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16 Pages Price 20,000 Rials 1.00 EURO 4.00 AED 39th year No.13308 Saturday JANUARY 19, 2019 Dey 29, 1397 Jumada Al Awwal 12, 1440 FATF is a U.S. Zarif slams U.S. FFIRI president Taj warns New Persian Treasury tool aimed arbitrary arrest Queiroz to stay away from translation of Kitab

to dominate others 2 of Press TV anchor 2 controversies 15 al-Kafi published 16 Tehran, Baku eying joint maritime exercises POLITICS TEHRAN — In a re- ments were reached during his meeting Jannati advises officials deskcently signed memo- with Azeri Defense Minister Zakir Hasanov. randum of understanding between Iran “I think that we will be able to further and Azerbaijan, the two sides have stated develop our ties in this area in the future,” their will to expand maritime cooperation Baqeri added. “The borders of the two and carrying out joint military exercises countries are the borders of peace and not to trust Europe in the Caspian Sea, Iran’s military chief friendship.” announced in a press conference in Baku Baqeri, the armed forces chief of staff, on Thursday. made a two-day visit to Azerbaijan on See page 2 General Baqeri announced that the Wednesday. During his stay, he met Pres- expansion of cooperation in the military ident Ilham Aliyev and other senior Azeri sphere was discussed and certain agree- officials.

China offers Iran $3b oil field deal China’s state-run energy giant is making Taiwan, Italy and Greece to avoid a global a new approach to clinch a $3 billion deal oil-price spike. for more development of an Iranian oil The Chinese company has informed field, seeking to take advantage of waivers the U.S. State Department about its allowed under U.S. sanctions. Iran oil business, the people said. Sin- While U.S. sanctions, which went into opec believes it wouldn’t run afoul of a effect in November, prevent companies U.S. ban on signing new development from signing contracts to access new oil deals, as its proposal for further devel- fields in Iran, Washington granted exemp- opment is part of an existing contract tions allowing Iranian oil purchases by to operate the field, according to the China, India, Japan, South Korea, Turkey, people. 4

Arab summit starts in Lebanon, many leaders absent The Arab Economic and Social Devel- Social Development summit in Beirut, Shahab Ghayoumi opment summit kicked off on Friday many heads of state are now set to stay in Beirut, Lebanon, but only two of away. many Arab heads of state are par- The emirs of Qatar and Kuwait will not ticipating in the event, which runs attend, Egypt is planning to send the prime through Sunday. minister rather than the president, while

Tehran Times/ Tehran Times/ Having previously confirmed their the Palestinian Authority (PA) president attendance at the Arab Economic and has said he will be in New York. 13 ARTICLE EU Nations Set to Snub Washington’s Latest Anti-Iran Push ARTICLE Hanif Ghaffari Martin Love BRUSSELS — A U.S. effort to enlist Europe Mr. Pompeo said the meeting would bring many European companies to leave Iran for Political analyst Political analyst from in its pressure campaign against Iran faced a together dozens of countries to “focus on Middle fear of being targeted by U.S. sanctions. North Carolina setback after officials said ministers from sev- East stability…and that includes an important On Thursday, a senior EU official said EU eral European Union members will likely skip element of making sure that Iran is not a dest- foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini wouldn’t a summit organized by Washington on Iran and abilizing influence.” attend the Warsaw gathering because of a prior Trump is mocking the Middle East. The choice of Poland, a member of the EU, to engagement. Ms. Mogherini has spearheaded EU It behooves largely Biden The summit, which will be co-hosted by Po- co-host the summit was seen by some European efforts to sustain the 2015 deal, which offered Muslim lands to land and the U.S. and take place in Warsaw, was diplomats as an effort to split the EU over Iran. Iran relief from sanctions in exchange for steps ews sources in the United States announced during Secretary of State Mike Pom- The bloc is a strong supporter of the 2015 to curb its nuclear program. avoid becoming like announced that Joe Biden, the peo’s tour of the Middle East last week. The two Iranian nuclear deal and is seeking to help The senior EU official said the bloc remains U.S. former Vice-President (from governments said it would focus on terror, ex- retain economic ties with Tehran despite re- unclear on what vision of peace and stability in Saudi Arabia N tremism and missile proliferation in the region newed U.S. sanctions on Iran following Pres- the Middle East the Feb. 13-14 summit will aim 2009 to 2017), and a prominent figure in the Democratic Party will soon an- and threats posed by proxy groups, activities ident Trump’s decision in May to withdraw to promote. There is “a lot of uncertainty about fire broke out in a school building in nounce his run for the president in 2020. Washington has accused Iran of engaging in or from the nuclear deal. participation of many other EU member states Makkah back in 2002 from which Biden has previously said that he’s “the promoting. The U.S. withdrawal, however, has driven at ministerial level,” the official said. 2 Ayoung female students tried to es- most qualified person in the country” cape. The Saudi “religious police” allegedly for being president. forced some if not all the teen school girls Biden mentioned these words in a U.S. ‘deal of century’ doomed to hit dead end: Palestine back inside the burning school because controversial interview which has attracted The Palestinian Authority (PA) says the United Citing a source who took part in a briefing peace plan are inaccurate. We have no further they were, in their hasty attempts to escape the attention of many American analysts. States President Donald Trump’s yet-to-be-un- in Washington on the so-called peace plan by a reaction,” it said in a statement. the fire, not wearing their headscarves However, Biden’s final decision for par- veiled proposal on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict senior American official, Israeli Channel 13 TV Elsewhere in his remarks, Abu Rudeineh said and black robes. ticipating in the presidential campaigns will hit a “dead end” after an Israeli TV report reported that the bid provides for a Palestinian that any proposal meant to resolve the Israe- Fights reportedly broke out between wasn’t clear. Eventually, a number of released what it called details of the so-called state in 85-90 percent of the West Bank, with li-Palestinian conflict should have “international fire fighters and members of the “Com- Biden’s followers, including his brother “deal of the century.” the capital in “most of the Arab neighborhoods” legitimacy.” mission for the Promotion of Virtue and Frank Biden, announced his final decision PA spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh stressed of East al-Quds (Jerusalem). “The address for achieving a just and last- the Prevention of Vice” to keep the girls to run for the general elections. Polls con- on Wednesday that any imitative short of a sov- The plan also endorses the Israeli grip over ing peace is the Palestinian leadership, which inside the school because they were not ducted in the United States indicate that ereign Palestinian state based on the pre-1967 parts of East al-Quds (Jerusalem) and the Holy affirms that any proposals regarding the po- wearing the hijab or maybe black robes Biden is currently more popular than other boundaries with the entire East al-Quds (Jeru- Basin, which includes the Old City and its adjacent litical process must be based on international -- or whatever the Saudis deem appropriate potential candidates of the Democratic salem) as its capital would fail. territories, according to the report. legitimacy and the principle of the two-state garb for young females -- and 15 of the Party in the upcoming elections. “Rumors and leaks about the deal of the cen- Moreover, the initiative stipulates various solution,” he said. girls allegedly died in the Muslim holy Meanwhile, Biden is probably to face tury, as well as ongoing attempts to find regional land swaps and Israel’s annexation of major Palestinians have already rejected Trump’s city as a result. There also was, as would rivals such as Bernie Sanders, Senator and international parties that would cooperate settlement blocs. plan, with President Mahmoud Abbas calling it be expected, criticism of the “police” even from Vermont, and Elizabeth Warren, with this plan, are failed attempts that will reach However, the Israeli settlements, defined as “the slap of the century.” in the Saudi media. and even Hillary Clinton. During the 2016 a dead end,” he said. isolated, would not be evacuated and expanded, Last month, eight European Union (EU) The English-language Saudi Gazette presidential competitions, Biden was also “Any peace plan that does not include an but “dried out.” member states warned that Trump’s initiative was one media outlet which criticized the scheduled to attend the in-party election independent Palestinian state - with all of East The White House rejected the Channel 13 would not be successful if it fails to take into “police”. The newspaper reported that the competitions, but he changed his mind Jerusalem as its capital - on the 1967 borders, report as mere “speculations.” account internationally-agreed parameters “police” even stopped people who tried due to his son’s death and Hillary Clinton’s is destined to fail,” he added. “As in the past, speculations regarding the for peace. 13 to assist the girls escape from the blaze, insistence on attending the presidential claiming that it was “sinful” to approach campaign. Biden’s remarks, however, show them. that he’s greatly interested in defeating Iran If any incident better speaks of Trump in the 2020 election. the cruelty of Saudi mentality, not to However, we shouldn’t forget that Bid- mention the murder of Khashoggi and en can’t really count on the current polls celebrates lies about that crime and many other conducted among Democrat supporters! scandalous incidents, it is hard to know We can all remember that during the centenary of what it might be. This was clearly an 2008 presidential elections and inside extreme example of Islamic “rules” the Democratic Party, Obama had far Academy of gone awry in practice. less chance of reaching the final round But it’s entirely correct to insist on of the elections than those like Hillary modesty in dress. This is a Qu’ranic man- Clinton. But his successful speeches in Music date and it makes a lot of good sense, states like Iowa and South Carolina led but in general terms it is a call for the ARTTEHRAN — A cel- to Clinton’s final defeat and Obama’s prevalence of modesty is all walks of deskebration to mark the victory. life and frankly it ought to apply in ANY centenary of the establishment of Iran’s Hence, the success of Biden’s rival society, whether Muslim or not. Modesty Academy of Music was held at Tehran’s candidates in states like Iowa and New is a great virtue, and the problem, as Vahdat Hall on Wednesday. Hampshire (where American in-party usual, arises in what amounts to the The celebration was attended by the elections begin with them) can completely application of the mandate. Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance change the equations, and that won’t be Far be it for a Westerner, including Seyyed Abbas Salehi and a number of any American Muslim, to criticize oppro- to Biden’s advantage. Kazemi Nazanin veteran musicians. Accordingly, Trump’s position on brium towards anyone engaging in truly Speaking at the ceremony, the minis- Biden’s participation in the presidential immodest and scandalous behavior, but

IRNA/ ter called the celebration an event which competitions are noteworthy. In a phone the situation in Saudi Arabia, where there bears the sweet scent of dynamism and interview with Fox News’ Jeanine Pirro, are NO churches or synagogues (as there Tombak virtuoso Mohammad Esmaeili (C) accepts an award for his lifetime achievements from Culture Minister Abbas Salehi (R). eternity. 16 Trump called Joe Biden “weak”. 7 are and supported in Iran), 7 I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y POLITICS JANUARY 19, 2019 MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS FATF is a U.S. Zarif joins 10-year challenge, Treasury tool aimed to dominate others: cleric slamming Bolton POLITICS TEHRAN — Iranian Foreign Minister POLITICS TEHRAN — Tehran Friday prayer lead- desk desk Mohammad Javad Zarif has taken on er Ayatollah Mohammad-Ali Movahedi the “10 year challenge”, a photo sharing fad sweeping Kermani has warned against Iran’s accession to the Finan- social media, by comparing U.S. National Security cial Action Task Force (FATF), saying the FATF is a wing Adviser John Bolton’s warmongering remarks 10 years of U.S. Treasury which aims to establish its intelligence ago with those of today. dominance over other countries. “Same bull. Same bully. Same delusion,” Zarif said in a Addressing worshipers in Tehran on Friday, Movahedi Kermani tweet on Friday, sharing two pictures side by side, one picture said although the FATF claims its goal is to fight money laundering of a 2009 anti-Iran op-ed headline by Bolton, and another and terrorism, its true aim is to impose more sanctions against picture of a recent headline about Bolton’s Iran actions. Iran and the resistance movement, ISNA reported. The tweet came after the White House asked the Pen- The center of money laundering in the world are America tagon to prepare plans for a U.S. military strike against and Europe, he said, adding that it was the Western countries’ Iran after a September mortar attack allegedly claimed by support of terrorism which led to the most heinous crimes a Tehran-aligned group targeting Baghdad’s diplomatic committed by Daesh and other terror groups. quarter, which houses the U.S. embassy, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal. Iran to keep The request was made during a series of meetings led defeating Israel by President Trump’s National Security Council, headed by Bolton. through intelligence Tensions between Iran and the U.S. have escalated cut Iran’s oil exports to zero. the Iran nuclear deal. since Trump walked away from the 2015 nuclear deal Following the U.S. exit from the nuclear deal, Iran and He said the U.S. policy is to levy “maximum economic supremacy: Alavi between Iran and world powers in May and reimposed the remaining parties launched talks to save the accord. pressure” on the country. POLITICS TEHRAN — Intelligence Minister sanctions on the Islamic Republic. Trump on August 6 signed an executive order re-imposing The second batch of U.S. sanctions against the Islamic deskMahmoud Alavi on Thursday reminded U.S. officials have repeatedly claimed that they aim to many sanctions on Iran, three months after pulling out of Republic took effect on November 4. the Zionist regime of the blows it has received from Iran, saying the Islamic Republic will continue to inflict defeats Iran, Japan celebrate 90 years of VP asks Expediency Council to expedite on Israel in the intelligence arena. Speaking at a provincial council in the province of West diplomatic ties studying Palermo bill Azarbaijan, Alavi said Iran is forcefully fighting off the Zionist regime of Israel, Tasnim reported. POLITICS TEHRAN — Iran and POLITICS TEHRAN — Laya desk desk “We have inflicted defeats on that regime in various arenas Japan celebrated Joneidi, the vice pres- by taking intelligence measures, and this issue (defeating 90th anniversary of diplomatic re- ident for legal affairs, has called on the Israel) will continue in future,” he added. lations in a ceremony held in Iran’s Expediency Council to expedite studying He also said the close cooperation and rapport among embassy in Tokyo on Thursday. issues related to Iran’s accession to the the Iranian intelligence organizations have thwarted the Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono Palermo Convention. hostile plots against the country. said in a message, which was read in the In an interview with IRNA published ceremony, that Iran and Japan should on Friday, she said that it is better to fi- Nuclear negotiator: expand their friendly relations. nalize issues related to joining the CFT - a “The two countries gradually boosted legislation to combat financing of terror- Thank you President the mutual understanding and deep- ism - and also the Palermo Convention to ened their relations during 90 years,” facilitate Europe’s financial mechanism Trump for bringing he explained. He added that he is willing to play to keep the 2015 nuclear deal and also present in the parliament, voted in favor Japan-Iran Parliamentarians a role in expansion of ties. to join the Financial Action Task Force. of the bill. However, the oversight Guard- ‘shame’ to U.S. Friendship League Chairman Fumio According to NHK, Iran’s ambas- The United Nations Convention against ian Council rejected the bill by finding POLITICS TEHRAN — A top Iranian nuclear negoti- Kishida said Japan wants to cooper- sador to Japan Morteza Rahmani Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC), 20 faults with it. To become a law, the deskator said on Wednesday that U.S. President ate with Iran in line with expanding Movahed gave a speech at the event. which is also called the Palermo Conven- Guardian Council should vet the bill for Donald Trump’s withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear agreement relations. He said the two countries have great tion, is a 2000 United Nations-sponsored compliance with the Constitution. showed how “untrustworthy” the United States is. Kishida said that during his tenure potential to cooperate in various areas. multilateral treaty against transnational According to the constitution, in cases “Today is the 3rd anniversary of the implementation of as the foreign minister, he visited Iran The Iranian ambassador told NHK organized crime. when the parliament and the Guardian Iran nuclear deal which displayed how untrustworthy and for two times and discussed expansion that Iran hopes to advance cooperation On October 7, 2018, the parliament Council disagree on a bill the issue is unreliable the U.S. is. A president sign, the next withdraw!” of relations with Iranian Foreign Min- with Japan in trade and other economic voted in favor of the CFT. At the time, a referred to the Expediency Council for Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi tweeted. ister Mohammad Javad Zarif. areas, independent of the U.S. total of 143 lawmakers, out of 268 ones final arbitration. “Thank you President Trump for exhibiting this. Shame!” said Araqchi, who was a key negotiator in drawing up the nuclear agreement with the 5+1 group (the five permanent Zarif slams U.S. arbitrary arrest of Press TV anchor Marzieh Hashemi members of the UN Security Council and Germany) in July 2015. International Federation of Journalists voices ‘serious concerns’ over Hashemi’s detention Zaghari’s husband POLITICS TEHRAN — Foreign Minister Mohammad Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi these illegal, unjustifiable and anti-human rights measures,” deskJavad Zarif has censured the arrest of Press has described the United States as a “dangerous” country the council concluded. offered visa to TV anchor Marzieh Hashemi, who has been imprisoned by for journalists. Hossein Amir Abdollahian, a senior foreign policy advisor visit Iran, but the FBI on unspecified charges. This arrest is “a blatant violation of human rights” and to the parliament speaker, has also denounced the move as a The arrest of Hashemi is a clear violation of freedom of proves that Washington “is not committed to any of the “political game”, saying if she is “not released immediately, declined: envoy speech, Zarif said on Wednesday in an interview with the principles that it uses as pretexts to attack its critics,” he it is not the U.S. which will end that game.” Al-Alam news network, urging the U.S. officials to end their said in a statement. On Friday, the International Federation of Journal- POLITICS TEHRAN — Tehran’s ambassador to the “political game” at once. The Iranian High Council for Human Rights said in a ists (IFJ) voiced “serious concerns” over Hashemi’s deskUK said on Thursday that Iran had offered “The arrest is a political and unacceptable move by the statement on Thursday that the way Hashemi was arrest- detention. Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s husband a visa to visit Iran but U.S.,” Zarif remarked. ed and the “violent and humiliating treatment” of her is a In a Twitter post, the federation wrote that the United he did not use the opportunity. Hashemi, an American-born journalist based in Iran, was brazen example of arbitrary arrest and detention, torture States must give clarifications about the situation of the “Pursuant to numerous requests to visit the family, we detained on the weekend upon arrival at the international and flagrant violation of freedom of speech. Press TV anchor. offered Ms. Zaghari’s husband a visa in April 2017 to visit airport in St. Louis, Missouri, without any explanations, her It also called on the self-proclaimed advocates of human Alexandra Ellerbeck, a program coordinator of the Com- Iran--to see her and especially to be with his daughter. That family and friends told Press TV on Wednesday. rights in Europe, on the United Nations, the UN Human mittee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), said on Thursday that was almost two years ago,” Hamid Baeidinejad said in a tweet. Her son, Hossein Hashemi, said she was detained as a Rights Council, and the UN High Commissioner for Human “we are concerned by the arrest of a journalist for Iranian “You’d have to ask him why he did not use this opportunity “material witness” to a criminal case and no charges were Rights to immediately denounce the move and to make state TV, Marzieh Hashemi, and call on the U.S. Department to visit the family,” he added. pressed against her, Press TV reported. serious efforts to secure her release. of Justice to immediately disclose the basis for her detention Zaghari-Ratcliffe, 38, has been imprisoned in Iran for The FBI has so far refused to comment on the case. “The U.S. government is undoubtedly accountable for all for the past five days.” 2 years on charges of trying to orchestrate a soft overthrow of the Islamic Republic. Jannati advises officials not to trust Europe Ireland POLITICS TEHRAN — Ayatollah The senior cleric said he thought the entire international community. with regard to the JCPOA, but the country’s deskAhmad Jannati, chief of Islamic Republic will ultimately have to In response, Iran’s other partners in the economy must not be tied to this issue.” welcomes Iran’s Assembly of Experts, says the Europe- “set fire” to the deal, referring to Leader deal, especially Washington’s own allies, The European Union has promised to closer ties ans are worse than the Americans in trying Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s statement in June stressed their commitment to the deal and set up the so-called special purpose vehicle to deprive Iran of the benefits of the 2015 2016, who said if the U.S. tore the deal, as vowed efforts to compensate for the U.S.’s (SPV), a payment mechanism aimed at with Iran nuclear deal, aka the Joint Comprehensive they had threatened, the Islamic Republic absence and keep the deal in effort. facilitating business with Iran irrespective Plan of Action (JCPOA), advising officials would set fire to it. In turn, Iran said it would only stay in the of the U.S. bans. POLITICS TEHRAN — The Irish parliament speaker not to fall for them. “The Europeans are however dragging deal if the Europeans manage to make sure The 28-nation bloc, however, has desksaid on Thursday that his country wel- “Some imagine they could rely on the their feet and would do nothing in our Tehran will be able to collect the economic come under fire for failing to speed up comes expansion of cooperation with Iran in different fields, Europeans when America withdraws from interest,” Jannati said. “The Europeans dividends of the JCPOA when the U.S. leaves efforts to launch the SPV, which many IRNA reported. the JCPOA,” he said in a Thursday meeting of are worse than the Americans. If not, they and unleashes fresh economic pressure against analysts view as a question of sovereignty “Bilateral relations should improve and we in Ireland’s the assembly, censuring Europe for dragging are not any better.” the Islamic Republic. for Europe in the face of the U.S. The parliament will support deepening ties with the country in its feet on adopting practical measures to In May 2018, U.S. President Donald Trump Following Washington’s exit, Ayatollah EU first promised to launch the SPV on all fields,” Sean O’Farrel said. save the 2015 multilateral nuclear agreement unilaterally withdrew his country from the Khamenei said, “The European sides are November 4, 2018, the same day U.S. He made the remarks in a meeting with Iran’s Ambassador following the U.S.’s withdrawal. JCPOA in defiance of objections from the obligated to provide necessary guarantees sanctions were reimposed. to Dublin Masoud Eslami. “There are numerous opportunities to be seized in line with promoting commercial relations between the two coun- tries,” O’Farrel said. Iranians have shattered myth of U.S. omnipotence: FM Eslami, for his part, hailed the Irish parliament’s support, POLITICS TEHRAN — Iranian Foreign Minister By “the US client”, Zarif was referring to Mohammad “Today is the 3rd anniversary of the implementation of desk saying the two countries’ parliamentary ties are growing. Mohammad Javad Zarif has said the Irani- Reza Pahlavi, the former U.S.-backed Shah of Iran who Iran nuclear deal which displayed how untrustworthy and an people have shattered the myth of the U.S. omnipotence. fled the country on Jan. 16, 1979, a few weeks before the unreliable the US is. A president sign, the next withdraw! “Iranians forced the US client to leave 40 years ago today. victory of the Islamic Revolution. Thank you President Trump for exhibiting this. Shame!” Activists urge 3 years ago today, JCPOA entered into force, ending yrs of se- The 2015 nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehen- Trump withdrew Washington from the JCPOA in Europe to curitization of Iran. In spite of US machinations v. Iran for the sive Plan of Action, went into force on January 16, 2016. May 2018 and ordered sanctions against Iran. This hap- past 40 years— & its withdrawal from JCPOA— Iranians have Also in a tweet on Wednesday, Iranian Deputy Foreign pened despite warning by the international community boycott U.S. shattered the myth of US omnipotence,” he tweeted on Wednesday. Minister for Political Affairs Seyyed Abbas Araqchi said, including U.S. allies. anti-Iran summit Iran warns Netanyahu about EU nations set to snub Washington’s POLITICS TEHRAN — A group of activists in the threatening Iran latest anti-Iran push deskU.S. and other countries have signed a petition calling on European countries to boycott an anti-Iran POLITICS TEHRAN — Irani- sory presence in Syria upon request 1 European diplomats said in the summit on Sunday. summit set to be held by the U.S. in Poland next month, deskan Foreign Ministry by Damascus. recent days that France is unlikely to The “Polish government can’t wash the Press TV reported on Thursday. spokesman Bahram Qassemi said on “Iran cannot be threatened. If need- send its foreign minister. Britain and shame: while Iran saved Poles in WWII, it The activists have started the petition on the website of Wednesday that Israeli Prime Minis- ed, we will teach them how to talk and Germany haven’t decided who will now hosts desperate anti-Iran circus,” Iran’s the anti-war group Code Pink to ask European countries ter Benjamin Netanyahu should stop take move,” he said. represent them. Luxembourg’s foreign Foreign Minister Javad Zarif wrote on Twitter. not to attend the summit announced by U.S. Secretary of threatening Iran. He added, “The Islamic Republic minister said he would miss the event Polish officials have been trying to play State Mike Pompeo. His comments came as Netanyahu of Iran is a capable country and what because of a prior arrangement. down the Iran focus of the summit. Poland’s More than 3,000 people have so far signed the online said on Wednesday that Iran should it says is right and precise. So, what One European diplomat said the bloc foreign minister has asked to formally raise petition, which urges EU countries to skip Pompeo’s “bel- leave Syria or Israel will continue hitting the prime minister of this regime [the wouldn’t be “joining an anti-Iran coalition.” the meeting at a regular EU foreign-affairs ligerent conference” and “instead host an alternative one Iran’s positions in Syria. Zionist regime of Israel] says is non- The Iranian foreign ministry sum- meeting on Monday, EU officials said. with all nations of the region, including Iran.” Qassemi noted that Iran has advi- sense and propaganda.” moned Poland’s ambassador to protest (Source: The Wall Street Journal) I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y JANUARY 19, 2019 INTERNATIONAL UN monitors biased toward Saudi Israeli regime responsible for many conflicts in Middle Arabia: Yemen’s Ansarullah East: Hezbollah Yemeni officials have voiced concern over a prisoner swap, which could involve up to United Nations mission’s ignorance of the 15,000 detainees from both sides, in principle A high-ranking member of the Lebanese Hezbollah resistance Saudi regime violations of the Hudaydah as a confidence-building measure ahead of movement has accused Tel Aviv of being behind most crises in truce deal. the December negotiations in Sweden. the Middle East region. Yemen’s Supreme Revolutionary Commit- The second session of talks in Jordan “The Israeli occupation [regime] is the biggest problem in tee head Mohammed Ali al-Houthi highlighted was held a day after the UN Security Council our region. It intervenes in world’s issues… [while] the Unites the failure of the UN mission to support the (UNSC) unanimously approved the deploy- States and Europe help it to normalize relations with some Arab Hudaydah Agreement (UNMHA) to hold the ment of up to 75 monitors to oversee the countries, so that the regime is accepted internationally and Saudis accountable after one of its own vehicles truce in Hudaydah, a lifeline for the delivery regionally in particular,” Hezbollah Deputy Secretary General was targeted in the port city of Hudaydah. of desperately needed humanitarian aid. Sheikh Naim Qassem said in an interview with Arabic-language The attack, which happened earlier on According to the UN, the fragile ceasefire al-Manar television network. Thursday, caused no casualties. The UN has largely held since it came into force in He added, “Israel is the main problem in the region as it is declined to identify the party behind the December, but there have been delays in behind many existing crises. This region will continue to suffer shooting. Al-Houthi believes the Saudi the agreed withdrawal of the Ansarullah from successive and cumulative crises as long as the Israeli oc- regime-led forces were responsible for the and Hadi’s forces. The limited ceasefire and cupation [regime] exists and acts in such an aggressive manner attack and the UN’s silence may indicate the withdrawal, if implemented, could offer a under American supervision.” monitoring mission is not prepared to carry potential breakthrough in a nearly four-year “We must always bear in mind that Israel is a great danger; and out its duties correctly. Saudi-led war that has brought Yemen to the that Arab and Muslim countries should reach an understanding Al-Houthi suggested that the silence was brink of starvation and created the world’s with each other and work out appropriate means of cooperation. more probably a case of the UN’s intentional worst humanitarian crisis. Leading a coali- I am warning those countries seeking normalization of ties with bias in favor of the Saudi-led forces. tion of its allies, the House of Saud regime the Israeli enemy that your bids will destroy your nations. Protect Supreme Political Council member Mo- a peace deal signed in the Swedish capital of of the port city of Hudaydah, and former invaded Yemen in March 2015 in an attempt the independence of your countries against Israel rather than hammed al-Bukhaiti also echoed al-Houthi’s Stockholm on December 13. president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi’s allied to reinstall Hadi, who had resigned amid facilitating such a scheme!” Qassem pointed out. comments, adding that the UNMHA chief Hudaydah, a lifeline for millions of Yem- militia together with the Saudi regime-led popular discontent and fled to Riyadh, and The senior Hezbollah official then noted that the United States monitor Patrick Cammaert has “sought to enis, has seen some of the heaviest fighting forces — who have placed the city under a to eliminate the Ansarullah movement, who has failed miserably in Syria, describing the U.S. Secretary of see the Stockholm agreement fail” ever since in the Saudi regime-led war, which Riyadh tight siege since June — must withdraw from have been running state affairs and defending State Mike Pompeo’s tour of the Middle East as an attempt by the he was appointed to the mission. began in March 2015. the port and hand it over to UN observers. Yemeni people against the Saudi regime brutal White House to raise the morale of its frustrated regional allies. “We will not accept dialogue around in- Yemen’s Ansarullah, former The two sides further agreed to exchange campaign during the nearly past four years. He then scoffed at the recent visit by the U.S. Under Secretary creasing the number of international monitors govt. meet for 2nd day to hammer out prisoners of war and issued a statement of The massive aggression, which has failed of State for Political Affairs David Hale to Beirut, stating that until the problem of Patrick Cammaert is prisoner swap understanding on the southwestern city of to achieve any of its goals, has reportedly the solution to Lebanon’s government formation deadlock is resolved,” said al-Bukhaiti. Elsewhere, representatives of Yemeni Ta’izz, another flashpoint area in the war-rav- killed over 56,000 people. It has also taken “domestic.” Also on Thursday, seven Yemeni army warring parties, the Ansarullah (Houthi) aged country. As for the prisoner swap, Jordan a heavy toll on the country’s infrastructure, “Hale knows very well that he is not in a position to dictate personnel were killed following two Saudi movement and the country’s former Sau- hosted a round of talks between the warring destroying hospitals, schools, and factories. things on Lebanon and its officials. He who does not see daily airstrikes north of Hudaydah, according to di-backed government, have held their second sides, upon a request from Griffiths, the first The UN officials have already said that a Israeli violations against Lebanon as an aggression is not eligible Yemen’s Armed Forces spokesman Brigadier session of talks in Jordan in an attempt to session of which was held on Wednesday, record 22.2 million Yemenis are in dire need to give advice about citizenship and Lebanon’s future,” Qassem General Yahya Saree. thrash out the details of a major prisoner when the two sides met separately with the of food, including 8.4 million threatened by underlined. Saree described the attacks as a blatant swap, a UN source says. mediators and submitted lists of prisoners severe hunger. According to the world body, “Hence, he is advised to know that the future of Lebanon is in violation of the truce and urged UN monitors Last Month, the two sides signed an they wanted to be released. Yemen is suffering from the most severe fam- the hands of its nation, and Lebanon’s interests are not expected to hold the coalition accountable for the attack. agreement for a partial ceasefire at the end On Thursday, the Ansarullah and Hadi’s ine in more than 100 years. to be in line with the failed U.S.-Israeli plan, which has ruined He further highlighted that vague respons- of UN-brokered peace negotiations, mediated delegation were expected to meet face-to- With the war drawn into a deadlock, Saudi the region,” he said. es from the UN only impeded the Yemeni by Martin Griffiths, the UN special envoy for face in Amman to hammer out the details Arabia is virtually mired in a quagmire, having (Source: Press TV) military’s right to retaliate. Yemen, in Rimbo, north of the Swedish cap- of the swap and the circumstances of its faced repeated military backlashes in Yemen Yemen’s warring parting withdrew forces ital Stockholm. According to the agreement, implementation. and reprisal attacks inside its own territories. from strategic port city of Hudaydah following the Ansarullah fighters, who are in control The two sides reached an agreement on (Source: Press TV) Impeachment calls grow Sudan police fire live rounds outside home after report said Trump told of slain protester ex-lawyer to lie to Congress The United States President Donald Trump directed his former Sudanese police fired live ammunition at mourners outside After Friday’s shooting outside Khalil’s home, thousands personal lawyer Michael Cohen to lie to Congress about nego- the home of a protester who died early on Friday from a attended his funeral at a cemetery across from a police officers’ tiations over a real estate project in Moscow, Buzzfeed news gunshot wound sustained the night before. club. Clashes with police had calmed by the time protesters reported on Thursday, an allegation that Democrats have vowed About 2,000 mourners gathered in the Burri neighbor- transported the body to Burri Mosque. to investigate. hood where the man, Moawia Bashir Khalil, 60, was shot Demonstrations also spread to other cities and towns, Citing two unnamed law enforcement officials, BuzzFeed on Thursday. According to local reports, Khalil was killed including the Red Sea city of Port Sudan, the provincial cap- reported that Trump directed Cohen to lie to Congress by inside his home for helping unarmed protesters hide from ital of Gadaref and in the agricultural hub of Atbara, where claiming negotiations over the project ended earlier than they security forces. the first protest broke out in December after a government actually did. The report also said that Cohen regularly briefed The procession turned into a spontaneous anti-govern- decision to raise bread prices. Trump and his family on the Moscow Trump Tower project ment demonstration, the latest in a series of protests against The protests have since escalated into broader demon- - even as Trump said he had no business dealings with Rus- the leadership of President Omar al-Bashir. The capital, strations against al-Bashir’s three decades of iron-fisted sia. The Associated Press has not been able to independently Khartoum, has witnessed weeks of pitched battles between rule that have triggered deadly clashes with security forces. verify the report. police and demonstrators over the state of the economy Officials say at least 24 people have died, but human The White House was not immediately available for comment. and other issues. “We are not scared, we will not stop” the rights groups have put the death toll much higher. Trump has previously denied reports that he directed Cohen to protesters shouted, as they took to the streets of Khartoum’s Last week, Amnesty International said more than 40 break the law. eastern district of Burri, the hub of an anti-government rally people had been killed and more than 1,000 arrested. Rudy Giuliani, Trump’s current lawyer, told CNN that if “you late on Thursday. Human Rights Watch said the dead included children of mismanagement of key sectors of the economy and of believe Cohen, I can get you a great deal on the Brooklyn Bridge”, Video footage showed men and women, many wearing and medical staff. Before the protests, AFP reported that one pouring funds into a military response Sudan can ill afford. suggesting that Cohen is lying. masks, shouting slogans against the government as a thick of their journalists saw security personnel, many in plain Sudan has suffered from a chronic shortage of foreign House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff tweeted plume of smoke - resulting from burning tyres and rubbish clothes, stationed across the downtown area of Khartoum currency since South Sudan broke away in 2011, taking with on Thursday that the allegation that Trump asked Cohen to lie - billowed behind them. and along the expected route of Thursday’s march. it the lion’s share of oil revenues. “to curtail the investigation and cover up his business dealings A child and a doctor were also killed by gunfire in Burri Several army vehicles, mounted with machine guns, were That triggered soaring inflation and saw the cost of food with Russia is among the most serious to date”. on Thursday, said the Sudan Doctors’ Committee (SDC), a stationed outside the palace. and medicines more than double, with frequent shortages “We will do what’s necessary to find out if it’s true,” Schiff, group linked to the opposition. The Sudanese Professionals Association - a trade union in major cities, including Khartoum. a Democrat, added. Before police opened fire on Friday, some mourners pelted representing doctors, teachers and engineers among others Al-Bashir has blamed the protests on foreign “agents” The chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, Jerrold officers nearby with rocks and overturned and destroyed a - has stepped into the vacuum created by the arrest of many and said the unrest would not lead to a change in govern- Nadler, said directing a subordinate to lie to Congress is a fed- police truck, witness video showed. opposition leaders. Mohammed Yousef, a spokesman for the ment, challenging his opponents to seek power through eral crime. The mourners blocked the main street in Burri with boul- association, said demonstrators were prepared to continue the ballot box. “The @HouseJudiciary Committee’s job is to get to the bottom ders and chanted “there is no God but God!” and “Martyr! to press their grievances while remaining patient and wise. He has ordered the police to use “less force” against of it, and we will do that work,” Nadler tweeted. Martyr!” Several were wailing and crying and some were Despite the crackdown, the movement has grown to protesters, but deadly violence during the demonstrations An adviser to Cohen, Lanny Davis, declined to comment on carrying Sudanese flags. become the biggest threat to Bashir’s rule since he took continues. the substance of the article, saying that he and Cohen wouldn’t There were no immediate reports of casualties. power in 1989. The protesters accuse Bashir’s government (Source: agencies) answer questions out of respect for special counsel Robert Mu- eller’s Russia probe. Mueller is investigating Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election and contacts with the Trump Bahraini court gives prison sentences to three more anti-regime campaign. According to BuzzFeed, Mueller learned that Trump directed Cohen to lie through multiple witness interviews, internal emails activists, revokes their citizenship and text messages and other documents. A court in Bahrain has handed down prison launched an open-ended hunger strike at a The body of independent human rights and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) were Cohen pleaded guilty in November to lying to Congress in sentences to three anti-regime protesters and detention center in Bahrain to protest her experts stated that Alwadaei’s relatives were deployed to assist Bahrain in its crackdown. 2017 to cover up that he was negotiating the real estate deal in stripped them of their citizenship as the rul- dire situation and mistreatment by prison “deprived of their liberty, interrogated and Scores of people have lost their lives and Moscow on Trump’s behalf during the heat of his presidential ing House of Khalifah regime does not shy authorities. prosecuted for their family ties with him and hundreds of others sustained injuries or got campaign. The charge was brought by Mueller and was the result away from its heavy clampdown on political Her son-in-law and London-based Sayed that these were acts of reprisals.” arrested as a result of the House of Khalifah of his cooperation with that probe. dissidents and pro-democracy activists in Ahmed Alwadaei, who is the founder of the Thousands of anti-regime protesters have regime’s crackdown. Cohen was recently sentenced to three years in prison after the tiny Persian Gulf kingdom. Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy held demonstrations in Bahrain on an almost On March 5, 2017, Bahrain’s parliament pleading guilty to tax crimes, bank fraud and campaign viola- The court sentenced the first two defend- (BIRD), said high-profile activist Hajer Man- daily basis ever since a popular uprising began approved the trial of civilians at military tions. He is scheduled to testify before the House Oversight and ants to ten years in jail each, while the third soor Hassan could no longer tolerate inhu- in the country in mid-February 2011. tribunals in a measure blasted by human Reform Committee on February 7. received a seven-year prison sentence after mane conditions and degrading treatment, They are demanding that the House of rights campaigners as being tantamount The report comes as House Democrats have promised a the trio was found guilty of “joining a terrorist which include being denied phone calls, at Khalifah regime relinquish power and allow to imposition of an undeclared martial law thorough look into Trump’s ties to Russia. Though House group and traveling to Iraq in 2017 to receive the Women’s Detention Center in Isa Town. a just system representing all Bahrainis to countrywide. Speaker Nancy Pelosi has discouraged any talk of impeachment military training.” Earlier this month, the Working Group be established. Bahraini monarch King Hamad bin Isa Al in the early days of her new majority, some senior Democrats The three convicts were later stripped of on Arbitrary Detention described Hassan’s Manama has gone to great lengths to clamp Khalifah ratified the constitutional amend- said that if the BuzzFeed report is true, Trump’s actions could their Bahraini citizenship. imprisonment and that of two other members down on any sign of dissent. On March 14, ment on April 3, 2017. rise to that level. Meanwhile, a female dissident has of Alwadaei’s family as unlawful. 2011, troops from the House of Saud regime (Source: Press TV) “If the @BuzzFeed story is true, President Trump must resign or be impeached,” tweeted Texas Democrat Joaquin Castro, a member of the House intelligence panel. Congressman David Cicilline, a member of the House Judi- Young activist dies in Saudi prison ciary Committee, tweeted that if Trump directed Cohen to lie, A young activist who had been detained in a Saudi regime ees in Saudi prisons has increased over the past two years. ti-terrorism laws to target activism. “that is obstruction of justice. Period. Full stop”. jail since March 2011 has died in prison. Eastern Province has been the scene of peaceful demonstra- In January 2016, Saudi regime authorities executed Shia William Barr, Trump’s nominee for attorney general, said Nayef Ahmed al-Omran, an activist from the Shia-populated tions since February 2011. Protesters have been demanding cleric Sheikh Nimr Baqir al-Nimr, who was an outspoken at his Senate confirmation hearing Tuesday that a president or region of Qatif in Eastern Province, was buried on Friday reforms, freedom of expression, the release of political pris- critic of the policies of the Riyadh regime. Nimr had been anyone else who directs a witness to lie is illegally obstructing an morning amid media blackout enforced by the Saudi regime. oners, and an end to economic and religious discrimination arrested in Qatif in 2012. investigation. That statement attracted attention, given Barr’s There were no further details available on how he passed against the oil-rich region. The protests have been met with Earlier this month, Saudi forces stormed a small vil- expansive views of presidential powers and his belief that presi- away. According to Saudi activists, Nayef had been impris- a heavy-handed crackdown by the regime. Regime forces lage in Qatif, killing five people and injuring an unspecified dents can’t be scrutinized by prosecutors for acts the Constitution oned since March 17, 2011 and was subjected to torture. have increased security measures across the province. number of others. allows them to take. The activists said the number of deaths among the detain- Over the past years, Riyadh has also redefined its an- (Source: Press TV) (Source: agencies) I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y 4 ECONOMY JANUARY 19, 2019

