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16 Pages Price 20,000 Rials 1.00 EURO 4.00 AED 39th year No.13288 Wednesday DECEMBER 26, 2018 Dey 5, 1397 Rabi’ Al thani 18, 1440

Figures saddened over Iranian, Russian, Opera “Carmen” to go Congratulations on Ayatollah Shahroudi’s generals meet on stage for women-only the birth anniversary of Jesus Christ to all passing 2 in Tehran 2 audience 16 monotheists in the world

See page 4 Payam Satellite to be sent into orbit TECHNOLOGY TEHRAN – The the Payam Satellite will be completed deskPayam Satellite, and delivered by Friday. manufactured by Amirkabir Univer- He praised the aerospace activities sity of Technology, will be launched of the university saying that the Zafar Rouhani submits into orbit in the near future, the Satellite, which is manufactured by the information and communication experts at the university, should be com- technology minister announced, pleted as soon as possible. Fars reported on Tuesday. The Zafar Satellite has double GPS Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi, accuracy in comparison with other Ira- who visited the space center at Iran Uni- nian satellite, which is crucial for the $405b budget versity of Science and Technology, said country, he said. 10 17 arrested for abusing banking, forex systems bill to Majlis POLITICS TEHRAN — The Isfahan provinces, IRNA reported. deskIntelligence Minis- The network had received foreign cur- try on Tuesday announced the arrest rency with a lower exchange rate from the ‘All U.S. plots against Iran of 17 members of a network who had government for imports, but instead had abused Iran’s banking and foreign exchanged the foreign currency at a higher 2 currency systems. rate for its benefits, the statement read. have ended in failure’ In a statement, the ministry said the It also said 87 sham companies and arrests were made in Sistan-Baluchestan, documents were identified by the intel- Tehran, Mazandaran, Qom, Kerman and ligence forces.

Majlis speaker calls for stronger Tehran-Baku ties POLITICS TEHRAN — Ira- “closer economic ties”. desknian Parliament Pointing to the friendly relations Speaker Ali Larijani described on Tues- between the two neighbors, Larijani day ties between Iran and Azerbaijan attached great importance to the as “strategic” and “praiseworthy”, and development of comprehensive ties

Majid Asgaripour called for broader economic relations. between Tehran and Baku, especially In a meeting with Speaker of the in the economic sector. National Assembly of Azerbaijan Ogtay During the meeting, the two sides Asadov in Tehran, Larijani hailed the also discussed ways to facilitate bor- longstanding and strategic relations der interactions and accelerate the between the Islamic Republic and implementation of mutual agree- Tehran Times/ Tehran Times/ Azerbaijan, and pushed for securing ments. 2

PERSPECTIVE Nothing can hold down Iran’s female footballers: Khosrowyar REPORT M.A.Saki was becoming a big sports program for girls. Ramin Hossein Abadian EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW Mehr News Agency Deputy editor-in-chief By Marjan Golpira & Masoud Hossein She was athletic at a very young age, like her parents and siblings. Her father preferred her journalist TEHRAN — Katayoun Khosrowyar, an Ameri- to play a team sport, because he saw that she can-Iranian head coach of Iran’s U-19 women’s was a team player and enjoyed being with kids Budget bill and football team, says Iranian female football players her age. Bread revolution are more determined than ever. Katayoun went quite far, as far as the football national interests “Nothing can hold Iranian women’s football- levels go, and she was going to play for a university, in Sudan ers down”, Khosrowyar, who is also known as and everyone on her team got full scholarships he rise of bread price along with loss inally the administration submitted Coach Kat, tells the Tehran Times in a recent including herself. However, that same summer of a large part of Sudan’s resources the national budget bill to parlia- interview. when she was going into her senior year, she and other issues over the years have ment for the next year which starts Katayoun, Katiana in English, was born in decided visit Iran to see relatives before her final T F Tulsa Oklahoma, an oil and gas city where her year and heading off to college, and that is when triggered protests in the African country. on March 21, 2019. As Mohammad Reza She began playing football or soccer when Sudan has been witnessing mass pro- Nobakht, director of the Management and family is affiliated with energy industry. she was five years old, mainly because soccer her story in Iran begins. 15 tests for some time. To understand the Planning Organization, had announced on depth of Sudanese’s’ horrible condition Dec. 6, there was no increase in fuel prices, it suffices to refer to an interview Reuters including gasoline, in the 1398 budget. Erdogan government certainly does not like Assad government.: ex-CIA official had conducted with a protestor who said Now we should wait and see what the getting out of Turkey’s way in northern Syria, feat” the reason for the decision. This is while he has been unable to buy a loaf of bread Majlis would decide about energy pric- EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW Erdogan agreed to downplay the issue of the some sources have spoken of the consultations for four days. es including electricity, water, and more By Javad Heirannia Saudi crown prince’s involvement in the murder between Erdogan and Trump. Can the decision The process of development in Sudan is importantly gasoline. TEHRAN — Professor Paul Pillar, who was of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.” be linked to Erdogan and tramp’s consultation? accelerating to an extent that it has reached Rouhani’s administration has only CIA intelligence analyst for 28 years, tells the Following is the text of the interview: If so, what is the agreement between Trump and the capital. Subsequently, the internet was a little time to reform the fuel subsidy Tehran Times that “The Syrian Kurds now The United States has announced that it Erdogan on the Kurdish regions? disrupted in the country and some social system. So far, more than five years of have a much stronger incentive than before will immediately leave the north-east of Syria A: It is likely that the conversation with Er- networks such as Facebook, Twitter and his two four-year presidency have passed to reach some sort of understanding with the and leave the entire Syria within the next 60 to dogan is related to Trump’s decision, although Whatsapp were filtered. Schools closed without making a serious effort to reduce Assad regime--possibly pledging loyalty to the 100 days. What are the reasons for this decision? it is only a matter of speculation as to what sort down. In two cities of Omdurman and the ever-increasing gasoline consumption. regime in return for a degree of autonomy in A: This decision was wholly a matter of Presi- of understanding the two presidents may have Atbara, police attacked demonstrators who It is true that his government has faced northeast Syria.” dent Trump wanting to fulfill a campaign promise. reached. One possibility that comes to mind is took to the streets for rising prices and renewed sanctions by the Trump adminis- Pillar says “Although the Erdogan govern- Although there are legitimate strategic reasons for that in return for getting out of Turkey’s way in reduction in liquidity, and fired tear gas. tration despite the nuclear deal, Rouhani ment certainly does not like the Assad regime, the move, Trump has repeatedly shown himself northern Syria, Erdogan agreed to downplay the According to media reports, protesters only has two more times to present budget it would be less worried about an extension of to be motivated less by international strategy issue of the Saudi crown prince’s involvement in Khartoum, not far away from the Presi- bills to the Majlis. the regime’s influence in northeastern Syria than and geopolitics than he is by domestic politics in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. dential Palace, chanted slogans calling for When studying the current year’s budget about a more independent Kurdish separatist and campaign rhetoric. Trump seems determined to stay on the side the withdrawal of Omar al-Bashir, Pres- in the winter of the 2018, Majlis opposed movement.” Trump in justifying the withdrawal of his of the crown prince, and he would welcome ident of the Sudan, from power. Some a 50 percent increase in gasoline price. He also adds that one possibility for withdrawal troops from Syria has declared that ISIS has Erdogan’s cooperation in helping to make the sources have reported about 10 deaths There is a little chance that this time the of U.S. troops from Syria is that “in return for failed in Syria and implicitly called “ISIL de- issue go away. 7 and some 22. The hub for the protestors Majlis make a different decision because a was the city of Atbara. majority of MPs do not know economics. Atbara is the second most important Most of them are mostly focusing on reelec- city, after the city of Ad-Damir, in the tion in the next year’s parliamentary polls. province of Nahr al-Neel. The office of In view of Iran’s economy, one of the the British Colonial Railway Company main approaches to build a solid economy was located in the city of Atbara, which in the face of cruel and illegal sanctions is why it is called the city of iron and fire. is to gradually put an end to unnecessary The city of Atbara is a longtime base of subsidies. This is essential in view of the the Communist Party of Sudan. For this fact that energy subsidies have always Christmas reason, throughout history the city has acted as a stroke to the national economy. been the origins of labor protests against Currently, the administration is allocating the ruling dictatorship. about $14 billion to gasoline subsidy. To celebration at Atbara is home to the office of the pres- find more about the depth of this ill-fated ident of Nile Valley University (NVU) and policy, it is enough to compare this figure to several cement factories and light food the amount that is spent on research, which Surp Grigor industries. serves as the backbone of developed econo- The first demonstration in the city of mies. Officials must feel quite self-assured Atbara was held by students and railway that this policy will lead to more extravagant Church workers in protest of bread shortage and waste of fuel. If gasoline consumption is now Christmas, commemorating the birth of began on December 19. They closed the about 100 million liters per day, it will reach Jesus Christ, was observed at Surp Grigor street leading to the radio and television higher when the Majlis is going to study the Armenian Catholic Church in Tehran on building. budget bill for the year 1390. Tuesday. Another demonstration took place While the country is facing severe The photo depicts performing a church in Alshaya area, where protesters threw

droughts and farmers are losing their Jina Abdian service associated with Christmas. stones at the building of the ruling Na- jobs and sources of income, continuing Annually billions of people around the tional Congress Party while several other to subsidize water, electricity, and gasoline

IRNA/ world mark this religious and cultural demonstrations took place in other areas. is against the basic principles of economy celebration. The number of participants in the TV street and national interests. rally reached 3,000. 7 I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y POLITICS DECEMBER 26, 2018 MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS Iran watching Figures saddened over U.S. Navy in Persian Gulf: Sayyari Ayatollah Shahroudi’s passing POLITICS TEHRAN — The U.S. Navy is under the Leader says Shahroudi’s death distressed all those who understand his status in wisdom and knowledge desk close watch of the Iranian forces in the POLITICS TEHRAN — Leader of Naser Makarem Shirazi offered condolences Persian Gulf, Habibollah Sayyari, the deputy army chief deskthe Islamic Revolution over his death. for coordination affairs, said on Tuesday. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has expressed sorrow Ayatollah Shahroudi served in many cru- Iran closely monitors anyone or any movement “in the over the death of Ayatollah Hashemi Shahroudi, cial positions in the Islamic Republic. He realm of our region”, Sayyari told IRNA. “The region we chairman of the Expediency Council. was born in 1948 in the Iraqi city of Najaf. are in has its owner.” “I received, with sorrow and grief, the news Ayatollah Shahroudi attended classes held Iran will not allow any movement to be made in its territo- of the passing away of the great faqih, the by the late founder of the Islamic Republic rial waters under the Islamic Republic’s sovereignty, he said. chairman of the Expediency Discernment Imam Khomeini in Iraq. On regional developments, he said security in the region Council, Ayatollah Haj Sayyed Mahmoud He fought against the dictatorial rule of could be guaranteed only by regional countries. Hashemi-Shahroudi (May God grant him Iraq’s Saddam Hussein and was jailed and paradise). This heartbreaking loss, after about tortured by his Baathist forces. a year of fighting with a hard and painful Ayatollah Shahroudi traveled to Iran Air Force disease, distressed all those who understand in the wake of the Islamic Revolution to his status in wisdom and knowledge, and his serve as an intermediary between Imam at ‘peak of valuable services to the Islamic establish- Khomeini and Iraqi scholars and leaders. its power’: ment and to the seminaries’ fiqh, principle, He took the helm of the Expediency Coun- and law bodies,” he wrote in his message cil in 2017 to succeed the late Ayatollah Ali commander published on the khamenei.ir website. Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani. He added, “He was a great scholar in the Ayatollah Shahroudi also served as the POLITICS TEHRAN — The Islamic Republic of desk seminary of Qom and a loyal official with head of Iran’s Judiciary for 10 years. His Iran Air Force (IRIAF) is at the “peak of the most important organizations of the attempts for speeding up due processes and its power”, IRIAF chief Aziz Nasirzadeh has said, rejecting Islamic Republic, an influential member honored family, his respectable wife and Ayatollah Shahroudi passed away at a establishing close contact with ordinary rumors that the Air Force’s military hardware and equip- of the Guardian Council, and a success- children and his relatives, as well as the hospital in Tehran after his health deteri- people were among the achievements he ment are out of date. ful leader in the Expediency Discernment Qom Seminary and his pupils, colleagues orated due to a chronic disease. was credited for. “We do not have anything called out-of-date fleet in the Council, and he left important scholarly and enthusiasts. I ask Allah the Exalted to Other figures including President Hassan He also was a member and vice president airborne fleet, but the enemy is trying to indicate that Iran’s works and blessings.” bestow divine forgiveness and blessings on Rouhani, Seyyed Hassan Khomeini, Am- of the Assembly of Experts. air fleet is out of date,” Brigadier General Nasirzadeh said, “On the passing of this prominent scholar, him and elevate his ranks [in the Heavens] mar al-Hakim, leader of the Iraqi National He had been a member of the Guardian IRNA reported on Monday. I would like to express condolences to his to the highest,” the Leader said. Wisdom Movement and Grand Ayatollah Council for years as well. He also said, “We must believe in ourselves,” adding that the Western media outlets are trying to destroy Iran’s self-esteem. All U.S. plots against Iran have ended in failure: Rouhani POLITICS TEHRAN — President Hassan Rouhani He went on to say that the U.S. regards Iran as the main such as China and Russia when it decided to pull out of desksaid on Tuesday that U.S. plots against impediment to its plots in the delicate Middle East region. the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. Amir Iran have all resulted in failure, noting that Washington The U.S. tried to create chaos in Iran’s market in order “Only America itself and two or three of its proxies are Abdollahian has been isolated globally more than ever. to disappoint people’s hopes for future and to fabricate a following this path (against Iran),” Rouhani stressed. Rouhani made the remarks as he presented the national notion that Iran’s ruling system is ineffective, he pointed out. He went on to stress the need for close interaction with meets Qatari budget bill to the Parliament for ratification. Unlike the past when the U.S. could win support from all world countries, except a few states feuding with Iran, Rouhani submitted his government’s national budget bill many countries at the UN Security Council, today the U.S. noting that stronger foreign relations and more allies will ambassador to the Majlis as the Trump administration has imposed harsh- has become isolated and is left alone in its plots against help the Islamic Republic. POLITICS TEHRAN — Hossein Amir Abdollahian, est sanctions against Iran in violation of international law. Iran, the president remarked. In May, President Trump unilaterally pulled the deska senior foreign policy advisor to the par- Rouhani said about a third of the $405 billion budget The U.S. which always sought to isolate Iran has now U.S. out of the nuclear deal, officially called the Joint liament speaker, met on Monday with Qatar’s Ambassador bill consists of subsidies for low income groups. become the most isolated country itself, he stated, adding Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), and ordered to Tehran, Mohammed Hamad Saad al-Fahid al-Hajeri. The U.S. sanctions will affect people’s lives and eco- that Washington was ignored by international organiza- sanctions against Iran. By doing so, the U.S. violated the During the meeting, the two sides discussed regional nomic growth but fail to bring the government to its knees, tions such as the UN Security Council, the International UN Security Council Resolution 2231 that endorsed the and international developments, and exchanged views Rouhani said. Atomic Energy Agency, and major countries in the world multilateral agreement. on expansion of parliamentary ties and positive collab- orations, ILNA reported. Iran’s ties with Qatar grew stronger after Saudi Arabia, Rouhani sends Christmas greetings Iranian, Russian, generals meet Bahrain, Egypt, and the UAE severed ties with Doha to Pope in Tehran last year and closed all land, air and sea traffic to the small country.

Child marriage should have been abolished, MP says POLITICS TEHRAN — Tayebeh Siavashi, a reformist deskparliamentarian, has expressed regret that a motion to ban child marriage was rejected by the Majlis Legal and Judicial Committee. “We intended to allow little girls to enjoy their childhood but unfortunately the motion failed,” Siavashi regretted, ISNA reported on Tuesday. The legal age of marriage in Iran is 13 years old, she said, adding that the motion aimed to increase it to 16. Pointing out that a significant number of children marry Rouhani (R) meets Pope Francis in Vatican, in January 2016 Igor Osipov (L) meeting Mohammad Hossein Baqeri in Iran each year, Siavashi likened forcing children to marry POLITICS TEHRAN — Presi- Jesus Christ (PBUH) has prom- POLITICS TEHRAN — Vice-Ad- pacities of Iran and Russia necessitate that at a young age to “killing them”. deskdent Hassan Rou- ised peace, friendship, justice and deskmiral Igor Osipov, dep- the two countries’ armed forces develop hani of Iran has sent a congratula- freedom for people from all walks uty chief of the Russian Army General Staff, their areas of cooperation in a long-term tory message to Pope Francis on the of life. met on Tuesday with Iranian Armed Forces perspective and manage them within the Envoy: Iran has birth anniversary of Jesus Christ and Today’s human being needs Chief of Staff Major General Mohammad framework of the joint military commis- beginning of the year 2019. to take advantage of the divine Hossein Baqeri in Tehran. sion’s agreements,” the top general stated. no presence in In his message published on the teachings of prophets more than During their meeting, Baqeri said the A delegation from the Russian Defense Iraq president’s official website on Tues- ever to stand against the hegemony geopolitical capacities of Iran and Russia Ministry headed by Osipov arrived in Iran on day, Rouhani paid tribute to Prophet of bullies and prepare the ground necessitate developing cooperation in various Monday for a joint military commission meeting. Jesus as the messenger of freedom for establishment of comprehensive military fields.He pointed to the current Prior to the meeting, General Osipov and equality and the prophet of peace peace and justices regardless of their sensitive situation in the Middle East and sat down on Monday with his Iranian POLITICS TEHRAN — Tehran’s Ambassador to desk and friendship. color and descent towards peaceful the larger world and stressed the need to counterpart Brigadier General Ghadir Baghdad, Iraj Masjedi, said on Tuesday The following is the text of the pres- coexistence. establish closer ties between the Iranian and Nezami in line with a joint military ses- that Iran has no military presence, bases, or even advisory idential message: I hope we will witness growing wel- Russian armed forces against terrorism. sion in Tehran for the implementation of presence in Iraq. In the Name of God, the Most Be- fare, empathy and peace for all people “The success of the armed forces of the a bilateral military agreement. Masjedi said all Iranian advisors who helped the Iraqi neficent, the Most Merciful around the world by taking advantage two countries in the process of combating There, the two sides conferred on ways government to defeat Daesh (ISIL) returned to the country Your Holiness Pope Francis, of the guidelines of religious scholars terrorism in Syria and defeat of Takfiri to expand bilateral military cooperation. after announcing the victory against the terrorist group, Pope of the Catholic Church, and thinkers, and collaboration among terrorists and their supporters in the region They also drew up a plan for future coop- IRNA reported. I am delighted to congratulate the world leaders. indicates the determination and capacities eration in 2019. Unlike the Islamic Republic, he said, the United States birthday of Jesus Christ (PBUH), the I wish Your Holiness health and of Iran and Russia to counter the existing Increasing the level of joint measures in continues to maintain its forces in the region, and in some Prophet of friendship and peace, and success and everybody prosperity threats,” Baqeri stated. the fight against terrorism was one of the places it has been strengthening its military bases instead the start of year 2019 to Your Holiness. and felicity. “The geopolitical and geo-strategic ca- main topics of discussions at the session. of pulling its forces out of Iraq. Late in 2017, Iraq officially announced its victory against Daesh. Larijani calls for stronger Tehran-Baku ties 1 Developing ties with Azerbaijan important “Trade between the two countries has increased 40% in Iranian embassy for Iran: Rouhani 2018, which can increase more based on the capabilities During a separate meeting with the Azeri official, Presi- and potentials in the two countries,” he added. denounces dent Hassan Rouhani said that expansion of relations with Asadov also hailed Iran’s approach towards regional Kabul attack Azerbaijan is important for Iran and described relations and international issues and its respect for the sovereignty between Tehran and Baku as “friendly” and “brotherly”. and territorial integrity of neighboring countries, noting, “Fortunately, relations between the two countries “Certainly, regional issues and disagreements can only in the recent years have been increasing, and today we be resolved by the hands of the countries of the region”. POLITICS TEHRAN — In a statement on Tuesday, are witnessing close cooperation and relations between Shamkhani says Trump uses sanctions for deskthe Iranian embassy in Afghanistan con- Tehran and Baku,” he said. revenge demned the Monday terrorist attack in Kabul, ISNA reported. He added, “The fruit of attempts and close relations of In a separate meeting with the Azeri official, Ali “We condemn yesterday’s terrorist attacks against civil- the authorities of the two countries has been development Shamkhani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Se- ians and government buildings in Kabul, which killed and of relations and cooperation between the two countries.” curity Council, said that U.S. President Donald Trump injured citizens,” the statement read. “Because of its close cultural, religious and cultural is using sanctions as tool for revenge. “We express our condolences with the government and affinities with Iran, the Republic of Azerbaijan is one In violation of the UN Security Council Resolution nation of Afghanistan, especially the bereaved families of Asadov (L) meets Larijani in Tehran of the closest countries to Iran and we have had good 2231, President Donald Trump withdrew the U.S. unilat- the victims,” it added. relations with the country since its independence,” the took an important decision for using energy resources erally from the nuclear deal in May and ordered sanctions An hours-long gun and suicide attack on a Kabul gov- president explained. in the Caspian Sea.” against Iran. The first round of sanctions went into force ernment compound killed at least 43 people, Afghanistan’s He also praised the growing cooperation in different For his part, Asadov said, “The presidents of the on August 6 and the second round, which targets Iran’s oil health ministry said on Tuesday, making it one of the deadliest fields such as industry, pharmaceuticals, science and two countries are determined to cement relations and exports and banks, were snapped back on November 4. assaults on the Afghan capital this year. technology, saying, “Iran and the Republic of Azerbaijan cooperation”. Shamkhani said that the U.S. sanctions are illegal. ADVERTISEMENTS

