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16 Pages Price 40,000 Rials 1.00 EURO 4.00 AED 39th year No.13533 Wednesday NOVEMBER 20, 2019 Aban 29, 1398 Rabi’ Al awwal 22, 1441 Manoto TV funded Islamic states must Iran ready for CAFA U23 Books on war by Iranians’ looted pressure Riyadh to Women Championship against Daesh wealth 2 end Yemen war 3 2019: coach 15 honored in Tehran 16

Zarif calls U.S. claim of support We will certainly defeat for Iranians ‘shameful lie’ TEHRAN — Foreign Minister Moham- of supporting the Iranian people,” mad Javad Zarif said on Monday that the Zarif said. United States’ claims of support for the U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo Iranian people is a “shameful lie”. on Saturday expressed support for riot- “A regime which imposes econom- ers in protests in Iran over increase in ic terrorism and prevents sending petrol price. terrorists: Rouhani food and medicine to ordinary peo- “As I said to the people of Iran almost ple, including the elderly and sick a year and a half ago: The United States is See page 2 ones, can never make obscene claim with you,” Pompeo tweeted. 2

Innocent detainees to be released soon: Judiciary TEHRAN — The spokesman for Iran’s who are innocent and have not commit- Judiciary says the innocent individuals ted arson or property damage, Gholam who were arrested in the recent protests Hossein Esmaeili told a press conference will be released soon. in Tehran on Tuesday, Tasnim reported. The judicial, security and law enforce- “This was put on the agenda from the ment units are expected to immediately very beginning,” Esmaeili said. “With this determine whether the detainees have measure, the concern of some families committed crimes and to release those will be alleviated.” 3 EU, U.S. break over Israel settlements By staff & agencies tions as an occupying power,” EU foreign The European Union is sticking to its stance policy chief Federica Mogherini said in that Israeli settlement constructions in a statement. Palestine are illegal under internation- Mogherini was reacting to Pomepo’s al law, a long held view Washington has abandoning of the U.S. four-decade-old started to dispute now. position that building settlements for U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s the Israelis in Palestinian territories is announcement on Monday put the Trump “inconsistent with international law.” administration at odds with the EU and The U.S. top diplomat, a former CIA chief, the stated efforts to bring peace between claimed the decision would help strengthen Israelis and Palestinians. the U.S. position in its Mideast initiative, “The EU calls on Israel to end all set- authored by Trump’s son-in-law and senior president.ir tlement activity, in line with its obliga- advisor Jared Kushner. 13 REPORT 45-day deadline for reforms from political parties to government in Iraq ARTICLE Fatemeh Salehi The political parties in the Iraqi Parliament withdrawn from the government and an early In a statement on Saturday, Iraq’s embattled Ebrahim Fallahi Mehr News Agency have announced that they will take the vote election decision will be taken,” the statement Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi said new Tehran Times journalist journalist of confidence and take early elections if the said. was used. electoral reforms would be announced in the government does not realize the reforms, in- Prime Minister Abdulmehdi, who was asked to “coming few days,” but fell short of giving cluding the demands of the demonstrators, resign by the demonstrators, suggests that if he leaves further details. The secret behind within 45 days. office, there will be chaos in the administration and The 77-year-old also said ongoing protests are Iran revives fuel Ammar al-Hakim, the leader of the National Wisdom uncertainty will prevail in the country. important in bringing about reform, but must allow Trump’s moves in Movement, convened in Fatah, Nasser, Law State Coa- Meanwhile, on Friday Iraq’s prominent Shia for a return to normal life. rationing scheme, litions, Sunni and Kurdish parties, and representatives cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani has called on “The protests have helped and will help pressure eastern Deir ez-Zur of the Iraqi Turkmen Front to discuss the demands of legislators to promptly introduce a fair electoral law political groups, the government ... to reform and what to expect the demonstrators, Nationalhaber reported. that would restore people’s faith in elections in the accept change,” Abdul-Mahdi said at the time. rump’s desire for Syrian oil has led In a joint written statement after the meeting, the wake of weeks of protests in the capital Baghdad and He added, “However continuing protests must our years after President Rouhani observers to consider it as the begin- government and Prime Minister Adil Abdulmehdi were a host of southern cities. allow for a return to normal life, which will lead to decided to put a stop on a fuel ra- Tning of occupying oil wells in other given 45 days to carry out reforms such as “cabinet “No one can give the government legitima- legitimate demands being met.” Ftioning plan which was the legacy countries, including Libya, Iraq, Saudi revision and appointments without factionalism, the cy but the people... Passing a law that does not Ayatollah Sistani also said on Friday that Iraq of President Ahmadinejad’s government, Arabia and other Persian Gulf Arab states. new election law and the re-election of members of provide this opportunity to voters would not be will be deeply marked by weeks of demonstrations once again on Friday, the government The obsession of the U.S. president the electoral commissariat”. acceptable or useful,” Ayatollah Sistani said in demanding sweeping reform, urging authorities to announced a decision on reviving the with money and oil is obvious for everyone “If parliament and the government are in- a statement read out by his representative Abdul enact the necessary reforms in response to the an- scheme and also a rise in gasoline prices. and that is why U.S. military commanders capable of carrying out such reforms within Mahdi al-Karbalaei during a sermon in the holy ti-government demonstrations. The decision took many by surprise, have used this temptation by Trump to the set time, the vote of confidence will be city of Karbala on Friday. (Source: agencies) since in the past few months almost all persuade him to keep some troops in Syria. government authorities claimed that no On October 28, Trump said, “We are such decision was on the agenda. The plan keeping the oil — remember that. For- however was effective immediately after ty-five million dollars a month? We have N. Korea uninterested in ‘useless’ Trump meetings the announcement, and even the Supreme secured the oil”. Last week, news sources The leader of North Korea is not interested useless to us.” “You should act quickly, get the deal done,” Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah reported that the U.S. president has agreed in another meeting with Donald Trump, even Kim continued to suggest that Trump Trump tweeted. He added: “See you soon!” Seyyed Ali Khamenei backed the govern- to develop military missions to protect though the American recently signaled they would like to portray progress on issues The U.S. president’s remarks come after ment’s decision on the matter. oilfields in eastern Syria. would be coming together soon. in the Korean Peninsula, but that his true Kim praised his “special” relationship with Many believe that fuel rationing and The Turkish Anadolu Agency report- That’s according to a statement from intentions were to delay. Trump in October, and maintained that the raising prices would have negative impacts ed that the U.S. has established a new North Korean Foreign Ministry adviser “We will no longer give the U.S. presi- two leaders “trust in each other” even as on the prices of other commodity groups military base in the oil-rich parts of Deir Kim Kye Gwan, who told the state news dent something to boast about for nothing working-level talks between Washington and would result in higher inflation rates ez-Zur in Syria. agency that Trump’s Sunday night tweet in return, and we must receive from the U.S. and Pyongyang in Sweden collapsed earlier in long term, energy experts and analysts In this regard, Trump announced the saying “See you soon!” was not expressing what is corresponding to the results that in the year. however, believe that the rationing scheme settlement of some U.S. companies in Syr- a mutual desire. president Trump is already boasting as his Trump and Kim met in June in the demil- could act as a “double edged sword”, that ia’s east to invest in and exploit oilfields. “I interpreted President Trump’s tweet on achievements,” he said. itarized zone, marking an unprecedented is it could be both very beneficial and lead It was a move that drew Russian backlash. the 17th to signify a new DPRK-U.S. summit”, Trump, on Sunday, suggested that Kim step for a U.S. president and North Korean to great outcomes for the environment Russian opposition to Kim told KCNA before adding: “we are no Jong Un should act quickly on a deal, and leader. and economy or have negative results, Trump’s oil ambitions longer interested in these meetings that are hinted at another summit in the near future. (Source: The Independent) if not implemented correctly. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lav- ****Energy subsidies rov said in a statement in late October The issue of allotting subsidies to various that the Syrian oil is the focus of the U.S. energy carriers is not a new phenomenon attention. In a phone call with U.S. Secre- and such subsidies for long have been used tary of State Mike Pompeo, Lavrov said by governments all around the world for it was important to refrain from “steps pursuing certain political, economic, so- undermining the sovereignty and terri- Paris photo exhibit cial, or environmental agendas. In different torial integrity” of Syria. countries, energy subsidies are provided in Russian Defense Ministry spokesman commemorates different forms and modalities with a direct Major General Igor Konashenkov also or indirect outcome on energy production said, “This, what Washington is doing costs and/or final prices. now — capturing and maintaining control Abbas Kiarostami Iran, as one of the world’s top ener- gy-rich countries, for long has been offering through the use of arms over oil fields in Parisians visit an exhibition of photos under- significant amounts of energy subsidies eastern Syria — that is, to put it simply, way at the Gallery 21 in the French capital on

to (according to the government claims) international, state-sponsored banditry,” November 18, 2019 to commemorate the leg- reach three main targets: DW reported on October 26. endary Iranian filmmaker and photographer 1- To support the less privileged pop- Konashenkov said tank trucks guarded Abbas Kiarostami. ulation of the society by U.S. military servicemen and private The collection was built by a group of Iranian 2- To create and support job oppor- military companies smuggle oil from fields photographers inspired by poems from Kiaro- tunities across the county in eastern Syria to other countries. Babak Borzouyeh stami’s book “Wind and Leaf” 3- To support domestic production Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei The exhibit, which also takes its title from A look into the country’s economic and Vershinin also pointed to U.S. efforts to the book, will be running until November 23. social situation reveals that although low fuel reinforce its presence in Syrian oil-rich Photographer Babak Borzuyeh is the cura- prices have served as a political leverage for lands, calling it an illegal act by Wash- tor of the exhibit, which is being organized by ington. Vershinin also said that Moscow different governments, but unfortunately Tehran Times/ Tehran Times/ Sheednegar Academy in Tehran in collaboration none of the above mentioned goals have will never accept the policy that the U.S. with the Farabi Cinema Foundation. is pursuing in Syria. 13 been completely achieved so far. 5 I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y POLITICS NOVEMBER 20, 2019

Rouhani: JCPOA collapse Araqchi: Iran to continue reducing nuclear will harm the entire world U.S. must understand that it is not the leader commitments until its benefits are met of the world, president notes POLITICAL TEHRAN — Deputy a proposal for regional security, officially POLITICAL TEHRAN – Iranian President Hassan Rouhani deskForeign Minister Abbas called the Hormuz Peace Endeavour (HOPE). deskon Tuesday called on the entire world nations Araqchi said on Monday that Iran will con- “Based upon the historical responsibility to pay due attention to key international agreements, including tinue reducing commitments under the 2015 of my country in maintaining security, peace, the JCPOA whose collapse he warned will harm the whole world. nuclear deal, known as the JCPOA, until its stability and progress in the Persian Gulf In a meeting with the newly-appointed Australian Ambassador benefits are met. region and Strait of Hormuz, I would like to to Tehran, Rouhani said, “The U.S. decision to reimpose illegal During a meeting with Dutch Foreign invite all the countries directly affected by sanctions on Iran was a great political and economic mistake Minister Stef Blok in The Hague, Araghchi the developments in the Persian Gulf and the and in the meantime it was against international resolutions criticized the Europeans for inaction in ful- Strait of Hormuz to the ‘Coalition for Hope’, and regulations.” filling their obligations under the multilateral meaning Hormuz Peace Endeavor,” Presi- agreement. dent Hassan Rouhani told the UN delegates. He noted that Europe must pay the price Foreign Minister Zarif has invited all if it seeks to preserve the nuclear deal. regional states to join Iran’s initiative for For his part, Blok said that it is essential securing the Persian Gulf and the Strait of to keep the JCPOA. Hormuz. Iran has started to gradually reduce its In a tweet in September, Zarif said the commitments to the JCPOA in response to the initiative entails “dialogue, confidence-build- United States which abandoned the landmark ing, freedom of navigation, energy security, deal in May 2018 and reinstituted sanctions. parties to the JCPOA, especially Europeans, Energy Agency (IAEA). non-aggression, and non-intervention”. So far, the Atomic Energy Organization devise a mechanism to protect Iran from the This happened again after the Europeans In a post on his Twitter account on October of Iran (AEOI) has taken four steps to cut sanctions’ effect in the two-month deadline failed to take concrete step to save the JCPOA. 15, Zarif renewed Iran’s call to all countries back commitments in accordance to para- it will reverse its decision. Iran has said lifting ban on its oil export bordering the Persian Gulf to join Tehran’s graph 36 of the JCPOA which “allows one But since European parties missed the and financial transactions are the main con- initiative to “forge a blueprint for peace, secu- side, under certain circumstances, to stop deadline, on July 7 Iran announced that it ditions to reverse its decision. rity, stability, and prosperity” in the region. complying with the deal if the other side is has started enriching uranium to a higher ‘Security in Persian Gulf must In an interview with Arabic RT aired on By abandoning the 2015 nuclear agreement, officially called out of compliance.” purity than the 3.67%, thereby starting the be maintained by regional countries’ November 12, Araghchi said that the objective the JCPOA, the U.S. not only returned previous sanctions it also On May 8, exactly one year after the U.S. second step. Araqchi also said that security in the Per- of Rouhani’s “Coalition for Hope” is non-in- added new harsh ones. abandoned the deal, Tehran announced that Again, as Europe missed the second 60- sian Gulf region must be maintained by the terference in other countries’ domestic affairs. Under the JCPOA, Iran agreed to curbs on its nuclear program its “strategic patience” is over and began to day deadline, Iran moved to take the third regional countries. Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousa- in exchange for termination of economic and financial sanctions. partially reduce its commitments to the step, removing a ban on nuclear research He added that Iran’s Hormuz peace initia- vi said on November 13 that the Hormuz peace Rouhani went on to say that Tehran will not allow the sanctions agreement at bi-monthly intervals. and development (R&D). tive has been crafted in line with this purpose. initiative is based on commitment to common block way to expand its ties with the outside world. In the first stage, Iran announced that it In the latest step, which was done on No- The Dutch foreign minister attached great principles such as avoiding threats or use of The president suggested that independent countries should will not limit its stockpile of the nuclear fuel vember 6, Iran started injecting uranium importance to Iran’s role in maintaining se- force, settling crises peacefully, respecting stand up against the U.S. illegal measures and force the White to 300 kilograms allowed under the deal. On gas into 1,044 centrifuges at the Fordow curity in the region. the countries’ national sovereignty and also House officials to understand that everybody should obey in- that date (May 8) Iran’s Supreme National nuclear site. It was done at the presence of At the United Nations summit in New York avoiding interference in other countries’ do- ternational law. Security Council (SNSC) said if the remaining inspectors from the International Atomic in late September, Iran officially unveiled mestic affairs. The United States violated UN Security Council Resolution 2231 which endorsed the nuclear deal. Rouhani said the U.S. has done an unprecedented act in the history of the world by punishing those nations that have complied We will certainly defeat terrorists, Rouhani says in meeting with Pakistan commander with the UN resolution, reiterating, “We must not let the U.S. be successful in face of international obligations.” POLITICAL TEHRAN – In a meeting Commander General Qamar Javed Bajwa that Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan has president remarked. desk “The U.S. must understand that it is not the leader of the entire with a high-ranking “friendly relation between the Muslim nations been trying to heal the rift between Iran and Saudi The Pakistani general visited Iran on Monday world, but only a country similar to others,” Rouhani remarked. Pakistani military commander in Tehran on of Iran and Pakistan is a valuable treasure for Arabia by making visits to Tehran and Riyadh. and has thus far has held several meetings with The president also said the U.S. call on different nations to Tuesday, President Hassan Rouhani said that all-out development and cooperation.” Rouhani also said the United States has been Iran’s Armed Forces Chief of Staff Major General join a military coalition in the Persian Gulf region is harmful to the terrorist groups will be definitely defeated Rouhani also praised efforts by Pakistan to destabilizing Afghanistan by deploying troops Mohammad Baqeri, Army Commander Major stability and security of the region and the entire world. by reliance on the firm will of the two friendly settle disputes between regional countries. “Iran in the country. General Seyed Abdolrahim Mousavi, and Ali “The regional nations, especially Iran, are capable of safe- nations of Iran and Pakistan. welcomes the neighboring country’s efforts to “We believe that the U.S. military presence Shamkhani, secretary of the Supreme National guarding the region’s security. Military presence of trans-regional Rouhani also told Pakistan’s Army settle regional nations’ problems.” has increased Afghanistan’s problems,” the Security Council. countries will be very dangerous,” the president stressed. He said, “Iran is committed to restore security to international waterways, especially to the Sea of Oman and the Persian Gulf and that is why we offered our plan titled the Hormuz Peace Army kicks off major wargames in northwestern provinces Endeavor (HOPE) at the annual meeting of the United Nations TEHRAN (FNA) — The Ground Force of Iran’s Army started unprecedented wargames that are staged with the motto of General Assembly and right now we are consulting with other large-scale military drills on Tuesday morning in the country’s ‘one target, one bullet’. countries (for its materialization).” northwestern region, in a bid to further boost the combat General Mousavi elaborated on the unannounced drills Rouhani went on to say that “Iran is still adhering to its com- readiness of its units. in northwestern Iran, saying that the Ground Forces were mitments under the JCPOA regardless of the U.S. unilateral Codenamed “Zolfaghar-e-Velayat”, the military drills of informed at midnight of the mission and they arrived in the withdrawal from the pact and Europeans’ lack of intention or the Iranian Army’s Ground Forces started this morning in a drills zone immediately. lack of ability to do their promises under the nuclear pact.” vast strategic area in the northwestern parts of the country. He noted that the Army units are at the peaks of prepared- Various divisions of the Army Ground Force are participat- ness, adding the wargames are a warning to the enemies not ing in the drill, which is focused on practicing the transfer of to miscalculate Iran’s power and the Armed Forces’ readiness Senior diplomat: Manoto TV rapid reaction units via ground and air from across the country for resistance. funded by Iranians’ looted wealth to operation zones. The enlisted units will also display their “We are prepared for any level of threats that the enemy efficacy and work to enhance their readiness in responding to Early in last month, the Iranian Army Ground Force has designed and will confront it,” General Mousavi said at POLITICAL TEHRAN – Iran’s envoy to London wrote operational requirements and threats through day and night. kicked off massive drills in the Northwestern parts of Iran the time. deskon his Twitter account on Tuesday that the Iran has conducted major military drills in recent years to in the presence of Army Commander Major General Seyed In a relevant development on September 20, fighter jets family members of the ousted shah are allocating a hefty amount enhance the defense capabilities of its Armed Forces and to Abdolrahim Mousavi. of the Iranian Army’s Air Force (IRIAF) and the Islamic Rev- of money to the London-based Manoto TV network to continue test modern military tactics and state-of-the-art equipment. The wargames started by the rapid reaction and mobile olution Guards Corps (IRGC) staged joint aerial drills over airing anti-Iran propaganda. Each year, the country inaugurates a host of new projects offensive units of the Army Ground Force supported by the the Persian Gulf waters. Hamid Ba’eidinejad displayed a copy of Manoto’s financial and hardware developed with reliance on domestic capabili- Airborne helicopters in Orumiyeh region in northwestern Iran. Various combat, tactical, reconnaissance, transport, and balance sheet on his Twitter, saying, “Manoto television balance ties. The Islamic Republic maintains that its defense power is Combat preparedness, rapid reaction, mobility and tanker aircraft of the IRIAF and the IRGC were present at sheet shows that the network is completely bankrupt. Only 3 driven by deterrence and poses no threat to any other country. assessment of the units’ power are among the goals of the the drills. million English pound out the 95 million pound of the network’s capital is its own income and the remaining part is merely a loss.” “The network that is being run by the family members of the Shah of Iran and via using the Iranians’ plundered wealth, has MP says joining FATF will benefit economy turned into a propagandistic company for the Pahlavi family,” POLITICAL TEHRAN – Jalal (FATF) said on October 18 that it has given Iran Council is against approving the FATF. President Hassan Rouhani called on the Expe- he stated. deskMahmoudzadeh, an MP a final deadline of February 2020 to tighten its Gholamreza Mesbahi-Moghadam, a mem- diency Council to approve FATF related bills. representing Mahabad in the parliament, laws against money laundering in compliance ber of the Expediency Council, told ISNA in “It is our pride that we fight terrorists and said on Tuesday that joining the Financial with the global watchdog’s financial standards. an interview published on October 14 that the counter corruption, therefore we should not Zarif calls U.S. claim of support Action Task Force (FATF) will reduce effects “If before February 2020, Iran does not council has set aside studies to approve bills allow allegations of money laundering against for Iranians ‘shameful lie’ of sanctions and help economic interaction. enact the Palermo and Terrorist Financing related to the FATF. our banking system,” Rouhani stated. “Foreign investment will increase and eco- Conventions in line with the FATF Standards, “Palermo and CFT will help the United He added, “This hurts our country.” 1 Zarif said, “Lawful protest is the people’s right which nomic interaction will expand if Iran joins this then the FATF will fully lift the suspension of States to identify the ways we circumvent the Mahmoud Vaezi, the presidential chief of has been recognized by the constitution of the Islamic Republic international body,” he told IRNA. counter-measures and call on its members sanctions. We will not tighten sanctions by our staff, said on October 30 that Iran should use of Iran. There is no need for deceitful supports of regimes which Mahmoudzadeh noted, “Iran has financial and urge all jurisdictions to apply effective own hands,” Mesbahi-Moghadam remarked. the opportunity to join the FATF in order to seek to reach their illegitimate and illegal objectives through transparency and do not provide terrorists with counter-measures, in line with recommen- One of the actions Iran is required to take to avoid self-inflicted sanctions. imposing economic pressure, even in area of food and medicine, money. So, there will be no harm to join this dation 19,” the FATF said in a statement, appease the FATF is to ratify the CFT, the con- He said those inside Iran who oppose joining on the Iranian people.” institution.” Reuters reported. vention combatting the financing of terrorism. the FATF should accept the responsibility for Zarif added, “Countries which have shown no capability The Paris-based Financial Action Task Force The general consensus in the Expediency Talking in a cabinet meeting on October 23, their actions. and will to counter the United States’ economic terrorism and are hiding their incapability through supporting chaos should bear responsibility for conse- quences of their dangerous IRGC commander: Sustainable security prevails over Fars province provocations.” Protests have been sparked TEHRAN (FNA) — Commander of the Is- Riots by a small number who had taken ad- trained individuals who have been prepared and number of police and popular forces have been in some cities in Iran against lamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) in the vantage of legitimate public protests against looking forward for the situation to rise, unlike martyred in these attacks. the government’s measure in Southern province of Fars Brigadier General the government›s gas price hike plan in Iran most people who have been taken off guard by Nearly 1,000 people were arrested across rationing gasoline and substan- Seyed Hashem Qiasi underlined that sustainable were directed at sowing chaos through targeted the sudden hike in gas price,» the report said. the country while over 100 banks and 57 big tially increasing its price. The security has been established in the province after attacks on public and private properties, forcing The report showed that gatherings have been stores were set on fire or plundered in just one protests have turned violent the recent riots, adding that several ringleaders law enforcement to step in to stop saboteurs. comprised of 50 to 1,500 people held in 100 province. with reports of clashes between of anti-revolutionary groups have been arrested. Early estimates of an intelligence body regions of the country out of a number of 1,080 The Iranian intelligence ministry announced security forces and certain «Sustainable security has been established showed that a sum of nearly 87,000 protest- major towns and cities. The report says violent in a statement on Sunday that it had identified elements vandalizing public in Fars province,» General Qiasi told reporters ers and rioters had taken part in protest rallies raids and damage inflicted on properties has several rioters who misused the recent protest property. in Shiraz on Tuesday. and gatherings since Friday night, mostly (over been larger than what happened in February rallies against the gasoline price hikes to destroy Foreign Ministry spokes- He added that the anti-revolutionary groups 93%) men. A large number of protesters had 2018 unrests. public and private properties. man Abbas Mousavi said on had plotted to foment insecurity and damage only been present in the gathering centers and Most cases of damage to properties had «The main culprits behind the riots in the Sunday that the Iranian people the public properties but their ringleaders were avoided joining the rioters in sabotage attacks happened in Khuzestan, Tehran, Fars and Ker- past two days have been identified and proper condemn Pompeo’s support for identified and detained. on public and private properties. man provinces. The report says most casualties measures are being adopted and the honorable rioters. General Qiasi said that a number of other «The identical methods of the main core have resulted from armed outlaws› attacks on nation will be informed about its result later,» “Actions being taken by a number of rioters and saboteurs rioters are also being chased by security forces. of violent rioters discloses that they are fully oil storage and military centers, adding that a the statement said. who are supported by someone like him [Pompeo] have nothing to do with the insightful Iranian people,” Mousavi said. He added that the Iranian people are well aware that such IAEA confirms Iran surpassing heavy water stockpile capacity supports “are not out of sympathy”. “Interesting! They are expressing sympathy with the people London (IRNA) — The International Atomic Sunday and verified that Iran’s stockpile of heavy confirmed that Iran has resumed uranium en- declared materials. who are under the United States’ economic terrorism,” he noted. Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed that Iran has water has reached 131.5 metric tons,” said Kazem richment in Fordow nuclear facility. Iran had earlier started the fourth phase of Mousavi added that Pompeo is claiming support for the Iranian surpassed 130 tons of heavy water stockpile. Qarib Abadi, Iran’s permanent representative The IAEA has confirmed that Iran has provided reduction of nuclear commitments in response people while he had said before that Iran should surrender if it “Following Iran’s announcement, the IAEA to the international organizations in Vienna. necessary access to several nuclear sites and that to the Europeans’ inability to stand up to the U.S. wants its people to eat. inspectors visited Arak heavy water facility on The international nuclear watchdog also Iran has not deviated from its commitments in coercive economic actions. I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y NOVEMBER 20, 2019 IRAN IN FOCUS 3 Islamic states must pressure Riyadh New Iranian envoys meet Rouhani before departure

