2 Austria says U.S. sanctions violate human rightsa website running under Iran Trade Promotion Organization), Seif informed. According to the governor, the second - ary market will

Masoud HosseinHead of the Sport Desk of the TehranTimes

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Rouhani: Iran to remain in JCPOA as long as its ‘interests’ protected

Syed Zafar MehdiJournalistfrom New Delhi

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Iran’s nuclear program and West’s blatant double standards

A few weeks ago, new nuclear en-richment facility was inaugurated at Natanz, which will be produc-

ing centrifuges, while operating with-in the limits of the nuclear deal. The facility’s construction had begun even before the 2015 nuclear deal was inked, Iranian nuclear chief Ali Akbar Salehi informed, expressing hope that the first old-generation centrifuges will roll out in a month’s time.

For those fretting and fuming over lran’s decision to increase its nuclear enrichment capacity within the pro-visions of the deal, it is imperative to understand that Iran is doing so within its rights as a responsible nation and as a signatory of the Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT). Iran claims its rights under Article IV of the Treaty to pursue peaceful nuclear programme for energy purpose, unlike some nuclear armed states that have not signed the NPT and clandestinely produced nuclear weapons.

Despite no credible evidence confirming the presence of nuclear weapons in Iran, the crippling economic sanctions against the country continue. The withdrawal of the U.S. from JCPOA, despite Iran adhering to all the commitments made under the accord, illustrates Washington’s hostility towards Iran and blatant double standards of the international community and the UN.

The negotiations between Iran and the West are stalled essentially because of West’s obstructionism and sanction policy. Iran did everything it could to save the deal, but the West, particularly the hawks in Washington, did everything they could to kill the deal. That’s the crux of the matter.

There is a sea of difference between rhetoric and reality when it comes to the policies of nuclear powers like the U.S. Their obligation and commitment under Article VI of NPT to work towards total disarmament has turned out hogwash. The five nuclear members of NPT to-gether have more than 22,000 warheads, which is perhaps the biggest threat to world peace. 6

By Farzad FarhadiTEHRAN — The hostile moves of the United States against Iran are going on in all dimensions, in particular the economic one.

A senior State Department official said that Washington is stepping up pressure on all coun-tries, including India and China, to completely stop buying oil from Iran by November 4 with no exceptions. Indian and Chinese companies will be subject to sanctions if they engage in those sectors of the economy where sanctions were imposed prior to 2015.

Washington simultaneously called on its allies in the Middle East, especially Saudi Arabia, to offset shortages of oil in the oil market.

This U.S. action raised the price of oil to $78 a barrel. In addition, U.S. sanctions on Venezuela and clashes in Libya and Nigeria

also contributed to elevating the oil price.But the interesting point is that the Saudis

are ready to compensate for oil shortages. U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday said Saudi Arabia’s King Salman had agreed to his request to increase oil output.

Saudi Aramco is pumping 10 million barrels a day and has the capacity to produce 2 mil-lion more, according to Saudi Aramco CEO Amin Nasser.

Referring to anti-Iran moves, Ray al-Youm was quoted: “U.S. President Donald Trump an-nounces next November’s impending sanctions against Iran, the most prominent of which are oil sanctions. But only a few European and Asian countries have adhered to it, and most have op-posed them, particularly China, India and Russia.

Turkish authorities were the first to downplay

sanctions, when Ibrahim Colin, spokesman for Turkish President Erdo?an, said that Turkey does not accept the U.S. threat and it will not adhere to U.S. sanctions on banning oil imports from Iran and it will act according to its economy’s interests.

It is still unclear that other Asian and Europe will do the same thing as Turkey and contin-ue to import oil from Iran. China has ranked first with 600,000 barrels per day, followed by India with 450,000 barrels per day and South Korea with 250,000 barrels per day, followed by Turkey with 200,000 barrels per day. The four European countries that buy oil from Iran are Italy with 180,000 barrels per day, France with 110,000 barrels per day, Greece with 100,000 barrels per day, and Spain with 70,000 barrels per day. 7

Saudis cave to Trump demands to pump more oil

Hudhayfah al-Badri, son of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Daesh) terror-ist group leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, was killed during an attack by the jihadists in the central Syrian province of Homs, the ISIL propaganda agency Amaq announced on Tuesday.

Al-Badri was killed in an “operation against the Nussayriyyah and the Russians at the ther-mal power station in Homs,” the group said in a statement alongside a photo of a young man holding an assault rifle.

Nussayriyyah is the term used by the ISIL for the Alawite religious minority sect of President Bashar al-Assad.

ISIL declared a cross-border “caliphate” in Syria and Iraq in 2014, seizing a third of Iraq

during a sweeping offensive.The terrorists have since lost much ground to

separate counter-offensives by Syrian and Iraqi forces as well as the United States-led operations, and the terrorist group’s presence is now confined to a few holdouts.

The ISIL is estimated to control no more than three percent of Syria’s territory.

Last December the Iraqi government de-clared victory over the ISIL terrorist outfit but the military has continued regular operations targeting mostly desert areas along the porous Syrian border.

The group’s leader Baghdadi, who has been pronounced dead on several occasions, remains alive in Syrian territory by the Iraqi border, an Iraqi intelligence official said in May. Baghdadi

was said to move around with only a small group of followers.

Originally from Iraq, Baghdadi has been dubbed the “most wanted man on the planet” and the United States is offering a $25 million reward for his capture.

The Iraqi official said the noose was closing around the terrorist leader after Iraqi forces captured five top ISIL commanders in an un-precedented raid in Syria on March 24.

Last September, in the last voice message attributed to Baghdadi, the ISIL leader called on his fighters in Syria and Iraq to “resist” their enemies.

He had four children with his first wife and a son with his second wife.

(Source: AFP)

ISIL says leader’s son died in Syria

Team Melli may need change in strategy

Iran national football team snatched four points in Group B of the 2018 World Cup. It was outstanding. But

Team Melli failed to make history in the World Cup finals, advancing to the next stage for the first time ever.

Who’d have thought it? Iran came des-perately close to qualifying for Round of 16 in a group consisted of European giants Spain and Portugal and African power-house Morocco, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that Carlos Queiroz’s side did well.

South Korea is historically Asia’s most successful football team, having participated in nine consecutive and 10 overall World Cup finals, the most for any Asian nation. The Taeguk Warriors eliminated title-holder Germany with an eye-catching performance.

Japan advanced to the 2018 World Cup’s next stage as the only Asian team. The Samurai Blue emerged with the most credit after they reached the last 16 and were 2-0 up against Belgium with 21 min-utes to go -- before the Belgians launched one of the great World Cup comebacks, clinching a 3-2 win in injury time.

Queiroz’s side might need tactical changes in the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 since Iran want to bring to an end a 42-year wait.

Asian champions Australia looked com-petitive in Group C against France, Denmark and Peru, but failed to win a game.

The Socceroos have the potential to defend their title in the UAE after their decent performances in Russia.

Saudi Arabia, however started the competition with a 5-0 defeat to hosts Russia, but the Green Falcons ended the competition on a high note beating Mo-hamed Salah-spirited Egypt 2-1.

Iran scored just one goal from the pen-alty spot in three matches and it showed Team Melli lacked the cutting edge despite having an organized defensive line who conceded two goals in three matches.

Team Melli failed to find the delicate balance between defense and attack in Russia. Queiroz favored a much more defensive approach but it will not help the team to win the title. To win the tro-phy your team must know how to find the back of the net and Iran seemed to not know the way.

Asian teams didn’t make an impact at the 2018 World Cup but some outstanding per-formances have lifted their hopes for claiming the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 title.

Chinese military team visits Iranian

Army’s NOHED brigade

TEHRAN —A Chinese military delegation on Wednesday visited the Iranian Army’s 65th Airborne Special Forces Brigade (NOHED). They were welcomed by Sirous Amanollahi, the commander of the NOHED.

Amanollahi said the brigade is ready to exchange experiences with the forces of the friendly country of the People’s Republic of China in order to boost constructive cooperation between the two forces, Tasnim reported.

“In the 65th NOHED Brigade vari-ous courses such as parachuting, free falling, instructor training for defense climbing, boating and diving, sniper, rescue hostage, motorcycling, special operation and cold-weather and desert warfare are taught to the military staff,” Amanollahi explained.

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Chinese envoy: Trump policies not affecting Tehran-Beijing ties

IRGC Quds Force chief thanks Rouhani for oil threat

Iran’s Rezaeian, Pouraliganji in Asian XI 15

Scholars to celebrate Khayyam millennium in Tehran 16

UN envoy holds ‘fruitful’ talks with Yemen’s Ansarullah leader

The United Nations’ envoy to Yem-en, Martin Griffiths, says he has held “fruitful” talks with the leader of Yem-en’s Ansarullah (Houthi) movement, Abdul-Malik Badreddin, amid efforts to end fighting in the Red Sea port of Hudaydah.

“I’m greatly reassured by the mes-sages I have received, which have been positive and constructive,” Griffiths said during a press briefing at the Sana’a International Airport on Wednesday after two days of talks in the Yemeni capital. 1 3

Secondary forex market starts operation

TEHRAN- Governor of the Central Bank of

Iran (CBI) Valiollah Seif announced about official inauguration of secondary foreign exchange market on Wednesday, IRNA quoted him as saying on the sidelines of the cabinet meeting.

The secondary market will allow ex-porters of non-oil commodities to sell their foreign currency earnings to importers of consumer products at sabtaresh.com (a website running under Iran Trade Promotion Organization), Seif informed.

According to the governor, the second-

ary market will only provide private sector businessmen and those from small busi-nesses with services. Iranian government is on the process of renovating its foreign currency system via managing domestic foreign currency market, reigning the cur-rency rates, improving cooperation with exchange shops, and reinforcing exports.

Launching a secondary foreign ex-change market is the latest in a series of steps Iranian government has taken to curb the rampant forex rates and lessen the impact of renewed U.S.-led sanctions on its economy.

Iran unveils book detailing U.S. human rights violations in 2016 and 2017

TEHRAN — The Islamic Republic un-

veiled late on Tuesday a book on systematic human rights violations by the United States during the years 2016 and 2017.

The book, titled “Report on the Sit-uation of Human Rights in the United States in 2016 and 2017”, was unveiled

in ceremony by Ayatollah Mohsen Araki, secretary general of the World Forum for Proximity of Islamic Schools of Thought.

A number of Iranian intellectuals and thinkers attended the ceremony.

The ceremony was co-organized by the forum and the International Department of the Basij Force, according to Tasnim. 2

16 Pages Price 10,000 Rials 39th year No.13150 Thursday JULY 5, 2018 Tir 14, 1397 Shawwal 21, 1439

Austria says U.S. sanctions violate human rights

See page 2

JULY 5, 2018

I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y

P O L I T I C S

MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS

TEHRAN — Qassem Soleimani, the com-

mander of the IRGC Quds Force, has thanked President Hassan Rouhani for responding strongly to a U.S. plan aimed at reducing Iran’s oil sales.

Rouhani, who was on a trip of Switzer-land on Tuesday, threatened that if Iran would not be able to export oil then no country in the Persian Gulf region can do so.

The threat by Rouhani came a few days after the U.S. gave Iranian oil customers a November deadline to stop their purchases.

“Cutting Iran’s oil would mean cutting the region’s oil,” Rouhani threatened on Monday, adding, “It would be meaningless that Iran cannot export its oil while others in the region can. Do this if you can and see its consequences!”

In his Tuesday letter to Rouhani, General Soleimani praised the Iranian president for his tough response to the threats and said, “This is the Dr. Rouhani we used to

know and the one he should be.”In his remarks, Rouhani also asserted

that “we told all our foreign parties that if they speak to the Iranian nation with the language of logic and respect, then we can get problems solved... and that threats, pressure and humiliation will never work against the people of Iran.”

IRGC Quds Force chief thanks Rouhani for oil threat

Israel and the U.S. have set a joint work-ing group to put pressure on the Iranian establishment by stoking up protests in the country.

According to Press TV, an Israeli of-ficial claimed the task force is not meant to topple the Iranian government as “no one thinks” that can be done, Israel’s Channel 10 news reported Tuesday without identifying the source.

The plan would focus on attempts to encourage anti-government protests inside the country over economic issues, the news channel reported.

The official said that the task force is aimed at exerting pressure on the Iranian government from the inside to force the authorities in Tehran to “change their behavior”.

According to the report, the task force has met several times over the last few months, and links its activities to recent anti-Iran attempts by Israeli and American

officials on social media, including those by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton and his Israeli counterpart, Meir Ben-Shabbat, had recently discussed in Washington the issue of turning up the heat on Tehran, the report added.

U.S., Israel establish task force to incite protests in Iran: report



Austria says U.S. sanctions violate human rights

1 Containing reports and documents from around the world, the book expounds on cases of human rights violations by the U.S.

“Although the police force as a regulatory force… brings the concept of security and tranquility to mind, but in face of it, U.S. police have been known as a violent police with aggressive actions, for many years,” part of the book reads.

Speaking at the ceremony, Ayatollah Araki said that power is the only guarantor which makes the United States and

other Western powers to abide by their agreements with other countries, reported Taqrib News Agency.

He said, “Security Council was born in the United Nations and the first five powers in the world having veto right are in charge of running the body; hence, the basis for right is the power of the very same five members with veto right.”

The cleric denounced Western countries for turning Palestine into Israeli lands, a move which he said proves there is “no rationality” in their version of human rights.

“In regards to human rights we are challenged with a catastrophe called America whose political system has re-mained a threat for human beings,” said the religious scholar.

He also criticized the U.S. behavior to those immigrating to the United States, saying, “Immigration is a right for the African and Asian nations who have a share from American and European wealth because these countries were built on a four-century period by colonizing and negating the rights of these countries.”

TEHRAN — President Hassan Rouhani of Iran

warned on Tuesday that Washington will pay a heavy cost for trying to isolate Iran.

“The U.S. government’s objective is the isolation of the Iranian nation which will prove too costly” or the White House, Rouhani said in a meeting with Iranians living in Austria.

Rouhani was on a tour of Switzerland and Austria. The president, who is accompanied by a business and political delegation, arrived in Vienna on Tuesday afternoon after talks with Swiss officials. During his stay in Swit-zerland three cooperation documents in the areas of transport, research and health were signed between the two countries.

Analysts say Rouhani’s visit to Europe sent this message to Washington that the United States’ exit from the international 2015 nuclear deal and its efforts to isolate

Tehran will not succeed. Rouhani said, “It is the first time that the

U.S. has hatched a plot against the Iranian people and has no supporter except for one or two countries.”

Only extremists in Israel and despotic ruling families in Saudi Arabia and the UAE have backed Donald Trump’s exit from the nuclear agreement.

On Monday, Rouhani’s right-hand man Es’haq Jahangiri said a few regional countries are unhappy with the economic rise of Iran and they have been resorting to different ploys to kill the nuclear agreement. Jahangiri was openly referring to Israel, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

‘U.S. moves will make Iranians more determined’

In his talks with Iranian expatriates, Rou-hani also said the pressure against Iran will

make the people more united and “resistant” more than ever before, he noted.

“The U.S. big mistake will help strengthen the Iranian people’s national unity and we will resolve the problems with less costs,” the president remarked.

Rouhani said he was reelected president in the summer of 2017 his government has been trying to “defeat” the Iranophobia project by the U.S. administration and his client states in the region. He added his government has been seeking to introduce Iran as a pioneer in promoting “science, culture, literature, business and industry”.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Rouhani said Iran will continue the “path of progress” no matter the nuclear deal will survive or not.

Commenting on the U.S. withdrawal from the nuclear deal, he said the Trump administration’s move was “illegal” and

against international law and that it is behaving like a “bully”.

However, he said, Iran is determined to foil the U.S. plots, because Washington’s po-sition is “illogical”, “illegal” and runs contrary to international commitments and the UN Security Council Resolution 2231.

He noted that Iran has fulfilled its obliga-tions under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action – the official name for the nuclear agreement - which has been confirmed by the International Atomic Energy Agency for 11 times.

The nuclear deal, struck in July 2015 between Iran, the European Union, Ger-many and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council. The agreement was endorsed by the UN Security Council Resolution 2231.

The deal went into force in January 2016.

TEHRAN — Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi said on

Wednesday that the Saudi-led airstrike on a wedding cer-emony in Yemen which left 11 people killed is an instance of “war crime”.

An airstrike by the Saudi-led coalition hit a wedding party in Yemen’s northern province of Saada on Tuesday, killing 11 civilians and wounding 11 others, a local security official said, according to The Free Press journal.

The death toll is expected to rise as some of the injured are said to be in critical condition.

Qassemi said that the Saudi-led coalition is taking revenge

on civilians for its defeats in Yemen. “The course of the war against the Yemeni people has

clearly shown whenever aggressors suffer defeats in the battlefields, they take revenge by intensifying their airstrikes against innocent Yemeni women and children,” he said, according to the official website of Iran’s Foreign Ministry.

It is not the first time that wedding ceremonies are turned into tragedies. Just in April at least 20 people including the bride were killed when an air strike by the Saudi-led coalition hit a wedding party in northern Yemen. The dead were mostly women and children gathered in a tent set up for the wedding in the Bani Qayis district. According to the

independent, hospital chief Mohammed al-Sawmali said the groom and 45 other wounded people were brought to the local al-Jomhouri hospital in the northwestern Hajjah province.

Since the beginning of the Saudi-led aggression against Yemen in March 2015, the country has been grappling with a humanitarian disaster.

The Saudi-led coalition backed by the U.S. started the war on Yemen with the aim of reinstating ousted president Mansour Hadi. The war has led to famine and spread of cholera in the poor country. The UN has called it “the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.”

Iran unveils book detailing U.S. human rights violations in 2016 and 2017

Rouhani says U.S. will pay heavy cost for trying to isolate Iran

Saudi air raid on wedding party in Yemen is a ‘war crime’: Iran


Iran rejects claim of training Taliban militants

TEHRAN — Iran’s embassy in Kabul has strongly rejected a report by British media

claiming that members of Afghanistan’s Taliban militant group are being trained in Iran.

On Monday, The Times quoted unnamed Taliban and Afghan officials as saying that hundreds of Taliban militants are receiving advanced training from special forces at military academies in Iran.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Iranian embassy said such accusations are a “psychological war” against Iran which are intended to damage the friendly relations between the Iranian and Afghan governments, ISNA reported.


Chinese envoy: Trump policies not affecting Tehran-Beijing ties

TEHRAN — Chinese Ambassador to Tehran Pang Sen said on Wednesday

that illogical and wrong policies of the U.S. President Donald Trump will leave no impact on the expansion of Tehran-Beijing relations.

The Chinese ambassador made the remarks in a meeting with the dead of Iran-China parliamentary friendship group Alaeddin Boroujerdi on Wednesday, IRNA reported.

Beijing is to broaden cooperation with Tehran in various sectors, he said.

The continued exchange of visits between the two capitals indicate the firm determination by high-ranking officials from the two states to strengthen ties, the ambassador added.


