worth $2billioninViennaonThursday.worth kammer Österreich (WKO), signeddeals chamber of commerce, Wirtschafts- Agriculture (ICCIMA) andtheAustrian of Commerce, Industries,Mines,and remarked. nificant countries,” theSupreme Leader in thefaceof threats from otherinsig- fense power, thenthiswillbearetreat nology andnegotiationswithoutde- with big powers inJuly2015. with bigpowers since itreached alandmarknucleardeal concrete stakesintheIslamic Republic Westerning thefirst firmstoputdown at aneconomicforuminTehran, becom- $89millionwithIranianpartners worth an companiessignedaseriesof deals he added.InSeptember2015,Austri- oftween bankingsectors thetwosides, guaranteedealwillbesignedbe- export with Austriancompanies.Inthisline,an willingnesstoboostcooperation sector’s Jalalpour expressed theIranianprivate prehensive” confrontation againstit. threat whichentailsa“unitedandcom- as a“viciousphenomenon”, isacommon are indicativeof thefactthatterrorism, of bombings indifferent theworld parts said the on thedeadlyacts.Theministry to theBelgiangovernmentandpeople issued astatementoffering condolences tweeter.his Iranian Foreign Ministry also lost theirdearones,” Rouhanistatedin of Belgium,especiallythosewho have pathy withthegovernmentandpeople in Brusselsandexpress mydeepestsym- ties couldhit1billioneuros by2020. Hassan Rouhani.TheWKO saidtrade conference withhisIraniancounterpart relations,” Fischersaidinajointnews to markedlyincreasing oureconomic term,andwethenlookforward short ume of tradeto300millioneuros inthe Tehran. “We expecttoboostourvol- Austrian President Heinz Fischerto tims of theattacks. expressed deepsympathywiththevic- deadly terrorist attacksinBrusselsand Rouhani hasstrongly condemnedthe with victims with victims Belgium, sympathizes actsin terror Rouhani censures spokesman Jaberi Ansarisaid. vicious phenomenon,” Foreign Ministry all-inclusive confrontation againstthis and thenecessity of aunitedand extremism for allpeopleof theworld the commonthreat of terrorism and ofin different theworldshow parts dialogue: Leader missiles and It’s thetimeof alogue.” “It’s thetimeof bothmissilesanddi- ternational level.Butnow,” hesaid, approve of politicaldialogueonin- strength. backed bymilitary day thatanynegotiationsshouldbe tollah AliKhameneisaidonWednes- era of missileshaspassed?” Howcananyonesaythatthe sectors. andmissile strengthening theirmilitary IRNA newsagencyreported. and WKO President ChristophLeitl,the ICCIMA President MohsenJalalpour icine, andengineering,were signedby agreements inautomotive,steel,med-

Iran, Austria NATION “Repetition of terrorist operations “I strongly condemnterrorist attacks Addressing eulogists,hesaid, “I He added,“Enemiescontinue tech- “If theIslamicsystempursues of athree-dayIt waspart visitby On thesidelinesof theceremony, The deals,including8cooperation ECONOMY desk desk POLITICAL desk POLITICAL ink deals worth $2 21012 billion embassy Pakistan arefriendly: Iran’s tieswith Iranian Chamber TEHRAN — an President Hassan TEHRAN — preme LeaderAya- TEHRAN – WWW.TEHRANTIMES.COM Irani- Su- The

Leader.ir the IslamicRevolution,saideconomyis“first 20 Ayatollah AliKhamenei,theSupreme Leaderof a practicethatis currently illegal. of legitimate businesswithIran, port for foreign currency tradesinsup- nancial institutionstoaccessdollars cense thatwouldpermitoffshore fi- is consideringissuingageneral li- sions saidtheTreasury Department officials familiar withinternaldiscus- but such alicensewould reverse a tor toldReuters. in themarkets,Fatih Birol, IEA’s executivedirec- andalsothatthereinvestors waspredictability conditions were profitable tothe international porter, wouldneedtoprove thattheinvestment Energy Agencysaid onWednesday. would taketime,theheadof theInternational Tehran inJanuary, butdevelopingnewfields of thelifting sanctionsagainst oilfields after oil supplyadaywithinyearfrom itsexisting Iran isexpectedtoaddhalfamillionbarrels of Press. Iran, officials toldTheAssociated instances tofacilitatebusinesswith usingthedollarinsome can start eign governmentsandbanksthey administration maysoontellfor- – WASHINGTON cher’s officecher’s said. for AustrianPresident HeinzFis- rity reasons were, aspokeswoman part’s office said. in Vienna,hisAustriancounter- evening hewassupposedtoarrive sons onTuesday (March 29),the tria indefinitelyforsecurityrea- postponed atwo-dayvisittoAus- Iranian President HassanRouhani said onFriday, He IRNAreported. HosseinAmir-AbdollahianAffairs eign MinisterforArabandAfrican people of Palestine, DeputyFor- the oppressed tinue tosupport support for Palestine support saystocontinue Iran Iran can add 500,000 bpd oil supply in a year: IEAchief supply oil 500,000bpd inayear: add Iran can Several restrictions wouldapply, While nodecisionisfinal,U.S. Iran, previously OPEC’s second-largest ex- A plannedRouhanivisitto It wasnotclearwhatthesecu- desk POLITICAL Ayatollah Khameneideclares1395theyearof“ResistanceEconomy:ActionandImplementation” Leader: Economyis‘first desk POLITICAL 12 Pages U.S. inIran business deals to used be may dollars allow

INTERNATIONAL Rouhani calls off reasons visit Rouhani calls security for Austria ry newyearmessageonMarch ry TEHRAN — priority’ innewyear priority’ Price10,000Rials 3 Iran willcon- TEHRAN — The Obama

SOCIETYfighting inSyria Erdogan’s army Assad says In acongratulato- around 7:30p.m.localtime. originally beenexpectedtoarrive noticeasRouhanihad the short spokeswoman said,underlining rations) until5,5:30p.m.,” the reported. an Iranianofficial said,Reuters rity reasons, office Fischer’s and also beenpostponedforsecu- the Austriantriphad,however, Baghdad immediatelybefore from exchanging themoney on intodollars. converted withtherupees being monly starts European goods,theprocess com- they couldmore easilypurchase paid ineuros insteadof rupees, so ans wanttoselloilIndiaand be Forexample:Ifthe Irani- versions. dollar often isusedinmoneycon- world’s dominant currency, the public, Fox Newsreported. andthe to skepticalU.S.lawmakers nucleardeal defending lastyear’s tion hadvowedtomaintainwhile andonetheadministra- eral years ban thathasbeeninplaceforsev- 37thyear Qods, IRNAreported. Palestinian causeincludingtheHoly Muslimsfrom focusingonthe divert by terrorists intheregion shouldnot The variouscrisesengineered world. be atoppriorityof theIslamic Palestinesaid supporting should “We were working(onprepa- American sanctions blockIran Because of itsstatusasthe No.12517 we lookatpriorities,seethattheissueof cooperation betweenChinaandIEA. of event inBeijingtomarkthe20thanniversary term,”the short Birol saidonthesidelinesof an and naturalgasproduction enteringmarketin would beahugeamountof newIraniancrude oil,hesaid. come after ket estimates. existing oilfieldswasinlinewithprevious mar- Economy: ActionandImplementation”. priority” anddeclared 1395theyearof “Resistance In his TV messagetheLeadersaid,“When In hisTV “It wouldtakesometimeintermsof devel- “It wasmisleadingtobelievethatthere And increases in Iranian gassupplieswould Birol’s estimateof Iran’s supplyincrease from Saturday

ART& CULTURE

APRIL 2,2016 APRIL ing tothe officials, whoweren’t au- Iranian banksare involved,accord- currency exchangesaslong asno tobeusedin would allowdollars other officials onWednesday and been duetomeetFischerand Iran’s economytotheworld,had the nucleardealandkeentoopen negotiated inViennalastyear. thatwas deal withmajorpowers underalandmarknuclear January in were lifted against hiscountry Union sinceinternationalsanctions hani’s secondtotheEuropean only momentarily. entering theU.S.financialsystem, if ple, wouldstillinvolvethemoney following that exam- conversion, to makeevenarupees-to-euros American market.Usingdollars cutoff from thefarmore lucrative threatened transgressors witha infinesrecentdollars and years whohaveleviedbillionsoflators of U.S.regu-transactions, fearful banks havesteered clearof such its own.AndAsianandEuropean Rouhani, thechiefarchitect of The visitwasduetobeRou- If approved, thenewguidance program: diplomat program: JCPOA notrelated tomissile gram. related toIran’s missile pro- that theJCPOA isinnoway Baidinejad hasreiterated ty Foreign MinisterHamid desk POLITICAL

Farvardin 14,1395 environmental co-op MoU withIrantoboost Austrian banksigns — TEHRAN I NTER A TION A L D A IL Y Depu- mestic production. should beself-reliant withamajorfocusondo- economy isthemosturgent andessentialone.” of growth prospects inEurope. too givenamplesupplyinthemarketandlack nuclear program. Union imposedsanctionsin2012overTehran’s 800,000 barrels perday, before theEuropean accounted foroverathird of Iran’s or exports, rebound inoilsalestoEuropean clients,which marketconditions.”and havingthenecessary oping newoilfields,findingtransmissionroutes Ayatollah Khameneialsosaideconomy The IEAchiefsaidthatmaytakesometime Iranian oilofficials were hopingforaquick Jumada Al Thani 23,1437 Thani JumadaAl dowment forInternational Peace. and spirit,” hetoldtheCarnegieEn- inbothletter bility touphold ours, end of thedeal,itisourresponsi- sanctions. “SinceIranhaskept its achieve itsgoalof endingWestern for acceptingthenucleardeal to Jack LewlaudedIran Secretary ury postponement.” Iran willnotbeaffectedbythis qualityof relations with said. “The the headof state’s security,” Fischer own decisionsaboutsecurityand ing thateachstatemustmakeits plaining it. at Rouhani’s move,withoutex- pressing regret andunderstanding Thursday. together. tempts torelate thetwo expressed pityoverat- talks withgreat powers, was involvedinnuclear Thursday, Baidinejad,who ness onaU.S.sanctionsblacklist. ed foranIranianindividualorbusi- apply ifthefinalpaymentisintend- Thebanwouldstill American dollars. orendwith wouldn’t beabletostart the transaction,andpayment ity. NoIranianrialscanenterinto matter anddemandedanonym- thorized tospeakpubliclyonthe “Of course, itgoeswithoutsay- “Of course, Fischer issuedastatementex- In aspeechWednesday, Treas- Writing ontelegram (Source: Reuters) See page 2,9 page See Oklahoma set upatUniversityof Khayyam statuefinally ment: It’s plainEnglishnotlegalese. for nukewarheads.ReadtheDocu- hibit Iranfrom missiles not designed noonehelpedus. people for8yrs, rained missilesonusandgassedour ButwhenSaddam in250years. try attacks onourcivilians. or atleastreduced hisindiscriminate war onus,theymayhavediscouraged use force except in defense. statement asIRGCGeneral:wewillnot of provocation tomakethesame twitter: minister’s in 1980. invaded thenascentIslamicRepublic tator SaddamHusseinmaynothave if IranhadmissilesformerIraqidic- Minister MohammadJavad Zarifsaid on histweeterMarch 15Foreign against terrorism against counterweight a capability Iran’s missile Tehran toU.S.: Daesh and otherTakfiri terrorist groups”. countries andlaunch a“real fightagainst its alliesinSyria andYemen andother mament of Israel, halting thecrimesof security needssuchasthenuclear disar- should focusonWestern Asia’s essential destabilize theregion andtheworld, taking suchmeasures whichwillonly gional andglobalinterests.” and (itis)inlinewiththecommon re- nomenon of terrorism andextremism, campaign againsttheviciousphe- pendence andterritorialintegrity, and guard thenationalsovereignty, inde- missile program “ismerely intendedto region,” henoted. element of stabilityandsecurityin the gressive capabilitiesisanimportant public of Iran’s defensiveandnon-ag- ous securitysituationtheIslamicRe- to“falsereasons”.a threat byresorting Iranas the timehasendedtoportray inking of thenucleardealinJuly2005 ing of itsmissiledefensecapability”. defensive plansincludinga“upgrad- againstTehran’sany U.S.interference cember 31,2005,Iranwill“respond” to issuedonDe- the DefenseMinistry order byPresident HassanRouhanito ballistic missileprogram. Washington saysisresponsible forIran’s Hemmat IndustrialGroup (SHIG),which It saidtheywere workingforShahid ting themoff from internationalfinance. and ShahidMovahedIndustries,cut- States sanctionedShahidNuriIndustries Jaberi Ansarisaid. spokeswomanHossein eign Ministry defensive andsecuritycapability,” For- and legalrightsforstrengthening its Republic from exercising itslegitimate and nomovecandeprivetheIslamic Iran’sfor supporting missileprogram. day sanctionedtwoIraniancompanies Treasury whichonThurs- Department cameinresponse totheU.S. istry Resolution 2231. program doesnotcontravene theUN ing todowiththenucleardealand Republic’s missileprogram hasnoth- thattheIslamic saidonThursday try had missiles: not attacked Neither #JCPOA norSCRespro- Iran hasn’tattackedanycoun- If wehadmissilesduringSaddam’s I challengethosewhoaccuseIran Following isthetextof theforeign The U.S.administration,instead of official addedIran’sThe ministry “In thecurrent criticalanddanger- The spokesmanaddedsincethe Jaberi Ansarisaidaccording toan According theUnited toReuters, program isquitedefensive “This The statementbytheForeign Min- desk POLITICAL desk POLITICAL may have capability defense upgrade to ‘permission’ Iran won’tseek Iran ifwe Saddam Zarif nian Foreign Minis- TEHRAN – comments posted TEHRAN — 2 The Ira- In I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y NATION 2 AAPRILPRIL 22,, 20162016 http://www.tehrantimes.com/international

MEDIA MONITOR Iran: We view renewal of Ahmed Shaheed Promoting defensive power is a must: cleric mandate as ‘animosity’ POLITICAL TEHRAN – On Thurs- According to CNSNews.com, Shaheed desk TEHRAN — An interim Friday prayer leader of day, Iran reacted angri- received the backing of mainly European Tehran told worshippers that boosting defense ca- ly to the passage of a resolution which and Latin American countries, in addition pability is a must, Fars reported. renewed the mandate of Ahmed Sha- to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Kazem Sediqi also pointed to the resistance heed, the UN special rapporteur on the Arab Emirates. Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecua-

FARS economy and defined it as one that neither submits human rights situation in Iran, for another dor, Algeria, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Kyr- to sanctions nor subjugation to powers. five years. gyzstan, along with Cuba, Russia, China, The Iranian Foreign Ministry said the Vietnam, Burundi, Kenya, India and South renewal of Shaheed’s mandate is a sign Africa opposed with the renewal of Sha- Four Iranian of “animosity” toward the Islamic Repub- heed’s mandate. policemen dead in lic which has been done with “political Iran got significantly more support purposes”. now than it did at the time the special armed clashes The 47-member Human Rights Coun- rapporteur mandate was first established cil approved the resolution by a 20-15 in 2011, when the measure passed by a TEHRAN — An Iranian police officer was gunned vote, with 11 countries abstaining. 22-7 vote, with 14 abstentions. down by unknown people during an armed clash “Iran considers the renewal of the Jaberi Ansari said the architects of in Iranshahr in the southeastern province of Sis- mandate of the Iran special rapporteur as the resolution with a support of coun- tan-Balouchestan, Mehr reported on Friday. unnecessary and legally unjustified,” For- tries such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and According to the report, the policeman was the eign Ministry spokesman Hossein Jaberi Qatar, which “systematically” violate Ansari said in a statement. the rights of women and immigrants

