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16 Pages Price 40,000 Rials 1.00 EURO 4.00 AED 39th year No.13540 Thursday NOVEMBER 28, 2019 Azar 7, 1398 Rabi’ Al thani 1, 1441 Rouhani promises Iran believes IFFHS Awards: IIDCYA CEO warns to help quake-hit in a strong Faghani best Asian about rise in imported people 2 neighborhood 2 referee of 2019 15 children’s literature 16

Domestic production to save Iran $10b in 2 years People’s anti-violence TEHRAN — Iranian Industry, Mining munications equipment, and $400 million and Trade Minister Reza Rahmani said via indigenizing production of car parts, that relying on domestic production will of which $300 million has been already save $10 billion for the country in the next achieved. two years, IRIB reported. “Today, all available potentials and Speaking in a ceremony on indigeniz- capacities in the country are being used rallies foiled enemies’ plot ing production of telecommunications to materialize the target of domestic equipment on Tuesday, the minister said production and the Ministry of Indus- that of the mentioned $10 billion, some try, Mining and Trade will spare no See page 2 $500 million is predicted to be earned effort in this due”, Rahmani further through domestic production of telecom- emphasized. 4 731 banks, 70 gas stations destroyed in recent unrest: minister TEHRAN — Interior Minister Abdolreza religious centers and burned 307 auto- Rahmani Fazli says 731 banks and 70 gas mobiles and 1076 motorcycles,” he added. stations were set ablaze or damaged during The minister acknowledged that some ques- the recent unrest in the country. tions have been raised following the gasoline “The rioters torched 731 banks to create price hike “which we should respond to.” problems,” Rahmani Fazli said on Tuesday “All governments which are manifesta- evening on state TV. tion of their people’s vote want well-being “Also, they damaged and/or torched for the people, especially our country which 140 public places, 70 gas stations and 9 is a democracy,” he remarked. 3 UN, Iraq work to prosecute Daesh for genocide Members of the United Nations Securi- Established in 2017, UNITAD is ty Council sat in silence listening to the supporting Iraqi domestic efforts to harrowing account of Kachi Amo Saloh, hold Daesh accountable for crimes it as he explained how his entire family was committed in the war-ravaged country killed before his eyes by Daesh terrorists by collecting, preserving, and storing

in Iraq five years ago. evidence in Iraq of acts that may amount Kachi addressed the UN chamber via tel- to war crimes, crimes against humanity econference on Tuesday sharing his story and and genocide. expressing his community’s support for the The special adviser and head of UNIT-

khamenei.ir mandate of the UN Investigative Team for AD also briefed the council members after accountability of Daesh known as UNITAD. his recent visit to Iraq. 13 ARTICLE Abbas: Palestine ready to fully sever ties with U.S. ARTICLE Ramin Hossein Abadian Mahmoud Abbas has warned that Palestine could Speaking on Tuesday, Abbas said that the PA may challenge Israel at ICC Martin Love Mehr News Agency fully sever relations with the United States after measure had been condemned by “almost every Citing Abbas on Tuesday, Russia Sputnik Political analyst from journalist the White House defied international law and country in the world,” and that Palestinian news agency said that the Palestinian Authori- North Carolina backed Israeli settlements built on occupied authorities would not allow the move to go ty intends to turn to the International Criminal Palestinian land. unanswered. Court (ICC) and completely sever ties with the What happened at “We are ready to go to a complete breakdown “The U.S. administration has long been hostile Israeli regime if it proceeds with a plan to annex Little to no of relations with [the U.S.],” Abbas told Russian to the Palestinian people,” Abbas said, highlighting the Jordan Valley in the West Bank. the IISS Manama media on Tuesday, when Palestinians in Gaza Washington’s earlier hostile measures, including “As for [Israeli Prime Minister] Benjamin intelligence at and the West Bank marked a ‘day of rage’ against cutting funding for the UN’s aid program for Netanyahu’s intention to pass a law on Israel’s dialogue? Washington’s much-criticized policy shift on Is- Palestinian refugees and recognizing occupied annexation of the Jordan Valley, we are closely the top of the rael’s land grab. Jerusalem al-Quds as Israel’s “capital.” monitoring his steps in this direction,” he said. ahrain has long been a place for Last week, the administration of U.S. Pres- Following the embassy transfer, Abbas reject- Netanyahu has promised to annex the Jordan U.S. media and holding meetings that follow the ident Donald Trump effectively backtracked ed the U.S. as the sole mediator in Palestine’s Valley if he is re-elected, drawing sharp criticism government Bgoals of the U.S. and the Zionist on Washington’s four-decade policy on the decades-long conflict with Israel due to its bias from the Palestinians as well as countries in the regime. The Al Khalifa family also is keenly illegal status of Israeli settlements built in the towards Tel Aviv, saying the Palestinians will Middle East. he tippy top of the U.S. journalism serving the U.S. and the Israel. West Bank. not accept the deal the Trump administration “If the Israeli premier really does something food chain is arguably The New York Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Khalid bin U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Israeli has been unilaterally drawing up on the issue. like this, we will turn to the UN, the International Times, and the best known “journal- Ahmed al-Khalifa along with his allies settlement expansion was “not per se inconsistent The yet-to-be-unveiled deal, according to re- Criminal Court, and we’ll finally and irrevocably T ists” at the Times are probably the names in the Persian Gulf, who take position with international law,” in an announcement that ports, undermines Palestinian territorial rights sever all relations with Israel,” Abbas added. most readers have seen for decades such as against Iran and serve Tel Aviv, should drew widespread international condemnation. in exchange for specific economic incentives. (Source: Press TV) know that Israel will not back them. At columnist Thomas Friedman. Friedman, the time that political and military calcu- and some of his colleagues at this strongly lations are changing rapidly, Israel itself Zionist oriented newspaper (allegedly the needs to be backed. paper of record whatever that means ex- The time for Israeli and American or- EU’s Tusk: Trump is ‘perhaps the most difficult challenge’ for Europe actly when it is supposed to mean the most ders is over and coming days will be full of U.S. President Donald Trump poses one of German weekly newspaper Die Zeit in an in- president, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo accurate and honest, but it has never been surprises. The Bahraini foreign minister the biggest challenges for the European Un- terview. sought to re-establish friendlier ties when he so) are well paid writers (or maybe shills) and his regional allies should reconsider ion because he is “praying” for the breakup of Tusk portrayed Trump as determined visited Brussels in September. who consider themselves “intellectuals” of their calculations quickly. the bloc, European Council President Donald to weaken the EU and said this was “per- Because of its complex matrix of decision-mak- a sort, except that they are not very bright The Manama dialogue began on Tusk said. haps the most difficult challenge” for the ing, multiple institutions and centers of power, and are propagandists for the most part. Friday, November 22 and ended on Trump has welcomed Britain’s decision to organization. the EU has 28 national leaders and institutional Friedman recently came out and defended Sunday, November 24. At the confer- leave the EU, labeling Europe a trade “foe” and Tusk, a former Polish prime minister, is about leaders in Brussels. the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003 and said ence, the Arabs of the southern region questioning the value of the transatlantic defense to complete his five-year mandate as president Tusk is expected to be succeeded by former he would do it all again. He defended the of the Persian Gulf sought to increase alliance NATO. of the European Council, a role in which he has Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel. The new invasion and subsequent battles that killed pressure on Iran as they declared their “For the first time in history, there is an prepared and chaired regular summits of Eu- European Commission, the EU executive, will probably two million or maybe three million readiness to resolve the disputes with American president who is openly against a ropean leaders. be headed by German conservative Ursula von people (very low-ball estimates are about Tehran through a diplomatic solution. united Europe. He supports Brexit and prays Though ties between the EU and the United der Leyen. one million) and maimed millions more, and It seems that this is a tactic that aims for the breakup of the Union,” Tusk told the States have been troubled since Trump became (Source: Reuters) the suffering goes on in Iraq from deplet- at getting more concessions from Iran ed uranium, wrecked clean water sources, in future meetings. destroyed infrastructure, ruined lives…you Minister of State for Foreign Affairs for can name ANY horror and Iraqis have seen the United Arab Emirates, Anwar Gargash, Navy chief: New it over the past 30 years. claimed that the issue of Iran’s ballistic One thing hard to fathom is WHY the missile should be dealt with through joint U.S. has any credibility in Iraq (it has none regional diplomacy, while Iranian officials homegrown in Syria or Iran and is losing it in Jordan have always insisted that the missile capac- and even Egypt) and WHY the U.S, has ity of their country will not be negotiated destroyer to join not been kicked out of Iraq and diplomatic with any person or country. relations severed. In fact, the problem in Speaking at a conference in Manama Iran navy soon the Arab or the Muslim world is, as it has on Saturday, Gargash said that one of long been, disunity and pandering to the the reason for instability in the region TEHRAN – Navy Chief Rear Admiral Hossein West, especially the U.S., for gratuities and is what he called Iran’s Expansionist Khanzadi said on Wednesday a state-of-the-art faux “protection” of one sort or another. policies. destroyer dubbed “Dena” will join the navy’s But what is especially galling in Friedman’s Saudi Minister of State Adel al-Jubeir fleet in coming months. attitude is his condescension to towards claimed that Iran was involved in the attack Speaking to reporters, Khanzadi said Dena, the Muslim world generally. on Aramco oil facilities, saying that the which has been designed and manufactured by Friedman, and he’s worth focusing on be- policy of satisfying Iran will not work out domestic military experts, will join the navy’s cause his views reflect the views of many others and the country should not be allowed to in positions to influence policy in Western

Shahab Ghayoumi fleet in the Iranian month of Bahman (January continue its foreign policy. 1, 2020 – February 19), Tasnim reported. countries, has written that on 9/11 the U.S. Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Khalid bin The commander said Dena is a new Mowj-class got hit with all the “distilled pathologies” of Ahmed al-Khalifa was the third Arab official (Wave-class) destroyer similar to the Jamaran the Arab/Muslim world and if this culture who claimed, in his speech at the Manama and the Sahand destroyers. does not open itself to religious and gender Conference, that Iran is intervening in It has new capabilities compared to other pluralism, it is going to die and “Israel is go- Tehran Times/ Tehran Times/ Lebanese domestic affairs through Hez- destroyers of the country, he added. 3 ing to be surrounded by complete and utter bullah. 11 chaos”. This is worth parsing: 11 I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y POLITICS NOVEMBER 28, 2019

Iranian lawmakers pay visit Leader: People’s anti-violence to Arak nuclear site

POLITICAL TEHRAN – Arak heavy water nuclear site deskand Khondab reactor in Markazi province were visited on Wednesday by several senior parliament members. rallies foiled enemies’ plot According to Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), POLITICAL TEHRAN – Leader of public protests against the price increase were Mohammad Ebrahim Razayee, who represent Khomein desk town’s people in the Majlis and serves as the head of nucle- the Islamic Revolution directed at sowing chaos through targeted ar committee of Majlis’ national security and foreign policy Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei voiced his attacks on public and private properties, committee along with some members and advisors to the deepest sense of gratitude to the Iranian people forcing law enforcement forces to step in nuclear committee paid visit to the two key nuclear sites whose vigilance and meaningful presence to stop saboteurs. near the central city of Arak. in nationwide rallies, as he underscored, Early estimates of an intelligence body thwarted enemies’ recent plot to wreak havoc showed that a sum of nearly 87,000 protesters in the country. and rioters had taken part in protest rallies Addressing a large number of Basiji and gatherings since November 15, when (volunteer) forces and their commanders increase in gas price went into effect. on the occasion of Basij Week in a meeting A large number of protesters, who over in Tehran on Wednesday morning, Ayatol- 93% of them were men, had only been present lah Khamenei said, “I should expressed my in the gathering centers and avoided joining deepest appreciations and honors to the great the rioters in sabotage attacks. people of Iran due to their glorious move in “The identical methods of the main core the last couple of days (anti-violence rallies of violent rioters discloses that they are fully nationwide). Once again, the Iranian nation trained individuals who have been prepared proved its might and glory.” and looking forward for the situation to riot, The leader further said that a widespread unlike most people who have been taken off dangerous plot was utilized by the enemies guard by the sudden hike in gas price,” the against the country, adding, “The organizers intelligence report said. (of recent chaos) had spent a hefty amount It showed that gatherings had been com- of money to materialize their objectives in prised of 50 to 1,500 people in 100 places in due time.” the country out of a number of 1,080 major The legislators and accompanying delegation were in- Ayatollah Khamenei added that the ene- the almighty God inducted to the Imam alty to the Leader of the Islamic Revolution towns and cities. The report said violent raids formed about the latest technical, engineering and productive mies imagined that the gas price rise protests Khomeini’s heart,” the leader said, adding, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and also voice their and damage inflicted on properties are larger developments and processes in the sites. would be the best chance for them to enter “Perhaps the Basij is the greatest military, outrage of the rioters and the enemies who than what happened in the February 2018 The delegation also visited research facilities that are relevant their crops of rioters to the scene but the people social and cultural network worldwide.” are seeking to destabilize Iran. unrests. to production of very important isotopes for producing radio destroyed their dream and foiled their plot. In November 26, 1979, Imam Khomeini Before the massive rally in Tehran, cer- Most cases of damage to properties had medicines, including Oxygen 18 as well as process of a project “Yes, the police, Basij and IRGC (the Is- in an unprecedented initiative ordered estab- tain other cities across the country staged happened in Khuzestan, Tehran, Fars and for re-planning of Arak reactor. lamic Revolution Guards Corps) did their lishment of popular volunteer forces of Basij. rallies to condemn moves detrimental to Kerman provinces. The visit was carried out in line with a legal mission of the duties and came at the scene but the mis- “Well, establishment of Basij is the real public security. The report said most casualties had re- Majlis’ national security committee to prepare a report on 6-month sion that the people fulfilled during the last meaning of turning threats into opportuni- Marchers in Tehran chanted slogans in sulted from armed attacks on gas stations period of AEOI’s activities and measures regarding to fulfilment week was more important than any other ties,” the leader added. support of Velayat Faqih (Guardianship of and military centers, adding that a number of obligations as well as reduction of undertakings under the field operation. The popular move resumed Elsewhere in his remarks, Ayatollah the Islamic Jurist) and against the U.S., Israel of police and Basiji forces were martyred in Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) or simply 2015 in Zanjan and Tabriz cities and then was Khamenei said, “Independence is meant a and certain reactionary regimes in the region these attacks. nuclear deal. followed by people in other cities, towns nation’s freedom and is meant that a nation which incited violence during the protests Nearly 1,000 people were arrested across The committee’s report will be ultimately presented to the and even villages. The popular move was can decide its own fate but the global arro- last week. the country while over 100 banks and 57 big Majlis. completed in Tehran on Monday via stag- gance has been opposing such freedom in Chief Commander of the Islamic Revolu- stores were set on fire or plundered in just Despite the U.S. exit from the JCPOA, Tehran remained fully ing a large-scale rally and gathering,” the different forms.” tion Guards Corps Major General Hossein one province. compliant with the international document for a whole year, leader explained. On Monday, People poured into Tehran’s Salmi delivered a speech at the gathering of The Iranian Intelligence Ministry an- giving time to the remaining co-signatories to fulfill their legal “The global arrogance has realized the main streets in very large numbers to show the demonstrators in Enqelab square. nounced in a statement last week that it undertakings and protect Iran’s economy against the reinstated meaning of the move (by the Iranian people). their allegiance to the Islamic Republic system Salami told the gathering that riots were had identified several rioters who misused U.S. bans. They received a slap in the face and retreated,” and deplore rioters who misused the peaceful the results of a “comprehensive global sce- the protest rallies. Iran, however, began to gradually reduce its JCPOA commit- Ayatollah Khamenei went on to say. protests against an increase in gas price to nario” against the Islamic Republic. “The main culprits behind the riots… ments after the European Union, especially its big three – Germany, “Basij from the first day of its establishment commit acts of violence. The senior general added, “Today, Iran have been identified and proper measures France, and Britain – which are signatory to the agreement, failed had no any counterpart. Basij is a movement The marchers gathered in Enqelab (Rev- is in a great world war.” are being adopted and the honorable nation to put their verbal support for the deal into action. that has relied 100 percent on (the Islamic) olution) square to underline their support On November 15, the government in- will be informed about its result later,” the So far, the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) has Revolution and the Islamic ideology which for the Islamic Republic system, express loy- creased gasoline price. However, the legitimate statement said. taken four steps to cut back commitments in accordance with paragraph 36 of the JCPOA which “allows one side, under certain circumstances, to stop complying with the deal if the other side is out of compliance.” Zarif says Iran believes in a strong neighborhood POLITICAL TEHRAN – Foreign Minister ‘Foundation of our policy is based on good Analyst: U.S. pressuring deskMohammad Javad Zarif said on Tuesday neighborliness’ that Iran believes in a strong neighborhood. Zarif also said foundation of Iran’s policy is based on Iraq to cut ties with Iran, “We believe that through a strong neighborhood, we good neighborliness and respect for the international law will be able to achieve our individual goals much easier and and mutual benefit. resistance front much better than individually,” he said during a speech “All of us will benefit from cooperation and all of us will at a ceremony marking Day of Economic Cooperation suffer from competition, from conflict from instability and TEHRAN (FNA) — The U.S. is exerting much pressure on Organization (ECO) in Tehran. from insecurity,” he said. Baghdad to severe relations with Iran and the resistance front, He added, “We do not seek to simply have strong member Referring to Hormuz peace initiative, he continued, “You a prominent Iraqi analyst said. states, but [we seek] a strong collectivity of states in this cannot prosper if your neighbors are not. You cannot be Sabah al-Akili told the Arabic-language al-Ma’aloumeh news region. And ECO provides a very opportune framework secure if your neighbors are not. That is why we extended website on Wednesday that the U.S. administration has conveyed for all of us to achieve this objective.” the hand of friendship that we have extended to our ECO its message to the government of Adel Abdul Mahdi, the Iraqi He noted that the ECO is a “grouping of states in a partners to our partners in the Persian Gulf, hoping that Hassan Rouhani told the UN delegates. prime minister. very particular region which requires cooperation in the same type of arrangement that would lead to greater Foreign Minister Zarif has invited all regional states to “The U.S. is bargaining with Iraq to warn it that either Iraq order to augment security of all of the countries in this confidence in cooperation could also evolve through coop- join Iran’s initiative for securing the Persian Gulf and the should be the U.S. ally and leave Iran alone or expect widespread volatile region.” eration, through joint effort and through joint thinking also Strait of Hormuz. chaos in the country,” he added. He described the region as “very resourceful” in terms in the Persian Gulf region.” In a tweet in September, Zarif said the initiative entails Al-Akili also said that Washington has also exerted pressure of population, human resources, geography, and natural He also said, “Our proposal for a regional collective ar- “dialogue, confidence-building, freedom of navigation, on Baghdad to dissolve Hashd al-Shaabi (popular forces) and resources. rangement in the Persian Gulf region has been long-stand- energy security, non-aggression, and non-intervention”. distance from the resistance front. “And ECO vision 2025 provided us with opportunities ing. First, offered at the height of Iran-Iraq war in 1985 In a post on his Twitter account on October 15, Zarif to address our potentials, to incorporate the possibilities and more recently offered through the HOPE initiative or renewed Iran’s call to all countries bordering the Persian of each and every member states of the ECO in order to peace endeavor by President [Hassan] Rouhani in the [UN] Gulf to join Tehran’s initiative to “forge a blueprint for peace, promote the common goal of all us for the entire people General Assembly.” security, stability, and prosperity” in the region. of this region,” he said. At the United Nations summit in New York in late Septem- In his press briefing, the Foreign Ministry spokesman Zarif added, “So, I believe on this day, we need to ber, Iran officially unveiled a proposal for regional security, called on certain Persian Gulf Arab states to abandon reliance recommit ourselves to cooperation both within the officially called the Hormuz Peace Endeavour (HOPE). on foreign forces for their security, saying dependence on membership of ECO as well as between ECO and other “Based upon the historical responsibility of my country foreigners is just an “illusion” regional organizations and between ourselves individually. in maintaining security, peace, stability and progress in the “We called on the countries to respond to Iran’s peace-seek- Here I want to point out that Iran is interested in Persian Gulf region and Strait of Hormuz, I would like to ing call and abandon illusions. We have stressed that presence maintaining the same type of relations that it has with invite all the countries directly affected by the developments of foreign countries undermines security and stability. We its ECO partners and extending it to our partners in the in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz to the ‘Coalition hope this initiative of Iran would face with positive response,” Persian Gulf region.” for Hope’, meaning Hormuz Peace Endeavor,” President Mousavi stated.

An Arab paper reported on Monday that U.S. Vice-President Mike Pence could not accomplish his mission in Baghdad to coax Rouhani promises to help quake-hit people the Iraqi officials into taking a hostile position towards Tehran TABRIZ (IRNA) – President Hassan Rouhani said Housing Foundation to contribute to the reconstruction after Baghdad officials rejected meeting him. Iranian government considers problems of the quake-hit and reinforcing the structure of the houses in the quake- The Arabic-language al-Akhbar newspaper referred to the people as its own and will stand by them, promising to hit area. last Saturday surprise visit by Pence to Iraq, noting that none help them leave behind the hardship due to destruction An earthquake measuring 5.9 on the Richter scale of the Iraqi government officials, including Prime Minister Adel of the houses. shook the city of Tark in the northwestern province of Abdul Mahdi, met with him. Rouhani made the remarks on Wednesday during East Azarbaijan in the early hours of November 8, claimed Abdul Mahdi’s office announced in a statement that he had a visit to the quake-stricken town of Dastjerd in East lives of five people and injured several others. a phone conversation with Pence during which the two sides Azarbaijan. President Rouhani, who arrived in East Azarbaijan’s conferred on the latest developments in Iraq, but there was no He promised the people of Dastjerd that the government capital city of Tabriz Wednesday morning on a day-long meeting between the two sides. will support them by paying all costs of the reconstruction visit, is to open several industrial, health and development The paper said the Iraqi officials’ rejection of a meeting with of the damaged houses. projects. Pence displays the darkening relations between Washington He added that the Iranian government will spare It is the fifth visit to East Azarbaijan province of and Baghdad as the U.S. witnesses Iraq’s tendency towards Iran. no efforts in this regard and expressed hope for the President Rouhani over the past four years. Iraqi officials told al-Akhbar that Pence has during the phone conversation persuaded Abdul Mahdi to take distance from Teh- ran and decrease ties with Iran. Meantime, another Iraqi official said that the distance between Joint Commission of JCPOA to meet on December 6: EU Iraq and the U.S. has never set such a record high, adding that By staff and agency Kingdom) and Iran,” the statement said. 2015 nuclear deal, known as the JCPOA, in side, under certain circumstances, to stop differences between them are increasing day by day. The European Union issued a statement on Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia’s permanent May 2018 and introduced the harshest ever complying with the deal if the other side is Pence made an unannounced trip to Iraq on Saturday, the Tuesday, announcing that the Joint Com- representative to international sanctions on Iran. out of compliance.” highest-level American trip since President Donald Trump or- mission of the Joint Comprehensive Plan organizations in Vienna, tweeted on Iran has started to gradually reduce its Iran has repeatedly said if the European dered a pullback of U.S. forces in Syria two months ago. of Action (JCPOA) will take place in Vienna Tuesday, “The next meeting of Joint commitments to the nuclear deal in response parties to the nuclear deal shield its econ- Flying in a C-17 military cargo aircraft, Pence landed in Irbil, on December 6. Commission on #JCPOA will take place to the U.S. and within the framework of the omy from the U.S. sanctions it will reverse capital of Iraq’s semiautonomous Kurdish region, to meet with “The Joint Commission will be chaired in Vienna on 6 December. Another round JCPOA. its decisions. Iraqi Kurdistan President Nechirvan Barzani. by European External Action Service of difficult discussions can be expected in So far, the Atomic Energy Organization Under the nuclear agreement, Iran agreed Pence spoke by phone with Abdul Mahdi after the Iraqi leader (EEAS) Secretary General Helga-Maria the light of deteriorating situation around of Iran (AEOI) has taken four steps to cut to put limits on its nuclear program in ex- declined an invitation to meet with Pence at a U.S. airbase when Schmid and will be attended by the E3+2 #NuclearDeal.” back commitments in accordance to para- change for termination of economic and security concerns prevented Pence from traveling into Baghdad. (China, France, Germany, Russia, United U.S. President Donald Trump quit the graph 36 of the JCPOA which “allows one financial sanctions. I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y NOVEMBER 28, 2019 IRAN IN FOCUS 3

