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16 Pages Price 40,000 Rials 1.00 EURO 4.00 AED 39th year No.13535 Saturday NOVEMBER 23, 2019 Azar 2, 1398 Rabi’ Al awwal 25, 1441 Article 27 of the U.S. must act Persepolis suffer “Rona, Azim’s Mother” constitution allows peaceful responsibly to protect fourth defeat in 11 wins UNESCO Cultural gatherings, rallies 2 lives of its soldiers 2 matches: IPL 15 Diversity Award at APSA 16

Iran to hold permanent expo to Iran files complaint against promote domestic production TEHRAN — Iranian industry, mining and Seyed Ali Khamenei on improving the trade minister said a permanent exhibition country’s domestic production. is going to be established to promote do- The first meeting of the exhibition’s mestic production and indigenizing of the executive committee has also been held, country’s industrial needs, IRIB reported. attended by deputy ministers, represent- UK-based anti-Iran TV channels According to Reza Rahmani, the atives of Iran International Exhibition decision for holding the exhibition was Company and representatives Iran’s See page 2 made following the remarks made by the Industrial Development and Renovation Leader of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Organization (IDRO). 4

Judiciary chief: Security, tranquility is top priority TEHRAN — Judiciary Chief Seyed Ebra- danger,” Raisi pointed out addressing a him Raisi said on Friday that maintaining gathering of Basiji students in Imam Ali security is the most important issue in the (As) sports stadium. country, stressing that the judiciary will not The remarks by the top judge came tolerate any threat to the society’s tranquility. one week after the government increased “Today, Iran is known as the safest petrol prices and people in certain cities country in the region, so we will not allow poured into the streets protesting the anybody to put the people’s security in decision. 2

Europe should pay price to salvage JCPOA: envoy TEHRAN — Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran’s important foundations of non-prolifera- ambassador and permanent representative tion architecture,” Gharibabadi said while to the Vienna-based international organiza- addressing the IAEA’s board of governors tions, says Europe should be ready to pay the on Thursday, Mehr reported. price if it wants to preserve the nuclear deal. Pointing to Iran’s reduction of its com- “It is completely visible that turning a mitments to the nuclear agreement, also blind eye to the current state of the affairs known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan shows that Europeans are not ready yet to of Action (JCPOA), in the past months, pay the necessary price for maintaining the envoy said the only way to keep the the most important diplomatic achieve- historic pact alive is that all sides live up ment and as they call it one of the most to their commitments. 3 ARTICLE Commander: Possible attack on Iran will make invaders regretful ARTICLE Ramin Hossein Abadian TEHRAN — The Army’s Air Defense Force that they might enter the Iranian airspace, but Fatemeh Salehi Mehr News Agency commander warned on Thursday that enemies their exit won’t be done in the same way and it Mehr News Agency journalist must not even think of attack on Iran, asserting is air defense which will definitely determine journalist that Tehran’s harsh response will make invaders the fate of intruders. to regret their action. Iran has conducted major military drills in Trump’s special Brigadier General Alireza Sabahifard made recent years to enhance its defense capabilities Washington’s the remarks on the sidelines of “Modafe’an-e and to test modern military tactics and state-of- services to Aseman-e Velayat 98” (Guardians of Velayat’s the-art equipment. controversial Sky-98) military drill in the central province of Each year, the country inaugurates a host of Netanyahu: From Semnan. new military projects and hardware developed support for Tel Aviv: “As we have successfully materialized our with reliance on domestic capabilities. The Is- recognizing al-Quds objectives during the ongoing military drill, if lamic Republic maintains that its defense power Finishing deal of the the enemies are mulling over a dream (attack battlefield too,” the general stated. is based on deterrence and poses no threat to as Israel’s capital to on our country) we will make them regret in the He further said the enemies are well aware any other country. century puzzle backing settlements .S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s recent stance in which he backed .S. President Donald Trump has Russia slams Pompeo’s support for rioters in Iran as hypocritical UIsrael’s settlements in the West offered more special services to By staff and agency of sanctions pressure against Iran. It turns out the Iranian people is a “shameful lie”. Bank faced global backlash. The stance the Zionist regime and Benjamin U Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria that, on the one hand, Washington supports the “A regime which imposes economic terrorism once again shows Washington’s dictatorial Netanyahu in particular Zakharova has slammed the recent comments aspirations of the Iranian people, at least verbally, and prevents sending food and medicine to ordi- character in the region. Washington has always been Israel’s by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on the and on the other hand, they are doing anything nary people, including the elderly and sick ones, The U.S., its current president and main ally, but the U.S. services offered to Iranian protests as “hypocritical”. possible to make the population of this country can never make an obscene claim of supporting his team have repeatedly and formally Tel Aviv during Trump’s presidency are “[The statement by Mike Pompeo] left us suffer”, she said. the Iranian people,” Zarif said. declared their full support for the illegiti- unprecedented. puzzled since most of the things that sparked Protests were sparked in some cities in Iran He said, “Lawful protest is the people’s right mate Zionist regime, and emphasized their In contravention of international law the discontent and other processes that are taking against the government’s measure in rationing which has been recognized by the constitution alliance with the regime by taking stance and UN resolutions, Trump has provided place in Iran were actually brought upon the gasoline and substantially increasing its price. of the Islamic Republic of Iran. There is no need on issues related to Palestine. Netanyahu with all the services for which Islamic Republic by the U.S.’ own actions,” she The protests turned violent as rioters clashed for deceitful supports of regimes which seek to The Arab world and the larger interna- former Israeli prime ministers were eager said, according to Sputnik. between security forces and damaged public and reach their illegitimate and illegal objectives tional community still oppose the U.S. which to receive. Zakharova noted that Tehran’s decision to private property. through imposing economic pressure, even has recognized the occupied al-Quds (Jeru- For the Zionist regime, there was raise fuel prices, which sparked protests, was Hooligans took advantage of the protest over in area of food and medicine, on the Iranian salem) as the capital of Israel. It should be no time more pleasant than 13-year a result of the “illegal and massive sanctions price rise to do sabotage acts in some cities such people.” noted that this time the U.S. has backed Tel premiership of Netanyahu which co- pressure” that the U.S. is applying against Iran. as putting banks and state buildings on ablaze. He added, “Countries which have shown no Aviv through the voice of Pompeo. The U.S. incided with Trump’s presidency. In She added that the Iranian population’s rights On November 16, Pompeo tweeted, “As I said capability and will to counter the United States’ secretary of state has recently announced that other words, former U.S. presidents to receive food, medication, and other necessities to the people of Iran almost a year and a half ago: economic terrorism and are hiding their inca- his country no longer considers the Israeli have not served the Israeli government have been violated due to Washington’s actions. The United States is with you.” pability through supporting chaos should bear settlement in the West Bank as “inconsistent like Trump. “The way we see it – this was the U.S. goal all Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said responsibility for consequences of their dangerous with international law”. Netanyahu, who has been facing cor- He said the former U.S. governments along, when they decided to initiate the policy on Monday that the U.S.’ claims of support for provocations.” 2 ruption trial, has been able to remain in opposed settlements in the occupied ter- power thanks to Trump’s assistance. ritories but the current government does Despite his failure to form a cabinet in not object the move. the second parliamentary elections in a After the remarks by Pompeo, the world year, the Israeli prime minister is hopeful reacted angrily to the U.S. position. to win the Knesset elections to form a In this regard, Hamas spokesman government as the regime seems set for Basij brigade Hazem Ghasem condemned the an- another election. nouncement Pompeo, calling it complete- By shifting the forty-year U.S. stance holds “power ly inconsistence with international law. on Israel’s settlements in the occupied Ghasem stated that the remarks are a new territories, Trump dealt his last blow to the emphasis on Washington’s engagement Palestinian-Israeli peace process despite and security” in the war against the Palestinian nation talking about the peace project propagated and rights. He added that the settlements as “deal of the century”. are illegal just like occupation, and our From 1979, when former U.S. exercises nation will continue to fight the Zionist Democratic President Jimmy Carter regime to stop settlements, expel invaders, described the settlements in the West The Sahebolzaman Basij brigade held a maneu- and return Palestinians to the land that Bank as illegal, to the recent days that ver under the name of “power and security” they had been forced to flee. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday morning. It was held at Vali-Asr The Islamic Jihad Movement also con- announced a shift in U.S. position, all garrison at the presence of General Ali Fada- demned Pompeo’s remarks, saying these U.S. presidents opposed the settlement Mohsenifar Mohammad vi, the deputy chief of the Islamic Revolution remarks are manifestation of a hostile and in different ways. But Trump changed Guards Corps. illegitimate colonization. Criticizing the Arab the forty-year policy. In 2016 and last The drill was staged as thugs and rioters used world’s stance on Palestine, the movement days of Barack Obama’s presidency, the the people’s recent protests against hike in gaso- said that the silence of Arab countries over UN passed a resolution against Israel, line prices as an excuse to attack security forces, Israeli offensive into Gaza, al-Quds and the which condemned the settlements in Tehran Times/ doing arson attacks and creating insecurity in West Bank has emboldened the U.S. to take certain places. the West Bank. 3 such hostile decisions. 13 I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y POLITICS NOVEMBER 23, 2019

U.S. must act responsibly to protect lives of its soldiers: Russia says U.S. remains senior Iranian general

POLITICAL TEHRAN – Major General Gholam Ali deskRashid, the commander of the Khatam isolated at IAEA meeting ol-Anbia Central Headquarters, warned the United States By staff and agency In the first stage, Iran announced that it on Friday to act “responsibly” in the Persian Gulf and the Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia’s permanent rep- will not limit its stockpile of the nuclear fuel Strait of Hormuz for protection of the lives of its soldiers. resentative to international organizations in to 300 kilograms allowed under the deal. On The senior general said, “For preventing a war, it is not Vienna, said that the United States remained that date (May 8) Iran’s Supreme National enough to just send messages, rather it is necessary to act isolated at the International Atomic Ener- Security Council (SNSC) said if the remaining and behave properly.” gy Agency Board of Governors’ meeting on parties to the JCPOA, especially Europeans, Rashid made the remarks while visiting the air defense Thursday which discussed Iran’s nuclear devise a mechanism to protect Iran from the exercises in the province of Semnan. program. sanctions’ effect in the two-month deadline Almost all parties are fully committed to it will reverse its decision. Europe should account for the 2015 nuclear deal, formally known as But since European parties missed the the JCPOA, and the U.S. remains isolated, deadline, on July 7 Iran announced that it violating commitments Ulyanov said in a tweet. has started enriching uranium to a higher “Debates on #Iran in #IAEA Board of purity than the 3.67%, thereby starting the rather than defending Governors today were tough. 3 main observa- second step. rioters: Iran tions: 1) many expressed disappointment at Again, as Europe missed the second 60- US policy on #JCPOA, 2) even more speakers day deadline, Iran moved to take the third POLITICAL TEHRAN – Iranian Foreign Ministry were concerned over reductions of Iranian step, removing a ban on nuclear research deskspokesman Abbas Mousavi said on Thurs- commitments, 3)almost all are fully committed and development (R&D). day that Europe must he held accountable for reneging on to JCPOA. US remain isolated,” he tweeted. In the latest step, which was done on No- its commitments rather than defending rioters in recent In an exclusive interview with IRNA pub- vember 6, Iran started injecting uranium protests in Iran over petrol price hike. lished on Sunday, Ulyanov said Moscow is gas into 1,044 centrifuges at the Fordow concerned about the fate of the nuclear deal. nuclear site. It was done at the presence of Ulyanov said the deal is very important inspectors from the International Atomic and the parties have been working for more So far, the Atomic Energy Organization out of compliance.” Energy Agency (IAEA). than 10 years to achieve it. of Iran (AEOI) has taken four steps to cut On May 8, exactly one year after the U.S. This happened again after the Europeans Iran has started to gradually reduce its back commitments in accordance to para- abandoned the deal, Tehran announced that failed to take concrete step to save the JCPOA. commitments to the JCPOA in response to the graph 36 of the JCPOA which “allows one its “strategic patience” is over and began to Iran has said lifting ban on its oil export United States which abandoned the landmark side, under certain circumstances, to stop partially reduce its commitments to the and financial transactions are the main con- deal in May 2018 and reinstituted sanctions. complying with the deal if the other side is agreement at bi-monthly intervals. ditions to reverse its decision.

Iran files complaint against UK-based anti-Iran TV channels for inciting violence POLITICAL TEHRAN – The Iranian embassy in rallies against rise in gasoline price in Iran. Protests were sparked in some cities in Iran against deskLondon has filed a complaint against “Our country’s embassy in London has filed complaint increasing gasoline price. In certain cases, the protests “Instead of making interfering remarks and defending the London-based anti-Iran TV channels, Ambassador against Persian language anti-Iran TV channels of Iran turned violent as some rioters clashed with police, using rioters, Europe must be held accountable for reneging on Hamid Baeidinejad said on Friday. International, BBC Persian and Manoto TV to Ofcom, knives and guns. its commitments,” Mousavi said. The ambassador said the TV channels, which also because of the biased distortion of the recent incidents Rioters, who were mainly hooligans, damaged public His comments came as Maja Kocijancic, EU spokesperson includes the pro-Pahlavi Manoto TV, incite protestors in Iran and also their invitation for spread of violence,” and private property and put banks and state buildings for foreign affairs and security policy, issued a statement to resort to violence and also broadcast false reports about Baeidinejad tweeted on Friday. on fire. saying, “We expect Iran’s security forces to exercise maxi- mum restraint in handling the protests and for protesters to demonstrate peacefully. Any violence is unacceptable.” “The rights to freedom of expression and assembly must be Senior cleric: Article 27 of the constitution MP: Larijani made Majlis passive guaranteed,” Deutsche Welle quoted the statement as saying. Mousavi advised the Europeans to deal with their own allows peaceful gatherings, rallies in the last 4 years problems. POLITICAL TEHRAN – Tehran parliament speaker and the judiciary POLITICAL TEHRAN – A He added that the Europeans must prioritize implementing deskFriday prayers leader chief),” Khatami explained. “However,” deskprinciplist lawmaker their commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal and standing said based on the Article 27 of Iran’s he added, “we must accept that the has claimed that Parliament Speaker against the United States’ bullying actions. constitution the people are entitled to decision could be implemented in a Ali Larijani turned the legislature into Protests were sparked in some cities in Iran against ra- hold peaceful gatherings and rallies better way. This is fair to accept reality. a passive body during the last 4 years. tioning gasoline and substantially increasing its price. In provided that “principles of Islam” are The (decision makers) could justify the Touching upon a plan to impeach the certain cases, the protests turned violent as some rioters not targeted. people (about positive impacts of their speaker, Hossein-Ali Haji-Deligani said, clashed with police, using knives and guns. Rioters, who The constitution’s chapter III decision). Our people understand and “The speakers’ performance caused Majlis were mainly hooligans, pillaged stores and damaged public (Article 19 to 42) refers to the rights accept the reality.” not to stand atop all affairs.” and private property. of the Iranian people saying, “Article On November 15, at night time, Imam Khomeini, the founder of the 27 provides for freedom of assembly, the National Iranian Oil Products Islamic Republic, had highlighted that provided that arms are not carried and Distribution Company (NIOPDC) issued “Majlis is atop all affairs”. welfare for all walks of the life but Judiciary chief: Security, the assemblies are not detrimental to a statement to recount details for new “The speaker has done a number of illegal the government has ignored them to tranquility is top priority the fundamental principles of Islam. prices of gasoline in the country, which violations whose last one is announcing his implement,” Haji-Deligani went on to say. The law shall determine the details of was followed by another statement in own private vote for gas price rise in the “11 lawmakers have signed a letter to this exception.” the next day by Vice-President and Supreme Economic Coordination Council , impeach Ali Larijani and 50 others have 1 Certain rioters misused the people’s protest against Ayatollah Seyed Ahmad Khatami Head of the Management and Planning which includes heads of the three branches singed another letter to impeach President price rise by attacking security forces with knives, machetes, said, “Nobody is against protests. No Organization (MPO) Mohammad Baqer of the government, without consulting the Hassan Rouhani,” he added. and even guns, killing a number of them. The rioters also one confronted the protestors, but it Nobakht who said that the revenues representatives’ views,” Haji-Deliganitold On November 15, at night time, the damaged public and private property and set a number of was clear that some rioters embarked from price increase would be paid in the the ANA news agency. National Iranian Oil Products Distribution banks and state buildings on fire. on riding on the protests’ waves.” form cash subsidy to 60 million people. “In the meantime, the government Company (NIOPDC) issued a statement to Group of people in certain cities According to the new formula, 60 optionally implements only those recount details for new prices of gasoline in across the country took to the streets liters of gasoline per month is priced ratifications of the Majlis that it wants the country, which was followed by another after the government announced a rise at 1500 tomans and any amount more which is nothing but ignorance of statement in the next day by Vice-President in subsidized gas price. than that 3000 tomans. legislators’ ratifications,” added Haji- and Head of the Management and Planning “The protests occurred following The rationed 60 liters is increased Deligani, who represents Shahin Shahr Organization (MPO) Mohammad Baqer gas price rise. The decision was made 50 percent and the rest 200 percent. and Meymeh in the parliament. Nobakht who said that the revenues from by heads of the three branches of Despite substantial increase, Iran still “A large number of the Majlis price increase would be paid in the form the government (the president, the has the cheapest gasoline in the world. ratifications are in line with providing cash subsidy to 60 million people.

Russia slams Pompeo’s support for rioters in Iran as hypocritical 1 Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi Mousavi added that Pompeo is claiming support for the Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East and North Africa Director said on Sunday that the Iranian people condemn Pompeo’s Iranian people while he had said before that Iran should at Human Rights Watch, said that if Mike Pompeo really support for rioters. surrender if it wants its people to eat. wants to help the people of Iran, he can move to end their “Actions being taken by a number of rioters and saboteurs The Foreign Ministry on Wednesday summoned collective punishment through sanctions that are strangling who are supported by someone like him [Pompeo] have Switzerland’s Ambassador to Tehran Markus Leitner, their health and economy. The Judiciary chief has expressed his dismay over the nothing to do with the insightful Iranian people,” Mousavi said. whose country represents the U.S. interests in Iran, over “The last thing they need is for the U.S. State Department way the price increase was implemented, suggesting that He added that the Iranian people are well aware that Pompeo’s comments. to undermine their protests by manipulating their grievances the citizens should have been fully informed about it before such supports “are not out of sympathy”. In a commentary on Tuesday, the British newspaper for political potshots,” she said. it had gone into force. “Interesting! They are expressing sympathy with the people Independent said the U.S. support for the Iranian protesters is A senior Democratic Congressional aide told The “We consider you people as our confident. We believe who are under the United States’ economic terrorism,” the not genuine as Washington’s sanctions has caused economic Independent, “No one seriously believes they care about that if a large number of great decisions are made after Foreign Ministry official noted. crisis in the country. the rights of Iranians.” consultations with people… and gaining consensus of elites, those decisions will turn into the greatest supporters of the people,” Ayatollah Raisi remarked. Raisi also criticized the Rouhani administration for Navy moves headquarters Pakistan president lauds Ayatollah Khamenei postponing the decision for gradually increasing petrol to southern Iran for strong support on Kashmir issue prices over the last six years of its ruling. “Based on the law, the government was committed since TEHRAN (FNA) — The Iranian Navy By staff and agency wars over it. a couple of years ago to manage fuel but it did nothing which transferred its main headquarters from Pakistani President Arif Alvi said on Kashmir was the scene of fresh pro- is meant the government delayed its duty clearly described the capital city of Tehran to the port city of Friday that Islamabad is grateful for tests and placed under a lockdown ever by the law for several years,” top judge complained. Bandar Abbas, on the shores of the Persian Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatol- since Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Tehran Friday prayers leader Ayatollah Seyed Ahmad Gulf waters. lah Ali Khamenei for his strong support government revoked the Indian-ad- Khatami said based on the Article 27 of Iran’s constitution Iranian Navy Commander Rear Admiral for the just struggle of the people of ministered region’s special status in the people are entitled to hold peaceful gatherings and Hossein Khanzadi inaugurated the new Azad Jammu and Kashmir. August. rallies provided that “principles of Islam” are not targeted. headquarters in Bandar Abbas on Thursday. During a meeting with Mehdi Honar- India has claimed the decision to The constitution’s chapter III (Article 19 to 42) refers to He said that the plan to move the Navy’s doost, the outgoing Iranian ambassa- strip the Muslim-majority region of the rights of the Iranian people saying, “Article 27 provides headquarters started some years ago with dor to Pakistan, Alvi said that Pakistan its semi-autonomy was necessary for for freedom of assembly, provided that arms are not carried the guidance of the Islamic Revolution various cultural, social, and economic greatly values Iran’s consistent support economic development in Kashmir and and the assemblies are not detrimental to the fundamental Leader Ayatollah Khamenei so that the effects in the region and will turn into a on various regional issues, Associated to stop “terrorism.” principles of Islam. The law shall determine the details of force would be closer to operational zones. great capacity for the people of Hormoz- Press of Pakistan reported. Ayatollah Khamenei has urged In- this exception.” “A significant part of Navy HQ elements gan province. Honardoost said that Pakistan and dia to follow a “fair policy” toward the On November 15, at night time, the National Iranian will be transferred (to Bandar Abbas) and Capacities of the Navy will be accessible Iran are brotherly countries and re- Kashmiri people. Oil Products Distribution Company (NIOPDC) issued a the naval forces will be led with an increased to local people which is a great development, gional peace and stability was their “We maintain good relations with statement to recount details for new prices of gasoline in focus,” he said. Rear Admiral Khanzadi said. high priority. the Indian government, but the Indi- the country, which was followed by another statement in Rear Admiral Khanzadi said that this The Iranian Navy has in recent years Kashmir has been divided between an government is expected to adopt a the next day by Vice-President and Head of the Manage- transfer “will increase the speed of op- along with the Islamic Revolution Guards India and Pakistan since their partition fair policy toward the decent people of ment and Planning Organization (MPO) Mohammad Baqer erations and will allow the Navy to have Corps (IRGC) Navy strengthened its ca- and independence from Britain in 1947. Kashmir so that the Muslim people of Nobakht who said that the revenues from price increase more focus on waters”. pabilities and was equipped with different The disputed region is claimed in full the region are not put under pressure,” would be paid in the form cash subsidy to 60 million people. He noted that the measure will have home-made weapons. by both sides, which have fought three he said in August. I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y NOVEMBER 23, 2019 IRAN IN FOCUS 3

