Iran Daily offers condolences on the martyrdom anniversary of Iran, Oman discuss energy, Imam Sajjad (PBUH), the fourth Shia Imam. transit, developments in region 2

Number 5744 ● Tuesday October 3, 2017 ● Mehr 11, 1396 ● Muharram 12, 1439 ● Price 5,000 Rials ● 12 Pages ● www.irandailyonline.ir Spain in crisis At least 50 killed after Catalan in Las Vegas shooting spree independence vote Spain vowed Monday to stop Catalonia from declaring independence after a banned referendum that saw riot police use batons and rubber bullets, as the country grappled with its deepest crisis in decades. The government of Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy held emergency talks after Catalan President Carles Puigdemont declared Sunday that the region had won the right to break away from Spain, AFP wrote. Images of riot police beating up would-be voters with batons and firing rubber bullets to disperse crowds during Sunday’s referendum in the wealthy northeastern region shocked many in Spain and its neighbors in Europe. Puidgemont appealed on Monday for international mediation to help solve the crisis, and called for all police sent in to Catalonia for the vote to be removed. “It is not a domestic matter,” Puigdemont told a news conference on Monday. “It’s obvious that we need mediation.” In its first reaction on Monday, the European Union urged all sides to “move very swiftly from confrontation to dialogue” and said vio- lence should not be part of politics. A jubilant Puigdemont said late Sunday that 90 percent of voters taking part in the referendum had voted for independence for Cata- lonia, defying the police crackdown and the fierce opposition from Madrid. The regional government said 2.26 million people actually took part in the vote, or just over 42 percent of the electorate in Catalonia. Puigdemont said his people had “won the right to an independent state” in Catalonia, a region of 7.5 million people which accounts for one fifth of Spain’s economic output. But any attempt to unilaterally declare independence is likely to be opposed not just by Madrid but also a large section of the Catalan population which is deeply split on the issue. His declaration sets the restive region on course for a deeper split

GETTY IMAGES with the Spanish government, after Rajoy reiterated his govern- A body lies under a sheet on The Strip in Las Vegas as police secure the area after at least 50 people were killed on Sunday. ment’s position that the vote was an illegal act, to which the state had reacted “with firmness and serenity”. gunman perched on the 32nd terest by police, is believed to have been The gunman paused and then fired jammed with victims. floor of a Las Vegas hotel located, Lombardo added. another volley, the muzzle flashes vis- “It’s a devastating time,” the sheriff unleashed a hail of bullets Country music star Jason Aldean ible from the casino, as more victims said. A on an outdoor country music was performing Sunday night in front fell to the ground while others fled in President Donald Trump tweeted: festival below, killing at least 50 peo- of a crowd of more than 22,000 when panic. Some hid behind concession “My warmest condolences and sympa- ple as tens of thousands of concertgoers the gunman opened fire from inside the stands, while others crawled under thies to the victims and families of the screamed and ran for their lives, officials Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino across parked cars. terrible Las Vegas shooting. God bless said Monday. It was the deadliest mass the street. Witnesses told how Paddock opened you!” shooting in modern US history. The gunman was identified as Ste- fire with an initial long burst, and then Although the final toll has yet to be More than 400 other victims were tak- phen Craig Paddock, 64, of Mesquite, appeared to reload as he continued his confirmed, it is already the deadliest en to the hospital, AP reported. Nevada. He had checked into the hotel spree. shooting in the United States. SWAT teams using explosives room on Thursday, authorities said. “We heard what sounded like glass The previous deadliest shooting came stormed the gunman’s hotel room and The suspect had both hunting and breaking, so you looked around to see in June 2016 when 49 people were killed found he had killed himself, authorities fishing licenses according to public re- what’s going on and then heard a pop, at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Flor- said. He had as many as 10 guns with cords, as well as his pilot’s license, but pop, pop,” Monique Dekerf told CNN. ida. him, including rifles, they said. no criminal record in the state of Ne- “You’d think for a moment, okay It was also the latest in a series of re- There was no immediate word on the vada. we’re fine, there’s no more gunfire, then cent deadly attacks at concert venues. motive for the bloodshed. “What we are going to try to do as it starts again.” Twenty-two people were killed while Sheriff Joseph Lombardo said au- best we can is to get our first responders Her sister Rachel said it sounded like leaving an Ariana Grande concert in the thorities believe this was a “lone wolf” back on their feet and responding and “the shots were coming from the right northern English city of Manchester in attack. And the US Homeland Security conducting a proper investigation to en- side… it sounded like they were right May when a suicide bomber detonated a Department said there was no “specific sure that we have the safety of this com- beside us too ... it was right there.” nail bomb in the foyer. credible threat” involving other public munity at heart,” the sheriff said. Police shut down busy Las Vegas Ninety people were killed in Novem- venues in the US. Video then showed Aldean stopping Boulevard, while federal and state au- ber 2015 at the Bataclan venue in Paris Paddock’s female companion, who and the crowd getting quiet as if it were thorities converged on the scene. during a concert by the US band the Ea- had earlier been named as a person of in- unsure of what had just happened. Hospital emergency rooms were gles of Death Metal. Asia’s Iran oil Myanmar ‘makes proposal’

RAYMOND ROIG/AFP/GETTY IMAGES imports reach to take back Rohingya refugees Spanish Guardia Civil guards drag a man outside a polling station in Sant Julia de Ramis, where Catalan president was supposed to vote, Myanmar has proposed taking back late August the world’s fastest-devel- Kofi Annan to draw up recommenda- on October 1, 2017, on the day of a referendum on independence for five-month high the hundreds of thousands of Roh- oping refugee emergency, and says tions on solving problems in Rakh- Catalonia banned by Madrid. ingya who have fled to Bangladesh Buddhist-majority Myanmar is en- ine. Imports of Iranian crude by major buyers in Asia rose in recent weeks, the Bangladeshi for- gaging in ethnic cleansing against its The commission presented its Puigdemont has said he would now present the results to the region’s for a second month in a row in August to hit their high- eign minister said after talks Monday Rohingya Muslim minority. recommendations on Aug. 24, a day parliament, which has the power to adopt a motion of independence. est level since March, helped by a spike in purchases by with a senior Myanmar representa- The Rohingya are denied citizen- before the insurgent attacks, among Pro-separatist lawmakers have a narrow majority of 72 seats in the China and South Korea. tive. ship, despite having roots in My- them a review of a law that links 135-seat Catalan parliament. A.H. Mahmood Ali said the rep- anmar that go back centuries, with citizenship and ethnicity and leaves resentative of de facto leader Aung communities marginalized and sub- most Rohingya stateless. ‘Shameful page’ San Suu Kyi had agreed to set up a jected to bouts of communal violence The panel also recommended that working group to coordinate the re- over the years. Problems of stateless- the government punish rights viola- Reacting to the scenes of violence, Puigdemont said Spain’s cen- patriation. He gave no details, AFP ness had to be tackled, the UN High tions, ensure the right to freedom of tral government had “written a shameful page in its history with Cat- reported. Commissioner for Refugees Filippo movement and invest in infrastruc- alonia” while several top figures in the far-left party Podemos called “The talks were held in a friendly Grandi told a meeting in Geneva. ture to lift the state out of poverty. for Rajoy to resign. atmosphere and Myanmar has made “Nowhere is the link between Suu Kyi, in her address to the na- At least 92 people were confirmed injured, two of them seriously, a proposal to take back the Rohingya statelessness and displacement more tion last month, said she was com- out of a total of 844 who needed medical attention, Catalan authori- refugees,” the minister told report- evident than with the Rohingya com- mitted to the recommendations. ties said. ers after meeting Kyaw Tint Swe in munity,” he said. There were already about 300,000 Shocking videos posted on social media showed police dragging Dhaka. But many refugees are gloomy Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh be- voters from polling stations by their hair, throwing people down “The two sides have agreed to a about the prospects of going back, fore the latest influx. stairs and attacking Catalan firefighters protecting polling stations. proposal to set up a joint working fearing they will not be able to fur- In Myanmar, the government took Further adding to tensions, unions and Catalan associations have group to coordinate the repatriation nish the documents they anticipate diplomats to Rakhine to let them see called a region-wide strike for Tuesday due to “the grave violation of However, imports by Asia’s four main buyers re- process.” Myanmar will demand to prove they the situation. rights and freedoms,” urging people to take to the streets. mained below last year’s levels for a fourth month in a He said the refugees would be ver- have a right to return. “Maungdaw feels like a ghost Hundreds of people gathered in central Barcelona on Monday to row, the first time this has happened since Western sanc- ified by the joint working group, with Myanmar has refused to grant ac- town,” Swiss Ambassador Paul protest against the police violence, chanting: “The streets will always tions against Tehran were lifted in January last year, the United Nations not involved. cess to a UN fact-finding mission but Seger said on Twitter, as he arrived be ours”. leading to a surge in shipments, Reuters reported. The United Nations has called the Suu Kyi last year appointed a team in a main town in the north of Rakh- The euro and the Spanish stock market slid on Monday after the Continued on Page 4 influx of 507,000 Rohingya since led by former UN secretary general ine. vote, with bank shares particularly hard hit. Oct. 3, 2017 Iran sympathy Iranian Foreign Ministry’s spokesman Bahram Qassemi slammed the recent terrorist attacks in France and Canada, voicing sympathy with the 2 families of the attacks’ victims. National Iran, Oman discuss energy, Zarif: JCPOA has transit, developments in region “better than 50%” ranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Ja- chance of surviving vad Zarif and Omani officials held talks Ion energy, the economy and transit and Despite President Donald Trump’s threats the potential transfer of Iranian gas through to blow it up, the Iran nuclear deal still has Oman to India, according to the official “better than 50 percent” chance of surviv- Oman News Agency (ONA). ing the next year, Iranian Foreign Minis- The top Iranian diplomat arrived in Oman ter Mohammed Javad Zarif told Politico on Monday morning for a one-day visit and in an extensive interview detailing how held a meeting with the Sultanate’s Foreign his country will – and won’t – respond to Minister Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah. Trump’s extraordinary campaign against Zarif hailed the wise policy being adopt- the agreement the American president ed by the Sultanate under the wise leader- calls “an embarrassment to the United ship of Sultan Qaboos Bin Said, as well as States.” His constructive role in the region, which Zarif called Trump’s harsh attack on faces several challenges. Iran in his recent UN speech “the most in- In a statement to ONA, Zarif affirmed sulting statement that had ever been made that both countries are bound by good re- by any US president against Iran since the lations. He added that they endeavor to revolution.” expand these relations in different fields But he said it has backfired, isolating particularly in economy, energy and transit the United States and undermining its fields. credibility “as a reliable negotiating part- Zarif pointed out that his visit comes ner” on the world stage, and he vowed not within the framework of the continuous to renegotiate the nuclear deal. consultation with the Sultanate about a If Trump tried to unravel it, Zarif said, range of issues of concern to the region. between Tehran and Doha that have caused Zarif was scheduled to meet Qatar’s Emir Speaking in Paris last week, the Qatari Iran would consider everything from Oman and Iran in 2014 agreed to build an tensions among the Persian Gulf Arab Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Qa- foreign minister said moves by Qatar’s “walking away from the deal to somehow underwater pipeline to pump Iranian gas to states. tari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed rivals, including the cutting of trade and accommodating Europe.” the Omani port city of Sohar. It is his first visit to Qatar since Saudi bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. transport links, were actually pushing Doha Spend an hour with Zarif, the Ameri- Oman, a tiny sultanate across the water Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman into closer ties with Tehran. can-educated diplomat who brokered the from Iran, has traditionally had close ties and Egypt cut ties with Qatar in June. Bahram Qassemi told AFP talks would fo- “They accuse Qatar of being close to Iran agreement two years ago with Barack with Tehran. The four countries accuse Qatar of back- cus on relations in the Persian Gulf, eco- but with their measure... they push Qatar to- Obama’s administration and five other Also on Monday, the Iranian Minister ing extremism and fostering ties with Iran, nomic cooperation and the latest develop- wards Iran. They are giving Qatar like a gift major world powers, it’s clear that he planned to visit Qatar for talks on relations charges that Doha denies. ments in Syria, Iraq and Yemen. to Iran,” he said. thinks Iran bested Trump at the UN over the last few weeks. After all, Trump publicly widened the rift with European allies even as his Sec- Iran’s Army retary of State Rex Tillerson failed to per- Iran, Turkey agree to boost suade them privately—or even make a co- herent case – for blowing up the nuclear stages third stage of drills accord, potentially doing long-term dam- military cooperation age to the US ability to cut deals with any Turkish Chief of General Staff Hulusi Akar held The Turkish general also held meeting with Sec- number of global “bad” actors. near western border separate meetings with Iranian officials, during retary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council “The Europeans have made it very clear which they discussed expansion of military coop- Ali Shamkhani slammed the independence refer- to us and to the United States that they in- The third stage of military exercises of the Iranian Army started on Monday eration. endum recently held in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region, tend to do their utmost to ensure survival near the western common border between the Islamic Republic of Iran and The Turkish official met his Iranian counterpart, saying the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) of the deal,” Zarif said, using some of his Iraq. Secretary of Iran’s Su- strongest public language yet for a series of The war game code-named “Heidar-e-Karrar” involves various units of the preme National Secu- backstage meetings that made clear what a Iranian Army, including the rapid reaction unit, the artillery unit, and the drone rity Council and Iran’s striking gap Trump has opened up between unit, Tasnim News Agency reported. president on Monday. the Americans and their closest allies. The third stage of the military drills, during which the army plans to show- Iran and Turkey Zarif’s stinging comments about case its mobility and offensive power, are underway near the Parviz Khan bor- agreed on Monday to Trump’s efforts come at a key decision der in western Iran. promote cooperation point on Iran for the president and Tiller- Some forces of the Iraqi Army are also present in the area and participate in in various arenas, as son. the war game alongside with the Iranian troops. in offering help for While the Iran deal crisis has been pub- Last week, Iran’s Air Defense intensified activities along the country’s the persecuted Mus- licly overshadowed in recent days by the western borders, deploying new missile equipment there. lim people of Myan- president’s war of words with nuclear- The dispatch of missiles coincided with the military drills that the Army and mar, Chief of Staff armed North Korea, it has provoked a ma- the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) have staged along the country’s of the Iranian Armed jor behind-the-scenes battle, pitting an in- western border areas. Forces Major General creasingly isolated Tillerson against other The Army’s Heidar-e-Karrar war game had kicked off along Iran’s western Mohammad Hossein Trump advisers ahead of an October 15 border areas on last Sunday. Baqeri announced. deadline for the president to certify Iran’s Speaking at a joint compliance with the deal – or send the is- press conference with sue back to Congress. his Turkish counter- Tillerson, whom Trump publicly part General Hulusi president.ir smacked down on Twitter Sunday over Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani (R) shakes hands with Turkish Chief of General Staff Hulusi Akar in Tehran on Akar in a meeting in Tehran on October 2, 2017. his efforts to open back-channel talks with Mohammad Ali Rajabi Monday, Baqeri said the North Koreans, has waged a lonely they discussed a range fight against “decertification” of the Iran of issues in their meet- deal as well, according to several people ing earlier in the day, I spoke with who have been briefed on the Tasnim News Agency internal debates and expect the president reported. to overrule the secretary on this, too. The Iranian and Zarif acknowledged that Trump has now Turkish armed forces created the expectation that he will refuse will broaden coopera- to recertify the nuclear deal – while not- tion in training, hold- ing pointedly that Trump could still flip- ing war games, and flop on this, just as he has in so many other exchanging experi- cases. ences, the top Iranian “This would not be the first time that commander said. President Trump or other presidents have He added that the walked back from positions that they have two sides also ex- taken during the campaign,” he said. plored avenues for “It’s up to Congress to adopt any deci- military cooperation sion, or not to adopt any decision, and I to assist the Muslim believe in the past a Republican Congress Secession people in Myanmar had this idea to let the nuclear agreement and in Islamic coun- Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Hossein Baqeri (2nd L) and his stay, as did our Parliament,” Zarif said. “It Turkish counterpart Hulusi Akar (2nd R) attend a press conference in Tehran on October 2, 2017. tries. had decided in the past not to take action; The Iranian general pointed to the fight against adopted an “irresponsible and amateurish ap- it can decide again.” terrorism as another topic discussed in the meeting, proach”. “Now, look at the message that you saying the two sides have “made the necessary deci- “Paying no attention to the time and security re- are sending to the world,” Zarif said. “It sions.” quirements and pursuing tribal goals through this would make it tougher for anybody to be- “We held talks on the common threats to the two move will reduce the focus on the fight against lieve and rely upon the United States – an- countries, and also on the (secession) referendum in Takfiri terrorism as the most important threat to ybody, not just North Korea. You’ve seen the Iraqi Kurdistan region with an emphasis on the the region and will rapidly spread the harmful se- US allies saying that the United States is maintenance of Iraq’s integrity and rejection of the curity impacts on the Kurdish region of Iraq,” he not a reliable partner.” Negotiations referendum,” Baqeri said. said. Zarif was asked whether Iran would also The visiting Turkish general hailed the age-old The Turkish general arrived in Tehran on Monday walk away from the deal if Trump went “friendship and fraternity” between Turkey and morning, two days before President Recep Tayyip ahead with his threat to do so. Iran, saying the two countries cooperate given the Erdogan’s planned visit to Iran. “No, no, no,” Zarif said, at least not sensitive regional conditions. According to Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildi- right away, what with Europe indicating it According to General Akar, Iran and Turkey have rim, Erdogan will discuss with Iran their response will stick with it and with Congress yet to reached agreements on the battle against terrorism to the Iraqi Kurdish secession referendum in the up- act. “We will wait.” and on measures to ensure border security. coming visit. Oct. 3, 2017 Security measure French lawmakers will vote today on a tough new counterterrorism law 3 designed to end the country’s two-year state of emergency. International

