Italy says nuclear pact would meet interests of all sides

2
4
Russia says to develop
military ties with Iran
after sanctions lift
N A T I O N
W
W
W
.
T
E
H
R
A
9
Iran’s 10-month
pistachio exports
rise 80% y/y
E C O N O M Y
N
T
I
M
E
S
.
C
O
Iran chosen to host
2015 AFC Futsal
Club Championship
S P O R T S
M
12
Iranian curators,
archaeologists slams ISIL for
destruction of Mosul artifacts
A R T & C U L T U R E
I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y
12 Pages Price 5000 Rials 36th year NO.12218 Sunday MARCH 1 2015 Esfand 10 1393 Jumada Al awwal 10 1436
UNESCO honors Professor
Khodadoust
OIC
condemns
Israeli attacks
on mosque,
Christian
center
Italy says nuclear pact would
meet interests of all sides
Zarif says nuclear talks have got close to ‘sensitive’ stage
TEHRAN — The
NEWS
Syrian Kurdish
forces retake Syrian
town from ISIL
Kurdish People’s Protection Units
(YPG) forces, backed by Assyrian
Christians, have managed to retake
a strategic town in Syria’s northeastern province of Hasaka from
the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) terrorist group as they
continue to push the terrorists back
from the area.
The YPG fighters took control of
the town of Tel Hamis, which is on
the border with Turkey and Iraq,
early on Saturday.
Redur Xelil, a YPG spokesman,
hailed the recapture of Tel Hamis as
“a great victory.”
“This is a great victory for our
fighters because it cuts a key supply
route for Daesh (the Islamic State
in Iraq and the Levant, ISIL) from
Iraq,” he said.
Xelil said Kurdish fighters are
now combing Tel Hamis for terrorists and mines, and are advancing
against extremists in neighboring
towns.
The Britain-based so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights
said ISIL terrorists fled after Kurdish
fighters broke into Tel Hamis from
the east and south.
The director of the monitoring
group, Rami Abdurrahman, said
the Kurds have already seized more
than 100 villages around Tel Hamis,
and at least 175 ISIL terrorists have
been killed over the past several
days in and around the town.
The YPG forces have made several territorial achievements against
the ISIL since liberating the Kurdish
border town of Kobani (Ayn Al-Arab) after months of clashes with
the terrorist group. During the past
week, Tel Hamis and other towns
in Hasaka have been the scene of
heavy fighting against ISIL terrorists, who, according to reports
on February 24, kidnapped an estimated 220 Assyrian Christians
from the nearby villages in Tel
Tamer countryside.
(Source: Press TV)
Mehr/ Hossein Esmaeili
TEHRAN — Italian For-
Political Desk eign Minister Paolo Gentiloni says all should help to find a solution to
the Iran nuclear issue, saying a deal would
benefit all involved parties.
Gentiloni made the remarks during a joint
press conference with Iranian Foreign Minister
Mohammad Javad Zarif in Tehran on Saturday.
Italy’s chief diplomat said Rome is backing a solution to the nuclear issue, saying it
will be in line with the involved countries’
peace, interests and economic exchanges.
The latest round of talks between Iran
and the 5+1 group (the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany) was held in Geneva last week. Negoti-
ators from Iran and the 5+1 group will also
meet in Montreux, Switzerland, on March 5.
‘Sensitive stage’
Zarif said nuclear talks between Iran and
the 5+1 group have got close to their “sensitive” stages, evaluating the latest round of
nuclear talks in Geneva as “thorough”.
Contd. on P. 2
People have rallied in several Yemeni cities
in support of the Ansarullah (Houthi) movement and the popular committees, Press TV
reported.
The rallies took place in the capital Sana’a as well as in the cities of Sa’ada and
Aden. The protesters denounced the U.S.
and Saudi Arabia for interfering in Yemen. They voiced support for Ansarullah’s
constitutional declaration that calls for
all parties to join the political process in
Yemen. The demonstrators also urged unity among all Yemenis. Similar rallies have
been held in several other cities across
Yemen in support of former president Abd
Rabbou Mansour Hadi who is currently in
Aden. Hadi plans to relocate the capital to
Aden. He stepped down over political differences with the Ansarullah movement in
January. But later he withdrew his resignation.
Deadly clashes with Baida tribesmen
Meanwhile, deadly clashes have erupted
between Ansarullah and tribesmen in the
city of Baida, several hours after thousands
marched in the country’s capital, Sana’a, in
support of the Ansarullah movement who
captured the city last year.
The number of casualties was still unclear, but security sources told Al Jazeera
that several people had died in the late night
violence in Baida on Friday.
Earlier on Friday, Ansarullah -aligned demonstrators denounced alleged “foreign conspiracies” - a reference to international backing for
Yemen’s embattled president, who managed to
escape house arrest earlier this month.
Meanwhile, rallies against the Ansarullah took
place in several other places across the country,
including cities of Taiz, Hodida and Dhamar.
The rival rallies underscored the depth
of the crisis that has gripped Yemen after
the Ansarullah movement overran Sana’a
last September and declared in January
that they have taken over the country.
President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, who
managed to escape Sana’a and house arrest
by the Ansarullah has established a base in
the southern city of Aden. Contd. on P. 11
Car bombs kill 27 people north of Iraqi capital, Baghdad
Car bombs targeting a crowded market and Shia volunteers’
checkpoints north of Iraq’s capital Baghdad killed 27 people on
Saturday, authorities said, as the
country’s prime minister vowed
to punish the Islamic State in Iraq
and the Levant (ISIL) terrorists
who smashed ancient artifacts in
the a northern city of Mosul.
The first bombs exploded near
the market in the town of Balad Ruz, 70 kilometers (45 miles)
northeast of Baghdad, killing 11
people and wounding 50, police
and hospital officials said.
A suicide car bomber later attacked a checkpoint manned by
Shia volunteers near the city of
Samarra, killing eight Shia fighters
and wounding 15, authorities said.
Samarra and surrounding areas have been under constant at-
tacks by the Islamic State in Iraq
and the Levant terrorist group,
which holds about a third of
Iraq and neighboring Syria in its
self-declared caliphate. Clashes
between Iraqi security forces and
ISIL terrorists followed the attack
around Samarra, 95 kilometers
(60 miles) north of Baghdad.
A second suicide bomber attacked another Shia checkpoint
just south of Samarra, killing
eight fighters and wounding 16,
police and hospital officials said.
All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they
were not authorized to talk to
journalists.
No one immediately claimed
the attacks, though Iraq sees
near-daily attacks often claimed
by the ISIL terrorist group.
Meanwhile in Baghdad, Iraqi
Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi
vowed to track down and punish
those who smashed rare ancient artifacts in the northern city of Mosul.
On Thursday, the Islamic
State in Iraq and the Levant
terrorist group released a video
purportedly showing ISIL terrorists using sledgehammers to
smash the statues, describing
them as idols. The vandalism
drew global condemnation.
The destruction is part of a
campaign by the extremists,
who have destroyed a number
of shrines since last summer.
They are also believed to have
sold ancient artifacts on the
black market to finance their
bloody campaign.
“Those barbaric, criminal terrorists are trying to destroy the
heritage of the mankind and
U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Wendy Sherman has said that
the world would judge a diplomatic
deal with Iran as a “good thing”.
“If we were able to do it, the
world would judge it as a good
thing,” said Sherman at Washington’s Carnegie Endowment for International Peace on Friday.
“That it is the way that will ensure that Iran cannot acquire a nuclear weapon and no other pathway
will get us there,” The Hill daily reported on Friday.
Sherman’s remarks come as the
5+1 group (the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus
Germany) struggle to reach a pact
with Iran on its nuclear program.
Iran and the 5+1 group have been
seeking to complete a framework
agreement by the end of March, and
then to negotiate all the details by
the end of June.
A senior U.S. administration official said on Friday that nuclear negotiations with Iran have reached a “far
more advanced stage” than ever before, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Except some extremists like
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu, the entire world has
welcomed efforts to strike a comprehensive nuclear deal between
Iran and the major powers.
NEWS
Yemenis support Ansarullah in mass rallies
By staff & agencies
World would
judge Iran
deal to be ‘a
good thing’:
Sherman
By staff and agency
Political Desk O r g a n i z a t i o n
of Islamic Cooperation on Saturday condemned attacks against
a mosque in the West Bank and a
Christian center in the occupied territories of Jerusalem.
Iyad bin Amin Madani, the OIC
secretary general, stated that these
“shameful crimes” are committed in
continuation of the Zionist regime’s
attacks and aggressions against the
Palestinian people and their sanctities.
“Such actions are obvious violation of all the international laws and
regulations,” he stated.
He also called on the international community, specifically the
UN Security Council, to prevent
the Zionist regime of Israel from
taking aggressive actions against
the Palestinians.
The mosque, located in Bethlehem in the West Bank, was set on
fire Wednesday by Israeli settlers.
The incident was followed by another on Thursday, this time on a
Greek Orthodox Church building in
Jerusalem.
10
Iraq’s civilization,” al-Abadi said.
“We will chase them in order to
make them pay for every drop of
bloodshed in Iraq and for the destruction of Iraq’s civilization.”
ISIL terrorists hold Mosul,
Iraq’s second-largest city, and the
surrounding Nineveh province.
(Source: AP)
Obama,
Netanyahu on
collision course
6 years in the
making
For six years, U.S. President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
have been on a collision course
over how to halt Iran’s nuclear
program, a high-stakes endeavor
both men see as a centerpiece of
their legacies.
The coming weeks will put
the relationship between their
countries, which otherwise remain stalwart allies, to one of its
toughest tests.
Netanyahu is bound for Washington for an address to Congress on Tuesday aimed squarely
at derailing Obama’s cherished
bid for a diplomatic deal with
Tehran. At the same time, Secretary of State John Kerry and other international negotiators will
be in Switzerland for talks with
the Iranians, trying for a framework agreement before a late
March deadline.
In between are Israel’s elections March 17, which have
heightened the political overtones of Netanyahu’s visit to
Washington.
Contd. on P. 11
CONDOLENCES
We regrettably
announce the death of
Ali Akbar Amin
to relatives, friends and
acquaintances.
See Page 3
“Block Offering
of Assets/
Properties”
Second Announcement
See Page 12
2
I NTE R NATI O NAL DAI LY
MEDIA MONITOR
KEYHAN
TEHRAN -- 600 billion rials
budget that was going to be
given to the Department of Environment was rejected by the
Majlis because some MPs believe
that funding NGOs under the rubric
of fighting dust storms is suspicious.
This comes despite the fact that
organizations dealing with environment and natural resources
have frequently said that without
NGOs, protecting the environment is virtually impossible.
For their role, identity, and mission, NGOs can be very effective in
helping different sections of the
country thrive, said Masoumeh
Ebtekar, head of the Department
of Environment, Iran newspaper
reported on Saturday.
She said, “Environment is one of
those sections. Well, this is something that the 11th administration
attaches a lot of importance to. Mr.
Rouhani regards non-governmental
organizations specially.”
TEHRAN -- Kobani Autonomous Administration Prime
Minister Anwar Muslim says
the liberation of the Kurdish
Syrian town from ISIL was the
result of the townspeople’s
strong resistance.
“The reality is that in 2014, Kobani
was heard of a lot around the world.
The terrorists were trying to occupy
the town by hook or by crook,” he
said in an interview with Shargh
newspaper published on Saturday.
Muslim added, “Before Daesh
invaded, many people from Arab,
Armenian, Turkmen, and other
nationalities had sought refuge in
Kobani because our town enjoyed
the greatest security across Syria.”
“The terrorists could not see that.
In 2013, a number of extremist groups
attacked Kobani; and groups such as
Ahrar ash-Sham and Nusra Front were
defeated by our defense forces.”
SHARGH
‘NGOs
necessary for
protecting
environment’
Kermanshah
Airport
issues
14-day visas
TEHRAN -- The Passport and
Visa Department at Kermanshah Airport issues 14-day
visas for foreign tourists visiting Iran via the airport.
Kermanshah’s deputy governor general for coordination and civil
management, Mojtaba Nik Kerdar, announced the news at a conference, Tasnim news agency reported on Saturday.
Elaborating on recent developments in the province’s tourism infrastructure, he stated that by the
end of the Iranian year 1394 (March
20, 2016) the city will be connected
to the West Asia-East Asia railroad.
He also stated that the province’s highway network will be accomplished in 3 years.
Nik Kerdar further said that the
local government is easing conditions for investors interested in
building hotels across the province.
TASNIM
We stayed,
resisted,
and won:
Kobani
official
TEHRAN -- Iranian First Vice
President Es’haq Jahangiri has
officially issued an act ordering
the Ministry of Energy to increase electricity prices, Mehr
news agency reported on Saturday.
The act was conveyed to the Ministry of Energy as well as the Management and Planning Organization.
The increase in electricity bills will
start from the first day of the Iranian
month of Esfand (February 20).
The act was adopted by the cabinet on February 8 in agreement to a
proposal by the Ministry of Energy.
The proposal had requested increasing electricity prices in domestic
and agricultural sectors by 10 percent.
MEHR
Act
ordering
new
electricity
bills
officially
issued
TEHRAN – Hamid Reza Janbaz,
the Water and Wastewater Co.
CEO, has said that 24 percent
of drinking water in Iran goes
waste, Keyhan newspaper reported on Saturday.
13 percent of it has to do
with the worn-out water supply
network and the other 11 percent
is wasted as it is used for watering
green areas, he said.
Janbaz added that the Ministry
of Energy has devised a plan to
repair 1 percent of the country’s
worn-out water supply network
every year as a way to prevent
drinking water from being wasted.
He also stated that cooperation
is being made with the Interior Ministry and municipalities in order to
reduce the usage of drinking water
for purposes other than drinking.
IRAN
‘24 percent
of drinking
water in
Iran goes
waste’
N
A
T
I
O
N
MARCH 1, 2015
h t t p : / / w w w . t e h r a n t i m e s . c o m / p o l i t i c s
Russia says to develop military ties
with Iran after sanctions lift
Russia will boost military-technical cooperation with Iran after international
arms embargo on Tehran is lifted, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei
Ryabkov said Friday.
“Following the cancellation of the
arms embargo, this cooperation will be
implemented and will grow in time,”
Sputnik quoted Ryabkov as telling reporters in Moscow.
Ryabkov also mentioned the prospects of close cooperation with Iran
in the nuclear energy sector.
A comprehensive nuclear deal
with Iran should not become a precedent and negatively affect the WMD
non-proliferation regime, the Russian
deputy foreign minister said.
“As a result of potential nuclear deal
with Iran, no similar precedents, which
could affect the regime of non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction,
should take place in the international
“The latest round, which was held last week, its depth
and effectiveness, make us believe that chances to reach
an agreement before the deadline are much higher than
those of failure or delays,” Ryabkov says.
system,” Ryabkov stated.
The diplomat explained that the
deal must not be used as a reference
point in similar situations and it should
not also lead to large-scale inspections
and monitoring.
Ryabkov added the world is not going to end if the talks on Iranian nuclear
program result in failure by the deadline, but dragging the negotiations
endlessly is not right.
“The discussion has got to the
point where literally everything
that is necessary to find a common
denominator has been put on the
negotiating table,” the Russian diplomat stated.
“The latest round, which was held
last week, its depth and effectiveness,
make us believe that chances to reach
an agreement before the deadline are
much higher than those of failure or
delays,” he said.
Italy says nuclear pact would meet interests of all sides
Contd. from P. 1
Zarif said “remarkable advances” were made on technical issues in the last week’s talks, however, there are still
differences on how to remove sanctions and other issues.
“Serious advances were made in the last week’s
talks. We hope that progress would be made on
other issues, specifically removal of sanctions in this
week (next week; in that case we will make a comprehensive and precise agreement,” Zarif stated.
The Iranian foreign minister went on to say that
sanctions have never been useful in achieving any
objectives and the U.S. and the other countries
should come to the conclusion that sanctions are just
an “obstruction” and do not solve anything.
Iran is ready to conclude a comprehensive agreement
if the other side adopts such a viewpoint, Zarif added.
Elsewhere in his remarks, he stated that the Italian
and Iranian officials are ready to expand bilateral ties.
He expressed hope that political and economic rela-
“Serious advances were made in the last week’s talks. We hope that
progress would be made on other issues, specifically removal of sanctions
in this week (next week; in that case we will make a comprehensive and
precise agreement,” Zarif states.
tions between the two countries would be expanded.
The Italian foreign minister also said countries have
common interests in fighting against extremists, particularly the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).
‘Good steps’ have been taken in nuclear talks: Salehi
TEHRAN — Atomic
Po l i t i c a l D e s k Energy Organization
of Iran (AEOI) Director Ali Akbar Salehi
said on Friday, “We are resolving techni-
cal issues in nuclear talks meetings and
have taken good steps in this regard.”