Access to internet via mobile data Zarif meets Taliban delegates in Tehran restored: ISNA POLITICAL TEHRAN — Foreign Minister Mohammad POLITICAL TEHRAN — Access to the trol (OFAC) issued a statement on Friday deskJavad Zarif has confirmed meeting with Taliban deskinternet through mobile blacklisting him for what it called his role in delegates, headed by Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the head of data networks is being restored in Tehran “widescale internet censorship,” a reference Taliban’s Qatar-based political bureau, in Tehran on Tuesday. and some other provinces, according to ISNA. to a nationwide internet shutdown for se- Mobile data networks are being connected curity reasons during riots against increase in Qom, Qazvin, Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ah- in petrol price. mad, Markazi, West Azarbaijan, Hormozgan, Azari Jahromi on Monday hit back at the Bushehr and Tehran provinces, ISNA reported U.S. government for blacklisting him over on Wednesday afternoon. internet blackout, saying the U.S. measure It added that the western towns of Tehran was based on a “big lie”. province are not connected to the internet yet. He said that neither he nor the Ministry Earlier this month, protests erupted in of ICT has had a role in the Internet blackout some cities in Iran against increasing gasoline or its reconnection in Iran amid the recent price. In certain cases, the protests turned unrest, saying it reveals the United States’ violent as some rioters clashed with police, lie in this regard. using knives and guns. On Tuesday, anumber of Iranian lawmak- Rioters damaged public and private prop- ers called on Azari Jahromi to fully restore erty and put banks, gas stations, and state Tehran’s access to the internet. buildings on fire. “Now that peace has been restored with To control the situation, Iran blocked the clever cooperation of the wise Iranian access to the internet for days. However, people especially in Tehran, most people, most of the country’s internet access has including academics, businesspeople and en- “We meet with all Afghan groups in line with working on Peace been restored. trepreneurs, expect fast restoration of access in Afghanistan. The delegates came to Iran for this purpose,” Zarif Iran’s ICT Minister Mohammad Javad down due to an order by the Supreme National However, the U.S. Department of the to the internet through mobile data networks told reporters on Wednesday on the sidelines of a cabinet meeting. Azari Jahromi has said the internet was shut Security Council (SNSC). Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Con- in Tehran province,” the lawmakers wrote. According to IRNA, during the meeting, Zarif said that Iran is ready to help boost dialogue among the Afghan groups. He also said that Iran is ready to expand cooperation with the Afghans based on mutual interests. China says will continue efforts to uphold nuclear deal The meeting was held in line with Iran’s efforts to restore POLITICAL TEHRAN — Chinese Foreign Minis- In the first stage, Iran announced that it will not limit its peace and stability to Afghanistan and its main objective was desktry Spokesperson Geng Shuang said on stockpile of the nuclear fuel to 300 kilograms allowed under encouraging Afghan groups to find solution through dialogue. Tuesday that China will continue efforts to uphold the 2015 the deal. On that date (May 8) Iran’s Supreme National The meeting also conveyed Iran’s support for any effort by nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Security Council (SNSC) said if the remaining parties to various Afghan forces to find common ground for cooperation Plan of Action. the JCPOA, especially Europeans, devise a mechanism to towards paving the way for the departure of all foreign forces “The Iranian nuclear issue has come to a critical stage. protect Iran from the sanctions’ effect in the two-month from Afghanistan and addressing the country’s security issues China maintains close communication with other parties deadline it will reverse its decision. following such a potential withdrawal, according to Press TV. to the JCPOA on upholding and implementing the deal. But since European parties missed the deadline, on July In a meeting with Afghanistan’s Chief Executive Abdullah We will attend the upcoming Joint Commission meeting,” 7 Iran announced that it has started enriching uranium to a Abdullah on November 1, Iranian First Vice President Es’haq Chinese Foreign Ministry’s website quoted him as saying higher purity than the 3.67%, thereby starting the second step. Jahangiri said that Tehran supports Afghan-Afghan peace talks. in a press conference. Again, as Europe missed the second 60-day deadline, The Joint Commission of the JCPOA is scheduled to con- Iran moved to take the third step, removing a ban on nuclear vene on December 6 at the level of deputy foreign ministers. research and development (R&D). Geng said, “We hope this meeting will help all parties So far, the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) In the latest step, which was done on November 6, Iran IRGC to receive large number consolidate the political consensus of upholding the JCPOA, has taken four steps to cut back commitments in accordance started injecting uranium gas into 1,044 centrifuges at the work out fulfillment issues through consultation, and ex- with paragraph 36 of the JCPOA which “allows one side, Fordow nuclear site. It was done at the presence of inspec- of speed boats: admiral plore effective means of implementation, in particular with under certain circumstances, to stop complying with the tors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). regards to restoring the balance of rights and obligations deal if the other side is out of compliance.” This happened again after the Europeans failed to take POLITICAL TEHRAN — Head of the Marine Industries of all parties.” On May 8, exactly one year after the U.S. abandoned a concrete steps to save the JCPOA. deskOrganization of Iran has said a large number Iran has started to gradually reduce its commitments to the deal, Tehran announced that its “strategic patience” is Iran has said lifting ban on its oil export and finan- of speed boats will be delivered to the Islamic Revolution Guards the JCPOA in response to the United States which abandoned over and began to partially reduce its commitments to the cial transactions are the main conditions to reverse Corps (IRGC) Navy in the next few months. the landmark deal in May 2018 and reinstituted sanctions. agreement at bi-monthly intervals. its decision. “A large number of speed boats will be delivered to the Guards Navy by the end of the [Iranian] year (March 21, 2020) and we are also preparing a number of vessels for the Police’s coast guards,” banks, 70 gas stations destroyed in 731 Navy chief: New homegrown destroyer Admiral Amir Rastegari said in an interview with the state radio recent unrest: minister to join Iran navy soon on Wednesday, according to Fars.

He also said Iran’s homegrown destroyer, Dena, will be de- livered to the Iranian navy by March 21. Dena enjoys different equipment, including 3D phased-array radar, ground-to-ground and ground-to-air missiles, safe inte- grated telecommunication system, highly advanced electronic warfare system and pin-pointing defense system, he said. In remarks late last year, Navy Commander Rear Admiral 1 Protests erupted in Iran on Novem- the country is in turmoil. 1 Khanzadi referred to the recent the north Indian Ocean with the help of Hossein Khanzadi announced Iran was designing Dena, as part ber 15 after the government announced To control the situation, Iran blocked achievements of the navy and said, “Ex- all regional forces. of a broad project known as Mowj (wave). an increase in the price of gasoline, a sub- access to the internet for days. tended deterrence via expansion of the Launched by India in 2008, IONS has His announcement came on the same day that a new home- sidized commodity that is still cheaper in The minister commented on the inter- navy’s potentials and capabilities in open 24 members including Iran. grown stealth destroyer, called Sahand, joined the Navy. Iran than other countries in the world. net blackout, saying, “When the number waters is on the agenda of the force.” The Indian Ocean Naval Symposium Dena is the name for a mountain in southwestern Iran. Sahand The proceeds from price increase is of arsons and destructions increased, we “To make this fast-paced move, the navy organizes series of biennial meetings among is also the name for a mountain in East Azarbaijan province. paid in form of cash subsidies to 60 mil- were forced to shut down the internet needs a set of equipment, capacities, and littoral states of the Indian Ocean region. The rear admiral said Iran has turned sanctions into an oppor- lion Iranians, who account for about 75 temporarily.” capabilities to make attempts in high seas Tehran hosted the sixth conference of tunity and become self-sufficient in manufacturing naval gear. percent of the population. He also said the Iranian authorities are for the benefit of global maritime security IONS in April, 2018. “It is now very easy for us to manufacture destroyers like The rationed gasoline, which is 60 well aware of the damage caused by the and national economy,” he added. During that conference, Iran officially the Sahand, which enjoys a new generation of gearbox,” the liters per month, is priced 1500 tomans internet blackout but had no other choice. Khanzadi: Iran, China, Russia assumes presidency of the symposium commander said. (35 cents) and any amount beyond that Rahmani Fazli emphasized that the Is- to stage tripartite drills for two years. Iranian military experts and technicians have in recent is 3000 tomans (70 cents). lamic Republic tolerates peaceful protests. Khanzadi also said the naval forces of General Mohammad Hossein Baqeri, years made great headways in manufacturing a broad range The calculation is based on the official “Protest is different from riot and the Iran, China and Russia are scheduled to chief of Iran’s armed forces, was the first of indigenous equipment, making the armed forces self-suf- rate of 4200 tomans per dollar. However, Islamic Republic tolerates peaceful pro- conduct a tripartite military exercise in lecturer of the conference. ficient in the arms sphere. the value of dollar, due to the U.S. presi- tests,” he said. the north Indian Ocean in the near future. Baqeri said the U.S. and certain other dent’s strategy of “maximum pressure” Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Initial planning has been carried out countries deploy military units in the Persian against Iran, is almost 2.5 times higher the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets and the forces are getting ready to stage the Gulf, Indian Ocean, Mediterranean Sea and in the free market. Control (OFAC) issued a statement on drills, Khanzadi said, according to IRNA. other regions and use “language of force”, Over 1 ton of narcotics “We should not forget that we have Friday blacklisting Iran’s ICT Minister He further explained that several other impose sanctions and level accusations against enemies who have tried to harm us via war Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi for what naval drills will be carried out after this others and spread chaos and anarchism. confiscated in and sanctions,” Rahmani Fazli explained. it called his role in “widescale internet one, all of which are considered as an He criticized arrogant powers for waging He said the crisis only began after the censorship.” exercise for the upcoming Indian Ocean war in West Asia to sell their arms. Sistan-Baluchestan foreign-based Persian media entered the However, Iranian people’s access Naval Symposium (IONS) conference in “They lay the ground to wage war through to the internet has been restored to a exporting weaponry to various countries stage and incited people by broadcasting late February to boost convergence among TEHRAN (MNA) — The police forces of Sistan-Baluchestan great extent. in the region,” Baqeri remarked. footages of other protests to show that naval forces in order to settle security in province, southeastern Iran, have seized 1.030 tons of nar- cotics in Saravan. Police Deputy Chief of Sistan-Balouchestan province Brigadier Iran summons Norwegian charges d’affaires over Quran desecration General Ahmad Taheri said on Wednesday that one ton and 30 (Press TV) — Iran’s Foreign Ministry says it has summoned act hurt the sentiments of Muslims across the world and kilograms of different drugs were seized during clashes between Norway’s charge d’affaires to Tehran to strongly protest the added, “One cannot insult the beliefs and sanctities of more the police forces and smugglers attempting to smuggle the drugs recent burning of the Holy Quran by head of an extremist than 1.5 billion Muslims in the world under the pretext of into Saravan County. Norwegian group, a move that sparked an outcry in the freedom of expression.” 993 kilograms of opium, 25 kilograms heroin, and 11 kilograms global Muslim community. He urged the Norwegian government to prevent the re- of other kinds of drugs have been confiscated and one vehicle Director of the North European Affairs of the Iranian currence of such seditious acts. has been seized, he added. Foreign Ministry on Tuesday summoned the Norwegian The Norwegian charge d’affaires, for his turn, said he Unfortunately, the smugglers fled to the highlands of the area envoy, in the absence of the country’s ambassador, to con- would convey Iran’s protest to the Oslo government and using the darkness of the night, Taheri said. vey the Islamic Republic’s strong objection to the hideous added that his country utterly rejects the move. Iran is at the forefront of the fight against drug trafficking and move in the European country and warned of the dangerous Oslo’s principled policy is to support freedom of thousands of Iranian forces have been so far martyred to protect consequences of such acts, which could spread extremism expression and opinion and to prevent disseminating the world from the danger of drugs. and violence. hate speech, the envoy said, adding that the Norwegian According to reports, in 2018 alone, Iranian forces carried out In derogatory acts on Sunday, members of the “Stop government is committed to protecting the safety of 1,557 operations against drug traffickers, seizing approximately Norway’s Islamization” (SIAN) in Kristiansand city insulted the anti-Islam organization, burned another copy. Muslims living in the country and preventing extremist 807 tons of different types of narcotic drugs and psychotropic two copies of the Holy Quran, while Lars Torrens, head of The Iranian Foreign Ministry official said the hateful and divisive measures. substances. I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y 4 ECONOMY NOVEMBER 28, 2019 President inaugurates STOCK MARKET TEDPIX 311230.0 IFX 4059.91 major development Sources: tse.ir, Ifb.ir projects in northwestern CURRENCIES USD 42,000 rials province EUR 46,252 rials ECONOMY TEHRAN — Iranian rials (about $1.19 billion). Some 13 trillion GBP 53,995 rials deskPresident Hassan rials (about $4309.5 million) is also required Rouhani inaugurated several development to build another 70 kilometers of railway to AED 11,437 rials projects in Tabriz, the capital city of the connect this route to Tabriz by the end of the Source: cbi.ir northwestern province of East Azarbaijan next Iranian calendar year (March 2021). on Wednesday, IRNA reported. The president announced the connection As reported, over 100 projects were put of the Mianeh-Bostan Abad railway to Tabriz into operation in industry, agriculture and by the end of the next Iranian year, saying health sectors of the province during the that inauguration of Mianeh-Bostan Abad COMMODITIES Iranian President Hassan Rouhani inaugurated Mianeh-Bostan Abad railway in East president’s trip. railway was important for the country. Brent $63.51/b Azarbaijan Province in northwest of the country on Wednesday. Mianeh-Bostan Abad railway was one Iran’s largest wind farm also was WTI $58.58/b of the major projects inaugurated during inaugurated during the President’s trip 40,000 families in the county. would not spare any effort to resolve the the visit of Rouhani who traveled to Tabriz and in the presence of Energy Minister During his daylong travel to East problems of the people and the earthquake- OPEC Basket $64.21/b on the head of a high-ranking delegation. Reza Ardakanian. Azarbaijan Province, Rouhani also visited stricken areas, adding, “The government and Gold $1,460.20/oz The railway is 132 kilometers long and The 50-megawatt farm in Aqkand village quake-hit areas of the province. all relief agencies will continue to provide has been constructed at the cost of 50 trillion in Mianeh County will supply electricity for President emphasized that the government relief and reconstruct the affected areas.” Silver $$17.09/oz Platinium $906.35/oz Oil income to account for 7% of Iran’s Establishing Iran-EAEU trade office in Sources: oilprice.com, Moneymetals.com revenue next year Yerevan a serious step for trade ties ECONOMY TEHRAN — Iran’s tax incomes will replace oil revenues. ECONOMY TEHRAN — Setting up chairmen of EAEU member states’ cham- Domestic production to save deskoil sale will account “This does not mean a rise in tax in- deskIran-EAEU trade office bers of commerce to be held in Armenian for just seven percent of the country’s come; but by setting new tax bases and in Yerevan is a serious measure for broad- in May 2020. Iran $10b in 2 years income in the next Iranian calendar year eliminating unnecessary exemptions at ening trade ties between Iran and Eurasian Also during a meeting on Monday be- (begins on March 20, 2020), according a time of economic warfare, more tax Economic Union (EAEU), the president of tween Masoud Khansari, the head of Tehran 1 He said the country aims to produce electrical, auto- to Head of Iran’s Plan and Budget Or- revenues will be provided,” he explained. Armenia Chamber of Commerce and In- Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines mobile and telecommunications goods and double exports to 15 ganization (PBO) Mohammad Bagher Also back in October, the official had dustry said on Wednesday. and Agriculture (TCCIM), and Armenian neighboring countries in order to reach a target value of $48 billion. Nobakht. said that Iran is going to allocate all rev- Martin Sargsyan made the remarks dur- Ambassador to Iran Artashes Toumanian, Last month, Leader of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali The official said on Tuesday the gov- enues from oil sales to the development ing a meeting with Gholam-Hossein Shafeie, the two sides emphasized the need to pre- Khamenei said government officials should ban the import of goods ernment eyes to generate $10 billion-$12 projects following structural reforms in the head of Iran Chamber of Commerce, serve and expand trade relations between that are also produced domestically. billion from direct sale of oil next year, the next year’s budget bill. Industries, Mines and Agriculture (ICCI- Iran and Armenia under a trade agreement Press TV reported. Oil revenues are generated from selling MA) at the place of the chamber in Tehran, between Iran and Eurasian Economic Union. Nobakht has previously said that the the country’s capital assets and should be ICCIMA portal reported. The trade agreement between Iran and revenues gained from elimination of hid- spent on augmenting capital assets such The Armenian official further invited EAEU officially came into force on Octo- den energy subsidies as well as increased as development projects, Nobakht said. ICCIMA head to attend the meeting of the ber 27. Russia to loan Iran $2.8b upon previous agreements ECONOMY TEHRAN – Iranian Energy Minister with Turkmenistan. deskReza Ardakanian said Russia, which has He further noted that the new $2.8 billion will be allocated already provided Iran with $2.2 billion of facilities, is going for funding four major projects including manufacturing to give another $2.8 billion to fulfill a late-2015 agreement of 2,000 passenger wagons for the country’s subways and for a $5-billion loan. also construction of a railway between the southeastern Industry, Mining and Trade Minister Reza Rahmani (2nd R) Speaking to the press on the sidelines of a cabinet meeting provinces of Sistan-Baluchestan and eastern province speaking in a ceremony on indigenizing production of telecom- on Wednesday, Ardakanian said the mentioned $5-billion of South Khorasan, renovation of Ahvaz power plant in munications equipment in Tehran on Tuesday loan is not a new one and it has been agreed upon back in 2015. southwestern Province of Khouzestan and construction of Since the U.S. re-imposed sanctions on Iran to pressure the Recently Russian media reported that Iran has asked a hydro-electric power plant in western Iran. country’s economy, Iran has been taking all necessary measures its northern neighbor for a $2 billion loan. Earlier this month, Ardakanian headed a delegation to to mitigate the impact of the sanctions and counter the U.S. actions. The news of Russia providing a $5-billion loan to Iran visit Moscow in order to follow up on the issue of Russia’s Improving and boosting domestic production has been one of for joint infrastructure projects first came in October 2015 allocation of $5 billion of loan for implementation of the major strategies that Iran has been following in the past two during a visit of Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak development projects in Iran. years in order to increase its independence. to Tehran. He met with his Russian counterpart Alexander Novak To this end, Iranian government has put supporting domestic According to Ardakanian, $2.2 billion of the mentioned in Moscow on November 21 and stressed expansion of ties producers atop agenda in the current year. fund was allocated for construction a 1400 megawatts (MW) in all areas. Providing the required working capital for the production units power plant in the southern Hormozgan province, and also Iran and Russia had signed eight memorandums of and offering them facilities is one of the major measures being for electrification of Garmsar-Inche Boroun railway that understanding (MOUs) in the 15th Iran-Russia Joint links the city of Garmsar, in north of the Iranian capital Iranian Energy Minister Reza Ardakanian speaking to Economic Committee meeting which was wrapped up on pursued by the government to support these units. media after a cabinet meeting on Wednesday. Tehran, with the Iranian city of Inche-Boroun, on the border June 17 in Isfahan. IMF wants South Africa to create an investment friendly No-deal Brexit ‘would cost UK car industry £40bn by 2024’ environment By Gwyn Topham vehicles per year, from 1.3m now. Before the “The next government must deliver the am- 2m cars a year by 2020, a no-deal worst case EU referendum, output was rising, peaking in bition, the competitive business environment scenario could see us making just a million. That’s By Sibongile Khumalo The British car industry has delivered a bleak 2016 at 1.7m, and the industry was predicting and the commitment needed to keep automotive a loss to the economy of over £40bn. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) wants government to create warning over the danger of a no-deal Brexit, saying that more than 2m cars would be rolling off UK in Britain.” “Cherished production lines mothballed, an environment that is conducive for investment and implement it would devastate UK motor manufacturing at production lines by 2020. The industry has consistently campaigned workforces cut, a haemorrhaging of skills, of much-needed structural reforms to boost the ailing economy, National a cost of more than £40bn in lost production The SMMT warned that the cumulative cost against Brexit, arguing that any delays at borders investment. What a travesty.” Treasury said on Monday following a visit by the lender. by 2024. by 2024 would be £42.7bn and that thousands of – let alone tariffs – would heap on production The SMMT president, George Gillespie, urged The IMF visited South Africa from 6 - 21 November to discuss About 1.5m fewer cars would be produced by jobs would be at a risk without a Brexit deal. The costs. Hawes said that the uncertainty, prolonged political leaders to work with the sector, saying: economic and financial developments as part of its bi-annual sur- British factories in the next five years, manufac- sector employs 168,000 people in Britain, paying by the election in December, had jeopardised “Uncertainty over Brexit and future trade has veillance function. turers warned, should the industry fall back on typically 21% more than the UK average wage. investment. cost us dearly. We have all spent millions on The “IMF recommends that South Africa creates an environ- World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules – whether The trade body called for “an ambitious deal Under the Conservatives current withdrawal no-deal preparation – not once, not twice, but ment conducive for private sector investment and take a decisive in a direct no-deal Brexit or at the end of the tran- that eliminates tariffs, delivers frictionless trade, agreement, which Boris Johnson would expect three times. Wasted millions that could, should, approach to implement structural reforms in order to boost economic sition period in Boris Johnson’s withdrawal deal. maintains regulatory alignment and secures ac- to pass if he wins a majority next month, Britain have been spent on research, on development, growth,” said a statement. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and cess to talent from across the globe”. would leave on 31 January with current trading on design.” According to Treasury, the global lender also highlighted the Traders said that new independent research Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said: terms due to expire at the end of a transition Manufacturers including Jaguar Land Rover, major challenges facing the economy, which include weak growth, showed tariffs could add £3.2bn a year to costs “UK automotive’s needs are clear: frictionless period in December 2020. Toyota and BMW shut down production lines a deteriorating fiscal situation and difficulties in the operations of in Britain, equivalent to 90% of the industry’s trade free of tariffs, with regulatory alignment Sign up to the daily Business Today email last month to avoid disruption during the antici- state owned enterprise. research and development budget. and continued access to talent. Detailed trade or follow Guardian Business on Twitter at @ pated departure of Britain from the EU. Another In October, Treasury downgraded growth forecast to just 0.5% It said a combination of falling demand and negotiations have yet to begin. They will be com- BusinessDesk shutdown may come in January, depending on for this year, down from the 1.5% projection made in the February, global firms shifting production elsewhere would plex and they will take time. But a close trading Speaking at the SMMT’s annual dinner in the outcome of the election. as the economy battles high unemployment and a rising public involve UK factories’ annual output falling to 1m relationship is essential to unlock investment. London, Hawes added: “Rather than producing (Source: theguardian.com) service wage bill. The country’s loss-making public entities also continue to put pressure on the public purse, with government constantly extending bailouts and guarantees to support the companies. The impact of South Korea and ASEAN vow to resist Trump-style protectionism continued support has been flagged by ratings agencies who have called for urgent reforms to address the current economic malaise. By Kim Jaewon Analysts say that reduced global demand is hurting Asia’s Treasury said the proposal raised by the IMF were in line with fourth-largest economy seriously, dragging down the volume and areas that government was working on to stimulate growth, improve South Korea and ten Southeast Asian nations pledged Tuesday amount of shipments overseas. The South Korean economy may the overall fiscal position and address inefficiencies in SOEs. to resist all forms of protectionism, in a swipe at the trade war lose a chance to rebound next year should overseas downside They pointed at interventions which have been undertaken since U.S. President Donald Trump is waging with China. risks continue to weigh on it. previous IMF visit in May, which include the approval of the Inte- “We … hereby agree to … reiterate our commitment to “Poor exports stemming from low global demand is grated Resources Plan, simplified visa regime and the scrapping of support for the enhancement of trade and investment and the the key factor that limits the growth momentum of our a requirement for unabridged birth certificate for children entering resistance to all forms of protectionism in order to improve economy,” Korea Development Institute said in a report the country. The cumbersome regulation was widely blamed for regional development and prosperity,” the leaders of the 11 earlier this month. “Improvement of our economy may be low tourist numbers to the country. nations said in a joint statement after a two-day summit in delayed if overseas downside risks such as the U.S.-China “Nevertheless, economic growth continues to deteriorate. The the South Korean port city of Busan. trade dispute, Brexit and geopolitical tension in the Middle country’s largest economic risk is Eskom. Government has announced The meeting with leaders of Association of Southeast Asian East reemerge.” a comprehensive set of structural reforms to support the energy Nations is part of South Korean President Moon Jae-in’s “New South Korea and ASEAN agreed to improve economic sector and more specifically, Eskom.” Southern Policy” aimed at shifting the country’s diplomatic cooperation as Seoul promised to double its fund to help The country’s weak economic position had seen some senior status to Southeast Asia and India, and reducing its reliance South Korean President Moon Jae-in, right, shakes hands Southeast Asian countries to $14 million per year. business leaders suggest that government may have to approach on China. with Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha during a On Monday, South Korea and Indonesia wound up more the IMF for assistance, but such a thought was dismissed by several Moon said that international trade should be based on a free joint press briefing at the South Korea-ASEAN summit in than seven years of negotiations on a free-trade deal, with an top officials, including the Governor of the Reserve Bank Lesetja and fair and system, in a clear sign that he opposes the tariffs Busan, South Korea on Tuesday. agreement to remove tariffs on steel, autos and beer. Kganyago. that Trump is slapping on imports from China and elsewhere. In a separate session, ASEAN leaders said they supported Last week, ratings agency Standard and Poor’s changed its outlook “We reaffirmed that free trade is the way for mutual prosperity innovative community of mutual prosperity based on free trade.” Moon’s peace process on the Korean Peninsula, saying they on South Africa’s sovereign credit rating to negative, citing low GDP as worries over protectionism rise globally,” Moon said in a joint The South Korean economy has been hit hard by the trade are willing to help the initiative through the ASEAN Regional growth, rising fiscal deficits and a growing debt burden. news conference with Thai Prime Minister General Prayuth war, with exports dropping 14.7% to $46.8 billion in October Forum, which includes representatives from Pyongyang. (Source: fin24.com) Chan-ocha. “South Korea and ASEAN will move toward an from a year earlier. (Source: asia.nikkei.com) I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y NOVEMBER 28, 2019 ENERGY 5 Iran generates 4.405b Kwh of electricity The next stage of the solar boom is already underway from renewables since March By Haley Zaremba “Every five days, the sun provides the Earth with as much en- ENERGY TEHRAN — Electricity of renewable power plants in the country’s ergy as all proven supplies of oil, coal, and natural gas,” reports deskgenerated from renewable energy basket, saying “the country’s renewable Singularity Hub in a powerful summation of the potential power resources has reached 4.405 billion kilowatt power plants provided over 500 MW of elec- of solar energy. “If humanity could capture just one 6,000th of hours (Kwh) in Iran since the beginning of tricity to the country’s power network during Earth’s available solar energy, we’d be able to meet 100 percent current Iranian calendar year (March 21, the peak consumption period in summer.” of our energy needs.” 2019), IRNA reported citing the data released Renewables, including hydropower, ac- The attempt to harness one of the most abundant clean energy by Iran’s Renewable Energy and Energy Ef- count for just six percent of energy generation, resources — sunlight -- has been a long and historied endeavor, ficiency Organization (known as SATBA). versus natural gas’ 90 percent share. starting all the way back in the Industrial Revolution when French The data provided by SATBA also put the Overall, in the next five years, Iran is aim- scientist Alexandre Edmond Becquerellar first discovered that a electricity generated from renewable resources ing for a 5,000 MW increase in renewable solar cell had the ability to convert sunlight into electricity through at 76 million Kwh in the eight Iranian calendar capacity to meet growing domestic demand the photovoltaic effect in 1839. While it took a long time before month of Aban (October 23-November 22). and expand its presence in the regional elec- we had the technology to make a commercial solar cell, in the Generating 4.405 billion Kwh of electricity tricity market. United States, solar power has received government support for from renewables has led to economizing on According to SATBA, the number of small nearly 50 years. So why hasn’t solar power -- clean, renewable, consumption of fossil fuels by 1.251 billion scale solar power plants across the coun- and overabundant -- taken over our energy landscape? cubic meters and water by 969 million lit- try which are used by households or small ers, while preventing the emission of Green industries is being increased noticeably as House Gases (GHG) by 3,022 tons during Iranian households and small industries the mentioned period of time. have embraced the new technology with Speaking in the opening ceremony of open arms and investors also seem eager Iran’s 4th Renewable Energy Conference in for more contribution in this area. mid-October, Homayoun Haeri, the deputy end of the current [Iranian calendar] year sil energy resources, adding that currently, Back in February, Head of SATBA Seyed minister of energy for electricity affairs, said (March 19, 2020).” 60,000 MW of wind energy potential has Mohammad Sadeqzadeh announced that Iran “The country’s renewable electricity gener- He noted that Iran has good sources of been identified across the country. also plans to add electricity generated from ation capacity will rise to 1000 MW by the renewable energy in addition to its huge fos- Haeri further stressed the growing role renewable sources to the export backset. For a long time, solar power was simply too expensive -- it just couldn’t compete with the cheap cost and relative ease of fossil fuels, around which the entire energy industry was already Oil steadies as trade optimism counterweighs U.S. stockpile build built, with negligible exceptions. But now, solar power is cheaper Oil steadied above $64 a barrel on Wednesday as an industry That was fuelled by comments on Tuesday from President than ever, with this year’s average price per watt of solar energy report showing a surprise boost in U.S. crude inventories was Donald Trump, who said the United States and China are close to clocking in at just $3. In fact, solar (and wind power) are now offset by optimism about a U.S.-China trade deal being agreed. agreement after top negotiators spoke by telephone and agreed cheaper than coal in most countries in the world. And the really Oil industry group the American Petroleum Institute on to keep working on remaining issues. great news is that they’re going to keep getting even cheaper. Tuesday said U.S. crude inventories rose by 3.6 million bar- Attention will focus later on Wednesday on the U.S. govern- This is in large part thanks to the fact that we are in the midst rels, compared with analysts’ expectations for a decrease. The ment’s weekly oil supply report from the Energy Information of a solar tech revolution. “Today,” reports Singularity Hub, “we U.S. government’s supply report is due out later on Wednesday. Administration, due at 1530 GMT. are riding a tremendous wave of advancements in both solar panel Brent crude was up 15 cents at $64.42 a barrel by 1011 GMT, “If the numbers are similar to the API, this would be the efficiency and novel methods of expanding surface area coverage.” while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude was 2 cents higher fifth straight week of stockbuilds, and would not be the most At the forefront of this movement is a startup called Heliogen, at $58.43. constructive reading for WTI as we head into the Thanksgiving which is backed by clean energy enthusiast, technocrat, and - as Oil had risen for the last two days on expectations that China holiday,” ING analyst Warren Patterson said in a note. luck would have it - billionaire Bill Gates that is pushing solar power and the United States, the world’s two biggest crude oil users, Expectations that the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting efficiency to new heights with the implementation of Artificial would soon sign a preliminary agreement beginning an end to Countries and allies such as Russia will maintain their deal to Intelligence. “Heliogen has created a system that will concentrate their 16-month trade dispute. restrain supply are also supporting prices. solar energy at temperatures as high as 1832 degrees Fahrenheit “Trade deal optimism persists,” said Tamas Varga of oil broker The producers, known as OPEC+, hold their next oil policy extend their supply cut agreement further into 2020. (1000 degrees Celsius) and replace the use of fossil fuels in in- PVM. The “belief in a positive trade deal continues unabated.” review meetings on Dec. 5-6 in Vienna. They are expected to (Source: in.reuters.com) dustrial tasks such as producing cement and steel,” reports the International Business Times. This is achieved with the use of an AI-based computer system which is able to “align a set of large mirrors that will reflect solar energy on a single target. The accuracy OPEC, Russia likely to extend oil production cuts at upcoming meeting of this system is what makes it possible to generate not just huge amounts of solar energy, but even control the output to make it OPEC and Russia are to extend their oil densates removed from the deal, meaning Arabia could ultimately break off their agree- comparable with the immediate power boost that happens with production deal at least through midyear, it would only to have its actual crude oil ment, and it may have been ended already burning fossil fuels.” but if they were to cut more output, as some production counted, not other petroleum were it not for Russia’s problems with con- The current trend in solar energy speculate, it would blindside what has become byproducts. If that were to happen, Russia’s taminated oil earlier this year. The incident This incredible concentration and efficiency falls in line with a complacent market, analysts said. share of the cuts would fall since its overall forced it to reduce exports, and it came into the current trend in solar energy, which is how to address one of The ministers will head into the December production total would drop. compliance with the accord. the sector’s biggest obstacles: land area use. 5 and 6 meeting with oil prices near their The “Russian intentions will be a critical But most analysts say the agreement has “Traditionally, solar energy-generating plants have been de- highest levels in two months. OPEC and aspect of it for the future, especially with them support from President Vladimir Putin and ployed on swathes of out-of-eyesight farmland, or on the roofs of Russia and other allies have an ongoing wanting some wiggle room on the condensate that’s what matters most. self-powered homes and commercial properties. Yet critics agreement to reduce output by 1.2 million and potentially produce more. They’ll be in Russian energy companies are set to meet point to land area use as the single greatest barrier to widespread barrels a day, with the biggest cuts coming the deal in name only,” said Kilduff. with Novak later in the week. “It helps Rus- solar adoption,” writes Singularity Hub. from Saudi Arabia. There has been speculation that Russia sia’s bargaining position if Novak goes into “Over the next decade, however, solar panels will be installed “At this stage, it’s not perfect for a num- state-run Saudi Aramco for the first time may be unhappy with the production agree- the meeting and says he has a coalition of almost ubiquitously across urban and semi-urban areas, embed- ber of producers, but it’s not catastrophic ever, just as OPEC’s meeting gets underway. ment, in part because its energy companies producers who don’t like the cuts,” she said. ded in our infrastructure, transparent surfaces, and potentially either,” said Helima Croft, global head of “It wouldn’t surprise me if the Saudis would oppose it. Croft said the Russian relationship with even transit vessels.” commodities strategy at RBC. “We’re kind go for more (production cuts), to tighten the “It’s not so much that Russia is going to OPEC, or Saudi Arabia, is important, and The Bill Gates-backed Heliogen model is still in its early stages of treading water.” market even more than they have already,” storm out of the meeting. As to what may Putin supports the arrangement so Russia of development and the groundbreaking AI technology still has The current agreement expires in March, said John Kilduff of Again Capital. Kilduff end up happening, may be more wait and will be behind maintaining an agreement. a long way to go before it comes to market, but it is not the only but many analysts expect the OPEC plus group said Saudi Arabia may want to make sure see,” said Citigroup energy analyst Eric Lee. “I think the financial benefits and the soft revolution in solar energy currently underway. to extend it until its next meeting in June or oil prices continue to improve, especially in He said it’s possible the OPEC plus group power strategic gains far outweigh the cost In fact, the sector is absolutely bursting with innovation as even to its meeting a year from now. light of the Aramco offering. could maintain the status quo, hold off on of shutting down several hundred thousand scientists and investors respond to the urgent need to cut carbon Croft expects the deal to be extended until Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak extending the agreement, and call a meeting barrels,” said Croft. The “broader Russia Inc. emissions and offset our dependence on fossil fuels with alternative June, and then ministers will again review has said he doesn’t favor increasing the size for right before the March expiration. That has gained enormously in terms of new deals energy like solar. it. Many other analysts expect the cuts will of the cuts, and the Russian position is that would unsettle the market, he said. that have been signed with Saudi Arabia and Just this month, a team of scientists at MIT unveiled that they be extended as well, but some believe OPEC members should be forced to comply with “Unless they deliver something quite strong the UAE … the ultimate decision maker is have developed a new protective coating for advanced solar cells with and Russia could cut even more. the current level of production. and stick to it, then it’s more likely to have Vladimir Putin and the deal provided signif- huge possible implications. While a protective covering might not The meeting comes at a key time for Sau- The actual crude oil production some downside risk,” he said. icant dividends.” be the sexiest tech innovation, it is a hugely important one, making di Arabia, which will be issuing stock in its Russia has also been angling to have con- Lee said it’s even possible Russia and Saudi (Source: cnbc.com) our existing solar technology more efficient and more resilient. High-efficiency solar cells As reported by phys.org, “MIT researchers have improved on a transparent, conductive coating material, producing a tenfold Siemens Gamesa now able to actively dictate wind flow at offshore wind farm locations gain in its electrical conductivity. When incorporated into a type New Wake Adapt feature can determine di- problem-solving. Instead of letting the wind applies wake steering techniques to reduce entire wind power plant. The adaptations are of high-efficiency solar cell, the material increased the cell’s effi- rection of wind reaching downstream wind and wake fully dictate how much energy we wake-induced production losses on offshore made depending on site-specific conditions ciency and stability.” turbines. can capture, we safely direct the wake – and its wind power plants by up to 10%. and comply with the load design envelope for This is an especially important breakthrough due to the fact Actively dictating the wind flow in any off- unfavorable effects – away from our machines Remotely activated, it strategically adjusts the SGRE offshore wind turbines and support that the material currently used in the solar sector to coat the shore wind power plant has likely been the across the entire power plant. the yaw angle of each individual offshore wind structures. solar cells has a lot of shortcomings. The “material most widely dream of developers and engineers since the Through digitalization, we can produce turbine when the wake of upstream wind tur- “What’s more, we have a solution which – used today for such purposes is known as ITO, for indium titani- first turbines were installed in Danish waters more energy from the same turbines, bene- bines negatively affects downstream wind depending on project specific factors – can be um oxide, but that material is quite brittle and can crack after a in 1991. fitting our customers, ratepayers, and society turbines. retrofit to existing wind parks using Siemens period of use.” The new and improved coating developed by MIT This resulting shift in direction of the wind overall. SGRE is committed to innovation and These offset angles deflect the wake away Gamesa Direct Drive and geared G4 offshore is a high-performing, flexible organic polymer known as PEDOT, turbine wake away from downstream wind improvements which ensure clean energy for from downstream turbines, controlling the wind wind turbines. As the market leader in offshore which is “deposited in an ultrathin layer just a few nanometers turbines allows an increase in overall wind generations to come,” said Morten Pilgaard to ensure that downstream turbines receive wind, Wake Adapt can improve park perfor- thick, using a process called oxidative chemical vapor deposition park performance of up to 1% in annual energy Rasmussen, Head of Offshore Technology at a more powerful and undisrupted wind flow. mance for customers serving hundreds of thou- (oCVD). This process results in a layer where the structure of the production. Siemens Gamesa. This redistributes production across the row sands of households,” Rasmussen continued. tiny crystals that form the polymer are all perfectly aligned hori- The “Wake Adapt feature is about proactive On a technical level, SGRE’s Wake Adapt of turbines, increasing the performance of the (Source: evwind.es) zontally, giving the material its high conductivity.” Even with the incredible advances currently being made in the solar energy sector, there is still much more room for improvement. As Singularity Hub reports, “while the efficiency of current Qatar Petroleum to raise LNG production, helium potential run-of-the-mill solar panels still hovers around 16-18 percent, By Nick Parkinson Minister Al-Kaabi said. traditional silicon solar panels have only reached half of their “I am pleased to announce that our appraisal efforts have theoretical efficiency potential. And new materials science break- State-owned Qatar Petroleum will raise Qatar’s liquefied borne fruit, and that we have confirmation that the produc- throughs are now on track to double this theoretical constraint, natural gas (LNG) production capacity to 126 million tons tive layers of the North Field extend well into Qatari land promising cheap, efficient, and abundant solar energy.” per annum (mtpa) by 2027, an increase of 64% from the in Ras Laffan. Studies and well tests have also confirmed Every advance in the efficiency and ease of solar power pro- current 77 mtpa. the ability to produce large quantities of gas from this new duction carries major real-world implications, getting us closer Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, the Minister of State for Energy sector of the North Field. to being able to meet the emission cutting goals set by the Paris Affairs, the President and CEO of Qatar Petroleum, also “These are very important findings, which will have a climate accord. announced that new studies have revealed that the North great positive impact on Qatar’s gas industry, and which In order to avoid the climate tipping point towards catastrophic Field’s productive layers extend well into Qatari land in Ras will move it forward into bigger and wider horizons. These climate change, most of the world’s known fossil fuel reserves will Laffan, paving the way for a new LNG production project results will also enable us to immediately commence the have to remain in the ground. This means that the need to develop in the north of Qatar. necessary engineering work for two additional LNG mega a clean energy sector that is able to compete economically and Minister Al-Kaabi confirmed gas reserves of the North trains with a combined annual capacity of 16 million tons logistically with oil and gas is imperative and urgent. Field exceed 1760 trillion cubic feet, in addition to more than per annum. This will raise Qatar’s LNG production from However, as OilPrice reported earlier this year, “Clean Energy 70 billion barrels of condensates, and massive quantities of shortage, and is potentially a new Qatar 4. currently 77 million tons to 126 million tons per annum by Is Doomed Without More R&D Spending” and investment is “The LPG, ethane, and helium. “During the past two years, Qatar Petroleum worked 2027, representing an increase of about 64%. It will also No.1 Bottleneck For Clean Energy Tech.” The only thing standing Qatar’s expansion plans, with four new production facil- diligently to determine the degree to which the North Field raise Qatar’s overall hydrocarbon production to about 6.7 between us and a solar-powered world is a few more Bill Gates ities, known as LNG trains, is potentially a boost for future extends towards the south west, as well as the possibility of million barrels oil equivalent per day.” or a whole lot more civil, political, and private sector support. worldwide helium supplies which would help ease the current production from Qatar’s northern coastal onshore areas,” (Source: gasworld.com) (Source: oilprice.com) I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y 6 INTERNATIONAL NOVEMBER 28, 2019