‘I hope Saudis won’t accuse Yemenis of importing tunnels from Iran’

TEHRAN — Chief of Yemen’s Supreme Revolutionary Committee has pointed to

the recently broadcasted images of the Yemeni underground launch pads used for retaliatory missile attacks against Saudi Arabia, saying “I hope they [Saudis] don’t accuse Yemenis of importing tunnels from Iran.”

In a post on his Twitter account, Mohammed Ali al-Houthi said the launch pads have been used by Yemeni fighters for a long time and were built by Yemeni experts, the YJC reported on Wednesday.

He also said the launch pads showed Saudi Arabia’s failure in discovering and destroying them.


French envoy should be summoned after MEK rally in Paris: MP

TEHRAN — Deputy Majlis Speaker Ali Motahari said on Wednesday that

the French ambassador to Tehran should be summoned because of the recent Mujahedin-e-Khalq (MEK) rally in Paris, IRNA reported.

In came after MP Mohammad-Reza Pour-Ebrahimi is-sued a warning on the issue and said the French ambassador should be expelled from Iran, as his country hosted a group that “wants to overthrow the Islamic Republic.”

The MEK was listed as a terrorist organization by the U.S. and European Union in 1997 and 2002 respectively, but as more efforts got directed to vilify Iran, it got delisted by the EU on January 26, 2009 and by the U.S. on Septem-ber 28, 2012.


Ex-MP proposes bicameral legislature

TEHRAN — Former senior lawmaker Mohammad Reza Bahonar, who serves

as secretary general of the Islamic Society of Engineers, has said Iran cannot be ruled with one chamber of parliament, stressing the need for formation of a second chamber.

“In the current situation, the lawmakers are pursuing the demands of different regions, ethnics, genders and classes and what is neglected is national interests,” he said in an interview with the Arman newspaper published on Wednesday.

“That’s why the constitution needs to be changed and two chambers including a senate and an Islamic Assembly be established. This exists in the majority of countries,” he said.

He also said the Rouhani administration has “prudence” but not “bravery”.


Nili’s resignation not accepted by Rouhani: report

TEHRAN — Masoud Nili, an economic advisor to President Hassan Rouhani,

has resigned but his resignation has not been accepted by President Rouhani, Donya-e-Eqtesad reported on Tuesday.

According to reports, Nili, a leading academic and econ-omist, has resigned in recent months because of differences of opinion about economic policies, especially the foreign currency market.

He hasn’t been regularly attending cabinet meetings in recent months, and instead, has been focusing on his routine academic work, according to Donya-e-Eqtesad.

Nili was appointed by Rouhani as his economic advisor in August 2017.

TEHRAN — Austria and the European Union

Commission believe that the United States’ sanctions go against human rights, Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen told a joint press conference with his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani in Vienna on Wednesday.

The Trump administration which has walked out of the 2015 nuclear agreement (officially called the JCPOA) has threatened to slap sanctions against European and other countries that do business with Iran.

“Austria is sorry that the U.S. has pulled out of the JCPOA and wants to reimpose sanctions which includes not only primary sanctions but secondary sanctions which affects Austria as well,” President Van der Bellen noted, IRNA reported.

He added these secondary sanctions which are “extraterritorial” violate the rights of people.

Van der Bellen criticized the Trump admin-istration’s policy over the nuclear deal and said that the deal has never been claimed to provide answers to the entire existing problems, but to open a “window” to address them in the future.

Rouhani, for his part said, that if the remaining parties to the deal ensure Iran’s benefits, Tehran would continue to implement its part of the bargain despite the U.S. pullout.

Under the nuclear agreement signed in Vienna on July 14, 2015 Iran is obliged to put limits on its nuclear activities in exchange for termination of nuclear- related economic and financial sanctions.

“The decision made by America is in no-body’s interest. It is among the decisions that a government makes against the national interest of its own and others,” Rouhani noted.

He also said that during his meeting with his Austrian counterpart the two sides dis-cussed security issues in West Asia, including

Iran’s consistent role in fighting terrorism as well as the destructive roles of the U.S. and Israel in the region.

Talking in the joint meeting of senior of-ficials from Iran and Austria, Rouhani also said Tehran “welcomes further development of ties” with Vienna. He also said Tehran will not allow the U.S. wrong policies to affect Iran’s ties with the outside world.

The Iranian president also called on Eu-rope and the larger world to resist the United States’ unilateralism.

Rouhani also said Iran’s war against terrorists has benefitted the region and the world at large.

Rouhani calls his talks with Aus-trian chancellor ‘very useful’

Rouhani also described his talks with Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz “very useful”, saying they exchanged views on bilateral relationship, the JCPOA, and re-gional issues.

Talking in a joint press conference with Kurz, Rouhani said Iran and Austria are firm to develop their ties in areas of economy, trade, science, culture and tourism.

Rouhani said the two sides agreed to work out plans for financial and banking transac-tions so that the impending U.S. sanctions would not affect the two countries’ ties.

The president also said the Iranian side told the Austrian officials that Iran will remain in the nuclear deal so long as its “interests” are protected.

Rouhani said the entire world is “aware about the positive effects of preserving the JCPOA” and also about the “negative conse-quences” of killing it and the “Iranian nation choose their path based on their interests.”

Chancellor Kurz: Austria, EU are committed to JCPOA

Chancellor Kurz also told reporters that Austria-Iran ties in different areas are in a “favorable” condition and “rising”. He said the two countries have maintained a contin-uous political, economic and cultural ties for about 160 years and still the two sides make joint efforts to develop it.

Kurz added that Austria as an impartial state is considered a venue for international negotiations and he is happy that Vienna hosted the nuclear talks between Iran and its negotiating partners and that they bore fruit in 2016.

He added, “Austria and the European Union are committed to the JCPOA.”

The chancellor also expressed hope that dialogue between foreign ministers from coun-tries signatory to the JCPOA who will meet in Vienna on Friday would lead to “positive results” now that the U.S. has quitted the agreement.

Before the two presidents’ meeting, Kurz in a tweet voiced support for the JCPOA.

It is highly important that the EU stays committed to the deal and it is necessary that all other parties also abide by it, he wrote.

Austria, Iran agree to cooperate on renewable energy, water management

Also on Wednesday Iran, Austria signed four cooperation document on water resources management, renewable energy, transport, and mining.

The documents were signed at the presence of the Iranian and Austrian presidents.



Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen (R) shaking hands with President Rouhani.

Scuffles broke out on Wednesday between Israeli authorities and protesters who feared preparations were underway to raze a Bedouin village in a strategic part of the occupied West Bank, despite international calls for a reprieve.

Protesters, including some waving Pal-estinian flags, tried to block a bulldozer and scuffled with police at Khan al-Ahmar on the eastern outskirts of al-Quds (Jerusalem). Some climbed onto the bulldozer in protest.

The Palestinian Red Crescent reported 35 people injured, with four taken to hospital.

The incident came after activists said the Israeli military had issued a warrant to the 173 residents of Khan al-Ahmar on Tues-day, authorizing itself to seize access roads to the village.

Heavy equipment was seen around the village on Wednesday, prompting specula-tion a road was being prepared to facilitate its evacuation and demolition.

Israeli forces wound scores of women in Gaza rally

Elsewhere, at least 134 Palestinians have been wounded by Israeli gunfire as thousands of Palestinian women demonstrated along the heavily fortified fence with Israel in the besieged Gaza Strip.

Ashraf al-Qudra, spokesperson for Gaza’s healthy ministry, said in a statement on Tues-day that media representatives covering the event were among those who were injured at the scene, east of the enclave.

The protest was the first mass women’s demonstration to take place in the strip since popular protests calling for Pales-tinians’ right of return began on March 30 in the strip.

Palestinians in the strip have taken part in the protests, dubbed the Great March of Return, calling for their right of return to the homes from which they were expelled from in 1948 during a violent ethnic cleansing campaign that forcibly expelled more than 750,000 Palestinians from their towns and villages.

They have also been demonstrating against the Israeli-Egyptian land, sea and naval blockade that has been in place since 2006, when Hamas – the party governing the strip - came to power.

Women on Tuesday arrived in buses from across the port city, home to more than two million people, many accompanied by their children.

They moved in groups to within 50 meters of the fence, AFP reported.

May 14, which commemorated the 70 years

since the Nakba Day (Yawm an-Nakba/Day of the Catastrophe), coincided with the con-troversial United States embassy move from Tel Aviv to al-Quds (Jerusalem).

Israel’s freeze of prisoner family money piracy: PLO official

Meantime, a high ranking Palestinian official says Israel’s move to freeze money transfers to the Palestinian Authority (PA) is nothing less than piracy.

On Tuesday, secretary general of the Pal-estine Liberation Organization (PLO), Saeb Erekat condemned the move, stressing that it endangered the existence of the Palestinian Authority.

“This is a very dangerous decision that amounts to the cancellation of the Palestinian Authority and is piracy and theft,” he said.

“Israel is stealing the land and money of the Palestinian people and that is a result of the decisions of President (Donald) Trump, who supports Israel,” he added.

The bill, which was passed by 87 to 15 on Monday, will authorize Tel Aviv to deduct those payments from the taxes Israel collects on behalf of the Palestinian Authority (PA) under bilateral agreements.

Israeli Knesset (unicameral national legis-lature of Israel) has passed a bill to financially penalize the PA for paying stipends to the families of Palestinians detained or killed by Israeli forces.

Avi Dichter, chairman of Israel’s foreign affairs and military committee and the former head of the Shin Bet intelligence agency, said the PA spends seven percent of its budget, estimated at 1.1 billion shekels ($300 million) to aid Palestinian prisoners and pay stipends to the families of those killed or wounded by the Israeli military.

The stipends benefit roughly 35,000 fam-

ilies of Palestinians killed and wounded in conflict with Israel.

Israeli Minister of Military Affairs Avigdor Lieberman hailed the new law, claiming that, “Every shekel (president) Mahmud Abbas will pay for terrorists and assassins will be automatically withdrawn from the Palestinian Authority’s budget.”

“An effective war on terrorism also passes through the pocket -- of the terrorists, of their families and of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas,” he added.

Tel Aviv planning 1,000 new settlements

Meanwhile, Palestinian media reports that Israel’s Planning and Building Committee has put forward plans for six new settlements.

The plans include the construction of 1,000 housing units which will be added to Pisgat Zeev settlement located to the east of al-Quds (Jerusalem).

Israel occupied the West Bank and East al-Quds during the Six Day War in 1967. It later annexed East al-Quds in a move not recognized by the international community.

Now, about 600,000 Israelis live in over 230 settlements built illegally since the oc-cupation.

The presence and continued expansion of Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian lands have created a major obstacle for the efforts to establish peace in the Middle East.

The Palestinian Authority wants the West Bank as part of a future independent Pales-tinians state, with East al-Quds (Jerusalem) as its capital.

HRW urges intl. community to hold Israel responsible for killings in Gaza

Separately, Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called on the international community to

hold accountable the Israeli regime for the cold-blooded killing of unarmed Palestinian demonstrators in the besieged Gaza Strip, as more than 130 inhabitants of the impov-erished sliver have been killed recently by the live fire of Israeli soldiers.

The New York-based rights organization said in a report on Tuesday that as many as 124 Palestinians had lost their lives in a series of peaceful demonstrations in the vicinity of the border separating the blockaded Gaza Strip and the Palestinian territories occupied by the Israeli entity since late March.

The report added that more than 4,000 others had also been wounded by live am-munition.

The Palestinian medical sources, however, say that at least 135 Gazans have so far been killed by the Israeli live fire, including 14 children, either at the protesting scenes or later in hospital due to injuries. They also raise the number of the wounded to over 15,000 Palestinians, who either sustained injuries due to live fire or inhalation of tear gas, of them 300 are currently in a critical condition.

According to the HRW report, senior Israeli officials approved orders to shoot at protesters who posed no imminent threat to life, acts that might amount to war crime.

It added that the Commission of Inquiry, established by the rights group, should iden-tify those officials who sanctioned open fire regulations that violate international norms.

Elsewhere in the report, HRW said that Israeli authorities had approved the build-ing of 1,000 new housing units in six new settlements in the occupied West Bank. The project is reportedly the largest settlement construction in occupied al-Quds (Jerusalem) in recent years.

HRW said the transfer of civilians into occupied territory and forcible transfer of people in the occupied territory “are war crimes.”

In recent years, Israel has expanded the authority of its military to demolish Pales-tinian homes in the occupied territories. The Israeli military can now execute demolition orders in the so-called Area C of the West Bank just days after they are issued.

International bodies and rights groups argue that Israel’s sustained demolition of Palestinian homes and structures in the occupied West Bank and East al-Quds (Je-rusalem) is an attempt by Tel Aviv to uproot Palestinians from their native territories, and confiscate more land for expansion of the illegal settlements.

JULY 5, 2018 INTERNATIONALI N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y

35 Palestinians injured in clash with Israeli forces over Bedouin communitiesBy staff & agencies

The House of Saud regime’s cabinet on Tuesday endorsed the regime’s readiness to pump more oil to maintain market balance and stability, the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) said.

“The kingdom is prepared to utilize its spare production ca-pacity when necessary to deal with any future changes in the levels of supply and demand,” a cabinet statement said, following a meeting chaired by King Salman.

The United States President Donald Trump on Saturday said the Saudi regime’s King Salman had agreed to his request to increase oil output “maybe up to” two million barrels.

Trump said the agreement was reached after a phone call with the Saudi King about oil production but mentioned no specifics.

Both leaders also discussed “efforts by the oil-producing countries to compensate for any potential shortage in supplies,” SPA reported.

Trump’s claim comes after the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), a grouping of oil-producing states that includes Saudi Arabia, already agreed to ramp up produc-tion by a million barrels a day at a meeting earlier this month.

Non-OPEC member Russia on June 23 also backed the effort.The House of Saud regime is the world’s top oil exporter and

has usually kept at least 1.5 million to two million barrels per day of spare capacity, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. It produces around 10 million barrels of crude per day, according to OPEC.

The Trump administration is pushing countries to cut all imports of Iranian oil from November when the United States re-imposes sanctions against Tehran after Trump withdrew from a 2015 nuclear deal agreed between Iran and the E3+3 group of states.

(Source: agencies)

Saudi regime agrees to U.S. request to pump more oil

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has denied cor-ruption charges over the disappearance of millions of dollars from the 1MBD (1Malaysia Development Berhad) state investment fund, as part of a graft probe while he was in office.

A day after his arrest, the Malaysian High Court in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday charged Najib with abuse of power and three counts of criminal breach of trust for allegedly depositing 42m ringgit ($10m) in state funds to his personal bank account between December 2014 and February 2015.

Najib, who was granted bail at 1 million ringgit ($250,000) in cash, vowed to prove his innocence.

“What I hope from this is that the justice process is truly fair, following the rule of law,” he told reporters after his release on Wednesday. “I’m confident of my innocence; this is a golden opportunity for me to prove my innocence.”

The charges relate to funds that were allegedly transferred from SRC International, a former subsidiary of 1MBD into Na-jib’s personal account.

If convicted, each of the four charges could see the former prime minister jailed for up to 20 years.

Najib, who says the legal action against him is politically moti-vated, was arrested by anti-corruption investigators on Tuesday.

Earlier on Tuesday, Malaysia’s anti-corruption agency questioned Riza Aziz, the stepson of Najib and a Hollywood film producer.

The 1MBD investigation has been several years in the making with allegation over misappropriation first emerging in 2015.

Public anger over alleged corruption at the 1MDB fund, which was set up in 2009, helped bring on the shock defeat of Najib’s coalition in the May 9 polls.

The new government - a coalition of opposition parties headed by Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad - reopened investigations that were stifled while Najib was in office and set up a special task force.

In 2015, it emerged that $4bn had gone missing from the 1MBD sovereign wealth fund, and nearly $700m was allegedly transferred into Najib’s bank account.

The United States state department filed a case in 2016, seeking to seize more than $1bn in assets linked to the fund.

Najib denied any wrongdoing and said the money was a do-nation from the House of Saud, which he had since returned.

So far, police have questioned others politicians as well as Najib’s wife, Rosmah Mansour and his step son, Riza Aziz.

Malaysian authorities have also frozen hundreds of bank accounts believed to be linked to 1MBD.

(Source: agencies)

Ex-PM Najib Razak denies corruption charges in 1MBD scandal

Poland’s prime minister defends overhaul of judiciary

British counter-terrorism police probing ‘unknown substance’ incident

Poland’s prime minister on Wednesday insisted on his right to reform the country’s judicial system, after a sweeping overhaul of its top court sparked protests in the country and fierce criticism from the European Union politicians.

Warsaw and Brussels have been locked in a bitter feud over the rule of law, following a series of measures pushed through by Poland’s ruling Law and Justice party that gives politicians greater powers over the country’s judiciary.

One of the most controversial laws, which came into effect at midnight on Tuesday, will force the retirement of a swath of Supreme Court judges. Malgorzata Gersdorf, the head of the Supreme Court and one of those forced out, accused the government of seeking to “purge” the judiciary.

During a heated debate at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki defended his government’s actions, and told MEPs (Member of the European Parliament) that Poland was at the forefront of a “democratic enlightenment” in Europe.

“Every country has a right to set up its own legal values with its own traditions,” he said.

Morawiecki’s speech was met by a volley of criticism from MEPs, with Guy Verhofstadt, leader of the liberal group in the European Parliament, accusing Warsaw of “systematically liquidat[ing] checks and balances”.

The Strasbourg debate followed a night of protests across Poland, as thousands of demonstrators took to the streets across the country, waving Polish and EU flags and calling on the government to back down.

Law and Justice officials say the changes are needed to overhaul an inefficient system that has not been reformed since the collapse of communism. But critics say they are a politically motivated attack on the independence of the

judiciary. The move has provoked such consternation in Brussels that the European Commission last year took the unprecedented step of launching a probe into whether Poland still complies with the bloc’s fundamental values.

At the heart of the stand-off is the new Supreme Court law, which lowers the retirement age of Supreme Court judges from 70 to 65. Those over 65 — almost 40 per cent of the court’s members — must step down on Wednesday unless Poland’s president Andrzej Duda agrees to extend their terms of office. Gersdorf, who was originally appointed for a six-year term that was meant to run until 2020, said she would resist efforts to remove her, and duly arrived for work at the Supreme Court on Wednesday.

Addressing a crowd of supporters, Gersdorf said she hoped that the “legal order in Poland will be restored”.

However, Gersdorf earlier said that she might go on holiday — a move that could potentially avoid, or at least postpone, a situation in which she and a newly appointed head of the court vie for legitimacy.

In an effort to ratchet up the pressure on Warsaw, the European Commission earlier this week began infringement proceedings against Poland over the changes to the Supreme Court. If the commission deems Poland’s response unsat-isfactory, it could take the country to the European Court of Justice, the bloc’s top court.

(Source: FT)

British counterterrorism police have begun investigating a possible poisoning that left two people in critical condition after they were exposed to an unknown substance near the southern town of Salisbury.

“Wiltshire Police and partners have de-clared this evening a major incident after it is suspected that two people might have been exposed to an unknown substance in Amesbury,” the police said in a statement on Tuesday. The police said emergency services were called to Amesbury on Saturday evening after a man and woman, both in their 40s, were found unconscious in a property.