Report: Iraqi Kurdish forces deport Arabs, Turkmens

Kurdish security forces, known as Asayesh and Peshmerga fight- ers, have deported scores of Arab and Turkmen families from Iraq’s northern province of Kirkuk following last week’s referen- dum on secession. The London-based Al-Quds al-Arabi newspaper on Monday quoted informed sources at the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) as saying that 58 families had been “forcibly displaced” from Kirkuk so far, Press TV reported. The daily further said that the families were displaced to Di- yala Province’s Miqdadiyah. The deported Arab families said Kurdish forces made copies of their documents and forced them to sign papers. They later found to have signed their purported endorsement of the referen- dum and participation in it.

sputniknews.com

Iraqi forces launch assault to retake The families said the Kurdish forces also marked their houses with a letter in red. The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) held a non-bind- ing referendum on secession from Iraq in defiance of Baghdad’s stiff opposition on September 25. Kurdish officials said over 90 Daesh-held areas near Hawija percent of voters said ‘Yes’ to separation from Iraq. The voting was held in the three provinces of Erbil, Sulaimani- raqi forces on Monday launched an attack against On September 21, Iraqi forces backed by a US-led coali- to slow the advance of anti-Daesh troops toward Hawija yah and Dohuk that form the Iraqi Kurdistan Region as well as in Daesh-held areas southeast of the terror group’s bastion tion launched an offensive to retake a Daesh enclave around town, military officials said. the disputed border zones such as the oil-rich province of Kirkuk. Iof Hawija, the operations commander said. Hawija, swiftly taking the town of Shirqat on its second day The Allas oilfield, 35 km (20 miles) south of Hawija, was Meanwhile, the Iraqi government on Monday allowed foreign- Government forces and the Hashd al-Shaabi, an alliance before pushing on towards Hawija itself. one of the main sources of revenue for Daesh. ers stranded in the Iraqi Kurdistan after an international flight ban mostly of Shia forces, are fighting to retake the northern On Friday, they started the battle to retake the town itself, “Terrorists are trying to use the rising smoke to avert air- to leave the country via Baghdad despite not having a federal town of Hawija after expelling Daesh from large parts of one of the last Daesh bastions in the country along with a strikes while retreating from the area toward Hawija,” said visa. Foreigners who had entered the northern region on regional the territory they seized in Iraq in 2014, Reuters wrote. stretch of the Euphrates Valley near the border with Syria. Iraqi Army Colonel Mohammed al-Jabouri. visas not recognized by Baghdad could not previously travel to “The Counter Terrorism Service and Hashd al-Shaabi Military officials said the fire had been brought under other parts of Iraq. have started a broad operation to liberate Rashad and near- Oil wells on fire control at one of the wells, while the other two were still “Any person can leave the country via Baghdad without pay- by villages as part of the second phase to liberate Hawija,” burning. They said it would take about three days to put out ing a fine or for an exit visa,” Interior Minister Qassem al-Araji Lieutenant General Abdel Amir Yarallah said. Daesh set fire to three oil wells near Hawija, military and the fires. told reporters. Baghdad imposed a ban on international flights The Hashd al-Shaabi confirmed the offensive and said it oil officials said on Monday. Oil officials from the state-run North Oil Company said into and out of the Iraqi Kurdish region on September 29 in re- had retaken five villages west of Rashad, which is 35 kilom- Iraqi security forces were using bulldozers to control the it was still too risky to send its crews in to assess damage at sponse to the secession referendum. eters (20 miles) southeast of Hawija. fires started by the terrorists in the early hours of Saturday the wells as terrorists may have left bombs and landmines. Much of the international community, including the UN, the European Union and Iraq’s neighbors, have also opposed the ref- erendum. Israel has been the only entity to openly support a Kurdish state, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu backing “the le- Kenyan police teargas opposition protesters in capital gitimate efforts of the Kurdish people to attain a state” of their own. Police on Monday fired tear gas at opposi- Kenyatta’s ruling Jubilee Party present- tion supporters in the Kenyan capital Nai- ed Parliament with proposed changes last robi who were calling for the sacking of of- week but Odinga’s coalition has said it will Marseille knife attacker arrested ficials they blame for last month’s botched not take part unless these are dropped. presidential election. After a meeting with the election board, days before rampage A rerun is due to be held October 26 British and US diplomats condemned “in- after the Supreme Court voided the Au- flammatory rhetoric” by politicians and The man who stabbed two young women to death in Marseille in gust 8 vote due to irregularities. The said it undermined the election board’s an attack claimed by the Daesh terror group used seven different court criticized the election board on pro- ability to carry out its job of holding the identities and had been arrested just days earlier, French prosecu- cedural grounds but did not find any indi- new election. tors said Monday. vidual at the board responsible, Reuters In the first signal that Western govern- Authorities said the killer, who was shot dead by anti-terror reported. ments might take concrete action against troops after Sunday’s attack outside the southern city’s main train In the capital, police fired rounds of Kenyan politicians engaging in hate station, had used a Tunisian passport last week under the name of tear gas over the course of several hours at speech, a British diplomat told reporters: a 29-year-old with the first name Ahmed, AFP wrote. small groups of protesters in at least three “Anyone who is found to be inciting or But investigators are seeking to confirm his identity as the at- locations in the business district down- engaging in violence must be held account- tacker — who had a history of petty crime but was not on a Daesh town. able ... the UK reserves right to take appro- watch list — used seven aliases, anti-terror prosecutor Francois Police also fired tear gas to disperse pro- priate action which may include refusing or Molins told reporters in Paris. testers in the western city of Kisumu. revoking visas.” At least 28 people were killed in unrest Since the Supreme Court voided last following last month’s vote. month’s presidential results, politicians Businesses were paralyzed in Kisumu, THOMAS MUKOYA/REUTERS from the ruling party and the opposition an opposition stronghold, on Monday after Policemen attempt to disperse opposition supporters protesting against the retention of have made fiery, at times crude, speeches police and demonstrators clashed. the election officials they blame for last month’s botched elections, in Nairobi, Kenya, on — stoking fears that violence could take October 2, 2017. Kenya is a key Western ally in a region on an ethnic dimension, as in 2007, when often roiled by violence. It is also the richest country per capita in East Africa and a re- 1,200 people were killed after a disputed election. gional gateway for trade and transport. Also on Monday, Kenyatta said opposition supporters should accept the Supreme Whether the rerun will go ahead as planned looks increasingly uncertain as the parties Court’s timeline for when the new poll must be held. “You can’t have your cake and eat of the two candidates, Kenyatta and opposition leader Raila Odinga spar over proposed it,” he said. “If you celebrated the court’s decision to repeat the election you must also changes to the election system to prevent the Supreme Court from annulling the results respect the court’s decision to have (the election board) preside over the repeat election BERTRAND LANGLOIS/AFP again. within 60 days,” the president said at an event in Nairobi. Police evacuated Marseille’s ornate Saint Charles station after the attack, temporarily halting all train traffic on some of France’s busiest lines. Molins said “the method of the attacker” was in line with calls Rights group: Israel has detained 14,000 Palestinians since 2015 from the Syria-based terror group to followers in the West to strike vulnerable targets, such as train stations. Israel has arrested 14,000 Palestinians in the occupied Palestinian territories since Oc- The Daesh group’s propaganda agency Amaq claimed the kill- tober 2015, according to a rights group. er was one of its “soldiers”, but a source close to the investigation According to figures released by the Palestinian Prisoners Center for Studies, of said no solid evidence linked him to the Takfiris. the 14,000 detained Palestinians, 3,100 were minors, 437 were women and 450 were The attack in France’s second-biggest city followed a string of online activists, middleeastmonitor.com wrote. stabbings around Europe claimed by or blamed on Daesh terror- Almost all the detainees were subjected to psychological or physical torture in Is- ists. The man killed two 20-year-old cousins, one of them a “bril- raeli detention and investigation centers in total violation of international laws and liant” medical student who was studying in the city, according to conventions, the organization added. Aix-Marseille University chief Yvon Berland. Some 2,860 administrative detention orders were issued since October 2015 — 17 Her cousin, a nursing student from the eastern city of Lyon, of which were issued against female detainees while 42 others targeted minors. was visiting her for the weekend. The attacker’s fingerprints Some 65 young girls were among the female detainees, six of them were shot with showed he had had seven brushes with the law since 2005 — live munition during their arrest. most recently when he was arrested last Friday in Lyon for shop- Sixteen Palestinian MPs were also detained over the reported period, 10 of them are lifting. He presented the Tunisian passport to police, saying he still being held in Israeli jails. was divorced, used “hard drugs”, and had no fixed address. The figures also documented the arrest of 150 elderly people, 39 academics, 240 The shoplifting charges were dropped for lack of evidence, and patients and disabled people and 115 journalists. local authorities “were not able to take a decision to deport him,” Over the past two years, six prisoners died, raising the number of Palestinian de- Molins added. tainees who have lost their lives in Israeli jails to 212. english.al-akhbar.com Oct. 3, 2017 PTA talks Indonesia and Iran discussed reduction of tariffs in the fourth round of preferential trade agreement negotiations, Indonesian news agency Antara 4 reported. Domestic Economy