MEHR head of the Criminal Investigation Department of litically motivated”. and other parts of the world. Iranshahr police. Jaberi Ansari said Iran is against “se- and flout the “basic “political rights” of The Foreign Ministry official said clos- “Soon or late Western countries will During the mentioned armed clash a gang lective approach and instrumental use” their citizens, especially the critics, and ing eyes to the main violators of hu- be held accountable by their nations member was also killed. of human rights for “special political pur- “support terrorism and and extremism”, man rights have largely given rise to the for adoption of such discriminatory Further, three more Iranian police officers were poses” in independent countries and has which have pushed the region and wid- spread of extremism and terrorism and and illogical policies,” Jaberi Ansari killed by a drug smuggler in Kazeroon city in south- openly declared its opposition in this re- er world toward “insecurity and killings”, its effects have been extended to Europe predicted. western Iran on the same day. gard. clearly show that this resolution is “po- Our missile development Iran parliament fully backs missile program: MP POLITICAL TEHRAN – Majlis National Security He also praised the Islamic Revolution non-negotiable: deskand Foreign Policy Committee Chair- Guards Corps’ efforts in developing missile Rezaei man Alaeddin Boroujerdi said on Friday that parliament capabilities. TEHRAN — The secretary of Iran’s Expediency will fully support the Armed Forces’ policies in upgrading Boroujerdi also said that Iran’s “missile policies” will Council said on Thursday that Tehran will continue missile technology. never be changed. to enhance its missile and defense capabilities, not- “We will use all the capacities of the Foreign Policy Iran’s missile programs do not run contrary to inter- ing that both are “non-negotiable”. and National Security Committee and the Majlis to ap- national regulations, he added. “Iran’s missiles serve deterrent purposes and if prove the budget required for plans of developing the The senior MP also condemned the commotion cre- we lose them, we will be attacked,” Mohsen Rezaei Islamic Republic of Iran’s missile capability,” he said in an ated by certain Western countries over the recent missile interview with the IRIB. drills by Iran. TASNIM said, Tasnim reported. The former IRGC chief said the United States is He added, “The Majlis strongly believes that the The world should be aware of the fact that Iran’s mis- seeking “missile disarmament” of Iran. Armed Forces’ policy in the missile area is intertwined sile capabilities are just for defensive purposes, Borou- with the Islamic Republic’s national security.” jerdi said. Azeri, Russian, Iranian FMs to Iran’s ties with Pakistan are friendly: embassy meet in Baku early The Iranian embassy in Islamabad issued garding detention of an Indian Agent and Pakistan. of Iran believes spreading of such news April a statement on Thursday saying the re- and the matter related to it, which could 3- Islamic Republic of Iran during items is the product of thinking which lationship between Iran and Pakistan are have negatives implications on the frater- seven decades since independence of does not like further expansion of ties TEHRAN — Foreign ministers of Azerbaijan, Rus- friendly, IRNA reported. nal and friendly atmosphere of Iran and Pakistan has always proved itself as a between the two countries and is against sia, and Iran will meet in Baku on April 7, a spokes- The statement came after an Indian Pakistan. confident partner and neighbor for that fruitful materialization of the agreements woman for the Russian Foreign Ministry has said. citizen, who claimed he was based in the 2- Naturally, those elements who are country and the western borders of Paki- made during the visit of the President of Mariya Zakharova said the chief diplomats are to Iranian port of Chabahar, was arrested not happy over the promotion of ties be- stan have never been threatened. the Islamic Republic of Iran and believes exchange views on regional cooperation and issues on Thursday for attempting to disrupt tween the two Islamic countries of Iran 4- Islamic Republic of Iran considers its that Muslim and aware people of Pakistan TREND of mutual interest, Trend’s correspondent reported the port facilities in Pakistan’s Balochistan and Pakistan would try in various ways, borders with Pakistan as borders of peace attaches special importance and value on Thursday. province. including by spreading undignified con- and friendship and as President Rouhani to the friendship and brotherly ties with “The parties are expected to discuss the Following is the statement issued by tents and sometimes offensive, to fade said in his press conference “Security of Iran and spreading of undignified and in- promising transportation projects and multilat- Iran’s embassy: out the significant achievements during Iran is security of Pakistan and security of sulting contents would not have impact eral cooperation on the Caspian Sea,” added 1- During past days some section of the visit of President Rouhani to Pakistan Pakistan is security of Iran”. on the positive and cordial views of two Zakharova. Pakistani media has spread contents re- and undermine the flourishing ties of Iran 5- Embassy of the Islamic Republic countries regarding each other. Erdogan sends mes- sage of congratulations Defense chief: Iran won’t seek ‘permission’ to upgrade defense capability to Rouhani and Iranian POLITICAL TEHRAN - Defense Minister Hossein curity Council, said the tests did not violate Resolution 2231. conventional warheads. deskDehghan has said he is “certain” the “You may like it or not that Iran launches ballistic mis- “And Iran will never seek (to build) unconventional nation on Norouz UN Security Council will not take any action over Iran’s siles – but that is a different story. The truth is that in the weapons.” TEHRAN — In a written message the Turkish ballistic missile tests despite calls from Western powers. 2231 resolution there are no such bans,” Interfax cited Diplomats at the United Nations said the Security President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has congratulated Britain, France, Germany and the United States wrote Mikhail Ulyanov, head of the ministry’s department for Council were expected to meet on Friday to consider President Hassan Rouhani and the Iranian nation a joint letter on Monday calling for action over tests they non-proliferation and arms control, as saying. the alleged breach of Resolution 2231. on Norouz, the Persian new year. claimed violated last year’s landmark nuclear deal be- “I am certain that the Security Council and the Unit- Dehqan said missile drills are conduced based on “On my part and on behalf of the Turkish people tween Iran and major powers, and the Security Council ed Nations will not respond as our actions are neither a pre-planned programs to test the “level readiness and I sincerely congratulate Norouz to Your Excellency resolution that enshrines it. breach of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (the capabilities”. and the friendly and neighboring nation of Iran,” They said the two kinds of missiles fired by Iran on July nuclear deal) nor are they against Resolution 2231,” He added missile tests at different times are intended

PRESIDENT Erdogan said in part of his message, the president. March 8 and 9, the Shahab-3 and Qiam-1, were a breach General Dehghan said, AFP reported. to “produce weapons in response to possible threats”. ir reported on Monday. of the resolution because they were “inherently capable He reiterated Tehran’s position that Iran never The minister also said Iran will not seek the “permis- The ancient Persian new year began on March 20. of delivering nuclear warheads”, something Iran denies. had any ambition to develop a nuclear weapon sion or confirmation” of any country to upgrade its de- Norouz is celebrated in some parts of Turkey Russia, a veto-wielding permanent member of the Se- and said its missiles were designed to carry only fense capability. and Iraq. It is also celebrated in the Republic of Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and some other Central Asian republics. Leader: Economy is ‘first priority’ in new year Addressing Rouhani as “dear brother”, Erdogan said, “I wholeheartedly wish that Norouz bring the 1 elections. As for the JCPOA experience, it should work day and night and try hard sue of domestic production, the issue message of calm, prosperity, peace and stability not The people should see the signs of contained hopes and concerns that con- in a ceaseless manner. of employment and eliminating unem- only to our countries and region but for the entire economic growth “on the ground”, the tinue until today. The main point is that the people of ployment, the issue of economic dyna- world.”Erdogan also said he wishes success for the Leader noted. All these were among the events of Iran should do something to liberate mism and the issue of combating reces- “friendly and neighboring” country of Iran. Following is the text of the Leader’s the year and all years are like this. All themselves from vulnerabilities in the sion. These are the issues that people message posted on the khamenei.ir web- years and days of one’s life include op- face of the enemies’ threats and enmities. are faced with. These are the things that Rouhani site: portunities and threats. Our skill lies in We should do something to avoid being people feel and demand. The statistics The year that has just begun – the benefiting from opportunities and turn- vulnerable in the face of the enemies’ and statements of the officials them- congratulates year 1395 – is blessed with the auspi- ing threats into opportunities. threats. We should reduce our vulnera- selves show that these demands and Supreme Leader cious name of Hazrat Zahra (s.a.) both The year 1395 is ahead of us. In this bility to zero. requests of the people are legitimate in its beginning and in its end. Both the year as always, there are both opportu- I believe that the issue of the econ- and sensible. on Norouz beginning and the end of this year are nities and threats. Everyone should make omy is the first priority. When we take a If we want to resolve the problem TEHRAN — In a telephone conversation Presi- marked by the birthday anniversary of efforts so that we can benefit from the look at priorities, we see that the issue of recession, domestic production dent Hassan Rouhani has congratulated Supreme that great personality – correspond- opportunities of this year in the real sense of the economy is the most urgent and and unemployment and if we want to Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Norouz, the ing with the lunar months. Therefore, I of the word and so that at the end of the essential one. If the people, the admin- manage the issue of inflation, the cure Persian new year, the president.ir reported on hope that God willing, the year 1395 will year, the country will witness a tangible istration and different officials can – by for all these things lie in the frame- Monday. be an auspicious year for the people of difference compared to the beginning of Allah’s favor – adopt correct, timely and work of economic resistance and the The Persian new year started on March 20. Iran by the blessedness of Hazrat Zahra the year. proper measures, then we can hope that economy of resistance. The economy In the phone call the president said 1395 will be (s.a.) and that we will learn lessons and There are certain hopes for the year this will influence other issues – such as of resistance includes all these prob- the “year of hope and collective effort” for building benefit from the spirituality, instructions 1395. When one looks at the prospects social maladies and moral and cultural lems. With the economy of resistance, PRESIDENT a prosperous Iran. and life of that great personality. and the circumstances, one witnesses issues – as well. we can fight against unemployment, The president said his administration will use all Just like all other years, the year that certain hopes. Of course, we should work On the issue of the economy, what we can fight against recession, we his efforts for implementing the country’s “macro came to an end – the year 1394 – was hard in order to fulfill these hopes. We is important and fundamental is the is- can manage inflation, we can stand plans” in conformity with the constitution and the a mixture of the sweet and the bitter, of up against the enemy’s threats and Leader’s guidelines. peaks and troughs. This is the nature of The Leader said: “If we can boost energy we can create and benefit from many For his part, Ayatollah Khamenei congratulated life. The previous year involved events efficiency, about 100 billion dollars will opportunities for the country. The the president and the “great Iranian family” on the ranging from the bitterness of the Mina be saved. This is not a small figure. Take it condition is that effort is made on the new year and wished success for the government incident to the sweetness of the 22nd path of the economy of resistance. in serving the country. of Bahman rallies and the 7th of Esfand seriously.” 9 I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y

http://www.tehrantimes.com/international AAPRILPRIL 22,, 22016016 INTERNATIONAL 3

Assad says Erdogan’s army fighting in Syria NEWS The army of Turkish President Recep there is such a will, this is not a problem Prime Minister Abadi presents Tayyip Erdogan is currently fighting in for me. It is natural to respond to the will Syria, but the country is ready to re- of the people and not to that of certain new Iraqi cabinet lineup spond to the aggression, Syrian Pres- opposition forces,” he said. ident Bashar Assad said in an exclusive “The president cannot work without Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi of Iraq has presented a list interview with Sputnik. the people’s support,” the Syrian leader with the names of candidates for ministries as he works up a Turkey, as well as Saudi Arabia, have added. new cabinet lineup. “crossed all possible red lines, possibly If the election takes place, every Syr- “He presented a list with the names of candidates for min- from the first weeks of the Syrian war,” ian citizen, including those who left be- istries and their CVs who were chosen by a special commit- Assad said. cause of war, should be able to take part tee of experts on the basis of professionalism, competence, “Today, the war against Erdogan and in the voting, he said. integrity and leadership,” said a statement on the website of against Saudi Arabia is a war against “This issue concerns every Syrian cit- the Iraqi premier on Thursday. terrorists. The Turkish army, which is not izen because every citizen votes for the Abadi named Nizar Salem al-Numan as a candidate for even Turkish, is Erdogan’s army that is president,” Assad stressed. oil minister as part of the cabinet reshuffle aimed at combat- fighting today in Syria,” he added. Assad also recalled his surprise visit ing corruption, state television said. Everything that Ankara and Riyadh to Moscow last autumn, which came less The premier also named prominent politician Ali “have done from the very beginning can than two weeks after Russia began its Allawi for the post of finance minister and tagged be considered aggression. Aggression in bombing campaign against the terrorists Sharif Ali bin al-Hussein for foreign minister, the re- a political sense or in a military sense – in Syria on September 30, 2015. port added. providing terrorists with arms – or direct Daesh), at the same time carrying out Erdogan’s direct defeat,” Assad said. “That visit was made under special Iraqis have been protesting against corruption over the aggression with the use of artillery, and artillery attacks against the Syrian army However, Assad stressed that there circumstances,” he said, adding that no past months calling for reforms. The administration of Abadi other military violations,” he stressed. - when it moves close - in order to help was no dispute between the peoples of documents were signed during his meet- has failed to deliver on its reform promises. Erdogan is directly supporting the ter- the terrorists.” Syria and Turkey. ing with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The number of ministers that would be affected by the rorists as “he allows them to move into According to the President, counter- The relations between the two coun- The talks in the Russian capital main- reshuffle is not clear yet. Turkish territory, to carry out maneuvers measures to Turkey’s aggressive actions tries will be “good” if Erdogan stops inter- ly revolved around two issues: “Firstly, The Iraqi parliament must vote on any change of the cab- with tanks,” the Syrian president said. must first of all take place within Syrian fering in Syrian affairs, he explained. the military operation, which had be- inet lineup. “This concerns not only individuals, he territory. During the interview, Assad also ex- gun at the time, and as a consequence, The parliament, however, postponed its session for finances them [terrorists] through Saudi Successful strikes against terrorists in pressed readiness to call an early pres- the need to strike a blow at terrorism. that matter until April 2. It had been expected to re- Arabia and Qatar, and through Turkey it- the country will lead to the failure of poli- idential election in Syria if the people Secondly, we focused on how we could convene later on Thursday. Lawmakers appear divided self, of course,” he said. cies pursued by Turkey’s president, Recep desire one. use the military operation to support on the reshuffle, as a number of parliamentarians have According to Assad, his Turkish coun- Tayyip Erdogan, he added. “This depends on the Syrian people’s the political process,” the Syrian presi- called for changes to all ministries and others only urge terpart “trades oil that has been stolen by “They are terrorists and when we at- stance, on whether there is a popular dent told Sputnik. a partial change. ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant/ tack these terrorists in Syria, this leads to will to hold early presidential elections. If (Source: RT) On March 29, senior Iraqi cleric Muqtada al-Sadr met with Abadi ahead of a deadline set for the premier to enact po- litical reforms. French minister shocks with Dozens of Saudi-led troops The parliament voted on March 28 to give Abadi a three- day deadline by which to present his new government or Muslim veil-slavery comment killed in north Yemen face a vote of no-confidence. Sadr began a promised sit-in inside Baghdad’s Green Zone on March 27, vowing to continue the protest action until the government fulfills its pledges for reforms. He joined his followers at the gates of the area, which is home to many government offices as well as the parliament and foreign embassies. Meanwhile, Iraq’s former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who is currently the secretary general of the Islamic Dawa Party, has reportedly expressed his conditional support for the reshuffle if the changes do not affect less than nine min- istries. Otherwise, he has stated, the party will not take part in the parliament vote for the reshuffle. (Source: Press TV) France’s minister for women’s rights tinent’s most restrictive laws about ex- Yemen’s Ansarullah (Houthi) movement the Red Sea coast, including the key has compared Muslim women who pressions of faith in public. The veil was fighters and their allied army units have ports of Hodeida and Mokha. wear the veil to American “Negroes” banned in 2011. launched a deadly attack on Sau- A fresh round of peace talks is re- who accepted slavery, in an interview Elsewhere in the interview, the min- di-backed troops north of the country, portedly planned to begin in Kuwait on with French media. ister reportedly criticized those who killing dozens of invading forces. April 18. Unarmed man killed Laurence Rossignol made the com- made fashion items such as the so- Military sources said on Thursday Saudi airstrikes on Thursday by Arizona cop cried, ments to RMC radio and BFM TV, ignit- called burqini (burkini), a modest swim- that the Saudi-backed mercenaries claimed the lives of at least 13 peo- ing accusations of racism on Wednes- suit covering the head, arms and legs, were caught in a surprise attack as they ple in Yemen as Saudi warplanes hit a begged for life day across social media as a petition as “irresponsible”. were advancing down the Red Sea car in the district of Maqbanah in the was launched calling on the minister to Today, according to the 2015-2016 Coast near the town of Midi, close to southern Tai’zz province. An unarmed man who was shot and killed by an Arizona resign. State of the Global Islamic Economy the border with Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia launched deadly attacks police officer in January cried, complied with police orders In just a few hours, the petition Report, Muslim consumers spend According to local sources, 45 Sau- on Yemen over a year ago in an attempt and begged for his life before the fatal firing, according to a gathered more than 10,000 signatures. an estimated $230bn on clothing, di-backed soldiers were killed in the to bring back to power Yemen’s fugitive newly released police report. Rossignol was a guest on a program a number that is projected to grow violence. former president. Nearly 9,400 Yemenis, Mesa Police Officer Philip Brailsford has been charged to discuss the Islamic fashion indus- to $327bn by 2019 - larger than the Yemen’s Ansarullah fighters and including 4,000 women and children, with second-degree murder for the death of Daniel Shav- try. She later said the use of the word current combined clothing markets of forces loyal to Saudi-backed fugitive have since lost their lives. er, a 26-year-old Texas man. Authorities have declined to Negro had been made in error, but Britain ($107bn), Germany ($99bn), and former president Abd Rabbuh Man- A report by the UN children’s fund release Brailsford’s body cam footage from the deadly en- stopped short of retracting the remark. India ($96bn). sour Hadi are engaged in heavy fight- says the war has killed at least 934 chil- counter. Many on social media pointed out Earlier this year, the Italian fashion ing in the area. The clashes began after dren and injured nearly 1,400 more so But a report released on Tuesday includes extensive de- that Rossignol previously founded an house Dolce & Gabbana unveiled a forces loyal to Hadi tried to advance far. This means six children, on average, scription of the footage, detailing Shaver’s desperate final anti-racist coalition, SOS Racism. new abaya and hijab collection aimed from cities of Harath and Midi to open have been directly affected by the war moments before Brailsford fired five shots at him with an AR- France has the largest Muslim mi- at Muslim women. up a new front in the north against An- every day. 15 rifle. nority in Europe and some of the con- (Source: agencies) sarullah and allies, who control most of (Source: Press TV) Police confronted Shaver on January 8 after responding to reports of a man pointing a rifle out the fifth-floor window of a La Quinta hotel. Brussels airport ‘technically ready’ to Loud explosion rocks The night of his death, Shaver had invited a man and woman at the hotel to his room for drinks, according to the reopen, but no flight before Friday Turkey’s Diyarbakir report. After some shots of rum, the man asked Shaver about Brussels airport said it was “technically temporary infrastructure foreseen for A loud blast went off near a bus sta- ganization based in Turkey and Ira- a case that appeared to hold a musical instrument. Shaver ready” to reopen following last week’s check-in,” it added. tion in Turkey’s Kurdish-dominated city qi Kurdistan. Since 1984 the PKK has opened it to reveal a pellet gun and dead sparrow inside. deadly suicide bombings, but that “However, the authorities have yet of Diyarbakir in the southeast of the waged an armed struggle against the Shaver told them he was on a business trip with Wal-Mart there would be no flights before Friday to take a formal decision on the restart country, witnesses have told Al Jazeera. Turkish state for cultural and political and “his job is to kill all of the birds that get inside the build- evening at the earliest. date. Until Friday evening no passen- A security source told Reuters news rights and self-determination for the ings,” according to the report. The departure hall at Zaventem ger flights will take place at Brussels agency that at least 14 people were Kurds in Turkey who comprise between Shaver then briefly pointed the pellet gun out the window. airport was badly damaged when two Airport.” wounded on Thursday when a car bomb 18% and 25% of the population and When police found Shaver, they warned him that he “may attackers set off their bombs on March The temporary arrangements set attack hit a passing police vehicle. have been subjected to repression for not survive” if he did anything that could be considered a 22 and the airport this week started up outside the departure hall would be Those injured included both police decades. The group was founded in threat, the report says. tests for a temporary check-in system. able to handle 800 departing passen- and civilians, the source said. 1978 in the village of Fis (near Lice) by Brailsford’s body cam shows Shaver appeared to making “Brussels Airport Company has re- gers per hour, around 20 percent of the Witnesses told Al Jazeera that sever- a group of Kurdish students led by Ab- small jerking motions while he had his hands behind his back, ceived the go ahead from the fire ser- airport’s normal capacity, it said. al ambulances rushed to the site of the dullah Öcalan. The PKK’s ideology was according to the report. vices and the Belgian Civil Aviation Au- Arriving passengers will go through explosion. Turkey’s southeast has been originally a fusion of revolutionary so- An officer yelled at him, “If you do that again, we are thority for a partial restart of passenger the usual baggage reclaim and arriv- rocked by waves of violence since a cialism and Kurdish nationalism, seek- shooting you. Do you understand?” flights at the airport,” the airport said in als area in the terminal as it was “only ceasefire between the Kurdistan Workers ing the foundation of an independent, “No, please don’t shoot me,” Shaver said. a statement on Thursday. slightly damaged and has since been Party (PKK/Partiya Karkerên Kurdistanê) Marxist–Leninist state in the region, The footage shows Shaver complying with all other or- “The airport is thus technically ready restored for use”, the airport added. and the government collapsed last July. which was to be known as Kurdistan. (Source: AFP) ders, including a demand to crawl toward the officers, as he for a restart of passenger flights in the The PKK, is a militant left-wing or- is “audibly heard sobbing.” At one point, Shaver’s hand appeared to move toward his waist. An officer was heard yelling “Don’t” before Brailsford Nigeria locals reveal another mass abduction by Boko Haram fired. Local residents say Boko Haram militants kidnapped those abducted, said. tiations with the militants to secure the release of the Shaver was not armed. His hand motion appeared to be hundreds of children from a remote town in northeast He added that locals, who managed to flee the Boko abductees have not yielded any results as officials ap- him “attempting to pull his shorts up as they were falling off,” Nigeria back in late 2014 but local officials did not report Haram attack, notified their political representatives in parently were talking to the wrong people in the frag- the report says. the abductions. the Nigerian Senate and House of Representatives but mented group. Previous reports have indicated Shaver may have been They said some 300 children were among the 500 “they kept mute and ignored us.” Boko Haram says its goal is to overthrow the Nigeri- drunk at the time of the shooting — despite telling officers girls, boys and women taken from the town of Damasak “The government didn’t want the news out,” the ad- an government. It has claimed responsibility for a num- he was not — and possibly did not understand police orders. on November 24, 2014. ministrator said, explaining that the decision to publicize ber of deadly shooting attacks and bombings in various Shaver’s autopsy report has not been released. Residents and local authorities didn’t report the ab- the case came after Human Rights Watch brought it to parts of the country since the beginning of its militancy Brailsford was charged with second-degree murder and ductions, fearing the government’s anger as it was al- light on Tuesday. in 2009. fired from the department. The new report reveals Brailsford ready grappling with another kidnapping case. On April 14, 2014, Boko Haram militants kidnapped The Takfiri terrorist group, whose name means had etched on his rifle: “You’re F---ed.” “We kept quiet on the kidnap out of fear of drawing a total of 276 girls from their secondary school in the “Western education is forbidden,” has spread its at- Shaver’s widow and the mother of his two girls, Laney the wrath of the government, which was already grap- northeastern town of Chibok in the troubled Borno tacks from its traditional stronghold of northeastern Sweet, posted a YouTube video this week saying prosecutors pling with the embarrassment of the kidnap of the Chi- State. Several dozen girls escaped afterwards, but the Nigeria to the neighboring countries of Chad, Niger are considering a plea deal for the ex-cop. The Maricopa bok schoolgirls. Every parent was afraid to speak out,” an fate of around 200 others is still unknown. and Cameroon. County Attorney has not commented on the case. (Source: New York Daily News) administrator, whose seven-year-old child was among The Nigerian government’s attempts to hold nego- (Source: Press TV) I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y 4 ECONOMY AAPRILPRIL 22,, 22016016 http://www.tehrantimes.com/economy