Citing medial sources, The Sun newspaper reported on Wednesday that the duo were showing ‘very similar” symptoms to those suffered by Russian former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia.

“Doctors have determined that the pair have been poisoned by toxins and are show-

ing very similar ... symptoms to the former Russian military intelligence colonel and his daughter,” the newspaper said.

There was no word on the identity of the couple. Amesbury lies 11km to the north of Salisbury, where in March, Skripal and his

daughter, were found unconscious on a bench near a shopping mall.

British officials say they were poisoned by a nerve agent.

Police on Wednesday said sites that it believed the man and woman found in Ames-

bury had frequented in both Amesbury and Salisbury would be cordoned off overnight as a precaution.

It was initially thought the man and woman had possibly used crack cocaine or heroin from a batch of contaminated drugs, police said, adding that further testing was ongoing. “The current advice from Public Health England (PHE), based upon the number of casualties affected, is that it is not believed that there is a significant health risk to the wider public. This will be continually assessed as further information becomes known,” a PHE spokesperson said.

The man and woman were being treated at Salisbury District Hospital, which remains open as usual, police said.

Britain accuses Russia of poisoning the Skripals with Novichok nerve agent; Moscow denies the allegation.

(Source: agencies)


JULY 5, 20184 E C O N O M Y

TEHRAN – Petrochem-ical products account

for 26 percent of Iran’s current non-oil exports, IRNA reported on Wednesday quoting an industry official.

As reported, Ahmad Mahdavi Abhari, secretary of the Association of Petro-chemical Industry Corporations, made the remarks during a petrochemical confer-ence in northwestern province of Tabriz.

According to Mahdavi, the country’s

petrochemical sector needs $85 billion investment to reach the goals envisaged in Iran’s 1404 (March 2025-March 2026) Outlook Plan.

“Lack of feedstock has caused the country’s petrochemical exports value to fall near $18 million,” he said.

Speaking in the same conference, Na-tional Petrochemicals Company (NPC) Managing Director Seyed Reza Norouz-Zadeh put the country’s Petrochemical

revenues at $24 billion during the last Iranian calendar year (ended on March 20).

“If we take necessary steps to reform and improve production processes in the petrochemical industry, we will be able to overcome sanctions [in this industry]”

Norouz-Zadeh further noted.According to the data released by NPC,

Iran exported over 1.99 million tons of petrochemical products worth more than $1.167 billion in the first month of current Iranian calendar year (March 21-April 20).

World stocks were dragged lower on Wednesday by growing anxiety ahead of Washington’s end of week deadline to impose tariffs on Chinese imports, while the yuan rebounded after China’s central bank moved to calm investors.

The MSCI All-Country World index, which tracks shares in 47 countries, was down 0.1 per-cent on the day.

Washington has said it would implement tariffs on $34 billion of Chinese imports on July 6, and Beijing has vowed to retaliate in kind on the same day.

Concerns about the outbreak of a global trade war have, among other factors, prevented a sustained recovery in global stock markets since a violent selloff in February.

The U.S. has listed another 284 product lines valued at $16 billion that it will target with tariffs, including semiconductors and a broad range of electronics. It also threatened another 10 percent tariffs on up to $400 billion of Chinese goods.

Washington has also launched a national security investigation into car and truck imports, with Trump threatening Europe with a 20 percent tariff on car imports while various countries have also already taken retaliatory steps against U.S. tariffs on steels and aluminum products.

Over 40 countries have voiced deep concern at the World Trade Organization (WTO) about possible U.S. measures.

“There is a lot of concern I think about the effect a long term trade war might have but actually if you look at the data we’re seeing, the economic data is not that bad,” said Michael Hewson, chief markets analyst at CMC Markets in London, noting that most equity markets were well above lows hit earlier this year.

“So it could have a drag, and it will have a drag. But will it push the global economy into recession? Not yet.”

The pan-European STOXX 600 index was down 0.2 percent in morning trade in London, while Germany’s exporter-heavy DAX also de-

clined 0.3 percent and the FTSE 100 fell 0.2 percent.

A Chinese court temporarily banned Mi-cron Technology from selling chips in China, the world’s biggest memory chip market, hitting shares in U.S. and Asian semiconductor stocks.

Europe’s tech sector was led 0.5 percent lower by falls in chipmakers STMicro and Infineon, which were both down around 2 percent.

MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan fell 0.25 percent, a day after it hit a nine-month low. Japan’s Nikkei erased earlier losses to stand flat by late afternoon.

Mainland Chinese shares dropped, with CSI300 Index off 0.7 percent.

In the currency market, the yuan bounced back from an 11-month low following moves by China’s central bank on Tuesday to calm jittery financial markets.

The Chinese currency fetched 6.6177 per dollar in onshore trade, off Tuesday’s low of 6.7204.

Major currencies were treading water as traders fretted about the fallout of the intensi-fying trade frictions between Washington and the rest of the world.

The euro was off by 0.2 percent at $1.16380 while the dollar fetched 110.51 yen, down 0.1 percent.

Oil prices edged up following a report of tightening U.S. fuel inventories amid an outage at Syncrude Canada oil sands facility in Alberta, which usually supplies the United States. [O/R]

International benchmark Brent futures rose 0.3 percent to $77.98 a barrel.

U.S. light crude futures traded down 0.4 percent at $73.86 per barrel, after rising above $75 for the first time in more than three years on Tuesday.

Copper, sometimes seen as barometer of global economic strength given its wide use in power and construction, hit a fresh nine-month low of $6,423 a tonne on Wednesday.

(Source: Reuters)

Brent crude oil edged up on Wednesday after a second successive drop in U.S. crude inventories driven by an outage at the Syncrude Canada oil sands facility, which usually supplies the United States.

Brent crude futures were up 7 cents at $77.83 a barrel by 0915 GMT, while U.S. crude futures were down 17 cents at $73.97 a barrel.

U.S. crude inventories fell by 4.5 million barrels to 416.9 million barrels in the week to June 29, the American Petroleum Institute (API) said on Tuesday. Gasoline and distillate stocks, also fell, the API said.

The decline in fuel inventories was largely down to the outage at Syncrude Canada’s 360,000 barrels per day (bpd) oil sands facility near Fort McMurray, Alberta. The outage is

expected to last through July.Looming U.S. sanctions on Iranian crude

exports, force majeure in Libya and unplanned pipeline outages in Nigeria are meeting rising

output by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and clouding the supply outlook generally.

“In an ideal world an increase in global or regional oil production would have downward pressure on prices. These are, however, no normal times as supply outages are almost weekly occurrences. Under these circumstances it is justified to argue for higher prices when production increases are announced,” PVM Oil Associates strategist Tamas Varga said.

Trading activity is expected to be limited on Wednesday by the U.S. Independence Day holiday but volatility however is creeping higher.

Implied options volatility, a way of measur-ing uncertainty among crude oil traders and investors is at its highest since the run-up to

last month’s OPEC meeting.Harry Tchilinguirian, head of commodities

strategy at BNP Paribas, said when an investor does not have a strong view on which way the price of crude oil futures might move, they tend to take a bet on options instead, to protect themselves.

“When there is consolidation in the market, there is also the expectation of an eventual price breakout in either direction. So in the options market, the volatility gets bid up,” Tchilinguirian told the Reuters Global Oil Forum.

Investors can bet on various aspects of an option, from the premium, or price, to the delta, or how much the price of that option might move.

(Source: Reuters)

COMMODITIES

CURRENCIES

STOCK MARKET

USD 42,770rialsEUR 49,887 rials

GBP 56,467 rials

AED 11,646 rials

TEDPIX 112490.0IFX 1252.84

WTI $73.78/b

Brent $78.05/b

OPEC Basket $75.28/b

Gold $1,256.10 /oz

Silver $16.06/oz

Platinium $840.50/oz

Sources: tse.ir, Ifb.ir

Source: mehrnews.com

Sources: oilprice.com, Moneymetals.com

TEHRAN – Iran’s capital is hosting the fifth edition of the country’s International

Exhibition of Stationery and Engineering (Iran PENEX 2018) at Shahr-e-Aftab International Exhibition Center.

Started on Tuesday, the four-day exhibition is hosting 70 domestic exhibitors along with three companies from China, India and Turkey.

According to Raoof Qader, Shahr-e-Aftab’s managing di-rector, one of the main goals of this exhibition is to support domestic producers of stationery and engineering products.

TEHRAN – Iran expended 7 trillion rials (about $163.93 million) for 19 under-con-

struction industrial parks across the country in the last Iranian calendar year (ended on March 20), IRNA reported on Wednesday quoting an industry official.

According to the Managing Director of Iran Small Industries and Industrial Parks Organization, Sadegh Najafi, the government has it on agenda to allocate the same amount for completing the unfinished parks or constructing new ones.

Currently, more than 976 industrial parks are active across Iran.

TEHRAN — In a meeting between Head of the Central Insurance of Iran Abdolnasser

Hemmati and Russian National Reinsurance Chief Nikolay Galushin the two sides inked an insurance MOU in Tehran on Wednesday, IRNA reported.

The MOU revolves around the significance of insurance and reinsurance in reinforcement of foreign trade between Iran and Russia, their economic ties development, and also social unity of the two countries.

The agreement requires the two sides to facilitate presence and activities of the other side’s insurers in their markets and in cooperation with their insurance companies.




N E W S I N B R I E FTehran hosting intl. stationery, engineering expo

Over $163m spent on constructing industrial parks

Tehran, Moscow sign insurance MOU

Petrochemicals account for 26% of Iran’s non-oil exportsE N E R G Yd e s k

Britain’s large services industry grew last month at its fastest rate since October, a survey showed on Wednesday, suggesting the economy might be strong enough for the Bank of England to raise interest rates next month.

After a weak start to 2018, the IHS Markit/CIPS services Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) unexpectedly rose to an eight-month high of 55.1 in June, beating economists’ average forecast in a Reuters poll for it to remain unchanged at 54.0.

Similar surveys this week for the smaller manufacturing and construction sectors also beat expectations.

Taken together, the three PMIs point to overall economic growth of 0.4 percent in the second quarter, double the pace of the first three months of the year, IHS Markit said.

“Stronger growth of service sector activity adds to signs that the economy rebounded in the second quarter and opens the door for an August rate hike, especially when viewed alongside the news that inflationary pres-sures spiked higher,” IHS Markit economist Chris Williamson said.

Britain’s economy slowed sharply in the first three months of this year, as unusually harsh weather added to an underlying drag from high inflation and still deep uncertainty about Britain’s departure from the European Union in March 2019.

The slowdown caused the BoE to postpone raising rates in May. But the central bank

said then that if growth recovered, rates were likely to rise for only the second time in more than a decade as part of a gradual move away from the emergency stimulus program it rolled out during the financial crisis.

Last month BoE chief economist Andy Haldane joined two other members of the BoE’s nine-strong Monetary Policy Com-mittee in calling for a rate rise, and official data was revised to show the first-quarter slowdown was less severe than first thought.

The BoE has forecast 0.4 percent GDP growth for the second quarter and it also expects inflation to pick up in the coming months due to higher oil prices.

Wednesday’s survey backed up the BoE’s view, showing service firms contending with higher wage and fuel costs and overall input costs rising at the fastest pace since Sep-tember 2017.

Growth for the immediate future seemed secure.

New business flowed in at the fastest rate in just over a year, with firms crediting stronger demand from business and professional ser-vices companies, and a boost to consumer spending from unusually warm weather.

But expectations among businesses for the next 12 months — during which Britain is due to leave the EU — were below their average for the years since the financial crisis, with Brexit-related uncertainty to blame, IHS Markit said.

(Source: Reuters)

UK economy gains speed, raising chance of Bank of England rate rise: PMI

China’s threatened tariffs on $34 billion of U.S. goods will take effect from the beginning of the day on July 6, a person with knowledge of the plan told Reuters, amid worsening trade tensions between the world’s two largest economies.


However, the 12-hour time difference puts Beijing ahead in terms of actually implement-ing the tariffs.

“Our measures are equal and being equal means that if the U.S. starts on July 6, we start on July 6,” the source told Reuters, who re-quested anonymity as they were not authorized to speak to media. “The implementation time for all policies starts at midnight.”

China’s customs agency did not answer a phone call seeking comment, and its com-merce ministry did not reply to a fax requesting comment.

Speaking at a daily news briefing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said China was ready to act, though did not confirm the date Chinese tariffs may start.

“China has already made preparations. As long as the United States issues a so-called tariff list, China will take necessary measures to firmly protect its legitimate interests,” Lu said, without elaborating.

Chinese state media on Wednesday kept up its steady drum beat of criticism of the

United States.The official China Daily said the United

States was intentionally trying to prevent China from developing so it was unable to challenge the United States’ role in the global economic order.

“The U.S. has maintained hegemony in the military and financial fields for many decades. Now it is pursuing economic hegemony,” the English-language newspaper said in an editorial.

“It has frequently waged wars against other sovereign countries and made use of the dominant influence of the U.S. dollar in the international markets to fleece other countries. Now it is attempting to resort to an all-out trade and economic war to hold back China’s normal development.”

Widely-read tabloid the Global Times, published by the ruling Communist Party’s People’s Daily, said the increasingly likely trade war would bring chaos to the world.

“Counterstrike is major economies’ first reaction to Washington’s trade war,” it said in its editorial.

“It’s hard to predict where these moves will lead the world, but Washington will unavoid-ably pay heavy prices for its attempts to change the whole world to its economic tributary.”

U.S. President Donald Trump has threat-ened to escalate the trade conflict with tariffs on as much as $400 billion in Chinese goods if Beijing retaliates against the U.S. tariffs set to take effect on Friday.

(Source: Reuters)

Chinese tariffs on U.S. goods to take effect at start of July 6: source

Trade war worries drag world stocks lower, yuan steadies

Brent crude rises as U.S. inventories drop, supply outlook uncertain

Venezuela says it will receive $250m from China to boost oil outputVenezuela will receive $250 million from the China Development Bank to boost oil production, the South American country’s Finance Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.

Further details on the terms of the deal were not immediately avail-able. Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA did not respond to a request for comment.

The South American country previously accepted a $5 billion loan from China, which became Venezuela’s principal financier over the last decade but has recently cooled on Venezuela amid its economic meltdown and sharply declining oil production. (Source: Reuters)

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JULY 5, 20186I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y

INTERNATIONAL

By Syed Zafar Mehdi

1 While Iran, which is a signatory of the NPT, is threatened with sanctions for pursing peaceful nuclear energy for energy purpose, some countries that have refused to sign the NPT and have armed themselves with nuclear weapons are hailed as ‘responsible’ nations. Some of them have even gone to war, unlike Iran, and continue to engage in blatant war-mongering and sabre-rattling.

Israel has never allowed IAEA inspectors to inspect its nuclear sites. It has refused to confirm or deny the possession of nuclear weapons, but the cat was out of the bag way back in 1986 when an Israeli technician Mordechai Vanunu published details of Israel’s nuclear programme in Sunday Times UK. He was soon arrested and charged for treason. On September 18, 2009, when the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) called on Israel to open its nuclear facilities for inspection and adhere with the resolution regarding non-proliferation, it refused to comply. That is how rogue nations act.

Among the four states not party to the NPT, the case of India and Pakistan is curious. India first test fired in 1974 and Pakistan followed up in 1998. The two countries have gone to war on two occasions, and the border skirmishes continue, which could easily trigger another

war. According to observers, the next war between these two estranged neighbors could easily destroy the whole region if nuclear arms are used. But, the international community seems least bothered about it. They are obsessed with the non-existent Iranian nuclear weapons.

India refused to sign the treaty as it found it ‘faulty’. During a visit to Tokyo in 2007, then Indian Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee said India refused to sign the treaty “not because of its lack of

commitment for non-proliferation, but we consider NPT a flawed treaty.” Pakistan said it will not sign as long as India did not. Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesman told a news agency few years ago that Islamabad was willing to abandon its position on the NPT in case India joined it. It is basically a tussle between two unruly kids, which can put the whole house on fire.

According to NPT, any nuclear deal between NPT member states and non-

member states is illegal. Yet, the U.S. went ahead with Indo-US nuclear deal in 2006, and China inked a civil nuclear deal with Pakistan in 2010, in direct violation of the NPT, which explicitly prohibits export of nuclear reactors to countries that have not signed the pact, in this case India and Pakistan. As per latest assessment of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Pakistan now has 140-150 nuclear warheads and India has 130-140. Russia leads the pack with 6,850 nuclear warheads, followed by the U.S. with 6,450 warheads.

So, who poses greater danger to the global peace and order? Is it Iran that has pursued nuclear programme for energy purpose and always welcomed IAEA inspections, or countries that have not signed the NPT, secretly developed nuclear warheads, and even gone to war. Pertinently, Iran has never gone to war. It had to defend itself when the U.S.-backed Saddam regime attacked it.

For Iran, not producing nuclear weapons or weapons of mass destruction is a religious obligation, a fact attested by the Supreme Leader’s decree against nuclear weapons. Tehran realizes that a nuclear armed Iran will lead to a nuclear race in the region and that could have ugly repercussions for peace. That is how responsible nations act.

Iran’s nuclear program and West’s blatant double standards

TEHRAN — Nur Mohammed is a Bangladeshi political analyst, human rights activist, associated with International Council for Diplomacy and Justice (ICDJ).He actively campaigns for Rohingya refugees.

As per conservative estimates, there are around 905,000 Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar presently. The ongoing monsoon season has compounded their worries. What is being done to protect them from the threat of flashfloods?

A. The number of Rohingya refugees registered in Cox’s Bazar and adjoining areas in 2014 was 360,000 but the actual number was almost 550,000. Although the number of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh is said to be 905,000 today, I think the actual figure is much higher.

I do not think any concrete measures have been taken to protect these refugees from floods and other natural disasters. The focus is primarily on providing them food, medical supplies and clothing. So, a natural disaster is imminent, and the apprehension of epidemic is also there.

UN Chief and World Bank President visited Bangladesh this week and went to refugee camps to take stock of problems faced by the Rohingya refugees. Could you tell me more about their visit?

A. Following his interaction with Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the violence these refugees had faced at home in Myanmar since last August was probably one of the most “tragic stories” of “systematic violation” of human rights ever recorded. He called on the international community to “translate” its solidarity into sufficient support for the Rohingya still living in Myanmar and those displaced across the border in Bangladesh.

He also urged world leaders to increase political pressure on the government of Myanmar. But how will that be done? There seems to be no clear strategy or direction to do that.

Many countries have dispatched aid for Rohingya refugees

in Bangladesh but the humanitarian workers believe only aid isn’t enough to mitigate their problems. What should the international community do for Rohingya refugees?

A. It is very important to protect human rights and humanitarian values. I always say it clearly that the international community is deceiving humanity in the name of ‘help’ and ‘aid’. Rohingya are refugees in Bangladesh. Basically they are not refugees. They have been made refugees for ‘humanitarian business’. The countries pretending to be ‘helping’ Rohingya Muslims have diplomatic ties with the government of Myanmar. They don’t deem it necessary to use their diplomatic channels to solve this humanitarian crisis.