to end Yemen war: Shamkhani POLITICAL TEHRAN — Iran’s new ambassadors to nine POLITICAL TEHRAN — Ali Islamic countries. deskcountries met with President Hassan Rouhani deskShamkhani, secretary General Bajwa met on Monday with before departing Tehran for their new destinations. of Iran’s Supreme National Security Major General Mohammad Hossein Baqeri, During the meeting, Rouhani wished success for the new en- Council (SNSC), has said the all-out Saudi Iran’s Armed Forces Chief of Staff, to discuss voys and tasked them with introducing Iran’s capabilities and war against the innocent Yemeni people defense and security partnerships, regional capacities to the other sides in order to attract their private and is an example of expanding insecurity developments, as well as strengthening public sectors’ investment, Fars reported on Tuesday. in the region and blatant violation of cooperation to maintain durable security He also urged the ambassadors to make every effort to strength- human rights. at the regional level. en and deepen Iran’s ties with those countries, which include He made the remarks on Tuesday Establishing security at the common Finland, Congo, New Zealand, Pakistan, Republic of Guinea, during a meeting with Pakistan’s Chief borders, countering terrorism and Kenya, Senegal, Turkmenistan and Tunisia. of the Army Staff General Qamar Javed preventing the terrorists from illegally In separate meetings, President Rouhani also received cre- Bajwa in Tehran, IRNA reported. crossing the borders of the two countries dentials from the new ambassadors of Sweden, Australia, Yemen, “Islamic countries must immediately were among other issues the two sides Cambodia and Zimbabwe, during which he called for expansion put an end to this heinous genocide by discussed. of ties with those countries. exerting great pressure on the Al Saud Convergence on the Islamic world’s regime,” Shamkhani suggested. issues and the creation of economically Saudi Arabia and a number of its Arab active frontiers were also discussed in allies launched a devastating campaign their meeting. MP urges Majlis meeting against Yemen in March 2015, with the General Bajwa also met with Iran’s goal of bringing the government of former Army Commander Major General with president, top judge president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi back Abdolrahim Mousavi to expand military to power and crushing the Ansarullah cooperation between Iran and Pakistan to discuss price monitoring movement. and coordinate efforts in ensuring the following gas price rise In the relentless campaign, Saudi-led security of common border. airstrikes have hit schools, hospitals and targeting assistance for airstrikes. States sows discord among Islamic Lauding Pakistan as a great country wedding parties and killed thousands of In his remarks, Shamkhani also said countries in order to protect the Zionist with an ancient civilization, General POLITICAL TEHRAN — A reformist lawmaker on Tues- desk Yemeni civilians. Iran’s strategic approach is to boost its regime and expand its dominance over Mousavi said Iran and Pakistan are two day underlined the necessity of holding a The war has also taken a heavy toll on relations with neighboring countries, the region. neighbors with religious commonalities meeting between legislators and the heads of three branches the country’s infrastructure, destroying especially Pakistan. During the meeting, General Bajwa, whose relations and cooperation in various of the government to debate how to monitor prices of goods hospitals, schools, and factories. The UN Pointing to the determination of for his part, called for expansion of fields date back to a long time ago.” following the gas price rise. says over 24 million Yemenis are in dire the two countries’ leaders to expand bilateral relations in all fields, saying He also expressed hope for expansion need of humanitarian aid, including 10 bilateral relations in all fields, he called the Pakistani army is determined to take of military interaction between the two million suffering from extreme levels for expansion of defense, security and harsh measures to deal with insecurity countries, such as exchange of cadets of hunger. economic ties between Tehran and at common borders. and holding joint training programs. The United States and the United Islamabad with the aim of establishing He also warned against plots For his part, the visiting Pakistani Kingdom are the main supporters of sustainable security in the region. orchestrated by trans-regional countries general welcomed the idea of mutual Saudi Arabia in the war, providing the He emphasized the need to increase to foment unrest and sectarianism in cooperation with Iran, saying Islamabad kingdom with billions of dollars in arms security along common borders. Islamic countries and highlighted the is prepared to expand its ties with Tehran sales, training, logistical support and Shamkhani also said that the United need to counter such approaches by in various fields. Rouhani felicitates Oman on National Day POLITICAL TEHRAN — President Hassan Rouhani in light of the cooperation and collaboration in all fields tugal. It also celebrates the official birthday of Sultan Mostafa Kavakebian, in a notice to open session of the deskhas congratulated the Omani people of mutual interest, Tasnim reported. Qaboos bin Said al Said. Majlis, cautioned, “It is necessary (for the Majlis ) to review and government on the country’s National Day. “I wish Your Majesty health and success and the people Iran and Oman share age-old and close diplomatic, the issues of gas price hike and controlling the prices of other “I would like to offer my sincerest congratulations to of the Sultanate of Oman prosperity and felicity,” the economic, and commercial ties. goods in a next week meeting at presence of the heads of three Your Majesty and the Muslim people of your country on president added. Sultan Qaboos played an important role in facilitating branches of the government (the president, the parliament the National Day of the Sultanate of Oman,” Rouhani said National Day is an official holiday in the Sultanate of the early stages of nuclear talks between Iran and world speaker and the judiciary chief).” in a message to Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said on Tuesday. Oman and the main one in the country. powers, which led to a comprehensive deal known as “It is a necessity for the heads of three branches of the gov- He also expressed the hope that relations between The holiday currently celebrates the History of Oman, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in ernment to participate in the Majlis session to receive direct the two friendly, brotherly countries will further deepen specifically its independence from the Kingdom of Por- July 2015. consultation,” said the lawmaker, who represent Tehraners in the parliament. Since Friday the Oil Ministry has increased 50 percent Iran urges intl. community to make U.S., Israel to agree to nuclear free zone Middle East the price of rationed gasoline, which is 60 liters per month, and beyond that 200 percent. There is a fear among the POLITICAL TEHRAN — Majid demned Israel. public and officials that increase in gas prices would spread deskTakht-Ravanchi, Iran’s Observers say the absence of Israel to other commodities. ambassador to the United Nations, said and the U.S. highlight the difficulties in The government has announced that the proceeds from gas on Monday that the international commu- realizing the initiative. price rise will be completely paid in form of cash subsidy to 60 nity must compel the United States and The UN chief said the zone would have million people, which constitute 75 percent of the population. the Zionist regime of Israel to fulfil their significance beyond the region. Kavakebian further complained about cutoff of internet services commitments in establishing a WMD-free “I therefore hope this Conference will to most users, noting that shutdown of internet has had negative zone in the Middle East. serve as the start of an inclusive process in impact for imports, exports activities as well as medical services. “The international community must which all the States of the region can par- In relevant remarks, the parliament speaker announced on make the United States and Israel behave re- ticipate,” Guterres said. Sunday that the Majlis economic committee had been committed sponsibly and fulfil nuclear commitments,” Mark Fitzpatrick, an associate fellow to review gas price rise plan in details which of course must be Takht-Ravanchi said in a statement read at and former executive director at the In- carried out in a calm condition. the Conference on the Establishment of a ternational Institute for Strategic Stud- Following the government’s decision to reduce gas subsidy, Middle East Zone Free of Nuclear Weapons ies (IISS), wrote in a commentary in May people in certain cities poured into the streets to protest the de- and Other Weapons of Mass Destruction. 2019 that if world leaders backed some cision. However, some vandals and rioters misused the protests The conference, underway in New York, achievable arms-control initiatives in the to do sabotage acts, attacking banks and destroying public and began on November 18 and will last until Middle East, genuine progress could be private property. November 22. made toward establishing a WMD-free To prevent further violence by some rioter, the government The president-designate of the first zone in the region. decided to temporarily cut the internet. session is Ambassador Sima Bahous of The Middle East-focused meeting marks Prosecutor General Mohammad Jafar Montazeri on Sat- Jordan. the first session of a conference that will urday gave a stern warning to those who try to disrupt the attacks on Iran.” because Israel refuses to participate,” said Israel is the only country in the Middle be held annually until a legally binding society’s security, noting that the people would not allow such Saddam Hussein, who was ruling Iraq Mikhail Ulyanov. East which has nuclear weapons. Being treaty for the nuclear-free zone is agreed, rancorous elements to derail their economic-based protests until March 2003, used chemical weap- NHK also reported that Israel and supported by the United States, it has been according to news.un.org. against gas price rise. blocking all efforts by the United Nations ons against Iranian forces and civilians the United States were absent from the The UN chief hoped participants will and the international community to make during the war that he launched against conference. be inspired by the example set by Latin the region a WMD-free zone. Iran in September 1980 and lasted until Egypt proposed in 1974 the establish- America and the Caribbean, where the Takht-Ravanchi said that the main ob- the summer of 1988. ment of a Middle East zone free of nuclear first zone was proposed in the aftermath Innocent detainees to be stacles are the weapons of mass destruction Takht-Ravanchi noted that a refusal weapons and other weapons of mass de- of the Cuban Missile Crisis in October 1962. held by Israel, which is supported by the by the U.S. and Israel to participate in the struction. The idea saw no progress for “Despite the tensions and politics of released soon: Judiciary U.S., and the unwillingness of the U.S. to conference shows they seek a failure of over four decades because of the conflict the Cold War, countries of the region engage in the conference. the conference. between Israel and the Arab countries. persevered and in 1967 established a flex- 1 Elsewhere, he noted that Iran welcomes According to Press TV, a few days ago, But the UN General Assembly decided ible and durable arrangement, which has He also said foreign elements have been proven to be involved a Middle East without weapons of mass the U.S. announced it would not partici- last year to seek to realize the idea. served as a model for all such successive in the protests following the gasoline price rise, IRNA reported. destruction. pate in the conference “because of Israel,” At Monday’s meeting, UN Secre- zones,” he said. Among those under arrest, there were elements affiliated to He added that this policy of Iran according to Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia’s tary-General Antonio Guterres said that “Let us be guided by their experience the anti-Revolution groups who seek to sow discord among the has roots in “Islamic teachings”, “wise permanent representative to international such a zone can put a permanent end to the – and those of other regions – as we people, Esmaeili told reporters. calculations”, “national interests” and organizations in Vienna. possibility of nuclear conflict in the region. advance in all of our efforts across the “bitter experience of Saddam’s chemical “The Americans refused to take part Saudi Arabia and other countries con- disarmament agenda.” Pompeo says U.S. will no longer waive sanctions on Fordow facility

POLITICAL TEHRAN — U.S. Secretary of State Mike clear enrichment which had been limited to 300 kilograms. deskPompeo announced on Monday that the In the second, Iran started enriching uranium beyond 3.67 U.S. will no longer waive sanctions related to Iran’s Fordow percent. And in the third, Iran removed ban on nuclear nuclear plant after Tehran resumed uranium enrichment at research and development. the site more than a year after Washington withdrew from Pompeo also called on Iran to end violence against pro- the 2015 nuclear agreement. testers. “The right amount of uranium enrichment for the world’s “We condemn strongly any acts of violence committed largest state sponsor of terror is zero ... There is no legitimate by this regime against the Iranian people and are deeply reason for Iran to resume enrichment at this previously concerned by reports of several fatalities,” he said. clandestine site,” Reuters quoted Pompeo as saying. It came days after the U.S. secretary of state voiced his The spokesman said that thugs were among the detainees. Earlier this month, Iran started to inject uranium gas support for Iranian protesters, right after he insisted “con- Recent protests against the government’s gas price rise led to into centrifuges at the Fordow nuclear facility under the tinued pressure” on Iran, which includes economic sanctions chaos through attacks on public and private properties. supervision of inspectors from the UN nuclear watchdog, targeting the Iranian people. Elsewhere in his remarks, Esmaeili talked about the latest officially going on with the fourth step since it began respond- “As I said to the people of Iran almost a year and a half “Actions being taken by a number of rioters and saboteurs situation of Ruhollah Zam, head of the news website Amad News, ing to Washington’s abandonment of the nuclear deal and ago: The United States is with you,” Pompeo said in his who are supported by someone like him [Pompeo] have noth- saying he is under investigation and some useful documents an inaction by the remaining parties, including Europeans, Twitter account on Saturday, retweeting a Persian-language ing to do with the insightful Iranian people,” Mousavi said. have been obtained. to shield Iran from sanctions. tweet he sent out in July 2018 that attacked the Islamic Protests erupted in some cities in Iran against the gov- The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) announced last Iran took the first step to scale down nuclear com- Republic’s policies. ernment’s measure in rationing gasoline and substantially month that it had arrested Zam. mitments on May 8. The other two steps were taken two Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi increasing gasoline price. The protests have turned violent Zam launched Amad News in 2015. The channel frequently months later each. said on Sunday that the Iranian people condemn Pompeo’s with reports of clashes between security forces and certain posted fake news stories and called for violence with the aim of In the first step, Iran removed cap on its stockpile of nu- support for rioters. elements vandalizing public property. overthrowing the Islamic Republic system. I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y 4 ECONOMY NOVEMBER 20, 2019

STOCK MARKET Iran’s international TEDPIX 304688.3 IFX 3921.27 Sources: tse.ir, Ifb.ir bourse to be set up

CURRENCIES by Mar. 2020 USD 42,000 rials EUR 46,516 rials ECONOMY TEHRAN — Iran will es- Mozafari said that preliminary measures desktablish its first internation- for setting up the international bourse are GBP 54,405 rials al bourse by the end of the current Iranian currently being taken by the government. AED 11,437 rials calendar year (March 19, 2020), managing Putting emphasis on the significance of director of Kish Free Zone Organization an- Iran’s financial and monetary markets, the Source: cbi.ir nounced on Monday. official said that setting up an international Gholam-Hossein Mozafari made the re- bourse in the country will lay a proper ground tional bourse in the free zones is a measure Tehran Stock Exchange (TSE), Iran’s over- marks in the first day of KISH 2019 INVEX for investment making. that has been seriously followed up in the the-counter (OTC) market known also as (6th International Exhibition of Exchange, Foreign investment attraction is very im- recent months. Iran Fara Bourse (IFB), Iran Mercantile Ex- COMMODITIES Banking, Insurance and Privatization and 11th portant for Iran under the current condition Iran’s Free Zones High Council is laying change (IME), and Iran Energy Exchange Brent $61.92/b Exhibition on Presenting Iran’s Investment when the U.S. has imposed new sanctions the ground for this target and its secretary (IRENEX), the international bourse of free Opportunities) being held on Kish Island in against the country; and in this regard the role has announced that an investment guarantee zones is planned to be set up on Kish Is- WTI $56.60/b south of Iran during November 18-21, hosting that the free zones can play in attraction of fund will be set up to create more security for land, south of the country, as announced by 300 Iranian and foreign companies from 25 foreign investment comes under the spotlight. investment making in the free zones. Morteza Bank, the secretary of Free Zones OPEC Basket $63.12/b countries, ISNA reported. And to this end, establishment of interna- Being the fifth stock market of Iran besides High Council. Gold $1,468.45/oz Silver $$17.13/oz Next year’s budget bill envisages nearly Platinium $901.30/oz Iron ore concentrate output rises 4% Sources: oilprice.com, Moneymetals.com in 7 months on year $23b for Tehran Province ECONOMY TEHRAN — Production ECONOMY TEHRAN — The Iran is going to allocate all revenues deskof iron ore concentrate deskgovernor general of from oil sales to the development pro- in Iran during the first seven months of Tehran Province said the budget bill jects following structural reforms in its Tehran hosting intl. exhibition the current Iranian calendar year (March for the next Iranian calendar year (starts next budget bill. of household appliances 21-October 22) has risen four percent on March 20, 2020) has envisaged 9.62 Last week, Nobakht said that the next compared to the same period of time in the trillion rials (about $22.9 billion) for year’s budget plan is not going to be ECONOMY TEHRAN — The 19th International Exhibi- past year, IRIB reported on Tuesday citing the Tehran Province, IRNA reported. biennial as it was previously reported. desktion of Household Appliances of Iran kicked data released by Iranian Mines and Mining Speaking to the media after a session “Only the budget bill for the [Iranian off at Tehran Permanent International Fairground on Tuesday, Industries Development and Renovation of Tehran Province Development and calendar] year of 1399 (starts on March IRNA reported. Organization (IMIDRO). In a bid to prevent the exports of Planning Council on Monday, Anoush- 20, 2020) will be handed over to the The IMIDRO’s data put the country’s iron unprocessed minerals, creating more value irvan Mohseni Bandpey said the figure parliament and it will be annual like ore concentrate output at over 27 million tons added and meeting the requirements of is 24 percent more than that allocated to before,” the official told IRIB. during the mentioned seven-month period. domestic producers for the raw materials, the province in the current year’s budget. He went on explaining that “what As previously announced, Iran’s export of Iran has levied a 25-percent duty on the As announced by Mohammad Baqer we meant by a biennial budget plan was iron ore concentrate rose 96.6 percent during exports of raw minerals (specially iron ore) Nobakht, the head of Iran’s Planning actually taking a two-year outlook into the past Iranian calendar year (ended on since September 23. and Budget Organization (PBO), the consideration for our planning and pre- March 20), compared to its preceding year. The new duty is encouraging production government will submit the budget dictions of revenues and expenditure, The country exported 5.552 million tons of more processed minerals such as pellet bill for the next Iranian calendar year however the budget bill which will be of the product worth $398 million in the and concentrate instead of selling the raw to the parliament on December 6 as it officially approved by the parliament past year. minerals. is scheduled. is annual like before.”