STOCK MARKET Over 27m tons of TEDPIX 165595.0 IFX 1983.55 iron ore produced Sources: tse.ir, Ifb.ir

CURRENCIES in 9 months USD 42,000 rials ECONOMY TEHRAN — Iran pro- iron ore pellet in the mentioned nine- desk EUR 47,815 rials duced 27,031 million tons month period. of iron ore during the nine-month period The country exported $1.072 billion of iron GBP 54,056rials ended on December 21, 2018, IRNA reported ore in the past Iranian calendar year (ended citing the data released by Iranian Mines on March 20, 2018), which indicates 31.1 AED 11,439 rials and Mining Industries Development and percent rise from its previous year’s figure, Source: cbi.ir Renovation Organization (IMIDRO). according to the data released by the Islamic IMIDRO data also put the amount of raw Republic of Iran Customs Administration iron ore extracted during the mentioned time (IRICA). at 48,759 million tons. China was the main buyer of Iran’s iron Furthermore, the country’s non-oil ore in the past year, importing $1.043 bil- Iraq, India, Russia and Afghanistan stood countries where 68 types of minerals have COMMODITIES trade data shows that Iran has exported lion of the product from Iran, which is 97 at the next places after China in the past year. been identified so far, including the world’s WTI $52.99/b $537.1 million of iron ore concentrate and percent of the total exports. Iran is one of the top 10 mineral-rich largest deposits of copper, zinc and iron. Brent $61.90/b OPEC Basket $59.52/b NIMA supplies €6.2b for imports 3000 new small-scale solar plants Gold $1,283.25 /oz of goods, services to be constructed in rural areas Silver $15.46/oz ECONOMY TEHRAN — Iran’s ENERGY TEHRAN – Deputy number will reach 5000 by yearend. Platinium $812.45/oz deskdomestic Forex deskEnergy Minister According to the official, the Management Integrated System (locally Mohammad Sadeghzadeh said 3000 electricity generated from the renewable Sources: oilprice.com, Moneymetals.com known as NIMA) has supplied €6.276 billion new small-scale solar plants are going sources will reach 1000 megawatts by of foreign currency for imports of goods and to be constructed in the country’s March 2019. NEWS IN BRIEF services since early August, IRIB reported underprivileged and rural areas by the “The country’s renewable output stood on Thursday. end of the current Iranian calendar year at 500MW last year [March 2017-March ‘Auto part The system has earned €7.141 billion of (March 20, 2019), IRNA reported. 2018]”, he said. foreign currency from exports during the foreign currency without specific problems Sadeghzadeh, who is the Head of He further noted that the government manufacturers to mentioned time span. and for exporters to re-inject their earned Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency has allocated 18.6 trillion rials (near receive $950m of NIMA, which seeks to boost transparency, foreign currency to domestic forex market. It Organization (SATBA) noted that 2000 $442.8 million) for developing renewable create competitiveness among exchange shops was inaugurated to allow exporters of non-oil small-scale solar plants are currently power plants across the country and facilities’ and a secure environment for traders, is a new commodities to sell their foreign currency operating in the country’s rural areas the number will grow even more in the chance for importers to supply their required earnings to importers of consumer products. and with ne new plants constructed the upcoming years. ECONOMY TEHRAN - “Iranian ministry of industry deskis to grant 40 trillion rials (about $952.3 million) of facilities to supply working capital for the auto U.S. likely to extend waivers on Iran’s oil sanctions: analysts part manufacturing units,” Iranian Industry Minister Reza The United States is likely to extend waivers Petroleum Exporting Countries’ (OPEC) U.S.-based analysts at Eurasia Group said on resumed imports in December. Rahmani announced, IRNA reported on Thursday. from sanctions on Iranian oil imports in decision to agree in December to supply Thursday. That would remove Italy, Greece South Korea is expected to receive “Supplying the working capital of production units is among May but will reduce the number of countries cuts starting in 2019. and Taiwan from the current waivers list. condensate from Iran this month after a the top priorities of the administration and the policy will be receiving them to placate top buyers China Reducing the number of waivers will limit “Other geopolitical priorities will moderate four-month halt while Japan’s shipments applied in the next Iranian year (starting March 21, 2019) as and India and to decrease the chance of oil exports from Iran, the fourth-largest the administration’s desire to halt Iranian are still pending banks’ approval to process well,” he said. higher oil prices, analysts said. producer in OPEC, but the United States is exports, particularly with Iran’s top two pur- payment to Iran. “The government pays a specific attention to manufacturing Washington surprised oil markets after unlikely to meet its earlier target of driving chasers, China and India,” the analysts said. However, the United States is unlikely auto parts, which provides more than 400,000 jobs,” he said, granting waivers to eight Iranian oil buyers Iranian oil exports to zero. Asia’s Iranian crude imports fell to their to completely removed Iranian oil from the “the government’s main targets are protecting production and when the sanctions on oil imports started China, India, Japan, South Korea and lowest in more than five years in November market because the loss of that supply would creating jobs.” in November. Benchmark Brent crude fu- Turkey are likely to be given waivers after they when U.S. sanctions took effect. probably result in a politically unpalatable tures fell 22 percent that month and the expire in May that could cap Iran’s crude oil China and India continued to import increase in oil prices. waivers influenced the Organization of the exports at about 1.1 million barrels per day, Iranian oil from November while Turkey (Source: Reuters) China offers Iran $3b oil field deal EU outlines trade goal with U.S. in bid to bolster truce 1 Late last year, after the U.S. allowed China to keep The European Union unveiled a blueprint question of autos even though the U.S. has to work together toward zero tariffs for all based on the same national-security grounds purchasing as much as 360,000 barrels of Iranian oil a day, Sinopec for a free-trade deal with the U.S. that would signaled resistance to having them covered industrial goods.” invoked for controversial American levies proposed a $3 billion investment plan in the Yadavaran oil field cut tariffs on a wide range of industrial goods by market-opening talks. Washington is in- Europe is determined to show progress on foreign steel and aluminum. it operates in western Iran, according to people familiar with the including cars in a bid to heal commercial ties. vestigating whether foreign vehicles pose in enacting a political accord reached at the The metal duties as high as 25 percent proposal. The deal—if agreed—would double production at the European Trade Commissioner Cecilia a national-security threat and should face White House six months ago to “work to- prompted tit-for-tat retaliation by the EU, field to 180,000 barrels a day within six months, the people said. Malmstrom asked EU governments on Friday higher American duties. gether toward zero tariffs, zero non-tariff which has vowed a similar reaction to any A spokeswoman for Iran’s oil ministry said she wasn’t aware in Brussels for the go-ahead to start negotia- “We believe that a balanced and mutually barriers, and zero subsidies on non-auto U.S. automotive duties. A 25 percent U.S. of the new offer. Sinopec and the State Department didn’t return tions on lowering trans-Atlantic commercial beneficial agreement with the U.S. can be industrial goods.” tariff on foreign cars would add 10,000 euros requests for comment. barriers, prodding U.S. President Donald reached,” Malmstrom said in the Belgian The July 25 pact between Trump and Eu- ($11,394) to the sticker price of European (Source: Wall Street Journal) Trump to reverse his protectionist stance. capital. “We are prepared to put our vehi- ropean Commission President Jean-Claude vehicles imported into the country, according Her draft mandate includes the politically cle tariffs on the negotiating tables as part Juncker put on hold the threat of U.S. tariffs to the the commission, the EU’s executive arm. sensitive -- and economically important -- of a broader agreement if the U.S. agrees on EU cars and auto parts that would be (Source: Bloomberg) Recession is the number one fear for CEOs in 2019, Tesla to cut workforce by 7 percent Trump tariffs force tough choices at survey says while it ramps up Model 3 production U.S. auto suppliers As the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos approaches, a new Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) said on Friday it was time employee headcount by about 7 percent Bob Roth makes no bones about his new year and steel comprising a quarter survey of over 800 CEOs has revealed that global business lead- cutting several thousands of jobs, as the and retain only the most critical temps and feelings towards U.S. manufacturing. of RoMan’s fixed costs, Roth says his ers see recession as their number one external concern for 2019. electric car maker looks to trim costs and contractors. The co-owner and chief executive company has now begun the lengthy Threats to global trade and political instability ranked second be consistently profitable while it ramps up Earlier this month, Tesla cut U.S. prices of RoMan Manufacturing Inc, which process of switching from its U.S. sup- and third, respectively, according to the survey Thursday by the the production of its crucial Model 3 sedan. for all its vehicles to offset lower green tax makes transformers and glass-molding pliers to an Israeli company for a key research group The Conference Board. Tesla shares fell 4.1 percent to $333 in credits, and fell short on quarterly deliveries equipment for automakers and other in- component for its products. The recession risk was touted as the number one concern in premarket trading of its mass-market Model 3 sedan. dustries, asks callers on his voicemail: It is a strategic decision that RoMan Japan, China and Latin America but was only placed third by “Tesla will need to make these cuts while Musk said the company is on target to “What have you done today to support and other auto suppliers have put off American executives. In the U.S. threats to cybersecurity was listed increasing the Model 3 production rate and report a GAAP profit in its fourth quarter, but U.S. manufacturing?” since the tariffs kicked in last spring. as the source of greatest unease with new competitors second. making many manufacturing engineering less than the previous three-month period. His procurement team has been un- With tariffs firmly part of the landscape, Trade barriers between the U.S. and China have created fears improvements in the coming months,” Chief “This quarter, as with Q3, shipment of der long-standing orders to source all some are now starting to shift their own that a full-blown trade war could derail economies around the Executive Officer Elon Musk said in an email higher priced Model 3 variants (this time parts and materials as near as possible supply chain to keep costs in check, ac- world. However, among the C-suite executives questioned in China, to employees that was published on the to Europe and Asia) will hopefully allow us, to his western Michigan factory, even cording to more than a dozen interviews trade troubles ranked second while in the United States it came as company’s blog. with great difficulty, effort and some luck, with President Donald Trump’s tariffs with U.S. auto suppliers and industry low as fourth. “There isn’t any other way,” he said. to target a tiny profit,” Musk said. on steel and aluminum. consultants. The picture for internal business concerns was much clearer The company said it would reduce full- (Source: Reuters) But with those tariffs dragging into a (Source: Reuters) among CEOs around the world, with all regions ranking the attrac- tion and retention of talent as their number one concern. “As global competition increases while the pool of available workers decreases, it comes as no surprise that executives cited Huawei could be banned from 5G in Germany talent as a top issue in 2019 that’s keeping them up at night,” said The German government is considering banning Huawei from supplier of telecoms network equipment. Huawei’s business has Rebecca Ray, a report author and the executive vice president of providing 5G equipment in the country saying security concerns so far proved resilient, with more than $100 billion in revenues human capital at The Conference Board. are of “high relevance.” expected in 2018. There was also a strong consensus among CEOs that disrup- The German Federal Foreign Office confirmed to CNBC an The U.K. has been weighing a ban on Huawei 5G equipment tive new technologies could upset their existing business models internal meeting about Huawei was held on Thursday. with Britain’s defense minister reportedly citing “grave concerns” and markets. “The security of the future 5G network is of high relevance over security. Meanwhile U.K. telecom firm BT has said Huawei China’s bosses stood out in the internal concerns category, by to the Federal Government. The Federal Government will be will not be eligible to provide 5G infrastructure on its networks. revealing fear over how to align compensation with business per- guided by this in connection with the establishment of a future U.S. intelligence officials have advised consumers not to buy formance as wage pressures in the country increase. 5G network,” The Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Huawei phones over concerns they could be used for spying. In addition to gauging concerns for 2019, the survey also asked Energy told CNBC via email. It added no decisions have been James Chappell, co-founder and chief innovation officer at CEOs and other C-Suite executives about what they think the organi- made at this point. digital security firm Digital Shadows, told CNBC via email Friday zation of the future will look like and how their own will perform. German newspaper Handelsblatt first reported on Thursday that it was possible security concerns around Huawei may extend American CEOs expressed the highest confidence level in their that Chancellor Angela Merkel’s administration is actively con- “We see no rational reason to exclude Huawei from building the beyond Germany into other parts of Europe. culture of any region globally while Chinese counterparts were sidering ways to exclude Huawei from the country’s 5G networks. 5G infrastructure in any country in the world,” the statement said. “Germany is one of the first EU countries to take this particular most confident about their leaders and talent. The decision would mark a shift from Germany, which has been Also on Thursday, the University of Oxford said it would no action beyond the ‘Five Eyes’ relationship,” he said. Next week, business and political leaders descend on Davos less vocal than its Western allies, including the U.S. and the U.K., longer accept new donations and sponsorships to fund research ‘Five Eyes’ alliance groups Australia, Britain, Canada, New in Switzerland to attend the annual World Economic Forum. about Huawei security concerns. from Huawei. Zealand and the United States together as countries that share A WEF report this week, called the Global Risks Report 2019, Huawei is facing mounting fears that its 5G technology will “The decision has been taken in the light of public concerns a broad range of intelligence. suggested that an increased risk of political confrontations between enable Chinese espionage through the super-fast mobile networks. raised in recent months surrounding UK partnerships with Hua- “Given 5G’s role in national critical infrastructure such as major powers will prevent business and governments from tack- Both Australia and New Zealand have banned the telecommu- wei. We hope these matters can be resolved shortly,” Oxford said utilities and transport, it’s understandable that geopolitical ling pressing problems such as climate change or cyberattacks. nications giant from supplying 5G equipment in their countries in a statement according to Reuters. considerations are being bought into the discussion,” Chappell WEF surveyed around 1,000 experts and decision-makers citing security concerns. Oxford University was not immediately available for com- said. “Germany is a member of NATO, and it is known to share with 90 percent saying they expected further economic confron- Huawei said in a statement Thursday evening, “we also ment when contacted by CNBC. intelligence with other NATO members which include the United tation between major powers. Almost the same percentage said welcome the approach of verification and standardization of German ban could spread across Europe States… I think it more likely that other NATO members in Europe they expected further weakening of multilateral trading rules. technological solutions publicly communicated by the German Bans from providing 5G equipment to the U.S., U.K. or Ger- respond (before EU member states.)” (Source: CNBC) Federal Government.” many could be a big blow for Huawei, which is the world’s largest (Source: CNBC) I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y JANUARY 19, 2019 ENERGY 5 Oil climbs 1 percent on OPEC output cut, OPEC, allies finalize next hopes for easing China-U.S. trade tensions meeting for Apr 17-18 in Vienna: official Oil prices rose 1 percent on Friday after a China, India, Japan, South Korea and Turkey report from the Organization of the Petroleum are likely to receive extended waivers, while OPEC has finalized a date of its next full ministerial meeting, Exporting Countries (OPEC) showed its those for Italy, Greece and Taiwan would April 17 in Vienna, with Russia and nine other non-OPEC allies production fell sharply last month, easing likely be removed, capping Iran’s crude oil joining the talks the following day. fears about prolonged oversupply. exports at about 1.1 million bpd. The OPEC gathering will be billed as an extraordinary meeting, International Brent crude oil futures were “The combination of production cuts by an official with the organization told S&P Global Platts, adding that up 62 cents, or 1.01 percent, at $61.80 per OPEC+ (especially the Saudis) and tightening a regular meeting could still be held in its usual month of June. barrel at 0753 GMT. Brent has risen about sanctions on Iranian oil exports have brought The OPEC/non-OPEC coalition is expected to discuss whether 2 percent this week, its third straight week the market close to balance,” U.S. investment to extend its 1.2 million bpd output cut agreement, which is set of gains. bank Jefferies said on Friday. to expire at the end of June. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude Tempering support for prices, however, The extraordinary meeting is being called so that OPEC can futures were at $52.65 per barrel, up 58 cents, is weakening demand. OPEC cut its forecast more proactively respond to the market in deciding on the future or 1.11 percent, from their last settlement. for average daily demand for its crude in of its supply agreement. A report by the Wall Street Journal on 2019 to 30.83 million bpd, down 910,000 Sanctions waivers the U.S. granted to eight countries to con- Thursday saying that Washington was bpd from the 2018 average. tinue buying Iranian oil also expire in May, with the Trump ad- considering lifting some or all tariffs imposed Further undermining OPEC’s efforts ministration yet to tip its hand on whether they will be extended, on Chinese imports also buoyed financial to tighten oil markets has been a surge adding to OPEC’s motivation in moving up the meeting date. markets, including oil, analysts said. in crude output from the United States, The coalition is still finalizing the date of its monitoring “Trade-related optimism boosted Asian which increased by more than 2 million committee meeting, but it will likely be March 17-18 in Baku, markets,” said Jasper Lawler, head of bpd in the last year to an unprecedented Azerbaijan, the official said. research at London Capital Group, in a note. 11.9 million bpd. The committee, composed of ministers from Saudi Arabia, In oil, OPEC along with some other “Though OPEC reports are likely to bolster Kuwait, Venezuela and Algeria from OPEC and Russia and Oman producers including Russia, cut oil output oil output fell by 751,000 barrels per day the Middle Eastern nation’s eight biggest market sentiment for stronger oil prices in the from the non-OPEC nations, is tasked with assessing market sharply in December before a new accord to (bpd) in December to 31.58 million bpd, the crude customers last November expire. near-term, we remain cautious in the longer conditions and tracking the group’s compliance with production limit supply took effect on Jan. 1, it said on biggest month-on-month drop in almost China, India, Japan, South Korea, Turkey, run amidst persistent economic weakness quotas. Azerbaijan, a non-OPEC producer who is part of the coa- Thursday, suggesting that producers have two years. Italy, Greece and Taiwan received exemptions and incremental U.S. shale production,” lition, would join the monitoring committee proceedings as host. made a strong start to averting a glut in Some focus is shifting to whether the from Washington that allow them to import Benjamin Lu of Singapore-based brokerage OPEC pumped 32.43 million bpd of crude in December, ac- 2019 as a slowing economy curbs demand. United States tightens sanctions against oil from Iran until April or May. Phillip Futures said in a note. cording to the latest Platts survey of OPEC production, but the OPEC said in its monthly report that its OPEC-member Iran when waivers it granted Political risk advisory Eurasia Group said (Source: Reuters) 11 members with quotas under the output cut deal would need to cut another 950,000 bpd to be in compliance. The deal exempts Iran, Libya and Venezuela. (Source: Platts) Novak says Russia can’t Libyan oil terminals reopen China to quadruple LNG imports, cut oil production quickly as weather improves: source will U.S. exporters benefit?