II NN TT EE RR NN AA TT II OO NN AA LL D A I L Y DECEMBERDECEMBER 26,26, 20182018 INTERNATIONALADVERTISEMENT 3 Trump: Saudi Arabia, not U.S., will Protests in Tunisia after pay to rebuild Syria journalist sets himself on fire U.S. President Donald Trump has said that USA for damage caused to Syria by U.S., UK, Saudi Arabia, not the United States, will pro- Saudi and French military intervention,” he said. vide funds to help rebuild Syria, destroyed, in “In that regard, whether they disingenuously fact, mostly by American and Saudi sponsored cling to their contrived pretext of violating terrorists. Syria’s sovereignty and entering the fray solely “Saudi Arabia has now agreed to spend to bring the fight to al-Nusra Front, Daesh the necessary money needed to help rebuild and al-Qaeda, or concede that they were al- Syria, instead of the United States,” Trump ways in it to engineer what they call regime tweeted on Monday. change, the intervention was by any informed “See? Isn’t it nice when immensely wealthy analysis, always a violation of international countries help rebuild their neighbors rather law,” he stated. than a Great Country, the U.S., that is 5000 “The time will come, be it in 10 years or 100, miles away,” he continued. “Thanks to Saudi A!” when they have no choice but to pay. Until The United States, France, Britain and their then, as President Assad has recognized, it is regional allies such as Saudi Arabia, the United far better for Syria to rely on exclusively on its Arab Emirates, Turkey and Qatar have been own resources and assistance from its genuine sponsoring terrorists in Syria since 2011 which allies in order to rebuild, than make the very has left the Arab country in ruins. same concessions their rejection of which, led Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has re- to the U.S. instigating this war in the first place, The death of a Tunisian journalist who set himself on fire portedly said that he does not want foreign President’s decision-by-tweet will recklessly for Syrian reconstruction’ just so Syria can receive financial assistance to protest economic problems in the North African nation aid from Western countries or Saudi Arabia put American and allied lives in danger around Commenting on this, independent lawyer from the very same nations that orchestrated has prompted a protest that led to clashes with police and to rebuild the country and will get the job done the world.” and political analyst Barry Grossman said Presi- the destruction,” he noted. nationwide concern. with the help from Syria’s genuine allies. But several others, like Republican Sena- dent Trump is shirking American responsibility “Indeed, the concerted national effort that Journalist Abderrak Zorgui posted a video online before his Last week, Trump declared victory against tor Rand Paul and former congressman Dr. for the reconstruction of the war-torn country. will be needed to rebuild, potentially can be a self-immolation in the struggling provincial city of Kasserine Daesh terrorists in Syria and announced to pull Ron Paul, have defended Trump’s decision to “With the U.S. and wider Atlantic World source of social cohesion and sense of purpose describing his desperation and calling for revolt. He expressed out American troops from the country, saying withdraw the American troops in Syria, with irretrievably in decline, there will of course be needed for Syria to overcome the deep divisions frustration at unemployment and the unfulfilled promises of that U.S. troops cannot stay in Syria “forever.” Dr. Paul saying that the United States needs to plenty of opportunity in the future, once a more which were so easily manipulated by Syria’s Tunisia’s 2011 Arab Spring revolution. Several senators on both sides of the aisle “have a clean cut” with military involvement equitable balance of power emerges to displace enemies to create the conflict which has now Authorities said Zorgui died of his injuries Monday soon after have accused Trump of making a hasty decision, in the Middle East. the U.S. dominated, Atlantic World Order, to all but run its course,” the analyst concluded. being taken to the hospital. with one administration official saying “the ‘Trump shirks U.S. responsibility extract reparations from what remains of the (Source: Press TV) His actions prompted a protest Monday night in Kasserine that degenerated into violence, with police firing tear gas to disperse protesters who blocked roads and threw stones at police. Interior Ministry spokesman Sofiane Zaag said Tues- See differences as asset, not danger, pope says in day that six police officers were injured and several people arrested in the protest. A similar self-immolation - by a street vendor lamenting Christmas message unemployment, corruption and repression - led to nationwide Pope Francis, in his Christmas message to the world, urged who had threatened to bomb churches in Italy, including St. He urged the international community to work for a po- protests fueled by social media that brought down Tunisia’s people Tuesday to see differences as a source of richness Peter’s. In his address, in what appeared to be a reference to litical solution in Syria and said he hoped a truce brokered in long-time authoritarian president in 2011. That ushered in instead of danger and called for reconciliation in places torn the shrill political climate in a number of countries, Francis Yemen’s civil war could bring relief to a population exhausted democracy for Tunisia and unleashed similar movements apart by conflict. called for “fraternity among people with different ideas, yet by violence and famine. around the Arab world. Francis delivered the traditional papal “Urbi et Orbi” capable of respecting and listening to one another.” The Argentinian-born pope also called for social har- Zorgui’s funeral was being held Tuesday in Kasserine, (to the city and the world) message to tens of thousands of Francis, the first pope from Latin America, alluded to mony in Nicaragua and Venezuela, both racked by internal which has come to symbolize Tunisia’s economic problems people in a sunny St. Peter’s Square from the same basilica polarisation over migration, saying God wanted “love, ac- political conflicts. and social tensions. Unemployment and poverty are high, balcony where he first appeared as pontiff shortly after his ceptance, respect for this poor humanity of ours, which we The millions of refugees or displaced people in Africa who and the area has struggled for years against extremists in the election on March 13, 2013. all share in a great variety of races, languages, and cultures.” are in need of humanitarian assistance and food security nearby mountains who are linked to al-Qaeda and the ISIL Security has been tight around the Vatican for the “Our differences, then, are not a detriment or a danger; should not be forgotten, he said. terrorist group. Christmas season, with military jeeps stationed at key they are a source of richness,” he said. In Ukraine, he called for “a peace respectful of the rights The Tunisian National Journalists’ Union called for demon- access routes and tourists undergoing metal detector and Francis, 82, called for the resumption of dialogue between of every nation.” Ukraine’s relations with Russia have been strations and a possible strike in response to the journalist’s bag searches. Israelis and Palestinians to “undertake a journey of peace locked in a downwards spiral since Moscow annexed Crimea death. In a statement, it accused the state of contributing to Last week police in southern Italy arrested a Somali man that can put an end to a conflict that for over 70 years has 2014 and backed pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine. Zorgui’s death by not cracking down on corruption. suspected of having been a member of Daesh (ISIS) and lacerated the land chosen by the Lord to show his face of love.” (Source: Daily Star) (Source: AP) Attack on government building in Afghan capital leaves 43 dead

off the operation on Monday night. No militant group has claimed responsibility for the complex attack that was identical to previous attacks by Taliban insurgents on government offices, foreign buildings, and military bases. The latest assault came just days after U.S. President Donald Trump said he was considering pulling out at least 5,000 of the 14,000 U.S. troops currently deployed in Afghanistan. The possibility of thousands of U.S. troops leaving has triggered confusion and panic in the Kabul government and foreign missions who fear that sudden withdrawal would lead to a Taliban regime who are fighting to expel foreign forces, topple the Western-backed government and restore their version of hardline law in Afghanistan. But Marine General Joseph Dunford, Afghan authorities on Tuesday collected Disabled Persons taking workers hostage, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff 43 bodies from a government compound in and others fought a prolonged gun battle who was in Afghanistan on Christmas the Afghan capital Kabul that was targeted with local security forces. eve was quoted by local news channels by a suicide bomber and extremists armed Health ministry spokesman Wahid Ma- as saying that the mission for troops with assault rifles on Monday, officials said. jroh said so far 43 bodies and 10 injured in Afghanistan continues without any The attack began when the suicide had been transported by ambulances from changes. “There are all kinds of rumors bomber blew up his explosives-laden car the attack site. One policeman was killed swirling around,” said Dunford according in front of a government building that and three militants were gunned down to local news channels while addressing houses a public welfare department in an during seven hours of fighting inside the hundreds of U.S. troops gathered Monday eastern neighborhood of Kabul. government compound. at a base in Afghanistan. Some of the attackers rampaged through Afghan forces evacuated over 350 ci- “The mission you have today is the same the building of the Ministry for Martyrs and vilians from the building before calling as the mission you had yesterday,” he said. (Source: AFP) Turkey determined to cross east of Euphrates as soon as possible Turkey is determined to cross to the east of the Euphrates river agreed to a complete withdrawal of the Kurdish YPG mi- in northern Syria as soon as possible, Ankara’s foreign minister litia from the town. Ankara considers the YPG a terrorist was quoted as saying on Tuesday, after the proposed military organization. campaign was delayed by the U.S. withdrawal. Cavusoglu will travel to Russia to discuss the process of Turkey said this month it would launch a new military op- the U.S. withdrawal in the coming days, broadcaster CNN eration in the area. Last week, the United States announced a Turk said. full pull-out from northern Syria, prompting Turkey to delay Russia, the United States and Turkey are backers of warring the campaign until the withdrawal is completed. sides in the Syrian conflict that erupted in 2011. Russia, along- Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and U.S. President Donald side Iran, has propped up Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Trump have agreed to coordinate to prevent a power vacuum while Turkey backed various rebel groups. The United States’ from developing, Turkey has said. main ally has been the Kurdish YPG militia in its fight against Mevlut Cavusoglu told reporters at a briefing that Turkey Islamic State. aimed to cross the east of the Euphrates as soon as possible, On Monday, Turkey vowed that the fight against ISIL ter- the Hurriyet said, without giving further details. rorist group would not be slowed by the U.S. withdrawal, where Turkey and the United States have also agreed to complete Ankara-backed rebels reinforced their positions around Manbij. their agreement on the Syrian town of Manbij by the time the Cavusoglu said Turkey also requested that the United States United States finishes its withdrawal, Cavusoglu also said, ac- take back the heavy weaponry it gave the YPG in its fight against cording to the state-owned Anadolu news agency. ISIL, Hurriyet reported. Under the Manbij roadmap, Turkey and the United States (Source: agencies) I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y 4 ECONOMY DECEMBER 26, 2018

STOCK MARKET Rouhani submits TEDPIX 156950.3 IFX 1820.48 Sources: tse.ir, Ifb.ir $405b budget CURRENCIES USD 42,000 rials bill to Majlis EUR 47,936 rials ECONOMY TEHRAN – President resources and environment are the focal GBP 53,353 rials deskHassan Rouhani points of the bill. AED 11,380 rials presented the administration’s draft of the It estimates the oil income at 1.425 national budget bill for the next Iranian quadrillion rials (about $34 billion) with Source: iribnews.ir calendar year 1398, which starts on March 410 trillion rials (about $9.7 billion) rise 21, 2019, to the Majlis on Tuesday, ISNA year on year. reported. Also, tax income is projected to be 1.53 The proposed bill amounts to 17.03 quadrillion rials (about $36.5 billion). budget bill forecasts 1.5 million barrels of oil mining projects in deprived regions, and COMMODITIES quadrillion rials (about $405 billion at Development budget is estimated at sales per day at the price of $54 per barrel. sugar beet processing and supplementary the official rate of 42,000 rials). 620 trillion rials (about $14.7 billion). WTI $42.53/b The bill attaches priority to three industries. Supplying basic goods, treatment and And government’s expenses are to be sectors for receiving facilities in foreign The government was to submit next Brent $50.77/b medical equipment; securing livelihood; 3.2 quadrillion rials (about $76 billion). currency; including investment making by year’s budget bill to the parliament on supporting production and employment; As unveiled on December 7 by Budget private sector and cooperatives in oil and December 16 but the issue was delayed OPEC Basket $53.92/b promoting tourism; and preserving water and Planning Organization, the proposed gas development projects, industry and due to some required modification. Gold $1,271.00/oz Silver $14.82/oz Iran’s petrochemical plants fully operational during cold season Platinium $791.80/oz ENERGY TEHRAN – With would go offline due to a lack of feedstock The NPC director noted that this rise has deskSouth Pars gas field’s [resulted from the increase in household gas occurred despite overhaul operation in a Sources: oilprice.com, Moneymetals.com new phases going operational, the consumption].” Ghodratollah Farajpour, the number of high-capacity production units required feedstock for all the country’s NPC’s director of production control, said. during the first half of this year which made NEWS IN BRIEF petrochemical plants will be supplied According to the official, Iran produced some halts in production of these units. during the cold season and none of them 27.5 million tons of petrochemical products The value of petrochemical exports Tehran hosting will stop production, Shana reported during the first half of current Iranian from the country during the first eight quoting an official with the National calendar year (March 21-Septemebr 22). months of the current Iranian calendar Iran-made Petrochemical Company (NPC). Farajpour noted that the figure shows year (March 21-November 21) rose 32 products exhibit “In the past few years, during the cold two percent increase compared to the first percent compared to the same period of season some petrochemical complexes half of the previous year. time in the past year.

ECONOMY TEHRAN – The seventh edition of an Japan’s Nikkei index slides China’s GDP growth expected deskexhibition which showcases latest Iranian amid U.S. uncertainty to remain stable products and services is running at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini Mosalla during December 25-28, IRIB reported. As reported, over 200 small and medium sized produc- tion units from 27 different provinces across the country are presenting their latest products and services in this exhibition. Home and kitchen appliances, furniture, food stuff, car- pets and chandeliers are some of the products presented in this exhibit. This exhibition aims to provide a platform to support domes- tic production and Iranian producers all around the country.

NIDC completes Japan’s main stock market index has plunged, reflecting traders’ worries following China’s GDP growth next year is expected to ments to prevent an economic downturn. digging operation a slide on Wall Street. be stable at 6.3 percent, despite headwinds, Policymakers at the Central Economic Japan’s main stock market index has plunged, partial shutdown, after Congress refused according to the Chinese Academy of Social Work Conference, which concluded on Fri- of 105 oil, gas reflecting traders’ worries following a slide to fund President Trump’s planned U.S.- Sciences, and economists suggested that the day, said the country will strengthen use wells in 9 months on Wall Street. Mexico border wall. country should continue to press ahead with of fiscal policy and increase infrastructure The Nikkei closed down 5% on Tuesday, What has Trump said? structural reforms to boost growth. investments to shore up the economy. It will its worst finish since April 2017. Indexes in Despite the global economic downturn also promote urbanization and development ENERGY On Monday, President Trump lashed out TEHRAN — National Iranian Drilling and Sino-US trade conflicts, China’s GDP of regional economic clusters, such as the desk Shanghai, Bangkok and Taiwan also fell. at the Federal Reserve, the U.S. central bank, Company (NIDC) dug and completed digging Investors have been concerned about as the stock market plunged. growth rate may reach 6.6 percent this year Yangtze River Delta region, to create more operation of 105 oil and gas wells during the first nine months President Trump’s dispute with the U.S. The president said the Fed was “the only — meaning it would achieve its preset growth demand for investment. of current Iranian calendar year (March 21-December 21), central bank chief and another government problem” of the U.S. economy. target of around 6.5 percent — and then in Consumption also is expected to remain according to an official with the NIDC. shutdown. Mr Trump continually boasted about Wall 2019 ease to 6.3 percent, according to the stable, the academy’s report said. The country Mohammad Al-e Khamis, the acting deputy managing direc- U.S. stocks had their worst Christmas Street’s steep climb during the first year of his academy’s latest forecast, released in a blue has devised a series of policies such as personal tor of NIDC for drilling operation, said over 142,450 meters of Eve on record. presidency, but has sought to deflect blame book report on the economy on Monday. tax cuts to encourage consumption, which digging has been conducted for the mentioned onshore and The Dow Jones index of 30 leading since markets hit a rough patch in 2018. China is not expected to encounter any will work to help increase retail sales, it said. offshore wells, Shana news agency reported on Tuesday. companies fell more than 650 points Soothed or spooked? economic hard-landing, economists said Despite the uncertainties caused by the on Monday, and is on track for its worst On Sunday U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven at a forum organized by the top think tank Sino-US trade disputes, China may continue ‘Banks’ monthly December since 1931, during the Great Mnuchin took the unusual step of calling on Monday. to see exports increase as a result of its wider Depression. the chief executives of America’s six largest “The active promotion of a new round of economic opening-up and deepening eco- overdrawn from Many financial markets in Asia, Europe banks in a bid to soothe market jitters. reforms and opening-up as well as the Belt nomic cooperation with countries involved in CBI reduced’ and North America are closed on Tuesday Afterwards, the Treasury shared a and Road Initiative will further stimulate the Belt and Road Initiative, the report said. for Christmas. statement about Mr Mnuchin’s phone call, internal and external demand next year,” Lou said China’s retail sales could reach In China, the Shanghai composite index confirming that the banks’ chief executives said Lou Feng, the co-author of the report 40 trillion yuan ($5.8 trillion) this year and fell more than 2% on Tuesday morning. had “ample liquidity available for lending to and a researcher at the Institute of Quan- grow to 43.3 trillion yuan next year. Con- titative & Technological Economics at the sumption is set to contribute 78.2 percent ECONOMY TEHRAN — The governor of the Central What triggered the falls? consumer, business markets, and all other academy. “China’s low unemployment rate of GDP growth this year, the highest level deskBank of Iran (CBI) announced that Iranian The Asian markets are believed to be market operations”. and consumer inflation level will also play a since 2001, he said. banks’ overdrawn from the CBI financial resources has been largely reacting to movement in the U.S. “The markets continue to function key role in guaranteeing social stabilization “China’s economy will not suffer from a decreased in the ninth month of the present Iranian calendar and an ensuing shares sell-off by concerned properly,” it added. and residential income growth.” hard landing next year,” said Yang Yiyong, year Azar (November 22- December 21, 2018) in comparison investors. Analysts warned the unexpected The academy’s report, usually published director of the Social Development Research with the preceding month, IRNA reported on Tuesday. U.S.-China trade tensions are a factor, as statement could make investors nervous. at year’s end to forecast the economy’s per- Institution, part of the National Reform and Making the remarks in a meeting with the managing directors well as reports that President Donald Trump On Monday, Mr Mnuchin called top formance in the following year, said China’s Development Commission, a top economic of the Iranian banks, Abolnaser Hemmati named managing has discussed firing the chairman of the U.S. market regulators and officials from the fixed-asset investment will remain stable regulatory body. banks’ overdrawn from CBI as one of the main programs of central bank, Jerome Powell. U.S. central bank to allay fears. next year as China will continue to use invest- (Source: China Daily) the central bank. The U.S. government has also entered (Source: BBC) Minimum wage in Turkey raised by 26% Dollar slides against euro, The monthly minimum wage in Turkey briefing on Dec. 25 to announce the 417 October and 21.62 percent in November. Aksanel Koç, the general-secretary of has been raised to 2,020 Turkish Liras Turkish Lira hike in the minimum wage. Ergün Atalay, chair of the Confedera- the Turkish Confederation of Employer yen and pound ($381) by a 15-member commission led by With family assistance, the minimum tion of Turkish Trade Unions, said they Associations said: “We have a common The U.S. dollar edged lower on Monday, as the U.S. government Family, Labor and Social Services Minister wage for a married worker with three chil- had targeted to pass the threshold of responsibility in the matter of Turkey’s is partially shut and the greenback is recovering from last week’s Zehra Zümrüt Selçuk. dren will effectively be 2,150 TL, she added, 2,000 liras. sustainable development.” Federal Reserve interest-rate increase. “It is an increase of 26.05 percent com- vowing to compensate the losses of the “We aimed at a sufficient wage for a Koç thanked the representatives of the With no apparent solution on the horizon, the government pared with last year… The decision has been laborers caused by the inflation rate which humanly life. This level of wage is not unions and the minister. shutdown could last into the New Year, when the new Congress made unanimously,” Selçuk said in a press had been calculated as 25.25 percent in perfect but it is a better one,” he said. (Source: Hurriyet Daily) returns from a holiday break, market participants said. On Tuesday, major exchanges will be closed for Christmas, while currency markets remain open. Trading volumes are expected to Gold hits 6-month peak on stock sell-off, decelerating economy be thin all week and next Monday as well, New Year’s Eve. Gold scaled a six-month peak on Monday as sliding stock economy. markets and concerns about a global economic slowdown “If the Fed is going to continue its aggressive stance, then sapped risk sentiment, driving investors to seek safety in our economy will slow down and a recession is a possibility. the precious metal. There is just so much negative news, that I cannot see gold Spot gold gained 1 percent to $1,268.38 per ounce at do anything but go up,” said Walter Pehowich, executive 1:40 p.m. EST in thin trade ahead of the Christmas holiday. vice president of investment services at Dillon Gage Metals. The metal hit its highest since late June at $1,267.13 earlier Gold, seen as a safe investment during political and in the session. financial uncertainties, has risen about 9 percent from a U.S. gold futures settled $13.70 higher at $1,271.80 per 19-month low of $1,159.96 in mid-August. ounce. An increase in net long positions among speculators and Besides the shutdown, there were reports late Friday that Presi- “Gold has continued to be firm here in the course of equity a rise in the holdings of the SPDR Gold Trust, the world’s dent Donald Trump discussed firing Fed Chairman Jerome Powell market weakness and an ongoing bevy of factors that are largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, indicated bol- — something Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin later denied. concerns for the market such as trade wars, interest rate interest heading into the Christmas holiday,” Kitco Metals stered interest in the metal. Still, “sentiment is so negative right now that markets will as- hikes and others,” said David Meger, director of metals senior analyst Jim Wyckoff wrote in a note. Net long positions in Comex gold increased to a six-month sume the worst. Such a move to oust Powell would be disastrous, trading at High Ridge Futures. “A lower U.S. dollar index today is also working in favor high in the week to Dec. 18, while holdings of the SPDR rose to state the obvious,” wrote Win Thin, head of global currency Global stocks continued their downward trend for the of the precious metals market bulls. There is marketplace to their highest since mid-August on Friday. strategy at Brown Brothers Harriman. seventh straight session as possibilities of a prolonged U.S. unease over the U.S. government’s partial shutdown that Among other metals, palladium rose .6 percent to Trump took to Twitter on Monday, saying the only problem government shutdown and a deteriorating global economy could last a while.” $1,239.00 per ounce. the U.S. economy had was the Fed. unnerved investors. The dollar was pressured amid concerns that the U.S. Silver rose 1 percent to $14.74, while platinum fell .2 (Source: The Market Watch) “Gold prices are moderately higher on safe-haven buying Federal Reserve will keep raising rates into a weakening percent to $785.50 per ounce. (Source: CNBC) I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y DECEMBER 26, 2018 ENERGY 5