Commenting on the presence of Hossein Fereydoun, President Rouhani’s
special aide, in the latest round of talks,
Salehi said all should help in nuclear talks.
Salehi said he will also attend the
next round of nuclear talks.
Iran and the 5+1 group (the five permanent members of the UN Security Council
plus Germany) are scheduled to meet in
Montreux, Switzerland, on March 5.
Netanyahu’s conflict with Obama over Iran has damaged U.S.-Israeli relationship: CNN
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s
open conflict with U.S. President Barack Obama
over his diplomacy with Iran has not only served
a blow to the U.S.-Israeli relationship it has also
collapsed Israel’s Iran policy, the CNN said in an
article on Thursday.
Contrary to Israel’s rhetoric, the fear of Iran getting a nuclear weapon has not been the driving factor of Israel policy on Iran since the early 1990s. Obviously, rather, the fear has been that Washington
would end up finding a compromise with Iran that
would lock in a shift in the regional balance of power in Israel’s disfavor.
Regardless of the details of a nuclear deal with Iran,
a deal per se would reduce Washington’s tensions
with Tehran, while not necessarily tempering the Is-
raeli-Iranian rivalry proportionally. Israel will be “abandoned”, Israelis fear. Moreover, a deal would signal,
the argument goes, that Washington has accepted
and will not contest Iran’s geopolitical advances in
the region. After a deal with Iran, Washington would
be even more likely to shift its geopolitical focus elsewhere and be less intertwined with Israel’s needs.
As Israel’s Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon said
earlier this week, any deal between the West and Iran
After a deal with Iran, Washington
would be even more likely to shift its
geopolitical focus elsewhere and be
less intertwined with Israel’s needs.
will strike a severe blow to Western and Israeli interests. This also explains why Netanyahu has been contradicting his own intelligence services and exaggerated and misconstrued Iran’s nuclear activities.
By now, Netanyahu has crossed the real point of
no return. Confidence in him is completely lost in
the White House, so he cannot adopt Ehud Barak’s
posture. His only remaining options is to double
down on opposing a nuclear deal with Iran, even at
the cost of an open war with the American president, of damaging U.S.-Israel relations beyond Obama, and of making Israel a partisan issue.
Such is the logic of adopting extremist positions. Rather than depriving the other side of options and maneuverability, Netanyahu has painted
Israel in a corner.
U.S. says Iran negotiations ‘far more advanced’
Nuclear negotiations with Iran have
reached a “far more advanced stage” than
ever before, a senior administration official
said Friday, expressing hope that negotiators may be able to conclude a partial
agreement by the end of March, the Los
Angeles Times reported on Friday.
While “there are still gaps” between
Iran, the United States and the five other
world powers involved in the negotiations, the official said, “obviously negotiations have advanced substantially.”
The administration official’s comments came in a conference call with reporters. The official declined to be identified, citing ground rules often invoked
by the administration.
Diplomats have been negotiating for
about a year, seeking a deal that would
ease sanctions on Iran’s economy if it
agrees to restrict its nuclear activities.
They have been seeking to complete
a so-called framework agreement by the
end of March, and then to negotiate all
the details by the end of June.
Talks were extended twice last year, and
the administration is under growing pressure to finish soon. Many U.S. lawmakers
want to hit Iran with new penalties if it fails
to agree to a deal by the end of March.
Administration officials have been
sending out conflicting signals in recent days, with some claiming a deal is
close and others insisting the chances of
reaching an agreement are only 40%.
Some private groups that advocate a
deal -- and others that oppose an agreement -- are predicting that a deal is near.
Secretary of State John Kerry, in appearances before Congress this week,
was cautious in his predictions, saying
that substantial differences remain between the two sides. He urged lawmakers to ignore news reports that purport
to disclose details about the negotiations, saying those key points are in flux.
Diplomats say progress has been
made on the core issue of how much
capacity to enrich uranium Iran would
retain in a deal. After months of impasse
on that question, the two sides are considering a proposal that could allow Iran
to keep around 6,500 centrifuges - far
more than earlier proposals - if it accepts
other provisions aimed at reducing its
production and stockpile of uranium.
Critics of the emerging deal have said
that such a large number of centrifuges
would allow Iran to quickly make bombgrade fuel. Defenders of the proposal
say that the key issue is not the number
of centrifuges, but the amount of enriched uranium Iran has. Reducing that
stockpile would make up for the greater
number of centrifuges, they say.
The two sides also appear to be groping toward a compromise on a longstanding dispute over how many years a
deal would last, diplomats say. They have
discussed a proposal that would roll back
Iran’s sensitive nuclear activities for 10
years, then gradually ease up on the restrictions for the following five years.
Other obstacles remain, such as the
issue of how soon the U.S., European
and United Nations sanctions against
Iran would be lifted.
Iran continues to push hard for im-
mediate sanctions relief, while the U.S.
and its allies insist sanctions should be
reduced gradually and only as Iran demonstrates it will live up to the agreement.
Kerry is traveling to Montreux, Switzerland, for a Tuesday meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad
Zarif on the nuclear issue.
Kerry will again be accompanied by
Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz, a sign
that the talks are delving deep into the
details of a possible agreement. The Energy Department oversees the U.S. nuclear stockpile and employs the government’s experts on nuclear fuel.
The senior administration official told
reporters not to expect the announcement
of a deal in the coming week, however.
The negotiating effort is expected to
come under sharp attack on Tuesday,
when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu addresses a joint session of
Congress. Netanyahu says he will warn
lawmakers to prevent completion of the
deal, which he says would allow Iran to
gain a nuclear weapons capability.
Russia says to develop military ties with Iran after sanctions lift
Contd. from P. 1
Ryabkov added the world is not going to end if the talks
on Iranian nuclear program result in failure by the deadline,
but dragging the negotiations endlessly is not right.
“The discussion has got to the point where literally everything that is necessary to find a common
denominator has been put on the negotiating table,”
the Russian diplomat stated.
“The latest round, which was held last week, its depth
and effectiveness, make us believe that chances to reach
an agreement before the deadline are much higher than
those of failure or delays,” he said.
h t t p : / / w w w . t e h r a n t i m e s . c o m / i n t e r n a t i o n a l
INTERNATIONAL
MARCH 1, 2015
Russian opposition leader Nemtsov
shot dead in Moscow
Russian police
investigate
the the body
of Boris
Nemtsov,
a former
Russian
deputy prime
minister and
opposition
leader at
Red Square
in Moscow,
Russia,
Saturday, Feb.
28, 2015.(AP
photo)
planned. The location and timing of the killing indicated that as well. The investigation found out that
Boris Nemtsov was going with his female friend to
his apartment, which is located close to the murder
scene. The organizers and the executers apparently
knew his route,” Vladimir Markin, spokesman for
the Investigative Committee, told journalists.
Markin said the best detectives and forensic experts are involved in the case, which is considered a
top priority by law enforcement authorities.
Preliminary results show that the politician was
killed from a Makarov pistol. Experts found six 9-mm
cartridge cases at the scene, Markov said. The cartridges were produced by several different manufacturers, he added.
Charlie Hebdo link
At the moment the investigation is focused on
questioning the eyewitnesses and studying mobile
traffic data in the immediate area of the crime, which
may provide an insight into communications of the
criminals. Footage from CCTV cameras is also being
studied.
The investigation is looking into five possible motives behind the high-profile assassination, Markin
said.
“The murder could be a provocation to destabilize the political situation in the country. Nemtsov
could have been chosen as a sort of ‘sacral sacrifice’
by those who don’t hesitate to use any methods to
reach their political goals,” he said.
“There are reports that Nemtsov received threats
due to his position over the shooting of Charlie Hebdo staff in Paris,” Markin said, adding that a possible
link to the Ukrainian civil war was also being investigated.
“It’s no secret that both sides of that conflict
have among their ranks very radical figures who take
no orders from any authority,” he said.
Other versions voiced by Markin involve Nemtsov’s business interests and a possible assault related
to his personal life.
The Kremlin called on political commentators not
to pressure the investigators.
“This is a top priority case now and it’s important
that the investigation produces results as soon as
possible. Don’t hamper their work, just be patient
and wait,” presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov
told Dozhd television.
Boris Nemtsov, a veteran opposition figure in
Russia, was gunned down in a drive-by attack in central Moscow on Friday night. The murder triggered
worldwide condemnation and calls to bring the killers to justice.
(Source: agencies)
Military operations force Boko Haram back to urban warfare
Bomb attacks in Nigerian towns and cities look likely
to increase in the run-up to forthcoming elections,
despite the military claiming increasing successes
against Boko Haram in captured territory.
At least 86 people were killed in explosions
blamed on Boko Haram this week alone, all of them
at crowded bus stations in the northeast, wider
north and also in the country’s central region.
The style of attack -- using either explosives left in
bags or suicide bombers -- has prompted the government in Abuja to issue a warning for increased vigilance at “soft targets”.
But with elections on March 28 that Boko Haram
has already vowed to disrupt, security experts said
there will be renewed fears about the safety of voters, particularly at polling stations.
“I think it’s safe to say that as multi-national
counter-insurgency operations continue in the
northeast, Boko Haram will intensify its urban terror
campaign,” Ryan Cummings, chief Africa analyst at
Red24 risk consultants, told AFP.
“Boko Haram will know that it lacks the resources
or capacity to engage the Nigerian Army and its allies in conventional warfare, so its retributive attacks
will increasingly focus on asymmetric warfare, which
is resource-light but nevertheless damaging.”
------Tactical shift
Attacking towns and cities recalls Boko Haram’s
previous tactics before it began capturing and seizing territory in the northeast in mid-2014, declaring
some part of a caliphate.
Cities such as Kano and particularly the Borno
state capital, Maiduguri, were hit regularly until the
government declared a state of emergency in May
2013 in three northeast states.
The military and civilian vigilante forces managed
to push the rebels out into more remote, rural areas,
where violence continued and in many cases intensified.
With soldiers thin on the ground in the countryside -- and with apparent dissent in the ranks about
the provision of weapons and equipment -- Boko
Haram launched its unprecedented land grab.
But since the attack on Baga on January 3, where
hundreds of civilians, if not more, are thought to
have been killed, and rebel strikes in Chad and Niger,
there has been a concerted fight-back.
Nigerian troops, aided by soldiers from Cameroon, Chad and Niger, have bombarded rebel strongholds in northeast Nigeria and claim to have recaptured territory, including Baga last weekend.
President Goodluck Jonathan visited the ravaged
town on the shores of Lake Chad on Thursday, telling troops that the conflict, which has killed more
than 13,000 since 2009, would soon be over.
Observers have framed the claimed successes
against the backdrop of upcoming elections in Nigeria, which were postponed for six weeks from February 14 because of the ongoing military operations.
Nigeria’s national security advisor said at the time
that troops would not be available to provide security on polling day.
(Source: AFP)
ISIL attacks Samarra ahead of army offensive
The Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) terrorist group suicide bombers and militants struck targets on Saturday in the northern Iraqi city of Samarra, where security forces and their Shia allies have
been gathering for an offensive against the radical
militants.
Security sources and residents said the attack
on Samarra was launched at 5:30 am (0230 GMT)
when two ISIL suicide bombers blew up their cars in
the northern area of Sur Shnas.
At the same time a man drove a Humvee rigged
with explosives into the south of the city and detonated it, while ISIL fighters attacked security forces
to the west with sniper fire, mortars and rocket propelled grenades.
Thousands of troops and fighters from Shia
groups known as Hashid Shaabi (Popular Mobilization) have gathered around Samarra for a campaign
to drive ISIL out of nearby strongholds on the Tigris
River, including the city of Tikrit 50 km (30 miles) to
the north.
Medical sources said Samarra hospital had re-
ceived the bodies of three Hashid Shaabi fighters,
and was treating six wounded people.
Residents reported seeing black smoke over
parts of the city and hearing powerful explosions, as
clashes continued.
In the town of Ishaaqi, about 20 kilometers (10
miles) southeast of Samarra, snipers shot dead two
Hashid Shaabi men as they tried to set up a sand barrier on the main highway linking Samarra to the capital Baghdad.
(Source: The Daily Star)
Egypt sentences four Brotherhood members to death
An Egyptian court has sentenced four members of
the banned Muslim Brotherhood organization to
death and 14 to life in prison.
Brotherhood Supreme Guide Mohamed Badie
and his deputy Khairat al-Shater were among those
sentenced to life on Saturday, along with former
lawmaker Mohamed el-Beltagy and party head
Saad el-Katatni and his deputy, Essam el-Erian.
Three co-defendants of Badie were sentenced
to death in the same trial.
Those convicted were accused of murder, in-
citing murder, attempted murder, possession of
firearms and several more. The verdict can be appealed.
In December 2014 the court sentenced the four
men to death and referred the sentences to the
grand mufti for consideration. The mufti endorsed
the court’s December decision.
The case stems from clashes near the Brotherhood’s headquarters on June 30, 2013, four days
before the ouster of President Mohamed Morsi.
The fighting left 11 people dead and 91 wounded.
Badie has already been sentenced by three
separate courts to three life terms, and he was also
handed two death sentences that were later overturned on appeal.
Morsi himself is facing several trials on charges
that are punishable by death, while his group have
been designated a “terrorist group”.
Some 22,000 people have been arrested since
Morsi’s ouster, including most of the Brotherhood’s leaders.
(Source: agencies)
3
British PM Cameron vows
to hunt down ‘Jihadi John’
Investigators probing provocation, Charlie Hebdo links
Boris Nemtsov, a charismatic Russian opposition
leader and sharp critic of President Vladimir Putin,
was gunned down near the Kremlin, just a day before a planned protest against the government.
Nemtsov’s death late on Friday ignited a fury
among opposition figures who assailed the Kremlin
for creating an atmosphere of intolerance of any dissent and called the killing an assassination.
Putin quickly offered his condolences and called
the murder a provocation.
Nemtsov, a 55-year-old former deputy prime minister, was working on a report presenting evidence
that he believed proved Russia’s direct involvement
in the separatist rebellion that has raged in eastern
Ukraine since last April.
Hundreds of mourners gathered at a makeshift
memorial at the site of the killing on Saturday in tribute to the slain opposition politician.
Putin ordered Russia’s top law enforcement chiefs
to personally oversee the probe of Nemtsov’s killing.
“Putin noted that this cruel murder has all the
makings of a contract hit and is extremely provocative,” presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in
remarks carried by Russian news agencies.
In an interview with the Sobesednik newspaper,
Nemtsov said earlier this month that his 86-year-old
mother was afraid that Putin could have him killed
for his opposition activities.
Asked if he had such fears himself, he responded
by saying: “If I were afraid I wouldn’t have led an opposition party.”
Speaking on radio just a few hours before his
death, he harshly criticized Putin for plunging Russia into the crisis by his “mad, aggressive and deadly
policy of war against Ukraine”.
Russia Interior ministry spokeswoman Yelena
Alexeyeva told reporters that Nemtsov was walking with a female acquaintance, a Ukrainian citizen,
when a vehicle drove up and unidentified assailants
shot him dead.
The woman wasn’t hurt and was being questioned by police.
The Russian interior ministry, which oversees
Russia’s police force, said that Nemtsov was killed
by four shots in the back from a passing car as he
was walking over a bridge just outside the Kremlin
shortly after midnight.
The assassination of opposition leader Boris
Nemtsov in Moscow was well-planned, investigators said. Versions of the crime range from a political
provocation to a revenge killing by radical groups.
“There is no doubt that this crime was carefully
INTERNATIONAL DAILY
British Prime Minister David Cameron vowed on Friday
to use all means at his disposal to hunt down militants
such as “Jihadi John” after the killer was identified as
a Kuwaiti-born computer programming graduate from
London.
The black-clad terrorist brandishing a knife and
speaking with an English accent was shown in videos
released by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant
(ISIL) terrorist group apparently decapitating hostages
including Americans, Britons and Syrians.
“When there are people anywhere in the world who
commit appalling and heinous crimes against British citizens, we will do everything we can with the police, with
the security services, with all that we have at our disposal to find these people and put them out of action,”
Cameron said.
Cameron refused to comment on the identification
of “Jihadi John” as 26-year-old British militant Mohammed Emwazi, but said that people should get behind
the security services, which he praised as impressive
and dedicated to defending Britain.
Emwazi was known to the security services, which
had tried to recruit him, according to prisoners’ group
Cage. The case has sparked debate about whether the
security services let him slip through their grasp to join
ISIL in Syria.
Dressed entirely in black, a balaclava covering all but
his eyes and the bridge of his nose and a holster under
his left arm, Jihadi John became a menacing symbol
of ISIL’s brutality and one of the world’s most wanted
men.
He used videos to threaten the West, admonish its
Arab allies and taunt U.S. President Barack Obama and
Cameron before petrified hostages cowering in orange
jump suits.
Emwazi’s name was first disclosed by the Washington Post. Two U.S. government sources who spoke on
condition of anonymity told Reuters that investigators
believed Jihadi John was Emwazi.
