Iran seeking ‘strategy’ Syrians vote Wintershall, NIOC Mohsen Torki 2411of close ties with 3 in parliamentary signed MOU on oilfields to referee Tehran derby

NATION neighbors: minister INTERNATIONAL elections ECONOMY development SPORTS forr ththee sseventheventh time

WWW.TEHRANTIMES.COM I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y Majid Majidi named Islamic Revolution Artist of the Year 12

12 Pages Price 10,000 Rials 37th year No.12528 Thursday APRIL 14, 2016 Farvardin 26, 1395 Rajab 6, 1437

Robert Hunter: German Iran’s petchem industry provides FM’s remarks show no Italy bolsters trade, economic unbridled growth desire to contain Russia opportunity for EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW partnership with Iran development By Javad Heirannia ECONOMY TEHRAN — Repre- sectors including energy, steel, telecom- and Trade Minister Mohammadreza The lifting of over a decade long sanc- TEHRAN — German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Stein- desksentatives from Italy’s munications, aviation and medicine. Ne’matzadeh in Tehran on Wednesday, tions on Iran has attracted huge inter- meier said on Sunday that he would like to see Russia’s private sector signed 12 memorandums The MOUs were signed in the pres- according to the IRNA news agency. national interests onto Iran. A huge return to the G7 group if Moscow helps settle conflicts in of understanding with their Iranian ence of Italian Prime Minister Matteo From among the pool of the inked bilat- domestic market characterized by a Ukraine and Syria. Robert E. Hunter, the former U.S. am- counterparts, boosting ties in various Renzi and Iranian Industry, Mining, eral accords it can be referred to: 79-million strong population adds to bassador to NATO, says the remarks by Steinmeier shows Iran’s geographical advantageous lo- that there is no “inherent desire” by the West to contain See page 4 cation in the Middle East which in turn Russia permanently if Russia shows goodwill. gives it access to strategic maritime “The fact that Steinmeier has raised the issue does passages making it a viable market ‘keep the door open’ and shows Russia that there is no for global access and hence increased inherent desire for permanent containment of Russia, if it investment potential. Development of will abide by the rules,” Hunter tells the Tehran Times in an the petrochemical value chain is one exclusive interview. of the most promising avenues that is Following is the full text of the interview: expected to significantly add value to Since when and for what reasons did NATO de- its non-oil economy. cide to expand a political dialogue with Russia in the “Abundance of feedstock, relatively format of the NATO-Russia Council? suitable infrastructure, low cost of pro- A: As NATO was proceeding to try implementing Pres- duction and access to skilled labours ident George H.W. Bush’s vision of a “Europe whole and are key factors that make Iran interest- free” and at peace, it took a number of steps. These in- ing for investors in the petrochemical cluded Partnership for Peace (of which I was coauthor) for space. The country’s natural reserves all members of the OSCEOSCE,, and also membershmembershipip in NATO of Ethane, Propane and Naphtha are for a limited numbernumber ofof CentralCentral Eu-Eu- sufficient to set up new petrochemical ropean countries.tries. These bbegan,egan, complexes within the next ten years”, at the Madridd NATONATO summitsummit in opines Ali Mirmohammad, Senior July 1997, withh Poland, the Czech Consultant and Business Development Republic (which,ch, incidentally,incidentally, bor-bor- Manager - Iran, Frost & Sullivan. He dered on unifieded Germany,Germany, as further adds that “the government is part of reassuringuring eveevery-ry- adopting a foreign policy approach to one in Europe,e, including Marzieh Mousavi not only strengthen local capabilities Russia, that itt would be but also to increase non-oil exports

“surrounded” bbyy NATO IRNA/ to more than USD 50 billion based – and also byy the Eu- on downstream verticals derived from ropean Union),n), plusplus Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi (L), Iran’s Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mine and Agriculture Chairman Mohsen Jalalpour (C), and Iranian Industry, Mining and Trade Minister Mohammadreza Ne’matzadeh (R) in a ceremony to sign 12 MOUs between Iran and Italy in petrochemical and mining industries.” Hungary. Tehran on Wednesday 4 See papagege 9

Air France to restart Leader to Italian PM: No tangible Russia says oil- Tehran flights on April 17, freeze deal could go KLM on May 1 result from Europeans’ visit to Iran ahead without Iran POLITICAL TEHRAN – The Su- tries first supported certain “violent ter- Comments come ahead ECONOMY TEHRAN — Air France and Dutch flag- deskpreme Leader said rorist groups” and now the “dangerous deskship KLM will restart their weekly flights to on Tuesday while Iran has an “optimis- and overwhelming wave” of terrorism of meeting between major Tehran on April 17 and May 1, respectively, said Hamidreza tic” and “positive” view toward Italy, the has reached Europe. Seyyedi, an official with Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International oil-producing nations in Islamic Republic does not have such a The Leader further noted that the Airport. view toward certain European countries U.S. financial and military help to ter- Qatar on Sunday Air France will resume flights to Iran after an eight-year because they just act based on Wash- rorist groups has created obstacles to hiatus due to sanctions on the Islamic Republic. KLM sus- ington’s “dictation.” countering terrorism. MOSCOW—Russian Energy Minister pended flights to Iran in 2013. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei made the Ayatollah Khamenei endorsed the Alexander Novak said Wednesday Air France flights will take off four times per week (Sun- remarks during a meeting with Italian statement by the Italian prime minis- that an agreement on freezing oil pro- day, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday), Seyyedi said, adding, Prime Minister Matteo Renzi who made “Our view in cooperation with Italy ter that fight against terrorism entails duction could be reached between KLM flights will take off three times per week (Sunday, Mon- a landmark visit to Iran on Tuesday. and your government is a different and cultural and military campaigns as oil-producing countries without the day, and Tuesday), the IRNA news agency reported. “The Islamic Republic of Iran wel- positive view and we hope that this vis- well as closing financial loopholes for participation of Iran, Tass reported. International airlines have announced their intention to re- comes expansion of relations with Italy it will strengthen this view,” the Leader terrorists. However, the Leader said, “Everything is possible because this start flights to Iran after a landmark nuclear agreement with in various areas especially in the sphere told Renzi. the big propaganda apparatus which is an open document. Everyone who Tehran went into effect in January. of economic cooperation,” the Leader of On the issue of terrorism, Ayatollah are governed by Western politicians wants to join it will do so. Those who British Airways has also confirmed it is relaunching direct the Islamic Revolution noted. Khamenei said some European coun- launch Islamophobia campaign under don’t wish to join—no one will force flights from London to Iran from July 14. The airline suspend- The Leader went on to say that some the pretext that a number of “wicked them to join up,” he said, according to ed flights in 2012. European countries and their compa- terrorists” commit vicious acts and the Russian news agency. The Leader went on Officials from major oil producers nies make visits to Iran and hold talks to say that some thereby make “cultural campaigns” After Italy and France, with Iranian sides “but the result of these against terrorism difficult. Russia and Saudi Arabia will meet with talks has not been tangible yet.” European countries For his part, Renzi said the sanctions their Iranian counterparts in Doha, Brussels seeks to revive “Some put the blame on the U.S. and their companies against Iran should be fully removed now Qatar, on Sunday to discuss an output freeze. As traders looked ahead to the which seems to be an acceptable as- make visits to Iran and that the nuclear deal between Iran and ties with Iran sessment given their background and the great powers has gone into effect. meeting, crude prices were lifted Tues- behavior as they [Americans] are not hold talks with Iranian Italy is resolute to respect the terms day to the highest level of the year af- BRUSSELS (Reuters) — The EU’s foreign policy chief will meeting their commitments in the nu- sides “but the result of the nuclear deal and “we believe that ter the U.S. government said produc- lead a delegation of commissioners to Tehran on Saturday for clear talks and intimidate the other sides of these talks has not sanctions against Iran should be lifted… tion dropped in March and will likely the EU executive’s highest-level talks in more than a decade, (countries) not to cooperate with Iran,” and we are determined to abide by the continue falling. seeking to capitalise on last year’s historic nuclear deal with been tangible yet.” Some investors see a potential out- the Leader asserted. promise that we have given.” 2 Iran. put freeze as a prelude to output cuts Federica Mogherini and seven European commissioners later in the year, while others say such will discuss issues from banking to rights in the one-day trip Tehran gallery to review Some 386,000 a move will do nothing to alleviate the to Tehran, seeking to rebuild a relationship that once made works by South Korean foreign students go oversupplied market. the EU Iran’s top trading partner and its second-biggest oil However, questions remain over the customer but crumbled in the face of sanctions over Iran’s artist Do-Ho Suh to schools in Iran willingness of the three countries to nuclear plans. reach an agreement. Iran has balked at “This is about us re-engaging gradually,” said a senior EU ARTTEHRAN SOCIETY TEHRAN the prospect of joining a freeze deal and official, adding that the bloc would also discuss the open- desk— Te h - desk— Some has said it will keep pumping until pro- ing of a permanent EU diplomaticc mission in ran’s Platform 28 Gallery will 386,000 foreign nationals duction reaches the level it was at before Tehran. be holding an exhibition of are studying at schools in Western sanctions were put in place— The commissioners’ visit followsws trips works by Do-Ho Suh, the Iran, while 360,000 of them about four million barrels a day. to Tehran by European governments,ments, South Korean artist who is are Afghan nationals, said (Source: WSJ) most recently by Italian Prime MinisterMinister famous for his site-specific Shahin Noushabadi, the Matteo Renzi this week. installations. studies at the Rhode Island deputy education minister nationals, even those who TEHRAN TIMES While the EU delegation willwill not The exhibit, which is a School of Design and Yale for international affairs. have no identification and Iran’s Leading International agree the kind of business tie-upsie-ups review of works by the art- University. Those under-privileged are living in Iran illegally, can agreed by Italy and France sincence ist, will open on Friday and Suh is best known for foreign nationals who can- go to schools in the country. the July 2015 nuclear deal betweeneen will be running until April 28, his intricate sculptures that not afford tuition fees will be There are people who Iran and world powers, it could helpelp the Persian service of ILNA defy conventional notions of either entitled to discount of have proposed to build smooth the way for small countriesies reported on Wednesday. scale and site-specificity. His more than 80 percent or can schools with educational Advertising Dept to do business and allow the Com-m- Do-Ho Suh was born in works also draw attention pay the fee in installments, curriculum of India, Paki- mission to lobby on behalf of EUU Seoul, Korea in 1962. Af- to the ways viewers occupy Mehr news agency quoted stan, Iraq, Kuwait, etc., he Te l : 021 - 430 51 450 governments. ter graduating from Seoul and inhabit public space. Noushabadi as saying. said adding, “in case we The EU is hoping it can forge a National University with a The gallery is located Noushabadi went on to succeed in obtaining the [email protected] role to push for market reforms, po-- degree in Oriental painting, at 28, Khaqani St., Enqelab say that according to the required standards for such litical freedoms and improvements inn Suh moved to the Unit- Ave, in the Darvazeh Dowlat decree issued by the su- schools we will set them up Iran’s human rights record. 2 ed States to continue his neighborhood. preme leader, all foreign in Iran as well.” I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y NATION 2 AAPRILPRIL 114,4, 20162016 http://www.tehrantimes.com/international

MEDIA MONITOR Iranian Army unveils optimized Rouhani heads to OIC summit, hopes Islamic divisions will chieftain battle tank be healed POLITICAL TEHRAN — Brigadier equipped with night vision systems and TEHRAN — Iranian President Hassan Rouhani deskGeneral Ahmad Reza laser-guided missiles. headed for Turkey on Wednesday afternoon to at- Pourdastan unveiled a number of weap- ”A liquid armor invented by NEZAJA IRIB tend the 13th summit of the Organization of Islamic onry, including an optimized version of (Iranian Army Ground Forces)experts will Cooperation (OIC). chieftain battle tank. shield our helicopters against 7.62mm Rouhani expressed hope that the summit will Chieftain battle tanks entered service and 12.7mm caliber weapons.” help heal divisions in Islamic world especially in the with the British Army for the first time and Among other items unveiled were fight against terrorism, ISNA reported. have been in service in a number of ar- communication shelters, BGM-71 He added, “The issue of extremism and terror- mies around the world, including Iran. TOW launcher testing station, ammu- ism is solvable by the help of all countries.” Considering unique typological features nition-support vehicles, 1924 crane Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, of Iran’s geography, battle tanks feature car, 3.4 ton-ambulance Safir (an Irani- who was in Istanbul, strongly protested a draft strongly in country’s defense strategy. an 4x4 multipurpose military vehicle), declaration of the OIC written by Saudi Arabia and The country has been developing and personnel carrier Kian, self-propelled, some of its allies which included statements against upgrading advanced home-grown bat- wheeled air defense system Bahman Iran and Hezbollah. tle tanks such as Zulfiqar (the legendary 57, optimized battle tank Tyyam, EU’s Mogherini sword of Ali, the first Shiite Imam) and heavy tactical tank transporter Pouria

Karar (striker). and FH16, optimized version of Dra- /Mohammad Akhlaghi to meet Larijani Zulfiqar, already introduced in three gunov sniper rifle, and CBRN vehicle versions, has undergone considerable named Shahram.

Tasnim

upgrades, including its fire system control CBRN vehicles are equipped with var- and the autoloader. TEHRAN — EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini Over the past weeks, there were news sto- Army helicopter fleet ious technologies for protection against While Western powers, particularly and her accompanying delegation will meet Iranian Majlis ries about Russia’s decision to sell T-90 battle has been equipped chemical, biological, radiological or nu- the U.S., have shunned selling weapon- Speaker Ali Larijani on Saturday, according to the YJC. tanks to Iran. Iran has shown interest in having clear (CBRN) threats. ry to Iran since the 1979 Islamic Rev-