China, the world’s top importer of natural gas and second-largest buyer of liquefied natural gas (LNG), just announced plans to increase its intake capacity of the seaborne fuel four-fold over the next two decades. Burgeoning demand for natural gas in the People’s Republic is driven by a number of factors, not least of which is the country’s still impressive economic growth. But popular demand for better air quality has spurred an aggressive national ‘fuel-switching’ policy, which favors cleaner burning gas over ‘king coal’ in China’s power sector. Roughly 7 percent of China’s energy comes from natural gas (up from 0.5 percent in 2010). That’s low. Compare that to 55 percent for dirty coal. Coal’s dominance of the power sector means that Chinese urban areas suffer from chronic air quality issues, ranging from ‘moderate’ danger in Beijing to “hazardous” in cities like Shanghai, according to official measurements. China’s latest five-year plan requires cities to meet ‘good’ or ‘excellent’ air quality standards Libya reopened all of its oil terminals Sharara remains shut-in since early- Due to weather and geological condi- the agreement was reached in December. by 2020. Renewable energy is rightly being incorporated into Thursday after they were shut for almost December due to security issues. tions in the cold Russian winter, Russia Novak has said that Russia is planning the fule-mix to achieve this goal, but solar and wind alone are a week due to bad weather, a source close Output at the Sharara field has been shut cannot cut its oil production too quick- to reduce its oil production by 50,000 not sufficient to meet rising energy demand. to the matter told S&P Global Platts. in since December 8 after armed groups, ly, Energy Minister Alexander Novak bpd to 60,000 bpd in January as part That means using more natural gas. But inclement weather along with along with the help of local people, occupied said on Thursday, reiterating Moscow’s of the new OPEC+ deal, and will not be The initiative is having a noticeable impact on China’s energy ongoing security issues at the country’s the site. They were protesting about the commitment to stick to the new OPEC+ cutting its 228,000-bpd share outright sector: as of November, Chinese LNG imports are up by a whop- largest oil field Sharara mean that the OPEC economic conditions and frequent power deal and to gradually reduce production. at the start of the agreement. Russia has ping 43 percent year-over-year. Total gas imports have grown member’s crude production remains much outages the south of the country has been Russia will try to cut its oil production already drafted a timetable for how much by nearly one-third in the same period. below the coveted 1 million bpd mark. facing. faster, Novak noted. oil production it would reduce each month To accommodate this growing influx of seaborne gas, Chi- The North African country’s crude Forces loyal to Libya National Army A few days ago, Khalid al-Falih, the until it reaches its share of the OPEC/ na is expanding its LNG intake and distribution infrastructure. exports have fallen recently as rough led by General Khalifa Haftar are on their energy minister of Saudi Arabia—the non-OPEC production cut, Novak said, According to a Ministry of Transport proposal, plans are in the weather shut in loadings at its key oil way to secure the Sharara field. OPEC kingpin and key Russian ally in reaffirming Moscow’s position that its works to quadruple the country’s import capacity within the next terminals. The 75,000 bpd El Feel field however all OPEC/non-OPEC production policy reduction would be gradual, just like in two decades from 19 terminals at 2,860 billion cubic feet (bcf) But the source said that crude exports remains operational despite NOC saying deals since early 2017—said that Russia the previous agreement between OPEC per year to 34 terminals at over 11,000 bcf per year. had resumed this morning after the last month that the Sharara outage would was moving with the cuts “slower than and the Russia-led non-OPEC partners. Some of that gas will need to come from the United States, reopening of the ports. also affect production at nearby fields. I’d like.” Last Friday, Novak said that Russia especially as low American prices reach a competitive level with Some sources said that Libyan Trading sources said Libyan crude oil “Russia has started, slower than I’d had already cut production by some supplies out of leading Qatar and Australia. This can be also a production would have also been slightly loadings have been experiencing delays of like, but they’ve started, and I am sure as 30,000 bpd compared with October— major factor in offsetting the looming trade deficit between the U.S. affected due to the closing of the ports around four to 10 days in the past few weeks. they did as in 2017 they’ll catch up and be the baseline for the cuts—and still aimed and China – something the Trump Administration is fighting for. as these terminals have limited storage Weather has been a factor throughout a positive contributor to re-balancing the to reach a cut of 50,000 bpd by the end But American liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports to China capacity. State-owned National Oil the last couple of trading cycles for a market,” al-Falih told CNBC on Sunday. of this month. have been hit hard by the ongoing trade spat, dropping signifi- Corporation declined to comment on number of the eastern-loading crude The new OPEC+ deal, under which Today, Novak told Russian news cantly following China’s September 2018 imposition of tariffs of current production levels. grades, including flagship crude Es Sider. Russia will be cutting 228,000 bpd, is agency RIA Novosti that he would be U.S. LNG cargoes. During the last six months of 2018, only six In early December, Libyan key oil ports Despite this, medium sweet gasoil-rich for a six-month period starting January meeting with al-Falih at the World Eco- LNG vessels went from the United States to China, down from were also closed for almost a week shutting Es Sider has been a grade of choice for many 1, 2019 with an option to review in April. nomic Forum in Davos next week to 25 during the same period in 2017. The falloff in Chinese gas in almost 150,000 bpd of production. Mediterranean refineries in recent sessions, Russian oil companies will reduce discuss joint projects, cooperation, and purchases is not just hurting U.S. energy companies today, but Libya’s crude oil exports and production due to improving distillate margins. their production by that amount during the implementation of the OPEC+ deal. future projects as well: with an uncertain future vis-à-vis China, have also been down as its largest oil field (Source: Platts) the first quarter of 2019, Novak said after (Source: oilprice.com) the final investment decision (FID) of a number of U.S. Gulf Coast LNG export projects could now be in question. It wasn’t always like this. In the early days of the U.S. – China Before start of new oil pact, OPEC made progress averting glut trade war, many experts believed that oil and gas were commod- ities immune from retaliatory tariff hikes. The mutual benefit OPEC cut oil output sharply in December to 468,000 bpd, the report showed. of America’s surplus energy supplies – a product of the Shale before a new accord to limit supply took Saudi supply in November had hit a record Revolution – and China’s staggering energy needs – a natural effect, it said on Thursday, suggesting that above 11 million bpd after President Trump consequence of rapid economic development – seemed to tran- producers have made a strong start to averting demanded more oil be pumped. scend diplomatic relations. a glut in 2019 as a slowing economy curbs The kingdom told OPEC that it lowered Indeed, as late as July of 2018 (half a year after Trump first demand. supply to 10.64 million bpd in December declared ‘global safeguard tariffs’ targeting elements of China’s The Organization of the Petroleum and has said it plans to go even further in economy), China remained the largest importer of U.S. oil exports Exporting Countries said in a monthly January by delivering a larger cut than – buying just under 400,000 barrels per day. But by August, China report that its oil output fell by 751,000 required under the OPEC+ deal. imported zero. American LNG sales began to taper off at around barrels per day (bpd) in December to 31.58 The second-largest was an involuntary cut the same time, dropping to under 2 percent of China’s liquid gas million bpd, the biggest month-on-month by Libya, where unrest led to the shutdown purchases by November, despite accounting for almost 10 percent drop in almost two years. of the country’s biggest oilfield. of China’s needs in Q1 2018. It is estimated that China imported Worried by a drop in oil prices and rising Iran registered the third-largest decline 90 bcf of U.S. LNG over the course of last year – a significantly supplies, OPEC and allies including Russia in output, also involuntary, as U.S. sanctions lower figure than the 141 bcf projected prior to July’s tariff hikes. agreed in December to return to production that started in November discouraged Losing China would be a massive blow to the future of the cuts in 2019. They pledged to lower output companies from buying its oil. U.S. LNG exports, as the gas market there is the fastest growing by 1.2 million bpd, of which OPEC’s share Iran, Libya and Venezuela are exempt in the world. We still export more LNG to Mexico and South is 800,000 bpd. from the 2019 supply pact and are expected Korea, but these markets have a limited absorption capacity for OPEC Secretary General Mohammad by some analysts to post further falls, giving a the U.S. commodity. Barkindo told Reuters that producers tailwind to the voluntary effort by the others. And so U.S. companies are doing what they can to muscle were seeking to avoid a build-up in the growth to slow to 1.29 million bpd from 1.5 from U.S. President Donald Trump to lower OPEC said in the report that 2019 demand their way back into China’s market. America’s premier LNG ex- industrialized world’s oil inventories above million in 2018, though it was more upbeat prices and cover an expected shortfall in for its crude would decline to 30.83 million porter – Cheniere Energy Inc. (NYSE:LNG) – already has two the five-year average. about the economic backdrop than last month Iranian exports. bpd, a drop of 910,000 bpd from 2018, as agreements inked to sell gas to China’s National Petroleum Corp. They were above that mark in November, and cited better sentiment in the oil market, OPEC changed course after the slide rivals pump more and the slowing economy (NYSE:SNP) over a 25 year period. The two liquefied natural figures in OPEC’s report showed. where crude is back above $60. in prices starting in October. A previous curbs demand. gas (LNG) sale and purchase agreements (SPA) were secured “We are not yet out of the winter woods,” “While the economic risk remains OPEC+ supply curb starting in January 2017 Delivering the 800,000 bpd cut from with CNPC subsidiary PetroChina International (NYSE:PTR) he said. “The oil industry cannot afford to skewed to the downside, the likelihood of - when OPEC production fell by 890,000 December’s level should mean the group for 1.2 million metric tons/year (mmty) – a value of $11 billion. relapse into another downturn,” he said in a moderation in monetary tightening is bpd according to OPEC figures - got rid of would be pumping slightly less than the America’s other LNG exporter – Dominion Energy (NYSE:D) reference to a 2014-2016 oil market slump. expected to slow the decelerating economic the 2014-2016 glut. expected demand for its crude this year and out of Cove Point, MD– will likely be looking to secure its own The supply reduction in December means growth trend in 2019,” OPEC said in the The group confirmed on its website that so avoid a surplus. Last month’s report had contracts with high-demand Chinese buyers. that if OPEC fully implements the new Jan. 1 report. it plans to meet over April 17-18 in Vienna pointed to a surplus. It stands to reason that the economic, strategic, and environ- cut, it will avoid a surplus that could weaken Barkindo added that he remains optimistic to review the supply cut agreement. OPEC The figures for OPEC production and mental interests benefiting from increased bilateral LNG trade will prices. Oil slid from $86 a barrel in October that “healthy demand” would hold this year. sources said another meeting could follow demand for its crude were lowered by about prevail over the current diplomatic row. China needs gas and the to less than $50 in December on concerns The supply cut was a policy U-turn after in June. 600,000 bpd to reflect Qatar’s exit from the U.S. wants to sell it; a classic win-win scenario. Who knows, perhaps over excess supply. the producer alliance known as OPEC+ agreed The biggest drop in OPEC supply last group, which now has 14 members. the so-called ‘bridge fuel’ to renewables could also be a bridge to OPEC expects 2019 global oil demand in June 2018 to boost supply amid pressure month came from Saudi Arabia and amounted (Source: Reuters) improved future relations. (Source: Forbes) I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y 6 INTERNATIONAL JANUARY 19, 2019 Four years into Salman’s reign, Saudi Congo’s presidential election result looks to be an enormous fraud Arabia more unpredictable than ever