Recession fears growing in Europe and U.S. as Germany narrowly avoids Q3 contraction Palash Ghosh artin Torres ulus’ policies -- whether low interest rates monetary stimulus.” to grow considerably, households’ income As reported, 394 Iranian and 27 foreign companies are show- supplied by central banks or huge budget However, Germany’s Central Bank prospects should remain favorable,” Bun- casing their latest products and technology during the four-day Europe is slowly sliding into a recession deficits created by politicians -- rather than Bundesbank, does not think Germany is desbank added. event. and that malaise could spread across the being able to generate spontaneous internal slipping into recession while conceding the Meanwhile, a survey conducted in the Germany, China and Turkey are among the countries attending Atlantic, according to Washington Post growth,” he wrote. economy is stagnating. third quarter by Allianz Life Insurance Com- this edition of the international exhibition. columnist Robert Samuelson. However, these policies are no longer Bundesbank noted that Germany’s 0.1% pany of North America, revealed that half Samuelson noted that in the third quarter, working, he warned. GDP growth in the third quarter was actu- of Americans fear a recession is imminent, gross domestic product grew by only 0.2% “In both the United States and Europe, ally better than expected, suggesting some up from 46% in the first quarter of this year. TEDPIX up 2,000 points in a day in the eurozone and only 0.1% in Germany, low interest rates are proving less and less stabilization. In the same vein, 48% of respondents fear the continent’s biggest economy. This comes effective in expanding GDP and employ- The “slowdown of the German economy a large market crash, up from 46% in the ECONOMY TEHRAN — TEDPIX, the main index of Tehran after shrinking by 0.2% in the second quarter. desk ment,” he wrote. “Whatever the initial effect will probably continue in the fourth quarter first quarter. Stock Exchange (TSE), rose 2,000 points to Samuelson warned that this kind of sluggish 304,688 on Tuesday, IRIB reported. of low interest rates and the (quantitative) of 2019,” Bundesbank said in an economic Allianz Life said the findings suggest data augurs “higher unemployment, lower programs of bond-buying, the law of di- report. “However, it is not likely to intensify consumers are “increasingly anxious about As reported, 1.964 billion securities worth 11.11 trillion rials confidence and squeezed profits” as well (about $264.5 million) were traded through 258,700 deals on minishing returns seems to have set in.” markedly. From today’s vantage point, there the effects of market volatility on their -fi as “greater distrust of government, more Risk of recession growing is no reason to fear that Germany will slide nances.” Tuesday. nationalism (including more suspicion of Indexes mostly affecting TEDPIX were related to the carmak- Samuelson cited a report by Jean into recession.” “With major fluctuations over the past immigrants) and rising alienation.” Pisani-Ferry of the Peterson Institute The central bank also indicated it is see- quarter, it’s not surprising that Americans ers, banks and shipping group. Samuelson posits that the U.S. is in a On Friday, Mehr news agency reported that TEDPIX has risen for International Economics who wrote: ing some signs of stabilization in industrial are skittish about investing and worried similar bind, where the recovery is fading. “Growth in the euro area has slowed since demand and remarked on the resilience of that a market crash and recession might be 71 percent since the beginning of current Iranian calendar year The “basic problem on both sides of the (March 21). the beginning of 2018, and the risk of a the domestic economy. around the corner,” said Kelly LaVigne, vice Atlantic is that economies have become recession is growing. Yet the (European “Because the labor market is likely to president of advanced markets, Allianz Life. dependent on government-created ‘stim- Central Bank) has barely any space left for remain fairly robust and wages are expected (Source: ibtimes.com) Singapore enters top 10 list for global talent Hang Seng Index to underperform China-linked equity benchmarks next year: Morgan Stanley competitiveness By Zhang Shidong Foreign inflow, a major push for the decent run on Chi- nese stocks this year, may recede as MSCI is likely to slow Singapore has for the first time made the top 10 list of the world’s Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index is likely to underperform most competitive places for developing, attracting and retaining the process of increasing the weighting of mainland-traded any other key gauge tracking China’s onshore and offshore shares in its benchmarks until concerns highlighted by global talent, as ranked by Swiss business school IMD. stocks in 2020, as the fallout from the months-long political investors, such as lack of hedging tools and short settlement As stated by businesstimes.com.sg, it is also the only Asian unrest hits growth and corporate earnings, according to cycles, are addressed. country to make the list, which is dominated by European states. Morgan Stanley. A 21 percent rebound from a low on the valuation of the Switzerland topped this year’s IMD World Talent Ranking, The benchmark of 50 stocks trading in the city may finish CSI 300 over the past year has made Chinese equities less followed by Denmark, Sweden, Austria and Luxembourg. next year at 27,500, analysts led by Jonathan Garner at the attractive, it said. Singapore rose three notches to edge out Germany for 10th spot. U.S. investment bank wrote in their 2020 strategy report “Going into 2020, we see pause or reversal of directions The ranking - which appraises how 63 economies develop, for Asia’s emerging markets. That implies a 1.5 percent gain of the above catalysts for us to overweigh A shares in 2019,” attract and retain talent - is based on historical data as well as from its close on Tuesday. In comparison, the year-end the report said. “In addition we see a few other reasons surveys of thousands of executives. targets for the CSI 300 Index of mainland-traded stocks, the to believe that very sustained outperformance by A over Economies are then scored based on three categories - invest- MSCI China Index of Chinese companies trading on both offshore is unlikely.” ment and development, appeal and readiness. onshore and offshore markets and the Hang Seng China Morgan Stanley recommends retailers and transport Investment and development takes into account indicators Enterprises Index will see gains of at least 6 percent from now been withdrawn, has plunged the city’s economy into a such as public spending on education, pupil-teacher ratio and current levels. technical recession in the third quarter, paralyzing transport companies, betting the industries will benefit from the early health infrastructure, while appeal factors in components such “Key sectors in Hang Seng with sizeable exposure to Hong services, affecting businesses and scaring away tourists. stages of a recovery in China’s economy, while avoiding as cost of living, worker motivation and quality of life. Kong’s local economy such as financials and properties will Morgan Stanley estimates a 1.3 percent contraction utility and property sectors. Readiness assesses an economy’s ability to nurture skills among also continue to suffer in 2020,” the report said. in Hong Kong’s economy this year and only a 0.5 percent China’s growth will probably rebound to 6.1 percent by its populace that match those needed by its economy. In a bear-case scenario, the Hang Seng Index may trade growth in 2020. the end of next year from a low of 5.8 percent in the first Mr. Jose Caballero, a senior economist with the business school, below a five-year low of 9 times estimated earnings for the China’s onshore shares quarter of 2020, as the current level of finished goods in- noted that Singapore’s ranking rose primarily because of its high following 12 months, against the current valuation of 10.1 The bank has also turned cautious on China’s onshore ventories suggests restocking is in the offing, which will scores for talent readiness. times, the report added. shares, downgrading them to equal-weight from overweight, improve manufacturing activities based on historical data, Solving real-world problems The ongoing anti-government protests, which started in citing slower pace of foreign buying and less appealing val- the investment bank said. For example, it has a large percentage of graduates in the sciences June in opposition to a controversial extradition bill that has uation. (Source: sg.news.yahoo.com) and its students score well in the Program for International Student Assessment (Pisa). The Pisa is an international benchmarking test that measures how well students use their knowledge to solve real-world problems. The brutal impact of South Africa’s economy on small business But Singapore’s appeal also dipped compared with the previ- ous year. The report highlighted the cost of living index, effective A new study by financial services company all formal jobs, they contribute 20% to the 47% are being subjected to unreliable “They get up every day and fight the personal income tax rates and exposure to particle pollution as Retail Capital shows that small businesses GDP and pay 6% of corporate taxes. resources and services, such as load- good fight, to feed their families and areas where improvements can be made. in South Africa are buckling – knocked by “They are South Africa’s lifeline,” the shedding, water-shedding and fuel levies; bring home the bacon, all the while trying Hong Kong, the next-best-performing Asian economy, jumped a low-growth economy, unreliable utilities group said. 33% are stymied and held back by red tape, to contribute to our economy. But it’s not three spots to 15th place, while Taiwan moved up seven notches to 20. and rising operating costs. Retail Capital conducted the study governance and compliance regulations; easy. Our entrepreneurs are operating in The United States was 12th while Japan was 35th and China 42nd. According to businesstech.co.za, the in October 2019 and surveyed over 700 15% are affected by strikes and labor an extremely challenging environment,” Mr. Caballero noted that there is no one approach for talent study, entitled: Roll With The Punches, entrepreneurs using ovatoyou’s online laws; and 59% ranked the banks as the least said Retail Capital chief executive officer, competitiveness: “Countries adopt different strategies for talent found, among other things, that business quantitative methodology. likely to support SMEs “Small businesses Karl Westvig. development, which differ on the emphasis they give … to the is only good for 10% of our SMEs, while More than half (55%) of respondents are burning the midnight oil to keep the These hard knocks are taking a toll on our development of particular competencies.” the other 90% are floundering thanks to say that demand is shrinking and there lights on and our people employed. They’re SMEs and they need support to stay afloat. Switzerland has reached a “better balance between the devel- the weak economy. is less business as people are buying less, your local woodworker, craft beer distiller, But help is not always at hand, especially opment of local talent and its attraction for overseas highly-skilled Collectively, SMEs keep 10.8 million while 58% say operating costs are a threat the face of the shish n’yama, and poultry from the banks: 58% ranked banks among personnel” than Singapore. people employed, accounting for 66% of to their business. farmer. the least likely to support them, he said. I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y NOVEMBER 20, 2019 ENERGY 5 Oil ministry Drinking water to be supplied to 1,124 villages by Mar. 2020 announces new ENERGY TEHRAN – Iranian Energy Minister Reza Ar- deskdakanian announced that drinking water will be supplied to 1,124 villages throughout the country by the end of current Iranian calendar year (March 20, 2020), IRNA reported. terms for offerings In this way, 700,000 villagers will enjoy healthy drinking water by the yearend, the minister added. He also said that his ministry’s planning is that all 10 million people living in the rural areas of Iran will enjoy healthy drinking water by the end of the summer of Iranian calendar year of 1400 at IRENEX (September 2021). This measure prevents migration of villagers to the cities, while ENERGY TEHRAN – Iranian Oil offering, the base price will be determined by encouraging urban-rural migration and promoting production deskMinister Bijan Namdar NIOC. in the rural areas, Ardakanian underlined. Zanganeh on Monday released a statement Like before, the least amount of loadings Energy minister made the remarks on the sidelines of the in which new regulations and procedures for for shipping is announced to be 35,000 bar- inauguration ceremony of several water and electricity projects offering oil and gas condensate at Iran Energy rels and for land freights it is 1,000 barrels, two million barrels of light crude instead of porting them. in the central province of Semnan on Monday. Exchange (IRENEX) were listed, Shana reported. so in case of lower purchases, the buyers can the previous one million barrels. National Iranian Oil Company offered After several unsuccessful offerings of light accumulate their purchases in several periods The least amount of purchase was also light crude oil at IRENEX first on October crude oil, NIOC recently halted the crude oil and load them together. reduced to 10,000 barrels from the previous 28, 2018, just a few days before new U.S. and gas condensate offerings at IRENEX, an- Applicants have to initially pay six percent 35,000 barrels. sanctions on Iran’s petroleum sector took nouncing a decision for revising the regulations of the value of the contract in the form of rial However, clearly even those adjustments effect (November 4). pertain to the offering of oil at IRENEX once or other acceptable foreign currencies and in had some flaws and were not enough to attract Offering gas condensate at IRENEX came again. case their bidding is accepted they must pay buyers, so NIOC decided to once again make after the successful offering of crude oil at this Based on the statement, like the previous the rest before loading the purchased cargos. new changes in its regulations. market. And then the turn came to heavy crude. rounds of offerings, every week at least two This is the second time that the oil ministry Removing some of the barriers regarding Offering heavy crude at IRENEX came after million barrels of light crude oil, two million is revising the terms of crude oil and condensate approval of the bidders and strict pre-payment NIOC offered light crude at this stock market barrels of heavy crude oil, and two million offerings at IRENEX. rules, the new regulations are aimed for encour- in eight rounds. barrels of gas condensate will be offered at First in May, NIOC decided to halt the of- aging domestic buyers for more engagement Now, after one year, the released reports the energy exchange. fering of oil and gas condensate at IRENEX to in the country’s oil and condensate trades. show that sales of these products has not been The base price stated in the bid announce- prepare new guidelines for the later offerings. Offering crude oil and gas condensate at so successful and welcomed. ment will be the determined against valid crude Accordingly, for the 10th round of light IRENEX is to materialize the objectives of IRENEX Managing Director Seyed Ali Hos- price indices. The announced base price is the crude oil offering which was the third round “Resistance Economy” for diversifying meth- seini believes that policymaking and execution floor price applicable on the day of delivery and of offerings in the new Iranian calendar year ods of selling these products and benefitting are not integrated, and it is the reason behind no discount will be applied later on. In every (started on March 21) NIOC decided to offer from the capabilities of private sector for ex- the slow trend of the trades in IRENEX. He also announced that 10 dams and nine thermal power plants are going to go on stream across the country by the yearned. Ardakanian said the mentioned projects are going to be in- Iran revives gasoline rationing scheme, what to expect augurated to ensure that all Iranians have access to water and electricity. Huge energy subsidies in Iran seem to be only Now, on the early days of the implementation of the new 1 According to the minister, the said dams are under construc- encouraging more and more fuel consumption, low-quality scheme, we should wait to see if the government has come tion in Tehran, Ilam, Qom, Yazd, Kerman, West Azarbaijan and car production, and more fuel smuggling to the neighboring up with any solutions for the long-lasting problems in im- Semnan provinces and when operational they will add 745 million countries and also more air pollution. plementing such programs. cubic meters to Iranian dams’ water capacity. Regarding the support for the less-privileged classes of As I mentioned before, rationing of fuel could be a very the society, a look at the gasoline subsidies which the Iranian positive step, if implemented correctly, which means if the government has been offering for all people, can show the revenues of the scheme are truly allocated for improving Renewable energy: Rise in extent of this approach’s inefficiency. On one hand, many the people’s livelihood, if the rise in fuel prices won’t impact energy experts and scholars in the country believe that allo- other commodity groups and if the rise in fuel prices doesn’t global wind speed to boost cating great amounts of subsidies for gasoline is not in fact result in higher inflation rates. supporting the poor but it is more lifting the rich. So far, the government is insisting that it has considered green power On the other hand, many environmental experts believe all aspects and this time the plan is going to go through By Matt McGrath that such subsidies are encouraging people to consume more without any issues. A new study suggests that global wind speeds have increased and to care less about the negative impact that they are Earlier this week, Iranian Industry, Mining and Trade substantially since 2010 after decades of decline. leaving on the environment. In a nut shell, cheaper fuel 10,000 rials and the monthly ration for each passenger car Minister Reza Rahmani said any increase in commodity Scientists say they believe that changes in the patterns of ocean means more careless consumption. was set at 60 liters. Additional purchases would cost 30,000 prices on the pretext of gasoline price hike is illegal. and atmospheric circulation are behind the rise. One other argument that is behind the heavy energy rials per liter. Stressing the fact that transportation of goods is gener- The researchers say the discovery is very good news for the subsidies in Iran, is to create new job opportunities and Implementation and outcomes ally carried out by diesel-powered cars, Rahmani said the wind energy industry. support domestic production. One major example could Although, nowadays allotting high energy subsides is con- increase in gasoline prices doesn’t entail any increase in They believe that speedier winds will see the energy produced be the subsidy which is provided for the gas consumed by sidered a failed strategy all around the world, implementing other commodity prices. grow by about 37%. the industrial units. In this regard, using more and more such scheme requires providing some basic infrastructure. Managing director of National Iranian Oil Products Distri- From the 1980s, scientists detected a marked decrease in the subsidies has made most industries less competitive and One of the main reasons that in 2015, the Iranian gov- bution Company (NIOPDC) also said gasoline consumption speed of winds around the world. more reliant on outside sources for their inefficiencies. ernment decided to end the rationing plan was in fact claims in the country is expected to fall up to 10 percent, which is Termed “terrestrial stilling”, the decline was large enough that The new scheme about its ineffectiveness. also good news. had it continued until the end of this century, global wind speed The government started on Friday rationing of subsidized For instance, when first implemented, the plan was sup- On Monday, Deputy Minister of Economic Affairs and would have declined by 21%. gasoline and increased fuel prices, announcing that it plans posed to end fuel smuggling and discourage dealers from Finance of Iran Mohammad-Ali Dehghan Dehnavi said the The authors of the study say this would have halved the amount to use all the proceeds of the scheme for directly supporting trafficking fuel to neighboring countries, however in fact no fuel rationing plan would make the country able to export of power available from the wind industry. underprivileged families. change was made in this regard and up to the current day 3.65 billion liters of gasoline every year and earn about 14 Scientists were uncertain as to what was causing the decline. Mohammad Baqer Nobakht, head of the Planning and still thousands of liters of various fuels are being smuggled trillion rials (about $3.3 billion) from the exports. One theory argued that the greening of the Earth or more urbani- Budget Organization, said on Thursday that all the revenues to other countries due to the price differences and lower So considering all the above mentioned factors and plau- zation was increasing surface roughness and curbing wind speeds. from the price hikes would be used to fund additional cash value of Iranian currency in comparison to its neighbors. sible outcomes, one can clearly see the perks of a “correct- But this new study suggests that by itself, the roughness idea subsidies for 18 million families, or about 60 million people. The previous rises in fuels prices in Iran mostly led to ly-implemented” scheme and of course the negative impact is not enough to explain the changes. Based on the new scheme, the price for a liter of regular surges in prices of other commodities and services and great that it could cause if not properly supervised and monitored. By looking at data from 9,000 ground weather stations combined gasoline was increased to 15,000 rials (nearly 35 cents at levels of inflation since no tangible control was exercised Only “time” will show how the outcomes of the program is with statistical models, the researchers show that over the years the official rate of 42,000 rials per dollar) from the previous in the market. going to turn out this time. since 2010, winds have picked up “significantly” around the globe. The rate of speed increase The rate of speed increase is in fact three times greater than the Oil slips to $62 as trade talks drag on rate at which the winds were declining before 2010. A Chinese government source was quoted by CNBC on The average estimate from six analysts polled by Reuters Monday as saying there was gloom in Beijing about prospects was for crude inventories to have risen by about 1.1 million for a trade deal. The long-running dispute has hit economic barrels in the week to November 15, representing a fourth growth prospects and clouded the outlook on oil demand. consecutive weekly gain. Brent crude LCOc1, the global benchmark, was down The American Petroleum Institute was to release its supply 49 cents at $61.95 a barrel at 0937 GMT. It had reached report at 2030 GMT on Tuesday and the government’s official $63.65 — the highest since Sept. 24 — on Thursday. U.S. figures are due on Wednesday. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude CLc1 dropped 36 Oil found some support from tension in the Middle East, cents to $56.69. home to top exporter Saudi Arabia and other core OPEC The “less than promising reports coming from China members. on the trade war may have taken some of the energy out of Brent has rallied about 15% this year, supported by a supply Oil extended declines to $62 a barrel on Tuesday, pressured the rally,” said Craig Erlam, analyst at brokerage OANDA. pact between the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting by limited progress in efforts to resolve the trade conflict “We’re certainly seeing less momentum in the recent rallies.” Countries (OPEC) and allies including Russia. between the United States and China as well as an expected Oil also declined on the prospect of a further increase in Producers meet in Vienna over December 5-6 and are rise in U.S. crude inventories. U.S. crude inventories, suggesting ample supplies. expected to extend the pact beyond March. The authors believe that the reason for the increase is more to do with changes in the ocean and atmospheric circulation patterns and not down to surface roughness alone. OPEC’s share of Indian oil imports in October hits lowest since 2011 “By ocean atmospheric circulation, we mean heating of the Earth’s surface which creates pressure gradients and thereby OPEC’S share of India’s oil imports fell to 73% in October, grade for Asia by $0.60/barrel compared to a $0.35/barrel wind,” said co-author Dr. Adrian Chappell from the University its lowest monthly share since at least 2011, tanker data increase in Iraq’s Basra Light. of Cardiff, UK. from sources showed, as refiners shipped in fuel from the The third-biggest supplier “Changes in these circulations have changed wind speeds. The United States and other suppliers. To make up for lower Saudi purchases, India also boosted alternative and/or contributing cause of change in wind speed is As per livemint.com, India, which usually imports about purchases from Nigeria, its third-biggest supplier in October, due to change in land surface roughness. It is very unlikely that 80% of its needs from members of the Organization of the as well as from Kuwait and Mexico. change in roughness alone has caused the change in wind speeds. Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), has been diversi- India shipped in a record 336,000 bpd of U.S. oil in Octo- It remains plausible that the combination of large-scale circulation fying its sources of oil as local refiners have upgraded plants ber, about 7.5% of total imports, as private refiner Reliance and change in roughness has caused the change in wind speed.” to process cheaper crude grades. Industries bought three tanker cargoes, data showed. The The finding helps explain an increase in the capacity factor India, the world’s third-biggest oil importer, shipped in United States was Indian’s fourth-biggest supplier in October. of the U.S. wind fleet which has risen at a rate of 7% per decade. 4.56 million barrels per day (bpd) of oil in October, about “Indian demand for gasoil has been falling but overall It had been assumed that technological innovation was behind 3.3% less compared with a year ago, data showed. Of that, Asian demand has been relatively strong because of new the improvement but according to the new study, 50% of the rise it bought 3.43 million bpd from OPEC. marine fuel rules from January. And good diesel cracks is is due to increasing wind speeds. OPEC’s share of India’s imports in September was about prompting refiners to buy distillate rich crudes like that of Overall, the finding is “good news” for the wind energy industry, 81% although total volumes were lower, as the South Asian Nigeria,” Haq said. the authors say. nation cut imports to a three-year low due to maintenance Refining margins or cracks for 10 ppm gasoil traded at The “reversal in global terrestrial stilling bodes well for the expan- at some refineries. $15.46 per barrel over Dubai crude during Asian trade on sion of large-scale and efficient wind power generation systems in OPEC oil output dipped to an eight-year low in Septem- purchases of the more expensive Saudi oil. Monday. Cash premiums for the fuel climbed to 34 cents these mid-latitude countries in the near future,” Dr. Chappell said. ber after attacks on Saudi oil plants led to production cuts, Sources who supplied the data asked not to be named. per barrel to Singapore quotes, compared with 31 cents per If the trends persist for the next decade, wind power would rise a Reuters survey showed. The kingdom’s output has since “Saudi had raised its official selling price (OSP). That barrel on Friday. to 3.3 million kilowatt hours in 2024, an overall increase of 37%. recovered. led to some buyers migrating to Iraqi and other producers,” India’s fuel demand in October declined by 1.4% from a The authors believe the increase in wind speeds will decline In October, Iraq replaced Saudi Arabia as India’s top oil said Ehsan Ul Haq, an analyst with Refinitiv. year earlier, and its diesel consumption fell by the steepest again in future but will persist for at least the next 10 years. supplier, tanker arrival data showed, with refiners cutting Saudi Arabia raised its October OSP for its Arab Light in about three years, government data showed on Thursday. (Source: bbc.com) I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y 6 INTERNATIONAL NOVEMBER 20, 2019