SPECIAL NEWS Domestic Economy Desk Vietnam eyes rice, shrimp exports Turkey’s imports from Iran up 74%

to Iran urkey imported goods worth $5.154 billion from Iran in the Vietnam intends to export rice and shrimp to Iran while voic- Tfirst eight months of 2017 which ing readiness to purchase fish meal, bone powder and meat was 74 percent more than the figure for from Iran. the same period of 2016 ($2.962 bil- lion). According to the latest figures re- leased by the Turkish Statistical Institute Trade, between Iran and Turkey stood at $7.252 billion in the first eight months of 2017, Trend News Agency reported. This indicates a 14.7-percent growth compared to the amount for the same period in 2016 which was $6.32 bil- lion. Trade between the two countries reached $928.36 million in August 2017. ISNA Turkey’s exports to Iran in August This was announced following a meeting between Iran’s 2017 amounted to about $286.3 mil- Deputy Agriculture Minister Hassan Salehi and the head of lion ($462.092 million in August 2016), Iran-Vietnam Trade Council to discuss ways to expand bilater- while the country imported goods worth al trade in the agriculture sector, Mehr News Agency reported. $642.058 million from Iran in the same During the meeting, Salehi elaborated on actions to develop month ($459.712 million in the same relations between the two countries and voiced the readiness period of 2016). of Iran’s Fisheries Organization to cooperate with Vietnam. Turkey’s exports to Iran in the first He also elaborated on Vietnamese’ cooperative activities in eight months of 2017 amounted to Qeshm and Bandar Abbas in the southern province of Hor- $2.098 billion, compared to $3.358 bil- muzgan. lion in the first eight months of 2016. Salehi invited Vietnamese companies to take part in interna- Trade between the two countries was tional fisheries exhibition of Iran which is scheduled for No- $13.71 billion in 2014 while in 2015 the vember. figure stood at $9.76 billion, indicating He pointed to the establishment of an office in Qeshm, and a 29-percent plunge. announced their intention to purchase caviar and salmon roe IRNA from Iran and build a factory for fish sauce production. The official called for the removal of obstacles to banking transaction. Europe-Iran Forum to examine post-sanctions investments China agrees to dispatch two The 4th Europe-Iran Forum (EIF) focusing on post-sanc- as saying about the reelection of Iranian President Hassan gress in upcoming days. tions investment and trade will begin today in the Swiss Rouhani on May 19. In a related development, European Union’s Ambas- freight trains to Iran every month city of Zurich. On Iran’s economic conditions, the EIF founder said sador to the United States David O’Sullivan said a week The two-day EIF4 will be the first to be held during the “Iran has made good progress in its complicated process ago, “This agreement [JCPOA] is delivering on a very, Iran and China have reached an initial agreement to operate tenure of US President Donald Trump, IRNA reported. of financial reform. very important objective, which is to ensure that Iran does two freight train service to Tehran every month. Despite the US lack of commitment to the July 2015 “Early this summer, the Financial Action Task Force not possess nuclear weapons. Director of Transportation Department at Iranian Railways nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of (FATF) chose to continue to suspend Iran’s position on its “The view of the European Union is that this agree- Ebrahim Mohammadi made the announcement in a ceremony Action (JCPOA), in order to prevent Iran from benefit- ‘black-list’. ment is a success.” to mark the arrival of an international freight train from China ing from the agreement, the Europeans have expressed “The process remains in its early phase, but Iran’s Iran is “fully living up to its commitments” under the to Iran via the Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan route, Fars News unanimous support for the international agreement and bankers deserve credit for their determination to regain agreement, O’Sullivan noted at the Atlantic Council held Agency reported. welcomed Tehran’s return to the financial markets and their place in the international financial system.” in the US last week. He noted that six freight trains linking Yinchuan, capital trade and banking activities. The presence of the Secretary General of the European It may be up to the Europeans to save the deal, of northwest China’s Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region and The founder of Eu- O’Sullivan said while Iran’s capital will be dispatched by the end of 2017. rope-Iran Forum, which pointing to the chal- was established four lenges Trump adminis- years ago, has recently tration has presented to commented on the the JCPOA. EIF4, saying the event Ultimately, is very important for O’Sullivan and his Ger- Europe’s business com- man, French and British munity. counterparts “reiterated Esfandiar Batman- their commitment to the qelij told finews.com agreement”, the website on September 11, “Co- of the Atlantic Council operation is needed wrote on September 25. among the full range Analysts believe that IRNA of stakeholders, and EIF4, which is held just “In a meeting with Liang Hua, the CEO in charge of the the Forum is designed less than two weeks af- Yinchuan-Tehran freight train project, it was decided that to help support more ter Austria’s Oberbank China send two trains per month by the end of 2017,” Moham- dialogue, information and Denmark’s Danske madi said. sharing, and relationship building within the network of External Action Service (EEAS) Helga Schmid and a Bank signed banking agreements with Iran, will prepare He stated that the trains will begin their trips from Yinchuan business leaders and policymakers working on Iran to- number of European ambassadors to Iran in the EIF4 is good grounds for the European companies to further co- and travel along the Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan route to reach day.” another ‘clear message’ to the Trump administration that operate with Iran. Tehran after 14 days. The first, second and third EIF were held in October all sides have to be loyal to the JCPOA and its implemen- Companies from Switzerland, Austria and Nordic Also in the meeting, the Chinese delegation welcomed the 2014 in London, September 2015 in Geneva and May tation. states (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden proposal to establish a container terminal near Tehran railway 2016 in Zurich respectively. As experts believe, this message is being sent to the US in Northern Europe) have been waiting for cooperating station. The Chinese side also promised that its government “We see more political willingness to reform key laws government at a time President Trump is to announce his with Iran. Therefore, the fourth EIF can pave the way for would exempt businesses from paying rail transport costs up and policies in order to create better conditions for for- decision about Iran’s compliance with the international the Europeans to build sustainable cooperation between to the Chinese borders as an incentive. eign investors,” the Swiss news site quoted Batmanqelij deal and the suspension of the sanctions to the US Con- Iran and Europe in the future. The meeting also discussed cooperation with the Iranian side on facilitating Chinese train services via Iran to Europe. In a relevant development in late July, Iran and China signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on electrifica- tion of Tehran-Mashhad railway system. Asia’s Iran oil imports reach five-month high The 1.5-billion-dollar financing contract for the electrifi- cation of Tehran-Mashhad railroad was inked in a ceremony From Page 1 tion at Tehran’s potential decision to attended by vice president of China Exim Bank (Export- award a giant gas field to a Russian Import Banks of China), Ambassador of China to Iran Pang China, India, South Korea and company. Sen, Iran’s Deputy Road and Urban Development Minister for Japan together imported 1.64 mil- India imported 335,400 bpd in International Affairs Asghar Fakhrieh Kashani, Head of the lion barrels per day last month, August, the lowest level since Febru- Islamic Republic of Iran Railways Saeed Mohammadzadeh, down 10.8 percent on a year ago, ary 2016, and down about 42 percent Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Iran (CBI) for For- government and ship-tracking data from a year ago. eign Exchange Affairs Gholamali Kamyab as well as Chair- showed. Japan’s Iranian imports fell for man of Board of Directors and Managing Director of Bank of Iran aims to maintain crude oil a fourth straight month from a year Industry and Mine Ali-Ashraf Afkhami. and condensate exports at around 2.6 ago to 107,357 bpd, the lowest vol- The agreement marks the first financing contract to be mbd for the rest of 2017 although re- umes since April, Trade Ministry signed in the past one and a half years in Iran. cent maintenance, depleted oil stor- data showed. Tehran-Mashhad, the most frequented railway line of Iran age and a growing domestic appetite Iran has been exempted from an and one of the few double-track lines of the country, with will limit shipments abroad, a senior agreement by the Organization of 926Km of length and 50 stations passing through the major official at National Iranian Oil Com- the Petroleum Exporting Countries cities of Garmsar, Semnan, Damghan, Shahroud, and Neisha- pany said last week. (OPEC) to reduce output, a victory bour. Chinese imports rose 5.5 percent for Tehran that has argued it needs to Currently, the route permits a speed of 160 km/h which from a year ago in August to 786,720 regain the market share it lost under will be increased to 200 km/h once the electrification project bpd, the highest monthly amount international sanctions over its nu- is completed. Based on predictions, the railway will carry 33 since 2006, according to data on Re- clear program. million passengers and 10 million tons of freight annually by uters Eikon. The country is aiming to raise oil 2032. This load of passenger and freight will put the Tehran- South Korea’s imports jumped output to around 4 mbd by the end Mashhad railway into the list of top ten most commuted rail- 46.7 percent to a five-month high of of the year and 4.5 mbd within five way lines in the world. 407,323 bpd. India, however, con- years from around 3.8 mbd in recent tinued to reduce its intake in retalia- months. IRNA Oct. 3, 2017 BoK to raise key rate Foreign investment banks expect South Korea’s central bank, Bank of Korea (BoK), to raise the key rate sometime in the first half of next year, a 5 report showed on Monday. Global Economy