U.S. meddles in Iran’s affairs, again, Iranian, Japanese foreign ministers hold phone talks, after protests subside discuss broad range of issues POLITICAL TEHRAN — U.S. Sec- place within the country,” Trump wrote. deskretary of State Mike “They want ZERO transparency, think- POLITICAL TEHRAN — Iranian Foreign Minister Moham- desk Pompeo has provoked Iranian protestors ing the world will not find out the death mad Javad Zarif and his Japanese counterpart to submit video and other information doc- and tragedy that the Iranian Regime is Toshimitsu Motegi held a telephone conversation on Wednesday night, umenting what he called the government’s causing!” he added. discussing a broad range of subjects including Tehran-Tokyo ties. “crackdown” on protesters, warning that On the same day, the U.S. Special Rep- Zarif and Motegi discussed ways to promote bilateral coop- Washington will sanction “the abuses.” resentative for Iran, Brian Hook, told the eration in different fields. “I have asked the Iranian protesters to BBC Persian service that Washington was send us their videos, photos, and information satisfied with the protests in Iran. documenting the regime’s crackdown on Hook, who is tasked with finding all the protesters. The U.S. will expose and sanc- ways to put more and more pressure on tion the abuses,” Pompeo said in a tweet Iran, claimed the Islamic Republic itself, late on Thursday. and not the U.S. government, is responsible The tweet was published in both English for the protests. and Persian. Responding to U.S. interference in The U.S. government has voiced support Iran’s internal affairs, Foreign Minister for the instability in Iran ever since a mixture Mohammad Javad Zarif has said the U.S. of peaceful and violent protests broke out claims of support for the Iranian people is across the country due to a hike in gasoline a “shameful lie”. price, which was a result of U.S. economic “A regime which imposes economic Zarif Motegi sanctions against the Iranian nation. terrorism and prevents sending food and In another tweet on Tuesday, Pompeo medicine to ordinary people, including the The two chief diplomats also shared views on regional and wrote, “The Iranian people will enjoy a elderly and sick ones, can never make an international issues.They also discussed the latest developments better future when their government begins obscene claim of supporting the Iranian surrounding the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive to respect basic human rights, abandons to Pompeo’s meddlesome remarks. 75 percent of the population. people,” Zarif said on Monday. Plan of Action (JCPOA), Tasnim reported. its revolutionary posture and its destabi- In a tweet last Saturday, Pompeo had Despite the increase, Iran still has the “Lawful protest is the people’s right which In August, Zarif paid a visit to Japan in a tour of Asia and lizing activities in the region, and simply also said, “As I said to the people of Iran cheapest petrol in the world. has been recognized by the constitution held meetings with senior Japanese authorities, including Prime behaves like a normal nation. The choice almost a year and a half ago: The United In a tweet on Thursday, U.S. President of the Islamic Republic of Iran. There is Minister Abe Shinzo.During his stay in Japan, Zarif also delivered is with the regime.” States is with you.” Donald Trump also cheered the protests no need for deceitful supports of regimes a speech at the Japan Institute of International Affairs (JIIA) Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Ministry Although the Iranian government in- in Iran. which seek to reach their illegitimate and about Iran’s foreign policy and held a meeting with prominent on Wednesday summoned Switzerland’s creased the gasoline price, it has said all “Iran has become so unstable that the illegal objectives through imposing eco- Japanese scholars, researchers, business people, and journalists. Ambassador to Tehran Markus Leitner whose the proceeds from the price rise will be regime has shut down their entire Internet nomic pressure, even in area of food and Japan has been a strong advocate of the JCPOA, which has country represents the U.S. interests in Iran. paid in form of cash subsidy to 60 mil- System so that the Great Iranian people cannot medicine, on the Iranian people,” the foreign been abandoned by the Trump administration. The Swiss diplomat was summoned due lion Iranians, which account for about talk about the tremendous violence taking minister added. Before the abrogation of the multilateral deal, Japan was co- operating with Iran on nuclear safety. Japan has also refused to join the U.S.-led maritime coalition in the Persian Gulf, sending Iranians rally to support establishment as riots contained its warships to the Middle East separately to protect waterways. TEHRAN (Press TV) — There was America and Saudi Arabia” had joined disappointment in Washington when forces to organize destructive riots from South Korean envoy stresses recent violent riots in Iran that sought abroad. to take advantage of protests over a gas- Addressing worshipers during weekly resolution of problems hurdling oline price hike ended within 48 hours, Friday prayers in Tehran, senior Iranian expansion of ties with Iran says deputy commander of the Islamic cleric Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami said cer- Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC). tain foreign countries had spent “three TEHRAN (FNA) — South Korean Ambassador to Tehran Yu “Based on information we have re- years” preparing for an opportunity to Jang Hian underlined the need for the settlement of problems ceived, the Americans have gone mad that wreak havoc in Iran, training specific which prevent further development of economic and trade ties the riots were over within 48 hours and elements to that end. and cooperation with Iran. are disappointed that there is no more “But their schemes were neutralized,” Hian made the remarks in a meeting with the Head of Iran- disorder in Iran,” Brigadier General Ali he said, adding that the riots ceased to South Korea Parliamentary Friendship Group Asadollah Abbasi Fadavi said on Friday. continue despite the fact that countries in Tehran on Wednesday. On November 15, the government such as Saudi Arabia had spent many He stressed the importance of maintaining and developing raised Iran’s extremely cheap gasoline resources and had provided much media economic relations and cooperation between the two countries. prices in order to moderate the nation- coverage in order to instigate disorder. He also highlighted the significant role of parliamentary friend- al consumption rate, which stands at Following the Friday prayers, numer- ship groups in identifying and resolving the obstacles in the path 110 million liters per day, 40 million ous rallies were also held across Iran to of economic relations between the two countries. liters above the maximum domestic condemn the recent riots. Hian also emphasized the need to strengthen mutual cooperation requirement. The protesters condemned the U.S., in various fields. Abbasi, for his part, referred to the history of friendly The government also announced a stations among other facilities, and open- ment has to adopt additional measures to Israel and seditionist elements for fueling relations between the two countries, adding that Iran and South Korea number of aid and subsidiary programs ing fire on people and security forces. reduce pressure on the general population. the unrest and chanted slogans in support have great capacities in various fields which should be further increased. to protect vulnerable households from Speaking on Friday, however, Fadavi Fadavi added, however, “the fact that of the Islamic establishment. In relevant remarks in February, South Korean Foreign Minister the adverse effects of the measure. said that in numerous calls with other the malicious actors of the world are tar- Addressing recent riots during a speech, Kang Kyung-wha told her Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad The price reform, required by Iranian IRGC officials in the country no further geting Iran in issues that are by no means Iran’s Judiciary chief Ebrahim Raisi said Zarif that Seoul was determined to expand its bilateral relations legislature and essential as U.S.-imposed riot attempts had been reported. related to them is a matter to note.” those “who have abused the concerns and with Tehran, regardless of the US unilateral sanctions. sanctions seek to deplete Iran’s budgetary “Attacking homes, shops, hospitals, ‘A full-fledged war’ troubles of the people in order to create She expressed her country’s willingness to maintain its friendly resources, had been long delayed due to banks and gas stations is a malicious act Brigadier General Salar Abnoosh, a disorder and insecurity” will face severe relations with the Tehran despite the anti-Iran pressures. concerns regarding the move’s probable which is not an act of protest nor rioting, deputy head of Iran’s Basij volunteer consequences. Kyung-wha also expressed Seoul’s interest in continuing decades backlash. but an act of thievery,” Fadavi said. forces, said Friday “a full-fledged war” “The Islamic Republic of Iran is known of good relations between the two countries despite pressures The measure’s adoption prompted “This is the difference between protest had been meant to be waged against the as the safest country in the region due and sanctions. The Korean minister offered sympathy over the initially peaceful protests, but riotous and disorder,” he said. country, only to be quelled early on. to the sacrifices of our martyrs and our recent terrorist attack in Southeastern Iran. elements, abusing the situation, quick- The IRGC deputy commander added Abnoosh added that interrogations wounded,” he said. During the meeting, the two sides exchanged views studied ly entered the scene, destroying public that peaceful protests were “natural” given of arrested rioters had revealed that a “We will never allow the smallest breach the economic and trade relations, as well as the most important property, setting ablaze banks and gas the recent price hike and that the govern- “coalition of evil” made up of “Zionists, in the security of our people,” he added. regional and international issues, including Korean Peninsula situation and JCPOA.

Europe should pay price to salvage JCPOA: envoy Trump’s special services to 1 “Europe needs to define the U.S. destructive role as the Natanz uranium enrichment plant in central Iran on the main reason for the current state of the affairs instead October 28. Netanyahu: From recognizing of criticizing Iran,” he added. “It is imperative for the agency’s inspectors to observe Gharibabadi also dismissed as “baseless” claims of nuclear the Islamic Republic of Iran’s regulations as well as the al-Quds as Israel’s capital to proliferation by Western countries as Iran has removed regulations governing our important and vital facilities, backing settlements some limits on nuclear energy program, stressing that such because we view it as a right to protect our sensitive centers,” baseless remarks will not stop Iran from continuing its the spokesman noted. national plans. Iran immediately reported the issue to the IAEA and 1 The settlement policy was so inconsistent with international The ambassador said, “Nuclear weapons do not hold accommodated it with relevant evidence too, he added, law and against peace with the Palestinians that even the United any place in Iran’s defensive and security doctrine.” saying,” We are awaiting the agency’s response. We hope States, the chief supporter of the Zionist regime, refused to veto the UN He also said, “The U.S. claim of negotiations with Iran that the agency has a convincing response.” Security Council resolution as it had been doing all through decades. is a mere political gesture to evade its responsibilities in If Tehran deems necessary and finds some inspectors, Another service by Trump was to recognize the Israeli living up to its international commitments.” whom the country itself has allowed onto its soil, in default sovereignty over the occupied Golan Heights. The action The envoy underlined that Iran’s reduction of its vol- of its laws and regulations or the standing agreements, industrial structures against the malware. also was in line with reinforcing Netanyahu’s position in untary nuclear commitments is meant to bring back the “It is natural [for the country] to be sensitive, and has to Many of the country’s nuclear scientists have also been the election, a move which was objected by his rivals, who balance to the pact, adding that with Iran as the only party bar their entrance [into its nuclear facilities],” the Iranian assassinated by Israeli agents in an attempt to forestall viewed it as an interference in Israeli affairs. committed to the deal, it will make it a unilateral agreement. official clarified. advancement of the country’s nuclear energy program. The Golan Heights belong to Syria. Israel occupied the U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew from the JCPOA According to Ambassador Gharibabadi, a detector for IAEA to meet Iranian officials in Tehran next Golan Heights in 1967 and formally annexed it to the occupied in May 2018 and imposed economic and financial sanctions explosive nitrates went off when the inspector attempted week territories in 1981. The annexation has been opposed by the against the Islamic Republic. to enter the enrichment plant. Iranian authorities repeated Also on Thursday, the acting IAEA director general, international community. The U.S. is the first country that Under the nuclear agreement, Tehran undertook to put the inspection, but detection equipment kept showing Cornel Feruta, said there would be a meeting between the has recognized Israel’s sovereignty over the Syrian territory. limits on its nuclear program in exchange for the removal that the individual had the substance about her person, agency and Iranian officials in Tehran in the upcoming A month later, Netanyahu, in a heavily propagandistic way and of economic and financial sanctions. Press TV reported. week, Press TV reported. in line with his approach of deceiving Trump, announced that a Following the U.S. withdrawal, Iran remained fully Gharibabadi noted that the woman «sneaked out» The meeting, he added, would discuss what he called city will be built after the name of Trump in the Golan Heights. committed to the JCPOA for a year, but announced on to the bathroom while officials looked for a female em- the agency’s “detecting natural uranium particles of an- Although the plan was passed in the Knesset, no budget was approved the anniversary of Washington’s bellicose move that its ployee to search her. After her return, the alarms did thropogenic origin at a location in Iran not declared to for its implementation. It did not go beyond a propaganda. That is why “strategic patience” is over and would gradually reduce not go off again, but authorities found contamination in the agency.” former U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, in a speech at Harvard its commitments to the deal at 60-day intervals, which the bathroom and later on her empty handbag during a “We have continued our interactions with Iran since University, called Netanyahu “an extraordinarily skilled” politician were designed as deadlines for Europe to protect Tehran’s house search, the envoy said. then, but have not received any additional information and and said that Trump has been played by Israel’s prime minister. interests under the deal. The incident drew the ire of the United States, with the matter remains unresolved,” Feruta said after taking Trump’s another service to Netanyahu and blow to Palestine So far, Iran has taken four steps in that regard. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo claiming that the inspector part in a meeting of the IAEA board. was to recognize al-Quds as the Zionist regime’s capital and to Paragraph 36 of the JCPOA “allows one side, under had been «detained» in an «outrageous and unwarranted He did not specify the origin of the allegation, but since move the U.S. embassy to the city. The action was considered as certain circumstances, to stop complying with the deal if act of intimidation.» last April, the U.S. and Israel have been busy making a fuss a huge success for Netanyahu, especially at a time that he was the other side is out of compliance.” «IAEA inspectors must be allowed to conduct their critical about unsubstantiated Tel Aviv-sourced allegations about under political and judicial pressure. ‘IAEA must respect our regulations’ work unimpeded,» Pompeo said in a statement afterwards. undeclared nuclear activity by Tehran. All Palestinian groups, such as Hamas and the Islamic Jihad, as Meanwhile, on Thursday the Foreign Ministry said Iran Gharibabadi, however, noted that the Islamic Republic Following the meeting, Feruta told reporters that the well as the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) opposed Trump’s considers protecting vital nuclear sites and facilities its in- was entitled not to condone any behavior or action that might agency will continue verifying the implementation of the action, and the relations between the U.S. and the Palestinian Na- alienable right and expects the IAEA to respect regulations be against the safety and security of its nuclear installations. Safeguards Agreement and the Additional Protocol to the tional Authority nosedived. Palestinian National Authority President it has set for safeguarding such sites. Iran’s nuclear industry has been targeted in repeated Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) in Iran. Mahmoud Abbas called al-Quds the eternal capital of Palestine. Ministry spokesperson Abbas Mousavi made the remarks acts of sabotage. In 2010, Stuxnet, a cyber weapon widely He added that cooperation and interactions with Iran on Now, one should wait and see whether Netanyahu, who in an interview after the Islamic Republic’s authorities believed to have been made by the U.S. and Israel, hit the the basis of the Safeguards Agreement have been positive has failed to form a cabinet in the last two elections, will be barred a female IAEA inspector, who had tested positive uranium enrichment facility at Natanz, prompting Tehran so far «and this issue has been reflected in reports that I able to play an effective role in the political structure of the for suspected traces of explosive nitrates, from entering to develop an indigenous firewall to secure its sensitive have presented to the Board of Governors.» Zionist regime or should he get ready for his trial. I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y 4 ECONOMY NOVEMBER 23, 2019

STOCK MARKET Iran to hold permanent expo to TEDPIX 304997.0 IFX 3950.1 Sources: tse.ir, Ifb.ir promote domestic production 1 Rahmani noted that IDRO will “Domestic Production Opportunities”, Aali CURRENCIES be in charge of the exhibition and all related said. institutions, industries and organizations The country’s first exhibition of domestic USD 42,000 rials are also tasked to cooperate in this regard. production opportunities and manufacturing EUR 46,516 rials According to Deputy Industry Minister boom was one of the major steps the ministry Mohammad-Baqer Aali, IDRO was elected took in this regard during the current year. GBP 54,297 rials to organize the exhibition since it had the The exhibit aimed at joining the country’s top manufacturers and producers in the AED 11,437 rials experience of holding the first exhibition of the country’s domestic production opportunities industry sector with the academic and Source: cbi.ir back in July. knowledge-based institutions in order to The IDRO head further mentioned some help them reach their great potentials. of the decisions made in the first meeting Since the U.S. re-imposed sanctions on of the exhibition’s executive committee, Iran to pressure the country’s economy, Iran COMMODITIES saying “Specializing the exhibition based has been taking all necessary measures to mitigate the impact of the sanctions and Brent $63.88/b on industry, holding provincial and virtual exhibitions, allocating a permanent space for counter the U.S. actions. WTI $58.36/b the exhibition and accelerating the process Improving and boosting domestic of holding the exhibition where among the production has been one of the major OPEC Basket $62.22/b decisions made in the meeting.” strategies that Iran has been following in Gold $1,472.15/oz The mentioned exhibition is going to be the past two years in order to increase its a permanent form of the previously held independence. Silver $$17.23/oz Platinium $912.55/oz Sources: oilprice.com, Moneymetals.com Afghanistan eyes boosting transit Tehran, Moscow stress expansion through Iran’s Chabahar Port of all-out ties ECONOMY TEHRAN — Afghan- companies have registered with Chabahar ECONOMY TEHRAN – Iranian Annual fishery exports to hit deskistan Ambassador to Free Trade–Industrial Zone Organization deskEnergy Minister Reza $600m by Mar. 2020 Tehran Abdul Ghafoor Liwal says his for trade activities in the port, however only Ardakanian and his Russian counterpart country plans to increase commodity 32 of them are currently active. Alexander Novak met in Moscow on Thurs- ECONOMY TEHRAN — Iran’s annual exports of fishery transit through Iranian Chabahar Port, “Chabahar is a strategic port and Afghan day and stressed expansion of ties in all deskis anticipated to reach 150,000 tons valued IRNA reported. businessmen and traders need to have a areas, IRNA reported. at $600 million in the current Iranian calendar year (ends on Liwal made the remarks in a meeting greater presence in it and increase their As reported, the two sides followed March 19, 2020), according to Isa Golshahi, Fishery Organiza- with the Chairman of the Board of Chabahar investment,” Kordi stressed. up on the agreements made in different tion’s director general for quality improvement, processing, and Free Trade–Industrial Zone Organization The official assured Liwal that the organ- fields of energy, industry, agriculture and market development. Abdolrahim Kordi on Wednesday. ization will have the outmost cooperation banking during the 15th Iran-Russia Joint for electrification of Garmsar-Inche Boroun In the meeting, Liwal said expansion with all foreign investors and there would Economic Committee meeting. railway that links the city of Garmsar, in of all-out relations won’t be possible with- be no limitations in this regard. Earlier this week, Ardakanian had north of the Iranian capital Tehran, with out stronger economic ties and “we are “Chabahar has a bright future, and all announced that as the chair of the two the Iranian city of Inche-Boroun, on the determined for stronger presence of our the problems that the investors are facing countries’ joint economic committee he border with Turkmenistan. businessmen and traders in Chabahar Port.” will be resolved ….there is no worries,” he was heading a delegation to visit Moscow in The official also noted that the ministry “Chabahar is an economic and a transit emphasized. order to follow up on the issue of Russia’s has also been negotiating for determining bridge for Afghanistan and we are going Afghanistan officially started exporting allocation of $5 billion of loan for imple- the projects for which the rest of the $5 to expand our economic relations through goods to India through Chabahar port in a mentation of development projects in Iran. billion fund should be allocated and some increasing exports and imports through ceremony held in early February. As previously approved by the Iranian projects have been approved in this regard. Chabahar,” he said. The event was attended by Afghan Pres- parliament, the government was allowed Manufacturing of 2,000 passenger According to the official, following ident Ashraf Ghani, along with Iranian to receive $5 billion in loans from Russia wagons for the country’s subways and also the country’s plans for boosting trade Ambassador to Kabul Mohammadreza for development projects. construction of a railway between the south- in Chabahar, setting up an Afghan bank Bahrami and Indian Ambassador to Af- The news of Russia providing a $5 bil- eastern provinces of Sistan-Baluchestan branch in the port is one of the plans that ghanistan Vinay Kumar. lion loan to Iran for joint infrastructure and eastern province of South Khorasan Afghanistan is pursuing along with other In 2016, Iran, India and Afghanistan projects first came in October 2015 when are two of these new projects. programs to resolve issues like residency decided to jointly establish a trade route Novak traveled to Tehran. Iran and Russia signed eight memoran- The official put the exports of fishery at 143,000 tons worth and certification problems. for land-locked Central Asian countries. According to Ardakanian, the mentioned dums of understanding (MOUs) in the 15th $528 million in the past Iranian year, IRNA reported. Kordi for his part underlined some India committed up to $500 million for fund was going to be allocated for construc- Iran-Russia Joint Economic Committee According to the deputy head of Fishery Organization Hossein of the port’s capacities and investment the development of Iran’s Chabahar Port tion a 1400 megawatts (MW) power plant in meeting which was wrapped up on June Ali Abdolhay, some 12 aquatic species are already bred in Iran potentials, saying more than 176 Afghan along with associated roads and rail lines. the southern Hormozgan province, and also 17 in Isfahan. and the figure is planned to reach 17 by the end of the Sixth Five- Year National Development Plan (March 2021). TPO to dispatch trade delegation to Italy in mid-Jan. 2020 South Africa’s transport ECONOMY TEHRAN — Trade Promotion Organi- the major trade partners of Iran in the European Union and nessmen and entrepreneurs in investing in Iran, Conciatori future depends on how deskzation of Iran (TPO) will dispatch a trade expansion of trade ties with the country is a priority for Iran. stressed, “We should not worry about the future of Iran-Italy delegation to Italy during January 11-14, 2020, TPO portal Gholam-Hossein Shafeie made the remarks in a meeting economic relations.” economy is stimulated published. with Italian Ambassador to Iran at the time, Mauro Conciatori. “Despite U.S. sanctions, the two countries’ trade turno- The Iranian delegates are active in the bag and shoes Conciatori for his part emphasized that the cooperation ver is currently more than 4 billion euros” Conciatori said. Transport infrastructure is considered a critical part of the Na- industries. between Iran and Italy will be maintained at all levels. “We are currently in the process of “contemplating” to tional Development Plan 2030, with State-owned Transnet capital In mid-June, head of Iran Chamber of Commerce, Indus- Mentioning the growth of trade turnover between Iran plan better future relations, and I’m sure we will have a projects acting project director Shraveen Ramdhar on Thursday tries, Mines and Agriculture (ICCIMA) said Italy is one of and Italy in recent years and the interest of Italian busi- bigger jump forward after this era”, he added. saying South Africa’s transport future was dependent on how government intended to stimulate the economy. To better equip the economy for expansion, a Transport Roadmap will play a key role, demanding the industry employ Eurozone PMI: Economy stagnates as German services sector plummets a different approach to how it delivers transport infrastructure. South Africa’s transport future was “very bright”, Ramdhar By Joe Curtis in the right direction and it would seem the worst of the downturn is over barring any shocks.” said, adding that it would provide plenty of opportunities for The Eurozone economy remained close to stagnation in growth. Further, South Africa Incorporated would need to con- Joshua Mahony, a senior market analyst at online spread November as activity sank to a two-month low. better IG, said the raft of data offered a “mixed picture” for sider what its role would be as part of the bigger African context. The bloc’s economy barely registered growth, hitting “Multiple initiatives have been in place, and those conver- the region as manufacturing gained as services slumped in a measure of 50.3 on IHS Markit’s closely followed Flash Germany and France. sations have started,” he told Engineering News Online after a Eurozone Purchasing Managers Index (PMI). roundtable discussion, saying that, unfortunately, considering A “sharp spike in manufacturing surveys will come as a That was a drop from October’s 50.6, and just above the welcome surprise for many, with the detrimental trade war that these conversations “are highly strategic”, the implemen- 50 mark that represents flat growth. tation thereof would take time. remaining a drag on global trade in manufactured goods,” However, the euro held up against the dollar, broadly he added. Touching on what the country’s transport roadmap was ex- flat at $1.106. pected to look at from 2020 and beyond, Ramdhar said all of “However, it is important to not get too carried away given November marked the Eurozone’s third month in a row the fact that both German and Eurozone manufacturing the major transport sectors – road, rail and port – were due to of a fall in new orders for goods and services, hurt by Brexit play a significant role. both remain within a phase of contraction.” uncertainty and ongoing trade war tensions. London Capital Group’s head of research, Jasper Lawler, However, the roadmap would need to be clear in setting out Hiring subsequently sank for the fifth consecutive month, risk aversion.” what each sector was meant to do, while simultaneously ensuring warned there is a “gaping hole” between poor economic to hit its lowest level of growth since January 2015. Germany PMI saw business conditions continue to wors- performance and the huge gains made by European bourses that implementation thereof took place. Manufacturers were hit the hardest. While new orders en in the Eurozone’s biggest economy, in the meantime. The “South African context has applicability, (and) it just this year. declined at the slowest rate for five months, the fall remained Services sector PMI – which has held up the German “Soft PMIs across the Eurozone completely unravelled, needs to be very clear about how it’s going to be implemented steeped, led by a drop in exports. economy of late in the face of a manufacturing downturn and it possibly needs more involvement with local authorities and then some,” he said. The “one highlight was a bigger than “Manufacturing remains in its deepest downturn for six – crashed to a 38-month low of 51.3. That compares to expected pickup in German manufacturing. It was German and national leadership in the country,” he pointed out. years amid ongoing trade woes, and November saw further October’s 51.6. An infrastructure-led economy manufacturing that led Europe into its latest malaise via signs of the weakness spilling over to services, notably via “While still showing a degree of resilience, the service the troubled in the auto sector and slowing global trade. Further, an infrastructure-led economy had also been considered slower employment growth,” IHS Markit’s chief business sector is growing only modestly and at its slowest rate for as a viable approach to improving the country’s stagnant gross This might be the first inkling of German manufacturing economist, Chris Williamson, said. over three years,” IHS Markit’s Phil Smith said. leading the rebound.” domestic product growth. In building transport infrastructure, “Business remains concerned by trade wars, Brexit and a Moving the right direction such as road and rail networks, it would not only facilitate the The “longer the PMIs languish at these levels the lesser general slowdown in demand, with heightened uncertainty “By contrast, manufacturing remains firmly in contrac- the prospects for a 2020 rebound,” Lawler added. movement of people and goods, but also create jobs and have about the economic and political outlook driving further tion, but many of the indicators here are at least moving multiplier effects from the start of construction. (Source: cityam.com) The challenge, however, would be in how these projects were financed, as any construction project requires significant finan- cial investment. Fund availability should be addressed, Gibb Engineering and China’s economy to grow 5.8 percent next year, Goldman Sachs says Architecture transport business development head Fana Marutla An easing in trade tensions, a bottoming-out reacceleration” as seen by Goldman next relatively more weight on risk control and an easing of headline inflation in the second said, adding that this investment in infrastructure would also of global manufacturing activity and the con- year would represent a good outcome for sustainability, and accepts slightly lower half of 2020. Only a moderate improvement help to grow the economy. tinuation of cautious policy support will aid China’s policy makers, who have grappled growth as the price for reduced tail risk,” in producer-price deflation is expected, they The economy, he noted, had to grow at a rate of more than the stabilization in China’s economy next with the combined downward effects of their the economists wrote. “Chinese policymakers argued. 5% a year in order to decrease the climbing unemployment rate, year, according to Goldman Sachs Group. own efforts to curb financial risks and the appear to be increasingly focused on ‘play- The biggest risk to this picture of stabi- which currently stood at 29.1%. The world’s second-largest economy will confidence-sapping impact of the trade war ing the long game’ in terms of their policy lization is a breakdown in the U.S.-China Mobility Centre for Africa founder and executive director grow 5.8 percent next year, and will be helped through the course of 2019. settings.” trade talks. Victor Radebe, meanwhile, suggested that South Africa had to by resilient consumer spending, economists Acknowledging that the People’s Bank of The rise in China’s consumer price inflation “Both sides have an incentive to bargain gear up to respond to the drivers of change – urbanization, climate including Andrew Tilton and Hui Shan wrote China and the fiscal authorities have stepped in the course of the swine fever outbreak this aggressively and each appears to perceive it change and digital transformation. in their 2020 outlook published on Friday. up support this year, the Goldman economists year has presented a challenge to policymakers has the advantage,” according to the report. Looking at the future of mobility, he said integration needed The consensus among economists sur- still see the need for further easing in 2020, as it has been coupled with deflation in the “We see the next few weeks as the critical to be strongly considered in pursuit of a multi-modal transport veyed by Bloomberg for 2020 output growth “with an emphasis on fiscal measures”. industrial sector. For 2020, that situation phase, before the scheduled December 15 system in South Africa. is 5.9 percent. There has been a “shift in domestic policy is likely to continue, the economists wrote, tariff implementation.” (Source: engineeringnews.co.za) Stabilization, or even a “weak sequential towards a more conservative stance that puts with a recovery in the stock of sows aiding (Source: thenational.ae) I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y NOVEMBER 23, 2019 ENERGY 5