The Trump Doctrine Pompeo’s hatred of Iran arises from demands a democratic response his deep-rooted Islamophobia By Maj. Danny Sjursen ANTIWAR— I’ve been publishing antiwar material for By Yuram Abdullah Weiler which appears to be a pillar of his extreme version more than five years now. Seeing as I only retired this past of fundamentalist Christianity. Speaking to a Press TV – Peaceful protests broke out in cities church group in 2014, then congressman Pompeo February, I did most of my dissenting while still on active across Iran on Saturday following a decision by duty, and much of it during the Obama years. During that said, “I can tell you that this threat to America the National Iranian Oil Products Distribution is from people who deeply believe that Islam time, the overwhelming majority of hate mail in my inbox Company (NIOPDC) to raise fuel prices. The – and sometimes my actual mailbox – almost always came is the way and the light and the only answer.” price hike is an attempt by officials to recoup Sounding a clarion call for a renewed crusade, from the political right. Then Trump was elected, occa- revenue lost as a result of US economic sanctions sionally said some modestly prudent things about ending he warned that Muslims “will continue to press unilaterally and illegally re-imposed on Iran’s against us until we make sure that we pray and endless war in the Middle East, and when I dared write petroleum sector. Funds so generated would approvingly about those words, my hate mail began to stand and fight and make sure that we know be used for additional subsidies to help some 18 that Jesus Christ as our savior is truly the only change. Now it invariably emerges from the mainstream million Iranian families experiencing extreme “left,” my own ostensibly ideological compatriots. (More solution for our world.” economic hardship. In a 2018 letter to Senators Bob Corker and on this phenomenon in my Nov. 6 column at Antiwar.com). Unfortunately, some of the protests have Now, despite spending almost all of my adult life in uniform, Robert Menendez concerning the nomination turned violent, and the United States, seeing of Pompeo for secretary of state, former Rep- I’m labeled a “Putin apologist,” a “traitor,” an “asset” and an opportunity to spread chaos, has thrown its a “useful idiot.” resentative from Minnesota Keith Ellison and full support behind those persons involved in Representative from Indiana André Carson It’s ironic; maddeningly so, in fact. A cursory glance at fomenting riots and vandalizing public property. my body of work since January 2017 reveals a consistent wrote, “Mr. Pompeo’s long record of anti-Muslim Encouraging the rioters, US Secretary of State statements and close alliances with anti-Muslim propensity to challenge this president. Nonetheless, I’ve felt Michael Pompeo in a Twitter post wrote, “As of late a professional, and ethical, obligation to occasionally organizations and activists will render him in- I said to the people of Iran almost a year and effective as a statesman to Muslim leaders and (if cautiously) cheer Trump’s more prudent critiques of a half ago: The United States is with you.” In the forever wars I once waged. My more thoughtful crit- populations around the world.” Rounding out rebuttal to this clear support of anarchy, Ira- watching loved ones die due to severe shortages uttered by Pompeo and other regressive US ics note that all that Trump-talk hasn’t been backed by Pompeo’s Islamophobic qualifications, Ellison nian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani said, “He of necessary medicines, or risking the use of politicians is to deter financial institutions out much follow-through, and they ain’t wrong. As I’ve been and Carson noted that the nominee “is a ‘stead- [Pompeo] openly supports immolation of the unregulated drugs and incurring horrific side of fear of incurring penalties due to “secondary long apt to point out, the distance between Trump’s an- fast ally’ of Brigitte Gabriel, who runs ACT for Iranian people’s properties through foolish effects as a result? sanctions,” thus reducing such humanitarian ti-interventionist “rhetoric” and his actual actions in the America, the largest anti-Muslim hate group shamelessness and opportunism, while calling Shortly after the reapplication of sanctions exemptions to inconsequential legal boilerplate. greater Middle East remains, for now, wide enough to drive in the United States.” it defending the Iranian people.” For their part, on Iran on November 5, 2018, Pompeo pontifi- By February of 2019, it should have been a semi-truck through. Concerning his aversion to the Islamic Repub- the IRGC issued a statement warning that those cated, “The leadership [in Iran] has to make a clear to all that Pompeo did not care one iota Still, in the interest of answering my critics, I thought lic, Pompeo posted an Iranophobic remark on who “would foment insecurity, and all actions decision that they want their people to eat,” as about the Iranian people who were already facing it time to try – wildly difficult as it may be – to tease out Twitter in November 2016 stating, “I look forward targeting the calm and tranquility in the society if officials in Tehran had made the decision for grinding hardships due to US sanctions. During something resembling a Trump “doctrine” for the region. to rolling back this disastrous deal [JCPOA] with will be dealt with decisively.” the reinstitution of sanctions against their own an interview on CBS News, the portly secretary As such, I hope to answer the vital question: what exactly the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism.” Iranians have been suffering for over 40 years citizens rather than the economic terrorists in of state admitted that the coercive unilateral is Trump up to in the Middle East? My tentative conclusion Earlier, as a member of Congress, the future US as a result of various US attempts to topple the Washington’s Zionist-aligned government. To measures were indeed intended to target ordi- is, well, nothing new! The president’s sporadically antiwar secretary of state wrote an op-ed for Fox News legitimate government of the Islamic Republic add insult to injury, the former Kansas politician nary Iranians and thus amounted to collective language may be unique, but most of his policies adhere to that could be termed an anti-Iran manifesto. of Iran. Economic sanctions, which typically suggested that it was up to Iran’s government punishment, which is against international law. the pre-9/11 formula of George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton. Asking whether or not the JCPOA benefitted impact people in the lower brackets the most, either “to make a decision that they want to use “Things are much worse for the Iranian people,” Allow me to explain. the United States, Pompeo answered, “Unfor- have been the weapon of choice for Washing- their wealth to import medicine” or “use it in Pompeo gleefully conceded, “we are convinced As long as he eschews an illegal, ill-advised war with Iran, tunately for our country’s future, the answer to ton in its relentless quest for revenge against a way that doesn’t benefit the Iranian people.” that will lead the Iranian people to rise up and Trump does seem committed – eventually – to removing at that inquiry is a resounding no.” His remedy is Iran for the victory of its Islamic Revolution in Voicing a not-so-subtle hint at regime change, change the behavior of the regime.” least some U.S. soldiers from direct combat and winding overthrowing the legitimate government of Iran. 1979. The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action Pompeo confided that he was “very confident A member of the reactionary, extreme down our efforts at nation-building in the Muslim world. “Congress must act to change Iranian behavior,” (JCPOA) brought a brief period of hope that the Iranian people will take a response that tries right-leaning Tea Party, Pompeo demonstrated After the first Persian Gulf War, Clinton (and to a lesser the then representative wrote, “and, ultimate- sanctions relief, and perhaps even improved to fix that themselves.” his disdain for people of color and non-Christian extent Bush) largely avoided these missions. Nonetheless, ly, the Iranian regime.” Additionally, Pompeo relations with the US, might be in sight, but Pompeo insisted, contradicting the grim religions during his first run for a seat in the even if American troops weren’t doing much of the killing displayed his contempt for Iran and Iranians, the Trump regime abruptly pulled the US out reality, that “not only are the transactions US House of Representatives in 2010 against or dying, Uncle Sam remained a hegemonic presence from condescendingly commenting on “Iranians’ bi- of the deal and reneged on all commitments. themselves exempted- that is, the transactions in Democrat Raj Goyle, a two-term Kansas state West Africa to Central Asia. Dotting the landscape with army zarre tantrums and illogical arguments” while After Trump withdrew the US from the Iran medicine, for example- but the financial trans- representative whose parents hail from Chan- bases and warships, inflicting untold suffering in the form accusing Iran of “continuously threatening to nuclear deal in May of 2018 and re-imposed actions connected to that activity also are au- digarh, India. Despite that Goyle was born in of economic sanctions on the regimes Washington didn’t walk away from the [nuclear] deal,” which his sanctions for his “maximum pressure” campaign, thorized.” Technically speaking, his claim may Cleveland, Ohio in America, a staffer for Pompeo like and backing the worst internal and external crimes boss, Trump, actually did. his secretary of state, Michael Pompeo, sent a be true, however, the difficulty lies in trying to referred to him in a Twitter post as a “turban of its favored despots, the US was still experienced as a Evidently, Pompeo and other US officials patronizing message in July to the Iranian people find a pharmaceutical company willing to sell topper.” The xenophobic rant continued with neo-imperial force in the everyday lives of Muslim peoples. not only are neither feeling the pain of Iranians via Twitter, in Farsi and English, claiming in lifesaving drugs to Iran and a bank willing to “This guy could be a muslim, a hindu, a buddhist Trump employs the same old policies but they are sprinkled nor are capable of empathizing with them, but capital letters, “THE UNITED STATES HEARS finance the transaction, and both agreeable to etc who knows” ending with “One thing’s for with his uniquely, even refreshingly, direct pronouncements also appear to be relishing the cruel conditions YOU. THE UNITED STATES SUPPORTS YOU. taking the risk running afoul of Washington’s sure . . . goyle is not a Christian!” While Pompeo and unabashed worship of regional strongmen. He gleefully they have created by re-imposing ever harsh- THE UNITED STATES IS WITH YOU.” If so, fiscally vindictive wrath. In practice, the net had the remarks deleted, he refused to fire the fawns over Egypt’s military dictator, Gen. Abdel-Fattah er economic sanctions on Iran. To them this then why would the tyrannical Trump regime effect of the broad scope and complexity of US responsible staff member. el-Sissi – “a fantastic guy” who gunned down about 1,000 economic terrorism is a neo-crusade, and their impose a sanction regimen on Iran so strin- coercive economic measures against Iran’s banks Pompeo’s unabashed hatred of Iran appar- peaceful demonstrators in 2013, and runs a veritable police long sought after Holy Grail is regime change gent that Iranians are forced to choose either combined with the nonstop hawkish rhetoric ently arises from his deep-rooted Islamophobia, state. True, Sissi is secular and shares a common enemy in in Tehran. Islamist jihadis, but does he deserve to be the second-largest recipient of American military aid and the beneficiary of such hyperbolic praise? In reality, such policies alienate the people on Cairo’s proverbial “Arab street” and catalyze Hong Kong bears brunt of big power games anti-American sentiment. Remember, there was a promi- GLOBALTIMES — After fierce clashes between view of law. right from wrong in Hong Kong society and make nent Egyptian – Mohamed Atta – among the 9/11 hijackers. radical protesters and police on Sunday, Hong It makes sense to launch an investigation. But some people show more sympathy to rioters, Al Qaeda’s current top dog, Ayman al-Zawahri, is also an Kong’s High Court ruled that the anti-mask law, why do these people only aim at investigating the instead of stepping up their criticism of violence. Egyptian national. which was passed according to the Emergency police and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Opposition in the city has always accused the In Israel/Palestine – to the extent it remains plausible Regulations Ordinance, is “unconstitutional.” Region government, rather than investigating police of “abuse of force,” but never condemned to even use the term “Palestine” – Trump enthusiastically This has encouraged radical protesters and in- what people have been instigating, encouraging those rioters who sabotage the city and attack follows in the footsteps of his 1990s predecessors, backing creased the difficulties for police to maintain and hyping terror-like violence in the city? the police lethally. The court’s verdict will let every militarist Israeli encroachment and providing top Hong Kong’s order in accordance with the law. In the article, Audrey Eu said she helped the opposition believe that this is their victory. cover against United Nations’ attempts to enforce (Israeli The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Jacky So Tsun-fung, president of the Chinese Most of the recent violence in Hong Kong violations of) international law. Like Bush and Clinton, government still has the opportunity to appeal, University of Hong Kong (CUHK) student union, has been conducted by masked rioters. Wearing Trump ignores the plight of the millions of Palestinians which means there might be a chance to reverse who wanted to apply for an urgent injunction masks has become a way for them to sabotage living in an “open-air prison.” He’s gone steps further, the decision. But the court’s ruling has already to stop the police from breaching the campus and escape legal responsibilities. The growing however, in the following ways: Trump moved the US caused a major negative effect. The US is hell-bent on passing the “Hong without a warrant. It goes without saying that violence has almost destroyed the rule of law embassy to Jerusalem, gave Israel the green-light to openly The latest development in Hong Kong affairs Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act,” which such an injunction should not be passed. If Hong in and the modernity of Hong Kong. The city annex illegal West Bank settlements, recognized the 52- demonstrates how complex the situation is - is Washington’s threat to abandon this interface. Kong’s law helps the rampant rioters in such a is at its last gasp as an international financial year (and similarly illegal) Israeli occupation of the Syrian far more than confrontations between radical The right approach for Hong Kong society is way, then the law is completely useless. center. And the current ruling has closed its Golan Heights, and dismissed the hundreds of peaceful rioters and police. to take the initiative to maintain its role as the Hong Kong must fix such a reverse concept of door to the emergency room. protesters shot dead along the Gaza border as “all Hamas,” Many people feel that what is happening in interface between China and the West. It should the rule of law. Hongkongers should understand It is a pity that some judges in Hong Kong or “terrorists,” in a shocking resuscitation of far-right Is- Hong Kong is somehow connected with wors- not provide opportunities for external forces to who resorted to violence first and who destroyed have not fully fulfilled their responsibility to raeli talking points. ening China-US ties. Such a hunch is correct. destroy this position. the city first. If the mob had not broken the law jointly fight violence.The authority of the rule of In Syria, Trump rightfully, if clumsily, ended Obama’s Hong Kong returned to China in 1997 and is The unrest sparked by the now-withdrawn first, Hong Kong police would not have to operate law must be rebuilt in Hong Kong to bring back foolish, all-risk, no-reward mission in northeast Syria. Prob- an inseparable part of China. It is an interface extradition bill has almost ruined the rule of against them. Some ill-intentioned people have order. It is impossible to achieve this without lem is, he just as quickly reversed course and deployed an between China and the West. China-West rela- law in and the modernity of Hong Kong. Even been calling white black and distorting the truth. curbing the raging violence. The rioters are not almost identical number of troops – including armored tions were generally good when the “one country, if Hong Kong returns to calm, rebuilding order For example, Eu said “whatever the protest- without scruples. Their masks show their cow- vehicles – to indefinitely “secure” Syria’s (relatively pal- two systems” principle was first implemented. and institutions would be extremely difficult. ers were doing did not justify the authorities’ ardliness. Hong Kong society should increase try) oil refineries in the area. One can’t help but marvel at There had been frictions, but were relatively It cannot be guaranteed whether Hong Kong disproportionate response,” adding that even their pressure instead of giving them courage. Trump’s admission that the US intends to “fight for the oil,” easy to resolve. is able to regain many of its advantages as an CUHK’s current vice chancellor Rocky S. Tuan With independent judicial power, the courts and that he’ll “perhaps, make a deal with an ExxonMobil Since China-US ties became remarkably international financial center. It is time for Hong was tear-gassed. However, the fact is the po- should serve the fundamental interests of Hong or one of our great companies to go in there and do it prop- complicated when the US labeled China a strate- Kong society to be concerned about its own future. lice had no choice but to stop the rioters from Kong society. Now the city is completely unlike erly.” Beyond the obvious immorality of risking American gic competitor, the US promoted its ideological Only if and when the entire population of throwing debris from an overpass endangering a modern city. Its traffic is almost paralyzed blood for oil, such actions constitute a clear violation of and value confrontation against China at the Hong Kong stands up together and turns the ordinary people and agreed with Tuan that the and the schools cannot open. And its function international law. national level. The change in Washington has tide, can the city escape this misfortune. A city’s police would withdraw as soon as rioters stop as an international financial center must have On that subject, Syrian strongman Bashar Assad seems mobilized some radical forces in the West to fate depends first of all on itself. throwing. But the mob did not stop after the been eroded. Hong Kong courts should make to better grasp American foreign policy better than Trump challenge Beijing, creating the most prominent Are Hong Kong’s courts protecting police left. How can this be regarded as “dis- a contribution to changing such a situation. himself, noting recently that the US president is the “best and long-lasting tension between China and rioters? proportionate?” The cost of conducting violence in Hong Kong type of foe” because he states his objectives plainly. The the West. The New York Times published an article The rioters have been creating rumors, smear- is now way too low. Even if some radical rioters whole absurd, oil-snatching power play smacks of old- As a result, problems emerged in Hong Kong, titled “Can Hong Kong’s courts save the city?” ing the police and intensifying the condition only are arrested by the police, they will be released school extractive imperialism – and that won’t be lost on a the interface linking China and the West. The on Saturday. The author, Audrey Eu Yuet-mee, to advocate for themselves. If even Hong Kong’s by judges on bail in most cases. Some judges are suspicious, self-consciously post-colonial Arab populace. US and certain Western forces no longer have is a barrister and former Hong Kong legislator. law condones these rioters of their crimes, then actually acting as umbrellas for radical rioters. Oh, and it’s unclear Trump has an exit strategy for this the willingness to maintain the function of the In the article she wrote she has been using “legal Hong Kong’s situation will be further shadowed. Whatever their original intent is, they are open- venal new mission. bonder. Worse, they started to proactively harm it. action” to help the protesters. “The rule of law The rule of law can save Hong Kong, but the ing a crack in the dam that prevented violence. What’s more, Trump has sent at least three more troops The rule of law, the core value of Hong Kong, cannot survive” if the government “does not premise is that the rioters must be punished. The Hong Kong police have now become to Saudi Arabia for each one he’s removed from Syria, for a has lost its authority in curbing violence. And respect fair play, freedom or democracy.” The mob’s terror-like violence is bound to be a lonely barrier to maintaining Hong Kong’s military installment now in the thousands. What they’ll do those activities are supported by the US policy Disappointedly, Hong Kong’s High Court punished. Eu said “the rule of law cannot sur- crumbling order. They are attacked by radical there – assist in the execution of Saudi war crimes in Yemen toward Hong Kong, and - in fact - toward China. announced on Monday that the anti-mask law vive,” but it is precisely people like her who are rioters at the scene of violence. Even if holding or gear up for a disastrous new American war with Iran – re- Since China exercises sovereignty over Hong was “unconstitutional.” The ruling will seriously pushing Hong Kong’s rule of law into the abyss. a gun, they cannot use it. And their families are mains unclear and illustratively unstated. What we do know Kong, the ability of the US and some Western hamper Hong Kong police operations against Just like the rioters, the judges and lawyers who in peril. Meantime, Hong Kong judges are living is that Trump’s peculiar justification for the deployment, that forces to intervene in Hong Kong has become violence and to restore order. absolve rioters of their crimes will be despised. a comfortable life. There is no need for them to the Saudi royals will foot “100%” of the bill, all but officially limited. All this has led to a deadlock of the unrest The concept of Hong Kong’s rule of law is Hong Kong High Court’s ruling worry about retaliation or other dangers. But establishes the US military as a mercenary force. Speaking sparked by the now-withdrawn extradition bill, broken. Who does Hong Kong’s law protect, the disappointing they continue to undercut the police’s efforts. of the war in Yemen – the world’s worst humanitarian crisis and violence has been intensifying. ordinary people and the police, or the violent Hong Kong’s High Court ruled Monday that The future of Hong Kong belongs to all Hong- – when an asleep-at-the-wheel Congress finally got around Hong Kong has prospered due to its role as black-clad rioters? Unfortunately, many people the anti-mask law, which was passed according kongers, not only to the civil servants and police to invoking the War Powers Act this year, passing a bill to cut the interface between China and the West. Such in Hong Kong and Western countries agree with to the Emergency Regulations Ordinance, is officers. Witnessing the masked rioters’ violence, off US aid to the Saudi terror campaign, Trump subsequently a position made it unique throughout East Asia. the New York Times article. In their opinion, “unconstitutional.” This disappointing verdict Hong Kong society can’t do anything about it. vetoed the legislation. A hawkish, dysfunctional Congress Once the US or Chinese mainland decides to laws and regulations are meant to protect the will encourage radical protesters to do evil and Many mainlanders are concerned about Hong lacked the votes to override the president, and so the war give up this interface, the future of Hong Kong so-called underprivileged protesters and to discourage the police from curbing violence. Kong, but those judges in Hong Kong are not must go on. 11 will be disastrous. restrict the police. This is a completely wrong The ruling will further disrupt the value of concerned at all. This is pathetic I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y NOVEMBER 20, 2019 ANALYSIS & INTERVIEW 7 What do the new polls say? Sanders is hopeful By Saeed Sobhani concentrated at the top. Although the of- abilities that show that a person can ficial unemployment rate is lower, most synthesize complex ideas and identify TEHRAN — New polls released by the peoples’ incomes have gone nowhere key points. Democratic Party of America show that and they have even less job security. “Language is cognition in action,” Vermont State Senator Bernie Sanders’ Meanwhile, Washington has become Bayles says. Simple tests can be remark- vote has increased among American even swampier. Big corporations, Wall ably telling. If you had only one test voters. Sanders is now ahead of Eliz- Street and billionaires have flooded it to assess cognitive decline, she says, it abeth Warren and Kamala Harris! He with money and lobbyists. Trump has would be this. First you tell somebody even gets more votes than Joe Biden in given out all the tax cuts, regulatory a simple story. (In her example, a lady some polls. Here’s a look at the latest rollbacks and subsidies they have ever went to the grocery store and lost her news and polls on the US presidential wanted. The oligarchy is in charge.Why wallet, but then someone found it and election: hasn’t America risen up in protest? Be- she got it back.) Then you ask simple Sanders reclaims second cause American democracy was dys- questions about what the person just place in new 2020 poll functional even before Trump ran for heard. You ask the same questions As The Hill reported, Sen. Bernie president. The moneyed interests had just after the story, and then again Sanders (I-Vt.) outpaces progressive already taken over much of it. 30 minutes later. Most young people 2020 rival Sen. Elizabeth Warren It’s hard for people to get very ex- with “normal” cognition get about 15 (D-Mass.) for second place nation- cited about returning to the widening out of 17 questions right both times. ally, according to a Hill-HarrisX poll inequalities and growing corruption Older people with normal cognition get released on Monday. of the decades before Trump. Which one or two fewer in the second round. Among likely Democratic and Dem- partly explains why Biden is foundering. The differences are striking in people ocratic-leaning independent voters, At the same time, Trump and his with cognitive impairment. People with Sanders holds 18 percent support, propagandists at Fox News have chan- mild Alzheimer’s disease get about half followed by Warren with 15 percent. neled working-class rage against the the questions right in the immediate Former Vice President Joe Biden still establishment into fears of imaginary asking, and only one right the second leads the pack with 30 percent support, threats such as immigrants, socialists time. People with moderate Alzheimer’s a 4-point increase compared to his low and a “deep state”. get two correct, and then none. of 26 percent earlier this month. But a large majority of Americans Losing one’s train of thought or for- No other candidate registered dou- – right and left, Republican as well as getting words is not necessarily indica- ble-digit support, with South Bend, Ind., Democrat – could get excited about tive of cognitive impairment. Some peo- Mayor Pete Buttigieg in a distant fourth moving toward a real democracy and ple think poorly onstage but brilliantly place with 7 percent and Sen. Kamala economy that worked for the many. off. Others are great at processing and Harris (D-Calif.) in fifth with 4 per- This is why the oligarchy is so worried synthesizing information, and the only cent.Former New York Mayor Michael about Warren’s rise to frontrunner sta- difficulty is in quickly putting things Bloomberg, who has yet to formally tus in some polls.Politico reports that into words. A politician’s supporters announce his 2020 bid, registered Democratic-leaning executives on Wall decade ago, he was capable of uttering The amendment has never been most widely used test for cognitive might dismiss or defend patterns of at 3 percent in the latest survey.The Street, in Silicon Valley and across the sentences as cogent as Carter’s. acted upon. Instead, the idea of fitness impairment is a basic screening exam forgetfulness under some belief that rest of the Democratic field, including corporate world are watching her with Joe Biden stays focused on sin- for office has manifested itself in the known as the Montreal Cognitive As- people need not be eloquent in their businessman Andrew Yang and Sen. an increasing panic. gle topics and ideas much more customary presidential disclosure of sessment, or MoCA—a five-minute, speech to demonstrate outstanding Cory Booker (D-N.J.), registered at 2 “Ninety-seven per cent of the people consistently than Trump, but he is medical records and an annual physical 30-question test that involves knowing comprehension and processing—and, percent or less. I know in my world are really, really often slower to find words than he exam. That process, though, is perfunc- where you are, drawing a clock, and indeed, to be able to function optimally The survey comes ahead of the fifth fearful of her,” billionaire Michael was in the past. He veers sometimes tory at best. After Trump was elected, identifying a picture of a tiger. The as president. One might even argue that Democratic presidential primary debate Novogratz told Bloomberg. into nonsensicality. In September, in his physician during the time he ran most difficult part is recalling five a president should be trusted to make this week in Atlanta. These Democratic oligarchs hope response to a question about racism, for office, Harold Bornstein, claimed words that you are told to remember hasty or thinly informed decisions. Wednesday night’s MSNBC debate Biden, or perhaps Pete Buttigieg or he wandered into, “Play the radio, that the president had dictated his at the beginning of the exam. The But such trust becomes more difficult is set to feature 10 candidates: Biden, Amy Klobuchar, can still take Warren make sure the television—the, excuse own glowing health assessment. “It test is meant to identify people who when the president makes decisions Warren, Sanders, Harris, Buttigieg, out.In just the third quarter, Buttigieg me—make sure you have the record was very obvious from the start that will have difficulty completing the that have no apparent basis in U.S. Booker, Yang, billionaire Tom Steyer, as raised about $25,000 from executives player on at night … make sure the that examination had no credibility,” “activities of daily living.” interests and are widely condemned by well as Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) at Wall Street firms including Goldman kids hear words.” After Bernie Sand- says Mark Fisher, a neurology professor Last year Trump took this test. In both parties, as in the case of Trump’s and Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.). Sachs, Morgan Stanley, JPMorgan and ers’s heart attack last month, news at UC Irvine. “It was unprofessional a glowing press conference, his phy- decision to withdraw troops from Syr- In order to qualify for the November hedge fund giants like Bridgewater, reports also brought concerns about and unacceptable as an assessment of sician, Ronny Jackson, reported that ia. The appeal of functional cognitive debate, the candidates had to garner Renaissance Technologies and Elliott age to the fore. While Warren seems his health.” the president aced it. But a test used for testing is that it would help the public support from at least 165,000 unique Management. And another $150,000 to have been spared from such spec- What do citizens really need to screening the general population for know whether a president can even donors and register at least 3 percent from donors who described their oc- ulation, she would still be the oldest know about their president’s health? dementia does not necessarily suggest clearly understand—by putting into in four qualifying polls or 5 percent in cupation as “investor”. person ever elected to a first term. A physical exam by a doctor is de- abilities to serve as commander in chief words—the implications of his decisions two early-state polls. If Biden implodes and neither Butti- Ronald Reagan was reelected at 73, signed to test for diseases, but the real any more than, say, passing a test to get and their alternatives. The new Hill-HarrisX poll surveyed gieg nor Klobuchar takes the lead from and the end of his second term was, question of fitness does not seem to a driver’s license would. Anything less “There’s no gold standard for one 449 registered voters online between Warren, Wall Street and corporate Dem- by some accounts, marked by the ear- be whether a person is disease-free. than a perfect score raises concerns, assessment where you can get every- Nov. 16 and Nov. 17. It has a margin of ocrats hope former New York mayor ly linguistic signs of the Alzheimer’s Most Americans have been diagnosed but a perfect score tells the public little one,” Bayles says. But she suggests that error of plus or minus 4.6 percentage Michael Bloomberg will ride into the disease that he would announce five with some chronic disease. Compared about a candidate’s actual capacity. several, such as the Cambridge Neuro- points. primary at the last minute. years later. with the days of Kennedy, modern Better tests do exist. Simply and logical Inventory, Wechsler Memory No wonder Wall Street fears Warren It won’t work. The stark reality is Concerns about politicians’ ages are medicine, communication, and transparently administered, they could Scale, and Edinburgh Social Cognition and Sanders – they speak for the people that Democrats cannot defeat Trump’s not limited to presidential candidates. transportation make it possible to help the public know what is really going Test, could be of use. Based on two As Guarddian reported, In the con- authoritarian populism with an estab- The average senator is 62. Mitch Mc- climb the political ladder while living on with the cognitive status of people decades of longitudinal studies, she ventional view of American politics, Joe lishment candidate who fronts for the Connell, the 77-year-old Senate majority with many different conditions. Vice who seek to hold the nuclear codes. and colleagues have also developed Biden is a moderate while Elizabeth oligarchy.The only way Democrats win leader, is already past the U.S.-male President Dick Cheney suffered from Cognitive testing for a government a test that they’ve proved is sensitive Warren and Bernie Sanders are on the is with an agenda of fundamental dem- life expectancy. If the country were to terminal heart disease, then received job has long been done in the military. enough to identify differences among left and Donald Trump is on the right. ocratic and economic reform, such as deem, say, the Social Security retirement an entirely new heart and continued In World War I, psychologists developed 55-year-olds who are just starting to This conventional view is rubbish. To- provided by Warren and also by Sanders. age of 66 as the mandatory cutoff for on in the political milieu. tests known as Alpha and Beta to assess wonder whether something is going day’s great divide is not between left Unless Democrats stand squarely on a career in politics, it would amount The fundamental issue when it a person’s ability to follow directions on. Known as the Arizona Battery for and right. It’s between democracy and the side of democracy against oligar- to a total overhaul of government. It comes to fitness, according to Kathryn and process information. Even in a time Communication Disorders of Dementia, oligarchy. chy, the risk on election day is that too would eliminate not just the top four Bayles, a professor emeritus at the of great need for service people, the or ABCD, it tests language compre- There are no longer “moderates”. many Americans will either stand with presidential candidates, but much of University of Arizona, is not age or U.S. military deemed it worth know- hension, expression, and memory. There’s no longer a “center”. The most Trump or stay home. Congress. physical health, but cognitive ability. ing whether a person could not follow It can be done in 90 minutes, and it powerful force in American politics The President’s Cognitive At a conceptual level, any hard cutoff This correlates only very roughly with basic commands. The testing process dives more deeply into things such as today is anti-establishment fury at a Decline introduces a host of problems. Beyond age: Everyone’s abilities decline later evolved into the current ASVAB, which reading comprehension, concept defi- rigged system.Four decades ago, when The Atlantic reported: Remember meriting charges of age discrimination, in life, but the rate of decline varies is given to enlistees. It is not intended to nition, and delayed retelling of stories America had a large and growing middle these numbers. You’ll be asked about age cutoffs are difficult to defend on widely. The degree of impairment disqualify anyone, but to help identify a person is told. class, the left wanted stronger social them at the end of the test: 70, 73, 76, practical grounds. An age minimum also depends on how much you had which areas of service a person might In a recent study, the exam was able safety nets and more public investment and 78. might rule out, say, an illiterate 4-year- to lose. And mild cognitive impair- be able to execute. to identify cognitive impairment in in schools, roads and research. The These are the ages of the leading old, but it’s at least hypothetically ment often starts in a person’s 60s, Of course, the testing process be- 55-year-olds before they progressed right sought greater reliance on the candidates in the 2020 presidential possible that a 110-year-old might be but many people remain sharp to the comes more difficult for roles that are to overt dementia. It doesn’t test ex- free market. election: Elizabeth Warren, Donald perfectly able. very end. “People over 65 are the most expansive. It is simpler for a football ecutive function or problem solving, In those days, a general election was Trump, Joe Biden, and Bernie Sand- At the same time, for all the promise cognitively diverse segment of the team to test the qualities that make a but it could be combined with others like a competition between two hotdog ers, respectively. In most any other of modern science, it seems unlikely population,” says Bayles, who studies good placekicker, for example, than a that do. The whole process could take vendors on a long boardwalk extending line of work, people in their eighth that the best approach to ensuring speech, language, and hearing. “Look great coach. The president has to be a few hours and give a clear picture of from left to right. To maximize sales, decade are usually retired. For most candidates’ abilities to execute the at Nancy Pelosi, who is 80. She is good at many things, but not necessarily cognitive fitness for office. each had to move to the middle. If one of human history—and still in most duties of the office is to rely on them articulate, measured, sharp.” expert at any one. No process will be perfect. But if strayed too far left or right, the other of the world today—people of this age to tell us they are fine. Bernie Sand- Fisher estimates that simply based The challenges in such a process were fitness is to remain a tenet of the elec- would move beside him and take all were usually dead. ers has insisted he is running a “vig- on population averages, we can assume clarified recently by the Department of toral process, a validated, transparent sales from the rest of the boardwalk. Each weekday evening, get an over- orous campaign.” (He has invoked that a significant proportion of political Defense. In 2016 it deployed a working assessment of cognition could leave This older American politics is now view of the day’s biggest news, along vigor often.) Joe Biden has reminded leaders have some degree of impair- group to develop a cognitive-assessment little room for ambiguity or politici- obsolete. As wealth and power have with fascinating ideas, images, and crowds that with his age comes wis- ment of executive functioning, which process for warfighters. The attempt zation. Results could be conveyed to moved to the top and the middle class voices. dom. Elizabeth Warren has vowed includes things like decision making. failed, with the group reporting the the public in a way that would be more has shrunk, more Americans have joined Last month, Jimmy Carter, the that she would “outwork and outlast” But standard medical approaches such following year: “The goal of determining relatable than talking about people’s the ranks of the working class and poor. 95-year-old former U.S. president, her opponents. Donald Trump said in as blood tests or MRI or CT scans have warfighter cognitive state and predict- retinal capillary imaging, and more Most Americans – regardless of said that the office requires a person April, “I’m so young. I can’t believe not proved to be effective ways of identi- ing performance under training and meaningful than knowing whether whether they were once on the left “to be very flexible with [one’s] mind,” it, I’m the youngest person.” fying cognitive issues. In a 2014 journal operational conditions has not been they take Lipitor or have ever had an or right – have become politically and that by age 80 he wouldn’t have Beyond such first-person reassur- article, Fisher and colleagues lament achieved.” It blamed insufficient ev- appendectomy. disempowered and economically in- felt able to do the job. He joined the ances of health, the process for outside that cognitive decline in political lead- idence linking performance on tests The standardized process could be a secure. Nowadays it’s the boardwalk growing ranks of those suggesting they assessment is opaque, optional, and ers is widely left to conjecture. They to performance in the field. new custom among presidential hope- versus private jets on their way to the would support an upper age limit for arbitrary. It does not need to be. suggested that newer, “highly sensi- For a purely leadership role, though, fuls that actually has practical value. Hamptons. the office, either for purposes of break- The concept of “fitness for office” tive brain-imaging” might improve some believe the most important skills The process would have to be mindful As Rahm Emmanuel, Barack Oba- ing up the gerontocracy or to ensure a dates to the assassination of John F. detection. Such advances have yet to can be tested for. Kim McCullough, a of state impediments to free and fair ma’s chief of staff and former mayor person has the physical and cognitive Kennedy. The transfer of power to come to pass. communication sciences and disorders elections with any kind of required of Chicago, told the New York Times: capacity. “You have to be able to go from Lyndon Johnson raised a hypothetical Earlier this year, ophthalmologists professor at Appalachian State Univer- qualification test. No result would be “This is really the crack-up. Usually one subject to another and concentrate question: What if Kennedy had sur- at Northwestern University Feinberg sity, says certain tests could help assess considered categorically exclusionary. fights are Democrats versus Republi- on each one adequately and then put vived, but in an impaired state? What School of Medicine similarly suggested a president’s abilities. While neurolo- If anything, a testing process like this cans, one end of Pennsylvania versus them together in a comprehensive way,” if a bullet had grazed his frontal lobes that better detection might be accom- gists may soon have the tools to identify would be less arbitrary than current the other, or the left versus the right. Carter said. and he was only briefly hospitalized, plished by taking pictures of our eyes. cognitive impairment in early stages, limitations on who can serve. Being 35 Today’s squabbles are internal between The relevance to the current political but thereafter he seemed unable to At the back of the eye sits a delicate speech pathologists already do. And or being born in the U.S. are historic the establishment versus the people moment was significant. Many neurol- hold a train of thought? What if he nest of capillaries whose status can there is no clearer way to assess this than relics that do not necessarily reflect that are storming the barricades.” ogists and psychiatrists have raised started making bizarre comments be a window into what’s happening through tests of language. “A battery a person’s actual abilities. A testing In 2016, Trump harnessed many urgent concerns about Donald Trump’s and took to denying the existence in the blood supply to the brain. Still, of tests could be given to candidates,” process like this could. of these frustrations, as did Sanders. inability to hold a basic train of thought. of the moon? Such gray areas were the appearance of our retinas or brain says McCullough, whose work focuses Without such a process, concerns The frustrations today are larger Compared with his public appearanc- the basis for the ratification of the is a secondary indicator—a proxy for on identifying mild cognitive impair- of politicization and bias in medical than they were in 2016. Corporate prof- es in decades prior, his meandering Twenty-Fifth Amendment, in 1967. what really matters, our current ability ment. The most relevant abilities are assessments stand to get worse, not its are higher, as is CEO pay. Markets speech suggests declines in ability to It created a way of removing a person to think. demonstrated through those language better, as age factors more prominently are more monopolized. Wealth is more reason and form basic arguments. A who became unfit to serve. At the moment, neurologists’ tests: namely, the cognitive-processing in politics year over year. 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‘Possibility of life’: scientists map Kick-starting Moore’s Law? New ‘synthetic’ method for Saturn’s exotic moon Titan making microchips could Scientists on Monday unveiled the first Titan is the only solar system object other global geological map of Saturn’s moon than Earth boasting stable liquids on the Researchers at Johns Hopkins University have developed a Titan including vast plains and dunes surface, with lakes and seas of full of methane new method for producing atomically-thin semiconducting of frozen organic material and lakes of being major features at its polar regions. Hilly crystals that could one day enable more powerful and compact liquid methane, illuminating an exotic and mountainous areas, thought to represent electronic devices. world considered a strong candidate in exposed portions of Titan’s crust of water By using specially-treated silicon surfaces to tailor the crystals’ the search for life beyond Earth. ice, represent 14% of the surface. size and shape, the researchers have found a potentially faster and The map was based on radar, infrared “What is really fun to think about is if less expensive way to produce next-generation semiconductor and other data collected by NASA’s Cassini there are any ways that those more complex crystals for microchips. The crystalline materials produced this spacecraft, which studied Saturn and its organics can go down and mix with water in way could in turn enable new scientific discoveries and accelerate moons from 2004 to 2017. Titan, with a the deep icy crust or deep subsurface ocean,” technological developments in quantum computing, consumer diameter of 3,200 miles (5,150 km), is the JPL scientist and study co-author Michael electronics, and higher efficiency solar cells and batteries. solar system’s second-biggest moon behind Malaska said. Jupiter’s Ganymede. It is larger than the Noting that on Earth there is a bacterium planet Mercury. that can survive just on a hydrocarbon called Organic materials - carbon-based acetylene and water, Malaska asked, “Could compounds critical for fostering living it or something like it live in Titan deep in organisms - play a leading role on Titan. the crust or ocean where temperatures are “Organics are very important for the a little warmer?” possibility of life on Titan, which many of us The map was created seven years before think likely would have evolved in the liquid the U.S. space agency is set to launch its water ocean under Titan’s icy crust,” said Dragonfly mission to dispatch a multi- planetary geologist Rosaly Lopes of NASA’s On Earth, water rains down from clouds said study co-author Anezina Solomonidou, rotor drone to study Titan’s chemistry and Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California. and fills rivers, lakes and oceans. On Titan, a European Space Agency research fellow. suitability for life. Dragonfly is scheduled “Organic materials can, we think, penetrate clouds spew hydrocarbons like methane and Plains (covering 65% of the surface) and to reach Titan in 2034. down to the liquid water ocean and this can ethane - which are gases on Earth - in liquid dunes (covering 17% of the surface) made up of “It is not only scientifically important but provide nutrients necessary for life, if it evolved form due to the moon’s frigid climate. frozen bits of methane and other hydrocarbons also really cool - a drone flying around on The findings are described in a paper published today in Nature there,” added Lopes, who led the research Rainfall occurs everywhere on Titan, but dominate Titan’s mid-latitudes and equatorial Titan,” Lopes said. “It will be really exciting.” Nanotechnology. published in the journal Nature Astronomy. the equatorial regions are drier than the poles, regions, respectively. (Source: Reuters) “Having a method to sculpt crystals at the nanoscale precisely, quickly, and without the need for traditional top-down processes, presents major advantages for widespread utilization of nanomaterials in technology applications,” said Thomas J. Water plumes above the surface of Jupiter’s moon Europa Kempa, a chemistry professor at Johns Hopkins University who directed the research. A team led by researchers out of NASA’s Goddard Space team wrote in the paper. Kempa’s team first doused silicon substrates -- the supports Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, has confirmed traces of For many years, scientists have suspected that there’s used widely in industrial settings to process semiconductors into water vapor above the surface of Jupiter’s icy moon Europa. water on Europa’s surface, and several observations appear devices -- with phosphine gas. When crystals were coaxed to grow And that’s a big deal as the tiny space rock is one of the to back up that suspicion. on the phosphine-treated silicon supports, the authors discovered highest priority targets in NASA’s search for extraterrestrial More than two decades ago, NASA’s Galileo spacecraft that they grew into structures that were far smaller and of higher life, according to the agency. found evidence of an electrically conductive fluid on the quality than crystals prepared through traditional means. “While scientists have not yet detected liquid water directly, moon’s surface. Then, a 2018 analysis of the data found The researchers discovered that the reaction of phosphine we’ve found the next best thing: water in vapor form,” lead evidence of massive plumes of liquid. Data previously with the silicon support caused the formation of a new “designer researcher and NASA planetary scientist Lucas Paganini collected by NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope supported surface.” This surface spurred the crystals to grow as horizontal said in a NASA statement. the existence of the plumes. “ribbons” as opposed to the planar and triangularly-shaped sheets According to a paper published in the journal Nature “We performed diligent safety checks to remove possible that are typically produced. Moreover, the uniform complexion Astronomy on Monday, the NASA team discovered enough contaminants in ground-based observations,” Goddard and clean-edged structure of these ribbons rivaled the quality water vapor being released from Europa to fill an Olympic- planetary scientist Avi Mandell said of the water vapor of nanocrystals prepared through industry-standard patterning size swimming pool within minutes. discovery in the statement. “But, eventually, we’ll have to and etching processes, which are often laborious, lengthy, and But while that sounds like a lot, it was only just enough the infrared light they release or absorb, the scientists only get closer to Europa to see what’s really going on.” expensive, Kempa said. to be detected from Earth. spotted water vapor in one. A mission to do just that is already lined up. The nanocrystals prepared in this study are called “transition Out of 17 observations by the W. M. Keck Observatory in “We suggest that the outgassing of water vapor on Europa NASA’s upcoming Europa Clipper mission will get a metal dichalcogenides” or TMDs. Like graphene, TMDs have Hawaii, which uses a spectrograph to detect the chemical occurs at lower levels than previously estimated, with only much closer look at the icy moon’s surface as soon as 2023. enjoyed widespread attention for possessing powerful properties compositions of other planets’ atmospheres by scanning rare localized events of stronger activity,” Paganini and his (Source: sciencealert.com) that are a unique consequence of their “two-dimensional” scale. But conventional processing methods struggle to readily alter the texture of TMDs in ways that suit new discoveries and the development of better-performing technologies. Researchers capture moving object with Scientists develop underwater Notably, the versions of TMDs that Kempa and his team were able to create were so small that they dubbed them “one-dimensional” ghost imaging glue to differentiate them from the usual two-dimensional sheets most researchers are familiar with. Materials processing limitations are one reason why Moore’s Law has been slowing in recent years. The rule, posed in 1965 by IBM co-founder Gordon E. Moore, states that the number of transistors, and their performance, in a dense integrated circuit will double approximately every two years. Packing so many micron-sized transistors into microchips, or integrated circuits, is the reason that consumer electronics have gotten steadily smaller, faster, and smarter over the past few decades. However, the semiconductor industry is now struggling to maintain that pace. Notable features of the crystals prepared by Kempa and his team include: 1. Their highly-uniform atomic structure and quality stems from the fact that they were synthesized as opposed to fabricated through the traditional methods of patterning and etching. The elegant quality of these crystals could render them more efficient at conducting and converting energy in solar cells or catalysts. 2. Researchers were able to directly grow the crystals to their precise specifications by changing the amount of phosphine. 3. The “designer substrate” is “modular,” meaning that academic and industrial labs could use this technology in conjunction with Researchers have developed a way to capture of the electromagnetic spectrum and, A glue that works underwater and can glues, the researchers developed a so-called other existing crystal growth processes to make new materials. moving objects with the unconventional when the structured light beams are stick objects together in mere seconds has hydrogel — a material made of water-loving 4. The “designer substrates” are also reusable, saving money imaging method known as ghost imaging. generated computationally with spatial been developed by a team of researchers chains of long polymer molecules — that and time on processing. The new method could make the imaging light modulators, can be performed with from Japan. uses the electric force between molecules 5. The resulting ribbon-shaped, one-dimensional crystals emit technique practical for new applications a low-cost single-pixel detector instead of The aquatic adhesive sticks to materials to stick to negatively charged surfaces. light whose color can be tuned by adjusting the ribbon width, such as biomedical imaging, security checks a complex, expensive camera. including glass, metals and rocks — and These surfaces can include those of indicating their potential promise in quantum information and video compression and storage. To apply ghost imaging to moving works by harnessing the electric force glass, rocks and metals. applications. Ghost imaging comes with a host of objects, the new method uses a small between molecules to stick to surfaces. Each polymer chain is built from two “We are contributing a fundamental advance in rational control advantages, one of which is that it allows number of light patterns to capture the This so-called ‘electrostatic attraction’ types of smaller molecule — one containing of the shape and dimension of nanoscale materials,” Kempa said. one to form an image by illuminating the position and trajectory of the object. The works in a similar way to how a party balloon a positively charged, ‘cationic’ residue and This method can “sculpt nanoscale crystals in ways that were object with lower light levels than traditional researchers developed an algorithm to can be stuck to the ceiling by rubbing its the other a so-called ‘aromatic’ ring. not readily possible before,” he added. “Such precise synthetic imaging approaches. However, ghost cross correlate this positional information surface to create an electric charge. Put together, these form an ‘adjacent’ bond. control of crystal size at these length scales is unprecedented.” imaging has been limited to stationary with blurred images captured at different This method of sticking things together ‘Aromatic amino acid sequences in proteins “Our method could save substantial processing time and objects because it takes a long time to positions, allowing a clear image to be lasts longer than previous ‘waterproof’ glues, are known to facilitate electrostatic interactions money,” he said. “Our ability to control these crystals at will project the sequence of light patterns onto gradually formed. which imitated the natural adhesives found in saline water,’ said Professor Gong. could be enabling of applications in energy storage, quantum the object that is necessary to reconstruct “This approach relaxes the requirement in marine animals like barnacles. It had previously been challenging computing and quantum cryptography.” an image. This causes images of a moving for fast imaging, and because the algorithm Unfortunately, such naturally-inspired to create such sequences in man-made (Source: Science Daily) object to appear blurry. is linear, it doesn›t require a large amount glues have been found to quickly oxidize, polymers, but the team found a cost-effective In The Optical Society (OSA) journal of computing power,” explained Liu. causing them to lose their adhesiveness. way to achieve this. Optics Letters, researchers from the “The method can be performed with a Unlike superglue, which hardens on Moreover, the team demonstrated that National University of Defense Technology typical ghost imaging system without any contact with water, the underwater hydrogel — even though it is the positively charged Japan space probe on its way in China describe how they were able to additional devices and allows the image glue uses electric forces. residue that allows the glue to stick to combine information in the blurry images to be reconstructed in a timely manner.” Positively charged parts of the long negatively charged surfaces — the gel was back after asteroid mission with details about the object›s location The researchers demonstrated their molecules within the gel are attracted to not nearly as adhesive without the inclusion to create high quality images of moving new method using a typical ghost imaging negatively charged surfaces. of the adjacent aromatic molecules. objects with ghost imaging. system, in which a random light field Such include those on materials made of The team tested the glue on an 18 ounce A Japanese space probe is heading home from an asteroid 250 “Our work shows that blurred images generated by a rotating diffuser was divided substances like glass, metal and even rocks. (500g) glass block, showing that — after million km (155 million miles) from Earth after collecting sub- contain useful information,” said research into two beams. One beam was recorded by Researchers were able to use the glue to five seconds of contact between the block surface samples that could help scientists seeking the origins of team leader Wei-Tao Liu. “With further a CCD camera, while the other illuminated lift an 18 ounce (500g) glass block. and the hydrogel — they were able to lift life, Japan’s space agency said on Monday. improvements, this approach could make a moving object the researchers created The glue is not permanent, however, with the object up and out of the water. Asteroids are believed to have formed at the dawn of the solar ghost imaging useful for applications such using a digital micromirror device. The the adhesion being completely reversible. In fact, the glue’s strength can reach to system and scientists say the asteroid, called Ryugu, may contain as biomedical imaging of human beings. If light coming from the moving object was ‘We discovered that the hydrogel could around 60 kilo pascals — which is close to the organic matter that may have contributed to life on Earth. used with x-rays, for example, it could help collected by a single-pixel detector. easily be manufactured using a highly cabin pressure found in commercial air planes. If the return trip is completed successfully, that will be the reduce the radiation dose needed for imaging.” “We demonstrated that our method scalable, cost-effective method,’ said paper The glue is not permanent, however, with first time samples from beneath an asteroid’s surface have been The ghost imaging technique forms an captured the trajectory of the image and author and polymer scientist Jian Ping Gong the adhesion being completely reversible. brought back to Earth, a spokeswoman for the Japan Aerospace image by correlating a beam that interacts formed a high-quality image,” said Liu. of Japan’s Hokkaido University in Japan. ‘Our hydrogel should have promising Exploration Agency, or JAXA, said. with the object and a reference beam that “With these same experimental conditions, ‘It can act like superglue in highly applications as glues for undersea leakage, The unmanned Hayabusa 2, named after a falcon, began leaving does not. Individually, the beams don›t traditional ghost imaging approaches would ionic environments such as seawater, sea sand binders for preserving marine Ryugu last week, but it is still sending images back to Earth. carry any meaningful information about have lost most of the object information overcoming issues in currently available environments and for concrete in the sea,’ Those observations were wrapped up on Monday and Tuesday the object. The imaging technique works due to blurring from movement.” marine adhesives.’ Professor Gong added. before its main engine is activated for the year-long flight, JAXA said. with visible light, x-rays and other parts (Source: Science Daily) In contrast to previous underwater (Source: msn) (Source: Reuters) I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y 10 HERITAGE & TOURISM NOVEMBER 20, 2019