The Sun and The Daily Mail newspapers published
a picture showing a schoolboy Emwazi smiling and sitting cross-legged on the grass at the front of the photograph from the St Mary Magdalene Church of England
primary school in Maida Vale, West London.
A picture of him as a student was later broadcast by
Sky News, showing a young man with a moustache and
goatee beard, wearing a cap with a logo resembling the
P from the Pittsburgh Pirates U.S. Major League Baseball team.
British killer
Born in Kuwait, Emwazi came to Britain aged 6 and
graduated with a computer programming degree from
the University of Westminster before coming to the attention of Britain’s main domestic intelligence service,
MI5, according to an account given by Asim Qureshi,
research director of Cage, a group that campaigns for
those detained on terrorism charges.
Emwazi, a fluent Arabic speaker, said MI5 had tried
to recruit him and then prevented him from traveling
abroad, forcing him to leave the country without telling
his family, Qureshi told a news conference in London.
In a meeting with reporters, Qureshi cast Emwazi
as a kind and thoughtful young man who faced harassment from MI5, which apparently suspected he wanted
to join the Somali militant group, al Shabaab.
That account prompted criticism of MI5. But there
was little patience with the narrative of Emwazi’s life
presented by Qureshi, who called him a “beautiful
man”.
“Cage maintain (maintains) the enemy is the security
services, is the state,” Professor Anthony Glees, Director of the Centre for Security and Intelligence Studies,
told Reuters.
“The truth could not be more different. Intelligence
services are on the whole non-interventionist.”
Cameron’s spokeswoman said it was “completely
reprehensible” to seek to shift the blame from a killer
to those seeking to keep British citizens safe.
The daughter of David Haines, a Scottish aid worker
who was beheaded by ISIL terrorist group in September,
told ITV news there should be more security at airports.
Bethany Haines also said she would not rest until Emwazi received a “bullet between his eyes”.
The family of Steven Sotloff, a U.S. journalist beheaded in August, said they had faith his killer would be
brought to justice.
“There’s going to be no closure until these people
are brought to justice,” family spokesman Barak Barfi
told Sky News.
MI5 does not publicly comment on the identity of
militants or their backgrounds while an investigation is
still ongoing.
“Jihadi John” fronted ISIL videos that showed either
the killing or bodies of victims including U.S. citizens
James Foley, Steven Sotloff and Peter Kassig, Britons
David Haines and Alan Henning, Japanese Kenji Goto
and over 20 Syrian soldiers.
(Source: Reuters)
Condolences
We regrettably announce the death of Ali Akbar Amin to relatives, friends
and acquaintances.
A commemoration ceremony for the late Amin will be held on Monday
(March 2, 2015) from 18:30 to 20:00 in Masjid Jameh of Shahrak-e Gharb.
Attendance in the commemoration ceremony will give comfort to the
Amin family.
The families of Amin, Moravej Yazdi, Havari Ansari, Barkhordar,
Rasoulian, Agah, Soudmandi, Naqdi, Morshed, Fateh, Raji, Arasteh,
Mo’aven and others, will be grateful for your presence.
4
I NTE R NATI O NAL DAI LY
NEWS
Iran’s 10-month pistachio
exports rise 80% y/y
TEHRAN — Iran exported $1.4 billion
E C O N O M Y
TEHRAN — Trade
Refah Kargaran Bank
receives plaque of honor for
organizational excellence
TEHRAN — Refah Kargaran Bank received a plaque of
honor for organizational excellence.
The bank received a 3-star plaque of honor during the
2nd national conference on human resources education
and development.
The conference was held by the Industrial Management
Institute of Iran.
Top eleven organizations and companies received
certificates, plaques of honor, crystal trophy, and silver
trophy.
TEHRAN STOCK EXCHANGE
Main Board
Index
Industry Index
Overall Index
Change
47339.5
-100.3
Percent
-0.21
53552
-91.4
-0.17
63950.9
-100.8
-0.16
Free Float Index
72814
-186
-0.26
Secondary Index
124268.8
-26.2
-0.02
64051.7
Max Value
64075
Min Value
63950.9
Closing
63950.9
Variety
(100.8)
Change end of year(%)
702.75%
Historical highest
89500.6 (2014/01/05)
China amounted to $51.85 billion in
2014, a 72 percent rise from $39.54
billion in 2013, according to the
Chinese General Administration of
Customs.
On Feb. 6, 2015, U.S. banks stopped
money transfers to Somalia
because of strict regulations set
by the Office of the Comptroller
of the Currency over concerns of
money laundering and funding
for terrorist organizations. The
decision has left Somalis who
depend on cash remittances for
survival without critical financial
support. Remittances bolster the
local economy and serve as a major
source of income for families and
individuals.
The Somali diaspora sends home
more than $1.2 billion annually
— a sum larger than foreign
aid and investments combined.
Remittances
are
a
crucial
component of the Somali economy,
making up more than half of the
nation’s gross national income.
An estimated 73 percent of Somali
households use the cash transfers
to pay for food. Remittances help
build schools and hospitals and pay
for school fees. Nearly 80 percent
of Somalis receive remittances
from a single person, highlighting
the dependence on the money
transfers from abroad. Somalis
TEHRAN — Over 100
Economic Desk Iranian economists
have undersigned a statement, urging
the government to focus on policies of
the resistance economy, which has been
instructed by the Supreme Leader.
“The
proper
and
exact
implementation of policies of the
resistance economy can help the nation
be victorious in fighting against ill-will
enemies,” the statement reads.
To IR.
Rial*
To U.S.
Dollars
Currency
To IR.
Rial*
US dollar
1
34230
UAE dirham
0.272
9390
British Pound
1.543
53020
EURO
1.119
38900
*The free market rates
(Sources: Mehrnews.com & xe.com)
MAJOR COMMODITIES
Light Crude $ / barrel
49.76
Silver $ / troy ounce
Gold $ / troy ounce
1,213.10 Platinum $ / troy ounce
Copper $ / pound
2.69
Wheat ¢ / bushel
16.56
1,185.60
513
Source: cnnmoney.com
NEWS IN BRIEF
MAJOR CURRENCIES
To U.S.
Dollars
Iran exported $27.49 billion worth
of products to China and imported
$24.36 billion worth of goods from
the country in 2014, the IRNA news
agency reported on Saturday.
China was the leading importer of
Iranian non-oil goods in the previous
U.S. bank regulators seek to destroy
Somalia’s economy
Source: tse.ir
Currency
not cut output to prop up oil markets even if nonOPEC nations did so.
Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh has set
an output target of 5.7 million barrels per day of
crude oil by 2018, according to official statements.
With holding 157 billion barrels of recoverable
crude oil reserves, Iran possesses the world’s fourth
largest crude oil reserves.
have created efficient money wiring
agencies, known as hawalas, to get
around the lack of a formal banking
system in Somalia. It has been the
country’s rare lifeline over the last
two decades.
Major U.S. banks stopped wiring
money to Somalia years ago. The
final holdout, the Merchants Bank
of California, handles roughly 80
percent of the remittances from
the U.S. to Somalia. But it had
been under pressure from wary
regulators to monitor the flow
of cash transfers there. The bank
decided to shutter the service to
avoid potential penalties. But there
is no evidence linking hawalas to
extremist groups. The pre-emptive
measure was made at the expense
of millions of people in Somalia.
The end of bank money transfers,
the only legal means for Somalis in
the U.S. to send money to needy
families back home, has rattled
the Somali-American community.
Community leaders and youth
organizers are working with elected
officials to exert pressure on U.S.
banks and regulators.
(Source: Aljazeera)
Iranian calendar year, which ended
on March 20, 2014, according to the
Iran Customs Administration.
Iran exported $7.43 billion of
non-oil goods to China and imported
$9.66 billion of non-oil goods from
the country.
In June 2014, Trade Promotion
Organization of Iran Director
Valiollah Afkhami-Rad said Iran’s
annual non-oil exports were
projected to rise by 50 percent and
hit $47 billion in the current Iranian
calendar year.
India’s new budget aims to boost
growth and infrastructure
NEW DELHI (AP) — India’s
finance
minister
announced
the government’s new budget
on Saturday, promising a slew
of measures that attempt to
balance welfare spending with
high economic growth and
infrastructure development, while
vowing to keep a tight control on
fiscal deficit.
It was Finance Minister Arun
Jaitley’s first full budget since
Prime Minister Narendra Modi won
a thumping majority in national
elections in May on the back
of promises to turn around the
economy and boost job creation.
There were few sweeping
reforms that the government has
been promising, but economists
and business leaders reacted to
Saturday’s announcement with
cautious optimism, a far cry from
Jaitley’s first interim budget in July,
which was widely panned.
“It’s a very positive budget.
No big bang, but a steady move
forward,” Ajay Shriram, president
of the Confederation of Indian
Industries, told CNN-IBN. “It’s
moving in the right direction.”
Jaitley said the Indian economy
is slated to grow at 7.4 percent in
the current fiscal year, which ends
in March, and will continue grow at
between 8.1 and 8.5 percent in the
next year.
“The credibility of India’s
economy has been re-established,”
Jaitley told Parliament in a
90-minute speech. “India is about
to take off on a faster growth
trajectory once again.”
New
growth
estimates
announced in late January make
India the world’s fastest-growing
economy, surpassing neighbor and
rival China. But the higher growth
projections follow a revision of
the baseline against which India
calculated economic growth.
India’s annual growth averaged
about 8 percent in the decade up
to 2010, but slumped to about 5
percent in the following years.
Jaitley said his government
would stick to the country’s
“challenging” fiscal deficit target —
the gap between what the federal
government earns and spends —
of 4.1 percent of gross domestic
product in the current year.
Over 100 Iranian economists urge government to focus on resistance economy
OVERALL INDEX DETAILS
First
average in the week ended on February 23, a $1.65
rise compared to its preceding week.
The country sold heavy crude oil at $54.66 per
barrel on average in the mentioned week, showing
$1.58 growth compared to its previous week,
according to the Shana News Agency.
On January 1, Reuters quoted Iranian Deputy
Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian as saying
that falling world oil prices will hurt countries across
the Middle East unless Saudi Arabia, the world’s
biggest crude exporter, takes action to reverse the
slump.
“There are several reasons for the drop of the
price of oil but Saudi Arabia can take a step to have
a productive role in this situation,” Abdollahian
said.
He said Iran would have more discussions with
Saudi Arabia about the oil price, both through oil
officials at OPEC and through the foreign ministry.
He did not give specific details on when any meeting
might take place.
In December 2014, Saudi Arabia said that it would
Economic Desk between Iran and
TEHRAN — Mellat Bank received a 4-star plaque of honor
for organizational excellence.
The bank received the plaque of honor during the 12th
national seminar on organizational excellence.
The organizational excellence award is given to
superior organizations based on their improvement in
managerial methods and systems.
Top organizations and companies in manufacturing,
service, health, and education are assessed annually to
receive the award.
Value
TEHRAN — Iran sold light crude
Economic Desk oil at $56.64 per barrel on
Iran-China trade hits $51.8b in 2014
Mellat Bank honored
with organizational
excellence award
Index
h t t p : / / w w w . t e h r a n t i m e s . c o m / e c o n o m y
Iranian light crude oil price
raises $1.65 in a week
Economic Desk of pistachio in the first ten months of
the current Iranian calendar year (March 21, 2014- January
20, 2015), an 80 percent rise from $780 million in the same
period last year.
The country exported
156,294 tons of pistachio
in the ten-month period,
showing 78 percent growth
from 87,930 tons in the
same period of time in the
previous year, , the Mehr
News Agency reported on
Saturday.
Iran exported $5.2 billion
of food and agricultural
products and imported
$13.2 billion of the products
in the previous Iranian
calendar year, which ended
on March 20, 2014, according to the Iranian Customs
Administration statistics.
Food and agricultural trade accounted for 20.2 percent
of the country’s total non-oil trade in the past Iranian
calendar year.
MARCH 1, 2015
Volvo Group
stalls in Q4 as
construction
sector
contracts
“The
resistance
economy
necessitates a change in the market
with the goal of transferring the national
economy to the public and reducing
incumbency of the government.”
On February 19, 2014, Supreme
Leader of the Islamic Revolution
Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei outlined
the general policies of the economy of
resistance.
The Leader said the economy of
Volvo Group, the world’s
second-largest producer of
trucks, posted a fourthquarter loss as a plunge in
construction equipment
deliveries compounded
the effects of provisions
for credit losses and a
potential antitrust fine.
The operating loss totaled
2.26 billion kronor ($272
million) compared with
profit of 996 million kronor
a year earlier, Swedenbased Volvo said in early
February in a statement.
Analysts on average had
estimated that Volvo
would post a profit.
Revenue rose 1.1 percent
to 77.5 billion kronor.
Bank of
England
to boost
watchdog role
after failing
to spot forex
rigging
resistance will also give a great boost to
domestic production and job creation.
According to the plan, the
government must take action to expand
the production and exportation of
knowledge-based products, increase
domestic production of strategic goods,
and develop markets in neighboring
countries.
It
also
encourages
greater
privatization and increased exports of
The Bank of England plans
to beef up its watchdog
role after it failed to spot
one of the biggest scandals
in the City’s recent history.
The central bank said a
“root-and-branch” review
of its market intelligence
operations had found that
some staff were unfamiliar
with the way City firms
operated.
But Threadneedle Street
was immediately warned
by a prominent MP that
a draconian approach to
regulation of London’s
financial markets could
chase business to New
York or Frankfurt.
electricity, gas, petrochemicals, and
oil byproducts in order to diversify the
economy and wean it from reliance
on exports of crude oil and other raw
materials.
On February 23, the Supreme Leader
said the motto of resistance economy
must be materialized in action, stating
that words alone would not contribute
to the betterment of the country’s
financial status.
EU warns
Ireland on
debt, jobs
and banking
sector
The European Commission
has warned that Ireland
must take “decisive
policy action” to
address macroeconomic
imbalances in the economy.
The commission has also
raised concerns about the
funding model for Irish
Water, warning the utility
may not be in a position to
fund and borrow on the
markets. Commenting on
the Government’s recent
decision to change the
structure and charges
levied by the utility, it
notes that Irish Water
“will remain dependent
on central government
funding for some time”.
h t t p : / / w w w . t e h r a n t i m e s . c o m
HISTORY & HERITAGE
MARCH 1, 2015
Mehestan:
Manifestation of democracy in Persia
Today marks the anniversary of the establishment of
first Iranian senate by the Parthian king Mithradates
I (flourished 2nd century BC) in 173 BC.
Known as Mehestan, the senate is composed of
great people (meh). The word literally means the
place of great people.
The first Iranian senate is also known as Megisthanes,
which means the place of magus, member of an ancient Persian clan specializing in cultic activities.
However, since the members of the senate are
not only magi, the historians believe that the word
“Mehestan” seems more suitable for the place.
Mithradates I codified a general constitution
against which all citizens were to know their rights
and responsibilities.
Although little known about the Parthian, they
allowed some sort of democracy with Mehestan as
the parliament.
Among duties of Mehestan were choosing the
crown prince, declaring war or peace, dismissing the
king in case of sanity or impotence, changing tax regulations, ordering mintage, etc.
In many cases Mehestan authorized the kings as
the heads of armies during wars.
Parthian nobles, senior people, heads of families
and house of Parthian princes are the members of
Mehestan.
Mithradates I: A Philhellene mild ruler
The first Arsacid, ancient Iranian dynasty that founded and ruled the Parthian empire, to gain power in Parthia was Arsaces (reigned c. 250–c. 211 BC), but the Iranian plateau was not conquered in its entirety until the
time of Mithradates I (reigned 171–138 BC).
Mithradates I, also called Arsaces VI, king of Parthia (reigned 171–138 BC); he succeeded his brother
Phraates I.
Parthian
relief of
Mithridates
I at
Xong-e
Ashdar,
City of
Izeh,
Khouzestan
Province
(Image by
Pentocelo)
Before 160 Mithradates I seized Media from the Seleucid
ruler Timarchus. Turning to the east, he won two provinces,
Tapuria and Traxiana, from the Bactrian king Eucratides.
Mithradates then captured the province of Elymais (ancient Elam) and invaded Babylonia (142 or
141). The Seleucid king Demetrius II Nicator recaptured Babylon (141 or 140) but was defeated and
held by Mithradates in honorable captivity.
Generally, Mithradates was regarded as a mild ruler,
and his epithet Philhellene (“Greek-loving”) indicates
that he tried to conciliate his Greek subjects.
He gained control of the royal road built during
the Achaemenid and established trade along the Silk
Road that was of great importance for the survival
of the Parthian empire.
Scholars originally accepted Mithradates I died
peacefully in 138/137 BC, a date fixed by the date of
his final tetradrachm, an Ancient Greek silver coin,
and cuneiform evidence, but recent studies suggest
the end of Mithradates I’s reign was in 132 BC.