YJC with night vision Mogherini will be arriving at Teheran on the part of the assembly line built in the country. The event comes days before Iran will olution, the country has grown more same day as the head of a high-ranking team, Also, according to the command- systems and laser- mark National Army Day, which falls on self-sufficient in the sector due to its which includes seven commissioners, to exchange er, the Army helicopter fleet has been guided missiles. April 17 this year. domestic capacities. ideas with Iranian officials. Iran advisors helped kill 200 terrorists in Leader to Italian PM: No tangible result from Europeans’ visit to Iran Syria: Pourdastan 1 “Today when a terrorist attack happens in Europe demn Islam,” the prime minister noted. He also said Italy prioritizes destroying ISIL, also called certain official, instead of condemning terrorism, con- In an indirect reference to the U.S. Republican presi- Daesh in Arabic. dential candidate Donald Trump, Renzi said, “For exam- TEHRAN — The commander of the Iranian Ar- “Uprooting Daesh is a priority for us and we are The Leader went on to say that ple a U.S. presidential candidate blames Islam for ter- my’s Ground Force has said four military advisers happy that we have common view with Iran in this some European countries and rorism.” recently martyred in Syria had helped kill as many regard.” their companies make visits He suggested that cultural efforts are also needed to as 200 terrorists. By referring to the fact that the flames of terrorism counter terrorism. “In an operation against several thousand ter- have reached Europe, he said countering terrorism to Iran and hold talks with He said “it should be shown that religions are seek- rorists with the al-Nusra Front and [other] Takfiris entails military force and banning their financial re- Iranian sides “but the result ing peace, dialogue and peaceful coexistence and the PRESS TVPRESS carrying out a sweeping attack south of Aleppo, sources from sale of oil and artifacts. of these talks has not been role played by Your Excellency as a supreme leader these soldiers staged devoted and decent cour- Elsewhere, he expressed regret over efforts to tarnish in the Islamic world in promoting this view is highly age and bravery, which resulted in the martyrdom the image of Islam by blaming Islam instead of terrorism. tangible yet.” important.” of four of them,” Ahmad Reza Pourdastan said on Wednesday, according to Press TV. He made the remarks in Tehran on Tuesday dur- World duty bound to eradicate terrorist ideology: Rafsanjani ing a funeral ceremony for one of the advisers. “Prior to their martyrdom, they managed to POLITICAL TEHRAN — Ayatol- Rafsanjani described the situation in tries are gifted with abundant opportu- desk destroy a number of tanks and personnel car- lah Akbar Hashemi the Middle East as very “confusing” and nities to expand ties and they should be riers belonging to al-Nusra and kill 200 of the Rafsanjani, chairman of the Expediency “complicated” because terrorist groups seized. terrorists, documents attesting to which are at Council, said on Tuesday that the interna- are equipped with various conventional He added the Iranian economy has hand,” he said. tional community is duty bound to erad- and unconventional weapons and their been provided with great capacities icate the ideology of terrorism and fight terror acts have spread to countries out- with the implementation of the Joint New Administrative terrorists. side the region. Comprehensive Plan of Action, com- “The international community is duty Efforts and planning are required to monly called the nuclear deal, which Court of Justice bound to make effort to restore peace to tackle the instabilities and Iran is ready to lifts economic sanctions on the Islamic chief takes office the lives of the war stricken people and cooperate with the international commu- Republic. plan to root out the ideology of terror- nity in this regard, remarked Rafsanjani, Iran and the 5+1 group - the Unit- ism and fighting the terrorists and Iran a veteran politician who served as presi- ed States, Britain, France, China and TEHRAN — On Wednesday, Mohammad Kazem has said many times that it will spare no dent from 1989 to 1997. Renzi also said that “culture” links Iran Russia plus Germany - finalized the Bahrami took office as the new head of the Admin- effort in this respect,” Rafsanjani said in a For his part, Renzi praised Rafsanja- and Italy as two countries with rich civili- text of the JCPOA in Vienna on July istrative Court of Justice. meeting with Italian Prime Minister Mat- ni’s “influential” and “constructive” role in zations. 14, 2015. The deal went into effect in He took the office from Mohammad Jafar Mon- teo Renzi in Tehran. strengthening Iran-Italy relations. The prime minister said the two coun- January, 2016. IRIB tazeri, who was recently promoted to the post of attorney general, IRIB reported. Before his new position, Bahrami worked as head of the Armed Forces Judicial Organization for 12 years. Iran seeking ‘strategy’ of close ties with neighbors: minister POLITICAL TEHRAN — Developing ties with and Iran enjoy a “common culture, religion and lan- IRGC hails deskneighbors is a strategic plan sought guage.” security role of by the Islamic Republic, Interior Minister Abdolreza The minister also said Iran and Pakistan share similar tribes in southeast Rahmani Fazli said in a ceremony held on Tuesday by views on international issues. Islamabad’s embassy in Tehran to mark Pakistan’s na- All these things have added to the “depth” of Iran tional day. the two countries’ ties and made the two nations TEHRAN — A senior commander of the IRGC has “The Islamic Republic of Iran and the Islamic Repub- “brothers and sisters”, the interior minister com- highlighted the role of local forces and ethnic groups lic of Pakistan have more than 900 kilometers common mented. in helping to ensure security in southeast Iran. border, are among the most important neighboring He added Iran is willing to increase its “constructive Speaking to the Tasnim news agency on countries and have lived together peacefully during his- interaction” with Pakistan. The minister also praised the Wednesday at the site of IRGC massive military tory,” Rahmani Fazli said. good parliamentary relationship between the two coun- drills in Mirjaveh, Sistan-Balouchestan province, He said many people in certain regions of Pakistan tries. TASNIM IRGC Lieutenant Commander Brigadier General Hossein Salami described the presence of volun- teer forces from Balouch tribes in the drills as a U.S. lawmakers petition Iran to grant them visa “great achievement”. “In our security calculations, we attach great Three members of the U.S. Congress the Washington Free Beacon. The lawmakers had travelled to the Irani- importance to the role of Balouch tribes and vol- have asked Iranian officials to allow them Valiollah Seif, the governor of Iran’s an Interests Section of the Pakistani em- unteer forces in the southeast of the country,” the to inspect Iran’s nuclear sites ahead of a central bank, is scheduled to appear in bassy in the U.S. capital to hand deliver commander said. speech by the governor of the Central Washington DC on Friday at a high-pro- their visa applications to Iranian officials. Salami added that Balouch tribes have played a ma- Bank of Iran in Washington this Friday. file event sponsored by the Council on Since Iran does not have diplomatic jor role in the ongoing military exercises codenamed Reps. Mike Pompeo (R., Kan.), Lee Zel- Foreign Relations, a think tank. relations with the U.S., it maintains an of- Payambar-e Azam (The Great Prophet) in Mirjaveh. din (R., N.Y.), and Frank LoBiondo (R., N.J.) “If you reject our visa applications, please fice in the Pakistani embassy to conduct have been petitioning Iranian officials to provide an explanation,” the letter said. any official international business that grant them travel visas so they can inspect “As the governor of the Central Bank of might be needed. 3.5-time increase in Iran’s nuclear sites to ensure compliance Iran, Valiollah Sief, visits Washington DC The remarks came against the back- number of arrests at with the recently implemented nuclear deal this week, it is clear the American gov- drop of the nuclear deal between Tehran between Tehran and world powers. ernment is allowing Iranian leaders to visit and the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, the US, border areas “It has now been more than two the United States,” the lawmakers wrote. Britain, France and Germany) which took months since we applied, and we would “Further, American and international effect on January 16. appreciate a decision on our application,” business delegations are traveling to Iran The agreement, known as the JCPOA, TEHRAN — The commander of Iran’s border po- the lawmakers wrote on Tuesday in a let- and have obviously received visas. We has terminated all nuclear-related sanc- lice said on Wednesday that arrest of intruders and ter addressed to Iranian Foreign Minister trust the same courtesy will be extended A similar demand had been requested tions on Iran. foreign citizens trying to enter Iran illegally during Mohammad Javad Zarif and obtained by to American leaders.” by the same lawmakers back in February. (Source: Tasnim) the last Iranian calendar year, which ended March FARS 19, increased 3.5 times. Boosting operational readiness of personnel, regional interaction and reduction of vulnerability After Italy and France, Brussels seeks to revive ties with Iran were three strategies of the border guards in the past year, Qassem Rezaei told a press conference, 1 During the commissioners’ meetings, the EU will look need to improve the investment climate,” the official said. Fars reported. Mogherini is expected to discuss Syria with Iran’s at how to help Iran join the World Trade Organization, Despite the lifting of financial sanctions linked to the He said that 66 tons of narcotic drugs were also Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif. The European leveraging its power as the world’s largest trading bloc nuclear deal, banks continue to be wary of Iran because seized at border zero points last year, including 4.9 Union also renewed its human rights sanctions on more to seek favor with a country sitting on vast gas reserves. of being caught up in U.S. sanctions. Washington still tons of laboratory–made drugs. than 80 Iranians this week, although commissioners will EU officials will also talk to Iran about how to encour- prevents U.S. nationals, banks and insurers from trading not meet civil society groups in Iran, citing a lack of time. age European banks to do business there again. “We with Iran. I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y

http://www.tehrantimes.com/international AAPRILPRIL 114,4, 22016016 INTERNATIONAL 3

Syrians vote in parliamentary NEWS Brazilian president labels elections vice president coup plotter Syrians go to polls in parliamentary elec- sad being a key sticking point. Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff has branded her vice pres- tions against the backdrop of a general- The foreign-backed Syrian opposi- ident a traitor and said he was a conspirator in a “coup” using ly-holding ceasefire in the war-hit coun- tion says Assad must step down before impeachment proceedings to bring down a popularly elect- try and peace talks between government a transitional government can be estab- ed government. and opposition. lished. “If there were any doubts about my denunciation that a Polling stations opened at 07:00 a.m. Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem coup is under way, there can’t be now. The coup plotters local time (0400 GMT), with the official has said the fate of President Assad re- have a leader and a deputy leader,” she said in a blistering SANA news agency saying they will re- mains a “red line” for the Syrian govern- attack in the capital Brasilia on Tuesday. main open until 7 p.m. (1800 GMT). ment in the Geneva talks. Referring to the leak on Monday of a recording in which Voting, it said, could be extended for The last round of the UN-backed her vice president, Michel Temer, practices the speech he five hours by the Higher Judicial Commit- peace talks for Syria came to a halt on would make if Rousseff were impeached, the president said: tee for Elections depending on the turn- March 24 over disagreements on the role “The mask of the conspirators has fallen.” out which it reported high at the opening of Assad in Syria’s future. “We are living in strange and worrying times, times of a hours. UN Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura coup and pretending and treachery,” she said. More than 7,300 polling stations have will try again to reach a consensus at the “Yesterday they used the pretence of a leak to give the been set up across the government-held talks starting Wednesday in Geneva on order for the conspiracy.” regions in the country. Syrian voters are ending the war. In a ruthless and complex contest, supporters and op- electing members of the 250-seat parlia- The negotiations come at a tense time ponents of Brazil’s first female president raced to amass the ment out of some 3,500 candidates. with a surge in violence in recent days votes that will either send her to trial in the Senate or torpedo A number of opposition parties are threatening a fragile six-week ceasefire. the procedure. running in the race, but the ruling Ba’ath Syria’s President Bashar Assad casts his vote next to his wife Asma (centre left) inside a polling Voters are casting their ballots at a station during parliamentary elections in Damascus, Syria, on April 13, 2016. After a congressional committee voted to recommend party is expected to prevail. Armed op- polling station in Hama, April 13, 2016. Rousseff’s removal from office in chaotic and bad-tempered position groups have boycotted the vote cide the country’s future. I hope that the “Now, it’s up to the winners to fulfill Syria has been gripped by for- scenes late on Monday, the stage was set for this weekend’s and called it illegitimate. winners will be true to the nation even their promises,” the 58-year-old added, eign-backed militancy since March 2011. showdown. Walls across the capital Damascus before being true to the voters,” Yamin according to the French news agency. According to the so-called Syrian Obser- On Tuesday, the controversial speaker of the lower house were covered with campaign posters. al-Homsi, a 37-year old who voted in The polls coincide with the begin- vatory for Human Rights, at least 270,000 of Congress, Eduardo Cunha, was expected to present the From the top of one of the city’s tallest Damascus, told AFP. ning of a second round of United Na- people have been killed in the conflict. formal impeachment document to the chamber. Deputies buildings a banner proclaimed: “The Samer Issa, a taxi driver, said he had tions-brokered indirect talks between the Some reports, however, put the death were then due to start debating on Friday with a vote pen- elections of resistance.” “fulfilled his national duty” by casting his Syrian government and the opposition in toll at as high as 470,000. ciled in for Sunday. (Source: Press TV) “I voted because this election will de- vote. Geneva, with the future of President As- “Yesterday it became clear that there are two leaders of the coup who work together in a premeditated way,” Rousseff said without giving names, although the context clearly re- Erdogan files case against German comedian ferred to Temer and Cunha. “They are coup plotters, without respect for democracy,” Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has filed a legal press, opinion and science apply and are completely she said. “They are trying to bring down without legal justifi- complaint against a German comedian who recited a separate from that,” she told reporters. cation a president elected with 54 million votes.” satirical poem about him - an incident that has created Under the German criminal code, Boehmermann Rousseff faces impeachment proceedings over allegations a diplomatic headache for Angela Merkel. could, if found guilty, be imprisoned for up to a year. that she illegally manipulated government accounts to cover The move on Tuesday came as a pact between the German media reported that Boehmermann had up the depth of budget woes. European Union and Turkey, which involves refugee and been placed under police protection and had cancelled The lower house of Congress was to vote on the im- so-called economic migrant swaps, was being imple- the next episode of Neo Magazin Royale. peachment at the end of this week. If an impeachment trial mented in attempt to stop the flow of people to Europe. Prosecutors were conducting a parallel investigation then starts in the Senate, Temer would take over as president In a March 31 television program, Jan Boehmermann, into the comedian on suspicion of the more serious and if she is impeached, he would remain in power. the host of the late-night Neo Magazin Royale program crime of “offending foreign states’ organs and repre- Opponents of Rousseff deny her frequent claims of a on public broadcaster ZDF, recited the poem with ref- sentatives”, after Turkey made a formal request. coup plot. Rousseff is hugely unpopular as Brazil sinks into its erences to bestiality and accusations that the Turkish If he were found guilty of that offence, Boehmer- worst recession in decades. leader repressed minorities and mistreated Kurds and mann could face up to three years in prison. The latest survey of the 513 deputies in the lower house Christians. For the second potentially more serious case to pro- the flow of refugees. by the daily newspaper Estadao on Monday showed 299 fa- The poem, seemingly a deliberate provocation by ceed, the German government would have to authorize A poll by market research company YouGov showed vouring impeachment and 123 opposed. That left the result Boehmermann, has exploded into a diplomatic incident prosecutors. that 54 percent of Germans opposed any investigation in the hands of the 91 deputies still undecided or not stating that pits freedoms championed by Western Europe Berlin will decide on the request from Turkey in the into Boehmermann by prosecutors, with only 6 percent a position. against recent moves in Turkey that many in the West coming days, Merkel said, adding that she cherished ar- in favor. (Source: agencies) see as an attempt to silence opposition voices. tistic freedom in Germany. Yet if it rejects Ankara’s request, Merkel could hurt re- Merkel, asked about the case on Tuesday, tried to The law, though, which does not appear to exist in lations with Turkey, a crucial partner in the refugee crisis separate the two issues and stressed her commitment most other European countries, leaves Merkel with a and a candidate to join the EU. to freedom of expression. conundrum. Turkish prosecutors have opened nearly 2,000 cases “Turkey is bearing a very big burden in relation to If her government gives the nod to prosecutors, it against people for insulting Erdogan since he became Syrian journalist shot by the Syrian civil war but all of that is completely separate could enrage Germans already dubious about what president in 2014, the justice minister said last month. ISIL in Turkey dies from Germany’s fundamental values ... freedom of the some view as a Faustian pact with Erdogan to help stem (Source: agencies) A Syrian journalist who was shot in the Turkish city of Gaziantep in an attack claimed by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant CIA ‘Plan B’ for Syria would give rebels MANPADs to ‘counter Russia’ (ISIL/Daesh) has died from his wounds, a close friend said. The death of Halab A covert ‘Plan B’ for Syria reserved for fire six weeks ago, dozens of local rebel Today TV presenter Mo- a “violation of ceasefire” is being pushed groups throughout Syria joined the truce hammed Zahir al-Sher- to the U.S. president, anonymous officials or even teamed up with the government qat on Tuesday marks told media. Arming “moderate” Syrian forces against the terrorists. The armed the fourth assassination rebels with anti-aircraft weapons to fight formations that opted to side with ter- of a Syrian journalist in the “Russia-backed regime” is again on rorists are being bombed by Russian and Turkey that has been the table. Syrian air forces. claimed by ISIL. Back in February, the Wall Street Journal In the given conditions, the ques- Sherqat, who was first reported that President Barack Oba- tion about who would announce that shot in the neck from ma’s senior military and intelligence ad- the ceasefire has been violated remains close range on Sunday visers were insisting that a back-up plan is open. Just as soon it could be voiced at while out walking, died necessary to “counter Russia” in Syria. the upcoming peace talks between Da- in a hospital in Gaziant- The fresh details obtained by the WSJ mascus and opposition groups that are ep near the Syrian bor- suggest the CIA has given “provisional set to resume this week in Geneva. der, according to his assurances” to coalition members to ex- In the meantime, Washington’s Arab friend Barry Abdulattif, pand support to Syrian armed opposi- allies suggested high tech means to limit a Syrian activist. tion groups fighting troops of President MANPADs’ operability by fitting them with Friends told the As- Bashar Assad. Still, the White House re- “geographical sensors” to prevent them sociated Press news agency that the journalist had received served the right to define which weap- from being used outside designated areas, death threats as recently as two months ago from ISIL. ons systems are to be introduced to the but the US remained silent to the propos- The group took responsibility the attack on Monday via battlefield – if the truce fails and full-scale are electronic means to ensure effective preventing more MANPADs from “slipping al. Instead, Washington has been report- their Amaq news agency, which said Sherqat “used to pres- fighting resumes. suppression of President Bashar Assad’s uncontrollably” into the war zone. edly pressing main sponsors of the Syrian ent anti-Islamic State (ISIL) programs.” On the eve of the ceasefire agreement artillery batteries and take down fighter “If the ceasefire collapses, if the ne- armed rebels, namely Qatar and Saudi The journalist came to Turkey in 2015 after surviving an as- coming into effect in Syria at midnight on jets. For the latter purpose, man-porta- gotiations don’t go anywhere, and we’re Arabia, to use their influence to order the sassination attempt in Syria and started to work with Halab To- February 27, the heads of Middle East in- ble air-defense systems (MANPADs) are back to full throttle civil war, all bets will Syrian rebels to abide by the ceasefire. day. His programs took a stance against ISIL and other groups. telligence agencies met to lay out a plan on the table, with Turkey and Saudi Ara- be off,”the WSJ cited a senior Obama The CIA’s covert program to pro- Sherqat, a native of the Syrian town of Al-Bab, was an for waging war after the truce. And con- bia eager to supply them to the Syrian administration official as saying in a mes- vide the Syrian anti-government forc- imam who studied Islamic Law at Damascus University, Ab- sultations on the matter never stopped rebels. sage to Moscow. “The outside patrons es with “limited supplies” of small arms dulattif said. ever since. The WSJ claims that U.S. officials have will double and triple down, throwing and ammunition was launched in 2013 When groups such as al-Nusra Front (Jabhat al-Nusra) Today Washington and its allies, such conveyed a “private message” to their everything they can into Syria, including and has been growing steadily. A year and ISIL appeared in al-Bab, Sherqat opposed them, accord- as Ankara and Riyadh, are discussing Russian counterparts that a return to much more lethal weaponry.” later, the CIA was already providing re- ing to Abdulattif, who is also a native of the town. which weapon systems are to be deliv- full-scale fighting could “end up putting Actually, the “full-scale fighting” the bels with antitank TOW missiles today The killing of Sherqat follows the assassinations last year ered to more Russian pilots in danger.” US warns of never ended in Syria, at least actively used on the battlefield against of two Syrian journalists who were found with their throats slit “vetted” Syrian rebels under this se- The rebels have already obtained against some parties in the conflict: no Assad troops and eventually rescue in the southeastern city of Sanliurfa and a third journalist who cret program, the WSJ reports. a “small number” of MANPADs “through armistice was signed with terrorist groups groups of the Russian task force de- was shot dead in the street in Gaziantep. Experts agree that what the anti-gov- illicit channels,” the CIA hints, thus posing like ISIL and Al-Nusra Front. ployed to Syria. The attacks have prompted media advocacy group Re- ernment forces in Syria need the most danger to civil aircrafts. The CIA is now busy Since the beginning of the cease- (Source: RT) porters Without Borders to urge Turkish authorities to pro- tect exiled Syrian journalists in the country. “The situation is very bad, we don’t feel safe,” Abulattif Jordanian police shut Muslim Brotherhood headquarters said. “We know there are a lot of sleeper (ISIL) cells in Turkey and elsewhere but it is not easy to catch them.” Police in Jordan sealed the headquarters of the Muslim Broth- mocracy protests, and human rights groups say that since Its political arm, the Islamic Action Front, is the king- Many Syrian activists based in Gaziantep or other cities erhood in Amman on Wednesday, a senior figure in the Islam- then the kingdom has strongly curbed dissent. dom’s largest opposition party and represents many disen- near the border report receiving threats from ISIL, yet most ic movement said, as the authorities clamp down further on Police acting on orders of the Amman governor evacuated franchised Jordanians of Palestinian origin, who are in the do not have a financially viable or legal way out of Turkey. the kingdom’s most vocal opposition group. staff and closed off the building, giving no reason for their majority in the population of seven million. Complicating matters, a controversial deal between Europe The Brotherhood, which is close in ideology to its Egyptian actions, said the Brotherhood senior member, Jamil Abu Bakr. Grossly underrepresented in parliament and govern- and Turkey, home to 2.7 million Syrians, recently came into ef- namesake and has strong ties with the Palestinian movement Government spokespeople and police were not imme- ment posts that are dominated by native Jordanians, many fect with the aim of curbing the flow of people to Europe. Hamas, wants sweeping political reforms but stops short of diately available for comment. of the Brotherhood’s poor Palestinian supporters in the Turkish authorities haven’t commented on the murder of calling for the overthrow of the monarchy. The Brotherhood has operated legally in Jordan for decades major cities see them as defending their interests. Sherqat. Jordan’s authorities suppressed Arab Spring pro-de- and has substantial grass-roots support in major urban centers. (Source: AP) (Source: AP) I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y 4 ECONOMY AAPRILPRIL 114,4, 22016016 http://www.tehrantimes.com/economy