Iran, Armenia seek to Foreign travelers not deterred by deepen tourism ties through signed agreements Iranophobia: tourism official TOURISM TEHRAN — A delegation of Armenian eco- TOURISM TEHRAN — Iran’s dep- desk nomic, tourism and media representatives deskuty tourism minister on has arrived in Iran, exploring ways to deepen bilateral ties Monday said that anti-Iranian sentiment or thanks to previous agreements signed by the two neighbors Iranophobia, which has long been forged and over the past three decades. spread by some Western governments and media, has not prevented foreign travelers from visiting the country. “During the past [Iranian calendar] year (ended March 19), despite all the [sanctions-re- lated] issues and [some foreign] attempts to tarnish Iran’s international image, we have had a 52.5 percent increase in foreign arrivals compared to a year earlier,” Vali Teymouri said, IRNA reported. Referring to the “ineffectiveness” of an Iranophobia project, which is pursued by the “enemies”, the official said the number of foreign arrivals in the coun- try has also increased in the first seven months of the current year compared to the same period last year. He pointed out that the biggest tour- The Armenian delegation is to get acquainted with attrac- ism challenge that Iran faces is that it tions of Iran and to set up a joint tourism committee, ISNA is still somewhat “unknown” for many reported on Tuesday. potential travelers. The arrival of Armenian nationals in Iran, and vice versa, “I, as an expert, who have been working have gained a momentum since last year, when the two countries in the field of tourism for the past twenty simplified visa rules to expand tourism, economy and trade. years, believe that the main challenge of our FTZs to facilitate bilateral trade travel industry is that Iran is internationally In line with the goal of expanding bilateral trade, Iran and unknown. Moreover, over the past years, an Armenia aim to take the advantage of their free trade zones (FTZs). Iranophobia project [orchestrated] by our During the 16th meeting of Iran-Armenia Joint Economic enemies have been added too.” Travelers enjoy a vista of the UNESCO-registered Imam Square in Isfahan, central Iran. Committee, which was held in Tehran on July 2, Iranian Energy Some travel associates see better prospects Minister Reza Ardakanian, who is the Iranian chairman of the for tourism sector of the country as policies pilgrimage and cultural heritage purposes. terms of absolute size growth measured in and operations manager of the Australia-based committee, emphasized the importance of border FTZs for ex- for shielding the currency against the U.S. Some two million Iraqi nationals visited U.S. dollars in the field of travel and tourism. Intrepid Travel. pansion of trade between the two countries and announced that sanctions are taking effect. Iran during the first seven months of the Regarding to the downfall of potential “Iranians are warm, friendly and eager to joint events are about to be held on investment and trade in the To cope with such propaganda campaign, past Iranian calendar year, constituting Iran’s Western visitors, Skift Inc., a New York City show off their country to foreigners. The feed- free zones of Aras (in Iran) and Meghri (in Armenia). Teymouri said, “Currently, tourism and largest source of inbound passengers. headquartered media company that provides back from our travelers is a testament to this.” diplomacy packages have been prepared Iran also eyes to have a bigger share of news, research, and marketing services for “Once they [Iranian authorities] have to be sent with the help of Foreign Ministry Chinese tourism, as it, in a unilateral measure, the travel industry, said in July article that been approved for entry [issuing visas], Airbus is learning from to various countries for further familiari- recently approved to waive the visa require- “Despite setbacks, [international] tour oper- people are welcomed warmly—we’ve nev- zation with Iran.” ment for the Chinese passport holders. ators are optimistic about long-term growth er encountered a problem or even a cold geese to boost aircraft Last November, the Trump administration The World Travel & Tourism Council’s in tourism to Iran, which in recent years has shoulder,” said Robin Pollak, the president reinstated sanctions on Iran, mainly the ones latest report indicates that Iraq was the stepped up efforts to increase international of Journeys International, which is offering performance that had been lifted under the 2015 nuclear main source of tourism for Iran in 2018, visitation and has the stated goal of attracting Iran tours since 2015. deal, in order to batter Iran’s economy. as Iraqis constituted 24% of all inbound 20 million annual visitors by 2025. “People in Iran are very curious about The travel world — and the world as a whole — would look The sanctions together with anti-Iran visitors. Other major sources were Azerbai- While the U.S. State Department has long visitors from a culture that is off-limits to entirely different if it weren’t for our feathered flying friend, the propaganda campaigns have decreased jan (17%), Turkey (8%), Pakistan (4%) and issued strong advisories against traveling to them. They understand that American visitors bird. Wilbur and Orville Wright drew inspiration from birds, Western tourists but Iran has managed to Bahrain (2%). The remaining 46% came Iran and despite tensions between the two do not reflect the way America is portrayed and nature aided their understanding of essential concepts, compensate the blow even flourishing its from the rest of the world. countries, tour operators who spoke with Skift to them by their government,” she added. like airflow and lift. tourism by doing its best to attract more WTTC’s review of tourism spending in strongly disagree, maintaining that Iran has Iran embraces hundreds of historical Even today, aircraft manufacturers continue to fall back from neighboring states. Iran in 2018 shows 93% of visitors spent proven to be a safe and remarkably hospitable sites such as bazaars, museums, mosques, on ornithology in an attempt to further improve efficiency, Iran has also eased traveling for people for leisure purposes while only 7% spent on place for travelers, including Americans. bridges, bathhouses, madrasas, mausole- to reduce carbon emissions, increase aircraft range and — of from Iraq, China, Republic of Azerbaijan, business purposes. The council ranked Iran “It is a country that is often portrayed ums, churches, towers, and mansions, of course — curb fuel costs to save airlines money. At the Dubai Afghanistan, Turkey, Pakistan, and several 20th from among 185 countries in its 2017 as unwelcoming, but the reality is quite the which 22 being inscribed on the UNESCO Air Show on Monday, Airbus shared the news that it’s made other countries who arrive in Iran for medical, power ranking, which evaluates countries in opposite,” said Jenny Gray, the global product World Heritage list. notable progress in trimming fuel consumption by following the travel patterns of geese. The manufacturer’s latest biomimetics venture, dubbed fel- lo’fly, is said to reduce fuel usage by 5%-10% per trip. It entails Aras Geopark one step closer for being global multiple aircraft flying in a formation of sorts — not unlike the HERITAGE TEHRAN — Iran is completing an sustainable development, indigenous and local knowledge, “V” shape observed in flocks of geese. Essentially, a “follower” deskall-inclusive dossier for its Aras Geopark and geological conservation.” aircraft will take advantage of the smooth rising air created by hoping the northwestern area to be registered on the Situated in East Azarbaijan province, Aras Geopark the wake of a “leader,” as visualized below. United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural covers an area of about 1670 square kilometers, sprawling (Source: MSN) Organization’s Global Geoparks list. across the whole Jolfa county. The topography is gener- “The dossier will be submitted to the UNESCO Global ally extremely steep, and forms astonishing landscapes, ROUND THE GLOBE Geoparks Council within a month,” Fatemeh Moniri, the so that the highest point in Jolfa region is the Kiyamaki director of Aras Free Zone, said on Tuesday, ISNA reported. mount with 3347 meters and the lowest points include “It is expected that UNESCO assessors visit Aras Geopark the northern boundary and the Aras river valley with Asante traditional in early month of Kordad (late May 2020) in order to weigh 720 to 390 meters. buildings its situation,” she said. It has an appropriate geo-tourism attraction, because of She made the remarks on the sidelines of a workshop on its mountainous landscapes, and outcropping different sed- To the north-east of Kumasi, Ghana these are the last mate- development of geoparks and local communities, in which imentary and igneous rocks, diversity in tectonic structures, rial remains of the great Asante civilization, which reached several experts and academia attended. semi-cold and semi-arid climate and diverse flora and fauna. A view of Aras Geopark in northwest Iran its high point in the 18th century. Since the dwellings are World-recognition of Aras Geopark will lay the ground In May 2017, UNESCO included Iran’s southern Qeshm made of earth, wood and straw, they are vulnerable to the for long-term goals of empowering local communities and expert, said, “In a geopark, the local community is taken Island on its Global Geoparks list. Qeshm embraces wide onslaught of time and weather. developing a network of geopark associates, she said. into account and the environment is preserved in such a range of ecotourism attractions such as the Hara marine Other attendees also believed that establishing a geopark way that a visitor feels they have entered a different area. forests and about 60 villages dotted mostly across its rocky can help develop tourism and boost economy. Geoparks cover topics such as natural resources, geolog- coastlines. The island has an abundance of wildlife, including Talking at the workshop, Alireza Amri-Kazemi, a geopark ical hazards, climate change, education, culture, women, birds, reptiles, dolphins and turtles as well. Jakarta’s Old Town, a must-see destination frozen from colonial era By Mohammad Ali Haqshenas JAKARTA (MNA) – Entering the town’s main square, one can truly feel Dutch colonial rule and its architectural touches which have remained almost in a good shape. For those who travel to the Indonesian capital of Jakarta which has around 11 million residents, it is hard to imagine that the city was limited to a small area now famous as ‘Old Batavia’. Indonesians call it ‘Kota Tua’ Arranged around courtyards, the buildings are con- which means ‘old town’. structed of timber, bamboo and mud plaster and originally Batavia was established after the Dutch in- had thatched roofs. The unique decorative bas-reliefs that vaded Jayakarta (the old name of the region, adorn the walls are bold and depict a wide variety of mo- literally meaning ‘town of victory’) in 1619. The tifs. Common forms include spiral and arabesque details walled city was built around Ciliwung River. with representations of animals, birds and plants, linked Gradually it was expanded westwards and was to traditional “Adinkra” symbols. As with other traditional given Dutch architectural features and planning art forms of the Asante, these designs are not merely orna- such as public square, churches, canals and mental, they also have symbolic meanings, associated with tree-lined streets. Too afraid of insurrection Kota Tua, Jakarta, May 13, 2017 the ideas and beliefs of the Asante people, and have been by local people, the Dutch wouldn’t allow any handed down from generation to generation. Javanese to live inside the walls. which were the golden age of the VOC,” and 1710 a grand public building, the museum The buildings, their rich color, and the skill and diversity and banks moved from this region to the south The city’s construction completed in also “As the most complete surviving Dutch now showcases relics about the city and its of their decorations are the last surviving examples of a sig- which caused further deterioration of Kota Tua. 1650 and as it gained importance as the Colonial Capital City located at the centre of location from prehistoric times through the nificant traditional style of architecture that epitomized the But in 1972, Jakarta’s governorate designated headquarters of VOC (Vereenigde Oost-In- the web of the vast Dutch trading network in colonization period and until the independ- influential, powerful and wealthy Asante Kingdom of the late the old town as a heritage site, urging all bodies dische Compagnie) that was prospering 17th-18th Century. The spice trade route from ence of the country. 18th to late 19th centuries. to ramp up efforts to preserve the area. from the spice trade. the Netherlands to the Middle East, the Indian Wayang Museum, Maritime Museum, Fine A UNESCO World Heritage, the Asante Traditional Build- Kuta Tua has seen many restoration ef- In the late 18th century, the city declined Subcontinent, China, Japan, South Africa Art and Ceramic Museum, Bank Indonesia ings reflect and reinforce a complex and intricate technical, forts after 2004 which aim at revitalizing in prominence and was abandoned as people and the Spice Islands produced in Batavia, Museum, and Batavia Café are among other religious and spiritual heritage. the buildings and enhance its position as a preferred to southward. Stagnant water of a city with multicultural heritages alive till destinations in the town. The traditional religion, still practiced in the Asante shrines, heritage site. Indonesia has also submitted its canals and outbreaks of diseases such as today and which influenced the creation of If lucky you will have a great opportunity takes the form of consulting with the deities to seek advice the area along four outlying islands in 2015 Malaria are said to be reasons for its aban- an Indonesian culture reflecting all of these.” to take photos in the Fatahillah square with on specific situations, or before an important initiative. That to be inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage donment. However, in the early 19th century There are numerous sites to visit in the flying pigeons and with the Jakarta History is why the shrines have been maintained complete with all site. In the justification for the submission, the Old Batavia regained its status as the Kota Tua. Located in its main square, Jakarta Museum in your background. Also, you will their symbolic features. the areas has been described “As an excellent center of Dutch East Indies. History Museum or Fatahillah Museum can have a chance to ride colorful bikes, feel a (Source: UNESCO) example of Dutch colonial city town planning After the Indonesia Revolution, businesses and architecture during the 17th-18th century be the first choice for a visit. Established in gentle breeze and enjoy your time. I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y NOVEMBER 20, 2019 INTERNATIONAL 11