OPEC promises curbs, NOC head and Libyan PM agree new plan to protect fields

Libya’s National Oil Corporation chairman Mustafa Sanalla and but it’s no relief for oil the country’s internationally recognized Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj on Monday agreed a new security plan to protect El Oil fell towards $45 a barrel as worries over Jakob, managing director at Petromatrix. Sharara oilfield, which is still closed, the corporation said. rising U.S. supplies and the global econo- “For now, those statements are ignored “The plan includes establishing green zones inside the site to my overshadowed signals from OPEC that by the market because we are in this bearish prevent anyone from entering without a permit ... and removing it may extend or even deepen its pledged cycle.” all unauthorized persons from the field”, it said in a statement. output curbs. West Texas Intermediate for February “Sanalla was quoted in the statement as telling al-Sarraj: NOC Futures fell 0.3 percent in New York, after delivery was at $45.44 a barrel on the New is fully prepared to reopen the field if the Petroleum Facilities declining 11 percent last week - the most York Mercantile Exchange, down 15 cents, Guards are properly supervised”. since January 2016. at 10:05 am in London. The Petroleum Facilities Guards are a defense ministry body Officials from Iraq, Kuwait and UAE agreed The contract lost 0.6 percent on Friday. charged with responsibility for the security of Libya’s oil and with Saudi Arabia’s expectation that the group Brent for February settlement was 11 cents gas facilities, but Sanalla has criticized their performance and will extend its cuts for another six months. lower at $53.71 a barrel on London’s ICE demanded the replacement of their leader at El Sharara. They will have to contend with U.S. pro- Futures Europe exchange, after declining On Wednesday, Libya’s internationally recognized government ducers, which added 10 oil rigs last week, 11 percent last week. The global benchmark said the 315,000 barrels a day field, the country’s biggest, would according to Baker Hughes data, even as the crude traded at an $8.2 premium to WTI. reopen after Sarraj flew there to meet protesters who seized the nation’s output stays near record -high levels. Suhail Al Mazrouei, the UAE’s energy min- southern facility on Dec 8. The UAE’s energy minister, while stressing ister, said that OPEC has the option to hold Sarraj says the demands of the protesters - made up of state that OPEC and its allies’ 1.2 million barrel- an extraordinary meeting to decide on more guards and tribesmen - are legitimate. Oil sources later said a-day reduction will clear a glut in the first output cuts if the current one isn’t enough. preparations were being made to restart output. quarter, hinted additional curbs could be At a press briefing in Kuwait, ministers But a conflict then erupted between the government and the discussed. from Iraq, the UAE and Algeria took turns NOC which wants to stop coming under pressure from protest- But investors remain skeptical. The U.S. are raising concerns over global economic a four-year high in early October. “The main repeating the message that OPEC will deliver ers, often armed, who occupy fields demanding cash and jobs. President Donald Trump’s trade war with growth. input over the weekend has been the continued its output curbs and continue to work with (Source: Reuters) China and the Federal Reserve’s rate policy Oil prices have collapsed 40 percent from intervention by OPEC members,” said Olivier its allies. (Source: India Times) Ghana’s first oil exploration licensing China’s Nov. increment in crude stocks Guyana, Exxon in talks after round attracts global majors hits record high at 56.29m barrels Venezuela dispute halts marine survey Sixteen oil and gas firms have submitted China’s implied crude oil stocks as of applications for one or more of five Ghanaian end-November surged 56.29 million bar- Guyana’s government is “in discussion” with Exxon Mobil after offshore blocks in the West African country’s rels from end-October, registering a record two ships searching for oil off the South American country’s coast first exploration licensing round, its energy high monthly increment that would likely halted work following a weekend confrontation with Venezuela’s ministry said. dampen buying interest for the first quarter navy, Guyana’s foreign minister said on Monday. The interest is a major vote of confidence in of next year. Both neighboring South American countries said the Saturday Ghana, which is keen to unlock more resourc- The last record high for the implied incident had occurred within their territorial waters. A centu- es after it began pumping from its flagship crude stock build was 47.40 million barrels ry-long border dispute has heated up in recent years as Irving, offshore Jubilee field in 2010. in March 2017, S&P Global Platts calculations Texas-based Exxon has discovered more than 5 billion barrels The companies that have submitted ap- based on official data showed. of oil and gas off Guyana’s shores. plications are Tullow Oil, Total, ENI, Cairn, The country does not release official data Guyana Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge said he could Harmony Oil and Gas Corporation, Exxon- on stocks. Platts calculates the country’s net not “for the moment” say whether the two ships owned by Nor- Mobil, CNOOC, Qatar Petroleum, BP, Vitol, producing about 100,000 bpd. build or draw in implied crude stocks by ports soared 17.7 percent year on year to way’s Petroleum Geo-Services and hired by Exxon would resume Global Petroleum Group, Aker Energy, First Some of the interested firms have already subtracting official refinery throughput data the record high of 312.33 million barrels their seismic survey, or if they would return to the area where the E&P, Kosmos, Sasol and Equinor. started boosting their presence in the country. from the country’s crude supply data. The in November, General Administration of incident occurred, citing the ongoing talks with Exxon. The applications include expressions ExxonMobil, for example, recently latter takes into account net crude imports Customs data showed. When asked if Guyanese authorities would provide the vessels of interest in competitive bidding for three signed a deal with Ghana to explore for oil and domestic production. Crude throughput at refineries rose 2.9 with protection if they continue exploration, he said Guyana is blocks in the Western Basin and for direct in the Deepwater Cape Three Point offshore The implied crude stocks that Platts cal- percent year on year to 369.87 million barrels, “committed to resolving territorial disputes by peaceful means.” negotiations regarding another two blocks (DWCTP) oilfield. culates does not take into account China’s but retreated from a record high of 386.88 “We will therefore first try to explore and exhaust Diplomatic offshore Ghana, the energy ministry said Aker Energy AS, controlled by Norwe- crude oil consumption for any usage other million barrels in October, National Bureau channels,” Greenidge said in an emailed response to questions in a statement. gian billionaire Kjell Inge Roekke, agreed in than refining due to a lack of official data. of Statistics data showed. But the increase from Reuters. “Guyana is a small state of less than a million “?he high level of interest shown by ma- February to buy Hess Corporation’s Ghana The high stockpile was due to crude supply lagged the sharp growth in crude supply. persons compared with Venezuela’s population of 30 million.” jor International Oil Companies in our first unit in a $100 million deal, gaining access hitting a historical high amid a heavy inflow This means monthly crude supply was Earlier on Monday, Exxon declined to say when the survey licensing round is a vote of confidence in the to a 50 percent stake in the deepwater Tano while weak domestic oil product demand 56.29 million barrels higher than throughput would restart, referring questions to PGS. Bard Stenberg, a PGS Ghanaian economy,” Deputy Minister for Cape Three Points block. led to lower refinery throughput. in November. senior vice president, declined to comment on any resumption energy in charge of petroleum, Mohammed The block holds an estimated 550 mil- China’s overall crude supply in November Looking at the year-to-date figures, by of the work or if the company has sought to have Guyana provide Amin Adam, was quoted as saying. lion barrels of oil equivalent in contingent surged 12 percent from a year ago to 426.17 the end of November this year, China’s crude protection for its vessels. A total of 60 applications were received, resources and potential for a further 400 million barrels, and rose 6 percent from stocks rose 247.61 million barrels compared There were two PGS ships involved in the confrontation, the but two were invalidated as they were for a million barrels. October led by a sharp increase in net crude with the level at the end of December last Ramform Tethys and Delta Monarch, Stenberg said on Monday. block reserved for Ghana National Petroleum Ghana’s only oil refinery, the Tema Oil imports while domestic crude output was year. Over January-November 2017, the “A couple hours later we learned that the Venezuelan navy Corporation. Refinery, processes about 25,000 bpd of oil, largely rangebound. country’s crude stocks increased 288.85 had withdrawn from the area,” he added. Ghana currently produces 200,000 barrels far below its capacity. Buoyed by strong buying from the in- million barrels from end-December 2016. Critics of Venezuela’s socialist President Nicolas Maduro say of oil per day (bpd), with the Jubilee field (Source: Reuters) dependent sector, China’s net crude im- (Source: Financial Times) he has rekindled tensions with its eastern neighbor over the Esse- quibo region, a sparsely populated area making up two-thirds of Plunging oil prices show the market is worried about a recession in 2019, says analyst Guyana’s territory that is also claimed by Venezuela, to distract from a severe economic crisis in the OPEC-member nation. The continuing collapse in oil prices signals market territory. the prospect. on demand worry.” Venezuela is home to the world’s largest crude reserves, but that investors are worried about a 2019 The rout has continued despite a pledge Nearly half of chief financial officers see The Paris-based International Energy production is hovering near its lowest levels in 70 years due to recession, according to Helima Croft, global earlier this month by OPEC, Russia and several a chance that a recession will hit by the Agency forecasts oil demand will grow by underinvestment, hyperinflation, and mismanagement under head of commodity strategy at RBC Capital other oil producers to remove 1.2 million end of 2019, according to a CNBC survey. 1.4 million barrels per day in 2019, while the military control of the company. Markets. barrels per day from the market beginning Meanwhile, U.S.-Chinese trade tensions are U.S. Energy Information Agency believes the Saturday’s confrontation recalled an October 2013 incident Oil prices have now plunged by about in January. causing finance executives to lose faith in world will consume an additional 1.5 million when Venezuela’s navy seized a ship carrying out a seabed survey 40 percent from their 52-week highs at the Surging oil production from the United China’s economic growth, a Deloitte survey bpd next year. for Texas-based Anadarko Petroleum Corp in Guyana, accusing start of October. Last week alone, U.S. West States, Saudi Arabia and Russia is one factor shows. Sankey says OPEC’s forecast for 1.3 million it of violating its maritime territory. Venezuela freed the vessel Texas Intermediate crude tumbled 11 percent, behind the selling. But Croft says the depth Croft is not the only analyst now focusing bpd in demand growth next year is more a week later. (Source: CNBC) posting its worst weekly performance in nearly of the pullback indicates that expectations on the demand side of the oil market ledger. realistic, but perhaps still too optimistic. three years. for slower economic growth and darkening In a research note last week, Paul Sankey, For J.P. Morgan, the outlook is even On Monday, WTI fell below $45 a barrel demand forecasts are what’s truly driving lead oil analyst at Mizuho Securities, says darker. The investment bank sees the world’s for the first time since July 2017. the rout. headlines pinning the slump on rising supply appetite for oil growing by just 1.1 million Petronas curbs LNG “I think what we’re seeing in oil is a big, “I think it’s a broad-based fear about are getting it wrong. bpd next year. production in Canada big concern for 2019 about a recession. I where is demand going to be for oil next “Oil is weak because many demand signals “The heavy lifting done by the U.S. in think that is really weighing heavily on this year, concerns about Chinese demand in are blinking red, and supply cuts won’t matter driving oil products demand this year should Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas), which has a 25 percent stake market,” Croft told CNBC’s “Closing Bell” particular,” Croft said. if the bottom falls out of demand,” Sankey wane, taking global oil demand growth lower in the C$40bil (RM123 billion) LNG Canada project, has been on Friday. To be sure, Croft is not necessarily wrote. with it. The demand growth is expected to curtailing production by between 50 and 200 million cubic feet Croft’s commentary reflects an emerging forecasting a recession, and there are few clear “Downward global GDP revisions keep weaken again in 2020,” according to Abhishek per day (cf/d) due to low liquefied natural gas (LNG) prices. view on Wall Street that slowing economic signs that a period of economic contraction coming, the risk of recession is rising, equity Deshpande, head of oil market research and According to a report by The Canadian Press, the wells in growth and weaker-than-anticipated demand is on the horizon. Still, surveys indicate that markets reflect it, flight-to-safety pushes the strategy at J.P. Morgan. northeastern British Columbia are capable of producing 700 are pushing the oil market deeper into bear executives are growing more worried about dollar higher, and those factors lead oil lower (Source: CNBC) million cf/d of LNG. Quoting Petronas Energy Canada Ltd (PECL) chief executive officer Mark Fitzgerald, it said the practice is one being adopted Indian diesel armada heads toward Europe as Asia proves glutted by a growing number of western Canadian producers to avoid A diesel glut in Asia is encouraging traders ships floating off the coast of Taiwan earlier selling their natural gas at prices that often don’t even cover the of the fuel to ramp up cargoes from India to this month, according to a report by Energy cost of pipeline transportation. Europe, where stockpiles were ravaged by Aspects Ltd. “We talk a lot about oil infrastructure. refinery halts and unusual weather earlier The rise in volumes from India is “Gas is trapped as well and if you compare the prices that this year. disadvantaging sellers in Northeast Asia, Canadian gas producers are receiving against our U.S. peers, the Around 577,000 tons of the fuel already who were trying to send diesel cargoes to differentials are significant and costing us a significant amount arrived this month or are en route to Europe Europe earlier this month but may now not be of money,” Fitzgerald was quoted as saying. from India’s refineries -- whose supplies get successful, according to Facts Global Energy. The Canadian Press said PECL invested heavily in natural sent east or west depending on which market Meanwhile, the so-called East-West spread gas exploration in northeastern British Columbia from 2012 to is best -- according to shipping and port- denoting the attractiveness of moving fuel 2016, employing more than 25 drilling rigs at peak times to prove loading information compiled by Bloomberg. between regions has narrowed as Indian the resource potential as part of its longer-term plan to build a The cargoes will arrive this month and next, cargoes exited the Asian region, data from liquefied natural gas export terminal. implying about a doubling in the normal PVM Oil Associates show. The company is running only one rig now. flow rate. “As India supplies more, cargoes from Quoting Ian Archer, an associate director with IHS Markit, Unexpected halts at a batch of refineries, Far East Asia will be more disadvantaged The Canadian Press reported that LNG Canada’s first phase is particularly in Germany, caused the diesel due to longer distance,” said Weng Inn Chin, expected to require about two billion cf/d of gas to produce about market in Europe’s Amsterdam-Rotterdam- an analyst at industry consultant FGE in 14 million tonnes per year of LNG, but most of that gas is expected Antwerp trading hub to surge in the past Singapore. “Concerns seem to be resurfacing to come from the partners. several months as stockpiles dwindled. For about Rhine water levels and the ARA stocks Petronas joined the LNG Canada partnership led by Royal some consumers, the pain was compounded built suddenly last week. There is also the Dutch Shell in May. by a drought that dried up the river Rhine, issue with rising freight costs now, so arbitrage This is an about-turn of event for the national oil and gas preventing barges from delivering the fuel. flows are somewhat disadvantaged.” company, which in July 2017 scrapped plans to invest in the “There is an amount of resupply that There’s also doubt about whether all the C$36bil (RM111.5bil) Pacific NorthWest LNG gas pipeline project needs to be done in Europe,” said Olivier Rhine meant fuel couldn’t be moved to year. The country raised its total fuel-export vessels from India will end up in Europe. in British Columbia, Canada, due to prolonged depressed prices Jakob, an analyst at Petromatrix GmbH inland consumers. quotas by 12 percent for 2018, encouraging America’s distillate stocks are at their lowest and unfavorable market conditions for the energy industry then. based near Zug, Switzerland. “It was difficult Europe’s diesel pull comes at a time its refiners to produce diesel and gasoline seasonally since 2013. With the U.S. market The proposed LNG Canada project would include the design, to bring big cargoes into ARA” because the of oversupply in East Asia, exacerbated for sale overseas. Singapore’s diesel market recently strong, some cargoes could go there construction and operation of a gas liquefaction plant and facilities forward price curve made such imports by increased Chinese fuel exports that has also been weighed down by a pile-up in instead, Jakob said. for the storage and export of LNG, including marine facilities. unattractive and low water levels on the traders anticipate persisting into next vessels storing, with at least 13 diesel-laden (Source: Bloomberg) (Source: thestar.com.my) ساعت: 17:00 امضاء صفحه آرا: ساعت: امضاء مسئول صفحه: ساعت: امضاء ادیتور: ساعت: امضاء سردبیر:

I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y 6 INTERNATIONAL DECEMBER 26, 2018

Dear Anonymous inside the The unlearned lessons of Trump administration

By Bret Stephens Jamal Khashoggi’s murder

INTERNATIONAL The senate’s bipartisan re- U.S. president. At the same time,.?Trump’s deskpudiation of President vintage-1980s view of the kingdom is contra- Trump’s policy toward Saudi Arabia this dicted by the 2018 fact that the United States, month was driven by disgust at the brutal as the world’s largest crude oil producer, is murder of Jamal Khashoggi — and by Trump’s less dependent than ever on the Middle East refusal to acknowledge that responsibility for for energy. Saudi Arabia has so far failed it lay with the Saudi crown prince. But the to move the oil price and cannot seriously vote also revealed that senators have drawn threaten U.S. supplies. some conclusions from the Khashoggi affair The Khashoggi murder, which occurred that go beyond a refusal to accept the pre- inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, added meditated murder and dismemberment of impetus to a newer and more urgent threat a distinguished journalist. — that of regimes taking their repression The case has altered understanding of global. Reporting by The Post’s David Ig- Dear Anonymous, U.S. equities with Saudi Arabia and under- natius shows that Mohammed bin Salman It’s time we revisit that famous op-ed of yours. lined the growing threat posed by regimes sought to adopt these dangerous tactics; sev- In September, you acknowledged that you were a member of the that lawlessly pursue their critics beyond eral dissidents living outside Saudi Arabia “quiet resistance” within Donald Trump’s administration. You told their borders. Above all, the vote was a rejec- were seized and sent to secret prisons before us that you and others were “working diligently” to “frustrate parts tion of the crude nationalism espoused by the Khashoggi killing. of his agenda and his worst inclinations.” You said that while you Trump, according to which the United States In dismissing such concerns, Trump casts agreed with many of the president’s policies, you were appalled by would tolerate crimes such as the Khashoggi himself as a hard-nosed realist. As many sena- the president’s amorality, his chaotic management, his “repetitive murder so long as the responsible regimes tors recognized, that is a vile and dangerous rants,” his fondness for dictators. purchased U.S.?weapons or offered other lie. In fact, all modern U.S.?presidents before You also believed that your efforts to resist Trump were often commercial favors. Trump have promoted the rule of law and successful. On foreign policy, you noted, the administration’s policies Trump, who for decades was a harsh basic human rights. Even when the United were far more sober and serious than the president’s reckless rhetoric. critic of Saudi Arabia, has pivoted to defend- States has supported dictators, it has sought You were wrong. This week proves it. Assuming you haven’t ing it as a “good ally” that helps stabilize to curb their excesses — and as the shah of departed the administration already, now would be the time for the Middle East and the global oil market. The Saudi corrupt prince has destabilized Iran and former Egyptian president Hosni you to go. Ditto for all of your fellow “resisters.” He has repeatedly said any response to Mubarak might testify, it turned on a few This is the central lesson of James Mattis’s stunning resigna- the Khashoggi murder should not put at the region with his reckless adventurism, who would not listen. tion on Thursday. Secretaries of defense come and go — we’ve had risk the $450?billion in total purchases including the abduction of the pro-American Trump would have the United States five in the last eight years — and some of them run afoul of the and investments he claims the regime is Lebanese prime minister and a boycott of embrace a strain of realism in which U.S. president they serve. offering, including $110 billion in weap- values matter not at all. No outrage — even But Mattis is the highest-ranking cabinet member to resign over ons sales. As has been documented by The neighboring Qatar, which hosts the largest the dismemberment of a journalist inside a differences of policy and principle since Cyrus Vance quit the State Post and other independent fact-checkers, U.S. air base in the Middle East. diplomatic facility — would signify so long Department in 1980 after Jimmy Carter’s Desert One fiasco. He is Trump’s sales numbers are wildly inflated as dollars flowed to U.S. arms-makers. The the only defense secretary to leave this way since the position was and unlikely to materialize. His preoccupa- destabilized the region with his reckless crisis. His boasts to White House counselor Senate was right to repudiate that poisonous created in 1947. Mattis resigned because he no longer shares your tion with deals raises the question of whether adventurism, including the abduction of Jared Kushner that he would help resolve the and self-defeating doctrine. analysis. He no longer believes he can be a steadying or blocking he has his own businesses in mind; since the pro-American Lebanese prime min- Israeli-Palestinian conflict while forming an Now it should insist that relations with force in the councils of government because it isn’t clear there are his election, the Saudis have been major ister and a boycott of neighboring Qatar, “Arab NATO” have proved empty. Saudi Arabia be reshaped to reflect a genu- “councils of government.” Donald Trump made a snap decision to patrons of Trump hotels. which hosts the largest U.S. air base in the When the Saudi government tried to push inely realistic assessment: that the United remove U.S. troops from Syria following a phone call with Turkish The larger truth is that, with Moham- Middle East. up oil prices this month in contravention of States does not need and should not sustain president Recep Tayyip Erdogan. He did so over the unanimous med bin Salman as its de facto ruler, the His disastrous intervention in Yemen Trump’s public lobbying, it was a reminder a relationship with the reckless tyrant who objections of his national-security team. He did so after leading kingdom has become a strategic liability while triggering what the United Na- that it will pursue its own interests in pro- rules it. members of that team had said publicly and recently that the U.S. to the United States. The crown prince has tions calls the world’s worst humanitarian ducing and marketing oil, not those of any (Source: The Washington Post) would not withdraw. A president who sticks it to his own team while sticking with a foreign strongman is not worth sticking by. Mattis also resigned because he has concluded that the problem with The welfare state is committing suicide by artificial Trump isn’t that he’s an empty vessel. It’s that he’s a malignant one. Here was the fundamental mistake in your view of Trump: You thought he could be handled. You thought of him as a child who sim- ply needed to be kept away from dangerous toys, as former economic intelligence adviser Gary Cohn did when he removed a letter from the president’s BY Jacob Mchangama & Hin-Yan Liu data processing already underway. They are not informed desk ordering the end of the Korea-U.S. free trade agreement. But our if they are placed on “puzzlement lists,” nor whether it Commodus-in-Chief isn’t just an irascible buffoon whose worst impulses Everyone likes to talk about the ways that liberalism is possible to legally challenge one’s designation. And can be confined to Twitter but whose policy instincts largely align with might be killed off, whether by populism at home or nobody outside the municipal government of Gladsaxe yours. Trump thinks of himself as a man of ideas. Withdrawal from adversaries abroad. Fewer talk about the growing indi- knows exactly how its algorithm would even identify Syria, along with partial withdrawal from Afghanistan, is consonant cations in places like Denmark that liberal democracy children at risk. with the quasi-isolationism he’s preached for decades. He is sympa- might accidentally commit suicide. Gladsaxe’s proposal has produced a major public thetic to Erdogan, as he is to other tyrants, because he is indifferent to As a philosophy of government, liberalism is premised backlash, which has forced the town to delay the pro- considerations of human rights and civil liberties. on the belief that the coercive powers of public authori- gram’s planned rollout. Nevertheless, the Danish gov- Above all, he’s against “meddling,” whether it’s meddling in ties should be used in service of individual freedom and ernment has expressed interest in widening the use of the affairs of others — or having others meddle in his. The Trump flourishing, and that they should therefore be constrained public-service algorithms across the country to bolster Doctrine is the doctrine of unaccountability. by laws controlling their scope, limits, and discretion. its welfare services—even at the expense of the freedom It’s also the doctrine of dishonor. And this is what should most That is the basis for historic liberal achievements such of the people they are intended to serve. concern you and whatever is left of your in-house resistance. The as human rights and the rule of law, which are built into It may be tempting to dismiss algorithmic govern- United States is about to abandon our allies to the tender mercies of the infrastructure of the Scandinavian welfare state. ance, or algocracy, as a mere continuation of authori- thugs. For Mattis, who first became a Marine during the Vietnam era, Yet the idea of legal constraint is increasingly difficult tarianism, as represented by China’s notorious social memories of what befell our betrayed allies from that conflict can’t to reconcile with the revolution promised by artificial credit systems, which have often been described as the be far from his mind. Nobody should expect the secretary to carry intelligence and machine learning—specifically, those Denmark is using 21st-century manifestation of Orwellian dystopia. And out a policy that would keep him from looking a comrade-in-arms technologies’ promises of vast social benefits in exchange algorithms to deliver one-party states do indeed find obvious comfort in using in the eye. So it is with you, Anonymous, wherever you might work for unconstrained access to data and lack of adequate benefits to citizens— new technologies like AI to consolidate the power of in the administration. Until now, you may have convinced yourself regulation on what can be done with it. Algorithms hold the party and its interests. This conforms to historical that real honor lay in putting up with it — with the craziness of your the allure of providing wider-ranging benefits to welfare and undermining its examples of dictatorships using newspapers, radio, tel- boss and the disdain of your neighbors — because the good of the states, and of delivering these benefits more efficiently. own democracy in the evision, and other media for propaganda purposes while country demanded it. And until now, you had Mattis to serve as your Such improvements in governance are undeniably suppressing critical journalism and political pluralism. role model. But Mattis is going. And the argument can no longer enticing. What should concern us, however, is that the process. But algocracy is not a matter of ideology, but rather be sustained. If Trump is capable of doing this to Mattis, what’s to means of achieving them are not liberal. There are now technology and its inherently attractive potential. As keep him from soiling your carpet, too? And even if he never gets growing indications that the West is slouching toward stitutions. Denmark makes clear, there are strong temptations for to it, you must know by now that you are no longer keeping a bad rule by algorithm—a brave new world in which vast fields These practices might seem both well intended and liberal democracies to govern with algorithmic tools that thing from getting worse. All you are doing is disguising how bad of human life will be governed by digital code both invis- largely benign. After all, a universal welfare state can- promise huge rewards in terms of efficiency, consist- it is, thereby helping it to become worse. ible and unintelligible to human beings, with significant not function if the trust of those who contribute to it ency and precision. Algocracies are likely to emerge as Trump will never have trouble surrounding himself with ambi- political power placed beyond individual resistance and breaks down due to systematic freeriding and abuse. by-products of governments seeking to better deliver tious and unscrupulous flunkies. Do you want that to describe you? legal challenge. Liberal democracies are already initiat- And in the prototype being developed in Gladsaxe, the benefits to citizens. And despite the fundamental dif- Get out while you still can, whoever you are. ing this quiet, technologically enabled revolution, even application of big data and algorithmic processing seems ferences between China’s one-party state and Danish (Source: The NYT) as it undermines their own social foundation. to be perfectly virtuous, aimed as it is at upholding the liberal democracy, the very democratic infrastructure Consider the case of Denmark. The country currently core human rights of vulnerable children. that distinguishes the latter from the former might not leads the World Justice Project’s Rule of Law ranking, But the potential for mission creep is abundantly clear. be able to fulfil that role into the future. not least because of its well-administered welfare state. Udbetaling Danmark is a case in point: The agency’s There are good reasons to think judicial procedures Senators begged Mattis to But the country does not appear to fully understand the powers and its access to data have been steadily expanded would not be able to serve as a check on the growth of risks involved in enhancing that welfare state through over the years. A recent proposal even aimed at providing public-service algorithms. Consider the Danish case: stay, Durbin says artificial intelligence applications. The municipality of this program leviathan access to the electricity use of the civil servants working to detect child abuse and Gladsaxe in Copenhagen, for example, has quietly been Danish households to better identify people who have social fraud will be largely unable to understand and experimenting with a system that would use algorithms registered a false address to qualify for extra benefits. explain why the algorithm identified a family for early By David Cohen to identify children at risk of abuse, allowing authorities The Danish government has also used a loophole in intervention or individual for control. As deep learn- to target the flagged families for early intervention that Europe’s new digital data rules to allow public authori- ing progresses, algorithmic processes will only become Sen. Dick Durbin said he is heartbroken that Defense Secretary could ultimately result in forced removals. ties to use data gathered under one pretext for entirely more incomprehensible to human beings, who will be Jim Mattis is leaving the Cabinet and worried for the next two The children would be targeted based on specially de- different purposes. relegated to merely relying on the outcomes of these years of the Trump administration. signed algorithms tasked with crunching the information And yet the perils of such programs are less understood processes, without having meaningful access to the data “I was one of many senators who privately sat down with Gen. already gathered by the Danish government and linked and discussed than the benefits. Part of the reason may or its processing that these algorithmic systems rely Mattis and said, ‘Please stay, stay as long as you possibly can,’” to the personal identification number that is assigned be that the West’s embrace of public-service algorithms upon to produce specific outcomes. But in the absence Durbin (D-Ill.) said on NBC’s Meet the Press.” “We desperately to all Danes at birth. This information includes health are byproducts of lofty and genuinely beneficial initia- of government actors making clear and reasoned de- need your mature voice, your patriotism in the room when this records, employment information, and much more. tives aimed at better governance. But these externali- cisions, it will be impossible for courts to hold them president’s making life-or-death decisions about national security. From the Danish government’s perspective, the child- ties are also beneficial for those in power in creating accountable for their actions. But it obviously reached a breaking point.” welfare algorithm proposal is merely an extension of the a parallel form of governing alongside more familiar Thus, algorithms designed with the sole purpose of Added the No. 2 Democrat in the Senate: “It breaks my heart systems it already has in place to detect social fraud and tools of legislation and policy-setting. eliminating social welfare free-riding will almost inevi- that he’s going to step aside. We counted on him to be there and abuse. Benefits and entitlements covering millions of And the opacity of the algorithms’ power means that tably lead to increasingly draconian measures to police to stop this president from his worst impulse.” Danes have long been handled by a centralized agency it isn’t easy to determine when algorithmic governance individual behavior. To prevent AI from serving as a Talking to host Chuck Todd, Durbin said the “power of the (Udbetaling Danmark), and based on the vast amounts stops serving the common good and instead becomes tool toward this dystopian end, the West must focus purse strings” was the best way for the Senate to hold President of personal data gathered and processed by this agency, the servant of the powers that be. more on algorithmic governance—regulations to ensure Donald Trump accountable when it comes to foreign policy — and algorithms create so-called puzzlement lists identifying This will inevitably take a toll on privacy, family life, meaningful democratic participation and legitimacy managing ongoing wars in Afghanistan and elsewhere. suspicious patterns that may suggest fraud or abuse. and free speech, as individuals will be unsure when in the production of the algorithms themselves. There “I think we can; I think this Constitution is strong. The Ameri- These lists can then be acted on by the “control units” their personal actions may come under the radar of is little doubt that this would reduce the efficiency of can people are strong. But I’m hoping that my Republican col- operated by many municipalities to investigate those the government. algorithmic processes. But such a compromise would be leagues will step up and join us in a bipartisan effort to put this suspected of receiving benefits to which they are not Such government algorithms also weaken public ac- worthwhile, given the way that algocracy will otherwise government back on track.” entitled. The data may include information on spouses countability over the government. Danish citizens have involve the sacrifice of democracy. (Source: politico.com) and children, as well as information from financial in- not been asked to give specific consent to the massive (Source: Foreign Policy) ساعت: امضاء صفحه آرا: ساعت: امضاء مسئول صفحه: ساعت: امضاء ادیتور: ساعت: امضاء سردبیر:

I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y DECEMBERِDECEMBER 26, 2018 ANALYSIS & INTERVIEW 7

Bread revolution in Sudan Giving peace a chance: 1 The most important part of the demonstrations to prevent similar incidents. demonstrations was in the cinema street According to the report, Egyptian media UN approves Yemen truce where protestors chanted slogans of over- have not yet responded to the incident after throwing the regime, and a group of artillery four days of Sudanese unrest that killed monitors units who were passing by on a vehicle lifted and injured dozens of protesters. Even the their guns in solidarity with protestors. regional newspapers of al-Ahram, al-Akhbar TEHRAN (FNA) — The UN Security Council has unanimously One of the most important scenes in the and al-Mumouriya have not reported any passed a measure approving a ceasefire monitoring operation in protest rally was when the two-story building news of Sudan’s incidents. The Egyptian the Yemeni aid port of Hudaidah, after days of heavy resistance of the ruling party was set on fire. It’s unclear government is worried by its neighbors with to the original text by the United States and Saudi Arabia. who set fire to this building, and whether it Sudan that the scope of protests will spread Sadly, the “compromise” draft that eventually passed removed was the angry protesters or other people? to Egypt in bad livelihoods and economic all mentions of a humanitarian crisis being ongoing in Yemen, The dissidents believe that militants and se- problems in the near future. obviously at the behest of Saudi officials who feared that their curity forces burn the building and destroy Omar al-Bashir’s reasons refusal criminal blocking of aid shipments would make it clear this cri- public and private property to undermine to leave the presidential seat sis is their fault – which indeed is. It also removed calls for an the image of protesters, as happened in the If al-Bashir resigns from power, he must independent investigation, which is a shame. September 2013 uprising. surrender to the International Criminal The US interest in getting language put in the draft that blamed Bread was the main cause of Court, as Umar al-Bashir is prosecuted by Iran for the Yemen War did not make the final version for obvious the protest the International Criminal Court on charges and legal reasons. This was unsurprising as Russia threatened Although Sudanese authorities were taken of committing war crimes, crimes against to veto any resolution that tried to spin the Saudi invasion of aback by the demonstrations, the current humanity and mass murder in the Darfur Yemen as an Iranian matter. After all, there are no Iranian arms situation is a result of accumulated crisis region of western Sudan. In 2009 and 2010 or military personnel in that war-torn country – although US over the years. Since 2011 and following the the court issued his arrest warrant. Diplomat Rodney Hunter issued a silly statement after the res- separation of southern Sudan, the country Another reason is that al-Bashir, despite olution passed complaining of the “omission” of the blaming of suffers severe economic crisis, and one rea- the aggravation of existing crises, prepares Iran, saying that the council would one day regret the decision son for that is the separation of oil fields Khartoum, and banks in other parts of the police adherents to protesters. himself for the elections in 2020 and does not to single out Iran. with the independence of southern Sudan country only allow citizens to withdraw $10 Some analysts see the move as a departure not spare any efforts to overcome the con- Actually, the council will one day regret the decision not to from the north. a day. from the army and military institutions of stitutional obstacles; while under article condemn Saudi Arabia for invading the poorest country in the In fact, these protests were predictable The situation became critical to the extent this country with Omar al-Bashir, and the 57 of the constitution adopted in the year Arab world. The council will also regret the decision not to mention from a few days ago, especially since reports that the government could not to provide withdrawal of his support and others as an 2005 Sudan, no one more than 2 courses the current humanitarian crisis triggered by the Saudi blockade from inside Sudan have been indicative flour for the bread industry as well as fuel attempt to calm the angry protesters. can become presidential candidate. and for removing calls for an independent international inves- of the difficult situation, especially bread for public transport and vehicles. After that, Where do the political parties The role of Sudanese military tigation into Saudi war crimes and crimes committed against and fuel. The Sudanese economy is in its prices sky rocketed and the black market stand in the bread revolution? involvement in the Yemeni war in crisis humanity in Yemen. worst shape with inflation, and the coun- emerged for the basic necessities. Political parties initially did not take a Omar al-Bashir, in hopes of grabbing Lest we forget, deteriorating conditions in Yemen mean sub- try’s currency is taking a sluggish trend The Sudanese government made a stra- stand on the rallies, and perhaps because they money for servicing the country’s military stantially more resources will be required for the aid effort next against the dollar. The loss of oil revenues tegic mistake when they allocated the fuel keep away from the actions of some protesters economy, sent Yemen to the fighting fronts, year. The country is the world’s largest humanitarian operation, with the independence of South Sudan in and flour of other states to the capital. The in destruction of state and private property. but many political currents and popular cam- but in 2019 it will need to be substantially bigger. Donors this 2011 has played a huge role in the country’s price of bread in Sudan increased a lot. The But when the changes became intense and paigns in Sudan demand the country’s return year have provided $2.3 billion for the 2018 response plan, or downward economy. crackdown on the demonstrators became they were out of control of the ruling party, to the Yemeni War. about 80 percent of requirements, which is not sufficient in any Many investors refuse to work and invest more violence as time went by. and the rules of prohibition were applied in The fraction of the forces of change in the way. Let us be clear: in Sudan, which is still on the list of sponsors Has the military lost hope in al-Qaziraf and Atbara, the National Umma Sudan’s parliament also called for the imme- The situation in Hudaidah must be specifically and urgently of Washington’s terrorism, and its president the regime? Party changed position and urged supporters diate withdrawal of Sudanese forces from addressed. It is Yemen’s main port, and with 14 million civil- is being prosecuted by international tribunals The thing that could have happened in to take part in the rallies. the war with Yemen and called for Sudan’s ians on the brink of starvation, the supply lines of food, oil and for mass murder in Darfur. the city of Atbara was the army’s support of The Egyptian ruler worried about armed forces to oppose the constitution to medicine must be opened up fully. The port should be put under Sudan has entered a nightmare and the the demonstrators against the police and the the spread of Sudan’s demonstrations the Yemeni war. UN protection and control, without interference from any of the banks have lost liquidity, because Sudanese security forces. Army forces stationed in some and movements It seems that the current crisis is different parties, to guarantee those supply lines stay open and are not citizens have withdrawn their money from areas and prevented a violent crackdown on Egyptian security officials and the Egyp- from the preceding ones, and we have to misused for further Saudi airstrikes. the banks and exchanged it for dollars. Only people, and in some areas, including Atbara tian presidency have ordered the media follow the course of Sudan’s developments With the civic infrastructure in Yemen in a near state of collapse, a few currency exchange stores operate in support the protesters. Some reports show to refrain from addressing the Sudanese and anticipate the end of bread revolution. the ceasefire must – as international aid groups have demanded – call for the restoration of the banking system, and the payment of pensions and civil service wages. The US demands that the Saudis must investigate their own alleged war crimes has been Erdogan government certainly does not like the Assad exposed as utterly inadequate, both on the UN and the inter- national community. So the ceasefire agreement must demand an independent, UN-led investigation of all alleged breaches of international humanitarian law by the Saudis and their partners. The Syrian Kurdish democratic forces, regime:that ex-CIA officialA: Israel will continue to do its military thing regardless 1 Finally, the “compromise” ceasefire agreement must contain are backed by the United States, expressing dissatisfaction of what the United States does with its own troops. Having proper accountability mechanisms to ensure that compliance with with the decision of Trump’s decision, have interpreted it the troops there has not stopped the Israelis from launching its terms – particularly on humanitarian access and the cessation as a dagger from the United States. What will be the status scores of air attacks against targets in Syria over the past of indiscriminate airstrike – is independently monitored, with of these forces and have they been the bill of exchange by couple of years. Israel will continue doing that whether the clear sanctions ready to be enforced if they are breached by Saudi Trump and Erdogan? U.S. troops stay or go. Arabia and its allies. A: Diplomacy and negotiation may get ahead of military The Summit of formation of the Syrian Constitution On which note, if the US government will not pro-actively action on this subject. The Syrian Kurds now have a much was held yesterday with the participation of Iran, Russia, do the right thing and suspend arms sales for use in Yemen or stronger incentive than before to reach some sort of under- Turkey and the United Nations. Although this meeting is at stop refueling Saudi warplanes, then at the very least the “com- standing with the Assad regime--possibly pledging loyalty to the beginning of its course, it shows that Syria is in a consti- promise” ceasefire should make clear that the continued sale of the regime in return for a degree of autonomy in northeast tutional stage. Is there a connection between this stage of arms to the Saudis – and the Emiratis - will at least cease if they Syria. Although the Erdogan government certainly does the Syrian situation and the decision of Trump? breach its terms. not like the Assad regime, it would be less worried about A: There is no connection. The United States has been The road to a comprehensive solution to decades of conflict an extension of the regime’s influence in northeastern Syria conspicuously absent from the most promising diplomatic in Yemen is long and fraught with potential obstacles. Howev- than about a more independent Kurdish separatist move- withdrawal from Syria, it will continue to oppose Iran in efforts on Syria. Not wanting to sit at the same table as er, the UN-endorsed ceasefire agreement plus the international ment. A large Turkish military assault in the area is still a Syria. How do you assess the Syrian field situation in the Iran has been a major impediment. So too has been the interest in the region following the Khashoggi murder saga has possibility but is not inevitable. absence of the United States, especially in the middle of overall aversion of the Trump administration to any sort created a critical window for renewed attempts at negotiations tensions with Israel? Israel said that despite the announcement of U.S. of multilateral diplomacy. and giving peace a chance.

N.I.O.C National Iranian Second Announcement Drilling Company Iranian families of terror victims condemn 1397.4989 Call for public tender (First/Second publish) Call for public tender (First/Second publish) One -Stages -Stages tender tender Denmark’s support for terrorists N.I.O.C National Iranian INTERNATIONAL TEHRAN — Iranian families a.k.a MEK, NCRI, PMOI, etc.), a group that was Your Excellency, Subject of Tender: P/F "MI CO.",Subject MUD CLEANER of Tender: & SHALE P/F “MI SHAKER CO.”, MUD CLEANER & SHALE SHAKER deskof terror victims denounced designated as a terrorist organization by some Our question to you is that if the terrorist 1397.4989 Drilling Company Danish government’s support for terrorist and Western countries and the European Union. To attack on the parade of the armed forces of Iran  Tender descriptions: separatist groups in an open letter to the Am- this, one could add the hosting of Khuzestan’s on September 22 was carried out against the Tender No. Estimated value bassador of Denmark in Tehran. separatist groups. In addition to separatist acts, citizens of your country, what kind of actions The Tender holder Registration No. through national electronic tendering system Danish government’s sheltering of some these criminal groups have also carried out would you put into your agenda? Would you /Indent No. (Rial) anti-Iran terrorist groups including Khuzestan massive terrorist operations; a measure that still deal with the elements of that terrorist Tender No. :FP/09-97/049 National Iranian Drilling Company 3,185,538 5,895,780,000 separatists was strongly condemned in this letter. further clarifies the depth of the catastrophe group with negligence? Basically, what types Indent No.:08-22-9745081 Read the full text of the letter below: of Copenhagen’s support for them. of actions would your government put on its

December 18, 2018 The attack on the Iranian Embassy in Lon- agenda? Public opinion in Iran is looking for-  Qualitative evaluation of tenderers His Excellency Ambassador Danny Annan, don and the hostage taking of embassy staff; ward to hearing your answer. The Embassy of Denmark, bombings in Ahvaz, Abadan and Dezful Gov- Dear Mr. Ambassador, Qualification process will be done in plain mode in offers opening session according to presentation of valid practice certificate / legal documents (certificate of corporation/ supply Your Excellency, ernorates; bombings in Ahvaz’s Management Families of victims of terror attacks commit- announcement up to latest changes) which should be related to tender subject.

On behalf of families of Iranian victims of and Planning Organization; bombings in Hous- ted by terrorist groups residing in Denmark, Method 1- Applicants who have more than 4 in process contracts with NIDC are not allowed to terrorism, we are writing to you on the occa- ing and Urban Development Organization of ; especially the survivors of the recent incident participate in this tender. sion of the dreadful terrorist attack in Ahvaz bombing Sugarcane Development Company of in Ahvaz, with the help of a number of lawyers, 2- Applicants which have more than 2 in process contracts with NIDC in similar subject ( exclusively same subject) are not allowed to participate in another tender on September 22, 2018, which led to the death Khuzestan; Explosion of Abadan oil pipelines; have filed lawsuits against the perpetrators of and injury of nearly 100 Iranian citizens. bombing of the Khuzestan Natural Resources the incident, and the relating judicial process  Purchasing & Submitting Since the victory of the Iranian Revolution Directorate; bombing in Naderi avenue of Ahvaz; will begin shortly. in 1979, our country has been a victim of high bombing of Saman Bank, Kian Pars district of The Iranian people have always sympathized The distribution of the documents will be started one day after the publishing of second advertisement and ended volume of subversive acts and terrorist opera- Ahvaz; and armed attack on the tourist buses in with European citizens in all the terrorist incidents on the following tenth day thereof. Distribution Place Hall No.:113, 1thfloor, Foreign Procurement Dept., National Iranian Drilling Company, tions in which more than 17,000 citizens have Khouzestan province named ‘Rahyane Noor’, that have taken place in Europe by extremist ter- Airport square, Ahwaz, IRAN – Tel : 061 34148601 Tender Document Distribution by Company been killed and thousands of others have faced are parts of the terrorist crimes of separatist rorist nodes in recent years and have condemned  Submitting one original Bank Fund Receipt in the amount of 510,000 Iranian permanent injury, in addition to the destruction groups living in Denmark such as the “ Harakat terrorism anywhere in the world to anyone. Mu- Rials under account number 4001114004020491 (Shaba No. IR Submitting Method 520100004001114004020491) in name of “NIDC Incomes Centralized Fund” issued of the country’s infrastructure. al-Nazal al-Arabi li-Tahrir al-Ahwaz”. tually, they expect your government to respond by I.R. of Iran Central Bank. With the government’s all-round combat To these you should add meetings and plan- to this sympathy with the flower branch, not with  Submitting format Request for the purpose of receiving Tender Documents. with terrorist groups in the early years after ning measures for sabotage and assassination the support of the terrorists. Closing date  35Days after the last time of Purchasing. the Revolution, part of them were destroyed inside Iran, the last of which, till this moment, Your Excellency,

Documents Receiving Method Hall No. 107, 1stfloor, Tender Committee, Operation building, National Iranian and another part were weakened. So, with has been the above-mentioned terrorist attack In the end, we would like to remind you that Address Drilling Company, Airport square, Ahwaz, IRAN. the support from some regional and Western in Ahvaz on September 22, 2018, which these the failure of the European countries to deal Tel: +98-61-34148580 +98-61-34148569 governments, these groups began relocation groups have claimed responsibility for. seriously with the ISIL terrorists has led to a of their headquarters to those counties and Clearly without the Danish support for these large number of terrorist operations in European  Tender Guarantee from there, they started planning to commit groups, they could never freely operate and cities. Terrorism knows neither ideology nor terrorist operations in our country; an action engage in planning terrorist and subversive geography. The terrorists who attack innocent Value of guarantee 295,000,000 Rial/ 6,211 Euro that unfortunately still continues. acts. Therefore, this is the right of families of people with their psychological problems have Bank guarantees or guarantees issued by non-bank institutions that obtain activity license from the central bank of Type of guarantee the Islamic Republic of Iran. Among the European countries that put their people who have fallen victim to the terror at- the capability to use them anywhere in the world. Submitting one original Bank Fund Receipt under account number 4001114006376636 (Shaba No. IR territories at the disposal of these violent and tacks and violence carried out by these groups, Therefore, we recommend that you learn from 350100004001114006376636) in name of “NIDC saving account” by the central bank of Islamic Republic of Iran. Duration of credit & quotation terrorist groups, Denmark is also existed. to point the finger at the Danish government. the experience of ISIS operations in Europe and Tender Guarantee should be valid for 90 days and extendable maximum for one time in initial validity duration. Dear Honorable Ambassador, Regardless of the terrorist history of these prevent these terror groups from operating in (Foreign Procurement Dept.) (Foreign Procurement Dept.) Unfortunately, your country has a bad re- groups, your country has put its territory at the your country. More of this & other tenders are accessible by click on: cord in harboring Iranian terrorists, dating disposal of them; an issue that implies Den- Sincerely yours, More of this & other tenders are accessible by click on: www.nidc.ir http://sapp.ir/nidc_pr www.nidc.ir http://sapp.ir/nidc_pr تهران تایمز نوبت اول 4/10/97نوبت دوم back to a few decades ago when you sheltered mark’s support for their actions in the killing Habilian Association (Families of Irani- 97/10/5 تهران تایمز نوبت اول 4/10/97نوبت دوم the Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization (MKO, of hundreds of Iranian citizens. an victims of terrorism) 97/10/5 I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y 8 ADVERTISEMENTS DECEMBER 26, 2018

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Social responsibility on the rise IRCS opens mental empowerment center