Myanmar government has carried out the most brutal massacre in the world, yet none of their diplomatic offices were closed anywhere. Even the UN has failed them. I

believe if the UN wants, the crisis could be solved within a matter of days.

According to UNICEF, children in these camps are suffering from severe malnutrition which could affect their physical growth. Can we term it ‘children’s emergency’?

A. The condition of Rohingya children in refugee camps in indeed a matter of grave concern. They have been the worst sufferers and it can be termed as ‘children’s emergency”.

UN refugee agency has said that the repatriation of Rohingya refugees must take place in safe and dignified conditions that pave the way for lasting solutions. But do you agree that for these refugees going back to Rakhine is fraught with danger?

A. I agree with this statement made by the UN. It is important to send them back in safe situation and ensure their full protection. The world is alert now, so terrorists in Myanmar cannot get away with their crimes anymore. We hope nobody has to become a refugee again.

Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi has spearheaded the world’s fastest growing refugee crisis and refused to take action against the perpetrators. Do you think she needs to be stripped of Nobel Peace Prize and penalized?

A. Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Ky should indeed be punished for presiding over the mass murder of Rohingyas. If she gets away, it can set a dangerous precedent and our world will be doomed.

What lies ahead for these ill-fated refugees? Do you see this crisis being resolved in near future?

A. The Rohingya crisis is a planned conspiracy by the government of Myanmar. The Rohingya community in Rakhine state is Muslim, and they have been persecuted since a long time by the majority Buddhist community with support from the local government.

But, all conspiracies against Rohingya refugees will fail. They will return home very soon and safely. I would urge the UN to financially help them. We want world to be a better place to live in, where everyone has equal rights, and there is no discrimination or oppression.

‘Countries pretending to be ‘helping’ Rohingya refugees have diplomatic ties with Myanmar’

India has come under blistering criticism for

reportedly buckling under the enormous U.S. pressure over import of crude oil from Iran. India, along with China and Turkey, are three largest buyers of Iran’s oil. Unlike India, Ankara and Beijing, in a rebuke to the U.S., have refused to cut oil imports from Tehran.

Some prominent Indian energy experts, interviewed by Sputnik, maintained that New Delhi’s approach towards U.S. sanctions was not in India’s national interest. Narendra Taneja, a leading energy expert, said Indian companies should continue to import oil from Iran.

“Buying oil is a commercial activity and Indian oil importers should continue to import from Iran if ships are available from international ship-owners and oil shipments can find insurers,” he said.

Arvind Virmani, former chief economic advisor to the Indian government, said India should not lose sleep over the U.S. sanctions and continue business with Iran. “Such sanctions were imposed in the past and India managed it well. India has enough experience to deal with such scenarios,” he stated.

On the question whether India was looking to abandon the ambitious Chabahar project, Taneja said Chabahar was a strategic project for both India and Iran. “For New Delhi, India’s national interests come first and should come first,” he said. Virmani said the port was “critical to Afghanistan and important for many countries,” including India and Iran.

Amit Bhandari, energy specialist at Indian think tank Gateway House, maintained that

Chabahar is being developed by a Special Purpose Vehicle — India Ports Global, which is owned by two Indian government firms, so project development is not likely to stop, even though it may get delayed. “The Chabahar Port already gets traffic of 8-10 ships every month, versus 1 ship/month for nearby Gwadar,” he said.

A few days ago, Russian Institute of Strategic Studies expert Azhdar Kurtov, in an interview with Sputnik, had said the U.S. warning to its allies to end Iranian oil imports by November was meant to allow Washington to fill the gap and “check the economic growth in the developing countries,” especially in China and India.

New Delhi initially said they do not recognize unilateral sanctions imposed by Washington, and only recognize UN sanctions. However, everyone was taken aback when India’s oil ministry reportedly asked refiners to prepare for a “drastic reduction or zero” of imports of Iranian oil starting in November.

New Delhi’s approach towards U.S. sanctions not in India’s national interest

N E W S I N B R I E F

INTERNATIONALd e s k





Over 1.3 million children in Afghanistan at risk from polio

China bats for Pakistan after latter is placed on FATF ‘grey list’

India agrees to offer tariff concessions to APTA member countries

In Kashmir, 74% increase in disabilities in 3 years due to conflict

The latest drive to eradicate polio from Afghanistan kicked off this week. In the five-day

campaign, about 52,000 Afghan healthcare workers are expected to administer polio vaccines to 6.4 million children under the age of five, according to a statement issued by Afghanistan’s Health Ministry.

Afghan Health Minister Ferozuddin Feroz said the timing of the campaign was important as children were more likely to contract the virus at this time of the year. “The primary reports suggest that in the first round, around 1,347,000 children would be deprived of the vaccination in Helmand, Uruzgan, Kandahar, Nangarhar, Kunar and Kunzduz where anti-government forces oppose government’s polio drive,” he said in a statement.

Afghanistan’s Health Ministry has reported nine polio cases this year across the country. The latest case of a three-year-old child was reported from restive Nad e Ali district of southern Kandahar province. He could not be administered vaccination because the insurgents don’t allow it there.

The battle for eradication of polio in Afghanistan – one of the only three countries besides Pakistan and Nigeria on World Health Organization’s (WHO) list of countries – continues. According to WHO, both Nigeria and Afghanistan present grim cases as the number of polio cases continue to creep up.

Less than a week after Pakistan was placed on the ‘grey list’ by the Financial Action Task

Force (FATF), close ally China came to Islamabad’s defence, asking the international community to recognize “enormous efforts and sacrifices” made by Pakistan to combat terrorism.

“We will not comment on the decision of the task force. But we understand Pakistan has made enormous efforts for counter-terrorism and made great sacrifices,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said at a press briefing on Tuesday. “We always believe that Pakistani government and people have made enormous efforts and sacrifice on counter-terrorism and the international community should fully recognize this.”

Pakistan was added to the FATF grey list of countries that are involved in providing financial aid to terrorism and related activities during the FATF plenary in Paris on Wednesday.

According to FATF, Pakistan has made a ‘high-level commitment’ to work with the International monitoring body and Asia/Pacific group on Money Laundering (APG) to strengthen its anti-money laundering (AML) and combating the financing of terrorism (CFT) regime.

India has agreed to offer tariff concessions on at least 3,142 products to Asia Pacific

Trade Agreement (APTA) member countries, which include Bangladesh, China, Laos, South Korea and Sri Lanka, said a statement issued by India’s Commerce Ministry.

The tariff concessions, the statement said, would be more for less developed countries (LDC) and less for developing countries. APTA is an initiative under the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and Pacific (UN ESCAP) for trade expansion through exchange of tariff concessions among member countries of Asia Pacific region.

The statement added that the results of the fourth round of negotiations under the APTA have come into force from July 1. “India has exchanged tariff concessions on 3,142 goods with all member-countries and special concessions on 48 tariff goods for least developed countries (LDCs), including Bangladesh and Laos,” said the statement.

The fourth round of talks was held by the ministers of member countries on January 13 last year. With the implementation of the decision, the coverage of preferences of total tariff goods for each member-country would come on 10,677 products, up from 4,270 items at the conclusion of the third round of talks.

In three years – between 2015 and 2017 – when the BJP-PDP coalition

government was in place in Jammu & Kashmir, 31,085 people were certified as disabled in different districts, marking 74 percent jump from 17,898 people in three preceding years, according to a report published by India Spend, a data-driven, public-interest news website.

According to the report, violence and unrest has played a key role in growing number of people with disabilities, especially the use of pellet guns by Indian forces for crowd control.

As of 2014, according to a study published by Journal of Business Management and Social Sciences Research (JBM & SSR), more than 100,000 cases of disabilities were due to conflict. After 2016, the use of pellet shotguns has resulted in more cases of disabilities, the report quotes Kashmiri human rights activist Khurram Parvez as saying.

Since 2016, 1,314 eyes of 1,253 people were impaired after being hit by pellets, and the chances of their recovery are slim, the report notes, quoting another report published in daily Greater Kashmir. Blindness, the report adds, accounted for 68.9% disabilities in the disputed state.

“According to official figures, 17 people were killed by shotgun pellets between July 2016 and August 2017, and 6,221 people were injured by the metal pellets between 2016 and March 2017,” according to the recently-released report by UN Human Rights body.


JULY 5, 2018 ANALYSIS & INTERVIEW

1 China has expressed concern about these threats. Will America continue to maintain wide trade relations with China? It is still too early to answer this question.The United States has used its Arab allies, especially Saudi Arabia, to offset oil imports from Iran, and the Saudi minister of economics, Khalid al-Fatih, announced his country’s readiness in this regard, especially with its oil export power.

European countries, in particular France, Italy and Ger-many, have committed themselves to continuing to adhere to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) even after America’s exit from it and to import oil from Iran, and also suggested using the Euro to pay for imports. But fearing U.S. sanctions, big European companies have begun to pull out of Iranian markets.

Trump is skilled at destabilizing the world and U.S. sanc-tions are proof of it. But using blackmail does not make sense, and some countries resent it. Turkey may lead an uprising against the U.S.

What are Trump’s goals in asking the Saudis to increase production? Analysts said that U.S. President Donald Trump pursues strategic goals at a critical juncture for his political future by lowering oil prices. Higher prices could well bring on a recession in the U.S., which would damage GOP chances in the upcoming elections this fall for the U.S. Congress.

But the other goal in the eyes of the experts is to harm Iran financially. Trump is looking to put the most severe financial sanctions on Tehran. In this regard, Trump has asked Saudi Arabia to raise its oil production to help both his future and that of the Republicans.

Riyadh has agreed with Donald Trump’s request to in-crease oil production.

Arab world analyst, Abdel Bari Atwan, said: “The scenario that was set against Iraq has now been fully replicated over the course of 15 years, in which Saudi Arabia and other Per-sian Gulf states have played a key role. This was happening before the 1990 war and continued to the 2003 Iraq war.

Interestingly, the price of oil did not rise in these two wars. Trump has turned to threats against countries and com-panies that oppose his actions on oil purchases from Iran. Any country or company that opposes Trump’s request will be blacklisted and American markets will be closed to it.”

“Iran currently produce 2.8 million barrels per day, with China purchasing 600,000 and India 400,000, equivalent to half of Iran’s oil exports, while the rest are exported to Turkey, Japan, South Korea, France, Italy, and Spain. The injection of two million additional barrels by Saudis is roughly equivalent to Iran’s exports. Likely, Trump will push on other Persian Gulf states, such as the UAE and Kuwait, for more than 100,000 barrels to stay below $80,” Atwan said. He believes that Saudi Arabia compliance with Trump’s demand

means Saudi Arabia’s oil production will reach 12 million barrels per day and the cancellation of the OPEC agreement, which would lead to the collapse of the organization or, at least, major divisions.

“We do not know what the reaction of Russia and other OPEC member countries will be regarding the violation of the agreement by Saudi Arabia. But what is certain is the stage of political and economic instability that we see in the world leading to polarization and coalitions that are not in the interest of the United States and its Arab allies led by the Saudis,” he said.

By agreeing to Trump’s demand, the Saudis are target-ing both Saudi citizens and other nations dependent on oil revenues.

TEHRAN (Tasnim) — A senior political expert and activist based in the U.S. city of Atlanta cast doubts over the success of a recent deal between Washington and Pyongyang and said the U.S. government has shown that it does not “honor any agreement permanently”.

“…We live in a world where the U.S. has shown it does not feel obligated to honor any agreement permanently,” Jim W. Dean said in an interview with the Tasnim News Agency.

“So this North Korean negotiation is going to be a first major test to see whether the U.S. having backed out of the JCPOA will have an effect on future negotiation outcomes,” he added.

Jim Dean is the managing editor of VeteransToday.com and a regular geopolitical commentator on various media outlets around the world. He and Sr. Editor Gordon Duff have begun their own bridge building campaign with Iranian university youth via Skype conferences. Jim comes from an old military family going back to the American Revolution.

Following is the full text of the interview: U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean lead-

er Kim Jong-un concluded their recent historic summit in Singapore by signing a deal that included a pledge to “work toward complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.” What do you think about the agreement and how do you predict its success given Washington’s non-commitment to international treaties?

A: The main focus should be on keeping the momentum moving forward and not second guessing every step of the process. It was expected by all diplomatic professionals that a broad outline in the direction that Trump and Kim wanted to go was all that was going to be made at the first meeting.

Those complaining about there not being enough details were just trying to get news coverage as critics. Old-timers expected to see a step-by-step process that would build con-fidence for going to the next step, and that is what happened.

Completely ignored was the purpose of Trump’s announce-ment of stopping military drills with South Korea. That was exploited by Trump’s opponents as “giving the store away”, and

being out-negotiated. But that ploy was just childish fake news.Kim had earlier made a major good show of faith with the

public blowing up of his nuclear research facility, something he cannot now push a button and make reappear if Trump bows out of the talks. So Trump really owed a major con-cession to Kim in response, and he agreed to what Kim had always claimed to be a major ongoing threat to North Korea, the never-ending U.S.-South Korea war games.

But if Kim breaks a promise, Trump can restart the war games with a push of a button. Historically, such a major negotiation takes time, and this one will be no different.

Trump recently attacked Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer in a tweet over the New York Democrat’s criticisms of the North Korea summit. Schumer said the summit was “what the Texans call all cattle and no hat”. What do you think about the domestic disputes over the deal?

A: As usual the Democrats will spin everything that Trump does in a negative way because we are heading into the key part of the midterm elections. The Democrats are making a 100% effort to at least regain control over one house of Congress to put the brakes on the Republicans ramming through legislation and high appointments.

The public, especially the independents, are leaning toward rebalancing the country’s interests, and to that I would personally add its safety. They feel it would be more enhanced with the Democrats being in a stronger position to negotiate compromises with the Trump administration.

This is viewed as not only critical on the economic and social issues, but combating the war cabinet that Trump has surrounded himself with. A growing number of military and intelligence professionals are also concerned that the country could be taken into a new war, simply to serve the greedy interests of the deep state operatives.

Casting a shadow over all of this is the Mueller investi-gation, which most suspect will be completed by the end of the summer so any potential charges coming would not be made close to the election date, where charges of political

manipulation would taint the result.That happened when Trump came in, which dragged the

FBI into a long controversy that Mueller is trying to repair. Despite all the claims of leaks, no one really knows at this point what Mueller is going to do, but he has re-establishing the FBI’s reputation high on his list, and I doubt he would risk hurting it any more.

As you know, Trump recently announced the U.S. withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, U.S., Britain, France, and Germa-ny). Prior to the move, the U.S. had repeatedly violated the international pact by imposing numerous sanctions against the Islamic Republic. Given Washington’s non-commitment to such an important international agreement, what would be a guarantee of success of the U.S.-North Korea deal?

A: This is a valid question, and one that North Korea will have to be careful in handling. The U.S. war hawks have already made a public show that they are demanding that Kim’s denuclearization be “permanent”.

On the other hand, we live in a world where the U.S. has shown it does not feel obligated to honor any agreement permanently. So this North Korean negotiation is going to be a first major test to see whether the U.S. having backed out of the JCPOA will have an effect on future negotiation outcomes.

Simply put, how can a country agree to be bound as a party to an agreement when they know the U.S. is not? How would that fly politically, say in a democratic country where the public might demand that the U.S. must now put up some kind of guarantee of its good faith after it has thrown that away with its breach of the JCPOA? No professional diplomat or state leader could ignore dealing with this ques-tion publicly. Trump’s breach of the JCPOA has let loose a diplomatic Frankenstein upon the planet. We must find some way to get back to the old days of both parties being bound to international agreements, but so far no one has proposed any way to do this, that I have seen.

Saudis cave to Trump demands to pump more oil

U.S. not feeling obligated to honor deals permanently: analyst

TEHRAN (Tasnim) — A Republican mem-ber of the Virginia State Senate said the U.S. military and CIA as well as British and French spy agencies are helping Saudi-led forces in their aggression against Yemen, adding that American military planes are refueling Saudi Arabian jets pounding Yemen.

“The U.S. military and CIA, as well as their British and French counterparts, have helped the Saudi war effort by assisting with the blockade, refueling warplanes, and supplying advanced attack weapons and intelligence. American aircraft provide aerial refueling to Saudi jets attacking Yemeni targets,” Sen. Richard Black told Tasnim.

Richard Black represents the 13th District encompassing parts of both Loudoun and Prince Williams Counties. He was previously a member of the Virginia House of Delegates from 1998 to 2006. Black was a career military officer. He served in both the U.S. Marines and in the U.S. Army JAG Corps. He served a total of 31 years active and reserve, rising from the rank of private to full colonel. He is a graduate of the U.S. Army War College, Command and General Staff College, and Naval Aviator’s Flight School. Black served as a pilot in the U.S. Marines during the Vietnam War, earning the Purple Heart medal. He flew 269 combat helicopter missions with HMM-362’s “Ugly Angels” squadron, which operated out of Ky Ha, Vietnam.

Following is the full text of the interview: Saudi-led forces and UAE troops be-

gan a massive operation on June 13 to bring Yemen’s port city of Hudaydah under their

control. What’s behind this attack?A: Saudi Arabia is determined to fully

blockade the Yemeni coast. They intend to remove the ability of the Yemenis to feed themselves, to receive medical supplies, and to receive repair materials for build-ings destroyed by bombing. Saudi Arabia has deliberately promoted a cholera epidemic by bombing water purification facilities to prevent access to sanitary drinking water. Of course, they also intend to blockade war materials. But the war waged by Saudi Ara-bia has been largely a war of terror directed equally at military and civilian targets. Saudi Arabia has intentionally targeted funerals and weddings to maximize civilian casualties. These actions are war crimes which deserve punishment.

Some reports indicate that American, British and French forces are supporting the Saudi and UAE forces in their assault on the port city. What’s your perspective on this?

A: This is certainly accurate, and well-doc-umented by many news sources. The U.S. military and CIA, as well as their British and French counterparts, have helped the Saudi war effort by assisting with the blockade, refueling warplanes, and supplying advanced attack weapons and intelligence. American aircraft provide aerial refueling to Saudi jets attacking Yemeni targets.

Some experts say Saudi Arabia and the UAE are trying to use the battle in Hudaydah as a psychological warfare offensive against Yemeni popular fighters. Do you believe so?

A: The targeting of Yemeni weddings,

water treatment plants, hospitals, fuel lines, hospitals and port facilities is designed to undermine the will of Yemenis to defend their nation against Saudi Arabia. The Saudis attacked Yemen in order to install a puppet government against the will of the people. Their actions are aiding al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, which controls a large part of Yemen. Yemen has been removed from the banking system by western powers. Their currency was demonetized during the early days of the war, so the people would be unable to pay for food, medicine, repair parts for their power plants and water treatment plants and for weapons.

Do you think the UN is doing enough to stop the war there?