JUMP Italy bolsters trade, economic Iran's petchem industry provides unbridled growth opportunity for development partnership with Iran

1 1 - The deal between Iran’s BIS Co. and In the past, over 75% of foreign investment on an average Italy’s Danieli steel company on supply went to upstream oil and gas projects; today, the country plans of industrial equipment and services for to divert more of the foreign investment into downstream pro- construction of a 1.5-million-ton steel jects. As far as petrochemical capabilities are concerned, devel- plant worth €350 million in the Islamic opment of downstream projects is a key factor to significantly Republic reduce dependency on an oil-based economy. - The contract between BIS Co. and Iran Vision 2025 provides the desired impetus Italian FATA SPA on supply of the required According to Iran vision 2025, the country plans to emerge equipment and services for construction as the largest producer of petrochemical products along the of a 450-megawatt power plant valued value chain in the region. Plastics, rubbers, paints and resins, at €237 million in the Iranian southeast- fertilizer and pesticides, chemicals and solvents, fibers and tex- ern province of Kerman tiles, medicines, cosmetics, composites, and detergents are the - The accord between Iran’s Mo- various downstream petrochemical products that the country barakeh Steel Company and Italy’s proposes to focus for development in the next 10 years. Marcegaglia steel company on the pur- Iran requires at least USD 70 billion of financial resources to pose of manufacturing final products develop the entire petrochemical industry to achieve its vision - The agreement between Telecom- of 2025. Such an investment is expected to catalyze growth in munication Company of Iran and Italtel exports of its petrochemical industry from less than USD 12 bil- Group on implementation of telecom- lion in the year 2015 to over USD 40 billion by the end of 2025. munication projects in Iran Capacity augmentation aimed at strengthening po- - The MOU penned between Itway sition as an export base Group and PATASA Investing Company In the post-sanction era, the country proposes to attract for- of Iran on cooperation in different infor- eign investment to resume over 60 halted petrochemical pro- mation technology projects jects that shall increase the current production capacity of 58 - The deal between Iran’s Jahanpars million tons to 130 million tons per annum in the next 5 years. In Group and Italy’s Belleli Group on imple- Tehran early on Tuesday, making him the dent Hassan Rouhani and Italian Prime ner in the European Union prior to addition, the government has further proposed 36 new invest- mentation of engineering, procurement first Italian official in such capacity to visit Minister Matteo Renzi and other senior the sanctions, and today we want the ment opportunities which when implemented have the poten- and construction (EPC) projects in en- Iran since 2001. officials from the two countries attended country to perform its previous role,” tial to increase the total production capacity of petrochemical ergy and infrastructure sectors Parts of the delegation were Italian the signing ceremony. Rouhani said at a joint press confer- products to over 180 million tons per annum by the end of 2025. - The agreement between Iran’s Air- ministers of infrastructure and transport; In one of the memoranda of under- ence with Renzi. “Creating value-added opportunities along the entire Pro- ports and Air Navigation Company and economic development; and agriculture, standing, National Iranian Gas Export The Italian prime minister, for his part, pylene industry value chain is one of the primary focus areas for Italy’s Vitali Group on renovation of Ker- food and forestry policies. Businessmen Company (NIGEC) and Italian oil and called for close economic interactions the government for the next 10 years with regard to the petro- man Airport in Iran and personalities from Italy’s public and gas company, Eni, agreed to establish between the two countries, stressing that chemical sector. Potential to convert Iran as the largest exporter - The contract between Iranian Min- private sectors were also accompanying their ties. establishing banking links and opening of propylene-based products in the Middle East and North Af- istry of Health and Italian Dimensione Renzi in the visit. Other contracts were on automotive credit lines are key to strong economic rica is foreseen. Importing high technologies and catalysts to Group on construction of 30 mobile Iran and Italy signed seven coop- industry, tourism, renewable energy, air- and trade flourishing. produce various grade of Polypropylene such as pharmaceutical hospitals in Iran eration agreements, bringing the two port construction, railways, and exhibi- Already in January, Iran and Italy con- and food grades are other key policies in the post-sanction era”, Heading a 250-strong political and countries closer in cultural, industrial, tion staging. cluded 17 deals, worth €17 billion during said Ali. and economic fields on Tuesday. Presi- “Italy was Iran’s biggest trade part- Rouhani’s visit to the European country. (Source: thehindubusinessline.com) economic delegation, Renzi arrived at German economy minister due in Tehran on May 2 Swiss businesses are ready ECONOMY TEHRAN — German day after his meeting with Gabriel in Berlin coming trip of Sigmar to Tehran. DIHK expects German exports to Iran deskEconomy Minister where he also met the senior managers First German-Iranian economic forum to double to €5 billion ($5.5 billion) in for Iran, but banks aren’t Sigmar Gabriel would travel to Iran on of Siemens and Volkswagen, the Tasnim organized by the German Chamber of coming years and reach twice that figure May 2nd to finalize deals on a number news agency reported on Wednesday. Industry and Commerce titled Deutscher in the longer term. Swiss businesses are eager to get a foothold in the Iranian mar- of transportation projects, said Iranian During the meeting, Akhoundi said, Industrie- und Handelskammertag (DIHK) German machinery, car, chemicals, ket now that most trade sanctions have been lifted, but restric- Transport and Urban Development Min- the two sides discussed a number of pro- was held in Berlin on March 5 where the healthcare and renewable energy firms tions still in place from the United States are creating major ister Abbas Akhoundi. jects on railway and ports development two countries conferred avenues of eco- are likely to be the biggest beneficiaries money transfer problems. Akhoundi made the remarks on Tues- which are likely to get finalized in the up- nomic cooperation. of the opening up of the Iranian market. On a Tuesday afternoon in Bern, a hotel conference room is packed with business representatives from the region who want to learn more about selling their products in Iran. Participants sit up in their seats and murmur their interest as several speak- Wintershall, NIOC sign MOU on oilfields development ers tell them about the opportunities that abound in the Ira- ECONOMY TEHRAN — Germany’s Wintershall Noting that Wintershall is also keen to cooperate nian market: massive infrastructure projects waiting to be built, a deskHolding GmbH signed a memo- with NIOC in research and development (R&D), Kar- huge and young middle class waiting to buy things, and a desire randum of understanding (MOU) with National Ira- dor said in future the two companies may collaborate for high-quality products after being forced to buy largely from nian Oil Company (NIOC) to study and explore four in this filed as well. China during 12 years of tough sanctions. oilfields located in the west of Iran. Development of joint oil and gas fields is a priority But reality hits when a representative from Bern’s cantonal NIOC Managing Director Rokneddin Javadi and of the Iranian government. bank gets up to answer a key question: how is the situation look- Mario Mehren, the CEO of Wintershall, signed the According to Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Namdar ing for businesses who want to transfer money from Iran to Swit- MOU on Tuesday in Tehran, the IRNA news agency Zanganeh, Western sanctions have cut Iran’s oil out- zerland, or vice versa? reported. put to 2.7 million bpd from 3.9 million bpd. “The situation looks bad,” he said frankly. “We follow interna- Wintershall, a wholly owned subsidiary of BASF, is In last April, Zanganeh said it would take just a few tional financial rules and we have been told to wait. At the mo- Germany’s largest crude oil and natural gas producer. months for the country to increase its oil production ment, I don’t see many opportunities to make payments to Iran.” Meanwhile, Ali Kardor, deputy director of invest- to pre-sanction levels. Swiss banks aren’t taking any chances, according to Suhail ment and financing at NIOC said Wintershall would NIOC Managing Director Rokneddin Javadi (R) and Mario With holding 157 billion barrels of recoverable El Obeid of Switzerland Global Enterprise (S-GE), which co-or- start its studies within a month after the two countries Mehren, the CEO of Wintershall Holding, signing an MOU crude oil reserves, Iran possesses the world’s fourth ganized the event along with canton Bern’s trade and industry exchanged the required information. on Iranian oilfields’ development on April 12 in Tehran largest crude oil reserves. association. The remaining sanctions can create complicated scenarios for Swiss companies with any U.S. dealings such as an American affiliate or branch. Iran’s GDP in 2016 forecasted to grow by 4%, inflation to fell to 8.9%: IMF Many of the business representatives gathered in Bern said ECONOMY TEHRAN — Iran’s eco- and by 6.7 percent in 2017. Global growth is projected to remain they were simply testing the waters and had not yet established desknomic growth is fore- The IMF has also predicted Iran’s aver- modest in 2016, at 3.2 percent, before any Iranian relationships. casted to grow by 4 percent in 2016 and by age economic growth by 2021 at 4 per- picking up to 3.5 percent in 2017. However, thanks to Switzerland having lifted some Iran sanc- 3.7 percent in 2017, according to the April cent. The outlook across the Middle East, tions in 2012, other Swiss companies already have a foot in the 2016 report of the International Monetary According to the report, the consum- North Africa, Afghanistan, and Pakistan door and are eager to continue to grow their opportunities – Fund (IMF). er prices, the main indicator of inflation, (MENAP) is projected at 3.1 percent in 2016 especially once the banking issues are resolved. The IMF report has put Iran’s gross do- would also decrease to 8.9 percent in 2016 and 3.5 percent in 2017, 0.8 percentage (Source: swissinfo.ch) mestic product (GDP) growth in 2015 at 0.0 from 12 percent in 2015, while the figures point and 0.7 percentage point weaker, re- percent while the World Bank, in its Janu- are predicted to drop even further to 8.2 in spectively, than projected in the October ary report, estimated the country’s growth 2017 and to the average of 5.0 until 2021. 2015. in 2015 at 1.9 percent. Unemployment is also calculated at 11.3 Growth in the member countries of the from 3.3 percent in 2015 to 1.8 percent in Russia and Iran on track The World Bank has also forecasted percent for 2016 and 11.6 in 2017, the re- Cooperation Council for the Arab States of 2016 and pick up to more than 2 percent for railway cooperation Iran’s GDP to grow by 5.8 percent in 2016 port indicates. the Persian Gulf is also expected to decline over the medium term. The Russian Agency for Export Credit and Investment Insur- Italy to supply credit Nalco eyes JV route Emirates said to order ance (Exiar) and the Islamic Republic of Iran Railways (IRIR) have lines, guarantees to for 500,000-ton two more A380 super signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to reinforce co-operation and support for trade between Russia and Iran. boost exports to Iran aluminum plant in jumbos from Airbus Exiar and IRIR have agreed to establish a comprehensive Iran framework for further enhancement of co-operation between Russian companies and Iranian companies working on Iranian Italy announced 8.8 billion euros ($10.05 fleet development. The MOU represents a first step in facilitating The Indian state-owned aluminum maker Emirates, already by far the biggest op- billion) in credit lines and financial guaran- the trade flow in the railway industry between Russia and Iran. Nalco is considering setting up a 500,000 erator of the Airbus A380 super-jumbo, tees to relaunch exports to Iran, the Ital- “We focus on Iran as a long-term partner and a market with tons per annum aluminum plant in Iran agreed to take two additional units of the ian export agency said on Tuesday during high potentials. We are adamant in our approach that the condi- through a joint venture (JV). double-decker, people familiar with the Prime Minister Matteo Renzi’s visit to Teh- tions we provide should yield benefits for both sides and foster Nalco CMD T K Chand, who was part of plan said. ran. stronger trade relations between Russian and Iranian compa- the delegation led by Petroleum Minister Emirates, whose total number of A380s Italy’s state-run lender Cassa Depositi nies,” says Exiar’s managing director of international business Dharmendra Pradhan to the Islamic coun- ordered would swell to 142, is taking the e Prestiti will offer credit lines of 4 billion development, Hanieh Ferdowsi. “In doing so, we have made sig- try, met a top Iranian official on Tuesday and planes that were originally manufactured euros to companies building oil and gas in- nificant groundwork for both financial and non-financial support discussed the feasibility of setting up such for Japanese budget carrier Skymark Air- frastructure, while export agency SACE will that can hopefully smoothen and facilitate the execution and a plant in the Chabahar Free Trade Zone lines Inc., said one of the people, who asked guarantee loans and offer trade financing closing of underlying projects.” (FTZ), a senior official said. not to be identified because the informa- of 4.8 billion euros, a SACE statement said. Closer collaboration between the countries is expected to not tion isn’t public. only relate to projects in Iran, but also joint Iranian-Russian pro-

jects in third countries. NEWS IN BRIEF (Source: Global Trade Review) I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y http://www.tehrantimes.com AAPRILPRIL 114,4, 22016016 HISTORY & HERITAGE 5