HEALTH TEHRAN — Iranian Red Crescent Society among doctors desk (IRCS) has set up a new center for empow- erment of brain and mental abilities, announced the society’s It’s our social responsibility, not charity, say volunteer doctors at Imam Ali Relief Society deputy director for health and medical treatment. According to Hassan Saffarieh, treatment of neurological By Setareh Jahandideh and no matter how much we send help, the problem won’t get resolved until more local disorders; such as stroke, multiple sclerosis (MS), Parkinson, TEHRAN — “There are many new dentists doctors are settled in,” says Rezaei. Alzheimer’s and neurodevelopmental disorders are targeted at now in the program, I don’t know half of “We examined around 350 children and this center, IRNA reported on Tuesday. them,” says Dr. Sara Saedi about the dentists their mothers over only three days at villages “Other targeted areas are autism, attention deficit hyperactivity who have been volunteering in giving medical in Sistan and Baluchestan,” says Dr. Saiqali, a disorder (ADHD), learning disabilities and psychological-be- services to poor children. volunteer pediatrician and gastroenterologist. havioural disorders such as anxiety, depression and obsessive Sara first joined the program in 2014, a “The IAPSRS had provided us with compulsive disorders,” said Saffarieh. project designed by Imam Ali Relief Society required medicine, and we could work “Neuropsychological treatment of some disorders and of- for giving medical care to the immigrant efficiently,” she explains. fering therapy to families and children in physchological, ed- children, child laborers and other disad- “Poor personal and public hygiene re- ucational and occupational arenas are among other programs vantaged groups. sulting from poverty was the main root of of the center,” he added. Imam Ali’s Popular Students Relief Society most diseases,” she says, adding, “many “We don’t merely offer services to the sick, but a wide range of (IAPSRS) is an international non-govern- suffered from malnutrition, growth failure people can benefit from our programs for improving their mental mental organization established in 1999. Its and other symptoms resulting from lack of abilities, increasing their attention span and memory strenght major activities are about social problems, clean water supplies and unsafe environ- and evaluating their Intelligence quotient (IQ) and personality especially about children. Currently, the mental sanitation conditions.” traits,” he further remarked. NGO supports around 4,000 children and ‘Public donations are generous, According to Saffarieh, the most recent methods are used has around 35 service centers called “the but still not enough’ in this center; some are behavioral applications and therapies Iranian homes” in Tehran and 14 cities. “Due to recent sanctions on the country, and some are the newest versions of relaxation and mindfulness “The NGO formed a health committee at some medical supplies are hard to provide,” techniques. Besides, all services are with the highest quality the very first days of its establishment, but in says Saedi, adding, “Once, we had shortage and cost effective. 2014 it decided to expand its medical services tuberculosis at every place they went, but help us occasionally,” says Rezaei. of dental anesthetic carpules, but some den- by setting up Iranian treatment homes first he didn’t have it, and it kept worsening,” “These volunteers don’t look at their work tists volunteered and purchased it personal- in Tehran and later in other cities where it says Saedi the volunteer dentist, adding, as charity, rather, they consider it their indi- ly, this spirit of social responsibility is quite had regional centers,” says Sara Rezaei, the “when we examined the child, we realized vidual social responsibility. This is the outlook admirable.” Gold nanoparticles could head of IAPSRS’s health committee. it was a serious teeth infection that had that really contributes to social development “Donations from the public are quite destroy prostate cancer “In treatment homes, we offer medical spread to his face.” and we seek to promote.” large, but we still need more, especially and dental services as well as speech ther- According to Rezaei, the head of NGO’s According to her, around 150 children are with recent increases in price of medical In an ongoing clinical trial, researchers are using gold nanoparticles apy to both children supported by IAPSRS health committee, less than half of supported examined every season in Iranian treatment equipment,” says Rezaei. to target prostate cancer cells. So far, the results are promising, and to other disadvantaged children and children are Afghan and Pakistani displaced homes; besides, all 4000 children supported “Some private companies have donated and side effects are relatively minimal. families, they are sometimes introduced to and refugees who deal with many health by the NGO are examined at least twice a year. medicine to us and Iran Dental Association Nanotechnology may help improve prostate cancer treatment use hospitals’ social service centers, or we issues, some don’t have any identification Poor medical service in some cities has given us some dentistry equipment,” and reduce side effects. directly investigate and identify their finan- documents. “There is limited medical services in she remarks. Due to its high prevalence, researchers are constantly looking cial circumstances,” she further explained. The spirit of social work among some cities, especially in Sistan and Bal- “However, there is still no support system for improved treatment options. Immigrant children health condition doctors uchestan Province; we have dispatched in hospitals, giving any kind of discount or Recently, a team from the University of Texas Health Science “Once, I saw a three-year old Afghan “There are currently around 20 dentists medical teams to the area several times financial aid to the children that are intro- Center at Houston (UTHealth) tried an innovative approach to child with a big infected wound on his face; and 50 medical practitioners as permanent now, but the problem is that there are few duced to them by legitimate NGOs or State prostate cancer treatment using gold. his mother said they had suspected him for volunteer members; and there are others who local medical practitioners in these areas Welfare Organizations,” she regrets. Prostate cancer is treatable, and results are best when doctors detect it early. However, treatment can be unpleasant and cause significant side effects. High-tech epilepsy warning device could save lives Gold nanoparticles and prostate cancer Scientists have developed a high-tech bracelet called as by recording sleeping habits or heart rates. is the leading cause of death in those with the con- The cutting-edge therapy under investigation in the current study the Nightwatch, which detects 85 percent of all severe A new seizure-detecting device, the Nightwatch, goes dition. The risks of death are even higher in people uses nanoparticles, which consist of small layers of silica glass in nighttime epilepsy seizures — a much higher percentage a crucial step further and can alert caregivers to severe who have therapy-resistant epilepsy and an intel- the shape of a sphere. A very thin layer of gold coats each sphere. than similar devices on the market today. nighttime seizures. lectual disability. The nanoparticles seek out cancer cells and enter them. Us- A new type of wearable technology may help prevent The researchers, who published their results in the The research team, based in the Netherlands, tested the ing a laser to stimulate the nanoparticles, the researchers make epilepsy-related deaths. journal Neurology, believe that this bracelet could be a Nightwatch with 28 intellectually disabled participants them vibrate and pulse with extreme temperatures, which kills Smartwatches are gaining popularity, and they often vital tool for people with epilepsy. who have epilepsy. the cancerous tissue. help users monitor their health in different ways, such Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) (Source: Medical News Today) (Source: Medical News Today)

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2018 was the year of Knowledge-based firms bolster More budget seen for science, 5G hype national economy: VP technology parks

When T-Mobile’s chief executive went before Senate law- makers this year to make the case for his company’s merger with Sprint, he argued the deal could help preserve U.S. dominance in high-tech wireless networks for smartphones and other devices. “We’ll make sure America wins the global 5G race,” John Legere vowed. “5G will unlock capabilities that will fuel job creation and innovation well beyond what we have seen so far.” T-Mobile is not the only carrier touting the amazing new capabilities of 5G, or fifth-generation data networks. The entire industry has spent much of the year marketing a dazzling future to consumers, one in which the succes- sor to 4G LTE enables entirely new technologies, such as self-driving cars and remote medicine. Despite the hype, 5G is still a long way from becoming TECHNOLOGY TEHRAN — The knowl- equipment are on display during the ex- TECHNOLOGY TEHRAN — The The government supports knowl- a reality for the majority of everyday Americans. As com- deskedge-based firms bolster hibition, he said. deskbudget bill for the edge-based firms as a way to accelerate panies such as AT&T and Verizon trade barbs over which knowledge economy as their sales have in- Nowadays people feel effects of achieve- next Iranian calendar year 1398 (start- the scientific growth of the country, he one technically arrived first to the technology, analysts say creased despite economic problems, the vice ments in different fields of technology including ing on March 21, 2019) has predicted a noted. the first 5G-capable smartphones will not even arrive on president for science and technology said. IT, biotechnology and stem cells, he added. 72-percent growth in budget for science The Budget and Planning Organiza- the market until next year at the earliest. And with carriers “It is our duty to bring technology into He praised the professional human and technology parks, the head of Budget tion also plans to boost cooperation with largely switching on their 5G networks in select cities at daily life of people in order to enjoy it,” Mehr resources in Iran which can extend tech- and Planning Organization announced on science and technology vice presidency, first, it will take years for 5G to become as commonplace quoted Sourena Sattari as saying on Monday. nology to everyday life. Monday, Mehr reported. he stressed. as 4G LTE is today. He made the remarks during the opening Iran has created one of the best startup “Some 750 trillion rials (about $17.8 “Undoubtedly supporting science and “It’s encouraging to see American cellular providers ceremony of the 6th Iranian-made labora- ecosystems in the region, he said. billion) has been allocated for education technology parks leads to improvement in really jumping out in the forefront and deploying aggres- tory equipment and materials exhibition. Iran needs a new market through which and research in the next year’s budget bill,” science and economy sectors in the near sively these advanced networks which could have some Over 9,000 items of hi-tech laboratory innovative ideas can flourish, he concluded. Mohammad Baqer Nobakht said. future,” he said. real advantages for consumers,” said Glenn Derene, an editor at Consumer Reports. But Derene has little advice for shoppers who have asked him whether they should 50 tech plans to be offered to 100 investors: official buy a 5G-capable phone. “When you look to the markets TECHNOLOGY TEHRAN — A total of 50 selected tech- Permanent Fairground. to see what a 5G phone is like, there aren’t any. Certain- desknology plans are to be introduced to 100 Some 199 technology firms have participated in the event ly, Consumer Reports can’t comment on how good these investors during the 19th research and technology achievements in different fields of water, healthcare, biotechnology and phones will be until we get them in our lab.” and tech market, the deputy science minister for research environment, he said. In recent months, wireless carriers have made significant and technology announced, IRNA reported. The exhibition paves the way for entrepreneurship and advances toward deploying 5G, though those achievements Masoud Boroumand said that some special tech- investment in knowledge-based companies, he said. come with important caveats. nologies, which are on display at the exhibition, will The exhibition aims to support Iranian-made products In October, Verizon announced it had activated 5G ser- be supported with research grants. and discover the potential abilities of universities, research vice for customers in four cities. The product is not meant The 19th research and technology achievements and centers and science and technology parks. for use outside the home; instead, it is being offered as a tech market and the exhibition of technology suppliers was About 350 companies are to attend the tech market, of- stand-in for residential Internet service. Still, it is a po- held from December 24 to 26 at Tehran’s International fering over 9,000 products during the event. tentially transformative offering — households with only one wired Internet provider might soon have an additional choice. But it is not “mobile data” in the way consumers A kid-friendly internet? This company is trying to build one tend to think of it. This week, AT&T said it too had switched on its 5G service, “You really now need an entirely separate Google and Facebook is that, when they The children’s digital advertising market of building safer advertising products announcing it is the “first and only company in the U.S. to internet, that is based around allowing built and when they architected so many is expected to be worth $1.9 billion next for kids is laudable, or at least certain- offer a mobile 5G device over a commercial, standards-based children to remain anonymous,” said of their platforms, children just simply year, according to the PwC Kids Digital ly better than just hoping to fly under SuperAwesome CEO Dylan Collins. weren’t a consideration.” Advertising Report. regulators’ radar.” mobile 5G network.” The catch? Access is limited for now The insatiable data-collecting vacu- Today, SuperAwesome reaches more By the time a child turns 13, advertising SuperAwesome now has more than to a select group of businesses and consumers in a dozen um that is the modern internet was not than 500 million unique users each month technology companies will have collected 300 brand partners, including Mattel, cities, and it requires the use of a mobile hotspot. built for kids. through its products, which include as much as 72 million data points about Hasbro, Nintendo and Warner Broth- So Dylan Collins is trying to build PopJam, a platform where developers them, according to SuperAwesome data. ers, which rely on its products to ensure another internet, one where children can build experiences that allow kids to Collins said that the company has they’re complying with children’s privacy can click, browse and view ads without like, comment and share content, and benefitted from growing public under- laws and are collecting zero data across having a single piece of personal data Kids Web Services, which simplifies the standing of the internet and just what apps, games, platforms and advertise- collected. process of building apps. it can mean for kids who are spending ments. And the company is also seeing Collins is the chief executive of Super- Another product, Kid Safe Filter, a time online. returns from the advertisements they Awesome, a London-based tech compa- firewall for third-party advertisements, “I think it’s certainly not the case run, despite not collecting a single data ny that is building kid-safe products for was released earlier this month and en- that Google and Facebook are going to point from the children who view them. other companies, which are required to sures every digital ad is stripped of track- deliberately target children, or deliber- “There needed to be some sort of abide by a growing list data privacy of ers, preventing third party advertisers ately trying to capture all of their data,” company to help both sides overcome regulations. from storing data without first knowing Collins said. “But it’s definitely the case that friction,” said Hussein Kanji, “You really now need an entirely whether a child is involved. that clearly a new infrastructure, what founding partner at Hoxton Ventures, separate internet that is based around With television viewing decreasing, we call a ‘Zero Data Infrastructure,’ is a London-based firm that was an early allowing children to remain anonymous,” Collins credits the shift to digital for Su- required to support children.” investor in SuperAwesome. Collins said. perAwesome’s growth in the past year. But reaching those kids comes with SuperAwesome does that by offering The idea behind SuperAwesome may The company said it projected to double a set of regulatory barriers, namely companies a dashboard where they can seem particularly timely considering the its revenue in 2018 and has its sights set COPPA, the privacy regulation in the get an aggregate view of how advertise- growing backlash against tech compa- on going public in 2020. In February, a United States and the Europe’s GDPR-K, ments perform, without any individual nies and their data practices, but when funding round valued the company at which was enacted earlier this year. data from the children they engaged. Collins pitched his startup to tech inves- more than $100 million. Both laws are designed to put parents “In comparison, let’s say, if you were For its part, Sprint says it plans to launch its mobile tors a few years ago, he was hammered Collins said he expects the company to in control over what information is running a campaign targeted at adults, 5G service in the first half of next year. Until its merger with questions about the types of data continue to grow as regulations continue collected about their children and, in you would be able to go in and literally with T-Mobile is approved and complete, executives have he planned to collect on young users. to evolve. the absence of consent, prevent sites track a person, in terms of, okay they said, Sprint will continue to operate as though nothing has The answer — none — completely “There’s a huge amount of change or apps from collecting data that could clicked on an ad, then they went to this changed. The proposed deal this week received a blessing bucked the trend in Silicon Valley, where that’s going on,” he said. “All of our tech- identify a person. site, then they went to this site, then from national security officials, though it must also get every piece of personal data and user nology is not only providing compliance Lindsey Barrett, a teaching fellow and they went and spent some money on approval from the Justice Department and the Federal behavior was the real product driving for today, but we’re ensuring that they’re staff attorney at Georgetown Law’s Com- Amazon,” Collins said. “Our technology Communications Commission. billions of dollars in revenue for compa- going to be compliant tomorrow and munications and Technology Clinic said ensures that nobody can capture that As for when we will see the first 5G-capable smartphone? nies like Facebook and Google. next year and keeping up with the latest that the laws don’t necessarily ensure kind of data on children.” Industry analysts say the consensus appears to be the first “You feel like the crazy person because requirements.” compliance. taking on YouTube quarter of 2019. you’re going around and you’re saying, Monetizing ‘the internet of kids’ “Far too many companies turn a blind SuperAwesome has also positioned “I think the expectation is probably Samsung,” said Walt ‘Hey, we need to build the opposite of what The number of children online increas- eye to the fact that advertisers claim to itself as both a complement and an Piecyk, an analyst at the research firm BTIG. everyone else is talking about,’” Collins es by 175,000 every day, according to be complying with COPPA when they’re alternative to YouTube. (Source: msn.com) said. “The challenge for companies like Unicef, and advertisers are taking notice. not,” Barrett said. “I think the objective (Source: nbcnews.com) I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y DECEMBER 26, 2018 SCIENCE 11

NASA probe spots a mystery en Strong interactions produce a dance between light and sound

Light and high-frequency acoustic sound waves in a tiny glass struc- route to the outer Solar System ture can strongly couple to one another and perform a dance in step. A team of researchers from Imperial College London, the Uni- Just a week before NASA’s New Horizons versity of Oxford, and the National Physical Laboratory have ex- mission is scheduled to arrive at the most perimentally achieved a long-standing goal to demonstrate the so- far-flung object ever studied, mission sci- called “strong-coupling regime” between light and high-frequency entists have noticed something that raised acoustic vibrations. their eyebrows. The object they’re planning The team’s research will have impact for classical- and quan- to approach around New Year’s Eve is be- tum-information processing and even testing quantum mechanics having strangely — and at this point, they at large scales. can only guess as to why. Central to the team’s research are ‘whispering-gallery-mode The New Horizons mission was first resonances’ where light bounces many times around the surface launched in 2006, as part of NASA’s plan of a tiny round glass structure shown in the figure above. to study the remote, icy regions of our solar This phenomenon is named after an effect that was observed system. In 2015, New Horizons completed in St Paul’s cathedral in the nineteenth century, where one could a 6-month study of dwarf planet Pluto, but whisper along the wall of the round gallery building and be heard New Horizons has always had its sights set on the other side. on probing deeper regions of the Kuiper “It is fascinating that these glass ring resonators can store ex- Belt — an area beyond Neptune which NASA cessive amounts of light, which can ‘shake’ the molecules in the calls a “region of leftovers from the solar light actually reaches the spacecraft. Stern expects to get some answers once they will be streaming their coverage on the material and generate acoustic waves,” said project co-author Dr. system’s early history.” In December the Mark Showalter, Ph.D., a senior research the probe actually gets close enough to see Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory Pascal Del’Haye of the National Physical Laboratory. team behind the project revealed that they scientist at the Seti Institute suggested that Ultima Thule for itself. New Horizons will Youtube channel. As the light circulates around the circumference of the glass are headed deeper they intend to approach the object might simply be obscured by a pass 2,200 miles from Ultima Thule at ap- The “pace of activity here at mission con- structure it interacts with an 11 GHz acoustic vibration that causes an object called KBO 2014 MU69, or “Ulti- dust cloud. And finally, in a more out-there proximately 12:33 A.M. EST on New Year’s trol at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics light to be scattered in the reverse direction. This interaction allows ma Thule” which is roughly 4 billion miles explanation, a New Horizons assistant project Day. In the meantime, he added that the Laboratory is intense and exciting,” Stern energy to be swapped between the light and sound at a certain rate. from the sun. scientist Anne Verbiscer, Ph.D., added that team is hard at work — even during Christ- says. “Mission operations, encounter oper- The team overcame this challenge by utilizing two such whis- Earlier images of Ultima Thule revealed Ultima Thule could potentially be surrounded mas Eve — preparing for their flyby. But ations, navigation operations, and science pering-gallery-mode resonances and achieved a coupling rate that that it’s actually two objects that are either by “many tiny tumbling moons,” which could largely as Stern indicated, the mission is team operations are all proceeding in parallel. is larger than these friction-like processes, allowing the signatures joined at the hip or very closely orbiting one interfere with Ultima Thule’s light curve. proceeding as planned. We will soon know.” of the light-sound dance to be observed. another. These objects reflect sunlight, you Which one of these three ideas might it As 2018 winds down, Inverse is highlight- (Source: phys.org) would expect light to pulsate as the strangely Solar System be? Alan Stern, Ph.D., the project’s principal ing 25 surprising things we learned about shaped object rotates and the light reflects The Kuiper belt, a donut shaped area of investigator tells Inverse isn’t ready to throw humans this year. These stories told us weird differently off of it — these changes are also the outer Solar System. his weight behind any of the ideas just yet. stuff about our bodies and brains, uncovered called a light curve. But Ultima Thule’s isn’t The only change will be that we won’t be Sustainable ‘plastics’ are on “We don’t know which is more likely insights into our social lives, and generally getting brighter or dimmer as it rotates. able to watch the live coverage of the event or whether something else is up. Ultima is on NASA TV because of the government illuminated why we’re such complicated, the horizon, team shows New Horizon mission guarding her secrets well, but we’re getting shutdown, which commenced at midnight wonderful, and weird animals. So far, scientists have posed three poten- closer and flyby is only a week away.” on December 21st. Instead, Stern added that (Source: inverse.com) A new study describes a process to make bioplastic polymers that don’t tial explanations behind the missing light require land or fresh water -- resources that are scarce in much of curve. Marc Buie, Ph.D., an astronomer the world. The polymer is derived from microorganisms that feed on at the Southwest Research Institute who The Kuiper belt, a donut shaped area of the outer Solar System The seaweed. It is biodegradable, produces zero toxic waste and recycles collaborates on the New Horizon missions, only change will be that we won’t be able to watch the live coverage of into organic waste. suggested that it might just be a matter of The invention was the fruit of a multidisciplinary collaboration orientation. He proposed that the rotational the event on NASA TV because of the government shutdown, which between Dr. Alexander Golberg of TAU’s Porter School of Environ- pole of Ultimate Thule is just pointed at New commenced at midnight on December 21st. mental and Earth Sciences and Prof. Michael Gozin of TAU’s School Horizons, which would affect how much of Chemistry. Their research was recently published in the journal Bioresource Technology. Scientists find dust from Salt Lake may 50 years ago Apollo 8 changed humanity’s melt ‘greatest snow on Earth’ in Utah vision of Earth forever According to researchers, the receding Chances are good that you’ve never seen Unexpected and unscientific, water level of one of the United States Earth in its entirety, on a planetary scale, Earthrise has nonetheless become biggest bodies of water has also affected with your own eyes. But you’ve surely perhaps the best-known legacy of Apollo Utah’s “Greatest Snow on Earth.” After seen another human’s photograph of 8 besides the missions that followed. A a dust storm in 2017, the snow in the just that — like this very image, the first steady stream of photographs looking Wasatch Mountain melted earlier than of its kind. Known as Earthrise, it was back at Earth from space, taken by According to the United Nations, plastic accounts for up to 90 per- usual. Utah’s “The Greatest Snow on snapped 50 years ago today during Apollo humans and robots alike, has followed. cent of all the pollutants in our oceans, yet there are few comparable, Earth” is in danger of melting, scientists 8’s visit to the moon. Special power environmentally friendly alternatives to the material. warned, and it is caused by the rapidly The Apollo 8 crew — James Lovell, But Earthrise still has a special power “Plastics take hundreds of years to decay. So bottles, packaging growing populations around Wasatch William Anders and Frank Borman — in the way it shows Earth juxtaposed and bags create plastic ‘continents’ in the oceans, endanger animals Mountain. tivity, altering landscapes makes dust went where no human being had been with the barren moon. “That was a really and pollute the environment,” says Dr. Golberg. “Plastic is also pro- In a recent paper, scientists from more likely to get picked up by wind,” before, and nothing had prepared them stunning contrast to the guys who were duced from petroleum products, which has an industrial process the University of Utah simultaneously stated McKenzie Skiles, an assistant for the vision of Earth glowing blue and on Apollo 8,” John Rummel, a biologist that releases chemical contaminants as a byproduct. measured the amount of dust in the air professor at the University of Utah and green above a barren lunar surface. at the SETI Institute, told space.com. A “partial solution to the plastic epidemic is bioplastics, which and snow to analyze how the receding lead author of the study. “We know that Nothing had prepared Earthlings for “All the color was on that little orb that don’t use petroleum and degrade quickly. But bioplastics also have levels of the Great Salt Lake is affecting since settlement of the West, the amount the photograph when the astronauts was rising on the moon. Everything was an environmental price: To grow the plants or the bacteria to make the rate of snow melt in the mountain. of dust in the air has increased. And at carried it home, either, and it rapidly there and nothing was on the moon that the plastic requires fertile soil and fresh water, which many countries, Scientists observed five dust storm the same time, due to upstream water became iconic. It has been credited with they could really identify at the time or including Israel, don’t have. events in the spring of 2017, particularly withdrawals, lake levels are also declining, inspiring a measure of global unity as feel good about — if you like craters, The researchers harnessed microorganisms that feed on seaweed the single storm that took place on April The Wasatch Mountains is famous for well as the environmental movement it’s a great place, but it’s pretty stark.” to produce a bioplastic polymer called polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA). 13, which deposited the largest volume its snow, bringing in skiers and snow- “I think Bill (Anders) later said after Over the course of the decades “Our raw material was multicellular seaweed, cultivated in the sea,” of dust. According to the scientists, the boarders to the region. The “Greatest the flight, we went to the moon to explore of spaceflight that have followed, Dr. Golberg says. “These algae were eaten by single-celled microor- dust came from the exposed lake bed of Snow on Earth” contributes over a billion the moon and what we did on Apollo psychologists studying astronauts’ ganisms, which also grow in very salty water and produce a polymer the Great Salt Lake, which, since 1847, dollars annually to the economy. 8 was we really explored the Earth,” accounts of being in orbit have identified that can be used to make bioplastic. has steadily been shrinking because of However, the dust storm in April 2017 Jerry Bostick, who worked in mission what’s been dubbed the overview effect, “There are already factories that produce this type of bioplastic in humans who have been consuming the added additional sunlight to the region control for the flight, told Space.com. a striking tendency to focus on the unity commercial quantities, but they use plants that require agricultural stream water replenishing it. because of the dust particles, causing the “It was the first time that any humans of the planet. land and fresh water. The process we propose will enable countries with After collecting dust data — both air- snow to melt a week earlier. As the Great had ever seen it from that standpoint.” “It does seem as though people report a shortage of fresh water, such as Israel, China and India, to switch borne and in the snow — scientists ran Salt Lake, which is one of the largest The photograph was unplanned — a shift in terms of how they view the Earth from petroleum-derived plastics to biodegradable plastics.” a simulation to estimate where the dust bodies of water (by area) in the United the astronauts simply saw what they as a whole, and I don’t know that we know (Source: eurekalert.org) came from and where they were heading. States, continues to shrink, Skiles warned saw and took the photographs they for sure exactly the neurobiological and They found that the Great Salt Lake was that similar events will become more felt compelled to take. “Of course they cognitive mechanisms through which that the largest dust emitters, accounting for frequent. were going to take a picture,” Bostick occurs,” David Yaden, a psychologist at the about 10 percent of the dust deposited. As of 2016, the lake area shrunk nearly said. “I’m not sure why nobody ahead University of Pennsylvania who studies Himalayan marmot genome The computer simulation 50 percent, reaching its lowest level in of time had thought, hey, you know, if self-transcendent experiences, told Space. The computer simulation also revealed recorded history. Skiles hopes that the you turn to this attitude and look back com. “What I think is happening there is offers clues to life at extremely that the dust blew north of the study plot, study would lead to policies that aim to you’re gonna see the Earth. It was kind there’s a perception of vastness, and the high altitudes, research says likely impacting the northern Wasatch. protect the Great Salt Lake and minimize of a gee-whiz thing that was not a part perception of vastness is the stimulus “(T)he magnitude and frequency of further shrinkage. of the expected science return from the that triggers the emotion of awe.” Himalayan marmots can survive at altitudes up to 5,000 meters airborne dust is impacted by human ac- (Source: Tech Times) mission.” (Source: space.com) in the Himalayan regions of India, Nepal, and Pakistan and on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau of China, where many of them face extreme cold, little oxygen, and few other resources. Now, researchers have Electric fish in augmented reality reveal how animals ‘actively sense’ world around them sequenced the first complete Himalayan marmot genome, which may Bats and dolphins emit sound waves to sense a magnet-like ability to maintain a fixed help them to better explain how the marmots live in such extremes. their surroundings; like a battery, electric position within their refuge, known as Himalayan marmots can survive at altitudes up to 5,000 meters fish generate electricity to help them detect station-keeping. in the Himalayan regions of India, Nepal, and Pakistan and on the motion while burrowed in their refuges; Sensing behavior Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau of China, where many of them face extreme and humans use tiny movements of the eyes Fortune’s team sought to learn how cold, little oxygen, and few other resources. Now, researchers have to perceive objects in their field of vision. the fish control this sensing behavior by sequenced the first complete Himalayan marmot genome, which may Each is an example of “active sensing” -- a disrupting the way the fish perceives its help them to better explain how the marmots live in such extremes. process found across the animal kingdom, movement relative to its refuge. The findings, which appear December 20 in the journal iScience, which involves the production of motion, “We’ve known for a long time that these hint at the genetic mechanisms underlying high-altitude adaptation sound or other signals to gather sensory fish will follow the position of their refuge, and hibernation, the researchers say. They also serve as a valua- feedback about the external environment. but more recently we discovered that they ble resource for researchers studying marmot evolution, highland Until now, however, researchers have generate small movements that reminded disease, and cold adaptation. struggled to understand how the brain us of the tiny movements that are seen in “As one of the highest-altitude-dwelling mammals, the Himalayan controls active sensing, partly due to how human eyes,” said Fortune. “That led us to marmot is chronically exposed to cold temperature, hypoxia, and tightly linked active sensing behavior is devise our augmented reality system and intense UV radiation,” said Enqi Liu of Xi’an Jiaotong University with the sensory feedback it creates. see if we could experimentally perturb the Health Science Center in China. “They also hibernate for more than In a new study, NJIT and Johns Hopkins feedback from active sensing movements, a professor of biology, who led the study relationship between the sensory and motor six months during the wintertime.” researchers have used augmented reality feature that may be ubiquitous in animals. at NJIT. “This is perhaps the first study systems of these fish without completely Those striking biological features led Liu and his team, including technology to alter this link and unravel Current biology where augmented reality has been used unlinking them. Until now, this was very first author Liang Bai, to consider the Himalayan marmot as an ideal the mysterious dynamic between active Researchers say the findings, published to probe, in real time, this fundamental hard to do.” animal model for studying the molecular mechanisms of adaptation sensing movement and sensory feedback. in the journal Current Biology, could have process of movement-based active sensing, “From the perspective of the fish, to extreme environments. To begin, they sequenced and assembled The findings report that subtle active implications in the field of neuroscience which nearly all animals use to perceive the stimulus in closed- and open-loop a complete draft genome of a male Himalayan marmot. The DNA sensing movements of a special species as well as in the engineering of new the environment around them.” experiments is exactly the same, but data show that the Himalayan marmot diverged from the Mongolian of weakly electric fish -- known as the glass artificial systems -- from self-driving cars Eigenmannia virescens is a species of from the perspective of control, one test marmot about 2 million years ago. The researchers identified two knifefish (Eigenmannia virescens) -- are to cooperative robotics. electric fish found in the Amazon river basin is linked to the behavior and the other it is genes, Slc25a14 and ?Aamp (a processed pseudogene), that have under sensory feedback control and serve “What is most exciting is that this study that is known to hide in refuges to avoid the unlinked,” said Noah Cowan, professor at been selected in different directions in marmots living at low versus to enhance the sensory information the has allowed us to explore feedback in ways threat of predators in their environment. Johns Hopkins University and co-author high altitudes, suggesting they are related to survival in high-altitude fish receives. The study proposes the fish that we have been dreaming about for over As part of their defenses, Fortune says that of the study. populations under conditions of extremely low oxygen. use a dual-control system for processing 10 years,” said Eric Fortune, associate the species and its relatives can display (Source: eurekalert.org) (Source: sciencedaily.com) I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y 12 SOCIETY DECEMBER 26, 2018