Democracy must have felt quite tangible to the 18.3 million people By Bruce Riedel vacation. Perhaps the king feels the un- in Congo who voted Dec. 30 despite huge obstacles, including certainty in the kingdom over his son’s problems with voting lists, polling places, coercion and malfunc- Four years ago this month, Prince Salman bin succession does not allow for him to be tions in the electronic voting machines. The election was to yield Abdul-Aziz Al Saud ascended to the throne out of the country. The crown prince is the first peaceful transfer of power since independence six decades of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. His reign scheduled to visit Pakistan next month. ago, but what followed was, by all appearances, an enormous has changed the kingdom profoundly: It is Salman also shook up his Cabinet recent- fraud perpetrated by outgoing president Joseph Kabila. This is more repressive than ever, more unpredict- ly. The most interesting change is in the Saudi an insult to the electorate, and the only valid response can be a able than ever and likely less stable than at Arabian National Guard, the Praetorian Guard full accounting of the ballots — and honoring the result. any time in a half century. The kingdom is force that protects the monarchy from internal Kabila, leaving office after nearly 18 years, had handpicked in the midst of important and challenging threats. Traditionally this was the sinecure his former interior minister Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary as his transformations. of Salman’s predecessor, Abdullah, who was successor, hoping he would be a useful marionette. But Shadary Salman was governor of Riyadh province the guard commander for decades. He gave polled poorly and came in third. The count was delayed, during for a half century before his half-brother, the post to his eldest son, Prince Mitab. Mitab which time Kabila and his cronies clearly attempted to sort out King Abdullah, made him crown prince. As was removed in November 2017 when he what to do next. Then the election commission announced that the chief of the capital, Salman oversaw its was detained in the Ritz-Carlton shakedown. the winner of the presidential vote was opposition candidate Fe- transformation from a remote desert town The king has now made Prince Abdul- lix Tshisekedi. The head to a modern city and the centerpiece of the lah bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz, 32, the new minister of Saudi Arabian National Guard of the commission, Cor- Kabila, leaving country. He did so with the careful cultivation neille Nangaa, declared of the Wahhabi clerical establishment. He also Affairs. He was previously deputy governor Tshisekedi the winner office after was the policeman of the royal family, most of Mecca. The prince has no military experi- with 38.57 percent of nearly 18 years, of whose members lived in his jurisdiction. ence or training, yet neither does the crown the vote, just ahead of For a half century before his ascension prince, who is also minister of defense. another opposition can- had handpicked to the throne the line of succession in the The crown prince’s signature policy ini- didate, Martin Fayulu, his former kingdom was predictable and clear: The tiative is the disastrous war in Yemen. The with 34.8 percent, and interior minister sons of Ibn Saud would inherit the throne war has devastated the Arab world’s poor- Shadary with 23.8 per- as they aged. The question of succession is est country and created the world’s worst cent. Emmanuel the Achilles heel of absolute monarchies. humanitarian catastrophe. The Saudis have Strong evidence Ramazani Salman has twice changed the line of suc- Salman traveled extensively in the first spent a fortune to defeat the Houthis. A fragile UN-brokered truce in the port has emerged that these cession without any explanation. Two crown three years of his reign, including lengthy numbers were fixed. The Shadary as his princes have been dismissed to open the door city of Hudaydah is the first tangible step Financial Times reported successor, hoping for the king’s son, Prince Mohammed bin trips to East Asia and annual vacations in in years to bring the war to an end. The Jan. 15 that it had exam- he would be a Salman. Former Crown Prince Mohammed Morocco. In 2018, he didn’t travel at all. His international community urgently needs ined two sets of voting bin Nayef is under house arrest, quarantined to support the UN process and create a data that showed Fayulu useful marionette. from his own family. Apparently the king health may explain why he is not making robust on-the-ground presence in Yemen was “the clear winner.” and crown prince regard Mohammed bin official trips but does not explain why he to supervise prisoner exchanges, the re- The newspaper said the data represented 86 percent of the total Nayef as a potential rival for the loyalty of didn’t make his usual month-long vacation. moval of blockades and the institution of votes cast and Fayulu was the victor with 59.4 percent, while the royal family. a comprehensive cease-fire. Tshisekedi received 19?percent. Separately, the paper said it The fate of the former crown prince is Perhaps the king feels the uncertainty in the The kingdom is facing considerable chal- conducted an analysis of voting results collected by the Catholic emblematic of the repression of the Saudi kingdom over his son’s succession does not lenges as it tries to diversify its economy, system under the Salmans. The kingdom expand the social space, reduce gender Church, which deployed 40,000 observers. This data covered allow for him to be out of the country. 43 percent of the votes cast and showed Fayulu won with 62.8 has never been a human rights beacon, discrimination and make a generational percent. The paper said the first data set was drawn from the especially not for women. But in the last change in leadership. The Khashoggi murder original electronic tallies across the country, as transmitted before four years it has become a brutal, repres- for money and property in 2017; dozens are three years of his reign, including lengthy has made all of this much harder and added the results were announced. sive dictatorship. Women’s rights activists still in jail. Most famously, journalist Jamal trips to East Asia and annual vacations more uncertainty. The king needs to end Adding to suspicion about the outcome have been odd state- have been detained, tortured and abused by Khashoggi was murdered, apparently at the in Morocco. In 2018, he didn’t travel at the Yemen war and ease the repression ments by Tshisekedi about some kind of power-sharing arrange- the crown prince’s henchmen. Hundreds of crown prince’s direction in Istanbul, although all. His health may explain why he is not internally to have a chance at surmounting ment with Kabila. It sounds an awful lot like a backroom deal to Saudi business leaders, including royal family the king has defended his son. making official trips but does not explain the challenges. subvert the will of millions of voters. Kabila, who dragged his feet members, were detained and shaken down Salman traveled extensively in the first why he didn’t make his usual month-long (Source: Al Monitor) on the election for nearly two years after his term ended and who ruled the resource-rich land as a personal kleptocracy, seems intent on staying in power behind the scenes and has hinted he may attempt a return. Nothing could be worse for Congo, scene The old regime and the yellow revolution of two wars that took millions of lives and now of a festering outbreak of Ebola. Fayulu has gone to the Constitutional Court to seek justice. The court must order a transparent, verifiable recount, and the France’s protest movement has become a crisis of legitimacy for results must be honored in full. Congo’s voters have been admi- rably patient, and we hope they refrain from destructive violence in this delicate period. They did their part for democracy; now Emmanuel Macron — and the country’s constitutional order they must reap the true rewards of an honest tally. gard, the movement’s most significant demand is for the (Source: The Washington Post) By Robert Zaretsky establishment of a citizen-initiated referendum. French President Emmanuel Macron is desperately seeking Predictably, this proposed mechanism for direct democ- a consistent and credible answer to a question that refuses to racy, which would allow any proposition to be brought to a stand still. When the gilets jaunes (yellow vests) movement national vote upon receiving 700,000 signatures, is keeping started this past November, Macron’s government treated not just the government but also leaders of all the traditional May’s crushing loss is proof it as a one-off protest that could be ignored. parties awake at night. By December, the president decided that the continued Macron’s proposed alternative to shoring up the state’s Brexit has failed weekly demonstrations were a threat to his policy goals. legitimacy is his national debate, the contours of which he Macron’s response was to deliver a national address in which revealed in a letter published on Monday. His aim, in es- Two options remain: Leave with no deal, or no Brexit at all. he announced an altered agenda, including economic con- sence, is to let a thousand debates flourish — as long as “Defeat” is too small a word for the rebuke Britain’s Parlia- cessions such as annulling the gas tax increase and raising they adhere to the rules established by the government. ment handed Prime Minister Theresa May on Jan.15, 2019. Her the minimum wage. Certain topics are off-limits — for example, abortion rights Brexit deal, laboriously negotiated over many months, was voted The compromises weren’t enough to end the protests. and same-sex marriage — and will be subsumed under fiscal down Tuesday by a massive 230 votes — a far bigger margin This weekend, for the ninth consecutive Saturday, the pro- and environmental, economic and democratic concerns. than expected, and the worst loss of any British government test movement took center stage, mobilizing over 80,000 The letter foresees hundreds of debates, ranging from town in modern times. demonstrators across the country. hall meetings to regional conferences, sprouting over the Yet if this brutal rejection has caused May to think again, The principal stages were Paris and Bourges, the latter The protesters now imply next two months. she didn’t let on. She promised talks, meetings and yet more chosen for its symbolic significance as roughly the geographi- that their objections Many of them will include representatives from the govern- conferring with the European Union. It’s as though she thinks cal center of France. ment, including Macron, who will kick off this unprecedented she can extract some ornamental changes to the bargain and get Though the demonstrations were mostly peaceful, there are aimed not at the experiment Tuesday night by meeting in Normandy with the House of Commons to come around to her way of thinking. were once again eruptions of the nearly ritualistic acts of government’s decisions but 600 local mayors. In this, she is almost certainly wrong. violence on the part of some protesters, and the equally at the style of democracy Inevitably, perhaps, the debate has itself been the object Parliament rejected the deal with good reason: Leaving on ritualistic reaction of police and security forces. of fierce debate. First, there was a controversy concerning May’s terms would have made the country poorer for a gen- It’s increasingly clear that the protest movement isn’t represented by the Chantal Jouanno, a former minister in Nicolas Sarkozy’s eration. It would’ve inhibited its independence, clobbered its simply a political challenge but a fundamental crisis of le- constitutional order. government who had been placed in charge of the commis- businesses, and battered its public finances, while solving no gitimacy for Macron and France’s Fifth Republic. sion tasked with preparing for the debate. problems and settling no questions. No amount of semantic The protesters now imply that their objections are aimed followed later that year, the seismic rumble of the cahiers When Jouanno’s generous salary was made public — nearly reshuffling can salvage it. not at the government’s decisions but at the style of democracy de doléances is often overlooked. 14,700 euros (about $16,800) per month — the gilets jaunes May’s next immediate challenge is to prevail in a confidence represented by the constitutional order. And, worryingly, Yet it was an unprecedented exercise, not just in 18th websites and Facebook pages lit up in outrage, prompting vote moved by the Labour opposition. The chances are she will the persistence of the demonstrations reflects a persistence century France but throughout Europe, in uncensored and her to step down as the debate’s architect. Oddly, though, — for now. The Tories who defected on Tuesday will probably of public support. unbound popular expression. Jouanno did not step down as head of the commission and prefer to retain her as leader and avoid a general election for the While there has been a decline in enthusiasm, most French In the present instance, though, town and city leaders, will continue to receive the same salary until Macron de- time being. But a reckoning is coming. With 72 days to go before still back the gilets jaunes. In a study released last week by the not Macron, issued the call for the writing of such grievances. cides otherwise. Brexit, the country is stockpiling food and medicine. Businesses French Institute of Public Opinion, those who either support Of the more than 5,000 city halls that established a process Second, Macron’s letter has already ignited political are facing escalating costs and worsening uncertainty. Immigrants or sympathize—two very different categories—fell from 71 for such lists since early December, many are located in the fireworks in Paris. In an effort to save what remains of his are in limbo. Troops are on standby. On all sides, stasis prevails percent in early November to 57 percent in early January. now notorious “peripheral” regions of the country—the very economic reforms, the letter makes no mention of the wildly even as the sense of crisis intensifies. The overarching goal of these remaining supporters was same regions from which most of the gilets jaunes, and their popular demand, supported by nearly 80 percent of the There’s no longer any realistic hope of coming to an agree- summed up by the signs recently carried by gilets jaunes supporters, hail. French, to restore the wealth tax that Macron had ditched ment that both Europe and the UK Parliament will accept, and protesters in the French Alps: “End the dictatorship.” Strikingly, just as their 18th century ancestors railed against upon becoming president. of making plans to implement it, before the March 29 deadline. Macron, to his credit, has not shirked the fundamental the tax burdens they bore, their descendants express the That the issue is not even on the table risks having the A chaotic Brexit is the default outcome. To avoid it, Britain must challenge posed by the gilets jaunes. same anxiety and anger over taxes. As one paper concluded, entire table either overturned or ignored by one of the two now withdraw its Article 50 notice to quit, or ask for an extension. In his December speech, he addressed it head-on there is a widespread, deep discontent with taxation. Before sides in this debate. More insidiously, Macron also raised The better course would be to revoke Article 50 altogether, by promising to hold what he called a “great national it was rolled back by Macron, the gas tax increase was uni- the subject of immigration, suggesting that the idea of which the UK can do unilaterally. To be sure, this would be a debate” about French politics, which is scheduled to versally detested; protesters have since glommed onto the quotas be studied. Many on the left and center were not grave step, and one that May has promised not to take — because begin today. Whether anyone yet knows what to expect regressive value-added tax. While a number of the grievance just shocked by Macron’s suggestion but also surprised, it would in effect overturn the choice that British voters made of that debate — much less whether it will work — is lists include concern over immigration, others voicing fear because Macron has long defended the importance of in 2016. It would be a declaration that the Brexit project has another question. over increasing geographical and political isolation are even immigration. failed — but, after last week’s vote, to admit this would simply If all of this has you thinking of an earlier event in French more numerous. This meta-debate has thus acted as a kind of solvent, be to recognize reality. Britain has been unable to design an exit history, you are not alone. Two hundred and thirty years But it’s on the subject of the state that past and present clarifying the ideological fault lines running through Macron’s and its government is paralyzed. after it first erupted, the French Revolution hovers over merge most fully. In something of a paradox, the grievances composite government. Prime Minister Édouard Philippe, In either case, extension or revocation, a second referendum current events in France. lambaste what they perceive as the levying of unjust taxes who along with Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire and the should follow. This one, unlike the first, would be conducted in Macron’s decision to call upon his citizens to prepare for while also insisting the state impose greater economic and budget director Gérald Darmanin quit the conservative Re- the light of information about what Brexit actually entails. If a national conversation recalls Louis XVI’s decision to call social justice. As the historian Simon Schama once observed, publicans party to join Macron, suspects that such a debate voters again chose to quit, despite all they’ve learned since 2016, upon his subjects to, well, prepare for a national conversa- most of 18th century France “wanted more, not less, govern- will open a veritable Pandora’s box that they will never be there’d be no more excuses. The clock is running, and all May tion. In the king’s case, this led to the cahiers de doléances, ment in the countryside.” able to close. According to one government source, Le Maire has to offer is more dithering. It can’t go on — and on March 29, or lists of grievances, which locally chosen representatives This now seems to be the case for rural and exurban and Darmanin worry that “they will not escape the debate one way or another, the indecision has to stop. wrote up and sent to Versailles before the convening of the France in the 21st century, particularly with its insistence without getting out their checkbook.” (Source: Bloomberg) Estates General in 1789. Given the world-altering events that on the state enforcing a certain idea of equality. In this re- (Source: Foreign Policy) ساعت: امضاء صفحه آرا: ساعت: امضاء مسئول صفحه: ساعت: امضاء ادیتور: ساعت: امضاء سردبیر:

I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y JANUARY 19, 2019 ANALYSIS & INTERVIEW 7 It behooves largely Muslim lands to avoid Marzieh Hashemi: U.S. becoming like Saudi Arabia Government dreads truth-tellers 1 and where the application of what between people like Bolton and Pompeo (and are called “Islamic” laws are so extreme that maybe Trump), and potential developments one has to question whether the Saudis have in the U.S. that would definitively forestall any claim whatsoever to consider themselves further U.S. aggressions against the Islamic true advocates and champions of Islam. Republic. One potential “development” in this Frankly, the Saudis have no such valid claim race is some kind of economic or monetary and frankly Makkah and Medina ought to collapse that forces the U.S. to rearrange its be “independent” of the Saudis, perhaps in priorities both domestic and foreign. Many the same way the Vatican for Catholics has Americans are literally praying something been essentially independent of the country, like this will happen to obviate the likelihood Italy, where it is located. of the U.S. further damaging its standing In fact, the Saudis have done little but and reputation globally. give the last and most complete monotheistic There are so many huge shifts in global religion a bad name in the opinion of many geopolitics underway now that the U.S., so across the world, whether Muslim or not, far, has failed to get ahead of them, and the and it is utterly shameful that the U.S. has deployment of brute force, or threats of it, is anything to do with that country. no answer to the shifts. The growing under- If the U.S. were itself a solidly virtuous standing of Central Asian nations, including society with a virtuous international polity, Iran, that they exist increasingly in a more it would demand the end of a “Saudi” Arabia. interconnected and integrated region is one TEHRAN (FNA) — Freedom of the press in the United It is difficult, anyway to call American society thing that illuminates U.S. failures so far to States is legally protected by the First Amendment to the and its warmongering and hostility to others adjust to new realities by dropping bizarre U.S. Constitution. This amendment is generally under- of different cultures “moral” even while most and preposterous demands, and not just stood to prevent the government from interfering with American citizens are good people, at least on Iran, but also on the biggest U.S. rivals, the distribution of information and opinions. in their private lives. necessarily bad intentions, often prevails. the wisdom and courage to avoid further attacks Russia and China. Tell that to those FBI authorities who detained and What is really scandalous is Mike Pompeo Meanwhile, some in the Trump Adminis- on Iran, and especially any kind of military It’s possible that the U.S. has set itself imprisoned Marzieh Hashemi earlier this week, a U.S. speaking in Cairo this month and claiming tration, including figures like John Bolton and attack. Last September, for example. Bolton up for more failure, especially in the Middle citizen who works as an anchor and reporter for Iran’s that America is a “force for good” in the the “evangelicals” Pompeo and Vice President allegedly asked the Pentagon to draw military East, even if there is no dominating internal state-run Press TV. She was arrested at St. Louis Lambert Middle East. How can a force that has been Pence, and some members of Congress, seem plans to bomb Iran, still claiming that Iran in- “development” like economic or monetary International Airport trying to board a flight, and is being responsible for millions of deaths and tre- to have latched on to some kind of sick mania tends to build nuclear weapons. This request by collapse, and especially if the U.S. resorts held without charges, reportedly as a “material witness”. mendous destruction be a “force for good”? to attack, one way or another, Iran, at the ulti- Bolton was apparently looked upon with horror to more militancy. Meanwhile, it behooves Hashemi lives in Tehran most of the time, but her son Washington has become a sump of licen- mate behest of the most corrupt and literally by Pentagon brass, which is obviously a good Iran’s leaders to permit Iran’s people a louder says she comes to the U.S. annually to visit family. She was tiousness, corruption, greed and overreach most immoral society on the planet -- the one and welcome reaction, suggesting that there voice in Iranian affairs of state and in the in St. Louis filming a Black Lives Matter documentary, and even while many there in government, and dominated by far-right wing Zionists, or Israel, are at least some sane minds in Washington. formulation of domestic mandates. Above had also visited her relatives around New Orleans recent- the American people in general, are no worse where real Judaism has been largely forgotten. It would appear, anyway, that there exists all, Iran ought not to be or become like Saudi ly. She has reportedly been transferred to Washington than any other people where ignorance, not The question is whether Trump himself has some kind of horrific horserace underway Arabia is as a Muslim country. D.C. Broadly the reason for her arrest and detention is unclear, and uncommitted on. Iran has issued a statement condemning her illegal arrest. Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif has also called it a “political game”. Trump is mocking Biden Sadly, Hashemi’s case is a reminder how independent media in the U.S. is facing challenges that threaten the 1 He also claimed that he’s not worried about a po- told some top Democrats that he was definitely running his position at the White House by maneuvering again on freedom of the press two years after President Donald J. tential challenge from the former vice president in the 2020 for president. “If I’m walking, I’m running,” said Biden. issues such as public medical health insurance plan. On Trump’s inauguration. She is still behind bars for unspec- presidential race; “You know, a lot of people say Biden’s doing Trump’s literature on Biden’s presence in the U.S. pres- the other hand, Trump attempts to turn the game into an ified reasons and the U.S. officials have so far refused to OK, but he was always a 1-percenter. He was a 1 percent idential race, reflects the U.S. President’s dissatisfaction emotional rivalry through using ugly words against Biden, provide any reasons for her apprehension either to her guy. He ran two or three times, he never got above 1%, and and anger with the country’s former Vice President and and this is very much like Trump’s populist personality or her family. then, Obama came along and took him off the trash heap, his candidacy. Obviously, Trump preferred figures such as and approach. However, Biden now has his main focus on Hashemi, who has been living in Iran for years and is a and he became the vice president. He’s weak. So, we’ll see Hillary Clinton, Elizabeth Warren to be his potential rivals Democrats’ inner-party race, and he doesn’t consider direct Muslim convert, has told her daughter that she was hand- what happens with him.” in the next general elections. competition with Trump until he has won his victory in the cuffed and shackled and was being treated like a criminal. Trump’s words came on the same day that Biden had However, Trump knows well that Biden can challenge competition. The journalist also said that she had her hijab forcibly removed, and was photographed without her headscarf upon arrival at the prison. She has only been allowed to wear a T-shirt, and is currently using another one to cover Al Shabaab; Nairobi attack, Africa, most breeding her head. Furthermore, she has been offered only pork as meal - which is forbidden under Islamic law - and denied any ground for Terrorism halal food after refusing to consume the meat. Hashemi NAIROBI — Wednesday 16th January 2019 Further explosions and gunfire were heard told her daughter that the only food she has had over the a group of militant attacked on a shopping shortly before dawn, with no official word on past two days has been a packet of crackers. Hashemi’s complex horribly in Nairobi and left more how many people were still trapped inside. family members and media activists have launched a social than a dozen of citizens dead. Kenyan police chief Joseph Boinnet said media campaign with the hashtags #FreeMarziehHashemi Nairobi is the capital and the largest city the attack began with an explosion targeting and #Pray4MarziehHashemi in support of the detained of Kenya. The name comes from the Maasai three cars in the parking lot and a suicide journalist. phrase Enkare Nairobi, which translates to bombing in the foyer of the Dusit hotel. Threats to independent journalists and media have “cool water”, a reference to the Nairobi River As the explosion and gunfire rang out increased during the Trump administration which has which flows through the city. in the leafy Westlands suburb, hundreds of brought a record number of whistle-blower prosecutions. Fifteen people have died in the Al Shabaab terrified office workers barricaded themselves President Trump’s verbal attacks on the media have wors- terrorist attack on an upmarket hotel complex in the complex while some fled. ened a hostile climate to the press. Journalists’ ability to in Nairobi, as fresh explosions and gunfire A number of heavily-armed foreign forces, report is being undermined by attacks, arrests, border rang out in the siege which stretched into who appeared to be from embassies based in stops, searches of devices, prosecution of whistle-blowers its second day. Nairobi, were at the scene alongside Kenyan and restrictions on the release of public information. And Harakat al-Shabaab al-Mujahideen, more security last but not the least, Hashemi’s arrest comes after U.S. commonly known as al-Shabaab, is a jihadist The attack was claimed by the Al-Qae- falls two places on the RSF World Press Freedom Index. fundamentalist group based in East Africa. da-linked Somali group Al-Shabaab, which According to the new Index, President Trump’s attacks Who pledged allegiance to the militant Islamist has repeatedly targeted Kenya since it sent on the media, via his Twitter account and in press confer- organization Al-Qaeda, In February 2012. its army into Somalia in October 2011 to ences and arbitrary arrests, are exacerbating an already Security forces worked sleeplessly at night fight the jihadist group. hostile environment for journalists in the U.S. By openly to secure the DusitD2 compound, which in- The attack at DusitD2 is the first in Nairobi and aggressively accusing journalists and media outlets of cludes a 101-room hotel, spa, restaurant and since gunmen stormed the city’s Westgate lying and producing ‘fake news’, the current U.S. adminis- office buildings, after an attack claimed by It’s highly ironically that these militants humanity which gives honour to every crea- shopping mall in 2013, killing at least 67 tration is undermining the First Amendment and creating Al-Shabaab Islamists on Tuesday afternoon. in different part of the world carries out their tures in respect of it ideology. people. a culture of intimidation and hostility where journalists One suicide bomber blew himself up at atrocities in the name Islam, painting the A police source said.., that fifteen people On April 2, 2015, another Shabaab at- find themselves less safe, detained and even imprisoned. the hotel while gunmen sprayed fire before image of Islam as evil while, every original died and among was a foreigner an American tack killed 148 people at the university in Mind you, such threats to the media pre-date Trump. engaging security forces and holing them- sometime has a duplicate. The pure Islam citizen, a State Department official said. The Garissa, eastern Kenya. Terrorist are mostly Many were present under the Obama administration, which selves up at the premises as civilians fled never teaches sure barbarism for Islam source confirmed the toll but warned “there created in Africa countries rich in material used the Espionage Act 1917 to bring a record number of or barricaded themselves in their offices is absolutely peace. The Islam of Prophet are areas not yet accessed but that’s what resources with the Main aim to exploit it’s whistle-blower prosecutions. The U.S. government is also awaiting rescue. Muhammad (P B U H & P), is the Islam of we know so far.” green pastures. using the national security act to silence journalists working outside the framework of mainstream media. These threats include a failure by law enforcement officials to recognize It is time for U.S. and Russia to fulfill their Nuclear Disarmament duties the rights of journalists to report freely on events of public interest. Journalists have been arrested and even assaulted TEHRAN (FNA) — The future of bilateral nuclear deals Pompeo subsequently has stated that the U.S. will suspend in potential flashpoints from Ukraine to the South China by law enforcement officials at a local and state level, while between the U.S. and Russia is in jeopardy, as both nations implementation of the Treaty. Sea, it is long past time to rebuild the capacity of the U.S. covering protests. Hashemi has gone through same sort once again trade accusations that the other has violated - Agreed to in 1987 by the United States and the Soviet government to negotiate with its nuclear-armed adversaries. of treatment over the past few days. existing deals, following a meeting in Geneva on the matter. Union, the INF Treaty prohibits the two countries from de- The best course would be to use the dispute over the INF This should be a wakeup call to everyone - specially the U.S. officials once again declared Russia to be “in material ploying both nuclear and conventional missiles with ranges Treaty as a moment to renew the negotiating frameworks international media community - to the very real threats breach” of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) between 310 and 3420 miles. The main reason cited for and institutions in order to avoid catastrophe in these dan- to freedom of the press in the U.S. The alarming rise in Treaty, based on the theoretical range of a Russian missile. withdrawal is that Russia has allegedly tested and deployed gerous times. threats to press freedom in the U.S. over recent years must Russia has denied the missile has a long enough range to ground-launched cruise missiles the treaty prohibits. Russia The problem is that Trump has expressed general hostility be challenged. Not only do these threats leave impact on be covered by INF, and has never tested it at such ranges. denies that the missiles violate the Treaty and has made its to any international obligation that might limit U.S. use freedom of expression in the U.S., but they have repercus- Russia fired back, saying that the U.S. compliance with New own accusations, foremost that U.S. ballistic missile defense of force or military capabilities. He sees negotiations as a sions around the world. Indeed, a free press is a vital part START has problems, and that the U.S. has refused to allow launchers installed in Eastern Europe could be used to house zero-sum game to be won or lost. He doesn’t seem capable of of democracy. The rights of American and non-American Russia to verify the conversion of some B-52H bombers treaty-prohibited cruise missiles. imagining international agreements that benefit all parties journalists must be protected so that they can continue and Trident II ballistic missile launchers for conventional - Although the Treaty is of vital importance for global and make the world a safer place. to report freely on matters of public interest and hold the weapons use. stability, on December 21, the U.S. opposed a Russia-spon- In the prevailing environment, the UN must act and U.S. government to account. On that note: sored UN General Assembly resolution calling for preser- leave space for future diplomacy. Indeed, there is a legiti- The pressures that journalist Hashemi is facing in the - For obvious reasons, the U.S. and Russia aren’t eager to vation of the Treaty and for the two countries to consult on mate question as to whether it is legal under international U.S. prison are reflective of the toxic atmosphere toward offer one another the level of access needed to verify com- compliance with its obligations. law for the U.S. to withdraw from an UN-ratified treaty. journalism being stoked by the U.S. government, which pliance with the letter of these treaties. Since this mistrust - The INF Treaty remains a key element of the arms control Despite Trump’s dangerous moves and hostility, the U.S. dreads truth-tellers. Trump himself is dangerous for press seems to be getting worse, not better, attempts to negotiate framework limiting nuclear weapons and arms racing. Often and Russia can and should negotiate agreements like the freedom. So it’s not just Hashemi. Many other independent an extension of New START, or any other nuclear deals, will forward deployed and intermingled with other forces, the INF Treaty to address the riskiest elements of their nu- and freelance journalists are also feeling the effects of a be in serious doubt. missiles the Treaty prohibits are among the weapons most clear confrontation. The time to start building a climate relentless attack on the role of the press all across the U.S. - A hard-earned lesson of the Cold War is that arms con- likely to lead to miscalculation or misadventure in a crisis. for negotiations is now. At any rate, Hashemi’s imprisonment is clearly an at- trol reduces the risk of nuclear war by limiting dangerous - The Treaty highlights, “the ethical imperative” to achieve Indeed, it is time the U.S. and Russia began to fulfill their tempt to discredit and silence the independent media, and deployments and, even more important, by creating channels a nuclear weapons free world. The Treaty is designed to disarmament duties by either joining the Ban Treaty and to divert attention from the U.S. government’s misman- of communication and understanding. But President Donald stimulate, support, and advance humanity’s quest for the addressing its limitations of verification and other tech- agement at home and wrongdoing across the globe. To that Trump and his National Security Advisor John Bolton appear security of a nuclear free world. Obviously, more work is nical issues or move forward in the process of negotiating end, it doesn’t make any difference if you are an American, to have forgotten, or never learned, that lesson. needed, rather than only criticizing that the Treaty does not a comprehensive nuclear weapons convention. Sitting on European, Arab or Iranian independent, freelance jour- - Quite the opposite, Trump has announced an intent do everything at once. their hands and offering no better way forward is inadequate nalist. You – and your kids - are still on Washington’s list to withdraw from the INF Treaty. Secretary of State Mike With tensions growing among nuclear-armed countries and unacceptable as it is an issue of global security concern. of the WANTED! I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y 8 ADVERTISEMENTS JANUARY 19, 2019

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II NN TT EE RR NN AA TT II OO NN AA LL DD AA II LL YY JANUARYJANUARY 19, 2019 HEALTHADVERTISEMENT 99