About Trump wanting RCEP exposes inefficiency of Indian political system By Ai Jun GLOBALTIMES — Economic issues appear to be the reason Iraq’s oil fields behind India›s recent decision not to go on board the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement. The real reason, however, is India›s political system. By John Kiriakou I always used to say that if they’re going In September, New Delhi invited representatives of RCEP to go in—nobody cared that much but it members to discuss the mega trade deal in India. After India CONSORTIUM NEWS — What the got written about—if they’re going to go announced its exit from RCEP talks on Monday, the country›s president(Trump) advocated was one of in—I’m sure you’ve heard the statement Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal indicated that the most telling statements of his pres- because I made it more than any human his country was still open to negotiations. These are signals New idency. It amounted to an admission being alive. If they’re going into Iraq, Delhi wishes to join the pact after all. Yet opposition to the deal that he is perfectly willing to commit keep the oil. They never did. They nev- in India have turned out to be a stumbling block. a war crime. er did. I know Lindsey Graham had a «A forceful opposition by Congress and Rahul Gandhi ensures President Donald Trump on Sunday bill where basically we would have been that the BJP government backs down» from signing the RCEP, held a highly unusual press conference paid back for all of the billions of dollars said Indian Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala. to announce the successful special forces we’ve spent.” Not only that, various political parties and social groups have operation the night before that resulted in What Donald Trump is advocating here, launched protests against RCEP in recent months. the death of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Bagh- in his very Donald Trump kind of way, The regional trade agreement has been highly politicized in dadi. When Trump read his prepared is “pillaging.” He is advocating taking India. Long-term interests do not matter anymore and Modi statement and did not walk away from Iraq’s oil by force, ostensibly as payment has no alternative but to turn the multilateral negotiations into the podium, my first thought was, “Oh, for our “liberation” of that country. This a choice whether to safeguard his approval rate. boy. How much classified information is clearly and definitively a war crime. In the past years, the more free trade agreements India signs is he going to release now?” My own International law has long protected with surrounding countries, the bigger India›s trade deficit be- informed opinion is that he released a property against pillage during armed comes. The phenomenon is proof that India is in need of reforms lot, talking about who did the raid, how conflict. The Lieber Code, a military law to boost its competiveness. Joining the RCEP could help India they did it, where they launched from, from the U.S. civil war, said, “All pillage further integrate into the regional and global industrial chain, what other countries were involved, and or sacking, even after taking place by gain more economic profits by taking advantage of its large pop- the fact that special forces elements re- force, are prohibited under penalty of ulation as well as markets, and promote its domestic economic mained on-scene for two hours to collect death, or such other severe punishment reforms. Modi knows this. So does Goyal. But they are helpless documentary intelligence. Often, those as may seem adequate for the gravity of in the face of domestic political pressure. India›s potential is kinds of details leak out in the days and the offense.” In The Hague Regulations trapped by its system. weeks after a raid like this. But they never, of 1907, two provisions stipulate clearly Western politicians are fond of comparing the political sys- ever come from the president himself. that “the pillage of a town or place, even tem between India and China. They believe democratic India is Trump also gloated inappropriately when taken by assault, is prohibited,” full of vigor and vitality while stiff and authoritative China will that Baghdadi “ran whimpering, crying, and that “pillage is formally forbidden.” see a bleak future sooner or later. Yet, the reality is different. and screaming all the way” before deto- The Geneva Conventions of 1949 and the Take infrastructure construction. The proposal over the nating a suicide vest, killing himself and Rome Statute of the International Crim- high-speed rail connecting Mumbai and Ahmedabad, Gujarat, three of his children. The whimpering, inal Court have both formally reaffirmed India›s first high-speed rail line, was approved in 2015. But the crying, and screaming part probably that pillaging a country of its natural construction is expected to begin in 2020 because land acqui- wasn’t true. After all, the raid was in part of his personal ideology. Here’s But where Lindsey and I totally agree resources is illegal and is considered to sition procedures are slowed by resistance from local farmers. the middle of the night and Baghdadi the exchange: is the oil. be a war crime. It’s as simple as that. Think about how many high-speed rail lines there are in China, had fled into a tunnel to try to escape Reporter: “You—you mentioned that “The oil is, you know, so valuable. For It matters not one whit if Lindsey which took 39 months to build the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed the onslaught. It would have been im- you had met some—gotten to know some many reasons. It fueled ISIS, number one. Graham has a bill to take Iraq’s oil. It railway, from designing the project to completing it. This is possible to know if he was crying down brilliant people along this process who— Number two, it helps the Kurds, because doesn’t matter if Trump thinks we should China›s efficiency. there. Trump added about Baghdadi, “He who had helped provide information it’s basically been taken away from the take the oil as reimbursement for U.S. India, the world›s largest democracy, is witnessing increas- died like a dog. He died like a coward. and—and—and advice along the way. Kurds. They were able to live with that aggression against that country. What ingly fierce political infighting. In the meantime, China has The world is now a much safer place.” Is there anyone in particular or would oil. And number three, it can help us, matters here is the rule of law, and the shaped a strong national consensus and has been concentrating Very few people in the Middle East you like to give anyone credit for getting because we should be able to take some law is clear. It’s bad enough that the on developing the sectors that meet the welfare of the majority keep dogs as pets. This was an insult to this point today?” also. And what I intend to do, perhaps, is U.S. military is in Syria illegally. (There of people first. It›s a long-held misperception of the West on just for the sake of insult. Don’t get me Trump: “Well, I—I would but if I men- make a deal with an ExxonMobil or one are only three ways to send troops to a China - Chinese policies are rigid and under the leadership of wrong — I’m glad Baghdadi is dead. He tion one, I have to mention so many. I of our great companies to go in there and foreign country legally: If the troops the Communist Party of China, so the country won›t realize was a coldblooded murderer, child killer, spoke to Senator Richard Burr this morn- do it properly. Right now it’s not big. It’s are invited by the country; if the coun- reform and opening-up. However, it is precisely because of the and terrorist, and the world is a better ing and as you know, he’s very involved big oil underground but it’s not big oil try attacks the United States; or with Party carrying out profound reforms, which advance with the place without him in it. But the insults with intelligence and the committee. up top. Much of the machinery has been the permission of the United Nations times, has the country›s potential been explored. were unnecessary. [Note: Senator Richard Burr (R-NC) shot and dead. It’s been through wars. Security Council.) Let’s not add more It is normal to encounter resistance during the process of All of that is irrelevant to the story, is the chairman of the Senate Select But—and—and spread out the wealth. international crimes to the ones we’ve reforms. The Chinese President once said, «When it comes to though. The most interesting part of the Committee on Intelligence.] And he’s But no, we’re protecting the oil, we’re already committed. the toughest reforms, only those with courage will carry the president’s press conference was his segue a great gentleman. I spoke with Lindsey securing the oil. Now that doesn’t mean John Kiriakou is a former CIA coun- day.» Yet given India›s political system, Modi may not have into a non sequitur about Iraq. Mid way Graham just a little while—in fact, Lind- we don’t make a deal at some point. terterrorism officer and a former senior the courage to promote tough reforms due to huge political through the press conference a reporter sey Graham is right over here, and he’s “But I don’t want to be — they’re — investigator with the Senate Foreign risks. Thanks to India›s large population, election system, many asked Trump about what “brilliant” people been very much involved in this subject they’re fighting for 1,000 years, they’re Relations Committee. John became opposition forces and their different calculations, it is hard for helped in his decision-making process and he’s—he’s a very strong hawk, but fighting for centuries. I want to bring the sixth whistleblower indicted by Indian political figures to promote any mega project. for the operation. Trump’s response was I think Lindsey agrees with what we’re our soldiers back home, but I do want the Obama administration under the New Delhi is suffering from record levels of smog. Indian one of the most telling statements of his doing now. And again, there are plenty to secure the oil. If you read about the Espionage Act—a law designed to punish media are questioning «why what worked for China does not presidency. Indeed, it was an admission of other countries that can help them history of Donald Trump, I was a civilian. spies. He served 23 months in prison as work in India.» It›s time for India to make some introspection that he is perfectly willing to commit a patrol. I don’t want to leave 1,000 or I had absolutely nothing to do with going a result of his attempts to oppose the on its own system. war crime, an impeachable offense, as 2,000 or 3,000 soldiers on the border. into Iraq and I was totally against it. But Bush administration’s torture program.

The Trump Doctrine World order in crisis: Where will it end? demands a democratic response GLOBALTIMES — Is post-WWII global the expense of equality. It is true the world has order coming to an end? Is world order made great strides in liberating cross-border 6 If there is a Trump doctrine, then, it’s little more than retreating to the days of great power rivalries trade and investment, thus paving the way a bombastic, in-your-face revival of Clintonism. Back Israel and and beggar-thy-neighbor competition of pre- for a level of unprecedented prosperity in the assorted regional autocrats, abet those regime’s bad behavior, WWI? If not, then what else is it? These are history of human civilization. However, while including the killing or starvation of countless brown folks, oc- some of the questions many people have open markets are efficient, they also generate casionally fling a few cruise or drone missiles at “terrorists” (at as the world enters the third decade of the greater inequality. Unfortunately, when this, Trump has outpaced even the assassin-in-chief, Barack 21st century. such issues are raised, they are dismissed Obama), maintain ample US military bases in the area (but out Such order has suffered serious problems. as communist pleas. As a result, the world of rifle range), all while limiting the deaths of US troops. Now First, as its initiator and most influential has witnessed an increasing polarization both I’m all for the latter, but the problem is two-fold: 1) Much evil is leader, the US may have possessed too within each country and globally, resulting in still done in our name, and, relatedly, 2) While most Americans much power to conduct itself prudently. domestic and international anger and anti- remain oblivious to the mayhem their military wreaks abroad, This behavior has been revealed through globalization protests. the locals aren’t fooled. They see it, live it, suffer it every day. their decisions to go to war with Vietnam Despite these and other flaws, the Their anger will inevitably boomerang back and inflict damage and Iraq, its withdrawal from international world order is still probably the best that on US troops and/or America’s cities. organizations, the launching of trade wars humankind has ever created. It champions Remember, the Clinton Doctrine didn’t end so well last time despite WTO rules, and reluctance to reform such universally accepted values and around. In fact, his strategy of loyally backing Israel, maintain- international institutions. principles like sovereignty, nonaggression, ing military bases near the Saudi “Holy Cities,” and sanction- Power corrupts. This does not only apply nonintervention with the internal affairs of ing-to-death a half million Iraqi civilians found their reflection to domestic politics but also to international other nations, human rights, the rule of law, in Osama bin Laden’s three justifications for declaring war on the politics. Without effective checks and free trade, and common and differentiated countries have chosen to remain, whether After all, the Trump administration’s policy United States. (That he put these in writing made him more specific balances, the US has been tempted to abuse responsibilities. it is UNESCO or the Universal Postal Union, behavior has been an exception rather than a and transparent than George W. Bush, who issued a notoriously its power, while harming the world and itself, It has created international institutions and whether it is the Iran nuclear deal or rule among the post-WWII US administrations. vague war resolution that Congress obediently rubber-stamped despite its professed good intentions. and international laws and norms according to Paris Agreement. Even the rising powers, It appears their complaints on the world while smoke still billowed from the crumbled Twin Towers.) Second, today’s world order is excessively these values and principles. It offers valuable including China and India, which feel the order are not centered on gains in certain As muddled as Trump’s foreign policy may be, the Democratic West-centric. Although Western countries platforms for countries to air their frustration world order has not given their voice and international arrangements, but over whether Party and American people ought to pay attention and take it quite are more developed and advocate strong with world affairs and to discuss ways and interests adequate attention and respect, the world order is needed. It is likely that seriously. If Democrats run on a foreign policy that reflexively values, it doesn’t entitle them to dictate the means to address the pressing issues that only call for reforms rather than replacing successive US administrations will see things opposes all the good in Trump’s antiwar rhetoric and keeps US actions of other countries. the world faces. It has helped the world it with a radically new order. differently and adopt a watered-down version soldiers in harm’s way in a series of aimless wars, well, they’re All countries have unique circumstances, avoid another worldwide war and achieve Although the tension between China of the more conventional US practice. apt to blow another election and hand Trump a second term. and Western governance models often do not unprecedented prosperity. Few countries and the US is rising, it is likely to remain The world order is likely to endure for Intellectually honest Democrats with real character, and a apply. Few developing nations have made it reject today’s world order, regardless of the limited. Both are nuclear weapon states, the foreseeable future, but it is also likely more informed and active citizenry, should, in fact, praise what’s to the level where they can be considered a grudges they may hold. possess significant economic interests in to change. The US will remain a leading sensible in Trump’s anti-interventionist rhetoric. Then they ought developed country since WWII ended. Despite Moreover, most countries have a stake their relationship, are stakeholders in the power, but with less predominance. The to hold his feet to the fire and force him to follow through. If he tremendous efforts from the West to promote in the existing order and are likely to stick international order, regardless if they are world order is likely to be less West-centered. fails, when he fails, they should offer a more genuinely antiwar development and good governance, what this to it. The wealthy can expect their money unhappy with aspects of it. With power more diffused, the world may agenda in 2020. Of course, that seems like pure fantasy in today’s has revealed is the world order has difficulty to be protected, and the poor can expect Under these circumstances, neither suffer from less efficiency in addressing alarmist environment in which anyone consistently antiwar or addressing the needs of developing nations. some assistance during desperate situations. fighting a war nor decoupling their economies global challenges but may gain from better even mildly complimentary of Trump’s more prudent remarks Third, while the US-led system of Both the strong and the weak can expect offers a realistic solution. The relationship protection of the interests of the weak through is considered a Russian asset. Still, if the republic is to stand, we military alliances has played a useful role international laws and norms to protect their will be more competitive. However, the fact more consultation in doing so. The rising must continue to dream. in maintaining peace and stability, it is also interests. The problems most countries have they are observing the Code for Unplanned powers are likely to have more power but If, as I fear, Trump’s endgame is to pull US troops out of di- exclusive and divisive. By default, it divides with the world order are more about the Encounters at Sea in the South China Sea and also assume greater responsibilities. rect combat but leave the infrastructure of our Middle Eastern countries into allies or others. This strategy injustice in the distribution of benefits rather negotiating a trade agreement proves that Does this sound too optimistic? Maybe. hegemony in place, a new Bin Laden could strike us on American has helped ensure alienation and suspicion, than absolute loss. They may be unhappy they know there is not a better alternative However, history is, after all, a human soil. There are many waiting in the wings, and they only need to complicating security cooperation between with international arrangements, but they to finding a way to coexist. creation. As we worry about the consequences get lucky once. Then Trump or perhaps an even more hawkish the US and its allies on the one side andnon- have no intention to overthrow the world Given the stakes the US has and the fact of world order decline, we should never give successor will feel obligated to respond. An unimaginative Pen- allied nations on the other side. order in favor of a 19th-century arrangement. that as a superpower, it can only protect its up hope for its transformation for a better one. tagon will follow the old Bush II or Obama playbook, and George Finally, the US-led economic order Therefore, despite US withdrawal from interests by maintaining this world order, they It is up to the choices and efforts of people Orwell – perhaps the original prophet of forever war – will roll in attaches too much importance to efficiency at some international institutions, most may reconsider its practices as time passes. around the world to turn hope into reality. his grave, futilely screaming through six feet of soil, I warned you! I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y 12 SOCIETY NOVEMBER 20, 2019

Amazon deforestation ‘at Health Ministry announces plan to highest level in a decade’ Deforestation of the Brazilian Amazon has hit the highest an- improve children’s health nual level in a decade, according to new government data which highlights the impact the president, Jair Bolsonaro, has made SOCIETY TEHRAN — The Ministry cular diseases in adulthood and the risk of desk on the world’s biggest rainforest. of Health has prepared a leukemia may even reduce in these children, The new numbers, showing almost 10,000 sq kms were lost plan consisting of 16 programs for the chil- she emphasized. in the year to August, were released as emboldened farm owners dren aged 5 or less to improve their health 20 breast milk banks to open scuffled with forest defenders in Altamira, the Amazonian city condition across the country, head of the The Ministry of Health plans to open 20 at the heart of the recent devastation. children’s health department at the Ministry breast milk banks nationwide by the end of Health has announced. of this year (March 19, 2020), she stated. Ghazal Shariat-Panah made the remarks A human milk bank or breast milk on the occasion of World Children’s Day which bank is a service which collects, screens, is celebrated on November 20 each year. processes, and dispenses by prescription United Nations has established Universal human milk donated by nursing mothers Children’s Day in 1954, which is celebrated who are not biologically related to the re- annually on November 20, to promote in- cipient infant. ternational togetherness, awareness among “So far, 5 breast milk banks have started children worldwide, and improving chil- operating in the cities of Tabriz, Shiraz, Yazd, dren’s welfare. Hamedan, and recently in Tehran. November 20 is an important date as it Breast milk bank in Tehran was opened is the date in 1959 when the UN General As- two days ago at Akbarabadi hospital. sembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights Fortunately, mothers have been very good of the Child. It is also the date in 1989 when at donating milk so far, and more work needs the UN General assembly adopted the Con- to be done in this area,” Shariat-Panah ex- The assault on the planet’s biggest terrestrial carbon sink vention on the Rights of the Child. plained. by land-grabbers, agribusiness, miners and loggers is acceler- Sixteen healthcare programs for Ministry for children, which includes fluoride overweight in the age group of five-year-olds, The most common cancer among ating. In the year until 30 July 2019, 9,762 sq kms were lost, an children therapy, fluoride varnish treatment. she stated that the obesity rate among children children increase of 29.5% over the previous 12 months, the Brazilian “Healthcare programs for children under Reports show that children’s dental and has been increasing over the past few years; Regarding the incidence of cancer in space agency INPE said. the age of five are conducted regularly even oral health is improved and the need for ad- with nutrition intervention programs being children, she noted that currently the most The clearance rate – equivalent to about two football fields a if they do not have a specific illness; by the vanced medical interventions have declined implemented, it is found out that most of the common cancer between children is leukemia minute – is the fastest since 2008, pushing Brazil far off course end of the five-year period we have provided sharply, according to Shariat-Panah. overweight is occurred after the age of five. worldwide. from reaching its Paris agreement goals to cut carbon emissions. 16 care plans for each child, including vision Significant decrease in malnu- Observing the type of nutrition since a Of course, there are other types of can- The annual numbers are compiled with information from the and hearing screening, nutrition check, and trition and short stature supplemental nutrition is added to a child’s cers among children but does not have high Prodes satellite system, which is considered the most conservative so on,” Shariat-Panah explained. Elsewhere in her remarks, she said that nutritional plan has been one of the approaches prevalence, she added. measurement of deforestation. Although less steep than the rise ‘In addition to child care, we offer programs the average malnutrition in Iranian children done by the Ministry to prevent childhood Free of charge service for labor suggested by monthly alerts from the Deter system, it confirms an for mothers and take special care of those has fallen, which is one of the most important obesity, she also said. children upward trend that Bolsonaro and his ministers said was a “lie”, children suffering from specific diseases,” issues in measuring children’s health. “Breastfeeding has a profound effect on All working children whether Iranian which the former head of the space agency was fired for repeating. she added. She further highlighted that short stature reducing the average childhood obesity, which or foreign nationals can access free health Environmental groups blamed the government for “every inch Unfortunately, one of the problems is in children also declined. is why we emphasize that child should only care, by visiting health centers in the country, of the increase because it weakened environmental protections, that after the vaccination of children aged The department looks after the health be breastfed by the end of six months. “ Shariat-Panah also said. supported loggers and encouraged land-grabbing”. 18 months, parents’ referring to the centers of children under five, and since there are Also, since breast milk is a living, cellu- “We also cooperate with the Ministry of “It is no surprise this is happening because the president has reduce, she lamented, calling on the par- not non-communicable diseases in this age lar organism, nothing replaces it, she said, Labor and municipalities to support labor defended environmental crime and promoted impunity,” said ents not to stop referring to health centers so group, we have been focusing on communi- adding, there are numerous articles showing children,” she added. Adriana Ramos of the Socio-environmental Institute. that their children’s health to be monitored cable diseases treatment, namely, respiratory that infants who are breastfed for the first According to Shariat-Panah, most of the The monitoring NGO, the Climate Observatory, said the rise regularly. infections, common viral diseases and urinary six months of their life up to two years old diseases reported among working children was the third highest in history (after 1995 and 1998), and was Pointing to children’s oral and dental tract infections, she also explained. have better IQ, faster brain cell growth and are infectious diseases, especially head lice, likely to continue. health programs, she said that there is a Obesity is rising among children less earache. although malnutrition is even more prevalent “Proposals like legalising land-grabbing, mining and farming care program in the service package of the Regarding the incidence of obesity and They have a reduced risk of cardiovas- in these children. on indigenous lands, as well as reducing the licensing requirements for new infrastructure will show that the coming years will be even worse,” Carlos Rittl, its executive secretary, said. “The question is how Spending on trees in UK falls despite Nearly all America’s endangered species long Brazil’s trading partners will trust its promises of sustainability pledges to plant more will struggle to adapt to climate crisis and compliance with the Paris agreement, as forests fall, indigenous leaders are killed and environmental laws are shattered.” Spending on trees and forestry fell by nearly The climate crisis is poised to deliver a The increasingly confrontational tactics of rightwing ruralis- £20m a year between 2015 and 2018, when severe blow to America’s most threat- tas (farming, timber and mining interests) were evident at a civil a purely Conservative government had taken ened animals, with a new study finding society gathering in Altamira, in Pará state, on Monday morning. over from the coalition, despite pledges to that almost every species considered The meeting – titled Amazon: Centre of the World – brought plant more trees. endangered is vulnerable in some way together hundreds of forest guardians and their supporters, in- The Department for Environment, Food to global heating. cluding indigenous leader Raoni Metuktire, riverine communi- and Rural Affairs said £132m was spent Of the 459 animal species listed as en- ties, quilombolas, environmental activists, academics, artists, across the UK on trees in 2017-18, down dangered by the US government, research- Catholic bishops, nuns and European visitors from Extinction from £151m in 2014-15. The more recent ers found that all but one, or 99.8%, have Rebellion and Fridays for Future. They aim to draw up a forest total included £32m in England, with most characteristics that will make it difficult manifesto that would put nature and the Amazon at the heart of of the rest spent in Scotland. Tree-planting was speeded up in the for them to adapt to rising temperatures. protection plans in place. the international debate about the climate and biodiversity crisis. The figures equate to less than £1 per last year, with 2m trees planted in England An array of threats faces these species. “This study confirms that the climate Many powerful interests in this region do not want global person in England and less than £2 per with government support – up from 1.6m The California condor, once close to being crisis could make it even harder for nearly attention on their activities. person across the UK, compared with an- the previous year. The rate of acceleration completely wiped out, faces increased risk all of our country’s endangered species (Source: The Guardian) nual spending of about £90 per person on is still below what is needed to meet the of contamination in hotter conditions. Key to avoid extinction,” said Astrid Caldas, roads, £150pp on fossil fuel subsidies and government’s pledge to plant 11m trees deer, found only in the Florida Keys, face a study co-author and a climate scientist £135pp in foregone tax from the nine-year between 2017 and 2022. losing habitat to the rising seas. at the Union of Concerned Scientists. WORDS IN THE NEWS freeze on fuel duty. Estimating the annual spending on trees Whole classes of animals including am- “While agencies have increasingly Subsidising fossil fuel production over- is complex because the money comes from phibians, mollusks and arthropods are sensi- listed climate change as a growing threat Vietnam’s bike racers seas costs each UK taxpayer more than £7 a variety of sources. Defra’s estimate, re- tive to the greatest number of climate-related to species whose survival is already pre- a year, according to estimates from Friends quested by the Guardian, is more than twice threats, such as changes in water quality, carious, many have not translated this (April 17, 2002) of the Earth. as high as an estimate from Friends of the shifting seasons and harmful invasive species concern into tangible actions, meaning Police in the commercial capital of Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City, Trees became an unexpected electoral Earth in a report published on Tuesday, that move in as temperatures climb. a significant protection gap still exists.” say they’ve seized hundreds of motor bikes to try to stop illegal battleground over the weekend when the which says just £60m a year is spent on Mammals, such as the north Atlantic Aimee Delach, senior policy analyst for weekend racing on the streets of the city. Tories pledged to plant 30m new trees a year trees across the UK. right whale and Florida panther, also climate adaptation at Defenders of Wild- This report from Claire Arthurs: and the Liberal Democrats promised 60m. The Conservatives also believe the true face increased hardships, albeit on fewer life and Caldas’ co-author, said the Trump The police operation over the weekend netted more than Emi Murphy, a trees campaigner at amount of spending is higher and that Boris fronts than amphibians, mollusks and administration’s decision to weaken its two hundred of the bikes used by the high-speed racers. They Friends of the Earth, said: “We’re calling Johnson’s government should be judged arthropods. interpretation of the Endangered Species regularly taunt the authorities by racing noisily through the city for the next government to properly fund on its promises rather than the record of Despite the overwhelming peril faced Act was “disastrous” and likely to further center in Ho Chi Minh City’s District One and Binh Than District, the doubling of tree cover. Theresa May. by America’s endangered species due to slow down the response to climate threats. watched by crowds which number from hundreds to thousands. “This is one of the key solutions to solving Sue Hayman, the shadow environment the climate crisis, the report, published in In May, a landmark UN report Last weekend, more than eighty traffic police on high-powered bikes the climate crisis but has been shocking- secretary, said the Tories’ new pledge amount- Nature Climate Change, found a patchy warned that one million species around joined local police units to chase the racers. If they do catch any, the ly underfunded for years. Faced with the ed to only 1% of the trees that the Committee response from the US government. Federal the world were at risk of extinction, with normal procedure is to seize identity papers and confiscate the climate emergency and the dire impacts on Climate Change – an independent public agencies consider just 64% of endangered global heating one of the main pressure bikes until fines are paid. it will bring, we simply cannot afford not body – had said would be needed. species to be threatened by the climate points on biodiversity. Police Senior Lieutenant-Colonel Than Minh Khuya says the to fund trees.” (Source: The Guardian) crisis, while just 18% of listed species have (Source: The Guardian) organizers face a fine of about three thousand dollars. A tenth of that is paid by riders. Three hundred dollars is about the annual wage in Vietnam. But many of the racers are the sons and daughters ENGLISH IN USE of influential people. They have money for powerful bikes and for gambling on the races and are willing to take on the risk of a LEARN NEWS TRANSLATION fine. They also risk injury and death in a country where, despite the law, motor bike helmets are scorned as hot and uncomfortable. Racing provides these young people with an outlet for their new سامانه پایش و پیشبینی خشکسالی ,wealth in Vietnam’s growing economy and for their youthful System to be set up for monitoring frustrations. Most of Vietnam’s population is young, with urban کشاورزی ایران ایجاد می شود youth increasingly exposed to consumer culture and seeking ways forecasting agricultural drought to express itself in a tightly controlled society. A system will be launched to monitor, forecast and report the agricultural معــاون امــور بازســازی و بازتوانــی ســازمان مدیریــت بحــران کشــور از ایجــاد ســامانه پایــش و پی شبینــی Illegal racers in Ho Chi Minh and the capital, Hanoi, complain lands being hit by drought, Amir Qaderi, an official with Disaster Management خشکســالی کشــاورزی ایــران خبــر داد. that a shortage of entertainment means there’s not much else بــه گــزارش پایــگاه اطــاع رســانی ســازمان مدیریــت بحــران کشــور، امیــر قــادری روز یکشــنبه بــا اعــام .for young people to do. Illegal racers will continue to give the Organization has announced ایــن خبــر گفــت: طــرح ایجــاد ســامانه پایــش و پیشبینــی خشکســالی کشــاورزی ایــران طــی جلسـ ـهای بــا authorities a headache. The bikes which are currently piled up Over a meeting of a special working group for addressing drought and risks in the changing rooms at the police station in Ho Chi Minh City threatening agricultural sector, a plan for establishing a system for monitoring حضــور مدیــران و کارشناســان ســازمان مدیریــت بحــران و وزارت جهــاد کشــاورزی بررســی شــد. .will be back on the streets before the end of the month وی ادامــه داد: پــس از بررســی تجــارب داخلــی و روشهــای موجــود جهانــی، ضــرورت اســتقرار نمونــه بومــی and forecasting agricultural drought in the country was approved and submitted Words to the Disaster Management Organization for review, he explained. پایــش و پی شبینــی خشکســالی کشــاورزی مــورد تأکیــد قــرار گرفــت و بــا مشــارکت مراکــز پژوهشــی netted: caught by means of a trap or special operation, usually “Following the study of other countries’ experiences and existing global methods, ســازمان هواشناســی کشــور و پژوهشــکده حفاظــت خــاک و آبخیــزداری طــرح ایجــاد ســامانه پایــش و by the police پیشبینــی خشکســالی کشــاورزی ایــران پیشــنهاد شــد. taunt: if you taunt somebody you say or do something in order the necessity of establishing a domestic system to recognize the lands prone to upset them and show their weakness to agricultural drought was emphasized,” he noted. to chase: to run or drive after somebody in order to catch them to seize: when the police seize something from somebody they take it by force because the person has broken the law PREFIX/SUFFIX PHRASAL VERB IDIOM confiscate: to take something away as a punishment fines: a sum of money which a court of law orders somebody to “extra-” pencil somebody/ Cut both ways pay as a punishment gambling: betting money- for example on card games or races Meaning: beyond something in Explanation: Something that has both a positive and scorned: if you scorn something you refuse to use it because you For example: We’ve made *extraordinary* pro- a negative effect at the same time feel it is not right for you gress as a society in that regard. Meaning: to make an arrangement for a meeting or For example: Banning cars in the town center can a shortage: if there is a shortage there is not enough of something other event, knowing that it might have to be changed later cut both ways: less traffic congestion but fewer customers a headache: here, something that causes worry or difficulty For example: Pickford has been penciled in as Rob- in the shops. (Source: BBC) son’s replacement. I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y NOVEMBER 19, 2019 WORLD IN FOCUS 13