A: The UN does have some symbolic mor-al authority, and on occasion, they attempt to use that authority for good. In practice, they have little real power except when they approve aggression against states like Libya. For example, in 2011, the UN authorized “all necessary measures” to “protect” civilians in Libya. This resolution gave cover for the mass slaughter of the Libyan people and the nearly total destruction of Libyan civilian and government infrastructure. The na-tion has remained lawless and in a state of near-anarchy ever since. For this reason, the UN is most effective when it shields warlike nations from public accountability for cruel and bloodthirsty crimes.

So although the UN has little real power, it provides a useful cloak for wars of aggression against neutral, nonbelligerent nations. It is heavily influenced by its major contributors, which include the U.S. (27%), Japan (10%, Germany (6%), France (5%), the UK (4.5%) and China (8%). Some of these nations are closely allied with Saudi Arabia. Their con-tributions to the UN give them considerable leverage over the organization.

In theory, the UN exists to prevent wars of aggression against sovereign nations. In practice, it does not do so. Instead, it often acts as a sounding board for aggres-sors to attack poor and helpless people in countries like Iraq, Libya, Syria, and Yemen. Often those aggressors employ unconstrained terror and brutality to destroy the people, infrastructure and culture of these nations.

U.S. warplanes refueling Saudi jets bombing Yemen: senator

Unilateral disarmament a huge mistake for North Korea: Russian analystTEHRAN (Tasnim) — A political analyst based in Mos-cow warned the Pyongyang government about Washington’s non-commitment to international treaties, including the Iran nuclear deal, and said it will be “a huge mistake” for North Korea to disarm unilaterally.

“The American hawks view the Korean Peninsula’s denuclearization as a process of North Korea’s unilateral disarmament, with no conditions attached for the U.S. to fulfill,” Dmitry Babich said in an interview with the Tasnim News Agency.

“In the context of Trump’s leaving the nuclear deal be-tween Iran and the Group 5+1, it would be a huge mistake

for North Korea to disarm unilaterally,” he added.Babich, born in Moscow, has been an active journalist

for over 25 years, focusing on Russian politics. Graduating from Moscow State University, Babich has had a success-ful career in Russian journalism. He has previously been a senior correspondent at the Komsomolskaya Pravda daily, RIA Novosti, and Russia Profile magazine. Between 1999 and 2003, Babich was a foreign editor at The Moscow News before returning to Russia Profile in 2009 as acting edi-tor-in-chief. His core areas of focus include Russia’s modern political history, international relations. Babich is currently working as a political analyst at Sputnik International and is a frequent guest on BBC, Al Jazeera, CNN commenting on international affairs and history.

The following is the full text of the interview: US President Donald Trump and North Korean lead-

er Kim Jong-un concluded their recent historic summit in Singapore by signing a deal that included a pledge to “work toward complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.” What do you think about the agreement and how do you predict its success given Washington’s non-commitment to international treaties?

A: What do I think about Trump-Kim deal? I think it is just a declaration of intentions, which may not bring any results. Trump just tried to score some PR points on the situation which is in fact very dangerous and unpredicta-ble. The American “hawks” view (the) Korean Peninsula’s “denuclearization” as a process of North Korea’s unilateral disarmament, with no conditions attached for the U.S. to fulfill.

North Korea, meanwhile, expects some real guarantees of its own security. I am not sure Trump is prepared to give such guarantees since his words do not count for much. A few weeks ago Trump insulted Kim Jong-un in all ways. Several days ago, Trump heaped praise on the same person he had called names. Now, three weeks after the “historic” summit Trump extended for a year the sanctions which target not only the North Korean arms industry but also the fuel supply to North Korea. DPRK is a mountainous country with cold climate, so Trump’s decision is, in fact, targeting humans, increasing the suffering of millions of men and women. But the UN, various human rights organizations, including Human Rights Watch, do not give a damn. It tells you a lot about them. And about the reliability of the U.S. government.

Trump recently attacked Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer in a tweet over the New York Democrat’s criticisms of the North Korea summit. Schumer said the summit was “what the Texans call all cattle and no hat”. What do you think about the domestic disputes over the deal?

A: The belligerent spirit of the Democrats is shameless. Here we have the president whom they accused of being ag-gressive and war-mongering – here we have him STARTING to use diplomacy with such a difficult and suffering country as North Korea. And what do we get from the “liberal” and “pro-people” Democrats? They are all worried about Trump canceling the habitually dangerous South Korean-American military exercises on the border of North Korea! A nice lot they are, those American “peace-loving liberals.”

As you know, Trump in May announced the U.S. with-drawal from the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, U.S., Britain, France, and Germa-ny). Prior to the move, the U.S. had repeatedly violated the international pact by imposing numerous sanctions against the Islamic Republic. Given Washington’s non-commitment to such an important international agreement, what would be a guarantee of success of the U.S.-North Korea deal?

A: In the context of Trump’s leaving the nuclear deal between Iran and the Group 5+1, it would be a huge mistake for North Korea to disarm unilaterally. However, please note one thing: the American liberals and their supporters from the EU are hypocritical when they castigate Trump for walking out of this deal. If Obama had done it, they would have found some reason to support him. Currently, the liberals in the U.S. and the EU just want to remove Trump from power, trying to replace him by some ‘certified neo-lib-eral,” if not by Hillary Clinton, then by someone like Mike Pence. Ultraliberal ideology is the real cement that united Obama, Blair, Merkel, Macron and other Western leaders of the 1990s-2010s with blood on their hands. Hillary had a “certificate of excellency” from this ideology, as did Obama. Trump does not have it, so despite his aggressiveness and murders (the attacks against Syria, support for the crudely nationalist regime in Ukraine), the ultraliberals still want to remove him. They use the scandal with the nuclear agree-ment as a tool, not having any pity for the Iranian people. If Obama attacked Iran breaking this deal, I bet the EU would support him, as well as the Anglo-Saxon allies of the U.S. (Canada and Australia).

JULY 5, 20188I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y

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ADVERTISEMENTJULY 5, 2018 9I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y


HERITAGE & TOURISM JULY 5, 2018

TEHRAN — Hundreds of Christian worship-pers from Iran, Armenia and other countries are heading for St. Thaddeus to observe an annual ritual and pilgrimage in the north-western church from July 27 to 29.

Also known as the Qareh Klise (“the Black Church”), the place of worship is one of the oldest surviving Christian monuments in Iran and is located in West Azarbaijan province, some 20 kilometers form Maku, adjacent to the borders of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Turkey.

People will come together to commem-orate the martyrdom of St. Thaddeus, one of the twelve disciples killed while he was preaching the Gospel. The legend says, a church dedicated to him was first built in 68 CE where Qareh Klise is standing.

The festivity is of high importance for Iranian-Armenians who mostly come from the cities of Tabriz, Urmia, Tehran, Isfahan and Qazvin, to stage the reunion in groups and families. It also provides them opportunity to go on holiday and visit distant relatives.

Baptism of children and youngsters and having traditional songs and dances are amongst other rituals of the event.

The Qareh Klise shows off elaborate bas-reliefs of flowers, animals and human figures on its façade and exterior walls. It bears verses of Old and New Testament in Armenian calligraphy as well.

Together with St. Stepanos Monastery and the Chapel of Dzordzor, Qareh Klise was

placed on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2008 under the name “Armenian Monastic Ensembles of Iran”.

All the three sites are located in West

Azarbaijan and are of high significance from historical and cultural perspectives. They bear credible testimony to interchanges with the ancient regional societies in particular the

Byzantine, Orthodox and Persian.UNESCO says that they are examples of

outstanding universal value of the Armenian architectural and decorative traditions.

TEHRAN — Tens of international schol-

ars, archaeologists and historians called for further studies on Tappeh Sialk, which is one of the oldest and richest archaeo-logical sites in central Iran.

Attendees to the “Tappeh Sialk and Ancient Kashan Revisited – Conference” held in London on July 2 and 3, unani-mously expressed the need for forming an international steering committee to safeguard this historic region of Iran, IRNA reported on Tuesday.

The UK-based Iran Heritage Foun-dation in association with the British Institute of Persian Studies organized the event to look at ways to promote the major Iranian site and introduce it to a wider range of people.

Sialk is a treasure trove of infor-mation about diverse subjects such as

palaeobotany, palaeozoology, palae-oanatomy, diet, climate change and ancient metallurgy.

Situated halfway between Kashan and Fin in Isfahan province, Tappeh

Sialk has yielded interesting pottery pieces, metal tools and domestic im-plements made from stone, clay and bone that date from as early as the 4th millennium BC.

Several excavation projects at the site have so far been conducted, beginning

with a 1933 French Louvre delegation led by Roman Ghirshman; capping with a most recent project in 2009, which was led by Hassan Fazeli-Nashli, a faculty member of the Archaeology Department,

University of Tehran.The 2017 conference, according to the

Iran Heritage Foundation, also included presentations by scholars from around the world, including Iran, France, the U.S., and the UK, in which a follow-up conference suggested.

Most people assume travel agents do little more than charge you money for booking trips, something most people are comfortable doing online. However, they can do a lot more beyond planning your vacations.

“Of course we specialize in building travel itineraries, but good advisers can help you in all sorts of ways that most people don’t realize,” said Rob Karp, chief executive and founder of MilesAhead, a luxury travel concierge service. Here are a few things that may make an agent worth the additional cost.

Help for bumped trips and other snafusA travel agent may be able to help resolve the snags that

can happen on any trip, just by picking up the phone and calling them. Mr. Karp said that experienced agents, for one, can assist with rebooking flights in the event of cancellations or lengthy delays.

They can usually do this even if they haven’t booked your flights to begin with. They can also help find last minute accommodations in case you’re stuck somewhere and can track your lost luggage for you. “Essentially, we can take the travel headache off your hands and make it ours,” Mr. Karp said.

A whole-trip concierge, at your serviceYes, advisers can book your accommodations and ar-

range airport transfers, but they can also manage every aspect of your trip including handpicking guides who match your interests, making restaurant reservations, securing theater tickets and booking skip-the-line en-trance tickets to museums. “Basically, you adviser can be

a substitute for a hotel concierge,” Mr. Karp said. Some advisers charge a fee for this service that ranges from $50 to a few hundred dollars, depending on the complexity of your requests, but, unlike a hotel concierge, they don’t expect a gratuity for their services.

Let them get to know you, and they’ll person-alize your trip

The better your travel agent knows you, the more he or she will be able to customize your trips to your tastes. If you’re a vegan traveling in Italy, for example, an agent may be able to arrange a vegan pizza making class, or at least offer dining options where you’ll feel welcome and have tons to choose from.

Having a sense of who you are can also mean surprises on your getaways. Mr. Karp’s agency, for one, often arranges personalized welcome amenities for its clients: “One of our travelers is a big college basketball fan, so we had custom sneakers with his alma mater’s logo designed and left them waiting for him in his room,” he said.

They can even handle long-term travel planningIf you have any destinations you really want to visit, an

agent can help prioritize where you should travel and when, and help you get off the couch and visit those bucket list locales. Some trips may make more sense at certain times in your life: if you’re keen on gorilla trekking in Rwanda, for example, and want your children to go with you, it’s best to wait to until they are 16, the minimum age allowed. Similarly, if you have a set travel budget for the year, your agent can help determine how best to use that budget to get the most for your money.

They can help even when you’re not on vacationYour agent can come in handy even when you’re not trav-

eling, Mr. Karp said. For a loyal client, he or she can make last-minute restaurant reservations, get tickets to sold-out concerts or even book a boardroom for business meetings.

(Source: The New York Times)

Pathway to Tappeh Sialk, a prime archaeological site in central Iran

Tappeh Sialk has yielded interesting pottery pieces, metal tools and

domestic implements made from stone, clay and bone that date from as

early as the 4th millennium BC.

Most people assume travel agents just book trips — something anyone with Google can do, but they

actually offer much more. Here are five perks that make

them worth the added cost.

Christian worshippers to make annual pilgrimage to St. Thaddeus

TEHRAN — A total of 11 crafts, which were somewhat obsolete across Markazi province,

central Iran, have recently been revived with a great deal of efforts made by artisans.

Pottery, mirrorwork, enamel, traditional musical instruments, glass painting, and gereh-sazi (making geometric interlaced strapwork ornaments) are amongst the revitalized crafts, ISNA reported on Saturday.

Some 8,000 artisans and craftspeople are currently engaging in making handicrafts in Markazi province, said Seyyed Moham-mad Hosseini, the provincial tourism chief.

He put the blame on the lack of proper planning that has resulted in some ancient and original crafts becoming forgotten in the country, the report said.

Iran exported $280 million worth of handicrafts during the past Iranian calendar year, which ended on March 20.

Traditional ceramics, pottery vessels, hand-woven cloths as well as personal ornamentations with precious and semi-precious gemstones are among Iranian exports to Iraq, Afghanistan and Germany, the U.S., the UK and other countries.

Dozens of Iranian handicrafts have so far been granted UN-ESCO Seals of Excellence.

London conference calls for studies on Tappeh Sialk

5 perks travel agents offer beyond booking your trip

H E R I T A G Ed e s k

By Afshin Majlesi

By Shivani Vora

A view of the Sheikh-Heydar Mausoleum in Meshgin-Shahr, Ardebil province



Archaeological Area of Agrigento

Founded as a Greek colony in the 6th century BC, Agrigento became one of the leading cities in the Mediterranean world. Its supremacy and pride are demonstrated by the remains of the magnificent Doric temples that dominate the ancient town, much of which still lies intact under today’s fields and orchards.

The archaeological Area of Agrigento, the Valley of the Temples, lies on the southern coast of Sicily, Italy.

It covers the vast territory of the ancient polis, from the Rupe Atenea to the acropolis of the original ancient city, as well as to the sacred hill on which stand the main Doric temples and up to the extramural necropolis.

Selected excavated areas reveal the late Hellenistic and Roman town and the burial practices of its early Christian inhabitants.

Agrigento has a special place among classical sites in the history of the ancient world because of the way in which its original site, typical of Greek colonial settlements, has been preserved, as well as the substantial remains of a group of buildings from an early period that were not overlain by later structures or converted to suit later tastes and cults.

(Source: UNESCO)

ROUND THE GLOBE

A view of the Temple of Concordia, Agrigento

11 abandoned crafts revived in Markazi province

40 historical sites under restoration in Ardebil

TEHRAN — Restoration projects have com-menced on 40 historical sites and monuments

that are scattered across Ardebil province, northwestern Iran. The UNESCO-registered Sheikh Safi al-Din Khanegah and

Shrine Ensemble is amongst the most important sites being re-habilitated, CHTN reported on Wednesday.

Other sites include Mirza Ali-Akbar Mosque, Sheikh-Heydar Mausoleum, Panj-Cheshmeh Bridge, Sheikh Bathhouse, Qan-li-Bulagh Caravanserai, and the Historical Bazaar of Ardebil.

Sprawling on a high and windswept plateau, Ardebil is known for having lush natural beauties and hospitable people. It is also a traditional hub of silk and carpet trades.

PHOTO: A view of the Sheikh-Heydar Mausoleum in Mesh-gin-Shahr, Ardebil province

A view of the Qareh Klise in northwestern Iran

Tourism industry employs over 21 million people in Africa: AU

New technologies will revolutionize the hospitality industryAs technology innovations continue to transform every industry and job role in the United States, the service industry is certainly no exception.

In fact, Gartner, an international research and advisory company, believes that artificial intelligence (AI) will create 2.3 million jobs in 2020 while only eliminating 1.8 million, for a net gain of half a million jobs added to American company payrolls.

In the hospitality and sales verticals, technology innovations, including customer rela-tionship management (CRM) platforms and point-of-sale (POS) tools, have come a long way.

Well before the term CRM was coined, salespeople would keep journals to track customer activity and acknowledge a sale through handwritten thank-you notes. Be-fore POS systems, we had cash deposit boxes, followed by simple cash registers, then barcodes, mobile payments and now cloud-based technology. Inevitably, the course of every industry will continue to evolve, incorporate and need more technology to be successful. AI is the next innovation poised to make an impact on hospitality.

(Source: forbes.com)

ADDIS ABABA (Xinhua) — The tourism industry created employment op-portunities for over 21 million people in Africa, the African Union (AU) said on Monday.

The AU revealed in a statement on Monday that the tourism industry’s share in the total work force of the African continent has also reached 6.5 percent.

“The value of the industry now stands at over 160 billion U.S. dollars, accounting for almost 8 percent of GDP, thus exceeding the contributions from manufacturing and banking sectors,” the statement quoted Amani Abou-Zeid, AU Commissioner for Infrastructure, Energy and Tourism, as saying.

“That is why we are making sure it (the tourism sector) takes its due place,” Abou-Zeid stressed.

She, however, noted that the African continent should work in the promotion of the tourism sector by developing better tourism promotion strategies, improvement of Africa’s image and branding tourism in the continent.

When you’re getting the kind of surgery that requires being put under, you definitely don’t want to be awake for any of the slicing. But a new study shows that when it comes to some general anesthetics, our brains might be in a more sleep-like state than previously realized.

The discovery suggests that far from being switched off, some parts of the brain are still capable of processing sensations from their environment, even if the patient can’t recall any of it on waking.

Researchers from the University of Tur-ku in Finland compared the neurological effects of a pair of drugs commonly used to render patients unresponsive before medical procedures.

Their goal was to determine whether the lack of responsiveness was largely due to the direct influence of the drugs themselves, or whether there was a knock-on effect that sends us into la-la land.

A knock-on effectThe difference isn’t just academic. If it’s

a knock-on effect, anesthesia simply trig-gers an altered state of consciousness rather than flicking our off switch, meaning some conscious processes are still ticking while we’re knocked out.

As the researchers say in their report, “unresponsiveness does not equal uncon-sciousness, as one may have conscious expe-riences without behavioral responsiveness.”

As far as modern day medical science goes, you’d think we’d have it all figured by now. Anesthesia has been methodically used

to knock patients out for about 170 years.But for the wealth of knowledge we’ve

collected on the topic, details on how these

drugs actually change the brain’s functions are still pretty vague.

This is in part because we also don’t know

a lot about how consciousness works. We can map functioning regions of the brain or record the wobble of brain wave activity, but separating cause and effect can be tricky.

Recordings of alpha, beta, and slow or ‘delta’ waves are routinely used to identify when the brain is awake and asleep.

Rapid beta waves are the ‘awake’ waves that fire when we’re stimulated. Mid-ranged alpha waves hint at the kind of conscious activity we exhibit when we’re chilled and contemplative. Delta is your slow, deep sleep wave.

Anesthetic propofolIn this study, 47 healthy volunteers were

dosed with either the sedative dexmedeto-midine or the general anesthetic propofol before having their brain waves recorded.

Both drugs result in unresponsiveness at a certain dosages, though propofol is a far more powerful anesthetic.

When barely out cold, half of the sub-jects in the dexmedetomidine group could be aroused with a brief shake and a loud shout. Surprisingly, 42 percent of those given propofol could also be woken into a groggy state.

Their electroencephalogram recordings showed an increase in alpha and slow waves, suggesting a reversal of deep sleep and a heightening of reflective consciousness.

“Nearly all participants reported dream-like experiences that sometimes mixed with the reality,” says pyschologist Antti Revonsuo.