Electricity exports Volume uptake of gas as fuel awaits the conversion of to neighbors at LNG-ready tonnage LNG-fuelled newbuildings will remain a minor component of the global fleet going forward, says Stuart Nicoll from Maritime Strategies International. Recent months have seen a step-up in interest in the top- 1400 MW per day ic of LNG as fuel, with a number of high profile deals being reported or floated for the main cargo sectors. This comes as ENERGY TEHRAN — Iran’s total boring countries greatly rely on electricity the advantages of LNG as a fuel are being promoted in some deskdaily electricity exports to imports because of their poor infrastructure quarters, notably low/zero emissions of SOx and NOx and lower the neighboring countries stands at 1400 and networks and Iran should take advantage greenhouse gas emissions compared to oil-based fossil fuels. megawatts (MW), IRIB reported on Thursday, of this opportunity. While gas is clearly not a long-term solution to reducing quoting an electricity official. Based on the country’s Sixth Five-Year GHG emissions from shipping, it is argued that it offers a According to the Deputy Head of Iran National Development Plan (2016-2021), bridge for those companies that need a solution today, when Electricity Industry Syndicate Payam Baqeri, Iran was planned to become an energy hub the development of other fuel technologies are in their infancy. of the mentioned figure 1,200 MW is exported in the region and the government needs to The extent to which LNG as a fuel is creating orders rath- to Iraq and the rest goes to Afghanistan and take necessary measures to achieve this goal, its networks with them,” he explained. Iraq, Pakistan and Afghanistan have been er than just being an option for orders that would be placed Pakistan, each 100 MW. he added. Iran has had electricity exchanges with solely importers of Iran’s electricity. anyway is a moot point. Much of the recent press attention “These figures show that Iran currently “If the country wants to become the region’s most of its neighbors namely Armenia, Azer- The country recently synchronized its has been focused on major charterers including Shell, Exxon does not have significant electricity exports electricity hub, it will undoubtedly need to baijan, Turkey, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turk- electricity network with that of Iraq in or- and BHP, who are making a strong commitment to action on to the neighboring countries,” Baqeri said. increase its electricity exports capacity to menistan, Iraq, as well as the Nakhchivan der to be able to boost its power cooperation climate change through their existing or proposed newbuild- The official noted that most of Iran’s neigh- neighboring countries, while synchronizing Autonomous Republic among which Turkey, in the future. ing programs. In the case of BHP in particular, these could be seen as additional orders, as their needs could easily be met by chartering existing tonnage. To assess the issue MSI has looked at the current fleet and orderbook for LNG-fuelled ships using data from IHSMarkit Oil slips from two-month high on qualms about U.S.-China trade deal and other sources. Oil prices pulled back from their highest at $58.14 a barrel, down 44 cents, or 0.8%. pressure during the session today.” might be unraveling. However, the completion One of the key distinctions in this arena is between those levels in nearly two months on Friday amid China has invited top U.S. trade negotiators Prices had touched their highest since late of a phase one deal could slide into next year. ships that are ‘LNG Ready’ and those that are actually LNG continued uncertainty over whether the United for a new round of face-to-face talks in Beijing September on Thursday after Reuters reported To allay fears that talks might be unraveling fuelled. In order to hedge their bets, some owners have opted to States and China will be able to reach a partial amid continued efforts to strike at least a that the Organization of the Petroleum News that last week saw the biggest build the former, with designs given a ‘Gas Ready’ notification trade deal that would lift some pressure on limited deal, the Wall Street Journal reported Exporting Countries (OPEC) and Russia are drawdown in three months for U.S. crude by classification societies. the global economy. on Thursday citing unidentified sources. likely to extend existing production cuts by stock stockpiles at Cushing, Oklahoma also That was more than enough to offset news The “key factor for the demand outlook another three months to mid-2020 when underpinned prices earlier this week. Cushing of a likely extension of production cuts by for oil is the (U.S.-China) trade negotiation they meet on Dec. 5. is the delivery point for WTI futures. major producers that drove prices higher in currently going on,” said Michael McCarthy, Oil was also buoyed by comments from Several major economies - the United the previous session. chief market strategist at CMC Markets and China’s Commerce Ministry on Thursday States, France and Germany – were to release By 0544 GMT, Brent crude futures LCOc1 Stockbroking in Sydney. that it will strive to reach an initial agreement manufacturing data later Friday which could fell 42 cents, or 0.7%, to $63.55 a barrel. “With oil near the top of recent trading with the United States to end the pair’s long- impact the market, McCarthy said. West Texas Intermediate crude CLc1 was ranges it’s no surprise to see a bit of selling running trade war, allaying fears that talks (Source: reuters.com)

OPEC+ likely to extend oil supply cuts until June: sources These ships typically have space allotted for LNG fuel tanks in western Siberia, where Russia produces two-thirds of its By Rania El Gamal, Olesya Astakhova along with additional supporting materials used for low tem- oil and where most of its well rigs are located. peratures, engines capable of being converted to dual fuel OPEC and its allies are likely to extend existing oil output cuts Freezing temperatures make it difficult for Russia to shut operation and space allotted for pipe routing and ventilation. when they meet next month until mid-2020, with non-OPEC in and restart wells in winter months. Retrofitting LNG fuel storage oil producer Russia supporting Saudi Arabia’s push for stable “There is no doubt that Russia won’t let the Saudis down The process is pre-approved by a classification society with oil prices amid the listing of state oil giant Saudi Aramco. in case of a price collapse, given the upcoming IPO,” said three levels available, the first involving design provision for The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries one source familiar with Russian thinking. piping and spacing. For example, according to ABS, the class (OPEC) meets on Dec. 5 at its headquarters in Vienna, followed He added that Putin had developed close ties with Sau- society conducts a rigorous evaluation of the design, structure, by talks with a group of other oil producers, led by Russia, di Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the Russian arrangement, and equipment to facilitate the retrofitting of known as OPEC+. The current oil supply cuts run through government was aware that the three-year-old partnership an LNG fuel storage and supply system. to March 2020. could fall apart if Russia did not support Riyadh. This affords shipowners and yards the flexibility to limit On Dec. 5, Saudi Arabia is set to announce the final pricing The OPEC+ alliance initial investment outlay, while planning for the substantial of the initial public offering (IPO) of Aramco, in what it hopes The OPEC+ alliance has since January implemented a costs of future conversion to dual-fuel. In a rare example, will be the world’s largest IPO. The oil price at the time is likely deal to cut output by 1.2 million barrels per day, to help Hapag Lloyd is currently converting a former UASC 15,000 to be key to Aramco’s listing, expected around mid-December. boost oil prices trading now at $62 a barrel. TEU containership Sajir from LNG Ready to LNG fuelled “So far we have two main scenarios: either meet in De- compliance with existing cuts could be sent to the market. “This is not only about supporting Saudi Arabia. The deal, at a cost of $30m, against a current estimated value of the cember and extend the current cuts until June; or defer the Saudi Arabia, OPEC’s de facto leader, wants to focus first without a doubt, is beneficial for Russia. The Russian budget ship of $105m. decision until early next year, meet before March to see how on boosting adherence to the group’s production-reduction has received more than $100 billion from the deal. And the Level two includes the installation of piping and certain the market looks and extend the cuts until the middle of the pact before committing to any more cuts, they said. deal has stabilized the Russian economy,” Kirill Dmitriev, strategic equipment, while level three means fully LNG-capable year,” said an OPEC source. The “Saudis want to see how the rest of those who are not the head of Russia’s Direct Investment Fund, told Reuters. with fuel storage tanks and delivery system in place. “It is more likely that we will extend the agreement in complying (with the cuts) do first. There are no numbers Dmitriev and Energy Minister Alexander Novak were Although an LNG-ready vessel is more expensive to build December to send a positive message to the market. The being circulated so far for deeper cuts or changing output the key architects of a deal with Saudi Arabia, which began than a standard vessel, the premise is to future proof and provide Saudis don’t want oil prices to fall, they want to put a floor quotas,” said the first OPEC source. in 2017. optionality and flexibility to the owner, which could mitigate, under the prices because of the (Aramco) IPO.” Amrita Sen, co-founder of Energy Aspects think tank, Saudi Arabia and other Persian Gulf producers in OPEC over the life of the vessel, additional upfront costs. OPEC sources said market conditions in the first quarter which closely watches OPEC and Saudi oil policies, said a have been delivering more than their share of promised Chart 1 shows the evolution of ordering of LNG-capable of 2020 remain unclear amid concerns of a slowdown in oil mere extension by OPEC+ of the existing output cuts until cuts to stabilize the market and prevent prices from falling. vessels over 10,000 GT in the context of total ordering over demand and weak output compliance by some producers June might not be enough to support oil prices. In October, the kingdom raised its oil output to its OPEC the last decade. The dotted line shows the share that are either such as Iraq and Nigeria, which is complicating the outlook. The “market expects a further cut and an extension un- target, pumping 10.3 million bpd to replenish its inventories LNG ready or already using LNG, while the sold line shows An OPEC delegate said: “My feeling is that (an extension) til the end of 2020. In any other scenario, the market will after attacks on its facilities last month, but kept the volumes the share of those believed to be using LNG. Though the latter to end-June to avoid meeting again early March, with the sell,” she said. of crude supplied to the market at 9.9 million bpd. share is far less impressive, it is still notable that around 10% possibility of calling for an (earlier) meeting should market Russian President Vladimir Putin set the tone for the Last week, OPEC Secretary-General Mohammad Barkindo of orders, in GT terms, are now LNG-fuelled. conditions require it … is the likely scenario as of today.” December meeting last week, calling Saudi Arabia’s position said U.S. shale oil supply growth could slow next year while The importance of LNG fuelled vessels varies enormously by Announcing deeper cuts ahead of the talks “tough.” demand may have upside potential, appearing to downplay ship type; with cruise and containerships the most significant The two sources said formally announcing deeper cuts Moscow argues that it will find it hard to cut oil produc- any need to cut output more deeply. until now. The ‘other’ category has seen a major shift this looked unlikely for now although a message about better tion voluntarily during the cold winter months, especially (Source: reuters.com) year with plenty of orders for RoPax tonnage boosting the share. For cruise and containerships, the concentration of the newbuilding market (at least in terms of GT volume of orders) in the hands of a small number of players allows for a high degree of penetration. 4 major renewable energy projects providing better future to Europe Exxon and Capital Maritime The amount of renewable energy generated in the 28 The Forum’s Shaping the Future of Energy program Given the recent press speculation on LNG-fuelled Member States of the European Union increased by 64% partners with initiatives including the Sustainable Energy newbuildings, it is important to stress that this analysis does between 2007 and 2017. Technology Partnership, the Future of Electricity, the not include recently mooted orders by or for charter to BHP, The power comes from various sources, from wood and Global Battery Alliance, and Scaling Renewable Energy to Exxon and Capital Maritime for Capesize bulkers and VLCCs. biomass burning to wind, geothermal and solar burning. promote and encourage transformative power investments, Though there is a degree of uncertainty about these contracts Renewable energy provides an increasing share of the innovations, and solutions. (especially that for Capital Maritime), Chart 2 illustrates that power mix in countries across the continent–Sweden (54.5%), 3. Colossal turbines they would provide a major boost to the LNG-fuelled orderbook, Finland (41.0%), Latvia (39.0%), Denmark (35.8%) and Imagine such a massive, powerful wind turbine that a sustaining deliveries at 10% of the total (excluding LNG carriers) Austria (32.6%) are the top five countries for renewables single rotation of its propeller can supply for one day an in 2021 and 2022. as a share of consumed electricity. average home with all of its electricity. Even so, while significant and involving the deployment Here are some of the initiatives that allow the EU to This vision is becoming a reality for the residents of of a substantial amount of capital, LNG-fuelled newbuildings pave the way for the future of sustainable energy. the Scottish city of Aberdeen–11 such turbines are being will remain a minor component not only of the global fleet but Floating power built just off the sea, forming the European Offshore Wind also the newbuilding market going forward. The Rhône is one of the biggest rivers in Europe. This Deployment Center (EOWDC). Estimates prepared by MSI suggest that this fleet would streams through the Mediterranean from the Swiss Alps Each of the 8.4 MW systems is 191 meters high–according consume in the order of 3.5m tons of LNG when fully delivered and gives rise to some of France’s best-known wines. Now to Vattenfall, the energy company that built them under a in 2023, a massive increase when compared with an LNG the Rhône Valley is also a hotspot for renewable energy–it project partly funded by the EU, they are the most powerful bunker market that is estimated to be less than 500,000t in is home to the largest floating solar power plant in Europe. wind turbines in the world. 2019. Nevertheless, at around 1% of the global bunker market In what was once a quarry, which has since been turned Turning to clean energy is key to fighting climate change, Built at a cost of over $380 million, the EOWDC will (generated by 0.8% of the fleet) this would be modest. into a lake, sits the 17 megawatts (MW) plant. The annual but the energy transition has stagnated over the past five generate sufficient power to meet more than 70% of To put that in context, MSI first analyzed this issue in 2012 production will be enough to supply 4,733 homes. years. Aberdeen’s domestic electricity needs and nearly a quarter in a report published with Lloyds Register. In that study, we The project was configured concerning community Energy consumption and output contribute to two-thirds of its total power demand. assumed that the IMO2020 regulation would be the primary ownership; local citizens were invited to invest in the of global emissions, and 81% of the global energy system 4. Chernobyl solar trigger to the adoption of LNG as fuel. Accordingly, at the time plant, thus becoming stakeholders in their future success. appears to be focused on fossil fuels, the same amount as At the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine, fires and we predicted almost no global take up of LNG before 2020 but 2. Communal wind it did 30 years ago. blasts broke out in April 1986. The subsequent radioactive an acceleration in consumption to a total of 7-9m tons per Public participation also plays an important role in To build a more equitable, efficient, affordable and stable contamination impacted an area of nearly 30,000 square annum by 2025. Based on current take up the total is more Denmark’s renewable energy projects. The Middelgrunden global energy system, effective policies, private-sector kilometers involving approximately 5 million people. likely to be around 5-6m tons per annum, assuming further offshore wind farm’s 20 turbines are located just off the intervention and public-private collaboration are required. The facility has now been sealed to the outside world evolution of the LNG-fuelled fleet. coast of the country’s capital, Copenhagen. For a successful transition, benchmarking progress is and its name has become synonymous with the risks of This picture could be transformed by the conversion of the It was financed by money from the people when essential The Energy Transition Index of the World Economic a nuclear accident. But now, the area has breathed new LNG-ready component of the fleet to actual LNG operation. Middelgrunden was founded in 2000–about 8,500 Danish Forum, which rates 115 economies on how well they align life–and new energy as well. This fleet would dwarf the current LNG-fuelled component citizens bought shares, raising more than $25 million and energy security and access with environmental sustainability Ukrainian power and construction company Rodina and offers a maximum potential LNG fuelled fleet of close taking a 50% stake in the factory. and affordability, shows the lack of preparation among the and energy investment firm Enerparc installed a 1 MW to 45m GT by 2025. Under this scenario the size of the LNG Throughout Denmark, the concept of collective ownership world’s largest emitters, including the U.S., China, India solar plant with 3,800 panels at a cost of $1.2 million. The bunker market would jump up to 10-11m tons per annum, were is not special. But it has taken root in this groundbreaking and Russia, is the biggest challenge facing energy transition. plant would generate sufficient energy to power 2,000 the necessary berth space available to complete the required step to use it in energy production. All new wind turbines in Just 2.6% of global annual emissions are accounted for apartments. conversions. the country must now be collectively owned by at least 20%. by the 10 countries with the highest readiness ranking. (Source: industryglobalnews24.com) (Source: splash247.com) I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y 6 INTERNATIONAL NOVEMBER 23, 2019

he has overturned long-held U.S. positions on several of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict’s most contentious issues, to the dismay of the Palestinian leadership. The Pompeo buries the two-state solution with White House’s latest announcement—that the U.S. will no longer consider Israeli settlements in the West Bank to be illegal under international law—is likely to further inflame those tensions. Here’s what to know. new U.S. policy on Israeli settlements What is Washington’s new policy on Israeli settle- ments in the West Bank? “After carefully studying all sides of the legal de- By Mitchell Plitnick bate,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters on Monday, “the United States has concluded that the In the latest reversal of long-standing United States pol- establishment of Israeli civilian settlements in the West icy in the Middle East, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo Bank is not, per se, inconsistent with international law.” declared this week that Washington no longer views Pompeo added that “calling the establishment of civilian Israeli settlements in the West Bank as “inconsistent settlements inconsistent with international law hasn’t with international law.” worked. It hasn’t advanced the cause of peace.” Pompeo framed the decision as a “reversal” of Obama Close to 600,000 Israelis live in West Bank settle- administration policy. He said, “[Former] Secretary [of ments Israel built after it took over the territory in the State John] Kerry changed decades of this careful bi- Six Day War of 1967. The area is also home to almost partisan approach by publicly reaffirming the supposed 3 million Palestinians who live under the control of illegality of settlements,” referring to a December 2016 the Israeli security forces, according to the Palestini- resolution in the United Nations Security Council that an Authority’s Central Bureau of Statistics. Almost 2 termed the settlements illegal, which President Barack million more Palestinians live in Gaza, a 25-mile long Obama permitted to pass by abstaining from the vote. strip administered by the militant group Hamas and But in fact, Obama had been more tolerant of Israeli subject to a 12-year-long Israeli-Egyptian blockade. settlement than his predecessors. While he talked more How does this differ from the past policy? often about their being an obstacle to peace, that ab- While Israel has long disputed the majority of the stention was the only time in his eight years in office international community’s determination that settle- that Obama had allowed a U.N. resolution critical of ments are illegal under international law, for decades Israel to pass. By contrast, George W. Bush permitted the U.S. had adopted a position of compromise. The six UNSC resolutions to which Israel objected to pass. State Department, under former president Jimmy Ronald Reagan permitted twenty. Carter, in 1978 deemed that Israeli settlements are Obama even vetoed a UNSC resolution whose text “inconsistent with international law.” His successor, was almost verbatim U.S. policy, causing himself quite Ronald Reagan disagreed, saying in 1981 he did not a bit of embarrassment in the international arena. On believe settlements were inherently illegal. Since then, another occasion, Israel announced a new and highly Republican and Democratic Presidents have referred to controversial settlement in East Jerusalem while Vice settlements as “illegitimate” but declined to call them President Joe Biden was in the country. The administra- illegal—a designation that would make them subject to tion’s reaction was to do a reading of standard talking international sanctions. But in one of his Administra- points and move on. tion’s last foreign policy acts, former President Barack Distorting Obama’s record affects more than the Obama broke with that trend, declining to veto a U.N. president’s legacy. It increases the distortion of politics resolution urging an end to settlements. around Israel and its occupation. Obama emphasized What could the new announcement mean for Israe- actual Israeli security needs, which, in his view, included carefully neutral, the group circulated several statements Trump and Pompeo threw away any hope li-Palestinian relations? finding an agreement with the Palestinians, and lowering by others in support of the announcement. The so-called for a two-state solution Palestinians say the building of Israeli settlements the temperature between Israel (and Saudi Arabia) and Democratic Majority for Israel has made no statement As CNN reported,Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on land they hope to make part of a future state makes Iran. Trump has focused on crowd-pleasing, grandiose at all as of Tuesday morning. J Street opposed Pompeo, announced this week that the United States is reversing a two-state solution to the Israeli Palestinian conflict gestures like moving the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem but offered little in the way of action apart from a bill a 40-year-old policy-- one held under Republican and virtually impossible. The number of new settlements a move that eliminated any possibility of diplomacy currently in the House of Representatives that stands Democratic presidents alike -- that Israeli settlements has risen sharply under the Trump Administration; with the Palestinians; or leaving the Iran nuclear deal, little chance of becoming law. in the West Bank violate international law. That long- the Associated Press charted a 39% increase in Israeli which aggravated tensions with Iran, thereby making The long-term outlook for this policy is that it will standing view is one held by the international commu- spending on West Bank settlement infrastructure in the environment considerably less secure for Israel. become the new normal, and that will mean yet an- nity as well, and the UN has repeatedly said that the the year following Trump’s election in 2016. Pompeo’s Much like the neoconservative strategies of the early other change in the playing field. It is a step closer to settlements violate the Geneva Conventions. announcement on the legal status of settlements, says part of the century, casting those who pursue diplomacy convincing people not only that the Palestinians are The settlements are civilian housing on Palestinian Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat, risks substi- as a threat to security allows hawks to get away with the aggressors in this conflict—something which many land that Israel occupied during the six-day war in 1967 tuting international law with “the law of the jungle.” making the region less secure for everyone. already believe—but that they are actually the interlop- -- territory over which Palestinians expect to assert full It is the latest in a string of moves from the Trump In many ways, this decision will mean little on the ers and colonizers, as many supporters of Israel argue. sovereignty in any peace deal. If thousands of Israeli Administration, which has abandoned the U.S.’s tradi- ground. The U.S. has never really treated the settlements That sort of distortion of reality and of history cannot families live on that land, it will make it much more tional role in the region as a mediator—leading to the as illegal, only occasionally offering more than a mild possibly lead to anything but deeper and greater conflict. difficult to broker such a deal. signing of the Camp David Accords in 1978 that led to objection to Israeli settlement plans. While a few of the Pompeo claimed to be reverting to a Reagan-era policy. The justifications for the Israeli settlements are both a peace treaty between Israel and Egypt, and the Oslo most controversial projects—such as the construction “After carefully studying all sides of the legal debate, strategic and religious. Forces in Israel that don’t want Accords in the 1990s, which aimed to peacefully resolve of a police station and some roads in the E-1 Corridor, this administration agrees with President Reagan: the peace but total domination -- the Israeli right, includ- the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In 2017, Trump moved which effectively bisects most of the West Bank—have establishment of Israeli civilian settlements in the West ing Benjamin Netanyahu, who is currently fighting to the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem, which Palestinians also been temporarily halted by U.S. pressure over the years, Bank is not, per se, inconsistent with international law.” maintain his grip on power -- see the settlements as a see as the capital of their future state. He has cut U.S. most projects have moved ahead eventually, with little It’s true, Reagan did say that, but his actual policy tells way to expand Israeli territory and push Palestinians funding to the U.N. Agency that helps Palestinian ref- more than a clucking of tongues from Washington. a different story than Pompeo implies. into increasingly harsh conditions with dwindling op- ugees and, in a move widely considered a pre-election Israel has always managed its settlement expan- In 1982, most saw Reagan as strongly pro-Israel, in tions.Religious fundamentalists in Israel, supported by gift to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, recognized sion based on the political concerns of the moment. contrast to his predecessor, Jimmy Carter, who had many American evangelicals, believe the right of Israeli Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, a rocky pla- Washington’s attitude certainly is a major factor, but the temerity to “force” Israel into a peace deal that Jews to these territories is God-given. For evangelicals, teau in south-western Syria that Israel seized in 1967. so are “managing” the Palestinian population under ended the era of interstate wars for Israel. Reagan was the return of Jews to Israel is believed to instigate the Experts say the White House’s announcement on the occupation, navigating domestic Israeli politics, and offering his view of the Hansell Memorandum, which, Rapture and the second coming of Christ (an incon- legality of Israeli settlements appears designed to hand- balancing Israel’s relationships with Europe and the key in 1978, had concluded, “While Israel may undertake, venient eventuality for Jews, who would not fare well icap Israel’s centrist opposition at a time when it poses Arab states such as Egypt, Jordan, and, increasingly, in the occupied territories, actions necessary to meet in this scenario). the most serious threat yet to Netanyahu’s leadership. Saudi Arabia. But many of the other players, including its military needs and to provide for orderly govern- In any case, this move isn’t about peace or regional You may unsubscribe from email communication opposition figures within Israel, often work with the ment during the occupation… the establishment of the stability. It’s about catering to extreme elements in Is- at any time. See our Privacy Policy for further details. United States in their efforts to slow Israel’s plans.The civilian settlements in those territories is inconsistent rael and the United States. And it’s a part of the Trump Despite Trump’s support, Netanyahu still faces monu- new policy Pompeo presented on Monday will change with international law.” The memo was the opinion of administration’s longstanding policy of targeting and mental challenges. The Israeli Prime Minister failed to things a bit going forward, but the historic tolerance the State Department’s Legal Advisor. As such, it was marginalizing Muslim communities around the world form a government following his narrow election victory of the United States for settlements means the change a more informed opinion than Reagan’s, but it was less -- more red meat for a conservative American base in in April, and after he failed to do so again after re-run won’t amount to much for now. Still, as the policy de- than a statement of official U.S. policy. Over the years, which some despise Muslims and many believe Islam elections in September, Israel’s President handed the bate evolves over the years, the effect could become it was neither refuted by any legal argument (neither is incompatible with American values.It may fire up mandate to centrist Benny Gantz. Netanyahu’s right more pronounced. Reagan nor any official under him ever gave a legal Republican voters at home, but it’s disastrous for build- wing Likud party is also preparing for the expected Pompeo’s outline of the new U.S. attitude explicitly argument supporting the president’s position) nor ever ing trust abroad -- why would nations believe the US indictment of its leader on several corruption charges relies on Israeli decision-making, both in the political followed up by a clear statement of policy. to be an honest and fair broker if we systematically within days. and legal spheres. “We recognize, as Israeli courts have, That left Hansell’s view vulnerable to the whims reverse our longstanding policies and seem motivated Gantz has until Wednesday to tie up negotiations, with that legal conclusions relating to individual settlements of politics and, eventually, to being summarily disre- by religious animus? one potential option a minority government backed by must depend on an assessment of specific facts and garded, as Pompeo has now done. But Pompeo is either A two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict Israeli-Arab dominated parties, who now comprise the circumstances on the ground,” he said. “The Israeli ignorant of Reagan’s actual position on settlements has been moving ever farther into the distance for years third largest voting block in Israel’s parliament. Ayman legal system affords an opportunity to challenge settle- or he is eliding it.In 1982, Reagan communicated his now, but the Trump administration may have finally Odeh, leader of the Israeli-Arab dominated Joint List ment activity, and assess humanitarian considerations “talking points” on settlements to Israeli Prime Minister killed off any glimmer of optimism. Palestinians who coalition wrote (in Hebrew) on Twitter that a foreign connected to it.” Menachem Begin. According to the New York Times, yearn for their own state rightly see this shift in US administration’s policy change will not “change the fact The “facts and circumstances” to which Pompeo refers “The United States said…it supported ‘a real settlement policy as the Americans putting their thumb on the that the settlements were built on occupied land upon vary, depending on the best way for the state to make freeze’ but added that it would oppose ‘dismantlement scale toward total Israeli dominance -- not exactly the which an independent Palestinian state will be founded its case. The Israeli human rights group, B’Tselem, de- of the existing settlements’… As to the eventual status conditions to bring about peace.Progressive Israelis alongside Israel.” scribes a wide array of tactics—from land confiscation of the Jewish settlements, the United States said that are worried, too, rightly understanding that this moves While Netanyahu welcomed Pompeo’s statement as for military purposes, to emergency military laws, to this ‘must be determined in the course of the final status Israel further away from its stated democratic values, righting what he called “a historical wrong,” Gantz’s old laws from the days of Ottoman control or Jordanian negotiations.’ But it also said the United States would potentially undermining the entire project of a Jewish endorsement was more surprising. “I applaud the U.S. occupation of the West Bank, among others—that Israel oppose any Israeli control over the settlements in the homeland. That is because a one-state solution that government for its important statement, once again uses to take the land it wants, even if that Palestinian future as ‘extraterritorial outposts.’” encompasses both Israel and Palestinian territories demonstrating its firm stance with Israel and its com- land is privately owned in some cases. But, if the Israeli The ambiguity expressed there is quite different from would have to systematically deny citizenship to and mitment to the security and future of the entire Middle legal hodgepodge is the guide, then it’s all perfectly legal. Pompeo’s pronouncement that, in essence, Israel would disenfranchise a large swath of the Palestinian popula- East,” he said in a statement. More ambiguously, Gantz Western media outrage over Trump and Pompeo be free to determine the ongoing settlement policy. tion in order to maintain a Jewish majority.It would be added that the fate of the settlements “should be deter- Mike Pompeo’s statements in support of the illegal Finally, it’s worth noting the silence of the president in hard to call a country that disenfranchises a majority of mined by agreements that meet security requirements settlement building of the Zionist regime in the occupied all of this. Only the day before, Israeli media reported its population based on ethnicity anything other than and that can promote peace.” Palestinian Territory have angered many politicians and that Trump was frustrated with Netanyahu and his an apartheid state. And yet that is direction Israel is Like the vast majority of Israel’s security establish- the media in the West. Many analysts believe that Trump failure to form a governing coalition. That, no doubt, is headed -- and where Trump’s foreign policy is pushing ment, experts say that Gantz—a former military chief of has taken this step in order to gain the full support of why Pompeo is standing in the spotlight on this issue, it.Both sides live in fear of violence. Palestinians live staff—believes any move to annex the West Bank would the AIPAC lobby in next year’s US presidential election. in contrast to the previous political gifts the Trump without a full set of basic rights, their ability to move undermine Israel’s security and economy, and be detri- Anyway, here’s a look at some of these analyzes: administration has given Netanyahu. freely constrained, and their hopes for the future re- mental to its future as a Jewish and Democratic state. “Israeli courts have declared the legality of some It was also reported that Trump was annoyed that the peatedly stymied. But Gilead Sher, co-chair of the Israeli non-partisan settlements and concluded that others cannot be legally ongoing stalemate in Israel has delayed the unveiling The United States has never been neutral in the con- think tank Blue and White Future, says that Gantz’s more sustained,” Pompeo continued. Here, he is referring of his “deal of the century,” an event few are eagerly flict, but we have at least not been blatantly interested positive response to Pomepo was “based on domestic to the fact that the state is supposed to authorize all anticipating. This new settlement policy, however, sup- in undermining the potential for peace. Now we are political considerations” rather than a genuine belief settlement construction. Unauthorized settlements, ports the fears of many that this “deal” will propose actively impeding the possibility of brokering a peace that Washington’s new policy on settlements would sometimes referred to as “outposts” are illegal and some truncated area with limited sovereignty for the deal and ensuring that all Israelis and Palestinians alike bolster Israel’s security. are supposed to be demolished. In practice, however, Palestinians that Trump will say they can call a “state.” can live safely, securely and with dignity. We have be- “There are several issues which the center and the this rarely happens. Demolition orders are subject to Ultimately, this new American policy affirms that come a force against peace and stability.This, sadly, is left cannot oppose, despite the fact that they know that lengthy court proceedings, during which time the out- there is no longer any realistic possibility for a two- where Donald Trump has taken us. It’s yet another in such statements or symbollic steps are detrimental to posts continue to grow and become more entrenched. state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict. If Israel a litany of examples of Trump undermining America any future Israeli-Palestinian peace,” he tells TIME. The On a few occasions, Israel has destroyed outposts but hasn’t buried it, the United States will. But if settle- and weakening our nation’s standing in the world -- and White House statement handicaps Israel’s center left in many other cases, they are “retroactively legalized.” ment growth continues with even less restraint than one more reason why the 2020 election will be one of at a critical juncture in coalition negotiations because That’s the system that Pompeo is basing U.S. policy on. there is now, the consequences for existing Pales- the most important in history. it makes it “unpopular to talk about two states for two Because the issue of Israel and Palestine is so fraught in tinian towns, villages, and cities will be devastating, What does the U.S. policy mean for the peoples.” According to polling by the Jerusalem-based U.S. domestic politics, it will be difficult for a subsequent as the settlements will choke off travel, commerce, upcoming Israeli election Israel Democracy Institute (IDI) about half of Israelis administration to change the policy Pompeo has put and water and other resources even more than they Time reported that on Monday, the Trump Admin- support a two-state solution to the conflict. But IDI Pres- forth. The powerful lobbying group, the American-Israel already do. It won’t lead to a single state, or any other istration broke with decades of U.S. precedent to re- ident Yohanan Plesner told TIME in June that support is Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) has refused to chal- stable future, even an oppressive one. It cannot lead define America’s policy on Israeli settlements in the coupled with a “deep skepticism about whether there’s lenge Pompeo and, while keeping their own statement to anything but violence. West Bank. Since President Trump took office in 2016, any tangible prospect for that to take place.” I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y NOVEMBER 23, 2019 ANALYSIS & INTERVIEW 7