Two of the dynasty’s most powerful rulers were
Mithradates II (reigned 123–88 BC) and Phraates
III (reigned 70–58/57 BC).
(Source: britannica.com and others)
Archaeological looting and the destruction of cultural heritage
Archaeological looting is a global issue that
threatens the preservation of our shared
cultural heritage. In the Middle East, archaeological looting and the deliberate
destruction of archaeological sites and
monuments amid ongoing warfare have
captured international attention.
Antiquities looted from sites in Syria and
northern Iraq and subsequently trafficked are one
of the main sources of funding for the extremist
group referred to as ISIS or ISIL. What, if anything,
can be done to protect these objects and sites?
Continuous conflict has left thousands of
archaeological sites in Syria and Iraq—including those of the Bronze, Iron, Greek, Roman,
Byzantine and Islamic periods—vulnerable.
The culturally diverse ancient city of DuraEuropos, where one of the earliest Christian
house-churches was discovered, has been
heavily pillaged over the past few years.
Cultural heritage experts believe that ISIS
militants have been responsible for much of
the archaeological looting going on in Syria and
northern Iraq since the rise of the rebel group.
There are myriad efforts by professionals, government organizations and concerned citizens to address the loss of cul-
tural heritage in conflict areas.
The Safeguarding the Heritage of Syria Initiative is building a database to document the destruction of Syrian sites and artifacts—thus preserving at least the memory of cultural treasures.
The Combatant Command Cultural Heritage Action Group trains U.S. military personnel
to protect cultural property during operations.
(Source: biblicalarchaeology.org)
INTERNATIONAL DAILY
5
N O T A B L E S
On birth anniversary of Fredric Chopin
Facts about the great
composer Chopin
Frederic Chopin (1810 – 1849), born Fryderyk Franciszek Chopin, was a Polish composer and virtuoso
pianist of the Romantic era, who wrote primarily for
the solo piano.
He gained and has maintained renown worldwide as
one of the leading musicians of his era. Chopin
was born in what was then
the Duchy of Warsaw, and
grew up in Warsaw, which
after 1815 became part of
Congress Poland.
A child prodigy, he
completed his musical
education and composed
many of his works in Warsaw before leaving Poland
at the age of 20, less than
a month before the outbreak of the November
1830 Uprising.
Child star
Chopin was composing and writing poetry at six, and
gave his first public concerto performance at the age of
eight. It’s not really surprising - his mother was a piano
teacher, and his father played the flute and violin.
Chopin and Bach
Chopin was very fond of Bach - who could blame him?
He urged his piano pupils to practice Bach every day to
strengthen their fingers and exercise their minds with
the mathematical music.
Piano Concerto No. 1
His Piano Concerto No. 2 was written before his Piano
Concerto No. 1, in 1830. But the first one was published
after the second, leading to the confusion.
A very modest piano teacher
As as way of making money while living in Paris, Chopin built up a book of rich contacts to whom he would
give piano lessons. Unfortunately, he felt too embarrassed to ask his pupils for money, so he looked away
while they left the fee on the mantelpiece!
Chopin’s customs problems
When Chopin visited Majorca, he had trouble bringing
his precious piano along with him. The piano, made by
the famous Pleyel et Cie company, was held up by customs from December 20, 1838 until January 4, 1839.
Eventually George Sands agreed to pay 300 francs to
have the instrument released.
(Source: classicfm.com)
For second time in Iran
Mobarakeh Steel Co. Named National Exemplary
Company in Organizational Excellence
We should benefit from educated people for
progress of industry and production
“We should benefit from the educated and
experienced people, who have tried for many years
in the progress of industry and production.” Iranian
Industry, Mine and Trade Minister stated.
“When we work as a team and cover each others’
weaknesses and change them to the strengths, then
we will see that all of our companies will acquire the
highest point.” He added.
obarakeh Steel Company of Isfahan was named
national exemplary company and received
golden trophy in the 12th Organizational Excellence
Forum of Iran, which was held with the pivot of
developing organizational capabilities on February
22, 2015 in the international gathering hall of the
Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting Organization
(IRIB) attended by Iranian Industry, Mine and Trade
Minister Mohammadreza Ne’matzadeh and senior
officials of the country’s pioneer and excellent
companies.
Mobarakeh Steel Company received this golden
trophy for the second time in country. It is while the
company was named exemplary national company as
well due to its high point in the evaluation made in the
forum.
M
Faith and virtuous action, two commitments
of a man toward its society
The managing director of Mobarakeh Steel
Company received golden trophy form Iranian
Industry, Mining and Trade Minister Mohammadreza
Ne’matzadeh in the gathering held on February 22.
After giving the trophy to the managing director
of Mobarakeh Steel Company, Ne’matzadeh said: this
success has been achieved through faith and virtuous
action, which are two commitments of a man toward
the society.
“We can act according to the orders of God when
we build ourselves, our families and societies based on
the divine justice.” The minister added.
He expressed happiness that some companies,
besides their production activities, participate in
the social affairs and serve the people, and noted:
“Decision makers in the organizations should provide
condition for achieving the highest level of growth
and development through establishment of excellent
approaches in their units.”
Receiving golden trophy of organizational
excellence, result of
Mobarakeh Company’s all personnel’s effort
Addressing the gathering, Bahram Sobhani, the
managing director of Mobarakeh Steel Company
said receiving the golden trophy of organizational
excellence is the result of efforts made by all directors
and personnel of the company as well as its trade
partners, who accompanied the company in its way
toward excellence and help it reach the status to be
an honor for the Islamic Republic of Iran.
This honor was not achieved in one night, he
said, adding, vast activities in the field of taking
infrastructural measures, transferring technical
knowledge in the systems and productivity system
have been conducted in this process by the committed
and efficient directors and personnel.
Mobarakeh Steel Company strengthened
infrastructures in region
Elsewhere in his remarks, the managing director of
Mobarakeh Steel Company referred to the effects of
the company’s activities in the country’s industry and
production sectors and stated that by the activity of
this company, the upstream and downstream chains
were formed and became active in the country, in a
way that the economic and production infrastructures
are being strengthened in the region as the result of
the company’s activity.
Some companies use the steel sheet produced in
Mobarakeh Steel Company to produce different types
of products and many companies are manufacturing
spare parts and materials required in the production
lines of this company, the managing director said,
adding, all of these measures are the results of
establishing this industry.
Mobarakeh Steel Company, a lover of environment
and a supporter of cultural and social entities
The managing director of
Mobarakeh Steel Company went
on to say that many entities such
as religious and social entities and
entities of the Iranian Railways
and Ministry of Energy have some
very close relation with Mobarakeh
Company in the issues related to
their field of activities.
By
making
some
huge
investment in terms of preserving
environment and developing its
green space by 1600 hectares,
this company has introduced itself
as a lover of environment to the
society, he stated.
In addition, the company has taken vast measures
in terms of transferring technical knowledge to the
other companies and has achieved success in the
national level in the knowledge management award
(MAKE), the managing director added.
Establishing industrial units in region
and country through transferring
Mobarakeh Steel Company’s technical knowledge
Elsewhere in his remarks, the managing director of
Mobarakeh Steel Company said that Hormozgan Steel
Company in Bandar Abbas, Sepid Dasht Galvanized
Steel Complex in Chaharmahal-Bakhtiari and Kashan
Galvanized Steel Company were established through
transferring technical knowledge of Mobarakeh
Steel Company, adding it is the result of Mobarakeh
Company’s existence and presence and we hope that
the company will follow this way more seriously in
the future.
In the end, Sobhani noted: “It is not surely the end
of task and we will try to move in this endless way
through improving the process.”
It is worth mentioning that Mobarakeh Steel
Company, as the largest steel producing factory
which was designed, established, equipped and put
into operation in the state of Islamic Republic of Iran,
has played some significant role in development
and flourishing the industry during 20 years of its
activity and today as one of the honors of Islamic
Republic of Iran, besides its role in production of
steel products and job creation in the country, it is
a renowned company in the world.
By: N.Najjari
6
I NTE R NATI O NAL DAI LY
INTERNATIONAL
COMMENT
A N A LY S I S
By Joschka Fischer
How to encircle ISIL
Acts of terror by ISIL or related groups have
evoked fear, flight, or fight. Some Muslims, Jews,
and Christians seek an alternative response.
The common response to ISIL’s atrocities or recent jihadist attacks in Europe has been to be afraid, to fight back,
or simply to flee to a safer place.
Some people, however, have sought an alternative response, one that displaces the very hate that lies behind
such attacks.
Last Saturday, for example, hundreds of Muslims held hands in a “ring
of peace” around a Jewish
synagogue in Norway that
has been attacked in the
past. They wanted to display symbolic unity with all
Jews in light of recent attacks on Jews in Paris and
elsewhere in Europe.
The Muslims also wanted to show that Islam is a
religion of love. “We must
kill the prejudices we have
and move on from hate,” one organizer told The Wall
Street Journal.
The synagogue’s rabbi, Michael Melchior, told the encircling crowd in Oslo: “God is where rings are formed
and bridges are built between people. That’s where God
wants to be. That’s where the future of humanity is secured. Thank you all for coming here tonight.”
Such events or words are rarely top of the news. Their
effects take place in thought and are not as visible as
bombs, beheadings, or battles in Iraq or Syria.
They may seem mushy or useless to many. Yet they
still startle by their core message, such as the fact that
religion can never justify terror.
An even more startling message has been one of forgiveness.
After ISIL militants beheaded 21 Coptic Christians in
Libya, for example, Bishop Angaelos of the Coptic Orthodox Church in the United Kingdom said he forgave the
killers. He called on others to pray for them “that the value of God’s creation and human life may become more
evident to them.”
Contd. on P. 11
I
n the last two weeks, the two crises
confronting Europe — in Ukraine and
Greece — both escalated. In each case,
Germany and its Chancellor, Angela
Merkel, were at the heart of efforts to
achieve a diplomatic resolution. This is
a new role for Germany, and the country is not yet accustomed to it.
The latest attempt to halt the
war in eastern Ukraine by diplomatic
means had an even shorter shelf life
than the first attempt last September. The new accord — concluded,
like the previous one, in Minsk — de
facto recognized that Ukraine has
been split by military means. But just
where the dividing line is remains
unclear, because Russian President
Vladimir Putin may yet attempt to
capture the strategic Black Sea port
of Mariupol, thereby enabling the
Kremlin to create a land bridge between Russia and the Crimea peninsula. Moreover, capturing Mariupol
would keep open the option of conquering southern Ukraine, including
Odessa, and extending Russian control all the way to Transnistria, Russia’s illegal enclave in Moldova.
Through the continued use of military
force, Putin has achieved the main aim
of Russia’s policy: Control over eastern
Ukraine and ongoing destabilization of
the country as a whole. Indeed, Minsk
II is merely a reflection of facts on the
ground. The question remains, however,
whether it would have been smarter to
let the one power that Putin takes seriously — the U.S. — conduct the negotiations. Given Putin’s low regard for
Europe, this will most likely become unavoidable, sooner or later.
Still, despite the risks involved, it is important that Germany and France, in coordination with the European Union (EU)
MARCH 1, 2015
h t t p : / / w w w . t e h r a n t i m e s . c o m / i n t e r n a t i o n a l
Merkel’s
moment of truth
The German chancellor no longer defines her policies
in terms of ‘small steps’; now she takes strategic threats
seriously and confronts them head-on
and the U.S., undertook this diplomatic
effort. Though the Minsk II initiative exposed Europe’s meager political clout,
it also confirmed the indispensability of
Franco-German cooperation, as well as
Germany’s changed role within the EU.
Ten years in power
Merkel herself reflects this
changed role. Her ten years in power
were largely characterized by a new
German Biedermeier era. The sun was
shining on Germany and its economy
and Merkel regarded it as her highest duty to maintain citizens’ sense
of wellbeing by not disturbing them
with politics. But Germany’s new significance in Europe has put a brutal
end to Merkel’s neo-Biedermeier era.
She no longer defines her policies
in terms of “small steps”; now she
takes strategic threats seriously and
confronts them head-on.
This is also true of the Greek crisis, in
which Merkel — despite her public image
in southern Europe — was not aligned
with the hawks in her party and administration. Indeed, Merkel seems to be well
aware of the unmanageable risks of a
Greek exit from the euro — although it remains to be seen whether she can muster
Though the geopolitical risks have, so far, barely figured in
the German debate, they greatly outweigh any domestic
policy risks of finally coming clean with the German public.
the determination to revise the failed austerity policy imposed on Greece.
Without such a revision aimed at
boosting growth, Europe will remain
alarmingly weak both internally and
externally. Given Russia’s attack on
Ukraine, this is a dismal prospect, because internal weakness and external
threats are directly linked.
Greece has also shown that the euro
crisis is less a financial crisis than a sovereignty crisis. With the recent election of
the anti-austerity Syriza party, Greek voters stood up against external control over
their country by the “troika” (the European Commission, the European Central
Bank and the International Monetary Fund
(IMF), Germany, or anyone else.
Yet, if Greece is to be saved from
bankruptcy, it will have only foreign
taxpayers’ money to thank for it.
And it will be nearly impossible to
convince European taxpayers and governments to provide further billions of
euros without verifiable guarantees
and the necessary reforms.
The Greek conflict
The Greek conflict shows that Europe’s monetary union is not working
because one country’s democratically
legitimized sovereignty has run up
against other countries’ democratically legitimized sovereignty.
Nation-states and a monetary union
do not sit well together. But it is not
hard to understand that, should “Grexit” occur, the only geopolitical winner
would be Russia, whereas in Europe,
everyone stands to lose.
Though the geopolitical risks have,
so far, barely figured in the German
debate, they greatly outweigh any
domestic policy risks of finally coming
clean with the German public.
Greece, Germans should be told,
will remain a Eurozone member, and
preserving the euro will require further
steps toward integration, up to and
including transfers and debt mutualization, provided that the appropriate
institutions for this are established.
Contd. on P. 11
IraniaHOME
Real Estate
SH.LAVASANI
“25 years
years of
of experience”
experience”
“25
Registered & Authorized Office
Mobile: 09123103526
Tel: 88888007
Fax: 88675936
E-mail: Info@Iraniahome.com
‫ ﻭﻳﻼ ﻭ ﺁﭘﺎﺭﺗﻤﺎﻥ ﻣﺒﻠﻪ ﺷﻤﺎ‬:‫ﻣﺎﻟﻜﻴﻦ ﻣﺤﺘﺮﻡ‬
‫ﺭﺍ ﺟﻬﺖ ﺍﺟﺎﺭﻩ ﺑﻪ ﺩﻳﭙﻠﻤﺎﺗﻬﺎ ﻧﻴﺎﺯﻣﻨﺪﻳﻢ‬
Farmanieh – Villa $8000
1000 SQm Land, 400 SQm built up
5 big rooms, and master,
4 car parking’s -F.F,
S/P (No over look) garden
AHRABI 09192571076
Villa Farmanieh, 4 bedrs, 600 sqm
Luxuriously F.F $9000
Shahrak-GHARB
3 bedrs F.F $2500
FARSHID: 09125540877
h t t p : / / w w w . t e h r a n t i m e s . c o m / e c o n o m y
MARCH 1, 2015
WORLD
ECONOMY
Large sections of German society
remain at risk from poverty
In early 2015 the so-called ‘Agenda 2010’
celebrated its tenth anniversary. This
political reform package introduced
a completely new model of labor and
social policy in Germany, following the
paradigm already institutionalized in
the UK.
However, the beginning of this
process was accompanied by truly
strange affairs. Agenda 2010 was
the idea of a previously convicted
manager named Peter Hartz. Against
the background of bribes paid to the
work council of the car enterprise
Volkswagen, Hartz was sentenced to
jail simultaneous with the introduction
of the political reform. Nevertheless,
the German welfare benefit schemes
Hartz I to Hartz IV are named after
him. In October 2004, the German
Parliament approved the re-launch of
the Federal Employment Office (Hartz
III) and the merger of unemployment
compensation and social benefits
(Hartz IV).
Since the end of World War II, no
other reform has changed Germany
more than Agenda 2010, with shifts in
the way people think, feel and act. Using
narrative portraits of those affected by
this policy, in my book Schamland (Land
of Shame) I argue that even the term
“Hartz IV” marginalized a significant
portion of the population in terms of
social and cultural inclusion. “Hartz IV”
has become synonymous with poverty,
exclusion and charity. Even the leading
German dictionary Duden coined the
verb “hartzen”, which they explain by
referring to people who are “too lazy
for any activity or job”. The general
level of suspicion of the unemployed
generated by the reform couldn’t be
any worse.
Agenda 2010 is still controversial.
Former German chancellor Gerhard
Schroder regarded the reform as a “farreaching structural improvement, able
to place Germany at the top amongst
all countries in just one decade”. That
would be now, the year 2015. But is
Agenda 2010 actually the reason for a
historically low unemployment rate in
Germany, as Frank-Jürgen Weise, the
director of the Federal Employment
Office, claims? In order to answer this
question, a closer look is needed.