Eating Dizi: A delicious CLOSE-UP How to pack light: tips experience in Ardabil from a master packer Packing small is essential for any globe-trotter committed By Madi Jahangir to embracing the chaos of travel. With a small pack, you n my last trip to Ardabil, I wan- can chase down your Japanese train as it unapologetically dered around the Sheikh Safi mau- departs on time. You can squeeze in to (or on top of) the I only bus to the next village in India. Or, as we learned, soleum to buy some Black Halva, Ardabil’s traditional sweet confection. when your scheduled speed boat leaves while you are I was also looking for a place to have busy bailing your guide out of jail, small packs will allow a local meal for lunch. After spend- you to cram six large Americans into a tiny fishing boat to ing some days in the city, I had come splash your way to your deserted island bungalow in time to realize that finding a restaurant in to watch the sunset. Ardabil could be quite a challenge. I should have possibly spent more time in the city to learn the lifestyle, but unlike the way I was used to in Teh- ran and Caspian provinces, Ardebil’s residents did not seem to have such culture of dining out. However, it was very easy to spot the Sheikh Safi Halva store just the other side of the historic place. The old shop owner was very generous and offered me to taste some Halva for free with his sweet Azeri accent. “Is there any traditional restaurant Ceramic pots of Shurba around here?” I asked. He did not even think twice and showed me a direction: eat Nan Sangak (stone bread) dipping There were benches available deco- and yogurt drink. “Sheikh Safi Dizi house. You can eat best in Dizi liquid. To be honest, I am not rated by Iranian rugs and cushions for Following the traditions, the pro- Shurba in Ardabil.” Name of the restau- much fan of such heavy Iranian dishes. those who want to have a complete cess of eating Dizi went well and we The art of packing light: not a bulging seam in sight rant did not surprise me though. Many But the shop owner and the girl insist- Iranian experience. They brought our enjoyed the food before the peak shops around the area were named af- ed that Sheikh Safi is something which I Dizi in those typical heavy ceramic time. I learnt from the friendly staff ter Sheikh Safi, the famous Sufi scholar shouldn’t miss out. pots on a metal tray. For each of us that Dizisara is a rendezvous place Of course, packing involves deeply personal deci- and the pride of Ardabilis. Meanwhile a We walked 200 meters away from the there was a metal masher available to for many people in Ardabil, includ- sions. Everyone has their own ideas of comfort and girl who had just arrived at the shop, Halva shop and almost at 12:00 PM found mash the thick stew, an empty bowl ing the university students. I was style. But by following a few simple field-tested tenets of jumped into the conversation: “Go the sign of Sheikh Safi Dizisara aka Dizi and bread on the side. very happy that I listened to the ad- travelling small, you can shed size and weight. It might now. The Shurba is nonexistent after house . We went down the stairs and They say Iranians are very romantic vice of the girl. Unlike my previous not always save your trip, but it will save your spine and one PM.” I asked if the food is good. were welcomed by the smiley reception- about their food. Every Iranian dish experience, the food was very light your sanity. She nodded her head with pleasure: “It ist: “You want Dizi, right?” Seemed it was a has a story behind it and special tra- and not too heavy. The law of travel physics: the contents of your bag expand tastes heavenly.” common question because even though dition for serving. Eating Dizi has its The price was as cheap as five to fill the available space Heavy, oily and calorie-wise not so the restaurant offers a menu of different own techniques too. First the soup dollars for two servings (including Start with a bag that fits in a plane’s overhead compart- friendly! They say Dizi, which is often Iranian dishes, most costumers come to and the ingredients are separated and pickles and those huge yogurt drinks ment with minimal shoving. Fill it with as much as you can called Shurba in Azeri provinces, sus- taste the Dizi. the liquid is poured into the empty topped by dried mint and dill.) The with moderate shoving. Leave behind the rest. Tough deci- tains the workers through a long day, There were many types of pickles bowl. The flat bread – which is often bread was excellent enough that we sions on your living-room floor will pay big dividends on the because it is very filling and has high and yogurt on the counter to choose, Nan Sangak – is cut into small pieces ordered some more as take away. road. calorie count. It is a thick stew made from which we ordered some and and dipped in the soup. Then the left- And Sheikh Safi Shurba, indeed, Try to be dense from lamb, chickpeas, potato, tomato, the home-made yogurt drink as well. over in the ceramic pot is mashed by tasted heavenly! Black holes are so compact that light cannot escape their onions and Iranian spices. They often The restaurant was clean and simple. masher. The two are eaten by pickles (Source: Dream of Iran) gravity. Your bag should function on a similar principle. Fold- ed is smaller than wadded. Folded and rolled: smaller still. If your clothes take up more than one-third of your bag, you are probably taking too much. Archeological sensation: Ancient mummy found in Mongolia The world is not as savage as you think The spectacular find of the frozen remains of a Scythian at the end of July. The Scythians were a nomadic It turns out, most cultures have figured out how warrior in Mongolia by an international team of arche- people who lived around 700 years BC in a region to wash stuff. Whether it be via hotel laundry, a local ologists could shed new light on ancient life. Some of that spanned from southern Russia and the Ukraine cleaners, or the old lady around the corner ready to those findings will be the subject of a major exhibition in to the Dnieper River. make a few pesos, a clean shirt is usually just a few Berlin next year. The warrior, whose cause of death has not been hours away. At a pinch, most lodgings have a sink and Scientists in Berlin this week gave their first major determined, was buried in full dress. “He wore a fur running water. press conference about the spectacular discovery of a coat made of marmot fur with sheep’s wool lining and Everybody loves a trilogy frozen mummy in Mongolia’s Altai Mountains. The fro- adorned with sable,” Parzinger said. Beneath the fur coat, Three pairs of socks. Three pairs of underwear. Three zen corpse, embedded in permafrost, is considered one traces could be found of woven wool pants. The man’s shirts. Wear one, wash one, dry one. You can get more miles of the greatest archeological finds since climbers came feet were covered by knee-high felt boots. “There could out of leg wear, so two pairs of pants and one culturally ap- across the mummified remains of Ötzi, the ice man, in an be more surprises when we remove the clothing from propriate pair of shorts or a skirt should suffice. Choose light, alpine glacier. The corpse of the Scythian warrior could the partly mummified body,” he added. Parzinger said flowing, quick-dry cotton-poly blends in matching colors that help provide clues about how people lived 2,500 years researchers believe the decorations indicated he was a handle wrinkles well. ago and about what illnesses they suffered. The mummy is unbelievably valuable to science man of nobility. Your phone is now smarter than you are “The mummy is unbelievably valuable to science,” The scientist also said there would likely by a major Most modern electronics (like phones and cameras) Hermann Parzinger, president of the German Archeo- mies will enable scientists to study the remains in detail. exhibition in Berlin next year about the Scythian warrior switch voltage automatically when you plug them in. logical Institute (DAI), said on Thursday in Berlin. He de- The newly discovered Altai mummy has been compared discovery that would, he hopes, include some of the ar- (Double-check the plug where it says ‘Input: 100~240v’.) scribed the mummy recently discovered in Mongolia as to the discovery of Ötzi in southern Tyrol in 1991 and a tifacts found at the site. The man was buried together Leave voltage-specific devices and the heavy converter a “one of a kind find” that could increase our knowledge tattooed Siberian ice princess in 1993. with two horses whose bridles are still in good condition. at home. A three-way splitter plugged into a multi- about the nutrition and health of early man. The mummy was found in a difficult to access Parts of the animal carcasses were also still intact -- in- country adapter should be enough to keep all your de- The mummy, which is believed to be about 2,500 part of the Altai mountain region at an altitude of cluding flesh, skin and hide. vices juiced. years old was a 30-to-40 year-old man with blond hair, 2,600 meters (8,500 feet) in an area bordering Mon- The finds are currently being studied in the Mongo- You don’t need that. Or that. Or that either and was found in very good condition, Patzinger said. golia, China and Russia. Scientists from Germany, lian capital city of Ulan Bator. “But we’re still not certain Repeat this to yourself constantly as you pack. The un- It’s too delicate for exhibition, but new techniques devel- Mongolia and Russia came across the intact burial what will be restored,” DAI President Patzinger said. known of travelling makes us want to surround ourselves with oped following other recent discoveries of frozen mum- mount of the Scythian warrior in permafrost ground (Source: spiegel.de) familiar items but the ‘what if’ game will get you in trouble. On the off-chance you find you do need it, likely you can buy or borrow it. But do bring a quick-drying pack towel, a rare PICTURE OF THE DAY Mehr/Abutaleb Nadri example where synthetic technology outperforms the clas- “Atlas of Old sics. The value of each item increases exponentially with Tehran” to be each function This is best illustrated with some examples. introduced on *The frisbee: in addition to its international friend-making potential (walk into any public space and start tossing one Intl. Day for around, you’ll see), strategically packing it on the outside edge of your pack provides hard-shell protection for breaka- Monuments bles. Additional uses: cutting board, plate, bowl, bottle open- er, fan, dry place to sit. TOURISM TEHRAN – The book desk *A sarong: it’s a changing room, it’s a blanket, it’s a privacy “Atlas of Old Tehran” wall, it’s a towel, it’s a bag, it’s a sunshade, it’s quite possibly will be unveiled during a ceremony at the most versatile piece of cloth in your bag. Oh, it’s also a the Iranian House of Humanities Think- skirt. ers on April 17. *A parachute cord: use it to strap things to the outside The ceremony will be held to com- of your pack, string up a clothes line in your room, tie memorate the International Day for your bag to the roof of your bus, or tie the roof back on Monuments and Sites, which is celebrat- to your bus. ed on April 18 around the world. At the airport Compiled and written by Reza Shira- Once you’ve got your pack list dialed down to the essen- zian, the book introduces over 270 maps tials, you might find there are one or two items that just won’t of Tehran and its suburb from 1826 to fit. If necessary, exploit the the airline industry’s three biggest 1979. luggage loopholes: The book covers the history of Tehran 1. Wearing is not carrying. Stuff your pockets. Don from the reign of the second Qajar king your jacket. Wear your hiking boots and pack your san- Fath-Ali Shah Qajar to the victory of Is- dals. lamic Revolution in 392 pages. 2. ‘Carry on plus one personal item’ should be music Scholar Sirus Alaiei, who has con- to your ears. Consider a small shoulder bag, a camera ducted several researches on histori- bag, or smaller backpack for those items you are tak- cal maps, has written a preface for the ing as gifts, and those you will be bringing home as book. souvenirs. Iranian House of Humanities Thinkers 3. Duty-free doesn’t count. If you can’t fit it in your bag, is located at No. 2, Varsho St., off Villa many airlines let you carry it on without penalty. A Kazakh bride pours tea in small drinking bowls, kese, during her wedding ceremony in Iran’s northern Golestan Province Ave. (Source: Lonely Planet) I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y

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Notice for Invitation of Creditors of

Third AnnouncementL.N.G. International Qeshm Gas Company (Limited Liability Company) Registration No.1575, National Id: 10861511110 Under Liquidation

Following the company’s dissolution notice published in the official gazette No. 20346 dated 11 Jan., 2015, all creditors of the said Company are hereby invited to refer to the liquidation affairs of the Company, while holding the supporting documents, at latest within 6 months from the publishing date of the first notice, at the following

Address: Unit 26, 4th Fl.,No.98,Negin Sarv Complex, West Sarv Ave., Saadatabad , Tehran, Post code:1998994514. Obviously, after expiry of the said period, no claim will be admitted. Dr.Rajab Goldoust Jouybari Liquidator L.N.G.International Qeshm Gas Co.Ltd I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y AAPRILPRIL 114,4, 22016016 http://www.tehrantimes.com/economy WORLD ECONOMY 7

World’s top traders say NEWS IN BRIEF Saudi rating cut for first time the worst is over for oil at Fitch on lower oil prices Saudi Arabia’s credit worthiness was downgraded at Fitch Rat- ings after the plunge in oil prices. Top executives at the world’s largest oil-trading houses The kingdom’s rating was lowered one level to AA-, the said the worst of the market’s woes are probably over, fourth-highest investment grade, the rating agency said on with some predicting prices will climb to $50 a barrel Tuesday. It maintained a negative outlook for the credit, signal- by next year. ing the possibility of more downgrades. “The down market is behind us,” Torbjorn Tornqvist, The cut reflects the “revision of our oil price assumptions for chief executive officer of Gunvor Group Ltd., said on 2016 and 2017” to $35 a barrel and $45 a barrel respectively, it Tuesday at the FT Global Commodities Summit in Lau- said. sanne. “It is the beginning of the end of that for sure.” The reduction is the first time Fitch has downgraded Saudi Oil has rebounded after falling to the lowest level in Arabia since at least 2004. It ranks the country at the same level more than 12 years amid signs a global glut will ease as the Aa3 grade Saudi Arabia is rated by Moody’s. Standard & as U.S. output declines. The world’s largest oil traders Poor’s rates the nation three steps lower at A-. The AA- rating were meeting in Switzerland as members of OPEC and puts the kingdom on par with South Korea and Macau. other major producers prepare to assemble in Doha on The Saudi stock exchange’s market capitalization has fallen April 17 to discuss an output freeze. Oil traders bene- by almost $50 billion since the kingdom’s credit rating was first fited from a surge in volatility last year and that should cut at the end of October, with the benchmark Tadawul All Share continue, according to Tornqvist. Index down 10 percent. The index maintained its 1.3 percent ad- “We are going to have lots of volatility going for- vance after Fitch’s downgrade on Tuesday. ward,” Tornqvist said. “From here on the trend is up.” (Source: Bloomberg) A “rebalancing” of global crude oil supply and de- mand could take place by the end of the third quarter as production cuts by cash-strapped producers start to curb the current glut, according to Trafigura Group Pte CEO Jeremy Weir. World Bank set to provide “I believe we’ve seen the bottom unless there is Egypt with first $1 billion of some sort of catastrophic situation, political or other- wise,” Weir said. $3 billion loan Price recovery When oil prices recently dipped below $28 it was a The World Bank will provide the first $1 billion tranche of a $3 positive for crude as forward prices fell faster than cur- ucts into storage in the last 18 months. said John Driscoll, chief strategist at JTD Energy Ser- billion loan to Egypt after parliament approves the government's rent ones, prompting major production projects to be “We hopefully will move into a rebalancing, but I vices Pte, who has spent more than 30 years trading economic program, World Bank vice president Hafez Ghanem canceled, according to Marco Dunand, CEO of Mercuria don’t think it will come particularly quick,” Beard said. crude and petroleum in Singapore. “Their mission is to said at a news conference late Tuesday. Energy Group Ltd. “We still have very large stockpiles to eat through.” recapture market share, pure and simple.” Egypt has been negotiating billions of dollars in aid from “We anticipate the market to start a recovery and we The trading executives were unanimous in predic- “The re-emergence of Iran as a viable exporter various lenders to help revive an economy battered by political see a $50 price next year,” he said. tions that oil production from Iran will be slower than post-sanctions will challenge the prevailing status quo upheaval since the 2011 revolt and ease a dollar shortage that The oil market is at the beginning of a multiyear bull expected to return to the market after the lifting of within OPEC, as evidenced in the latest debate over the has crippled import activity and hampered recovery. run, with prices rising to $60 later this year and $80 in sanctions in January. implementation of the output freeze,” Driscoll said. The lender had agreed to provide the first $1 billion in De- 2017, said Pierre Andurand, the chief investment officer While producers including Saudi Arabia, OPEC’s big- Ian Taylor, CEO of Vitol Group of Cos. the world’s cember but is waiting for the government's economic program, of London-based hedge fund Andurand Capital Man- gest member, and Russia are due to meet in Doha on largest independent oil trader, said getting capital into which outlines the broad strokes of its reform plans, to be passed agement LLP. April 17 to discuss a deal to freeze output in a step to- Iran to fund the restart of production remains difficult. by parliament. Brent crude, the international benchmark, climbed ward clearing a global glut, Iran is determined to regain Trafigura’s Weir said banks are still “wary” of financing The government presented a program to parliament in late 1 percent to $43.27 a barrel, a four-month high, as of market share lost over the past few years due to sanc- deals to trade oil from Iran as U.S. sanctions remain in March that aimed to reduce the budget deficit while protecting 2:21 p.m. on the London-based ICE Futures Europe ex- tions over its nuclear program. To pry away custom- place for now. the poor. change. ers relishing oil that is cheaper than mid-2014 levels by Oil refining, which was a standout business for The World Bank told Reuters in December that the first Large stockpiles more than 50 percent, the Persian Gulf state is expected traders including Vitol and Gunvor in 2015, will prob- tranche was focused on "10 prior actions for policy and insti- Alex Beard, head of oil at Glencore Plc, was less bull- to focus on pricing and boosting supply. ably earn lower margins in 2015, said Taylor. “It will be tutional reforms" already implemented. The second and third ish about the recovery, noting that the global market “Since the lifting of sanctions, the Iranians have be- tougher this year,” said Gunvor’s Tornqvist. tranches are linked to additional reforms the government plans. (Source: Reuters) added over 300 million barrels of crude and oil prod- come a force to be reckoned with in global oil markets,” (Source: Bloomberg)