National campaign to fight Iran, Cuba to share vaccine production knowledge

HEALTH TEHRAN — Iran and Cuba agreed on ex- cancer launched in Iran deskchanging the technical know-how of vaccine HEALTH TEHRAN — A nation- per 100,000 of the population (excluding production, IRNA news agency reported on Friday. deskal campaign to combat non-melanoma skin cancer) in 30 provinces The two sides signed memorandums of understanding within cancer, aiming to increase hope among the of Iran annually. the framework of the 17th session of Cuban-Iranian Inter-Govern- patients as well as public awareness about The database indicates that the rate for mental Commission, which opened on Tuesday, the report added. the disease, has been initiated in Iran, ISNA all cancers (excluding non-melanoma skin Exchanging the technical knowledge of manufacturing pneu- news agency reported on Thursday. cancer) for men and women combined was mococcal vaccine was among the other agreements signed in The national campaign is intended to 182 per 100,000 in 2012 which means that the field of health. increase public awareness about the fact the rate of cancer in Iran is well below the Pneumococcal vaccines are vaccines against the bacteria that cancer is preventable and encourage world average, he highlighted. Streptococcus pneumoniae. Their use can prevent some cases public participation under the theme “cancer Payam Azadeh, the scientific secretary of pneumonia, meningitis, and sepsis. is preventable and treatable with self-care of the third International Clinical Oncolo- Mohsen Asadi Lari, deputy health minister for international and hope”, Alireza Raeisi, deputy health gy Congress, said in December 2018 that affairs, headed the Iranian delegation in the two-day event. Asadi minister has said. treatment of cancer cost Iran 30 trillion Lari also met with high ranking Cuban officials including Minister The campaign also seeks to challenge the rials (nearly $715 million) last year (March of Public Health José Ángel Portal. erroneous, commonly held belief that cancer 2017-March 2018). Other agreements in the fields of public health, investment, is not treatable and also foster policy makers’ According to World Health Organization energy, agriculture and sports were signed as well. cooperation in health sector in controlling cancer is the second leading cause of death risk factors for developing cancer, Raeisi are participating in the campaign. ety, Hassan Abolqasemi, announced that globally, and is responsible for an estimated highlighted. Unveiling the “national plan for con- currently, there is an estimated 900,000 9.6 million deaths in 2018. Globally, about The public in general, especially teenagers, trolling cancer”, preparing annual reports cancer cases in Iran and 110,000 new cases 1 in 6 deaths is due to cancer. the youth, cancer patients and their families on cancer prevalence in the country, imple- are diagnosed each year. Around one third of deaths from cancer Renters have higher levels of as well as policy makers are the audience of menting schemes to control risk factors for He also said that gastric, breast, lung and are due to the 5 leading behavioral and dietary harmful stress markers than the campaign, he added. non-communicable diseases including cancer, brain cancers are the most common cancers risks: high body mass index, low fruit and The deputy health minister went on to say executing plans for early-diagnosis of cancer in the country. vegetable intake, lack of physical activity, home owners, study finds that Health Ministry, Education Ministry, and setting up center for early detections Deputy Health Minister Reza Malekzadeh tobacco use, and alcohol use. Science Ministry, Culture Ministry, Sports of cancer are among the objectives of the said in April 2018 that “population-based The economic impact of cancer is signif- People living in rented flats have measurably higher levels of Ministry, universities of medical sciences, campaign, Raeisi concluded. cancer registry of the Islamic Republic of icant and is increasing. The total annual stress chemicals in their blood than homeowners or those living municipalities, scientific associations, NGOs In early January, head of the Iranian Iran” shows a cancer incidence rate of 158 economic cost of cancer in 2010 was estimated in a detached property, a study suggests. and charities, along with athletes and actors Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Soci- per 100,000 of the population and 143 at approximately $1.16 trillion. Researchers looking at the health impacts of insecure or low quality housing suggest that renting privately could be harmful to the health and argue this should be considered when developing Diabetes-detection dogs help patients avoid serious blood sugar crashes housing policies. To test the possible health effects, researchers from Essex University looked at a biological marker known as Dogs trained to sniff out life-threatening blood sugar crashes has brought sunshine into our lives – he is the last piece of reading of glucose levels, but while no system is perfect Dr C-reactive protein (CRP) which is found at elevated levels in the in people with type 1 diabetes have been shown to effectively the jigsaw. Now we are sleeping more, relaxing and feeling Rooney said the dogs sometimes outperformed these devices. blood in response to stress, injury and infection. spot the condition, which can render patients unconscious, like a whole family.” “Both can be important aspects of a diabetes care Tests for elevated CRP levels are used to diagnose those at in the first large-scale trial of its type. While Archie has a carer at school to check his blood package,” she told The Independent. “Reports and re- risk of heart disease, or chronic inflammatory conditions such The University of Bristol research found medical de- sugar, Domino takes over the role at night and is his constant cords suggest that in some instances the dog is ahead as IBS or arthritis. tection dogs were able to spot 83 per cent of more than companion when the family are out, providing more than of devices – dogs can alert parents in a different room, “Higher CRP, indicating worse health, is found among those 4,000 episodes of hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar) and 1,300 alerts since arriving in 2015. and they have added benefits of not being invasive and living in the private rented sector,” said Dr Amy Clair, of the hyperglycaemia (high blood sugar), minimising the risk of “He is my best buddy and he helps me feel safe,” Archie fulfilling social functions as well. Institute for Social and Economic Research, author of the study harmful health complications. says. ”If I’m not well he’ll tell mummy and daddy and I won’t “Some owners have anecdotally reported that the buzz- published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. They can be particularly effective in monitoring patients have to go to hospital. I can eat, go to bed and feel safe and ing of a machine alert merely reminds them that they had “This finding supports arguments for greater consideration who might have unexpectedly low glucose levels at night happy.” The Bristol study found the dogs “vastly improved” something wrong with them. of the negative effects of the current private rented market in the or for young people who are less able to keep track of their their owners’ quality of life by giving them peace of mind “In contrast, being able to interact with a dog who is alert- UK, characterized by greater insecurity, higher cost and lower blood sugar with a conventional device. over their condition as well as other psychological benefits. ing them to a glucose rise or drop promotes some happiness quality than is typically found in other tenures.” This was the case for Archie, who was diagnosed with type “Our study provides the first large-scale evaluation of in what is otherwise a recurring and burdensome event.” The study used blood samples and housing interviews with 1 diabetes just after his first birthday and, after years of night- using medical detection dogs to detect hypoglycaemia,” said Where blood sugar falls outside of an acceptable range, 9,593 adults aged over 21 and found one in five (22 per cent) had time hypoglycaemic attacks, was paired with two-year-old lead author Dr Nicola Rooney from the university’s Bristol the medical detection dogs are trained to alert their own- elevated levels of CRP – above the threshold of three milligrams Labrador Domino, by charity Medical Detection Dogs (MDD). Veterinary School. ers through nuzzling or licking so they can take an insulin per liter associated with heart disease. “Before Domino we were in a void, we never knew where Some patients with type 1 diabetes are now eligible for injection to reduce blood sugar or eat something to boost it. (Source: uudis.eu) to turn, we were unsettled,” Archie’s mum Jayne said. ”He wearable blood sugar monitors which provide a constant (Source: The Independent)

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Iran, EU discuss boosting Digital transformation, knowledge cooperation in research programs TECHNOLOGY TEHRAN — Iran and European Union (EU) economy realize smart city: officials deskdiscussed expansion of cooperation in research TECHNOLOGY TEHRAN — The impor- Knowledge like knowledge-based busi- programs, ISNA reported on Thursday. desk Iranian Science, Research and Technology Minister Mansour tance of digital trans- nesses is the most important part of de- Gholami and EU Science and Innovation Commissioner Carlos formation and economic development in velopment. The business, which is based Moedas discussed the issue during a meeting on January 17 in establishment of smart city was discussed on knowledge, is developed with more Brussels, Belgium. during a meeting attended by officials on consumption, he said. Gholami led a delegation of high-ranking university professors Tuesday, IRNA reported. Bina said that small and medium firms and academics to the meeting, during which he highlighted Iran The head of Information Technolo- have a crucial role in knowledge-based busi- as a pioneer in the field of science and technology in the region. gy Organization of Iran (ITO), Rasoul ness and enjoy about 70 percent of market He pointed to recent cooperation between Iran and EU in Saraeian, the director of Asian Smart in developed counties, he explained. past three years, saying that Iran is aware of Europe programs Cities Committee of Asian Mayors Fo- “The country and city’s characteristics in field of research and education and is eager to cooperate in rum, Mehdi Bina, and the chairman of can be a great help to clarify our priorities those projects. Iran’s IoT Academy, Farzad Ebrahimi, in technology,” he said. Iran boasts 4.3 million university students and 43 science attended the event. Legal impediments should be removed and technology parks, he said. Technology provides high quality and the international experiences should During the event, Moedas said that Europe is ready to coop- services for citizens: Saraeian be highlighted in order to have economic erate with countries all around the world in the field of research Almost all countries around the world development, he explained. and innovation. deal with issues like water shortage, eco- International presence matters The first Iran-Europe cooperation conference was held in 2016 nomic problems and unemployment. Digital transformation should begin in Vienna. Brussels hosted the second Iran-Europe cooperation Hence, wealth creation is one of the main from private sector, Farzad Ebrahimi said. conference in June 2018 with the theme of New Horizon. The vent challenges in the world, Rasoul Saraeian Iran enjoys young talented human re- focused on different issues like economic development, startup im- said during the meeting. sources, which leads to a great potential provement and internationalization of knowledge-based companies. He called digital economy as a techno- for educational tourism, he said. logical solution, which have a great share Iran is a great market for digital busi- from world economy, he said. of today economy after industry and ag- Economic development leads ness and have a good entrepreneurship Technology provides a way for citizens riculture, he said. to digital economy: Bina ecosystem for young generation, he said. Chinese students’ brains to receive high quality services with rea- He said that Iran should pave the way The economy development is one of the He also highlight the importance of being scanned to make sure sonable price, he said. for digital economy and provide market most important issues in digital economy, international interaction in the form of they are concentrating in Providing services have a great share for digital businesses. Mehdi Bina said. joint workshops or attending exhibitions. controversial trial Iran, Sweden to expand ‘Major industries can expand markets

A controversial trial has used a hi-tech headband to monitor the academic ties through startups’ brains of schoolchildren in class to ensure they are concentrating. Massachusetts-based start-up BrainCo. says its Focus 1 head- bands can help teachers identify pupils who need extra assistance. It partnered with a Chinese school for the recent trial using schoolchildren between 10-17, and says it is also working with schools in the US, Mexico, Spain, and Brazil. Teachers monitored pupils’ attention using an app which received information from the headbands. Lights on the front of the devices also show different colors for varying concentration levels, flagging to staff if students are not paying attention. ‘With BrainCo’s brainwave-detecting headbands and soft- ware platform, educators can track student engagement and class attention levels as they’re happening,’ the firm behind the headband boasts. How the headband works The headbands use electroencephalography (EEG) sensors Sharif University of Technology President Mahmoud Fotouhi (R) and Swedish Am- to detect brain activity when the wearer is engaged in a task. bassador to Tehran Helena Sangeland pose for a photo. Typically, the brain’s high-frequency beta waves are increased TECHNOLOGY TEHRAN — Iran to different sections of Sharif University TECHNOLOGY TEHRAN — Major He made the remarks during the 3rd when we are focused, and the low-frequency alpha and theta desk desk waves are more excited when we are relaxed. and Sweden signed of Technology. industries like steel National Conference for Localization The patterns vary from person to person, so Focus determines an agreement to boost academic coop- The two sides discussed the ex- and petrochemistry can expand their of DRI Catalysts and Process, which each user’s maximum attention level via a series of mental tasks. eration and expand relations between pansion of academic and industrial markets through startups and knowl- was held from January 16 to 19 in the A high numerical score for the EEG signal suggests that a universities. cooperation between the Iranian uni- edge-based companies, an official with Persian Gulf island of Kish. student is paying attention; a low score is interpreted as a dis- Swedish Ambassador to Tehran He- versity and Swedish academic centers vice presidency for science and technol- Innovative ideas can boost market tracted or unfocused student. lena Sangeland and Sharif University as well as holding joint workshops in ogy said, ISNA reported on Thursday. for major industries, however, they However, neuroscientists have questioned the devices’ ef- of Technology President Mahmoud the future. Payman Salehi said that innova- need investors and accelerators, he said. fectiveness and the technology has also raised privacy concerns. Fotouhi signed the agreement dur- During the meeting, the Swedish tion is a key to development of major “We do our best to support startups The headbands use electroencephalography (EEG) sensors ing a meeting in Tehran on Thursday. side announced that the embassy can industries and the vice presidency is to take part at the major industries and to detect brain activity when the wearer is engaged in a task. Sangeland accompanied with some facilitate the relationship between Ira- ready to provide infrastructures for do not stop them with legal impedi- The devices were worn by 10,000 schoolchildren aged Swedish embassy’s officials paid visits nian and Swedish universities. their marketing. ments,” he added. between 10 and 17 during a recent 21 day trial in China, ac- cording to New Scientist. Students also played a smartphone game aimed at improving their concentration for 25 minutes By listening for quakes on Mars, NASA lander will probe Red Planet’s interior at home each day. NASA has sent orbiters to study the atmosphere of Mars and turn, shed light on its composition and whether it is crys- BrainCo. founder and chief executive Bicheng Han told New rovers to study its surface. Now, the agency plans to look tallizing from the inside out as it cools, like Earth’s core, Scientist the trial led to improved grades among participants, inside the planet. The $814 million InSight lander, due to or from the outside in. Ultimately, the results will improve who also needed to spend less time on homework. launch next month, carries three instruments designed to models of how the planet lost the magnetic field that its peer through Mars’s rusty shell, including a seismometer core once generated, says George Helffrich, a geophysicist that will detect “marsquakes.” “We’ve got a black hole that at the Tokyo Institute of Technology’s Earth-Life Science starts 5 meters below the surface and goes all the way down Institute. “Mars’s core could represent what Earth’s will Japan robot hotel fires most to the center,” says Bruce Banerdt, InSight’s principal inves- look like in the future.” tigator and a geophysicist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory A third set of clues will come from marsquakes. Because of its ‘annoying’ robotic staff (JPL) in Pasadena, California. He and his colleagues hope Mars lacks the tectonic plates that grind together on Earth, that by measuring the thickness and composition of the its tremors are likely to be 100 times less frequent than A hotel in Japan has laid off more than half of its robotic staff planet’s crust, mantle, and core, InSight will provide clues to earthquakes. “We might see five to 10” over InSight’s 2-year following complaints from some guests about the practical lim- how Mars lost its magnetic field and whether it once hosted mission, Banerdt says. “Or we might see 1000.” In his dreams, itations of the machines. plate tectonics. the lander will see dozens of marsquakes with a magnitude Among the 243 robots employed by the Henn-na Hotel, The mission came close to cancellation after a leak was more than five—a bounty that could help InSight identify which roughly translates as “Weird Hotel” were a velociraptor found in the seismometer’s vacuum. Ultimately, the launch the volleyball-size seismometer and a heat probe, driving a their sources, even though it will be a single seismic station. receptionist, an automated gardener and a one-armed claw that was delayed for 2 years to find a fix. “We are a much bet- rod 5 meters into the surface with thousands of strokes of Typically, three stations are needed to triangulate an earth- handles left luggage. ter mission compared to the one we had 2 years ago,” says a tungsten hammer. quake’s source from so-called body waves, which dive through Philippe Lognonné, a planetary seismologist at Paris Diderot The heat probe will measure how much heat is escaping the planet. But the InSight team has devised a workaround University who leads the seismology instrument. from the planet, and how quickly—a clue to its history. for Mars by relying on waves that vibrate along the surface. InSight marks NASA’s return to planetary seismology after From chemical analysis of the chunks of Mars that arrive On Earth, features such as the oceans quickly dampen such 4 decades. Apollo astronauts deployed five seismometers on Earth as meteorites, researchers have a sense of the waves. But on Mars, surface waves from big quakes should that detected moonquakes—tremors that helped identify the martian mantle’s composition. Combining this with the heat race around the planet multiple times. By detecting surface moon’s core. The two Viking landers on Mars both carried gradient and interior dimensions divined by InSight, they waves from three different global paths, the researchers hope seismometers, though one failed and the other sent no re- can estimate how much of Mars’s internal heat comes from to pinpoint each tremor’s source, which will enable them liable signals. Ambitious efforts since then to put multiple radioac­tive elements in the planet’s interior. The remain- to make sense of how the body waves it produces change seismic stations on Mars have sputtered. But the geophysi­ der is primordial energy leftover from Mars’s formation. speed or reflect off structures in the interior. cists kept pushing, Banerdt says. “I’ve been getting up at Based on the rates at which those two heat sources ebb, If all goes as hoped, the resulting seismic x-rays of Mars meetings and berating people for not getting behind this researchers can estimate when volcanoes were most vigorous will reveal the dimensions of its crust, mantle, and core and for decades,” he says. “Sometimes I think they selected my on Mars. “The evolution of a planet is driven completely any layering within them. A thick crust would mean that Mars mission just to shut me up.” by how heat moves out to space,” says Steven Hauck, a melted thoroughly at its start, allowing larger amounts of Developed by JPL with Lockheed Martin and European planetary scientist at Case Western Reserve University less dense minerals to rise and collect at the surface. Banerdt partners, InSight is built on the same platform as 2008’s in Cleveland, Ohio. says a thick crust, resistant to fracturing into plates, would Phoenix lander. Like its predecessor, it will use para­chutes Tiny Doppler shifts in radio broadcasts sent from Earth to also suggest that Mars never had plate tectonics. and retrorockets to reach the sur­face. The target landing receivers on InSight will reveal other details of the martian If InSight survives until 2021, a second seismic station The facility which made headlines in 2015 when it opened in site is a smooth plain of lava near the equator—perhaps interior. The signals will track how the planet wobbles in could join it and corroborate its readings: an instrument Nagasaki Prefecture, also made use of more experimental ma- “the most geologically boring site on the planet,” Banerdt its rotation, which reflects the internal tug of its core and mounted on the landing platform for Europe’s ExoMars rover. chines, such as bedside table-sized butler capable of arranging says. That’s for a reason: InSight could probably do its job mantle. Just as raw eggs, with their liquid interiors, spin But even by itself, InSight is a boon, says Yosio Nakamura, a a wake up call or announcing the weather forecast. from anywhere on Mars, so the team picked a site with few differently than cooked ones, Mars’s wobbles should hint planetary seismologist at the University of Texas in Austin, Glitches with this robot saw it wake up guests who were snoring landing hazards and, thanks to its tropical loca­tion, plen- at the core’s size, density, and whether it is partially molten, who started his career working on Apollo. “A single station loudly after mistaking the noise for a voice command, The Wall ty of sunlight for the probe’s solar panels. After the craft says Véronique Dehant, a geophysicist at the Royal Obser- is much, much better than no station at all.” Street Journal reported. touches down in late November, its robotic arm will deploy vatory of Belgium in Brussels. That information could, in (Source: sciencemag.org) The Hen-na hotel describes the concept as “excitement meets comfort” thanks to “state-of-the-art” technologies. “One of the definitions of the Japanese word ‘Henn’ is ‘to How crowdfunding is helping homeless people turn their lives around change, which represents our commitment for evolution in striving Two years ago, tech entrepreneur Alex Steph- Despite the kind gestures from Alex and he says. “For me, the answer lay in empow- people and charities.” for the extraordinary sensation and comfort that lies beyond the any got to know a homeless man at his local other members of the public, the man was ering him with the skills and training and to Solving homelessness ordinary,” the hotel’s website states. tube station. He would buy him cups of coffee in a grave position and his future looked sustainably support himself. Of course, that In October 2017, Alex launched Beam - an “Staying at Henn na Hotel is filled with unexpected and de- and thermal socks when the weather got cold. bleak. With a background in business and would cost far more than coffees or socks - online platform that crowdfunds employment lightful surprises. The unique experience will take our guests All of a sudden, the man disappeared for technology, Alex wanted to find a way to help but what if everyone chipped in? training for homeless people. It helps every- one step into the future.” several weeks. He eventually returned to that the homeless rebuild their lives. “The idea of crowdfunding employment one become part of a long-term solution to When The Independent visited in 2017, there were no humans station, but looked years older. It turns out “I began to ask myself what it would take training for homeless people was born. Over homelessness epidemic, which affects over to be seen working in the hotel. that he had suffered a heart attack and just to make a lasting difference to this man’s life. more than nine months that followed, I de- 320,000 people in the UK. (Source: independent.co.uk) come out of hospital. He had never had a job, and was illiterate,” veloped the model working with homeless (Source: forbes.com) I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y JANUARY 19, 2019 SCIENCE 11

Saturn’s rings formed after dinosaurs Scientists find increase in asteroid impacts on ancient went extinct, researchers discover Earth by studying the moon A team of scientists has determined the number of asteroid impacts Scientists have discovered Saturn’s rings million years. on the Moon and Earth increased by two to three times starting are far younger than once thought, having Researchers say the findings do not provide around 290 million years ago. Previous theories held that there formed as little as 10 million years ago. This is any details about how the rings formed. A were fewer craters on both objects dating back to before that time far, far later than the when Saturn itself first “catastrophic event like a collision looks to because they had disappeared due to erosion. The new findings formed — around 4.2 billion years ago — and me the most obvious explanation, but there claim that there were simply fewer asteroid impacts during that means the planet’s iconic feature probably may be problems with that too,” Iess said. “I earlier period. only appeared after the dinosaurs went extinct believe that the origin of the rings has to be “Our research provides evidence for a dramatic change in around 65 million years ago. put in the broader context of the dynamics the rate of asteroid impacts on both Earth and the Moon that How Saturn ended up with rings is a long- of the Saturnian system.” occurred around the end of the Paleozoic era,” said lead author standing mystery. They are composed almost Startling truth Sara Mazrouei, who recently earned her PhD in the Department entirely of water-ice and a small amount of Thomas Stallard, from the UK’s University of Earth Sciences in the Faculty of Arts & Science at the University rocky material. Scientists think they formed of Leicester, who was not involved in the study, of Toronto (U of T). less than 100 million years ago when asteroids, told Newsweek the results were “striking” It had been previously assumed that most of Earth’s older craters comets and small moons got caught by the as it “once again confirms a startling truth produced by asteroid impacts have been erased by erosion and planet’s gravitational pull and repeatedly col- that Saturn’s rings have not existed in the other geologic processes. But the new research shows otherwise. lided, eventually being smashed into tiny bits. Solar System since the planet formed, but The “relative rarity of large craters on Earth older than 290 A recent study published in the journal are relatively young.” million years and younger than 650 million years is not because Icarus suggested that Saturn’s rings are a He continued: “Although we don’t yet we lost the craters, but because the impact rate during that time short-lived feature and they will be com- know why, something catastrophic hap- was lower than it is now,” said Rebecca Ghent, an associate pro- pletely gone in around 300 million years. pened, perhaps in the age of the dinosaurs, fessor in U of T’s Department of Earth Sciences and one of the Researchers found the rings are losing mass that resulted in Saturn having a ring system paper’s co-authors. “We expect this to be of interest to anyone at the maximum rate predicted, with the ice completely unlike Jupiter and the ice giants interested in the impact history of both Earth and the Moon, and particles being dragged into the main body Uranus and Neptune. But these rings, which the role that it might have played in the history of life on Earth.” sible to distinguish the gravitational effect of of the planet by gravity. said there is a flux of “contaminant particles” are so iconic, are being eroded away. While, Scientists have for decades tried to understand the rate that the rings from the main body of the planet. Saturn and its rings present around Saturn that is sprayed onto on human timescales, it seems that Saturn asteroids hit Earth by using radiometric dating of the rocks around This mean the mass of the rings — which is In a new study published in Science, a the rings at a constant rate. By measuring will always have its rings, across the lifetime them to determine their ages. But because it was believed erosion linked to their age — could not be established. team of researchers led by Luciano Iess, the mass, they were able to estimate the to- of the Solar System, these rings are set to caused some craters to disappear, it was difficult to find an accurate The “relationship between the mass and age from Italy’s Sapienza University of Rome, tal amount of deposited particles—and how quickly fade into obscurity.” impact rate and determine whether it had changed over time. of the rings is subtle,” Iess told Newsweek. He have now used data from NASA’s Cassini long it took them to accumulate: 10 to 100 James O’Donoghue, from NASA’s God- (Source: sciencedaily.com) mission to produce new measurements of dard Space Flight Center, said that the idea the gravitational field around Saturn and its A recent study suggests that Saturn’s the rings formed around the time that the rings. They used data from Cassini’s “Grand dinosaurs went extinct “is a profound result Finale,” where the spacecraft plunged through rings are a short-lived feature and they to end the Cassini mission … the more we CERN reveals plans for the planet’s rings before burning up in the will be completely gone in around 300 learn about Saturn’s rings, the more fragile particle collider four times atmosphere below. million years. and transient they seem to be.” Before the Cassini mission, it was impos- (Source: Newsweek) larger than LHC