Societies follow narratives and two
opposing narratives about Agenda 2010
occupy the German public sphere. “The
country has been saved” is the first.
“The country will be divided” is the
narrative which reflects the perspective
of critics, such as myself.
For an official view of the state of
the nation one can refer to the 4th
national report on poverty and wealth
in Germany or the freshly published
(February 2015) alternative poverty
report. While the official report claims
A man begs as pedestrians walk past at Wilmersdorfer shopping street in Berlin
to shape a new “policy of social
mobility” the poverty reports of “Der
Paritatische Gesamtverband” outline
a second narrative – which is even
termed the “divided republic”.
After previous national reports in
2001, 2005 and 2008, the empirical
work (samples from 2007 to 2011)
provides analyses based on a wide
variety of empirical surveys and panels.
At first glance the results are positive. In
January 2015 the overall unemployment
rate was at merely seven percent
(approximately three million people).
Job offers have increased while
underemployment has decreased.
The number of benefit claimants
(“Arbeitslosengeld II” = “Hartz IV”) last
reached a peak in 2006 with 5.4 million
claimants, with current levels at around
4.3 million.
But this sunny story carries more
than one dark footnote. Numerous
academics criticize Agenda 2010
because the new jobs have only
emerged outside the social insurance
system. The German government
claims it is working towards sustainable
future development, but at the same
time some of the innovations of social
policy have seen cutbacks of jobs that
contribute to the social insurance
system. The downside of the miracle of
new jobs is simply the fact that Germany
has an above-average rate of part-time
employment contracts (25 percent).
Taking this into account, the labor
force participation rate is actually
lower and the positive picture blurs.
Moreover, temporary employment or
forced part-time work are on the rise.
The number of temporary workers
has more than doubled in recent
years. Roughly seven million people
have so-called “Minijob” contracts,
which don’t provide employee health
benefits/social insurance. Last but not
least, the academic field is also being
transformed into a low-pay sector.
Such forms of employment do not offer
any protection against fundamental
risks, but rather contribute to the
institutionalization of precarious life
circumstances, which is becoming the
general feeling in the country, seen
as a mixture of uncertainty and social
isolation.
Agenda 2010 is not only a political
reform, but is also a symbolic threat
to citizens, as well as a disciplinary
instrument. Even employees who
have worked the same job for many
years end up receiving relatively low
welfare payments after a short grace
period. Some eventually become
dependent on charity systems such
as soup kitchens or food banks. It has
been shown that it is not a coincidence
that the German charity system began
experiencing a boom at the same time
as the introduction of Agenda 2010.
This especially applies to food banks.
However, food banks are not even
mentioned in the 4th national report
on poverty and wealth. Few federal
reports dare to criticize the new charity
system.
Behind the scenes, society does not
always represent the ideal outlined
by politics. For example, the relatively
low unemployment rate shows
extensive regional disparities. The
unemployment rate in East Germany
is approaching double that of the
West. Comparing the federal state
with the lowest unemployment rate
(Baden-Württemberg at 4.2 percent)
with the federal state with the highest
rate (Mecklenburg-West Pomerania
at 12.3 percent), the ratio reaches 1 to
3. Citizens with a migrant background
are more likely to be affected by
unemployment. Furthermore, the
current at-risk-of-poverty rate among
this group is 26.8 percent, which is twice
as high as the average rate among the
total population.
Agenda 2010 is also an example of
the way that austerity can generate
unintended consequences. One such
effect is increasing child poverty in
West (13.7 percent) and East Germany
(23.5 percent). In July 2014, 1.64 million
children under the age of 15 depended
on Hartz IV benefits. Another problem
is slowly increasing poverty among
the elderly. A whole cohort of women
will be punished for having raised their
children, given as they age they will be
more and more affected by poverty.
In 2013 roughly 500,000 senior citizens
(aged 65 and above) were poor,
particularly women in West Germany.
These women have to manage their
everyday lives with a basic income of
391 euros per month.
The psychological effect of this on
individuals forms one of the themes of
my book, Schamland, which focuses
on the way that shame functions as
a new form of political regulation
in Germany. Increasing numbers
of senior citizens must continue
working in order to get by. The
rate of employment among senior
citizens has doubled over the last 20
years. Nearly five percent of retirees
still work, a third of them simply in
order to survive. Poverty among the
elderly is drastically underestimated
in political and public discourse and
has therefore become trivialized to
a large extent. Even if the average
rates of poverty among seniors do
not differ between East and West
Germany, there are immense regional
disparities. Forecasts for 2021 show
increasing social inequalities in
eastern parts of the country. As it
happens, the estimates for the capital,
Berlin, are the most pessimistic.
(Source: London School of Economics)
30 million Americans are either out
of work or severely underemployed
Fourth-quarter GDP in U.S. rose less
than prior estimate
WASHINGTON (Sonorannews) —
The falling unemployment numbers
should be cause for merriment but it’s
hard to find enough people who are
happily employed these days, at least
not enough to put together a decent
celebration, according to Dan Weber,
president of the Association of Mature
American Citizens.
Weber said “that’s because, as Jim
Clifton, chairman of the respected
Gallup polling organization, painfully
pointed out in an opinion article
recently: the weekly Department of
Labor unemployment statistics are ‘a
big lie’.”
The latest rate of unemployment is
reportedly hovering around 5.5 percent,
according to the Bureau of Labor
Statistics and “that’s no lie,” Weber
added. “But it is deceiving. It makes it
sound as if the country is getting back
to normal when in fact, the Obama
Recession has established a new
normal, one in which part time jobs take
the place of real jobs. If they had used
the real unemployment rate, it would
be more like 11.3 percent.”
Weber said “Clifton’s statisticsscandal expose revealed that the
government has also been committing
a grievous sin of omission in its
employment reports: they don’t count
those poor souls who have stopped
looking for work because there are no
decent jobs to be found.”
The economy in the U.S. expanded
at a slower pace in the fourth quarter
than previously reported, restrained
by a smaller gain in stockpiles
and widening trade gap, even as
consumers continued to provide
support.
Gross domestic product, the value
of all goods and services produced,
rose at a 2.2 percent annualized rate,
down from an initial estimate of 2.6
percent, Commerce Department
figures showed Friday in Washington.
The median forecast of 83 economists
surveyed by Bloomberg called for a 2
percent pace.
While overall growth was revised
down, consumer spending last
quarter climbed by the most in four
years, underscoring the fundamental
strength of the expansion. An
improving job market and cheaper
fuel costs will probably keep
supporting households this year,
which will help the U.S. overcome
a slowdown in exports as the dollar
climbs and foreign economies
struggle.
“The economy is still chugging
along pretty nicely,” said Scott Brown,
chief economist at Raymond James
& Associates Inc. in St. Petersburg,
Florid, who correctly projected the
rate of growth. “We’re seeing better
job growth, the drop in gas prices
is really going to be beneficial for
Here’s how it works, according to the
top executive at Gallup:” If you, a family
member or anyone is unemployed
and has subsequently given up on
finding a job – if you are so hopelessly
out of work that you’ve stopped
looking over the past four weeks – the
Department of Labor doesn’t count you
as unemployed. That’s right. While you
are as unemployed as one can possibly
be, and tragically may never find work
again, you are not counted in the
figure we see relentlessly in the news
– currently 5.6 percent. Right now, as
many as 30 million Americans are either
out of work or severely underemployed.
Trust me, the vast majority of them
aren’t throwing parties to toast ‘falling’
unemployment.”
At a bare minimum, a good job is one
that offers more than 30 hours a week
and a decent, regular paycheck and
right now those kinds of jobs are rarer
than ever. Only about 44 percent of
the jobs that are out there meet those
criteria.
On an ironic note, earlier this week
the administration’s State Department
spokeswoman Marie Harf was seen on
MSNBC floating the idea of pursuing
what might be a new strategy in the war
on Islamic Terrorism. She wasn’t allowed
to use the term “Islamic Terrorism,” of
course, but she did say that rather than
killing the enemy we might try finding a
way of providing them with jobs.
consumers and small businesses, and
that should help the pace of growth
to pick up.”
Stock-index futures held earlier
losses after the report. The contract
on the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index
maturing in March fell 0.1 percent to
2,107.9 at 8:46 a.m. in New York.
Economists’ GDP projections in
the Bloomberg survey ranged from
1.5 percent to 2.5 percent. This is
the second of three estimates for
the quarter, with the other release
scheduled for March when more
information can be incorporated.
For all of 2014, the U.S. economy
grew 2.4 percent from the year
before, following a 2.2 percent
advance in 2013. Consumer spending
rose 2.5 percent, the most since
2006.
Household consumption, which
accounts for about 70 percent of
the economy, grew at a 4.2 percent
annualized rate in the fourth quarter,
the most since the last three months
of 2010. It was previously estimated
at 4.3 percent. Purchases added 2.8
percentage points to growth.
A smaller gain in spending on
goods than previously calculated
was almost fully offset by a bigger
advance in purchases of services,
which grew at a 4.1 percent pace, the
most since 2000.
(Source: Bloomberg)
INTERNATIONAL DAILY
7
COMMENT
India–U.S. relations
face hurdles
Economic relations between India and the United States
seem to be going well. This was recently reinforced in New
Delhi with Prime Minister Modi and President Obama endorsing the India–US Delhi Declaration of Friendship. But
beneath the friendly joint statement of a new economic
partnership lie considerable differences on critical issues of
economic significance. These hurdles need to be overcome
in order to strengthen bilateral relations.
India has repeatedly voiced concerns that its IT-driven services sector faces several barriers to entry into the U.S. market.
And recently proposed policy changes are threatening to exacerbate the problem. India has consistently raised these issues
with the World Trade Organization (WTO), but its demand for a
less restrictive regime for service providers has failed to cut any
ice with countries like the U.S.
U.S. domestic policies have become significantly more unfavorable since the economic downturn in 2008. Now, the U.S.
Congress is debating immigration reform, which could have far
reaching implications for Indian IT firms. The 2013 Border Security Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization
Act proposes to cap the share of employees holding H1B visas
in any firm at 15 percent. While the bill has passed the Senate, it
has yet to be cleared by the House of Representatives.
From India’s point of view, President Obama’s offer to
support India’s transition into a low carbon economy is an important step. India has previously considered adopting green
technologies, especially in the energy sector. In 2010, the Singh
government introduced the ambitious National Solar Mission,
which aimed to provide 20,000 MW of grid-connected solar
power by 2022. In its attempt to reduce the cost of power generation, the government promoted the use of domestically
produced solar panels.
But these plans are now in serious jeopardy. The U.S. has
objected to the use of ‘Made in India’ solar panels, labelling it
as a violation of India’s national treatment commitment to the
WTO. India is now busy defending itself against the complaint
made to the WTO’s Dispute Settlement Body. Now that the
leaders of the two countries have agreed to work in a spirit of
cooperation, India should expect the U.S. to support the plans
it had enacted to generate affordable solar power in the country.
But this is not the only area in which India’s economic policies have met with serious challenge from the U.S. administration. In December 2014, the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) unveiled the findings of a yearlong survey of the
effects of India’s trade, investment and industrial policies on
the U.S. economy.
The report concluded that that a wide range of restrictive
Indian policies have adversely affected U.S. companies doing
business in India. The USITC reports that its investigations (covering a large number of U.S. business lobbies) showed that
tariffs, as well as taxes and financial regulations, have had the
heaviest effects on U.S. companies. Foreign direct investment
and intellectual property policies have also negatively affected
specific industries in the agricultural, service and manufacturing sectors.
The USITC announced that ‘if tariff and investment restrictions were fully eliminated and standards of [intellectual property] protection were made comparable to U.S. and Western
European levels, U.S. exports to India would rise by two-thirds,
and U.S. investment in India would roughly double’.
The message is unambiguous: India must undertake a significant change in its policy orientation so that it meets the
expectations of the business interests in U.S. and Western European countries.
This broad affront on India’s economic policies by the
USITC, which closely followed the investigation of India’s intellectual property laws by the U.S. Trade Representative, seem
to undermine the new found warmth in the relations between
the two countries. It is clear that the various wings of the U.S.
administration need to understand the spirit of the New Delhi
dialogue on economic issues, else the economic partnership
will be all for nothing.
(Source: eastasiaforum.org)
Revealed: McDonald’s
€1b tax loophole
Fast-food chain McDonald’s has been accused of avoiding
over €1 billion in European corporate taxes between 20092013. A report by a coalition of European and American
trade unions has revealed the company’s alleged tax avoidance strategy.
McDonalds paid a total of €16 million in tax on royalties of
€3.7 billion for a period of 5 years (2009-2013), according to a
report from the charity group War on Want.
The company’s tax structure allowed McDonald’s to
draw revenue away from Europe and its major markets, the
report says. McDonald’s was routing revenues through a
Luxembourg based subsidiary; it also moved the company’s
European headquarters from the UK to Switzerland.
“It is shameful to see that a multibillion euro company,
that pays low wages to its workforce, still seeks to avoid its
responsibility to pay its fair share of much needed taxes to
finance public services we all rely on. Rather than supersizing profits and minimizing taxes, McDonald’s should change
its recipes to ensure that corporate citizenship is at the core
of its menu,” said Jan Willem Goudriaan, Secretary General
of European Public Service Unions (EPSU).
The coalition of trade unions called on the European
Commission and national tax authorities, as well as the Special Committee on Tax Ruling to investigate McDonald’s tax
practices and take appropriate measures.
The company has been facing growing discontent and
criticism. It has been dealing with economic hurdles, such
as a number of food scandals in 2014, wage demands and
intensifying competition. The fast-food chain’s CEO retired
earlier in January, after nearly 25 years with McDonalds, and
the company reported its worst sales slump in more than a
decade.
(Source: RT)
8
I NTE R NATI O NAL DAI LY
IN THE NEWS
Fatigue syndrome is a real
biological condition
According to the latest findings, the condition Chronic
Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is a biological condition and not
just a psychological disorder as thought earlier.
The team from Columbia University in the United
States on Friday reported that there are immune changes
in patients having CFS. These markers may provide evidence for different disease stages and may lead to better
diagnosis and treatment.
Another name for CFS is myalgic encephalomyelitis
which is controversial. It is a condition that is present
with disabling mental and physical fatigue, poor memory
and concentration, joint and muscle pain, and disturbed
sleep. It affects about 17 million individuals around the
globe – there’s no cure for it and scientists are concerned.
According to the sufferers, the condition initiated after the viral infection. The suggested virus which was
linked is called as XMRV, according to the research published in 2010.
(Source: SMN Weekly)
Chances of organisms in
Titan’s lakes could possibly
define ‘life’
A new study by researchers has modeled an oxygen-free
form of life that lives on methane and can reproduce and metabolize in a way similar to us on Earth. Hence, that type of
life may exist on the methane lakes of Saturn’s moon Titan.
The team’s theorized cell membrane is composed of organic nitrogen compounds and capable of functioning in
liquid methane that approaches -300 degrees Fahrenheit.
Jonathan Lunine, the co-author of the paper, recruited Paulette Clany, a chemical molecular dynamics
expert and James Stevenson, a graduate student in
chemical engineering.
“We’re not biologists, and we’re not astronomers, but
we had the right tools. Perhaps it helped, because we didn’t
come in with any preconceptions about what should be in
a membrane and what shouldn’t. We just worked with the
compounds that we knew were there and asked, ‘if this was
your palette, what can you make out of that,’” said Clancy
in a statement.
Life in here is based on the ‘phospholipid bilayer membrane’, which is a strong, permeable, water based vesicle
that holds the organic matter of cell.
(Source: American Live Wire)
M E D
&
S C I
MARCH 1, 2015
h t t p : / / w w w . t e h r a n t i m e s . c o m
Nuclear waste could offer carbon-free
energy, scientists suggest
By Stephen Edelstein
I
n the 1950s, U.S. scientists and policymakers
were excited about a new form of carbon-free
energy --although not one that’s generally considered green today.
It was nuclear power.
Multiple accidents and concerns over longterm disposal of radioactive fuel essentially killed
nuclear-power development in the U.S., but some
researchers believe it’s poised to make a comeback.
A new startup called Transatomic plans to market a reactor based on a design from the golden
age of atomic research -- and it’s
All nuclear
fueled by the waste of current
reactors.
power sources
This “back to the future” apcurrently in
proach relies on a “molten salt”
reactor type that hasn’t seen the
operation use
light of day in roughly 50 years,
light water
according to a Brookings Institureactors
tion write-up of the project.
All nuclear power sources
(LWR), which
currently in operation use light
use uraniumwater reactors (LWR), which use
uranium-studded rods to heat
studded rods
water. In contrast, the molten
to heat water.
salt reactor uses liquid uranium
In contrast, the
for fuel.