(Source: sciencealert.com)

S C I / M E DJULY 5, 2018 11I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y

University of Alberta neuroscientists have identified the neural circuit that may underlay intelligence in birds, according to a new study. The discovery is an example of convergent evolution between the brains of birds and primates, with the potential to provide insight into the neural basis of human intelligence.

An “area of the brain that plays a major role in primate intelligence is called the pontine nuclei,” explained Cristian Gutierrez-Ibanez, postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Psychology. “This structure transfers information between the two largest areas of the brain, the cortex and cerebellum, which allows for higher-order processing and more sophisticated behavior.

In humans and primates, the pontine nuclei are large compared to other mammals. This makes sense given our cognitive abilities.”

Birds have very small pontine nuclei. Instead, they have a similar structure called the medial spiriform nucleus (SpM) that has similar connectivity.

Located in a different part of the brain, the SpM does the same thing as the pontine nuclei, circulating information between the cortex and the cerebellum.

“This loop between the cortex and the cerebellum is important for the planning and execution of sophisticated behaviors,” said Doug Wylie, professor of psychology and co-author on the new

study.Using samples from 98 birds from

the largest collection of bird brains in the world, including everything from chickens and waterfowl to parrots and owls, the scientists studied the brains of birds, comparing the relative size of the SpM to the rest of the brain. They determined that parrots have a SpM that is much larger than that of other birds.

The cortex and cerebellumThe “SpM is very large in parrots. It’s

actually two to five times larger in parrots than in other birds, like chickens,” said Gutierrez. “Independently, parrots have evolved an enlarged area that connects the cortex and the cerebellum, similar to primates.

This is another fascinating example of convergence between parrots and primates. It starts with sophisticated behaviors, like tool use and self-awareness, and can also be seen in the brain. The more we look at the brains, the more similarities we see.”

Next, the research team hopes to study the SpM in parrots more closely, to understand what types of information go there and why.

“This could present an excellent way to study how the similar, pontine-based, process occurs in humans,” added Gutierrez. “It might give us a way to better understand how our human brains work.”

(Source: eurekalert.org)

Aspirin, an inexpensive drug for pain relief, holds promise for Alzheimer’s disease patients. A study involving mice shows it can decrease the amyloid plaques in the animals.

Taking low doses of aspirin daily may help reduce the effects of Alzheimer’s disease and protect the memory, findings of a new study suggest.

In a new study published in the July issue of The Journal of Neuroscience, Kalipada Pahan, from Rush Medical College, and colleagues showed that aspirin intake can decrease the plaques in the brain, which are associated with dementia and memory loss.

Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia, affects about a tenth of older Americans. The Alzheimer’s As-sociation reported in March that Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia will cost Americans $277 billion this year.

No cure is currently available to reverse the condition. Existing medications only provide limited symptomatic relief but researchers suggest that certain lifestyle such as getting enough sleep and exercise can help prevent the development of this neurological disease.

Exact cause of the diseaseThe exact cause of the disease progressions is not known.

However, poor disposal of the toxic protein amyloid beta in the brain is one of the leading mechanisms behind dementia and memory loss.

Amyloid beta forms clumps of amyloid plaques that can damage the connections between the nerve cells. These amyloid plaques are also one of the major signs of Alzheimer’s disease.

In the new study involving mice, the researchers were able to show that aspirin reduces amyloid plaque pathology by

stimulating the lysosomes, a component of the animal cell that clears cellular debris.

Researchers also found that in mice with Alzheimer’s-like conditions, aspirin helped increase TFEB, another protein that regulates waste removal. The drug also decreased the amyloid plaques in the animals.

“Understanding how plaques are cleared is important to developing effective drugs that stop the progression of Alzheimer’s disease,” Pahan said.

The researchers said that their study adds another potential use for aspirin. Also known as acetylsalicylic acid, aspirin is an inexpensive drug with a long history of being safe for use in low doses, albeit it poses a small risk for internal bleeding and stomach irritation.

Many adults use this medicine for pain relief and as a mild blood thinner to prevent cardiovascular events. Studies also show it may help reduce the risk of certain cancers.

“Aspirin, one of the most widely-used medications in the world, activates peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) to upregulate TFEB and increase lysosomal biogenesis in brain cells,” the researchers wrote in their study.

(Source: Tech Times)

Neuroscientists uncover secret to intelligence in parrots

Rising sea levels could cost the global economy around $14 trillion annually by 2100 if the 2°C warming limit agreed at the Paris climate talks is breached, ac-cording to a study published in the journal Environmental Research Letters.

The Paris Agreement proposed to keep the increase in global average temperature to well below 2°C higher than pre-industrial levels in order to mitigate the worst effects of climate change. It also required nations to pursue efforts to limit the increase to 1.5°C, if possible.

“More than 600 million people live in low-elevation coastal areas, less than 10 meters (32.8 ft) above sea level,” Svetlana Jevrejeva, lead author of the study from the UK National Oceanographic Center (NOC), said in a statement.

“In a warming climate, global sea level will rise due to melting of land-based gla-ciers and ice sheets, and from the thermal expansion of ocean waters. So, sea level rise is one of the most damaging aspects of our warming climate.”

For their study, the researchers exam-ined different sea level rise projections and warming scenarios where the increase in temperatures was restricted to 1.5°C (34.7°F), 2°C (35.6°F) or not restricted at all.

In these scenarios, 1.5°C of warming led to a sea level rise of 0.52 meters (1.7 ft) by 2100, 2°C resulted in a rise of 0.86 meters (2.8 ft), and unrestricted warming led to a 1.8m (5.9 ft) increase in sea levels.

Impact of sea level riseThe scientists then used data from the

World Bank, which groups nations into different income levels, to assess the impact of sea level rise on a global scale, as well as for individual countries.

They found that in the worst-case scenario, global annual flood costs could increase to $14 trillion per year by 2100 if sea levels rise 0.86 meters. And this figure could jump to $27 trillion annually—which would be equivalent to 2.8 percent of global GDP by the end of the century—for a rise of 1.8 meters.

Furthermore, the scientists found that higher income countries would suffer the least economic damage, thanks to their more developed flood defenses, while up-per-middle income countries like China will incur the biggest costs. The researchers also suggest that sea level rises are likely to be more extreme in tropical areas.

“These extreme sea levels will have a negative effect on the economies of devel-oping coastal nations, and the habitability of low-lying coastlines,” Jevrejeva said. “Small, low-lying island nations such as the Maldives will be very easily affected, and the pressures on their natural resources and environmental will become even greater.”

“These results place further empha-sis on putting even greater efforts into mitigating rising global temperatures,” she concluded.

(Source: Newsweek)

Rising seas could cost the world $14 trillion a year by 2100, study says

Our brains could still be partly conscious under general anesthesia

Milky Way type dust particles discovered in a galaxy 11b light years from EarthAn international research team has found the same type of in-terstellar dust that we know from the Milky Way in a distant galaxy 11 billion light years from Earth. This type of dust has been found to be rare in other galaxies and the new discovery plays an important role in understanding what it takes for this particular type of interstellar dust to be formed.

The discovery of the afterglow. To the left is an image from the so-called Pan-STARRS telescope in Hawaii taken before the explosion. To the right is an image of the same part of the sky taken with the Nordic Optical Telescope a few minutes after the explosion was registered by the Swift satellite.

An international research team, with participation from the Niels Bohr Institute at the University of Copenhagen, has found the same type of interstellar dust that we know from the Milky Way in a distant galaxy 11 billion light years from Earth. This type of dust has been found to be rare in other galaxies and the new discovery plays an important role in understanding what it takes for this particular type of interstellar dust to be formed.

The discovery of the afterglow. To the left is an image from the so-called Pan-STARRS telescope in Hawaii taken before the explosion. To the right is an image of the same part of the sky taken with the Nordic Optical Telescope a few minutes after the explosion was registered by the Swift satellite.

Galaxies are complex structures comprised of many individual parts, such as stars, gas, dust and dark matter. Even though the dust only represents a small part of the total amount of matter in a galaxy, it plays a major role in how stars are formed and how the light from the stars escapes the galaxies.

(Source: Science Daily)

Astronomers capture first-ever birth of a planetOne of the difficulties of studying star and planetary formation has historically been the difficulty of confirming our hypotheses. As our understanding of the universe has expanded, our own theories have often come in for revision. We now know, based on the results of surveys like that of the Kepler telescope, that so-called “Hot Jupiters” — gas giants orbiting very close to their host stars — are fairly common, while our own solar system appears to be rather unusual in composition, in the location and distance between its planets, and even in the types of orbits those planets follow around the star.

It’s possible, of course, that the pendulum has swung in the opposite direction, and that our solar system only looks erroneous because the types of planets we can see around other stars tend to occur in systems very different from our own.

But despite the differences between our own solar system and the rest of the solar systems we can see, it looks like our theories of planetary formation are bang on track, thanks to new images that actually captured the planetary formation process around another star for the first time.

The image above shows the star PDS 70, 370 light-years from Earth, but Astronomers working on the European Very Large Telescope in Chile imaged PDS 70 because they had observed a gap in its protoplanetary disc, which typically implies an object large enough to be attracting material to itself.

Don’t let the relative image size fool you — PDS 70b is a gas giant several times the mass of Jupiter and takes roughly 120 years to make a single orbit around its sun.

(Source: extremetech.com)

The discovery suggests that far from being switched off, some parts of the brain are

still capable of processing sensations from their environment, even if the patient can’t

recall any of it on waking.

NuSTAR mission proves superstar Eta Carinae shoots cosmic raysA new study using data from NASA’s NuSTAR space telescope suggests that Eta Carinae, the most luminous and massive stellar system within 10,000 light-years, is accelerating particles to high energies — some of which may reach Earth as cosmic rays.

“We know the blast waves of exploded stars can accelerate cosmic ray particles to speeds comparable to that of light, an incredible energy boost,” said Kenji Hamaguchi, an astrophysicist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, and the lead author of the study. “Similar processes must occur in other extreme environments. Our analysis indicates Eta Carinae is one of them.”

Astronomers know that cosmic rays with energies greater than 1 billion electron volts (eV) come to us from beyond our solar system. But because these particles — electrons, protons and atomic nuclei — all carry an electrical charge, they veer off course whenever they encounter magnetic fields. This scrambles their paths and masks their origins.

Eta Carinae, located about 7,500 light-years away in the southern constellation of Carina, is famous for a 19th century outburst that briefly made it the second-brightest star in the sky. This event also ejected a massive hourglass-shaped nebula, but the cause of the eruption remains poorly understood.

The system contains a pair of massive stars whose eccentric orbits bring them unusually close every 5.5 years. The stars contain 90 and 30 times the mass of our Sun and pass 140 million miles (225 million kilometers) apart at their closest approach — about the average distance separating Mars and the Sun.

“Both of Eta Carinae’s stars drive powerful outflows called stellar winds,” said team member Michael Corcoran, also at Goddard. “Where these winds clash changes during the orbital cycle, which produces a periodic signal in low-energy X-rays we’ve been tracking for more than two decades.”

(Source: phys.org)

Study suggests aspirin may hold promise for Alzheimer’s patients

Sand and dust storm in Ahvaz, Khuzestan province, hit the city in late January.


S O C I E T Y JULY 5, 2018

While air conditioning can quite literally be a lifesaver in a rapidly warming climate, scientists have warned that it comes with major health problems of its own.

If climate change continues at its current pace, heatwaves are expected to increase in intensity around the world, from France to India.

Experts estimate that in the past decade alone, the number of lives lost due to heatwaves has increased by more than 2,000 per cent.

One way of tackling this problem is to roll out more air conditioning systems, but according to Professor Jonathan Patz at the University of Wisconsin-Madison this means trading one problem for another.

“Heatwaves are increasing and increas-ing in intensity. We will have more cooling demand requiring more electricity,” he said.

“If our nation continues to rely on coal-fired power plants for some of our electricity, each time we turn on the air conditioning we’ll be fouling the air, causing more sickness and even deaths.”

In a new study published in the journal PLOS Medicine, Professor Patz and his col-leagues predicted that the boost in air pol-lution from the fossil fuels powering these systems will cause up to 1,000 additional deaths annually in the eastern US alone.

“What we found is that air pollution will get worse,” said David Abel, a graduate student who led the research. . “There are consequences for adapting to future climate change.”

Buildings are the biggest energy sinks in the U.S., responsible for 60 per cent of power demand in the densely populated eastern region. Air conditioning is responsible for

a significant portion of that demand.In their study, which simulated future

energy consumption and pollution levels, the researchers found between 5 and 9 per cent of future air pollution-related deaths could be linked to air conditioning.

Air pollution is thought to be responsible for millions of deaths every year, with toxic gases and particulates implicated in everything from cardiovascular disease to dementia.

Ground-level ozone and fine particulate matter have been identified as particularly hazardous to human health, and both are emitted by fossil fuel power plants.

Though the researchers emphasized that air conditioning can and does save lives, sys-tems must be powered by clean energy from wind and solar power if they are to avoid the

harmful side effects.“Climate change is here and we’re going

to need to adapt,” said Mr Abel. “But air conditioning and the way we use

energy is going to provide a feedback that will exacerbate air pollution as temperatures continue to get warmer.”

This feedback loop is exacerbated by the emission of potent greenhouse gases known as hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) from air condi-tioning units – which trap thousands of times as much heat in the atmosphere as carbon dioxide.

Studies in recent years have suggested that as global demand for air conditioning has risen, so have HFC emissions, prompt-ing calls to ensure faulty machines are not leaking these dangerous chemicals.

(Source: Independent)

Air conditioning to tackle summer heatwaves causes surge in deadly pollution

TEHRAN — A total of 490 billion rials (nearly $11 million) is spent on thalassemia

annually in Iran, deputy director of the health insurance organization, affiliated with the health ministry, has said.

Currently, 14 types of thalassemia medicines are cov-ered by the organization, Mehr quoted Morteza Adyani as saying on Tuesday.

“Thalassemia affects around 200 million people around the world,” he said, adding, “In Iran, some 22,000 patients suffering thalassemia major, sickle cell-beta and intermedia thalassemia have been identified”.

The average age of thalassemia patients in Iran has reached 40 years, Adyani remarked.

He also noted that the prevalence of the disease is not the same throughout the country, but the incidence of this disease is usually higher in both north and south coasts of the country (the Caspian Sea and the Persian Gulf).

Three standard treatments for moderate and severe forms of thalassemia include blood transfusions, iron chelation therapy, and folic acid supplements, are fully covered by the insurance in Iran, he stated.

Adyani further explained that “also, the out-of-pocket

costs [that aren’t reimbursed by insurance companies] is paid by the Ministry of Health; therefore, thalassemia patients do not pay the treatment costs in Iran”.

So, the ministry pays an annual cost of 490 billion ri-als (about $11 million) for thalassemia patients treatment, Adyani highlighted.

To provide appropriate services to these patients, in

addition to specialists, a proper place is necessary, he also mentioned.

These patients have to refer to hospitals and health centers frequently during their lifetime, he regretted, adding, so, in the cities facing a lack of specialists, general medical prac-titioners should be provided with special training courses to treat thalassemia patients.

Therefore, in line with identifying the areas where the diseases is more prevalent, the facilities should be expanded according to the number of patients, he concluded.

Thalassemia is a blood related genetic disorder which involves the absence of or errors in genes responsible for production of haemoglobin, a protein present in the red blood cells. The severity of the disease depends on the mutations involved in the genes, and their interplay.

The burden of this disorder in many regions is of such a magnitude that it represents a major public health concern. For example in Iran, it is estimated that about 8,000 pregnancies are at risk each year. In some endemic countries in the Mediterranean region, long-established control programs have achieved 80-100% prevention of newly affected births.

Iran spends over $11m on thalassemia annually

The World Cup A: What are you doing?B: What am I doing? What am I doing? Don’t you know what day it is?A: Um... no.B: It’s only the day when the world’s biggest sporting event is kicking off.A: What?B: The World Cup! The first match is today! It’s Mexico vs. South Africa! It’s going to be a really good match! Both teams have a very strong offense and have skilled players. I think that South Africa will probably dominate the first half since they are the host country, and all.A: I have no idea what you’re talking about. The only sporting event we watch at home is the Super Bowl.B: This is bigger than the Super Bowl, man! Teams from 32 countries compete against each other every four years and fight to win that trophy. They first start in a group stage with bigger groups, each group having 4 teams. The top 2 teams pass on to an elimination stage before going on to the quarterfinals and semifinals.A: Sounds interesting, but soccer doesn’t really appeal to me.B: Are you kidding? Over seven hundred million people watched the final match of the World Cup! It’s a very exciting and nerve wracking sport! Each nation is cheering on their team, hoping they will become the next champion. So far Brazil is the team with the most titles under their belt; they’re really good!A: All I know about soccer is that you can’t use your hands and that players are always falling down, trying to get a free kick or penalty kick. It seems like a sissy sport to me!B: Whatever dude, I’m going to go watch the opening match.

Key vocabularyto kick off: to officially begin somethinghost: one who provides services, etc. as for a conventionstage: a step in a processsissy: something only appropriate for girls or women

Supplementary vocabularyrival: a person or team who above everyone else attempts to win against youdisinterest: to not have interest in somethingcompetition: a match between two teams or personsoblivious: to be unaware

(Source: irlanguage.com)

L E A R N E N G L I S H

S O C I E T Yd e s k

TEHRAN — MP Abbas Papizadeh has proposed

creation of a new ministry for water, envi-ronment, and natural resources aiming to supervise the current trend of environmental predicaments the country is facing.

“Environmental problems are threatening the future of the country and 90 percent of them are stemming from mismanagement,” Fars news agency quoted Papizadeh as saying on Tuesday.

Papizadeh, a member of the agricultural group of the parliament, also highlighted that while the ministries of agriculture and energy are supposed to be supervising water use they are taking advantage of water resources and that’s why a new ministry should be created to monitor the two.

All cities and town and even small villages are struggling with environmental crises and pollution, however, responsible bodies are not countering environmental threats and harms, most probably posed by governmental organizations, and instead they hinder small and medium-sized enterprises, he regretted.

Dam construction main cause of SDSs in Khuzestan

Numerous dams built in southwestern province of Khuzestan are the main reasons behind sand and dust storms (SDSs) in the region, he added, explaining that previously, once a river was in flood and overflowed its bank it would water the lands in its proximity and plants would grow and then the flood water entered the wetlands and naturally stopped sand and dust storms.

“But now the Ministry of Energy is of the belief that these overflow of water should be controlled by building dams,” he lamented.

Papizadeh went on to say that that’s how the plains in the province of Khuzestan has turned into hotspots for sand and dust storms.

Some 22 provinces in the country are suffering economic losses in health, in-dustry, tourism and agriculture sectors, he regretted, adding, “for instance in the province of Khuzestan agricultural prac-tices have decreased by 30 to 40 percent and the sector sustains losses of 35 trillion rials ($835 million) annually.”

The Ministry of Energy claims the right to decide about water use in the country and won’t give an inch and that’s why the country has took such serious loss, he noted.

“The question we might ask the ministry is that how much electricity they have managed to generate by building this number of dams.