Science requires finesse, but sometimes it also needs more power. CERN took the latter approach when it built the Large Hadron Collider Earth’s tilt may exacerbate a melting Japan satellite blasts into space (LHC), a 17-mile (27 kilometers) particle accelerator that smashes protons together with so much energy they fracture into subatomic Antarctic, new research suggests to deliver artificial meteors confetti. By studying the remnants of those collisions, scientists have As levels of the greenhouse gas carbon A rocket carrying a satellite on a mission learned more about the nature of the universe. dioxide rise and warm the globe, to deliver the world’s first artificial meteor The Large Hadron Collider is currently the world’s largest scientific Antarctica’s ice will become more shower blasted into space on Friday, Jap- instrument, sitting under the France–Switzerland border near Geneva. vulnerable to cycles on an astronomical anese scientists said. Having a long “runway” for speeding up particles is essential for a scale, particularly the tilt of our planet A start-up based in Tokyo developed particle collider because that lets you reach higher collision energies. is as it spins around its axis. the micro-satellite for the celestial show The LHC has been setting records in this department ever since it New research finds that over 30 million over Hiroshima early next year as the initial came online in 2008. By 2009 it had crossed in the teraelectronvolts years of history, Antarctica’s ice sheets experiment for what it calls a “shooting (TeV) range. In 2018, CERN achieved a whopping 13 TeV collision, responded most strongly to the angle of stars on demand” service. and the instrument is currently being upgraded for even higher power. Earth’s tilt on its axis when the ice extends The satellite is to release tiny balls that According to the new CERN report, the FCC could have a 62-mile into the oceans, interacting with currents Antarctica provided another source of glow brightly as they hurtle through the pile of shooting stars in space that can be (100 kilometers) track in the same region of Europe — that’s four times that can bring warm water lapping at their climate history — a specialty of study co- atmosphere, simulating a meteor shower. delivered across the world. larger than the LHC. When completed, the FCC should be capable of margins and leading to increased melting. author and paleoclimatologist Richard Levy It hitched a ride on the small-size Ep- When its two satellites are in orbit, they smashing atoms at unprecedented energies of up to 100 TeV. The effect of the tilt peaked when carbon of GNS Science and Victoria University silon-4 rocket that was launched from can be used separately or in tandem, and dioxide levels were similar to what scientists of Wellington in New Zealand. These the Uchinoura space center by the Japan will be programmed to eject the balls at predict for the next century, if humans sediments, drilled from the ocean bottom Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) on the right location, speed and direction to don’t get emissions under control in long, columnar cores, also hold a record Friday morning. put on a show for viewers on the ground. As carbon dioxide levels push past of the past. A glacier, for example, dumps The rocket carried a total of seven ul- Tinkering with the ingredients in the balls 400 parts per million, the climate will a distinctive mixture of mud, sand and tra-small satellites that will demonstrate should mean that it is possible to change become more sensitive to the Earth’s tilt, gravel where it sits. These cores provide various “innovative” technologies, JAXA the colors they glow, offering the possibility or obliquity, researchers reported Jan. 14 a very detailed picture of where the ice spokesman Nobuyoshi Fujimoto told AFP. of a multi-colored flotilla of shooting stars. in the journal Nature Geoscience. sheets once were, Meyers said, but there By early afternoon, JAXA confirmed Each star is expected to shine for several “Really critical is the amount of carbon are gaps in the record. all seven satellites had successfully been seconds before being completely burned dioxide in the atmosphere,” said study co- From about 34 million years ago to about launched into orbit. up — well before they fall low enough to author Stephen Meyers, a paleoclimatologist 25 million years ago, carbon dioxide was Artificial meteor showers pose any danger to anything on Earth. at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. very high (600 to 800 ppm) and most of “I was too moved for words,” Lena Oka- Light-polluted metropolis A scenario of high carbon dioxide Antarctica’s ice was land-based, not in jima, president of the company behind the They would glow brightly enough to be and high tilt angle could be particularly contact with the sea. artificial meteor showers, told the Jiji Press seen even over the light-polluted metropolis The FCC wouldn’t simply be a larger version of the LHC, either. devastating to the miles-thick ice covering The continent’s ice advance and retreat agency. of Tokyo, ALE says. It will need more powerful electromagnets, new detectors, improved Antarctica. were relatively insensitive to the planet’s The company ALE Co. Ltd plans to de- If all goes well, and the skies are clear, superconducting materials, and enhanced computing facilities to The ocean bottom tilt at this time, the researchers found. liver its first out-of-this-world show over the 2020 event could be visible to millions process all the data it gathers. To reconstruct a history of how Between about 24.5 million and about Hiroshima in the spring of 2020. of people, it says. Some of the necessary technologies don’t exist yet, but we’ve got time. Antarctica’s ice has responded to this 14 million years ago, atmospheric carbon The satellite launched Friday carries Okajima has said her company chose Among the most notable achievements of the Large Hadron Col- tilt, Meyers and his co-authors used a dioxide dropped to between 400 and 600 400 tiny balls whose chemical formula is Hiroshima for its first display because of its lider is the 2012-2013 discovery of the Higgs boson, first theorized by few sources of information on the Earth’s ppm. a closely-guarded secret. good weather, landscape and cultural assets. Peter Higgs in 1964. While we know it exists, the nature of the Higgs climate past. One source was calcium At times of high tilt, the polar regions That should be enough for 20-30 events, The western Japan city rose from the is still murky. Higher-energy collisions from the improved LHC carbonate from the ocean bottom, left warm and the temperature differences as one shower will involve up to 20 stars, ashes after the 1945 U.S. atomic bombing might shed some light on it, but scientists may need to wait for the FCC to study the particle in detail. behind by single-celled organisms called between the equator and the poles become according to the company. and faces the Seto Inland sea where the (Source: extremetech.com) benthic foraminifera. These organisms less extreme. This, in turn, alters wind ALE’s satellite, released 500 kilometers floating gate of Itsukushima Shrine is. excrete a calcium carbonate shell around and current patterns — which are largely (310 miles) above the Earth, will gradually ALE is working in collaboration with themselves, locking in a global, continuous driven by this temperature difference — descend to 400 kilometers over the coming scientists and engineers at Japanese uni- record of the chemistry of the oceans and ultimately increasing the flow of warm year as it orbits the Earth. versities as well as local government officials Sloths are better at adapting atmosphere. ocean water to Antarctica’s edge. ALE says it is targeting “the whole world” and corporate sponsors. Sediment records from right around (Source: livescience.com) with its products and plans to build a stock- (Source: phys.org) than we ever gave them credit for New study says urbanization may hold key to tiger survival Unless you live in the tropical rainforests of South or Central America, most of the sloths you’ll encounter will be two-toed A new WCS-led study published in the journal dent of Field Conservation Joe Walston: “If we sloths (Choloepus sp.). This is because they are able to eat quite Biological Conservation says the future of ti- want a world with tigers, forests, and wildness a varied diet and are therefore relatively easy to keep in captivity. gers in Asia is linked the path of demographic to persist beyond the 21st century, conserva- Their relatives, the three-toed sloths (Bradypus sp.), on the transition -- for humans. The study marks the tion needs to join forces with groups working other hand, have a very restricted diet, subsisting solely on Ce- first-of-its-kind analysis that overlays human to alleviate poverty, enhance education for cropia: a group of fast-growing tree species with soft wood and population scenarios with the fate of these girls, reduce meat consumption, and build large, juicy leaves. endangered big cats. sustainable cities.” Or so it has always been thought. A paper published this week Prior to the 20th century, some experts Biophysical futures by the Royal Society gives quite a different picture of the lifestyle estimate there were more than 100,000 tigers Said co-author Professor Bryan Jones of of three-toed sloths. living in the wild; today that number is between Baruch College: “Demographic futures, and The authors of the paper looked at how the availability of 3000 - 4000. At the same, over the last 150 the socioeconomic causes and consequences different tree species, including those of the genus Cecropia, years, the human population of Asia as grown thereof, are notoriously difficult to predict. As affected the survival and reproduction rates of sloths. from 790 million to over 4 billion, with dire such, biophysical futures are similarly fraught Given that these trees are the sloths’ favorite food, this spe- consequences for tigers and other wildlife. with uncertainty. cialist sloth species might be expected to spend most of its time But these trends are changing. The de- Understanding the consequences of in them. However, the authors found that at certain life stages, mographic transition is the process by which different pathways, driven in large part by sloths may desert their favored tree for other species. human populations peak and then go down. policy decisions, is crucial to developing a Density of Cecropia is critical to the survival and reproductive The researchers looked at different scenar- conservation strategy to protect the planets success of adults, especially the males, but was not correlated ios of economic, education, migration, and Over the long-term, the scenarios associated tion and the subsequent human demograph- most endangered habitats. Our ability to un- with survival rates of juveniles. urbanization policy. with the lowest human populations are also ic transition is arguably the most important derstand the future will depend in part on how The authors attribute the differing importance of Cecropia at In 2010, 57 million people lived in areas associated with the greatest levels of urban- historical trend shaping the future of conser- well we understand urbanization, in terms of different life stages to the shape and growth habits of the tree, defined as “tiger conservation landscapes” ization and education. At the same time, ur- vation. How that transition plays out is not both land use and demographic behavior.” and they give a detailed analysis of its effects. that contained all of the world’s remaining ban consumption is the source of many of the pre-determined. Rather it depends on the The paper builds on a 2018 WCS study Because Cecropia species grow fast and produce lots of leaves wild tigers. However, by 2100, depending on threats to tigers. Therefore, the authors say policy decisions that governments, and the that found that the enormous trends toward with few chemical defenses rather than a few leaves that are population trends, as few as 40 million people conservation authorities must engage with societies they represent, take with respect to population stabilization, poverty alleviation, defended by a lot of toxins, there are always young, palatable, could be sharing space with tigers, or it could people in cities to save tigers, while continuing fundamental matters such as urban govern- and urbanization are rewriting the future of easily-digestible leaves available for adult sloths. be as many as 106 million. to support site-level protection efforts around ance, education, economic reform, and the biodiversity conservation in the 21st century, The leaves also contain essential nutrients that keep sloths Demographic transition tiger source sites. movement of people and trade goods. These offering new hope for the world’s wildlife and in good health, which would suggest that juveniles should also Different population scenarios depend Said lead author Eric Sanderson, Senior decisions matter for us and tigers too.” wild places. favor them. on the course of the demographic transition. Conservation Ecologist with WCS: “Urbaniza- Said co-author and WCS Senior Vice Presi- (Source: eurekalert.org) (Source: sciencealert.com) I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y 12 SOCIETY JANUARY 19, 2019

2nd anniversary of Plasco To see the azure sky everyday should building fallen firefighters marked be a ‘clean air day’: mayor SOCIETY TEHRAN — The second death anniversary ENVIRONMENT TEHRAN — In order to During September 23, 2017-January deskof the firefighters who were killed in Plasco desksee the azure sky every- 17, 2017 the whole country received 35.3 building collapse was held in Tehran on Friday. day should be a “clean air day”, Tehran millimeters of rain while this year the mayor wrote on the occasion of the na- amount almost quadrupled amounting tional clean air day, marked annually on to 112 millimeters in the same period. January 19. Tehran received 143.6 millimeters of “For the city to feel good again and for rain from the beginning of autumn to Jan- everyone to see the azure sky, free of any uary 17 while last year’s precipitation is pollution, everyday should be marked as measured at 19.8 in the aforesaid period. clean air day,” Pirouz Hanachi wrote on It is also believed that harsher traffic laws his Instagram page, adding that, “we all with respect to up-to-date vehicle inspection know that the city [of Tehran] is not feeling for all vehicles, regardless of their production alright and only observing a day as a clean year, also another reason for the cleaner air day won’t make things right again.” air this year. There is no need to take part in such However, there are still shortcomings. symbolic occasions, all citizens should For one, Tehran metro is short of cars. strive to fight air pollution and the efforts Mohammad Ali Krouni, head of con- should not limit to one day or week, Fars struction and transportation commission new agency quoted Hanachi as saying on of Tehran City Council, said in December Friday. 2018 that although currently some 121 On January 19, 2017, the 17-stroey Plasco building, a shop- By using public transport or cycling, trains are running in the capital’s subway ping center in downtown Tehran, caught fire and smashed to having our vehicles periodically inspected system, it will soon face lack of cars with the ground after hours of effort to put out the fire. Sadly some to live up to emission standards, less use inauguration of new lines being under con- 16 firefighters got trapped under the building and it took almost of private cars and also development of struction. He went on to say that a budget 9 days to clear through debris to find the bodies. public transportation infrastructure, and By using public transport or cycling, having of 750 billion rials (about $18 million) The anniversary was held in Tehran cemetery, known as Be- easing the access to urban rail transit would is required to develop the subway fleet. hesht-e Zahra, with the presence of firefighters and their family help improving the city’s air quality, the our vehicles periodically inspected to live up Moreover, the bus fleet is Tehran is both members. mayor suggested. to emission standards, less use of private cars inefficient and old producing great deal According to ISNA news agency since and also development of public transportation of emission. According to Tehran mayor the beginning of the current year (March Tehran is short of 3,000 buses and half the 21, 2018) Tehraners have breathed 17 days infrastructure, and easing the access to urban buses plying the city now are old and emit- Heavy snow piled up in 19 of excellent air quality and 237 days of rail transit would help improving the city’s air ting considerable amounts of pollutants. good air quality. quality, the mayor suggested. Ali Mohammadi, an official with traffic provinces Based on the figures released by Tehran police, said on January 9 that the scrappage Air Quality Control Company last year in make up a large proportion of dust that which also shows a 26-perecnt decrease of clunker vehicles has decreased by 65 ENVIRONMENT TEHRAN — Heavy snow blanketed 19 prov- the same period the number of days with can be drawn deep into the lungs. Larger comparatively. percent in the current Iranian calendar deskinces across Iran, head of Rescue and Relief excellent air quality amounted to 12 and particles tend to be trapped in the nose, The main reason behind the increase year (started on March 21, 2018) compared Organization, Morteza Salimi, has said. days of good air quality was 222 which mouth or throat and cause respiratory, in the number of clean air days is consid- to a year earlier. Over the past 48 hours 19 provinces of East Azarbaijan, West indicates a 32-day increase in the number lung and even heart conditions. erable increase in precipitation amounts. While last year some 140,000 vehicles Azarbaijan, Ardebil, Isfahan, Alborz, Tehran, Chaharmahal and of excellent and good air quality. According to the report the concentra- As per the data published by National were scrapped this year only 50,000 old Bakhtiari, North Khorasan, PM 2.5 and PM 10 particulate matters tion of PM 10 in Tehran decreased by 32 Drought Warning and Monitoring Center it vehicles were discarded, he regretted. Khuzestan, Zanjan, Semnan, are the main pollutants in Tehran. percent measuring at 67.1 micrograms per seems that recent rainfalls and the increase Clunker cars, normally producing great Qazvin, Kordestan, Kermanshah, PM10 is particulate matter 10 mi- cubic meter in the autumn compared to the in the precipitation levels has played a deal of emission, can lead to air pollution Lorestan, Mazandaran, Markazi crometers or less in diameter, PM2.5 is same period a year earlier. Additionally much more key role in improving air quality especially in metropolises like Tehran. and Hamedan are covered with particulate matter 2.5 micrometers or less concentration of PM 2.5 also dropped from nationwide and in other metropolises of Much bigger steps must be taken to fight snow, Fars news agency quoted in diameter. Particles in this size range 36.6 micrograms per cubic meter to 26.8 Iran as well. the messy air pollution in metropolises. Salimi as saying on Friday. Some 6,390 received rescue services and 240 individuals Sand, dust storms hit Khuzestan, PM at At least 60% of wild coffee species face extinction stranded in snow storm re- ceived emergency accommo- 22 times above safe levels triggered by climate change and disease dation, he added. Also 7 provinces of Isfahan, ENVIRONMENT TEHRAN — South- Two decades of research have revealed that desk Alborz, Khuzestan, Qazvin, Go- western province of 60 per cent of the world’s coffee species face lestan, Lorestan and Mazandaran Khuzestan was hit by sand and dust storms extinction due to the combined threats of were hit by flood and water was pumped out of 40 houses, he on Thursday where particulate matters (PM) deforestation, disease and climate change. explained. concentration peaked at 22 times the safe The wild strain of arabica, the most widely 113 rescue and relief teams including 395 forces offered services levels, IRNA news agency reported. consumed coffee on the planet, is among to the people stricken by the storm, he concluded. According to the provincial department those now recognized as endangered, raising of environment PM concentration reached concerns about its long-term survival. 3,304 micrograms per cubic meters in city of These results are worrying for the mil- LEARN ENGLISH Ahvaz which is 22 times above standard levels. lions of farmers around the world who de- Other cities including Shadegan, Ha- pend on the continued survival of coffee midiyeh, Abadan, Khorramshahr, Ram- had given rise to crippling sand and dust for their livelihoods. by climate change. Buying Jewelry shir, Bandar-e Emam, Omidiyeh, Dezful, in the region, he explained. As conditions for coffee farming become As global temperatures soar, the re- Shoush, Shoushtar, Mahshahr, Andimeshk, Nonetheless, this year with increased tougher, scientists predict the industry will searchers estimate natural populations Shop assistant: Good afternoon, sir, is there anything Gutvand, and Behbahan are also affected rainfalls in the province of Khuzestan sand need to rely on wild varieties to develop of arabica are likely to halve by the end I can help you with today? with high levels of particulate matters, the and dust storms only stricken the areas one more resilient strains. of the century. Mark: umm... yeah! I’m looking for a nice gift to give my report added. or twice during the first month of autumn. The new study by a British team based Coffee farmers growing this species – as wife. Our fifthanniversary’s next Friday. The sand and dust storm is originated According to data released on Thursday primarily at Kew Gardens was the first to well as robusta coffee that makes up the Shop assistant: Well, I would be happy to assist you in in Iraq and will be followed with another by the National Drought Warning and Mon- assess the status of all 124 coffee species other 40 per cent – have reported their choosing the perfect gift for her. Is there anything particular one in the coming days. itoring Center since the beginning of the that grow wild across Africa and Asia. crops being affected by longer dry seasons that you have in mind? Sand and dust storms have been striking current water year (September 23, 2018) “A figure of 60 per cent of all coffee spe- and the spread of pests. Mark: No, not really... I’m completely at a loss. the southwestern province for over 10 years. province of Khuzestan received 329.4 milli- cies threatened with extinction is extremely The scientists emphasized the role that Shop assistant: Well, you can give her a set of pearl earrings, Mohammad Sabzehzari, the provincial meters of rain while last year’s precipitations high, especially when you compare this to wild coffee could have in ensuring the coffee or this beautiful heart-shaped pendant. What is her meteorological organization director, said in the area amounted to 53.2 millimeters. a global estimate of 22 per cent for plants,” sector survives in a changing world. favorite gemstone? in mid-December, 2018 that the number of A sandstorm or duststorm is a meteor- said Dr Eimear Nic Lughadha, who leads “Among the coffee species threatened Mark: That purple one. I’m sorry...I’ve never bought jewelry dusty days in southern province of Khuz- ological phenomenon usually caused by Kew’s planet assessment unit. with extinction are those that have potential for anyone and I’m kind of nervous. estan have increased by day-and-a-half over strong and turbulent winds blowing over “Some of the coffee species assessed to be used to breed and develop the coffees Shop assistant: Don’t worry, we specialize in providing our a 30-year period per annum on average. loose soil or sand and sweeping up large have not been seen in the wild for more of the future, including those resistant to customers a relaxed, pressure-free shopping environment. The number of dusty days is different quantities of sand or dust particles from than 100 years, and it is possible that some disease and capable of withstanding wors- That stone is an amethyst. We have a range of beautiful in different seasons, but on average over the ground, clouding the air and reducing may already be extinct.” ening climatic conditions,” said Dr Aaron amethyst pieces. Take a look at this bracelet. It’s 18K a 30-year period sand and dust storms hit the visibility drastically. Arabica coffee makes up 60 per cent Davis, head of coffee research at Kew. rose-gold, studded with amethyst and blue topaz. It’s a the area 63 days annually, he added. But once rain falls on the soil it won’t of the world’s multibillion pound coffee The team called for emergency action great statement piece. The main reason behind the sand and let the wind to blow the loose soil or sand industry. Scientists at Kew worked with to protect coffee species both in the wild Mark: Oh...wow. That’s really pretty. Jess would love that. dust storms during the aforesaid years were and hence decrease the chances of a sand Ethiopian collaborators to reveal the and in special facilities like seed banks. But... I was thinking of something a little more delicate, dust hotspots in Iraq and low precipitations and dust storm. enormous threat posed to these plants (Source: The Independent) perhaps a necklace? Shop assistant: We have this beautiful platinum pendant, or you could also get her a locket. You could also get her a timepiece—it’s both glamorous yet functional. If you tell ENGLISH IN USE me a little more about your wife, maybe I can help you find something for her. LEARN NEWS TRANSLATION Mark: Jess? Well, she’s very smart, and has a great sense of humor. She’s very feminine... Shop assistant: Perhaps you could give her a ring? رئیس پلیس راهور ناجا: فوت 3404 نفر در حوادث Mark: Okay, I’ve decided. I’m going buy her a ring! 3,404 traffic-related deaths occurred Shop assistant: Fabulous! We should look at the rings رانندگی زمستان then! Now that’s a whole other section. last winter: traffic police chief 96 Key vocabulary ســردار تقــی مهــری رئیــس پلیــس راهــور ناجــا گفــت: در زمســتان ســال anniversary: the date on which a romance began Last winter, 3,404 traffic-related deaths happened in Iran, traffic have in mind: to be thinking of something police chief Taqi Mehri said on Thursday. گذشــته، ۳۴۰۴ نفــر بــر اثــر تصادفــات درون و بــرون شــهری، جــان خــود را از heart-shaped: something in the shape of a heart دســت دادنــد. pendant: a piece of jewelry that hangs on a chain There are some 500 mountain passes in Iran of which 100 بــه گــزارش خبرگــزاری تســنیم؛ مهــری بــا بیــان اینکــه در کشــور بیــش از gemstone: a stone that can be used in jewelry usually get snow in winter and with regard to the fact that this 500 گردنــه وجــود دارد، گفــت: حــدود 100 گردنــه برفگیــر اســت، امســال هــم amethyst: a clear purple or bluish- purple stone year precipitations have increased respectively driving in such bracelet: a piece of jewelry worn on the wrist نــزوالت آســمانی بیشــتر شــده و شــرایط رانندگــی در بــرف و بــاران در ســطح 18K: contain 75% gold slippery and icy roads is different from other seasons, Tasnim جادههــا بــا ســایر فصــول متفــاوت اســت. .blue topaz: a blue precious stone news agency quoted Mehri as saying platinum: a heavy, silver-colored metal locket: a small ornamental case Supplementary vocabulary bling-bling (slang): a term used to describe shiny jewelry, PREFIX/SUFFIX PHRASAL VERB IDIOM usually with a lot of diamonds carat: a unit of weight in gemstones “-ive” Wipe something off something Let the dust settle flashy: eye-catching, shiny and brilliant; ostentatious, attention-grabbing but not classy Meaning: tending to or performing Meaning: to reduce the value of shares or prices by Explanation: to allow for things return to normal show-stopper: something that is so interesting as to For example: Most of us are more productive in a particular amount after a period of excitement, a high level of activity, etc. figuratively “stop the show” the morning. For example: Nearly £7 billion has been wiped off For example: I know things have been really hectic gold-digger: someone who marries for money share prices worldwide. during this project, so let’s all take a bit of a break and (Source: irlanguage.com) let the dust settle a bit. I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y JANUARY 19, 2019 WORLD IN FOCUS 13

Arab summit starts in Lebanon, Lebanon FM calls on Arab League to restore Syria’s many leaders absent membership 1 Libyan media said Lebanese Presi- for Damascus’ suspension have not been Lebanon’s Caretaker Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil has called dent Michel Aoun expressed disappointment addressed and there are no encouraging on the Arab League (AL) to restore Syria’s membership in the over the absences of his Arab colleagues. signs to push for normalizing ties. regional organization, describing attempts to block the move as Mauritania and Somalia are the only The House of Saud regime has denied a “historic mistake.” Arab states represented at the highest level. it plans to do what its allies - the UAE and “We Arab nations don’t know how to look out for each oth- The other countries in attendance sent Bahrain - did a few weeks ago. er. Arab states continue to trade blame for suffering across the second-level and third-level ministerial Egypt, which was leading the diplo- region rather than assembling plans to alleviate it,” Bassil said delegations. matic drive to re-embrace Assad’s Syria, as he opened the first session of an Arab economic summit in The press in Beirut has already defined the now says it cannot be readmitted to the Beirut on Friday. summit a “flop”, attributing it to Lebanese Arab League if it doesn’t solve the political Among the biggest challenges facing Arab nations, the top officials’ insufficient guarantees of security crisis in line with the United Nations-led Lebanese diplomat said, are war, malnutrition and poverty, in to the Arab leaders. political process. addition to extremism and the denial of women’s basic rights. Also weighing on the summit is a climate There are also those who warn against “Let’s build a united Arab economic vision, based on the po- of tension between Lebanon and Libya, whose prematurely normalizing ties, saying that litical principle of not attacking each other,” Bassil said. participation was rejected by Beirut following would only strengthen Assad’s position when “Syria should return to us... Syria should be in our embrace accusations by Lebanese parliament speaker it came to negotiations. instead of throwing it into the embrace of terrorism,” he pointed out. Nabih Berri. The United States is particularly eager Iraqi Foreign Minister Mohammad al-Hakim recently said Berri is the political heir to the Shia imam to curtail Iranian influence in the region, the Baghdad government supports the restoration of Syria’s Musa Sadr, who disappeared in Libya in and sees any move that strengthens Assad membership in the Arab League. 1978, a disappearance that Lebanon claims as strengthening Iran. “We discussed solutions to eliminate terrorism in Syria and the Tripoli government is responsible for. Assad’s opponents want him to comply support the Syrian government, its territorial integrity and sov- Berri’s followers threatened to physically with UN resolutions that would require ereignty,” Hakim said at a joint press conference with his Iranian attack members of the Libyan delegation, into the Arab fold, eyeing an Arab League the country descended into a foreign in- relinquishing some powers. counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif in Baghdad on Monday. and removed Libyan flags from the streets (AL) foreign minister-level meeting before stigated war. Some countries withdrew For its part, Iran has publicly welcomed “We also discussed supporting Iraq’s efforts to restore Syria’s of Beirut leading to the site of the summit. the summit as a chance to hold a vote on their ambassadors. the shift in policy of some Arab states. (membership) to the Arab League,” he added. They also said they were ready to block the Syria’s reinstatement to the regional body. Late last year, Sudanese President Omar “Arab countries returning to Syria was a On January 8, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said road that connects the city to the international However, the future of Syria is not due al-Bashir became the first Arab League leader positive change that signaled the internation- the incumbent Damascus needs to implement a number of meas- airport, where flights of Arab delegations to be on the agenda. to visit Syria since the crisis began. In the al community recognized Syria’s territorial ures toward the political settlement of the ongoing Syrian crisis in have been arriving since Thursday. “The league has no plans to discuss an following weeks, the United Arab Emirates integrity and legitimate government,” the order for the conflict-plagued country to reinstate its membership Lebanon summit reveals Arab invitation to the body’s summit in Tunisia (UAE) and Bahrain reopened their embassies foreign ministry said. in the Arab League. Speaking at a joint press conference with his divisions over Syria, Iran during the upcoming meeting in Lebanon in the country, but a consensus among the The Arab diplomatic snub of the Beirut Moroccan counterpart Nasser Bourita in Cairo, Shoukry said such As Lebanon prepares to host a regional to which Damascus is not invited either,” bloc remains elusive. meeting is just the beginning of the U.S.- measures are required “in accordance with the UN Security Council economic summit this weekend, the meeting Arab League Assistant Secretary General Days before the Beirut talks a number of led efforts to contain Iran’s influence in the Resolution 2254,” which endorses a road map for a peace process in has been overshadowed by divisions over Hossam Zaki said. Arab states made their positions clear. Iraq, region. Syria, and sets out the outlines of a nationwide ceasefire. Syria’s future and efforts to contain regional The Arab League suspended Syria’s which did not cut ties with Damascus, said it They are expected to gain momentum “There’s a need to get out of the current crisis in Syria within power house Iran. membership in 2011 and imposed econom- supports efforts to restore Syria’s member- in the lead up to the anti-Tehran meeting the political framework sponsored by the UN envoy in Geneva,” Experts see the talks as an opportunity to ic sanctions over its violent crackdown ship of the Arab League. Qatar, a supporter in Warsaw in February. the top Egyptian diplomat pointed out. bring Syrian President Bashar al-Assad back on anti-government protesters before of Syria’s opposition, stressed the reasons (Source: Al Jazeera) The Arab League suspended Syria’s membership in Novem- ber 2011, citing alleged crackdown by Damascus on opposition protests. Syria has denounced the move as “illegal and a violation of the organization’s charter.” U.S. ‘deal of century’ doomed to hit dead end: Palestine (Source: Press TV) UN: Israel trying to delegitimize aid organizations working in occupied territories