The prosecution of Julian East Asia at a glance Assange calls for the public defense of free speech Inherent U.S. hostility against North Korea makes By Nozomi Hayase it hard to resolve issues On Saturday, The New York Times published a front-page ar- ticle on the leaked files that exposed the Chinese government’s GLOBALTIMES — With US Defense Secretary coordinated crackdown on ethnic minorities. In covering the Mark Esper’s Sunday declaration of indefinitely story, the newspaper noted that although the source and the postponing a military exercise with South Korea, methods through which documents were gathered are unclear, the chances of tensions reemerging on the troubled the disclosure of 403 pages of internal documents is one of the Korean Peninsula seem to have been nipped. most significant leaks in decades shedding light on the internal The suspension of the war games announced during working of China’s ruling Communist Party. the Pentagon chief’s South Korea visit, however, does This front-page report, that captured the attention of the Amer- not mitigate the complexity of the fraught situation on ican public on the weekend shows the hypocrisy of Western media. the Korean Peninsula. For quite some time in the fu- While the Times applauds leaks that were reportedly made by ture, the peninsula’s security will remain in an intense an anonymous member of the Chinese political establishment, flux. Hostility is deeply rooted between the two Koreas when it comes to the wrongdoing of their own government, rarely due to foreign military presence on the peninsula and do they show the same exuberance and courage in publishing Pyongyang’s alleged possession of nuclear weapons. the information. In addition, US deployment of Terminal High Altitude This hypocrisy is most pronounced in their attitude toward the Area Defense system in South Korea and the US-led US government’s aggressive prosecution of WikiLeaks founder alliance’s efforts to dominate the security framework Julian Assange concerning the publication of classified informa- on the Korean Peninsula have led Northeast Asia into tion. Assange has been kept in complete isolation inside London’s a lasting game between big powers inside and outside Belmarsh Prison for exposing the crimes of the US government. the region. Although the international community and He has been charged with 17 counts of espionage for publishing stakeholders have expressed willingness to settle di- the government’s documents revealing US war crimes in Iraq vergences, the major causes of tensions have not been and Afghanistan and torture in Guantanamo Bay. removed and keep popping up. The established media with their allegiance to the state has The US has been strengthening its military presence been failing to inform the public about the threat to civil liber- on the Korean Peninsula and frequently conducting ties emanating from this country. The US government has been small-scale drills with South Korea, leading to con- waging a war against the First Amendment. Assange has become tinuous strains in the region. Moreover, Washington a political prisoner of this war. In the era of “hope and change”, treats the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue as geopolitical he and his organization became a target of Obama’s crackdown competition among major powers and regards the issue on whistleblowers, which now has escalated into Trump admin- part of its strategy to contain Beijing and Moscow. Such istration’s assaults on the press freedom. being the case, negotiations on the Korean Peninsula Obstruction of justice nuclear issue have made no progress in the past two On Tuesday, Swedish prosecutors dropped their preliminary years as no party directly involved would change their on legal provisions.In other words, Cheng was arrested For many years, the high savings rate has been regarded investigation of Assange, which had railroaded him into a multi- approaches. Though the future is not that optimistic, and freed in accordance with the laws of the Chinese as a reflection of China’s relatively low consumption, year long arbitrary detention in the Ecuadorian Embassy, as negotiations need to continue. mainland. He is making up stories in an intermediate as well as a lack of inherent economic dynamism, an indicated by the UN ruling. For the last 7 years prior to his im- Washington hasn’t jettisoned hostility against Pyong- zone where the outside world cannot see, so that he can imperfect social security system and limited invest- prisonment in the London’s maximum security prison, Assange yang. The key reason peace has still not been achieved pick and choose the plots loved most by the Hong Kong ment channels for residents. However, given the cur- has been unlawfully held by the UK government without charge, on the Korean Peninsula is that after the end of the Cold opposition and Westerners.From our perspective, Cheng rent macroeconomic situation, there should be a new being denied access to medical treatment, fresh air, sunlight and War, the US, a country outside the region, has been is using fictitious tales to win sympathy and support of perspective on this old problem.For any economy, the adequate space to exercise. inciting disputes on the peninsula to enhance the role the Hong Kong opposition and Western public opinion national savings rate is a crucial indicator. Only when The Western nations’ coordinated attack on Assange was rec- of its alliances with South Korea and Japan in region- in a bid to cover up the fact that he solicited prostitutes. consumption is lower than production and the surplus ognized by a UN expert. In May 2019, UN Special Rapporteur on al security affairs. Washington won’t stop playing up He overtly stated that he didn’t want to focus on is saved can a national financial system have the funds Torture Nils Melzer raised the concern that Assange has been Pyongyang’s threat to stability on the peninsula so as the question of whether he solicited a prostitute. He is to invest in medium- and long-term investment proj- subjected to psychological torture. Then, he stated how: to ensure its continuous presence in the region. trying to create an image of a political victim who was ects, particularly infrastructure and large-scale heavy “In 20 years of work with victims of war, violence and polit- In the past two years, every move by the US has been hijacked by the mainland’s security establishment for industrial equipment.Everyone can benefit from a high ical persecution I have never seen a group of democratic States aimed at weakening North Korea’s defense capability his support of Hong Kong’s “democratic movement.” savings rate. China’s high-speed railways, modern air- ganging up to deliberately isolate, demonise and abuse a single and hurting the country economically, with a regime The most interesting part of Cheng’s case is that a ports, ports and expressways across complex terrain individual for such a long time and with so little regard for human change as the ultimate goal. The US has never regarded person of dubious moral character is being strongly are all infrastructure construction projects that need dignity and the rule of law,…” North Korea as a legitimate regime. This has prevented supported by the British media and government. They high investment. The US government’s efforts to break Assange have extended constructive efforts for the resolution of the standoff. believe whatever he said. There are plenty of rogues Funds for these projects come from the growing into their egregious violation of his privacy. It has come to light The suspension of a major drill by Washington and worldwide, but some of them have been painted as he- savings of residents. Some come directly in the form of that the CIA has been directly involved in spying on Assange Seoul is a high-sounding move to take Pyongyang back roes. This is the real origin of many tragedies in human loans, while others are indirectly injected via programs inside the Ecuadorian Embassy in London where the WikiLeaks to the negotiating table, but the frequent small drills society.Some radical protesters in Hong Kong have such as commercial banks purchasing infrastructure founder had lived since he obtained political asylum in 2012. have shown real hostile US policy toward North Korea. set people holding different opinions on fire. We have bonds. This means that China does not need to borrow The videos and audio recordings accessed by the Italian media US President Donald Trump’s unprecedented han- also seen shameless persons like Cheng who are being capital from developed countries, which is something outlet La Repubblica revealed that the Spanish company, UC Glob- dling of the situation has to some extent mitigated the defended by the Hong Kong opposition and Western that many developing countries envy.Developing coun- al carried out extraordinary surveillance on Assange, his lawyers, tensions, but his innovative approach has been boycotted public opinion. How many hypocritical and vicious tries often lack multi-level direct fund-raising systems, doctors, journalists and whoever visited the embassy for the last by mainstream political elites in his country.The 2020 voices in Hong Kong are aiming to gain a reputation and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can seven years. Journalist Stefania Maurizi, who was also targeted US presidential election is coming. Trump is definitely by deception? Western public opinion is telling a mon- only rely on informal financing channels and national by this surveillance, indicated strong possibility that this extreme unwilling to see his efforts on resolving the Korean strous lie to the world against China. China is leading savings capital to raise funds. invasion of privacy was conducted on behalf of the US government Peninsula crisis adversely affect his election. He is likely its people toward modernization but is portrayed as a Moreover, no country can bring down the difficulty and that the statements of former employees and internal emails to seek another meeting with the North Korean leader dark country frequently violating human rights. and high costs faced by SMEs when raising funds through along with type of information gathered provide evidence. in an attempt to make some diplomatic achievements People-centric China is promoting practical resolutions indirect financing represented by commercial banks. All the while, the obstruction of justice continues with a show that he can boast of to the electorate. to multiple issues and has achieved fruitful outcomes, Therefore, abundant private savings are the main source trial in UK. Earlier this week, Assange was back in Westminster But US-North Korea relations, as well as US ties but is criticized for “autocracy.” The current age is the of capital for Chinese businesses that are innovative Magistrates Court, where the Judge Vanessa Baraitser had denied with other powers concerned with the Korean Peninsula most absurd one for Western public opinion. and entrepreneurial. his legal team’s request for a trial extension a month earlier. This issue, are deeply rooted in every country’s own national Efficient model helps China get ahead In the context of the current, complicated and change- time, Judge Baraitser once again dismissed concerns brought by interest. Trump cannot change US elites’ existing notion of US in 5G able world economic situation and the China-US trade Gareth Peirce, representing Assange, about her client not being of North Korea policy, nor the US political culture with Why will China, not the US, become the world’s war, it is a blessing for China’s economy that the do- able to adequately prepare for his “very challenging case” as the inherent hostility against the North Korean system. Even largest 5G market? It’s a crucial question, as the 5G sector mestic savings rate has not experienced an overly sharp computer he had been given was not suitable. drop.It shows that people’s financial situation is still if Trump has already adjusted his North Korea policy, will contribute $3 trillion to the global economy over High crimes of the West healthy and that their consumption potential is huge, even if the US-South Korea large-scale military exercise the next 15 years, Minister of Science and Technology While Assange awaits US extradition inside the maximum-security which is undoubtedly important when stabilizing the has been postponed indefinitely, the so-called goodwill Wang Zhigang said Thursday. He forecast that China prison being held alongside the most dangerous criminals in the confidence of Chinese and foreign investors. In the stock can hardly change the cruel reality - Washington’s hostile will become the biggest 5G market in the world by 2025. country, the dramatic change in his appearance was noted by his market, shares in consumption-related firms and health policy against Pyongyang is likely to remain, and the Since 2015, China has reportedly outspent the US close circle of friends. Craig Murray, the former British Ambassador companies have repeatedly reached new highs, because future of the Korean Peninsula will stay strained for by $24 billion in 5G infrastructure. In the same period, to Uzbekistan expressed dismay toward his friend’s severe loss of investors value the prospects of wealth accumulation a long time. It is hoped that such tension will not spin according to media reports, the US built fewer than weight and physical deterioration. On November 1, Nils Melzer once and a higher quality of life. out of control. 30,000 new cell sites, while the corresponding number again reiterated his concern, alerting that Assange’s life is at risk. A high savings rate is needed for infrastructure con- How Western media paints a prosti- in China was more than 10 times higher. The race to Most recently, Jennifer Robinson, a lawyer who has been defending struction, a healthy financial system and consumption tution solicitor as a political victim deploy 5G has heated up, but the US so far doesn’t have Assange since 2010, told audience at the PEN International Sydney potential, but the phenomenon of high-income people GLOBALTIMES-Former employee at British Con- many chances to take the lead. conference about significant decline in the journalist’s health.In saving more and lower-income people borrowing more sulate General in Hong Kong Simon Cheng Man-kit It won’t be easy to change that situation, because China the face of this outrageous incarceration, silence prevails among still needs attention.Savings funds do not flow to housing has told the BBC he was tortured in police custody on has some key advantages. With a population of about many media professionals. If media stillness is broken, it is only to mortgages and consumer loans in China. But in recent the Chinese mainland in August. Cheng was detained 1.4 billion, China’s consumer market is on the rise. As be filled with an echo chamber of smearing. We live in an illusion years, many Chinese residents have been burdened with by police in Luohu district of Shenzhen, a city borders a result, the growth of China’s consumption-oriented of democracy, where we are surrounded by Orwellian doublespeak excessive loan pressure due to the high housing prices Hong Kong, for 15 days for soliciting prostitutes.He digital economy has created ample demand for faster that distorts truth. Under the guise of free press, news headlines in some Chinese cities, and they are more sensitive to kept a low profile after he was released and went back mobile broadband. Many high-technology companies and sound bites turn the reality upside down. the loan interest rate, thus making the People’s Bank to Hong Kong. in China, Huawei included, have spent heavily on 5G Those who dare to speak out against torture and abuse of power of China more cautious when setting the benchmark During the interview with the BBC, he described research and development in past years. The country has get condemned and punished, whereas torturers and perpetrators interest rate. how he was tortured - being hooded, handcuffed and an internal driving force of 5G technology development of violence are praised and rewarded. Truthtellers are silenced The leverage level of currency credit expansion hung on something for several hours, kept in “stress that draws on expanding digital consumption and the and persecuted, while war criminals walk free. WikiLeaks alleged is closely related to the benchmark interest rate both position” like half squat for hours. His description fed emergence of new business models such as e-commerce. source whistleblower Chelsea Manning remains incarcerated, at home and abroad.The central bank stimulates the into Western media’s imagination of “how communist Chinese authorities have made the development of cut- being fined $1000 a day for refusing to cooperate at a grand jury economy through low or even negative interest rates. China tortures people.” Following the BBC interview, ting-edge technologies an economic priority, cutting red targeting the publisher. However, it is not ordinary people who benefit the British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab summoned tape and reducing costs to stimulate the economy. The When injustice has been enacted behind a facade of democracy, most, but the governments, enterprises and individuals the Chinese ambassador. Chinese government is highly capable of mobilizing WikiLeaks has stepped forward to dismantle the deception by who are able to obtain loans. Take the US Federal We want to ask Western media and politicians, who resources and coordinating action to promote economic enabling a true function of free press. It is the tenacity of Assange Reserve (Fed) as an example. Though the savings believe Cheng’s claims “are credible,” some questions. development. together with courage and conscience of whistleblowers that rate of US citizens has picked up recently, it is still Cheng solicited prostitutes but dared not admit it and An indigenous economic development model has informed the public truth about the US wars in the Middle East. only about 8 percent - far lower than that of China. skirted the question by saying he did nothing regrettable been formed in China. Although Western media outlets The released government documents, which they risked their lives The Fed is forced to maintain ultra-low interest rates to those people he cherishes and loves. Is such a person always criticize the model, it is undeniably efficient.The to bring to light, cut through the government’ propaganda that to protect the currency leverage, which makes the credible? Should the claims of a man like Cheng be situation in the US is very different. Several Western obfuscates and conceals the atrocities and oppression carried debt-ridden federal government happy, but at the same taken as proof by foreign secretary of a country like media reports have suggested that US 5G development out in our name. time aggravates the domestic gap between the rich the UK to summon another big power’s ambassador? will lag because of partisan strife and defects in the US The brutal prosecution of Julian Assange adds to the high crime and the poor. Lessons drawn from the US show that the It is widely recognized that the Chinese mainland political system. The US is still uncertain how to expand of the West. It is an offense against the enlightenment ideas that debt levels of governments, enterprises and individuals has made substantial progress in preventing the prac- broadband service in rural areas and the nation’s telecom are a foundation of civilization. Our failure to recognize and correct all have a reasonable range, and that the high debts in- tice of forced confession. Scandals and controversies infrastructure is desperately in need of investment. All the wrongdoing of our governments will make us all complicit curred during economic development should not take on custodial torture on the mainland have disappeared those factors will obstruct US 5G development while in their crimes. If the US government succeeds in extraditing monetary policy hostage; otherwise it will worsen the for years. So why would Shenzhen police want to put promoting the same process in China. Assange to the US where he faces 175 years in prison without any unreasonable distribution of social wealth. themselves in hot water by torturing a Hong Kong citizen High savings rate rather than ul- chance of fair trial, it not only leads to possible execution of an Therefore, China should not pursue negative interest at a sensitive time and place? tra-low interest rate a blessing to Chinese innocent man, but also the death of a free press as a guardian of rates. High leverage and the unfair distribution of wealth Cheng made up several unverified stories, accusing economy democracy.Asange’s extradition battle must become a defining it causes, rather than a high savings rate, would be a “China’s national security police” of persecution. But two The topic of China’s high national savings rate has moment of our fierce defense of free speech. Only through the big problem. The measures China has adhered to are things have been proven: First, he solicited prostitutes, recently again attracted public attention. The country’s courage of ordinary people who speak truth, and wrestle with helping deal with the excessive debts at all levels of a fact that Cheng himself dared not deny; and second, gross savings rate reached 45.7 percent at the end of the beast devouring ideals that are kindled in our heart, can we government and in state-owned enterprises. he was released after being detained for 15 days, based 2018, still ranking first in the world. redeem our innocence and save our democracy. I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y 8 ADVERTISEMENTS NOVEMBER 23, 2019