“Out of 610 plains in the country some 360 are water-broke and we are not allowed

to pump any more water from groundwater resources in these plains.

“In some of these areas groundwater depletion has resulted in land subsidence and aquifers are gone for good as they are compressed and won’t be recharged anymore.”

Agriculture, energy ministries drained Lake Urmia

Commenting on Lake Urmia’s current condition Papizadeh suggested that ministries of agriculture and energy have built over 40 dams on rivers feeding the lake and gave rise to unsustainable agricultural practices and now the lake is drained and the fresh water has now become saline.

“Currently the salt flows with irrigation water and enters the soil and in fact the soil

cannot be used for growing crops anymore,” he regretted.

Lake Urmia, located in the northwestern province of West Azarbaijan, used to be the largest salt-water lake in the Middle East and a home to hundreds of bird species as well as a popular tourist destination for those who took advantage of the therapeutic properties of the lake.

Unsustainable development at the wetlands basin including agricultural practices, dam construction and depletion of groundwater resources as well as climate change and lower precipitation levels have all contributed to the lake dryness to different extent.

“And now, as there are no responsible organizations to supervise the two afore-said ministries the lake is disappearing,” he regretted.

Water, environment, natural resources

“Water, environment, and natural re-sources are not separated issues, and if we create a ministry of water, environment, and natural resources we can allow development in accordance with each area’s ecological ca-pacity,” he said.

“For one, generally steel companies will be established in coastal areas but Isfahan Steel Company [the largest steel maker in the Middle East and North Africa] is located away from water and now the province of Isfahan is facing water stress.

“A ministry of water, environment, and natural resources would determine devel-opment polices based on special planning.

“The proposal for creating the ministry of water, environment, and natural resources is submitted to the Majlis [Iranian parlia-ment], and Majlis speaker Ali Larijani’s support for the proposal will help a great deal,” he concluded.

ENVIRONMENTd e s k

S O C I E T Yd e s k

ENVIRONMENTd e s k

Weather manipulation, cloud theft claims categorically denied

TEHRAN — Davood Parhizkar, director of Iran’s Meteorological Organization (IMO),

has categorically denied claims about weather manipula-tions to prevent rain in the country, and cloud theft, ISNA reported on Wednesday.

On July 2, head of the Civil Defense Organization Brigadier General Gholam Reza Jalali, said that a drastic drop in rain and

snowfall in Iran seems “suspi-cious” and that “foreign interfer-ence is suspected to have played a role in climate change in Iran.”

Jalali explained that scien-tific centers have confirmed the claim and blamed joined teams from Israel and one of the neighboring countries that make the clouds entering into Iran barren. “We are faced with the cases of cloud theft and snow theft,” Jalali added.

“The highlands of Afghani-stan to the Mediterranean were studied, and the result was that all the highlands with the height

of over 2,200 meters were covered with snow while our highlands were arid,” the general said.

However, IMO’s director Parhizkar said that such claims about cloud theft have no scientific basis and that mankind cannot manipulate the climate.

Recurrent drought spells in Iran are stemmed from climate change and temperature rise and not from other countries’ in-terference, he added.

Climate change is not only causing problems for Iran and is a “global phenomenon” and its consequences occur in different forms worldwide, he highlighted.

Parhizkar went on to say that extreme weather events such as floods, storms and drought are all resulting from climate change.

It’s been 11 years that mean precipitations have not meet nor-mal levels nationwide and on the other hand destructive floods hit some regions every now and then and both are brought about by climate change, he said.

Scientifically speaking it is not possible to weaken to strength-en the precipitation systems, he noted, adding, those who make such claims should refer to the meteorological organization to prove their assumptions.

Iran, Switzerland to expand research, medical cooperation

TEHRAN — Iran and Switzerland signed a partnership document on Tuesday.

The document centers around expanding cooperation and relations in medical, pharmaceutical, scientific and technological fields, and making investments on constructing hospitals and conducting joint scientific researches.

The two sides will also cooperate on finding new treatments methods and technical knowledge concerning refractory diseases, IRIB reported on Wednesday.

The Iranian health minister Hassan Qazizadeh Hashemi and the head of Swiss Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Ed-ucation and Research Johann Schneider-Ammann signed the agreement in Switzerland’s capital Bern.

A high-ranking delegation headed by President Hassan Rouhani visited Switzerland to discuss bilateral cooperation with senior Swiss officials, according to Fars news agency.

The two officials also discussed methods to resolve problems related to financial transactions in health and medical fields.

During the meeting, directors of a number of large Swiss companies operating in Iran explained fields of bilateral co-operation in the health and medical sector.

12MP proposes water, environment,

natural resources ministry

“hepato-, hepat-” Meaning: liver For example: I am pleased to assist in their battle

against Hepatitis.

Hold off Meaning: to delay doing something past For example: Buyers have been holding off until

the price falls.

Butter somebody up Explanation: to flatter somebody or to be very nice

to them, especially if you want to obtain something For example: He was so keen to get the job that he

spent his time buttering up the boss.

PREFIX/SUFFIX PHRASAL VERB IDIOM

ENGLISH IN USE

Cabinet disapproves production of carbureted motorcycles While the ministries of industry and interior have demanded the cabinet to reconsider its decision to ban the production of carbureted motorcycles and allow issuance of license plates, the cabinet of ministers rejected the proposal on June 17, ISNA reported on Friday.Resuming the production of carbureted-motorcycles and issuing license for carburetor motorcycles is against the law, Tehran city councilor Zahra Sadr-Azam Nouri has said.Referring to the fact that the interior and industry ministers’ request was against the law, she said it seems that supporting the private sector and manufacturers as well as employment and income generation is prioritized over public health.

تولید مجدد موتورسیکلت های کاربراتوری خالف قانون استبــه گــزارش روز جمعــه خبرگــزاری ایســنا بــا وجــود درخواســت وزیــر کشــور و وزیــر صنعــت و معــدن مبنــی ــر تولیــد موتورســیکلت های کاربراتــوری هیــات دولــت هفتــه ی گذشــته شــماره گذاری ایــن موتورســیکلت ب

را ممنــوع اعــام کــرد. ــه ــه مصوب ــا اشــاره ب ــوری رییــس کمیســیون ســامت شــورای اســامی شــهر تهــران ب زهــرا صــدر اعظــم نــد ــت: تولی ــیکلت های کاربراتوری،گف ــماره گذاری موتورس ــد و ش ــت تولی ــر ممنوعی ــی ب ــران مبن ــات وزی هی

ــت. ــون اس ــاف قان ــوری خ ــیکلت های کاربرات ــدد موتورس مجــت دارد ــن زمینــه از هیــات دول ــر کشــور و وزیر صنعــت و معــدن در ای ــه اینکــه درخواســتی کــه وزی ــا اشــاره ب وی بخــاف قانــون و مصوب هیــات دولــت اســت و نبایــد مجــوز داده شــود، گفت: بیشــتر نــگاه حمایــت از بخــش خصوصــی

و تولیدکننــدگان اســت و بــه نظــر مــی رسد اشــتغال و درآمدزایی بــر مباحــث ســامت افــراد ارجــح اســت.

LEARN NEWS TRANSLATION

WORLD IN FOCUS 13I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y

JULY 5, 2018

1 “I’m especially thankful to Ab-dul-Malik al-Houthi (Abdul-Malik Badred-din), whom I met yesterday, for his support and the fruitful discussion we held,” Griffiths added.

The official also stated that he would brief the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Thursday on his latest talks in Yemen, where a brutal war by Saudi Arabia and its allies threatens to engulf Hudaydah, the entry point for desperately needed hu-manitarian aid.

In the coming days, the UN envoy is to meet Yemen’s former President Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi. “All parties have not only underscored their strong desire for peace but have also engaged with me on concrete ideas for achieving peace.”

On June 29, Griffiths expressed hope that a new round of peace talks between major warring sides of the country could begin next month amid an escalation of fighting in Hudaydah.

The regime in Riyadh and its allies have been engaged in a military operation over the past few weeks against Hudaydah to pressure the Ansarullah to leave their po-

sitions in Sana’a and many other parts of Yemen. However, reports suggest the

The House of Saud regime-led coalition has achieved little on the ground despite

days of airstrikes and assaults from the Red Sea.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) recently announced a pause in the operation. However, local Yemeni media said Saudi attacks on various regions in Hudaydah governorate had continued unabated over the past days.

Griffiths earlier met Hadi in the city of Aden to advance the peace talks initiative. He said Mohammed Abdul-Salam, the chief negotiator of the Ansarullah, had also con-firmed Ansarullah’s willingness to attend peace talks.

The diplomat said he had managed to prevent a major attack on Hudaydah through his discussions with Hadi and Abdul-Salam.

A key aim of the potential UN-hosted talks on Yemen could be to discuss a proposal for UN forces to take control of Hudaydah amid rising hostilities.

More than 15,000 people have been killed in over three years of a devastating Saudi campaign against Yemen. The war has badly affected Yemen’s infrastructure as hundreds of thousands remain displaced and in dire need of humanitarian aid.

(Source: Press TV)

Assassination of second Philippine town mayor caught on cameraA second town mayor in the Philippines was shot and killed by an unidentified man in a road attack, one day after the mayor of another city was gunned down in a daylight sniper attack.

Tuesday’s killing prompted an opposition senator to call the country the “murder capital of Asia”.

Mayor Ferdinand Bote of the General Tinio town was leaving a government compound in a sports utility vehicle in the north-ern Nueva Ecija province when a man on a motorcycle shot him repeatedly with a pistol. The gunman escaped, police said.

Similar to the assassination of a Philippine city mayor on Monday, the attack on Tuesday was captured on closed-circuit television monitors.

On Monday, Mayor Antonio Halili was shot dead while singing the national anthem among hundreds of employees in a flag-rais-ing ceremony in his city of Tanauan, south of the capital Manila.

Videos filmed by witnesses of the moment when what looked like a single rifle shot felled the 72-year-old mayor and sparked chaos have gone viral online and sparked new alarm.

Opposition Senator Antonio Trillanes IV blamed the killings on a “culture of violence” under President Rodrigo Duterte, whom he has criticized for a brutal anti-drug crackdown that has left thousands of mostly poor suspects dead in the last two years.

The Roman Catholic Church also raised the alarm over the kill-ings of three priests in recent months, including one who was shot at an altar while preparing to celebrate Mass in a northern village last month. At least four suspects are currently in police custody.

“No one is safe now,” Senator Trillanes said in a statement.“For someone who promised to restore peace and order in our

country during the campaign, it is ironic for a lot of people that Duterte has actually turned the Philippines into the murder capital of Asia.” When he rose to power in 2016, the brash-talking Duterte expanded nationwide a deadly campaign against illegal drugs that he enforced as a longtime mayor of the southern city of Davao.

Police said the current campaign has left more than 4,200 suspects dead in what they claimed were clashes with law en-forcement, although human rights groups have blamed them for extrajudicial killings.

But Senator Trillanes said in February that as many as 20,000 people have already been killed in the drug war.

Duterte and the police have denied a policy of condoning illegal killings and cite the deaths of many policemen in clashes as proof of the danger posed by drug suspects.

The president has, however, often threatened drug suspects with death and promised he would never allow policemen to rot in jail for doing their work in speeches critics say have helped promote impunity and foster abuses.

Duterte said, without elaborating, on Monday that Halili’s killing may have been linked to illegal drugs.

At least three mayors accused by his administration of involve-ment in the drug trade have been killed in raids by or clashes with the police.

Halili, who drew attention two years ago when he paraded drug suspects in a shame campaign, had strongly denied any links with illegal drugs. Police said on Tuesday the killer used a rifle and took position on a grassy hill about 160 meters from where Halili stood in a well-planned attack.

Bote, 57, was not on any list of drug suspects, according to the government’s main anti-drug agency. Police did not immediately report any further details on his killing.

“We assure everyone that we would discharge the state obligation for every murder,” presidential spokesman Harry Roque said.

“We will spare no effort in getting to the bottom of this latest violent crime.”

(Source: agencies)

China says will not fire first shot in trade war with U.S.China will “absolutely not” fire the first shot in a trade war with the United States and will not be the first to levy tariffs, its finance ministry said on Wednesday.

A person with knowledge of the plan earlier told Reuters Chi-na’s threatened tariffs on $34 billion of U.S. goods would take effect from the beginning of the day on Friday. Given the 12-hour time difference, that would have put its implementation ahead of Washington’s. Other media carried similar reports.

But the ministry issued a brief clarification in response.“The Chinese government’s position has been stated many

times. We absolutely will not fire the first shot, and will not im-plement tariff measures ahead of the United States doing so,” it said, without elaborating.


Earlier, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said China was ready to act, though he did not confirm the start date for Chinese tariffs.

“China has already made preparations,” Lu told a daily news briefing.

“As long as the United States issues a so-called tariff list, Chi-na will take necessary measures to firmly protect its legitimate interests,” he added, without elaborating.

China’s yuan rose sharply against the dollar on Wednesday, a day after the central bank assured markets it would keep the currency stable amid growing worries about trade friction, al-though stocks fell.

Chinese state media on Wednesday kept up a steady drum beat of criticism of the United States.

The official China Daily said the United States was intentionally trying to prevent China from developing to keep it from challenging the former’s role in the global economic order.

“The U.S. has maintained hegemony in the military and fi-nancial fields for many decades. Now it is pursuing economic hegemony,” the English-language newspaper said in an editorial.

“It has frequently waged wars against other sovereign coun-tries and made use of the dominant influence of the U.S. dollar in the international markets to fleece other countries. Now it is attempting to resort to an all-out trade and economic war to hold back China’s normal development.”

Widely-read tabloid the Global Times, published by the ruling Communist Party’s People’s Daily, said the increasingly likely trade war would bring chaos to the world.

The U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to esca-late the trade conflict with tariffs on as much as $400 billion in Chinese goods if Beijing retaliates against the U.S. tariffs set to take effect on Friday.

Chinese currency and stock markets have been jittery ahead of Friday’s tariff implementation.

(Source: Reuters)

UN envoy holds ‘fruitful’ talks with Yemen’s Ansarullah leader

The United States Donald Trump administration on Tuesday rescinded an extensive set of guidelines put in place under President Barack Obama that had called on colleges and universities to consider race as a way of promoting diversity.

The U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said the 24 documents many of which gave advice to schools on how to deal with Supreme Court decisions on race and admissions “were unnecessary, outdated, inconsistent with existing law, or otherwise improper.”

It has the effect of bringing the federal government’s position on affirmative action close to that of the George W. Bush administration which held that race could be con-sidered only if a university had no other way of achieving a diverse student class.

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled over a series of cases that universities may use affirmative action to help minority applicants get into college. Conservatives have argued such programs can hurt whites and Asian-Americans.

The rules under Obama, a Democrat, were issued by the Department of Justice and the Department of Education. They tell universities and colleges that it is acceptable to use race as a tool to achieve diversity. For example, one

of the guidances, “Question and Answers About Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin,” poses the question “Did the Supreme Court change what colleges and universities must do to narrowly tailor their admissions programs to meet the compelling interest in diversity?” It answers, “No.”

The Republican Trump administration’s move is be-

ing viewed by Democrats and liberals as a way to weaken affirmative action.

“The Administration’s rollback of vital affirmative ac-tion guidance offends our nation’s values and promise of opportunity for all,” said Nancy Pelosi, the U.S. House of Representatives’ Democratic leader.

The Justice Department under Trump has been in-vestigating a complaint by more than 60 Asian-Ameri-can organizations that say Harvard University’s policies are discriminatory because they limit the acceptance of Asian-Americans.

The department joined Students for Fair Admissions, the group behind the case, which has urged the disclosure of “powerful” evidence showing that Cambridge, Massachu-setts-based Harvard is violating Title VI of the landmark 1964 Civil Rights Act. Title VI prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, and national origin in programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance.

Harvard says its admissions policies comply with the U.S. laws and that it has worked to boost financial aid to ensure economic, as well as racial, diversity in its classes.

(Source: Reuters)

Nigerian police say they have found the bodies of 41 men with their throats cut in a northern area that is notorious as a hideout for criminal gangs.

Eighteen bodies were found in a river on Sunday while 23 others were discovered in a nearby forest in the Zur-mi area of Zamfara state, police commissioner Kenneth Ebrimson said on Tuesday.

Police arrested four suspects after searching the bush area and also found machetes and guns, he told reporters in Gusau, the state capital.

He said the suspects were identified as members of a widely-feared local vigilante group “who decided to carry out the extra-judicial killings.”

Police believe the victims were gang members who had been involved in cattle rustling and kidnapping.

But local residents were unable to identify any of the bodies, suggesting they were not resident in the area, he said.

Farming and cattle herding communities in Zamfara have for years been terrorized by gangs of cattle thieves and kidnappers who raid villages, steal cows and abduct locals for ransom.

As a hideout, the gangs use the Ruggu forest which straddles Zamfara, Katsina and Kaduna states.

The attacks have prompted villagers to form militia groups for protection but they, too, have been accused of taking the law into their own hands and killing suspected bandits.

Those killings attract reprisals from motorcycle-riding criminal gangs, who carry out indiscriminate killings and arson in retaliation.

In April the Nigerian government deployed troops to Zamfara to fight the gangs while the police outlawed the vigilantes to end the tit-for-tat killings.

(Source: AFP)

Turkish military aircraft have killed nearly a dozen members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK/Partiya Karkerên Kurdistanê) militant group when they separately carried out a string of airstrikes against terrorist hideouts in Iraq’s northern semi-autonomous Kurdistan region as well as southeastern Turkey.

The Turkish General Staff, in a mes-sage published on its official Twitter page, said fighter jets had conducted airstrikes on Tuesday and Wednesday on northern Iraq’s Qandil, Zap-Avashin Basyan and Gara regions in addition to the rural areas of Turkey’s southeastern provinces of Sirnak.

The statement added that militant hide-

outs and weapons caches were also destroyed in the airstrikes.

On July 1, the Turey’s General Staff stated that Turkish military aircraft had “neutral-ized” eight PKK militants in northern Iraq as well as Turkey’s southeastern provinces of Sirnak and Van.

The Turkish military generally uses the term “neutralize” to signify that the militants were killed, captured or surrendered.

PKK militants regularly clash with Turkish forces in the Kurdish-dominated southeast of Turkey attached to northern Iraq.

Turkey, along with the European Union and the United States, has declared the PKK a terrorist group and banned it. The mili-

tant group has been seeking an autonomous Kurdish region since 1984.

A shaky ceasefire between the PKK and the Turkish government collapsed in July 2015. Attacks on Turkish security forces have soared ever since.

Over the past few months, Turkish ground and air forces have been carrying out oper-ations against PKK positions in the country as well as in northern Iraq and neighboring Syria.

More than 40,000 people have been killed during the three-decade conflict be-tween Turkey and the autonomy-seeking militant group.

(Source: agencies)

Japan will send a large helicopter carrier to the South China Sea and Indian Ocean for a second straight year as it looks to bolster its presence in the strategic maritime region with annual tours, two Japanese officials said.