NEWS Iran’s annual non-oil trade tops $83b Annual inflation rate stands ECONOMY TEHRAN – According to Iran’s Cus- desktoms Administration, the value of the at 11.9% in Iran country’s non-oil trade hit over $83 billion in the past Iranian calendar year which ended on March 19, 2016. ECONOMY TEHRAN- The Central Bank of Iran (CBI) In the past year, the Tasnim news agency reported, Iran desk has announced that the inflation rate in the exported $42.415 billion worth of goods while its imports past Iranian calendar year of 1394, which ended on March reached $41.499 billion, showing a 16.11 percent decrease 19, 2016, compared to its previous year stood at 11.9 percent, in the value of exports and a 22.53 percent decline in the according to the Mehr news agency. value of imports when compared to its previous year. On February 20, Iranian The last year’s figures indicate that the volume of Finance and Economic Affairs exports also hit 93.520 million tons of goods while the Minister Ali Tayyebnia said imports amounted to 35.70 million tons, pointing to that the country’s budget 7.18 percent drop in exports and 18.47 percent de- plan for the Iranian calendar crease in imports, year-on-year. year of 1395(which began on Hydrocarbon-related products, liquid propane and bitu- March 20) has envisaged an men were the main exported goods while China, Iraq, The inflation rate of 11.3 percent. United Arab Emirates (UAE), Afghanistan and India were the Curbing inflation was one leading importers of Iranian goods, respectively. of the major promises by Ira- On the other hand, corn, wheat, soy bean, rice and oil- nian President Hassan Rou- cake of soybean were the major imported products during hani during his presidential the last year when China, UAE, South Korea, Turkey and campaign. Under the previ- Switzerland stood among the top exporters of goods to ous administration, inflation Iran. skyrocketed to cross 44%. Iran had set a target of $77.5 billion in non-oil ex- The CBI aims to lower in- ports for the past year, according to Mojtaba Khos- minister. flation to single digits by 2017. ports hit $49.744 billion while non-oil imports reached rotaj, the Iranian deputy industry, mining, and trade In its preceding year, the country’s total non-oil ex- In October 2015, Iran unveiled a new economic stimulus plan $52.477 billion. to promote the economic growth and curb the inflation rate in the country. The stimulus plan will remain in effect for a time span of six months after coming into effect. Value of Iran’s OTC rises 36% in a year ECONOMY TEHRAN – The value agency reported. deal on Iran’s nuclear program. deskof Iran’s Over-the- During the last year, over 83.667 bil- The Iranian stock market is rather Russian bank to establish Counter market (OTC) rose 36 percent lion bonds, valued at 4.534 quadrillion well diversified compared to other during the past Iranian calendar year, rials (about $129 billion), were traded in markets in the region with more than branch in Iran’s Qeshm Island which ended on March 19, compared to Iran’s OTC whose value reached 9.664 30 sectors being present on the equity its previous year. quadrillion rials (about $276 billion) in this market. ECONOMY TEHRAN- Russia’s Tempbank will establish In the past year, also the volume of period. Some $1 billion in foreign money - equal deska branch in Iran’s southern island of Qeshm trade in Iran’s OTC soared 59 percent The Tehran Stock Exchange’s main index, to 5 percent of all money in frontier markets in the near future, said Mikhail Gagloev, the bank’s chairman while the number of tradable indices in- TEDPIX, has soared since Jan. 16, when the - may be directed to Iran’s stock market in of the board. creased to 311 from 280, the Mehr news sanctions were lifted after an international 2016, according to analysts. In a meeting with Hamidreza Mo’meni, the managing direc- tor of Qeshm Free Zone Organization, in Moscow on Wednes- day, Gagloev said his bank will set up the branch in Qeshm in order to facilitate economic and trade ties between Iran and South Pars annual gas output up 15%, hits 130bcm Russia, the IRNA news agency reported. ECONOMY TEHRAN – Gas production from Iran’s billion cubic meters per day in less than two and a half years. Iran is a country with an old civilization; the Russian direc- deskSouth Pars gas field rose by 15 percent With its 34 trillion cubic meters of natural gas, Iran has tor noted, adding that there is a very noticeable economic and year on year, in the past Iranian calendar year which the biggest gas reserves in the world. trade relation between Iran and Russia. ended on March 19, 2016, said Ali Akbar Sha’banpour, The country intends to enhance gas production by in- Mo’meni, for his part, welcomed establishment of Tempbank’s the managing director of Pars Oil and Gas Company. creasing foreign and domestic investment, especially in its branch in Qeshm and referred to Russia as a friend of Iran during According to Sha’banpour, gas output from the South South Pars gas field. the period of West-led sanctions against the Islamic Republic; Pars gas field topped 130 billion cubic meters in the past South Pars field, which Iran shares with Qatar in the saying, “Iran’s strategy for relation with other countries in the year, indicating an upward trend throughout the whole year, Persian Gulf, is estimated to contain a significant amount post-sanctions time is to prioritize countries that stood beside us the IRNA news agency reported. of natural gas, accounting for about eight percent of the during the sanctions era.” Referring to the new priorities set by Iran’s Oil Ministry world’s reserves. Being established in 1989 under the license of Russian Central for the South Pars gas field, Sha’banpour said, phases 17 The huge offshore field covers an area of 9,700 Bank, Tempbank is a universal commercial bank with a wide and 18 of the field are expected to be inaugurated by the square kilometers, 3,700 square kilometers of which range of financial services for individual and corporate clients. end of the current year (March 20, 2017) while phases 19, 20 are in Iran’s territorial waters in the Persian Gulf. The and 21 are projected to come on stream by the time. remaining 6,000 square kilometers are situated in Qa- Iran aims to nearly double gas production to reach one tar’s territorial waters. Iran paves way for corporates with lease-based Islamic bonds S. Korea, Iran to discuss economic cooperation South Korea and Iran will hold working-level talks in arisen after the lifting of international sanctions on Teh- Geun-hye this year. Iran’s Ministry of Finance has issued 5 trillion rials ($145 mil- Tehran next week to discuss their economic ties, a ran. The meeting will be led by Kwon Hee-seog, director- lion at the free market exchange rate) of lease-based Islamic government official said Wednesday. The fourth round Next week’s talks will also cover a wide range of bilat- general of the Foreign Ministry’s African and Middle Eastern bonds, expanding the range of the government’s funding of director-general level talks between the two countries eral and global issues, such as cooperation on develop- Affairs Bureau, and his Iranian counterpart, Mahmoud Far- tools and providing a much-needed pricing benchmark for will take place next Wednesday as South Korea pushes ment and planning for high-level visits. Talks have been azandeh. corporate issuers. to capitalize on new business opportunities that have under way to arrange a visit to Iran by President Park (Source: Korea Times) The deal is the first time that Iran’s government has issued sukuk using an ijara format, selling them through the country’s over-the-counter securities market, known as Fara Bourse. The four-year sukuk were listed on March 16 and pay a nomi- nal rate of 18 percent, according to Fara Bourse data. The pro- Asia’s Feb. imports of Iran oil hit 2-year high ceeds will be used to settle debts owed by the government to TOKYO (Reuters)- Ayandesaz Pension Fund and Mahan Air, according to Novin Asian imports of Iranian oil jumped Iran’s oil flows to Europe have also begun to pick up after a market share and help boost an economy that stagnated Investment Bank, which arranged the transaction. nearly a quarter from a year earlier to a two-year high slow start. An Iranian official said last week that exports had under the restrictions related to its nuclear program. The government would usually issue sukuk based on its own in February, as shipments into India and South Korea risen by 900,000 barrels per day (bpd) to 2.2 million bpd in The sanctions kept Iran’s exports at around 1 million bpd assets, but in this case the transaction was based on the credi- roughly doubled weeks after international sanctions the past two months. - down from an average 2.5 million bpd in 2011 - and have tors’ assets, Fatemeh Khanahmadi, computational finance and were lifted on Tehran’s disputed nuclear program. Imports by Iran’s top four buyers - China, India, Japan been credited with forcing risk manager at Novin Investment Bank, told Reuters. International oil and shipping companies have been ea- and South Korea - came to 1.28 million bpd in February, India’s imports last month grew 111.1 percent to 215,800 “The creditors accepted it as the government is still guaran- ger to renew business with Iran since sanctions related to up 24.6 percent from a year ago, government and tanker- bpd, the most since December. South Korea’s imports hit a tor to pay the principal and the interest to investors.” its nuclear program were lifted in January. Tehran’s exports tracking data shows. That was the highest volume taken two-year high of 282,000 bpd. Imports by China and Japan In the wake of the lifting of economic sanctions against Iran may also get further support as progress has been made by Tehran’s four biggest oil clients since they bought 1.37 were mostly steady from a year earlier. in January, authorities are rolling out a series of initiatives to de- on reinsurance issues that had been hampering its oil trade. million bpd in February 2014. The following tables show Asia’s Iran crude imports in velop the country’s capital markets and reduce local firms’ reli- Aside from the greater volumes taken by Asian buyers, Iran has been seeking to ramp up exports to regain bpd for last month and the year to date. ance on loans from the banking sector. The government has announced plans to issue 60 trillion ri- als worth of Islamic Treasury bills this year, after a maiden sale Bank Muscat Iran’s first India offers oil in September. containership arrives storage access to Iran The municipality of Tehran issued the country’s first sukuk granted approval in 1994 based on an investment partnership format known as for Iran office at Antwerp musharaka, which has remained the main structure in use. Six years ago, the capital market regulator introduced ijara and murabaha structures - the latter is a cost-plus-profit format. (Source: Reuters) The board of Oman’s central bank has granted ap- The first container ship from Iran’s IRISL’s fleet af- Indian Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan is likely proval for the country’s largest lender by market ter six years arrived to the port of Antwerp, Bel- to discuss Iran’s access to oil storage facilities in value Bank Muscat to open a representative office gium as 2nd European port on her own path to South India during his visit to Tehran next month, in Iran. Europe. a report says. As a result, Bank Muscat could become one of The MV.Azargoon one of container ship owned Pradhan is planned to visit Iran on April 6 for the Oman-Iran gas pipeline the first foreign financial firms to establish a presence by IRISL fleet in late March with the loading and first trip by an Indian minister since Western sanctions study complete in Iran since nuclear-related sanctions were lifted unloading of goods at the port of Hamburg, had were lifted on the Islamic Republic. against the country in January. left this port and arrived and berthed in port of A senior Indian Oil Ministry official, quoted by The draft project report of the proposed Iran-Oman gas The bank did not disclose when the office would Antwerp, Belgium. Kolkata-based daily The Telegraph, indicated interest pipeline has been completed by the Iranian Offshore En- open. IRISL container ship was welcomed by Presi- in the arrangement. gineering and Construction Company (IOEC), according to The approval follows a number of proposed deals dent of port of Antwerp and Chris Adams, head “West Asia has been a major source of crude for sources. between the two countries including an agreement of DPW terminal of the port and the other port the country and India had friendly ties with Iran even The 400-km pipeline is expected to pump 28 million cu m of between Oman’s sovereign wealth fund and Iran’s officials. when sanctions were imposed by the Western na- gas for 15 years from Iran to Oman, reported Oman Observer, Khodro Industrial Group to study a proposal for a A plaque of port of Antwerp was presented tions,” the unnamed official said. citing the 2013 agreement. $200m automotive plant in Oman. to commander of vessel by Harbormaster of this The underground oil storage facilities in South In- The pipeline will extend 200 km over land, while a seabed At a February meeting between Iran’s President port. dia at Visakhapatnam, Mangalore and Padur in Kar- section between Iran and Sohar Port in Oman will stretch for Hassan Rouhani and Oman’s foreign minister the two MV.Azargoon was also welcomed in the port of nataka have evinced interest from West Asian coun- another 200 km, according to the report. discussed cooperation in the development of ports, Homburg by port authority in late March as her first tries, including the UAE, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, the The project is expected to be operational by the end of 2017. NEWS IN BRIEF civil aviation, rail and banking. port of call in European ports. paper said. (Source: Trade Arabia) I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y http://www.tehrantimes.com AAPRILPRIL 22,, 20162016 HISTORY & HERITAGE 5