A prototype was switched on
molten salt
at Oak Ridge National Laborareactor uses
tory in 1965, and the Air Force
even investigated using a similar
liquid uranium
design for a nuclear-powered
for fuel.
plane.
The molten salt
However, the molten salt reactor was eventually discarded, in part because it required uranium
enriched to levels far beyond the legal limit set to
prevent use of the material in nuclear weapons.
Now, Transatomic believes it can update the
design to run on the used uranium fuel rods of
other reactors -- producing clean power while
consuming waste.
No new commercial reactors have been built
in the U.S. in over 30 years, but concerns about
climate change could fuel a resurgence of the
industry.
While nuclear power remains controversial,
reactors produce no greenhouse-gas emissions,
and aren’t dependent on weather conditions as
are most renewable sources.
Right now, nuclear power accounts for roughly
20 percent of the electricity generated in the U.S.
-- more than solar, wind, or hydroelectric generation.
Last year, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change issued a call for 400 more reactors
-- a near doubling of the current global total of 435
-- as part of an overall effort to bring more carbonfree energy sources online faster.
That, in turn, could allow electric cars to be recharged on carbon-free electricity -- lowering the
carbon footprint of driving passenger vehicles
enormously against those charged from today’s
mixed-source electric grids.
Nuclear power
Many countries remain leery of nuclear power
because of its potential for accidents -- such as the
recent debacle at Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi plant
in 2011.
If the new reactors continue to use the tradi-
tional light-water design, they will also produce
massive amounts of nuclear waste.
Even after they’re no longer suitable for use in
a reactor, the uranium rods can remain radioactive for up to 100,000 years. The spent rods are
typically sealed in casks and buried.
Simulations estimate the reactor would produce just 2.5 percent as much waste as a comparable LWR -- meaning a large enough network of
them could consume the current stockpile of nuclear waste over time.
The reactor also doesn’t require an externallypowered coolant pumps, theoretically making it
safe in the event of a power failure like the one
that triggered the Fukushima disaster.
However, as with any other experimental technology, simulations and estimates don’t always
translate to real-world results.
At the very least, Transatomic will need regulatory approval to test its design before commercial
versions can even be considered.
Considering current popular feelings about nuclear power, that -- not to mention getting funding -- will likely be a challenge.
(Source: Green Car Reports)
h t t p : / / w w w . t e h r a n t i m e s . c o m / s p o r t s
S
MARCH 1, 2015
P
O
R
T
S
Iranian snooker player Vafaei gets visa
ended on Thursday.
The 20-year-old made history as the first professional snooker player from Iran.
“I’m happy to join the professionals. I will
keep working hard to succeed in the upcoming
competitions. Hopefully, more Iranian snooker
players to get visa,” Vafaei said.
Vafaei first turned professional back in 2012
following his victory at the 2011 IBSF World
Championship, but his two and a half seasons
on tour have to date been blighted by visa issues which have limited him to sporadic appearances at events such as the Six Red World
Championship and Asian Tour events.
His reply for a visa to be able to play snooker
on the Main Tour has been denied already four
times by the authorities
Now however, Vafaei has now finally seen his
long-awaited quest for a visa granted.
On the sidelines of the 2nd West Asian Billiards & Snooker Championship took place in
Dubai, the UAE, the Asian officials celebrated
Vafaei’s success.
Ahmad Masajedi named Japan
Volleyball assistant coach
Iranian assistant
lasco has been appointed as Japan
volleyball assistant coach.
The 38-year-old worked with Velasco
in Iran volleyball team from 2011 to 2014.
“The last time I came Japan, their
coach Masashi Nambu requested
me to help them and I advised them
in the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon,
South Korea,” Masajedi said.
“I accepted to be coach of Japan
since I want to change their style.
I’ve worked three years with Velasco and learned so many things
from him.
Iran chosen to host 2015 AFC Futsal
Club Championship
Iran
has
been
S p o r t D e s k named as the host
of the 2015 AFC Futsal Club Championship
by Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
Iran was the only candidate to host the
competition. Tehran, Isfahan and Tabriz are
three cities have announced their readiness
to host the tournament while the AFC in-
spectors will visit these cities in next month.
Iran has hosted the competition’s inaugural in 2010, where Foolad Mahan beat Qatari side Al Sadd 5-2 to win the tournament.
Japanese side Nagoya Oceans is the
most successful team in the history of
AFC Futsal Club Championship with two
titles in 2011 and 2014.
Barcelona and Real Madrid 'in bidding war for Paul Pogba'
Marca, AS and Tuttosport claim Real Madrid and Barcelona are in a bidding war for Juventus star Paul Pogba.
Papers in Spain and Italy repeat the same reports, that
the two Liga clubs are the front-runners to prise Pogba
away from Turin.
Manchester United, PSG, Chelsea and Manchester
City have also shown a marked interest in the 21-year-old
French midfielder.
9
FOOTBALL
Benitez refuses to rule out
Napoli exit
Hossein Vafaei Ayouri’s long-
S p o r t D e s k awaited quest for a British visa
S p o r t D e s k coach of Julio Ve-
INTERNATIONAL DAILY
The rumours suggest Real Madrid collaborator Zinedine Zidane is working behind the scenes to convince Pogba
he can become the latest Galactico.
AS claim Zizou is in fact pushing hard with the current
Real Madrid hierarchy to go all in for Pogboom.
Meanwhile, Barça are also sending positive messages
to the ex-Manchester United youth product, who is valued
at around €100m.
His price-tag does not only reflect his worth on the
pitch, but also his immense sponsorship potential.
Tuttosport also suggest that agent Mino Raiola picked
up a commission worth €4.5m to secure Pogba’s contract
renewal until 2019.
On Friday Juventus director Beppe Marotta said “we
are not looking for buyers.”
(Source: FootballItalia)
City will have edge over fatigued
Liverpool, says Pellegrini
Serie A not as strong as when I was
young, says Gomez
(Reuters) — Manchester City have will
have the edge over Liverpool when
the sides meet at Anfield because of
the Merseysiders' gruelling Europa
League efforts, manager Manuel Pellegrini said on Friday.
Liverpool were dumped out of
Europe's second-tier competition in
a penalty shootout defeat to Turkish
side Besiktas on Thursday and arrived
back in England just 55 hours before
Sunday's clash.
City also played in Europe this week,
but their Champions League last-16
home defeat by Barcelona came two
days earlier, leaving them extra time to
recover and prepare for the weekend's
match.
"I have been involved in the Europa
League and this preparation is never
ideal," Pellegrini told reporters.
"You can't prepare for the game.
You finish on Thursday night and the
players don't have the 48 hours to recover.
"It's an advantage for the other
team, but we just can't think we are
going to win for this reason. It is also
about the performance."
Whereas the same fixture last season was billed as a potential title decider, Liverpool's poor start to this campaign has left them far off the pace and
looking to secure a top-four finish rath-
Mario Gomez feels that while Serie A is
not as strong as it used to be, the Italian game is on the rise again.
The former Bayern Munich striker
has struggled with injury during his
time at Fiorentina, but finally looks
to be finding his feet with important
goals in February's Coppa Italia quarter-final win over Roma and Thursday's 2-0 Europa League triumph
over Tottenham.
The latter victory saw the Viola
progress to the last 16, where they
will be joined by four other domestic
rivals: Roma - whom they will face
next - Napoli, Inter and Torino.
However, Gomez says that the
target must be for Italian sides to
start reasserting themselves in the
Champions League, with only Juventus having reached the last 16 of this
year's tournament.
"Something is starting to
change; the teams still in the Europa
League certifies that," Gomez told
the Gazzetta dello Sport. "But Italian football must have many teams
in the Champions League, not in
the Europa League. That's the Italy I
knew as a child."
The Viola have plenty of difficult
fixtures still to come this season, but
Gomez is insistent that they will give
their all in the latter stages of the
er than challenging for the big prize.
For City, however, it remains a crucial game.
Pellegrini's side are five points behind leaders Chelsea, but have an opportunity to close the gap with Jose
Mourinho's side missing the weekend's
Premier League action in order to face
Tottenham Hotspur in Sunday's League
Cup final.
This adds extra significance to the
Anfield clash, according to Pellegrini.
"It's important to close the gap, not
just psychologically but mathematically," he said.
"It was the same for us last season.
It's about the pressure of winning the
games in hand. We need to continue
fighting to the end to retain our title.
"We will be going there to try to
win the game and be the most aggressive team."
City will welcome midfielder Yaya
Toure back into the side after he missed
Tuesday's defeat by Barcelona through
suspension when his importance to Pellegrini's team was clear as the La Liga
side won 2-1 to take the upper hand in
the tie.
Toure's absence at the African Nations Cup throughout January hit City's
title challenge hard and his return
against Newcastle United last weekend
was the catalyst for a 5-0 thrashing.
campaign, starting in Sunday's meeting with Inter at San Siro.
"Winning is why we play football.
Still to come we have Roma [in the Europa League], Juventus [in the Coppa
Italia] and Napoli [to fight for third
place]. They are the top three teams in
Italy, but we will try," he added.
"Roma are very strong, but so
were Tottenham. If we want to win
the trophy it is good to challenge the
best. However, I would have liked to
have been drawn against Wolfsburg.
They did well last year and are doing
even better this season.
"It will be tough [against Inter]. They
needed time to settle after the change
of coach and they are doing well now.
We hope to keep getting better."
Having shown signs of returning
to his best form the 29-year-old offered support to compatriot and
former team-mate Lukas Podolski,
who has endured a difficult start to
his time with the Nerazzurri.
"It is not always easy to change
country. He gives his best, but Inter
have gone through a difficult time
and not just Podolski.
"Lukas is a great guy, I hope he
does well - maybe in the next game.
I'm his friend, as is Miroslav Klose,"
Gomez concluded.
(Source: Soccerway)
Rafa Benitez refused to be drawn on whether he will
remain in charge of Napoli next season, but promised
to give his best while he is still on the bench.
The Spaniard moved to San Paolo in 2013 after an interim spell as Chelsea coach and has already guided the
Partenopei to Coppa Italia and Supercoppa glory.
However, with his contract due to expire in June
and a new deal yet to
be signed, the coach remained ambiguous about
his future with the club.
"I do not know when
my farewell will arrive. It
could be between three
to five years, or even just
one. Regardless, I will certainly always give 100 per
cent for this team until
the last day," Benitez said
in a press conference.
"Everyone knows that
my contract expires in
June, shortly we'll talk but now it is more important to
talk about the team, my personal issues do not count."
In a conversation with Radio Kiss Kiss, Benitez later
added: "I see the president [Aurelio De Laurentiis] every time I am at the stadium, we talk before and after
the games but there has been no meeting regarding my
future. We only talked about the games played."
Napoli could end this round of fixtures level on points with
second-placed Roma if they beat Torino and the Giallorossi fall
to defeat at home to league leaders Juventus. The 54-year-old
believes the Bianconeri are a superior power in Serie A.
"Given the great strength of their squad, Juventus
have a big advantage in Serie A and the table proves it.
From our side, we try to keep very close to them and
maintain a regular rhythm," he added.
"Italian football is the most tactical and difficult in the
world, all the teams are tough to deal with and continuity
in results therefore becomes important to do well."
The Partenopei are also fighting on another front
in the Europa League, along with four other Italian
sides, and Benitez feels they have been handed a tough
match in the last 16 against Dynamo Moscow.
"Against them it will not be easy. I think they had
a very good game against Anderlecht on Thursday, although obviously I could not see it because we had to
play as well," he said.
"Looking at the draw, Wolfsburg-Inter and Fiorentina-Roma stand out as huge matches, which definitely
adds great value to the whole competition."
(Source: Goal)
Tottenham’s Kane has two
big fans in Chelsea’s defence
(Reuters) — Chelsea’s John Terry and Gary Cahill will be determined to keep Tottenham Hotspur’s Harry Kane quiet in
Sunday’s League Cup final but have already seen enough of
the young striker to back him for an England call-up.
The central defensive duo got a close view of 21-yearold Kane’s qualities when he scored twice in Tottenham’s surprise 5-3 Premier League win at White Hart
Lane on New Year’s Day.
Kane also scored two goals against Arsenal and
grabbed a last-gasp equaliser versus another London
side West Ham United last week to maintain his team’s
pursuit of a top-four finish and take his goal tally this
season to 24 in all competitions.
Such is the local lad’s form since breaking into the
first team that he is now Tottenham’s leading striker,
ahead of Spain’s Roberto Soldado and Togo’s Emmanuel Adebayor.
“He is a very good player, his movement is fantastic and
he is in great goalscoring form,” Chelsea skipper Terry told
reporters in the build-up to the Wembley final -- a repeat of
the 2008 clash which Tottenham won 2-1 after extra time.
“He has got to be able to do that year after year, and for England I hope he does,” added former England defender Terry.
“It’s great to see young players coming through and
getting their opportunities and staying in the squad so if
he keeps scoring there’s no reason why he can’t stay in.
“But there’s still a long way to go.”
ENGLAND PLACE
Cahill said Kane has deservedly pushed his name into
the frame for an England call-up when Roy Hodgson
picks his squad for next month’s Euro 2016 qualifier at
home to Lithuania and friendly away to Italy.
“This season he has been terrific and obviously he’s pushing for an England place now,” said the England centre back.
“He’s been very good and he’s been consistent this
season. I’m sure he’s looking to do that consistently
over the next few years. I thought in (the 5-3 league defeat) he played really well as did a lot of their players.”
While his goals have been impressive, Kane’s attitude has made him a dream to play alongside, according to his Tottenham team mate Christian Eriksen.
“Harry is a worker as well and that’s what people like
and what he does, he works for the team, he’s not a striker who just waits for the ball,” said the Dane this week.
“He wants it and sometimes he comes and takes it.”
Eriksen said Kane’s rapid emergence from reserve
team player with the occasional Europa League outing
to the joint-leading English goalscorer in the Premier
League has been remarkable.
“What Harry’s doing is impressive and I think everyone
is going on the wave that he is creating,” he said. “It’s the
first time I’ve seen a player come through that quick.”
10
I NTE R NATI O NAL DAI LY
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
S O C I E T Y
MARCH 1, 2015
h t t p : / / w w w . t e h r a n t i m e s . c o m / s o c i e t y
UNESCO honors Professor Khodadoust,
the Persian legend of ophthalmology
TEHRAN — In a
S o c i a l D e s k ceremony held in
“When today fails to offer the justification for hope,
tomorrow becomes the only grail worth pursuing.”
Arthur Miller, Death of a Salesman
LEARN ENGLISH
Having Trouble Making a
Decision
Lorenzo: Have you bought a new television yet?
Katia: No, I’m still looking at consumer reviews and
weighing my options. I’m not sure yet what size I want or
what features I need. I’m keeping my options open for now.
Lorenzo: I thought your old TV stopped working three
weeks ago. You still haven’t made up your mind about buying a new one?
Katia: Oh, I’ve decided to buy a new one. It’s which one
I’m going to buy that’s making me hesitate. There are so
many options to choose from. I want to approach this logically and decide only after I’ve done the proper analysis.
Lorenzo: It’s only a TV. It’s not like it’s a house or even a
car.
Katia: I know, but I’m the one who has to live with the
decision. I’ll look at it every day, and if I don’t make the right
decision, it’ll haunt me for years.
Lorenzo: You know what I think?
Katia: What?
Lorenzo: I think you’re crippled by indecision, and you’re
stalling. The sooner you make a decision and buy a new TV,
the better.
Katia: Hey, what are you doing? Where are you taking
me?
Lorenzo: We’re going to the electronics store this minute, and you’re buying a TV – today!
Katia: What if I regret my decision?
Lorenzo: Then I’ll buy you a new one.
Katia: Fine, but I’m holding you to that!
(Source: eslpod.com)
Words & Phrases
consumer reviews: a review of a product or service made
by a customer who has purchased the product or service.
Customer reviews are a form of customer feedback on electronic commerce and online shopping sites.
weigh my options: to carefully consider all of my choices to
determine which one is best.
keep options open: to wait before making a choice.
make up your mind: to decide.
hesitate: to pause before you do or say something, often
because you are uncertain or nervous about it.
options: possibilities, choices.
analysis: detailed examination of the elements or structure
of something.
live with the decision: to accept the consequences of what
you decided.
haunt: to disturb or distress; cause to have anxiety.
to be crippled: to be unable to do something, to be unable
to work properly or correctly.
indecision: inability to make decision.
stall: stop or cause to stop making progress.
electronics store: a store that sells televisions, radios, telephones etc., things that electronic in nature.
regret: to feel sad or sorry about (something that you did
or did not do).
hold someone to something: to make someone keep a promise.
W O R D O F T H E D AY
rationale
\rash-uh-NAL\
DEFINITION
(noun)
1 : an explanation of controlling principles of opinion,
belief, practice, or phenomena
2 : an underlying reason : basis
Examples
The newspaper’s editorial reflected the concerns of
many who questioned the rationale behind the mayor’s
decision.