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NEWS IN BRIEF When vegetable oil isn’t Garden-care giant to drop chemicals linked to bee declines as healthy as you think Amid ominous warnings about threats to pollinators and the food crops they make possible, garden-care giant Ortho said One of the first things doctors tell people who his colleagues delved into the data from the Tuesday it will stop using a class of chemicals widely believed to want to get healthier is to change their diet. Minnesota Coronary Experiment, conducted harm the most important pollinators of all: bees. And most will say that the less animal fat you from 1968 to 1973. They learned that only Bees are critical to the food supply because about one-third eat, the better. Getting rid of the butter and part of the trial’s results were published, and of the human diet comes from insect-pollinated plants, and hon- shifting to olive, corn and other vegetable oils, other data, suggesting the contrary idea eybees are responsible for 80 percent of that pollination. Con- many doctors said, is better for heart health. that switching animal fats for vegetable fats cern about bee health is growing, with federal officials consid- They had their reasons. Countless stud- didn’t protect the heart, was left out. “We saw ering whether to protect two ies have shown that people who eat more that they didn’t publish a lot of things they species of wild bumblebees. vegetable oils have lower cholesterol than planned to,” says Ramsden. Ortho said it has already people who eat a lot of saturated fats. And Until now. In the study, more than 2,300 removed neonicotinoids from other studies connected lower cholesterol men and women were randomly assigned the majority of its products with lower risk of heart troubles. to a diet in which all the oils were replaced used to control garden pests The other elements central to the with vegetable oils, or a control diet high in and diseases. It plans to re- popular Mediterranean diet, such as nuts animal fats and margarines. move it from all the rest in two and fresh produce and fish, are highly nu- Ramsden found that those who ate to five years. tritious, to boot. But in a study published more vegetable oils (primarily corn oil) did The company is believed in the BMJ, researchers re-analyzed data indeed lower their cholesterol by nearly to be the first garden products from older unpublished studies and found 14% compared with those who did not, but brand to announce it will stop the link between vegetable oil and heart that after a year or more, they did not see using the chemicals, said Lori health may not hold. They revealed that it’s any lower rates of heart disease or dying Ann Burd, director of the Envi- possible that too much vegetable oil could from heart events. In fact, for every 30mg/ ronmental Health Program at the actually increase the risk of heart disease — dL drop in cholesterol, there was a 22% in- Center for Biological Diversity. rather than decrease it. Researchers revealed that it’s possible that too much creased risk of death. So people who ate Vegetable fats The chemicals, called neonics for short, attack the central vegetable oil could actually increase the risk of heart animal fats tended to live longer than those nervous systems of insects, killing them or making them vulner- Christopher Ramsden, a medical investi- who switched to vegetable oils. able to predators and deadly diseases, researchers say. gator at the National Institutes of Health, and disease — rather than decrease it. (Source: Time) Neonics and other pesticides, along with disease and declin- ing diversity in gardens and landscapes, are among the causes of declining bee populations worldwide, a United Nations study released in February said. Hormone therapy for prostate cancer linked with depression Eliminating neonics from Ortho products might require gar- Men who take hormone therapy for prostate cancer may than 78,000 men age 66 and older who were treated for deners to apply them more frequently, but it will be easier to have a higher risk of depression than patients who receive prostate cancer from 1992 to 2006. target pests while reducing the chances of hurting bees, said different treatment, a U.S. study suggests. They followed men for three years, and excluded pa- Tim Martin, the company's vice president and general manager. Prostate cancer cells need testosterone to grow and tients with psychiatric diagnoses in the year before they (Source: AP) spread. Researchers focused on a common treatment were diagnosed with tumors. known as androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), which Almost 45,000 men in the study received hormone works by depriving tumor cells of testosterone. Side effects therapy, and they tended to have more advanced disease. can include sexual dysfunction, weight gain and fatigue. They were about 76 years old on average, about two years Mysterious 'cloud' of crabs Patients with prostate cancer who received hormone older than the typical age of the men who received differ- therapy were 23 percent more likely to develop depression ent treatments. puzzles scientists and 29 percent more likely to have inpatient psychiatric From six months to three years after diagnosis, 7.1 percent treatment than men who received alternative treatments, of the men on hormone therapy had new cases of depression, A shadowy, shifting swarm of crabs swimming near the ocean the study found. compared with 5.2 percent of the others in the study. floor astonished scientists and served as a reminder of how The "take-home message is that the list of potential the benefit is expected to be in their specific situation so During this period, 2.8 percent of men on hormone many discoveries are yet to be made in the ocean's depths. side effects of hormone therapy is continuing to grow," they can weigh it against the list of possible side effects," therapy had inpatient psychiatric treatment, compared with Scientists from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in said senior study author Dr. Paul Nguyen of Brigham and Nguyen added by email. 1.9 percent of their peers. In addition, 3.4 percent received Cape Cod, Mass., discovered the crab migration in April 2015, Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston. Hormone therapy outpatient psychiatric services, versus 2.5 percent of the while conducting a series of 26 deep-sea dives to seamounts off "Any man with prostate cancer considering hormone To explore the link between hormone therapy and de- other men. the coast of Panama. They were investigating why the underwa- therapy should find out from their doctor exactly how big pression, Nguyen and colleagues examined data on more (Source: NBC News) ter volcanoes attract such a diversity of marine life. While diving via submarine, they saw stingrays, octopuses, and sea turtles, and on their last dive, they found crabs – thousands of them. "When we dove down in the submarine, we noticed the wa- The space tech of today that could Most of the tree of life is a complete ter became murkier as we got closer to the bottom," said Jesϊs Pineda, a biologist at Woods Hole, in a press release. "There was power Stephen Hawking's starcraft mystery this turbid layer, and you couldn't see a thing beyond it. We just Stephen Hawking’s plan to create a In 1837, Charles Darwin sketched a sim- saw this cloud but had no idea what was causing it." starcraft that can traverse the inky black- ple tree in one of his notebooks. Above The crab swarm surprised the researchers both in location ness separating us and our cosmic neigh- it, he scrawled “I think.” That iconic im- and activity. Red crabs usually swim further north, closer to Cali- bor is fantastically ambitious and filled age perfectly encapsulated Darwin’s big fornia than to Panama. A more typical red crab sighting came with lots of the “tech will come” assump- idea: that all living things share a com- last summer, when thousands of red crabs washed ashore near tions. But at its core, the technology that mon ancestor. Ever since then, scientists San Diego, as the Los Angeles Times reported. Hawking and billionaire Yuri Milner want have been adding names to the tree of After he returned from the dive mission, Pineda scoured the to use to create the ship is already here. life. Last year, for example, one group scientific literature for accounts of underwater swarming, he told It’s just not quite at the level of develop- compiled what they billed as a “compre- the Guardian. He investigated not only crabs but also lobsters, ment that it needs to be. hensive tree,” a garguantuan genealogy shrimp, and other bottom-dwelling creatures, but he came up The Breakthrough Starshot is a hypo- of some 2.3 million species that “encom- empty. No one had ever recorded anything like it. thetical interstellar vessel that essentially passes all of life.” “Nothing like this has ever been seen, where we have this comes with two main parts: a super-small, Impressive work, but they should very dense swarm at the bottom,” Pineda told the Guardian. “We sensor-filled wafer (called a “Starchip”), and reached the limits of silicon. Intel has been probably have said “all the life we have of mud or swabs of saliva — scientists have no idea why they might be doing this.” a LightSail only a few hundred atoms thick. developing silicon-germanium chips, but sequenced so far.” Existing genetic stud- have been able to piece together the full (Source: The CSM) This teeny craft would be propelled by a the company still has a way to go before ies have been heavily biased towards the genomes of organisms whose existence 100-gigahertz laser array that would ac- such chips becoming available. And all branches of life that we’re most familiar is otherwise a mystery. celerate the Starshot to nearly 20 percent this equipment needs to weigh less than with, especially those we can see and Using 1,011 of these genomes, Laura the speed of light. So in 20 years, we’d be a few grams. So now we’re talking about study. It’s no coincidence that animals Hug, now at the University of Waterloo, Zika virus linked with knocking on Alpha Centauri’s front door. a far-flung future. made up half of the “comprehensive tree and Jillian Banfield at the University of another brain disease The Starchip is the heart and soul of Super tiny satellites, called femto- of life,” and fungi, plants, and algae took California, Berkeley have sketched out a the plan. The idea assumes the contin- satellites, already exist, but the Starchip up another third, and microscopic bacte- radically different tree of life. All the crea- ued progression of Moore’s Law, the oft- is more analogous to NASA’s CubeSats ria filled just a small wedge. tures we’re familiar with — the animals, Some people infected with the Zika virus may develop a rare quoted “rule” that the computing power initiative: small satellites that can do in- Visible organisms plants, and fungi — are crowded on one neurological disorder that is similar to multiple sclerosis, a new of chips will double every two years. creasingly complex science. But these We visible organisms should be thin branch. The rest are — largely filled study from Brazil suggests. Super powerful computers CubeSats are measured in centimeters, the small wedge. We’re latecomers to with bacteria. The study reports two cases of people who were infected Theoretically, we could eventually fit rather than the much smaller payload Earth’s story, and represent the smallest And around half of these bacterial with the Zika virus and who later developed a condition called super powerful computers (along with that Starshot aspires to use. sliver of life’s diversity. Bacteria are the branches belong to a supergroup, which acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM). In people with batteries, sensors, and whatever else) In order for this teeny package of sen- true lords of the world. They’ve been on was discovered very recently and still this condition, the body's own into increasingly smaller packages. The sors to arrive at its destination 4.3 light years the planet for billions of years and have lacks a formal name. Informally, it’s known immune system causes swell- law has held up remarkably well since the away, you need something to power it, and irrevocably changed it, while diversify- as the Candidate Phyla Radiation. Within ing in the brain and spinal 1970s, but Intel — the biggest adopter the project has opted for lightsails. The ing into endless forms most wonderful its lineages, evolution has gone to town, cord, and damages the pro- of Moore’s chip guidance — has shown choice makes sense, since the lightweight and most beautiful. Many of these forms producing countless species that we’re tective coating of nerve fibers signs of chip miniaturization slowing, material cuts down on weight, requires no have never been seen, but we know almost completely ignorant about. With a called myelin. stretching out Moore’s original two-year chemical thrust, and uses a photon’s energy they exist because of their genes. Us- single exception, they’ve never been iso- The condition is similar to prediction to 2.5 years. and momentum by reflecting light. ing techniques that can extract DNA lated or grown in a lab. multiple sclerosis (MS), which One of the major issues is that we’ve (Source: Gizmodo) from environmental samples — scoops (Source: The Atlantic) also causes damage to my- elin. But whereas people with MS often have multiple at- tacks, people with ADEM usu- ally have just a single attack of Antibiotic-resistance genes increasing symptoms and recover after about six months. In new research conducted by Michigan State University and decreased in abundance, partner genes increased or de- the sources of antibiotic-resistant bacteria contributes to a The study adds to a grow- published in the current issue of the journal mBio, this trou- creased in nearly identical fashion. global health concern, causing an estimated $20 billion in ing list of conditions already linked with the Zika virus, including bling trend is exacerbated by concentrated animal feeding "In the fight against the rise of antibiotic resistance, we health care costs each year in the U.S. another neurological disorder called Guillain-Barrι syndrome, as operations. Results from the study show that in large swine need to understand that the use of one antibiotic or, in "This is a global issue rather than one that's simply well as microcephaly, a birth defect in which an infant's head farms where antibiotics are used continuously in feed for some cases, antibacterial disinfectants may increase the isolated in China; multidrug resistance is just a plane ride is abnormally small and is thought to occur when the virus is growth promotion and disease prevention, multidrug-resist- abundance of multidrug resistant bacteria," he said. "Track- away," Tiedje added. "This is why our work in China is defi- passed from a woman to her infant during pregnancy. ant bacteria are likely the norm rather than the exception. ing the source of antibiotic resistance is quite complicated nitely as relevant as in the United States." "This doesn't mean that all people infected with Zika will ex- The research team, led by James Tiedje, MSU Distin- because antibiotic use, which increases the occurrence Some of these partner genes can make bacteria resist- perience these brain problems," Dr. Maria Lucia Brito Ferreira, a guished Professor of microbiology and molecular genetics of resistance, is widespread, and antibiotic resistance can ant to antibiotics that were not even fed to the animals. and of plant, soil and microbial sciences, studied large- spread between bacteria." These partner genes were likely present in the same bac- co-author of the new study and a physician at Restoration Hos- Chinese farms pital in Recife, Brazil, said in a statement. "However, our study scale swine farms in China and one population of pigs in teria that were resistant to one of the antibiotics that was may shed light on possible lingering effects the virus may be the U.S. They confirmed the presence of many partner The Chinese farms are quite close to large cities. So fed to the pigs. So when one antibiotic is used, resistance associated with in the brain." genes — resistance genes and mobile genetic elements controlling antibiotic resistance in pigs and farms is impor- to many antibiotics can increase. (Source: Discovery News) found together. Simply put, when one gene increased or tant to minimizing human risk. The complexity of finding (Source: phys.org) I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y http://www.tehrantimes.com/international APRIL 14, 2016 WORLD IN FOCUS 9