Sizdah-bedar: A happy ending for A CLOSER LOOK Weird and wonderful things Noruz celebration that happened in April Nature Day is the official name of Sizdah- through history bedar, which appears on Iranian calendar on the thirteenth day of the Iranian New Year (begins on March 21). Iranians have a tradition of spend- ing the day outdoors on the 13th day of month Farvardin. “Sizdah” means thir- teen, and “bedar”, means to get rid of, in other words “getting rid of thirteen”. From the ancient times, Iranian peoples have enjoyed this day, although it is also the day that marks the end of the Noruz celebrations. The first 12 days of the year are very important, because they symbolize order in the world and in the lives of people. The 13th day marks the beginning of the return to ordinary daily life. It is customary on this day, for fami- lies to pack for a picnic and go to a park or the countryside. It is believed that joy and laughter clean the mind from all evil 1904 – What a scoop! thoughts, and a picnic is usually a festive, In 1904, the world’s eyes were on St. Louis, as the Missouri happy event. city hosted the Olympics, the centennial celebrations of Asking for rain on the Louisiana Purchase (a year late), and the World’s Fair. Sizdah-bedar is also believed to be And at the latter, beginning on 30 April, a fourth landmark a special day to ask for rain. In ancient event took place, which arguably tops them all (possibly Iran, every day had its own name, and with sprinkles). belonged to a different “yazat” (Zoroas- On a warm day, an ice-cream vendor who had run out trian deity). of dishes was saved by the man on the neighbouring stall.

The 13th day of month of Farvardin Mehr / Aboutaleb Nadri Commonly named as Syrian immigrant Ernest Hamwi, the denoted to the deity of rain, Tir, which is quick-thinker rolled some of his zalabia, a waffle-like pastry, depicted as a horse. Sizdah-bedar is also Iranian families go on picnic at Golestan National Park in Gorgan on Sizdeh-bedar, which marks April 1, 2016 to use as an edible ice-cream cone. The resulting mix was a day for competitive games, involving Ancient Iranian rituals quite often enacted Ye a r. ried girls in the hope of finding a com- such a delicious hit, soon all ice creams at the fair were served horses were often chosen as a victory of their mythologies; waters were respected Sizdeh-bedar and myths about panion. The knotting of the grass rep- that way. a horse represented, the deity of rain. and many rites existed with respect to sabzeh! resents love and the bondage of a man 1881 – Five by four In Zoroastrian cosmology there was a waters. It is very likely that several of The sabzeh, green sprouted seeds, and a woman. For a mere five seconds on 14 April 1881, a street in El Paso, mythical river out of which all rivers flow. these were combined to preserve some as one of the items of the Haft Seen ta- Games such as takhteh-nard (back- Texas, became the scene of a terrifying shoot-out, which – Clouds also took up rain from the same aspect of the ancient celebrations vener- ble is supposed to have collected all the gammon) and chess are popular. Also, despite its brevity – claimed four lives. During the ‘Four Dead mythical river. ating waters. sickness, pain and ill fate hiding on the taking a ball along for playing soccer, vol- in Five Seconds’ gunfight, three were shot down by one man, Every year Tishtrya goes to the river Up until the 19th Century, there was path of the family throughout the coming leyball or dodge ball is a good idea. the trigger-happy town marshal. in shape of a white stallion to fight the horseracing occurring on this day, which year! Touching someone else’s sabzeh on Spending a great day with people you Albert Hofmann’s ‘Bicycle Day’ has inspired much LSD- Demon of Dearth, appearing in shape of very likely represented the fight between this thirteenth day or bringing it home is, care about the most outdoors, leaving fuelled art. (Used with permission from YttriumOx) a black stallion. After his victory, Trishtrya the two stallions. therefore, is considered bad omen, and bad luck behind and then coming back 1943 – Hof on a trip rushes into the sea and water flows and A ritual performed at the end of the may inviting other peoples’ pain and home mentally and emotionally refreshed Having accidentally sampled a tiny amount of his un- is dispersed. picnic day is to throw away the “sabzeh” hardship to oneself. and content is just the perfect thing to do known synthesised drug LSD just a few days earlier, what did Some of the water is mixed with seeds (green sprouts) of Haft Seen, a traditional Another tradition on the 13 is the after all the Noruz activities. Swiss scientist Albert Hofmann think was a good idea? That’s of plants which sprout as the rain falls. table setting of Noruz, the Iranian New knotting of blades of grass by unmar- (Source: Circle of Ancient Iranian Studies) right, to take more. On April 19 1943, he ingested 0.25 milligrams, but had to ask his assistant to escort him home when he Terror attacks take toll on tourism in Turkey started to feel strange. As it was wartime, car use was A wave of terror attacks in Turkey is taking a toll on the restricted, so the pair had to go by bike – it turned out country’s vital tourism sector, with visits dropping 10 per- to be quite a ride. cent in February over the previous year. After Hofmann was reassured that he wasn’t about to Last month, 1.24 million foreigners visited Turkey. In die (and that his neighbor wasn’t a “malevolent witch”), February 2015, 1.38 million did, according to numbers he began to enjoy the “kaleidoscopic, fantastic images” released Tuesday by the Turkish Tourism Ministry, the As- of the first-ever LSD trip, later coined ‘Bicycle Day’. The sociated Press reported. In January, foreign arrivals were mind-altering drug would go on to define the experi- down 20 percent. ences of many in the 1960s, even if few can remember them. Tourism in Turkey contributed 2.13 million jobs and 1983 – The hawkie-talkie $95.8 billion to the country’s nearly $800 billion economy in 2014, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council. As we now live in an age of mobile phones, it may be dif- In 2014, leisure tourism spending in Turkey amounted to ficult to understand why BT got so excited by its latest devel- $54.7 billion. opment in 1983 – the cordless phone. Named the BT Hawk, Those numbers are taking a hit, as the death toll in it was sold as the phone that made its user as “free as a bird” attacks in Turkey continues to rise. when the first 200 sets were sent out for its test launch on 14 In January, two attacks in Istanbul killed 12 German April. tourists. In March, three Israelis and an Iranian were killed “With a Hawk in the hand,” the promotions read, in a suicide bombing. Overall, Turkey has seen six sui- A woman lays flowers on a makeshift memorial at the location of the blast of a suicide attack on Istiklal Street on “the frustration of rushing to a distant phone only to cide-bomber attacks in the last eight months, including March 20, 2016 (Yasin Akgul/AFP) find it stops ringing as you arrive becomes a thing of the past.” on a bustling street in Istanbul as well as in the capital tourists for Turkey, have also declined, most se- Minister Sergey Lavrov said the day the jet was shot 1878 – Edison feeds the world a fool Ankara. verely after a spat between the countries over a down. Already, Russian tourists to Turkey were down by There was a seemingly world-changing announcement in “There could be large economic costs from these at- downed plane in November. The Turkish military 800,000 in 2015 compared to the year before, due to an the U.S. newspaper the Daily Graphic on 1 April 1878. tacks, particularly in terms of long-investment and the shot down a Russian jet along the Syrian-Turkish ailing economy in Russia. A year after creating the revolutionary phonograph, tourism sector,” William Jackson, a senior emerging mar- border, and Russian officials were quick to threaten Revenue from tourism could fall below $17 billion in genius inventor Thomas Edison claimed he had built a kets economist at Capital Economics in London, told consequences. 2016 from $21 billion, or 3 percent of GDP, in 2015, Inan machine that could make “biscuit, meat, vegetables and Agence France-Presse. “We do not recommend that our citizens travel to Demir, an analyst for Finansbank in Turkey, told AFP. wine” out of nothing more than air, water and “common Visitors from Russia, another crucial source of Turkey for tourism or any other reason,” Russian Foreign (Source: AFP) earth”. His food machine could end world hunger, which PICTURE OF THE DAY Mehr/Mansoureh Ghelichi is why papers around the world re-printed the story Zaha Hadid, alongside praise for Edison. A quick look at the date of the original, however, reveals this story was too good groundbreaking to be true. Thomas Edison, photographed in the 1910s, claimed he architect, dies at 65 could end world hunger in 1878 – or did he? (Mondadori Dame Zaha Hadid, the Iraqi-born Brit- Portfolio/Getty Images) ish architect whose soaring structures 1336 – Vanquishing Ventoux left a mark on skylines and imaginations There was a time when climbing a mountain just for fun around the world and in the process re- would sound absurd, as any steep incline was nothing more shaped architecture for the modern age, than a nuisance to a journey. To the 14th-century Italian poet died in Miami on Thursday. She was 65. Petrarch, however, conquering Mont Ventoux in Provence Hadid contracted bronchitis earlier was a way to be closer to God. this week and suffered a sudden heart He wasn’t the first to climb it, and scholars dispute attack while being treated in the hospi- whether he did it at all, but Petrarch’s lengthy missive tal, her office, Zaha Hadid Architects in about his hike of the 1,912-metre mountain on 26 April London, said. 1336 has been seen ever since as embodying the spirit She was not just a rock star and a de- of the Renaissance. Presumably, that meant being hot, signer of spectacles. She also liberated sweaty and having sore feet. architectural geometry, giving it a whole 1578 – Minion melee madness new expressive identity. Geometry be- During the French Wars of Religion (1562-98), the court came, in her hands, a vehicle for unprec- of Henry III was divided. The mignons (above), meaning edented and eye-popping new spaces ‘the dainty ones’ or ‘darlings’, were the King’s favourites but also for emotional ambiguity. Her but they had made enemies of the supporters of Henry, buildings elevated uncertainty to an art, Duke of Guise. conveyed in the odd ways one entered On 27 April 1578, three members from each expressed and moved through those buildings and their animosity through an utterly pointless, tragic duel. in the questions her structures raised Two were cut down in the fighting, one succumbed the about how they were supported. next day, another spent six weeks in hospital and the Her work, with its formal fluidity — fourth fatality – who sustained 19 wounds – died after 33 also implying mobility, speed, freedom days of agony. — spoke to a worldview widely shared Needless to say, the ‘Duel of the Mignons’ did nothing to by a younger generation. close the gap between the two Henrys. A group of Baluch men in traditional dress perform music for tourists during Noruz holiday 2016 in Sistan and Baluchestan Province, Iran (Source: New York Times) (Source: History Extra) I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y

6 INTERNATIONAL AAPRILPRIL 22,, 22016016 http://www.tehrantimes.com/international 1,000 British troops won’t bring stability to Libya There are many good reasons for Brit- ate a designated “Green Zone” in the Sitting target intervening in Libya. The challenge is ain and her allies to bring some form center of the capital, Tripoli, similar to The proposal has already drawn how best to go about it. of political stability to war-torn Libya. one the U.S. established in Baghdad fire from Crispin Blunt, the Tory MP For a start, any form of Western But sending 1,000 British troops as sac- during the Iraq campaign. This pro- and ex-Army officer who chairs the help can only be undertaken if there rificial lambs to the lawless shores of tected area will allow government de- Foreign Affairs select committee. Blunt is a clear request from the internation- the northern Mediterranean is not the partments to embark on the massive warns that any such deployment on ally-recognized Libyan government to way to go about it. task of establishing its authority and these terms will be a “disaster”, as Brit- do so. The notion of dispatching a British rebuilding the country after the chaos ish forces would be a “sitting target” And if such an intervention is to force as part of a European peace- of the past five years. for Islamic State (ISIL) militants based take place, then it must be done with keeping mission has been knocking Unlike Iraq, though, Downing in Libya, as well as the myriad other the right force strength. around Whitehall since last summer. Street, with its well-documented aver- militias opposed to the national unity The combined force of 6,000 or so It stems from the deepening realiza- sion to committing “boots on the government. “It will be Lebanon in European troops that is currently be- tion among Western leaders that, un- ground” in any circumstance, insists 1983 all over again.” ing discussed would be woefully inad- less urgent action is taken to arrest British forces will not be involved in Within months of the arrival of the equate for a country that is five times Libya’s alarming descent into anarchy, front-line combat, but fulfilling purely U.S.-led multinational peacekeeping the size of France. the country will pose an ever greater a training role. force, 356 American and French sol- If we are really serious about threat to Europe’s own security. Try telling that to the thousands diers had been killed and hundreds bringing peace to Libya, a far larg- Thus a plan is now under active of Islamist jihadists who will flock to more injured before the Reagan ad- Not that some form of Western in- that is, it can ever persuade the war- er force will be needed, one where consideration – Whitehall officials Libya – assuming, that is, they are not ministration admitted defeat and or- tervention isn’t necessary if the coun- ring factions to allow it to return from regional allies such as Egypt, which insist no final decision has yet been already there – to wage violent jihad dered their withdrawal. try is to stand any chance of getting exile in Tunisia. also has a vested interest in eradicat- taken – to commit 1,000 or so British against the infidel peacekeepers. It The 100-strong British contingent, back on its feet. Defeating the gangs, stemming il- ing ISIL and criminality from its near troops to Libya as part of a larger Eu- will be like Helmand all over again, which spent an uncomfortable six With Libya now awash with mi- legal migration, and preventing more neighbor, can make a significant ropean peacekeeping force in support with British troops desperately fighting months kicking their heels at a disused litias and people-smuggling gangs, attacks like the one last summer at the contribution. Only then would we of the country’s new national unity for their lives, as happened when the cigarette factory in Beirut’s southern the newly-formed national unity gov- Tunisian resort of Sousse, in which 30 have a fighting chance of making the government. Army first deployed to Afghanistan in suburbs, thankfully escaped without ernment has absolutely no chance of British holidaymakers died, are just a mission a success. The idea is that they will help to cre- the summer of 2006. suffering serious injury. establishing its authority – assuming, few of the compelling arguments for (Source: The Telegraph)