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Boeing’s Starliner capsule rolls out Scientists are making a 3-D map of the Universe going for first spaceflight back 11 billion years By Paul Brinkmann The testing advances NASA’s efforts to bring back human spaceflight for the By David Axe The newest space capsule designed to first time since the space shuttle program carry people, Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner, ended in 2011. Since then, the United States Nearly 500 scientists from 13 countries have come together rolled out of its manufacturing building has relied on buying seats for astronauts in an ambitious new effort to map… well, pretty much and headed toward a launch pad Thursday on Russian Soyuz capsules to reach the everything. morning at Kennedy Space Center in International Space Station. As part of a $70 million program funded mostly by the Florida. Starliner is part of NASA’s Commercial U.S. Department of Energy, the scientists have converted “It’s been a long time since a spaceship Crew Program to develop flights to the an old telescope in Arizona into a high-tech new sensor rolled out of that building. This is the space station through public-private that can detect light from stars as far as 11 billion light beginning of a trip to space,” said Bob partnerships. Boeing is essentially years away. Cabana, the space center director. competing with SpaceX, which has been Employees who gathered before dawn testing its Crew Dragon capsule. at Boeing’s facility there said they were SpaceX and Boeing are more than two proud of the program and the nation when years behind original contract schedules. they saw the capsule appear. The earlier abort test saw Starliner “Words can’t describe how I feel,” said accelerate to about 650 mph in five seconds, Ramon Sanchez, senior operations lead verifying that the engines and thrusters for Boeing. “It’s a sense of tremendous are capable of firing in the event of an pride, not just for the Boeing Co., but for emergency while astronauts are sitting the United States as a whole.” on the launch pad or ascending. He said employees and their families “It’s been a long time since we’ve had worked long hours to get this far. launched out of the United States,” NASA “They understand we have the weight of astronaut Mike Fincke said after the test. the nation on our shoulders,” Sanchez said. minor reasons for about two hours. test mission. Boeing successfully tested He’s one of three astronauts designated The rollout of the fully fueled capsule Starliner is scheduled to launch Dec. the capsule abort system Nov. 4 at White to fly on Starliner with Nicole Mann and occurred shortly after 6 a.m., delayed for 17 for its first orbital flight, an uncrewed Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. Chris Ferguson. The objects, as they appear on Earth, are as old as 11 billion years and offer a tantalizing glimpse into the early NASA has detected the building blocks of life in two meteorites eons of our roughly 14-billion-year-old universe. A team of scientists says it’s found sugar molecules - crucial the journal PNAS. The data from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument to the development of life on Earth - in two different The team hopes to double check by searching for ribose telescope, situated at Kitt Peak National Observatory around fallen meteorites. in pristine samples from space rocks, like those taken from 50 miles southwest of Tucson, could help scientists to build The discovery suggests that meteor impacts may have the asteroid Ryugu that are currently en route to Earth. a model of no fewer than 35 million galaxies comprising delivered the sugars to Earth, per a NASA press release. The scientists didn’t find the sugars that make up DNA, around half of the observable universe. One of the sugars is the RNA component ribose, a key but ribose is a key component to RNA, which may have “We will be making a 3D map of the universe going back biological building block, and the discovery that it may developed first in evolutionary history. 11 billion years,” Michael Levi, DESI project director, told have come from space complicates our understanding “The research provides the first direct evidence of The Daily Beast. of how life emerged. ribose in space and the delivery of the sugar to Earth,” The whole point of this epic feat of stellar cartography is The scientists, who hail from NASA and a trio of Japanese lead researcher Yoshihiro Furukawa of Tohoku University to try to understand why the universe keeps expanding as universities, took extra steps to make sure they didn’t just said in the NASA release. quickly as it appears to be doing. The answer to that question contaminate their samples. “The extraterrestrial sugar might have contributed to could upend our conception of how the universe works. But the carbon atoms found in the meteorites’ sugar the formation of RNA on the prebiotic Earth which possibly “The map will be so precise that we will be able to see molecules were different from those generally found on Earth, led to the origin of life.” the details of the expansion history,” Levi explained. according to the research, which was published Monday in (Source: sciencealert.com) “Cosmologists once though that the universe might collapse in on itself, but an unseen energy is driving the universe apart at an accelerating rate. We should be able to see NASA adds 5 more companies to bid for Central mysteries of solar this phenomenon when it turned on in the early history.” That “unseen energy,” which weirdly doesn’t emit work on Moon mission physics radiation, has a name. Scientists call it “dark energy.” It’s got a more substantial cousin they call “dark matter.” These dark twins represent one of the most vexing mysteries in all of astronomy. No one really knows what they are or whether they really even exist. All they know is that something besides what they can see with their eyes makes up a majority of the universe’s mass. And something is driving that mass farther and farther apart. “Dark matter and dark energy together make up about 95 percent of the total mass/energy in the universe,” Pieter van Dokkum, a Yale University astronomer, told The Daily Beast via email. ”Because they are so dominant we think that dark matter and dark energy have been driving the formation of structure (and galaxies, and ultimately planets like Earth) throughout cosmic history.” But that’s about as much as we know for sure. “No dark matter particle has been directly observed yet,” Francisco-Shu Kitaura, an astrophysicist at Germany’s Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics and a member of the DESI team, told The Daily Beast. “We need to understand and further characterize this mysterious matter.” NASA has announced the addition of five new make getting to and landing on the Moon An international team of scientists, Solar Dynamics Observatory spacecraft The 12-foot-wide DESI telescope, which weighs 11 tons companies eligible to bid for the contracts easier — NASA plans to use a variety of including three researchers from New were used to track the transportation of and rises 90 feet above the floor of the Arizona observatory, for the space agency’s Commercial Lunar scientific payloads to better understand Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), energy in the corona. These observations combines the basic structure of an older telescope, dating Payload Services program. the resources available on the Moon. If has shed new light on one of the central showed that it is also common for back to 1973, with 5,000 new fiber-optic sensors, each SpaceX, Blue Origin, Ceres Robotics, NASA can locate accessible water on the mysteries of solar physics: how energy spicules to be heated to typical coronal attached to a robotic arm that precisely positions the sensor Sierra Nevada Corp. and Tyvak Nano- Moon, it could be used not only to drink from the Sun is transferred to the star’s temperatures. to gaze at a particular distant galaxy. Satellite Systems are all working to and irrigate crops, but also to produce upper atmosphere, heating it to 1 million Invisible to the human eye except when Its thousands of “eyes” twitching in different directions, design and build lunar landers capable oxygen and fuel. degrees Fahrenheit and higher in some it appears briefly as a fiery halo of plasma DESI can scan 5,000 different galaxies every 20 minutes. of delivering science and technology SpaceX, Blue Origin and the Sierra regions, temperatures that are vastly during a solar eclipse, the corona remains Technicians began installing the new components in early payloads, including rovers and science Nevada Corp. have partnered with NASA hotter than the Sun’s surface. a puzzle even to scientists who study it 2018. Testing wrapped in late October. Regular surveys experiments, to the Moon’s surface. on missions before. With new images from NJIT’s Big Bear closely. Beginning 1,300 miles from the of the 35 million galaxies is slated to begin in early 2020. The five new companies will compete for All of the newest CLPS participants Solar Observatory (BBSO), the researchers star’s surface and extending millions DESI’s sensors feed data into spectrographs that separate contracts with nine previously announced were selected because they promised to have revealed in groundbreaking, more in every direction, it is more than the scans into three different color bands. The idea is to CLPS vendors, including Astrobotic be able to deliver heavier payloads than granular detail what appears to be a a hundred times hotter than lower layers measure “redshift,” the shift in the color of objects to longer, Technology, Deep Space Systems, Draper the previous nine companies. likely mechanism — jets of magnetized much closer to the fusion reactor at the redder wavelengths as the objects move away from an Laboratory, Firefly Aerospace, Intuitive “We have a need and saw a need to plasma known as spicules that spurt like Sun’s core. observer. “Redshift is analogous to how the sound of a fire Machines, Lockheed Martin Space, bring on some additional providers that geysers from the Sun’s upper atmosphere Solving what astrophysicists call one of engine’s siren shifts to lower tones as it moves away from Masten Space Systems, Moon Express had enhanced lander capabilities,” Clarke into the corona. the greatest challenges for solar modeling us,” the DESI program explained on its website. and OrbitBeyond. said. “This is based on our objectives — In a paper published in the journal — determining the physical mechanisms By measuring redshift, scientists can gain a sense of “The intent is to broaden the pool the agency’s objectives — to get to the Science, the team describes key features that heat the upper atmosphere — requires how, and where, the universe is clustering and expanding. to bring on companies with different Moon as soon as possible, both from a of jet-like spicules that are in solar terms high-resolution images that were not “DESI will permit us to see this in much more detail covering capabilities and new, innovative scientific standpoint and from a human small-scale plasma structures, between available until BBSO’s 1.6-meter telescope, volumes large enough to test the nature of gravity and the ideas,” Steve Clarke, deputy associate exploration standpoint.” 200 and 500 kilometers wide, that erupt the largest operating solar telescope in dark-energy component,” Kitaura said. “Our forecasts tell administrator for exploration in NASA’s SpaceX said its delivery services provide continuously across the Sun’s expanse. The the world, began capturing images a us that we will unveil the recipe of dark energy.” Science Mission Directorate at NASA plenty of giddy-up to meet NASA’s needs. researchers also, for the first time, show decade ago. The DESI team is bracing for profound revelations about Headquarters, told reporters during a “With Starship, we can bring about 100 where and how the jets are generated and Scientists at Big Bear have also captured the nature of the universe. But these profound answers might press call on Monday. metric tons to the Moon and return more,” the paths they travel, at speeds of around the first high-resolution images, for just lead to even more profound questions, van Dokkum All 14 of the companies participating SpaceX president Gwynne Shotwell said. 100 kilometers per second in some cases, example, of magnetic fields and plasma pointed out. DESI’s 3D map of the universe could help us in the CLPS program will be bidding to Starship is being designed to both land into the corona. flows originating deep below the Sun’s to begin defining dark energy “just like you could identify service missions related to the Artemis on and launch from the Moon. “Unprecedented high-resolution surface, tracing the evolution of sunspots a gull by the fact that it drops clams on rocks, even if the program, NASA’s mission to return humans Not all of the companies announced observations from BBSO’s Goode Solar and magnetic flux ropes through the gull is flying in the distance.” to the Moon by 2024. Monday were household names. Telescope clearly show that when magnetic chromosphere before their dramatic “The problem here is that we’re studying this very The space agency has awarded contracts “There are also small players, and we are fields with opposite polarities reconnect in appearance in the corona as flaring loops. indirectly,” van Dokkum added. “Imagine only seeing the to send as many as 14 NASA-provided one of those,” said Michael Sims, CEO and the Sun’s lower atmosphere these jets of Cao says it took an international team dropped clam shells and having to figure out that there science and technology payloads to the founder of Ceres Robotics. “They bring an plasma are powerfully ejected,” said solar with diverse expertise and equipment was a bird and what it looked like.” lunar surface by 2021. NASA expects to agility and creativity that adds to the mix physicist Wenda Cao, BBSO’s director located on Earth and in space to delve Part of the problem is that DESI, for as wide as its high- issue more payload delivery orders soon. and contributes in very substantial ways.” and an author of the paper. this deeply into the Sun’s fundamental tech gaze is, only scans half the sky and can’t peer at all “I would like to build up a schedule of at By involving a variety of companies, He added, “This is the first time we’ve physics. Cao developed the scientific into the first two or three billion years of the universe’s least two deliveries per year,” Clarke said. both big and small, in the CLPS program seen direct evidence of how spicules instruments on Big Bear’s telescope and infancy. Two other new telescopes, one each in Chile and One of those deliveries will involve and Artemis mission, NASA hopes to are generated. We have tracked these oversaw their operation, while NJIT’s Vasyl South Africa, are in development to scan the universe’s VIPER, the agency’s Volatiles Investigating provide another boost the burgeoning dynamic features in the H-alpha spectral Yurchyshyn generated the observations, darker, more distant past and to fill the gaps in the sky Polar Exploration Rover. The rover is private space industry. line down to their foot points, measured processed the data and advised on its use, that DESI can’t see. being designed to hunt for water ice on Clarke says he and his colleagues the magnetic fields at their foot point, and NJIT’s Kwangsu Ahn processed the DESI’s leaders also hope to eventually add more sensors the Moon’s south pole. at NASA hope the space agency will be captured the migration of the emerging vector magnetic fields data for scientific to other telescopes and stare even harder at the universe’s NASA doesn’t want to send astronauts one of many customers for each of their magnetic elements and verified their usage. Tanmoy Samanta and Hui Tian darkest, most mysterious regions, potentially sketching an to put down a flag and collect rocks; the commercial partners. interaction with existing magnetic fields from Peking University in China defined even more detailed map of everything that has ever existed. space agency aims to establish a permanent “That’s what is going to be very exciting of the opposite polarity.” the novel discoveries and wrote the “There are a lot more galaxies out there to be measured,” lunar base, an outpost that can support about this,” he said. Images captured in the extreme manuscript; they are its first authors. Levi said. “My colleagues already have on the drawing deep space travel. To do so — and to (Source: UPI) ultraviolet (EUV) spectrum by NASA’s (Source: Science Daily) board plans for bigger telescopes and even more robots.” I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y 10 HERITAGE & TOURISM NOVEMBER 23, 2019

Anzali hosts over five million Experience travelers in H1

TOURISM TEHRAN — Over five million travelers visited deskIran’s Bandar-e Anzali, a port city located in wild nature the northern Gilan province, during the first half of the current Iranian calendar year (started March 21, 2019). at its best at Rageh canyon TOURISM TEHRAN — Rageh can- tinction and conjugation of flat surrounding deskyon is a top destination for fields and deep valley with its shapes that are nature lovers, hikers, rock climbers and even manufacturing of abrasion. ordinary sightseers who will be amazed to Safety of the district as a must for tourist see scenic views of nature formed by wind attraction. and water erosion over thousands of years. Rafsanjan airport (20 km roughly) The canyon, with a length of 20 kilometers Sand-bed access road and a depth of 70 meters in some points, District virginity Travelers tour the Anzali wetland in northern Iran. stretches in a barren desert around the city of Presence of some species of birds such Rafsanjan, Iran’s southern Kerman province. as eagle… across the valley and possible bird “Bandar-e Anzali hosted 5,259,967 travelers in first half of the Kilometers of hiking along the canyon, watching tours. year, which shows a 2.49 percent growth year on year,” provin- walking side by side, you will be paid off Chance for astronomy tours (lack of cial tourism chief Shahroud Amirentekhabi said on Wednesday, with breathtaking views of cones, pillars, troublous lights) CHTN reported. and columns, arches, flow of a permanent The valley, with its particular morphology, For centuries Anzali has served as a gateway to Europe, con- river at the bottom, and blades and striped could be one of Geo tourism destinations necting the economies of the East and West. Not surprisingly the walls with their height reaching 70 meters and Sarcheshmeh copper mine as a com- customs authority of Anzali is at least 300 years old. in some places are among the special sec- plementary for it. Fishing is one of the leading occupations in Anzali, which is tions of the area. The valley could be part of tourist path the main producer of caviar in the country. Rice cultivation and Astronomy and sky watching tours which connects two Eco tourist sights of farming are the other traditional professions of Anzali inhabitants. On the walls of the strait, according to the province, Meymand village and Shah- Some historical attractions of the city include Pahlavi-era travital.com, there are stones and struc- dad Kaluts and who come Kerman for eco- Mian Poshteh Palace which is now a military museum, Qajar- tures in beautiful shapes that look like stone tourism might go to this distinctive natural era (1785-1925) St. Mary Church, Anzali Clock Tower, which carvings of ancient civilizations. At the edge phenomenon. A view of Rageh canyon in Iran’s Rafsanjan county, Kerman province. was originally a lighthouse, and the five-deck Mirza Kouchak of the beautiful and spectacular cliffs, the The big and sprawling Kerman province Khan Cruise Ship. ever-reaching river of Guidor through the has long been a destination for globetrot- “Loved it” “Must see” Anzali Lagoon and Sorkhangol Wildlife Refuge are among strait makes the Rageh an inspirational place. ters. Kerman has been a cultural melting Reached the canyon with an off road from If you visit Kerman, you should make the city’s top natural attractions. Anzali Lagoon divides the city In addition to all the beauty of the valley, pot since antiquity, blending Persians its left side. Depending on the time of the year, sure you visit Shahdad desert and Rageh into two parts and is home to various indigenous and migrant watching the desert sky at night is another with subcontinental tribe dwellers. It is you will find the canyon filled with water or dry, canyon definitely. They are not too far from birds and fish, and also draws is many tourists because of its tourist attraction in the area. home to myriad historical sites and sce- and you can either admire it from its top or de- each other. But each of them need a day. lotus flowers and water lilies. Sorkhangol Wildlife Refuge is a Now the valley is a place for the presence of nic landscapes such as Bazaar-e Sartasari, scend and walk among its walls- in both cases Of course you cannot go there alone, be- heaven for birdwatchers in the wintertime. some observation tours of the sky and valleys Jabalieh Dome, Ganjali Khan Bathhouse, it’s long, high and impressive. At some point cause you may get lost so easily! (Sophia Anzali wetland: a heaven for birdwatchers and climbing. Rageh, which is beside Qeshm Malek Jameh Mosque and Shahdad Desert you can observe ghost villages near the canyon. W.; Reviewed August 2018) Anzali wetland, neighboring the Caspian Sea, has long been and Aras, is the third Iranian geopark, which to name a few. Unfortunately tourists throw plastic bottles “Nice place to see” a heaven for nature lovers and birdwatchers. Covering some in addition to its earthly beauties, has a ghastly Under tourists’ eyes and other waste in the canyon; if you feel like, You can see very incredible place. But 20,000 hectares, the lagoon bears international importance as skyline, which makes it a suitable place for Here is a select of comments that visitors bring an empty bag with you for collecting you need somebody show you the way to go being a refuge for diverse wintering water and shore birds. It is astro tourism or astronomy tourism. to the garden have posted to TripAdvisor, the trash and help to protect this marvelous there. I really enjoy there and I went there also home to all-embracing reed beds, submerged and floating Features of Rageh canyon one of the most popular travel websites in place. (Andrea Lehotska from Milan, Italy; two times. (Aghaemadkhan from Sydney, vegetation. However, the wetland, like many other of its coun- Particular morphology of the canyon (dis- the world: Reviewed June 2019) Australia; Reviewed March 2018) terparts, is suffering from environmental pollution. “The Kalevala”, Shungite stones and Kalitki pies: Things to do in Karelia Over 2,000 ancient coins TOURISM TEHRAN — Immerse yourself in the fairy- * In the village of Kalevala, check out the Kalevala Mu- desktale atmosphere, in poetry, and Karelia’s seum of the Runemaster — well worth a visit. recovered by Iranian police national epic, “The Kalevala”. Learn to play the Kantele — a * In the village of Voknavolok you can visit the House eth- Karelian plucked string instrument. Bake festive Kalitki nocultural center and see traditional buildings that have been HERITAGE TEHRAN — Iranian authorities have recently pies, Karelia’s favorite dessert, and find out what makes well-preserved. By the way, it was in this village where Finnish desk seized over 2,000 ancient coins from five shungite such a useful mineraloid. poet Elias Lonnrot recorded most of the runes in “The Kalevala”. smugglers and antique dealers, who were illegally keeping the Things to do in Karelia * Culture, traditions and the national cuisine have been relics in a hideout in Mashhad, northeast Iran. All year round: carefully preserved in the ethnographic village of Kinerma, * Visit the Karelian capital Petrozavodsk and the town at the Karelian Farmstead complex and the ethnocultural of Sortavala; Center Elama (the Karelian word for life). * Enjoy an unforgettable trip to Kizhi Island which has Make sure you try the rye flour kalitki pies, creamy fish been used as an exchange route since the 14-15th century, soup and the berry and oatmeal dessert at one of the ethnic and see the wooden churches of Kizhi Pogost; theme parks or traditional Karelian restaurants. * Discover Pomeranian culture in Kem; Karelian festivals * Visit the Ruskeala Mountain Park; The most important holiday in the traditional calendar * Treat yourself to a healthy break at Russia’s oldest balne- for all northern peoples is the Summer Solstice, Midsummer otherapeutic spa resort, Marcial Waters (Martsialnye Vody). Day. The longest summer day falls on June 22. Celebrations Winter: begin in the evening and last all night, during the Karelian * Snowmobiling, reindeer and dog sledding, cross-country Landscape in the Republic of Karelia white nights. Young people traditionally go to the forest to skiing and mountain skiing; gather for ferns, dance around bonfires and swim in the lakes. * Go for a walk at the Kivach Nature Reserve and see wooden architecture. The Elonpu (the Tree of Life) Festival, a holiday from the cascading Kivach waterfall that keeps on flowing with Geography Veps culture, is celebrated in mid-July on the shores of an icy glaze; The Republic of Karelia is located just north of St. Pe- Lake Onega near the village of Sheltozero. There are no * Visit Karelian Santa Claus, Talvi Ukko. tersburg and stretches over a vast territory, most of which is more than four thousand Vepsians left, and most of them Summer: covered with forests and lakes. The eastern side of the region live in Karelian villages. A file photo shows tens of ancient Iranian coins. * Enjoy a break at one of the guest houses along the banks is almost completely submerged, with Lake Onega and Lake On August 9 every year, ethnic groups in Karelia celebrate of rivers and lakes; Ladoga and the White Sea, and borders with Finland in the the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples. The culprits were detained in this regard and surrendered * Hiking and horse riding; west. A Highway connecting Moscow and St. Petersburg Souvenirs and things to try in Karelia to the judicial system for further investigation, a police official * Rafting and fishing. to Murmansk runs through Karelia, and stretches all the You have to try the local kalitki pies and the smoked said on Thursday, CHTN reported. Top-7 places to visit in Karelia way from the South to the North of the Republic. Karelia’s fish. Especially the trout! They will keep for half a day to a The official, however, did not refer to the age of the Founded by Peter the Great along the western shore of Lake capital is the historical city of Petrozavodsk. full day on the way home if you want to take some with you, relics. “The coins were handed over to cultural heritage Onega, the Republic of Karelia’s capital city Petrozavodsk is Summers are warm and mild, and you can enjoy the especially in the colder weather. In the warmer months, you authorizes for further examination and to verify their an excellent starting point for trips around the region. From white nights, but there a lot of mosquitoes, midges, gadflies should pack the fish in a thermal bag to stop it from going off. authenticity,” he noted. Petrozavodsk, you could head out a trip to Kizhi Pogost or and ticks in the wild. Use the right insect repellents, wear An Illustrated copy of “The Kalevala”. the Kivach Nature Reserve. The city has many interesting suitable clothing, and make sure you check your whole body Souvenirs made from Karelian birch wood. There is a museums, including the National Museum of the Republic and all your things for ticks once you get back after spending wide range of birch souvenirs: trinket boxes, pens, watches. ROUND THE GLOBE of Karelia, the Kantele House cultural and historical center, time in the outdoors. July is the warmest month of the year, Karelia’s national musical instrument, the Kantele. and the Museum of Industrial History of Petrozavodsk. the average temperature is about plus 15 degrees Celsius, Souvenirs and jewelry made of shungite stone. This miner- Tasmanian Wilderness Kizhi is an island in the rocky Kizhi skerries on Lake but sometimes temperatures do reach almost 30 degrees. aloid was named after the Karelian village of Shunga, near the Onega. It is adorned with Karelia’s crown jewels and main Winter in Karelia is a real fairy-tale winter: a snowy, site which the first shungite deposits were described. The black The Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area is a World attraction — picture-postcard Kizhi Pogost — a masterpiece beautiful, frosty, but relatively mild winter. The average stone with silver veins is used in industry, but it has gained great Heritage Site in Tasmania, Australia. It is also one of the of wooden architecture. The historical Kizhi Pogost is a temperature for January is about minus ten degrees Celsius. popularity as a folk medical treatment. Do note that many the last expanses of temperate wilderness in the world, and Russian Cultural Heritage Site. Snow begins to fall in November and can last until mid-May. souvenirs and pieces of jewelry are not made from real black includes the South West Wilderness. The picturesque Kivach Nature Reserve is not far from Karelian traditions shungite. The real thing is rather expensive and can stain. Cheap Petrozavodsk, and is partially open to visitors. Its main at- Karelian traditions are closely related to a work of epic varieties of the mineraloid rock are lighter, do not leave any traction is the Kivach Waterfall. poetry compiled from Karelian and Finnish oral folklore and black marks, and has no effect on the body and certainly does Sortavala is a cozy town with a number of unique build- mythology, “The Kalevala”. The Kaleva deciphers the local not reduce electromagnetic radiation. ings in the National Romantic architectural style, and the runes and tells the story of the region and its inhabitants. How to reach Karelia unusual triangular Vainamoinen Square and Kirov Square. It tells the story of the hero and demigod Vainamoinen. The most convenient way to get to Petrozavodsk is by rail. The town is a good starting point for trips to the Valaam According to legend built the first boat and created the There are trains from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Murmansk, Archipelago and the Ruskeala Mountain Park. Karelia’s national musical instrument, the Kantele. There Pskov, Sochi and Rostov-on-Don. The train from St. Petersburg The fairy-tale Marble Lake in Ruskeala was artificially is also the story of Ilmarinen the Eternal Hammerer, the takes about six hours, seats and bunks in the couchette cars formed by work on the site of the former marble quarry. It blacksmith who forged the wonderous Sampo mill, and cost about 1500 rubles, and more comfortable compartments is now it a tourist attraction with mountain walking trails, Louhi the sorceress, the shamanic Lemminkainen, and are priced from 2000 rubles. The train from Moscow takes grottoes and underwater galleries. Plan your route on the other fantastic heroes. The folklore in “The Kalevala” is 13 hours, tickets prices are from 2000 rubles for a bunk in map before heading out on a walk through the Ruskeala not linked with a common plot, it is more of a collection a couchette car, and between 3000 and 7000 rubles for a Mountain Park, so that you do not miss the Italian Quar- of descriptions of the world and creation as the ancient place in a more comfortable compartment. Every four days ry and the site of the damaged mine, which are located inhabitants of Karelia understood it. there is a train that runs from St. Petersburg to Sortavala. some distance away from the Ruskeala Lake. The Lake Do you want to surround yourself with an There is an airport in Petrozavodsk, but there are very few is a nice place to row a boat. The Ruskeala Waterfalls are atmosphere of fairy tales and legends? flights there. S7 Airlines operate daily flights from Moscow. fairly near the Lake. The Soviet film “The Dawns Here * Pay a visit to the Kantele House and the Museum of Fine There are flights between Petrozavodsk and Arkhangelsk on In a region that has been subjected to severe glaciation, Are Quiet” was filmed here. Arts of the Republic of Karelia in Petrozavodsk. There are also Tuesdays and Thursdays operated by Arkhangelsk Airlines. these parks and reserves, with their steep gorges, covering The Valaam Archipelago on Lake Ladoga is famous for its plays based on Karelian legends and in the Karelian language Getting around Karelia on your own is convenient, an area of over 1 million ha, constitute one of the last expans- stunning natural beauty and the Valaam Monastery, which at the National Theatre of the Republic of Karelia — make but it is easier if you drive an SUV. While the main roads es of temperate rainforest in the world. Remains found in some sources say was founded in the 14th century, while sure you look up the program of events before your trip. that link Petrozavodsk with Moscow, St. Petersburg and limestone caves attest to the human occupation of the area others suggest it dates back to the 10th century. * Take a trip to the Pomeranian town of Kem, where Murmansk are usually in good condition, they are indeed for more than 20,000 years. The towns of Kondopoga, Kostomuksha and Med- you can visit the Pomorye Local Lore Museum, the wooden affected by the weather conditions, and many rural roads (Source: UNESCO) vezhyegorsk and the surrounding traditional Karelian Assumption Cathedral founded in the early 18th century are a little worse for wear. villages are wonderfully preserved examples of traditional and the more modern Annunciation Cathedral. (Based on a research into Russian sources) I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y NOVEMBER 23, 2019 INTERNATIONAL 11