Syria’s landmark ceasefire was threat- around Aleppo city during a previous ening to fall apart after a surge of fresh failed round of talks at the end of January. fighting, especially in northern Aleppo Surge of clashes in Syria on Western powers blamed that escalation province, just as peace talks were set to for the breakdown of those talks. JUMP resume in Geneva on Wednesday. eve of Geneva peace talks Al-Nusra and allied rebel groups were The United Nations Syria envoy Staf- also pushing their own offensive on the Robert Hunter: German fan de Mistura, who has said the negoti- town of Khan Touman near Aleppo city, ations will be “crucially important,” was in the Observatory said. FM’s remarks show no Iran for talks with a key backer of Syria’s Washington has expressed worries desire to contain Russia President Bashar al-Assad. that an assault against al-Nusra in Aleppo This week’s round of talks will be the may spread to moderate rebel factions, 1 In order to show Ukraine and Russia that they were second since the Syrian government and which could cause the truce to collapse not being left out of this construct, NATO negotiated a NA- rebel forces agreed to a partial truce and derail peace efforts. TO-Ukraine Charter (I did the negotiating for NATO) and a brokered by Moscow and Washington, The New York-based Human Rights NATO-Russia Founding Act, signed in Paris on May 17, 1997. which has largely held since February 27. Watch (HRW) has also warned that con- This was designed to keep open the possibility of Russian It has raised hopes that steps may tinued indiscriminate attacks on civilians engagement in broader aspects of Europe and security and finally be taken towards ending a five- could cause the truce to break down. politics. One objective was to avoid what had happened with year-old conflict that has left more than It said recent attacks by rebel groups Germany with the Treaty of Versailles, which was one of the 270,000 dead and forced nearly half on Kurdish-majority neighborhoods in elements that eventually led to World War II. The Found- of the country’s population from their Aleppo city and by government forces ing Act contained 19 areas of potential cooperation between homes. east of Damascus “threaten to derail the NATO and Russia, and they can be found on the Internet. De Mistura, who will host the talks, ‘cessation of hostilities’”. NATO met with Russia in a Permanent Joint Council, with the said the negotiations would focus on as- province, which borders Turkey, is putting groups were excluded from the ceasefire “A decrease in casualty numbers NATO allies in effect on one side of the table and Russia on pects of a peace roadmap that calls for a intense strain on the ceasefire. but, complicating matters, in some areas brought a much-needed respite for Syr- the other (though, of course, everyone sat around the same transitional government, a new constitu- Pro-government forces were on the al-Qaeda fighters are allied with re- ians, but many civilians are still dying in table). In 2002, at NATO’s Rome summit, the arrangement tion and, eventually, elections. Tuesday pressing an advance against bels covered by the truce. unlawful attacks,” Nadim Houry, HRW’s was changed so that Russia would be an equal participant But the fate of Syrian President Assad the town of Al-Eis, held by fighters from Government planes carried out “un- deputy Middle East director, said in a with the NATO allies, and the forum became the NRC. The 19 is still a major stumbling block. al-Qaeda’s local affiliate, al-Nusra Front precedented” air strikes in recent days on statement. areas of potential cooperation have remained the same. Un- “We will be focusing in particular on (Jabhat al-Nusra), and allied rebels, the the rebel-held eastern parts of Aleppo The ceasefire brought relative calm fortunately for everyone, the effort to engage Russia was not the political transition, on governance Britain-based so-called Syrian Observa- city, according to the Observatory, which to parts of northern and central Syria, pursued adequately by either side. We have seen the results. and constitutional principles,” he told re- tory for Human Rights (SOHR) monitor- relies on a broad network of sources in- allowing increased humanitarian aid Whether history could have been different cannot be told of porters in Damascus on Monday. ing group said. side Syria. deliveries and a significant drop in daily course; I think it could have been, but that is just my opinion. But concern has been mounting that a Al-Nusra and the Islamic State in Iraq Government forces, backed by Rus- deaths. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg an- spike in violence focused mainly in Aleppo and the Levant (ISIL/Daesh) terrorist sian air power, pressed a similar offensive (Source: AFP) nounced that the NATO-Russia Council would meet in the coming two weeks. Why does NATO seek to resume dialogue with Moscow despite? Rage in Kashmir over killing of youths by Indian army A: Technically, the NRC was never suspended, thought it has met very infrequently since Russia seized the Crimea and Hundreds of Kashmiris have taken to the streets, throw- Indian army soldier tried to sexually assault a young “When they refused, the army opened fire and fired attacked other parts of Ukraine. This not suspending the ing rocks and chanting freedom slogans after Indian woman in the town of Handwara in the Kupwara district tear gas at the protesters. It was then that protesters NRC was deliberate on NATO’s part, in order to keep open army troops shot dead at least two people during a of Indian-administered Kashmir. tried to burn the bunker,” Banday said from Handwara. some channels of communication. It is also a way of showing protest against an alleged case of sexual harassment by “It started off with a small demonstration, and then Police officials confirmed that the army killed two the Russians that, if they will abide by prior commitments an army soldier. hundreds of others joined. Protesters were demanding young men, while local media reports claimed that a and also according to basic requirements of a “Europe whole The two men, Nayeem Ahmad and Muhammad that the soldier [charged with sexually harassing a girl] young woman was also shot dead later on Tuesday and free,” it will be possible for Russia to rejoin the broader Iqbal, were shot dead when a protest erupted on Tues- be arrested and handed over to the people,” Zulkarnain evening, but it is still unclear who was responsible for (Source: Al Jazeera) community of nations. The agenda of items being discussed day following an allegation by local residents that an Banday, a cousin of victim Nayeem Ahmad, said. her death. is limited, and one aspiration for NATO is to talk about arms control issues, given the continued importance of the Treaty on Conventional Forces in Europe and also (among other things) issues of so-called “substrategic” nuclear arms in Eu- Russia pushes back ‘Putin’s bridge’ to annexed Crimea by a year rope. Russia has sent people to the infrequent meetings of Russia has pushed back the completion date of a more time to do the rail part of the bridge and plan to the NRC, but nothing of substance has been achieved. showcase multi-billion dollar bridge to link the Russian start train traffic before the end of 2019,” the spokesman German Foreign Minister Frank Walter Steinmeier mainland with annexed Crimea by one year, saying the said. said that the world powers will consider Russia’s return original plan had to be adjusted to take account of the The rail element was independent of the road com- to the G7. What are the reasons for such a remark? weight of the trains that will cross it. ponent, he said. That part is on track to open on time at A: The German foreign minister is speaking for his own coun- The Kremlin sees the bridge, which will span the Kerch the end of 2018. try, and several other members of the G7 do not agree that this is Strait, as vital to integrating Crimea, which it seized from Minutes of a meeting Putin held with ministers last a time to bring Russia back into the G7 (assuming, of course, that Ukraine in 2014. President Vladimir Putin has called the month during a visit to the construction site for the it would be interested). Leaving aside whether Crimea would project an historic mission. bridge - dubbed “Putin’s bridge” by some Russians - ever be returned to Ukraine (doubtful, especially given that, until Extending 19 km (11.8 miles), the project, which will be show the president was informed about the delay at the 1954 it was not part of Ukraine), until Russia is prepared to hon- two separate parallel structures - one for road and an- time and was initially unhappy with what he heard. or all the provisions of the so-called Minsk Accords, other G7 other for train traffic - will be the longest bridge Russia The mention of a delay at the meeting near Tuzla members, including the U.S., would not welcome Russia back to has ever built and the longest such dual-purpose span Spit - a wind-lashed body of sand that juts into the Kerch the G7 or relax sanctions. However, the fact that Steinmeier has in Europe. Strait towards Crimea - went unnoticed by the media at raised the issue does “keep the door open” and shows Russia Construction of the road part is on schedule, but But Rosavtodor, Russia’s federal road agency, said in the time. that there is no inherent desire for permanent containment of Reuters has learned that the rail segment deadline has answer to questions from Reuters that the deadline had The minutes, available on the Kremlin’s website, show Russia, if it will “abide by the rules,” including those to which it been put back by a year, giving the contractor - a firm now been changed and that the rail segment would not Transport Minister Maxim Sokolov gave Putin a different has agreed, like the Helsinki Final Act and the Budapest Accords controlled by Putin’s former judo partner with no expe- be operational until the end of 2019, a year later than explanation to the one supplied by Rosavtodor to Reu- of 1994. It will be important, however, for Mr. Putin not to in- rience of building bridges - more time to complete the initially planned. ters, telling him the railway part was being built later be- terpret that suggestion to mean a weakening of concerns over 212-billion-rouble ($3.2 billion) project. “In the process of government experts reviewing cause there was only light rail traffic in Crimea in winter, what Russia has done in Ukraine and the pressures it is placing The delay underscores the huge logistical, finan- the project to build a bridge across the Kerch Strait the an excuse that appeared to irritate Putin. on other Central European countries. cial and political challenges the Kremlin faces trying to deadlines were worked out in detail,” a spokesman for “Railway traffic is light for as long as there is no rail- How does NATO want to resolve certain problems breathe life into the economically deprived Black Sea the agency said in a statement, calling the original dead- way (bridge),” Putin shot back. “If there will be one (a such as the cultural roots of terrorism, migrant crisis, etc.? peninsula at a time when it cannot draw on Western line “preliminary”. railway bridge) then ports will start to work differently Does NATO have been adapted to deal with such threats? expertise due to sanctions imposed on Russia. Building the railway bridge was more time-consum- and then there will be traffic.” A: It is worth your looking at the speech that Secretary A Russian government order from last year said the ing and technically complex than the road one, he said, Putin’s judo partner General Jens Stolenberg gave at the Atlantic Council in Wash- bridge had to be operational by Dec. 18, 2018 - a dead- because it would have to bear more weight and would The contract to build the bridge was last year handed ington last week. It is on the Internet. But beyond what he line Putin has repeatedly emphasized given the impor- need signaling and special communications equipment. to a firm controlled by Arkady Rotenberg, a close ally of has said about it, NATO as NATO is not well suited for dealing tance of the project to the struggling Russian economy He did not explain why those factors were not taken Putin’s and his former judo partner. He owns 51 percent with any of the threats and challenges you listed that do not and to Crimea, which Moscow can only supply by sea into account in the original plan. of Stroygazmontazh (SGM), the lead contractor. have a military dimension. That requirement falls on national and air because of a Ukrainian land blockade. “Because of this the bridge builders will need a little (Source: Reuters) governments and organizations like the European Union and some UN bodies, with some possibilities for the Council of Europe. One issue that could engage NATO relates to ter- rorism in the Middle East and especially ISIL, where individual FAO: World cereal production in 2016 sets to 2521 million tonnes allies have some military engagement. Whether NATO as a World cereal production in 2016 is set plantings in the Russian Federation and World rice production is predicted to by around 1.0 percent to 2 547 million whole would be involved is on the agenda but there is so to amount to 2 521 million tonnes, Ukraine, both affected by dry weather. recover with a return to normal weather tonnes, according to very preliminary far no agreement, or any clear notion, yet, of what would be just 0.2 percent off last year’s large Global output of coarse grains is pro- conditions in northern-hemisphere Asia, new estimates. involved. One area in which NATO might be more inclined to output and the third-highest global jected at 1 313 million tonnes, up about where erratic rains have affected planting As utilization is anticipated to ex- become engaged is Libya, given that several of the allies (and performance on record, according to 11 million tonnes from 2015, with expect- activity for the past two seasons. Global ceed production, cereal reserves would NATO indirectly) were involved in the earlier effort to try stop- FAO’s first forecast for the new sea- ed increases in maize production more output, although impacted by unattrac- need to be drawn down to fill the gap. ping conflict there and which led to the deposing of Qaddafi. son, released today. than offsetting declines for barley and tive prices, is predicted to rise 1.0 percent FAO’s first forecast for world cereal The question you pose is one of the most consequential The small decline in 2016/17 world ce- sorghum. to 495 million tonnes. stocks at the close of seasons ending for Europe, including for the European Union, and also for real production portended by FAO would Maize output is seen growing by 1.1 International trade in cereals in in 2017 points to a likely 3.9 percent the transatlantic relationship. In my judgment, efforts need largely result from a lower worldwide percent to 1 014 million tonnes, driven by 2016/17, however, is poised to decline annual decline to 611 million tonnes. to cross institutional boundaries. There also has to be a com- wheat production, which is now expected recovering yields in the European Union for the second consecutive season - by However, the resulting world cereal prehensive approach to all of the various challenges in Eu- to amount to 712.7 million tonnes, some and expanding plantings in the United 1.4 percent to 365 million tonnes - due stock-to-utilization ratio would still ap- rope and the Middle East. The Middle East terrorism issues, 20 million tonnes less than in 2015. States. At the same time, maize production to ample stockpiles and modest demand proach 23 percent, well above the his- of course, are also wrapped up in the full range of matters ?According to a press release pub- is expected to fall in Southern Africa and growth in many importing countries. torical low of 20.5 percent registered in that are bedeviling that part of the world….but that is a whole lished by the FAO Representation in Brazil, due to drought and adverse grow- Global cereal utilization in 2016/17 is the 2007/2008 season. different set of matters to be discussed! Iran, the decline mostly reflects smaller ing conditions associated with El Niño. foreseen to grow only modestly, rising (FAO office in Tehran) SUNIR Ready to Cooperate Reuters Ready to Cooperate BMI Accelerates With Kazakhs in Mining Sector with Iran’s Maskan Bank Issuing FELGs

ECONOMY TEHRAN — Iran said, “During several rounds of talks with ECONOMY TEHRAN — In a During 14 years of activities, Reuters ECONOMY TEHRAN — In order to restore its broker deskPower and Water the Kazakh side, it was decided that Ka- deskmeeting with the has provided world’s companies and deskrelations after implementation of the JCPOA, Equipment and Services Export Compa- zakhs provide SUNIR with the informa- board members of Bank Maskan, Ruters banks with information regarding the Bank Melli Iran (BMI) announced its readiness to issue foreign ny known as SUNIR announced that this tion regarding promising areas of min- representatives in Bahrain and UAE ex- latest economic news, the countries’ fi- exchange letters of guarantee (FELG) for economic actors in the company is ready to cooperate with Ka- eral resources for future cooperation. pressed satisfaction with their presence nancial balance, foreign exchange spot field of import and export, the banks office of public relations zakhstan in mining sphere, SUNIR’s office In the event, attended by some of In Maskan Bank and called for further prices, currencies and companies’ port- reported. Considering recent evolvements due to the imple- of public relations reported on Tuesday. Subordinate organizations of the Minis- cooperation with the bank, Bank Mas- folios, Sherif added. mentation of the JCPOA resulting in numerous business Com- In a meeting with Galim Nurjanov, act- try of Investment and Development of kan’s office of public relations reported. Reuters is an international news mittees from different countries visiting Iran to negotiate with ing chairman of the board of Kazakhstan the Republic of Kazakhstan, establishing According to this report, in the event, agency and a division of Thomson Reu- Iranian companies and firms, BMI is restoring its broker relations national geological exploration company a joint foundation for mining explora- Sherif Ibrahim, manager of cross asset ters. Which provides major economic and has opened mutual accounts with foreign broker banks. known as Kazgeologiya, Bahman Salehi tion in Kazakhstan was also emphasized. business development Team - Middle organizations and banks with a wide The bank is now ready to accept and issue foreign ex- the CEO of SUNIR announced their readi- Finally the two sides decided to set East & North Africa at Thomson Reuters range of News and information such as change letters of guarantee in favor or at the request of im- ness for bilateral collaboration. up a committee participating top ex- explained the company’s fields of activities exchange rates, political and econom- porters and exporters of goods and services. Mentioning the Iranian companies’ perts in the field to review necessary and negotiated the avenues of coopera- ic news, Economic Analysis, Economic It is worth mentioning that BMI started providing this ser- capabilities, especially SUNIR, Salehi investigations and provisions. tion with Bank Maskan in the future. Calendar, comparing currencies etc. vice immediately after implementation of the JCPOA. I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y 10 SOCIETY AAPRILPRIL 114,4, 22016016 http://www.tehrantimes.com/society

FOOD FOR THOUGHT The world just had its hottest year and hottest decade on record The world just had its hottest year, hottest Each of the past four decades has been five year period and hottest decade on re- warmer than the previous one. cord. 15 of the 16 hottest years on record The 21st century witnessed a number of have occurred this century. major heatwaves. This includes heatwaves The global average surface temperature in India in 2002 and 2003 which each killed in 2015 smashed all previous records, and more than 1 000 people; the 2003 summer was about 0.73°C above the 1961-1990 heatwave in Europe which caused more average of 14.0°C. For the first time, the than 66 000 deaths and the intense heat- temperature reached the milestone of 1°C wave in the Russian Federation in July/Au- above the pre-industrial 1880-1899 period. gust 2010 This means we are already half-way towards The number of cold days and nights is the 2° C limit, above which life on the planet falling and the number of warm days and will become increasingly precarious. nights is increasing. This has major implica- In 2015 the long-term rise in global tem- tions for human health, agricultural produc- Yesterday is not ours to recover, but tomorrow is ours to win peratures, caused mainly by greenhouse gas tion and ecosystems. or lose. Lyndon B. Johnson emissions, combined with the effects of a Oceans are storing more than 90% of powerful El Niρo to turn up the heat. Large the excess energy trapped by greenhouse areas of South America, Africa, much of Eu- gases and will continue to warm through- rope, northeast Eurasia, the Middle East and out the century. western parts of North America were particu- The Arctic is heating at roughly twice the LEARN ENGLISH larly warm. Continental temperature records speed of the global average, and this will were set for Asia and South America. the risk of heatwaves, by a factor of ten or 2001-2010 was the hottest decade on have a lasting and far-reaching impact on Bargaining With Store 2011-2015 was the hottest five-year pe- more during that period, according to sci- record, with the global average tempera- other parts of the world. Owners riod on record. Climate change increased entific assessments. ture at about 0.47°C above the 1961-1990. (Source: wmo.int)