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Germany’s refugee crisis has left it as FEATURE Tough choices in Myanmar bitterly divided as Donald Trump’s America as a new era begins The new government has to weigh its interests very carefully internationally as By Konstatin Richter countries across the world woo Myanmar. ast autumn, when Angela Merkel opened Germa- Lny’s borders to refugees, my wife and I decided we The recent election of Htin Kyaw as the first democratically would be happy to have some of them stay with us in elected president of Myanmar in more than 50 years marks our Berlin apartment. Mostly they would come and stay a big step forward for the country's fledgling democratic for just one night, arriving late and leaving at dawn to movement. register with the city authorities. Htin Kyaw is a longtime friend and confidant of the One night the voluntary organization that placed pro-democracy icon, Aung San Suu Kyi. refugees with German families called us after midnight In the last general elec- and said it had a Moldovan who needed a rest. So we tions held on November Googled Moldova. We were OK with Syrians coming last year, Aung San Suu for a sleepover. But what about Moroccans, Eritreans, Kyi's National League for or the citizens of former Soviet republics? Well OK, we Democracy (NLD) won a thought, why not? thumping majority, bagging Six months have passed since then. The EU has 135 out of 224 seats in the struck a complicated deal with Turkey that is meant to Angela Upper House and 255 out reduce the influx. It may or may not work. But whatever Merkel has of 440 seats in the Low- a selfie happens in the coming months, Germany’s er House, clearly showing taken with that ordinary citizens of Willkommenskultur – the belief that we should wel- a refugee come refugees with open arms – has arguably come to the country are tired of the during a long-ruling military junta. an end. What’s more, the nation that took in more than visit to a a million people seems irredeemably changed by the reception Much water has flowed experience – and not for the better. center in down the Irrawaddy since Bitterly divided Berlin last the military junta had nul- HTIN KYAW Germany is bitterly divided on the refugee question. September. lified the results of the 1990 general elections when the NLD had picked up 392 out of Neighbors and families are divided. The poisonous mists who were initially in favor of Merkel’s policy have alienated conservative voters – and aided the rise of the 492 seats at stake. atmosphere has been fueled by rightwing hatemon- changed their minds. They say that, even in the medi- the rightwing party Alternative für Deutschland (AfD). What is very encouraging is that until now the military gers. But the adherents of the Willkommenskultur, in um term, the costs will outweigh the benefits. And the The mood started to shift in late 2015; and when has not tried to derail the process of transfer of power to my view, are also to blame. Where did it all go wrong? experiences of companies that hired refugees as train- hundreds of women were assaulted on New Year’s Eve the civilian government, even though doubts had been ex- Looking back, the events of September 2015 seem ees have been disheartening. Most people they took in Cologne, it turned ugly. By then, my wife and I had pressed by various quarters about the same. strangely unreal. Hundreds of Germans gathered at on lack even the basics of a high-school education. left Germany for a long trip abroad. Friends told us At the same time, there is no denying that a big tussle Munich’s central station to applaud incoming refugees. Still worse, we’ve lost trust in our institutions. When we’d find the country much changed on our return. lies ahead between the new civilian administration and the A smiling Merkel posed for selfies with Syrians at Merkel said, “We’ll manage”, she appealed to Germans’ And so we did. Germany, a nation with a political cul- military, which has strong and deep entrenched interests. asylum-seeker homes, and ordinary Germans opened pride in their own efficiency. We think we’re pretty good ture based on compromise, suddenly felt as divided as While Suu Kyi is the best-known face of the pro-democ- their doors for “welcome dinners”. I remember feeling at getting things done; we know how to manufacture Donald Trump’s America. People with different views racy movement in Myanmar, she is barred by Myanmar's both excited and a little nervous. Something extraor- luxury cars and other complex engineering products. didn’t listen to one another anymore, they just hated military-drafted constitution from taking up the post of dinary was happening and we were there to witness it But when it came to handling the refugee crisis, our one another’s guts. president, as she is married to a non-Myanmar citizen. first-hand. government institutions – such as Berlin’s much-criti- The rightwing populists bear much of the blame. In the weeks before the election of Htin Kyaw as the new Helping people who’d escaped from a brutal civ- cized Lageso authority – turned out to be anything but The AfD ruthlessly took advantage of the Cologne president, Suu Kyi and the NLD had tried their best to get il war seemed an unquestionably sound thing to do well-oiled machines. assaults. It also incited hatred towards the left-liberal the military to either remove or suspend this clause, but to – and Germans embraced their role as moral leaders Applications for asylum are being dealt with at a elites it holds responsible for the Willkommenskultur. no avail. of the western world. Collective narcissism may have snail’s pace, and hundreds of thousands of refugees are Its derogatory term for political opponents is Gutmen- However, Suu Kyi has been nominated to the cabinet played a role too. Other nations have long respected languishing in temporary shelters. Last month the head schen, which translates as “good people” but means and is tipped to lead four key ministries - that of the pres- and envied Germany for its economic success. But we of the migration office admitted that up to 400,000 the opposite. ident's office, the foreign ministry and the energy ministry, have not exactly been considered warm-hearted or people had not applied for asylum. Which means we Open-border policy besides education. lovable. Now, all of a sudden, millions dreamt of com- have no idea who they are or where they are from. It Unfortunately, the Gutmenschen have been just By making it clear that she would be "above the pres- ing here – and we felt flattered. The refugees made us wasn’t supposed to happen like that. as intolerant, denouncing anyone who opposes an ident", Aung San Suu Kyi has made her intentions quite feel good about ourselves. Then there’s Merkel. Her decision to open the bor- open-border policy as racist and worse. Nazi slurs used clear. We also thought we’d benefit economically from our ders in order to avert a humanitarian crisis in Hungary to be weapons of last resort in Germany’s political rhet- Meanwhile, the armed forces (Tatmadaw) in Myanmar popularity, much like the U.S. did in preceding centu- was a courageous one. Quite possibly, it was also the oric. But it’s become common to compare the AfD’s still remain a formidable force and retain 25 percent of the ries. Call it Germany’s American dream. A massive in- best option on the table. But in the aftermath Merkel conservative base to the millions of Germans who sup- seats in the new parliament. In addition, the military-draft- flux of young workers was just what the ageing nation made some mistakes that seem oddly out of character. ported Hitler in 1933. ed constitution allows it to nominate representatives to needed, we argued. Besides, Merkel wasn’t a crazy She didn’t coordinate her plans with European The nature of political debate has changed, writer Pe- head the sensitive ministries of border, home and defense. idealist. When she made her move in September, we partners, leaving Germany isolated in its pursuit of a ter Schneider said recently. “When I argue that refugees So, why is the Tatmadaw hanging on? Firstly, with differ- thought she knew what she was doing. She was known common EU solution. She never asked parliament to are welcome but not an unlimited number of them, my ent ethnic insurgencies still running in Myanmar, the mil- to be a cautious, risk-averse politician. So there had to vote on her policy. And she didn’t even try to convince opponent will respond by saying that I sound like the itary sees itself as the guarantor of the country's security be a plan – and an alternative if the plan didn’t work. all those Germans who were skeptical. “If we have to AfD and that I’m xenophobic and probably a racist.” and unity. Were we naive? Perhaps. Most of the refugees who apologize for showing a friendly face in an emergency, What now? The EU’s borders are pretty much closed, Moreover, many sections of the Tatmadaw are worried stayed at our home were men in their 20s. They didn’t this is not my country anymore,” Merkel said somewhat at least for the time being. We don’t have people call- that in case they relinquish their claim on power, they may talk much. Some never even said “thank you”. One haughtily. She also suggested that Germany’s borders ing any more asking us to host refugees. And if we be making themselves liable for prosecution. seemed to feel genuinely sorry for us because we have couldn’t be secured by any means, which needlessly did get another call, I’m not sure I’d happily say, “OK The military has huge economic interests and invest- three daughters and no sons. Another asked, apropos then, why not?” That doesn’t mean we’ve turned into ments (in areas such as real estate) in the country, and of nothing, whether my wife was “a Jewish girl”. We tried Applications for asylum barbarians. would not like to see them being questioned once the ci- not to read too much into these experiences, limited as Getting the refugee thing right will be Germany’s are being dealt with at a vilian administration takes over later this week. they were. But they did suggest that the relationship biggest challenge in coming years, and we want to And lastly, by nominating Myint Swe, a former general between Germans and refugees would not be as easy snail’s pace, and hundreds make a contribution. But the spirit of the Willkommen- who has been blacklisted by the United States as one of and straightforward as the enthusiasts had suggested. of thousands of refugees are skultur – taking in people randomly, exuberantly, with- the two new vice presidents, the military is signaling that it Broader assumptions out getting to know them and establishing a meaning- languishing in temporary is in no hurry to relinquish its prime position in Myanmar's Some of the broader assumptions we as a nation ful relationship – doesn’t feel right any more. shelters. (Source: The Guardian) political milieu. made also seem wildly optimistic now. Many econo- Challenges ahead The new civilian administration faces a host of challeng- es. To begin with, ordinary citizens of Myanmar have high Donald Trump is succeeding because mainstream politics is failing hopes from the new government, and it would have to parently lies with journalists obsessed a former CIA operative who revealed work very hard to stand up to the people's faith. By Rob Crilly with showbiz over substance, reluctant details of the U.S. nuclear program. Myanmar's economy had remained closed for years and even though the economy has seen infusion of fresh ome superstars just need a single to dig deep into Trump's flawed busi- For Obama to then blame the un- foreign capital, growth remains sluggish at best. Besides, name: Madonna, Adele, Oprah. ness dealings or unpick his foreign pol- critical media for creating Trump seems S the country has seen unequal levels of development in its The Donald's control of American icy. disingenuous and downright partisan. various parts. politics is fast approaching the stage Instead they are only too willing to Moreover, in so doing he be- Additionally there is the issue of the Rohingya refugees where he needs not even a single name. take his mobile phone calls each morn- trays perhaps the real reason why a in Myanmar, which has brought international attention - So when Barack Obama rounded on ing, putting him straight on air safe in blunt-speaking property mogul with no and flak - on the country. the media during an awards ceremo- the knowledge that his utterance repre- history in Washington is shaking things The Rohingyas are an ethnic Muslim minority in Myan- ny on Monday night, demanding that sents easy ratings if not exactly Socratic up. mar, which is an overwhelmingly Buddhist country, while they subject presidential candidates to wisdom. Donald Trump and Barack Obama go the government insists that they are actually Bengali im- greater scrutiny, there was no doubting Moreover, America's news is heavily up in flames as Easter effigies burned in migrants. exactly which candidate he meant. Balkanized. Republicans watch fellow Mexico Donald Trump and Barack Oba- However, it is Suu Kyi's studied silence on the Rohingya A “job well done is about more than Republicans on Fox News; Democrats The big extended set-piece inter- ma go up in flames as Easter effigies issue that has befuddled all observers. During the last gen- just handing someone a microphone. watch follow Democrats on MSNBC. views go to liberal outlets. burned in Mexico Play! eral elections, all major political parties, including the NLD, It's to probe and to question and to dig Each reinforcing the other. When my New York Review of Books Traditional politics has let down mil- sought to skirt the Rohingya issue. deeper and to demand more," he said. This is Obama's criticism. He should plopped through the letterbox in No- lions of people, who have seen their Recently, some news has come to light wherein Suu The “electorate would be better know. He has plotted the course that vember with an in-depth interview with jobs disappear and their American served if that happened. It would be Donald Trump is following. Only on the Obama, the cover carried an extraor- dream fade, while the billionaires who Kyi is reported to have remarked that "no one told me I better served if billions of dollars in free opposite side of politics. dinary photograph of his inquisitor, the brought the global banking system to was going to be interviewed by a Muslim" following some media came with serious accountabili- In recent months, the president has novelist Marilynne Robinson, gazing collapse are still in business. intense grilling by a BBC News presenter from a Muslim ty, especially when politicians issue un- provided a master class in obtaining lovingly into the president's eyes. Trump may not have all the answers. background. workable plans or make promises they free air time and column inches while As a teaser for what appeared inside Many of his policies are deeply unpal- Finally, the new government will have to walk a tight- cannot keep.” avoiding careful scrutiny. it was bang on the money. atable. rope when it comes to its foreign policy. The military junta By some estimates Trump has earned He has appeared on Comedians in That Obama is extraordinarily gift- But blaming the media for his rise is had gradually distanced itself from Beijing and moved clos- himself $2 billion in free exposure by Cars Getting Coffee hosted by the co- ed at this sort of sofa politics shouldn't myopic and patronizing. It ignores the er to the West and countries such as India. saying and doing whatever it takes to median Jerry Seinfeld. disguise the fact that his administration America that lies beyond Washington The new government will have to weigh its interests very keep his campaign across television Sample question (in the White House has also pursued ruthlessly journalists and New York that sees Trump as its carefully on the external front as countries across the world screens. tearoom): “Is it like Night at the Muse- who have done exactly the sort of dig- savior, dismissing it as home to unthink- woo Myanmar, which is still a largely untapped market. And now fingers are being pointed um when you go to sleep here?” ging he is demanding. ing sheep rather than ordinary voters Hence, it is no wonder that the new president-elect has at the media as America tries to under- There was a Valentine's appearance His government used the courts in with very real concerns about jobs and an unenviable task at hand. On the one hand, he would stand how Trump has confounded all on Ellen. 2013 to obtain two months’ of Associat- security. have to do the bidding of Suu Kyi, while on the other, the expectations. Sample question: “I cannot thank ed Press telephone records as it hunt- And in so doing Obama reinforc- Tatmadaw will keep a close eye on him. Policy initiative you enough for what you have done ed down the source of a leak about an es their view that politics is run by a Besides, he will have to juggle his priorities on both do- No gaffe has been big enough to for the gay community”. al-Qaeda plot. self-interested elite out of touch with mestic and external fronts. Hence, for Htin Kyaw, it could derail the Donald. No policy initiative OK, not exactly a question, but you A New York Times reporter was the rest of the country. well be a classic case of being caught between the devil (Source: Aljazeera) has been too wacky. And the fault ap- get the tone. threatened with jail for refusing to name (Source: The Telegraph) and the deep blue sea. I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y