Syria’s air aefense system shoots down Kuwait’s emir appoints Israeli missiles in southern Syria foreign minister as new PM Kuwait’s ruler Tuesday named Sheikh Sabah al-Khalid al-Sabah Syria’s air defense system detected and shot capacity of approximately 630 megawatts as prime minister, elevating him from his role as foreign minister, down several missiles that were launched (MW). after a row between ruling family members and parliament in by Israeli war aircraft toward military po- Syrian government troops had earlier tak- the Gulf state led the last government to quit. sitions in southern Syria, a security source en back control of Tabqa Dam, or al-Thawra Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah initially tapped care- said on Tuesday. Dam, located 40 kilometers upstream from taker premier Sheikh Jaber al-Mubarak al-Sabah to form a new “Israeli war aircraft tried to attack one the city of Raqqah. cabinet but he rebuffed the offer Monday, citing a media cam- of the military positions in the country’s “Before the war, Syria used to supply paign against him. south by the use of missiles,” the Sputnik electricity to neighboring countries such as The government resignation came after lawmakers sought reported. . Jordan and Lebanon,” Dr. Ali al-Ahmad, a a no-confidence vote against the interior minister and as a dis- He added that the Syrian Army’s air de- member of the Syrian Geopolitical Research pute between senior officials, including the interior and defence fense system detected the missiles in the Academy, said. ministers, over alleged mishandling of public funds went public. vicinity of the southern village of Damascus, Ahmad added that the most important State news agency KUNA said the emir on Tuesday asked near the city of Quneitra, which is located reason for the economic crisis that Syria is Sheikh Sabah al-Khalid, who has been Kuwait’s foreign minister in the Golan Heights, and eliminated most experiencing is the lack of electricity. since 2011, to form a new government. of them, He stressed that “the Syrian army is The oil policy of the OPEC producer, which is set by a supreme According to an additional source in the now working to liberate expanses of land petroleum council, and foreign policy, which is steered by the field, the Syrian air defense system shot in the northern Euphrates region from emir, are unlikely to change under the new government. down several missiles, which were alleg- the US occupation,” adding that most of Kuwait, an ally of the United States, has the most open polit- edly launched by Israel, near the Damascus terrorists have been eliminated and more ical system in the Gulf Arab region, with a parliament wielding International Airport. than 80% of the territory of Syria has been power to pass legislation and question ministers. The Israel Defense Forces, however, ha- recovered. Power struggles between senior ruling family members have ven’t commented on the claims yet. hydroelectric power plant in the country’s seized back Tishrin power plant, located 90 Ahmad concluded that “Turkish occupying often played out in parliament. Cabinet resignations happen Syrian govt. forces seize back northwestern province of Aleppo as they kilometers (55.9 miles) east of the provincial forces will be defeated in the end,” empha- frequently when elected lawmakers are set to question or submit major hydroelectric power plant continue to score territorial gains in battles capital city of Aleppo, on Monday. sizing that Syrian people are determined to a no-confidence vote against senior government officials. east of Aleppo against foreign-sponsored Takfiri terrorists. The report added that Russian military rid every inch of their country’s soil from (Source: Daily Star) Meanwhile, Syrian government troops The Arabic service of Russia’s Sputnik forces will soon start patrols near the strategic the presence of occupying forces. have managed to wrest control over a major news agency reported that Syrian army forces facility, which has an electricity generating (Source: agencies) House investigating whether UN: Air raid in Libya kills 10, may Yemen’s Houthis seize ‘suspected Trump lied in U.S. Russia constitute a war crime vessel’ in Red Sea: Official probe The U.S. House of Representatives is probing whether President At least 10 people have been killed and 35 2014, a result of the divisions that surfaced Fighters from Yemen’s Houthi Ansarul- In a short message on his Twitter account, Donald Trump lied in his written testimony submitted to then- wounded in an air attack that hit a biscuit following the NATO-backed overthrow of lah movement have managed to seize a Houthi assured that there were absolutely U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller as part of the completed factory in Libya in what a senior United longtime ruler Muammar Gaddafi three ‘suspected vessel’ off the western coasts no need to “worry about the crew.” federal investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election, Nations official said was a possible war years earlier. of the impoverished country in the Red His comments came shortly after the Sau- CNN said Monday. crime. Tripoli has been under attack since Sea, but will release it once it proves to di-led military coalition, in a statement The majority of those killed in the attack April from forces loyal to renegade mil- belong to South Korea after completing carried by the official Saudi Press Agency, on Monday in Wadi Rabea, 21 kilometers itary commander Khalifa Haftar. legal procedures, a top Houthi official says. accused the Houthi movement of “hijack- (13 miles) from the center of the capital, The offensive by his Libyan National Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, the Chairman of ing” a vessel that had been towing a South Tripoli, were apparently migrants, while Army (LNA) quickly stalled, and both the Supreme Revolutionary Committee of Korean drilling rig. It added that the vessel two were Libyan, the UN Libya envoy Ghas- sides have used drones and fighter jets Yemen, made the remarks in an interview had been seized late on Sunday. san Salame told the UN Security Council. to carry out air raids amid sporadic with Reuters on Monday. The Saudi-imposed war has taken a heavy Photos posted by authorities showed fighting. “Yemeni coast guards... are checking to toll on Yemen’s infrastructure, destroying several wounded people in bloodstained The UN-recognized Tripoli-based Gov- see whether (the vessel) belongs to the hospitals, schools, and factories. The UN civilian clothes lying on beds in ambulances ernment of National Accord (GNA) blamed countries of aggression or to South Ko- says over 24 million people are in dire or medical facilities. Monday’s attack on the LNA, which later rea, in which case it will be released after need of humanitarian aid, including 10 Malek Merset, a spokesman with the issued a statement on combat operations completing legal procedures. The crews million suffering from extreme levels Tripoli-based health ministry, said at least that did not comment on the air raid. are being well treated,” he said. of hunger. 33 workers, mostly from Niger and Ban- LNA air attacks have often hit civilian By countries of aggression Houthi meant The U.S.-based Armed Conflict Location and gladesh, were taken to hospital for urgent areas in Tripoli, however, officials in eastern Saudi Arabia and a number of its regional Event Data Project (ACLED), a nonprofit treatment. Merset said seven people have Libya contacted by Reuters News Agency allies that launched a devastating campaign conflict-research organization, estimates died in the attack. on Monday said they had no information against Yemen in March 2015, with the goal that the war has claimed more than 91,000 Libya has been split between rival about an air attack by their forces. of bringing the former pro-Saudi regime lives over the past four and a half years. A House lawyer told a federal appeals court in Washington camps based in Tripoli and the east since (Source: al Jazeera) back to power and crushing Ansarullah. (Source: Press TV) Monday that lawmakers were examining whether Trump’s written answers to federal investigators were untruthful, CNN reported. A spokeswoman for the House Judiciary Committee had no immediate comment. Erdogan says told Trump Turkey will not give up on Russian S-400s Mueller submitted a report to U.S. Attorney General William Tayyip Erdogan said Tuesday he told U.S. President Speaking to members of his AK Party in parliament, Kurdish militants waging an insurgency on Turkish soil, Barr in March after completing a 22-month investigation that Donald Trump during talks in Washington last week Erdogan also said he had told Trump that if the United and has launched three offensives in northern Syria against detailed Russia’s campaign of hacking and propaganda to boost that Turkey would not give up on the Russian S-400 States maintained its “uncompromising stance” on the the militia. It has been infuriated by the U.S. support for the Trump’s candidacy in the 2016 election as well as extensive con- missile defense systems it procured this year despite F-35s, Turkey would have to seek alternatives to meet its militia, repeatedly urging its NATO ally to halt its relations tacts between Trump’s campaign and Moscow. protests from its NATO ally. medium-term defense needs. with the group. House lawyers disclosed the investigation into Trump’s written Erdogan and Trump held talks at the White House to over- Turkey is also aware that the U.S. support for the Syrian Speaking to members of his AK Party, Erdogan said Tur- responses in September, saying in a court filing that materials come mounting differences between the allies. Washington Kurdish YPG militia will not end immediately, President key will continue to battle the YPG until all threats towards from the Mueller report could show Trump was not honest about has said the S-400s pose a threat to its F-35 stealth fighter Tayyip Erdogan said Tuesday, but added that Ankara’s Turkey are stopped and every militant is eliminated. He his knowledge of his campaign’s contacts with WikiLeaks, which jets and has suspended Turkey from the jet programme, battle against the militia it considers a terrorist group will added that no plan in the region can be realized without published emails hacked from the Democratic Party. where it is a buyer and manufacturer. It has also warned continue. Turkey’s consent and support. The redacted Mueller report materials “have direct bearing of U.S. sanctions over the deal, but has yet to impose them. Ankara views the YPG as a terrorist group linked to (Source: Reuters) on whether the president was untruthful, and further obstructed the special counsel’s investigation, when in providing written responses to the special counsel’s questions he denied being aware of any communications between his campaign and WikiLeaks,” The secret behind Trump’s moves in eastern Deir ez-Zur the House lawyers said in the filing. (Source: Reuters) 1 The Russian Defense Ministry in recent weeks Syria’s known oil reserves are mainly in the eastern part of Lebanon has uncovered some oil and gas reserves in has also released satellite images of some areas in Syria the country in Deir ez-Zor, the second largest Syrian prov- the Mediterranean. Syria can also explore some of these showing that U.S. troops have created security guard ince after Homs. The rest of reserves are in other provinces reserves as it has long coasts along the Mediterranean if it to smuggle Syria’s oil. Earlier, images of eastern Syria such as Hama, Ar Raqqah and Homs. invests in its territorial waters. were released documenting oil trucks were traveling Before the beginning of civil war in 2011, Syria U.S. actions in eastern Euphrates Taliban release two Western across Syria-Turkey borders, an action which reveals was extracting 385,000 barrels of light crude oil with Now that the defeat of terrorists is clear to every- the goals of those countries which support terrorism the approximate value of €3 billion, which were be- one, the U.S. is seeking to create economic crisis in hostages in Afghanistan in a in Syria. ing transferred to Homs via pipeline. 89,000 barrels Syria by using oil as a tool against Damascus. This is Syria’s oil reserves of the extracted oil were being refined and used for the reason why it is seizing the country’s oil reserves swap for top commanders domestic uses. The rest was being exported through In terms of oil reserves, Syria is in 32nd place after Ma- and also pressures Damascus to accept Washington’s The Afghan Taliban released two Western hostages Tuesday, port of Baniyas. laysia and ahead of Argentina, with 2,500,000,000 barrels. conditions. Afghan government officials said, completing a delayed prisoner swap for three of the militant group’s commanders and raising hopes for of a revival of efforts for peace. American Kevin King and Australian Timothy Weeks EU, U.S. break over Israel settlements were kidnapped in August 2016 from outside the American University of Afghanistan in Kabul where both worked as Palestinians slam U.S. policy reversal on Israeli settlements professors. 1 law, justice & peace”. “The EU calls on Israel to end all settlement activity, The U.S.-backed government’s decision to carry out the swap Palestinians slam U.S. policy reversal Jordan’s foreign minister, Ayman Safadi, warned that in line with its obligations as an occupying power,” EU is seen as key to securing direct talks with the Islamist militants, Palestinians, rights groups, politicians and others have the U.S. change of position would have “dangerous con- foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said in a statement who have, until now, refused to engage with what they call an sharply criticized the Trump administration after it an- sequences” on the prospects of reviving the Middle East following the U.S. move. illegitimate “puppet” regime in Kabul. nounced the United States was no longer considered Israeli peace process. Kenneth Roth, the executive director of Human Rights “The two professors are safely freed and are being taken care settlements in the occupied West Bank “inconsistent” with Safadi said in a tweet that Israeli settlements in the Watch, tweeted: “Pompeo’s fictional statement changes of now,” said a senior Afghan official on condition of anonymity international law. territory were illegal and killed prospects of a two-state nothing. Trump can’t wipe away with this announcement because he was not authorized to speak to the media. According to several United Nations Security Council solution in which a Palestinian state would exist side-by- decades of established international law that Israel’s set- He did not provide further details. resolutions, the most recent in 2016, Israeli settlements are side with Israel, which Arab countries say is the only way tlements are a war crime.” Earlier on Tuesday, three Taliban sources familiar with the illegal under international law as they violate the Fourth to resolve the decades-old Arab-Israeli conflict. U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, a leading U.S. Democratic deal, including one in Qatar, home to the political leadership of Geneva Convention, which prohibits an occupying power Reaction presidential hopeful, also weighed in on Twitter, saying the Afghan Taliban, said the three Taliban commanders who are from transferring its population to the area it occupies. A spokesman for the UN’s human rights office (OHCHR) “Israeli settlements in occupied territory are illegal.” part of the swap were freed from jail in Afghanistan. The U.S. announcement, the latest in a series of moves by said that it “shares the UN long standing position on the issue “This is clear from international law and multiple United “Soon after their release, they were flown to Doha and hand- the Trump administration favoring Israel, drew immediate that Israeli settlements are in breach of international law.” Nations resolutions. Once again, Mr. Trump is isolating the ed over to the political office in Qatar,” said a Taliban leader in criticism from Palestinians, rights groups and politicians Rupert Colville also said there are several UN resolutions United States and undermining diplomacy by pandering Afghanistan, who declined to be identified because he is not worldwide. as well as decisions by the International court of Justice to his extremist base,” Sanders said. authorised to speak publicly about the deal. A spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (ICJ) relating to the issue. Turkey Slams U.S. Reversal on Israeli Spokesmen for the Afghan government and the United said the U.S. decision “contradicts totally with interna- “On 9 July 2004, the ICJ stated in its Advisory Opinion West Bank Settlements States embassy in Kabul were not immediately available for tional law”. that Israel’s construction of the separation wall and expansion Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has blasted comment. Washington is “not qualified or authorized to cancel the of the settlements are illegally altering the demographic Washington over its decision to reverse the U.S.’s previ- On Nov. 12, President Ashraf Ghani said Afghanistan would resolutions of international law, and has no right to grant composition of the OPT and thus severely impede the Pales- ous position on the illegal nature of Israeli settlements in free Anas Haqqani, a senior figure in the eponymous Haqqani legality to any Israeli settlement”, Palestinian presidential tinians’ ability to exercise their right to self-determination,” West Bank. network, a militant faction of the Taliban responsible for some spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeinah said in a statement. he told reporters on Tuesday. “No country is above international law. Fait ac- of the worst violence in recent years, and two other Taliban com- Hanan Ashrawi, a veteran Palestinian negotiator and Meanwhile, the European Union said that it continued compli style declarations shall have no validity with manders. member of the Palestine Liberation Organization’s Executive to believe that Israeli settlement activity in occupied Pal- respect to international law,” Cavusoglu wrote on his But the swap was abruptly postponed, with the Taliban then Committee, said on Twitter before Pompeo’s statement estinian territory was illegal under international law and official Twitter account, referring to Secretary Pom- shifting their hostages to a new location. that the move represented another blow to “international eroded prospects for lasting peace. peo’s statement. (Source: agencies) I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y 14 WORLD SPORTS NOVEMBER 20, 2019

Guardiola’s agent rules out a Luis Enrique to return as Spain return to Bayern Munich Pep Guardiola’s agent has ruled out a return to Bayern Munich manager following daughter’s death at least until the Spaniard’s contract expires at Manchester City in 2021, according to reports. The German champions are currently looking for a new head Luis Enrique has been re-appointed as the Moreno said in September he would coach following the sacking of Niko Kovac after a 5-1 thrashing manager of Spain, five months after stepping stand aside and continue his former role as at Eintracht Frankfurt at the start of the month. down from the role for personal reasons. assistant should Enrique feel fit to return, Caretaker boss Hansi Flick will remain in charge at least until Enrique resigned from the role in although he will now leave immediately. Christmas when the Bundesliga goes into recess but the Germans June as his nine-year-old daughter Xana It is understood Moreno was are already on the lookout for a possible high profile replacement. was seriously ill with bone cancer, and disappointed Rubiales did not confirm “Pep is content and very happy in Manchester. His contract subsequently died in August. who would be Spain’s manager for the is until June 2021,” Guardiola’s agent Josep Maria Orobitg told However, Spanish Football Federation Euros after their 7-0 win against Malta German daily Bild on Wednesday, having also been quoted by president Luis Rubiales confirmed Enrique’s on Friday. websites SPOX and Goal. reinstatement as manager at a press Enrique’s re-appointment sees him “Guardiola always fulfils his contracts. conference on Tuesday. become the fourth change of manager since “I haven’t spoken with anyone in Germany about him - neither Rubiales said: “Today we can confirm Julen Lopetegui was dismissed just days with intermediaries nor club bosses. that Luis Enrique will return to his position. before Spain’s 2018 World Cup opener. “Pep has good memories of Munich and still has friends there, We have acted sincerely, we have not The 49-year-old won eight of 10 matches but at the moment he has shown no interest in returning to deceived anyone. Everyone knew that if during his previous tenure, suffering Nations Germany as a coach. Luis Enrique wanted to come back he had League defeats to England and Croatia. “That is something that is just as impossible at the moment the doors open.” He was in charge for the Nations League, as it was last summer with Juventus. I deny all rumours.” The president also revealed the new where Spain failed to reach the semi-finals, Guardiola won the German league and cup double in his final manager’s contract “will continue to the and remained in place for the beginning season at Bayern in 2016 having lifted the Bundesliga title in each Qatar World Cup,” in 2022. of their Euro 2020 qualifying campaign. of his three seasons at the Munich club, who he joined in 2013. The former Barcelona manager missed Championships. games to spare. The Spaniard travelled back home for Ajax coach Erik ten Hag and Paris Saint-Germain’s Thomas Spain’s previous three games before leaving Moreno went on to win four of his six The 42-year-old walked out of Atletico personal reasons before Spain’s 2-0 victory Tuchel have been linked to Bayern, but both have made it clear the role and was replaced by his long- games in charge, including Monday’s 5-0 Madrid’s Metropolitano stadium in tears in Malta in March and Moreno was placed they will not leave their respective clubs this season. term assistant Robert Moreno, who was victory over Romania, as Spain secured following the win on Monday, without in temporary charge. (Source: Mirror) given a contract until after the European their qualification for Euro 2020 with two himself or the players talking to the media. (Source: Sky Sports)

Tokyo finishes building Danes, Swiss through to Euro 2020 Airbnb incurs Paris wrath over stadium for 2020 as rampant Italy hit nine Olympics partnership Construction work has been completed at Tokyo’s National Sta- dium, set to be the centrepiece of next year’s Olympic Games, the site’s owners said on Tuesday. The Japan Sports Council said the final work had been com- pleted on Thursday with just the final quality and safety checks remaining before the stadium opens next month. It will be officially unveiled on Dec. 21, with the Emperor’s Cup soccer final being the first sporting event to be held there on New Year’s Day. Completed at a cost of more than $1.25 billion, the stadium, which can accommodate 60,000, will also host the athletics and soccer events during the Games. Construction started in December 2016, about 14 months later than planned, after the original design was scrapped because of a public outcry over spiralling costs. The delay meant the stadium could not host matches of the Rugby World Cup, as originally planned. The National Stadium is one of eight new venues to be used at the Tokyo Games, all of them are either complete or on schedule to be finished before the event. The Tokyo Olympics run from Denmark and Switzerland secured spots at cation from Group J but they saved their Airbnb became a leading partner of the “the digital age”. July 24 to Aug. 9. Euro 2020 at the expense of the Republic of best for last, making it 10 wins from 10 by Olympics in a nine-year deal announced He said it “will provide accommodation (Source: Reuters) Ireland on Monday as Roberto Mancini’s hammering Armenia 9-1 in Palermo with Monday that drew strong criticism from that will reduce the cost for the Olympic Italy completed a perfect qualifying cam- seven different scorers. Paris, host of the 2024 summer Games. Games organizers and all the stakeholders”. Qatar to charter cruise liners paign by scoring nine. Serie A top scorer Ciro Immobile and In the deal unveiled in London, the home “It will minimize the need for (new) con- Ireland needed to beat Denmark in Dublin Nicolo Zaniolo both scored braces, while rental platform became a “Top” Interna- struction,” Bach said, adding that athletes to host fans at World Cup to clinch qualification for next year’s 24-team Nicolo Barella and Alessio Romagnoli found tional Olympic Committee (IOC) partner, would continue to stay in the Olympic village. European Championship finals, but Matt the net before Chelsea midfielder Jorginho joining titans including Coca Cola and Visa Airbnb said the deal would result in Qatar will charter two cruise liners to help accommodate football Doherty’s late header was only enough to converted a penalty. on the highest sponsorship level. “hundreds of thousands of new hosts” and fans during the 2022 World Cup, as the Gulf nation of about 2.7 earn Mick McCarthy’s men a 1-1 draw at Riccardo Orsolini came off the bench to But in a letter sent last week and seen by offer “Olympian Experiences” for Airbnb million people looks for ways to host an expected 1 million visitors. the Aviva Stadium. score on his Italy debut and Federico Chiesa AFP on Monday, the mayor of Paris warned guests, such as spending time with an elite Fans of all 32 teams in the tournament will effectively be stay- A closely-fought contest, low on technical finished off the scoring after Edgar Babayan IOC head Thomas Bach about the “risks” athlete. ing in the same city, raising questions over how the country can quality, swung the visitors’ way when the had pulled one back for Armenia. of the deal. Airbnb insisted that the partnership accommodate them and keep them entertained. unmarked Martin Braithwaite stuck out a It was an 11th straight win in all for Man- The Socialist Anne Hidalgo, who is up would benefit both visitors and hosts fi- The local organizing committee said on Tuesday it has signed an boot to divert a Henrik Dalsgaard cross into cini’s side, with Italy scoring nine times in for re-election in 2020, vowed her “total nancially. agreement with MSC Cruises to charter two liners with a combined the net on 73 minutes. a game for the first time since beating the determination” to tighten rules on tourist “We are not trying to limit the number capacity of 4,000 cabins which will be used as floating hotels for fans. However, Ireland scored a late equaliser USA 9-0 at the London Olympics in 1948. rentals in the French capital, which is also of people that participate, particularly as The committee has promised that there will be enough accom- to draw 1-1 in Copenhagen in June and they “We had the right approach to the game one of Airbnb’s biggest markets. hosts,” said Chris Lehane, Airbnb senior modation for everyone and that alcohol - currently only obtainable repeated the feat here as Wolverhampton and you don’t score nine goals by chance,” “By removing a significant number of vice president of global policy and com- at a handful of places at prohibitive prices - would be more made Wanderers right-back Doherty headed in Mancini purred. lodgings from Paris, Airbnb contributes to munications. widely available. an Enda Stevens cross with five minutes left. “We need to improve various aspects rising rents and worsens the shortage of “It’s a very different model than the The committee said in a statement that the ships will be berthed Needing to win, the home side then threw of the game but for me it will be really dif- apartments on the rental market, at a cost traditional (hotels) accommodation sec- at Doha Port throughout the month-long tournament. everything at their opponents in the dying ficult to leave some people at home when for all Parisians, in particular the middle tor... Their basic model is that you want “Chartering cruise liners for fans has long been part of Qatar’s moments, but Denmark held on to clinch I select the squad for the finals. They would class,” Hidalgo wrote. to limit the number of rooms so that you accommodation strategy, with the country keen to offer sustain- second place in Group D behind Switzerland. all deserve to be there.” Later Monday Hidalgo’s deputy said the can raise rates.” able solutions,” it said. It did not say whether alcohol would be “We had opportunities but I am not Having wrapped up a historic first quali- mayor promised “to organize immediately But in her letter, Hidalgo accused the available on board. going to criticise the lads,” McCarthy told fication for a major tournament three days after the elections a referendum” so that platform of “destabilizing local businesses Shuttle buses will take fans to the metro - which is so far only Sky Sports. earlier, Finland lost 2-1 to Greece in Athens Parisians can decide “the conditions for and competing unfairly with traditional partially complete. “They have been brilliant. We lost one despite Norwich City striker Teemu Pukki usage by Airbnb” in the French capital. hotels”. The committee said other accommodation options will include game out of eight. I am very proud of them. giving them a first-half lead with his 10th Airbnb co-founder Joe Gebbia said on In a study published last month by Eu- apartments and fan villages in the desert as well as hotels. We can beat anyone in the play-offs.” goal in eight international games. Monday that the IOC partnership “will en- romonitor International, the market research (Source: AP) The Danes, European champions in 1992, Bosnia and Herzegovina finish fourth in sure that the Games are the most inclusive, provider noted that “short-term rentals have can now look forward to playing at home the group despite a 3-0 win in Liechtenstein, accessible and sustainable yet”. benefited from the consumer preference during the finals, with Copenhagen one of but they will have another chance to qualify He confirmed recently announced verifi- for authentic, local, off-the-beaten-track Cycling great Poulidor laid to rest the 12 host cities chosen for the tournament. via the play-offs next March. cation improvements to ensure customers’ lodging options”. Switzerland secured top spot with a 6-1 Meanwhile, Group F winners Spain safety after a deadly shooting at one of its “Hence the astronomical rise of Airbnb Former Tour de France winners Bernard Thevenet and Bernard Hin- away win against minnows Gibraltar as Ce- rounded out their qualifying campaign with Californian-listed homes. from a zero share 10 years ago, to four per- ault were among hundreds of mourners who gathered in the village dric Itten scored twice. Skipper and Arsenal a 5-0 destruction of Romania at a barely The IOC revealed no financial details, cent of global lodging, overtaking major of Saint-Leonard-de-Noblat on Tuesday for the funeral of Raymond outcast Granit Xhaka netted their final goal. half-full Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid. but Bach said that the “landmark” deal hotel players,” it added. Poulidor, who died last week at the age of 83. Italy had already wrapped up qualifi- (Source: ESPN) would help to bring the Olympics into (Source: Eurosport) “We will miss him, that’s for sure, there’s going to be a big hole in our lives,” said Thevenet. The Italian jobless: Lippi gone, Cannavaro on brink in China They were handed the two most high-profile jobs in Chinese go China’s way. In his terse resignation speech, the Italian questioned football but Marcello Lippi last week angrily quit as national “Whether on the training ground or in private, Lippi was the heart of his players, said a Xinhua news agency reporter coach and protege Fabio Cannavaro is hanging on by his more irritable than the first time he coached the national at the press conference. fingertips at Guangzhou Evergrande. side,” said the Guangzhou Daily on Monday. “My pay is very high and I take all the blame,” concluded The downfall of the Italians, coach and captain respec- ’Slap in the face’ Lippi. tively when Italy won the 2006 World Cup, has been swift The former Juventus and Evergrande coach stepped ‘Weak ability’ and comes with a whiff of humiliation. aside the first time in January after taking China to the The 46-year-old Cannavaro, Lippi’s captain when Italy The 71-year-old Lippi’s final act was to bang his fists on quarter-finals of the Asian Cup. won the World Cup and his heir apparent, could follow his a table and storm out of a press conference in Dubai after Cannavaro replaced him -- an appointment that was mentor out of the door in the coming weeks. a damaging 2-1 defeat in 2022 World Cup qualifying to not universally popular -- while remaining at the helm at If there is some lingering fondness for Lippi, Cannavaro Syria last Thursday. Evergrande, but he lasted only two defeats before admitting has never convinced many Chinese football fans because He earned more than 400 million yuan ($57 million) over that juggling club and country was too much. he has not won a major trophy as a coach. two spells in charge, Economic Weekly said, publishing a file Lippi was warmly welcomed back in May, but the mood He got Tianjin Quanjian promoted to the CSL in 2017 and “He was an intergenerational champion. Known by people who photo of him bare-chested and smoking a cigar in a kayak. soured when the Chinese Football Association said that he then took over from Luiz Felipe Scolari at Evergrande, but never saw him on a bike.” Cannavaro just about remains in charge of Chinese Super would not lead the team at an East Asian championship in failed last season to win them an eighth CSL title in a row. Poulidor clinched 189 wins during his career from 1960-1977 but League (CSL) leaders Evergrande, despite being temporarily December. There are just three rounds of matches left in the current he will always be remembered for the races he failed to win. ordered aside last month and publicly rebuked. Media accused him of delivering “a slap in the face” to CSL season and Evergrande are top by a point from reigning From 1964 to 1976 he finished second in the Tour de France on three Evergrande host Shanghai SIPG on Saturday in a top- Chinese football after it emerged that Lippi would stay at champions Shanghai SIPG. occasions and was third five times in an era dominated by Eddy Merckx. of-the-table clash which will go a significant way towards home in Italy. But even if Evergrande beat SIPG this weekend and Can- High points included wins in the Tour of Spain, the Dauphine Libere deciding the fate of the title -- and perhaps Cannavaro’s future. There were growing grumblings about whether Lippi was navaro ultimately delivers the title -- a minimum require- twice, and the Paris-Nice twice. There is some sympathy in China for Lippi with an ac- doing enough to justify one of the highest coaching salaries ment his time may be up. His grandson Mathieu van der Poel, two-time cyclo-cross world ceptance that the highly regarded Italian had a squad of in football. The criticism played a part in him quitting. Following a run of one win in nine matches, club bosses champion, accompanied Poulidor’s widow Giselle and their two other limited ability. He reportedly drove the naturalisation of Brazil-born last month put captain Zheng Zhi in temporary charge and grandchildren at the funeral service. But there has also been criticism, with some pundits Elkeson -- the first player without Chinese ancestry to repre- ordered Cannavaro to attend “corporate culture training”. (Source: AFP) saying he failed to take responsibility when results did not sent China -- but the forward was anonymous against Syria. (Source: AFP) I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y NOVEMBER 20, 2019 SPORTS 15