Russiagaters pivot focus to Why the hawks are wrong Russian state media By Dave DeCamp As the race for 2020 heats up, the mainstream media is hard at about China too work, stoking fears of Russian influence. NBC News ran a story on a report about Russia’s English-speaking media outlet’s coverage of 2020 presidential candidates. The report was released By Doug Bandow Tuesday, by former FBI agent Clint Watts who is a fellow at THE AMERICAN CONSERVATIVE — Some opponents the Foreign Policy Research Institute.The report analyzes over of U.S. interventions in the Middle East don’t mind endless 1,700 stories from Russian media outlets RT and Sputnik and wars. They just think America needs to undertake a genuine found the coverage of Joe Biden was overwhelmingly negative, Asian “pivot” or “rebalance” to counter China. For them, it is while coverage of Iraq War Veteran Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) only a matter of which enemy must be fought.Certainly the has been mostly positive. The coverage was more neutral for Sino-American relationship has become more fractious, with the other 10 candidates. the Trump administration plotting geopolitical as well as NBC’s story on the report is titled, “Russian web trolls boo economic confrontation. Every new dispute seems to lead to Biden, often boost Gabbard, report finds.” What NBC calls calls in Congress for additional sanctions. Some policymakers “Russian web trolls” is just Russia’s state-sponsored media. imagine a new Cold War and perhaps even military conflict. NBC said mentions of Gabbard in these Russian media outlets Both at home and abroad, the government of the People’s were “46 percent favorable and 44 percent unfavorable.” Republic of China (PRC) is doing much harm. However, But according to Watts’s report, Gabbard’s mentions were 46 confrontation for the sake of confrontation, seemingly Capitol percent favorable, 44 percent neutral, and 10 percent negative. Hill’s policy toward numerous nations, is counterproductive. NBC must have mixed up neutral and unfavorable, a surprising Challenging the PRC will achieve little if Washington does mistake for an outlet that loves to smear Gabbard as a Russian not have clear and realistic objectives.China is an ancient favorite. Gabbard ranks 6th out of the 12 candidates in overall civilization, spurred onward and upward today by lingering mentions in the report, a detail NBC does not include in their anger and resentment caused by centuries of oppression and story. humiliation. The formation of the PRC 70 years ago inaugu- Biden’s mentions were only 3 percent favorable and 53 rated a new era. Nevertheless, for the first three decades or percent unfavorable. Watts says in his report, “For Russia so, China’s potential was merely theoretical: Mao Zedong thus far, Biden is to 2020 what Hillary Clinton was to 2016.” and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) were perpetually at NBC asked Watts Gabbard would be a Kremlin favorite. war with their own people. Once Mao passed from the scene “Gabbard is saying everything Russia wants Americans to hear,” in 1976, however, Beijing moved onto a path of growth. To he said. “She’s a U.S. Army officer, and combat veteran claiming the good, hundreds of millions of people escaped immiserat- – incorrectly – that the US backs al Qaeda. She calls the US ing poverty. To the bad, a still-authoritarian regime gained an imperialist power that should withdraw from the world.” strength and resources. Watts dismisses Gabbard’s claim that the US backs al-Qaeda The PRC’s sharpest critics have developed a steadily the best hope of influencing Chinese policy. waters. Washington has no claim of its own and no direct by calling it incorrect. For people like Watts and the average NBC expanding number of grievances on myriad topics: trade Similar is the challenge posed by Taiwan. Its 24 million stake in the controversies. Nevertheless, the U.S. has a News reader, they do not have to go outside of their mainstream practices, North Korea, religious liberty, domestic eco- people have made a nation, but Beijing is no more inclined strong interest in the peaceful resolution of regional dis- media comfort zone to see reports on US support of al-Qaeda. nomic policy, Hong Kong, regional territorial disputes, to accept separation than was Washington willing to tolerate putes and would prefer that its allies and friends control CNN reported on US arms sold to Saudi Arabia and the United mistreatment of the Uighurs, other human rights abuses, the South’s secession in 1861. Threats of war lack credibility strategic waters rather than the PRC. Arab Emirates being transferred to al-Qaeda linked fighters Chinese overseas investment, intellectual property theft, since, as a Chinese general once argued, the U.S. will not Yet these concerns do not justify war with China, which in Yemen. Despite these revelations, President Trump still Taiwan, investment access, discrimination against foreign risk Los Angeles for Taipei. Nor should it. could result since Beijing has a compelling interest in con- arms Saudi Arabia and even vetoed a bipartisan effort to ban firms, cyber warfare, and more. The issues are serious and Nevertheless, one could imagine some discreet under- trolling its surrounding waters. Imagine America’s reaction weapons sales to the Kingdom. the list is daunting. standings that might help defuse tensions. For instance, the if a hostile power’s navy routinely sailed down the East Although the Trump Administration ended the arming of Demanding satisfaction on all of them guarantees failure. U.S. and Taiwan promising that no American military forces Coast, around Florida, and into the Gulf of Mexico. Wash- Syrian rebels in 2017 – many of whom were al-Qaeda affiliates It is worth considering how Americans would respond to will be stationed on the island; China reducing missile forces ington’s strongest interest is in preserving the independence – it was a policy that went on for many years under the Obama a China that made a similar set of demands, with threats directed at Taipei; Taiwan maintaining its ambiguous status of friendly states—most notably Japan, the Philippines, Administration.The US government was well aware of al-Qaeda’s of confrontation, retaliation, and even war. We would not rather than claiming independence; and the PRC accepting Australia, and New Zealand—not in backing their claims presence among the Syrian rebels in the early days of the war. be inclined to compromise, let alone surrender. Beijing’s the land’s continuing autonomy rather than seeking to resolve to various uninhabited rocks littering contested waters. A declassified Department of Defense document from 2012 serious weaknesses, of which there are several, might even its claim.Both the U.S. and China desire the denuclearization It is essential that American policymakers recognize said, “The Salafist, The Muslim Brotherhood, and AQI (al- increase its intransigence. Washington must set priorities of North Korea. However, Beijing also seeks stability—hardly that Washington’s geopolitical dispute with the PRC is Qaeda in Iraq) are the major forces driving the insurgency in and consider carefully how pursuing too many competing an unreasonable concern, given the potential for national over influence, not survival. Yet the usual hawkish suspects Syria.” Maybe the US is not directly supporting al-Qaeda in objectives risks failing to achieve any of them. implosion, resulting in loose nuclear weapons, factional rarely make that distinction. Although Chinese leaders Syria anymore, but the claim that the US backs the terrorist Economics tops President Donald Trump’s list. Structural war, and mass refugee flows. Imagine Washington’s reac- might imagine global domination in the distant future, their organization cannot be dismissed as incorrect. reform matters more than his misplaced quest to arbitrarily tion to a similar prospect in Mexico: today’s ongoing drug nation’s current ambitions are much more circumscribed. The Kremlin has an interest in the US not supporting al- cut the trade deficit, essentially an accounting fiction. More violence is bad enough. Moreover, the PRC has good reason And whatever their intentions, they almost certainly will Qaeda in the Middle East since Russia is much closer to the serious are barriers to access by U.S. firms, discrimination not to simply hand over its one military ally to America, lack the capability to challenge America in its neighbor- region. This fact does not make it any less of an important against foreign enterprises, intellectual property theft, or- advancing Washington’s objective of containing Chinese hood for a very long time, if ever. The tyranny of distance issue for the American people. ganized corporate espionage, and state-backed cyberattacks. power. Assurances of U.S. support in dealing with future combined with the high cost of projecting power—which President Trump’s recent reshuffling of troops in Syria came Moreover, attempting to restructure Chinese economic developments on the peninsula as well as a commitment currently hampers U.S. operations in East Asia—would under fire from all sides of the political spectrum in Washington. policy, such as subsidies to inefficient but politically sensi- to withdraw American forces in the event of reunification work against Beijing. Washington’s sophisticated nuclear Unfortunately, Trump failed to withdraw troops from Syria tive state enterprises, is far more problematic. Economic might encourage greater cooperation by Beijing. deterrent will long offer the U.S. a final defense. and is now keeping them there to “secure the oil.” One of the intervention is significant and varied even in the U.S. and Human rights has also become a matter of great contention. At issue is America’s continued domination of China along main criticisms of Trump’s unfulfilled plan to withdraw from Europe, despite their pretensions as market-oriented sys- Under President Xi Jinping, the PRC is slouching toward China’s border. However desirable that may be in theory, it Syria is that it would be a favor to Putin. tems. Washington and assorted state capitals do much totalitarianism. Xi increasingly looks like a new Mao, ded- is very different than protecting America’s independence, Syria is one of Russia’s main allies in the region, and it to underwrite their favored interests. The political trade- icated to amassing untrammeled power for himself and the territory, population, liberties, and constitutional system. certainly would benefit Putin if the US withdrew. But the fact is offs go to basic sovereignty. Compromise will be necessary CCP. The abuses are legion and growing: a million Uighurs Moreover, the cost of battling China in its neighborhood a withdrawal would also help America. Occupying a small part to win concessions: Beijing is not simply going to accept in reeducation camps, widespread religious persecution, would be extraordinarily costly. It is easier for China to of Syria to “secure the oil” puts troops in harm’s way, costs the American dictates. ruthless crackdowns on any hint of dissent, restrictions on sink a carrier than for America to build a new one. The U.S. US taxpayer a lot more money than the oil is worth, antagonizes Hong Kong has gone from a seeming success to a potential academic exchanges, tighter internet censorship, an intrusive should spend whatever is necessary to protect the homeland. enemies, and creates new ones. It’s a simple concept: what’s disaster in a few months. Over the administration’s objec- “social credit” system, and much more. But to maintain an ability to assault the Chinese mainland? good for Russia can also be good for the US. tions, Congress is pushing for sanctions. But good policy Washington should certainly affirm the importance of That’s another story.Finally, these many objectives are With all that being said, Russian state media does not just should seek to change behavior, not highlight outrage, and all governments to respect the lives, dignity, and liberty sometimes in tension, if not outright conflict. The greater promote foreign policy the Kremlin finds favorable, there is this requires an understanding of Beijing’s core interests. of their peoples. However, America’s ability to enforce the number of goals, the harder it is to achieve any one of plenty of other valuable content to be found. RT has attracted There is no circumstance under which the PRC will grant this commitment is extraordinarily limited. The most vital them. Washington has variously threatened sanctions or many prominent American journalists and personalities like full democracy to the special administrative region. None. interest of every authoritarian government is preservation war over human rights, geopolitical disputes, trade, govern- Jesse Ventura, Chris Hedges, Larry King, and Rick Sanchez. Nor is there any chance that China will offer Hong Kong of its rule, and when it comes to China, the U.S. has few ance of Hong Kong, Taiwan’s status, economic policy, and RT provides a platform for American journalists who have independence. Demanding that it do so might generate tools to force change. Sanctions have become Washington’s North Korean relations. Does anyone realistically imagine been shunned by the US corporate press. Ventura was fired sanctimonious feelings of self-satisfaction in some leg- all-purpose remedy, but the broader the objective—release that China’s nationalistic leaders will agree to even some from his short-lived MSNBC show in 2003 after opposing islators, but little more.In contrast, there is at least some all political prisoners, create a free press, hold democratic of these demands, let alone all of them? the Iraq War. hope that Beijing might continue to respect Hong Kong’s elections—the less credible the effort. Beijing might release In the coming years, the PRC will pose an ever-tougher Funding news outlets to broadcast in foreign countries is not relative autonomy and avoid a violent crackdown. Even a particular prisoner or change a specific process under challenge to America. Yet the threat is very different than unique to the Russian government. The U.S. Agency for Global in these cases, however, ostentatious threats are likely to pressure, but it will not forgo repression or abandon com- that posed by the USSR during the Cold War. China is far Media (USAGM, formerly the Broadcasting Board of Governors) prove counterproductive; no rising nationalistic power munism. That would require a much more far-reaching more integrated into the global community. Shifting focus is an agency of the US government that broadcasts news in can afford to be seen as yielding to foreign dictates about internal transformation, as occurred with the collapse of from the Middle East to Asia makes sense. However, though over 100 countries. The USAGM’s budget for the 2019 fiscal its political system. A private yet firm approach by the the Soviet Union. Beijing is a tough competitor, it is not yet an enemy, and year is over $660 million. The USAGM’s two main networks U.S. backed by friendly Asian and European countries Even more contentious are the multiple territorial dis- Washington should not treat it as one. Neither of us would are Radio Free Europe and Voice of America, both of which emphasizing the risk to relations with the PRC might offer putes throughout the South China Sea and other Asia-Pacific win a war with the other, hot or cold. broadcast in Russian. After Russia was accused of interfering in the 2016 election, both RT and Sputnik were forced to register as foreign agents with the US Justice Department. Moscow retaliated by designating Radio Free Europe and Voice of America as foreign agents. Professor Jahanpour: EU countries unable to stand up Watts’s report echoes recent comments made by Hillary Clinton on Gabbard. In October, Clinton said of the Hawaii to President Trump to prevent JCPOA erosion Congresswoman, “She is a favorite of the Russians. They have a bunch of sites and bots and other ways of supporting her TEHRAN (FNA) — Farhang Jahanpour, Professor at Iran to make up for some of her losses due to US sanctions so far.” Clinton even said that the Russians are “grooming Oxford University, says the EU’s subordination to the and to prevent further erosion of the JCPOA, the EU her to be the third-party candidate,” Gabbard has repeatedly US claim about Iran’s involvement in Aramco attack countries are not able to stand up to President Trump denied a third-party run if she fails to secure the Democratic indicates that the three European countries and the EU and go against his wishes. nomination. as signatories to the JCPOA cannot act independently The US withdrew from the nuclear deal and As far as Russian bots go, Watts told NBC, “Much of the bot of the White House. discouraged other signatories from fulfilling their and troll activity out there is unattributed. We don’t know what In an exclusive interview with FNA, Professor Jahanpour commitments. Still, it talks about making a new deal is Russian or not Russian, and when researchers mistakenly said the EU’s efforts to save the Joint Comprehensive Plan with Iran. Do you see any logic behind the US offer for attribute the free speech of Americans as a secret Russian of Action “has not so far materialized due to US objections”. a new deal? bot, it degrades electorate confidence in researchers’ ability Professor Farhang Jahanpour received a Ph.D. Degree A: I believe that the US administration is divided on the to detect Russian influence or that it even exists.” in Oriental Studies from Cambridge University, and taught issue of how to deal with Iran. From his recent actions, it The social media campaign of the St. Petersburg-based Persian language and literature at Cambridge University. is clear that President Trump personally would not like Internet Research Agency was one of Robert Mueller’s main Since 1985 he has been teaching courses on the Middle to start a new conflict with Iran, especially on the eve allegations in his claim that Russia interfered in the 2016 election. East at the Department of Continuing Education at the of the presidential elections. A conflict in the Persian Although further research shows, the IRA social media posts University of Oxford.Below is the full text of the interview: Gulf will send oil prices sky high, something that would were mostly unrelated to the election. A Senate commissioned How do you view Europe’s commitment to the JCPOA? to US objections. anger US voters, and might also inflict huge damage report by the firm New Knowledge found just “11 percent of A: The EU was a signatory to the JCPOA and The problem is that recent events have shown that the on US allies who are very vulnerable to missile attacks. the total content was related to the election.” unanimously approved it. There is no question that EU EU seems unable or unwilling to act independently of the However, some members of the US administration and Watts mentions the IRA in his report. “At this point, there leaders are committed to it and would like to protect United States. Since President Macron’s failed attempts some hawks in Congress are still demanding some form may be more people looking for Internet Research Agency it. For over a year, the EU and particularly the three to arrange a meeting between Presidents Rouhani and of action against Iran. accounts and bots than there are Internet Research Agency countries that were the signatories to the JCPOA, namely Trump on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, the Although neither side would like to give in to the other employees.” Watts goes on to present his new approach to the United Kingdom, France and Germany, tried to devise a three European countries have hardened their position side’s demands and lose face, any form of compromise is understanding Russia’s influence, “read and listen to what financial mechanism to bypass US sanctions. Furthermore, towards Iran. In addition to blaming Iran for the Houthi- preferable to a conflict with all that it entails. Therefore, Russia says publicly first before scouring piles of social media President Macron proposed providing Iran with a $15 claimed attacks on Saudi refineries, they have also strongly I believe it is incumbent on both sides to try to resume data in search of their trolls.” billion letter of credit to keep the nuclear deal alive, in criticized Iran for violating some of her commitments talks and reach a reasonable agreement. It seems that on More details of this study will emerge over the next year, return for Iran returning to full compliance. The $15b under the JCPOA and have even threatened that if Iran the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, the two sides including Russian media coverage of President Trump, and package would make up for only a portion of Iran’s loss continues on this path they might report Iran to the were willing to meet, but President Trump’s insistence to similar analysis for China and Iran’s state media. Watts has due to her inability to sell her oil as the result of the Security Council. increase sanctions on Iran dissuaded President Rouhani successfully moved the goal post from Russian bots and troll sanctions, but even this has not so far materialized due Therefore, it seems that despite their desire to help from meeting him. farms to Russian state media. I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y 12 SOCIETY NOVEMBER 23, 2019

Trees resistant to ash dieback Fossil fuel production on track for disease offer future hope for species A devastating fungal disease, the cause of ash dieback, is on double the safe climate limit course to decimate Europe’s ash trees, with 70 million in the UK currently expected to perish over the coming years, costing The world’s nations are on track to produce production are dangerously out of step with the economy an estimated £15bn. more than twice as much coal, oil and gas the goals of the Paris agreement.” But in some pockets of woodland, resistance to the sickness as can be burned in 2030 while restrict- The report highlights the nations that are has been detected, offering a glimmer of hope that ash trees will ing rise in the global temperature to 1.5C, taking some action, including the closure of not be permanently erased from the landscape. analysis shows. most coal mines in Spain and some in China, Scientists sequenced whole genomic DNA from 1,250 ash The report is the first to compare coun- along with the end of new offshore oil and trees in 31 different areas in order to identify the inherited genes tries’ stated plans for fossil fuel extraction gas exploration licences in New Zealand associated with ash dieback resistance. with the goals of the Paris climate agreement, and some parts of the Arctic governed by which is to keep global heating well below Canada, the US and Norway. 2C above pre-industrial levels, and to aim Verkuijl said a global agreement to phase for 1.5C. It exposes a huge gap, with fossil out production would be ideal but is difficult at fuel production in 2030 heading for 50% present with the US under President Donald more than is consistent with 2C, and 120% Trump, as the country is due to withdraw more than that for 1.5C. from the Paris agreement. But she said many Scientists have warned that even the dif- Democratic presidential candidates have ference between 1.5C and 2C of heating will promised to cut fossil fuel production by expose hundreds of millions of people to restricting extraction on public land, for significantly higher risks of extreme heat- example, or removing subsidies. She said waves, drought, floods and poverty. such a candidate beating Trump in the 2020 The report was produced by the UN election would be a “gamechanger”. Environment Programme and a coalition Paris deal do not even mention changes to recovery from the UK remains vital to meet The report said it was crucial that workers of research organisations. It complements production. those energy demands as long as they exist, in fossil fuel industries were helped into new an earlier UN analysis showing the current The UK is a “striking” example of this and to reduce reliance on imports.” employment as production ramped down. The study, published in the journal Nature Ecology & Evo- Paris agreement pledges to cut emissions mismatch, said Cleo Verkuijl, at the SEI’s The report’s warning was strongly backed “Leaders need to [talk with] workers and their lution, shows resistance is controlled by several genes, offering would still lead to a catastrophic 3-4C rise. centre in Oxford, UK. It was the first major by senior figures. “Ensuring a liveable planet unions to plan a just transition away from hope survivors could be used to restore diseased woodlands, “We’re in a deep hole – and we need to economy to commit to net zero emissions for future generations means getting seri- fossil fuels,” said Sharan Burrow, head of the either by natural regeneration or selective breeding. stop digging,” said Måns Nilsson, executive by 2050, she said, but also subsidises fossil ous about phasing out coal, oil and gas,” International Trade Union Confederation. Professor Richard Nichols, author of the study from Queen director of the Stockholm Environment In- fuel production at home and abroad and said Christiana Figueres, at Mission 2020 The analysis is based on the published Mary University of London, said: “We found that the genetics stitute (SEI), which was part of the analysis. intends to extract “every drop of oil and gas” and is the person who delivered the Paris national plans of eight key producers: Aus- behind ash dieback resistance resembled other characteristics “Despite more than two decades of climate from its North Sea fields. In recent years, the agreement in 2015 as the UN’s top climate tralia, Canada, Russia, US, China, India, like human height, where the trait is controlled by many different policymaking, fossil fuel production levels UK oil and gas industry has received £176m official. “Countries such as Costa Rica, Spain Indonesia and Norway, which account for genes working together, rather than one specific gene. are higher than ever.” more annually in government support than and New Zealand are already showing the 60% of global fossil fuel production. The “Now we have established which genes are important for Most action to tackle the climate crisis it paid in taxes, the report said. way forward, with policies to constrain ex- plans of other big producers, including Saudi resistance we can predict which trees will survive ash dieback. involves reducing emissions, but Inger The UK Oil and Gas Authority said in ploration and extraction – others must now Arabia and Iran, are not publicly available. This will help identify susceptible trees that need to be removed Andersen, head of the UN Environment a statement: “Oil and gas will remain an follow their lead. There is no time to waste.” The researchers assumed these nations would from woodlands, and provide the foundations for breeding more Programme, said a focus on fossil fuel important part of our energy mix for the Prof Nicholas Stern, at the London School follow similar paths as the eight countries resistant trees in future.” production was long overdue. Most of the foreseeable future, including under net of Economics, said: “This important report that were covered. Samples were collected from ash trees in a Forest Research action pledges made by countries under the zero scenarios. Maximising the economic shows planned levels of coal, oil and gas (Source: The Guardian) mass screening trial, which comprises 150,000 trees across 14 sites in southeast England. The researchers screened for resistance genes using a rapid Climate crisis ‘may have triggered faster North Sea oilfields could help contain approach where the DNA of diseased and unaffected trees was wind speeds’ climate change, says report separated. Many of the genes found to be associated with ash dieback The global climate crisis could lead to North Sea oil executives believe the age- resistance were similar to those previously shown to be involved more renewable electricity being generated ing fossil fuel basin may still lead a global in disease or pathogen responses in other species. by spurring faster wind speeds for the climate revolution by providing a testbed Ash dieback is a major threat to the UK landscape. According world’s growing number of windfarms, for clean energy breakthroughs. to the Woodland Trust, the effects “will be staggering”. according to research. An industry report has revealed that “It will change the landscape forever and threaten many species Scientists have discovered that the the North Sea could emerge as an unlikely which rely on ash”, the trust has warned. world’s shifting ocean circulation patterns climate hero by becoming a global show- The fungus Hymenoscyphus fraxineus affects ash trees of any may have triggered a rapid increase in case for the energy transition after decades age and in the UK between 70 and 95 per cent of ash trees are wind speeds over the last 10 years. producing fossil fuels. expected to succumb. The international research team an- The basin has produced almost 40bn The £15bn economic impact is expected to be greater than that alysed data from 9,000 international a trend of decreasing wind speeds over barrels of oil over the last 40 years, but as are looking at ways to reduce the carbon of the 2001 foot-and-mouth disease outbreak which led to more weather stations since the late 1970s and the last three decades – known as global oilfields decline the empty caverns could be footprint of their operations. All of this than 6 million cattle and sheep being exterminated, according found that wind speeds had unexpectedly terrestrial stilling – which threatened to used to store carbon emissions, according creates an opportunity for the North Sea to an assessment this year by a team from Oxford University. increased after a three-decade slowdown. halve the world’s wind power potential to PricewaterhouseCoopers. to lead the way in the energy transition,” The predicted costs include clearing up dead and dying trees, Dr Zhenzhong Zeng, a professor at by the end of the century. The advisory firm added that North Sea Stevenson said. but also lost benefits provided by the trees, including water and Princeton University and the lead author Previous studies have found that in- gas producers may eventually be able to The report comes after the government’s air purification and carbon sequestration. of the report, said the research team was creased “roughness” on the Earth’s surface, produce zero-carbon hydrogen by using climate watchdog warned over the summer The loss of these services is expected to be the biggest cost to surprised by the findings after setting out from new buildings and urbanisation, electricity generated by offshore wind tur- that the North Sea would need to embrace society, while millions of ash trees also line Britain’s roads and urban to study the slowdown in global wind has acted as a buffer by slowing wind bines to split the carbon molecules from technology, such as carbon capture, to earn areas, and clearing up dangerous trees will cost billions of pounds. speeds. speeds by up to 2.3% every decade since natural gas. a role in the UK’s low-carbon future. The disease has spread throughout Europe’s ash populations, The faster than expected wind speeds the late 1970s. But the latest research has The North Sea is already equipped Chris Stark, the chief executive of the and was first recorded in the UK in 2012. could help increase the amount of re- demonstrated that large-scale ocean and with major offshore infrastructure, such Committee on Climate Change, told the Professor Richard Buggs, senior research leader in plant health newable electricity generated by each atmospheric circulation patterns could as pipelines and platforms, which could be Guardian following its climate progress at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and lead author of the paper, turbine by more than a third to 3.3m be making wind speeds faster again. used to help transport and store the carbon report in July that the North Sea industry said: “There is no cure for ash dieback and it threatens to kill over kilowatt hours (kWh) by 2024. The study found that the main drivers emissions captured by UK factories and must make sure that it is part of the UK’s half of the 90 million ash trees in the UK. This will have huge Zeng said the unexpected acceleration of the world’s quickening wind speeds hydrogen producers. net-zero carbon story. impacts on the British landscape. is likely to have played a bigger role in were the Pacific decadal oscillation, the Drew Stevenson, PwC’s UK energy sector “It would, of course, be an easier task “Our new findings of the genetic basis of natural resistance improving the efficiency of windfarms in North Atlantic oscillation and the Tropical leader, said there is “huge potential” for to simply say that we shouldn’t bring oil found in a small minority of British ash trees help us to predict the US than technological innovations. North Atlantic index. the North Sea to help meet the “necessary and gas out of the ground but we know how ash populations will evolve under ash dieback. While many The research paper, published in the Zeng said that the effect of global urgency to move to a low-carbon world” by that there will potentially be some uses ash trees will die, our findings are encouraging from a long-term peer-reviewed journal Nature Climate heating on the world’s wind speeds re- focusing on low-carbon innovations and for those hydrocarbons, in particular for perspective and reassure us that ash woodlands will one day Change, suggests that faster global speeds mained largely uncertain because rising new technology. the production of things like hydrogen,” flourish again.” may continue for at least another dec- temperatures would have a diverse range PwC based its report on interviews with he said. (Source: The Independent) ade in what would be a major boost for of impacts that are not fully understood. 20 key energy industry executives to pin- “The key test for whether that can ever windfarm owners. “We believe our study advances [the] point how the North Sea could adapt to a be a part of the future scenario is whether Dr Adrian Chappell, a professor at understanding on how climate change net zero-carbon future. the sector itself is supportive of carbon WORDS IN THE NEWS Cardiff University and a co-author of the affects wind, and we appeal for more sci- “The appetite exists for the North Sea capture and storage and whether the re- report, said the rapid increase in global entists to focus on this important climate energy industry to play a significant role sources in the North Sea are used in an Controversial Russian stamps wind speed bodes well for the expansion variable,” he said. “The study of wind can in the transition: investor sentiment is effective net-zero way. If there was ever a of renewable energy which will be central also shed light on the dynamic mecha- rapidly becoming more committed to point for the industry to feel challenged, (May 1, 2002) to keeping global heating to below 2C. nisms of climate change.” low carbon technologies while smaller it’s now,” he added. A new series of Russian stamps is causing controversy. They carry The findings mark a major reversal in (Source: The Guardian) exploration and production companies (Source: The Guardian) the portraits of six of Stalin’s secret policemen. They’ve raised concern amongst human rights groups that the power and influence of the country’s secret services may be growing. This report from Steve Rosenberg: ENGLISH IN USE Anyone receiving a letter in the Russian post is likely to be a little unnerved by the faces staring up at them from the envelope. LEARN NEWS TRANSLATION Six members of Joseph Stalin’s infamous secret police have become the heroes of Russia’s latest set of stamps. They are a rather unlikely group of celebrities: among them, Persian literature Olympiad to be held المپياد ادبی از سال 98 به صورت جهانی برگزار میشود Sergei Puzitsky - responsible for the deportation of thousands of peasants during the 1930s - and Vladimir Styrne, a man said to have instigated widespread repression when he was in charge internationally next calendar year معــاون مرکــز ملــی پــرورش اســتعدادهای درخشــان گفــت: المپیــاد ادبــی از ســال of a local branch of the secret police. Persian literature Olympiad will be held internationally in Iran in the next 1398 بــه صــورت جهانــی برگــزار م ی شــود. The six agents are better known in Russia for their success in catching Iranian calendar year (starting on March 21), deputy director at National foreign spies and it’s in that capacity they’re being honoured by the Organization for Development of Exceptional Talents affiliated to Education country’s postal service. The stamps have been issued to mark the عنایــت ســاالریان در گف توگــو بــا خبرگــزاری فــارس در تشــریح المپیادهــای علمــی .Ministry has said eightieth anniversary of Russia’s counter-intelligence service. امســال اظهــار کــرد: المپیــاد ادبــی از ســال 1398 بــا کمــک تعــدادی از ســازم انهای Not everyone, though, is celebrating. Human rights activists In a collaborative attempt between National Library of Iran, ECO Cultural فرهنگــی مثــل کتابخانــه ملــی، موسســه فرهنگــی اکــو، دانشــگاه عالمــه طباطبایــی، بنیاد have expressed their opposition to the idea of putting spies on Institute, Allameh Tabatabaei University, Sa’di Foundation and Academy stamps. One survivor of the Gulag, who I spoke to, said she of Persian Language and Literature, the Olympiad will be held in Iran, Fars ســعدی و فرهنگســتان ادب فارســی بــه صــورت جهانــی برگــزار م ی شــود. .considered the stamps an insult, and would not be sticking news agency quoted Enayat Salarian as saying on Wednesday ســاالریان ادامــه داد: همچنیــن در ســال 2020 اولیــن المپیــاد جهانــی ســلو لهای بنیادی any on her letters. Moreover, he added, the first international student Olympiad on stem cells بــه میزبانــی و بــا ابــداع ایــران برگــزار م ی شــود. .Words and regenerative medicine in the name of Iran will be held in 2020 unnerved: frightened or startled infamous: people or things that are well known because they are evil or connected with something evil deportation: the sending out of an area, region or country of a person or number of people PREFIX/SUFFIX PHRASAL VERB IDIOM peasants: people who work on the land, especially those who “-ectomy” Tell somebody off Packed (in) like sardines own a small piece of land in a poor country instigated: if you instigate an event or situation, you cause it to Meaning: removal Meaning: if someone in authority tells you off, they Explanation: very tightly or snugly packed together, happen by your own effort or work For example: Remember, no two people undergoing speak to you angrily about something wrong that you especially in a small space repression: the use of force to restrict and control a group of people an appendectomy are alike. have done For example: We didn’t want to take more than one to mark: to note, or commemorate an event For example: Shelley was one of those kids who car, so we had to drive for about four hours packed like the Gulag: the system of detention camps for political prisoners was always getting told off at school. sardines in Jeff’s little sedan. (Source: BBC) I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y NOVEMBER 23, 2019 WORLD IN FOCUS 13