Is Netanyahu ready to Pompeo gives away the inflame war to escape his legal troubles? By Jonathan Cook Palestinian West Bank The decision to indict Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on three separate criminal counts pushes the country’s already By Philip M. Giraldi unprecedented electoral stalemate into the entirely uncharted territory of a constitutional crisis.There is no legal precedent for UNZ — A story has been circulating suggesting that a sitting prime minister facing a trial – in Netanyahu’s case, for Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will soon be resigning bribery, fraud and breach of trust. Former Israeli prime minister because he needs to focus on planning for his campaign Ehud Olmert was charged with corruption in 2009 but only after to become a Senator from Kansas in 2020. This is good he had resigned from office. news for the United States, as Senator Lindsey Graham Israeli commentators are already warning of the possibility has had no one he is able to talk to about exporting de- of civil war if, as seems likely, Netanyahu decides to whip up mocracy by blowing up the planet since Joe Lieberman his far-right supporters into a frenzy of outrage. After a decade retired and John McCain died. And the tale even has a in power, he has developed an almost cult-like status among bit of palace intrigue built into it, with an interesting sections of the public. back story as Pompeo is apparently considering his He called for mass protests in Tel Aviv by supporters on Tues- move because he fears that staying in harness with day night under the banner “Stop the coup”.The honorable thing Donald Trump for too long might damage his reputa- would be for Netanyahu to step down quickly, given that the two tion. There are also reports that he has been traveling elections he fought this year ended in deadlock. Both were seen to Kansas frequently on the State Department’s dime primarily as plebiscites on his continuing rule. to test the waters, a violation of the Hatch Act which He is now the country’s caretaker prime minister, in place until prohibits most government officials from engaging in either a new government can be formed or an unprecedented self-promotional political activities unrelated to their third election is held. actual jobs. His departure would end months of governmental near-pa- If one is seeking evidence to suggest that Pompeo, ralysis. The path would then be clear for a successor from his a man who lies with a fluency that takes one’s breath Likud party to negotiate a deal on a right-wing unity government away, is delusional, it would certainly have to include with rival Benny Gantz, a former army general. his self-assessment that he has a reputation to protect. Gantz’s Blue and White party has made it a point of principle It is possible to cite many instances in which Pompeo not to forge an alliance with Netanyahu. has asserted something that is absolutely contrary to Previous experience, however, suggests that Netanyahu might the truth, though one might also have to concede that prefer to tear the house down rather than go quietly. If he is al- he could often be saying what his factually challenged Geneva Convention framework of international law present, the land is ruled over by a racist, tribal and lowed to press ahead with another election in March, he is likely boss wants to hear. When Pompeo was Director of governing behavior by occupying military powers that discriminatory ideology through an apparatus that to stoke new levels of incitement against his supposed enemies. the CIA he even joked openly about how “We lied, we was established after the Second World War. It ignores calls itself ‘The Jewish State’ and declares itself home Until now, the main target of his venom has been a predictable one. cheated, we stole.” the fact that the status quo of expanding settlements for every Jew around the world; yet, is abusive, lethal During the April and September campaigns, he railed relent- Mike Pompeo’s latest concession to the war crim- has only taken place because of Washington’s refusal and some would say genocidal toward the indigenous lessly against the fifth of Israel’s citizenry who are Palestinian as inals in charge of Israel, clearly intended to boost the to do anything about it. The State Department’s new people of the land… Pompeo’s declaration provides an well as their elected representatives in the Joint List, the third electoral chances of Benjamin Netanyahu, is only the interpretation completely embraces arguments being explicit and necessary message to the Palestinians in largest faction in the Knesset. most recent dose of the Secretary of State’s falsehood made by hard-line politicians in Israel and opens the general and in the West Bank in particular. The conflict Shortly before last Thursday’s indictment was announced, piled on fiction. It is generally assumed that the move door to endorsement by the White House of a total de is not progressing toward a peaceful resolution. Those Netanyahu was at it again, holding an “emergency conference”. to help Bibi by interfering in Israeli politics has been facto or even de jure annexation of the West Bank by amongst the Palestinians who advocated the ‘Two States He told supporters that a minority government led by Gantz and made in an effort to have Tel Aviv reciprocate by put- the Jewish state. Solution’ will have to hide now. Pompeo has affirmed propped up from outside by the Joint List would be a “historic ting pressure on its many American fellow travelers Pompeo was talking about the nearly 700,000 ille- that there is one Holy Land between the Jordan River national attack on Israel”. The Palestinian minority’s MPs, he in the media and congress to go easier on Trump in gal exclusively Jewish settlers currently on the West and the Mediterranean Sea. From now on the battle said, “want to destroy the country”. the impeachment saga. And Trump would also expect Bank and in East Jerusalem. Palestinians, in many over this disputed land is whether it will be subject Such a government, he added, would be an outcome “they additional reciprocity when he runs again in 2020. Even areas under a brutal regime of martial law enforced by to the racist discriminatory ideology implied by the will celebrate in Tehran, in Ramallah and in Gaza, as they do though Netanyahu, who has been indicted over bribery the Jewish state’s army and police, have virtually no notion of ‘The Jewish State’ and its ‘National Bill,’ or after every terror attack”. and fraud, will not be able to shift many liberal Jewish rights and are subject to increasing violent attacks by if it will transform itself into a ‘State of its Citizens’ as This repeated scaremongering had an obvious goal: rallying votes, he will be able to get allies like mega billionaire the settlers. Not surprisingly, Pompeo’s statement was is inherent in the notion of One Palestine.” the Jewish public to vote for his far-right, now overtly anti-Arab Sheldon Adelson to pony up tens of millions of dollars rejected by everyone but the Israelis and the usual crowd Tom Suarez posits similarly at Mondoweiss, observing coalition. The hope was that he would win an outright majority to support the GOP campaign. in the U.S. Congress and media, but even some leading that any form of annexation of the West Bank without and could then force through legislation conferring on him im- The Trump Administration’s gifts to Israel are un- Democratic candidates, including Bernie Sanders and giving Palestinians equal rights would basically make munity from prosecution. precedented, including moving the capital to Jerusalem Elizabeth Warren, found the decision troubling. The 28 Israeli apartheid so visible and unacceptable to world Now he appears to have run out of time. After three years of and acknowledging the annexation of the Syrian Golan member European Union declared that “All settlement opinion that the Jewish state would become a complete investigations and much foot-dragging, the attorney general, Heights. Pompeo, driven by his Christian Zionist be- activity is illegal under international law and it erodes pariah internationally and would be forced to adopt Avichai Mandelblit, has finally charged him.According to the liefs, has been the point man on many of those moves, the viability of the two-state solution and the prospects some kind of one state formula. Israeli media, Netanyahu turned down opportunities for a plea ably assisted by a U.S. Ambassador David Friedman, for a lasting peace. The E.U. calls on Israel to end all Nevertheless, even if a one state solution with equal bargain that would have seen him resign in return for avoiding ex-bankruptcy lawyer, who has served as a consistent settlement activity, in line with its obligations as an citizenship status for everyone would appear to be both jail time. advocate and apologist for Israel with little or no concern occupying power.” desirable and compliant with modern notions of human According to the most serious allegation, he is accused of for actual American interests. One might also observe And, of course, there are potential consequences rights, it is not necessarily inevitable. The chosen-by- granting media tycoon Shaul Elovich benefits worth $500 million that if Pompeo is truly interested in running for the when a government does something stupid. Shortly God Israeli state is quite capable of ethnic cleansing or in exchange for favorable coverage.Weighed against the crimes Senate a little help and cash from Israel and its many after Pompeo’s announcement, the U.S. Embassy in even genocide on a massive scale, as it did originally he and other Israeli leaders have perpetrated over many decades friends might be very welcome. Jerusalem put out a security advisory warning Americans in 1947-8 when it was founded and also later after it against the Palestinians in the occupied territories, the offenses The Pompeo gift to Bibi was announced early last traveling in the West Bank, Jerusalem and Gaza, stat- occupied the West Bank and Gaza in 1967. The Jewish he is indicted for seem relatively minor. week. He said that the Trump Administration is now re- ing, “Individuals and groups opposed to [the Pompeo] state’s leaders have repeatedly asserted that there is Nonetheless, if found guilty, Netanyahu faces a substantial jecting the 1978 State Department Hansell Memorandum announcement may target U.S. government facilities, no such thing as a Palestinian, that Jordan is actual- prison sentence of up to 10 years. That makes the stakes high. legal opinion that the creation of civilian settlements U.S. private interests, and U.S. citizens.” It suggested ly Palestine. They have become skilled at making the All the signs now are that he will switch his main target from in occupied territories is indeed “inconsistent with in- that visitors ought “to maintain a high level of vigilance lives of Palestinians so miserable by destroying their Israel’s Palestinian minority to the legal authorities pursuing ternational law.” In a sense, he was giving something and take appropriate steps to increase their security farms, other livelihood and even their homes while also him.His first response to the indictment was to accuse the police away to Israel that neither he nor the Israelis legally awareness in light of the current environment.” controlling their infrastructure, killing them if they and state prosecutors of an “attempted coup”, claiming they had possess. He said that he was “accepting realities on the There is inevitably considerable discussion in some resist, that they emigrate. Christians in Palestine, the fabricated the evidence to “frame” him. “The time has come to ground” and elaborated on his view that the White House circles regarding what the new situation on the West original followers of Jesus Christ, constituted close to investigate the investigators,” he urged. believes legal questions about settlements should be Bank actually means. To be sure, the number and size 8 percent of the population in 1946 but now number As one Blue and White official told the veteran Israeli reporter dealt with in Israeli courts, meaning that the hapless of settlements will increase, but some knowledgea- less than 2 percent. Most have chosen to leave rather Ben Caspit: “Netanyahu will not hesitate to sic [unleash] his Palestinians would have no voice in developments that ble critics like Gilad Atzmon suggest that the move than submit to Israel. supporters on those institutions of government that represent would deprive them of their homes. will backfire on the Israelis, who, by taking control of There is no reason to doubt that the Israelis could the rule of law. He has no inhibitions.” Per Pompeo, “Calling the establishment of civilian the land, will eventually have to accept some kind of continue their creeping annexation of the West Bank Technically the law allows a prime minister to continue serv- settlements inconsistent with international law has one state solution, giving the Palestinians considera- for ten more years or so while also deliberately driving ing while under indictment and before a trial, which is still not advanced the cause of peace. The hard truth is that ble rights in a not-completely-denominational state. the remaining Arabs out. I have little doubt that that many months away. Assuming Netanyahu refuses to resign, the there will never be a judicial resolution to the conflict, He observes how “…inadvertently, Trump has finally is precisely what they will do and they will be empow- courts will have to rule on whether this privilege extends to a and arguments about who is right and who is wrong committed the U.S.A. to the One State Solution. It is ered to do so by the United States, which will never caretaker leader unable to form a new government.Netanyahu as a matter of international law will not bring peace.” hard to deny that the area between the ‘River and the develop either the integrity or the courage to push back is therefore likely to focus his attention on intimidating the Pompeo’s latest statement, consistent with many of Sea’ is a single piece of land. It shares one electric grid, against “America’s closest ally and best friend in the supreme court, already cowed by a decade of tongue-lashing his earlier ones, is completely contrary to the Fourth one pre-dial code (+972) and one sewage system. At entire world.” from the Israeli right. Critics unfairly accuse the court of being a bastion of liberalism. But bigger dangers may lie ahead. Netanyahu needs to keep his own Likud party in line. If its members sense he is finished, Why the U.S. fears a peaceful Iran? there could be a rapid collapse of support and moves towards an TEHRAN (FNA) — Now that the chaos democracy” are weaponized against Iran attempt to overthrow him.The first hints of trouble emerged on and violence in Iran has died down, some because it challenges US hegemony. Saturday when Gideon Saar, Netanyahu’s most likely challenger US politicians have jumped into the fray By imposing sanctions on Iranian in Likud, accused him of “creating an atmosphere of chaos” by with their human rights shenanigans to people and officials, the US has lost all denigrating the legal authorities. On Tuesday he went further try to stir up more disorder and sustain moral credibility. The people of Iran have calling on Netanyahu to quit. violence. the wisdom and foresight not to succumb After the failure by both Gantz and Netanyahu to put togeth- They fear a peaceful Iran. The more to this strategy. They know that unlike er a coalition, the task was passed last week to parliament. Its chaotic and paralyzed Iran is, the better during the violent protests, election is members have just over a fortnight left to see whether one of for them. This shows that the priority for where protesters and non-protesters will their number can rally a majority of MPs.This brief window could many elites in the US is to try to use vio- be gathered together. provide an opportunity for Saar to move against Netanyahu. On lence to suppress Iran’s development. If Yet, this doesn’t mean that Iranians, Sunday he submitted an official request for the Likud party to Iran is plunged into a state of chaos and like any other nation, do not have their hold a snap leadership race. disorder, it would lose its place as a reliable grievances and complaints. Even those Observers fear that to allay this danger, Netanyahu might global energy supplier, which would lead who have been appearing in vast rallies consider not only inflaming his base but also setting the region to a flight of highly educated and skilled across the country in the last week to show alight with a conflict to rally the rest of the public to his side and elites from the country. Ultimately, this their trust and support for the establish- make his removal impossible. constrains Iran’s economic progress. is amazing how the anti-Iran media barely petrol bombs, destruction of property and ment were carrying placards that they In fact, the Israeli media reported that shortly before Sep- This is while violent protesters’ actions report the taking to the streets of millions attacks on civilians and journalists oc- reserve their right of complaint against tember’s election, he had tried to pull precisely such a stunt, cannot be condoned by any civilized soci- of Iranians over the past few days to con- curred in the US or in Europe, the police President Rouhani’s economic plans and preparing a war on Gaza to justify postponing the ballot. ety. Blocking roads prevents emergency demn violence and vandalism. This kind would have been sterner and stronger in policies, but when it comes to security and He was stopped at the last minute by Mandelblit, who realized services, such as fire and ambulance, from of pro-establishment demonstrations are their response. threats to the establishment, they would that the cabinet had been misled into approving military action. reaching vulnerable people in need. Also, given blanket media coverage. Since the violent acts are against the not hesitate to prioritize their state over Netanyahu had reportedly concealed from them the fact that the the disruption of the economy and the This is because there is an agenda being interests of the people of Iran, it raises their own personal interests. That was military command was opposed. destruction of public property are against followed by the Western and anti-Iran me- the question of whose interests the vio- the message of the massive rally held in In recent weeks, Netanyahu has stoked severe tensions with the interests of all people in Iran. The dia to demonize the Iranian government. lent protesters are acting in? Their actions Tehran on Monday. Gaza by assassinating Palestinian Islamic Jihad leader Baha Abu police have acted in a highly professional The choice of language used by the media play into the hands of the US, Israel and For those who refuse to make their po- Al Atta.When Olmert was being investigated for corruption in and restrained manner when dealing with is quite deliberate. It is to manufacture a Saudi Arabia who want to constrain Iran’s litical preference public, election is the 2008, Netanyahu sagely warned of the dangerous confusion of the violence. certain perception, rather than reporting development. only time when their voices would be heard interests that might result. “He will make decisions based on his Using criticism from anti-Iran media facts in a neutral way. The US and its regional allies are hyp- and be effective in making a social change. own interests of political survivability rather than the national and governments to restrain the Iranian Violent protesters took advantage of ocritical in many aspects of their attacks Their votes boost their confidence in the interest,” he said. police from taking legitimate law en- this, trying to restrain law enforcement, on Iran. They tell foreign countries “don’t system. Those in the West who believe And that is precisely the reason why many in Israel are keen forcement actions is part of the violent and giving free rein to their violent ac- meddle in our political affairs” while they can halt or slow Iran’s development to see the back of Netanyahu – in case his instinct for political protesters’ playbook. The police have tions against the police, the public and meddling in Iran’s affairs. The “national and progress need to come up with a new survival trumps the interests of stability in the region. been accused of using excessive force. It property. Had activities such as throwing security interest” and “human rights and design. I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y NOVEMBER 28, 2019 ANALYSIS & INTERVIEW 7 East Asia at the glance Pompeo’s futile efforts to discredit CPC GLOBALTIMES — U.S. Secretary of State tem. Such technological advantage is the key Mike Pompeo once again launched direct at- behind China’s leading position in the global tacks against the Communist Party of China rare-earth market. (CPC) on Tuesday, claiming that the Party has U.S. attempt to oust Chinese tele- engaged in “systematic repression of Uighurs coms firms sacrifices well-being of rural and members of other Muslim minority groups Americans in Xinjiang.” This US State Secretary has been The US should stop banning Huawei and constantly peddling his clichés. ZTE, which are major equipment suppliers Radical political elites in Washington are for small, rural mobile phone carriers in the adjusting their strategy of a public opinion war country. If China ceases product supply or against China. They are increasingly focusing raises prices, it will impair the interests of their efforts on discrediting the CPC, in an small rural carriers in the US. attempt to make their large-scale attacks on The Federal Communications Commis- China less abrupt in the Western context, sion (FCC) on Friday barred the use of its rouse Westerners’ memory of the Cold War, $8.5 billion a year Universal Service Fund and disguise their frantic geopolitical siege (USF) to purchase equipment and services against China as an ideological battle in the from Huawei Technologies and ZTE Corp. face of “the threat posed by the CPC.” Aside from the “big four” carriers in the Pompeo and his likes have another malicious US - namely Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile and purpose: They are attempting to reduce the Sprint, which reportedly do not use Huawei’s Chinese public’s resentment against them by devices - there are many small, wireless op- shifting their attacks on China to mainly on erators in the country that only serve a few the CPC. They try to drive a wedge between communities and bear the high costs of building the Chinese people and the Party, and solic- networks in complex terrain. Devices from it Chinese domestic endorsement for their Chinese telecoms companies such as Huawei criticism. This adjustment is undoubtedly and ZTE are what they require. carefully plotted, but only wishful thinking. In a draft statement released by the FCC Pompeo and his likes must have read some on July 2, John Nettles, president of Al- Chinese online posts attacking the CPC gath- abama-based regional network operator ered by their intelligence agencies, which Pine Belt Communications, explained that were written by a tiny minority of Chinese the company chose ZTE in the 3G build-out people. Based on past Cold War experience, due to its price advantage. “ZTE’s bid was they thought they had a chance. The US has almost one-third that of the highest bidder, collected quite a bit of information about Chi- U.S. should beware if Cruz’s Tai- I don’t believe most Hongkongers would central government, Hong Kong won’t in- and 25 percent below the second-lowest bid- na, but they are overly-subjective to make wan Act becomes policy like to see chaos continue in their city. They fluence much of the country’s development. der” among the five bidding vendors at that judgments - they always try to rationalize The anti-China senator is planning to wish for change, but their indignation and All walks of life in Hong Kong should calm time, according to Nettles. what they wish. propose a bill called “Taiwan Symbols of unwise choices would further push the city down and introspect after the district council With cost-efficient devices from Chinese The CPC has led Chinese people to be truly Sovereignty Act,” which aims to “peel back toward an abyss. The outcome of the election election: Can violence really solve the prob- providers, rural US operators managed to independent, realize great economic growth some of the extreme insults of Taiwanese that would mislead outsiders into believing that lem? Does Hong Kong’s future lie in keeping accumulate retained earnings to adopt 4G tech- in the past decades, fundamentally reshape are inflicted by the one-China policy proto- the so-called mainstream public opinion in distance from China’s national strategy and nology, and to explore technology of the next people’s livelihood, and regain dignity in the col,” such as the ban of Taiwan’s “officials” Hong Kong is in favor of violence and confron- system? Will its unconditional and unlimited generation - 5G.Huawei said the company’s 5G world. The CPC has dedicated itself to the great from visiting US government agencies, and tation while going against integration with trust in the West really benefit the city? cell sites, which are small, compact and can be rejuvenation of China. This is a consensus of prohibiting the island’s exchange students the Chinese mainland. But what concerns me It is easy to forge “public opinion” by spread- installed anywhere, will save their customers Chinese people, and many Westerners cannot at West Point from wearing the uniform of more is Hong Kong getting lost. ing fear and violence. However, it is also an about 10,000 euros ($11,000) when building imagine how unshakable it is. their own “military.” The jurisprudence and fidelity to the Basic obligation of elites to educate and guide people a mobile phone tower. Huawei’s equipment The CPC is a political party unlike any The scheme was made public by Christian Law and “one country, two systems” principle to think rationally and jointly figure out the price is roughly 20 to 30 percent cheaper than of those in the Western political systems. Whiton, former senior adviser in the Trump have not been established in Hong Kong, a best way to realize local interests. Regrettably, that of its competitors including Ericsson, It is the builder of the country and it has and Bush administrations, on Friday at the city that still completely follows the “colonial” Hong Kong’s governing and cultural elites Nokia and Samsung. integrated itself with the country. With par- Washington-based Hudson Institute. Whi- system under the common law and adopts have abandoned this responsibility. The four major US carriers, which have ties coming in and leaving office, Western ton added, “I hope this will be a good start.” practices consistent with the West. This is No Hongkonger should be absent in the offered their 5G networks in different cities in political systems in fact offer every political Cruz has long been hostile to China and has one reason behind the results of the latest great discussion about the city’s future. How the US, have teamed up mainly with Ericsson. party exemptions of liability. Hence, the slammed the Asian country on various is- district council elections. The Hong Kong Hong Kong can better integrate within the Ericsson provides T-Mobile with 5G network most important ability of Western political sues. But even if all his past misdeeds can government failed to deal with local young- country is a topic more valuable than the equipment as well as a 5G Core network and parties is to explain and defend themselves. be forgotten, it is totally unacceptable that sters according to the rule of law. The youth “public opinion” trend in a specific election. 5G RAN for Verizon. The company has also However, shouldering numerous respon- he is now advocating Taiwan’s “sovereignty” believe they can find justice by breaking the Ensuring rare-earth dominance partnered with AT&T to launch mobile 5G. sibilities for China, the CPC has nowhere and zeroing in on relevant legislation. This law. From the 2014 illegal Occupy Central crucial in trade war However, the cost of not using Huawei is to shift liability, but the only option is to is a grave challenge to China’s bottom line. movement to the current unrest sparked Considering China’s dominance in the obvious for major telecoms carriers. In rural lead the country forward. “The United States acknowledges that all by the now-withdrawn extradition bill, the rare-earth sector, any move by the Chinese areas, there are fewer people to average out The CPC, as well as the entire China, has Chinese on either side of the Taiwan Strait political landscape of Hong Kong has been government involving these coveted minerals the cost while the land mass may require sig- always been busy solving problems. China’s maintain there is but one China and that increasingly polarized and radicalized. could lead to all sorts of interpretations. nificantly more 5G base stations. The cost of system is oriented to tackling problems. The Taiwan is a part of China.” This is the US The central government promotes rule According to a recent statement from the launching 5G will be too great for small carriers Party’s governance may have some flaws, declaration on record, written explicitly in of law in Hong Kong but it cannot persuade Ministry of Industry and Information Tech- to shoulder without more government fund- and problems may appear in various places. the Shanghai Communiqué signed by China Hongkongers to follow its lead as the “two nology, China raised its annual rare-earth ing. But will the government subsidies cancel But Chinese people will criticize the flaws and the US in 1972. systems” concept has been misunderstood. mining quota to 132,000 tons, 10 percent more out the cost of the switch for small carriers? and express dissatisfaction. If it weren’t In the eyes of certain US politicians like Meanwhile, local groups’ appeal for “democ- than last year’s level and a new record high. A Reuters report revealed that a US for such high-profile attacks launched by Cruz and Whiton, the one-China policy has racy and welfare” targets the contradictions While the move alleviates concerns that House of Representatives panel in Sep- Pompeo and his likes, the Chinese people inflicted “extreme insults” to Taiwan citizens and demands of people under Hong Kong’s China, the world’s largest supplier of rare-earth tember passed legislation to authorize would not stop to ponder over the question: and set restrictions for the US, but it is exactly capitalist democracy. minerals, may cut supplies, some critics believe $1 billion in funding for small and rural What differences and significance does the this policy that has helped maintain stable Moreover, Western forces have been ex- that by raising the quota, China has actually wireless providers to replace equipment CPC have, which triggered their smear? It China-US ties over the past 40 years. Once ercising influence in the city, which makes made it more difficult for the US and other from companies including Huawei and is because the CPC’s leadership over China Cruz’s ridiculous bill is passed, it would be an some Hongkongers believe they can challenge countries to develop their own rare-earth ZTE. The US Senate Commerce Committee has brought Pompeo and his likes a deep overt violation of Washington’s own words, the “one country” principle. industries. The importance and strategic approved $700 million to remove Huawei sense of crisis, and because it is the Party would cast all his predecessors’ efforts to the When China-US ties were better and the significance of rare earths is self-evident, equipment, the report read. that guarantees the country’s strong cohesion wind, and lead to disastrous consequences. “two systems” were getting along with each but it should be made clear that China is not Even such a vast sum will not be sufficient. and a reliable mainstay. Despite US launch China must be and will be reunified - this other, Hong Kong enjoyed the benefits of glo- trying to contain the rare-earth industry of any The general counsel of the Rural Wireless of an unprecedented and comprehensive is Beijing’s persistent position. China has balization. But when the world’s two largest country with its advantageous position. Unlike Association (RWA), an organization rep- trade war and mobilization of all kinds of already made it clear that “if anyone dares economies clashed and the globalization or- the US, China never resorts to containment resenting rural US wireless carriers with political means to pressure China, its efforts to split Taiwan from China, the Chinese mil- der is changing, the city is facing an epochal as its strategy to any potential competition. fewer than 100,000 subscribers, claimed seem in vain. Pompeo and his likes have itary has no choice but to fight at all cost for puzzle - Where will it go? It is no secret that the excessive reliance in the FCC release that approximately 25 figured one thing out: To contain China’s national unity.” The election result reflected a majority of the US on China’s rare-earth supplies is a percent of RWA members have deployed rise, it is a must to weaken the CPC’s au- The bill is a bare provocation. Anyone who of Hongkongers’ misunderstanding of “one form of leverage that China has in the trade either Huawei or ZTE equipment in their thority and leadership, otherwise anything challenges China’s core interests must pay a country, two systems” principle, the Basic Law, war with the US. China controls at least 85 networks. The RWA has also estimated that they do will be futile. heavy price. Once Cruz’s proposal becomes a the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, and percent of the world’s rare-earth processing the cost of replacing Huawei and ZTE will However, they are pursuing an unreachable concrete policy, the US will certainly be placed the community of shared future for mankind. capacity, according to research firm Adamas be between $800 million and $1 billion for goal. The CPC’s leadership is earned through in a dangerous situation. If US politicians The citizens of Hong Kong have only come Intelligence. Over the years, the US sourced their members alone, which number just hard work. It has become an important source continue to interfere in the Taiwan question, across anti-China information in a world with about 80 percent of its rare-earth imports 12 to 13 companies. of China’s national strength and a pillar of the they will eventually draw fire against them- freedom of information; they cannot perceive from China. China may not need to play the But Huawei has at least 40 customers in country to resist pressures and challenges. selves. The worst-case scenario could even the changes in relations between China and rare-earth card for the time being, but it is still the US which are mainly rural and not limited There are nearly 90 million members of the be a termination of the US-led order in Asia. the world although they stand at the pinnacle essential to keep vigilant and to ensure the to wireless operators. Taking a rough calcula- CPC in China, which means an extremely solid Politicians like Cruz reflect the decline of globalization; they choose to wait and see deterrent effect of this crucial bargaining chip. tion, the US government should probably at mass base and the integration between the and inefficiency of US politics. They are like and even run away when the Chinese nation It wasn’t until the US-China trade war least double the compensation for small rural Party and the country. If anyone hopes to clowns performing burlesques on the world is in a “golden era” of rejuvenation. broke out that the West realized that rare carriers to replace Huawei or ZTE. crack down on the CPC, it is impossible to power’s political stage. The worst is that Cruz Whatever be the result of various elections earths would be used as a countering weapon. Moreover, the USF generally subsidizes “break through the vulnerable spot,” as the and his likes are good at mobilizing public in Hong Kong, the city’s autonomy and China’s Because of the pressure of a possible ra- telephone companies that serve high-cost confrontation is with the whole of China. opinion, but lack basic history knowledge. If sovereign right on the city will never change. re-earth fight with China, the US has been areas, low-income customers, rural health Washington will lead the US to a futile Cruz understands a little about the Korean The Hong Kong opposition can continue to busy diversifying its rare-earth supplies away care providers, eligible schools and libraries. path, because it refuses to treat China real- War in the 1950s, he will figure out how much force public opinion and collude with foreign from China this year. Media reports indicated With subsidies splitting into small shares for istically and to implement a practical China the powerful US paid for underestimating forces to achieve political goals, but it is the that the US had talks with some rare-earth numerous businesses, the cost of switching policy. The CPC places great emphasis on China’s determination. city - not pro-establishment camp or the cen- mines in Africa, and just last week, US and from Huawei and ZTE may outweigh even self-revolution. It is carrying out political and The proposal might indeed be a “start,” as tral government - that will suffer. Australian officials agreed to formalize a part- USF grants. organizational construction in accordance Whiton hopes, but one of disasters. Cruz and As Hong Kong tends to close its doors, nership to boost supply of rare earths from As the FCC order takes effect, US rural with the reality and its own problems. Such his colleagues had better ask if the Pentagon it will continue losing attraction for elites outside China. wireless carriers will hardly be able to pull off process is highly coordinated with China’s is well prepared. from the Chinese mainland and the rest of While it’s never too late for a person to profitability without China’s telecoms equip- progress, and injects new impetus into its Hong Kong needs to introspect its the world. As a result, the city’s status as a start all over again, it may be too late for the ment. For rural US areas to benefit from 5G advance. But US elites are sticking in the mud future financial hub and its reputation for higher US to catch up with China in the rare-earth technology, the involvement of Chinese service and even going backwards. With the pan-democracy camp capturing education would be seriously affected. The sector, an effort that is expected to face great providers is indispensable. Most importantly, their groundless ac- more than half of the 452 seats in the 2019 window won’t be open too long for Hong Kong difficulties and challenges, including but not Based on a complete lack of evidence and cusations against the CPC are a monstrous Hong Kong District Council elections, the city to seize the opportunity under the framework limited to China’s dominant influence in the groundless accusations, the US government is lie. China has come out on top of the global has come to a political turning point. It was of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater industry. attempting to deal a blow to Chinese companies development competition. This fact speaks an election held amid constant violence in the Bay Area and the Belt and Road Initiative. Most importantly, it is not just pricing at the cost of the well-being of people in the louder than any lie. China has not gone to war city. The result could be somewhat distort- After Hong Kong returned to the moth- or quantity that gives China its grip on the rural US. Against the US’ constant battering, for decades. It has been coexisting with the ed, but the outcome can be seen as so-called erland, China has become the world’s sec- rare-earth supply chain. Over the decades, Huawei has nothing to lose in the US market. rest of the world peacefully. This fact cannot mainstream public opinion. However, it also ond-largest economy and a power to shape China has paid great environmental costs If the US goes its own way, the cost-efficient be wantonly distorted by people like Pompeo. showed that level-headed thinking of the city the global order in the 21st century. Even if and spent heavily in developing a clean and products that its small rural carriers enjoy Their lies will not last long. is on the wane. it positions itself on the opposite side of the efficient rare-earth processing technology sys- may no longer be available. I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y 8 ADVERTISEMENTS NOVEMBER 28, 2019