University bus crash leaves 8 ‘Climate change impact on Iran dead, 28 injured

SOCIETY TEHRAN — In a bus rollover at the Islamic deskAzad University, northwestern Tehran, on doubles world average’ Tuesday, eight students were killed and 28 were injured, Jalal Maleki, fire department spokesman said. ENVIRONMENT TEHRAN — The ef- large amounts of water compared to other deskfects of climate change provinces of the country has exacerbated on Iran has more than doubled on aver- the situation,” he highlighted. age compared to other parts of the world, 65 percent of the country’s tile and pottery while southern provinces of the country are being produced in Yazd, and the estab- are more likely to bear the consequences, lishment of water and energy consuming secretary of environmental policy at the industries has also compounded the lack center for strategic studies affiliated to the of water, he lamented. presidential office has said. He went on to explain that residents must “The Hoomand-Absard station in move towards changing their water consump- Damavand county in northeast of Tehran tion pattern, launching green businesses, experienced a temperature increase of 2.7 developing tourism industry in the fields °C over the past 50 years, while over the of historical, cultural and medical tourism, past 100 years, the temperature rise was adding that moreover, Yazd province could be about 0.76 °C,” ISNA quoted Mohammad the country’s solar power extraction source. Darvish as saying on Tuesday. According to data released in mid-Novem- An air ambulance is dispatched to the area to transferor the Climate change impact is increasing in ber by the National Drought Warning and injured to the healthcare centers in no time, public relation of- southern part of the country, among which Monitoring Center, while from the beginning ficer of Tehran emergency medical services announced, IRNA Yazd province’s condition has raised concern, of autumn to December 24, Iran received news agency reported. he said, adding, the industries operating in 91.6 millimeters of rain on average which Mohammad Karamabadi also explained that a bus ambulance, the province must reduce their dependency quadruples last year’s precipitation over the seven ambulances and two motor lances are with 20 doctors, on water, otherwise water scarcity might same period, sadly, province of Yazd situated paramedics, and nurses are at the scene. worsen in the region. Climate change impact is increasing in in southern Iran only rained 13.6 millimeters, “Although, province of Yazd is facing making it the province with lowest amount common consequences of climate changes southern part of the country, among which of rain received in the same period after Sis- Yazd province’s condition has raised concern. Studies for launching due to greenhouse gas emissions, consuming tan-Baluchestan. Tehran-Karaj BRT lines Over 1 million children born within Clunker cars cause 65% of air pollution underway 9 months in Iran in Tehran

SOCIETY TEHRAN — An appraisal study on desklaunching bus rapid transit (BRT) lines along the two roads from Tehran to Karaj has started, Mohsen Pourseyyed Aqaei, deputy mayor of Tehran for traffic and transport affairs has said.

SOCIETY TEHRAN — Based on 17,600 deaths are among the regions ENVIRONMENT TEHRAN — Clunker over 15 years are still running in Tehran. deskthe data released by the with record high deaths after Tehran, deskvehicles being respon- He went on to explain that the produc- BRT line will be established in Hemmat and Hakim National Organization for Civil Regis- the report added. sible for 65 percent of the air pollution tion date of a car is not a good criterion highways to Tehran–Karaj freeway, he stated, YJC reported tration of the first nine months of the Additionally, some 706,839 infants hitting the metropolis of Tehran, remain for determining whether a car is clunker, on Tuesday. current Iranian calendar year (March have been born in the country in the first the largest source of emissions Tehraners inspection must be carried out to ensure Hemmat highway is a route in Tehran, which starts from 21-December 22), a total of 1,046,099 half of the current Iranian calendar year breathe, member of the Majlis agriculture that whether the vehicle conforms to regu- Pasdaran Avenue and ends into a two-way road that goes births were recorded in the country, while (March 21-September 22), and 182,259 committee has said. lations governing safety, emissions, or both. south to Tehran–Karaj Freeway. 276,787 died during the same period. deaths were recorded. “There are 5 million vehicles in Tehran, Elsewhere in his remarks, Sha’eri Developing public transport in the busy metropolis pf Over the aforesaid nine months, Some 324,713 marriages and 84,016 400,000 of which are considered clun- highlighted that cars and trucks causing Tehran is a must as it would ease traffic congestion as well Tehran with 137,707 births and 42,278 divorces were also recorded during the ker, not meeting emission standards,” 80 percent of the air pollution, while the as air pollution in the capital. deaths got the highest rates among oth- 6-month period. YJC quoted Ali Mohammad Sha’eri as rest is related to polluting industries and er provinces of the country, ISNA news Tehran was also among the provinc- saying on Tuesday. mining activities. agency reported on Tuesday. es with highest divorces and marriages The largest amount of particulate matter Additionally, carbureted cars are re- LEARN ENGLISH After Tehran, Khorasan Razavi and amounting to 41,964 marriages and 17,733 2.5 stem from the old cars running in the sponsible for 50 percent of air pollution, Khuzestan with 101,531 and 84,186 divorces during first half of the year. capital, he stated. while accounting for only 9 percent of the Just in Time Strategy births respectively ranked among the Khorasan Razavi with 8,163 divorces Old cars are 25 times more polluting total number of vehicles, he noted. provinces with highest birth rate in the and 27,919 marriages is placed second than ordinary cars, he lamented, adding, Referring to 2 million polluting mo- A: I called this meeting today in order to discuss our manufacturing same period. having the highest divorce and marriage unfortunately, due to the lack of budget torcycles traveling across the capital, he plan. As I’m sure you’re all aware, with the credit crunch, and Furthermore, province of Khoras- rate, while Ilam is the province with the allocation, scraping of clunker vehicles regretted that motorcycles emit pollutants the global financial crisis, we’reobligated to look for more an Razavi and Isfahan with 22,569 and lowest divorce rate of 426. is proceeding slowly, and thus cars aging 5 times more than the cars. cost efficient ways of producing our goods. We don’t want to have to be looking at redundancies. So, we’ve outlined a brief plan to implement the just-in-time philosophy. B: We have two basic points that we want to focus on. First of 2 subway lines to become partially operational: Tehran councilor all, we want to reduce our lead time. SOCIETY TEHRAN — Subway lines 6 and 7 of over 10 kilometers will be also up and running by the C: Why would want to do that? I think this is not an area that deskTehran will become partially operational end of the year. really needs to be worked on. by the end of the current Iranian calendar year (March Some 9 trillion rials (nearly $2 million) has been allocated B: Well, we want to reduce production and delivery lead times 20, 2019), councilor Ali Krooni has said. to the completion of the two aforementioned lines, Mehr for better overall efficiency. Both lines are currently under construction. Line 6 is news agency quoted Krooni as saying on Monday. A: Right, production lead times can be reduced by moving almost 32 kilometers long with 27 stations connecting Meanwhile, CEO of Tehran Metro, Ali Emam, said on work stations closer together, reducing queue length, southeast Tehran to northwest. Tuesday that once line 6 is fully operational some 6 trillion like for example, reducing the number of jobs waiting to be Subway line 7 is 22 kilometers long. With 23 stations the rials (nearly $1.4 million) will be saved annually, Tasnim processed at a given machine, and improving the coordination line also connects southeastern Tehran to northwestern parts news agency reported. and cooperation between successive processes. Delivery lead of the city. The subway line was first partially opened in June Except for line 7, currently there are five fully operation- times can be reduced through close cooperation with suppliers, 2017 but was closed due to safety issues in November 2017. al subway lines in the city of Tehran which deliver some possibly by inducing suppliers to locate closer to the factory Tehran subway line 7 was partially reopened in mid-July 2.2 million rides on a daily basis, and line 6 is still under or working with a faster shipping company. with 5 stations stretching over 6 kilometers. construction. C: I see, that makes sense. Krooni went on to explain that the two more stations for Once lines 6 and 7 are completed they can increase the B: The second point is that we want to require supplier quality line 7 will be operational and 4 station of line 6 stretching metro ridership to some five million a day. assurance and implement a zero defects quality program. We currently have far too many errors that lead to defective items and therefore, they must be eliminated. A quality control at ENGLISH IN USE the source program must be implemented to give workers the personal responsibility for the quality of the work they do, and LEARN NEWS TRANSLATION the authority to stop production when something goes wrong. C: I’m with you on this one. It’s essential that we reduce these errors; we’ve got to force our suppliers to reduce their mistakes. A: Exactly. Well, let’s look at how we’re going to put this plan Whooper swans come to northern Iran قوهای آوازخوان دو هفته زودتر به تاالب میانکاله رسیدند (into action. First... (fade out Key vocabulary two weeks earlier رئیــس اداره حیــات وحــش محیــط زیســت شهرســتان بهشــهر اظهــار داشــت: obligate: make a person do something because it is the right قوهــای فریادکــش کــه پرجمعیــت تریــن گونــه پرنــده زمســتان گــذران تــاالب هــا thing to do Whooper swans, the last group of migratory birds spending winter in cost efficient:cheap, not expensive northern Iran, landed in Miankaleh wetland in eastern part of Mazandaran و آببنــدان مازنــدران بــه حســاب مــی آیــد، امســال دو هفتــه زودتــر بــرای زمســتان redundancy: the ending of workers› employment implement; lay off province two weeks earlier, deputy director for the provincial department گذرانــی بــه مازنــدران آمدنــد. .implement: put a plan into action of environment (DOE) has said زمــان احمــدی در گفــت و گــو بــا خبرنــگار ایرنــا افــزود: در فصــل جــاری نســبت lead time: the time between the beginning of a process and In the current season compared to past few years, the number of migratory its end بــه ســنوات گذشــته بــه دلیــل شــرایط مناســب غذایــی در تــاالب میانکالــه جمعیــت efficiency: the ability to produce something more quickly birds has increased in Miankaleh wetland due to the appropriate nutritional پرنــدگان زمســتان گــذران افزایــش داشــته اســت. .work station: an area where a person works and does his job conditions, IRNA quoted Zaman Ahmadi as saying on Saturday given: used to refer to a specific time, place or thing defect: a mistake or error that makes something not perfect defective: having a mistake or error that makes something PREFIX/SUFFIX PHRASAL VERB IDIOM not perfect Supplementary vocabulary inventory: supply of goods stored in a place “-ine, -in” Ask around Off color carrying cost: the cost of holding inventory Meaning: chemical substance or mineral Meaning: to ask many people the same question Explanation: to look or feel ill warehouse: large building where products or goods are stored For example: I am looking for a crystalline quartz For example: I asked around but nobody has seen For example: What’s the matter with Tom? He looks stock: the supply of goods for sale, or available supplier. my wallet. a bit off color today. bottleneck: something that slows a process down ساعت: 19:40 امضاء صفحه آرا: ساعت: امضاء مسئول صفحه: ساعت: امضاء ادیتور: ساعت: امضاء سردبیر:

I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y DECEMBER 26, 2018 WORLD IN FOCUS 13 U.S. withdrawal stab in our back: U.S. court orders North Syrian Kurds Korea to pay $500m in Otto Many Syrian Kurds have expressed frustra- within his administration, prompting the Warmbier’s death tion over the United States’ planned troop resignation of Defense Secretary Jim Mattis A federal judge in the United States has ordered Pyongyang to withdrawal from Syria, describing it as a and Brett McGurk, the special envoy to the pay $501m in a wrongful death suit filed by the parents of Otto ‘stab in the back’ and considering new allies, so-called anti-Daesh coalition. Warmbier, an American college student who died last year shortly according to the U.S.-based National Public Trump later named Deputy Secretary after being released from North Korea. Radio (NPR). of Defense Patrick Shanahan as the acting Syrian Kurdish forces in northern Syr- Pentagon chief, saying he will replace Mattis ia are considering contingency plans and starting January 1, earlier than previously partnering with new alliances in the face scheduled. of an anticipated Turkish incursion in the The withdrawal plan has also sparked region, the NPR said on Monday. much controversy among other American “At this point, we are open to all options politicians, with many Republican and Dem- and partnerships,” said Syrian Democratic ocrat figures openly criticizing Trump for Forces (SDF) spokesman Mustafa Bali. the matter. The report further revealed that the Syr- “I think when you leave an area where it’s ian Kurdish officials are even considering very troublesome in terms of our national “on-the-ground protection deals with Ira- security overall, you leave a void and bad nian forces in Syria,” in addition to Syrian people fill it and then you have a much big- government protection. ger problem,” said Republican Senator Pat “The Syrian regime should be protecting Roberts speaking to reporters. Syria’s sovereign borders,” says Bali, adding Democrat Senator Christopher Coons also that “on principle, we would not be against criticized Trump’s decision for weakening it (Syrian government presence).” one,” said another Kurdish local named ployed in the Kurdish-controlled regions U.S. influence in the region. U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell on Monday harshly con- Speaking to Kurds living near U.S. bas- Haji Haidar. of Syria. “For us to withdraw right now and aban- demned North Korea for “barbaric mistreatment” of Warmbier es in northern Syria, many expressed their Earlier this month, Turkish President Turkey saw the U.S.-led military pres- don our Kurdish allies, paves a highway for in agreeing with his family that the country should be held liable resentment for what they described as U.S. Recep Tayyip Erdogan promised a Turkish-led ence as an obstacle in dealing with Kurdish control of Syria for either Iran and Russia for his death in June 2017. “betrayal” of the Kurds. operation against the Kurdish-controlled forces in northern Syria it views as threat or Turkey.” She awarded punitive damages and payments covering med- “If they will leave, we will curse them regions in “the next few days.” to its security. Many observers have, however, high- ical expenses, economic loss and pain and suffering to Fred and as traitors,” said Hatem Hassan, a money The president, however, announced the Ankara has postponed its incursion into lighted the apparent bi-partisan opposition Cindy Warmbier, who alleged that their son had been held hos- exchange shop owner in the Syrian town operation’s delay last week just a few days northern Syria until U.S. troops leave the to Trump’s troop withdrawal as a sign of tage and tortured. of Qamishli. after U.S. President Donald Trump called region. Washington’s aggressive and reckless for- The judgment may be mostly symbolic since North Korea has “I don’t understand it. People are afraid for a withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria. Turmoil in Washington eign policy. yet to respond to any of the allegations in court and there’s no that they will just sell the country to some- Many American forces are currently de- Trump’s decision has sparked turmoil (Source: Press TV) practical mechanism to force it to do so. But the family may nonetheless be able to recoup damages through a Justice Department-administered fund for victims of state-sponsored acts of “terrorism”, and may look to seize other Indonesian rescuers use drones, sniffer dogs as tsunami death toll tops 400 assets held by the country outside of North Korea. Indonesian rescuers on Tuesday used drones and sniffer Temporary shelters Warmbier, 22, was a University of Virginia student who was dogs to search for survivors along the devastated west coast Authorities have warned of further high waves and ad- visiting North Korea with a tour group when he was arrested and of Java hit by a tsunami that killed at least 429 people, vised residents to stay away from the shoreline. sentenced to 15 years of hard labour in March 2016 on suspicion warning more victims are expected to be uncovered as the “Since Anak Krakatau has been actively erupting for of stealing a propaganda poster. He died in June 2017, shortly search expands. the past several months additional tsunamis cannot be after he returned to the U.S. in a coma and showing apparent Thick ash clouds continued to spew from Anak Krakatau, excluded,” said Dr. Prof Hermann Fritz, from the Georgia signs of torture while in custody. a volcanic island where a crater collapse at high tide on Institute of Technology in the United States. In holding the North Korean government liable, Howell ac- Saturday sent waves smashing into coastal areas on both Rescue efforts were hampered by heavy rainfall and cused it of seizing Warmbier for “use as a pawn in that totalitarian sides of the Sunda Strait between the islands of Sumatra low visibility. Military and volunteer teams used drones to state’s global shenanigans and face-off” with the U.S. and Java. assess the extent of the damage along the coast. “Before Otto traveled with a tour group on a five-day trip to At least 154 people remain missing. More than 1,400 Food, water, blankets, and medical aid is trickling into North Korea, he was a healthy, athletic student of economics people were injured, and thousands of residents had to remote areas via inland roads that are choked with traffic. and business in his junior year at the University of Virginia, move to higher ground, with a high-tide warning extended Thousands of people are staying in tents and temporary with ‘big dreams’ and both the smarts and people skills to make to Wednesday. shelters like mosques or schools, with dozens sleeping on him his high school class salutatorian, homecoming king, and Rescuers used heavy machinery, sniffer dogs, and the floor and using public facilities. Many remained trau- prom king,” the judge wrote. “He was blind, deaf, and brain dead special cameras to detect and dig bodies out of mud and matized by the disaster. when North Korea turned him over to U.S. government officials wreckage along a 100-km (60-mile) stretch of Java’s “We can’t sleep at night, and if we get to sleep a car hectares (222 acres), or about 90 soccer fields, of the vol- for his final trip home.” west coast and officials said the search area would be goes past with sirens and we wake up again, on edge,” said canic island had collapsed into the sea. The arrest and death of Warmbier came during a time of expanded further south. Enah, a 29-year-old woman who managed to survive with In 1883, the volcano, then known as Krakatoa, erupted heightened tension between the U.S. and North Korea over the “There are several locations that we previously thought her family. in one of the biggest blasts in recorded history, killing more latter’s nuclear weapons programme. President Trump and North were not affected,” said Yusuf Latif, spokesman for the A local official in the city of Labuan, Atmadja Suhara, than 36,000 people in a series of tsunamis, and lowering Korean leader Kim Jong-un met in a landmark summit in June national search and rescue agency. said he was helping to care for 4,000 refugees, many of the global surface temperature by 1 degree Celsius with its in Singapore, and there are plans for another meeting next year. “But now we are reaching more remote areas...and in whom had been left homeless. ash. Anak Krakatau is the island that emerged from the Fred and Cindy Warmbier, who are from a suburb of Cincin- fact there are many victims there,” he added. “Everybody is still in a state of panic,” he said. “We often area in 1927, and has been growing ever since. nati, said they were thankful the court found Kim’s government The vast archipelago, which sits on the Pacific “Ring of have disasters, but not as bad as this.” President Joko Widodo, who is running for re-election “legally and morally” responsible for their son’s death. Fire”, has suffered its worst annual death toll from disasters “God willing,” he said, “we will rebuild.” in April, told disaster agencies to install early warning “We put ourselves and our family through the ordeal of a in more than a decade. Destruction was visible along much of the coastline where systems, but experts said that, unlike tsunami caused by lawsuit and public trial because we promised Otto that we will Earthquakes flattened parts of the island of Lombok in waves of up to 2 meters (6 feet) crushed vehicles, felled trees, earthquakes, little could have been done in time to alert never rest until we have justice for him,” they said in a statement. July and August, and a double quake-and-tsunami killed lifted chunks of metal, wooden beams and household items people that waves were coming. “Today’s thoughtful opinion by Chief Judge Howell is a significant more than 2,000 people on a remote part of Sulawesi island and deposited them on roads and rice fields. The timing of the disaster over the Christmas season step on our journey.” in September. Out in the strait, Anak Krakatau (Child of Krakatau) was evoked memories of the Indian Ocean tsunami triggered by The lawsuit, filed in April, describes in horrific detail the It took just 24 minutes after the landslide for waves to still erupting and authorities imposed a 2-km exclusion an earthquake on Dec. 26, 2004, which killed 226,000 people physical abuse Warmbier allegedly endured in the North Kore- hit land, and there was no early warning for those living zone around it in 14 countries, including more than 120,000 in Indonesia. an custody. When his parents boarded a plane to see him upon on the coast. The meteorology agency said that an area of about 64 (Source: Reuters) arrival in the U.S., they were “stunned to see his condition”, court documents say. The 22-year-old was blind and deaf, his arms were curled and mangled and he was jerking violently and howling, completely China says discusses with Pakistan ‘new changes’ in Afghanistan situation unresponsive to his family’s attempts to comfort him. His once Senior Chinese and Pakistani diplomats been deepening its economic and po- promoting political reconciliation is the only the meeting was connected to the U.S. straight teeth were misaligned, and he had an unexplained scar discussed on Tuesday “new changes” to the litical ties with Kabul and is using its realistic way,” the ministry said in its short troop withdrawal. on his foot. An expert said in court papers that the injuries sug- situation in Afghanistan, China’s foreign influence to try to bring the two uneasy statement. Wang visited Kabul earlier this month, gested he had been tortured with electric shock. ministry said, amid plans by the United States neighbors closer. “The two sides welcome the various ef- where he pledged to help Afghanistan and A neurologist later concluded that the college student suffered to withdraw about half of the 14,000 U.S. Meeting in Beijing, the Chinese gov- forts made by all parties and are willing to Pakistan overcome their longstanding sus- brain damage, probably from a loss of blood flow to the brain troops based in the country. ernment’s top diplomat State Councillor maintain close communication and strategic picions of each other. for five to 20 minutes. U.S. officials have told Reuters that Wang Yi and Pakistani Foreign Minister coordination.” China has long worried about the effect North Korea has denied that Warmbier was tortured and has President Donald Trump has issued verbal Shah Mahmood Qureshi had a “deep discus- There was no direct mention of the of instability in Afghanistan on China’s vio- said he contracted botulism in custody, though medical experts orders to plan for a drawdown of close to sion about new changes to the situation in planned U.S. troop drawdown. lence-prone far western region of Xinjiang, said there was no evidence of that. 7,000 U.S. troops. The White House and Afghanistan and reached a broad consensus”, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman home to the mostly Muslim Uighur people The complaint also said Warmbier was pressed to make a the Pentagon have not yet commented China’s Foreign Ministry said. Hua Chunying, speaking at a daily news and where China says it faces a threat from televised confession, then convicted of subversion after a short publicly. “Both sides believe that military means briefing, reiterated the statement and militants. trial. He was denied communication with his family. In June China, a close ally of Pakistan, has cannot resolve the Afghanistan issue, and did not answer a question on whether (Source: Reuters) 2017, his parents were informed he was in a coma and had been in that condition for one year. Though foreign nations are generally immune from being sued in the U..S courts, Howell cited several exceptions that Trump ‘accepts Erdogan’s invitation’ to visit Turkey in 2019 she said allowed the case to move forward and for her to hold U.S. President Donald Trump has accepted an invitation by Trump on Sunday wrote on Twitter that he had a “long North Korea liable. Those include the fact that North Korea has his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, to visit the and productive” call with Erdogan in which they discussed been designated by the U.S. as a sponsor of “terrorism”, that the country, according to a spokesperson for Turkey’s leader. “the slow & highly coordinated” pullout of U.S. military Warmbiers are U.S. citizens and that North Koreans’ conduct Speaking to reporters after a cabinet meeting on Monday personnel. amounts to torture and hostage-taking. in the Turkish capital, Ankara, Ibrahim Kalin said Trump “We discussed ISIS, our mutual involvement in Syria, The damages awarded by Howell to the Warmbiers and to Otto wants to make the trip in 2019 but no date has been set. and the slow and highly coordinated pullout of U.S. troops Warmbier’s estate include punitive damages as well as damages The White House confirmed the invitation for Trump from the area,” Trump said in a tweet on Sunday, referring for economic losses, pain and suffering and medical expenses. to visit next year, adding: “While nothing definite is being to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known (Source: al Jazeera) planned, the president is open to a potential meeting in as ISIS) group. “After many years they are coming home.” the future.” Trump said he and Erdogan also discussed “heavily Trump had hosted Erdogan at the White House in May expanded” trade between the United States and Turkey last year. after the two NATO allies’ relationship went into a tailspin Moscow says it’s open to Kalin said Erdogan extended the invitation during a in recent months over a number of issues. having a Putin-Trump summit weekend phone call between the presidents on the withdrawal Erdogan said in a separate tweet: “I had a productive of American troops from Syria, which was announced last itary delegation will visit Turkey this week to hold talks call with (Donald Trump) today, in which we agreed to A senior Russian diplomat says Moscow is open to having a summit week by Trump. over the issue. strengthen our coordination on a range of issues, including between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Syria withdrawal “They will discuss how to coordinate (the withdrawal) our trade relations and the developments in Syria.” Donald Trump. The presidential spokesperson also said that a U.S. mil- with their counterparts,” Kalin said in a news conference. (Source: al Jazeera) Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said in remarks carried by the Interfax news agency that it’s important to have a meeting between the two world leaders. They were going to hold talks when they attended a G-20 sum- Erdogan, Putin to meet over U.S. pullout from Syria, Erdogan says mit in Argentina a few weeks ago, but Trump abruptly canceled Putin has no immediate plan to meet Turkey’s Erdogan: Kremlin the meeting over a Russia-Ukraine naval standoff. Ryabkov warned it would be a “deep mistake” to think Russia Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan told He did not disclose the timing of the On Monday, Erdogan’s spokesman said Peskov said on Tuesday that Russia’s Pres- has a bigger interest than Washington in repairing bilateral ties. reporters on Tuesday that he will most meeting. Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Turkey would increase coordination with ident Vladimir Putin does not have imme- Russia-U.S. ties have sunk to their lowest levels since the Cold probably meet with Russian President Cavusoglu will travel to Russia in the coming Russia in Syria following the U.S. decision diate plans to meet with Turkish President War, due to Russian interference in Ukraine, the war in Syria and Vladimir Putin to discuss U.S. withdrawal days to discuss the same issue, broadcaster to withdraw. Tayyip Erdogan. reports of Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential vote. from Syria. CNN Turk quoted him as saying on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry (Source: Reuters) (Source: AP) I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y 14 WORLD SPORTS DECEMBER 26, 2018