Iran football requires transparency Iranian referee couple SPORTS TEHRAN — Iran national football deskteam have really a tough time after invited to handball test suffering back-to-back defeats against Bahrain and event for Tokyo 2020 Iraq in the 2022 World Cup qualification but what’s even more worrying is the federation’s response to IRNA — Iranian referee couple Alireza Mousavian and Majid the incidents. It must be more transparent with the Kolahdouzan will whistle at the test events for handball at the supporters. Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Nobody knows when Wilmots will return to Iran. The Japan Cup 2019 will take place at the Yoyogi National He returned to Tehran after losing to Iraq and imme- Stadium in Tokyo from 21-24 November. diately flew back to Belgium. Organized by the Japan Handball Association, the test events The Iranian football federation has failed to arrange give organizers and the Japanese public the opportunity to ex- a friendly match for Team Melli, while the several Asian perience sporting events in the Olympic venues, in some cases teams will play friendly on Tuesday. for the first time as well as a glimpse of the world’s best athletes Head of football federation, Mehdi Taj, had said in the various Olympic disciplines, including potential Olympic Iran will play a friendly after match against Iraq but competitors. there is no longer match and some reports suggest The objective of test events for Tokyo Organizing Committee that Wilmots will not return to Iran until late March. of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (TOCOG) is to provide As always, the rumors mill is running rampant, Team its management and operations staff with hands-on experience Melli will be without a coach for about five months. of running events, allowing them to collaborate with delivery Iran will entertain Hong Kong on March 26, 2020 partners to ensure the smooth operation of the Games, with the and meet Cambodia in an away match five days later. Olympic Games running from 24 July – 9 August. Iran national football team will also have two tough matches against Bahrain and Iraq in June. Team Melli must win all four matches to have a chance to book a place in the 2022 World Cup quali- Iran to send four taekwondo fication final stage. Iranian Football Federation spokesman Amir athletes to World Mahdi Alavi has denied the rumors about Wilmots’s presence in Iran. Taekwondo Grand Prix Final According to him, the Belgian coach will return to Tehran in January to lead the team in a friendly match. TASNIM — Four taekwondo athletes will represent Iran at the BUT, it remains an unanswered question: who will Moscow 2019 World Taekwondo Grand Prix Final. Team Melli play in a friendly? Armin Hadipour at -58kg, Mir Hashem Hosseini and So- roush Ahmadi at -80kg and Sajad Mardani at +80kg will participate in the event. Iran ready for CAFA U23 Women Iraq, Bahrain share the spoils at World The four-member team will be headed by Fariborz Askari. The World Taekwondo Grand Prix Final will be held in Mos- Championship 2019: coach Cup qualifier cow, Russia on December 6 and 7. It will mark the end of a season that has also seen compe- titions held in Italy’s capital Rome, Japanese city Chiba and Bulgaria’s Sofia.

Brazil ease past S. Korea in friendly

Brazil eased the pressure on Tite as they ended a five-match winless run with a comfortable 3-0 win over South Korea on Tuesday. Tite has come under scrutiny as Brazil have failed to claim a victory since winning the Copa America in July. Their miserable run included a 1-0 loss to arch rivals Argentina on Friday, but they bounced back in style in Abu Dhabi. Lucas Paqueta opened the scoring early on and a brilliant Philippe Coutinho free-kick doubled the lead for Brazil, who secured a routine triumph through Juventus defender Danilo›s second-half goal. Paqueta broke the deadlock in the 10th minute, meeting Renan Lodi›s superb cross with a stooping header after the Atletico SPORTS TEHRAN — Iran coach “The competition helps the Central Asian SPORTS TEHRAN — Iraq na- Cambodia to Manama five days earlier. Madrid full-back had been played in down the left by Coutinho. desk desk Maryam Azmoun says teams to strengthen their ability for more tional football team Iran will entertain Hong Kong on Lodi continued to cause problems going forward but South that his team are ready to take part at the international events,” she added. were held to a goalless draw on the March 26 and meet Cambodia in an Korea also threatened in an entertaining first half. CAFA U23 Women Championship 2019. “We will have two difficult matches sixth matchday of the 2022 FIFA World away match five days later. Son Heung-min bent an effort narrowly wide but South Ko- The tournament will be held in Du- against Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan and Cup Qualifiers. Team Melli will also have two tough rea›s task was made considerably harder when Coutinho doubled shanbe, capital of Tajikistan from No- will take nothing for granted in this tour- In the match held at the Amman matches against Bahrain and Iraq in their deficit in style. vember 20 to 29. nament,” Azmoun concluded. Stadium in Amman, Jordan, Iraq drew June. The Bayern Munich winger found the top-left corner with The tournament will bring Iran, Tajik- The Iranian team will leave Tehran for 0-0 with Bahrain and the result kept Earlier on the day, Hong Kong de- a stunning free-kick from 25 yards after Hwang Ui-jo hacked istan, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmen- Dushanbe on Wednesday. Iraq at the top of the standings on 11 feated Cambodia 2-0 at the Hong Kong down Fabinho. istan and Uzbekistan together. The Central Asian Football Association points, two ahead of Bahrain with Islamic Stadium in the group. South Korea were almost gifted a lifeline in an incredible The CAFA U23 Women champions will (CAFA) is an association of the football Republic of Iran third on six points Gee Ha James Stephen and Rob- passage of play as Alisson fumbled Jung Woo-young›s low free- be decided on a round-robin basis. playing nations in Central Asia. in the race for FIFA World Cup Qatar erto Orlando Affonso Junior scored kick, with Coutinho kicking the ball against his own post in the “We will participate in the tournament The formation of CAFA was spearheaded 2022 and AFC Asian Cup China 2023 for the hosts. resulting scramble before clearing behind for a corner. with a well-prepared team since we have by the Iranian Football Federation following qualification. The result means that Cambodia are However, Brazil made the game safe on the hour mark as held two training camps ahead of the event,” disputes with West Asian Football Feder- Iraq travel to Hong Kong on March now rockbottom of Group C with just a Danilo met Lodi›s pull back with a rasping drive that Cho Hyun- Azmoun said. ation members. 31 next year, while Bahrain welcome single point from five matches. woo could not handle despite getting both hands to the shot. Brazil took their foot off the gas thereafter, with South Korea reduced to efforts from distance as they failed to score for the Iran’s Persian League picks up Special Merit at third successive game. AFC Grassroots Football (Source: Yahoo.com) The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) charges to the League and Cup champions in honored the advocates of grassroots foot- 2019. Through her coaching, the club has also Ferrari drivers should follow ball and the Woman Youth Coach of the seen more young players breaking through Year for their contributions to the sport the ranks into the senior team. Hamilton’s example: Brawn at the AFC Special Grassroots and Elite Chan said: “I would like to thank the AFC Women’s Youth Football Awards 2019, for this award. I take great pride in my work LONDON (Reuters) — One of Ferrari’s two drivers should which was held in conjunction with the and I’m glad to have the support from the take a leaf out of Lewis Hamilton’s book and accept blame for 2nd AFC Women’s Football Conference HKFA and Citizen AA who have given the Sunday’s Brazilian Grand Prix collision, according to the Italian in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday. girls more opportunities to participate and team’s former technical director Ross Brawn. Japan’s Eiichiro Matsuki received the compete. The sport is becoming more popular Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc put each other out of the Best Grassroots Leader award while Paro among young girls and I’m glad to play my penultimate race of the Formula One season at Interlagos after FC from Bhutan and ISF Football Program part to help grow the game and influence a coming together five laps from the end with a likely podium were conferred the Best Grassroots Club more women to play the sport.” place at stake. and Best Grassroots Project accolades The complete list of the award recipients Hamilton, now a six times world champion, collided on the respectively. is listed below: penultimate lap with Red Bull’s Thai rookie Alexander Albon Meanwhile, full-time teacher Chan Shuk Best Grassroots Leader 2019: and immediately recognized he was at fault. Chi of Hong Kong, who is an AFC-KFA Pro-Di- Winner: Eiichiro Matsuki (Japan) The Mercedes driver was summoned to stewards after the race ploma license coach and current Hong Kong Runner-up: Lim Chock Sing (Singapore) but declined the chance to defend himself, sending a message Football Association (HKFA) U12 Girls’ team Special Merit: Lu Kuei-hua (Chinese to say he accepted full responsibility. head coach, was named the Youth Coach of Taipei), Hj Omar Hj Jamil (Brunei Darus- The Briton’s action resulted in a five-second penalty and the Year (Female) in the award ceremony. ing football at the grassroots level. It is children and youth of all abilities including salam), Alex Chang (Hong Kong) and Intikhab demotion from third place to seventh. The prestigious awards honored the important that the sport reaches different hearing, blind and visually impaired players, Alam (India) “I wouldn’t want to venture an opinion on who was most at game’s unsung heroes who dedicate their communities across Asia.” wheelchair bound and HIV positive players. Best Grassroots Club 2019: fault for the collision,” Brawn, now Formula One’s managing time and resources towards spreading the In the Best Grassroots Club category, Paro ISF Football Program was delighted to Winner: Paro FC (Bhutan) director for motorsport and also a former Mercedes team boss, joy of football, as part of the AFC’s continued FC clinched the award followed by Foshan receive the award while the Street Soccer Runner-up: Foshan Westin FC (China PR) said of the Ferrari collision in a review of the weekend. commitment and mission to promote the Westin FC of China PR. Hong Kong was also commended. Special Merit: Soccer Ace FC (Malaysia), “But in the cold light of day, maybe it would be good if one sport at the grassroots level.Matsuki While Paro FC is focused on youth Country Manager of ISF Football Pro- FC Ton (Japan) and Kuwait SC (Kuwait) of them will follow Hamilton’s example and immediately admit who has been involved in grassroots through its ‘Catch Them Young’ and ‘Keep gramme, Vicheka Chourp said: “Football Best Grassroots Project 2019: culpability, as the champion did regarding his clash with Albon.” football since 1977, received the award for Them Moving’ initiatives, they have also can empower communities regardless of Winner: ISF Football Program (Cambodia) The Ferrari drivers have been summoned to Maranello for a his work in grassroots activities which in- reached out to other communities in Bhutan their abilities. Our projects target different Runner-up: Street Soccer Hong Kong full analysis of what happened to ensure the internal rivalry does clude nurturing the turfs in kindergartens, by organizing football programs for monks, groups and we can use the sport as a tool Special Merit: Free Football Clinic for not have a negative impact on the 2020 campaign. elementary schools and parks through the the disabled and parents. for character building and to instill lifelong Youth Level (Thailand), Persian League (IR Team boss Mattia Binotto said on Sunday that he wanted the support of the JFA Green Project. President of Paro FC, Karma Jigme said: values. We are honored to receive this award Iran), DUO League (Japan), Grassroots De- drivers to recognize their mistakes, and Brawn agreed something Singapore’s Lim Chong Sing, a volun- “At Paro FC, we believe that football is for as it is a result of all the hard work which velopment Program by NOFA (Philippines), had to be done. teer since 1986 in grassroots projects, was everyone and it is our goal to ensure that we have put in.” Blue Sky Football Academy (Vietnam) “If Ferrari really wants to put an end to Mercedes’ dominance, also recognized in the Best Grassroots people from different cultures and back- For her dedication in coaching the Youth Coach of The Year (Woman): not only does it need to provide its drivers with a more competitive Leader Category. grounds have the opportunity to play the youth, Hong Kong’s Chan Shuk Chi was Winner: Hong Kong, Chan Shuk Chi (Head car next year, it must also ensure that incidents like this one are Matsuki said: “I’m proud to receive this sport. Football is a tool for social change, announced as the Women Youth Coach Coach, HKFA U12 Girls› Rep Team/Citizen not repeated,” he said. award but my involvement in grassroots and we will continue to reach out to more of the Year just ahead of Vietnam’s Phung Women›s & Youth Team) “Formula One is a team sport, especially so in Maranello.” football is from pure passion. A big thank people in our grassroots activities.” Thi Minh Nguyet. Runner-up: Vietnam, Phung Thi Minh Mercedes have won the last six constructors’ and drivers’ you to the AFC and JFA for their strong Through various projects in Cambodia, Chan has been the coach of the Citizen Nguyet (Head Coach U19 Hanoi FC) titles in a row while Ferrari’s last world champion was Kimi support and vision to continue promot- the ISF Football Program has reached 3,500 women’s team since 2012 and guided her (Source: the-afc) Raikkonen in 2007. Prayer Times Noon:11:50 Evening: 17:18 Dawn: 4:14 (tomorrow) Sunrise: 6:46 (tomorrow) NOVEMBER 20, 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: Mohammad Shojaeian Editor-in-Chief: Mohammad Ghaderi Editorial Dept.: Fax: (+98 21) 88808214 — 88808895 [email protected] Books on war against Daesh 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. honored in Tehran Tel: 88911433 CULTURE TEHRAN — Books Webmaster: [email protected] deskon the warriors who Printed at: Jame Jam Bartar Borna - 44197737 fought against the terrorist group Daesh were honored with the newly established Tehrantimes79 Tehrantimesdaily Martyr Hossein Hamedani Awards at the Art Bureau in Tehran on Monday evening. No. 18, Bimeh Alley, Nejatollahi St., Tehran, Iran P.o. Box: 14155-4843 The award has been named after Zip Code: 1599814713 Brigadier General Hossein Hamedani, a high-ranking military advisor with the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), who was martyred in October 2015 during a mission in Syria. In the Memory category, “From Umm ar- Rasas to Khan Tuman” was honored. Writer Mosayyeb Masumian narrates memories about his brothers who were martyred in the Umm ar-Rasas region during the 1980- GUIDE TO 1988 Iran-Iraq war, connecting them to SPIRITUAL AWAKENING Iranian soldiers who fought in the Syrian region of Khan Tuman. “Calmness of the Restless” by Fatemeh Indigence is a great death. Sadat Afqah recounting memories about Imam Ali (AS) Martyr Mostafa Sadrzadeh, an Iranian commander of Fatemiyoun, an Afghan brigade that fought against Daesh, received an honorable mention. “Snowy Damascus” by Mohammad Mahmudi also won an honorable Vocalist Hesameddin Seraj mention. The book gives an account to perform in memory of of what happened to Mahmud Elahi in captivity after he and 47 other Iranians Afghan singer Ahmad Zahir were kidnapped by Daesh terrorists during their visit to Damascus in 2012. ARTTEHRAN — Iranian vocalist Hesameddin “A House with Basil Aroma” by Elnaz deskSeraj will perform concerts with the Sur Najafi and “Sons of Hell, Children of Cain” ensemble in memory of Afghan musician Ahmad Zahir by Majid Purvali shared the award for Poet Fatemeh Nanizad (R) receives an award for “Hi Commander”, her joint collection with Saeid Haddadian, in Tehran on Thursday and Friday. best Novel and Documentary Story, while during the first edition of the Martyr Hossein Hamedani Awards at Sureh Hall in Tehran on November 18, 2019. The concerts entitled “Borderless Love Songs” will be “The Eternal” by Mehdi Safari won an (Fars/Saeid Khalili) held at Milad Tower. honorable mention. The award for best Poem Collection home to the shrine of Hazrat Zainab (SA), of the Islamic State” rendered into Persian held at Sureh Hall, Art Bureau director was shared by “We Were Born to Be the daughter of Imam Ali (AS). by Hamed Qadiri. Mohsen Momeni said, “Enemies have Defenders of the Holy Shrine” by Majid Three books were honored in the The three studies “Daesh: Thought their own perceptions of the war, and if Sadabadi and Kazem Rostami, “Habib of Translation category. The books are Infrastructures and Structure” by Hassan we do not stand against their perceptions the Holy Shrine” by Javad Mohaqqeq and London-based Egyptian journalist Abdel Mostafa, “The Puzzle of Daesh Recruitment” we will definitely suffer a crushing defeat.” Mohammad Saremi, and “Hi Commander” Bari Atwan’s “Islamic State: The Digital by Ahmad Zarean and Amir-Hamed Azad The Art Bureau, IRGC and the Owj Arts by Saeid Haddadian and Fatemeh Nanizad. Caliphate” translated into Persian by and “Daesh: Nostalgia for Caliphate” by and Media Organization, a Tehran-based The warriors who fought against Daesh Mohammadreza Olfat and American scholar Mohammadreza Boluri and Mitra Farhadi institution that produces revolutionary are called “the defenders of the holy shrine” William McCants’ “The ISIS Apocalypse: were awarded in the Research section. works in art and cinema, are the main in Iran due to the fact that Damascus is The History, Strategy, and Doomsday Vision Speaking during the awards ceremony organizers of the awards.

Tehran publisher to introduce Turkish Winners of Student Book of the translations of Persian writers’ books Year Awards announced

A poster for Hesameddin Seraj’s concerts “Borderless Love Songs”. The ensemble features Majid Molania on tar, Hamid Qanbari on tombak, Amin Dadvari on daf, Alireza Daryai and Farnam Eskandari on kamancheh, Hannaneh Saeidi on qanun, Sahar Kamalvand on robab and Ruzbeh Zarei on tabla. Zahir (1946–1979) is considered an icon of Afghanistan music and is widely regarded as the greatest Afghan singer of all time or the Elvis of Afghanistan. He was a singer, songwriter and composer whose songs were mostly in Dari and Pashto. Besides being a pioneer of rock and pop music in Afghanistan, he experimented and performed almost all styles of music, including Indian classical, English and Iranian music.

Children hold photo exhibit This combination photo shows some Turkish translations of Iranian A student accepts his award during the Student Book of the Year Awards ceremony to equip their village school writers’ books that will be introduced in Tehran at the Khaneh-ye Ketab at the Faculty of Science of the University of Tehran on November 19, 2019. on November 20, 2019. (ISNA/Erfan Khoshkhu) ARTTEHRAN — Schoolchildren from the CULTURE TEHRAN — Turkish (Sultan of Trash) by Mehdi Mirkiai, and ARTTEHRAN — The the history section. deskremote village of Seyyedbar in Sistan- desktranslations of 14 books “Liya-Sim-Maris’in Deniz Masallari” (Sea deskwinners of the 26th “An Entry in the National Iranian Epic” Baluchestan Province are organizing a photo exhibition by Iranian writers will be introduced today Tales of Liya Sand Maris) by Tahereh edition of the Student Book of the by Leila Varahram was selected as the at the Iranian Artists Forum in Tehran to raise funds for during a ceremony at Khaneye Ketab, a Ibod, all three published by Demavend, Year Awards in various categories were book of the year in the literature section, equipment for their school. major book publisher in Tehran. are in the collection. announced during a ceremony at the while the award in the law section was The photos have been taken by the students themselves The books, which have been published Also included are “Yasemin” (Yasemin) Faculty of Science of the University of presented to “Competition Law in the for the exhibition, which is by several Turkish publishing houses, by M. Moaddabpur, “Berzah Ama Cennet” Tehran on Tuesday. Structure of the National Competition being curated by illustrator were supported by the Translation and (Hell but Heaven) by Nazi Safavi from the In the medical section, “Midwifery Council” by Mina Hosseini. Shermin Naderi. Publication Grant Program of Iran, Khaneye Muhenna publishing house. Clinical Skill in Delivery Block” co-authored In the humanities section, “New The school, which is Ketab announced on Monday. “Soganin Efsanesi” (Legend of Onion) by Hayedeh Hursan and Farzaneh Golboni Approaches to Shia Hadith Studies” by scheduled to be inaugurated The books will be unveiled on the by Zahra Emami, “Karanlik Koridorun received the award. Morteza Salman-nejad was picked as the in December, is being built sidelines of workshops that the publisher Ortasinda” (Middle of the Dark Corridor) In the philosophy section, book of the year. by people who are supporting plans to organize to discuss book by Mehdi Rajabi, “Evim Nerede” (Where Mohammad-Hadi Hajibeiglu was honored Additionally, Ayatollah Seyyed Iran-e Man (My Iran), a promotion in the world. Is My House?) by Reza Dalvand and “Bay for translating Danish philosopher Søren Mostafa Mohaqeq Damad was honored campaign initiated by the The collection includes Anahita Pembe” (Who Knows Mr. Pink?) by Mojgan Kierkegaard’s book “Johannes Climacus” as a bibliophile. private sector to build schools Taimurian’s “Ay Hepimizin” (My Kalhor, all from the Mevsimler publishing into Persian. Mohaqeq Damad is a member of the in remote rural areas. Moon, Our Moon) published by Turkish company, are also seen in the collection. The award in the art category went National Library and Archives of Iran and “The executive manager of publisher Damla. The Turkish translations of the book to “Islamic Calligraphy” by Valiollah the Academy of Sciences of Iran. He is the campaign Mina Kamran “Elif, Dal, Mim” (Alif, Dal, Mim) by were previously introduced during the Kavusi, while “Teahouse Painting” by also a law professor at different Iranian asked me to help the students Mehdi Hejvani, “Çopluklerin Sultani” Frankfurt Book Fair in October. Mohsen Kazemi received the award in universities and seminaries. take part in the construction and equipping of their new school,” Naderi said in a press “The Crown” peddles subversive republican message, says royal historian release published by ISNA on LONDON (Reuters) — Television series “The Crown” Vickers, a passionate monarchist who has written numerous Tuesday. might have won millions of fans across the globe with books on the royals, said he was “not a pawn of Buckingham “Several schoolchildren A poster for the photo exhibition its dramatization of the life and reign of Britain’s Queen Palace” but was concerned about the public believing that aged 6 to 13 were chosen “Stories of Seyyedbar”. Elizabeth but one royal historian has accused it of peddling everything it watched had really happened. to receive the primary a subversive republican message. “It seeps into the psyche and people believe it to be education on how to take photos and later we gave them The third season of the hit Netflix show was released true and it isn’t,” he said. several cameras, by which they took about 600 photos out on Sunday, portraying events around Elizabeth and her The worst error so far, Vickers said, was the account of the of which 50 were selected for the exhibit named ‘Stories family from the mid-1960s until 1977. death of the sister of Elizabeth’s husband Prince Philip, who of Seyyedbar’,” she explained. Its creator Peter Morgan has said the series, whose first was killed with her family in an airplane crash in 1937. He said “However, we don’t know who exactly took which photo two seasons cost about $130 million to make, is based on parts of that account were “absolutely outrageous”. since the cameras were moving among the children, but known facts and imagined private conversations. The drama series about the royals has recently been some of the photos are really amazing,” she noted. However, royal historian Hugo Vickers has penned a overshadowed by intrigue surrounding the Windsors themselves. She also mentioned that a benevolent individual book “The Crown: Truth & Fiction”, to expose the fiction, Last month Prince Harry, the queen’s grandson, and his has agreed to provide computers for the school, and saying the show features ludicrous events, misrepresents Creator Peter Morgan poses at a premiere for the season 3 wife Meghan Markle began legal action against a national the school’s library is scheduled to be equipped by the characters and includes some “idiotic scenes”. of “The Crown” during AFI Fest 2019 in Los Angeles, Cali- newspaper over what they said was “bullying” by sections Institute for Intellectual Development of Children and “What I like is fiction to help us to understand the truth but fornia, U.S., November 16, 2019. (Reuters/Mario Anzuoni) of the British media. Young Adults (IIDCYA). not to pervert it and twist it around so you get a completely If you want to find out more about that, go and look at what In the last few days, Elizabeth’s second son Prince Andrew The exhibition, which will be running until November false view about what happened,” Vickers told Reuters. Peter Morgan has been saying in order to promote the series. has dominated headlines after he gave an interview, described 26, is also showcasing a selection of Baluchi handicrafts. “I think there is a subtle subversive republican message. He’s quite rude about all of them.” by British media as a car crash.