UAE in weapons-making push as Lebanese President Aoun says ready to dialogue with allies restrict sales protesters The United Arab Emirates is making a push sound or particle beams. to develop high-tech military hardware that “The Emiratis not only believe that they Lebanese President Michel Aoun has reiterated his call for would give it control over critical defense can make a profit in this sphere but also a dialogue with protesters as the country is struggling to capabilities and lessen reliance on imports. that they are well-equipped to understand form a new government after Prime Minister Saad Hari- Wary of threats and concerned over moves and counter regional threats,” said Robert ri tendered his resignation nearly a month ago, and has by some allies to hold up arms sales, the UAE Mogielnicki, a resident scholar at the Wash- been gripped by mass protests demanding departure of is reshaping a military industry already seen ington-based Institute. the ruling elite. as the region’s most sophisticated. The UAE is expected to spend $17 billion State defense companies have been on defense next year, according to U.S.-based brought together to form EDGE, a $5-billion defense analysis firm Teal, up from $14.4 conglomerate to spearhead development of billion in 2014 when last disclosed by the advanced weapons for the country’s military. government. Today, just a fraction is spent Those ambitions were put on display at domestically. this week’s Dubai Airshow where the mili- Abu Dhabi, the main petroleum producing tary handed an EDGE company a $1 billion emirate, is leading the development of the contract for guided missiles. country’s industry. “Like many countries, on specific critical There, the move is seen as a step not only capabilities you want to have sovereignty,” toward more diversification of an oil-based EDGE Chief Executive Faisal al-Bannai told economy but toward “greater strategic au- Reuters. tonomy with regard to foreign and defense The UAE’s defense industry dates back policies,” said Jean-Loup Samaan, associ- two decades, built through joint ventures sales to the UAE over its involvement in to the security of Persian Gulf states. Tehran ate professor at the UAE National Defense and technology transfer programs. the Yemen war. denied involvement. College. Much of it now sits under EDGE, man- Meanwhile, the UAE maintains close ties Oil tankers off the UAE coast were sab- EDGE, which wants to build on joint ven- ufacturing drones, small ammunitions and and continues to buy weapons from China otaged and a swarm of missiles and drones tures that developed the country’s defense providing maintenance. and Russia. temporarily wiped out half of Saudi Arabia’s industry, also has eyes on exporting. Despite close ties with the West, the oil- Abdulla al-Hashimi, assistant under- oil production in a September attack. That could draw new scrutiny. rich Persian Gulf nation has had difficulty secretary for support services at the UAE EDGE could develop directed energy U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Po- acquiring some sophisticated weapons. Defense Ministry, said sovereign capabil- technology, Bannai said, which can be used litical-Military Affairs R. Clarke Cooper said The United States will not sell armed ities were a “necessity” for security and to counter drone threats. Washington would like the UAE to establish drones to the UAE under a longstanding the economy. Directed energy weapons emit focused greater oversight as it develops its military export policy limiting their use. Recently, A series of attacks in the Persian Gulf energy in the form of lasers, microwaves, industry. some European countries have blocked over the summer, highlighted new threats electromagnetic radiation, radio waves, (Source: Reuters) Addressing the nation in a televised speech marking the country’s 76th Independence Day on Thursday, Aoun renewed his invitation to protesters to send representatives Netanyahu charged with bribery, fraud to the presidential palace in Baabda, east of Beirut, for talks. The Lebanese president noted that he wants to “closely A defiant Benjamin Netanyahu rejected all allegations of Political chaos explore their actual demands and means to implement fraud, saying he would not step down as Israel’s prime The charges raise more uncertainty over who will ul- them,” stressing that “dialogue is the only correct way to minister despite being indicted on a series of corruption timately lead a country mired in political chaos after two resolve crises.” charges. inconclusive elections this year. Aoun then blamed “contradictions that control politics” Netanyahu denounced what he called the “false” and Israeli law does not require Netanyahu to step for his failure to call for binding parliamentary consulta- “politically motivated” allegations, hours after being charged down from the post of prime minister if indicted. tions to name a new prime minister. by the attorney general with bribery, fraud and breach of The entire process of an indictment and trial could “The time is not for speeches but rather for hard work… trust. He denied all wrongdoing. take two years. The challenges are dangerous and we’ve wasted a lot of time. “What is going on here is an attempt to stage a coup As prime minister, he would only be forced to resign from “The government should have been formed by now against the prime minister,” Netanyahu said. “The object the post if he is eventually convicted, where he could face and started its work; but the contradictions that govern of the investigations was to oust the right wing from gov- up to 10 years in prison and/or a fine for bribery charges Lebanese politics have necessitated carefulness in order ernment.” alone, while fraud and breach of trust carry a prison sen- to avoid a more dangerous situation,” the 84-year-old Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit announced the tence of up to three years. president added. indictment earlier on Thursday, calling it a “heavy-hearted Hugh Lovatt, an Israel-Palestine analyst at the European The next Lebanese government must be “efficient, pro- decision” based only on solid legal evidence. Council on Foreign Relations, said the indictment may still away from him, whereas a reprieve would likely give him ductive and methodical,” Aoun said. But Netanyahu said the investigators “weren’t after the not be “the end of the story”. a new lease of life. “The recent popular protests have broken some taboos truth, they were after me”. “Israel will now have to brace for a political roller-coast- Netanyahu, a right-winger, who has been in power since and relatively some protections, prompting the judiciary In a 15-minute speech, Netanyahu railed against his er ride over the coming months. Now, more than ever, 2009, is Israel’s longest-serving prime minister and dom- to act and encouraging the legislature to give priority to a political rivals and state institutions, accusing the police Netanyahu will be fighting for his political and personal inates the country’s political scene. number of anti-corruption draft laws. and judiciary of bias. The veteran politician argued it was life,” said Lovatt. “The other thing is the political question: given “I will be a firm bulwark that protects the judiciary and time for an “investigation of the investigators”, and vowed ’Sad day for Israel’ the seriousness of these charges, will he be able to by that I mean that I will prevent any interference in it,” to continue in his position despite potential court dates and Gantz said on Thursday the indictment was “a very sad maintain his support, especially within his own Likud the Lebanese president pointed out. intense political pressure. day for the state of Israel”. party?” said Al Jazeera’s Harry Fawcett, reporting from Aoun also called on troops to protect the people’s free- “I will continue to lead this country, according to the The indictment might permanently damage 70-year- West Jerusalem. dom of expression and at the same time ensure freedom letter of the law,” he said. “I will not allow lies to win.” old Netanyahu’s political career and cause allies to break (Source: al Jazeera) of transportation. Back on November 4, Aoun said that there is a need for dialogue with demonstrators in order to come to an understanding on the issues at hand. Kurds could start oil deliveries to Baghdad in 2020 The Lebanese Presidency, in a post published on its official The semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region of to SOMO for it to sell in Ceyhan in Turkey, a military offensive which threatened to “The 2019 federal budget law is very Twitter page, cited Aoun as saying to the United Nations Iraq could start delivering 250,000 barrels per and the returns go to the federal budget,” undo years of unprecedented autonomy clear about the obligations of both the Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jan Kubis that one of the day (bpd) of oil to the Baghdad federal govern- he told the local broadcaster al-Ahd. the region had enjoyed. federal and regional governments,” the first tasks of the new government will be to follow up the ment by early 2020, Iraq’s oil minister said. The region produced 440,000 bpd last Exports from smaller oilfields under the minister said, adding that the Kurds had anti-corruption, and carry out an investigation process that The oil would be delivered to state oil month, he added. Kurdistan’s oil exports regional government’s control continued. yet to send any oil. will include all officials in departments at different levels. marketer SOMO which would export it via have long been a source of contention with Relations have improved with a change He said this could change in 2020 and he Hariri submitted his resignation to President Aoun pipeline through the Turkish port of Cey- Baghdad. The Kurds, who control Iraq’s only of governments in Baghdad and Erbil, the had told SOMO officials “to prepare themselves on October 29. han, Thamer Ghadhban said in a televised northern pipeline, had been exporting oil Kurdish region’s capital. for receiving 250,000 bpd starting next year Under the constitution, Hariri’s cabinet would stay on interview late Thursday. independently since 2013. Exports from As part of the 2018 and 2019 budgets, the because that’s what I understand from talks.” in a caretaker capacity until a new government is formed. Deliveries should have begun under a Kirkuk restarted in 2018, after a year-long Kurdistan Regional Government agreed to A team of Kurdistan Regional Govern- The protests began on October 17 when the government deal agreed two years ago. freeze following a failed bid for independence. send 250,000 bpd to federal authorities in ment ministers was due to arrive in Baghdad proposed imposing a tax on Whatsapp calls, along with “The Kurdistan Regional Government is The backlash was swift and pushed Iraq exchange for Baghdad paying civil servant Sunday to discuss budget issues, he said. other austerity measures. obliged to send no less than 250,000 bpd to the brink of civil war as Baghdad launched salaries. (Source: Daily Star) Protesters in Lebanon have stopped blocking roads and setting up barricades, and instead shifted to holding sit-ins at state-affiliated sites. They say they will maintain pressure on the political Washington’s controversial support for Tel Aviv: Finishing deal of the century puzzle establishment until their demands for the departure of the ruling elite and an end to chronic economic misman- 1 Meanwhile, even the EU and Russia have con- Over past three years, the Trump administration has position while Israel is facing political disputes and crisis in agement and corruption are met. demned the U.S. position and found it to be inconsistence taken positions in support of the Tel Aviv regime which forming a new cabinet. Trump’s ally, Netanyahu, is making Growth in Lebanon has plummeted in the wake of endless with international law. have been have been followed by international community’s any efforts to form a new government, but it seems that he political deadlocks and an economic crisis in recent years. The Palestinians were not indifferent and sent seven reaction. In 2017, Trump announced that he recognizes al- will not succeed, and his rival, Benny Gantz, is playing an The country hosts 1.5 million Syrian refugees, and their letters to the UN. The letters, which were addressed to UN Quds as the capital of Israel. Therefore, global objection to important role in political arena. presence is often blamed for putting pressure on the already Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and presidents of the the recognition was heightened. And a year later, the U.S. struggling economy. Security Council and General Assembly, insisted strong officially transferred its embassy to al-Quds. The action Therefore, the U.S. support for the Zionist regime in Unemployment stands at more than 20 percent, ac- opposition to the U.S. position on the Israeli stealing of was taken to back Tel Aviv and incite the Palestinians in the current circumstances cannot be examined apart from cording to official figures. the Palestinian lands. particular and the Arabs in general. the situation in Israel which is caught in a political crisis. The Lebanese Finance Ministry says the national debt Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanya- In addition to all these actions, in March 2018, Trump It appears that the U.S. intends to assist Netanyahu and is hovering around $85 billion, which accounts for more hu welcomed Pompeo’s announcement and said it is the recognized Israel’s illegal sovereignty over the Golan Heights, strengthen his position through formal and public support than 150 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). correction of a historical mistake. Netanyahu had a phone which is part of the Syrian territory for settlements. Successive governments have failed to address a waste conversation with Trump and praised Washington’s position. The latest U.S. efforts is to advance the hostile plan known In any case, the U.S. position on the West Bank is in management crisis or improve the electricity grid, which The U.S. says that it has changed its stance on settlements as “deal of the century”, which has so far been opposed line with Netanyahu’s pre-election promises to annex some is plagued by daily power cuts. and will no longer adhere to the stance that it had four dec- by Palestinian groups and some Arab countries. The deal parts of the West Bank to occupied territories. Therefore, (Source: Press TV) ades ago. Soon after the U.S. announcement, Russia and ignores all Palestinian rights, including the right of the both sides, Trump and Netanyahu, in a coordinated move the EU said that they have not changed their position and displaced people to return to their homeland. are seeking to expand illegal settlements to finish deal of still consider settlements in the West Bank illegal. Of course, it should be noted that the U.S. has taken this the century puzzle. Japan foreign minister to visit Russia to discuss formal French officer tried for anti-yellow vest violence WWII treaty A French police man appeared in court Demonstrators accuse police of using The 44-year-old officer on trial Thurs- on which police had come under attack from Thursday for hurling a paving stone at excessive force to suppress the movement, day was also caught on camera in the act of stone-throwing protesters. Japan’s foreign minister agreed Friday to visit Russia next protesters during a “yellow vest” rally, in particular the use of rubber bullets which throwing the stone. The video did not show Among those hit was the accused’s com- month for talks about a formal World War II peace treaty, the first member of the security forces activists say have caused some two dozen where the stone landed or if anyone was hit. manding officer, who was struck in the face a ministry official said, following a decades-old dispute to face trial after numerous allegations people to lose an eye. He risks up to three years in prison and by a paving stone and badly injured. that has prevented the countries from reaching a pact. of police brutality during the weekly Around 2,500 demonstrators and 1,800 a fine of 45,000 euros ($50,000) if convict- Eyes and limbs lost - Toshimitsu Motegi agreed with counterpart Sergei Lav- protests. security force members have been injured ed of “deliberate violence by a person in a The fierce violence that flared during the rov to visit Russia in mid-December and discuss the issue, The case comes just days after the first since the protests began, according to an position of public authority.” protests last winter made headlines world- the official said at a briefing on the sidelines of a meeting anniversary of the anti-government rallies, official count. The SGP police union has accused the wide, with rioters running amok in Paris and of the Group of 20 (G20) nations in the central Japanese which were again marked by rioting and Another demonstrator lost an eye Sat- judiciary of trying to make a “scapegoat” other cities, smashing shopfronts, torching city of Nagoya. vandalism last Saturday. urday after being hit in the face, apparently of him and argued that he had acted in cars and looting businesses. Japan claims a string of Russian-controlled western It is the first arising from 212 cases of by a police tear gas canister. A video showed self-defense. Yellow vest protests in rural France have Pacific islands. The territorial row has precluded a formal alleged police brutality being investigated him standing in a group talking when he His lawyer Laurent Boguet told the been relatively peaceful, by contrast. peace treaty between the two countries. by the IGPN police oversight body. was struck. court that May 1 was a “very violent day” (Source: AFP) (Source: Reuters) I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y 14 WORLD SPORTS NOVEMBER 23, 2019

Verona’s partial stadium ban for Dutch soccer set for widespread Balotelli racist abuse suspended

Italian club Verona’s partial one-match stadium closure for racist chants directed at Brescia striker Mario Balotelli in a Serie A game protests against racism earlier this month was suspended on appeal Thursday. The Italian Football Federation’s (FIGC) disciplinary commis- Professional soccer players in Holland will happened to Moreira and took to Twitter sion had ordered Verona to host Fiorentina on Sunday with the stand still for the first minute of this week- to say “enough is enough.” “Poltrone Est” section of their Bentegodi Stadium closed. end’s matches to protest against racism in On Tuesday, Wijnaldum celebrated a It followed racist chanting directed towards Italian international the game. goal for the Dutch national team by pointing Balotelli during his team’s 2-1 defeat on November 3 in Verona. The Eredivisie and Eerste Divisie, the two to his skin along with Barcelona starlet Despite denials of abuse from Verona, a video published on top-flight leagues in the country, came to the Frenkie de Jong. Twitter by a fan showed a number of supporters abusing Balo- joint decision to temporarily suspend play “Wake up call” telli before the forward kicked the ball at them in the stands and after games kick off, with the slogan “Racism? Dutch football writer Jaap de Groot threatened to walk off the pitch. Then we don’t play football!” displayed on told CNN Sport that the recent incident But the FIGC’s appeals court on Thursday said they had sus- screens around the stadiums. had been a “wake up call” for the country. pended the sanction, pending further investigation. An extra minute will be added to the end “The 80s with Ruud Gullit and Frank “We are satisfied, we have highlighted various inconsistencies of the first half. Rijkaard, they are fantastic examples of and we look forward to the outcome of the investigation, naturally “It is intended to make fans aware that how players from different cultures can hoping for a final favourable decision,” said Verona’s Operations football belongs to everyone, regardless be integrated into a certain country,” said Director Francesco Barresi, adding that it had been “an absolute of cultural background, religion or sexual De Groot, referring to two of Holland’s injustice to blame an entire sector”. preference,” read an Eredivisie statement. most famous former internationals, who “We are waiting for all our fans on Sunday at the stadium with The protest comes after a second division both played for AC Milan. the additional support of almost 1,000 children from the School game between FC Den Bosch and Excelsior “We had that leading role for a long, Project, as has happened on previous occasions. was stopped due to alleged racist abuse ear- long time and out comes this incident. “These little fans will be present with banners and slogans lier this month. I think that’s why it hit the nation so against all discrimination.” The match was temporarily halted after said it supported this weekend’s proposed this social problem properly. Racism is hard. We are not use to having this on Meanwhile, Balotelli was sent home from training on Thursday Excelsior winger Ahmad Mendes Moreira protests and outlined its protocols for disgusting and does not belong in football. the football field.” after a bust-up with new Brescia coach Fabio Grosso, according was subjected to alleged racist chanting by tackling discrimination in the game. Racism must go out of the world.” The incident is the latest addition to a to reports in Italy. the home fans, including songs about ‘Black “These initiatives also strengthen us in KNVB confirmed it had also launched growing list that has blighted European Ex-World Cup winner Grosso, who took over after Eugenio Pete’ -- a racist caricature which in recent the discussions we have with politicians an investigation into the Moreira incident. soccer this season, with racist incidents Corini was sacked following the defeat by Verona, was reportedly years has drawn protests across the nation. and our social partners,” read a KNVB Liverpool and Holland midfielder in places such as Italy, Ukraine and on angered by Balotelli’s lazy start to training. ‘Enough is enough’ statement. Georginio Wijnaldum is among a number the international stage. Balotelli headed straight for the dressing room, before driving The Dutch Football Association (KNVB) “Because only together can we tackle of Dutch footballers to condemn what (Source: BBC) away from the training centre, Gazzetta Dello Sport reported. (Source: AFP) Mourinho returns to the fray as Man Zidane urges fans to back Bolton handed suspended City face tough Chelsea test under-fire Bale points deduction for failing to play fixtures

Bolton Wanderers have been handed a suspended five-point deduc- tion and financial penalties after being found guilty of failing to fulfil their fixtures against Brentford and Doncaster Rovers this year, the English Football League (EFL) has said. Bolton’s final Championship (second tier) match last season against Brentford was postponed and later cancelled after players boycotted the game over unpaid wages. This season, their fourth League One game against Doncaster in August was postponed as the club, who fielded only three senior players in a game three days earlier, were concerned about the welfare of their younger players. “The independent panel has ruled that Bolton Wanderers will be subject to a two-point deduction for the fixture against Brentford and a further three points for the match against Doncaster Rovers,” the EFL said in a statement “Both penalties are suspended for 18 months and will not be activated as long as the club is not subject to a further misconduct charge for non-fulfilment of fixtures in that timeframe.” Jose Mourinho will inevitably be the centre of revenue but the outlook is not bright. Zinedine Zidane has urged Real Madrid country than his club, Zidane said: “I don’t The club was also fined a total of 70,000 pounds ($90,426) in attention as he takes charge of Tottenham for No team with as low a tally as Spurs have fans to get behind Gareth Bale and insists he think so, maybe it’s better for him with penalties for not playing the two fixtures, with half the amount sus- the first time this weekend while Manchester after 12 games -- 14 points -- has ever gone does not believe the Welshman is happier the language, but he seemed happy when pended for 18 months. City look to get their Premier League title chal- on to record a top-four finish. playing for his country than Real Madrid. he scored in the Champions League final. The EFL, however, said they were “disappointed” by the inde- lenge back on track against Chelsea. Mourinho, often labelled a cheque-book Madrid play Real Sociedad at the San- “It’s just the language, he said it. Inside pendent disciplinary commission’s conclusions and would appeal. The former Chelsea and Manchester United manager, has made the right noises so far, tiago Bernabeu on Saturday, when Bale is the dressing room here, he’s good.” “It is the firm view of the League that the sanction imposed is too manager has been charged with rescuing Spurs’ saying at his first press conference he will likely to feel the frustration of the home Zidane would not comment on whether lenient when consideration is given to all the circumstances of the season after this week’s sacking of Mauricio not demand millions to spend in the trans- supporters. Bale’s celebrations were aimed at Real case,” an EFL spokesman said in a statement. Pochettino, with the club desperate to claw fer market. The 30-year-old sparked outrage in the Madrid or the media’s criticism of him (Source: Reuters) their way back into the top four. “I don’t need players, I am so happy with Spanish press this week after he celebrated for spending too much time playing golf. At the top of the table, runaway leaders the players I have, I just need time to under- Wales’ victory over Hungary on Monday “I’m not going to get into that, it’s not Liverpool have a winnable-looking fixture stand them better, to know everything about with a flag from the crowd that read: “Wales. my area,” Zidane said. “What I can tell you Maradona announces away to Crystal Palace but the chasing pack them,” he said. Golf. Madrid. In that order”. is Gareth Bale is my player. That’s what cannot afford to allow the gap to widen further. “My gift is this squad, the squad is very, The slogan has been adopted by Welsh interests me.” Gimnasia return - two days City, licking their wounds after their 3-1 very good.” fans after an interview given by former Bale has not played for Real Madrid after quitting defeat by Liverpool earlier this month, host Over their past 38 league games, Liver- Madrid player Pedja Mijatovic to Cadena since October 5 but his recovery came just Frank Lampard’s Chelsea, who are one point pool have tallied 101 points and lost just once, Ser last month, in which he referred to in time for him to play twice for Wales Argentina legend Diego Maradona said he is to return as manager of above them in the table, eight points behind overcoming champions Manchester City in those as Bale’s priorities. last week, meaning he is fit to face Real Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata - two days after he quit. Jurgen Klopp’s side. their most recent outing. It has been interpreted in Spain as a Sociedad in La Liga. The 59-year-old made the announcement of his return to the Leicester, in second place, ahead of Chelsea Manager Klopp last season labelled his slight against Real Madrid, particularly “There is a lot of noise around Gareth Argentine club on social media. on goal difference, travel to England’s south players “mentality monsters” and captain after Bale played twice for Wales over the but the most important thing for him and He said the decision hade been reached after “we finally achieved coast to take on Brighton. Jordan Henderson says that is a crucial fac- international break, having missed the last for me is to focus on football,” Zidane said. political unity in the club”. AFP Sport picks out some of the talking tor in their success. six matches for his club through injury. “He has been away, he has been able to “I hope [the leaders] will provide reinforcements they promised points ahead of the weekend’s matches: “Our mentality is just as important as the But, in a press conference on Friday, play and now he is back and is available. me,” Maradona added. Mourinho’s first match in charge of Totten- technical ability of the team,” Henderson told Zidane refused to criticise Bale. “When “He can make the difference, he is a The 1986 World Cup winner started his role at Gimnasia in early ham will be away to West Ham at the London the club’s website. you look at what he has given to the club decisive player. If he is fit, he has shown he September in his first coaching job in his homeland since 2010. Stadium on Saturday but he will not have the “I think everybody sees how talented the and the fans, that is what we are all here is a key player and he will show it again.” The side were bottom of Argentina’s 24-team top division when luxury of a honeymoon period. squad is, how many good players we’ve got in for: for the club. It remains to be seen if Bale returns to he took over and he has guided them to three wins in eight games to The Portuguese boss has a number of issues the team, but mentality is huge in football.” “Gareth is one of the team and the fans the starting line-up against Real Socie- move them up to 22nd. to sort out, including addressing the woeful Lampard, who spent a season playing for have to be behind us, always. I will always dad, who have enjoyed a brilliant start to Maradona left his previous managerial role at Mexican second away form -- Spurs have not won on the road Manchester City after leaving Chelsea, takes be behind my players. Outside, things can the season and sit only two points behind division outfit Dorados de Sinaloa citing health issues. in the Premier League since January. his young side to the Etihad for his first visit happen but inside, we should only look at Real Madrid. (Source: BBC) Last season’s Champions League finalists as a manager. the football.” Lucas Vazquez is out with a broken toe have had a shocking start to the season, lan- Pep Guardiola’s side host Chelsea in the While on international duty, Bale admit- along with James Rodriguez and Nacho, guishing in 14th place in the Premier League unusual position of being fourth in the table, ted he feels more excitement representing who are both recovering from knee injuries. Mihajlovic discharged from after just three wins in their opening 12 games. a point and place below the visitors, who have Wales, with teammates he has grown up Marco Asensio is a long-term absentee after With their new stadium to pay for, Tot- had six successive league wins. with and who speak the same language. rupturing his cruciate ligament. hospital tenham are reliant on Champions League (Source: AFP) Asked if Bale is happier playing for his (Source: Eurosport) Sinisa Mihajlovic has been officially discharged from Sant’Orsola Hospital, with “satisfactory” conditions for the coach to continue his work at Bologna. Russian athletics officials suspended over anti-doping violations The president of Russian athletics and senior officials have been charges that have been brought. The ban is provisional, the suspended for “serious breaches” of anti-doping rules, putting inquiry is ongoing and the details are confidential,” Yukhareva Russian track and field athletes’ participation at next year’s Tokyo told TASS news agency. Olympics in further danger. The IAAF, now renamed World Athletics, will discuss Rus- The suspensions came after the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) sia’s continuing suspension from the sport in a meeting of its on Thursday accused the Russian athletics federation (RUSAF) decision-making Council in Monaco on Friday and Saturday. of obstructing an investigation into high-jumper Danil Lysenko, In September, World Athletics maintained its ban on Russia a silver medallist at the 2017 World Championships in London. competing as a country pending analysis of data from Moscow’s RUSAF president Dmitry Shlyakhtin and the federation’s anti-doping laboratory. executive director Alexander Parkin have been provisionally The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) reinstated Russia The Serbian announced in July that he had been diagnosed suspended. Lysenko and his coach have also been suspended. in September 2018, on condition that it handed over a huge with leukaemia and has only coached Bologna from the sidelines Russia has been banned from competing as a country in ath- shows” in 12 months. Any combination of three missed tests or cache of electronic data from the laboratory. when he was allowed to by his doctors. letics since 2015, after the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) filing failures within a 12-month period is considered a violation Russia has been forced to deny allegations that it had doc- Now, the hospital where he has been receiving chemotheraphy found evidence of widespread doping in the sport. of anti-doping rules. tored the data after WADA said evidence of some positive tests has confirmed that the 50-year-old successfully checked out this Some Russian athletes, including Lysenko, have been al- The AIU has given the accused until December 12 to respond handed over by a whistleblower does not show up in the data. mroning. lowed to compete under a neutral flag. Last year Lysenko had to the accusations. WADA is due to make an official recommendation on what “He was discharged today, on November 22, 2019, from the that status removed by athletics world governing body IAAF Shlyakhtin said senior RUSAF officials would meet to discuss sanctions to take against Russia and the issue will top the agenda Seragnoli Institute of Haematology,” read an official statement. after he failed to provide the whereabouts information he is their response to the case and who would take over as interim at a meeting of the body’s Executive Committee on December 9. “He was released after having undergone a bone marrow trans- required to give to submit to doping tests. president while he was suspended. WADA failed to prevent Russian competitors from taking plant from an unfamiliar donor on October 29. The patient’s general AIU said Thursday a 15-month investigation had found that Positive tests part in the 2016 Rio Olympics, with the exception of athletics. condition and haematological examinations are satisfactory.” Shlyakhtin and Parkin had been involved in the “provision of RUSAF spokesperson Natalia Yukhareva said lawyers were Under new rules, WADA has the power to ban countries from It comes after his wife admitted “there isn’t a more beautiful false explanations and forged documents to the AIU in order examining the accusations. major sporting events including the Tokyo Olympics although thing” than him leaving hospital for a third time. to explain whereabouts failures by the athlete”. “We only received the documents today (Thursday). Our its decision can be appealed at the Court of Arbitration for Sport. (Source: Football Italia ) The AIU had already said Lysenko was guilty of three “no- lawyers are studying the circumstances of the matter and the (Source: France 24) I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y NOVEMBER 23, 2019 SPORTS 15