1 The United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands, The Palestinian official further noted that the escalation Britain deadlock over plan B Poland and Sweden – which are all member states to the of situation in Gaza and “playing with fire” will never led United Nations Security Council (UNSC) - as well as Bel- to security for Israel and its people. as May, Corbyn double down gium, Germany and Italy said in a joint statement that The statement came after Israeli military aircraft carried Britain’s last-minute scramble to shape its exit from the Europe- the so-called Middle East peace plan should support the out several airstrikes against multiple locations across the an Union (EU), its biggest policy upheaval in half a century, hit Palestinian statehood and end the Israeli occupation. besieged Gaza Strip late on Saturday. the rocks as Prime Minister Theresa May and opposition Labor Israel occupied the West Bank as well as East al-Quds Palestinian Ma’an news agency reported that Israeli leader Jeremy Corbyn dug in their heels for competing visions. (Jerusalem) during the Six-Day War in 1967. It later an- warplanes fired at least one missile towards a military site After May’s two-year attempt to forge an amicable divorce with nexed the Palestinian city in a move not recognized by the belonging to Hamas east of Gaza City. Two other sites were an independent trade policy was crushed by Parliament in the international community. targeted in the town of Beit Lahiya in the northern Gaza biggest defeat for a British leader in modern history, May asked Israel lays claim to the whole city, but the Palestinians view Strip and in the city of Khan Yunis south of the enclave. The party leaders to forget self-interest to find a solution. its eastern sector as the capital of their future sovereign state. Israeli airstrikes caused fires to erupt in several targeted Yet there was little sign on Thursday that either of the two Trump recognized al-Quds (Jerusalem) as the Israe- sites; however, there were no reports of human casualties. gations “are baseless or misrepresent and distort critical, major parties, which together hold 88 percent of the 650 seats li “capital” in December 2017 and moved the American The Israeli military frequently bombs the Gaza Strip, factual or legal elements.” in Parliament, were prepared to compromise on key demands. embassy from Tel Aviv to the ancient city in May 2018, with civilians being the main target of such attacks. The campaign also included “impediments by Israeli Corbyn said May had sent Britain hurtling toward the cliff edge of sparking global condemnations. Israel has also launched several wars on the Palestinian banks to the transferring of funds and procedures to close a sudden exit on March 29 with no transition period, and urged Fatah trying to drag Gaza into new war coastal sliver, the last of which began in early July 2014. down accounts; refusal of Israeli venues to host events her to ditch her “red lines.” But he repeated his own condition with Israel: Hamas co-founder The military aggression, which ended on August 26, 2014, involving certain NGOs; and the potential undermining for talks: a pledge to block a no-deal Brexit. Meantime, a high-ranking leader of the Palestinian killed nearly 2,200 Palestinians. Over 11,100 others were of information disseminated by organizations whose rep- “The government confirmed that she would not take ‘no-deal’ off Hamas resistance movement has accused the West Bank- also wounded in the war. utation has been damaged.” the table,” Corbyn said in a speech in Hastings. “So I say to the prime based Fatah movement of attempts to provoke the Israeli The Gaza Strip has been under an Israeli siege since June The Association of International Development Agencies minister again: I am quite happy to talk, but the starting point for army to launch a new military campaign against the im- 2007. The blockade has caused a decline in the standards (AIDA), which represents the majority of international any talks about Brexit must be that the threat of a disastrous no-deal poverished Gaza Strip. of living as well as unprecedented levels of unemployment NGOs and non-profit organizations in the occupied ter- outcome is ruled out.” But the further May moves toward softening “Fatah-affiliated people are trying to force the Gaza and unrelenting poverty. ritories, conducted a survey among its members between Brexit, the more she alienates dedicated Brexit supporters in her Strip into a fresh battle with Israel by launching rockets The Israeli regime denies about 1.8 million people in Gaza October and November 2018 to assess the impact of the own Conservative party who think the threat of a no-deal exit is a during this sensitive time,” Mahmoud al-Zahar said in an their basic rights, such as freedom of movement, jobs with campaign. Forty-three percent of AIDA’s members said crucial bargaining chip and should anyway not be feared. exclusive interview with Arabic-language Palestine Today proper wages as well as adequate healthcare and education. the campaign had undermined their funding. May’s spokeswoman said the prime minister had held “con- television network. UN: Israel trying to delegitimize aid The campaign comes as hundreds of thousands of Pal- structive” talks Thursday with lawmakers, including some from Zahar added, “Some of these people are linked to Israel organizations working in occupied territories estinians living inside more than a dozen refugee camps Labor, to explore ways of winning support for her deal. and are commissioned to get on with the task. These people Elsewhere, the United Nations aid coordination body says across the Israeli-occupied West Bank are in dire need of If she fails to forge consensus, the world’s fifth-largest econ- are well-known to us. Fatah stands behind them. We have Tel Aviv and Israeli groups have been trying over the past daily assistance by such organizations. omy will drop out of the European Union on March 29 without a talked with their field leaders about their dangerous acts. years to delegitimize humanitarian organizations working The pressure facing the Palestinians compounded in deal or will be forced to delay Brexit, possibly holding a national Sometimes, they are arrested.” in the occupied Palestinian territories. August 2018, when the United States, Israel’s biggest ally, election or even another referendum. The Hamas leader noted that Gaza-based resistance The push has been “advanced by a network of Israeli said it was ending all funding for the UN Relief and Works Corbyn said that, under certain conditions, he would look at movements are closely monitoring Israel’s acts of aggres- civil society groups and some associated organizations else- Agency (UNRWA). options including another referendum - a remark that increased sion against the coastal enclave, stressing that they would where, with the apparent support” of the regime itself, the “The United States will no longer commit further fund- expectations in financial markets that the political chaos would never wait too long to respond to such moves. UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs ing to this irredeemably flawed operation,” the U.S. State ultimately delay or even stop Brexit. Zahar’s remarks came after Hamas spokesman Fawzi (OCHA) said in a report on Wednesday. Department said in a statement on August 31, 2018. But a second referendum would take a year to organize, ac- Barhoum warned in a statement on Sunday that the move- It said the overall bid had a negative impact on the ability Washington called the UN’s Palestinian refugee agency cording to official government guidance shown to lawmakers ment “will intensify the confrontation with Israel” in the of humanitarian organizations to deliver assistance and “irredeemably flawed.” Wednesday, a source in May’s office said. Corbyn wants May coastal sliver if the Israeli military launches new attacks advocate on behalf of Palestinian rights. Palestinian officials condemned the move, with President to call another election, something she has refused, having lost against the enclave. The bid, the UN body said, had featured “targeted def- Mahmoud Abbas saying the U.S. decision was a “flagrant her parliamentary majority in a snap poll in 2017 that left her “The Israeli occupation [regime] bears the consequences amation and smear campaigns alleging violations of coun- assault” against Palestinians. reliant on the support of a small Northern Irish pro-Brexit party. of continuing to commit its follies against peaceful protest- ter-terrorism legislation and international law, or political UNRWA has rejected the Israeli accusations, saying it op- She has also repeatedly said another referendum would corrode ers and deliberately killing them in cold blood as well as action against Israel.” erates under a strict mandate outlined by the United Nations. faith in democracy among the 17.4 million people who voted to bombing sites of resistance,” he stated. The report, however, stressed that most of these alle- (Source: Press TV) leave the EU in 2016. Her spokesman said Britain had not raised the idea of delaying Britain’s exit with the EU. As Britain tumbles toward its biggest political and economic Trump cancels U.S. delegation to Davos, Pelosi’s foreign trips shift since World War II, other members of the European Union have offered to talk. The United States President Donald to the shutdown. Pelosi’s ‘excursion’ was not on the itinerary. The EU’s chief negotiator Michel Barnier said the bloc was Trump has cancelled his delegation’s trip Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Earlier on Thursday, Trump also cancelled According to a congressional aide, sev- open to the possibility of a “more ambitious” Brexit deal than to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo were ex- his Democratic opponent Nancy Pelosi’s trips. eral politicians were already loaded onto May’s rejected agreement, which he said could not be improved Switzerland, next week due to the ongoing pected to lead the U.S. delegation in Trump’s In a letter laced with sarcasm, Trump told buses preparing to leave the U.S. Capitol on under the principles she had originally set out. partial government shutdown. place, two senior administration officials House Speaker Pelosi: “I am sorry to inform on Thursday when Trump pulled the plug. But they can do little until London decides what it wants. Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said said this week. you that your trip to Brussels, Egypt, and Trump said that Pelosi could still book May will put forward Monday a motion in Parliament on her in a statement on Thursday that Trump Mnuchin and Pompeo had planned to Afghanistan has been postponed. We will her own non-government flights. proposed next steps. Over the following week, lawmakers will be made the move “out of consideration for speak jointly at the opening session of the reschedule this seven-day excursion when “Obviously, if you would like to make your able to propose alternatives. On Jan. 29, they will debate these the 800,000 great American workers not forum on January 22. the Shutdown is over.” journey by flying commercial, that would plans, and voting on them should indicate whether any of them receiving pay and to ensure his team can They were also expected to jointly host “I am sure you would agree that post- certainly be your prerogative,” he wrote. could get majority support. assist as needed”. a dinner of the Group of Seven foreign and poning this public relations event is appro- The cancellation followed Pelosi’s If a way forward emerges, May could then go back to the EU Trump, who attended last year’s Davos finance ministers to discuss national security priate,” he wrote. suggestion that Trump postpones his and seek changes to her deal. Parliament would still need to vote event, had planned to go again this year, and economic issues. Pelosi and her delegation had planned January 29 State of the Union address on any new agreement, and it is not clear when that might happen. but pulled out last week as he grapples with Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and the a non-publicized trip to Afghanistan - an to Congress, or do it from the White French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe held a special gov- Democrats in Congress over funding for a U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer active war zone - and were due to travel by House instead. ernment meeting on Thursday on planning to cope with a no- wall on the border with Mexico that has led also planned to be part of the delegation. a U.S. Air Force plane. Her office said Egypt (Source: Al Jazeera) deal Brexit. France is spending 50 million euros ($57 million) to increase security at airports and the Eurotunnel, and it is hiring hundreds of extra customs officers. France will remain ‘militarily engaged’ in Middle East through 2019 The French Parliament adopted a law Wednesday allowing France will remain “militarily engaged” in the Middle East icating Daesh (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant/ISIL),” by the ISIL terrorist group on Wednesday. emergency measures after March 30 in the event that Britain through 2019, President Emmanuel Macron said on Thurs- Macron said in a speech at an army base near Toulouse. Macron has criticized the U.S. President Donald Trump leaves without a deal. day, noting that the deaths of the United States soldiers “We are staying invested to participate in the stabili- for announcing in December that he would begin with- Such measures could aim to reduce problems in cross-border trade and civilians in Syria a day earlier showed the fight against zation of the region,” Macron said, adding: “Any rush to drawing the approximately 2,000 U.S. troops now in Syria. and transport, notably through the Eurotunnel beneath the English extremism was not yet over. withdraw would be a mistake.” Macron said he “deeply regretted the decision”, adding Channel, and allow British workers and retirees based in France tem- “The retreat from Syria announced by our American friends Macron also expressed condolences for “our four Amer- that “an ally must be reliable”. porary permission to stay until a longer-term deal is worked out. cannot make us deviate from our strategic objective – erad- ican friends killed on Syrian soil” in a bomb blast claimed (Source: FRANCE 24) (Source: Daily Star) I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y 14 WORLD SPORTS JANUARY 19, 2019

Murray pulls out of next WADA say ‘successfully retrieved’ month’s Marseille Open doping data from Moscow lab Andy Murray has pulled out of next month’s Marseille Open as he “may have to undergo surgery again”, the tournament organ- WADA said Thursday that they have “suc- the December 31 deadline as “a total joke”. isers said on Friday. cessfully retrieved” data from the Moscow “In September, WADA secretly moved Three-times Grand Slam winner Murray has struggled to laboratory at the heart of Russia’s state-spon- the goal posts and reinstated Russia against regain form since undergoing hip surgery last January and was sored doping scandal which involved more the wishes of athletes, governments and the knocked out in the first round of the Australian Open on Monday than 1,000 athletes and 30 sports. public,” Tygart said. “The situation is a total having said the tournament could be his last as a professional. The world anti-doping agency had de- joke and an embarrassment for WADA and Murray, who is also scheduled to participate in Montpellier manded the data be handed over to complete the global anti-doping system.” and Dubai next month, said after his Melbourne defeat that he its probe into the 2011-2015 scandal which However, in his New Year message, In- would decide whether to have surgery within a week or push on saw Russia’s athletics team barred from the ternational Olympic Committee president through the pain to farewell fans at Wimbledon. 2016 Rio Olympics and exiled from the 2018 Thomas Bach insisted Russia had been suf- “With the firm intention of coming back this year, the former Winter Olympics. ficiently punished. number one in the world had put the Marseille tournament on “This is a major breakthrough for clean “With its suspension from the Olympic Win- his calendar,” the organisers said in a statement. sport,” said WADA President Craig Reedie. ter Games PyeongChang 2018, the Russian “But due to ongoing pain in the hip, Andy Murray may have In September, WADA conditionally lifted a Olympic Committee has served its sanction,” to undergo surgery again and therefore playing the upcoming ban on the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RU- wrote Bach. Russia’s anti-doping body (RU- tournaments including Marseille was no longer an option.” SADA), paving the way for its reinstatement. SADA) was initially suspended by WADA in Murray said pulling out was a difficult decision as he had fond One of the conditions was access being 2016 after an independent report by Professor memories of the tournament. granted to the data by the end of 2018. Richard McLaren found widespread evidence “It’s tough but I don’t have a choice, I was very keen on return- But when a WADA team arrived last month, of state sponsored doping in the country. ing to Marseille where I won the tournament in 2008. This title, Russian authorities raised issues with the Dick Pound, who was WADA’s inaugural one of the first of my career, remains a great memory,” Murray certification of their equipment under Russian president from 1999 to 2007, told AFP re- added in the statement. law and a December 31 deadline was missed. to authenticate and review the data to en- laboratory no later than June 30, 2019.” cently that once access to the lab had been “I feel for him. It makes me sad to see such a great player, “It shows we are continuing to make real sure it is complete and “that it has not been The Independent Compliance Review granted the authenticity of the samples “was that is also a person that I like a lot, have to go through such progress that simply would not have hap- compromised”. (CRC) has now submitted a recommenda- the big question”. tough times,” tournament director Jean-Francois Caujolle said. pened without the September 20 decision,” “Once the data have been authenticated, tion to be considered by WADA’s executive “But until you get the data you can’t ex- “I wish for him to be able to overcome this episode in order insisted Reedie on Thursday. we will be in a position to proceed to the third committee on January 22. amine it in a forensic manner to see if it’s to come back to the courts and end his career on his own terms. “The first phase of the three-phase process phase and support the various sports and WADA was strongly criticised over its deci- complete and whether it’s been tampered He deserves it.” outlined by that decision is now complete. other anti-doping organisations concerned sion to lift Russia’s suspension in September with,” said Pound. (Source: Reuters) The long impasse around access to the former to build strong cases against athletes who before obtaining access to the anti-doping “So that’s probably going to take a month Moscow Laboratory has been broken and doped and, as part of that, ensure that certain laboratory in Moscow. or two months because there are 9,000 sam- that is significantly good news.” samples that are still stored in the Moscow Outspoken US Anti-Doping Agency chief ples that we need to study.” Reedie said that WADA will now attempt Laboratory are re-analysed in an accredited Travis Tygart had described Moscow missing (Source: AFP) Football star Ronaldo Sharapova says revenge not behind Nadal hails ‘step forward’ after ruthless expected in Madrid Tuesday Wozniacki Open upset romp past De Minaur for tax fraud trial

Juventus forward Cristiano Ronaldo is expected back in Madrid on Tuesday to attend a trial for tax evasion in which Spanish prosecutors are asking for a 23-month prison sentence and a fine. The Portuguese striker, who left Real Madrid for Juventus last July, is expected to plead guilty after he agreed a settlement worth 18.8 million euros (£16.5 million) with Spanish tax au- thorities last summer. However, he is unlikely to serve any time in prison as Spanish law states a sentence of under two years for a first offence can be served on probation. The prosecutor’s office said it was seeking a fine of 5.7 million euros, which it said Ronaldo had already paid, as well as interest of about one million euros. That fine, expected to be confirmed on Tuesday, is part of the total agreed in the earlier settlement, judicial sources said. Ronaldo, 33, who has helped take Juventus to the top of Italian Maria Sharapova denied revenge was a mo- home support. Rafael Nadal declared “everything is a step At fleeting moments he even had a glim- football’s Serie A, will have to travel to Madrid immediately after tivating factor behind her shock win over ‘In the grind’ forward” after brutally brushing aside Alex de mer of hope of applying the brakes to the playing for Juve against Chievo on Monday. defending Australian Open champion Caroline But Sharapova, who once famously Minaur at the Australian Open Friday in just runaway Nadal juggernaut when he held a The trial was initially expected to take place on Monday but Wozniacki on Friday. summed up her attitude as “I’m not here the Spaniard’s third match since the US Open. rare break point in each of the first two sets. the prosecutor’s office said the date was now set for Tuesday. The five-time Grand Slam winner dumped to make friends”, said she would not let the The world number two was in ominous And at the end he dug deep to save six It is expected to be concluded on the same day and be short, the Dane from the tournament in a three- crowd affect her. form as he continued his quest for an 18th match points -- one after chasing down ball with officials saying the hearing will only require to Ronaldo set thriller 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 to claim her biggest “I know it’s going to be a tough crowd, Grand Slam by punishing the Australian after ball in a lung-bursting 24-shot rally. confirm he accepts the deal. scalp since completing a drugs ban in 2017. but I go out here to perform and play ten- teenager in a third-round tennis master- ’Big fighter’ (Source: AP) At the time, world number three Wozniacki nis,” she said. class 6-1, 6-2, 6-4. “He is a big fighter. Probably he is the was an outspoken critic of the way the WTA There were dramatic momentum shifts “In general terms, everything is a step fastest on the tour,” Nadal said after the match. eased Sharapova’s return from the positive in the battle between the two former world forward. So that’s positive news for me,” “That match point saved was unbelievable. test by handing the Russian wildcards to top number ones, but the decisive period came said the man who won at Melbourne Park Always is a dangerous match.” Gunmen kill Ghanaian tournaments. But Sharapova, who is seeded when Sharapova stormed back from 4-1 down back in 2009. De Minaur was constantly pressured 30 at Melbourne Park this year as she tries to go on a five-game winning streak and take “I’m very happy for the victory against and pummelled on serve by a brutal Nadal. journalist who helped expose to rejoin the game’s elite, insisted the spat the first set. someone who had won seven matches in a The first game of the second set ran to was not on her mind as she bundled out the After Wozniacki came back she then broke row, winning a tournament.” nine deuces and 18 minutes at which point soccer graft Dane on Rod Laver Area. the Dane late in the third set, screaming “come Nadal ruthlessly dragged the 19-year-old the relentless Nadal secured it on his fifth “I just really like winning,” the 31-year-old on” after gaining the advantage. Australian 27th seed -- who won last week’s break point. said. “I’m really happy and proud of the way The Russian rattled Wozniacki with her Sydney International -- over every inch of De Minaur, who has Spanish heritage, Gunmen in Ghana killed an in- I competed today and I’m into the fourth power hitting, smashing 37 winners to 10. Rod Laver Arena as he romped to victory in thought he did better in his second outing at vestigative journalist who had round. That’s all that matters.” But her mistakes let the third seed back 2hr 22min. The Spaniard limped out of last a Slam against the man he dubs “the king”, helped uncover corruption in The win sets up a last 16 clash with in-form into the match at crucial moments as she year’s Australian Open at the quarter-final even though the scoreline was identical to his football, rights groups and his Australian hope Ash Barty for the Russian, committed 46 unforced errors and made stage and ended his 2018 season after re- defeat at the same stage of Wimbledon last year. employer said on Thursday. who won the title at Melbourne Park in 2008 seven double faults. tiring in similar fashion from the US Open “I felt like definitely games were a lot Ahmed Hussein-Suale was and has reached the final a further three times. Wozniacki said Sharapova’s inconsistency in September. longer. But, geez, he served well. Going shot three times by men on a Sharapova said she was thrilled to over- made it hard for her to settle into the match. He then had surgery on a foot injury and through the whole (first) set, serving, I think motorbike while driving home come a player of Wozniacki’s stature. “She was either making a winner or making doubts remained when he pulled out of his it was 80 percent first serves. That’s pretty from work on Wednesday in “I knew I was going to get a really tough a mistake,” the Dane said. “Then I was waiting Brisbane warm-up with a thigh niggle. scary. There were decent-paced first serves the capital Accra, said his pro- match as she’s the defending champion of and I felt like I just lost my rhythm a little bit.” But his fitness levels have grown with as well,” said De Minaur, who has a Spanish duction company Tiger Eye PI. this event and it’s no secret she loves this Sharapova won her last Grand Slam at every outing in Melbourne and he was back mother and Urugayan father. “We ... are terribly devas- arena. I haven’t played many matches in the Roland Garros in 2014 and has struggled to to his barnstorming best as he hardly allowed Nadal moves on inexorably and will face tated by this dastardly act, but last year, especially against top players and rejoin the game’s elite since completing a his young rival a sniff. unseeded Czech former world number four To- remain unshaken in our resolve to make ... corruption a high-risk these are the ones I train for, so it’s really 15-month ban for failing a drugs test. “I felt more dynamic with my movements mas Berdych for a place in the quarter-finals. activity in this country,” it said in a statement. rewarding to win.” She said she was excited ahead of the tonight -- every day a little bit better, in my “I want to congratulate Alex for a great Hussein-Suale was part of a team led by well-known under- She has defeated Barty in both their pre- Wozniacki meeting and enjoyed being on opinion,” Nadal said. start to the season,” said Nadal. I think he cover journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas. Their crew is famous for vious meetings but believed the Australian centre court again facing a top opponent. De Minaur, to his eternal credit, did little has an amazing future.” a documentary last year that accused 77 referees and Ghana’s would be a challenge in front of her fanatical (Source: AFP) wrong and never gave up the fight. (Source: AFP) then soccer chief Kwesi Nyantakyi of taking bribes. The film prompted Ghana to dissolve its Football Association. Nyantakyi was suspended by world soccer’s governing body FIFA and stepped down shortly after, apologising for what he called Barcelona dominance feels familiar but biggest tests still to come his “indiscretion”. With half of the season gone, Barcelona own a five-point discard anyone, not Madrid nor anyone else.” cess in the Champions League remains the priority, even if The killing came as a shock in Ghana, whose vibrant press lead at the top of La Liga, boast two strikers with as many Hitting their stride Valverde refuses to admit it. His future, and the activation enjoys relative freedom compared to many African nations. goals as any other team and look on course for their fourth Barca’s 3-0 win last weekend against Eibar was one of of a one-year contract extension in the summer, is likely “I expect the police to bring to book, as soon as possible, the league title in five years. their best of the season and there is a sense now of a team to depend on it. perpetrators of this heinous crime,” said President Afuko-Addo But how good are they? Six league wins on the bounce has hitting their stride, when rivals were already struggling to Sevilla visit Bernabeu on Twitter. blurred the memory of unrest in September, when problems keep pace. Atletico and Sevilla may not prove consistent enough Ghana’s police and government officials were not immediately at the Camp Nou and Santiago Bernabeu appeared almost Philippe Coutinho’s absence from Valverde’s starting in the league but in Europe, in a knock-out phase, Barca’s available for further comment. on an even keel. line-up had become a concern but against Eibar he returned mettle will be tested. Valverde’s priorities will also come into Ghana is ranked 23rd out of 180 countries in a world press Coach Ernesto Valverde steered his team back into form and was superb. sharper focus as he attempts to juggle three competitions. freedom index compiled by Paris-based Reporters Without Bor- while Madrid’s slump plunged deeper, with a change of Luis Suarez, who scored twice, is back to his best. Lionel “There are those who think that if we lose in the Copa ders (RSF), which is Africa’s highest ranking. coach sparking a brief revival, only for old weaknesses to Messi was quiet, but scored his 400th La Liga goal. Perhaps del Rey we will win the Champions League,” he said before But “this shooting is a grave signal that journalists cannot float back to the surface. most impressive of all, Barca hardly needed him. Thursday’s win over Levante. “But I don’t.” work safely to keep the public informed or hold power to account Real’s troubles have accentuated Barcelona’s superior- Messi and Suarez now have 31 league goals between them Their lead over Atletico, who face bottom club Huesca in Ghana,” said the Committee to Protect Journalists, another ity, not only in terms of points, where there is a 10-point while Barcelona’s goal difference is twice as good as that on Saturday, is unlikely to grow this weekend but at least press freedom group based in the United States. difference between the club in the table, but on the pitch too. of second-placed Atletico Madrid. The defence, previously one of Real or Sevilla will drop points, as they play each The killing came after a campaign of abuse against the docu- Barca’s 5-1 hammering of Real in October came as a creaking, has tightened. other at the Bernabeu. mentary team. After its airing, government legislator Kennedy knockout blow for Julen Lopetegui, made even sweeter in “There was a time when we had to focus on our defending Santiago Solari conceded it was a “weak performance” that Agyapong called Hussein-Suale “dangerous”, shared photos of Catalonia that they were the ones to deliver it. and see where the problem was,” Valverde said. “We have brought defeat by Leganes in the Copa del Rey on Wednesday, him and told viewers he would pay for them to “beat him”. But more generally, every jolt dealt to Real -- by Sevilla, to attack well but also give little away.” even if Real still progressed on aggregate. He was not immediately available for comment on Thursday. Alaves, Levante, Eibar, Real Sociedad and Villarreal in the Barcelona host Leganes on Sunday and Valverde will Victory over Sevilla would deliver a boost to Real’s chanc- Anas, who covers his face in public for safety reasons, posted league alone -- has made Barca’s progress appear all the know the season is judged in June not January. es of finishing in the top four but their title hopes are now about the death on his Facebook and Twitter feed. more smooth. Twelve months ago, his team were eight points and three miniscule. In Spain again, Barcelona are in charge. “Sad news, but we shall not be silenced,” he said. “It is to our advantage but I don’t think too much about wins better off. Their defence had been sturdier too, by 11 goals. (Source: Eurosport) (Source: Reuters) the other teams teams,” Valverde said recently. “I never Despite progress in La Liga and the Copa del Rey, suc- I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y JANUARY 19, 2019 SPORTS 15