Spain to lose 20% of its economy if Catalonia splits

Automakers plan electric car blitz The Spanish region held a controversial independence referendum on Sunday with major economic implications for the country — and Europe. Spain’s central government fiercely opposed the referendum, with riot police raiding polling stations to suppress voter turnout. Region- al officials said the vast majority of ballots were in favor of inde- pendence, CNN wrote. The vote comes as Spain emerges from nearly a decade of eco- nomic trauma. Catalonia is its most economically productive region. Richer on their own? Catalonia accounts for nearly a fifth of Spain’s economy, and leads all regions in producing 25 percent of the country’s exports. It contributes much more in taxes (21 percent of the country’s to- tal) than it gets back from the government. Independence supporters have seized on the imbalance, arguing that stopping transfers to Madrid would turn Catalonia’s budget defi- cit into a surplus. Catalonia has a proven record of attracting investment, with near- ly a third of all foreign companies in Spain choosing the regional capital of Barcelona as their base. Volkswagen and Nissan, for example, both have plants near Bar- celona. But there are many unanswered questions — including continued membership in the European Union. If Catalonia was forced to independently apply for EU member- ship, it would have to convince all of the bloc’s current members to agree — including Spain. flipboard.com Economists at Berenberg Bank wrote in a research note, “We cur- ere are two facts that defy logic: By the end Kevin Tynan, senior analyst with Bloomberg Intel- Here are some of the significant new models com- rently see no practical way for Catalonia to become an independent of the year, electric-car maker Tesla Inc. will ligence, said, “Companies are committed to electric ing to market: country within the EU, as most supporters of independence want.” Hhave burned through more than $10 billion cars, but there is little evidence that there is a lot of ● VW’s Audi brand will start building the e-tron Dropping out of bloc would likely raise the cost of exporting without ever having made 10 cents. Yet companies consumer demand for it.” Quattro, a luxury SUV, in 2018, followed by the goods produced in Catalonia to EU members and other nations. around the world are lining up to compete with it. At this point, expensive battery technology still Sportback coupe in 2019 and a third, unnamed vehicle Stephen Brown, an economist at Capital Economics, said, “It Almost 50 new pure electric-car models will come makes them money drains. General Motors Co. loses by 2020. would join the small list of countries that are not World Trade Organ- to market globally between now and 2022, including about $9,000 on every Chevrolet Bolt electric car it ● Porsche AG will sell a production version of its ization members, meaning it would face significant trade barriers.” vehicles from Daimler AG and Volkswagen AG. Even sells. Tesla had record sales of its EVs last year — and Mission E sports sedan concept car starting in 2019. Brown said the move would increase the price of imported goods British inventor James Dyson is getting into the game, still lost $675 million on $7 billion in sales. ● In addition to BMW’s current electric i3 compact in Catalonia and result in job losses. announcing last week that he’s investing £2 billion and i8 sports car, the German automaker will have an Independence could also make it more expensive for the region’s ($2.7 billion) to develop an electric car and the batter- electric Mini in 2019, an X3 compact SUV in 2020 government to borrow. Credit ratings agencies Moody’s and S&P ies to power it, Bloomberg wrote. China factor and 10 others by 2025, Chairman Harald Krueger said The reasons for chasing Tesla are part city hall, part in a speech in September. show business. Regulators in Beijing have laid out a So why bother? China is a big reason. Electric cars ● Daimler’s Mercedes-Benz brand plans 10 bat- plan to mandate electric vehicle production in China, got a regulatory boost when the world’s most populous tery-powered vehicles in its EQ sub-brand through while California requires carmakers to build more nation released a set of regulations meant to cut carbon 2022, while Volvo Car Group, which is owned by Chi- EVs or be forced to buy credits from rivals. emissions and pollution by 2030. Carmakers must pro- na’s Geely Automobile Holdings Ltd., has said any At the same time, Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk duce a certain share of so-called new-energy vehicles new models launched in 2019 or later will be offered and his sleek cars have captured the imagination of — which include electric cars — to obtain credits so only as hybrid, plug-in hybrid or all-electric versions. Americans to the point where consumers and investors they can keep selling gasoline-powered ones. ● Tesla plans to build the Model Y small SUV in are throwing money at his Silicon Valley company. Because China is now the world’s largest car mar- 2019 or 2020. Erich Joachimsthaler, founder and CEO of brand- ket, automakers are stepping up development. GM, Source: thinkadvisor.com strategy firm Vivaldi, which works with German lux- the top-selling foreign automaker there, will offer The good news for carmakers is that the cost of bat- ury carmakers, said, “Nobody doubts that the future electrification technology — hybrids or pure electric teries is coming down. GM said on its first-quarter both downgraded Catalonia’s debt rating in 2016. will be electric. The car companies dragged their feet — in almost all of its models in China by 2025 as it earnings call that its lithium-ion batteries cost about The region could continue using the euro as its currency, but with electric. Now they are being dragged into it by looks to hold its lead. $145 per kilowatt hour to produce. The goal is to get would not have a seat at the European Central Bank. Tesla and by regulations.” Many of the electric models today are luxury cars, that below $100 in the next few years. In North America alone, the number of electric ve- and Tesla’s Model S sedans and Model X sport utility BNEF forecasts that battery costs will get down to What about Spain? hicles will soar to 47 by the first quarter of 2022 from vehicles often sell for more than $100,000. It’s easy to $109 per kwh in 2025 and $73 by 2030. That’s why glob- Spain’s highest court has banned the referendum, calling it uncon- 24 in the third quarter of this year, according to data bury the expensive price of electric drive in the fatter al electric car sales will likely surpass sales of vehicles stitutional. But the separatist regional government still pushed ahead from Bloomberg New Energy Finance. China’s EV sticker prices of high-end vehicles. that burn fossil fuels by 2040, BNEF said in a July report. with the vote. market will go to 80 from 61, and European buyers The Model 3, which just started production, will The list of companies piling in added an unusual A split would leave a hole in Spain’s finances and dramatically in- will have 58 electric choices, up from 31. Globally, sell for more like $35,000 before options and incen- name last week when Dyson, who made billions mak- crease uncertainty. there will be 136 EVs on the market by the end of that tives. Tesla said that more than 450,000 people have ing high-end vacuum cleaners, announced his foray If Catalonia declares independence unilaterally, it might also re- year, and that doesn’t even include the hybrid models put down $1,000 deposits to reserve a Model 3. into the electric car market. Dyson said his car will be fuse to take on its share of the national debt. or fuel cells. Musk has poached buyers from German luxury radically different from the vehicles being designed “While there does not appear to have been any serious effect on That will make for a very crowded field in a nascent brands and will continue to do so, said Salim Morsy, by Tesla and the established carmakers. the wider Spanish economy so far, it is likely that business and con- zero-emission car market that most consumers have an analyst with Bloomberg New Energy Finance. Since Dyson doesn’t compete with Tesla or need sumer confidence would deteriorate if Catalonia were to secede,” yet to embrace and where financial losses loom large. “What was seen as a minimum requirement for reg- to meet rules faced by traditional automakers, the Brown said. In the US, electric car sales were less than one per- ulations has shifted to an opportunity for market share planned car may be more of a flight of fancy, said cent of the market last year, according to the Interna- and profit,” Morsy said. Joachimsthaler of Vivaldi. What’s next tional Energy Agency. They were 1.4 percent in China “In the luxury segment, the Germans see the oppor- “More likely, this is an Icarus complex,” he said. The buzzword for investors is uncertainty. ING economist Geof- and in the UK. tunity to take market share back from Tesla.” “He will realize he flew a little too close to the Sun.” frey Minne wrote in a research note, “As with Brexit, we believe that any Catalexit would plunge the region into a long period of uncer- tainty and would most probably be negative for the private sector.” Kathleen Brooks, the research director at City Index, said a refer- endum win for the separatists could cause the euro to decline by as Oil prices lower after much as five percent. New Air India owners The European currency was down about 0.3 percent against the dollar in morning trading in Asia on Monday. won’t have to worry about debt strong third quarter A decisive ‘yes’ vote is unlikely to result in Madrid or the EU rec- ognizing Catalonia as ‘independent’, according to experts. The new owners of Air India following divestment may not have to worry about its Oil prices fell on Monday, pausing for breath after posting gains of as much as 20 Laurence Allan of IHS Markit said, “The Catalan government will gargantuan debt as the government has decided to move much of this into a special percent in the third quarter, after a survey pointed to a slight increase in production instead attempt to use a positive referendum result to increase its lev- purpose vehicle (SPV) before selling the carrier, senior aviation ministry officials of Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in September. erage in future negotiations with the Spanish government.” said. US crude was down 13 cents, or 0.3 percent, at $51.54 a barrel at 0346 GMT. The The committee on Air India’s divestment led by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley US benchmark on Friday posted its strongest quarterly gain since the second quar- took this decision at a meeting on August 30, they said, The Times of India wrote. ter of 2016 and the longest streak of weekly gains since January, Reuters reported. One of the officials said, “The committee decided to transfer all debt and assets Global benchmark Brent crude for December delivery was down 22 cents, or 0.4 of Air India to an SPV that will be managed by the government. The airline will be percent, at $56.57 a barrel. On Friday, Brent for November delivery closed 13 cents Major Currencies sold only with aircraft debt on its books. This will make the airline a much more higher at $57.54 a barrel, notching up a third-quarter gain of around 20 percent, the Currency To USD Currency To USD lucrative proposition.” biggest gain in five quarters. It was the biggest third-quarter increase since 2004. Air India has a total debt of Rs 52,000 crore and about Rs 33,000 crore is on ac- The contract reached its highest in more than two years early last week, and post- Turkish Lira 0.2796 Chinese Yuan 0.1503 count of working capital loans, which will be transferred to the SPV. ed its fifth consecutive weekly gain. It was Brent’s longest weekly bull run since The remaining is against aircraft purchases, which will be with the company June 2016. Euro 1.1760 UAE Dirham 0.2721 that’s put up for sale. Another official said the valuation would improve significant- The price gains have been supported by anticipated demand from US refiners re- ly if the working-capital debt is transferred to the SPV. suming operations after shutdowns due to Hurricane Harvey, but a quick resump- British Pound 1.3353 Kuwaiti Dinar 3.3074 “Either the government decides to sell the company with debt, which would not tion of shale production could put a dampener on prices. fetch any money, or the government sells it without the debt — that would fetch “US production should be soft over August and September, due to Hurricane- Australian Dollar 0.7817 Iraqi Dinar 0.0008 money,” the person said. related shut-ins but should rebound” in the fourth quarter, Barclays Research said “Selling the company at a lower or nil valuation would create a much bigger con- in a note. Japanese 100 Yen 0.0088 Saudi Riyal 0.2666 troversy than selling it at a valuation.” Oil output from OPEC also rose last month, gaining by 50,000 barrels per day It’s also been decided that Air India’s assets are on lease to the carrier and owner- (bpd), a Reuters survey found. ship vests with the government. Iraqi exports increased and production edged higher in Libya, one of the OPEC So the seller will be the government and not the national carrier. ET had reported producers exempt from a deal to curb output and support prices. Major Commodities this first on September 18. Middle Eastern oil producers are concerned the recent price rise will only stir US Another key decision was to allow airlines with up to 49 percent foreign partner- shale producers into more drilling and push prices lower again. ship to bid for Air India. “This will improve the interest in Air India,” said one of the US energy companies added oil rigs for the first week in seven after a 14-month Crude Oil $51.54 Silver $16.60 officials. drilling recovery stalled in August, energy services firm Baker Hughes said on Fri- Another official added that the current foreign direct investment (FDI) norms that day. Gold $1276.00 Platinum $909.00 don’t allow 49 percent foreign investment in the national carrier can be amended as Drillers added six oil rigs in the week to Sept. 29, bringing the total count up to Copper $2.96 Wheat $446.50 and when required. 750. Oct. 3, 2017 Big boost to mental health Volunteers on wildlife projects benefit from a big boost to their mental 6 health, according to new research. Cultural Heritage & Environment

Poorly insulated homes may cost £1 billion extra in energy bills Mountains of garbage, Tenants in the UK’s draughtiest homes risk paying £1 billion extra in energy bills because of a government loophole let- ting landlords off the hook, a charity has warned. Landlords will be banned from letting poorly insulated homes from next April under new regulations designed to protect vul- despair in India’s dirtiest city nerable tenants and cut carbon emissions, The Guardian wrote. But campaigners argue that exemptions, which landlords were able to apply for from Sunday, will mean many homes lies throng over piles of fec- corruption over the last decade.” are not upgraded. es, the drains overflow with Singh acknowledged that If all the landlords of the 300,000 properties affected ap- Fsewage and the foul smell in Gonda is dirty but is skeptical that it ply successfully for exemptions, tenants would collectively the air is inescapable. is really the dirtiest city in the nation. pay £1 billion extra for energy over the next five years, said Welcome to Awas Vikas: One of “I feel it got the ranking be- climate change charity 10:10. the most exclusive parts of Gonda, cause of a lack of cooperation and The group said the regulations were ‘toothless’ while the a city suffering the ignominy of communication between the sur- loophole existed, and made a mockery of Conservative elec- being branded the dirtiest in India. vey team and the local administra- tion pledges to keep a lid on energy bills. Even in such upmarket areas, gar- tion,” he said. bage trucks are rarely seen, green He feels Gonda’s story is typical spaces are littered with rubbish of other smaller Indian cities that and residents are desperate for have grown quickly in India’s eco- their bickering leaders to bring nomic boom without a plan or rules. about change, AFP reported. JB Singh, district magistrate for Gonda, 125 kilometers from the region, acknowledges there the Uttar Pradesh state capital of are problems but does not believe Lucknow, was best known as a Gonda’s ranking is fair. quiet stopover point for people “The bottlenecks were the big- traveling to Nepal or to see the re- gest issue in the past but we are gion’s temples. Infamy arrived in freemalaysiatoday.com working to bring change, and lo- May when Gonda came bottom of buzzing with mosquitoes. state government has also bogged days at a time. When stray animals cals will see it within the next two an Indian government cleanliness “It is a really pathetic state of af- down projects. Signs of the dys- die and lay rotting here, some- months,” Singh said, adding that survey of 434 cities. fairs. We’ve been rated as India’s function are everywhere. times we have to cover them with new garbage trucks and dustbins The study looked at the use of dirtiest — just look around and you Houses have been abandoned soil ourselves.” are being purchased. toilets, waste collection, civic in- can see it’s a perfect ranking. You and left to decay, while neighbor- She swatted away flies and The town is also looking for a frastructure and other areas. It is can’t imagine how we live here.” hood parks and ponds have become mosquitoes from a waste-filled private waste collection agency to a daily battle for pedestrians and Most locals hope the ‘dirtiest dumping grounds. Those who can pond opposite her home. help tackle the problem and will cars to navigate the piles of plastic city’ accolade will shame politi- afford it, hire laborers to clear gar- Kirti Vardhan Singh, a three- launch a cleanliness awareness bottles, discarded food containers cians into action and break the cy- bage from outside their homes — term lawmaker for the area, said campaign, he explained. and animal excreta. cle of civic apathy and corruption, even if that means discarding it out he has been ‘bombarded’ with Some argue Gonda’s ranking The stray cows love it, but resi- which is blamed for the mess. of sight in another part of town. telephone calls and social media and the subsequent media atten- dents in Awas Vikas are at break- Rajiv Rastogi, a trader and vet- Kanshiram colony is regarded messages since the survey. tion has made an issue that is en- ing point. eran local politician, said, “The by some as the most insalubrious “It was very, very embarrass- demic across the nation, seem Durgesh Mishra said, “The filth manpower and infrastructure is- part of India’s dirtiest city. ing,” he said. like a unique local problem. Even and the stench have made us infa- sues that we face today are a result Kanshiram resident Sushila “I explained to as many as I if the city’s administrative and mous across the country.” of unplanned development over Tewari said, “We live in sick- could that, as a parliamentarian, political problems are solved, He gestured desolately at a cra- the last 10 years.” ness. Diseases like cholera are an I don’t have any say or authority many feel the biggest challenge is ter in the road by his house, which Political rivalry between everyday issue. We don’t see a over local civic body matters — changing attitudes in a populace is now filled with dirty water and Gonda and the Uttar Pradesh municipal worker around here for the mismanagement, inaction and often happy to dump at will. Oct. 3, 2017 Overuse injuries High school football athletes had a higher risk, but not a higher rate, 7 of overuse injuries than youth football athletes, a new study shows. Health

Study identifies protein that may Physical abuse, punishment impact improve flu symptoms, reduce deaths A new study identified a protein that can potentially improve symp- toms of the influenza virus and reduce mortality from it. The US Department of Health and Human Services announced its guidelines for the 2017-2018 flu season, focusing on increasing the number of people vaccinated in the US against the flu, UPI wrote. children’s academic performance In the 2016-2017 influenza season, vaccination rates were mostly stagnant among all age groups, aside from small increases in those researcher and her collabora- cognitive performance, and only 50 and older, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report- tor from Pennsylvania State harsh corporal punishment notably ed this week. A found that physical abuse increases peer isolation in children Flu vaccination coverage throughout the entire US was 46.8 per- was associated with decreases in chil- and was observed in both child and cent, which is an increase of 1.2 percent from the 2015-2016 season, dren’s cognitive performance, while caregiver reports. the CDC reported, that translates roughly into half the country not non-abusive forms of physical punish- “This suggested that preventing receiving the flu vaccine. ment were independently associated physical abuse could promote chil- with reduced school engagement and dren’s cognitive performance, but increased peer isolation. it may not be enough to get children Sarah Font, assistant professor to be involved and well-adjusted in of sociology and co-funded faculty school.” member of the Child Maltreatment Considering that mild physical Solutions Network, and Jamie Cage, punishment can develop into physi- assistant professor in Virginia Com- cal abuse and that even these mild monwealth University’s School of punishments have consequences on Social Work, found that children’s children’s cognitive and social school performances and engagement in the functioning, parent education on al- classroom are significantly influenced ternative forms of punishment may by their exposure to mild, harsh and be one solution to prevent physical abusive physical punishment in the abuse. home, sciencedaily.com reported. Programs that reach parents during UPI Their study was recently published services that they regularly use may in Child Abuse and Neglect. popsugar.com be one way to give them alternative Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine While corporal punishment and punishment technique education. identified a new strategy to fight the flu for those who go unvacci- physical abuse have been linked with Font said, “This punishment style is and researchers then measured cog- This could be a medical profes- nated — or get sick even with the vaccine — using the small protein reduced cognitive development and meant to inflict minor pain so the child nitive outcomes, school engagement sional informing parents during a retrocyclin-101, or RC-101, that has the potential to improve symp- academic achievement in children will change their behavior to avoid fu- and peer isolation in the children. child’s health visit or staff members of toms and mortality associated with the flu. previously, Font’s study is one of the ture punishment, but it does not give The data was analyzed to determine an Early Head Start program provid- The study, published in the October edition of the Journal of Leu- few that simultaneously examines children the opportunity to learn how trajectories between cognitive and ing parent education during the child’s kocyte Biology, involved isolating mouse and human macrophages abusive and non-abusive physical to behave appropriately through ex- academic performance and how initial enrollment. in vitro and a mouse influenza infection model to determine that RC- punishment as reported by both chil- planation and reasoning.” and varying exposure to physical pun- Font said, “Further research and 101 inhibited the production of inflammatory cytokines. dren and caregivers. In this study, over 650 children and ishment and abuse influences them. efforts in these types of interventions Researchers infected two groups of mice with a lethal dose of in- Even if physical punishment does their caregivers were examined in Font added, “We found that while needs to continue so we can learn fluenza, giving one group RC-101 two days after infection for a total not result in serious physical injury, three areas of physical punishment: all forms of physical punishment more.” of five days and the other group a placebo. children may experience fear and dis- Mild corporal punishment, harsh cor- and abuse are associated with de- This research was made possible Mice were treated with RC-101 exhibited less severe symptoms of tress and this stress has been found to poral punishment and physical abuse. clines in school engagement, only support from the Population Research the flu and decreased mortality compared to the mice who received negatively impact brain structure, de- The groups reported their use or initial exposure to physical abuse has Institute, part of the Social Science the placebo, researchers reported. velopment and overall well-being. experience with physical punishment a significant negative influence on Research Institute. Dr. Daniel Prantner, a research associate in the Department of Mi- crobiology and Immunology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, said, “Every year, thousands of people across the country die from the flu or its complications — despite widespread use of an- nual influenza vaccines. “In the future, we hope to see RC-101 approved for use in the clin- Seven non-dairy foods you didn’t know contain calcium ic, where it can be another tool in the battle against this disease.”