Man United must relish Kristina Vogel: “I still can’t Old Trafford, says Solskjaer Manchester United interim coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer expects stand losing” his players to relish the opportunity of playing at Old Trafford after scoring five goals in a Premier League match for the first In June, track-cycling champion Kristina hard work it is to become successful and time in five years. Vogel crashed during a training session in that hard work pays off. I’m an incredibly Solskjaer’s caretaker spell until the end of the season got off Cottbus and has beenwheelchair-bound ever ambitious patient. And sometimes I get on to an ideal start with a 5-1 win at Cardiff City on Saturday but since. She spoke to DW about how she’s ad- the doctors’ nerves, because I’m too impatient United still remain eight points behind fourth-placed Chelsea justing to her new life. with a lot of things. in the table. United have recorded only four wins in eight home Until her accident during a training ses- Apart from your sporting career you league games this season, and Solskjaer has urged his players sion at the Cottbus Velodrome on June 26, are also a police officer. How will this affect to step up to the plate when they host Huddersfield Town on Kristina Vogel was one of the most successful your career there? Wednesday. “I think the boys are looking forward to playing at track cyclists in the world. In 2012, the Kyr- The police have been very helpful. They’re Old Trafford and that’s important,” Solskjaer, who replaced the gyzstan native won gold for Germany in the giving me time to see what job I can do with sacked Jose Mourinho last week, told reporters. team sprint at the London Olympics.At the my disability. I am also active in the German “It’s not like they were outperforming themselves (at Cardiff). 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro, she won gold Olympics Sports Confederation and a year We’ll evaluate, look at a few clips and as I said earlier we can do in the sprint and bronze in the team sprint. ago I was elected to the UCI Athlete’s Com- better, we can understand each other better.” How is your recovery going, six mission. I’d like to continue to be active in United players, who appeared shackled by the pragmatic months after your accident? those roles. approach under Mourinho, enjoyed greater creative freedom I haven’t quite processed everything yet. I understand you’ve tried out some at Cardiff as they netted five goals in a league match for the first There are still days when I wish that I was in new sports during your stay in the clinic, time since Alex Ferguson’s last game in charge in 2013. a different situation. But it is what it is. I am including archery. Is a career in the Paralym- Solskjaer, who won six Premier League titles under Ferguson, no longer on two legs, but on two wheels. I’m pics on the cards? said it was critical his players respected the club’s traditions by now learning how to live life in a wheelchair. There are plenty of opportunities in the sticking to an attacking style of play. Some things are no longer possible and some clinic for me to try out new sports. Apart “They’ve not said anything about any handbrake but we spoke things are completely different. from archery I’ve also tried out bowling and today in the team meeting about how when we get one (goal), What have been the phases of your basketball. I’ve also been in a canoe. It’s all we want to get two. When we get two, we want to get three,” recovery over the past few months? What have you had to learn now that to pick up a pot from the stove without fun because it arouses my sporting ambition. Solskjaer added. After the accident I woke up on the track you can no longer get around as you used to? having to hold on to the wheelchair as soon Physically, however, I’m still a long way off “The attacking philosophy is in the walls of Man United. That’s and couldn’t move my legs. I already figured The most important thing was to restore as possible. from being able to consider professional tradition, that’s history, that’s how we want to play. This was a that moment that I wouldn’t walk again. When a basic physical stability. That things makes Does being a professional athlete help sports. That will take another three or four good reflection of what we want.” I woke up from the coma and I couldn’t feel a lot easier. But when I pick up something you in your recovery? years. And it would have to be a sport I’m (Source: Reuters) my legs it was clear to me that I was a paraple- heavy I still have to hold on to the wheel- As an athlete I’m quite muscular, of course. as passionate about as cycling. If I return to gic. This allowed me to accept and mentally chair. In hospital everything is accessible So I’m trying to activate them again. That is professional sport, I want to be successful. deal with the situation. The idea that there for the physically challenged, but outside the most important part of my therapy. But I still can’t stand losing. could be another chance did not occur to me. it’s a different story. So my goal to be able it helps mentally too, because I know how (Source: Deutsche Welle) Arsenal’s Mkhitaryan out for Resurgent Djokovic leads the way as Barcelona want it all: Rabiot’s arrival six weeks with broken foot old guard stays on top would not rule out De Jong Arsenal midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan will be on the sidelines for up to six weeks with a broken foot, the north London club said on Monday. The 29-year-old was substituted at half-time of Arsenal’s 2-0 loss to Tottenham Hotspur in the League Cup quarter-finals last week and missed the Premier League win over Burnley. Ahead of a Boxing Day trip to Brighton and Hove Albion, Arsenal have confirmed the player has “fractured a metatarsal in his right foot” and will miss first-team action until February. Armenia international Mkhitaryan has been a regular under Unai Emery this season, making 20 appearances across all com- petitions. He joins an Arsenal injury list which includes long-term absentees Danny Welbeck and Rob Holding. Full back Hector Bellerin is out for another two weeks, while centre back Shkodran Mustafi will return to training later this week. Arsenal travel to face Premier League leaders Liverpool on Saturday, before a busy January sees them take on Fulham, West Ham United, Chelsea, Cardiff City, along with an FA Cup third round clash against Blackpool. Next Gen poster boy Alexander Zverev’s ion on clay, swaggering to an 11th Roland As the winter transfer window nears, Bar- circumstances. (Source: Eurosport) season-ending Tour Finals triumph served Garros title, but the injury-plagued Span- celona are busy in negotiations for both Barcelona have been in talks with Rabiot up a glimpse into the future of men’s tennis iard limped out of two other Grand Slams Paris Saint-Germain’s Adrien Rabiot and since early in the summer, with Abidaleasing although 2018 remained a year dominated before further fitness problems curtailed Ajax’s Frenkie De Jong. relations with PSG since Neymar departed, once more by the usual, yet aging, suspects his season. The sporting management of the club, and the Catalan club are keen to capitalise as a revitalised Novak Djokovic returned He played in just nine tournaments, his made up of Pep Segura, Eric Abidal, Ra- on the French club’s failure to fulfil his Russia’s Shipulin quits to the peak of his powers. fewest since 2002, yet still won five titles mon Planes and Ernesto Valverde, have wage demands. The Serb tumbled out of the top 10 for and compiled a commanding 45-4 record. had their eyes set on both players for a He will depart for free in the summer, biathlon amid doping probe the first time in a decade and was ranked as Serena Williams returned to the number of months. though that will likely include a handsome lowly as 22nd in June, slumping to a string court after her 14-month maternity The heavy interest comes as Barcelona signing-on fee; he could leave in January, Russian biathlon star Anton Shipulin on Tuesday announced he of uncharacteristic defeats -- including an leave, battling back from life-saving seek a replacement for Andres Iniesta as however, as the alternative is to sit on the had lost “motivation” and would retire from the sport, weeks after embarrassing loss to Italian journeyman surgery, but twice fell agonisingly short the club grow increasingly concerned with bench for the rest of the campaign. Austrian prosecutors announced a doping probe into his team. Marco Cecchinato at the French Open -- of landing a record-equalling 24th Grand Philippe Coutinho’s transition to a central Abidal and company know that they Shipulin has always rejected claims against him but he and following elbow surgery to fix a lingering Slam crown. role, while Sergio Busquets, Ivan Rakitic are not the only ones chasing Rabiot so other top sports stars were barred from the Winter Olympics injury. She required a series of operations to and Arturo Vidal are all getting older and will not hold off a deal. this year as part of a ban on Russia for state-sponsored doping. Over the next few months though free her from the risk of blood clots in the are beyond the age of 30. The interest in Rabiot has nothing to “This race will be the last of my career,” the 31-year-old said of a Djokovic surged back to his all-conquer- wake of giving birth to her daughter in Busquets and Rakitic have played virtu- do with the desire to sign De Jong, another competition in Germany’s Gelsenkirchen on December 29, according ing best, sweeping to Wimbledon and US September 2017, a scare that prompted ally every game since 2014, not even getting one of the most in-demand midfielders on to Russian news agencies. “There’s no sense in carrying on torturing Open crowns and completing a historic her to sport an eye-catching black catsuit rest against sides like Cultural Leonesa the continent. myself, my fans and my loved ones. I can’t find in myself the moti- Masters sweep with an elusive victory in at Roland Garros. from the Segunda B in the Copa del Rey The Dutchman is not in any conflict vation that I need,” he told a press conference in Moscow. “On top Cincinnati. She finished runner-up at both Wim- this season. with Ajax and they agreed to allow him to of that there’s the situation with my health, which is unrelenting. “There was always part of me that be- bledon and the US Open, but it was the Arthur Melo arrived in the summer and leave in the summer of 2019, if he agreed Three times in the last month I’ve suffered from viral infections.” lieved I could make it back and I never nature of her defeat in New York that will has settled in well with his dominance on to stay for the 2018/19 season. “I am not trying to run from problems. I have always said thought it was impossible,” Djokovic said stick in the memory after a meltdown in the ball, but there is still work to do in Some of Europe’s biggest clubs are I was clean,” he said, but added that he was no longer finding of his climb back to world number one. the final against Japan’s Naomi Osaka. midfield. interested, including PSG, though Bar- pleasure in the sport. Austrian officials announced on December “It turned to out to be a perfect five Williams erupted after a code violation Rafinha, who is seriously injured with celonawill sell the chance to play with 13 they were investigating members of Russia’s biathlon team months of the year, with two Grand Slam for receiving coaching from her box, and another knee problem, and Denis Suarezare Lionel Messi, the historic link with Ajax over alleged doping offences at the 2017 World Championships titles.” subsequently called chair umpire Carlos on their way out; Vidal feels like a short- and the work of Robert Fernandez and in the Austrian town of Hochfilzen. Roger Federer continued to defy his Ramos a “liar and a thief” after she incurred term fix; and Carles Alena still has much Urbano Ortega, who have both since left, Shipulin, a gold medallist in the sport at the tainted Sochi advancing years as he defended his Aus- a one-point penalty for racquet abuse. to learn. to convince De Jong and his team-mate Games, was among those being probed but dismissed the alle- tralian Open title and then eclipsed Andre The American later described the de- That’s why the sporting management of Matthijs De Ligt. gations as “groundless nonsense”. Agassi as the oldest top-ranked player in cision to then hit her with a game penalty the club are keen to bring both Rabiotand There is plenty of competition, yet Bar- “I am angry and furious about the witch-hunt that is going ATP history, at the age of 36. following her tear-filled tirade as “sexist”. De Jong to the club as they believe them celona are well positioned in both cases. on,” he wrote in an Instagram post. Rafael Nadal dominated in typical fash- (Source: AFP) to be complementary profiles in different (Source: Marca) (Source: AFP) LeBron James says recruiting efforts just as important to Lakers as his play LeBron James is keenly aware that his success with the Miller and Shane Battier when he played for the Heat. “So How much money PSG need Los Angeles Lakerscould come down just as much to his now that I think being in L.A., I don’t think it would be that effectiveness as a recruiter off the court as it does to his hard to get guys here. for Neymar or Mbappé production on the court. “But we got to win, and at the end of the day, it’s all about And he is already planning to fulfill his pitchman duties. winning. You know, and that’s what I’m trying to do right transfers “I’ve always recruited,” James told ESPN’s Rachel now, is to show prospects and free agents -- and at the same Nichols in a sit-down interview that will air Christmas time, show these guys that I got right now -- that we can win To fulfil the conditions set out in UEFA’s Financial Fair Play Day at halftime of the Lakers-Golden State Warriors game now, and let’s not worry about the future.” guidelines, it looks likely that a big star will have to leave Paris to on ABC. “I’ve been trying to get guys to come play with The Lakers are 19-14, good for fourth place in the Western avoid Champions League exit. The grand total of 170 million euros. me since, like, 2007. I’ve got rejected a lot. But I’ve also Conference -- only three games behind the second-place This is the amount of money, as of today, that Paris Saint-Germain have not got rejected a lot.” Warriors. need to clean up their accounts for UEFA’s Financial Fair Play James started his hunt early to attract marquee play- It would appear James would have an uphill battle in regulations, according to Mediapart, despite denials from the ers to Los Angeles, telling ESPN last week, in response convincing Durant to join forces after Durant’s scathing club following the information from Football Leaks. to a question, it would be “amazing” and “incredible” remarks to Bleacher Report earlier this month describing As the French giants await their case to be resolved by the if the Lakers could somehow acquire five-time All-Star the “toxic environment” that surrounds James’ teams. Court of Arbitration for Sport, Nasser Al-Khelaifi must sort out Anthony Davis, who is currently under contract with the didn’t work out.” “I was a little pissed off when I first heard it, to be honest,” his club’s finances if he doesn’t want to see them excluded from New Orleans Pelicans. James’ Lakers will face a Warriors team that came off James said of Durant’s remarks. “I didn’t know where it next season’s Champions League, their holy grail. The Lakers star has admitted his shortcomings in re- a record-setting 73-win season in 2015-16 and was able to stemmed from, and I was asked later on that night after our Taking into account the significant amount that is to be recouped, cruiting stars in the past -- James tried to get Ray Allen, recruit Kevin Durant to leave the Oklahoma City Thunder game and I didn’t want to comment because I didn’t see it, and without decimating squad depth, one of the easiest ways to do Joe Johnson, Michael Redd and Chris Bosh to join him and join Golden State, leading the Warriors to back-to-back I didn’t hear [it]. ... I started ‘Uninterrupted’ for a reason, this is to agree to the sale of one of their two most prized assets: in Cleveland during his first stint with the Cavaliers, to championships. and I know how sound bites can be chopped and diced and Neymar or Kylian Mbappé. The Brazilian arrived from Barcelona no avail. James’ recruiting efforts could center on a couple of War- things of that nature, so I wanted to get the whole layout of for the transfer-market-altering sum of 222 million euros, which “A lot of people didn’t want to come to Cleveland, riors players -- Durant and Klay Thompson -- who will both what actually happened.” released him of his contract, while the French striker left Monaco let me just throw that out there,” James told Nichols. hit the free-agent market in the summer of 2019. James told Nichols that he spoke to the back-to-back on loan with a delayed purchase option of 180 million euros. “I tried to recruit so many guys to come to Cleveland, “It wasn’t hard getting guys in Miami, I’ll tell you that,” NBA Finals MVP to understand the intent of his message. (Source: AS) and we actually had -- I had -- a couple guys and it just James said, reflecting on his success with guys like Mike (Source: ESPN) I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y DECEMBER 26, 2018 SPORTS 15