8 MED & SCI AAPRILPRIL 22,, 22016016 http://www.tehrantimes.com

NEWS IN BRIEF NASA names asteroid after scientist Study suggests way to double number of fish in oceans by 2050 of Iranian origin The U.S. National Aeronautics and Space tween Mars and Jupiter, added Naderi. Years of overfishing have led to decline in fish populations Administration (NASA) has decided to In main belt around the globe, but a new study suggested that world’s fish- name an asteroid formerly known as (5515) Saying that the asteroid is not an Earth- eries can be restored. However, effective practices on a global 1989 EL1 after Firouz Michael Naderi, an crosser, he added that its orbit is a little more scale are needed for that. Iranian-American scientist and the Director eccentric than most asteroids in the main belt. Those practices can help in recovering most of the world's for Solar System Exploration at NASA's Jet In a separate post, Naderi explained fish populations in just one Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), the scientist that the procedure of naming celestial ob- decade. By 2050, world may said in a Facebook post. jects follows an international protocol over- have double the number of The scientist also included a diagram of seen by International Astronomical Union edible fish in the oceans if solar system to his Facebook post, which (IAU), which has the mission to promote effective methods are used indicates the asteroid named after him. The and safeguard the science of astronomy today. image resembles the diagrams drawn dur- through international cooperation. The practices will not only ing the Renaissance period. "When IAU receives a petition to name an benefit fish species around the “Asteroid formerly known as (5515) asteroid after a person the petition is reviewed world, but could also allow 1989 EL1 will henceforth be known as as- by the IAU's Committee for Small Body Nam- fishermen to earn more profit. teroid ‘Naderi’,” he added. ing (CSBN) and if they see merit they will ap- They can have more than 15 “It will be going around the Sun for bil- prove," he said. "Note neither NASA, nor any million more metric tons of lions of years after I am gone,” the scientist other space agency of any other country has fish than they have today, as also said. the power to rename space objects (planets, per the study published in the According to Naderi, the asteroid is moons, comets, asteroid, etc.)." Proceedings of the National about 10 kilometers in diameter and orbits Saying that the asteroid is not an Earth-crosser, "In my case the petition was put forward Academy of Sciences. With in- the Sun every 4.4 years. scientist Naderi added that its orbit is a little more by NASA/JPL and approved through the creased fish populations, fishermen could generate $53 billion It rotates around itself every 5.2 hours above process," added Naderi. more in profits by 2050, it added. and orbits in the Main Asteroid Belt be- eccentric than most asteroids in the main belt. (Source: Trend News Agency) The study researchers have demanded for using a ‘catch share’ model of fisheries management. In this, regulators find out number of fish that can be caught without affecting fish pop- ulation. After that, they can distribute the shares to fishermen. It means a fisherman will have a set amount of fish that he can haul Lasers could hide Earth from deadly aliens, 2 astronomers say a year, as per the researchers. Finding life on another planet is like the Holy Grail of which had some thinking the space anomaly was an alien (Source: PerfScience) space exploration. But if you've kept tabs on recent Hol- megastructure, inspired Kipping to propose a way to hide lywood movies, there's also a belief that aliens may want Earth from advanced alien civilizations. to kill us all. "About 10 years ago, it was proposed that aliens might To prevent the potential annihilation of the human race, choose to signal their presence to us not through radio Simple night-time trick two astronomers from Columbia University are proposing waves, but by building megastructures, which would transit that Earth use lasers to hide itself from potential alien foes. their star and create very weird and artificial-looking tran- could stop breast cancer Professor David Kipping and graduate student Alex sits," he told CNN. When a planet transits in front of its star, returning Teachey published a paper in the journal Monthly Notices it produces a predictable shape in the decrease of star light. of the Royal Astronomical Society on Thursday on how our An artificial transit is anything that deviates from that and Earth can cloak itself from other intelligent life that may cannot be explained. Eating an early dinner or a late breakfast could be the key to pre- want to exploit our planet for its natural resources. But building a megastructure to hide our planet seemed venting breast cancer returning after scientists found that fasting for Here on Earth, scientists are looking for Earth-like beyond human capability. So Kipping and his colleague at least 13 hours at night reduces the chance of a relapse. planets by searching for light dips that suggest a planet Teachey proposed another idea: Why not use lasers? Women who had recovered from early-stage breast cancer is orbiting around a star. In fact, NASA's Kepler mission Alien civilizations Lasers similar to those used on the Very Large Telescope were followed for seven years to find out what lifestyle changes looks for these events, also known as transits, to find Realistically, if our scientists are searching for alien civili- in Chile could help cloak our planet, two astronomers say. prevented the disease returning. planets. So far, the spacecraft has discovered more than Lasers similar to those used on the Very Large Telescope Those who allowed at least 13 hours between meals at night zations by looking for light dips, there's a chance aliens are 1,000 planets, with a dozen of those in habitable zones using similar methods to find us, Kipping said. in Chile could help cloak our planet, two astronomers say. were 36 percent less likely to see their cancer return and 21 per- of the stars they orbit. (Source: CNN) cent less likely to die within the follow-up period. Also, recent news of the dimming light of Tabby's Star, "If future trials confirm that habitual prolonged nightly fasting improves metabolic health, this would be an important discov- Disease that has decimated bats found in Spread of Zika virus slowing in parts ery in prevention that could reduce the risk of cancers, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease." Washington for first time of Latin America Researchers at the University of California San Diego said it was a ‘simple, and feasible strategy to stop breast cancer re- turning’ which showed that the timing of meals could be just as important as the food eaten for overall health. Previous studies have shown that fasting for several days at a time can reboot the immune system and protect against inflam- mation which is known to cause cancer. “Prolonging the overnight fasting interval may be a simple, non-pharmacological strategy for reducing a person's risk of breast cancer recurrence and even other cancers," said lead au- thor Catherine Marinac, of UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center. "Previous research has focused on what to eat for cancer pre- vention, but when we eat may also matter because it appears to affect metabolic health." The little brown bat confirmed to have ington State and in the western half of (Source: The Telegraph) In several Latin American nations hit hard by the virus, which scientists believe is linked white-nose syndrome, which has killed more North America. the Zika epidemic, the transmission of the vi- to fetal malformations and the potentially than six million bats in North America. This Fungal disease rus appears to have peaked, with the num- deadly neurological disorder known as bat was found on a trail March 11, 2016, White-nose syndrome, a fungal dis- ber of infections declining in recent weeks, Guillain-Barre syndrome, may not pro- near North Bend. It marked the first time the ease that has killed more than six million according to governments in the region and duce as many infections as initially feared. Study focuses on repeated disease was found in Washington State and bats in North America, has been found in the latest World Health Organization data. On Friday, U.S. health experts will con- hits, not concussions in the western half of North America. Washington State — the first time it has The slowdown has prompted some vene in Atlanta for a summit convened by The damaged wing of a little brown jumped to the western half of the U.S. countries, including Colombia, to signifi- the White House to help state and local bat sickened by a fungus that causes “This is somewhat of a game changer,” cantly scale back their projections of the governments formulate Zika response plans Some scientists studying the relationship between contact sports white-nose syndrome, which has killed said Jeremy Coleman, national white- impact of the virus. ahead of summer, the most active season for and memory or mood problems later in life argue that cumu- more than six million bats in North Amer- nose syndrome coordinator, on Thursday, Epidemiologists tracking Zika warn that the Aedes aegypti mosquito. The insect, the lative exposure to hits that cause a snap of the head — not ica. This bat was found weakened on a March 31. “It was found with kind of an the downward trend appears to be limited primary vector of the virus, is found in south- an athlete’s number of concussions — is the most important trail March 11, 2016, near North Bend advanced stage of the disease. That does to certain countries and should not be in- ern U.S. states along the Gulf Coast. risk factor. That possibility is particularly worrisome in football, in and died later. suggest that the fungus has probably terpreted as a sign the epidemic has started Officials say 312 Zika cases have been which frequent “subconcussive” blows are unavoidable. A map shows the prevalence of white- been present” for a year or more. to ebb everywhere in the Americas. It still confirmed in the United States so far, but On Thursday, researchers based at Boston University reported nose syndrome, which has killed more Coleman, with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife appears to be expanding in Brazil, the epi- those infections were acquired by travel- the most rigorous evidence to than six million bats in North America. Service, was among the state and federal center of the virus, they caution. ers who visited a Zika-afflicted area, or date that overall exposure to For the first time, it was found in Wash- officials who announced that the disease “We think it has passed the peak of contracted by their partners through contact in former high school ington state and the western half of had been found in a little brown bat ear- transmission in some countries, like Co- sexual contact. Another 352 cases have and college football players North America when a sick little brown lier in March in Washington State. lombia, but the outbreak is continuing, and been registered in U.S. territories, pri- could predict their likelihood bat was found on a trail near North Bend “Bats are important to us. They eat a it’s possible there will be a second wave of marily in Puerto Rico. of experiencing problems like on March 11, 2016. lot of insect pests that harm us directly, infection,” Sylvain Aldighieri, head of epide- According to the most recent fig- depression, apathy or memo- The little brown bat confirmed to have our forests and our crops,” said Cath- miological response at the Pan American ures from the Pan American Health Or- ry loss years later. white-nose syndrome, which has killed erine Hibbard, who also is with U.S. Fish Health Organization, said in an interview. ganization, nearly 200,000 people have The finding, appearing in more than six million bats in North Amer- & Wildlife Service, the agency that over- “And Zika has not reached its peak yet in been infected with Zika so far across the The Journal of Neurotrauma, ica. This bat was found on a trail March sees the national response to white-nose Central America and the Caribbean.” Americas. Of those, just 4,600 cases were is not conclusive, the authors 11, 2016, near North Bend. It marked the syndrome. Fetal malformations confirmed with laboratory testing. wrote. Such mental problems first time the disease was found in Wash- (Source: Bellingham Herald) Still, the latest figures raise hopes that (Source: The Washington Post) can stem from a variety of fac- tors in any long life. Yet the paper represents researchers’ first attempt to Type 1 diabetes linked to epilepsy risk, study suggests precisely calculate cumulative lifetime exposure to contact in living players, experts said. Previous estimates had relied in People who have type 1 diabetes may be nearly three diabetes going on to develop epilepsy remains very small. an insulin pump with a thin tube inserted under the skin part on former players’ memories of concussions, or number times more likely to develop the seizure disorder epilepsy Brain disorder to deliver the insulin, according to the American Diabetes of years played. than people without type 1 diabetes, a new study suggests. Epilepsy is a brain disorder affecting less than 1 percent Association (ADA). The new paper uses more objective measures, including data The youngest people with type 1 diabetes -- under 6 of the U.S. population, according to the U.S. National Insti- However, achieving the correct dose of insulin can be from helmet accelerometer studies, and provides a glimpse of years old -- seemed to be six times more likely to develop tute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. difficult. Too little insulin, and high blood sugar results. where the debate over the risk of contact sports may next play epilepsy, the researchers reported. "Even though the risk of epilepsy is increased, most type Over time, high blood sugar can cause serious damage to out, the experts said. But, those with the highest risk of epilepsy appeared to 1 diabetics wouldn't have it," said Dr. Scott Stevens, attend- blood vessels, especially in the eyes, kidneys and heart. Too “They used a much more refined and quantitative approach to be children with type 1 diabetes who had to be treated in a ing neurologist at Northwell Health's Comprehensive Epi- much insulin also poses a danger, causing low blood sugar estimate exposure than I’ve seen in this area,” said John Meeker, hospital for a severe low blood sugar (hypoglycemia). The lepsy Care Center in Great Neck, N.Y. levels, which if left untreated can cause unconsciousness a professor of environmental health sciences at the University of study found the risk of epilepsy was 16.5 times higher for Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition that causes and even death, according to the ADA. Previous research Michigan School of Public Health, who was not a part of the re- these children. destruction of the body's insulin-producing cells. has shown that people with type 1 diabetes experience ap- search team. But he added, “Their methods will have to be validat- It should be noted, however, that the study did not estab- Insulin is a hormone necessary to use the sugars found proximately two episodes of low blood sugar each week. ed in much larger studies; this is very much a preliminary finding.” lish a cause-and-effect relationship between the two condi- in foods. To replace the missing insulin, people with type 1 Severe hypoglycemia is much less frequent, however. (Source: The New York Times) tions. And the "absolute" risk of any one person with type 1 diabetes must take multiple daily injections of insulin or use (Source: HealthDay News) I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y http://www.tehrantimes.com/international APRIL 2, 2016 WORLD IN FOCUS 9

Members of Libya’s United Nations-backed welcomed the arrival of the council in Trip- Government of National Accord arrived in Libya’s UN-backed government oli and urged all public bodies to facilitate Tripoli on Wednesday, defying threats by a peaceful and orderly handover of power. rival factions that it was not welcome in the sails into Tripoli “I call on the Libyan people to extend NEWS capital. to the Presidency Council and the Govern- Reports of sporadic gunfire and road ment of National Accord their full support UN outrage over Israeli army blocks leading into Tripoli later emerged, and cooperation,” Kobler said. execution of Palestinian with questions raised whether violence “The international community stands would erupt, or a peaceful transition of firmly behind them and is ready to pro- The United Nations expressed outrage on Wednesday over power would ensue. vide the required support and assistance,” the killing of a Palestinian by an Israeli soldier who was caught The Presidential Council was formed he added. on camera saying the evidence signaled a clear case of an under a UN-mediated peace deal late last The United States also welcomed the extrajudicial execution. year in an effort to end the political cha- arrival of the UN-backed government, Anger grew in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday af- os and conflict that has beset the country while France said it would provide its “total ter Israel’s military court called the video evidence against since the uprising that toppled Muammar support” to Sarraj. the soldier “inconclusive”, with activists demanding that Israel Gaddafi five years ago. “The Government of National Accord holds its army accountable for the killing of Abed al-Fattah It is supposed to replace the two rival can now begin the crucial work of ad- Yusri al-Sharif, 21, earlier this month. administrations - one based in Tripoli, the dressing the full range of Libya’s political, A video of the incident showed the soldier step forward other in the eastern city of Tobruk - that security, economic, and humanitarian and shoot the Palestinian in the head at close range as he lay have been battling each other for more challenges,” U.S. Secretary of State John motionless on the ground. Fattah and another man, who was than a year. Kerry said in a statement. earlier shot and killed, were accused of stabbing an Israeli Libyan political analyst Mohamed Eljarh Ahead of its arrival, the council said it soldier in al-Khalil (Hebron). said the current crisis was unprecedented. had negotiated a security plan with police “There does not appear to be any provocation on the side “For now we have three governments, “At this blessed historic moment, we ther hand themselves over and be in safe and military forces in Tripoli - and with of the gravely wounded man,” said Christof Heyns, the United all operating out of Libya. What happens announce to our people the start of Na- hands, or to go back to where they came some armed groups. Nations special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or ar- next depends on whether both of the tional Accord Government work from Trip- from,” Khalifa al-Ghawi, leader of the Gen- Even with international support, Sarraj bitrary executions. other governments will hand over power oli and the beginning of a new era of di- eral National Congress, told reporters. faces a daunting array of challenges and “The images shown carry all the signs of a clear case of an peacefully,” Eljarh told Al Jazeera. alogue and communication with the sons “The salvation government is working could struggle to impose his will on the extrajudicial execution,” Heyns said in a statement. Tripoli’s self-declared government and of our people, regardless of their political with judicial and legislative entities, all state Central Bank, the state-run oil company, “Whatever legal regime one applies to the case, shooting armed groups that back it had in recent attitudes,” Sarraj told a news conference institutions and NGOS, as well as commu- and other institutions. someone who is no longer a threat is murder. It is further- days warned the unity government not after his arrival. nity leaders to take the necessary steps to He is also at risk of being attacked more troublesome that this was done to no apparent alarm to travel to Tripoli. But seven members of Yet, in his first remarks after Sarraj’s ar- save the country from the threat of chaos or besieged in his base by rival militias. to the other soldiers who were nearby.” the council, including its head and Prime rival, the head of the acting government and foreign intervention.” He is being guarded by battle-hard- Also on Wednesday, Rupert Colville, spokesman for the Minister-designate Fayez al-Sarraj, arrived reiterated his opposition to the Govern- Al Jazeera’s Mahmoud Abdelwahed, ened militias from the city of Misrata. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, expressed his con- in the Libyan capital by sea and set up a ment of National Accord and urged its reporting from Tripoli, said the big ques- But Tripoli is also home to several pow- cerns “about the apparent extrajudicial execution” of Fattah. temporary seat of power at a naval base. members to either surrender or leave. tion now was whether the members of the erful armed groups, which could move Colville added there were worries the “killing may not be The officials were prevented from flying “The government of national salvation council would be able to govern. against Sarraj, setting off yet another a lone incident”. (Source: agencies) into Tripoli by the rival government. calls on those illegitimate infiltrators to ei- Martin Kobler, the UN envoy for Libya, round of fighting. “We urge the Israeli authorities to ensure all members of their security forces fully comply with their obligation to use Leader: Economy is ‘first priority’ in new year force with restraint, only when strictly necessary, and in ac- cordance with the principle of proportionality, and are con- 2 The report that our brothers in the admin- steps for developing the economy, something which he it must be returned, even though most of it has not been stantly reminded that killing people who are no longer pre- istration delivered to us shows that they have carried has called “resistance economy”. returned yet. Finally it will be returned... it must not be senting an immediate threat is a crime, and will be treated as out many tasks. However, such tasks are only preliminary Ayatollah Ali Khamenei put great emphasis on “ef- used for non-essential things.” such,” Colville said. tasks which are related to issuing directives and edicts ficient use of energy”, “special attention to small and The Leader also said the government must avoid im- The Israeli army arrested the soldier, but Lieutenant-Colo- to different organizations. These are preliminary tasks. medium size industries”, “serious fight against corrup- port of goods which will undermine local industries. nel Ronen Shor, the military court’s judge, said on Tuesday The task that needs to be continued is taking action, tion, favoritism and goods trafficking”, and “transfer of Leader: U.S. presidential candidates compete in there was “reasonable doubt” about the circumstances of the putting things into practice and showing the results to technology in foreign contracts”. vilifying Iran shooting “given the complexity of the events” surrounding a the people on the ground. This is what constitutes our For example Ayatollah Khamenei said, “If we can In his speech in Mashhad the Leader also said the stabbing incident and the killing of the Palestinians that fol- responsibility. boost energy efficiency, about 100 billion dollars will be U.S. presidential candidates compete with each other in lowed. Thus, the name that I want to choose for this year is, saved. This is not a small figure. Take it seriously.” vilifying Iran. Shor also ruled the soldier be held in custody for two “The Economy of Resistance: Action and Implementa- The Leader also said small and medium size indus- “At present, when they deliver speeches, the U.S. more days. Prosecutors earlier said the shooting was “inten- tion”. The economy of resistance, action and implemen- tries will benefit social classes with lower incomes. presidential candidates compete with each other in vil- tional” and asked the court to extend the soldier’s detention tation- this is a straight and enlightened path and the Ayatollah Khamenei also said the government must ifying Iran. Well, this is enmity. Enmity does not neces- until April 7 while the investigation is ongoing. road towards what we need. not waste the money which will be unfrozen with the sarily appear in a strange form so much so that we can “It’s a big lie, it was not the right of the soldier to shoot Of course, we do not expect that this action and implementation of the nuclear deal, officially called the easily distinguish it,” he said. Fattah as the soldier was not in any sort of danger from any implementation will solve all the problems in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. He also said, “In Western countries and places which of the Palestinians,” Issa Amro, director of the al-Khalil-based course of one year, but we are sure that if action and The JCPOA went into force on January 16. are under U.S. influence, our banking transactions and Youth Against Settlements activist group, told Al Jazeera. implementation is carried out in a systematic and cor- “We have money outside the country. We sold oil and the repatriation of our funds from their banks face prob- “None of the Palestinians killed were found to have any rect manner, we will be able to witness the results at they did not give the money to us. Based on the JCPOA lems ... because (banks) fear the Americans.” explosives on them. The commander gave a direct order to the end of the year. “…the U.S. Department of the Treasury acts in the soldier to shoot and kill the Palestinian. This is a kind of Leader calls for efficient use of energy and The people should see the a way – with certain methods which have been ac- revenge for them.” fight against corruption signs of economic growth knowledged by the Americans themselves – that big Hundreds of Israeli protesters rallied outside the court on Also in a speech in the shrine city of Mashhad on companies, agencies and banks do not dare to ap- Tuesday in support of the soldier. March 20, concurrent with the beginning of the new “on the ground”, the Leader proach the Islamic Republic and have business trans- Demonstrators, as well as some politicians on the right, Persian year, the Supreme Leader also suggested 10 noted. actions with it,” he said. criticized Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon after he said the soldier acted inappropriately. According to the poll conducted for Israel’s Channel 2, UN court acquits Serbian India bridge collapse: about 57 percent of Israelis were against the soldier’s arrest, and 42 percent of those questioned described the 19-year- nationalist politician Seselj ‘At least 10 killed’ in Kolkata old’s actions as “responsible”. The Yugoslav war crimes tribunal has summoned. He was summoned back to At least 10 people are feared dead af- Al Jazeera’s Divya Gopalan, reporting Only 5 percent classified the shooting as murder. acquitted Serbian nationalist politician the Hague court in the autumn of 2015 ter a portion of an under-construction from Delhi, said the accident occurred “The UN needs to establish an independent committee to Vojislav Seselj on all nine counts that for trials. overpass collapsed in a congested area at a “very busy area”. investigate these extrajudicial killings, including that of Sha- United Nations prosecutors filed against UN prosecutors had demanded a of the eastern Indian city of Kolkata, po- “Many people are raising questions rif’s,” said Amro. him in his marathon trial. 28-year prison sentence for Seselj, say- lice said. about how this could have happened.” “This was not the first case and it won’t be the last case. Seselj was not present at court in ing his hate speeches at rallies “planted Many people were still trapped un- “The flyover has been under construc- There are videos out there for everyone to see.” The Hague for the hearing as Presiding the seeds of ethnic hatred and helped der the debris in the Girish Park area of tion for five years and has missed several “Also, it is the Israeli military system that needs to be held Judge Jean-Claude Antonetti said on them grow into ethnic violence against Kolkata and efforts were underway to deadlines for completion,” she said. “So accountable, not just the soldier. These are war crimes and Thursday: “Following this verdict, Vo- non-Serbs”. rescue those, according to police offi- one of the reasons of the collapse could severe violations to international law. But I don’t see anything jislav Seselj is now a free man.” Seselj had been charged with war cials. be lack of quality and safety control.” happening in court.” Seselj surrendered to the court in crimes, including planning the capture Video footage aired on TV chan- Indian company IVRCL was building Meanwhile, according to a Wednesday report by the U.S.- 2003 and awaited verdicts in his trial of towns in Croatia and Bosnia as part of nels showed a street scene with two the 2km Vivekananda Road flyover, ac- based Politico magazine, Senator Patrick Leahy and 10 House that was repeatedly delayed. a criminal plot involving other Serb lead- auto rickshaws and a crowd of people cording to its website, and its director of members have sent a letter to John Kerry, the U.S. Secretary As a result, he had spent more than ers, such as former president Slobodan suddenly obliterated by a mass of fall- operations AGK Murthy said the company of State, demanding investigations towards “gross violations a decade in custody at the International Milosevic, to drive out non- Serbs using ing concrete that narrowly missed cars was unsure of the cause of the disaster. of human rights” by Israel and Egypt’s security forces. Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia. “massive destruction and terror”. crawling in the traffic jam. “We did not use any inferior quality Since October 1, Israeli forces or settlers have killed at Sesej reportedly said he would seek He had also been charged with re- “The condition is pathetic. At this material and we will cooperate with the least 206 Palestinians, including protesters, bystanders and 14 million euros in damages from the cruiting and arming the Serb paramil- moment no one has any clue how many investigators,” Murthy told reporters in attackers. Palestinian assailants have killed at least 29 Israelis, court in The Hague for his time spent itaries blamed for atrocities in Bosnian people are trapped,” said Raichand Mo- Hyderabad where the firm is based. “We mostly in stabbing attacks. there. and Croatia. hta, a police officer at the scene. are in a state of shock.” (Source: agencies) The politician was released in No- Seselj and his political party were Eyewitness Ravindra Kumar Gupta, Building collapses are common in vember 2014 for medical treatment backing Milosevic, who was accused of a grocer, said two buses carrying more India, where builders use poor enforce- in Serbia on condition that he did not committing genocide in connection to than 100 passengers were trapped. ment of regulations and often use sub- interfere with victims or witnesses and conflicts in Bosnia, Croatia and Kosovo. Eight taxis and six auto rickshaws were standard materials. that he would return to the tribunal if (Source: agencies) partly visible in the wreckage. (Source: agencies) Pakistan rally ends after Most Americans support torture against terror suspects: poll assurance over blasphemy law Pakistani government has no plans to amend the country’s Nearly two-thirds of Americans believe torture can be to obtain information about terrorism.” About 25 per- blasphemy law following protests in its capital Islamabad that justified to extract information from suspected terrorists, cent said it is “often” justified while another 38 percent left the city paralyzed for almost four days. according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll, a level of support sim- it is “sometimes” justified. Only 15 percent said torture The Sunni Tehreek group descended on the capital on ilar to that seen in countries like Nigeria where militant should never be used. Sunday to denounce last month’s hanging of officer Mumtaz attacks are common. Republicans were more accepting of torture to Qadri for the 2011 murder of secular governor Salman Taseer. The poll reflects a U.S. public on edge after the mas- elicit information than Democrats: 82 percent of Re- Hundreds of protesters rallied for days in Islamabad be- sacre of 14 people in San Bernardino in December and publicans said torture is “often” or “sometimes” justi- fore ending their sit-in on Wednesday after gathering assur- large-scale attacks in Europe in recent months, including fied, compared with 53 percent of Democrats. ances from the government. a bombing claimed by the Islamic State in Iraq and the About two-thirds of respondents also said they ex- Taseer had defended a Christian woman who was accused Levant (ISIL/Daesh) terrorist group last week that killed pected a terrorist attack on U.S. soil within the next six of blasphemy, a highly controversial issue in the Muslim-ma- at least 32 people in Belgium. man rights organizations, world bodies, and political months. Surveys by other polling agencies in recent jority country. Donald Trump, the front-runner for the 2016 Repub- rivals. But the poll findings suggest that many Ameri- years have shown U.S. support for the use of torture at The demonstrators demanded strict Islamic law and the lican presidential nomination, has forcefully injected the cans are aligned with Trump on the issue, although the around 50 percent. A 2014 survey by Amnesty Interna- hanging of the Christian woman. issue of whether terrorism suspects should be tortured survey did not ask respondents to define what they tional, for example, put American support for torture at The government warned that 7,000 security forces were into the election campaign. consider torture. “The public right now is coping with a about 45 percent, compared with 64 percent in Nigeria, ready to be deployed to end the demonstrations but also Trump has said he would seek to roll back President host of negative emotions,” said Elizabeth Zechmeister, 66 percent in Kenya and 74 percent in India. allowed negotiations to take place that ended the protest Barack Obama’s ban on waterboarding - an interro- a Vanderbilt University professor who has studied the Nigeria is battling a seven-year-old insurgency peacefully on Wednesday. gation technique that simulates drowning that human link between terrorist threats and public opinion. “Fear, that has displaced 2 million people and killed thou- “The government assured the protesters that it had no rights groups contend is illegal under the Geneva Con- anger, general anxiety: (Trump) gives a certain credibility sands, while al Shabaab militants have launched a plans to amend the blasphemy laws. We are also not going ventions. Trump has also vowed to “bring back a hell of to these feelings,” she said. series of deadly attacks in Kenya. India is fighting to pardon anyone convicted by courts for blasphemy,” Rail- a lot worse” if elected. The March 22-28 online poll asked respondents a years-old Maoist insurgency that has killed hun- way Minister Saad Rafique said, who took part in talks with Trump’s stance has drawn broad criticism from hu- if torture can be justified “against suspected terrorists dreds. (Source: Reuters) the protest leaders. (Source: agencies) I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y 10 SOCIETY AAPRILPRIL 22,, 22016016 http://www.tehrantimes.com/society