We all know that calcium is approximately 175mg of cal- in mind that five figs also con- Clearing out clogged face pores crucial for children with grow- cium per serving. tain a lot of sugar.” ing bones, but it’s a vital part of Harju-Westman said, “If you could cause rosacea adult diets too, helping to main- don’t fancy having white beans Leafy greens: Leafy greens tain healthy bone structure and or want to introduce some vari- such as kale are extremely low Skin with clogged pores can be unsightly — but steaming your face muscle function. ety, you can try winged beans or in calories, contain zero fat and to unblock them could cause rosacea. The National Health Service navy beans, both of which also high levels of fiber and calcium. Skin with clogged pores on your face can be irritating, however (NHS) recommended adults provide plenty of calcium.” Harju-Westman advised, “I beware what you do to get rid of them, express.co.uk wrote. aged between 19 and 64 con- recommend adding a side of When pores become blocked, it causes small blackheads — filled sume 700mg of calcium a day, Oranges: Unbeknown to kale to your evening meal or with dead skin and dirt — to form. and their main recommended many, oranges contain high lev- making your own homemade There are a number of reasons why pores clog in the first place. sources are milk, cheese and els of calcium. kale chips for a healthy snack.” dairy sources, according to in- Harju-Westman added, “Eat- Spinach is another good dependent.co.uk. ing just one orange has over source for calcium. “The easiest So where does this leave the 70mg of calcium, ensuring that way to consume spinach is to increasing number of vegans, you receive six percent of your add raw leaves to a salad or eat lactose-intolerant and dairy- calcium intake for the day, as independent.co.uk boiled spinach with scrambled free people in the UK? well as a great boost of vitamin eggs at breakfast. Or try chuck- Fortunately there are plenty C, in just one snack.” immune function and energy. ing some frozen spinach into a of other ways to get calcium Figs: The seasonal fruit is an- smoothie.” into your diet, as Frida Harju- Almonds: Nuts aren’t the Sardines: Not only are sar- other great calcium source. Westman, nutritionist at the first thing people think of when dines full of essential omega-3 Harju-Westman said, “While Broccoli: Broccoli is a ‘su- health app Lifesum, explained they think about calcium-rich fats, they are packed with cal- also containing significant per-veg’ if ever there was one. to The Independent. foods, however many nuts con- cium, containing as much as amounts of antioxidants and Not only is it jam-packed The non-dairy foods you tain a significant amount of cal- 350mg in just one small can. fiber, eating approximately five with essential nutrients includ- express.co.uk didn’t know contain calcium: cium. Harju-Westman said, “Sar- dried figs per day can provide ing vitamins A-K and minerals Almonds in particular are a dines can be easily added to you with around 135mg of cal- such as magnesium, zinc, and These include hormones, bacteria and over-cleansing. White beans: White beans great calcium-rich snack and your salad for instant flavor, as cium, which goes a long way in phosphorous, but it also con- The size of people’s pores is down to genetics, but how big they are not only rich in protein, they’re also one of the few pro- well as a providing you with a helping you to achieve the re- tains exceptionally high levels are doesn’t influence whether they’re more likely to fill up with dirt. iron and fiber, they are a great teins that are alkaline forming, healthy boost of vitamins B-12 quired daily intake. of calcium, which is easily ab- They are designed to clean themselves, so you need not do any- source of calcium, containing which helps to give you better and D.” “Although it’s worth bearing sorbed by the body. thing to them. However, naturally most people would like to reduce their appear- ance if possible. Michael Freeman, a dermatologist and associate professor at Bond University in Australia, said that you should never squeeze a black- head because it might cause the oil glands to rupture back into the skin. CDC deactivating EOC for Zika response Freeman advised that buying skincare products containing vitamin A could help. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Preven- scientific, communication and policy activities. This is because it can stop the skin lining the pores thickening, tion in the US announced it is deactivating its Emer- Zika is still a threat to public health in the US and meaning the oil glands aren’t blocked. gency Operations Center (EOC) for the Zika virus. around the world, and a great risk for pregnant women. Using lukewarm water — rather than hot — to wash your face The CDC activated its EOC on January 22, 2016, in The continental United States and Hawaii will con- with is also less likely to inflame them. response to the effects of the Zika virus infection dur- tinue to find some travel-related cases as people visit He also warned against potential pore-reducing methods that ing pregnancy, UPI reported. countries and territories with a high risk of Zika trans- could be harmful. The EOC is the command center for monitoring mission. Steaming the face can make blood vessels stand out and trigger and coordinating emergency response to public health Since the 2016 EOC activation for Zika, experts rosacea in those who are prone to it. threats and has been activated for previous events such have worked to protect pregnant women, fetuses and Rosacea is a skin condition that causes redness on the nose, as natural disasters, the 2014 Ebola outbreak and 2009 infants from the virus and its effects. cheeks, skin and forehead, particularly in those over 30 years. H1N1 flu pandemic. According to the CDC, deactivation does not mean Using a facial brush might help, but the risk is that the pore will Experts from the Zika Coordination and Opera- the Zika threat is less of a priority or that people are no swell due to irritation, causing more of a blockage. tion Transition Team, or ZCOTT, will lead the transi- longer at risk for infection. Pore strips have become popular for very effectively removing tion from the EOC activation to routine, long-term The CDC still recommends that pregnant women pore content, however they can leave skin very sensitive to other UPI activities to ensure coordination and collaboration on avoid traveling to areas with high Zika risk. products. Oct. 3, 2017 New rat species Scientists have discovered a new rat species in the Solomon Islands. The rodent lives among the tree tops and can crack coconut shells with its big 8 front teeth. Science & Technology

NASA pushes back launch date for James Webb Space Telescope NASA’s new target window for the launch of the James Webb Electrically heated Space Telescope is between March and June 2019. The world’s most powerful space telescope was previously scheduled to launch in October 2018, UPI reported. Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate at the agency’s DC headquarters, announced, “The change in launch timing is not indicative of hardware or tech- ommuters, skiers, crossing textiles possible temperature as the palm and the wearer nical performance concerns. guards and others who endure could feel the heat transferred from the “Rather, the integration of the various spacecraft elements is tak- Cfrozen fingers in cold weather fabric heaters to her fingers a few sec- ing longer than expected.” may look forward to future relief as onds after the voltage was applied.” manufacturers are poised to take ad- Andrew and chemistry postdoctoral vantage of a new technique for creating via UMass researcher Lushuai Zhang, with chemi- electrically heated cloth developed by cal engineering graduate student Mor- materials scientist Trisha Andrew and gan Baima, conducted several tests to colleagues at the University of Massa- assure that their gloves could stand up chusetts Amherst. to hours of use, laundering, rips, repairs They have made gloves that keep fin- Amherst research and overnight charging. gers as warm as the palm of the hand, Andrew noted, “Right now we use an sciencedaily.com reported. off-the-shelf battery that lasts for eight In a new paper in Applied Materials hours, but you would need a recharge- and Interfaces, the scientists describe Worn on a hand able to make these more practical.” how they use a vapor deposition meth- “If you are skiing and rip your glove, UPI NASA has announced another delay in the target od for nano-coating fabric to create you can repair it just by sewing it back launch date for the James Webb Space Telescope. sewable, weavable, electrically heated together with plain thread.” material. They arranged for biocompatibil- An international agreement with the European Space Agency re- The demonstration glove they made ity testing at an independent lab where quired NASA to analyze the telescope’s launch preparedness one can keep fingers toasty for up to eight mouse connective tissue cells were ex- year prior to the launch date. hours. posed to PEDOT-coated samples and The assessment forced officials to reconsider their plans, and ul- The three-layered glove, with one responses compared to positive and timately inspired NASA to push back the launch date once more. layer coated by the conducting polymer negative controls. JWST, the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope, was first poly, also known as PEDOT, are pow- They reported that their PEDOT- conceived of in 1996. ered by a button battery weighing 1.8g. coated materials are safe for contact Along the way, the project has been planned several times, each A dime weighs just under 2.27g. with human skin without causing ad- time pushing the target launch date backward — from 2011 to The authors pointed out, “Light- verse reactions to the chemicals used. 2013, from 2015 to 2018 and now to the spring of 2019. weight, breathable and body-conform- They also addressed questions of Scientists said the latest delay is largely the result of the com- able electrical heaters have the poten- heat, moisture and skin contact stability plexity of the space telescope’s sunshield. tial to change traditional approaches to to prevent the wearer from experienc- Eric Smith, program director for the James Webb Space Tele- personal thermal management, medical ing any electric shock from a wet con- scope at NASA’s headquarters, said, “The combination of some in- heat therapy, joint pain relief and ath- ducting element. tegration activities taking longer than initially planned, such as the letic rehabilitation.” Andrew said, “Chemically, what we installation of more than 100 sunshield membrane release devices, Andrew said, “We took a pair of cot- use to surround the conductive cloth factoring in lessons learned from earlier testing, like longer time ton gloves and coated the fingers to al- looks like polystyrene, the stuff used to spans for vibration testing, has meant the integration and testing low a small amount of current to pass sciencedaily.com make packing peanuts. process is just taking longer.” through, so they heat up. A three-layered glove developed by materials chemist Trisha Andrew has one “It completely surrounds the con- Unlike Hubble, which can be serviced by astronauts and have “It’s regular old-fashioned cot- layer coated by the conducting polymer PEDOT and is powered by a button ducting material so the electrical con- instruments swapped in and out, JWST must be in its final form ton cloth. We chose to make a pair of battery weighing 1.8g. ductor is never exposed.” before launch. gloves because the fingers require a Experimenting with different varia- The construction of such a massive and complex telescope has high curvature that allows us to show bles in the vapor nano-coating process, been a lengthy process. that our material is really flexible. I think this is the most consumer-ready sweaters. they found that adjusting temperature NASA had to build new facilities in which to build and test the “The glove is powered by a small device we have. It’s ready to take to the It performed well and offers another and chamber pressure were important groundbreaking telescope — a painstaking and expensive process coin battery and they run on nano-amps next phase.” avenue for creating heated clothing, the in achieving optimal surface coverage that may never be repeated. of current, not enough to pass current Until recently, textile scientists have authors stated. of the cloth. NASA administrator Charles Bolden said, “This may be the last through your skin or to hurt you. not used vapor deposition because of Andrew said, “One thing that mo- In a test of the fabric’s ability to re- [space] telescope that we build that is not modular.” “Our coating works even when it’s technical difficulties and high cost of tivated us to make this product is that sist cracking, creasing or other changes Once it begins its scientific mission, though, astronomers are completely dunked in water, it will not scaling up from the laboratory. we could get the flexibility, the nice soft when heated, they generated a tem- sure to rejoice as they begin to field giant troves of rich astronomi- shock you and our layered construction But recently, manufacturers are find- feel, while at the same time it’s heated perature of 28°C with connection to a cal data. means the conductive cloth does not ing that the technology can be scaled but not making you sweaty. 4.5-V battery and 45°C connected to a The telescope’s 18 hexagonal mirrors will field massive amounts come into contact with your skin. up while remaining cost-effective, the “A common thing we hear from com- 6-V battery for an hour, and found no of infrared light, allowing scientists to peer deeper into space with “We hope to have this reach consum- researchers said. muters is that in the winter, they would dramatic morphology changes, indi- greater clarity and to study the Universe’s first generation of stars ers as a real product in the next few Using the vapor deposition method love to have warmer fingers. cating that the PEDOT-coated cotton and galaxies. years. described in their paper, Andrew and “In their laboratory tests, her re- textile was rugged and stable enough to JWST will also help scientists study the habitability of nearby “Maybe it will be two years to a pro- colleagues also coated threads of a search team reported, four fingers of maintain its performance when used as exoplanets. totype and five years to the consumer. thick cotton yarn commonly used for the test glove warmed to the same a heating element.