Connie: You speak McQuillanese. Ask the store owner the price of this vase. Worldwide executions highest since 1989: Amnesty Ivan: All right. He says it is $60. Human rights group Amnesty International says the total The watchdog added that the number does not include a school massacre by Taliban militants in December 2014, Connie: That’s actually a great price, but let’s see if I can talk number of known worldwide executions has reached its those in China, which treats the death penalty as “a state which left some 150 people, including many students, him downa little. You should never accept the starting highest level since 1989. secret,” similar to Vietnam and Belarus. Beijing is believed dead. price and the prices in these stores are all negotiable. Ask On Wednesday, the London-based rights group said in to have executed thousands of its citizens during this time Earlier this year, Amnesty voiced concern over Saudi him what his rock bottom price is for the vase. its annual report that the number of executions rose by period. Arabia’s controversial execution of prominent Shia cler- Ivan: He said that he’ll take $50, but not one penny less. more than half last year, reaching 1,634. According to the report, 25 countries around the world ic, Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, along with 46 others, including Connie: The vase is really a steal at $50, but maybe he’s still The figure shows a 54-percent rise from the 1,061 exe- carried out executions by beheading, hanging, lethal in- activists. cutions recorded in 2014. jection, or shooting in 2015 for crimes such as murder, Amnesty’s Middle East and North Africa director Philip willing to bargain. Tell him that I won’t pay a penny more “The rise in executions last year is profoundly disturb- drug-related offences, corruption, armed robbery, adul- Luther said Riyadh, which carried out more than 150 death than $40. ing,” Amnesty’s secretary general, Salil Shetty, said, adding, tery, aggravated rape, rape, and kidnapping. sentences in 2015, had carried out executions to clamp Ivan: I told him and he says that at that price, he’d be giv- “Not for the last 25 years have so many people been put The report on executions in 2015 comes after Pakistan down on dissent. ing it away. I don’t think he’s going to budge. I think you to death by states around the world.” lifted a six-year moratorium on the death penalty following (Source: Press TV) should just buy it. He doesn’t look like he’s willing to hag- gle with you. Connie: Don’t be impatient. Good things come to those who wait. Tell him that I’m ready to walk away if he doesn’t 90-year-old has no plans to leave job she’s had for 70 years take $42 for it. Hey, where’s he going? SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Talk about a facility. The following day, she put on her Her first job in the hospital was in the Ivan: He says that he’s walking away because he doesn’t sell loyal employee: Elena Griffing has just cele- robe, walked one floor down from her hos- laboratory where frogs and rabbits were to cheap Americans. brated her 70th year working for the same pital room and got to work. injected with a woman’s urine to deter- Connie: Hmph! San Francisco Bay Area hospital, and she “It was no big deal,” she said. “There was mine if she was pregnant. Griffing was (Source: eslpod.com) has no plans to retire anytime soon. nothing wrong with my hands, I could still the right-hand woman to the pathologist Words & phrases Sutter Health Alta Bates Summit Medi- type and do what I had to do.” and quickly became an expert at cathe- talk somebody down: to persuade someone to lower the cal Center has marked Griffing’s milestone But when the doctor got wind, he sent terizing frogs. and her recent 90th birthday, spokeswom- her home. She also worked with an endocrinolo- price of something an Carolyn Kemp said. But for Griffing, who Griffing’s first day on the job was April 10, gist for 10 years and in the Alta Bates Burn negotiable: an offer, price, contract etc. that is negotiable has held several different positions in her 1946, when she was 20. Back then, the facility Center for an additional 22 years. can be discussed and changed before being agreed on decades of employment, every day on the was called Alta Bates Community Hospital. She currently works in patient relations rock bottom price: a rock-bottom price is as low as it can job is a celebration. She worked there with founder and four days a week. Patient relations representative Elena Griff- possibly be “I can’t wait to come to work every day, nurse Alta Alice Miner Bates. In her early “I don’t feel any differently than I did ing smiles while interviewed at Sutter bargain: to discuss the conditions of a sale, agreement etc., this is my hospital,” she said. “I enjoy any- years when Bates saw Griffing in the halls when I was 20. I am truly so lucky,” she said. Health Alta Bates Summit Medical Center for example to try and get a lower price thing I can do to be of service. Truly, it’s the of the hospital, she told her to stop wear- But times have changed since her first in Berkeley, Calif., Monday, April 11, 2016. give something away: to give something to someone patient that counts. If it’s helping someone, ing her signature 3-inch heels because she day on the job, when the average wage Griffing, 90, has started her 70th year without asking for any money, rather than selling it to them it’s my bag.” might fall and probably would sue the hos- was $2,500 a year and a gallon of gas cost working for the same San Francisco Bay budge: to change your opinion, or to make someone She isn’t kidding. pital. She has done neither. 15 cents. Area hospital. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu) As if her employment longevity wasn’t “I always got that shaking finger at me, “When I started here, I thought I was change their opinion enough, consider this: She has taken only and I was always shaking in my boots when making such a lot of money, but I think I gardening, jazz and coming to work. haggle: to argue when you are trying to agree about the four days of sick leave in her 70 years of work. I saw her,” she said. was making about $120 a month,” she said. If she has her way, she’ll keep working price of something On a Sunday about 15 years ago, she She says she only wears 2 1/2-inch She makes enough money now to live a “until they throw me out or they carry me good things come to those who wait: a patient seeker had her appendix removed at the Berkeley heels now. comfortable life in nearby Orinda, enjoying out in a box.” will be satisfied in due time; patience is a virtue walk away: leave IN FOCUS Mehr/ Sadeq Vafaei cheap: not liking to spend money; mean

QUIZ OF THE DAY 139) One word is missing in the sentence below. Find this word. The books used in our school published in the USA. (Quiz No. 138 missing word is: work *on* a new model)

PHRASAL VERB Scale back/down

Meaning: make something smaller than originally in- tended For example: Due to the crisis the company had to scale down the size of the plant.

Zanjan province, northwest Iran, is a mountainous city with green and ravishing meadows especially in spring. ENGLISH PROVERB Blood is thicker than water LEARN NEWS TRANSLATION ﻛﻤﺒﻮﺩ ﺩﺍﺭﻭ ﺩﺭ ﺍﻳﺮﺍﻥ ﺑﻬﺒﻮﺩ ﻳﺎﻓﺖ Drug shortage in Iran mitigated Explanation: family relationships are stronger than rela- ﻣﺴﺌﻮﻝ ﺍﻣﻮﺭ ﺍﺳﺘﺎﻧﻬﺎﻯ ﺳﺎﺯﻣﺎﻥ ﻏﺬﺍ ﻭ ﺩﺍﺭﻭ ﻛﺸﻮﺭ ﺭﻭﺯ ﺷﻨﺒﻪ ﮔﻔﺖ : ﻛﻤﺒﻮﺩ 130 ﻗﻠﻢ ﺩﺍﺭﻭﻳﻰ ﺳﺎﻝ ﮔﺬﺷﺘﻪ ﻫﻢ tionships with other people Drug shortage for 130 different kinds of medications the country faced in the past calendar ﺍﻛﻨﻮﻥ ﺑﺮﻃﺮﻑ ﺷﺪﻩ ﺍﺳﺖ. -year (March 2015-March 2016) is now resolved, an official with Iran’s Food and Drug Admin ﺑﻪ ﮔﺰﺍﺭﺵ ﺧﺒﺮﮔﺰﺍﺭﻯ ﺍﻳﺮﻧﺎ ﻋﺒﺎﺱ ﻣﻬﺪﻯ ﺯﺍﺩﻩ ﮔﻔﺖ: ﺍﻛﻨﻮﻥ ﻣﺘﻮﺳﻂ ﻛﻤﺒﻮﺩ ﺩﺍﺭﻭﻫﺎﻯ ﻛﺸﻮﺭ20 ﻗﻠﻢ ﺍﺳﺖ ﻛﻪ .istration (FDA) said on Saturday ﺍﻳﻦ ﻣﻬﻢ ﺩﺭ ﻛﺸﻮﺭ ﺑﻰ ﺳﺎﺑﻘﻪ ﺑﻮﺩﻩ ﺍﺳﺖ. -Currently, the average drug shortage in Iran is limited to just 20 drugs, which is unprece dented in the country, the IRNA news agency quoted Abbas Mahdizadeh as saying. ﻭﻯ ﺍﻓﺰﻭﺩ: ﻧﻈﺮ ﺑﻪ ﺑﻰ ﺳﺎﺑﻘﻪ ﺑﻮﺩﻥ ﺍﻳﻦ ﻣﻬﻢ ﺳﺎﺯﻣﺎﻥ ﻏﺬﺍ ﻭ ﺩﺍﺭﻭ ﻣﻮﺭﺩ ﺗﻘﺪﻳﺮ ﺭﺋﻴﺲ ﺟﻤﻬﻮﺭﻯ ﻗﺮﺍﺭ ﮔﺮﻓﺖ. Every action has Upon achieving such a significant accomplishment, the FDA has been lauded by President ﻭﻯ ﻫﻤﭽﻨﻴﻦ ﺍﻓﺰﻭﺩ: ﻣﺼﺮﻑ ﺑﻬﻴﻨﻪ ﺩﺍﺭﻭ ﺑﻪ ﺧﺼﻮﺹ ﺩﺍﺭﻭﻫﺎﻳﻰ ﺍﺯ ﺟﻤﻠﻪ ﺁﻧﺘﻰ ﺑﻴﻮﺗﻴﻚ ﻫﺎ ﻭ ﺍﻓﺰﺍﻳﺶ ﺩﺳﺘﺮﺳﻰ .a reaction. We Hassan Rouhani, he added ﻋﻤﻮﻡ ﺑﻪ ﺩﺍﺭﻭﻫﺎ ﺍﺯ ﺟﻤﻠﻪ ﺍﻟﻮﻳﺖ ﻫﺎﻯ ﺳﺎﺯﻣﺎﻥ ﻏﺬﺍ ﻭ ﺩﺍﺭﻭﺳﺖ. Managing the consumption of the drugs specifically anti-biotics and increasing accessibility ﻭﻯ ﺧﺎﻃﺮﻧﺸﺎﻥ ﻛﺮﺩ: ﻛﺸﻮﺭ ﺑﻪ ﭘﻨﺞ ﻣﻨﻄﻘﻪ ﺩﺍﺭﻭﻳﻰ ﺗﻘﺴﻴﻢ ﺷﺪﻩ ﻭﺩﺭ ﺟﻬﺖ ﻣﺤﻘﻖ ﺷﺪﻥ ﺍﻫﺪﺍﻑ ﺳﺎﺯﻣﺎﻥ ﻏﺬﺍ .have one planet; of the drugs for people are of the priorities of the FDA, he added ﻭ ﺩﺍﺭﻭ ﺩﺍﻧﺸﮕﺎﻩﻫﺎﻯ ﻋﻠﻮﻡ ﭘﺰﺷﻜﻰ ﺍﻳﻦ ﻣﻨﺎﻃﻒ ﺑﺎﻳﺴﺘﻰ ﮔﺰﺍﺭﺷﻬﺎﻳﻰ ﺭﺍ ﻫﺮ ﺳﻪ ﻣﺎﻩ ﺍﺭﺍﺋﻪ ﺩﻫﻨﺪ ﺗﺎ ﻣﻴﺰﺍﻥ ﺗﺤﻘﻖ ﻭ Iran is divided into 5 medicinal districts, he noted, and to improve on the goals set by the one chance. FDA all universities of medical sciences situated in these five areas are required to report on ﭘﻴﺸﺮﻓﺖ ﻛﺎﺭ ﻣﻮﺭﺩ ﺳﻨﺠﺶ ﻗﺮﺍﺭ ﮔﻴﺮﺩ. .their progress every three months, he noted I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y

http://www.tehrantimes.com/sports AAPRILPRIL 114,4, 22016016 SPORTS 11

Mohsen Torki to referee Tehran FOOTBALL Dortmund blueprint serves derby for the seventh time Klopp in Liverpool rebuild

SPORTS Mohsen Torki has been ap- It was perhaps inevitable that Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool would deskpointed to referee Friday’s Teh- produce their most Borussia Dortmund-like performance at the ran derby between Persepolis and Esteghlal in home of his former club. Tehran’s Azadi Stadium. In last week’s Europa League quarter-final first leg at the The Referees Committee of Iran’s Football Westfalenstadion, Klopp watched his Liverpool players press Federation announced on Wednesday that Torki and harry like the Dortmund team he steered to the highest will officiate the match. echelon of the European game. He will be assisted by Reza Sokhandan and If historical precedents are to be believed, the 1-1 final score Mohammad Reza Abolfazli in the derby. gives Liverpool a 74 percent chance of progressing, and the na- This is the seventh time Torki has been ap- ture of their display revealed the extent to which Klopp’s meth- pointed as Tehran derby referee. In the previous ods have taken hold. six games Esteghlal has won twice while four “I’m pretty sure a lot of peo- matches finished with a draw. ple thought we would lose 2-0, Esteghlal and Persepolis have played against 3-0 or 4-0,” said Klopp, whose each other 81 times, with Esteghlal winning 24 side tackle Dortmund at Anfield games, Persepolis taking 20 victories, and 37 in Thursday’s return leg. matches ending in a draw. “But at some moments we Esteghlal and Persepolis are second and third had Dortmund, and around in Iran Professional League table respectively due our goal we were brilliant.” to goal difference. The sight of Klopp on the The Tehran derby was chosen as the most im- touchline -- squawking at his portant in Asia and the 22nd important derby in the players, pumping his fist in world on June 2008 by World Soccer Magazine. celebration of Divock Origi’s first-half goal -- will have been immediately familiar to Dort- mund’s fans, who granted him The winner of derby will win the league title, says Mehdi Taremi a touching send-off at the final whistle. So too the tactics employed by his team, whose aggressive, SPORTS Persepolis international striker Mehdi “We have defeated Esteghlal twice and one match end- front-foot approach prevented the home side from settling into deskTaremi believes that the winner of Fri- ed in a draw in three derbies I have played. I hope to score any kind of rhythm and whose counter-attacks kept the Dort- day’s Tehran derby will most likely win this season Iran as I have not scored in derby before. At the end, winning mund rearguard on constant alert. Professional League title. the derby is the most important thing, no matter who While Dortmund have become more of a possession-based Persepolis will take on Esteghlal in the 82nd Tehran derby scores the goals,” he added. team under Klopp’s successor, Thomas Tuchel -- the legacy of in the 26th week of IPL at Tehran’s Azadi Stadium on Friday. Persepolis has also started negotiating with Taremi over the new status his seven-year tenure left them with -- Liverpool “We have a very important game on Friday which a contract extension but he stated that he is currently fo- are exhibiting the same underdog mentality upon which he built could decide the winner of this season. This derby is cused on his performance. his success in the Ruhr valley. more important than the previous ones because I be- “My agent had a meeting with Mr. Taheri (Persepolis act- Speaking earlier this season, former Liverpool defender lieve the winner will be this season’s Iran Professional ing president) but we have to wait and see what happens Mark Lawrenson said the team’s best performances were “remi- League winner,” Taremi said. at the end of the season. I am completely focused on win- niscent of Borussia Dortmund at their best under Jurgen Klopp”. Persepolis has not lost in the derbies which Taremi has played. ning the title and the top scorer award,” he added. Klopp readily bestowed trust upon the players he inherited at Dortmund, with seven of the 18 players he called up for his first game, a 3-2 win at Bayer Leverkusen in August 2008, featuring in the squad that faced Bayern Munich in the Cham- pions League final five years later. Late Persepolis and Esteghlal players to be commemorated - ‘High-intensity games’ - He seems similarly determined to extract every ounce of SPORTS TEHRAN — Late passed away in October 2015 after suf- time lung disease also in January. deskPersepolis and Esteg- fering a heart attack in his sleep at the Esteghlal and Persepolis have been quality from the Liverpool players at his disposal. hlal football teams’ players will be com- age of 30. scheduled to play In Tehran’s Azadi Sta- The occasionally maligned centre-back pairing of Mama- memorated during the 82nd Tehran der- Former Iran and Esteghlal midfielder dium on Friday. dou Sakho and Dejan Lovren performed with sturdy resolve by on Friday. Reza Ahadi died following internal infec- Two Iranian popular teams have in the first leg, while Origi is flourishing after a difficult start to The Iran Football League Organiza- tion and liver problem at the age of 53 played against each other 81 times, with his time at the club. tion is going to hold a special ceremony in January. Esteghlal winning 24 games, Persepolis “He always believed in me and he believes in the group also,” for those who died during the last year. Former Persepolis striker, Homayoun taking 20 victories, and 37 matches end- said the 20-year-old Belgian striker, who followed up his goal Persepolis captain Hadi Norouzi Behzadi, also passed away for a long ing in a draw. at Dortmund with a brace in Sunday’s 4-1 defeat of Stoke City. “The fact that I’m on the pitch gives me confidence and I just try to play my game and enjoy it.” Hard-working players like Adam Lallana, Emre Can and James Milner have also earned Klopp’s trust and are striving to Iran’s Tasisat Daryaei nominated for World’s Best Club show that they can become to him what hardy perennials like Mats Hummels, Marcel Schmelzer and Jakub Blaszczykowski Iran’s Tasisat Daryaei futsal club has been nominated for Best Club of the World Nominees were at Dortmund. the Best Club of the World. (In strict alphabetical order!) Milner, captain in the absence of the injured Jordan Hender- The Iranian team won the 2015 Asian Football Con- Atletico Madrid Navalcarnero - Women (Spain) son, is relishing the challenge of playing teams like Dortmund federation (AFC) Futsal Club Championship in Iran’s Barateiro Futsal - Women (Brazil) and Tottenham Hotspur, held 1-1 at Anfield recently, who play central city of Isfahan in August. Brasil Kirin (Brazil)* with a similar high-tempo approach. Iran’s Tasisat Daryaei futsal club head coach Amir *Now called Magnus Futsal “It’s nice to keep getting the games,” Milner said of Liver- Shamsaei was also nominated for the Best Club Coach Carlos Barbosa (Brazil) pool’s busy schedule. “They have been high-intensity games as of the World. Gazprom Ugra (Russia) well -? Dortmund and Spurs play at a high tempo. Furthermore, Mehdi Mostafaei and the Iranian na- Kairat Almaty (Kazakhstan) “That’s good for us as it keeps us at that intensity we want tional futsal team have already been nominated for the Movistar Inter (Spain) to play at. We know if we play at that intensity, that’s when we World’s Best Futsal Goalkeeper and the Best National Pescara C5 (Italy) have our best matches.” Team of the World, respectively. SL Benfica (Portugal) If Dortmund are to prove themselves worthy favourites for Iran’s Mohammad Nazemosharia was also nominat- Tasisat Daryaei (Iran) the trophy, Tuchel must find a way to withstand the red tide ed for the Best National Team Coach of the World. (Source: Tasnim) when the teams resume hostilities on Thursday. Dortmund’s supporters will know exactly what is coming their way. Iran, Croatia football friendly cancelled (Source: AFP) The friendly match between Iranian the friendly since he cannot meet Iran needs warm-up matches national football team and Croatia has the European team with a complete ahead of the 2018 World Cup qualify- been cancelled. team. ing where Team Melli has been pitted Leicester lead PFA Player Head of Iran Football Federation Kaffashian also said the friendly against South Korea, Uzbekistan, Qa- Ali Kaffashian said that Team Melli match with Macedonia will be held in tar, China and Syria. of the Year nominations coach Carlos Queiroz has cancelled Austria in June. (Source: Tasnim) with Jamie Vardy, N’Golo Kante and Riyad Mahrez