“… the sacred trust that elected officials will share all
options they’ve explored, identify the ones they haven’t,
and share the rationale behind their decisions.”
(Source: merriam-webster.com)
N A M E T H AT
T THING
pomegranate
a round, thick-skinned fruit
containing a mass of red seeds
and a lot of juice
the city of Shiraz Friday evening, UNESCO honored Professor Ali Asghar
Khodadoust for his scientific contributions to the world of ophthalmology,
IRNA reported. Shiraz is the capital of
Fars Province in southwestern Iran.
The director of Iran’s National
Commission for UNESCO, Mohammad Reza Saeedabadi, said professor
Khodadoust’s efforts and endeavors
have had a huge impact on ophthalmology and visual sciences, making
him an icon in the history of Iran.
Saeedabadi also said that this is the
first time that UNESCO is honoring an
Iranian in his lifetime.
A number of officials, scientific and
cultural figures as well as professors
and students gave speech in honor of
the professor during the event.
Attending the ceremony, Fars Province Governor Seyed Mohamamd
Ahamdi said that many ophthalmologists and specialists in other fields are
contributing to the world of science,
however Professor Khodadoust’s contribution is so special that his efforts
are rightfully recognized by UNESCO.
One of the professor’s students
also said that Khodadust loves his
country with all his heart. Khodadust
not only brought his savings to Iran
and built a hospital with it but tutored
many Iranian medical students, he
stated.
The dean of Art and Architecture
School of Shiraz University also announced that the library of the university will be named after Khodadoust.
Khodadoust was born in 1935 in Shiraz. In 1952, while only 17, he successfully passed the entrance exam to the
Medical University of Shiraz.
After going through six years of
medical school, in 1958, he began his
residency at Nemazee Hospital in Shiraz, heading for otolaryngology (ENTear, nose and throat.
In 1959, a government grant sent
him and a few other exceptional students to the United States to continue
their medical education. Four years
later, on June 28, 1963, he became
the first foreign resident of ophthalmology in the prestigious university
of Wilmer Eye Institute (WEI), Johns
Hopkins University (JHU). Graduating
in 1964, he first worked as a lecturer
for one year and in 1965, he became an
assistant professor of ophthalmology.
WEI desired that he remain. Feeling he could no longer stay away from
his beloved country and driven by his
ardent patriotism, he finally returned
to Iran in 1968.
In 1988, he realized the growing
need for a well-equipped eye hospital
in the Middle East to provide his country and its neighboring countries with
the most effective visual healthcare.
Finally he founded one of the most
reputed eye centers in Shiraz, Dr.
Khodadoust Eye Hospital, which has
remained active and had big impact
on communities since its inception.
The revenue of the non-profit hospital
goes towards the upkeep and development of the healthcare center.
At present, numerous ophthalmologists have been educated and
trained at the hospital.
Azerbaijan’s “Road” named best at Iranian religious filmfest
Art
TEHRAN — Azerbaijani filmmak-
D e s k er Feroz Shamilov’s “Road” was
crowned best fiction movie in the international section of the 9th Ruyesh Religious Short Film Festival,
the organizers announced on Friday.
“War in Safe Areas” directed by Mohammad Alsaed from Lebanon won the award for best documentary.
“Painting Sheet in the Media” by Syrian director Lama Tayara and “Twins” by Algerian filmmaker
Ahmed al-Amin shared the award for best animation.
The winners in the national section of the festival
were also announced at the closing ceremony of the
event, which was held at Tehran’s Andisheh Hall.
“At The Six O’clock” directed by Roqiyeh Tavakoli
won the award for best fiction film in this section
and “The Feast of Martyrdom” by Iranian filmmaker
Panahbarkhoda Rezaii received the best award for
documentary.
“All the Winters I Haven’t Seen” directed by Omid
Khoshnazar was honored with the best prize for animation. The festival, which ran from February 24 to
27, was organized by the Art Bureau of Iran’s Islamic
Ideology Dissemination Organization.
Golden Eagle-Danube Express train to visit Iran early April
The Golden Eagle-Danube Express train will enter
Iran early April, carrying passengers and tourists
from Europe, the U.S. and Australia.
The train had entered Iran twice with 140 visitors in 2014.
The passengers visit the cities of Zanjan,
Yazd, Isfahan, Shiraz and Tehran respectively
and then leave Iran by airplane while the train
stays in Tehran waiting for the second group of
passengers. It then heads to Mashhad, Kerman,
Bam, Yazd, Shiraz, Isfahan, Tehran and Zanjan
cities.
The first trip is scheduled to begin on March 31,
and the second on Apr 13, 2015.
The trip costs about nine to 15 thousand dollars
per each visit.
The two-week trip, one week of which is scheduled for Iran, will cross Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, and Turkey.
(Source: ISNA)
INTJ Personality
It’s lonely at the top, and being one of the rarest
and most strategically capable personality types,
INTJs know this all too well. INTJs form just two
percent of the population, and women of this
personality type are especially rare, forming just
0.8% of the population - it is often a challenge for
them to find like-minded individuals who are able
to keep up with their relentless intellectualism
and chess-like maneuvering. People with the INTJ
personality type are imaginative yet decisive, ambitious yet private, amazingly curious, but they do
not squander their energy.
Nothing can stop the right attitude from achieving its goal
With a natural thirst for knowledge that shows
itself early in life, INTJs are often given the title
of “bookworm” as children. While this may be
intended as an insult by their peers, they more
than likely identify with it and are even proud of
it, greatly enjoying their broad and deep body of
knowledge. INTJs enjoy sharing what they know
as well, confident in their mastery of their chosen
subjects, but owing to their Intuitive (N) and Judging (J) traits, they prefer to design and execute a
brilliant plan within their field rather than share
opinions on “uninteresting” distractions like gossip.
“You are not entitled to your opinion. You are
entitled to your informed opinion. No one is entitled to be ignorant.”
Harlan Ellison
A paradox to most observers, INTJs are able
to live by glaring contradictions that nonetheless make perfect sense - at least from a purely
rational perspective. For example, INTJs are simultaneously the most starry-eyed idealists and the
bitterest of cynics, a seemingly impossible conflict. But this is because INTJ types tend to believe
that with effort, intelligence and consideration,
nothing is impossible, while at the same time they
believe that people are too lazy, short-sighted or
self-serving to actually achieve those fantastic
results. Yet that cynical view of reality is unlikely
to stop an interested INTJ from achieving a result
they believe to be relevant.
In matters of principle, stand like a rock
INTJs radiate self-confidence and an aura of
mystery, and their insightful observations, original
ideas and formidable logic enable them to push
change through with sheer willpower and force
of personality. At times it will seem that INTJs are
bent on deconstructing and rebuilding every idea
and system they come into contact with, employing a sense of perfectionism and even morality to
this work. Anyone who doesn’t have the talent
to keep up with INTJs’ processes, or worse yet,
doesn’t see the point of them is likely to immediately and permanently lose their respect.
Rules, limitations and traditions are anathema
to the INTJ personality type - everything should be
open to questioning and reevaluation, and if they see
a way, INTJs will often act unilaterally to enact their
technically superior, sometimes insensitive, and almost always unorthodox methods and ideas.
This isn’t to be misunderstood as impulsiveness
- INTJs will strive to remain rational no matter how
attractive the end goal may be, and every idea,
whether generated internally or soaked in from
the outside world, must pass the ruthless and
ever-present “Is this going to work?” filter. This
mechanism is applied at all times, to all things and
all people, and this is often where INTJ personality
types run into trouble.
One reflects more when traveling alone
INTJs are brilliant and confident in bodies of
knowledge they have taken the time to understand, but unfortunately the social contract is unlikely to be one of those subjects. White lies and
small talk are hard enough as it is for a type that
craves truth and depth, but INTJs may go so far as
to see many social conventions as downright stupid. Ironically, it is often best for them to remain
where they are comfortable - out of the spotlight
- where the natural confidence prevalent in INTJs
as they work with the familiar can serve as its own
beacon, attracting people, romantically or otherwise, of similar temperament and interests.
INTJs are defined by their tendency to move
through life as though it were a giant chess board,
pieces constantly shifting with consideration and
intelligence, always assessing new tactics, strategies and contingency plans, constantly outmaneuvering their peers in order to maintain control of a
situation while maximizing their freedom to move
about. This isn’t meant to suggest that INTJs act
without conscience, but to many Feeling (F) types,
INTJs’ distaste for acting on emotion can make it
seem that way, and it explains why many fictional
villains (and misunderstood heroes) are modeled
on this personality type.
(Source: 16personalities.com)
h t t p : / / w w w . t e h r a n t i m e s . c o m / i n t e r n a t i o n a l
The Islamic State in Iraq and the
Levant (ISIL) terrorist group must
expand “in order to maintain its financial management and expenditures in areas where it operates,”
international investigators with the
Financial Action Task Force said,
explaining the group’s projected
strategy.
Without doing so, the terrorists
could not be certain how long they
could keep up their current levels of
spending, the Paris-based investigation revealed. The FATF is comprised
of government officials from across
the world and is tasked with investigating money laundering.
The group supported the assertion that ISIL has been branching out
into all sorts of activity, including the
seizure of resources like oil fields,
extortion, theft and other criminal
ventures.
The investigators came to the conclusion that ISIL is a special breed of
terrorist organization where funding “is central and critical to its activities,” with proceeds from occupied
territories being their primary source
of revenue.
Aside from this, the FATF says abuse
WORLD IN FOCUS
MARCH 1, 2015
ISIL too reliant on oil,
can’t survive without
new territories
of NGOs and charities by terrorist donors is also commonplace.
Kidnapping for ransom and cash
smuggling are other sources. The investigation also found the ISIL has
been making good use of crowd funding and other internet-related sources
of gathering support.
According to U.S. officials, the terrorists started imposing taxes on all
kinds of economic activity in the city
of Mosul, northern Iraq, even before
it was seized by them in June. They
threatened to kill those who were reluctant to pay.
From Mosul alone, ISIL was reap-
ing $8 million a month from extortion,
another analysis by the Council on Foreign Relations said. When the group
seized the city, it grabbed millions of
dollars in cash from banks.
But the overwhelming dependence
on oil business and looting leaves the
ISIL vulnerable and, therefore, “cutting off these vast revenue streams is
both a challenge and opportunity for
the global community to defeat this
terrorist organization,” it says in the
report, which goes on to give a surface
review of the ISIL’s conquests in the oil
field and reservoir category.
FATF also believes the coalition
airstrikes and the huge slump in oil
prices have proven beneficial in “significantly [diminishing]” ISIL earnings with respect to extracting, refining and selling oil. Included in this is
the terrorist group’s own reliance on
the resource.
The next logical step in stepping up the fight against ISIL is to
identify the financial and resource
channels, the “middlemen, buyers,
carriers, traders and routes” the
terrorists use to traffic captured resources, FATF said.
(Source: RT)
Obama, Netanyahu on collision course 6 years in the making
Contd. from P. 1
The prime minister is speaking to Congress at the
request of Republicans.
His visit was coordinated without the Obama
administration’s knowledge, deepening tensions
between two leaders who have never shown much
affection for each other.
Jeremy Ben-Ami, president of the liberal Jewish
advocacy group J Street, said Netanyahu was “crossing some lines that haven’t been crossed before and
is putting Israel into the partisan crossfire in a way it
has not been before.”
But the largest pro-Israel lobby in the U.S., the
American Israel Public Affairs Committee, has tried
to play down the partisanship.
“AIPAC welcomes the prime minister’s speech to
Congress and we believe that this is a very important address,” spokesman Marshall Wittmann said.
“We have been actively encouraging senators and
representatives to attend and we have received an
overwhelmingly positive response from both sides
of the aisle.”
Nearly a dozen Democratic lawmakers plan to sit
out Netanyahu’s speech, calling it an affront to the
president.
Stopping Iran from pursuing its nuclear program
has become a defining challenge for both Obama
and Netanyahu, yet one they have approached far
differently.
For Obama, getting Iran to verifiably prove it is not
pursuing nuclear weapons would be a bright spot in a
foreign policy arena in which numerous outcomes are
uncertain and would validate his early political promise
to negotiate with Iran without conditions.
Netanyahu considers unacceptable any deal with
Iran that doesn’t end its nuclear program entirely and
opposes the diplomatic pursuit as one that minimizes
what he considers an existential threat to Israel.
Tehran says its nuclear program is peaceful and
exists only to produce energy for civilian use.
U.S. and Iranian officials reported progress in
the latest talks on a deal that would freeze Tehran’s
nuclear program for 10 years, but allow it to slowly
ramp up in the final years of the accord.
Obama has refused to meet Netanyahu during
his visit, with the White House citing its policy of not
meeting with foreign leaders soon before their elections. Vice President Joe Biden and Kerry will both
be out of the country on trips announced only after
Netanyahu accepted the GOP (the Republican Party,
commonly referred to as the GOP, abbreviation for
Grand Old Party), offer to speak on Capitol Hill.
The prime minister is scheduled to speak on Monday at AIPAC’s annual policy conference. The Obama administration will be represented at the event
by U.N. Ambassador Samantha Power and national
security adviser Susan Rice, who criticized Netanyahu’s plans to address Congress as “destructive” to
the U.S.-Israeli relationship.
The Iran dispute has heightened a relationship
between the two leaders that has been frosty from
the start. They lack any personal chemistry, leaving
them with virtually no reservoir of goodwill to get
them through their policy disagreements.
Within months of taking office, Obama irritated
Israel when, in an address to the Arab states, he
challenged the legitimacy of Jewish settlements on
Palestinian-claimed land and cited the Holocaust as
the justification for Israel’s existence, not any historical Jewish tie to the land.
The White House was furious when Netanyahu’s
government defied Obama and announced plans to
construct new housing units in East Jerusalem (alQuds) while Biden was visiting Israel in 2010. Additional housing plans that year upended U.S. efforts
to restart peace talks between the Israelis and Palestinians.
The tension between Obama and Netanyahu
was laid bare in an unusually public manner during
an Oval Office meeting in 2011. In front of a crowd
Russian diplomat slams
“destructive” U.S. stance
A senior Russian diplomat accused
the U.S. administration of taking a
“destructive” stance in bilateral relations and warned that Moscow could
deal “painful” counterblows.
Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said that Secretary of State John
Kerry breached “diplomatic ethics”
when he told U.S. lawmakers earlier
this week that Russian officials had
lied to him about support for separatists in eastern Ukraine. Ryabkov added in remarks carried by Russian news
agencies that Washington “lacks moral
right” to make such judgment.
Ukraine and the West have accused
Russia of backing the rebels with
troops and weapons. Moscow denies
that, and Ryabkov again dismissed
the U.S. accusations as “absolutely un-
of journalists, the prime minister lectured Obama
at length on Israel’s history and dismissed the president’s conditions for restarting peace talks.
Later that year, a microphone caught Obama telling his then-French counterpart in a private conversation that while he may be fed up with Netanyahu,
“You are sick of him, but I have to work with him
every day.”
Despite suspecting that Netanyahu was cheering
for his rival in the 2012 presidential campaign, Obama tried reset relations with the prime minister after
his re-election. He made his first trip as president to
Israel and the two leaders went to great lengths to
put on a happy front, referring to each other by their
first names and touring some of the region’s holy
sites together.
The healing period was to be short-lived.
Another attempt at Israeli-Palestinian peace talks
collapsed. Israeli officials were withering in their criticism of Kerry, who had shepherded the talks, with
the country’s defensive minister calling him “obsessive” and “messianic.” The Obama administration
returned the favor last summer with its own unusually unsparing criticism of Israel for causing civilian
deaths when war broke out in Gaza.
The U.S. and Israel have hit rocky patches before.
The settlement issue has been a persistent
thorn in relations, compounded by profound unhappiness in Washington over Israeli military operations in the Sinai, Iraq and Lebanon during the
Ford, Reagan and George H.W. Bush administrations that led those presidents to take or consider
direct punitive measures. Yet through it all, the
United States has remained Israel’s prime benefactor, providing it with $3 billion a year in assistance and defending it from criticism at the United
Nations and elsewhere.
“We have brought relations back in the past and
we will do it again now because at the end of the day
they are based on mutual interests,” said Dore Gold,
a former Israeli ambassador to the United Nations
and informal adviser to Netanyahu. “The interests of
Israel and the U.S. are similar and sometime identical
and I think that is what will determine in the end and
not feelings of one kind or another.”
(Source: AP)
Dozens dead as Nusra takes
U.S.-backed Syria rebel base
founded” and “unacceptable.”
He warned that Moscow could
retaliate to potential new U.S. sanctions, but wouldn’t necessarily make
them public.
“We are working on them, but it
would be wrong to announce them in
advance, and, in fact, announce some
of them at all,” Ryabkov said. “We
are leaving all options for ourselves.