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Scientists closer than ever to seeing Small satellites key to NASA’s lunar search for water the ‘dawn of the Universe’ By Brooks Hays Scientists say they are closer than ever to If scientists were able to detect that signal, seeing the dawn of the Universe. they could measure how it changed in its Can shrinking satellites grow planetary science? NASA thinks so. Astronomers hoping to spot the super-faint beginning and understand the story of the With a handful of CubeSat and small satellite science and signal of the beginnings of the first stars and EoR. That would teach them about how the space exploration missions already under its belt -- a couple even galaxies are still yet to actually detect it – but they cosmos began, and started to construct the successfully having made the trip to Mars -- NASA is enlisting say they are getting closer to actually detecting it. universe we see today. several new small satellites to study the moon. The signal that scientists are looking for is But they are still unable to actually see Often, rockets carrying larger payloads into space aren’t at the beginning of the Epoch of Reionization, that signal. As such, they are trying to isolate maximum capacity. Until fairly recently, that extra capacity or EoR, which happened 12 billion years ago. it with more and more precise and sensitive went wasted. But over the last two decades, engineers and That marks the moment when the first stars instruments. scientists have been able to miniaturize satellite technology, formed and galaxies began taking shape and One of the difficulties is hearing it as well as the instrumentation that helps scientists observe the first lights in the universe started to switch amid the crashing noise of the world. The the solar system’s many objects. on, and marks the beginning of the cosmos neutral hydrogen radiation comes out at 21 that surrounds us now. centimeters, but has stretched over 12 billion Despite it being a foundational moment years to 2 meters, and scientists are tuned in the history of the Universe, very little is in to that wavelength. known about the EoR. But we have a rough But many other sources give out the same sense of what probably happened. signal, from televisions to natural sources In the beginning, the first atoms formed within the Milky Way. were positively charged hydrogen ions, which “All of these other sources are many were eventually brought together with orders of magnitude stronger than the hydrogen atoms to form neutral hydrogen, signal we’re trying to detect,” Pober said which was all that filled the Universe at its in a statement. “Even an FM radio signal very beginning. Those atoms then began to that’s reflected off an airplane that happens clump together, slowly forming stars and its strength, letting scientists know how an assistant professor of physics at Brown to be passing above the telescope is enough galaxies that re-ionized the neutral hydrogen. strong that signal could be. University and corresponding author on to contaminate the data.” Researchers were looking for the very “We can say with confidence that if the the new paper. “These findings can help Scientists now hope to keep making that “NASA is committed to using excess launch capacity to fly faint signal of that neutral hydrogen, which neutral hydrogen signal was any stronger than us to further constrain the timing of when process more precise, with the aim of catching small satellite science missions,” Carolyn Mercer, the agency’s dominated the universe when it was dark. the limit we set in the paper, then the telescope the cosmic dark ages ended and the first sight of that signal. program executive for the Small Innovative Missions for Planetary They did not find it but set a new limit on would have detected it,” said Jonathan Pober, stars emerged.” (Source: The Independent) Exploration program, told UPI. Currently, the SIMPLEx program has two lunar science missions in the works: LunaH-Map, a CubeSat mission to measure hydrogen concentrations on the lunar surface, and Lunar Trailblazer, a NASA’s space pallet concept could land rovers on the Moon cheaply small orbiter that will map water ice deposits by using infrared instruments. Establishing an enduring presence on the Moon will mean The design of the lander was based on a minimum set of level injection trajectory, and a few days later the space pallet “LunaH-Map is pronounced ‘Luna-Map’ because it is looking making a lot of landings — and NASA researchers want to 1 requirements where traditional risk, mass, and performance would perform the necessary landing maneuvers: attitude for hydrogen, but the hydrogen is hidden. That’s why the H is make those landings as reliable and cheap as possible. This trade parameters were weighed lower than cost. In other words, control, landing site selection, braking, and a soft touchdown silent,” Mercer said. robotic “pallet lander” concept would be a dead simple (as the team did not sacrifice ‘good enough’ for ‘better’ or ‘best.’ with the rover’s solar panels facing the sun. But CubeSats and small satellites simply aren’t an opportunity lunar landers go) way to put up to 300 kilograms of rover It should be noted, of course, that “good enough” hardly implies Once on the surface, the rover would go on its merry way at for creative names. They offer space scientists a chance to conduct and payload onto the Moon’s surface. a slapdash job in the context of lunar landers. It just means that some point in the next couple hours. The lander would take a research they might not be able to do otherwise -- and that could Detailed in a technical paper, the lander is a sort of space getting 5 percent more tensile strength from a material that costs 50 few surface images and characterize its surroundings for the aid NASA’s larger planetary exploration goals. pallet: a strong, basic framework that could be a unit in many times more wasn’t considered a worthwhile trade-off. Same reason team on Earth, then shut down permanently after 8 hours or so. LunaH-Map and Lunar Trailblazer are just two of many NASA a future mission. It’s still a concept and doesn’t really have we don’t use ebony or elm for regular pallets. Instead they’re using Yes, unfortunately the space pallet is not intended to science missions aimed at studying the presence of water on the a name, so space pallet will do for now. the space travel equivalent of solid pine boards that have been tested survive the lunar night, the researchers point out. Though moon. Studying the moon’s resources is intrinsically interesting It’s an evolution of a design that emerged in studies into the ground. (The team does admit to extrapolating a little but any presence on the Moon’s surface is a powerful resource, for planetary scientists. surrounding the VIPER mission that was intended to emphasizes that this is first and foremost a realistic approach.) it’s expensive to provide the kind of power and heating “To understand the evolution and formation of the Moon, you “minimized cost and schedule” and just get the rover to the The space pallet would go up aboard a commercial launch infrastructure that would let the lander live through the want to understand what the distribution of water, hydroxide surface safely. In a rare admission of (at least theoretically) vehicle, such as a Dragon atop a Falcon 9 rocket. The vehicle freezing, airless cold of the Moon’s weeks-long night. and hydrated minerals is,” Mercer said. putting cost over performance, the paper’s introduction reads: would get the pallet and its rover payload into a trans-lunar (Source: msn) As part of the Artemis program, NASA officials are aiming to establish a permanent base on the Moon -- an outpost for future deep space exploration missions like a mission to Mars. How to observe a ‘black hole symphony’ TESS helps astronomers study red-giant Naturally, those in charge of NASA’s space exploration missions using gravitational wave astronomy stars, examine a too-close planet want to know where the Moon’s resources are, too. “There’s a really good overlap between the interests of the scientists and the explorers,” Mercer said. “If we can understand how much is on the Moon, we can potentially go out and get it, and it would be a lot cheaper to manufacture that propellant in situ on the surface of the Moon.” Instead of carrying a bunch of extra fuel on its initial launch from Earth, an expensive endeavor, a spacecraft headed for a deep space target could refuel on the surface of the Moon, where gravity is much weaker. LunaH-Map is scheduled to be carried into space by the Space Launch System Artemis-1 mission, with liftoff scheduled for sometime in the middle of next year. The CubeSat will be joined by several other secondary payloads, including IceCube, another small satellite dedicated to studying the distribution and movement of water on the Moon’s surface. Several scientific surveys have confirmed the presence of water on the Moon. Most of the lunar water deposits are found on the Moon’s poles, and yet, scientists suspect the only way water gets to the Moon is via meteorites, which mostly strike near its equator. Shrouded in mystery since their discovery, are low-bandwidth, and our goal in the NASA’s planet-hunting TESS Mission previously thought. That meant for its planet IceCube’s mission will examine this apparent contradiction. the phenomenon of black holes continues next era of gravitational wave astronomy keeps giving astronomers new realities to be moving as fast as the astronomers “What we are interested in is how the water actually gets to be one of the most mind-boggling is to capture multiband observations of to examine and explain. determined, it had to be much closer to there,” Dirk Grupe, an assistant professor of astrophysics and enigmas in our universe. both of these frequencies in order to ‹hear Case in point: astronomers using the the star than expected. So close, in fact, it space systems engineering at Morehead State University in In recent years, many researchers the entire song,’ as it were, when it comes tools of asteroseismology — the observations would be engulfed by the star’s expansion Kentucky, told UPI. have made strides in understanding to black holes.” and measurements of a star’s oscillations, as a red giant. “How does the water get from the equatorial regions to the poles? black holes using observational Jani, a self-proclaimed “black hole or starquakes, that appear as changes in The paper offers two possible To help scientists find out, we will look for hydroxyl signatures at astronomy and an emerging field known hunter” who Forbes named to its 2017 brightness — have learned more about two explanations: The host star is early in its different times during the day and at different angles,” Grupe said. as gravitational wave astronomy, first 30 Under 30 list in Science, was part stars bright enough to be visible in a dark red giant expansion and has yet to engulf Grupe helped design and build the IceCube satellite and its hypothesized by Albert Einstein, which of the team that detected the very first sky to the naked eye. These red-giant stars and destroy the planet. Or, computer miniaturized instrumentation, the Broadband InfraRed Compact directly measures the gravitational gravitational waves. He joined Vanderbilt — older, “retired” stars no longer burning simulations of star-planet tides indicate High-Resolution Exploration Spectrometer. waves emitted by black holes. as a GRAVITY postdoctoral fellow in 2019. hydrogen in their cores — are known as the planet could have been dragged from a CubeSats don’t just require smaller instruments. They also Through these findings on black Along with collaborators at Georgia HD 212771 and HD 203949. wider orbit, where it avoided destruction need entirely different propulsion systems. The mini satellites hole gravitational waves, which were Institute of Technology, California Institute Both stars are known to host their own by the star, and then settled into a closer are too small to use the types of combustion systems employed first observed in 2015 by the Laser of Technology and the Jet Propulsion planets. And the TESS data indicate one orbit once the star retreated. by bigger spacecraft. Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Laboratory at NASA, the new paper, of those “exoplanets” (the general term It’s an interesting case of planetary “We are using an ion propulsion thruster, which is an innovative Observatories (LIGO) in Louisiana and “Detectability of Intermediate-Mass Black for planets that orbit stars other than our evolution, said Kawaler, who’s on the technology for CubeSats,” Grupe said. Washington, researchers have learned Holes in Multiband Gravitational Wave sun) is so close to its host star it shouldn’t seven-member board leading the TESS The electrical thruster will be the first to use iodine propellant. exciting details about these invisible objects Astronomy,” looks at the future of LIGO have survived the star’s expansion as a red Asteroseismic Science Consortium. After Artemis 1 releases its load of CubeSats, IceCube will assume and developed theories and projections detectors alongside the proposed Laser giant — if, that is, the star is old enough to Jørgen Christensen-Dalsgaard of Aarhus an elliptical orbit around Earth and be thrown like a slingshot on everything from their sizes to their Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) have expanded and retreated. University in Denmark is the consortium’s toward the Moon. physical properties. space-mission, which would help humans Steve Kawaler, an Iowa State University lead investigator. Its unique propulsion system will use small thrusts to push the Still, limitations in LIGO and other get a step closer to understanding what distinguished professor of physics and “Tiago (the paper’s lead author) CubeSat along the proper trajectory and into orbit around the Moon. observation technologies have kept happens in and around black holes. astronomy, and Miles Lucas, a recent has a knack for finding these planetary “We have to take a low-energy approach to get to our target,” Grupe scientists from grasping a more complete “The possibility that intermediate Iowa State graduate and current systems that expand our horizons on said. “It will take about half a year to get to the Moon.” picture of black holes, and one of the largest mass black holes exist but are currently doctoral student at the University of how nature makes planets and keeps Grupe says IceCube and the other CubeSats NASA and its gaps in knowledge concerns a certain type hidden from our view is both tantalizing Hawaii at Manoa, are part of the TESS them,” Kawaler said. partners are sending to the Moon only mark the beginning of of black hole: those of intermediate-mass, and frustrating,” said Deidre Shoemaker, asteroseismology study team. As astronomers continue to analyze data small satellite space science. or black holes that fall somewhere between co-author of the paper and professor “We listened to the notes the stars were for clues about how planets and stars evolve “I think we’ll see more and more CubeSats in interplanetary supermassive (at least a million times in Georgia Tech’s School of Physics. singing,” Kawaler said. “We used that data with each other, Kawaler said TESS is an space,” he said. “This is just the first step.” greater than our sun) and stellar (think: “Fortunately, there is hope as these black to determine actual values — mass, radius important tool. All of the CubeSats headed for the Moon in the immediate smaller, though still 5 to 50 times greater holes are ideal sources for future multiband and evolutionary stage — for these stars. TESS — the Transiting Exoplanet Survey future will be working solo, but Grupe suspects later planetary than the mass of our sun). gravitational wave astronomy.” Asteroseismology can tell us all these things Satellite, led by astrophysicists from the science missions could utilize constellations of small satellites. That could soon change thanks to new LISA, a mission jointly led by the — and more — about stars that are difficult Massachusetts Institute of Technology — “In the future, we could do radio observations with a network research out of Vanderbilt on what’s next European Space Agency and NASA and to obtain with other tools.” launched in April 2018. The spacecraft and of satellites,” Grupe said. “You can do interferometry in space, for gravitational wave astronomy. The planned for launch in the year 2034, The team of 48 astronomers describe its four cameras are on a two-year mission so you can achieve higher resolution observations than you can study, led by Vanderbilt astrophysicist would improve detection sensitivity for their findings in a paper recently published to survey 85 percent of the sky, looking with just one big satellite. I think when NASA goes to the Moon Karan Jani and featured today as a low-frequency gravitational waves. As the by The Astrophysical Journal. The lead for planets by detecting tiny dips of light again, they will do something just like this.” letter in Nature Astronomy, presents a first dedicated space-based gravitational author is Tiago L. Campante of Portugal’s as they pass in front of their host stars. Interferometry involves the measurement of wave interference compelling roadmap for capturing 4- to wave detector, LISA would provide a critical Universidade do Porto. Those cameras also collect star data between multiple wave sources, like radio waves from multiple 10-year snapshots of intermediate-mass measurement of a previously unattainable The paper describes the first use of TESS that are useful for planetary studies, too. members of a satellite constellation. black hole activity. frequency and enable the more complete data to detect oscillations of stars already “Characterization of host stars is a “Satellite constellations could help planetary scientists do “Like a symphony orchestra emits observation of intermediate-mass black known to host exoplanets. The new work, critical component of understanding simultaneous multipoint measurements,” Mercer said. “That sound across an array of frequencies, the holes. In 2018, Vanderbilt physics and the authors wrote, is a way of “further their planets,” the authors wrote. “ ... The idea of doing that is very powerful.” gravitational waves emitted by black holes astronomy professor Kelly Holley- showcasing the mission’s potential to conduct asteroseismology techniques described here Mercer said that because Earth scientists already have started occur at different frequencies and times,” Bockelmann was appointed by NASA as asteroseismology of red-giant stars.” are thus an important component of overall to use satellites to study our own planet, the necessary technology said Jani. “Some of these frequencies are the inaugural chair of the LISA Study Team. Kawaler said the study indicated planetary system characterization.” will be well-tested when it comes time to deploy constellations extremely high-bandwidth, while some (Source: Science Daily) star HD 203949 was less massive than (Source: Science Daily) of CubeSats on the Moon or Mars. I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y 10 HERITAGE & TOURISM NOVEMBER 28, 2019