WADA announces meldonium amnesty The Professional Footballers’ Association has announced the six-man shortlist for the Player of the Year, with Leicester Athletes who tested positive for meldonium before March was acceptable. the decision made by WADA because it has shown a will- players dominating the shortlist. 1 could have their bans overturned less than four months The anti-doping body’s notice also gave hope to ath- ingness to understand the situation, rather than stick to the Leicester’s improbable run to the league title has been before the Rio de Janeiro Olympics after WADA said it was letes who have tested positive for the drug since March 1, rulebook,” Mutko said in a statement. rewarded with three nominations, with Jamie Vardy, Riyad unable to establish how quickly the drug, outlawed since depending on studies being carried out to determine how “WADA has demonstrated impartiality and being objec- Mahrez and N’Golo Kante all shortlisted. Jan. 1, cleared the system. long it stays in the body. tive in the fight against doping.” The Leicester contingent account for half of the six-man The World Anti-Doping Agency’s notice to national an- Sharapova, who said she had been taking meldonium Alexei Kravtsov, president of the Russian Skating Union shortlist and represents a remarkable turnaround for the East ti-doping bodies is expected to have a major impact on for more than a decade because of health problems, was (RSU), said that five-times world champion Pavel Kulizh- Midlands club who were still rooted to the bottom of the many of the 120-plus athletes who have tested positive for provisionally suspended by the International Tennis Feder- nikov and 2014 Olympic short track gold medallist Semen league this day last year. the performance-boosting drug since January. ation (ITF) in March after announcing she had failed a test Elistratov -- both found to have taken meldonium -- should Joining the Foxes trio on the list are Tottenham’s Harry Kane, They include five-times grand-slam tennis champion at the Australian Open in Melbourne. be allowed to compete again after the WADA decision. West Ham’s Dimitri Payet and Arsenal’s Mesut Ozil. Maria Sharapova, who was among 40 Russian athletes to SHARAPOVA DECISION “These sportsmen should be allowed to fall under the am- Kane, who has fired 22 Premier League goals this season, is also test positive for the drug after it was added to WADA’s list Russian Tennis Federation President Shamil Tarpishchev nesty due to the amount found in their doping tests,” Kravtsov in the reckoning for the Young Player of the Year, with Dele Alli, of banned substances in January. said Sharapova’s ban could be addressed in a meeting with was quoted as saying by the R-Sport news agency. Stoke goalkeeper Jack Butland, Liverpool’s Philippe Coutinho and WADA said there was “currently a lack of clear scientific ITF head David Haggerty later this month. Two more Russian federations -- rugby and cycling -- Everton pair Ross Barkley and Romelu Lukaku also nominated. information on excretion times”. “The situation with Sharapova could be resolved after said their athletes who had tested positive could be free to Ji So-Yun is once again in the running for the women’s “As a result it is difficult to know whether an athlete may April 21 when we meet with the head of the international return to competition. award, going up against Chelsea team-mates Hedvig Lin- have taken the substance before or after January 1, when federation. After that all should be become clear. It is too They include rugby player Alyona Mikhaltsova and cy- dahl and Gemma Davison, Sunderland’s Beth Mead and it became illegal. early to talk about Sharapova competing at the Olympic clists Anastasia Chulkova and Pavel Yakushevsky who all Manchester City’s Izzy Christiansen. “In these circumstances, WADA considers that there Games,” Russia’s TASS news agency quoted Tarpishchev as tested positive for less than one microgram. Mead is also amongst the Women’s Young Player of the Year may be grounds for no fault or negligence on the part saying. Meldonium, manufactured for people suffering from nominees, along with Arsenal’s Danielle Carter, Manchester City pair of the athlete,” it said in a statement sent to anti-doping Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko welcomed WADA’s heart problems, can also increase blood flow and improve Nikita Parris and Keira Walsh, and Chelsea’s Hannah Blundell. agencies and sports federations, adding that the presence decision. exercise capacity. The winners will be announced on April 24. of less than one microgram of meldonium in the samples “The Russian Sports Ministry supports and welcomes (Source: Reuters) (Source: PA Sport) b

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NEWS Majid Majidi named Islamic British scholar’s book on Quran commentary by Rashid ad-Din Revolution Artist of the Year Meybodi appears in Persian ARTTEHRAN — World renowned Ira- CULTURE TEHRAN — British expert of Islamic desknian filmmaker Majid Majidi was deskstudies Annabel Keeler’s “Sufi Hermeneu- named the Islamic Revolution Artist of the Year, the tics: The Quran Commentary of Rashid al-Din Maybudi” selection having been made for the first time on has recently been released in Persian by Miras-e Maktub Tuesday by the Art Bureau. Institute in Tehran. He received the title for making “Muhammad Rendered into Persian by Filmmaker (S), the Messenger of God”, his acclaimed epic on Javad Qasemi in collabora- Majid the childhood of the Prophet of Islam (S). tion with the Tehran-based Majidi (R) Majidi was honored at Andisheh Hall during a Meybodi Foundation, the accepts ceremony attended by a large number of cineastes his award book provides invaluable and cultural figures. after he ground for a deeper under- “I don’t deserve this title,” said Majid and add- was named standing of Persian mystical ed, “The real artists are martyrs who prepared the the Islamic poetry and prose and other ground for us in obscurity and modesty.” Revolution major works of Sufi litera- Artist of the He remembered Morteza Avini, the acclaimed ture. Year from documentarian who was martyred by a landmine The English version was Art Bureau in 1993 when he was making a documentary in the released in association with Director former Iran-Iraq war zone in southwestern Iran, the Institute of Ismaili Stud- Mohsen and said, “He supported me early in my career.” Momeni- ies in 2007. Actors Parviz Parastui and Hossein Mosafer As- Sharif in It also explores the in- taneh; filmmakers Javad Afshar and Hadi Moham- Tehran terplay between scriptural madian, and painter Abdolhamid Qadirian; graph- on April exegesis and mystical doctrine in a twelfth-century Sufi ic designer Danial Forrokh; and authors Sara Erfani 12, 2016. commentary on the Holy Quran that was previously lit- (Tasnim/ and Behnaz Zarrabi were also nominated for the tle-known outside the Persian-speaking world. Hamed title. Keeler obtained a BA in Persian from the School of Ori- Malekpur) Majidi hired a group of renowned international ental and African Studies in London in 1981, after which she craftsmen and artists, including director of pho- composer A. R. Rahman, to make “Muhammad (S), 88th Academy Awards in the best foreign language came to Cambridge to read for a Ph.D. in Islamic studies, tography Vittorio Storaro, editor Roberto Perpig- the Messenger of God”, which he believes shows a film category. However, it was not nominated by the subject of her thesis being a 12th century Persian Sufi nani, special effects designer Scott E. Anderson, proper perception of Islam. the competition that nominated his “Children of commentary on the Quran. makeup designer Gianetto De Rossi and Indian The film was selected as Iran’s submission to the Heaven” in 1998. Her research interests are largely centered on the her- meneutics of Sufi Quran commentaries, those composed in both Arabic and Persian, and the investigation of ways in which mystics have expounded their doctrines through the Attar National Day observed in Neyshabur interpretation of Quranic verses. Rashid ad-Din Meybodi was a 12-century Iranian Sunni CULTURE TEHRAN — A num- The Mevlana Museum Deputy Di- region, Mohammad-Qasem Akhavian. or Phoenix. scholar and mystic who wrote a monumental commentary deskber of literati and rector Naci Bakirci from Turkey as well A street theater performance in- Finally thirty birds that have sur- on the Holy Quran whose title translates as “Unveiling of scholars gathered at the mausoleum as scholars Reza Ashrafzadeh, Farzad spired by Attar’s most famous work vived the journey realize that they and Mysteries and Provision of the Righteous”. of the classical Persian poet Farid ud- Abbasi, Zahra Ahmadi, Reza Jalili and “The Conference of the Birds” was also the Simorgh are one, a clever play on Din Attar (c. 1145-1221) in Neyshabur Mokhadareh Boluki were among the performed for the participants during the words Simorgh -- a mystical bird to mark Attar National Day, which was participating guests. the ceremony. in Iranian mythology -- and “si morgh” on April 13 this year. The ceremony, which opened with a Attar’s most famous work “The -- meaning “thirty birds” in Persian. NEWS IN BRIEF Based on an annual ritual, the mau- message delivered by Minister of Cul- Conference of the Birds” is an alle- Asrar-Nama, Mosibat-Nama, Ela- soleum of Attar is adorned with flow- ture and Islamic Guidance Ali Jannati, gorical poem describing the quest of hi-Nama, Mokhtar-Nama, Khos- Fajr jury for ers during the ceremony, Persian me- was followed by honoring the veteran the birds, which symbolically repre- row-Nama and Tadkerat al-Awliya are interreligious film dia reported on Wednesday. traditional architect of the Khorasan sent Sufis, for the mythical Simorgh, among Attar’s masterpieces. section announced PICTURE OF THE DAY IRNA//Morteza Aminorroayai Meryl Streep aims for pitch imperfect in ARTTEHRAN – The organizers of the desk34th Fajr International Film Festival “Florence Foster Jenkins” announced the jury for the interreligious film section on Wednesday. LONDON (Reuters) — Oscar winner The jury panel is composed of German expert on Meryl Streep belts out the high notes Catholic theology Stephan Foerner, SIGNIS-Europe as a wannabe opera singer in her latest President Magali Van Reeth from France and Islamic film, “Florence Foster Jenkins”, about an law scholar Seyyed Mostafa Mohaqeq-Damad from American socialite known for her awful Iran. voice. About 150 international distributers, directors, Streep plays the heiress who was actors and critics from around the globe have been convinced of her vocal talents and went on invited to attend the festival, which will be held at Teh- to put on a show at Carnegie Hall in 1944. ran’s Charsu Cinema Complex from April 20 to 25. British actor Hugh Grant portrays her husband and manager St Clair Bayfield, Iranian, Bulgarian who seeks to keep the truth about her lack of singing ability from her. cultural officials meet “Well it’s a great story. It’s about a re- in Sofia al-life person who lived in the first part of the 20th century in New York, a socialite who gave a lot of money away to the arts, ARTTEHRAN – Iranian Cultural At- but her dream was to be a singer,” Streep desktaché Mohammad-Ali Kiani and said at the film’s premiere in London on SS. Cyril and Methodius National Library of Bul- Tuesday night. garia Director Boryana Hristova met in Sophia on “And with the love of her husband, she Tuesday. was able to believe that she was a singer. The expansion of cultural and artistic coopera- But she was a true amateur, she did what tion and plans to collaborate on librarianship and she did for the pure love of it. And that’s conservation of rare manuscripts were discussed sort of what’s beautiful about her.” at the meeting, Iran’s Islamic Culture and Relations Streep, 66, has sung before in mov- Organization (ICRO) announced on Wednesday. An artist creates a bust of the Persian poet and mystic Attar Neyshaburi (1145-1221) in front of his tomb in the northeastern Iranian city of ies including “Mamma Mia” and “Into the According to the ICRO, about 120 rare Persian Neyshabur on April 13, 2016, to celebrate Attar National Day. Woods”, but this role required her to hide manuscripts are kept at the library. her capabilities.

“The Lizard” stirred interest Mirren looks at drone use in Movie association chief in films on clerics: official “Eye in the Sky” advocates diversity at ARTTEHRAN — The theme of clerics are due to be awarded LONDON (Reuters) — A new drama anything,” Mirren said at the movie’s UK desksecretary of the Cler- during the one-day program on Friday. starring British actress Helen Mirren looks premiere in London on Monday night. Cinemacon ics and Cinema Festival has said that Actor Reza Kianian and filmmaker at the use of drone warfare in interna- “... It’s much more embracing, it brings “The Lizard”, Kamal Tabrizi’s 2004 con- Shahriar Bahrani are among the par- tional conflicts. us all into the argument. It’s not just then LAS VEGAS (AP) — The head of the Motion Picture Association troversial comedy about a thief who es- ticipating guests at the ceremony to be In “Eye in the Sky”, Mirren plays a a macho movie, you know about men of America says the film community must do a better job of reflect- capes from prison clad in a cleric’s robe, held in the Art Bureau. colonel who insists on an immediate making war.” ing the diverse makeup of the world, and it’s taking steps to do so. aroused interest in making films on the “Lizard” is a comic genre, narrating drone strike after discovering the loca- When discussing the debate about Chris Dodd, the group’s chairman and CEO and a former Con- theme of Muslim clerics in Iran. the story of Reza, a professional thief tion of a number of the most dangerous this form of drone warfare “The Queen” necticut senator, spoke passionately about the Hollywood diversity Speaking in a press conference held who has his own style of robbery. In his militants in the world. actress said its use was inevitable. crisis at the annual CinemaCon conference in Las Vegas. He gave at the Art Bureau, Hojjatoleslam Ali Sar- last robbery attempt, he is deceived But not all the politicians in the Brit- “It’s not going to go away so we bet- his state of the industry speech to exhibitors and industry leaders lak said that there had been objections by several dilettante thieves, being ish cabinet who are needed to make the ter get used to that fact and sort out in Tuesday. against cinema among Muslim clerics trapped in an armed robbery. He finds decision agree with her assertive stance. all of our corporate minds, our national National Association of Theater Owners President John Fithian before 2014, when the first edition of it difficult to find a way to escape con- The Oscar winner’s role was initially in- minds, you know, what we feel about it,” added that the more diverse the movie, the bigger the earnings. He the event was organized. viction. tended for a man to play. she said. cited global box office juggernaut “Furious 7”. The festival is composed of three Parviz Parastui, Bahram Ebrahi- “I think it was very astute of the di- “It will be used in our name anyway.” While Dodd didn’t directly address theatrical competitors such sections including features, documen- mi, Shahrokh Forutanian, Farideh rector. I’m not saying me but any woman “Eye In The Sky”, which also stars Aar- as streaming services, he stressed that theaters remain the “premier taries and TV series, Sarlak said, adding Sepah-Mansur, Soheila Razavi and playing that role just really opens the film on Paul and the late Alan Rickman, hits way to experience the magic of the movies”. that several films and TV series with the Maedeh Tahmasebi are among the cast. up to the female audience as much as UK cinemas from April 15.