We have used and, if necessary, will
use quite painful countermeasures.”
“Our bilateral agenda with the
United States has become utterly
negative because of the destructive
course taken by Washington,” Ryabkov said, adding that there are few
issues on which Moscow and Washington could still cooperate.
(Source: AP)
Al-Qaeda’s Syria affiliate on Saturday drove U.S.-backed rebels out of
a strategic northern military base in
fierce fighting that left dozens dead,
activists said.
At least 29 fighters from the Western-armed Hazm movement were
killed along with six Nusra Front
members, according to the Syrian
Observatory for Human Rights.
It said fierce fighting had broken
out on Friday night for Base 46, west
of the city of Aleppo.
“Al-Nusra captured Base 46,” said
Rami Abdel Rahman, director of the
Britain-based Observatory.
Base 46 is a sprawling military
compound that rebel fighters seized
in November 2012 from Syrian army
troops.
In a statement, residents in the
nearby rebel-held village of Atareb
criticized the attack on the base and
appealed to Nusra to instead fight
the “infidel regime and its allies.”
The offensive came a month after
Nusra -- al-Qaeda’s official affiliate in
Syria -- expelled Hazm from Regiment
111, another base they had taken from
Syrian army forces.
Hazm is mainly present in northern Syria. Last year, it was the first to
receive U.S.-made anti-tank missiles
from its Western backers.
It is one of a number rebel groups
that the United States classes as
“moderate.” They are loosely branded as the Free Syrian Army.
(Source: AFP)
Egyptian court declares Hamas a ‘terrorist’ group
An Egyptian court declared Hamas a “terrorist” organization, weeks after the Palestinian movement’s
armed wing was given the same designation, reports
said.
A judicial source told AFP news agency that the
court issued the verdict on Saturday, a ruling seen
as keeping with a systematic crackdown on Islamic
groups by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.
The verdict resulted from two separate private
suits filed by two lawyers against the rulers of the
Gaza Strip.
In an interview with Al Jazeera, Ghazi Hamad, a
senior Hamas official, rejected the court decision as
“very dangerous.”
“They are now saying that the [Palestinian] resistance and struggle against the occupation is a crime,”
he said.
The relationship between Egypt’s authorities and
the Hamas has soured since the ouster of the Muslim
Brotherhood’s Mohamed Morsi in July 2013.
Hamas is an offshoot of Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood, which Egypt also banned since the military
coup in 2013.
Since then, Egyptian authorities have accused
Hamas of aiding armed groups, who have waged a
string of deadly attacks on security forces in the Sinai
Peninsula.
In January, an Egyptian court also declared Hamas’ armed wing al-Qassam Brigades a “terrorist”
group.
The case was based on allegations that al-Qassam
staged attacks to support the Muslim Brotherhood,
and carried out deadly operations in the Sinai Peninsula in October 2014, allegations that the group
denied.
(Source: AFP)
I N T E R NAT I O NALDAI LY
11
JUMP
Merkel’s moment of truth
Contd. from P. 6
Such a step will require courage, but the alternatives
— continuation of the Eurozone crisis or a return to a system of nation-states — are far less attractive.
(Germany has a new national-conservative party
whose leaders’ declared aim is to pursue a pre-1914 foreign policy.) In view of the dramatic global changes and
the direct military threat to Europe posed by Putin’s Russia, these alternatives are no alternative at all, and the
Greek “problem” looks insignificant.
Merkel and French President Francois Hollande should
seize the initiative once again and finally put the Eurozone on a sound footing. Germany will have to loosen its
beloved purse strings, and France will have to surrender
some of its precious political sovereignty. The alternative
is to stand by idly and watch Europe’s nationalists become stronger, while the European integration project,
despite six decades of success, staggers ever closer to
the abyss.
(Source: Project Syndicate)
How to encircle ISIL
Contd. from P. 6
Spiral of violence
“We don’t forgive the act because the act is heinous.
but we do forgive the killers from the depths of our
hearts. Otherwise, we would become consumed by anger and hatred. It becomes a spiral of violence that has
no place in this world,” he told CNN.
He said he takes no comfort in Egypt’s bombing of the
militants in Libya. The sanctity of the lives of those killed
by ISIL is the same as those of the killers, he says.
A similar spirit of forgiveness has been expressed by
a Christian leader near the front lines of the war in Iraq.
Father Douglas Bazi, a Chaldean priest who helps run a
camp in Erbil, Iraq, for Iraqis fleeing ISIL, explained in a Web
video that he felt a duty to forgive the militants, especially
after they shot and held him for a while. He seeks to instill
the idea of grace among the refugees by acts of charity.
“It is not just a time for forgiveness. It is not a time for
words. It is a time for work,” he told the group Samaritan’s Purse. Young people in the camp must be shown
how to forgive, he said, or else the “pain and the hate will
close the way to the grace of God.”
Loving those who persecute you may still seem as radical today as when Jesus preached and practiced the idea
two millenniums ago. Yet when Muslims, Jews, or Christians rise up and act on the idea in the face of today’s
bigoted violence, it should not be ignored.
Over time, the world has become much less violent,
not least because of those who create hope for a shared
humanity through acts of love and forgiveness.
(Source: The Christian Science Monitor)
Yemenis support
Ansarullah in mass rallies
Contd. from P. 1
‘No security without unity’
The international community has backed Hadi, and the
UN envoy to the country is trying to negotiate a solution
to the crisis, including relocating peace talks to outside
of Sana’a.
On Thursday, the Ansarullah leader, Abdel-Malik alHouthi, claimed Saudi Arabia and other international
powers are pushing for a division of Yemen along regional and sectarian lines.
Ansarullah movement accused Saudi Arabia, Yemen’s
powerful neighbor, of financing armed opponents and
trying to divide the country.
Hadi insists on keeping the country together. “Yemen
will not have security without its unity,” he told Aden TV
on Friday.
Western and Arab countries have shut their embassies
in Sana’a, with some relocating to Aden in a sign of support for Hadi.
On Friday, the United Arab Emirates opened its mission on Aden, according to UAE minister of state for foreign affairs, Anwar bin Mohammed Gargash.
‘Great concern’
Al-Qaeda has targeted both the Ansarullah on one
side, and Yemeni officials and government troops on the
other side.
On Thursday night, al-Qaeda militants ambushed
a military truck during a night-time attack in the
southern province of Lahj, killing all four soldiers in
the vehicle.
Yemeni security officials, speaking on condition of
anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to
reporters, said the attackers surprised the soldiers with
heavy gunfire.
Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), as the Yemeni branch is officially known, claimed responsibility in a
statement posted on one of its Twitter accounts.
It said the fighters set fire to the army truck after they
seized the soldiers’ machineguns.
Also on Friday, a spokeswoman for the UN High
Commissioner for Human Rights said the critical
conditions in Yemen were being closely monitored
with great concern as the political dialogue was
faltering.
In Geneva, Ravina Shamdasani said the UN organization has documented a number of unlawful
arrests, arbitrary detentions and targeting of journalists recently.
“It is crucial that all sides exercise restraint and work
to resolve the political impasse in a peaceful manner
and to avoid the situation from spiraling out of control,”
Shamdasani said.
b
Managing Director: Ali Asgari
Chief Editor and Deputy Managing Director: Morad Enadi
Editorial Dept.: Tel: (+98 21) 88895450 Fax: (+98(21) 88808214 editor@tehrantimes.com
Switchboard Operator: Tel: (+98 21) 88800293-5
Advertisements Dept.: Telefax: (+98 21) 88896970-71 ads@tehrantimes.com
Public Relations Office: Tel: (+98 21) 88805807
Subscription & Distribution Dept.: Tel: (+98 21) 88808895
Webmaster: webmaster@tehrantimes.com
Poem of the day
I N T E R N AT I O N A L D A I L Y
I walk into a huge pasture
I nurse the milk of millennia.
http://www.tehrantimes.com/culture
Rumi
SINCE 1979
No. 18, Bimeh Lane, Nejatollahi St., Tehran, Iran
P.o. Box: 14155-4843
Zip Code: 1599814713
Prayer Times
Noon:12:17
Printed at: Kayhan - ISSN: 1017-94
Evening: 18:17
Dawn: 5:10 (tomorrow)
Sunrise: 6:34 (tomorrow)
30 Iranian artists to display
works at Venice Biennial
NEWS
Iranian curators,
archaeologists slams ISIL for
destruction of Mosul artifacts
Art
high council of the museum.
“We aim to introduce Persian art at the biennial in the
best way possible, and great masters and artists including
veterans, youth and females will be selected to represent
an image of all contemporary art of Iran,” he added.
“The works will cover all types of Iranian art including paintings, calligraphy works, sculptures and installations,” he explained.
Mollanoruzi also added that an area covering 2,000
square meters has been alloted to Iran to display works
in Venice.
“Iran is willing to participate in all great international
events, therefore we will ask for more collaboration from
TEHRAN — Works by thirty Iranian
D e s k artists will go on display in Iran’s pa-
vilion at the 56th International Art Exhibition of Venice
Biennial.
The 56th International Art Exhibition entitled “All the
World’s Futures”, will take place in Venice from May 9 to
November 22, 2015.
A team of international curators has been appointed
to select the Iranian artists, director of Tehran Museum
of Contemporary Art (TMCA) told the Persian service of
MNA on Saturday.
Majid Mollanoruzi added that the curators will choose
the artists in collaboration with the private sector and the
TEHRAN — A number of Iranian muse-
Culture D e s k um directors, archaeologists and cultural
heritage advocates gathered at the National Museum of Iran
in Tehran on Saturday to censure the Islamic State in Iraq and
the Levant (ISIL) over the destruction of artifacts at the Mosul Museum in Iraq.
The Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) militants
ransacked Mosul’s central museum on Thursday, destroying
priceless artifacts that are thousands of years old.
Director of Iran’s Museums and Historical Properties Office Mohammadreza Kargar, and director of the museums
run by the Islamic Revolution Mostazafan Foundation Mohammadreza Javaheri were among the participants gathered
in the central hall of the museum.
Archaeologists, experts on restorations, as well as members of the International Council of Museums (ICOM) were
also included, said one of the organizers of the gathering,
Fatemeh Ahmadi, to the Persian service of ISNA on Saturday.
The protestors issued and signed a statement in condemnation of the terrorist acts to announce their support and
solidarity with the directors of the museums in Iraq, Ahmadi
added.
The destruction of statues and artifacts that date from the
Assyrian and Akkadian empires was revealed in a video published by ISIL on Thursday.
The footage depicting the destruction of the statues and
other artifacts at the Mosul Museum was a huge shock for
the cultural heritage and archaeology of Iran, she added, expressing hope that the act would stop such hostile activities
of the terrorists.
The participants also asked ICOM to take action and find
an academic approach in resolving the violent acts.
In addition, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Director-General, Irina Bokova,
has condemned the “deliberate attack against Iraq’s millennial history and culture”, calling it an inflammatory incitement
to violence and hatred.
“This attack is far more than a cultural tragedy – this is also
a security issue as it fuels sectarianism, violent extremism and
conflict in Iraq,” Ms. Bokova has stated on the UNESCO website.
TEHRAN — A Per-
about the architecture of Iranian cities, caravanserais and their connecting roads has recently been published
by Rome’s Edilstampa Publishing
House, Iran’s Islamic Culture and Relations Organization announced in a
press release on Thursday.
The book entitled “Iran Città Percorsi Caravanserragli” is scheduled to
be unveiled at the National Museum
of Oriental Art in Rome on March 13.
The book was authored Italian
scholar Alessandra De Cesaris and
the private sector including banks,” he emphasized.
Iran has taken part in the biennial in the years 2003,
2005, 2009 and 2011.
A total of 53 Countries will participate in the exhibit this
year. The curator, appointed by the Biennale Board, is the
art critic, journalist and writer Okwui Enwezor.
“Today” director planning
new project
Bilingual book on Iranian architecture
published in Rome
Culture D e s k sian-Italian book
An Installation by Iranian artist Morteza Darebaghi is on display at
the 54th International Art Exhibition of the Venice Biennale in 2011.
Valeria Laura Ferretti, and Iranian researcher Hassan Osanlu.
It was published under the auspices of Iran’s cultural attaché’s office in
Italy and Italy’s Sapienza University.
“Iran Città Percorsi Caravanserragli” is a major source of information
about the new architecture of Iran.
It also contains information about
the history of Iranian cities, photographs, drawings, sketches and
notes.
The information also can be helpful for restoring and maintaining the
monuments discussed in the book.
Art
TEHRAN — Reza
D e s k Mirkarimi, the di-
rector of acclaimed dramas “Today”, “A
Cube of Sugar” and “So Close, So Far”, is
making plans for a new project entitled
“The Daughter”.
The story of the film, which is close to
what happened in “So Close, So Far”, is
about father and his daughter, Mirkarimi said in press release on last Thursday.
He is currently in the southwestern
Iranian city of Abadan to find a suitable
location for his film.
The screenplay of the movie has been
written by Mehran Kashani, a leading ac-
tor of Mirkarimi’s “As Simple as That”.
“Today” was Iran’s submission for
the Best Foreign Language Film category at the 88th Academy Awards in 2015.
Iran also submitted Mirkarimi’s “So
Close, So Far” and “A Cube of Sugar” to
the Oscars in 2005 and 2013 respectively.
However, “A Cube of Sugar” missed
the event after Iran’s former minister of
culture and Islamic guidance decided to
boycott the Academy Awards over an
amateur anti-Muslim video, which was
posted on the Internet.
Neither film received a nomination at
the Oscars.
Historical-cultural affinities between Turkey, Iran discussed
attended by a large number of Iranian tour guides.
Kapadokya (Cappadocia), a Turkish tourist
resort located in Central Anatolia, was introduced
at the meeting.
Kapadokya is best known for its unique moonlike landscape, underground cities, cave churches
and houses carved in the rocks.
TEHRAN — The historical and
Culture D e s k cultural affinities between
Turkey and Iran were discussed during a meeting
at Yunus Emre Institute in Tehran on Thursday.
The director of the institute, Mehmet Selim
Özban, and Iranian scholar Alireza Dadashzadeh
delivered speeches at the meeting, which was
Dadashzadeh said that only the U.S. and Iran
enjoy sites like Kapadokya.
“Iran’s tourist attractions are unique,” he
stated and called on the tour guides to visit the
Iranian villages of Meimand in Kerman Province
and Kandovan in East Azarbaijan Province before
Kapadokya.
Second Announcement
“Block Offering of Assets/Properties”
Iranian Privatization
Organization (IPO)
By virtue of assignments envisioned in “The law of the Enforcing of General Policies of Article 44 of the Constitution”, its relevant rules and regulations, and approvals of
the Divesture Board, hereinafter the Board, and order achievement envisioned at Note “3” of Transferring Section of “Country Budget Law-2014”, the articles of guideline
of Paragragh “6” of Note “19” in The law of the Enforcing of General Policies of Article 44 of the Constitution” the Iranian Privatization Organization, hereinafter the
Organization, intends to transfer properties of the following two Sports Clubs with the terms and conditions as mentioned in this advertisement. Detailed informations are
available at the organization official website: www.ipo.ir.
Sales Condions
1
2
Name of Properes
Rights related to
Name &Brand
and assets belong
to Iran Esteghlal
Sport and Cultural
Co. (Private JointStock)
Rights related to
Name & Brand and
assets belong to
Perspolis Cultural
and Sport Co.
(Public Joint-Stock)
Area of
Transferring
Details of Properes the site
Method
(m2)
Tender
Tender
No. &
Registered
Plate
Buildings’
area (m2)
Adress
Name & Brand
--
190088 dated
June 11,
2012 *
--
--
Shahid Marghoobkar
Sport Complex &
its installaons &
equipments
38,500
--
4,289
Hezar Dastgah, Nazi Abad,
Shahid Rajaee St., Tehran
Province
Central Building of
the Company
224
74/22666
900
No.7, Western 38 St., South
Alameh Ave., Saadat Abad,
Tehran Province
Real State located
at Telo
30,000
94/3
--
Above the Village of Telo, 7
Km of Telo-Lashgarak Road
Name & Brand
--
144444 dated
October 24,
2007*
--
--
Shahid Darafshifar
Sport Complex &
its installaons &
equipments
17,969
--
4,125
No.8, Bahmani Nejhad St.,
Ayatollah Kashani Blvd.,
Tehran Province
Central Building of
the Company
* and other classes registered to the name of the company.
Total base
value
(IRR)
Deposit
amount
(IRR)
194
70/22448
750
Installments
duraon
(year)
Deadline
for cash
payment
(business
day)
25
4
20
25
4
20
Tender
opening
session
2,900,000,000,000 87,000,000,000
2,900,000,000,000 87,000,000,000
No.8, Alley No.15,
Ghavampoor Alley, Piroozan
Square, Sheikh Bahaee North
St., Tehran Province
Cash
down
payment
percentage
March 10. 2015
No.