Nothing can hold down Iran’s Injured Ezatolahi ruled out of AFC Asian Cup

SPORTS TEHRAN — Iran iconic defensive mid- female footballers: Khosrowyar deskfielder Saeid Ezatolahi has been ruled out of the upcoming AFC Asian Cup tournament with a foot injury. The 22-year-old player suffered an injury on interna- 1 Below is Khosrowyar’s interview with the Tehran Times. tional duty in October. Could you tell us how you ended up in Iran? Ezatolahi expressed his disappointment at missing A. I had heard so much about Iran that I wanted to come the competition. and visit it. It wasn’t something that was pre-planned for “I feel really bad because of missing the AFC Asian me to move here. It just kind of happened. When I first Cup but I have to trust in God. It can be helpful in this came here I spent a lot of time with the family and was difficult situation. Also, I am very sad since I cannot be playing futsal, because that was the only sports similar at Team Melli’s service as a soldier. In the 2018 World to football, and from there word got around that this Cup, I did my best to make the Iranian people happy American girl is here and she is a professional football but I’ve ruled out the Asian Cup and I cannot be a part player, and that same summer, a few weeks before I had of Team Melli,” said Ezatolahi in a post on social media. to go back to the U.S., Shahrzad Mozaffar came to me in Ezatolahi, who currently plays in English championship my training session and said that she is starting a national side Reading, was a member of Iran national football team, and she wants me to be part of it. team in the 2018 World Cup against Spain and Portugal. Because of her telling me what is happening in the Iran have been drawn in Group D of the 2019 AFC country is why stayed. Back in the U.S., I was on a team Asian Cup alongside Vietnam, Iraq and Yemen. and everybody was expecting me to come back, because Team Melli will start their journey with a match against I had an important position on the team. But at 17 when Yemen on January 7 before facing Vietnam on January I had that opportunity to play for Iran, I decided to take 12 and Iraq on January 16. it on but this was way before I knew I had to play with hijab, and I would be playing with girls who had never played football before. One of the reasons I decided to Javad Nekounam do this was because of Mozaffar who said if I stayed we will be making a movement, and you will be part of his- shortlisted for Paykan tory, whereas in the U.S., players come and go, you are replaceable where here you are not. You are going to be hot-seat part of this movement and you are always going to be Never, ever, ever give up. That is something that is rotating part of the development of it. TASNIM — Former Iran national football team captain So that was something that I decided at 17 to con- in my head right now. I know it is a cliché thing to say, but Javad Nekounam has been shortlisted to take charge of tinue. No one was really happy with my decision at the you should never give up on something that you have a Paykan football team. beginning, because everyone was leaving Iran to have a belief in, or you have an idea about, or if you really believe Nekounam, who currently is Nassaji coach, will re- better life in the U.S. or wherever it is, and I was taking portedly step down as his coaching role in the Ghaem- the opposite direction and coming back to Iran, but I in it, then you have to continue forward to the end, and the shahr-based football club. didn’t mind that move. positive energy that you put in it, you will get the results. Paykan parted company with Majid Jalali by mutual Did Iranian officials help you to stay here? consent in early December. A. I was already comfortable here and had many Uzbekistan in a few months for the Asian championship who love football. Jalali left the Tehran-based football team following people in my family. Iranian officials were helpful, be- and we are going to get our revenge then. I am a young coach but I have been reading, sleep- the poor results with the team. cause they knew I chose to stay in Iran rather than go How do you assess women’s football coaching in Iran? ing, eating football since I was very young. So even Paykan suffered six successive defeat in Iran Profes- back to the U.S. They have been very lenient with me, A. The coach education that we have in football has though I am young I have enough experience as a sional League (IPL). and worked with me, and gave me that path so that I never been strong enough. But now with the presence of former player and as a coach. I have a great team Nassaji won a promotion to the IPL after a 24-year can excel as an athlete and as a coach. If it wasn’t for Mr. Hossein Abdi, the technical director of the program, of coaching experts with me. We all work together. absence under leadership of Nekounam. their support, there was no way I could have been here he is making a lot of changes and now we are actually Where are you going to be in 10 years from now? Former Foolad and Sepahan coach Hossein Faraki is as an American-Iranian, as a player and as a coach. seeing the improvement. The female coaches are very A. Sitting at a stadium at the World Cup, coaching also among the nominees to be appointed as Paykan coach. They trust me as the head coach of the national team. hungry for knowledge, and he is actually here to fill that my team. They trust me to be a decent role model for the future void and to get women’s football going. What about 20 years from now. generations as football players as well as to get more How many years do you need to get to the Olympics A. I will be most likely managing many academies coaches involved at a higher level. or Asian Games? in Iran getting more girls involved in football and Iranian basketball player I feel my path has already been set, and now it is just A. If it continues this way, five years. We just need more keeping that momentum going. the matter of taking one day at the time getting more people like Mr. Abdi to have a vision for women’s football. How do you juggle so many balls in life, work, best in World Basketball women involved in this global game. Does women’s football have issues with funds? family, house chores … Champs Are you still dreaming more for your team? A. The ministry of sports does not allocate much to A. My family helps me a lot. They are supportive of A. Oh, sure. Not until we make it to the World Cup or women’s football, but if they see the steady improvement what I am doing. They help me with everything. And my Olympics. I don’t think we will be finished any time soon. that is when the financial support will come for more family background is in such that they are all athletes, IRNA — The block shot by the Iranian Basketball player How do you resolve issues on your coaching path? games, more tournaments, more coach education pro- so they understand what I am doing. But I live on the Rouzbeh Arghavan in Iran-Philippines and Iran-Japan A. Being raise as an athlete, you come across a lot of grams, like sending more coaches abroad to learn and field pretty much so all my chores and everything are matches is among the best block shots of the World Cup, issues, but how you solve them is what makes the differ- come back with whatever they have learned. done on the field and when I come home it is usually according to the International Basketball Federation (FIBA). ence between an athlete and non-athlete. Most people What does it take for girls to get ready for football like a party for me. FIBA has referred to the defensive performance of will just sit back and be like oh, there was a problem and physically? What is the difference between coaching young basketball players in 2019 World Cup Qualifiers and I can’t do anything about it and just try to move on to A. Football is a highly physical game, so they need Iranian girls as opposed to American or European has mentioned the name of the Iranian player Rouzbeh something else, whereas people with an athletic mindset, to make sure that their fitness and conditioning can be girls? Arghavan twice among the prominent players. nothing can put them down. at the international level. I have a three-week program A. In Iran you have to play so many different roles. I Initially, FIBA has pointed to his impressive block shot How has the experience of playing internationally and every week it changes per player with the weights have to speak to the girls and their teachers in school and in Iran versus Filipino which led to Iran’s victory and has for the Iranian female players been for you? they use in the weight room, with the kilometers they convince them to come to training, or I have to convince then praised his performance in the match against Japan. A. This was one of the challenges we thought we run, whether it is at a certain speed or pace like sprint- them that they will be studying in the camp. Sometimes were going to face. Because whether we like it or not, ing. I make sure they start other sports like karate, the girls don’t speak to their parents and their parents call people already have a negative connotation about us. taekwondo or boxing. me and say why she isn’t speaking to me, or vice versa. We are the only team in the world that has to wear the In football, it is all about mentality, too. We give the So, you are playing more roles than just a head coach. I Iran to face difficult time in hijab. Our outfits are different, and we are coming from girls a lot of books about psychology, especially about think the difference between coaching here and the U.S. a country that the media portray in a bad way that peo- athletes, because in this age especially under 19, they or anywhere else in the world is that you are just the head Asian Cup ple are wary of us wherever we meet them. But we are are undergoing a lot of fluctuations emotionally, and it coach there, the girls come to you, you only work with them breaking a lot of mindsets that people thought they had, is very difficult to keep them in a certain flow. We are for that period of time, and then they are gone, whereas IRNA — Iran’s national football team coach Carlos Queiroz and we are doing this via football and this is an important always having to give the girls different lessons and dif- here they want you to work with them through everything. says a friendly match with Palestine has shown that Iran step forward especially in an Islamic country like Iran. ferent books to start reading and we have classes in camp Do you have any message for Iranian women, will have a hard time to succeed in the Asian Cup. We are fighting alongside all the other teams who want about different situations for each player. We do have a young girls to hold on to? Iran’s national football team which have camped in to make it to the World Cup and to the Asian Games. psychologist as part of the team. He helps us a lot with A. Never, ever, ever give up. That is something that Qatar since December 17, had a 1-1 draw at a friendly Your thoughts on the Uzbekistan Tournament, and how we have to handle the emotions of these players. is rotating in my head right now. I know it is a cliché match against Palestine on Monday. the wild game between Iranian players and Uzbekistanis. Did you go through these training programs as thing to say, but you should never give up on something After the match, Queiroz told reporters that facing A. At this tournament I don’t think anyone thought well yourself? that you have a belief in, or you have an idea about, Palestine team showed the progress of the team that has that the Iranian team was going to be strong. Our first A. Yes, I did as a player. I worked with many, many or if you really believe in it, then you have to continue players from Europe. Of course, Iranian players have game was against Afghanistan, and we beat them 6-0. male and female coaches, and I handpicked what I liked forward to the end, and the positive energy that you been working on this training game, but ‘I hope that we Then we played with an entire differently lineup, because and didn’t like as a player, learning from my coach. In my put in it, you will get the results. will shape the better progress’. we knew Uzbekistan was very strong, so we were hiding coaching education programs, I had the best instructors, ‘Not only was this game a good warning for my players,’ all our good players against Afghanistan. When we played and I picked and chose from them, and I do what benefits he said, adding, ‘But all those in Iran have learned that against Uzbekistan we put all our strong players in, and my team most now. winning the Asian Cup is not ‘a piece of cake’. everyone was completely confused about how this Iranian Football has been a long road, a long journey for me. The team’s head coach continued, ‘The teams can national team is playing so well, at this high intensity and I am a young coach. I went to Russia within a month succeed when doing good exercises and prepare better this aggressively. We shocked pretty much everybody of training the girls and played against some of the best for future.’ at that stadium. It was extremely aggressive, because teams, Russia, North Korea, Romania. Even though there Uzbek players are generally very aggressive, but what were four teams, it was the first time Iran got a medal. We we did in my training session leading up to Uzbekistan used to lose 10-0 or 15-0, but this time we were losing was that we had a lot of weight lifting and a lot of training 1-0 or 2-0 or we won. The gap is closing. Injury deprives Oman of in karate and kick boxing, so the girls would get used Looking back at your life and coaching career, to it, because football is a highly aggressive game, it is what would you change if you could? Al Habsi not like ballet where no one comes near you. You are A. If I could have turned time back, I would have being tackled and they are trying to break something in played longer. I retired at 24 and I didn’t even reach my An injury has ruled out Oman goalkeeper Ali Al Habsi your body. That is what football is. With those players prime as a football player, but that’s mainly because I from the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019. I told them during half time, that either you will be was playing since I was 5-years-old. That’s like 19 The Oman Football Association has called up Ammar sent to the hospital or they will be sent to years of consecutive playing and having a very Al Rashidi to replace veteran Al Habsi, the team captain the hospital, so you choose which one. strict lifestyle, what you eat is under program who has been a mainstay in all previous AFC Asian Cup That’s how aggressive this match was. and how you think is under a program, who campaigns for the West Asian side. But it was a great match to see because your friends are, how you sleep, how you His absence will be a blow to Oman, who were aiming you were witnessing the development of study. All of this was very strenuous and to build on their 2017 Gulf Cup success in the AFC Asian women’s football. it is been a lot of hard work and I Cup UAE 2019. What happened to your team at the end? Al Habsi expressed his disappointment at having to A. We lost 2-1 in that game. We scored the first miss out on Oman’s campaign. goal, but you are in Uzbekistan, they are the host, so “It is the worst possible feeling when an injury de- most likely the refs and everybody will be on their side. prives you of the chance to represent the national team. If you watched the game, we had so many penalties that However, I have full confidence in my teammates,” said should not been given to us. We scored two goals and they Al Habsi in a post on social media. said it was offside, but it wasn’t. Everything was lined up Al Habsi suffered the injury while playing for Al Hilal to be against us, but I was happy with the result and the against Al Ahli in a Saudi Premier League game on Friday. match, because it shows that the girls were becoming much The Oman FA said head coach Pim Verbeek decided better football players, they were becoming much more on Al Rashidi, who plays for Saudi Pro League side Al aggressive and stronger and tactically we outclassed the Ain, as Al Habsi’s replacement. other side. At the end of the match, the Uzbekistan coach, Al Rashidi, 30, has 20 previous appearances for Oman who was actually a mentor of mine, said this was one of think at 24 I needed to stop to do something else. They and will vie for a place in the starting lineup with Fayez the best games he has ever seen and it was unfortunate needed coaches and needed to train coaches for Iranian Al Rashidi. that the ref was officiating this way. We are going to see teams, because in Iran you have 80 plus million people (Source: the-afc) Prayer Times Noon:12:05 Evening: 17:18 Dawn: 5:43 (tomorrow) Sunrise: 7:13 (tomorrow) DECEMBER 26, 2018 ART&CULTURE I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y www.tehrantimes.com Managing Director: Ali Asgari Editor-in-Chief: Mohammad Ghaderi Algerians keen on continuing collaboration Editorial Dept.: Fax: (+98 21) 88808214 — 88808895 [email protected] Switchboard Operator: Tel: (+98 21) 43051000 with Iran on cinema: cineaste Advertisements Dept.: Telefax: (+98 21) 43051450 Public Relations Office: Tel: (+98 21) 88805807 Subscription & Distribution Dept.: Tel: (+98 21) 43051603 ARTTEHRAN – Danesh www.eshterak.ir Distributor: Padideh Novin Co. deskEqbashavi, an Iranian Tel: 88911433 cineaste who is collaborating on the film Webmaster: [email protected] project “Ahmed Bey”, a co-production between Printed at: Rooztab - ISSN: 1017-94 Iran and Algeria, has said that Algerians are No. 18, Bimeh Alley, Nejatollahi St., Tehran, Iran eager for cooperation to continue with other P.o. Box: 14155-4843 projects. Zip Code: 1599814713 Eqbashavi is in Algiers to direct the war scenes for “Ahmed Bey”, a co-production between Iran and Algeria about Ahmed Bey being made with his fellow filmmaker, Jamal Shurjeh. The historical movie is about Ahmed Bey, the last Ottoman Bey who ruled Algiers during the 19th century, and his role in leading the local population in a fierce resistance against GUIDE TO the French occupation forces. SPIRITUAL AWAKENING “Algerians are familiar with Iranian art and cinema, and have a great desire to cooperate He who engages in various tasks, cannot do on more co-production projects with Iran,” Eqbashavi told the Persian service of IRNA any of them properly, and brings himself into on Tuesday. troubles. “Algeria is a revolutionary and safe country Imam Ali (AS) that is independent in its decisions. It is also pacifist and has mediated in several cases, and we have a lot in common with the country to collaborate on,” he added. He noted that the cooperation can also be Iranian-Azerbaijani expanded into other fields such as theater, production “Castle of Love” music and literature. Cast and crew members of “Ahmed Bey” pose with director Jamal Shurjeh (5th L) in Algiers in an undated photo. entry in Fajr festival Kahani completes “The Story of a New Name” ARTTEHRAN – “Castle of Love”, a co-production deskbetween Iran and Azerbaijan, has been submitted his new movie in Canada appears in Persian to the 37th edition of the Fajr Film Festival, Iranian producer of the film Amir-Shahab Razavian told the Persian service of MNA on Tuesday.

Iranian actor Reza Naji in a scene from “Castle of Love”. Abdorreza Kahani (L) directs Reza Attaran in a scene from “Free like Air”. Front Cover of the Persian version of Italian novelist Elena Ferrante’s book “The Story of a New Name”. The film, which was named “High Voltage” earlier, is written and ARTTEHRAN – Iranian Attaran, French actress Ophelie Bau ARTTEHRAN – Pseudon- by the same firm. directed by Ilham Qasimov from Azerbaijan. deskdirector Abdorreza and English actor Finnegan Oldfield deskymous Italian novelist The series also includes “Those Who Based on an Azerbaijani mythical romance, the film tells the story Kahani has recently completed his new are the main members of the cast. Elena Ferrante’s 2013 book “The Story of Leave and Those Who Stay” and “The Story of Princess Aytakin who is in love with an ordinary boy from Tabriz, film “Free like Air” in Toronto, Canada. Amir Ganjavi and Majid Qalamshahi a New Name” has recently been published of the Lost Child”. while she has lots of noble suitors. Filming for the movie, one of the are the producers of the film, which is in Persian by Lega Publications in Tehran. It follows the lives of two intelligent Scenes of the movie have been filmed on locations in Baku in biggest film projects in Canada by an in the English and French languages. Translated by Farideh Guyandeh, the girls, Elena and Raffaella, from childhood Azerbaijan as well in the Iranian town of Meshkinshahr in Ardebil Iranian crew, began on November 7 Kahani’s films has been acclaimed in book is the second of the four-book series to adulthood and old age, as they try to Province. and was completed on December 22, several Iranian and international events. of Neapolitan Novels, which are among create lives for themselves amidst the vio- Iranian actor Reza Naji, who won the Berlinale Silver Bear for Best the Persian service of ISNA reported However, his previous film “Delighted” Ferrante’s best known works. lent and stultifying culture of their home, Actor for his role in Majid Majidi’s “The Song of Sparrows”, and Ziya on Tuesday. have not been authorized by Iranian The series’ first book “My Brilliant a poor neighborhood on the outskirts of Agha, Chinara Malikzada and Kamala Piriyeva from Azerbaijan are Famous Iranian comedian Reza cultural officials so far. Friend” has previously been published Naples, Italy. the main members of the cast. The 37th Fajr Film Festival will take place in Tehran and several other Iranian cities from February 1 to 11. Opera “Carmen” to go on stage for women-only audience ARTTEHRAN – The all-female troupe Shiftegan performance. Nevertheless, the movement offers hope that deskDel plans to go on stage at Tehran’s Vahdat the art can again be restored in the country,” Milani stated. Actor Kevin Spacey charged Hall on January 4 to perform the opera “Carmen”, French The opera is set in southern Spain and tells the story of the with indecent assault composer Georges Bizet’s tale of love, jealousy and murder. downfall of Don José, a naive soldier who is seduced by the This is the first time the opera is performed in Iran after the wiles of the fiery gypsy Carmen. José abandons his childhood in Massachusetts victory of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, soprano singer Shahla sweetheart and deserts his military duties, yet loses Carmen’s Milani told the Persian service of ILNA on Monday. love to the glamorous matador Escamillo, after which José NANTUCKET (Reuters) — Oscar-winning actor Kevin Spacey She is also the director of the Melal Vocal Ensemble, which kills her in a jealous rage. has been charged in connection with an allegation that he sexually will accompany the troupe in the performance. Niusha Sajjadi will star as Carmen and Mehrnaz Haqju will abused an 18-year-old boy at a Nantucket, Massachusetts, bar more “It’s difficult to perform the opera. Women are scheduled play the role of Don José. Negar Abrishami and Mona Arastu than two years ago, the local district attorney said on Monday. to play the roles of the male characters because this opera has are also the main members of the cast. Spacey is scheduled to be been arranged exclusively for an audience of women. Women Mezzo-soprano singer Nasrin Nasehi Tehrani and soprano arraigned at Nantucket District with alto voices have been selected to star as men,” Milani said. singer Shahrzad Yusefi will accompany the troupes. Court on Jan. 7 on a single charge The troupes along with two choral groups of children and Shiftegan Del and the Melal Vocal Ensemble have previously of indecent assault and battery on adults have spent eight months rehearsing the opera, which collaborated on several performances, including Azerbaijani a person who is at least 14 years will be directed by Hayedeh Kishipur. composer Uzeyir Hajibeyov’s comic and romantic operetta old, according to court documents “Opera has its own specific definition, and perhaps the “Arshin Mal Alan” that was staged at Vahdat Hall in 2016 and a statement issued by Cape troupes cannot present an accurate form of opera in their A poster for the opera “Carmen”. and 2018. and Islands District Attorney Michael O’Keefe. An attorney for Spacey did not immediately reply to a request for Hold up, Beyonce did not Bad Bunny surprises fans for comment. The actor, however, release new music Christmas with first album released a video on YouTube on Monday in which he adopts the NEW YORK (AP) — There’s no more juice MEXICO CITY (AP) — Bad Bunny has a “MIA” and “Estamos Bien.” persona of his character Frank in Beyonce’s lemonade jar: The singer did very special Christmas present for his fans: Bad Bunny wants to make people dance, Underwood in the popular Netflix not release new music though two albums “X 100PRE,” his first album with 13 new but he also makes space for romance and Actor Kevin Spacy is seen in this TV series “House of Cards” and featuring old Beyonce songs hit streaming songs, including his new single “Solo De Mi.” heartache in songs like “Como Antes,” the still image taken from a YouTube says, “I know what you want, you services Thursday. “For every artist is a dream to release track he says was the hardest to produce. video released on December 24, want me back ... You wouldn’t Under the name Queen Carter, the albums an album and that people listen to it,” the “It was the last song that we finished 2018. (Kevin Spacy/ YouTube/ rush to judgments without facts, “Have Your Way” and “Back Up, Rewind” Puerto Rican star said in a recent phone and the first that we recorded,” he said. via Reuters) would you?” appeared on Spotify and Apple Music, interview from a hotel in San Juan, Puerto “The album has something for everybody; The 3-minute video makes featuring demos, previously released songs Rico. it has romantic songs, songs for dancing, no specific reference to the Massachusetts allegation. and unreleased tracks by Beyonce. Hours later, “I think I’ve already released many sin- songs for the street, songs for the club and The charge against Spacey, 59, whose full name is Kevin Spacey they were removed. In this Aug. 28, 2016 file photo, Beyonce gles, there are many songs by the rabbit out songs to reflect on.” Fowler, was filed after a Dec. 20 hearing, O’Keefe said. The name The 10-track “Have Your Way” included Knowles arrives at the MTV Video Mu- there, but I think that as an artist it was Beside Drake in “MIA,” he invited Diplo on the complaint was Kevin S. Fowler. songs like “After All Is Said and Done,” sic Awards at Madison Square Garden, time to do a full album,” he said, speaking for “200 MPH” and the Dominican urban The charge against Spacey follows an allegation in November 2017 Beyonce’s duet with Marc Nelson from the in New York.(Photo by Evan Agostini/ in Spanish. singer El Alfa for “La Romana.” As a bonus: by Boston television journalist Heather Unruh that her 18-year-old “Best Man” soundtrack, released in 1999; Invision/AP, File) This year Bad Bunny dominated the listen for Ricky Martin’s voice in the chorus son was sexually assaulted by the actor at the Club Car restaurant “Hollywood,” a song with Jay-Z from his from the “Bad Boys II” soundtrack, released Latin music charts with hits like “MIA” of “Caro”. and bar in Nantucket on July 7, 2016. 2006 album, “Kingdom Come”; and “Hey in 2003, and “What It’s Gonna Be,” a Beyonce with Drake, “El Baño” with Enrique Igle- Bad Bunny tends to include swear words More than 30 men have said they were victims of unwanted sexual Goldmember” from the soundtrack for bonus track from 2003. sias, “Amorfoda” and “I Like It”, a song from different Latin American countries advances by Spacey, who became embroiled in controversy last year 2002?s “Austin Powers in Goldmember,” The stand-alone song, “Control,” also recorded with Cardi B and J Balvin that’s in his lyrics, and some can be heard in “X when actor Anthony Rapp accused him of trying to seduce him in which starred Beyonce. It also featured “Crazy appeared on streaming services. nominated in the Grammys in the Record 100PRE” in songs like ”¿Quien Tu Eres?” 1986 when Rapp was 14. In October 2017, Spacey apologized for Feelings,” the singer’s collaboration with Missy Representatives for Beyonce, Apple Music of the Year category. and “Cuando Perriabas.” any inappropriate conduct with Rapp but has not commented since. Elliott from the rapper’s sophomore album, and Spotify didn’t immediately return emails For “X 100PRE” Bad Bunny spent the “I tried to make it as clean as possible,” The fallout resulted in Spacey, who won a best actor Oscar in 1999?s “Da Real World”; and “Fever,” a cover seeking comment. last six months in the studio creating new he said laughing. 2000 for “American Beauty,” being dropped from the final season of the ’50?s hit used in an ad for Beyonce’s Beyonce’s last three albums were released trap and reggaeton fusions with pop, dance, For now he wants people to see that of “House of Cards” and erased from the 2017 movie “All the Money perfume and for the soundtrack for “The in surprise form: her self-titled album came rock and even disco for titles such as the he is able to create many styles of music. in the World.” Fighting Temptations,” another film Beyonce out in 2013; “Lemonade” followed in 2016; pop-rock “Tenemos Que Hablar,” the elec- He said he was pleased with the Grammy Spacey is one of dozens of men in the entertainment industry and appeared in. and “Everything is Love,” her collaborative tro-dance “Otra Noche En Miami” and the nomination for “I Like It” but that he’s politics who have been accused of sexual misconduct, partly as a result “Back Up, Rewind,” featured 11 tracks album with Jay-Z where the couple is billed bachata-touched “La Romana”. The album more concerned with the reaction of fans of the #MeToo social media movement that began over a year ago. including “Keep Giving Your Love to Me,” as The Carters, was released earlier this year. also includes the previously released singles to his music.