Nakhchivan to lift visa Louvre hosts conference devoted requirements for Iranian travelers

TOURISM TEHRAN — The Nakhchivan Autonomous deskRepublic is to waive visa requirements for to Iran’s ancient Sialk hills tourists from Iran. TOURISM TEHRAN — The Louvre Iran’s Consulate General in Nakhchivan announced on Tuesday deskon Monday hosted an in- that entry visa for Nakhchivan is to be cancelled as of December ternational conference on Tapeh Sialk (“Sialk 1, 2019, IRNA reported. hills”), which is one of the oldest and richest archaeological sites in central Iran. Archaeologists from Germany, England, France and Iran participated in the conference named “Tepe Sialk au cœur de l’archéologie de l’Iran” (“Tepe Sialk, the heart of Iran’s Archaeology”), IRNA reported. Senior archaeologist Jebrael Nokandeh, who also presides over the National Museum of Iran, and Iran’s Ambassador to France Bahram Qasemi were amongst Iranian in- vitees to the conference. According to Louvre, the event was aimed to cast a new light on the ancient site some 80 years after its first excavation to lay an opportunity to present to the public the diversity of research and projects, as well A view of Nakhchivan International Airport as current issues of preservations and en- hancement of the site. Iranian citizens will be able to enter Nakhchivan without Sialk and the importance of the Pro- needing to obtain a visa as of December 1 and they can stay to-Elamite period in Iran; the Iron Age in there for a period of 15 days, the report quoted the Consulate Sialk; and anthropological collections of General as saying. Sialk preserved at the Paris-based Homme Situated halfway between Kashan and Fin in Isfahan province, Tapeh Sialk has yielded interesting pottery pieces, metal “Iranian citizens who want to visit other areas in the Republic Museum were among topics discussed at tools and domestic implements made from stone, clay and bone that date from as early as the 4th millennium BC. of Azerbaijan should pay 20 dollars as visa fees. The visa needed the conference. for visiting other parts of Azerbaijan can also be obtained at It also addressed origins and evolution of change and ancient metallurgy. cultural area called proto-Elamite during the Louvre Museum and the National Mu- Nakhchivan International Airport.” agropastoral economies on the Iranian plateau; Several excavation projects at the site which a specific writing appears. seum of Iran, as provided by the legislation Nakhchivan is situated in the southern part of the Transcau- proposals for protection and conservation have so far been conducted, beginning with Much later, in the Iron Age, the local of the time. From 2001, new Iranian teams casian plateau. It is bounded by Armenia to the north and east, of the Tepe Sialk and its foreseeable future. a 1933 French Louvre delegation led by Ro- culture, represented by a beautiful painted returned to the site to complete, specify and Iran to the south and west, and Turkey to the west. The republic, Situated halfway between Kashan and Fin man Ghirshman; capping with a most recent pottery, is best known through the exca- correct the results of the first works. which is mostly mountainous except for a plain in the west and in Isfahan province, Tapeh Sialk has yielded project in 2009, which was led by Hassan vation of necropolises. This culture, which Last year, tens of international scholars, southwest, lies to the east and north of the middle Aras River, interesting pottery pieces, metal tools and Fazeli-Nashli, a faculty member of the Ar- appeared new in the region, has long been archaeologists and historians, who were at- which forms the frontier with Iran and Turkey. domestic implements made from stone, clay chaeology Department, University of Tehran. identified with the Medes, and fueled the tending “Tapeh Sialk and Ancient Kashan and bone that date from as early as the 4th According to the Louvre, the oldest levels debate over the arrival of new populations Revisited – Conference”, which was held in millennium BC. document the occupation of the Iranian pla- speaking Iranian languages from which London on July 2 and 3, 2018, unanimously Sialk is a treasure trove of information teau from the Neolithic to the Chalcolithic comes modern Persian. expressed the need for forming an interna- The 2020 list of the world’s about diverse subjects such as palaeobotany, over more than two millennia. Then, around At the end of the excavations of Ghirshman, tional steering committee to safeguard this best airlines is out now palaeozoology, palaeoanatomy, diet, climate 3000 BC, the site is integrated into the vast the material discovered was shared between historic region of Iran.

The 2020 list of the world’s best airlines is out, and regaining the top spot this year from Singapore Airlines is Air New Zealand. Iranian, Danish archaeologists The much-awaited annual Airline Excellence Awards are car- ried out by AirlineRatings.com, which is an aviation safety- and find new Iron Age traces in western Iran product-rating site based out of Perth, Australia. HERITAGE TEHRAN — A team of Iranian and Dan- modern archaeology, believed that caves and rock shelters To decide who wins, seven editors at the agency consider a deskish archaeologists and cultural heritage were particularly attractive living places for the hunter dozen key factors including operational safety, passenger re- experts has recently discovered new traces of Iron Age gatherers of the early Paleolithic period and the geographic views, profitability, investment rating, fleet age, and product occupation in a prehistorical cave, which is situated in situation of the Iranian Plateau with its bordering moun- offerings such as premium economy on long-haul flights and Ilam province, western Iran. tain systems including the Zagros range on the west and seating options in other classes. The discovery was made during a follow-up archaeol- the Alborz range on the north has meant that there were Air New Zealand’s number-one score should come as ogy season carried out based on an agreement previously many cave sites which would have been suitable for early no surprise since, aside from last year’s loss to Singapore signed between Razi University of Kermanshah and the cave dwelling man. Airlines, the carrier has claimed the top spot for six of the University of Copenhagen. “Although this multiplicity of cave habitats would past seven years. Supervised by Iran’s Research Institute of Cultural Her- seem to lend itself to the extended study of the ear- Singapore Airlines didn’t slip much, though, snagging the itage & Tourism, the project was co-led by Iranian archaeol- ly Stone Age hunting and gathering way of life, there number-two ranking thanks to its phenomenal new first-class ogist Hojjat Darabi and Professor Tobias Richter from the has in fact been comparatively little scientific study suites and industry-leading catering and wine programs. Department of Cross-Cultural and Regional Studies at the of early cave man in Persia, possibly because of the “In our analysis, Air New Zealand came out number one in University of Copenhagen. stronger attraction to the archaeologists of the rich most of our audit criteria, which is an outstanding performance New discoveries were made in Mar-Gurgalan [Sarab] Neolithic remains of prehistoric agricultural settlers when it’s up against carriers with more resources and scale on cave that, according to Darabi, was inhabited some 50,000 found throughout the country.” this same list of best airlines for 2020,” explained Airline Ratings years ago, IRNA reported on Wednesday. In general the Zagros highlands have been subject to more editor-in-chief Geoffrey Thomas. “Preliminary results indicate that the cave was inhabited Stone Age research and investigation than have the Alborz The carrier beat out relative behemoths like Emirates, which about 50,000 years ago and appears to be used both by the east of Kermanshah province in a project co-led by Darabi Mountains and therefore a more detailed picture of early recently introduced all-new first-class suites as well as new busi- Neanderthals for residing and hunting, and by the early and Richter. The team managed to collect new evidence cave dwelling life has been developed for the Zagros region ness-class seating, Qatar Airways with its much-lauded Qsuites in Homo sapiens,” Darabi explained. concerning how sedentism and agriculture [domestication where traces of cave dwellers from the Lower Paleolithic to business class, and Japanese airline ANA, which is also recently The cave was previously excavated by Danish archae- of plants and animals] started in the region, which is situated the Middle Paleolithic, Upper Paleolithic, and Epipaleolithic unveiled stunning new cabins in first and business class. ologists in the early 1970s, however, the excavations were in central Zagros mountain range. periods have been found. Although other parts of Persia have (Source: Forbes) renewed using new scientific methods, he added. Stone Age cave dwellers in Iran been less investigated than the Zagros highlands, traces of cave Last year, the team probed evidence of Neolithic settle- Prof. Ezatollah Negahban (1926 – 2009), who was dwellers have also been found at sites scattered throughout ments through stratigraphy [rock layers] across Ganj Dareh, an Iranian archaeologist known as the father of Iranian the Iranian Plateau and in the lowlands. ROUND THE GLOBE China Danxia Some 2,000 old trees identified so far in Iran China Danxia is the name given in China to landscapes HERITAGE TEHRAN — Some 2,000 old trees tree rings indicate its age, he said. developed on continental red terrigenous sedimentary deskhave so far been identified across Iran, The width of each circle indicates what its correspondent beds influenced by endogenous forces (including uplift) which are deemed as reliable sources for proving his- year had been concerning prolonged shortages in the wa- and exogenous forces (including weathering and erosion). tory of the ancient land in terms of climate change, ter supply, [whether atmospheric, surface water or ground The UNESCO-inscribed site comprises six areas environment and geology. water], he explained. found in the sub-tropical zone of south-west China. It “So far, 1,938 old trees have been identified in Iran, al- Thick and thin circles respectively imply on a wet or a is characterized by spectacular red cliffs and a range of though estimates suggest that the number of older trees drought year. As a result, the periods of drought and abun- erosional landforms, including dramatic natural pillars, in Iran is probably higher,” IRNA quoted natural heritage dance can be studied from a historical point of view. towers, ravines, valleys and waterfalls. researcher Mostafa Khoshnevis as saying on Tuesday. A 4000-year-old cypress in Abarkouh is known as the “Of the figure, some 1,000 trees age between 300 to oldest living being in the country and it is also a symbol of 3,000 years.” life and elegance in the region, and one of the most exotic Older trees can contribute to historiography and ecology wonders of the world. After thousands of years it is still studies of the region because as you know the number of green and healthy. A view of the 4000-year-old Abarkouh cypress in central Iran Colorado blizzard shuts roads, cancels flights on one of busiest travel days in U.S. A blizzard sweeping through northeastern The blizzard was expected to drop an addi- Colorado on Tuesday morning blocked roads tional 5 to 10 inches from the Colorado Front and caused hundreds of flight cancellations, Range on Tuesday and would lighten later in thwarting the Thanksgiving travel plans of the afternoon as the storm moved northeast, some of the millions of Americans expected the weather service said. Several interstate to fly or drive this week. roads were closed, and the weather service Seven inches (18 cm) of snow had fallen warned travel could become impossible on in Denver by early Tuesday morning, causing rural roads and unplowed city streets. more than 460 flight cancellations, the Denver Denver metro area schools and many The process of its development is characterized by a International Airport said on Twitter, and stores were closed but some grocery stores, particular rock sequence, tectonic background, climatic blizzard conditions were expected throughout already stocked in preparation for Thanks- conditions, erosional processes and landforms and these the day as winds up to 45 miles (72 km) per giving shoppers, were ready for a deluge of processes have been presented as an interim model. hour in the eastern plains reduced visibility. customers. Due to the combined endogenic (tectonic uplift) and “This storm may be historic in the Fort Lines were manageable at Safeway in exogenic (climatic, erosion, weathering) forces, and oth- Collins and Loveland areas where 20 inches Denver early Tuesday morning as more er factors, the Danxia landforms have been developed (51 cm) or more of snow is expected. That than a half foot of snow accumulated outside. in red sedimentary sequences continuously from the would put the storm near the top five of all “So far so good; it doesn’t seem to be im- Neogene until the present. The six component parts snow events there,” a National Weather Ser- An American Airlines jet taxis down a snow-covered runway after a pre-Thanksgiving pacting us much,” Phil Vanderlaan, a cashier, represent the most important examples of “least eroded” vice forecast said, referring to areas along holiday snowstorm caused more than 460 flight cancellations at Denver International said by phone. “Probably later throughout to “most eroded” Danxia landforms, providing a range Colorado’s Front Range, some 50 miles (80 Airport, Colorado, U.S., November 26, 2019. (REUTERS/Bob Strong) the day it might.” of different aspects of the phenomenon, and illustrate km) north of Denver. A stronger storm was expected to hit both the range of landforms in relation to the forces and Some 55 million travelers planned to fly Video footage showed snowplows working “We just landed at the Denver Airport! northern California and Oregon by Tuesday processes that formed them, together with a range of or drive at least 50 miles (80 km) from their through cloudy blizzard conditions to clear Crazy conditions. Literally 0 visibility,” night, the weather service said, which may associated landscapes. homes this Thanksgiving, according to the runways at Denver International Airport. tweeted Amber Kimbrell, a high school sci- drop 1 to 3 feet of snow across California (Source: UNESCO) American Automobile Association, but the Many airlines would resume flights later in ence teacher from Huntsville, Alabama, who mountain ranges. snow would likely alter those plans. the day, the airport said on Twitter. posted a photo of a runway covered in white. (Source: Reuters) I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y NOVEMBER 28, 2019 INTERNATIONAL 11