FOOD FOR THOUGHT Austrian bank signs MoU with Iran to boost environmental co-op

SOCIETY TEHRAN — A memorandum of understanding deskhas been inked in Vienna between Austrian Raif- feisen Bank International (RBI) and Iran’s Department of Environment. The MoU was signed by RBI Corporate Business Manager Pe- ter Lennkh and Mohammad Mojabi, a top official at the Depart- ment of Environment. Lennkh regarded this newly signed MoU as a suitable measure to encourage more banking relations between the two countries in the post-sanction era, Department of Environment said in a report on its website. He went on to say that the line of credit for environmental projects Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment. in Iran is already extended and a delegation to check and carry out Jim Rohn-American the aforementioned projects will travel to Iran within coming weeks. Mojabi, for his part, thanked Andra Rupprechter, the Austrian minister for agriculture, forestry, environment and water man- agement, for his efforts for the conclusion of the MoU. Technologies and equipment for waste management, water LEARN ENGLISH and waste water management, remote sensing, monitoring air pollution are some of the issues which are being addressed by Working Shifts the Austrian bank loan, Mojabi noted. He additionally said upon an invitation by the Austrian minis- Lisette: You’re the new kid on the block, aren’t you? try 12 Iranian rangers will travel to Austria to participate in train- Danny: Yeah, it’s my first day. ing courses next month. Lisette: I’m Lisette. Andra Rupprechter also expressed hope to foster closer ties Danny: I’m Danny. Nice to meet you. with Iran in all fields and expressed readiness for exchanging ex- Lisette: You’re lucky to be starting on the day shift. When I perience and technology in the field of environment. started working here umpteen years ago, I had to work the graveyard shift for two years before I got the day shift. Danny: I guess I am lucky, but I wouldn’t mind working any Traffic fatalities dropped by 4 percent Tehran puts non-recyclable waste shift, even double shifts, once I get up to speed. My wife and I are expecting our first child and we need to save up. during Noruz holidays into use Lisette: Oh, yeah? Congratulations! Well, there are always TEHRAN people who want time off and need someone to cover for SOCIETY — Tireless by car rollovers, more particularly for the SOCIETY TEHRAN — Non-re- and bright colors and hanged from the them. You can usually pick up extra hours and shifts that way. deskefforts made by the backseat passengers who had not fas- deskcyclable wastes such walls in the highways and have given a Sometimes, there’s even overtime, but the veteran work- traffic police led to a 4-perecent cut in the tened their seatbelts. as tires which gravely threatens the envi- striking look to them. ers get first dibs. number of traffic fatalities during Noruz Furthermore, 32 percent of the acci- ronment have been put in good use dur- The executive director of this novelty, Danny: I can understand that. Well, if you ever need anybody holidays (March 20-April 1), traffic police dents were brought on by reckless driv- ing Noruz holidays (March 20-April 1) in Niko Qasemi, has said that as plastics are to cover for you, just give me a shout. chief Taqi Mehri said. ers, he added. Tehran, Mehr reported. of great danger to the environment “we Lisette: All right, I’ll keep it in mind. Maybe I can help you save “We have implemented the Noruz Illegal overtaking and speeding were Using innovative and modern designs will have decided to use them in other ways.” up for a diaper or two. traffic plan since March 15 and thanks other leading causes of accidents, he said, help to make street more appealing for tour- People have warmly welcomed this (Source: eslpod.com) to the traffic police’s best endeavors we adding 60 percent of the accidents have tak- ists. One of these innovative designs is the new design and additionally waste man- Words & phrases were able to diminish the number of road en place within 30 kilometers from the cities. use of old and scrap tires as colorful vases agement organization (an organization new kid on the block: the newest person in a job, school etc. accident fatalities,” Mehri stated. According to Fars news agency the in the highways of the metropolis of Tehran. affiliated to the municipality) helped a lot umpteen: very many - used especially when you are an- He went on to say that 44 percent of number of deaths up to March 30 is The tire vases, which are bearing new- for the project to get off the ground, Qa- noyed there are so many the deaths during holidays were caused 344 during Noruz holidays. ly sprouted flowers, are painted in various semi added. graveyard shift: a regular period of working time that be- gins late at night and continues until the early morning get up to speed: having the latest information or knowledge about something save up: to keep money in a bank so that you can use it later, especially when you gradually add more money over a period of time time off: time when you are officially allowed not to be at work or studying cover: to do the work that someone else usually does, be- cause they are not there overtime: time that you spend working in your job in addi- tion to your normal working hou veteran: someone who has had a lot of experience of a par- ticular activity dibs: the right to have, use, or do something give somebody a shout: to go and find someone and tell them something diaper: a piece of soft cloth or soft paper that is put between a baby's legs and fastened around its waist to hold liquid and solid waste The 13-day Noruz holiday in Iran, started from March 20 to April 1, was a great opportunity for travel enthusiast to visit eye-catching sceneries, QUIZ OF THE DAY historical sites and buildings around Iran. Here are pictures taken by photographers from tourists 133) Could you buy me ______stamps, please? and travelers in Isfahan, Fars, Kermanshah, and a) many b) a few Kurdistan provinces. c) a little (Quiz No. 132 answer: c)

PHRASAL VERB Put through

Meaning: connect to people on the phone For example: I’ll put you through to Mr. Brown.

ENGLISH PROVERB Better an egg today than a hen tomorrow

Explanation: It is preferable to have something sure now than the possibility of something better later

Without water, everything withers

IRNA/Reza Qaderi, Kazem Qaneh, Bahman Zarei I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y

http://www.tehrantimes.com/sports AAPRILPRIL 22,, 22016016 SPORTS 11

Gaspar: I’ve always been adventurous FOOTBALL

“I’ve always been adventurous. I’ve fiers with confidence and pride in a legacy Qatar 2022 World Cup prep always been curious. I’ve always been left by their countrymen stretching back faces fresh migrant worker a risk taker.” to the 1960s. Playing against Oman, Turk- Football can do wonderful things. In the menistan, Guam and India, on paper it may abuse allegations case of Iran national team assistant coach have looked like a straightforward journey A new report by Amnesty International alleges system- and goalkeeping coach Dan Gaspar, foot- for Team Melli, but with thousands of miles atic abuse of migrant workers redeveloping the Khalifa ball took a kid born in South Glastonbury, to travel and diverse conditions to endure, International Stadium in Doha for the 2022 World Cup. Connecticut and showed him the world. it was anything but easy. Gaspar has been Iran head coach Car- “It’s complicated because the environ- The 50-page report, entitled “The ugly side of the beautiful los Queiroz’s No2 since 1993, working with ments are challenging sometimes,” Gaspar game: Labour exploitation on a Qatar 2022 World Cup venue,” the former Manchester United assistant said. “In Guam, we played on a turf pitch was produced after interviews with 132 stadium workers and 99 manager in Japan, Portugal, South Africa and it’s an island with not a lot of resourc- others who had worked in the surrounding complex between and at home in USA. es but their hospitality was fantastic. We February and May last year. The latest chapter in the American’s life overcame the conditions that our players The allegations include workers being forced to live in squalid was helping Iran seal qualification to Asia’s never were exposed to.” It was their 6-0 win accommodation, pay huge re- third round of FIFA World Cup Russia 2018™ in Guam that epitomized Iran’s ability to cruitment fees, and having qualifying. Team Melli completed their un- adapt and play at their highest levels. wages withheld and passports beaten run in the second round with two Adaptation is a theme with Iran, but it’s confiscated. convincing wins at home in Tehran against also something Gaspar himself has shown Amnesty International sec- India and Oman. And in the eight games of his whole life. retary general Salil Shetty said: the round, Iran conceded just three goals. “You challenge your decisions. Did I “The abuse of migrant workers So what led him to accepting the job make the right decision? Am I being re- is a stain on the conscience of with Iran five years ago? sponsible to my family? Nothing has ever world football. “I was grateful Carlos Queiroz’s trust prepared me for this from the culture I was “For players and fans, a World Cup stadium is a place and belief that I could assist him in this when asked about the experience, you can eventual runners-up Argentina, when only born in. It’s all about adaptation. I’ve never of dreams. For some of the unique project,” Gaspar told FIFA.com in see the magnitude of it all in his eyes. a singular moment of magic from Lionel felt safer, I’ve never felt more comfortable workers who spoke to us, it can an exclusive interview. “I made the decision “That was an amazing experience, dif- Messi in injury time was all that could sep- or more well respected than I have in Iran.” feel like a living nightmare. based on how I make most of my decisions ficult to put into words what it means to arate the teams. Gaspar has been working with Iran “Indebted, living in squalid and that is I think with my brain, I feel with have that kind of privilege,” Gaspar said. “Argentina’s best player that day was the for five years, the joint-longest time he’s camps in the desert, paid a pit- my heart and then I make a decision with “When the Iranian situation was presented goalkeeper! Who could have imagined that been anywhere in his career. With Team tance, the lot of migrant workers contrasts sharply to that of the my gut, and I went there!” I realized that this could be another oppor- we would have put enough pressure on Melli through to the third round of Russia top-flight footballers who will play in the stadium. Iran are one of Asia’s powerhouses in tunity to participate in a World Cup and them for their goalkeeper to have been their 2018 qualifying, they have every chance of “Despite five years of promises, FIFA has failed almost complete- football with three AFC Asian Cups and four help a country achieve that.” player of the match? I have a lot of admira- making it to their fifth World Cup and for ly to stop the World Cup being built on human rights abuses.” World Cup qualifications and its fans are And he did just that. Iran qualified for tion and respect for our players because they Gaspar, it would represent the longest pro- In his letter of response, FIFA head of sustainability Federico some of the most passionate you can find. Brazil 2014 and had a respectable showing played for the honor of their country and for fessional adventure of his life. Adiecchi wrote: “We thank you for bringing these important is- The idea of taking another nation to a World at the tournament. Although they failed to their love of the people and the sport.” “Sometimes I question if it was the right sues to our attention. We take them very seriously and acknowl- Cup was enough on its own to convince advance from the group stages, they went Adaptation decision, but then when I base it on my real edge our responsibility to ensure human rights are respected in Gaspar to make the move to Iran in 2011. He back home with respect from the world, Iran navigated through Group D in life experiences, I realize that this is a jour- the context of preparing for and carrying out the tournament. went to South Africa 2010 with Portugal and especially after their performance against Asia’s second round of Russia 2018 quali- ney I would take again.” (Source: FIFA) “While constructive criticism is necessary and, in many cases, helpful, it is also important to acknowledge progress, such as the achievements of the Supreme Committee [the government entity Iran advances to final stage of 2018 World Cup qualifiers responsible for the delivery of World Cup infrastructure] to date. “Furthermore, we do not agree with the statement in your letter that ‘FIFA took no clear, concrete action to prevent human SPORTS Iran national football team defeat- we could have scored more goals but our players wasted rights abuses of workers on World Cup-related projects’. desked Oman in Group D of the 2018 their chances,” Queiroz said in the post-match news con- “FIFA has been integrating human rights components in World Cup qualifiers on Tuesday. ference. different aspects of its work, processes and activities for many Iran, who qualified for the last World Cup in Brazil, “We controlled the possession in that game and didn’t years.” topped the group with 20 points after beating Oman 2-0 in allow Oman to create just a chance. I dedicate this victory In a statement addressing the report, the Supreme Commit- Tehran’s Azadi Stadium thanks to a Sardar Azmoun brace. to the Iranian football fans as well as the players who were tee said: “The tone of Amnesty International’s latest assertions Azmoun found the back of the net with two headers in awesome in the group stage,” the Portuguese added. paint a misleading picture and do nothing to contribute to our the 16th and 23rd minutes. The draw for the third round, where the 12 teams will be efforts. “We showed a good performance in the first half and split into two groups and the top two from each advance “Amnesty International’s investigation was limited to just four to Russia 2018, will take place next month. companies out of more than 40 currently engaged on Khalifa International Stadium -- Eversendai, Seven Hills, Blue Bay and Nakheel Landscapes. The conditions reported were not repre- Anoushiravani named Iran Iran’s Mahjoub takes sentative of the entire work force on Khalifa. “We acknowledge that Amnesty identified challenges in weightlifting new head coach Judo Grand Prix Tbilisi silver worker conditions existing during early 2015. But as the result SPORTS Sajjad Anoushi- SPORTS Javad Mahjoub of of the Supreme Committee’s continued enforcement and mon- deskravani has been deskIran seized a silver itoring efforts, many of the issues raised had been addressed named as new head coach of Iran medal at the Judo Grand Prix Tbilisi 2016 by June of 2015, months before the publication of Amnesty’s weightlifting team. on Sunday. The -100 kg judoka started the report.” Anoushirvani, who won a silver medal campaign with a victory over Saidzhalol Echoing the SC’s statement, secretary general Hassan Al Tha- in the men’s +105kg during the London Saidov from Tajikistan. Mahjoub then beat wadi expressed concern at the delay in Amnesty presenting their 2012 Olympic Games, also leads Iran youth Latvian Jevgenijs Borodavko and Uzbeki- findings and argued some of the allegations had already been team. The 31-year-old replaced Hossein stan’s Soyib Kurbonov. He defeated Italian addressed. Tavakkoli who was sacked on March 16. Domenico Di Guida to advance to the final He said in a letter to Amnesty: “By AI’s own admission, the Anoushirvani will take charge of Team but lost to Sweden’s Martin Pacek. SC is making substantial progress in the enhancement of its la- Iran in the Asian Weightlifting Champion- Saeid Mollaei also was Iran’s repre- bour standards and policies and, had we both been more closely ships 2016 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. sentative in the three-day tournament. engaged over the last year, AI would have been aware of the positive changes that have taken place over that period. “AI would also have noted that the SC was working on en- hancing and rectifying many of the issues raised, even before Iranian fencer Abedini qualifies for Olympics receipt of your letter.” (Source: Soccernet)