FFIRI president Taj warns Majid Jalali replaces Firouz Karimi in Nassaji Carlos Queiroz to stay TASNIM — Less than a week after appointing Firouz Karimi as new head coach of Nassaji Mazandaran, the Iranian football club announced that they will resume Iran Professional League (IPL) with Majid Jalali. away from controversies Jalali parted company with Paykan by mutual consent in early December. SPORTS TEHRAN —Football Federation Islamic He was replaced by Hossein Faraki in the Tehran-based deskRepublic of Iran (FFIRI) President Mehdi football team. Taj has warned Team Melli coach Carlos Queiroz he must talk Nassaji started the IPL season with Javad Nekounam but about technical issues after the Portuguese coach accused Iran parted ways with Ex-Iran captain at the end of IPL first half. sports minister Masoud Soltanifar of ordering the federation to They reached an agreement with Firouz Karimi a few days not extend his contract at the end of the 2019 AFC Asian Cup. ago but changed their minds and appointed Jalali as their new Queiroz has said the Iranian sports ministry has put the head coach. football federation under pressure to terminate his deal after Nassaji sit 10th in Iran Professional League table, 15 points the Asian Cup underway in the UAE. behind leaders Sepahan. “Iran sports ministry didn’t want the federation to extend The Ghaemshahr-based football team will face Zob Ahan in my contract. If I found out about it, I would not extend my Isfahan on February 3 at the beginning of the IPL second half. deal after the 2018 World Cup. I didn’t want to do anything against the minister’s order,” Queiroz had told reporters on the sidelines of Team Melli training on Thursday. Iman Mobali named Foolad Queiroz’s interview created concerns ahead of Iran football match against Oman in the Asian Cup Round of assistant coach 16 scheduled for Sunday. “Iran’s football family needs to keep more calm and stay away from tension in the pivotal period. If there is any criticism IRNA —Former Iranian national football team and Esteghlal it should be declared after the competition ends. The only aim midfielder Iman Mobali has been named as assistant coach of of Iran sports ministry, football federation and people is Team the country’s Foolad club. Melli’s pride and all of us are doing our best to make it happen. He will assist Afshin Ghotbi in the Ahvaz-based football team. “All wages, salaries and bonuses of coaching staff have Mobali has already worked as Ghotbi player in Team Melli. been paid so far and the coaching staff must only talk about He scored Iran’s winner against Iraq in the 2011 AFC Asian Cup. technical issues. Experience has shown that these kinds of Now, the former player of Paykan, Esteghlal, Foolad and controversies could jeopardize our success,” Taj said. Esteghlal Khuzestan has been appointed as assistant coach of Foolad. Foolad sit seventh in Iran Professional League (IPL) ta- Iran to meet Oman in AFC Asian Cup Alireza Jahanbakhsh unhappy with ble with 18 points from 15 matches, 13 points behind leader Round of 16 Iraqis players’ performance Sepahan.

Jhon Castaneda is December’s Athlete of the Month

Jhon Castaneda has been voted the Allianz Athlete of the Month for December after a record-breaking performance at the World Para Powerlifting Americas Open Championships. The Colombian set an Americas record of 212kg in the men’s over 107kg on his way to gold in front of a home crowd in Bogota. Castaneda received 61 per cent of the public votes. Norway’s Nordic skier Vilde Nilsen was second with 34 per cent. Dutch wheelchair tennis player Diede de Groot, Thai boccia player Worawut Saengampa and Georgian wheelchair fencer Irma Khetsuriani were also nominated. (Source: Paralympic.org) SPORTS TEHRAN — Iran na- quarterfinals. SPORTS TEHRAN — Iran star match against Iraq because we had experi- desktional football team Record-title holders Japan will face deskAlireza Jahanbakhsh ence playing together. But I think they had will meet Oman in the 2019 AFC Asian Saudi Arabia in the first knockout round, criticized the way that Iraqi players performed not come to play football this time. Iraq Beiranvand eyes knockouts Cup Round of 16 underway in the UAE. in what is a repeat of the 2007 AFC Asian against Iran in the 2019 AFC Asian Cup. came to ruin our football and there was The match will be held at the Mohammed Cup semifinals. The winning team will Team Melli, the first-ranked football not a good enough condition for football,” after Iran achieve group bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Sunday. play either Vietnam or Jordan in the team in Asia, were held to a goalless draw Jahanbakhsh told reporters after the match. In the group stage, Iran defeated quarterfinals. by Iraq at a packed Maktoum Stadium in “What’s important is we have qualified stage target Yemen 5-0 and Vietnam 2-0. Qatar will face Iraq in the standout tie, Dubai on Wednesday but advanced to the for the Round of 16 as the winners. However, Team Melli were held to a goalless while Korea Republic will meet Bahrain. Round of 16 as the Group D winners. we wanted to advance to the next stage Alireza Beiranvand has admitted that Islamic Republic of draw by Iraq national football team and Hosts UAE will play Kyrgyzstan in Jahanbakhsh was in Iran lineup after the with nine points,” he added. Iran fans wanted victory against Iraq to make up for the advanced to the knockout stage thanks the Round of 16. The winner will play Brighton & Hove Albion star missed Team “I just want to say a huge thanks to the 2015 AFC Asian Cup defeat after the sides played out a 0-0 to a better goal difference. either Australia or Uzbekistan. Melli’s first two matches against Yemen coaching staff for trusting me. Hopefully I draw in their final Group D match of the 2019 edition at Al The winner of Iran and Oman match The first knockout rounds will be and Vietnam due to injury. can help Team Melli in the next matches,” Maktoum Stadium on Wednesday. will face either Thailand or China in the played from January 20 to January 22. “We knew that it would be a difficult Jahanbakhsh concluded. Having each won their first two matches, the teams went into the game with their places in the last 16 secured but, Sardar Azmoun among five best Sanchez plays down favorites tag as level on six points apiece, top spot remained up for grabs, although it was Iran who led on goal difference to mean a strikers from the group stage Qatar impress draw would see them finish in first place. But much of the talk in the build-up centered on the incredible 3-3 draw in the quarter-finals of the 2015 competition – a game that Beiranvand watched from the bench – when Iraq prevailed 7-6 on penalties in what was one of the most memorable matches in the tournament’s history. “Our people wanted us to win and there was a lot of pressure on us on social media – they said these are the guys that eliminated you,” admitted the Player of the Match. The group stage of the AFC Asian Cup called on him. After showing his abilities Head coach Felix Sanchez has been quick day, with Sanchez predicting another tough “However, we wanted to 2019 tournament has seen plenty of at the World Cup, Azmoun has taken the to play down any notion of Qatar being encounter for his charges. play our usual game and be completely focused on not con- action, and more importantly, plenty good form into this tournament, and favorites to win the AFC Asian Cup UAE “We know that our next opponents ceding first. In the end, we won the group, and this was what of goals! has three goals to his name. 2019 following Thursday’s 2-0 win over are one of the strongest in the competi- we were looking for. 96 goals have been scored so far in Every time he attacks, it looks like he Saudi Arabia which saw his side finish top tion,” he said. “Everyone expected us to finish first and now we expect to the tournament, and the bulk of them might score, and considering Iran have of the Group E standings. “It’s not that we would prefer to play perform even better in each game going forward. When you have come from the forwards of their been tipped to go far in the tournament, Almoez Ali scored twice to take his tally Iraq rather than someone else as we always finish top of a group, you are considered a tough opponent respective countries. Needless to say, his goals could prove the key. for the tournament to an impressive seven, play to win the group. it is going to be very by the other teams.” their scoring form could be the key to #2 Eldor Shomurodov (Uz- as the Qataris recorded a third successive tough. We know that we will have to per- Carlos Queiroz’s side started the brighter at a vibrant Al decide which nation lifts the cup. Here bekistan) victory, a run of form that has yet to see form well to compete with a well-organized Maktoum Stadium and Sardar Azmoun was off-target with an are the best strikers from the group stage: Another of the younger crop of players them concede. team like Iraq who have talented players.” early header, before Alireza Jahanbakhsh – making his first #5 Mohanad Ali (Iraq) coming through, Eldor Shomurodov has However, despite the flying start, Meanwhile, Juan Antonio Pizzi was left appearance of the tournament – blazed over shortly before Mohanad Ali has been a revelation in made an impression and how! Sanchez is adamant that Qatar’s impres- to rue the mistakes that cost Saudi Ara- half-time as Iran failed to take advantage of their superiority. the tournament so far. The forward has Four goals in the tournament thus sive record will count for nothing come bia dear on a night when they finished as But there was less goalmouth action after the interval and made a name for himself in the compe- far, but more importantly, he looks like the knockout phase. runners-up to Qatar, setting up Monday’s the longer the game went on, the more Iran seemed happy tition, and has quickly become one of he can do no wrong in front of goal. One “I want to congratulate my players for Round of 16 clash with four-time champions to settle for the point that would see them top the standings, the players to keep an eye on. on one with the keeper, there seems to the game against Saudi Arabia,” said the Japan in the process. although Beiranvand had to make a fine save to deny Alaa Two goals for him so far, but expect be no doubt in this young forward’s Spanish tactician. “We tried to impose our style of play Abbas’s header with 13 minutes remaining. plenty more if he gets going in the knock- mind – and he generally slots home “They showed great team spirit and on Qatar, but our finishing and our ability In the end the deadlock would not be broken as Team out rounds of the Asian Cup. comfortably. plenty of quality. It is good for the team to make the right decisions at crucial mo- Melli advanced to the knockout rounds having yet to con- #4 Vitalij Lux (Kyrgyz Re- Heading into the knockouts, his goals to finish first as it helps build confidence ments were not there tonight,” declared cede a goal. Next up the three-time champions will head to public) could propel Uzbekistan far. going into the next round.” the one-time Chile boss. Abu Dhabi, where they will play one of the highest-ranked One game can change a whole lot. #1 Almoez Ali (Qatar) “Nevertheless, we have finished the “We were good in the first 30 minutes, third-placed finishers in the last 16 on Sunday. From being considered a failure, Vital- Qatar have impressed one and all group stage and now it does not matter but an individual error for the first goal and “We knew Iraq didn’t want to lose to Iran. We should have ij Lux has suddenly become the lethal thus far, and the biggest reason for that if you have three wins or just the one, then another mistake from a set-piece saw taken our opportunities in the first half but, unfortunately, striker Kyrgyz Republic needed. is the goals scored by one Almoez Ali. The as it all comes down to just one match us concede twice. we didn’t,” added Beiranvand. Lux bagged a hat-trick in the final striker now has seven in the tournament going forward. “I am just starting to think of the game “But both teams will be happy, because neither of us lost group game against Philippines, and so far, and he looks like he could double “Each game is going to be very hard, versus Japan. As I have stated before, I in our last game. Thankfully, we’re done with the group stage, with those neat finishes, has become his tally by the end of it! and we do not consider our favorites as respect all of the teams that are here and have qualified and have performed well in our games – some- one of the players who could play a huge Four goals against DPR Korea and a we know our opponents in the next round do not feel either superior or inferior to thing the players really strived for. role in the next stage of the competition. couple against Saudi Arabia showed his will be very difficult.” anyone. It is now important for us to learn “We might be the only team that has made four or five #3 Sardar Azmoun (Iran) class, and he surely holds the key for the Qatar, quarter-finalists in 2000 and from the mistakes we made against Qatar changes every game. This proves that we have two teams; The always exciting Sardar Azmoun Qataris to perhaps win the whole thing. 2011, are now scheduled to meet Group and perform better when we play Japan.” everyone plays for the national team and gives their best.” has performed yet again when his team (Source: Fox Sports Asia) D runners-up Iraq in Abu Dhabi on Tues- (Source: the-afc) (Source: the-afc) Prayer Times Noon:12:15 Evening: 17:37 Dawn: 5:44 (tomorrow) Sunrise: 7:15 (tomorrow) JANUARY 19, 2019 ART&CULTURE I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y www.tehrantimes.com Managing Director: Ali Asgari Editor-in-Chief: Mohammad Ghaderi Editorial Dept.: Fax: (+98 21) 88808214 — 88808895 New Persian translation of [email protected] Switchboard Operator: Tel: (+98 21) 43051000 Advertisements Dept.: Telefax: (+98 21) 43051450 Public Relations Office: Tel: (+98 21) 88805807 Subscription & Distribution Dept.: Tel: (+98 21) 43051603 www.eshterak.ir Distributor: Padideh Novin Co. Kitab al-Kafi published Tel: 88911433 Webmaster: [email protected] CULTURE TEHRAN – Five volumes Printed at: Hamshahri No. 3 - ISSN: 1017-94 deskof a new Persian translation No. 18, Bimeh Alley, Nejatollahi St., Tehran, Iran of the Kitab al-Kafi, a hadith collection compiled P.o. Box: 14155-4843 by Shia scholar Muhammad ibn Ya‘qub al- Zip Code: 1599814713 Kulayni who lived during the third and fourth centuries AH, has been published. The collection was unveiled at the Sarcheshmeh Cultural Complex in Tehran on Thursday during a special ceremony attended by translator Hojjatoleslam Hossein Ansarian, Islamic Ideology Dissemination Organization director Hojjatoleslam Mohammad Qomi and a large number of Shia scholars. GUIDE TO In a speech made during the ceremony, SPIRITUAL AWAKENING Ansarian gave a brief description of the various Persian translations of the book published over the past centuries and said the translations He who constantly jests, exposes a part of his are not really appropriate to be offered to the intelligence to destruction. younger generation. Imam Ali (AS) “Accordingly, I decided to work on a new translation compelling the younger generation’s attention,” he noted. Ansarian said that he has spent three years WHAT’S IN ART GALLERIES translating the collection and added that he has read it three times over carefully before Cartoon it was published. Seyhun Gallery is hosting an “This book is available now by God’s help, exhibition of cartoons by Kambiz Hojjatoleslam Hossein Ansarian speaks during the unveiling ceremony of his translation of the Kitab al-Kafi at the Sarcheshmeh and I hope it will soon find its way to Islamic Cultural Complex in Tehran on January 17, 2019. (Hawzeh/Sobhan Beiranvand) Derambakhsh. seminaries, educational centers, and Shias’ The exhibition will run until homes,” he mentioned. which contains over 16,000 hadiths, will be The collection has been published by Qom Seminary, which released the book last January 30 at the gallery located He said ten volumes of the collection, released during March. several publishers under the auspices of the December. at No. 11, 4th St., Vozara Ave.

Photo An exhibition of photos by Iranian documentary “Beloved” Fajr festival to pay tribute Kiarang Alaei is underway at Aran to compete in Berlinale to Ezzatollah Entezami Gallery. The exhibit named “The Fourth Condition” will run until February 8 at the gallery that can be found at 5 Lolagar St., Neauphle Le Chateau St. Photos by Maryam Shokrai are currently on display in an exhibition at Tarrahan Azad Gallery. The exhibit entitled “Wait for the Darkness” will continue until January 23 at the gallery located at 5 Salmas Square, off Fatemi St. A collection of photos by Soheil Bazargani is currently on view in an exhibition at Golestan Gallery. The exhibition will run until January 23 at the gallery that can be found at 42 Kamasai St. in the Darus neighborhood. A scene from “Beloved”, a documentary by Yaser Talebi. Deceased Iranian actor Ezzatollah Entezami in an undated photo. Photos by Sara Rashidi ARTTEHRAN – “Beloved” this section this year. ARTTEHRAN – The 37th considered as Iran’s Broadway during are currently on display in an desk(“Delband”), a “Sembradoras de vida” by Alvaro deskFajr Film Festival 1950s and 1960s. exhibition at Saye Gallery. documentary by Yaser Talebi has been Sarmiento and Diego Sarmiento from plans to pay tribute to legendary actor Appearance in over 50 movies The exhibit titled “Sound of selected to go on screen in the Culinary Peru, “When Tomatoes Met Wagner” by Ezzatollah Entezami by organizing a and dozens of theatrical performance Silence” runs until January 23 Cinema section of the 69th Berlin Marianna Economou from Greece and special program during the opening brought him numerous honors. He won at the gallery located at No. 21, International Film Festival – Berlinale, “A God in Each Lentil” by Miguel Ángel ceremony of the event on January 30, four Crystal Simorgh awards at the Fajr 13th Alley, Sanai St. off Karim the organizers have announced. Jiménez from Spain are among films the organizers announced on Friday. International Film Festival for his roles in Khan Ave. “Beloved” is about Firuzeh, an 82-year- competing in this section. Entezami, the veteran actor of stage “Grand Cinema”, “The Day of the Angel”, old female cowherd in northern Iran who Also included are American and screen, who was referred to as the “A House on Water” and “The Marsh”. Sculpture prefers a hard, solitary herder’s existence documentaries “The Biggest Little Farm” “master actor” and “the honor of Iranian In addition, actress Fatemeh An exhibition of sculptures with her cows to a more comfortable life by John Chester and “Chef’s Table - Asma cinema” died in August 2018 at the age Motamed-Arya, filmmaker Azizollah by Banafsheh Hemmati is among people. Khan” by Zia Mandviwalla. of 94. Hamidnejad, graphic designer Ebrahim underway at Iranshahr Gallery. The documentary will have its German In addition, Iranian director Farhad He was one of Iran’s golden generation Haqiqi, voice actor Khosro Khosroshahi The exhibit titled “The Trace premiere at the 13th Culinary Cinema held Delaram’s short film “Tattoo” has been of actors, which includes Mohammad- and film editor Abbas Ganjavi will be of the Absence” will continue under the motto “A Taste for Balance” selected for the Generation 14plus section Ali Keshavarz, Ali Nasirian, Jamshid honored with lifetime achievement awards until January 29 at the gallery from February 10 to 15. of Berlinale. Mashyekhi and Davud Rashidi, who during the festival. that can be found at 69 Sepand Ten documentaries and two fiction films The 69th Berlin International Film began his career with acting in traditional The 37th Fajr Film Festival will take St., off Karim Khan Ave. focusing on the relationship between food, Festival is scheduled to take place from Iranian performances at theaters located place in Tehran and several other Iranian culture and politics will be presented in February 7 to 17. on Tehran’s Lalezar Street, which was cities from January 30 to February 11. Multimedia Sets of installations and paintings by Mohammadreza Arab Khazaeli are on display in an exhibition at Vista Gallery. Iran celebrates centenary of Academy of Music The exhibition titled “Falling” 1 “We can trace music in the ancient history Ahmad Haqkerdar and music scholar Amir-Ashraf will run until January 25 at the of our country. There is no region existing in the Aryanpur. gallery located at No. 11, 12th Alley, country without music and it belonged to people Tombak virtuoso Mohammad Esmaeili, clarinet Mir Emad St. from all walks of life,” the minister said. player Rahmat Afshar and santur player Mina Oftadeh A collection of paintings He added, “This popularity and widespread use were also honored for their lifetime achievements. and collages by Yalda Jamali is of music is part of the Iranian identity. I believe Among the honorees were also Gholam-Hossein underway at Negar Gallery. music and poetry are two wings of Iranian identity Fakhimikia, Parvindokht Eshtehardi, Maliheh Saeidi The exhibit named “All of My that have been together.” and Farhad Fakhreddini. Music Office exec Taqi Zarrabi signs an autograph on a Flowers Come from Your Garden” The ceremony went on by honoring veteran The organizers next unveiled a commemorative commemorative postage stamp for the centenary of Iran’s will be running until January 23 at musicians and top students of the academy including postage stamp for the centenary of the academy, Academy of Music at Tehran’s Vahdat Hall on January the gallery located at 33 Delaram cellist Davud Jafari-Omid, martial music composer and a number musicians gave several performances. 16, 2019. (Honaronline/Asghar Khamseh) Alley, Roshanai St. in the Qeitarieh neighborhood. ABC documentary on Theranos Netflix movie “Bird Box” draws 80 Painting An exhibition of paintings by features ex-CEO deposition tapes million viewers; no data for “Roma” Afra Safa is currently underway at Elaheh Gallery. LOS ANGELES (Reuters) — A televi- now-defunct company’s former president LOS ANGELES (Reuters) — Netflix Netflix said in a statement that with The exhibition will be running sion documentary about the rise and fall Ramesh “Sunny” Balwani, were indicted Inc on Thursday said more than 80 movies like “Roma”, from Mexican di- until January 28 at the gallery of Theranos Inc will include deposition by the U.S. Department of Justice in million member households will have rector Alfonso Cuaron, “we are begin- that can be found at 47 Golfam tapes from founder and former Chief June 2018 on charges they engaged in watched its thriller movie “Bird Box” in ning to have our original movie offering St., off Africa Ave. Executive Elizabeth Holmes and other schemes to defraud investors, doctors and its first four weeks, but the streaming mirror the success of our series.” Emad Noruzi is showcasing key players in the downfall of the high- patients.. Both have pleaded not guilty. giant gave no viewing data for Oscar However, it gave no audience figures his latest painting collection tech blood-testing company. ABC, a unit of Walt Disney Co, said “The hopeful “Roma.” for “Roma”, which won two Golden “Humor/Anxiety/Composition” ABC News said on Wednesday that Dropout” will feature the first sit-down “Bird Box”, starring Sandra Bullock Globes earlier in January and is expect- in an exhibition at Ace Gallery. “The Dropout” was the result of a three- interview with Balwani’s attorney, as well and set in a post-apocalyptic society ed to be Oscar-nominated next week. The exhibit runs until January year investigation of the self-made Silicon as never-before-aired deposition tapes of where survivors must wear blindfolds, Netflix said other recent audience 27 at the gallery located at No. 1831 Valley entrepreneur and her company, Balwani, Holmes, three former members was released on Netflix on Dec. 21 and favorites included romantic televi- Shariati Ave. near the Qeitarieh which was worth as much as $9 billion of the Theranos board, and others. triggered a viral sensation when fans sion thriller series “You” and British neighborhood. before it became clear that many of its Attorneys for Holmes did not return posted their own blindfolded “Bird Box young adult comedy series “Sex Edu- Kiumars Harpa is hanging claims were bogus. a request for comment on the ABC doc- Challenges” on social media. cation”, both of which are expected to his latest painting collection The documentary will be previewed umentary. Netflix does not routinely release be watched by more than 40 million “Memories Colored” in an on ABC’s “Nightline” program on Jan. Theranos grabbed headlines and viewing data for its movies and tele- member households in their first four exhibition at Sareban Gallery. 23, with a six-part podcast launched funding 10 years ago by claiming it vision series as traditional networks weeks. The exhibit will be running until the same day. An air date for the full could perform a full range of clinical and film studios do. But it gave some No figures were released for oth- January 28 at the gallery, which documentary has yet to be announced. tests using tiny blood samples drawn limited figures in its fourth-quarter er high-profile content, including can be found at 130 Hoveizeh St. ABC released a trailer for the podcast from a finger stick. Prosecutors allege earnings report on Thursday, in which the interactive movie “Black Mirror: off Sohrevardi St. on Wednesday. that Holmes and Balwani knew their it reported slightly lower-than-expected Bandersnatch” and the Jennifer Aniston Theranos founder Holmes, 34, and the device had accuracy and speed issues. quarterly revenues. comedy “Dumplin’.”