Tehran successfully pursues a course Is Macron right? is NATO, 70, brain dead? By Patrick J. Buchanan to export the Islamic revolution A week from now, the 29 member states of «the most successful alliance in history» will meet to celebrate its 70th anniversary. Yet By Damir Nazarov Sometimes the militias do not hide their af- all is not well within NATO. filiation, and sometimes they are forced to Instead of a «summit,» the gathering, on the outskirts of London, WEST SIBERIA/ TYUMEN — After hide their views under the mask of “Syrian has been cut to two days. Why the shortened agenda?Among the the events in Syria in 2011, it is believed nationalism”, so that external enemies do reasons, apprehension that President Donald Trump might use the that Iran’s participation in this conflict is not have a reason for traditional forms of occasion to disrupt alliance comity by again berating the Europeans only military and economic support for the speculation in the media. for freeloading on the U.S. defense budget. ruling regime. The expansion of economic Critics ‘ arguments that Iran is busy build- ties between the countries is reflected in the ing regional alliances, ignoring its own Is- creation of trade zones and the emergence of lamic ideology, will be overshadowed by the a common market, within the framework of news that Tehran is loyal to the revolutionary the Axis of Resistance bloc. Where in addition ideology and is full of strength and determi- to Tehran and Damascus involved another nation to continue the course towards the ally of Iran-Baghdad. revival of Islamic civilization. The work of Militarily, the Islamic Republic of Iran has the IRGC in Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Palestine managed to establish a number of paramilitary is proof of this. structures that have become an ideal comple- The Islamic Republic is also actively ment to the Syrian army. Moreover, against engaged in dialogue with opposition Is- the background of the crisis that affected all lamic forces in Syria. A striking example the key organs of the Syrian government, is the dialogue with representatives of the the Iranians managed to reorganize all the Syrian Ikhwan. From the words The Secre- French President Emanuel Macron, on the 100th anniversary main components of the regime, which did tary-General of World Forum for Proximity of the World War I Armistice, described NATO as having suffered not allow the collapse of the state as such of Islamic Schools of Thought - Ayatollah «brain death.» Macron now openly questions the US commitment and avoid a split within the elites. Mohsen Araki, we have learned some details to fight for Europe and is talking about a «true European Army» with Syrian society is clearly visible. Based on organizations and the personalization of However, in parallel, Tehran is building about this Syrian opposition party. “Cur- France’s nuclear deterrent able to «defend Europe alone.» open data, we see a clear ideological line of political figures. From organizations can its line of interaction with all layers of Syrian rently, Syrian Ikhwan (Muslim Brothers) German Chancellor Angela Merkel, whose nation spends 1.4% of Tehran, which points to the IRGC’s policy of be point to two the most known structures society, using the cultural and ideological have renounced extremist Al-Nusra Front GDP on defense and has relied on the US and NATO to keep Russia at exporting the “Islamic revolution” in its var- promoting Islamic-revolutionary ideas. “Imam aspect. Evil tongues call this process “shiiti- and ISIL.” It is obvious that without direct bay since the Cold War began, is said to be enraged at the «disruptive ious variations. Here it is necessary to clarify al-Mahdi Cultural Centre”(Damask), “Cul- zation or persianization”. Thus, Pro-Western contact between Iran and the Syrian ikhwans, politics» of the French president.Also, early in December, Britain that this or that stage of export depends on tural and Religious Centre”(Deir ez-Zor) and propaganda and its regional puppets demon- the details announced by Mohsen would holds national elections. While the Labour Party remains committed many factors, from world politics to internal branches of Islamic Azad University. As for strate their fear of the work of the Iranians not have become known. to NATO, its leader, Jeremy Corbyn, is no Clement Attlee, who took causes in Syria itself. Therefore, in the future personalization, this includes establishing to form a completely new type of society for Despite all the difficulties, cooperation Britain into NATO at its birth in 1949. we may well see a more distinct picture of cooperation with Kurdish and Arab tribes. Syrians with an Islamic bias. between the Islamic Republic and the Syrian Corbyn has questioned NATO’s continued relevance in the post- the construction of a “new Islamic Syria”. Finally, militarily, the Iranians have As an example, we should cite a number ikhwans on Syria is in full swing, and it is Cold War era. A potential backer of a new Labour government, Nicola Speaking of examples, it is necessary to created a network of militias, arming them of events where the work of the Iranians in expected that such cooperation will continue Sturgeon of the Scottish National Party, is demanding the closing of distinguish between the creation of state with the ideology of the Islamic revolution. terms of cooperation with various sides of in the future. Britain’s Trident submarine base in Scotland as a precondition of her party’s support for Labour in Parliament. Also present in London will be NATO ally Turkey’s President Recep Erdogan. Is Netanyahu ready to inflame war to escape his legal troubles? Following the 2016 coup attempt, Erdogan has purged scores of thousands from his army and regime, jailed more journalists than By Jonathan Cook Netanyahu was at it again, holding an “emergency confer- extends to a caretaker leader unable to form a new govern- any other authoritarian, purchased Vladimir Putin’s S-400 missile ence”. He told supporters that a minority government led by ment.Netanyahu is therefore likely to focus his attention on system as Turkey’s air defense, and ordered the US forces out of his The decision to indict Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Gantz and propped up from outside by the Joint List would intimidating the supreme court, already cowed by a decade of way as he invaded northern Syria, killing Kurdish fighters who did the Netanyahu on three separate criminal counts pushes the be a “historic national attack on Israel”. The Palestinian tongue-lashing from the Israeli right. Critics unfairly accuse bleeding and dying in the U.S.-led campaign to crush the ISIS caliphate. country’s already unprecedented electoral stalemate into the minority’s MPs, he said, “want to destroy the country”. the court of being a bastion of liberalism. During the Cold War, NATO enjoyed the widespread support of entirely uncharted territory of a constitutional crisis.There Such a government, he added, would be an outcome “they But bigger dangers may lie ahead. Netanyahu needs Americans and Europeans, and understandably so. The USSR had is no legal precedent for a sitting prime minister facing a will celebrate in Tehran, in Ramallah and in Gaza, as they to keep his own Likud party in line. If its members sense 20 divisions in Germany, surrounded West Berlin, and occupied the trial – in Netanyahu’s case, for bribery, fraud and breach do after every terror attack”. he is finished, there could be a rapid collapse of support east bank of the Elbe, within striking distance of the Rhine. of trust. Former Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert was This repeated scaremongering had an obvious goal: ral- and moves towards an attempt to overthrow him.The first But that Cold War is long over. Berlin is the united free capital of charged with corruption in 2009 but only after he had re- lying the Jewish public to vote for his far-right, now overtly hints of trouble emerged on Saturday when Gideon Saar, Germany. The Warsaw Pact has been dissolved. Its member states signed from office. anti-Arab coalition. The hope was that he would win an Netanyahu’s most likely challenger in Likud, accused him have all joined NATO. The Soviet Union split apart into 15 nations. Israeli commentators are already warning of the possibility outright majority and could then force through legislation of “creating an atmosphere of chaos” by denigrating the Communist Yugoslavia splintered into seven nations. of civil war if, as seems likely, Netanyahu decides to whip conferring on him immunity from prosecution. legal authorities. On Tuesday he went further calling on As a fighting faith, communism is dead in Europe. Why then are up his far-right supporters into a frenzy of outrage. After a Now he appears to have run out of time. After three years Netanyahu to quit. we Americans still over there?Since the Cold War, we have doubled decade in power, he has developed an almost cult-like status of investigations and much foot-dragging, the attorney gen- After the failure by both Gantz and Netanyahu to put the size of NATO. We have brought in the Baltic republics of Estonia, among sections of the public. eral, Avichai Mandelblit, has finally charged him.According together a coalition, the task was passed last week to par- Latvia and Lithuania but not Finland or Sweden. We have committed He called for mass protests in Tel Aviv by supporters on to the Israeli media, Netanyahu turned down opportunities liament. Its members have just over a fortnight left to see ourselves to fight for Slovenia, Croatia, Albania and Montenegro but Tuesday night under the banner “Stop the coup”.The hon- for a plea bargain that would have seen him resign in return whether one of their number can rally a majority of MPs. not Serbia, Bosnia or North Macedonia. orable thing would be for Netanyahu to step down quickly, for avoiding jail time. This brief window could provide an opportunity for Saar to Romania and Bulgaria are NATO allies but not Moldova or Belarus. given that the two elections he fought this year ended in According to the most serious allegation, he is accused of move against Netanyahu. On Sunday he submitted an official George W. Bush kept us out of the 2008 Russia-Georgia clash over deadlock. Both were seen primarily as plebiscites on his granting media tycoon Shaul Elovich benefits worth $500 request for the Likud party to hold a snap leadership race. South Ossetia and Abkhazia. And Barack Obama refused to send lethal continuing rule. million in exchange for favorable coverage.Weighed against Observers fear that to allay this danger, Netanyahu might aid to help Ukraine retrieve Crimea, Luhansk, or Donetsk, though He is now the country’s caretaker prime minister, in the crimes he and other Israeli leaders have perpetrated over consider not only inflaming his base but also setting the Sen. John McCain wanted the United States to jump into both fights. place until either a new government can be formed or an many decades against the Palestinians in the occupied terri- region alight with a conflict to rally the rest of the public to In the House Intel Committee’s impeachment hearings, foreign unprecedented third election is held. tories, the offenses he is indicted for seem relatively minor. his side and make his removal impossible. service officers spoke of «Russian aggression» against our Ukrainian His departure would end months of governmental near-pa- Nonetheless, if found guilty, Netanyahu faces a substantial In fact, the Israeli media reported that shortly before «ally» and our «national security» being in peril in this fight.But when ralysis. The path would then be clear for a successor from prison sentence of up to 10 years. That makes the stakes high. September’s election, he had tried to pull precisely such a did Ukraine become an ally of the United States whose territorial his Likud party to negotiate a deal on a right-wing unity All the signs now are that he will switch his main target stunt, preparing a war on Gaza to justify postponing the ballot. wars we must sustain with military aid if not military intervention? government with rival Benny Gantz, a former army general. from Israel’s Palestinian minority to the legal authorities He was stopped at the last minute by Mandelblit, who When did Kyiv’s control of Crimea and the Donbass become critical Gantz’s Blue and White party has made it a point of prin- pursuing him.His first response to the indictment was to realized that the cabinet had been misled into approving to the national security of the United States, when Russia has controlled ciple not to forge an alliance with Netanyahu. accuse the police and state prosecutors of an “attempted military action. Netanyahu had reportedly concealed from Ukraine almost without interruption from Catherine the Great in the Previous experience, however, suggests that Netanyahu coup”, claiming they had fabricated the evidence to “frame” them the fact that the military command was opposed. 18th century to Mikhail Gorbachev in the late 20th century? might prefer to tear the house down rather than go quietly. If him. “The time has come to investigate the investigators,” In recent weeks, Netanyahu has stoked severe tensions Among the reasons Trump is president is that he raised provocative he is allowed to press ahead with another election in March, he urged. with Gaza by assassinating Palestinian Islamic Jihad leader questions about NATO and Russia left unaddressed for three decades, he is likely to stoke new levels of incitement against his As one Blue and White official told the veteran Israeli Baha Abu Al Atta.When Olmert was being investigated for as US policy has been on cruise control since the Cold War. supposed enemies.Until now, the main target of his venom reporter Ben Caspit: “Netanyahu will not hesitate to sic [un- corruption in 2008, Netanyahu sagely warned of the danger- And these unanswered questions are deadly serious ones.Do we has been a predictable one. leash] his supporters on those institutions of government ous confusion of interests that might result. “He will make truly believe that if Russia marched into Estonia, the US would start During the April and September campaigns, he railed that represent the rule of law. He has no inhibitions.” decisions based on his own interests of political survivability attacking the ships, planes and troops of a nation armed with thousands relentlessly against the fifth of Israel’s citizenry who are Technically the law allows a prime minister to continue rather than the national interest,” he said. of tactical and strategic nuclear weapons?Would NATO allies Spain, Palestinian as well as their elected representatives in the serving while under indictment and before a trial, which is And that is precisely the reason why many in Israel are Portugal and Italy declare war on Russia? Joint List, the third largest faction in the Knesset. still many months away. Assuming Netanyahu refuses to keen to see the back of Netanyahu – in case his instinct for In 1914 and 1939, in solidarity with the mother country, Britain, Shortly before last Thursday’s indictment was announced, resign, the courts will have to rule on whether this privilege political survival trumps the interests of stability in the region. Canada declared war on Germany. Would Justin Trudeau’s Canada invoke NATO and declare war on Putin’s Russia – for Estonia or Latvia?Under NATO, we are now committed to go to war for 28 nations. And the interventionists who took us into Iraq, Syria, Libya Little to no intelligence at the top of the U.S. media and government and Yemen want US war guarantees extended to other nations even closer to Russia.One day, one of these war guarantees is going to be 1 It is not yet been established who Which countries are the least “democratic” called upon, and we may find that the American people were unaware was behind 9/11. The CIA and the Mossad and oppressed in the Middle East? Certainly of that commitment, and are unwilling to honor it, especially if the probably did have a role and knew what was not Iraq as it was even under Saddam Hus- consequence is a major war with a nuclear power. coming before 9/11 arrived, and the official sain – the Ba’athists were secular even if U.S. 9/11 investigation report is a joke that free elections were frowned upon to support explains none of the anomalies at the scene Saddam. Same with Syria under the Assads, What happened at the IISS of the crime – lower Manhattan, particularly where women, aside from constraints that the collapse of the towers and Building 11. So may be imposed by their families, are little Manama dialogue? whose “pathologies” is Friedman addressing? different than women in the U.S. And same And it is fair to say that the Zionists have AL- with the Libya that was (before Hillary Clinton 1 The Bahraini foreign minister said, “Iran has created WAYS benefitted from chaos in surrounding directed the destruction of that country (once and supported Houthis. We need a comprehensive plan to stop countries. Zionists literally thrive on Arab the most prosperous in Africa) with Obama, Iran’s intervention in the region. We have been suffering from and Muslim disunity, and are terrified of and bragged about Qaddafi’s horrible murder Iranian intervention for forty years, but have not wanted and will Muslims and Christians speaking with one by bayonet. Yeah, the countries WITH the not to change Iran’s regime. We are distrustful of resuming co- voice. “pathologies” that Friedman cites are precisely operation with Iran”. The countries that WERE destroyed or the most oppressive and least “democratic” Also at the meeting, French Defense Minister Florence Parly nearly destroyed by the U.S and its allies, in the Middle East and the closest U.S. allies: criticized the U.S. for not interfering further in the regional af- if they still exist as functioning polities, Israel and Saudi Arabia primarily, but also fairs and not confronting Iran, noting that we would continue do not have the surfeit of the pathologies Egypt under Sisi. leged lack of religious and social freedom, but has supported the MEK (a terrorist group to negotiate with Iran. Friedman cites most often: a lack of gender Friedman supported the 2003 invasion of which largely Muslim country with Muslim labeled as such by the U.S. in the past) or Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Seyyed Abbas pluralism and a lack of religious freedom. Iraq because he claimed the establishment religious leaders in power allows the same even anyone related to the Pahlavi (puppets) Mousavi denounced the baseless and worthless remarks and the In fact, the U.S. has supported and funded of a democratic Arab state in the Mideast degree of religious and social freedom as the tells one all that’s needed to know about the bogus allegations made against Iran by certain participants in and armed the MOST reactionary, illiberal, would force other countries to modernize Islamic Republic? Not the Saudis for sure. idiocy of U.S. thinking. the Manama Dialogue in Bahrain, and dismissed the accusations anti-social religious nutcases the world has and liberalize. Nope. This did not happen. And which country has the second largest Virtually all the world, aside from the U.S. against Tehran. ever witnessed: this includes ISIS, the Sau- U.S. allies, cited above, became LESS liberal Jewish community in the Middle East? Iran. warmongers and resource rapists and the back- Abdel Bari Atwan, a prominent Arab analyst, pointed to the dis, an-Nusra (al-Qaeda) and others. And it and less ideologically “modern” even while Iran is certainly a unique country, and it does ward Saudis and the Zionists, literally BEGS Manama meeting and wrote in Raialyoum newspaper that it is well has underwritten exactly the kind of chaos Syria has struggled to avoid being destroyed have some internal points of contention that that Iran remain steadfast and get through known that the meeting hosted by Bahrain, in addition to serving (faudhaa) that Friedman falsely claims to by terrorists funded and armed by the U.S., eventually might be addressed by all of Iran’s this difficult time intact and strong of spirit. European and American masters, was in fact a part of propaganda abhor. The U.S. has also twisted the arms of the West and the Saudis. Friedman was and citizens in a climate where it is not being at- Iran is a country that is going to emerge as through which the Al-Khalifa family is trying to show itself as a OPCW to falsify reports that Basher Assad even today is either lying or incompetent and tacked by outsiders. But the Islamic Republic a world leader in some respects if only the stable regime that is interested in the subjects of dialogue as well used chemical weapons on his own citizens, ought not be writing for any media or have is not and should not fall apart because of world can become truly “multi-polar” and as regional and global security. Atwan added that the truth is that this to justify attacking Syria by the U.S. and any kind of public platform. the U.S. threat and hostility and sanctions. dispense with the destructive hegemonic the Bahrain does not care about the dialogue and has confronted allies. But let’s carry this further. Iran has long been demonized for its al- The mere fact that the Trump Administration pretensions of the U.S. its opponents, thus the dialogue has no place in such regime. I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y 12 SOCIETY NOVEMBER 28, 2019

Global use of coal-fired Iranian university students electricity set for biggest fall this year shine at BIXPO 2019 The world’s use of coal-fired electricity is on track for its biggest SOCIETY TEHRAN — Iranian stu- and the United States, deputy chancellor of desk annual fall on record this year after more than four decades of dents of Najafabad Azad Najafabad Azad University Hamid Mon- near-uninterrupted growth that has stoked the global climate crisis. University won gold medal at Bitgaram tazerolghaem said. Data shows that coal-fired electricity is expected to fall by 3% International Exposition of Electric Power Referring to the event as one of the in 2019, or more than the combined coal generation in Germany, Technology (BIXPO) 2019. biggest events in the field of energy, he Spain and the UK last year and could help stall the world’s rising The event took place in Gwangju, South said that Mohammad Sajjad Salehi, Arash carbon emissions this year. Korea, on November 6-8, attended by over Taheri, Ali Hassani and Ali Taheri are the 13,000 participants from startups, inventors, students who managed to won the first companies and industry personnel from 51 prize in BIXPO 2019 presenting the solar different countries. desalination machine. Held annually since past 5 years, BIX- The solar water desalination, with high PO serves various needs required by the cooling efficiency, high volume of water desal- fast-changing world of electric power indus- ination, low manufacturing cost, low energy try through its New Technology Exhibition, consumption and high efficiency evaluated as International Conference and International the unique invention compared to the similar Invention Fair. inventions, he added. The inventions are categorized in 7 areas This year’s international event hosted of electric power engineering and its applica- major companies such as General Electric, tion, electric power generation and electric Huawei, Siemens and eBay which presented power network, electric power equipment their latest innovations and technologies, and its maintenance, information and com- energy efficiency. of the “solar water desalination machine” he concluded. munication technology, renewable energy Some 54 projects from 30 countries were won the gold medal surpassing the research Najafabad Azad University is located in technology, electric energy and its application, selected, among which the Iranian invention teams from Korea, United Kingdom, Japan central Isfahan province. The steepest global slump on record is likely to emerge in 2019 as India’s reliance on coal power falls for the first time in at least three decades this year, and China’s coal power demand plateaus. Iran, Japan sign MOU on medical Iran, Indonesia to expand human Both developing nations are using less coal-fired electricity due services improvement rights cooperation to slowing economic growth in Asia as well as the rise of cleaner energy alternatives. There is also expected to be unprecedented SOCIETY TEHRAN — Iranian SOCIETY TEHRAN — Deputy coal declines across the EU and the US as developed economies deskMinistry of Health and deskdirector of Iran’s High turn to clean forms of energy. Japan International Cooperation Agen- Council for Human Rights, Majid Tafreshi, In almost 40 years the world’s annual coal generation has fallen cy (JICA) have inked a memorandum and director for multilateral cooperation only twice before: in 2009, in the wake of the global financial of understanding (MOU) to improve of Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, crisis, and in 2015, following a slowdown in China’s coal plants medical services on the basis of medical Febrian Alphyanto Ruddyard, discussed amid rising levels of deadly air pollution. management models in Japan, IRNA enhanced human rights cooperation be- The research was undertaken by the Centre for Research on reported on Tuesday. tween the two countries. Energy and Clean Air , the Institute for Energy Economics and The agreement was signed by Mohsen The two officials emphasized the need Financial Analysis and the UK climate thinktank Sandbag. Asadi Lari, director for international for development of cooperation in the fields The researchers found that China’s coal-fired power gener- cooperation at the Ministry of Health, management and cancer management of human rights and justice during a meet- legislative frameworks. ation was flatlining, despite an increase in the number of coal and Yukiharu Kubayashi, JICA repre- and control. ing held on Wednesday on the sidelines The two countries also expressed plants being built, because they were running at record low sentative to Iran. Jalal Naeli, an official with the of Convention against Torture Initiative readiness to cooperate in the fields of rates. China builds the equivalent of one large new coal plant Under the MOU, Iranian managers in Ministry of Health, said that in order (CTI) regional seminar in Bali, Indonesia. counternarcotic, judicial assistance and every two weeks, according to the report, but its coal plants run health sector will benefit from Japan’s to empower health sector managers, The seminar aimed to bring together extradition of prisoners, the necessity of for only 48.6% of the time, compared with a global utilisation experience through training courses in coordination is being made to send countries from South East Asia and from care and enforcement of human rights of rate of 54% on average. five areas of hospital management, hos- 60 managers to learn about Japan’s the wider Asia-Pacific region to share ex- prisoners, cooperation on international The findings come after a report from Global Energy pital design and construction, elderly latest achievements in medical service periences, as well as challenges in devel- issues, especially Islamic human rights, Monitor found that the number of coal-fired power plants care systems, non-communicable disease management. oping and implementing institutional and IRNA reported. in the world is growing, because China is building new coal plants five times faster than the rest of the world is reducing their coal-fired power capacity. The report found that in other countries coal-fired power ca- NSW warned of looming Sydney water crisis six months ago, cabinet document reveals pacity fell by 8GW in the 18 months to June but over the same The New South Wales government was advised six months 10, ahead of the 40% trigger point. Average per person period China increased its capacity by 42.9GW. ago that Sydney’s water storage levels could be at “emer- water use had fallen from 211 litres to 183 litres a day, the In a paper for the industry journal Carbon Brief, the research- gency levels” by May next year unless it started planning spokeswoman said. ers said: “A 3% reduction in power sector coal use could imply immediately. She said the government was considering expanding zero growth in global CO2 output, if emissions changes in other A cabinet-in-confidence document prepared by state- the city’s desalination plant, which is operating at full sectors mirror those during 2018.” owned agency WaterNSW warns that storage levels could capacity and supplies 15% of daily water demand, and However, the authors of the report have warned that despite fall to 40% by Christmas and were likely to reach what are work had commenced on a strategy to be released next the record coal power slump the world’s use of coal remained considered emergency levels – about 35% and declining year that would integrate water and sewerage planning. far too high to meet the climate goals of the Paris agreement. – by mid-next year if the coming summer is hot and dry. It could increase the use of recycled sewage water, a The US – which is backing out of the Paris agreement – Sydney’s storages have slumped from 96% full in April step long called for by experts. “This will be an adaptive has made the deepest cuts to coal power of any developed 2017 to less than 46%. Ian Wright, a University of Western plan for Sydney’s water and sewerage needs out to the country this year by shutting coal plants down in favour of Sydney scientist, likened the trajectory to “a ski-slope”. year 2080,” the spokeswoman said. gas power and renewable energy. By the end of August the The WaterNSW document says inflows since early 2018 Faehrmann said experts had urged the government US had reduced coal by almost 14% over the year compared had been the lowest on record and water use across the to invest in large-scale water recycling and stormwater with the same months in 2018. city had been higher than expected. It had increased the of lower water availability due to climate change and harvesting during the millennium drought but consecutive The EU reported a record slump in coal-fired electricity use risk that some critical supply areas, such as the Illawarra, population growth. administrations had failed to act. in the first half of the year of almost a fifth compared with the may run out of water in about two years. “It’s grossly negligent for the government to be planning She said Pavey needed to explain why she did not introduce same months last year. This trend is expected to accelerate over Titled “drought supply options study”, the document for water security based on historical trends. Unless they more water saving measures after receiving the WaterNSW the second half of the year to average a 23% fall over 2019 as a says storages will become increasingly difficult to manage if factor in reduced water availability under a hotter climate advice in May. “She knew all of this while Sydney had no whole. The EU is using less coal power in favour of gas-fired they fall below 30%. Storages have depleted at a faster rate we don’t stand a chance,” she said. enforced water restrictions whatsoever,” she said. electricity – which can have roughly half the carbon footprint during this drought than during the millennium drought, A spokeswoman for the water minister, Melinda Pavey, Wright, a senior lecturer in environmental science, said of coal – and renewable energy. when they fell to 33%. said the government was investigating measures to sup- the government should adopt a water pricing mechanism (Source: The Guardian) It does not explicitly mention climate change, but warns of port Sydney’s water supply and was already taking steps. similar to other states that charged consumers higher rates the need to plan for “a scenario where climate doesn’t follow People in Sydney use more water per person than Mel- when they used large amounts. “It is the only jurisdiction history and we get a follow-up drought before recovery”. burnians, but the spokeswoman said water use in Sydney that doesn’t have blocked pricing,” he said. WORDS IN THE NEWS “The only options left to us at this point are large-scale fell last financial year, both in total and per capita terms, He said bringing in level two restrictions earlier than desalination plants,” it says. after investment in water efficiency programs. planned and considering an expansion of desalination was The NSW Greens’ water spokeswoman, Cate Faehr- The government had also preemptively introduced level welcome, but said the desal plant should have been operating Ice reservoirs found on Mars mann, said the document showed the government’s one water restrictions when dam levels reached 53.5%, at full capacity much earlier. He urged the government to (May 27, 2002) 2017 metropolitan water plan was based on data from before the 50% trigger was reached, and last week an- do more. “Where are the big recycling projects?” he said. A spacecraft orbiting Mars has detected large quantities of water-ice the 1939 drought, and ignored years of expert warnings nounced that level two restrictions would start on December (Source: The Guardian) just below the surface of the planet. The finding, by the American space agency NASA, is described as one of the most important discoveries ever made about the planet. ENGLISH IN USE This report from David Whitehouse. This dramatic discovery was made by sensors on the Mars Odyssey LEARN NEWS TRANSLATION spacecraft that has been orbiting the Red Planet since late last year. It has found evidence that just below the surface, across great swathes of the planet, there is water-ice. This finding will answer a question that has puzzled Mars researchers Relief foundation creates over 1.5m ایجاد بیش از یک میلیون و 500 هزار شغل برای محرومان در کشور for decades. The first close-up pictures of Mars from spacecraft showed a world of deserts and craters, canyons and dried-up jobs for the deprived عبدالملکــی گفــت: کمیتــه امــداد امــام )ره( از ســال ۹۰ تاکنــون بیــش از یــک riverbeds. Obviously Mars was wet and warm in the distant past, Imam Khomeini Relief Foundation has generated over 1.5m job opportunities but where did all the water go? میلیــون و ۵۰۰ هــزار شــغل بــرای محرومــان کشــور ایجــاد کــرده اســت. ,The answer appears that it is in the regolith - the layer of loose rock for those financially struggling since the past 7 years, Hojatollah Abdolmaleki and dust on the surface. There is so much water that if it were all the Foundation’s deputy director has announced. بــه گــزارش خبرنــگار باشــگاه خبرنــگاران جــوان، حجــت اهلل عبدالملکــی معــاون کمیته to melt, Mars would become a water world. Job generation for the underprivileged is among the most important and Water is essential for life as we know it, and researchers speculate tough responsibilities of the Foundation, he stated, YJC reported on Monday. امــداد امــام خمینــی )ره( اظهــار کــرد: ایجاد اشــتغال امری ســخت اســت، تولید اشــتغال that if life had developed during Mars›s warm period, it might still be clinging to the moisture beneath the ground. Since Iranian calendar year of 1390 (March 2011– March 2012) to 1396 بــرای محرومــان ســخ تترین اقــدام بــرای کمیتــه امــداد اســت کــه در حــال انجام اســت. It also means that astronauts would have nothing more to do than (March 2017- March 2018), the Foundation has earmarked 100 trillion rials وی افــزود: از ســال ۹۰، یکمیلیــون و ۴۰۰ هــزار شــغل بــا تســهیالت ۱۰ هــزار dig to get drinking water. (nearly $2.4 billion) to open up over 1.4 million job opportunities in order The more we discover about Mars, the more the search for life on its میلیــاردی بــرای محرومــان ایجــاد شــده اســت، در ســال گذشــته نیــز بــرای surface becomes a top scientific priority, and the more it beckons to facilitate income generation for the deprived, he explained. ۱۴۸ human footprints. He went on to add that last year (March 2018-March 2019), a total of هزارنفــر بــا ۲ هــزار و ۳۰۰ میلیــارد تومــان تســهیالت توســط کمیتــه امــداد Words 148,000 jobs were created by the Foundation’s budget of 23 trillion rials sensors: scientific instruments that measure changes - for example, (around $547 million). شــغل ایجــاد شــده اســت. in heat or light orbiting: travelling around across great swathes of: large areas of water-ice: water that has frozen PREFIX/SUFFIX PHRASAL VERB IDIOM craters: large holes canyons: long, narrow valleys with steep sides “-iatric, -iatry” Hit upon something Burn your fingers dried-up riverbeds: the ground over which rivers once flowed a water world: completely covered in water, flooded Meaning: medicine Meaning: to have an idea or discover something Explanation: if you burn your fingers (or get your fingers clinging to: living in - if you cling to something, you hold onto it tightly For example: Pediatric dentists are good for kids suddenly or unexpectedly; come up with burnt), you suffer financially as a result of foolish behavior beckons human footprints: becomes a reason for going there - if without obvious problems. For example: Then we hit on the idea of asking For example: Jack got his fingers burnt playing on you beckon someone, you make a signal for them to come to you viewers to donate money over the Net. the stock market. (Source: BBC) I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y NOVEMBER 28, 2019 WORLD IN FOCUS 13