Iran U23 lose to Qatar in friendly FIE Vice President to SPORTS TEHRAN — Iran U23 visit Iran deskfootball team were defeat- ed against Qatar U23 in a friendly match MNA — Vice President of International Fencing Federation on Thursday. (FIE) Giorgio Scarso will visit Iran during FIE Sabre Men’s Junior In the match held in Doha’s Lusail, the World Cup and Team World Cup 2019, due to be held in Tehran, Persians suffered a 2-1 loss against Qatar. November 23-24. The Qatari teams scored twice against Iran As the special guest of Iran during the event, Scarso, who in the first eight minutes and Omid Nourafkan is also president of the Italian Fencing federation, will meet pulled a goal back in the 16th minute. Seyed Reza Salehi Amiri, president of Iran’s National Olympic Iran drew 1-1 with Indonesia and lost Committee, on Saturday. to the ASEAN team 2-1 last week in two Fencers from Iran, Spain, Romania, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, friendly matches. Belgium, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Italy, Kuwait, Turkey, Tunisia “Qatar surprised our team in early minutes and Iraq will take part in the competition. of the match but I am satisfied with the way FIE is the international governing body of Olympic fencing. my team played in the friendly match. As Today, its head office is at the Maison du Sport International in Sanchez (Qatar coach) said, we are an organ- Lausanne, Switzerland. ized team and I think the friendly matches helped us to know our weak and strength points,” Iran U23 coach Hamid Estili said. “We tested our players in the other posi- World badminton rankings: tions and they worked well in their new posts. I am satisfied with my team’s performance,” big jump for Iran’s Aghaei the ex-Iran midfielder added. Iran prepare for the 2020 AFC U23 TASNIM — Soraya Aghaei from Iran has jumped nine places Championship. to 110th in the latest world rankings released by the Badminton Iran have been handed a tough group in World Federation (BWF). the competition, where they are drawn in The Iranian badminton player has performed well in the Group C along with defending champions recent competitions, however she had an early bye at the India Uzbekistan, China and South Korea. International Challenge 2019 after losing to Malvika Bansod The competition will be held in Thailand 2-0 (21-9, 21-14). from Jan. 8 to 26 and the top three teams Aghaei is going to book a place at the 2020 Olympic Games of the tournament will qualify for the 2020 in Tokyo. Summer Olympics men›s football tourna- In women’s singles, Tzu Ying Tai from Taipei remains No. 1, ment in Japan as the AFC representatives. followed by China’s Chen Yufei and Nozomi Okuhara from Japan. Iran have not been in the Olympics since the 1976 games. Timetable of 4-nation futsal Persepolis suffer fourth defeat in 11 Iran start CAFA U23 Women’s tournament in Mashhad matches: IPL Championship on high announced

MNA — Timetable of the matches of the 4-nation futsal cup which is going to be held in Mashhad, northeast Iran, was an- nounced on Wednesday. Four national teams of Iran, Slovakia, Belarus, and Kuwait will participate in the event which slated to take place from De- cember 1 to 4. Here is the matches’ schedule (in Iran’s local time): Sunday, Dec. 1: Slovakia vs Kuwait, 2:00 PM Iran vs Belarus, 6:00 PM Monday, Dec. 2: Slovakia vs Belarus, 2:00 PM Iran vs Kuwait, 6:00 PM Wednesday, Dec. 4: Belarus vs Kuwait, 2:00 PM Iran vs Slovakia, 6:00 PM Earlier, Ukraine had been announced as one of the four par- ticipating teams but later it was replaced by Kuwait after the European team called off its attendance. SPORTS TEHRAN — Perse- izadeh headed past Alireza Beiranvand. SPORTS TEHRAN — Iran de- the final day of competition next Thursday. Iran are preparing to defend their title at the 2020 AFC Futsal deskpolis›s crisis worsened Gabriel Calderon’s men put Naft deskfeated Tajikistan 4-0 at “We will participate in the tournament Championship which is going to be held in Turkmenistan’s Ash- Friday with a 1-0 loss against Naft Mas- Masjed Soleyman under pressure but the inaugural CAFA U23 Women’s Cham- with a well-prepared team since we have gabat from Feb. 24 to Mar. 10. jed Soleyman, the titleholders’ fourth failed to take advantage of their chances. pionship on Friday. held two training camps ahead of the event,” Iran are the most decorated team of AFC Futsal Championship defeat in 11 Iran Professional League At the end of the match, the Persepolis The Iranian women will meet Turkmen- Iran coach Maryam Azmoun said. with 12 titles out of 15 editions of the games. The team defeated (IPL) games. fans protested the Argentine coach asking istan on Saturday in their second match. “The competition helps the Central Asian Japan in the final of the 2018 edition to claim the trophy. Persepolis, who have won IPL titles him to leave the team as soon as possible. All six Central Asian Football Associ- teams to strengthen their ability for more in the last three seasons, performed a Persepolis sit third with 19 points, ation members Tajikistan, Iran, Uzbek- international events,” she added. poor display against visiting Naft Masjed four points adrift of IPL leaders Shahr istan, Kyrgyz Republic and Afghanistan “We will have two difficult matches Soleyman. Khodro. compete on a round-robin basis in Du- against Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan and Tokyo 2020 unveils Naft could have scored several goals The Reds have previously lost to shanbe and Hisor. will take nothing for granted in this tour- before the 76th minute that Alireza Al- Tractor, Sepahan and Shahr Khodro. The winners will be determined following nament,” Azmoun concluded. Paralympic Torch Relay details

The Tokyo Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralym- 2nd AFC Women’s Football Conference 2019 ends on a high note pic Games (Tokyo 2020) unveiled details of the Paralympic The Asian Football Confederation’s (AFC) dedication Torch Relay. to raising the standards of women’s football in Asia was These include the names of the cities in all of Japan’s 47 pre- further underlined at the 2nd AFC Women’s Football fectures where Paralympic Flames will be lit and where flame Conference 2019, which successfully ended in Kuala departure ceremonies will be held, details of the Torch Relay Lumpur, Malaysia on Thursday. routes in each of the four prefectures co-hosting Paralympic The three-day conference, with more than 70 partici- events, and guidelines covering the recruitment of torchbearers. pants from the AFC Member Associations, covered various In line with the concept ‘Share Your Light’, the Tokyo 2020 important topics including key case studies from expert Paralympic Torch Relay aims to generate excitement and create a speakers from FIFA and UEFA who shared insights, ideas festive-like atmosphere in the build-up to the Paralympic Games, and future plans for the sport. at the same time maintaining the momentum of the Olympic The 2nd AFC Women’s Football Conference started Games during the transition period to the Paralympic Games. on a lively note with the keynote session themed ‘Dare to (Source: Paralympic.org) Dream’ setting the tone before FIFA shared its blueprint on women’s football development in Asia. The second day continued with participants receiving valuable knowledge from the FIFA Women’s World Cup Bird wins Formula E opener 2019 which covered the European perspective and their success in the competition. given greater priority - from nutrition, infrastructure to across Asia and in world football, and my hope is to see this with Porsche and Mercedes Maymol Rocky, who made Indian football history in quality coaching - all areas of development have grown Conference held annually.» on podium 2017 after she was appointed as the country’s first-ever significantly and the future of the women’s game in Asia is “Women’s football has grown incredibly – even since female women’s national team head coach said: “This brighter than ever.” the last Conference and this is evident through the diversity conference has been a great opportunity to learn from The conference concluded with the big interview with of Member Associations represented here. Asia is quickly Britain’s Sam Bird won the opening race of the Formula E season the best but above all, the quality of content and conver- six-time AFC Women›s Coach of The Year and Japan wom- becoming leaders of the game and for Jordan, we are in- in Saudi Arabia for Envision Virgin Racing on Friday, with series sations has been hugely beneficial.” en’s national team head coach Asako Takakura, who shared spired to emulate the success of the Continent’s best on debutants Porsche and Mercedes making immediate appearances The former national player and AIFF women’s age- extensively on her experience of coaching the national side the world stage. on the podium. groups coach who is playing a key role in the country’s and the challenges she faced. “We have collected so many ideas and identified several The 32-year-old fought through from fifth at the start to con- preparation when it hosts the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Soleen Al-Zoubi, Head of Women’s Football from the areas for improvement, particularly in technical development, tinue his record of winning in every season of the all-electric Cup India 2020, added: “One of the most encouraging Jordan Football Association, who also sits on the AFC Wom- which we plan to include as part of our larger strategy for championship dating back to the first in 2014/15. takeaways for me has been the manner in which Asia has en’s Football Committee, said: “This Conference has been women’s football in Jordan,” added the former Jordanian The win was also Bird’s ninth in Formula E, the third most progressed in the women’s game. vital in providing insights on the latest trends and shifts in international, who has been involved in the game since 2005. of any driver. “As we have seen in India, women’s football is now women’s football. The women’s game is moving so quickly (Source: the-afc) Germany’s Andre Lotterer finished second for the Porsche team with Belgian Stoffel Vandoorne taking third place for Mercedes — with Audi claiming bragging rights also as powertrain provider to Bird’s team. The Diriyah circuit on the outskirts of Riyadh hosts a second Yemen, Iraq arrive for challenge race on Saturday. Yemen and Iraq teams are the first to arrive for having defeated Islamic Republic of Iran semi-finals. “I think it’s the power of the beard that did that,” Bird joked the 24th Persian Gulf Cup, which will be held and drawn with Jordan in Group C of the Oman head coach Erwin Koemans is over the radio, alluding to his new look for the 14 race season. in Doha from November 26 to December 8. Asian Qualifiers the past week. looking forward to the Persian Gulf Cup, “We’ve done, quite frankly, an amazing job in the off-season. Yemen arrived in Doha on Thursday Eight teams will vie for the Persian Gulf which will test all the teams. “Last year was difficult and I went through a little bit of a from Bahrain, where they played in an Asian Cup with matches to be played at the Khali- “I know the importance of the Cup to transformation. A lot of thinking and mental stuff. Physically, Qualifiers group D tie against Singapore, fa International Stadium and Abdullah bin the Omanis. We have to adapt to playing I’m fitter than ever before, massive weight loss,” he added. suffering a 2-1 defeat. Khalifa Stadium. on alternate days and deliver a top perfor- DS Techeetah’s French driver Jean Eric Vergne, winner of the Yemen will open their Persian Gulf Cup Qatar are in Group A with UAE, Yemen mance,” said Koemans. last two championships, retired in the pits midway through the race. campaign against United Arab Emirates on and Iraq while Group B is made up of de- Saudi Arabia too will be looking to shine Britain’s Alexander Sims led the field away from pole position November 26, before playing hosts Qatar fending champions Oman, Saudi Arabia, after reviving their Asian Qualifiers campaign for BMW Andretti but lost the lead to Vandoorne with 15 minutes to on November 29 and Iraq on December 2. Kuwait and Bahrain. with a 4-3 win over Uzbekistan in Group D go, with Bird following through to go second, and ended up eighth. Iraq, meanwhile, arrived from Jordan, The top two sides will qualify to the last Thursday. (Source: the-afc) (Source: Reuters) Prayer Times Noon:11:50 Evening: 17:19 Dawn: 4:14 (tomorrow) Sunrise: 6:47 (tomorrow) NOVEMBER 23, 2019 ART&CULTURE I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y www.tehrantimes.com Managing Director: Mohammad Shojaeian Editor-in-Chief: Mohammad Ghaderi Editorial Dept.: Fax: (+98 21) 88808214 — 88808895 “Rona, Azim’s Mother” wins UNESCO [email protected] Switchboard Operator: Tel: (+98 21) 43051000 Advertisements Dept.: Telefax: (+98 21) 43051450 Public Relations Office: Tel: (+98 21) 88805807 Cultural Diversity Award at APSA Subscription & Distribution Dept.: Tel: (+98 21) 43051603 www.eshterak.ir Distributor: Padideh Novin Co. ARTTEHRAN — “Rona, Tel: 889 433 11 deskAzim’s Mother”, a co- Webmaster: [email protected] Printed at: Jame Jam Bartar Borna - 44197737 production between Afghanistan and Iran by Tehran-based Afghan brothers Jamshid and Tehrantimes79 Tehrantimesdaily Navid Mahmudi, won the Cultural Diversity Award under the Patronage of UNESCO No. 18, Bimeh Alley, Nejatollahi St., Tehran, Iran at the 13th Asia Pacific Screen Awards in P.o. Box: 14155-4843 Brisbane, Australia, the organizers announced Zip Code: 1599814713 on Thursday. Starring Iranian actors Mohsen Tanabandeh and Mojtaba Pirzadeh, the film is about Azim, an Afghan refugee who works as a janitor in Tehran. While helping his mother and his brother’s family plan to smuggle themselves into Germany, he feels betrayed by his brother when he abandons their mother. The film has received several awards in GUIDE TO Iranian and international events, including SPIRITUAL AWAKENING the Kim Ji-seok Award at the 22nd Busan International Film Festival in October 2018 A human being is hidden under his tongue. and best film award at the Sharm el-Sheikh Asian Film Festival in Egypt last March. Imam Ali (AS) “Rona, Azim’s Mother” was Afghanistan’s submission to the 91st Academy Awards in the best foreign-language film category in 2018, however, it did not make the shortlist. WHAT’S IN ART GALLERIES The film’s star Tanabandeh also received Painting a nomination in the best actor category at the An exhibition of paintings APSA, but Manoj Bajpayee from India won by Nuriman Manuchehrifar is the award for his role in Devashish Makhija’s underway at Etemad Gallery 1. movie, “Bhonsle”. The exhibit named “I Picked The Korean Palme d’Or-winning film Light from the Garden” will “Parasite” by Joon-ho Bong was selected as run until December 10 at the best film, while the jury’s grand prize was gallery located at 25 Shirudi Al- awarded to “It Must Be Heaven” by Palestinian ley, Mofatteh St., near Haft-e director Elia Suleiman. Tir Square. “Buoyancy” by Rodd Rathjen from Sina Naziri-Hosseinpur is Australia won the best youth film award, showcasing his latest paintings while the best animation award went to in an exhibition at Negar Gallery. “Weathering with You” by Makoto Shinkai The exhibit titled “Face to Face from Japan. “Rona, Azim’s Mother” by Jamshid and Navid Mahmudi. with Philosophers” will run un- til November 27 at the gallery located at 33 Delaram Alley, Gunther Uecker’s “Tribute to Hafez” Iran can learn from China about Roshanai St. in the Qeitarieh neighborhood. opens in Rasht sci-fi movies: Reza Mirkarimi Homa Gallery is playing host ARTTEHRAN — After four ARTTEHRAN — Iranian to an exhibition of paintings by deskshowings in Tehran, deskdirector Reza Taher Purheidari. Shiraz, Isfahan and Kerman, German Mirkarimi has said that his country can The exhibit titled “Houses and sculptor and op artist Gunther Uecker’s learn from China about making sci-fi Pine Trees” runs until December exhibition “Tribute to Hafez” has moved and action movies. 3 at the gallery located at No. to Rasht in the northern province of Gilan He made the remarks during a question 8, Forth Alley, Sanai St., Karim for another showcase. and answer panel held after a screening of Khan Ave. The exhibit, which opened at the Rasht his film “Castle of Dreams” at the Tsinghua A collection of paintings by Central Hall on Thursday, will be running University in Beijing on November 7, Global Mehdi Sahabi is currently on for one month, the Persian service of IRNA Times, an English-language Chinese daily, display in an exhibition at Mo- reported on Thursday. Art aficionados visit “Tribute to Hafez”, an announced last Tuesday. Reza Mirkarimi (center) attends a jdeh Gallery. The collection has been inspired by ghazals exhibition of paintings by German op artist The film was also screened at the Beijing Q&A session at Tsinghua University in The exhibit named “After Ten of Persian poet Hafez. Uecker has created a Gunther Uecker, at the Rasht Central Hall Film Academy at the same time. Beijing, China on November 7, 2019. Years” runs until November 29 collection of graphical works in which the on November 21, 2019. (IRNA/Mojtaba “These genres in Iran are not (SABRI) at the gallery located at No. 27, ghazals are transformed into colors and the Mohammadi) mainstream. We don’t have enough 18th Alley off North Allameh The film won three main honors at the sound of the poems into written images. his signature use of nails arranged into capacity to achieve what we want,” Blvd. in the Saadatabad neigh- 22nd Shanghai International Film Festival, This method to translate spoken tactile, sculptural paintings. Mirkarimi said. borhood. including the Golden Goblet Award for language into pictorial expressions has Uecker’s oeuvre includes paintings, art “China and Iran are both in the East of Paintings by Soheila Haqiqat the best film. characterized the artist’s oeuvre since objects and installations as well as stage the world. We have these common Eastern are on display in an exhibition The film also brought Mirkarimi the the 1970s. designs and films. He is mainly interested feelings. There are many Chinese film experts at Vaali Gallery. best director award, and the film’s star, In 2016, Uecker first displayed his in the Eastern European avant-garde of that I’d like to work with, as I’ve seen their The exhibit entitled “Color of Hamed Behdad shared the award for best collection in Shiraz where the Mausoleum the 1920s and 1930s, but he is likewise works on the screens at international film Life” will be running until De- actor with Chang Feng, the Chinese actor of Hafez lies. The Imam Ali (AS) Religious fascinated by Asian cultures and their ideas. festivals,” Mirkarimi added. cember 3 at the gallery, which of “The Return” by Qin Hailu. Arts Museum in Tehran, Isfahan Museum His works can be seen in collections “Castle of Dreams” is about two young can be found at No. 71, Khod- Mirkarimi is currently considering of Contemporary Art and Kerman and at large fairs in both the West and children, whose mother has just died dami St. off of Vanak Square. shooting a family drama set in a small Museum of Contemporary Art hosted the East. Uecker’s artistic creativity and their father, Jalal, after long years Saye Gallery is hosting an ex- city in China and making an animated the exhibition afterwards. reached a climax in 2000 with the of absence, returns to sort things out, hibition of paintings by Milad TV series for children, possibly about The 88-year-old Uecker is a member prayer room he designed for the rebuilt but he does not want to take the children Shirbisheh. the Silk Road and cultural exchange of the ZERO movement, best known for Reichstag building in Berlin. with him. Entitled “Mesopotamia”, the with China. exhibit runs until December 3 at the gallery located at 3 Aqa- khani Alley, Omidvar St. in the Popular involvement in wars provides perfect inspiration for writers: Ahmad Dehqan Niavaran neighborhood. CULTURE TEHRAN — Ahmad Dehqan, as one of Italy by Mimesis and Jouvence in 2018, and Faezeh Mardani war that should be read by students and all people,” noted Photo deskthe few Iranian writers who fought in the and Maurizio Silvio Pistoso, professors of Persian language Pistoso who praised Marelli for his fine translation of the book. Photos by Sajedeh Sharifi are 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war, has said that people’s involvement and literature at the University of Bologna also attended Mardani also compared Dehqan with Primo Michele on display in an exhibition at in wars provides a multitude of perfect subjects for writing. the review session. Levi, an Italian Holocaust survivor and writer, and added, Farmanfarma Gallery. Speaking during a review of his bestselling books, “A “It’s great that we have Ahmad Dehqan here, because “Dehqan used his experiences in the war to write ‘Bearing The exhibit titled “I Wish I Had Vital Killing” and “Bearing 270 Degrees”, at the Italian it is important that Italian people read something from 270 Degrees’ as well as what Primo Levi did about ‘If This a Picture of You” will run until Institute for the Middle and Far East - ISMEO in Rome Iranian literature, and it very good whatever we choose to Is a Man’.” December 6 at the gallery lo- on Wednesday, he said, “All of Iran participated in the read from Persian literature to be in Persian or have been “It’s great that we have Dehqan here as a survivor of the cated at 2nd Araabi St., North defense and liberation of the southwestern Iranian city translated directly from the original editions,” Pistoso said war,” she said. Kheradmand St. in the Karim of Khorramshahr.” in his brief speech. In his short speech, Marelli elaborated on Dehqan’s style Khan neighborhood. “Such a popular involvement in a war allows writers to “Unfortunately, most of the works we have read from of writing and also said that he is translating “A Vital Killing”. Sculpture draw inspiration from the events; whether in Iran or abroad, Persian literature have been translated from the English The review was organized in collaboration with Candle An exhibition of sculptures writers never close their eyes easily to such events,” he added. or French editions of the books,” he lamented. and Fog, the London-based Iranian-British publishing house, by Asieh Abdollahi is underway Michele Marelli, the Italian translator of “Bearing 270 “The story of ‘Bearing 270 Degrees’ recounts an important which has published some of Dehqan’s books in English, at Atbin Gallery. Degrees” (“Viaggio in direzione 270°”) that was published in period of contemporary Iranian history and the Iran-Iraq including “A Vital Killing”. The exhibit titled “Invisible Thoughts” will continue until No- vember 26 at the gallery located at 42 Khakzad Alley, Vali-e Asr Ave. Writer Qobad Azaraiin wants book excluded from Jalal Al-e Ahmad nominations near the Parkway Intersection. CULTURE TEHRAN — Iranian The story of “Eruption” is about the oil Mohammadreza Marzuqi and “The Multimedia deskwriter Qobad Azaraiin eruption in Iran’s oil-rich region of Masjed Shamelessness Situation” by Hamed Jalali Shalman Gallery is playing announced on Wednesday that for personal Soleiman in 1908 when William Knox D’Arcy are among the nominees. host to an exhibition of drawings reasons he wants his book “Eruption” drilled an oil well in the Middle East for “Days and Dreams” by Payam Yazdanju and prints by Sepideh Firuzi. withdrawn from among the nominations the first time. The story recounts how oil and “They’ve Written Us by Snow” by Nasim The exhibition titled “Mirage” for the Jalal Al-e Ahmad Literary Awards. affected the lives of three generations in Tavassoli have also received nominations will run until November 27 at “With respect to the great name of Jalal the region. in the category. the gallery that can be found at and appreciation to the juries who found my The organizers of the 12th Jalal Al-e Ahmad The winners of the Jalal Al-e Ahmad 27 Kavusi Alley, West Rudbar work worthy to be on the shortlist, I request Literary Awards announced six nominees Literary Awards, Iran’s most lucrative St., off Mirdamad Blvd. that the organizers exclude my work from for the novel and story section last week. literary prize, will be announced during a Calligraphy among the nominees,” Azaraiin told the “Endlessness” by Mehdi Ebrahimi, ceremony in Tehran on December 2, which Iranian writer Qobad Azaraiin and front A group of artists including Persian service of ISNA. “Turning on the One-Way Street” by is the birthday of writer Jalal Al-e Ahmad. cover of his book “Eruption”. Fahimeh Ariadoost, Ahmad Ar- iamanesh, Sanaz Taqipur, Neda Tavakkoli, Faranak Saberi, Far- Expressionist painter Manuchehr Yektai dies at 97 shid Faqihi and Hamideh Ehsani is ARTTEHRAN — The New York-based art at the University of Tehran and left the country fetched 5 billion rials (about $114,000) at the Tehran showcasing their calligraphy works deskIranian abstract expressionist when he was 22. Auction and became the fourth most expensive work in an exhibition at Gooya Gallery. painter Manuchehr Yektai died last Tuesday. In Paris, he studied at l’Ecole Superieure des Beaux sold at the auction. The exhibit named “Without He was 97. Arts. After moving to New York, he resumed his studies While he was very famous in painting, his poetry Me, With My Presence” runs until November 27 at the He died of old age at his home in New York, some at the Art Students League of New York and had his was not as well known among his fans. His poetry gallery located at No. 89, Kharim Khan Ave. Persian news agencies reported on Friday. first shows in 1948 and 1949. collection under the title “Report Card on Simorgh” A pioneer of Iranian modern art, Yektai studied In 2018, an untitled abstract painting by Yektai was published in 2005.