SPORTS Mojtaba Abedini won a silver medal Abedini defeated France’s Tom Seitz 15/7 in the table of 64. The Iranian fencer defeated Junghwan Kim from South deskin the 2016 SK Telecom Seoul Grand He beat South Korean Young Won Woo 15/13 in the ta- Korea 15/14 and advanced to the semifinals. He booked an Prix for men’s sabre. ble of 32. Olympic quota place as well. Petr Cech considering The Iranian fencer lost to Eli Dershwitz from USA 15/9 in In the table of 16, Abedini defeated Hungarian Aron Szi- Abedini qualified for the final match after beating Italian Czech Republic retirement the final match and won the silver medal. lagyi 15/10. Diego Occhiuzzi 15/12. to focus on Arsenal

Czech Republic goalkeeper Petr Cech says he may retire More doping tests or less viewers, world champion warns from international football after the European Champi- onship in order to prolong his club career at Arsenal. Swimming authorities need to increase said testing needed to be weekly to prove victim of association if he was successful the Olympics if the country fails to overturn Cech, 33, has been a regular in the Czech side since 2002, the number of doping tests to pre- the sport was clean. at the Aug. 5-21 Rio de Janeiro Games. the ban but Peaty was against blaming en- earning 118 caps. But he told his own website that it might be serve the sport›s credibility and stop «I know testing week-on-week is expen- «It›s ruining the reputation of all sports,» tire nations for the alleged swimming prob- time to call it quits after the Euros, which will be his fifth major fans turning away according to Brit- sive, but what is more expensive is swim- he said. «If it happens any more people are lems. tournament. ain›s triple world champion and double mers coming out as cheats and then people going to be looking on TV and saying, ‹he›s «Hopefully I›ll line up against Russians “I’m turning 34 and it’s time for me to consider it [retirement],” world record holder Adam Peaty. not watching,» he was quoted as saying by a cheat›. and they will be as hard working as I am – he said. “The other day I thought: Isn’t it time after 14 years on The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) British media. «I›ve just been tested three «If I win Olympic gold and people look that›s the way it should be,» he said. the national team to think about bringing this chapter of your is investigating allegations of Russian state times in the past few weeks and that›s how at me as a cheat because I›ve won, it›s «If you line up against a doper, no mat- life to a close? doping and an alleged cover up of positive it should be. hugely disrespectful.» ter from what country, it›s wrong. But I›m “The less I have to travel around and play for the national tests in China that have rocked the sport. «I hope they catch the cheats before Russian sport was thrown into turmoil not going to blame a whole country. In team, the higher the probability that I’ll be able to retain my China, who issued warning penalties to the Olympics because it›s going to ruin last year when a WADA report exposed my eyes that›s wrong because there are focus at Arsenal. After all, I’m not getting any younger.” two swimmers on Monday who failed tests, the sport otherwise. Olympic champions endemic cheating and corruption in Rus- hard-working people. Cech was voted the Czech Republic’s footballer of the year and Russia have denied cover up claims. shouldn›t be someone who has cheated to sian athletics, resulting in the country «I›m just going to race and leave it to for the eighth time during the international break, but missed his Peaty, the 50 and 100 meter breaststroke get there.» being suspended from international com- WADA and (International Swimming Feder- country’s friendlies because of a calf injury. The keeper said he world record holder who won three golds at The 21-year-old, preparing for Olympic petition. ation) FINA to sort it out.» still feels like he can keep playing for several years but that his last year›s world championships in Russia, trials next month, said he could become a Russia›s track and field team could miss (Source: Reuters) body needs more rest these days during the season. “I feel on top physically, but it’s been the same things all over again since 2002. Way too much travelling around and barely any time for rest,” he said. “You eventually reach a point in your Ibrahimovic is like Benjamin Button - Raiola career when it becomes time to come to a halt and choose a Italian agent Mino Raiola has hailed the Sweden in- expires in the summer, leading to several clubs around the gested this month that he could even hang up his boots, new direction. That point will come after the Euros.” ternational›s physical and mental state at the age world expressing an interest in signing him on a free trans- but the attacker›s agent is adamant he still has plenty to Cech added that he will make up his mind before the start of 34 and says there is plenty of interest in the Paris fer. offer. of 2018 World Cup qualifying, and knows that he must “ensure Saint-Germain star Ibrahimovic, who has scored 35 goals in all competitions «Zlatan is just like Brad Pitt when he plays Benjamin But- my decision is solid” since he will face pressure to continue. As Zlatan Ibrahimovic›s agent Mino Raiola has compared for PSG so far this term, has been linked with moves to the ton, the guy who gets younger each day,» Raiola told La for his club career, though, the veteran didn’t rule out playing the Paris Saint-Germain striker to Benjamin Button, claim- Premier League and Serie A, as well as China and Qatar, Gazzetta dello Sport. «With his mental and physical condi- until he is 40. ing the 34-year-old gets younger each day and could keep while extending his stay in the French capital also remains tion, he can play on for another five years. His future? It will “As long as I’m positive that I’m 100 percent ready to go to playing for five more years. an option. be a special choice. training when I get up in the morning, my career will go on,” he The Sweden international›s current contract with PSG The former Milan and Barcelona marksman himself sug- (Source: Goal) said. “It’ll also depend on how my body takes it. So far so good.” b

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NEWS Khayyam statue finally Italian festival to spotlight actress set up at University of Oklahoma Fatemeh Motamed-Arya CULTURE ART TEHRAN — The University of Oklaho- TEHRAN — Renowned Iranian actress Fate- desk desk ma finally became the home to one of meh Motamed-Arya will be a special guest at three statues of Persian classic poet Omar Khayyam (1048- the 7th Middle East Now, a film festival that will be held in the 1131), which were created by Iranian sculptor Hossein Fakh- Italian city of Florence from April 5 to 10. imi. The organizers plan to high- The two-meter tall statue was unveiled in the courtyard light her career, which spans of the university on Wednesday during a ceremony, which over three decades, by screen- was attended by a large number of U.S. academics and ing her films “Tales” and “The Persian literature enthusiasts, the Persian service of IRNA Blue-Veiled”, both by filmmak- reported on Thursday. er Rakhshan Bani-Etemad, and The ceremony was organized with the help of the Inter- “Once Upon a Time, Cinema”. national Society for Iranian Culture. The festival will also screen In a short speech, the director of the society, Mehdi three Iranian films, includ- Faridzadeh, read some verses of Khayyam’s poems and ing documentarian Mehrdad called him “a pious man” and “an admirer of life” whose Oskouei’s “Daybreak Dreams”, poetry expresses the Iranian spirit. Hossein which won the Amnesty Inter- Fakhimi President of the University of Oklahoma David L. Boren, poses national Award at the Berlin a former governor of Oklahoma and U.S. senator, also at- Film Festival in February. beside tended the ceremony. one of his In addition, director Reza He expressed his appreciation to those involved in Dormishian’s social drama Khayyam Actress Fatemeh Motamed-Arya the cultural activity and expressed his hope that U.S. stu- statues in an undated photo “Lanturi” and Mahtab Man- dents would show more interest in learning the Persian at his sur’s documentary “Talk Ra- language. workshop dio Tehran” will compete at the event. Earlier in May 2015, Fakhimi announced that officials in in Tehran in Middle East Now is scheduled to screen 44 films, documen- some U.S. states were conferring with each other to find a an undated photo. taries, animations and short films - mostly Italian and Europe- suitable site to place the statue, which was sent from Teh- an premières - forming a powerful cinematographic journey ran to New York in September 2014. why the statue was erected at the University of Okla- poet, was renowned in his own country and in his own through Middle-Eastern countries and society. He said that the statue would be installed somewhere in homa. lifetime for his scientific achievements, but is chiefly known The festival under the auspices of the cultural association, Manhattan based on a decision made by Manhattan mu- Fakhimi made two other copies of the statue, one of to English-speaking readers through the translation by the Map of Creation, will take place at the Odeon Cinema, the nicipal officials during Iranian President Hassan Rouhani’s which was installed in Khayyam’s hometown of Neyshabur, English writer Edward Fitzgerald of a collection of his Ru- Stensen Cinema and several other cultural venues in Florence. trip to New York in September 2013. and the other is to be sent to Florence, Italy. baiyat (“quatrains”) in “The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam” However, no comment has been made so far as to Khayyam, a Persian mathematician, astronomer and (1859). Iranian artists to display “Kadu Zari” honored at World Theater Day celebration in Tehran works at Sharjah ARTTEHRAN — The Iranian puppet show es. Children’s book writer Hushang Moradi Kermani and Calligraphy Biennial desk“Kadu Zari” was honored with a special theatrical figures Reza Babak, Marzieh Borumand, Davud award during the celebration of World Theater Day in Teh- Kianian and Hossein Moheb Ahari were seen among the ARTTEHRAN — Iranian artists Ramin Shirdel desk ran last Sunday. participants. The secretary of the celebration, organized and Alireza Astaneh will put their calligraphic Directed by Mohammad Aalami, the play centers on a by the Tamashagan Dramatic Arts Institute, was the screen sculptures on display during an exhibition on the sidelines of the childless farmer couple who adopts a pumpkin (Kadu) as and stage actor Hamid Jebelli. 7th Edition of Sharjah Calligraphy Biennial 2016, which will be their child but they are surprised when they find out the World Theater Day is the creation of the International held from April 6 to June 6. pumpkin can speak. Theater Institute (ITI). It is celebrated annually on March The ceremony, held in Iran for the first time, was held 27th by ITI Centers and the international theatrical com- at the Honar Hall and attended by a large number of the- munity. Various national and international theatrical events atrical figures. are organized to mark this occasion. Hamed Modarres and Fatemeh Khodabandehlu were Each year an outstanding figure in theater, or a person honored as the best actor and actress, while the best stage who is outstanding in heart and spirit from another field, is designer award went to Sina Yeylaqbeigi. invited to share his or her reflections on theater and inter- Stage director Fariba Daliri and playwright Hadi Has- national harmony. sanali were honored, while costume designer Roshanak A scene from “Kadu Zari The theatrical figure Hengameh Mofid was the Iranian Karimi and composer Abdollah Atashani were also among was honored as one of the most influential theatrical fig- author of the message of the World Theater Day this year. the honorees of the first celebration. ures of the country. The author of the Message of World Theater Day 2016 was In addition, veteran director and actor Maryam Kazemi The ceremony was followed by live music performanc- the Russian stage director Anatoli Vassiliev.

PICTURE OF THE DAY IRNA/Amir-Hossein Bandi Japan filmfest Ramin Shirdel poses with one his works in an undated photo. Shirdel told the Persian service of Honaronline on Thurs- honors “Lonely Lake” day that the works will be showcased at the Sharjah Art Mu- ARTTEHRAN — The Iranian seum. deskdocumentary “Lonely “The side section program is dedicated to solo exhibitions by Lake” was honored at the 3rd Green Image the participating artists,” he added. Film Festival in Tokyo. The Sharjah Calligraphy Biennial has always been rec- Directed by Mohammad Ehsani, the ognized as one of the most remarkable events taking place documentary won one of nine Green Im- in the region. age Awards presented at the festival, which The event is a celebration of calligraphy and aims to was held from March 23 to 25. make the world realize the beauty and authenticity of the “Lonely Lake” turns the spotlight on the letters. shrinkage of Lake Urmia located in north- Calligraphy also introduces the features of Islamic civili- west Iran. zation as it is a major form of artistic expression in Islamic Among the other winners of the award cultures, especially and particularly in religious contexts. were “Millets Back Home” directed by Sa- The Sharjah biennial is organized by the Sharjah Art Foun- yun Simug from Taiwan, “Passage of Jomon dation. and Pakur” by Mizumoto Hiroyuki from Ja- pan, “Sticks and Stones” by Isaac King from Canada and “Wishing Well” by Julia Finker- nagel from Germany. The Green Image Grand Prize went to NEWS IN BRIEF director and producer Yamada Toru from Japan for the 92-minute “Fukushima Fish- “Odyssey” to come ermen”. to Tehran theater “One Million Steps” by Eva Stotz from Turkey and “The Last Moose of Ao Lu Gu Ya” by Gu Tao from China won the Jurors’ Special Prize. 21 documentaries out of 175 submis- ARTTEHRAN — Iranian theater desk sions from 39 countries were screened troupe Quantum led by director during the festival, which aims to Arash Dadgar will start performing “Odyssey” at A thespian clad in ancient Iranian attire attends a meeting at the National Garden in Tehran on March 30, 2016 to celebrate the birthday of Hazrat Fatima (SA), the daughter of Prophet Muhammad (S) and wife of Imam Ali (AS). broaden awareness about environmen- Tehran’s Hafez Hall from April 4. tal issues. Dramatized by Mehdi Tajeddin, the play is play- wright Amin Tabatabai’s free conception of the well- known Greek epic poem of the same name that is attributed to Homer. Woody Allen’s “Cafe Society” to open Cannes Film Festival The play tells the story of Greek hero Odysseus who was king of Ithaca and centers on his long NEW YORK (Reuters) — Woody Allen’s “Cafe Society” “Cafe Society”, which stars “The Social Network” actor Hollywood during the 1930s hoping to work in the film in- journey home following the fall of Troy as the out- will kick off this year’s Cannes Film Festival, organizers said Jesse Eisenberg and “Twilight” actress Kristen Stewart, will dustry, falls in love, and finds himself swept up in the cafe come of Trojan War. on Tuesday, the third time the acclaimed American writer screen out of competition on May 11. society that defined the spirit of the age, they said in a Members of the cast include Kambiz Amini, Negar and director has opened the event with one of his movies. The movie is the 14th out of competition screen- statement. Abedi, Hesam Manzur, Ammar Ashuri, Amir Rajabi, Allen has previously opened the prestigious annual fes- ing at Cannes for Allen, according to festival or- The 69th Cannes film festival will run from May 11-22. Mehrab Rostami and Reza Morshed. tival, held in the south of France, with “Hollywood Ending” ganizers. “Mad Max” director George Miller will head the competi- in 2002 and “Midnight in Paris” in 2011. The film tells the story of a young man who arrives in tion jury.