalantari had also published several books and articles on art Iranian producer Manuchehr Mohammadi wins 10th FIAPF Award and Iranian artists in different periodicals. The books “Four Nar- rations” and “Nietzsche No, Just Say Mashd Esmail” are among ARTTEHRAN — The es- practitioner from the region whose career APSA Film Director Maxine William- his noteworthy credits. deskteemed Iranian pro- and actions contribute strongly to the de- son from Cannes called Mohammadi a His funeral procession will begin today at the Iranian Artists Forum. ducer Manuchehr Mohammadi has been velopment of the Asia Pacific film industry. prolific producer who is very deserving picked as the winner of the 10th FIAPF “I owe this honorable award to a large of this award. (International Federation of Film Produc- number of talented Iranian artists who “I had the pleasure of serving on the ers Associations) Award for Outstanding have helped me throughout the thirty jury with Mohammadi at the Fajr Interna- Achievement in Film in the Asia Pacific years of my career. I am surprised and give tional Film Festival last year and it will be Tehran’s Sacred Defense region. my best regards to FIAPF and Asia Pacific an honor to welcome him into the FIAPF Garden Museum opens The Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA) Screen Awards”, Mohammadi, a member hall of fame. To announce his APSA FIAPF announced the award from the Cannes of the prestigious APSA Academy, said Award honor from Cannes, where the first panorama section Film Festival on May 16, fifteen years after upon hearing the news. APSA FIAPF winner is Cannes Jury Presi- Mohammadi’s film “Under the Moonlight” This will be the second APSA award for dent (George Miller) is very fitting,” Wil- won the Critic’s Week Grand Prize in 2001, Mohammadi, whose 2013 film “The Paint- liamson said. Producer Manuchehr Mohammadi in an ARTTEHRAN –Tehran’s Sacred Defense Garden undated photo APSA has announced on its website. ing Pool”, starring APSA Academy Member Now a producer of great hits, Moham- deskMuseum opened a panorama museum on The 2016 award will be presented to Negar Javaherian, was the recipient of the madi’s extensive film producing career clude “From Karkheh to Rhine” (1993), Sunday by displaying scenes Mohammadi at the 10th Asia Pacific Screen prestigious APSA 2014 UNESCO Award for began almost thirty years ago with “The “The Survivor” (1996) and “Evening of the from a huge painting on the Awards on November 24, 2016 in Brisbane, outstanding contribution to the promo- Singing Cat” (1987) and the comedy “Hey 10th Day” (2010). liberation of Khorramshahr. Australia’s new world city. tion and preservation of cultural diversity Joe!” (1989). His most recent film includes “Mina’s The 25-meter-high paint- The APSA FIAPF award celebrates a film through the medium of film. Mohammadi’s many productions in- Choice” (2016) directed by Kamal Tabrizi. ing has been created by Ira- nian artist Nasser Palangi. It showcases the days the city of PICTURE OF THE DAY ISNA/Amir Kholusi Khorramshahr was captured Adele named by Iraqi forces on October 26, 1980 during the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war until it was liber- songwriter of the ated on May 24, 1982. The huge painting, which year at Britain’s was produced within a period of five years, covers an area of Ivor Novellos Photo: A scene from the panorama of 106 meters and contains over the liberation of Khorramshahr at the 1000 scenes, the Persian service LONDON (Reuters) — British singer Adele Panorama Museum of Tehran’s Sacred of MNA reported on Sunday. added to her list of many accolades on Defense Garden Museum. The Sacred Defense Garden Thursday, winning Songwriter of the Year at Museum is located in Taleqani Park near Haqqani Highway. Britain’s Ivor Novello Awards. The 28-year-old, whose latest album “25” shot up the charts around the world upon its release last year, received her third Ivor No- vello -- a music industry award recognizing WHAT’S IN ART GALLERIES British and Irish song writing and composing. However Adele, who has several Gram- Painting my and BRIT awards as well as an Oscar to her name, did not make it to the glitzy A collection of calligraphic paintings by luncheon ceremony in London, where Behruz Zindashti is currently on show in an ex- Blur’s Damon Albarn picked up a Lifetime hibition at Seyhun Gallery. Achievement award. The exhibit named “The 3rd Line” will be run- Other winners included British singer ning until June 1 at the galley located at 24 Sinai Jamie Lawson who took the prize for Best Alley, off Keyhan St. and Moqaddas-e Ardabili Ave. Song Musically and Lyrically for “Wasn’t Expecting That”, beating Ed Sheeran, who Paintings from Farzaneh Azar’s collec- signed him to his record label last year. tion “Song of Silence” are on show in an exhi- British James Bay won in the Most Performed bition at Vaali Gallery. Work category for his popular hit “Hold Back the The exhibit runs until June 2 at the gallery, River” while the Album Award went to “Darling Arithmetic” written by Conor O’Brien, who re- which can be found at 71 Khoddami St. off Va- Revelers walk the street in Tehran on the eve of the birthday of Imam Mahdi (AS) on May 21, 2016. nak Square. cords his music under the name Villagers.

An exhibition of paintings by Fereshteh Setayesh is currently underway at Vista Gallery. Conductor satisfied with Iranian orchestra’s performance at Shanghai festival The exhibit runs until May 30 at the gallery located at No. 11, 12th Alley, Miremad Ave. ARTTEHRAN — Iranian conductor Nasir on Sunday. had Fakhreddini. deskHeidarian has expressed satisfaction Heidarian conducted the orchestra composed of mu- Iran replaced the Tehran Symphony Orchestra for the Ayrik Gallery is playing host to an exhibi- over his orchestra’s performance during the closing cer- sicians from the Tehran Symphony Orchestra and Iran’s closing ceremony of the Shanghai Spring International Mu- tion of paintings by Mojtaba Baqaian. emony of the 33rd Shanghai Spring International Music National Orchestra, which performed a selection of world sic Festival on May 18 after conductor Ali Rahbari resigned The exhibition entitled “Fluid Nature” Festival on May 18. classical music at the festival including Antonin Dvorak’s in late April. will run until May 26 at the gallery locat- “We gave a good performance and all the musicians Symphony No. 9. The concert was originally scheduled to be performed ed at Ayrik Center on Eastern Ferdows in the orchestra played with all their energy; I feel satisfied The orchestra also performed compositions from by the Tehran Symphony Orchestra, but Iran had to replace Blvd. with their work,” Heidarian told the Persian service of ISNA Iran’s national music under the baton of maestro Far- the orchestra due to conductor Ali Rahbari’s resignation.