Obama reportedly said he would UN, Iraq work to prosecute speak up to stop Sanders Daesh for genocide 1 This was his third briefing since the establishment of Former US President Barack Obama has service, and whoever emerges from the pri- UNITAD through a UN Security Council resolution. reportedly said that he might speak up to mary process I will work my tail off to make The Iraqi ambassador to the UN, for his part expressed sup- prevent 2020 presidential hopeful Bernie sure that they are the next president,” said port for the UNITAD team but also stressed the urgency to bring Sanders from becoming the Democratic the former US leader. A close adviser argued Daesh terrorists to justice as soon as possible. nominee. that Obama, who has remained silent amid The international crimes that UNITAD is mandated to inves- The Tuesday report by Politico on was the Democratic races so far, would not make tigate are not incorporated into the domestic legal system of Iraq not confirmed by a close adviser to the Dem- any comments against a candidate. and are currently prosecuted as terrorist crimes. ocratic president. “I can’t even imagine with this field how However, Baghdad is working towards introducing legislation “He hasn’t said that directly to me,” the bad it would have to be for him to say some- that would allow for Daesh crimes to be prosecuted as genocide, adviser was cited as saying. “The only reason thing,” said the adviser. war crimes, and crimes against humanity, a request survivors I’m hesitating at all is because, yeah, if Bernie The African American president appeared including Kachi, have called for time and again. were running away with it, I think maybe to criticize those too much on the left at a The Security Council meeting concluded with an understanding we would all have to say something. But I meeting of fundraisers earlier this month that the success of the UN investigative team will depend first don’t think that’s likely. It’s not happening.” ahead of the 2020 election. on its impartial findings; and second, as a collective effort by the Obama said earlier this month that he “Even as we push the envelope and we world body, the Iraqi government and the victims and survivors would support whoever is nominated by are bold in our vision, we also have to be of Daesh but also NGOs and academic institutions. the party, comments his spokesperson also rooted in reality,” Obama said, according to (Source: Press TV) referred to. the New York Times. “The average American “Look, we have a field of very accom- doesn’t think we have to completely tear plished, very serious and passionate and down the system and remake it.” smart people who have a history of public (Source: agencies) Turkey says Russian S-400s will not be integrated into NATO systems

U.S. deep state won’t allow a change in aggressive interventionist policy: Ron Paul Turkey will not integrate Russian S-400 missile systems into The permanent U.S. government will not allow a change President because he was worried that Trump was shifting the NATO security or air defense systems, presidential spokes- in aggressive American interventionist foreign policy, par- U.S. policy away from providing offensive weapons to the man Ibrahim Kalin told a forum, the state-run Anadolu Agency ticularly when it comes to Russia, former congressman and Ukrainian government!” reported Tuesday. presidential candidate Ron Paul has said. Vindman was concerned over “influencers promoting a Turkey has angered the United States and other NATO allies In his latest column published on Monday, the founder false narrative of Ukraine inconsistent with the consensus by buying the Russian-made air defense missile system, which of the Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity wrote, views of the interagency.” the Western allies say is incompatible with NATO defenses. “The most shocking thing about the House impeachment Paul wrote that “consensus views of the interagency is Washington has suspended Ankara from the F-35 stealth fighter hearings to this point is not a ‘smoking gun’ witness providing another word for deep state.” jet programme, which it was helping produce as well as buy. irrefutable evidence of quid pro quo. It’s not that President Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives are “We are still working on the technical details. The S-400 sys- Trump may or may not have asked the Ukrainians to look actively preparing for the next step in their eight-week tems will not be integrated into the NATO security system or air into business deals between then-Vice President Biden’s impeachment investigation of Trump. defense system,” Kalin told a foreign policy conference in Berlin. son and a Ukrainian oligarch.” Democratic Party lawmakers in the lower chamber of “It will remain an independent defense system on its own. “The most shocking thing to come out of the hearings thus Congress expect a busy December that will be filled with Concerns on this issue can be eased,” he said. far is confirmation that no matter who is elected President proceedings and public hearings, and a likely vote to impeach Earlier Tuesday, the head of Russian state arms exporter of the United States, the permanent government will not the Republican president on the House floor by Christmas Rosoboronexport was quoted as saying Russia hoped to seal a allow a change in our aggressive interventionist foreign Day, according to CNN. articles of impeachment, a trial is then held in the Senate. deal to supply Turkey with more S-400 missile systems in the policy, particularly when it comes to Russia,” he pointed out. Three House committees are writing a report detailing House members act as the prosecutors; the senators as first half of next year. “Even more shocking is that neither Republicans nor their findings, which is expected to serve as the basis for jurors; the chief justice of the Supreme Court presides. Washington has warned of possible U.S. sanctions but has Democrats are bothered in the slightest,” he continued. an impeachment resolution, or “articles of impeachment”. Democrats say they have not obtained crucial docu- not yet imposed them. A senior U.S. State Department official Paul quoted the example of Lt. Colonel Vindman, say- Democrats say they are still debating the size and scope ments or spoken with several key officials because the White said last week that Turkey needed to get rid of the S-400s it had ing that “he did not come forth with first-hand evidence of the articles, which are likely to focus on abuse of power, House and State Department have refused to comply with already bought to mend fences. that President Trump had committed any ‘high crimes’ obstruction of justice, obstruction of Congress and bribery. subpoenas. (Source: Reuters) or ‘misdemeanors.’ He brought a complaint against the Impeachment begins in the House. If the House approves (Source: Press TV) Asia needs to invest $800 Turkey must halt Syrian rebel abuses, Human Rights Watch says BILLION in the next ten Turkey’s Syrian rebel allies have sum- the region was not secure. it was responsible for the killing. marily executed civilians during Ankara’s “Executing individuals, pillaging Human Rights Watch said it had re- years to solve food crisis military offensive in northeast Syria and property and blocking displaced people searched the case of three Kurdish Red looted property belonging to Kurdish from returning to their homes is damning Crescent aid workers who disappeared Asia’s population could grow by approximately 250 million in the families displaced by the fighting, Hu- evidence of why Turkey’s proposed ‘safe in territory controlled by the rebels, “in- next decade. While consumers are demanding safer, healthier, man Rights Watch said in a report on zones’ will not be safe,” said Sarah Leah cluding the apparent unlawful killing of and more sustainable food, a new study shows the continent is Wednesday. Whitson, the group’s Middle East director, at least one of them”. “unable to feed itself.” The group called on Ankara to investi- in the statement. The group also interviewed five Kurdish Asia is “relying on imports flowing through long supply chains gate what it said were human rights abuses Asked about the Human Rights Watch civilians who said that the rebel forces were from the Americas, Europe and Africa,” states a report from PwC, and “in many cases potential war crimes” report, a spokesman for the Turkish for- occupying their homes and had arbitrarily Rabobank, and investment firm Temasek. in territory which Turkish forces current- eign ministry pointed to earlier media prevented them from returning. “If this investment does not materialize, we believe the industry ly control, and hold those responsible to reports about Syrian rebels forming a “Turkey is turning a blind eye to the will struggle to keep up with demand, resulting in poorer food account. commission to investigate the reported reprehensible behavior displayed by the outcomes for Asia’s population,” the report explains. Turkey says it plans to settle more abuses, as well as military courts for factions it arms,” Whitson said. “So long Food spending is expected to more than double by 2030 from than a million Syrian refugees in a “safe prosecution. as Turkey is in control of these areas, it the current $4 trillion. zone” which it says will be established Last month the Kurdish-led Syrian Dem- politician, Hevrin Khalaf, and several other has a responsibility to investigate and end “In general, countries in Latin America, East Africa, and South by the military operation, but Human ocratic Forces accused a Turkey-backed civilians in the first week of the offensive these violations”. Asia are net food exporters, while most of the rest of Asia and Rights Watch said its findings showed force of ambushing and killing a Kurdish in northeast Syria. The rebel force denied (Source: Reuters) Africa remain net food importers,” the Key Statistics and Trends in International Trade report added. It pointed out that climate change and population growth will also add to the region’s problems by causing supply issues, as well Georgia opposition vows ‘permanent protests’ after police crackdown as price volatility. The amount of arable land for each person in Asia is expected to decline by five percent by 2030. Georgia opposition parties Tuesday vowed “permanent orchestrating the bill’s failure. These factors paint a stark picture, according to PwC’s Richard protests” in a rare show of unity against the country’s rul- Protesters say the current voting system unfairly favors Skinner who is Asia Pacific deals strategy and operations leader. ing party after police arrested protesters and used water the ruling party. He told CNBC: “If we don’t solve this, we will be in a bad position cannon to disperse an anti-government rally. Georgian Dream won nearly 77 percent of seats in the in 10 years’ time.” Opposition supporters have staged a series of rallies in 2016 parliamentary election despite garnering only 48.7 There’s an $800 billion investment opportunity in Asia’s agri- the capital Tbilisi over the last two weeks after the ruling percent of the vote. food industry that needs to be filled in the next decade, Skinner Georgia Dream party voted down legislation to hold par- Georgian Dream has ruled out early polls. said. He explained that technology and innovation, in particular, liamentary elections next year under a new proportional On Monday, it also rejected the opposition’s compromise will be key to solving that. voting system. proposal of legislative amendments that would create a (Source: RT) Up to 20,000 people took to the streets on Monday, level playing field for all political parties in the tiny Black urging the government to resign and calling for fresh par- Sea nation. liamentary polls. Last week, riot police also used water cannon to dis- Braving sub-zero temperatures, hundreds of protest- perse protesters, arresting several dozen people outside ers stayed outside parliament overnight, blocking all four parliament. Mexico demands respect of entrances and threatening to prevent lawmakers from The embassies of the United States and European Union entering the building. bour Party, Shalva Natelashvili, told journalists. have criticized Georgian Dream’s failure to introduce the national sovereignty, seeks On Tuesday morning, riot police used water cannon to Giga Bokeria, the leader of the opposition European electoral reform and expressed solidarity with the protesters. high-level meeting with U.S. disperse the crowd. Georgia party, said a plenary session in parliament that Ivanishvili had promised “large-scale political reform” The interior ministry said in a statement that 28 pro- has been scheduled for Wednesday has been cancelled as following a summer of protests that saw 240 people injured to clarify ‘terrorist cartels’ testers were arrested and several injured. a result of ongoing protests. in a police crackdown. Opposition leaders said the use of police force would only “We will resume the blockade of parliament building Two protesters including a teenage girl lost an eye during designation galvanise protest movement and vowed to hold “permanent when it attempts to convene,” he told AFP, adding that the those protests. protests” until their demands are met. fresh “big protest rally” will be held next week. In power since 2012, the ruling party has seen its popu- The Mexican Foreign Ministry said it hopes to meet with its On Tuesday evening hundreds of protesters The latest demonstrations began on November 14 when larity plummet amid widespread discontent over economic counterparts in the U.S. State Department and insisted on its gathered again outside parliament building while Georgian Dream MPs voted down the bill for parliamentary stagnation and perceived backsliding on its commitment national sovereignty after President Donald Trump announced the leaders of opposition parties held talks on their elections next year. to democracy. plans to declare drug cartels as terrorist groups. future strategies. Opposition parties formed a rare united front to call for Critics accuse Ivanishvili of persecuting political oppo- Urging for a meeting to clarify its position on the cartel “All of Georgia’s opposition parties have set up a consul- against Georgian Dream, which is led by oligarch Bidzina nents, suffocating critical media, and creating a corrupt designation, the ministry also said it hoped to discuss ways to tative council and agreed that the ongoing protest movement Ivanishvili. political system where his private interests dominate gov- reduce the influx of illegal immigration across the U.S.-Mexico will be permanent and continue until our goal of Georgia’s The 63-year-old Ivanishvili -- who is widely believed ernment decision-making. border, as well as the flow of weapons and money linked to de-oligarchisation is achieved,” the leader of Georgia’s La- to be calling the shots in Georgia -- is accused by critics of (Source: AFP) drug traffickers. “We will act firmly. I have already transmitted our position to the U.S. as well as our resolve to deal with transnational organized crime,” said foreign affairs secretary Marcelo Ebrard in a tweet. Trump confirmed the terrorist designation had been in the Floods kill at least 39 in Congo’s capital Kinshasa works for months in an interview with conservative media host At least 39 people died in flooding in earth, a Reuters witness said. hands as Red Cross rescue workers car- started sliding. The neighbors agreed to Bill O’Reilly published earlier on Tuesday, but provided few ad- Kinshasa, the capital of Democratic Re- The vice governor of Kinshasa prov- ried several bodies to an ambulance. let us stay with them while we look for ditional details. public of Congo, following torrential rains ince, Néron Mbungu, said rescue workers “My son, my son,” she cried. another place,” Mwamba told Reuters. Trump has repeatedly slammed Mexico for inaction on the overnight that caused landslides near the were continuing to hunt for bodies. Andre Mwamba, whose house had Floods are not unusual in Kinshasa, immigration issue, and recently called on the country to join the University of Kinshasa, authorities said. “Wherever we found death, we gave partially collapsed into the ravine on a city of almost 12 million people with U.S. in a “war” on drug cartels, however Mexico City has been At one site on University Avenue, in a the mayors the means to bring the bod- University Avenue, said the heavy rain notoriously poor infrastructure and reluctant to enlist, arguing it did not require “foreign interven- southern suburb, at least three houses and ies to the morgue, and we also made started at 2 a.m. (0100 GMT) and lasted where many neighborhoods are poor- tion” in its internal security affairs. President Lopez Obrador a road collapsed into a ravine. Chunks of available the means for the wounded four hours. ly planned, though they rarely cause so previously signaled willingness to work with the FBI on cartel concrete and metal roofing could be seen to be taken to medical centers,” he said. “We started moving things out of the many deaths. violence – but only if “Mexico’s independence is upheld.” sticking out of the freshly turned orange One woman wailed and clapped her house at around six and then the house (Source: Reuters) (Source: RT) I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y 14 WORLD SPORTS NOVEMBER 28, 2019

Kremlin says Russia remains Max Taylor: Manchester United teenager ‘open to cooperation’ on doping on his cancer, recovery & return to football

The Kremlin on Wednesday said Russia regrets a proposed One name stands out in Manchester United’s squad for four-year blanket ban for the country’s athletes over doping their Europa League trip to Astana on Thursday. but will remain open to cooperation. Defender Max Taylor has never played a first-team “This is definitely concerning information. We regret game for United. The local-born 19-year-old is another this,” President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov example of manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s commitment told journalists. to the club’s youth. In the Kremlin’s first reaction to anti-doping watchdog Yet for Taylor, it is the latest stage in a remarkable story WADA’s compliance review committee’s recommendations of resilience and mental fortitude after being diagnosed issued Monday, he stressed that Moscow was open to with testicular cancer in November 2018. cooperation with international authorities “If anything, it has increased my ambition,” Taylor tells “You know the Russian sporting authorities have been, BBC Sport. “I take things head on. Just go for it. Don’t are and will remain as open as possible to cooperation and be scared.” collaboration with the international sporting community Taylor’s world was turned upside down in June 2018, five and also with WADA,” he said. months after he had signed his first professional contract. If WADA chiefs adopt the review committee’s “I’d been checking and felt a lump. The doctor ran a recommendations, Russia faces exclusion from key sporting scan and thought it was a cyst, which is quite common events including the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. in people my age. But when he repeated the scan, it had The doping scandal has tainted Russia’s sporting reputation got bigger. He sent me to a specialist, who sent me for for the last five years, after revelations of large-scale state- another scan. That’s when I got told inside the area of sponsored doping aimed at improving Russia’s medal infection next to the cyst was a tumour, most likely a form performance at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. of testicular cancer.” Monday’s call from the World Anti-Doping Agency’s Taylor heard the news sitting alongside his mum, Stella, United told Taylor to take a break. He was in Portugal a short, but really intense, course. They said the chemo- review panel came after Russian authorities were accused and stepfather, Matthew. when his phone rang. therapy was very effective but I may still need surgery. of falsifying laboratory data related to the country’s doping “It was surreal. We just looked at each other thinking: “I knew who it was. I had told them that as soon as I knew the percentages but I was scared. One hundred scandal, which were handed over to investigators in January. ‘Has he really just said that? That it is cancer?’ The special- they had any information, I wanted to know. The special- percent I was scared. I had been unlucky enough to get Peskov said news of the possible ban was “far from joyful ist said the cells inside the testicle would have to be taken ist said he really didn’t want to tell me the news over the cancer in the first place so when they say there is a chance for us,” but Moscow would await the final decision on the off. He said removing the testicle was the first thing to phone but he had the biopsy back which confirmed I had it might keep spreading, it worries you. proposed ban by WADA’s executive committee on December happen but I would also need a CT scan to check the rest primary cancer in my testicle. I was expecting it. When I “You’re in a bubble here [at Manchester United]. It’s football, 9 before making an assessment. of my body and I might need chemotherapy. came home I had another CT scan. That’s when I thought: football, football. Training one day. Match the next. Training Concerning the tainted data, Peskov insisted Russia had “My mum broke down straight away. I was so taken ‘This is actually quite serious.’ again. That night, I shut my door at home and thought: ‘What’s provided “detailed explanations” to WADA of the inconsistencies aback I didn’t cry. I got out of the clinic and thought: ‘Oh Taylor was transferred to Manchester’s leading cancer next?’ I knew I would have to go along with whatever they it found. my God.’ You hear the word cancer. My mind was run- hospital, The Christie. said, and I had no idea how my body would react. Everything (Source: AFP) ning 100mph. ‘What will happen? What’s next? Will I “The cancer had spread to the abdomen. There were had been taken away. Not just football - meeting new family play football again? Will I be alive?’ It repeated in my also a couple of specks on my lungs that might have spread members, having a normal Christmas. It was all so unknown.” Klinsmann takes over at Hertha head, over and over.” too. They told me I would need quite heavy chemotherapy; (Source: BBC) until end of season Ibrahimovic invests in Swedish club No place for ‘disloyal’ Moreno in Former World Cup winner Juergen Klinsmann replaced sacked Ante Covic as head coach of struggling Hertha Berlin Hammarby Spanish coaching team, says Enrique on Wednesday until the end of the season, returning to the Bundesliga for the first time in a decade, the club said. Covic lasted on 12 league matches as his team, who have lost their last four league matches, are currently in 15th place, level on points with 16th Fortuna Duesseldorf who are on the relegation playoff spot. Klinsmann, whose most recent appointment was United States head coach from 2011 to 2016, last worked in the Bundesliga during a hapless spell at Bayern Munich that lasted less than a season in 2008-9. The 55-year-old who won the 1990 World Cup as a player with West Germany, has also coached the German national team, leading them to a third place finish at the 2006 World Cup at home. He was sacked from his U.S. post in 2016 after a string of bad results in the early 2018 World Cup qualifiers and the team eventually failed to qualify for the tournament in Russia. He was recently made a member of the Hertha board. (Source: Reuters) Zlatan Ibrahimovic has acquired roughly a exciting,” Hammarby’s chairman Richard Spain’s returning coach Luis Enrique continue for the European Champion- quarter of the shares in Stockholm-based foot- von Yxkull said in a statement. described his predecessor Robert Moreno ships and then if I wanted to, he would Dybala flourishing again after ball team Hammarby, the club said Wednesday. The club was originally founded in the late as “disloyal” on Wednesday and confirmed be my assistant again. The 38-year-old former Juventus, Bar- 19th century, although it only started a football he will not be part of his coaching team “I understand that he is excited to be a Sarri’s arrival celona, Paris Saint-Germain and Manches- club in 1915. It has only won the Swedish title for Euro 2020. coach and I understand that it is a dream ter United forward has bought 50 percent once -- in 2001. Moreno was removed as coach last of a lifetime and that he has worked hard It was hard to believe while watching Paulo Dybala’s match of American sporting and entertainment Hammarby are also rivals of Malmo FF week to make way for Luis Enrique’s for it. But I also understand that he is winning performance for Juventus against Atletico Madrid company Anschutz Entertainment Group’s (MFF), the club where Ibrahimovic started return, despite Moreno leading Spain disloyal - I would never do that and I do in the Champions League on Tuesday that, only a few weeks (AEG) stake in the Swedish team, according his professional career in 1999. through an unbeaten qualifying cam- not want someone like that in my staff.” ago, his days at the Turin club appeared to be numbered. to a separate statement by AEG. Such is the love for him at Malmo that a paign that ended with a 5-0 thrashing Moreno said in a press conference When Maurizio Sarri took over as coach during the AEG also owns LA Galaxy where Ibrahi- statue of Ibrahimovic was unveiled outside of Romania. on September 3 that he would be “the summer and announced that he needed to trim his squad, movic has played the last two MLS seasons, their stadium in October but he does not an- After the game, Moreno did not ap- first and most delighted to step aside” the Argentine was seen as one of the players most likely although he has confirmed he will leave when ticipate any backlash from his hometown fans. pear for his post-match press conference if Luis Enrique decided he wanted to to leave. his contract runs out at the end of the year. “I know they won’t be disappointed. What and reportedly left the players’ dressing come back. Dybala, who has a reputation for blowing hot and cold, Ibrahimovic had hinted that something I have done for MFF will last for ever. This is room in tears. “I feel responsible and I am not proud had spent the previous year battling for a place in the team was in the works earlier this week when he completely different situation. It has nothing He had been promoted from assistant of how everything ended, I do not like following the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo and endured posted a short video on Instagram showing to do with where my career started,” he told to head coach after Luis Enrique resigned to see people suffer,” Luis Enrique said. his least impressive season since joining the club in 2015. a football jersey in Hammarby’s colours and Sportbladet. in June to take care of his daughter, Xana, Luis Enrique confirmed that he has But the move did not materialise and, since then, the the name Ibrahimovic on the back. But some supporters where less than who died in August of cancer. signed a three-year contract until the 26-year-old has been one of the main beneficiaries of so-called He said he would not have a playing role pleased to learn of Ibrahimovic’s new stake Luis Enrique and Moreno had been World Cup in Qatar in 2022. Sarriball which involves moving the ball around the pitch for Hammarby. in a rival club. close friends after previously working “I have no problem if the president at high speed — as opposed to predecessor Massimiliano “For 10 years I’ve said I won’t return to “I feel bad for Zlatan. He’s burnt every together at Barcelona, Celta Vigo and (of the Spanish Football Federation, Luis Allegri who put the emphasis on “interpreting the match.” Allsvenskan (Sweden’s top league). It’s not bridge to MFF,” Kaveh Hosseinpour, vice- Roma. Rubiales) believes someone else can do Dybala scored the only goal in Juve’s 1-0 win on Tuesday going to happen,” he told sports magazine president of MFF’s supporters’ club, told “The only one responsible for Moreno better. I have no problem leaving.” from a free kick in the unlikeliest of positions near the goal- Sportbladet. broadcaster SVT. not being part of my staff is me,” said Luis He was appointed coach in July 2018 line, curling the ball over the Atletico wall and in off the “I had agreed with the team from Ham- Hosseinpour added that Ibrahimovic’s Enrique at his unveiling on Wednesday. following a turbulent World Cup for Spain, crossbar for his seventh goal of the season in all competitions. marby and AEG to get this thing as global main contribution to MFF was “being sold “The disagreement came on Septem- which saw Julen Lopetegui sacked as “My first thought was what the hell was he doing taking as possible. We were to be seen all over the for a lot of money.” ber 12, it is the only day I had contact coach two days before their opening a free kick from there?” said Sarri. “It was extraordinary. world. Not just in Sweden.” “Since then he hasn’t done much more.” with him. He called me and we met at game against Portugal. “Dybala is in a special class, in a very positive period of “This is still new to us, but of course very (Source: Mirror) my house and it seemed he wanted to (Source: Marca) form, so right now he is making the difference.” Before Tuesday’s game, Dybala had told Spanish newspaper El Pais that Sarri had put the fun back into his game. “He has a completely different way of understanding the Manchester City owners in record valuation after US investment game,” said Dybala. The parent company of Premier League champions Earlier this year Joe Tsai, co-founder of China’s online (Source: Goal) Manchester City has been given a global record sports giant Alibaba, bought a controlling share in the Brooklyn valuation of £3.73 billion ($4.8 billion) after US equity firm Nets basketball team, which gave it a $2.35 billion valuation, Silver Lake acquired just over 10 percent of the company the highest for a US sports team. Atletico’s Felix wins Golden on Wednesday. Manchester City have won the Premier League title Boy award Silver Lake have signed a definitive agreement to make four times since Abu Dhabi United Group, the investment a £389 million ($500 million) investment in City Football vehicle owned by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Atletico Madrid forward Joao Felix has won the Golden Boy Group (CFG). took over the club. award for the best under-21 player in Europe. CFG, which has a stake in seven football clubs globally, They have enjoyed 11 successive years of financial growth The 20-year-old Portugal international scored 18 goals including in the US, Australia, Japan and China, already and earlier this month reported record revenue of £535.2 for Benfica last season before a 126m euros (£113m) move has 12 percent of its equity held by a consortium of million last season. to Atletico in the summer. Chinese institutional investors led by Chinese media and They are sitting third in the Premier League table and He has scored two goals in 10 La Liga appearances for entertainment conglomerate CMC Inc. reached the knockout stages of the Champions League Atletico this term. California-based Silver Lake has moved into on Tuesday. Borussia Dortmund and England winger Jadon Sancho, entertainment in recent years after being primarily known the majority CFG shareholder with around 77 percent of A Puma kit deal of £45 million a year has also added 19, finished second with Bayer Leverkusen and Germany for investing in technology companies such as Alibaba, the company, according to Silver Lake. to their coffers. midfielder Kai Havertz, 20, third. Dell and Skype. Egon Durban, Sliver Lake’s managing director, said The one cloud on City’s horizon is a potential ban from “I am very proud,” said Felix. “It is the second time that CFG chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak said in a statement investing in CFG was exciting as they were showing the the Champions League if found guilty of breaching UEFA’s a player from Atletico Madrid has won this award and I am the investment would help the company grow. way for others in innovative ways of how to market football Financial Fairplay rules. happy.” “We and Silver Lake share the strong belief in the whilst preserving the history of the clubs. An appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) The Golden Boy award was created by Italian newspaper opportunities being presented by the convergence of “We are excited to partner with the Board and CFG’s asking for UEFA’s probe to be halted failed. Tuttosport in 2003 to recognise the best young player in entertainment, sports and technology and the resulting world-class management team to help drive the next phase The club will now face judgement from European Europe. Nominees must be under the age of 21 and play in ability for CFG to generate long-term growth and new of CFG’s growth in the fast-growing premium sports and football’s ruling body’s adjudicatory chamber. a European nation’s top tier. revenue streams globally.” entertainment content market,” he said in a statement. The other clubs in CFG’s portfolio are Melbourne City, Wayne Rooney (2004) and Raheem Sterling (2014) are Abu Dhabi United Group, which has poured hundreds “We greatly respect CFG’s stewardship of more than a Yokohama F Marinos, New York City FC, Uruguayan outfit previous English winners of the award. of millions of pounds into City since buying the club in century of soccer tradition and the strong global fanbases Club Atletico Torque and Spanish side Girona. (Source: BBC) 2008 from Thai businessman Thaksin Shinawatra, remains of its clubs.” (Source: AFP) I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y NOVEMBER 28, 2019 SPORTS 15