direction in sky with con- ventional telescopes to see if there is an electromagnetic Ice in space might flow like honey counterpart to such cosmic collisions.” Ice in space may break out the bub- that wasn’t irradiated showed no that irradiated ice forms a cornu- With three detectors — one bly. Zapping simulated space ice bubbles at all. copia of molecules essential to life, on each side of the US and a with imitation starlight makes the Tachibana said, “Analyses including ribose, the backbone of third in Europe — astrono- ice bubble. traced spikes of hydrogen gas dur- RNA, which may have been a pre- mers can more readily pin- If this happens in space, this liq- ing irradiation suggested the bub- cursor to DNA. point where gravity waves are uid-like behavior could help organ- bles are made of hydrogen that the But it was not clear how smaller originating from. ic molecules form at the edges of So far, astronomers have infant planetary systems, according only traced gravity waves to sciencenews.org. to faraway galaxies, but sci- The experiment provides a peek entists believe the phenom- into the possible origins of life. ena could also originate from Shogo Tachibana of Hokkaido within the Milky Way. University in Sapporo, Japan Richard O’Shaughnessy, and colleagues combined water, an assistant professor at RIT, methanol and ammonia, all found UPI An illustration shows gravitational waves emanating from the collision of two black holes. said, “We can tell astrono- in comets and interstellar clouds mers when and where to point where stars form, at a temperature their telescopes.” between -263°C and -258°C. By combining the latest ob- The team then exposed this new- Astronomers pinpoint origin of servations from gravitational ly formed ice to ultraviolet radia- wave detectors with data from tion to mimic the light of a young sciencenews.org traditional electromagnetic star. The nurseries where stars are born, like Cepheus B (shown), are bathed in gravity wave signal observatories, researchers As the ice warmed to -213°C, it ultraviolet radiation. That radiation could make ice act like a liquid and help expect to gain new insights cracked like a brittle solid. But at organic molecules form in space. into the nature of black-hole just five degrees warmer, bubbles For the first time, astronomers Using data collected by the has been accepted for publi- mergers and other relativistic started appearing in the ice, and ultraviolet light split off methane molecules could have found each have combined data from the two gravitational wave detec- cation in the journal Physical phenomena. continued to bubble and pop until and ammonia molecules. other and built ribose in rigid ice. Virgo and LIGO gravitational tion systems, scientists deter- Review Letters. Lousto said, “Our super- the ice reached -123°C. “The irradiated ice took on an- Meinert added, “At the time, wave detections systems. mined that the gravity wave Carlos Lousto, a professor computer simulations of At that point, the ice returned to other liquid like feature: Between critics said complex molecules Researchers used the data signal was produced by a at the Rochester Institute of black-hole collisions continue a solid state and formed crystals. about -185°C and -161°C, it flowed could have been contamination. to triangulate the origins of black-hole merger 1.8 billion Technology (RIT), said, “We to be crucial to determine the Tachibana said, “We were so sur- like refrigerated honey, despite be- “Now this is helping us argue a gravitational wave signal, light-years from Earth. now can pinpoint where those astrophysical parameters of prised when we first saw bubbling ing well below its melting tempera- that at this very low temperature, UPI wrote. Before joining forces, the black holes collided in the those extreme objects and they of ice at really low temperatures.” ture.” the small precursor molecules can The signal was picked on two black holes were 25 and Universe with 10 times high- provide important informa- The team reported its finding in That liquidity could help kick- actually react with each other. August 14 by the two LIGO 31 times the mass of the Sun. er precision than we had with tion for modeling their history, Science Advances. start life-building chemistry. “This is supporting the idea that detectors in Louisiana and Scientists described their only two detectors. from the death of their progen- Follow-up experiments showed In 2016, Cornelia Meinert of the all these organic molecules can Washington, as well as by the plotting of the black-hole “Astronomers can look itor stars to their final merger fewer bubbles formed in ice with University Nice Sophia Antipolis form in the ice and might also be Virgo detector near Pisa, Italy. merger in a new paper, which more accurately toward this into a larger black hole.” less methanol and ammonia. Ice in France and colleagues showed present in comets.” Oct. 3, 2017 Car-free day Parisians were encouraged to roller-blade, bike or stroll through the City of Light on Sunday for a ‘car-free’ day intended to leave the streets vacant 9 for slower, clean forms of transport. Society

Reading poetry Older persons key players beneficial for children

Many parents take the time to read picture books and board books to their young children every day. But did you know poetry can also be in global development agenda very beneficial for children? Reading poetry aloud to and with your young children can have benefits that last for years. There are many reasons why poetry is significant for young read- By Shamshad Akhtar* ers. Research has shown that poetry motivates children to read, builds phonemic awareness and builds essential skills like vocabu- s the proportion of the older persons across the lary, fluency, expression, and writing. Each of these is crucial for Asia-Pacific region increases exponentially, we children to develop in order to become strong readers, heraldextra. Amust seek out new and innovative approaches com wrote. to turn this demographic trend into an opportunity to be According to Reading Rockets, good readers are “phonemically harnessed to help achieve the ambitious targets of the aware, understand the alphabetic principle, apply these skills in a 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. rapid and fluent manner, possess strong vocabularies and syntactical The number of older persons in the region is expected and grammatical skills, and relate reading to their own experiences”. to more than double, from 535 million in 2015 to about By exposing children to poetry, both by reading and writing po- 1.3 billion by 2050, we need to consider the myriad im- etry, we are helping them gain those foundational skills that lead to pact of this phenomenon on our economies, societies, and later reading success. Scholastic highlighted Regie Routman, a lan- livelihoods, according to a press release sent by the UN. guage arts teacher who teaches 1st and 2nd grade who has seen his Ignoring this challenge is likely to have profound con- students grow and develop through writing free verse. sequences. We cannot leave the care of older persons to “I was amazed at how creative and insightful all (the) kids be- families alone nor can we ignore the need for progres- came. Students who struggled with forming letters and words, writ- sive health care and income security schemes. ing sentences, and who found writing in school burdensome, blos- Future economic growth cannot be assured by the cur- somed in this genre. rent and projected working-age population. The ratio of “Free from restrictions in content, form, space, length, conven- people of working-age to older persons is decreasing tions, and rhyme, they could let their imaginations soar. Proficient sharply, and in most countries of the Asia-Pacific region, writers also shone. For all children, their choice of words improved, less than a third of the working-age population contrib- and their joy in innovating surfaced.” utes to a pension scheme. Traditional systems rely on the family to support their aging relatives — both financially as well as providing care for those who need it. However, with smaller fami- lies, there will be fewer family members in working- cnbc.com age to shoulder this responsibility. Declining support ratios also have implications on existing social security incomes tend to be more advanced in the aging process. alienation. schemes, particularly pay-as-you-go pension systems, Some countries became old before becoming rich, We can turn the phenomenon of population aging into under which the contributions paid by current workers such as Georgia, Armenia and Sri Lanka with per capita a second demographic dividend, with financially-secure, support the pensions of retirees. incomes between $3,500 and $4,100 and a proportion of healthy older persons, empowered to focus their decades When one considers the differences in the average age older persons between 13 and almost 20 percent. of accumulated experience, wisdom and wealth to stimu- at marriage, coupled with the longer life expectancy of To economically benefit from our aging populations, late new economic growth. heraldextra.com women, women outlive their spouses on average by a we must ensure that older persons who want to work With the right preparation, we can benefit from a That joy in learning — and specifically in poetry — can begin range of 4 to 10 years. have the right to and are provided with opportunities golden generation of healthy, wealthy and active older when children are very young. Many children’s books, including Yet, as the proportion of women in the population in- for re-employment. The statutory retirement age across persons. In 2002, the UN brought countries together in picture and board books, are written in meter. Some of the most well- creases with age, women are less likely than men to have Asia and the Pacific is low, considering the current and Madrid to agree on a global way forward: To treat older beloved children’s authors, use poetry to strengthen young children’s adequate pension benefits or control over assets, such as increasing life expectancies, resulting in long retirement persons as actors of development; to ensure their health literacy skills while creating entertaining stories and messages. land, in their old age. Special social protection measures duration. and well-being; and to create enabling and supportive Poetry is also a healthy way for children to express their feelings, are required to redress the feminization of poverty, in Eliminating age barriers in the formal labor mar- environments for them. especially during emotionally challenging situations. It helps chil- particular among older women. ket would help to ease the fiscal pressure on pension dren understand themselves and others, allowing them to cultivate There is a linear relationship — although not a cau- schemes and healthcare systems. Allowing older per- *Dr. Shamshad Akhtar is under-secretary-general of valuable qualities like compassion and empathy. sality — between GDP per capita and the level of popu- sons to work as long as they are able and willing would the United Nations and executive secretary of the Eco- One of the reasons why poetry can help children develop empathy lation aging, which shows that countries with higher sustain their self-sufficiency and reduce their social nomic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific. and express creativity is that there’s room for personal interpretation. Reading poetry out loud can help you experience it more fully, and unveil the deeper meaning of the poem. Selecting poetry books for young kids that are funny, interesting, or relates to the experiences they’re having, can help improve their literacy and improve motivation to read. Teach kids about money in school Writing and reading poetry is a rewarding endeavor for any age, that has a myriad of benefits. Using poetry as a tool in children’s edu- By Dhirendra Kumar* the end users. cation is helpful, and is a fun literacy strengthening activity that can In fact, some months back, I wrote help children learn in a different way. Over the decades that I have been asked about how a study had shown how fi- by people about their personal finances, nancial literacy was negatively correlat- I have never ceased to be amazed by the ed with the quality of personal financial Poverty fight goes on at stone gate abysmal level of knowledge that they management. The reason was that most have about this subject. of what passes for financial literacy is in China People who have worked success- actually happy talk about what wonder- fully at their professions for years and ful financial products are available, with It has never been easy to make a difference in Shimen, a place hid- have deep skills and competence in little attention paid to the actual funda- den in the mountains in southwest China’s Guizhou Province. their chosen vocation, have no idea mentals which would enable people to Shimen, translated as ‘stone gate’, had its share of fame about how investments, insurance and even take their own decisions. 110 years ago due to the dedication of British pastor Samuel Pol- banking works, The Times of India re- Typically, young people get to know lard, who in China was known as Bo Geli, and his followers, but it ported. money only in the ways they deal with never fully escaped poverty. People here have persistently struggled One typical pattern is of successful it. They get it from their parents and they against isolation and destitution, and the battle is still on, according people earning crores of rupees in their spend it. They see their parents swipe to Xinhua. careers, and investing it all in real estate. indiatimes.com cards at shops and ATMs, and that’s all. At the beginning of 20th century, Pollard, a British missionary ar- Now, as they near the end of their work- works? How would they know? Who available in the media, one must already Of course, things like this should ideally rived at Weining County, which administers Shimen township. Shi- ing life, some of them are realizing that do we think would tell them, or teach have a basic level of knowledge. How- be taught by parents. men was known as Shimenkan at the time. if at all there ever was any logic in this them? ever, a complete lack of knowledge is However, that’s another chicken-and- Pollard pioneered modern education in the community, where eth- kind of financial management, it - cer The uncomfortable answer to these the problem to begin with. egg situation, because our starting point nic Miao people lived. He founded Guanghua elementary school in tainly isn’t there now. questions is personal finance is not part In effect, the only sources of knowl- was that the parents don’t know any- 1905. One is tempted to ask, why does this of any education that anyone receives in edge that seek out and actively tries to thing much either. Shimen once flourished under external influence, however, it went happen? However, that’s the wrong school or college, nor is there any trust- carry the message to the audience are There may actually be only one solu- into decline since the 1940s due to remoteness, poor infrastructure question to ask, and more than a lit- worthy way to acquire such knowledge. the sellers of financial products them- tion to this problem, which is the uni- and failing education. tle patronizing. Instead, the question to Sure, people can turn to the media, as selves. However, this education is actu- versal inclusion of personal finance as a Over 1.48 million people live in Weining, an autonomous ethnic ask is, “Why shouldn’t it happen?” Why readers of this column are doing. How- ally just a sales message, and is a cure topic in formal education. county in western Guizhou, inhabited by Yi, Hui and Miao people. should we expect people — even edu- ever, it is a sort of a chicken-or-egg worse than the disease. It’s almost a rule Even today, about 13 percent of the population there are still strug- cated people — to have a proper idea situation. To seek out, filter and evalu- that the more lucrative a financial prod- *Dhirendra Kumar is the founder and gling under the poverty line. Per capital annual income is under about how the world of personal finance ate the learning and information that is uct is for its sellers, the worse it is for CEO of Value Research. 2,300 yuan ($353). The poverty rate in Shimen is around 25 percent. In 2015, Shimen became a liaison point for Chen Min’er, Com- munist Party chief of Guizhou at the time. Chen has went to Shimen three times to personally direct anti-poverty efforts here. In Guizhou, 20 provincial leaders were sent to lead poverty-relief If addiction is a disease, should relapse mean jail time? work in 20 ‘extremely poor’ towns. New houses, roads and power grids are under construction in Shi- Less than two weeks after a court ordered Julie Eldred to alley, or a person who is destitute chooses not to pay court- Emily Snyder, a spokeswoman for Healey, said in an men. Investment in schools has greatly increased. not use drugs while on probation, she tested positive for the ordered fees or restitution,” her attorneys wrote in their email, “Research shows that drug-free testing can help Poverty must end at this generation, not the next, and the only powerful opioid fentanyl. The woman, who has severe sub- brief to Massachusetts’ highest court, which is set to hear probationers reach recovery goals, and testing can help de- means to get rid of it is through better education, Chen told teachers stance use disorder, spent the next 10 days behind bars in the case on Monday. fendants remain engaged in treatment and avoid long-term at Minzu Middle School in a visit. Massachusetts until her lawyer could find a bed for her at a Most addiction specialists — including groups such as incarceration.” The school has been completely renovated at cost of over 97 mil- treatment facility. the National Institute on Drug Abuse and American Society Eldred was charged with larceny for stealing jewelry and lion yuan ($15 million). In a unique case that could have big implications, Eldred of Addiction Medicine — view substance use disorder as a sentenced to one year of probation, which allows people to Li Zhengdong, the principal, said, “It is very expensive to build a is now challenging the practice of requiring people with ad- brain disease that interferes with a person’s ability to control avoid jail or prison if they meet certain conditions. She was school on a mountain like ours. The walls and underlying structure diction to remain drug free as a condition of probation. The their desire to use drugs. participating in outpatient treatment when she relapsed and cost over 40 million yuan.” 29-year-old argued that by jailing people with substance But the Massachusetts attorney general’s office and oth- violated no other conditions of her probation when she was Now the school, where 1,044 students study, has air-conditioned use disorder for failing to stay clean, courts are unfairly ers fighting Eldred’s case argue that the probation condi- sent to jail, where she received no treatment. classrooms, new labs and well-equipped libraries, punishing users for something beyond their control, abc- tions — which are used widely across the country — help Her lawyers say her incarceration was unconstitutional Before 2015, the school ranked almost the lowest in the county news.go.com wrote. users on their path to recovery. The practice should be up- and that her probation violation was not ‘willful’. in terms of performance, but this year it ranked second. Students in “Julie Eldred did not ‘choose’ to relapse any more than held because people with addiction maintain the ability to Assistant Attorney General Maria Granik said in her brief Shimen had very good scores in high school entrance exams, Zheng- a person who has hypertension chooses to have high blood make choices, Attorney General Maura Healey’s office ar- that Eldred’s stint behind bars may have helped save her dong said. pressure, a person who is homeless chooses to sleep in an gues. life, “given the dangerous nature of fentanyl in particular”. Oct. 3, 2017 French proverb 10 Impossible isn’t French. Entertainment

Airbus plane engine disintegrates mid-air Paws for laughter: Animal antics on flight from Paris to Los Angeles caught on camera assengers reacted with image of the engine and wrote: horror after the engine of “This is the reason ground crews Crazy party animals show their Pan Air France plane from had to pick up pieces of the plane whinnying ways — with this ze- Paris to the USA disintegrated in off the runway after landing.” bra the joker in chief. the sky, forcing the aircraft into Goose Bay airport is a small The headless penguins, squir- an emergency landing. site not normally equipped to rel in a feeder and snowballing Horrifying video footage handle such large aircraft, ac- monkey are just some of thou- showed part of the plane’s en- cording to passengers. sands of images sent into the gine flapping in the air as it flew Air France said in a state- Comedy Wildlife Photography over the Atlantic Ocean with ment: “Air France confirms that Awards, mirror.co.uk wrote. 520 passengers on board, mir- the crew of flight AF66 decided These feature in a hilarious ror.co.uk reported. TWITTER to divert to Goose Bay airport book which gives 10 percent of A map showing the course of the Travelers described how eve- plane before its emergency landing. following serious damage on its sale revenue to animal charity rything seemed normal until one of its four engines. Born Free Foundation. they heard a ‘loud thud and a lot “The plane landed safely Contest judge and comedian of vibration’ before the pilot de- at 3:42 p.m. and the regularly Hugh Dennis, who wrote its clared a mayday. trained pilots and cabin crew foreword, said: “Animals, inad- Ground crews were left to emergency landing in Canada. handled this serious incident vertently, can be hilarious.” “pick up pieces of the plane Another, named Daniel Mc- perfectly. from the runway”, one passen- Neely, said: “I’m on board. One “The passengers are currently The mangled front of the engine ger added. where the metal has been shredded. of our engines is slightly blown being assisted by teams dis- Flight records show the Air- apart. Just glad to be on the patched to the location. bus A380 aircraft, traveling the plane’s four engines before it ground.” “Air France is currently work- under flight number AF66, was landed safely. He later added, alongside a ing to re-route the passengers diverted to Canada’s Goose Bay. One traveler said on Twitter photo of the engine: “I think the to Los Angeles via one of its Air France confirmed there the engine had “blown over the engine has seen better days.” connecting platforms in North was serious damage to one of Atlantic Ocean”, leading to the Peter Cowan also shared an America.”

COMEDY WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS Man woken up by mysterious noises gets most amazing surprise PICTURE OF THE DAY When a photographer awoke to strange curtain. And right there, 2ft away, was a sounds coming from outside his house, he lynx kitten. He was sitting there watching may well have feared there was an intruder his sibling’s race by. trying to get in. “They were running back and forth, Living in Alaska, that intruder could pouncing on each other. I started snapping have been a bear or some other type of away. I thought, ‘Wow! What incredible wildlife you may not wish to come face to luck. This is just wonderful’!” face with first thing in the morning while Despite living close to an area populated still in your pajamas, according to mirror. by all sorts of wildlife, Tim had only seen co.uk. lynx a handful of times so was quite excited. But Tim Newton just couldn’t put his “They were so cute. It was cute-tastic,” finger on what was making the mystery he added. sound, so he bravely crept over to the After a while the kittens scampered off screen door and looked out onto the deck- and Tim assumed playtime was over but TIM NEWTON PHOTOGRAPHY ing to find out exactly what was creating The kittens played outside Tim’s Alaska home he was wrong — it had only just started — the strange scrambling sound. for about 40 minutes. and the kittens soon returned with a further And the sight that greeted him more than three siblings and mum. made up for the early morning awakening. And he had plenty of time to get perfect As he watched the young kittens wres- Four cute lynx kittens were playing on photos as the family of felines hung around tling, rolling around and chasing each oth- Tim’s porch and they were soon joined by for about 40 minutes. er he admitted he felt a certain amount of three siblings and their mum. Speaking to The Dodo, Tim said: ““It was admiration for mum for keeping them all Luckily, being a photographer, Tim had right near dawn. I heard some noises; it was under control. a camera to hand and managed to snap like something scrambling on the deck. He joked: “She has her hands full. I’ve these adorable shots of the cats, which he “Coming out of my slumber, I thought, concluded that lynx must spend one per- later posted to his Facebook page, Tim ‘What the heck is that?’ So I put on my cent of their waking lives chasing rabbits, XINHUA/REX SHUTTERSTOCK Newton Photography. bathrobe and slowly eased back the and 99 percent chasing their kids.” Mount Sinabung is seen spewing hot lava into the air from Sukendi Village in North Sumatra, Indonesia.

Octo-Cross DOWN ACROSS 1. Leguminous plant 1. Priggish Sudoku 2. Chafe 5. Crony 3. Anger 8. Currency Sudoku was inspired by the table devised by Iranian mathema- 4. Slogan 9. Mature tician Khwarazmi. Fill 9×9 grid with digits so that each column, 5. Hurt 10. Assist in wrongdoing each row and each of the nine 3×3 sub-grids that compose the grid, 6. Extremely excited 11. Electrically charged particle contains all of the digits from 1 to 9. 7. Optical device 12. Gripping device 13. Fertile part of a desert 14. Beverage 14. Cloak 17. In the past 15. Fiend 18. Pop 16. Temperate 22. On the affirmative side 19. Mineral 23. Metallic element 20. Female animal 24. Snakelike fish 21. Conjunction 25. Outstanding tournament player

Yesterday’s solution Oct. 3, 2017 Rickie retires Former England striker Rickie Lambert, 35, who used to play as forward in Southampton, Liverpool and West Brom, announced his retirement 11 from football. Sports Queiroz announces Iran’s roster Iran counting on Goa to power for Togo, Russia friendlies FIFA World Cup U-17 challenge Iran’s head coach Carlos Queiroz announced the names on the final roster of his squad for the forthcoming friendlies against Togo and Russia as part of preparations slamic Republic of Iran is hoping for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. its familiarity with Goa will give On Sunday, the 64-year-old Portuguese picked Alireza Beiranvand, Alireza Ha- Iit additional power in the FIFA qiqi, Hamed Lak and Rashid Mazaheri as goalkeepers, Press TV reported. U-17 World Cup 2017 which kicks The defenders are Saeid Aqaei, Rouzbeh Cheshmi, Ehsan Hajsafi, Jalal Hosseini, off on Friday. Vouria Ghafouri, Hossein Kana’anizadegan, Milad Mohammadi, Morteza Pour- Goa was the scene of Iran’s run to Ali-Ganji and Ramin Rezaeian. the AFC U-16 Championship final last year, which it lost on penalties to Iraq, the-afc.com reported. The loss in the final aside, Iran has fond memories of Goa and is hopeful that this can help it sustain a strong challenge against the world’s best U-17 teams. Drawn in Group C, Iran has Guin- ea, Germany and Costa Rica for com- pany but head coach Abbas Chama- nian believes in his team’s chances. “It’s awesome to return to the same city where we spent 22 days. We played six difficult and memorable matches at the Jawaharlal Nehru Sta- dium (Fatorda) but now the situation at the World Cup will be different. “We are trying to make the play- ers realize that we will face stronger MOHAMMADREZA ABBASI/mehrnews.com teams and the conditions will be dif- The Iranian side’s midfielders are Ahmad Abdollahzadeh, Vahid Amiri, Ashkan ferent too. We feel that returning to Dejagah, Omid Ebrahimi, Saeid Ezattolahi, Akbar Imani and Mehdi Torabi. Goa is a good omen for us,” the Iran Moreover, Queiroz has selected Sardar Azmoun, Karim Ansarifard, Saman head coach said in recent interviews. Ghoddos, Reza Ghoochannejhad, Alireza Jahanbakhsh, Kaveh Rezaei and Mehdi While Chamanian is quietly confi- the-afc.com Taremi as his team’s forwards in its upcoming friendlies. dent Iran can impress, his immediate reach that target,” said Chamanian. Fabulous in friendlies Iran’s lead in the 80th minute and target is for the team to emulate the And with Goa filled with happy Saeid Karimi made it 3-0 with two Difficult decision 2009 squad which made the quarter- memories, Iran may well go one bet- On Sunday, Chamanian’s boys de- minutes remaining. finals. ter than it did in the AFC U-16 Cham- feated Mexico 3-0 in the Costa del The Iranian U-17 side had already An interesting point about Queiroz’s new list is the presence of the Iranian-Swed- “The group looks tough as there pionship when the curtains come Sol 2017 Friendly Match Week in defeated France 4-0 in its first match ish midfielder Ghoddos, who currently plays for Sweden’s Östersund, in it. isn’t much that separates teams in age down on the FIFA U-17 World Cup Marbella Football Center in San Pe- on September 28. In late September, he finally decided to wear the jersey of Iran’s national football group tournaments but having seen India on October 28. dro de Alcántara, southern Spain, as a Iran’s remarkable performance team despite being invited to play for Sweden, the Swedish TV announced. videos of recent matches involving part of their preparation for the world in its two friendly matches prior The 24-year-old midfielder, whose side Östersund FK tops the Group J of Eu- Germany and Guinea, I feel that all Iran’s Group C Fixtures Cup 2017. to the worldwide tournament in ropa League, was recently called on by Carlos Queiroz to play for Iran while he had the teams are equally strong. October 7: vs. Guinea Mohammad Qaderi scored the Goa, shows that Chamanian’s side played in two friendly matches for Sweden and scored a goal. “However, we have a common October 10: vs. Germany opener for Iran 65 minutes into the is a tough rival for any team in its On August 25, 2017, Ghoddos revealed in an interview that he acquired his Ira- goal and are working as a team to October 13: vs. Costa Rica match. Sobhan Khaqani extended group. nian passport from the embassy. The following day, August 26, he announced on his Instagram page that he would be joining Iran for their 2018 World Cup qualifiers against South Korea and Syria. Ghoddos was called up for the first time for the Iran senior team training camps on August 27, 2017 by Queiroz for matches against South Korea and Syria. Guardiola: Barcelona should not have played After Ghoddos could not make his debut for Iran due to administrative issues with FIFA, he was named in the Sweden’s World Cup qualification squad on September 27 for matches against Luxembourg and Netherlands. He told the Swedish side that he will make his decision by September 28. Later, amid referendum violence Sweden’s Fotbollskanalen said Ghoddos had finally decided to play for Iran. Pep Guardiola believed Sunday’s match between Bar- accept questions, continue being the Prime Minister of eastern Spain, has its own language and culture and He later told a Swedish website that he is grateful to Andersson, the head coach of celona and Las Palmas should not have gone ahead. all Spaniards. Barcelona is its capital. Sweden, for giving him the extraordinary option, but he has made his final decision The former Barca boss also called on Spanish Prime “The laws are different now to 30 years ago. Every- It also has a high degree of autonomy, but is not rec- and he will play for Iran. Minister Mariano Rajoy to answer questions after vio- thing’s changed. The message from the Prime Minister of ognized as a separate nation under the Spanish constitu- Iran will take on Togo at Azadi Stadium in the Iranian capital of Tehran on Octo- lent scenes broke out during Catalonia’s unofficial in- the Government, from the opposition, has made me sad. tion. ber 5, before playing against Russia at Kazan Arena in Kazan five days later. dependence referendum, skysports.com re- The Iranian team defeated Uzbekistan 2-0 at Azadi Stadium on Jun 13, and quali- ported. Jeered during Spain games fied for the 2018 World Cup in Moscow. Amid that backdrop of rising tensions in the city, Barca had attempted to get its fixture with Pique has played 91 times for Spain but has Las Palmas postponed but, after seeing its re- become a divisive figure because of his stance quest rejected by La Liga, ended up playing on the referendum. Germany’s Winfried Schäfer the match behind closed doors, winning 3-0. During their June friendly against Colom- “I wouldn’t have played the Barca-Las Pal- bia in Murcia, a city in south east Spain, he mas game, not at all.” Guardiola told Catalu- was jeered frequently by supporters who op- takes helm at Esteghlal of Iran nya Radio. pose Catalan independence. Sports Desk “And if it did have to be played, then not Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos has in- behind closed doors. You do it with the public tervened to ask fans to show his international German football coach Winfried Schäfer was appointed at the helm of Iran’s Persian there. With all the consequences.” colleague “respect”. Gulf Pro League club Esteghlal on Monday. The 46-year-old Catalan, who represented Before Sunday’s game against Las Palmas, Schäfer as well as former Real Madrid coach Bernd Schuster (Germany) and ex- Barcelona for over two decades as a player Pique posted a picture on Twitter of him vot- Al Hilal boss Zlatko Dalic (Croatia) were the final three candidates for the position, and coach, was also left shocked by the scenes ing in the referendum. varzesh3.com reported. of violence that were broadcast around the skysports.com The former Manchester United defender world as attempts to shut down the polls by Spain’s “Why can’t we learn from the British, who have had wrote: “I have already voted. Together we are unstop- Guardia Civil led to clashes. many more years of democracy than us?” pable defending democracy. The Spanish government had declared the referen- On his team’s Sunday match, he said, “The board dum – in which voters were being asked whether they Pique proposal tried to suspend the match, but it wasn’t possible. We wish Catalonia to become an independent republic – to debated it and the club decided we should play. be illegal. Guardiola’s reaction came as, following Barcelona’s “I am and I feel Catalan, today more than ever. I am “The images don’t lie, there were people who wanted Sunday match, the team’s defender Gerard Pique said proud of the behavior of the people of Catalonia. Voting to vote and they’ve been attacked with violence,” added he will retire from international football before the is a right that must be defended.” Guardiola. World Cup if his support for Catalonia’s independence Pique believed Sunday’s events will cause further po- “There are more than 700 hurt... people who were go- referendum is deemed a problem. litical instability in Spain. ing to vote, not rob a bank. The 30-year-old described his side’s fixture against “For a moment I couldn’t believe it,” he told the AFP “Spain will try to hide the reality, but the rest of the Las Palmas as his “hardest game”. agency. “I thought they would try to block the vote but world’s media will show it. The images are clear and “I think I can continue,” said Pique. they would try to do it in a peaceful manner. everybody knows what has happened. “But if the board really thinks I’m a problem, I will “It wasn’t like that, but at least the whole world has sport1.de “We don’t want them to think that we don’t like take a step back and leave the national team before seen it. He will be Esteghlal’s first foreign head coach after 15 years. Spain. Spain is an incredible country, with its literature, 2018. “This decision has made things a lot worse. It is one The German coach, who was without a team after parting company with Jamaica sport, cities... but you need to understand that there’s a “There are many people in Spain who disagree with of the worst decisions made by this country in 40 or in September 2016, replaced former Iranian football player Alireza Mansourian in population who want to decide their future. what happened today and believe in democracy.” 50 years. “It has only served to separate Catalonia and the Tehran-based club. “The Prime Minister of the Spanish government must Catalonia, a region of 7.5 million people in north- Spain more and it will have consequences.” After the news was announced, a source close to the Iranian club said the 67-year- old coach will travel to Tehran within the next two days (today or tomorrow). Schafer started his coaching career at Borussia Mönchengladbach II in 1982. He has also coached VfB Stuttgart, Tennis Borussia Berlin, Cameroon, Thailand and British javelin thrower Joanna Blair was provisionally summer. Emirati football clubs Al Ain and Al Ahli. British javelin thrower suspended after failing an anti-doping test. UK Athletics said the 31-year-old has been charged Esteghlal sacked Mansourian in mid-September after the side’s dire results in the Blair, who won the British title last year with a per- with committing an anti-doping rule violation. current season (2017-18) of Iran’s Persian Gulf Pro League. Blair suspended sonal best of of 57.44 meters, has the chance to appeal Blair is accused of breaching International Associa- Primarily, the popular Iranian team entered negotiations with Turkey’s Fatih Trim and the right to a full hearing, BBC reported. tion of Athletics Federations’ anti-doping rule, article but it failed to reach an agreement with the former Turkey coach due to financial is- Blair, from Luton, represented Great Britain at the 2.1, which concerns the “presence of a prohibited sue. Following that, local media suggested that Italian Walter Zenga was on the list, in doping case European Athletics Team Championships in Lille this substance or its metabolites or markers in a sample”. but Esteghlal ruled out the possibility of hiring him. Oct. 3, 2017 Imam Hussein (PBUH): I did not rise up for the cause of wickedness, amusement, corruption or oppression, but I rose up to reform the Muslim community of my grandfather [Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)]. I wanted to promote virtue 12 and prevent vice. Art & Culture