“The Tsunami” Ashourzadeh Iran to definitely host 2019 Greco-Roman World Cup: Sports Ministry targets medal at Olympics MNA — Iran›s Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs an- nounced on Wednesday that the 2019 Greco-Roman World SPORTS TEHRAN — Farzan “The Cup will surely be held in Iran. deskTsunami” Ashourzadeh “With the efforts of the National Olympic Committee, Fallah says that he is going to win medal at Iran’s Wrestling Federation and talks with President of the next Olympic Games. Russian Wrestling Federation Mikhail Mamiashvili, and Ashourzadeh, 23, won a gold medal in also contributions of Iranian Foreign Ministry and using the 2014 Asian Championships in Tashkent capacities of Georgian, Japanese, and Russian envoys to and claimed the title several months later Iran, holding of the Greco-Roman World Cup has been in Incheon in the Asian Games. confirmed in Tehran with a change in its date,” said the The Iranian prodigy stole the show in the ministry. 2015 World Championships in Chelyabinsk, The United World Wrestling announced on Sunday that beating the Belgian Si Mohamed Ketbi in the Greco-Roman World Cup, which was slated to take the Men’s -58kg final bout. place in Tehran on Nov. 28-29, has been postponed till Ashourzadeh was knocked out of the 2016 further notice, citing concerns over security situation as Olympic Games after losing to Moroccan the reason behind the decision. Omar Hajjami in the preliminary round. He Meanwhile, the Iranian Wrestling Federation objected failed to book a place at the 2020 Olympic to the decision. “Everything is ready for an ideal hosting of Games but is determined to make the podium the event; so I believe postponing the games is meaning- in the next Olympics. less,” the federation’s spokesman Hassan Rangraz said on “What does not kill me makes me strong- Monday in an interview with IRIB. er,” the silver medalist at Asian Champi- He said that the federation was trying to present the onships 2018 in Ho Chi Minh City and required clues and evidence to the international body to bronze medalist at Asian Games 2018 in prove the country›s stable condition and its readiness to Jakarta said. hold the event. “Considering my age and physical condi- Also, President of Iran›s National Olympic Committee tion, I can participate at the 2024 and 2028 Reza Salehi Amiri officially protested to the decision in Olympics. I want to move forward by mak- a letter to the president of the United World Wrestling ing the better decisions. First, I will do my (UWW) Nenad Lalovic on Tuesday. best to build the championship character, Rangraz said on Wednesday that “we will definitely host then I will try to win an Olympics medal,” the World Cup but we are waiting to receive information Ashourzadeh said. [from UWW] about the exact date of the event.” “Fortunately, I started the sport on high but I have not been successful over the past two years. But I found out that’s life,” he said. “The defeats have taught me more than the is good happens to me. My goal is to win a “Nobody knows what the future will hold need to be patient, then I can win medal in Iran is completely safe, victories in the last years and I like whatever medal in Olympics,” Ashourzadeh added. but I want to win a medal for my people. I 2024 or 2028 Olympic Games,” he concluded. Salehi Amiri says

MNA — President of Iran›s National Olympic Committee IFFHS Awards: Faghani best Asian referee of 2019 Reza Salehi Amiri has criticized the United World Wres- tling (UWW) for canceling Greco-Roman Wrestling World SPORTS TEHRAN — The International Fed- this prize after narrowly beating out 2017 winner Felix Cup in Iran. deskeration of Football History & Statistics Brych (129 points). In a letter to the president of the United World Wrestling (IFFHS) have chosen Iran’s Alireza Faghani as the best Skomina is no stranger to the game. He has officiated (UWW), Nenad Lalovic, the President of Iran›s National Asian referee of the 2019. more than 530 matches, 301 of which came in the Prva Olympic Committee Reza Salehi Amiri reacted to the hasty Faghani, who has recently made the decision to migrate Liga, 50 from the Champions League, 17 from the Europa decision of the international body for canceling Greco-Roman to Australia from Iran for family reasons, sits in the 12th League, and 60 being international games from the likes Wrestling World Cup, which was slated to be held in Iran. place in the world. of the UEFA Euro and the FIFA World Cup. Salehi describes the UWW›s decision as hasty, sensa- With 2019 drawing closer to an end, IFFHS have named A look at the 27 names who picked up points in the tional, and under the influence of incorrect propaganda by the best referee of this year. IFFHS Awards shows a lack of representation of Premier the western states against Iran. IFFHS held the annual election to crown one man as League referees, with only two making the top 10. They are The Iranian official also adds that he would also pen the best official, with selected journalists and experts Martin Atkinson, who comes in at ninth with 21 points, letters to his Japanese, Russian, Georgian counterparts from 90 countries across the globe voting. and Michael Oliver in 10th with 18 points. This could to announce to them that Iran is completely safe for any The award went to Damir Skomina, with 136 points. be proof that fans are right in claiming the English top- international events. The Slovenian referee’s most notable achievement in flight has the worst officials in Europe’s top-five leagues. He declared the official positions of the National Olympic 2019 was officiating the Champions League final be- Asian well-known referee Ravshan Irmatov sits 17th Committee, the Ministry of Sport and Youth and the Gov- tween Liverpool and Tottenham. Skomina picked up in the list. ernment of the Islamic Republic as announcing that Iran is completely safe and has no problem to host any events. In a letter, the UWW Executive Committee in Istanbul announced that the 2019 Greco-Roman Wrestling World Is MLS next for Afshin Ghotbi, U.S. soccer’s international globetrotter? Cup, which was slated to take place in Tehran on Nov. 28- In 2000, Afshin Ghotbi found himself marveling at tactical preparation. 29, had been postponed until further notice. where life had taken him. Here was an Iranian-born, That trait was made clear in 2007 when Ghotbi took The UWW cited concerns over the security situation in American-raised soccer coach, heading to Hong Kong on his first managerial job with Iranian giants Persep- Iran as the reason behind postponing the event. from Los Angeles on a British Airways flight so he could olis. Persepolis is one of the biggest clubs in Asia, with interview with a Dutchman to be an assistant coach for crowds exceeding 100,000. Imagine a long-time assis- South Korea’s national team. tant coach from outside the country, with no playing “If that’s not globalization, I’m not sure what is,” he said pedigree to speak of, being asked to manage Argentina Marc Wilmots linked with with a laugh during an exclusive interview with ESPN FC. or Manchester United. That is the kind of cauldron that Sint-Truiden Ghotbi’s globetrotting ways haven’t stopped. His coach- Ghotbi stepped into. ing career has spanned three decades across 12 different “Everything was new to me and everything was so teams. He’s been part of coaching staffs at three World extreme, that anything was possible,” he said. PLDC — Belgian Pro League Sint-Truiden is reportedly Cups and spent the past dozen years in Asia, coaching Those extremes extended to his personal life. Ghotbi eying Iran coach Marc Wilmots, voetbal24.be reported. in four different countries. In July, he was appointed was reconnecting with the country of his birth and re- Wilmots and Iran football federation have reached a manager of China League One side Shijiazhuang Ever learning Farsi. Most heart-rending of all was Ghotbi’s deadlock following Team Melli’s poor results in the 2022 Bright FC for the second time and in early-November, reunion with his mother, Mahri. Being Iranian-born but World Cup qualification. his side clinched promotion to the Chinese Super League. in particular -- led to him being named as an assistant holding a foreign passport meant Ghotbi couldn’t travel Team Melli sit in third place in Group C with six points, “I’m not surprised,” said former U.S. international coach for the U.S. men’s national team for the 1998 World to Iran for much of his life. As a result, he’d seen her once five points adrift of leaders Iraq. John O’Brien, who played on youth teams in Southern Cup, with a special emphasis on scouting Iran. The match in 30 years, meeting in the Netherlands on a trip with The Belgian coach has said Iran football federation has California coached by Ghotbi. “Afshin was always so astute was littered with heavy political overtones, and remains one of his youth teams. created serious contractual violations for him and he faces and so driven. It’s been interesting, as an Iranian and one of the more ignominious nights in U.S. World Cup “It was almost like I was drowning in every emotion an intolerable situation. an American, to see what opportunities have presented history, a game that Ghotbi recalls with mixed emotions. you could imagine,” he said. “When the plane landed in Marc Brys has been fired as coach of Sint-Truiden be- themselves and which ones haven’t.” Iran prevailed 2-1 on a night in which the U.S. failed to Tehran, the emotions were already building. Then when I cause of recent results. In many ways, Ghotbi is U.S. soccer’s international convert some clear chances. The result eliminated the walked out and I saw her, it was incredible. I really don’t Koninklijke Sint-Truidense Voetbalvereniging, commonly man of mystery, fulfilling several key roles through the U.S. from the tournament but for Ghotbi, it made a deep wish it for anybody to be parted from their parents.” known as Sint-Truiden, are a Belgian professional football years while remaining largely unknown. He played col- impression that went beyond the game. Winning helped, too. It had been six seasons since club located in the city of Sint-Truiden in Limburg. legiately at UCLA from 1981-85 and the U.S. is where “To see fans that had American flags on one cheek and Persepolis won the league, and Ghotbi promised fans that Sint-Truiden play in the Belgian Pro League. his coaching career began. His last stateside coaching an Iranian flag on the other cheek, or a Persian man and the streak would end. Persepolis started the campaign gig was as an assistant to Steve Sampson during the LA an American woman, a married couple, in the stands, and with a 16-game unbeaten streak, and fans took to calling Galaxy’s double-winning season in 2005. Yet even as to see that kind of friendship between two countries that Ghotbi “Afshin the Emperor.” He said, “Who wants to Ghotbi returned to China, he still felt the pull of the U.S., have so many political problems, it really excited me to have an Emperor? Once it catches on, there’s nothing Ostersund denied license to the country that formed many of his soccer experiences. realize the power of the game,” he said. you can do about it. You just try to stay grounded and play in Sweden’s top league He interviewed for the managerial post at LAFC in 2017, “I think regardless of our nationality and regardless humble and move on.” which ultimately went to Bob Bradley, and still holds aspi- of our culture, there are certain things all human beings There is a downside to performing a miracle in that rations of coaching once again in his adopted homeland. share. When I go into a particular team or a country, the after you do it once, everyone thinks you can do it again. Swedish soccer team Ostersund has been denied a license “I feel that my experiences and my qualities can bring love of the game is very important. I think the respect you With Iran in danger of missing out on the 2010 World to play in the top division next season because of its finan- something very different to the league and the players in give each other is very important. Trying to listen and Cup, Iran’s football federation turned to Ghotbi, who cial problems. MLS,” he said. “I think because I’ve been 15 years away learn about how each culture behaves and how they think.” was brought in for the last three games of qualifying, The Swedish Football Association says its licensing board most people have forgotten or don’t know me, but I think After the World Cup, Ghotbi planned to return to his two of which were on the road. Again, it came down to has decided Ostersund “does not meet the elite licensing once they get to know me and see how I work, they will soccer school but thanks to his overseas connections, an all-or-nothing showdown on the final matchday for criteria … for continued operation throughout the next year.” love the way my teams will play. I really think I can reach South Korea and Guus Hiddink came calling with a spe- Ghotbi, this time against South Korea and this time, it Ostersund says it will appeal against the ruling, which into the hearts of every player and make them giants.” cial task to address a special challenge. A coaching staff wasn’t to be. While Masoud Shojaei put Iran ahead in the was announced on Tuesday. As it stands, the club will play Ghotbi was born in Tehran, Iran, and his love for the that largely didn’t speak Korean -- one of five languages 52nd minute, South Korea’s Park Ji-Sung equalized with in the third-tier Division I in 2020. game of soccer started early. He recalls playing in the Ghotbi now speaks -- needed a way to get their points nine minutes remaining. The World Cup dream was over. Ostersund recently said it needed to raise 10 million streets with friends: bricks were used for goals, cars were across beyond translating their instructions. So Ghotbi “I felt at that time in life that I had a golden touch, that kronor ($1 million) to pay creditors and tax authorities in defenders and combination passes were played off houses. was asked to reprise a role he had taken with the U.S., everything was going to be successful,” he said. “When order to continue operating. “And sometimes angry neighbors,” he notes with a laugh. that of using video to reinforce tactical concepts. that ball snuck inside the post... It’s a really unfortunate The club from central Sweden rose from the amateur In 1978, after his parents divorced and his father re- “At that time, nobody was creating animations and sequence. When you experience that, that was one of the ranks in 2011 to the top league in 2015, and won the Swed- married to an American, Ghotbi moved to the U.S. with breaking images down, bringing pictures into a computer lowest moments. It was my dream to take a team to the ish Cup in 2017. That qualified Ostersund for the Europa his family at the age of 13. Settling in the L.A. suburb of and drawing over them,” said Ghotbi. “Hiddink was quite World Cup as a coach. It still is.” League, where it advanced to the knockout stage before Glendale, Ghotbi played soccer to connect to his new clever because he thought, ‹This can help me because I Ghotbi has had five different managerial stints since losing to Arsenal despite winning the second leg 2-1 at home. He was a self-starter, convincing the principal at don’t speak Korean.’” then and regaining that golden touch has been elusive. Emirates Stadium. his middle school to let him start a soccer team provided South Korea went on to a historic run to the semifinals. That is until earlier this month, when Shijiazhuang won Having its license denied is the latest blow to Ostersund he could find a coach. It proved to be the first of many Along the way they faced a U.S. team that included Ghot- nine of its last 12 games, including a 2-0 win over Xinjiang after its former chairman, Daniel Kindberg, the man regarded valuable lessons. “At that moment, soccer was not so big bi’s old protégé, O’Brien, but Ghotbi’s work with video, Tianshan on the final matchday, to win promotion. The as the mastermind behind the club’s rise, was sentenced in America. You not only had to become a player but a as well as the pedigree of having worked with Hiddink, U.S. still holds plenty of allure for Ghotbi and there are this month to three years in prison after being convicted promoter. You had to be a coach and you had to multi-task proved to be a launch point into the coaching profession. five managerial jobs in MLS either vacant or occupied of serious financial crimes. Kindberg is appealing against to play the game you love,” he said. When he was reunited with his old friend Sampson at by interim coaches. the conviction. Ghotbi’s contacts in Southern California -- Sampson the LA Galaxy, Ghotbi was tasked with providing the (Source: ESPN) (Source: NBC Sports) Prayer Times Noon:11:52 Evening: 17:24 Dawn: 4:12 (tomorrow) Sunrise: 6:52 (tomorrow) NOVEMBER 28, 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 IIDCYA CEO warns about rise in [email protected] Switchboard Operator: Tel: (+98 21) 43051000 Advertisements Dept.: Telefax: (+98 21) 43051450 Public Relations Office: Tel: (+98 21) 88805807 Subscription & Distribution Dept.: Tel: (+98 21) 43051603 imported children’s literature www.eshterak.ir Distributor: Padideh Novin Co. Tel: 88911433 CULTURE TEHRAN — The Webmaster: [email protected] deskdirector of the Institute Printed at: Jame Jam Bartar Borna - 44197737 for Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults (IIDCYA) has warned about a Tehrantimes79 Tehrantimesdaily sharp rise in imported children’s literature. Speaking during a conference on children’s No. 18, Bimeh Alley, Nejatollahi St., Tehran, Iran P.o. Box: 14155-4843 literature at the Faculty of Letters and Human Zip Code: 1599814713 Sciences at Shahid Beheshti University in Tehran on Monday, Fazel Nazari said, “The one-way process of importing and translating foreign literature in the country has definitely reached an alarming level.” “Translation plays a key role in cultural exchanges, but it should not be a one- way street. The big movement toward foreign children’s literature will create numerous culture issues for our children GUIDE TO in the future,” he added. SPIRITUAL AWAKENING Nazari referred to a large amount of money that Iranian families spend every day Most of those who lose their wisdom, do so because to provide foreign animations and culture of being dazzled by greed, and shutting their eyes products for their children and said, “The against fact. most tragic part of the story is that the families Imam Ali (AS) pay the price of colonializing our children in the field of culture by purchasing foreign cultural products.” He stressed the need to train a new young Iranian producers receive generation to fervently generate works in children’s literature and noted, “We should Abu-Rayhan Biruni be much more sensitive to our local literature and national poetry.” Awards in Tehran “I don’t mean that the doors should be closed to the translation of foreign books ARTTEHRAN — Three producers were honored into Persian, but I want the families to feel deskfor their lifetime achievements during the more concern about Iranian literature and first edition of the Abu-Rayhan Biruni Awards at Tehran’s culture,” he stated. IIDCYA director Fazel Nazari speaks during a conference on children’s literature at the Faculty of Letters and Human Tashrifat Hall on Tuesday. Based on a report published by the Sciences at Shahid Beheshti University in Tehran on November 25, 2019. (IIDCYA) Harun Yashayai, the producer of many acclaimed movies Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, published in Iran in the Iranian calendar had been translated from other languages The report confirmed that 27 percent of including “Tenants” and “Captain Khorshid”, received the Abu- 25 percent of the total number of the books year 1397 (March 21, 2018-March 20, 2019) into Persian. the translated books are in the children’s field. Rayhan Biruni Award for an eternal producer, which has been established by the Film Producers Guild of Iran. Cologne Cinepänz festival screens “Who’s Mr. Schmitt?” to go on stage at “The Film Producers Guild of Iran launched the awards movies from Iran Tehran theater to introduce and honor the successful producers of Iranian cinema,” Seyyed Zia Hashemi, the director of the awards ceremony, said at the beginning of the ceremony. “Hopefully, the awards and such galas can help unite the producers,” he added. The organizers have named Filmmaker Masud Jafari Jo- the award after Abu-Rayhan zani accepts the Abu-Rayhan Biruni, who was one of the Biruni Award for an effective greatest Iranian scholars of figure at Tehran’s Tashrifat the medieval Islamic era and Hall on November 26, 2019. was well versed in physics, mathematics, astronomy and natural sciences, and also distinguished himself as a historian, chronologist and linguist. The Abu-Rayhan Biruni Award for an effective producer went to Masud Jafari Jozani, the director and producer of popular films and TV series such as “Stone Lion”, “A Man, a Bear” and “Once Upon a Time, Cinema”. This combination photo shows scenes from seven IIDCYA movies screened at Iranian director Sohrab Salimi (2nd L) and the cast members of his new play Seyyed Jamal Sadatian, the producer of movies such as “In the Cologne Children’s Film Festival Cinepänz, Germany. “Who’s Mr. Schmitt?” are seen in an undated photo. the Color of Purple”, “Fireworks Wednesday” and “Just 6.5”, received the Abu-Rayhan Biruni Award for a successful producer. ARTTEHRAN — Seven city from November 16 to 24. ARTTEHRAN — Iranian The Béliers find out the interior of desk desk Nine more cineastes, including Peyman Moaadi, Zeinab movies produced at The festival also showcased director Sohrab Salimi their apartment has changed, the frames Taqvai, Saeid Malekan, Niki Karimi and Habib Esmaeili, also Iran’s Institute for Intellectual Development “Black or White” by Mohammad-Ali plans to stage French playwright hanging on the walls have been replaced received honorable mentions. of Children and Young Adults (IIDCYA) Soleimanzadeh, “Wish I Had a Brother” Sebastien Thiéry’s play “Who’s Mr. by others, books and clothes are not were screened during the Cologne by Nahid Shamsdoost, “Tales That Fit on Schmitt?” (“Qui est Monsieur Schmitt?”) theirs. They start thinking maybe they Children’s Film Festival Cinepänz, the a Line” by Behzad Farahat and “Hairy at the Abbas Javanmard Hall of the are Mr. and Mrs. Schmitt. institute announced on Wednesday. Moo Moo” by Hadi Tabasi and Rasul Iranian Theater Forum in late December. The play achieved great success “Rona, Azim’s Mother” “The Shadow Which Turned into Light” Takhtzarrin. The 2009 comedy play is about Mr. in Paris and was nominated for the directed by Nazanin Sobhansarbandi, “My Earlier in May and June, seven movies and Mrs. Bélier, who are having dinner in best comedy at the Molière Awards wins award at Mannheim- Moon, Our Moon” by Mohammad Nasser produced at the IIDCYA were reviewed at their home when they are interrupted by in 2010. and “Cloudy Goats” by Hamid Karimian the Visions of Iran, a festival of Iranian films a phone call. While they have no phone Iraj Rad, Shohreh Reayati, Meisam Heidelberg film festival were among the films screened at the that is organized every year by Museum service, the caller insists on speaking Razfar and Sina Khodabakhshi are the festival, which took place in the German Ludwig in the German city of Cologne. with a Mr. Schmitt. members of the cast for the play. ARTTEHRAN — “Rona, Azim’s Mother”, deska co-production between Afghanistan and Iran by Tehran-based Afghan brothers Jamshid and Navid Mahmudi, won the Ecumenical Film Prize at the From “Godfather” to “Irishman”, “Knives Out”: a whodunit set in 68th International Film Festival Mannheim-Heidelberg on Sunday. Mafia is gift that keeps on giving contemporary America Starring Iranian actors Mohsen Tanabandeh and NEW YORK (Reuters) — Stories about LOS ANGELES (Reuters) — Agatha Mojtaba Pirzadeh, the film the mob have become offers that Hollywood Christie never imagined anything quite is about Azim, an Afghan cannot seem to refuse. like this. refugee who works as a janitor “The Irishman”, Martin Scorsese’s new Murder mystery “Knives Out”, arriving in Tehran. While helping his movie arriving on Netflix today about the in U.S. and British movie theaters on mother and his brother’s Bufalino crime family and famed union Wednesday, may be inspired by the work family plan to smuggle boss Jimmy Hoffa, marks the latest entry of the prolific British crime writer but themselves into Germany, in a genre that has fascinated audiences its twist on the genre couldn’t be more he feels betrayed by his and filmmakers for decades. modern, or more humorous. brother when he abandons Pop culture watchers say that is hardly Directed by Rian Johnson, the director their mother. surprising given the combination of crime, of “Star Wars: The Last Jed,,” and with The film has received family, violence and the American Dream a star-studded cast, the whodunit sees several awards in Iranian and that Hollywood tales about the Mafia offer. Daniel Craig play a debonair southern international events, including “It’s a genre that really hits that sweet American detective seeking to unmask the Kim Ji-seok Award at the spot between a fascination with crime and a the truth behind the death of a wealthy 22nd Busan International Film set of relatable family dynamics,” said David and eccentric patriarch, played by Festival in October 2018 and Schmid, editor of “Violence in American Christopher Plummer. Producer and cast member Robert Cast member Daniel Craig attends best film award at the Sharm Popular Culture” and an associate professor In the process, the film touches on A scene from “Rona, Azim’s De Niro arrives for the premiere of the premiere of “Knives Out| in Los el-Sheikh Asian Film Festival of English at the University at Buffalo. other aspects of the moral landscape of Mother” by Jamshid and Navid film “The Irishman”, in Los Angeles, Angeles, California, U.S. November in Egypt last March. “The Irishman”, starring Robert De the United States in 2019, including such Mahmudi. California, U.S. October 24, 2019. 14, 2019. (Reuters/Phil McCarten) Last week, “Rona, Azim’s Niro, Al Pacino and Joe Pesci, follows topics as immigration and white privilege. (Reuters/ Mario Anzuoni) Mother” received the Cultural Diversity Award under the Patronage offerings ranging from “Little Caesar” in “We set this movie today in America presence and also be highlighted with all of UNESCO at the 13th Asia Pacific Screen Awards in Brisbane, 1931 to “The Godfather” and “The Sopranos” “It’s about the settling of the urban frontier and the whole idea was this isn’t going to these good values,” said de Armas. Australia. that have reaped rewards both at the box as opposed to the geographical frontier, and be timeless, this isn’t going to be a sepia She “is the moral compass of the story The film was Afghanistan’s submission to the 91st Academy office and at awards. it’s also a great immigration story,” he said. old story. We are going to engage with the and the heart of the story,” the actress added. Awards in the best foreign-language film category in 2018, however, After strong reviews, Scorsese’s return Large Italian-American families, often gathered culture right now,” said Johnson. Running through the murder mystery, it did not make the shortlist. to the kind of Italian-American territory around dinner tables heaving with pasta, give While the movie has serious things to complete with red herrings and a large “Under The Turquoise Sky” by Kentaro from Japan won he explored in “Goodfellas” and “Casino” audiences strong characters to root for, even if say, it’s all done “in a way that you’ll be dysfunctional family, is what actor Don the talent award and the FIPRESCI award at the Mannheim- is expected to be a leading contender at next they are on the wrong side of the law. able to have a laugh at,” he said. Johnson describes as a humorous and Heidelberg festival. year’s Oscars. Mafia films also give a twist to the classic Rarely for a Hollywood movie, the film honest look at “how entitled people behave The special jury award was presented to “End of Sentence”, a “In many ways, the Mafia took over American immigrant story of arriving in puts a Latina caregiver, played by Cuban towards immigrants and people of color.” co-production between Iceland and Ireland by Elfar Adalsteins. from the Western as the great American a new country, having to fend for one’s actress Ana de Armas, front and center. Jamie Lee Curtis plays Linda Drysdale, The International Film Festival Mannheim-Heidelberg was epic,” said Robert Thompson, pop culture self and working hard to achieve goals, “I could never think that a Latina in the eldest daughter of the multi- held jointly in the German cities from November 14 to 24. professor at Syracuse University. Thompson said. this scenario would just have that much generational family.