License Holder: Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) Italian historians Managing Director: Sadreddin Mousavi Editor-in-Chief: Kambakhsh Khalaji Editorial Dept. Tel: +98 21 88755761-2 Editorial Dept. Fax: +98 21 88761869 unearth remains of Subscription Dept. Tel: +98 21 88521954, +98 21 88748800 ICPI Publisher: +98 21 88548892, 5 Advertising Dept. Tel & Email: +98 21 88500617 - [email protected] We b s it e : http://www.irandailyonline.ir Galashiels war hero Email: [email protected] Printing House: Iran Cultural & Press Institute Historians believe they have found the remains of a Galashiels war hero in Italy. Add.: Iran Cultural & Press Institute, #208 Khorramshahr Avenue Tehran/Iran Captain Robert Donald Brown singlehandedly held off Iran Daily has no responsibility whatsoever for the advertisements and promotional material printed in the newspaper. a German attack in the days following the Allied landings at Salerno, south of Naples, armed only with a pistol and hand grenades. Captain Brown was serving with The Leicestershire Regiment, when he led a company attack against a Ger- Top director Berliner man-held position known as White Cross Hill, bordertel- egraph.com reported. Iranian filmmaker Anvari During some of the most intense fighting of World War among guests honoring Two, and under heavy machine gunfire, he managed to storm the hill and take a German trench. But the 28-year-old was killed during the fierce battle which ensued — and his body was never recovered. joins BFI London jury Brazil film industry in Iran Now historians believe that it is Captain Brown’s re- Art & Culture Desk mains that were unearthed earlier this year following the more recent discovery last month of an inscribed silver Majidi’s ‘Beyond the Clouds’ in lineup Prominent Brazilian director bracelet just 10 yards away from the skeleton. Roberto Berliner will attend the Brazilian Film Week in Iran which is scheduled to begin on October 7 and run through October 13 in Teh- ran, Shiraz and Isfahan. The event will feature seven Bra- zilian movies. The international depart- ment of Art and Experience Cinema will hold the open- ing ceremony of the Film Week on Saturday in a cere- mony which will be attended by Brazilian Ambassador to Iran Rodrigo de Azeredo Santos, envoys from other novocine.es countries, cinema managers and artists in Iranian Artist Forum. Berliner was born on 1957 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He is a director and bordertelegraph.com producer, known for ‘Nise: The Heart of Madness’ (2015), ‘A Farra do The bracelet is inscribed ‘R Donald Brown’ and con- cinemapress.ir blog.namava.ir Circo’ (2014) and ‘Herbert de Perto’ (2009). He has won several awards tains the army number 121662 as well as the abbreviation Compiled from Dispatches ficial competition. ‘Certain Women’. from renowned festivals including Grande Prêmio do Cinema Brasileiro, ‘Pres’ to signify his Presbyterian faith. The official competi- Additional juries will de- San Francisco International Film Festival and Tokyo International Film Amateur historian Matteo D’angella, who is a member ranian filmmaker Babak tion lineup comprises Robin cide winners in the festival’s Festival. of Salerno 1943 research group, said: “The leather dog Anvari will be on the Campillo’s ‘120 Beats Per First Feature, Documentary In late June, the Brazilian ambassador said, “We would like to present tags were easily destroyed in battle so some soldiers had Ipanel of jury at this year’s Minute’; Vivian Qu’s ‘Angels and Short Film competitions. all the aspects of Brazilian culture, such as literature and art, to Iranians.” their name and number inscribed on bracelets or tags so 61st BFI London Film Festi- Wear White’; Nora Twomey’s Producer and composer The very famous Brazilian director, Carlos Diegues — also known as that their bodies could be identified if they were killed.” val. ‘The Breadwinner’; Juliana Melissa Parmenter (‘The Cacá Diegues — is also invited to take part in the event. Diegues, known Donald Brown was born in 1915 in Galashiels and was Oscar-winning director Rojas and Marco Dutra’s Face of an Angel’) will head as the father of modern Brazilian cinema and a member of the Cinema educated at St Mary’s Preparatory School in Melrose, and Andrea Arnold will head the ‘Good Manners’; Xavier up the jury of the First Feature Novo movement, has accepted the invitation. at Merchiston Castle School in Edinburgh. festival’s official competition Beauvois’ ‘The Guardians’; Competition this year; Oscar- Azeredo Santos said, “During the week, a number of seminars and dis- He had passed his first year examination at the Royal jury while Emma Thomas, Andrew Haigh’s ‘Lean On winning producer John Batt- cussions are planned. We also intend to show some of the movies by the Veterinary College in Edinburgh when war broke out. producer of ‘Dunkirk’ and the Pete’; Andrey Zvyagintsev’s sek will serve as jury head director and hold meetings between him and Iranian cineastes.” In July 1939 he joined the 165 Officer Cadet Training Oscar-nominated ‘Inception’ ‘Loveless’; Azazel Jacobs’ for the Documentary Com- Speaking about the potentials of bilateral cooperation, the ambassador Unit at Dunbar. will also serve on the jury. ‘The Lovers’; Warwick petition; and ‘The Red Turtle’ said that Brazilians and Iranians are also very creative. Street art in Iranian And the following March, 24-year-old Donald was com- Joining the panel of the of- Thornton’s ‘Sweet Country’; director Michael Dudok de cities is really great. There are a large number of paintings and graffiti, by missioned into The King’s Own Scottish Borderers, and ficial competition jury are ac- Cory Finley’s ‘Thorough- Wit will chair the Short Film Iranian artists, on the walls in Tehran’s streets and alleys. posted to the 9th Battalion. tors Eric Bana and Lily Cole; breds’; and Annemarie Jacir’s Competition. “We also intend to bring Brazilian graffitists to Iran and provide them In May 1943, he was attached to the 2/5th Battalion the programmer Ashley Clark; ‘Wajib’. The awards will be present- with the opportunity to meet their Iranian counterparts and perhaps be- Leicestershire Regiment while fighting in Tunisia. and Alexei Popogrebsky, The festival’s Best Film ed at a ceremony October 14. gin cooperation in a project here. This, however, should be discussed with It was with the Tigers battalion that he took part in the head of directing at Moscow Award recognizes inspiring, As announced, British film- Tehran Municipality in advance.” landings at Salerno. Film School, Variety wrote. inventive and distinctive film- maker Paul Greengrass will He stated, “Before coming to Iran, I got in touch with a major TV net- On September 16, 1943 while commanding a company Meanwhile, ‘Beyond the making, with the jury select- receive this year’s BFI Fel- work in Brazil, and helped them organize a two parts documentary about of 2/5th Leicesters he was posted missing in action. Clouds’, by renowned Iranian ing the winner from a short- lowship at the ceremony. Iran, which was broadcasted in prime time on Brazilian TV last week. Captain Brown was awarded a posthumous Distin- director Majid Majidi, will be list of 12 titles. Last year’s The London Film Festival “We were able to show the true image of Iran, its kind people and admi- guished Service Order in 1946 “in recognition of gallant in the lineup for this year’s of- winner was Kelly Reichardt’s runs from October 4 to 15. rable culture, without the misconceptions about the country that we usu- and distinguished services in the field”. ally see in the international media.” The citation which appeared in The Scotsman on March 23, 1946 stated: “In an attack near Salerno in September 1943, Captain Brown, alone and armed only with a pistol Montenegro keen to deepen Iran ties and grenades, held the summit of a hill against continued assaults, and was last seen being attacked on all sides, af- Montenegro has voiced willingness to en- tural delegation between the two coun- ter he had killed a number of the enemy. “Unsupported, he hance ties with Iran in various fields, said tries. inspired his company to renewed efforts to reach him and the Montenegrin culture minister. Ambassador Molla-Abdollahi hoped to drive back the enemy.” Janko Ljumovic, in a meeting with that cultural cooperation between the Captain Brown is commemorated on the Cassino Me- Iran’s accredited Ambassador to Monte- two countries would promote reciprocal morial in Italy and on the Merchiston Castle School war negro Hossein Molla-Abdollahi in Cet- recognition of the two nations and gov- memorial. inje on Monday, pointed to Iran’s cultural ernments. He added such reciprocal ac- His name is also inscribed in the Commonwealth War and civilization contributions to human quaintances will pave the way for mutual Graves Commission cemetery at Montecassino — the site community, and said that cooperation cooperation. of another savage battle between the Allies and the Ger- with a country with such rich cultural and Iran’s envoy in Montenegro pointed to mans during Italy offensive. civilizational heritage for several thou- his talks with political officials in waiv- Other artefacts, including belt buckles, buttons and am- sand years is so valuable for Montenegro, ing visa requirements between the two munition, found with the remains earlier this year also in- IRNA wrote. countries, which, he said, could enhance dicate the soldier was British. He said that one of bright visions of bilateral cultural, tourism and economic The amateur historical group who recovered the remains Iran’s culture is its cinema, which is so in- relations. and the bracelet believe Captain Brown’s family can now spiring and valuable for the entire human Referring to Iran’s active participa- be given closure, 74 years after his death. society. tion in Montenegro book exhibition, the Salerno 1943 members are appealing to British military Ljumovic expressed his country’s read- Iranian envoy called on Montenegro to authorities to carry out DNA testing on the skeleton and iness to cooperate with Iran in fields such take part in Tehran International Book match it with DNA from any surviving relatives of Cap- as film industry, music, painting, theater Fair. tain Brown. and cultural heritage, and welcomed a Montenegro is located in southern Eu- proposal on exchanging media and cul- rope and its currency is euro. IRNA Weather 27 17 14 38 23 33 17 23 7 21 8 14 29 13 11 8 15 8 22 8 29 22 Bandar Anzali Dezful Yazd Mashhad Tabriz Tehran Kabul Minsk Stockholm Tashkent Tripoli