“This is part Japan’s efforts to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific,” said one of the officials, who has direct knowledge of the plan for a two-month tour beginning in September.

The 248 meter-long (814 ft.) Kaga, which can operate several helicopters simultane-ously, will make stops in Southeast Asian countries such as Indonesia and at ports in India and Sri Lanka, said the sources who asked not to be identified because they are not authorized to speak to the media.

The Kaga, which will be accompanied by an escort ship, may also conduct ad hoc joint drills with warships from other counties in the region, they said.

Japan last year sent its sister ship, the Izumo, on a similar tour of the contested

South China Sea and the Indian Ocean.A spokesman for Japan’s Maritime Self

Defense Force said he was unable to com-ment on future operations.

Japan’s growing visibility in those waters reflects concern it shares with the United States over China’s military presence in a region through which trade routes pass that are vital to the Japanese and the United States economies.

China, which says its intentions are peaceful, claims most of the South China and has built bases on reefs and shoals it has reclaimed. China has also increased naval operations in the Indian Ocean.

The United States holds regular air and naval patrols in the South China Sea, saying it has to ensure freedom of navigation.

In May, it changed the name of its military Pacific Command headquarters in Hawaii to Indo-Pacific Command to signal a broader regional strategy that has been promoted by Japan and Australia, stretching from the

Western Pacific to the Indian Ocean.Japan has not taken part in the U.S. free-

dom of navigation operations in the South China Sea because doing so could provoke China which could increase its military pres-ence in the East China Sea where the rivals are locked in a dispute over ownership of uninhabited islets known as the Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China.

Amid growing tension over trade and Chinese suspicion of the U.S. intentions toward self-governing Taiwan, Chinese President Xi Jinping in June told the U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis that China was committed to peace but would not yield “even one inch” of territory handed down by its ancestors.

Malaysia, Vietnam, the Philippines and Brunei also claim parts of the South China Sea, which has rich fishing grounds, as well as oil and gas deposits. Taiwan also claims the sea but Japan has no claim to any part of it.

In the Indian Ocean, tension between

China and India has flared over China’s growing presence in the Maldives, which despite long-standing political and securi-ty ties with India has signed up to China’s Belt and Road initiative to build trade and transport links across Asia and beyond.

In order for Japan to take a wider regional role, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s govern-ment has stretched the limits of a post-war pacifist constitution by sending warships, planes and troops on overseas missions.

The Kaga, which is as big as any aircraft carrier operated by the Japanese Imperial Navy in World War Two, is designated as a destroyer to keep it within the bounds of those constitutional restraints.

Based in Kure in western Japan, the Kaga was commissioned in March last year and its primary mission is anti-submarine warfare. Its tour of the South China Sea and Indian Ocean follows a two-month trip to the region from May by the Osumi, an amphibious transport ship.

(Source: Reuters)

Trump administration rolls back college racial diversity guidelines

Nigeria finds bodies of 41 suspected bandits

11 PKK terrorists killed in anti-terror operations in S.E. Turkey

Japanese helicopter carrier to tour South China Sea, Indian Ocean for two months


W O R L D S P O R T S JULY 5, 201814

MOSCOW (Reuters) — Brazil are the favorites in what Bel-gium coach Roberto Martinez described as a “dream match” for his players when the two countries meet in a World Cup quarter-final in Kazan on Friday.

“These two teams are constructed to score and to win matches. Against Brazil, it will not be about ball possession, but what you do with it. That’s what this World Cup is all about,” the Spaniard told Belgian media on Wednesday.

“We know what we are capable of but Brazil are the favorites, putting us into a different role,” he added.

“But it’s a dream match for our players, they were born to play in a match like this. Naturally we want to win but we are not expected to and that is an important difference.”

Martinez saw his side rally from the brink of elimination to snatch a last-gasp 3-2 win over Japan in the Round of 16 on Monday, booking a meeting with the five-time World Cup winners. At times in Rostov-on-Don, Belgium looked hamstrung

by Japan’s pressing tactics and needed more than an hour to unshackle themselves and set about a dramatic come-from-behind victory after falling 2-0 down.

For Friday’s match, the tactics might be simpler.“Against a team like Brazil, you must attack and defend with

11 players. We are not talking about a system but understanding what we must do when we have possession,” the coach added.

“I don’t think it will be a game with many secrets. We have to defend as well as we can and then cause them pain when we have the ball. It can be that simple and this squad is ready for that.”

STARTING OPTIONSMartinez now faces a tricky decision concerning his line-up

with Nacer Chadli and Marouane Fellaini pressing for starts after coming off the bench against Japan to turn the game around in the last half an hour.

“As a coach I have a lot of options with this team but I know in my head what I want to do. We will need power,” he said in

a hint that the physical presence of Fellaini might be deployed from the beginning.

“If we show the same mentality as we did on Monday, we have a big chance.”

Belgium play in a second successive World Cup quarter-final, looking to reach the semi-finals for the second time after they advanced to the last four in Mexico 32 years ago.

“We have worked hard over two years for this and we are as ready as we ever can be. We’ve won all our games, everyone has played and we’ve scored 12 times.

“The game against Japan gave us a big boost,” he said.“There is something special about this squad. If we play

well, we can create a lot of chances. But there is no margin for error. If we give Brazil a chance, they will take it. I think it will be the match of the tournament.”

The winner of the tie will face either France or Uruguay in St Petersburg on July 10.

Agassi open to return to ‘high pressure’ coaching role

Eight-times grand slam champion Andre Agassi is open to a return to coaching despite the challenges he faced in the role while guiding Serbia’s Novak Djokovic last year.

Agassi took on his first coaching role last May, when he joined Djokovic’s team as head coach, but the duo split in March as the 12-time grand slam winner struggled to recover after undergoing elbow surgery. The American former world number one, who retired in 2006, said his first steps into coaching were “challeng-ing, interesting and educational”.

“When I played I never felt pressure but a lot of stress. As a coach I never felt stress but a lot of pressure so that was an inter-esting difference,” Agassi told Britain’s The Telegraph newspaper.

“As a coach you have to make sure you’re saying the right thing at the right time or not saying the wrong thing at the wrong time - there was a lot of pressure to it.”

The 48-year-old did not rule out working with Djokovic again despite the Serb reuniting with his long-time coach Marian Vajda.

“If there are ways that I could help him (Novak Djokovic), he’d have to let me know,” Agassi added.

Agassi, a Wimbledon champion in 1992, expressed his will-ingness to coach anyone who needed it but was unsure about Australian maverick Nick Kyrgios.

“Would I help someone if I could help someone? Of course I would,” Agassi said. “What I think of him (Kyrgios) and his ability and upsides are different to saying you could work with him. You don’t know if somebody wants to be worked with.”

(Source: Reuters)

Rumors of a potential transfer that would send Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid to Italian champions Juventus led the front pages of multiple daily sport newspapers in Europe on Tuesday.

Sources close to Ronaldo told ESPN that Juventus have made an offer to Real Madrid for the Portuguese superstar but that no decision has been reached by any party at this point, despite an earlier unverified report in Spain saying the clubs had agreed on a deal.

Juventus did not reply to a request for comment on Tuesday night. Marca in Spain and A Bola in Portugal led their Tuesday print editions by amplifying a claim made on Spanish TV station La Sexta’s “Jugones” show on Monday night that Real Madrid had agreed to sell Ronaldo to Juventus for €100 million.

The newspapers cited the TV report in their own discussions of a potential transfer, but did not confirm that the deal has already been agreed.

ESPN Deportes’ Paola Nunez reported that the “Jugones” story means that Real Madrid are at least considering the possibility of negotiations with Juventus. Any transfer would still require Ronaldo to leave and agree personal terms on a new contract. The “Jugones” report said Juventus would offer to make Ronaldo the highest-paid player in their history at €30m a year.

Juventus CEO Giuseppe Marotta met with Ronaldo’s agent Jorge Mendes last week while finalizing the signing of another client, Portugal full-back Joao Cancelo.

Ronaldo threw his future into doubt in May by talking about Real Madrid in the past tense after beating Liverpool in the Cham-pions League final, voicing frustration over long-stalled talks with club president Florentino Perez about an improved contract.

A source close to Ronaldo told ESPN in June that he remained determined to leave Real Madrid this summer, though he would only consider a move to England, France or Italy.

(Source: Soccernet)

OXFORD, Miss. (AP) — Former Mississippi head football coach Billy Kinard has died at the age of 84.

The University of Mississippi said Monday that Kinard died Saturday at his home in Fort Payne, Alabama after an extended illness. Kinard was a defensive back and halfback in the 1950s under Ole Miss legend Johnny Vaught, with the Rebels winning Southeastern Conference championships in 1954 and 1955 and playing in two Sugar Bowls and one Cotton Bowl.

When Vaught retired after a heart attack in 1970, Ole Miss promoted star football alumnus Frank “Bruiser” Kinard from assistant football coach to athletic director and hired younger brother Billy as head football coach.

Billy Kinard was a success at first, leading the Rebels to a 10-2 record in 1971 including a Peach Bowl victory over Georgia Tech. But Kinard’s record fell to 5-5 in 1972 and then 1-2 at the start of 1973. Vaught returned from retirement to replace Billy Kinard and also became athletic director.

Billy Kinard was selected in the second round of the 1956 National Football League draft and played professional football for four years, including 1956 with the Cleveland Browns, 1957 and 1958 with the Green Bay Packers and 1960 with the Buffalo Bills of the then-American Football League.

Before his head coaching turn at Ole Miss, Billy Kinard was an assistant coach for defensive backs at Auburn, Florida, Georgia and Arkansas. After he left Ole Miss, he coached one year at Gardner-Webb in North Carolina. Billy Kinard also played base-ball at Ole Miss, earning All-Southeastern Conference honors in 1956 when the team finished third in the College World Series. Besides Bruiser, a tackle who was inducted into both the college and pro football halls of fame, Billy Kinard had another two older brothers who also played football at Ole Miss.

Ronaldo-to-Juventus rumors played up by European papers

Former Ole Miss football coach Billy Kinard dies at 84

Colombia striker Radamel Falcao accused American referee Mark Geiger of bias in the South Americans’ World Cup round-of-16 loss on Tuesday, telling reporters after the match “he always made calls to favor England.”

Colombia were whistled for 23 of the game’s 36 fouls, and received six of the eight yellow cards in a contentious affair at the Spartak Stadium in Moscow. Geiger also called a penal-ty against Colombia midfielder Carlos Sanchez which led to England’s only goal during open play. And Falcao expressed his displeasure with what he perceived to be clear favoritism toward the Three Lions. “I found it peculiar that they put an American referee in this instance,” the Monaco man said. “To tell you the truth, the process leaves a lot of doubts. He only spoke English, some bias was certain. Through small calls he was pushing us [toward] our goal, that was clear for me.”

Aside from the foul discrepancy, Colombia nearly matched England in possession and total shots, and managed to register two more shots on target before the match went ultimately to penalties, where they fell 4-3.

“The referee disturbed us a lot, in the 50-50 plays, he al-

ways made the calls in favor of England,” Falcao said. “This situation was undermining us. He didn’t act with the same criteria for both teams. “When in doubt he always went to the England side. It’s shameful that this happens in the round of 16 of a World Cup.”

Tuesday’s match was not the first time Geiger has been accused of improper behavior at this summer’s World Cup.

FIFA and sources close to the referee last month denied

accusations from Morocco’s Nordin Amrabat that Geiger asked for a Portugal player’s shirt during the North African country’s 1-0 loss to the Portuguese.

Morocco also complained about the 43-year-old’s perfor-mance after the match, which was his first on-field assignment at the event, and midfielder Amrabat raised the prospect of bias by Geiger in an interview with Dutch broadcaster NOS.

“I don’t know what [Geiger] is used to, but he was very impressed by Cristiano [Ronaldo],” Amrabat said. “I’ve been just told by Pepe that in the [first half], he asked if he could have his shirt. Come on, man. What are we talking about? ... We are at the World Cup, not a circus here.”

Tuesday’s match was the third in which Geiger has been in charge. The other was South Korea’s 2-0 victory over Ger-many in the group stage. Back in 2014, Geiger became the first American to referee a World Cup knockout-stage game when he worked France’s 2-0 round-of-16 win over Nigeria.

Geiger also was the referee for Colombia’s World Cup opener in 2014 -- a 3-0 victory over Greece.

(Source: ESPN)

Falcao accuses American referee Mark Geiger of favoring England

He never goes out without his maté [a tea-like infusion popular in South America], speaks perfect Spanish, and has a daughter whose godfather is a Uruguayan central defender. But if you think we are talking about a Celeste player, then you would be wrong.

The man in question is France striker Antoine Griezmann, who spoke to us about the upcoming quarter-final between the two sides, an occasion that is sure to be an emotional one for a player who describes Uruguay as his “second country”.

Just hours after helping France beat Argentina to move into the last eight at the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™, the Bleus front man was marvelling at Uruguay’s defeat of Portugal. “I’m very emotional about them qualifying because I love the country and the people,” explained Griez-mann. “I’ve got a lot of friends there. It’s going to be a great game to play in and a really emotional experience too.”

The France man, who even describes his style of play as “Uruguayan, not unlike Cavani”, began his love affair with the country of three million at Real Socie-dad, where his coach was Martin Lasarte. Thrown in at the deep end by the former Uruguayan player, Griezmann was tak-en under the wing of another Charrua, team-mate Carlos Bueno.

It was the ex-Paris Saint-Germain man who introduced Grizou to maté – which the Frenchman now takes with him on every trip – and who made him fall in love with another of his former clubs: Penarol.

Griezmann is such a diehard, in fact, that he never misses a match and knows all the fans’ songs.

“I’ve always had at least one or two Uruguayans at my clubs,” said Griezmann, who hung out with Diego Ifran at the San Sebastian club and then Christian Rodriguez on his arrival at Atletico Madrid, where he has also formed close friendships with Jose Gimenez and Diego Godin.

“Diego is a great friend,” continued the France forward. “I’m with him every day, on and off the pitch, and that’s why he’s the godfather of my daughter. He made me want to sign for the club.” Discussing the Frenchman’s love of all things Uru-guayan, Godin said: “He loves who we are, our customs and our music, and he drinks more mate than me.”

Aside from his feelings for the country, the 27-year-old attacker also appreciates the playing style of a nation that won the inaugural FIFA World Cup in 1930. “The way they play and their spirit remind me of my club: very tough at the back and lethal up front. To my mind, Edinson Cavani is the best striker. He works for the team, he’s always calling for the ball, and he never gives up on anything. And when he’s in the box, he just needs a touch or two to get a shot off.”

An integral part of Antoine Griezmann’s career, Uruguay and he are about to come together again, but this time on opposing sides of the pitch, in a love match in which there can be no room for sentiment.

(Source: FIFA)

MOSCOW (Reuters) — China wants to host the World Cup one day and FIFA is looking at the idea; but soccer fans around the world might be forgiven for thinking that a Chinese World Cup is already reality.

From stadiums across Russia, pitchside advertising displays, beamed worldwide on television, carry many messages in Manda-rin, undecipherable to most viewers, and unfamiliar Chinese logos leavening a diet of German sportswear and American soft drinks.

Also notable have been crowds of Chi-nese fans, getting into the spirit of Russia 2018 — even though their team is not even here. Before the tournament, Chinese bought over 40,000 tickets, two thirds as many as Germans and more than the English.

Soccer is growing fast in China under President Xi Jinping, and Chinese brands are using the World Cup to reach viewers at home. But many also see it as a way to enter new markets.

Eli Lavi, deputy general manager in Russia for consumer electronics maker Hisense, said sponsoring FIFA’s World Cup was part of a strategy to build the brand abroad: “Hisense’s future lies outside of China,” he said. “In China... they are number one in TV and a very well-known brand, and 10 years ago they decided to reach out the worldwide market.”

“It is the march of the Chinese brands and the millions of fans that are becoming more and more attracted to football,” Andy Sut-herden, global head of sports and partnership marketing at Hill and Knowlton Strategies, said of this year’s World Cup.

At Nielsen Sports, which tracks sponsor-

ship money going into FIFA, global manag-ing director Glenn Lovett said that Chinese interest has helped FIFA President Gianni Infantino offset a drop in income elsewhere following the corruption scandal which felled his predecessor Sepp Blatter.

Nielsen Sports calculated that FIFA has exceeded budgeted revenue, by $200 mil-lion, to reach $1.65 billion in sponsorship income for this budgetary cycle. “An increase in investment from Chinese companies this World Cup cycle has helped FIFA to exceed its initial sponsorship revenue expectations,” Lovett said.

“China is an increasingly important market for FIFA. With interest around the sport in China growing, it is unsurprising that more Chinese brands are engaging with the World Cup.”

FIFA spokespeople declined comment for this article.

FUTURE HOST FIFA last month awarded the 2026 com-

petition hosting rights to the United States, Canada and Mexico, after Gulf emirate Qatar in 2022.

Neither FIFA nor Beijing will confirm an interest having the next, 2030, World Cup in China, but Xi told Infantino last year that China hope one day to host and the FIFA president, on a visit to him, wished for “many future projects together”.

With the organization targeting getting 60 percent of the entire world’s population involved in the game — and 20 percent of the world living in China — cooperation will be key.

Griezmann, a true Bleu with a Sky Blue affinity

China’s World Cup one day? It’ s already here

Playing ‘favorites’ Brazil a dream for Belgium: Martinez

“Feel the power of dream at 2018 World Cup”

S P O R T S 15I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y

Karim Ansarifard linked with BesiktasTASNIM — Turkish Super League football team Be-siktas have shown interest in signing Iran international striker Karim Ansarifard.

Ansarifard scored 17 goals for Olympiacos in the Greek league last season and has already said the team is his home but after his worthy performance in the 2018 World Cup he will likely join another team in the summer transfer window.

Ansarifard scored Iran’s only goal in the World Cup from the penalty spot in the match against Portugal.

Now, Besiktas president Fikret Orman has expressed his satisfaction to sign the 28-year-old striker.

Another Turkish giant Fenerbahce also want to hire Ansarifard.

The Eredivisie teams Heerenveen and Utrecht had previously shown interest in signing the former Osasuna player.

Mohammad Mousavi on Stocznia Szczecin’s radar

IRNA — Iranian national volleyball team’s middle blocker Seyed Mohammad Mousavi has been linked with a move to Plusliga’s Stocznia Szczecin.

The 31-year-old player is a member of Sarmayeh Bank Tehran Club.

Mousavi missed the majority gamed on Volleyball nations League due to injury.

Stocznia Szczecin is currently in the 14th place with 4 wins out of 15 matches.

Stocznia Szczecin, which was founded in 2003 by former volleyball player and owner of Espadon Company Jakub Markiewicz, based in Szczecin.

The club was promoted to the highest level of Polish volleyball league - PlusLiga in 2016.

In April 2018, a few matches before the end of the regular round of the 2017–18 PlusLiga, club has changed the name from Espadon Szczecin to Stocznia Szczecin.

Iran U16 football team to play Milan, Inter

TASNIM —Iran U16 football team will hold a camp in Italy as part of preparation for the AFC U-16 Champi-onship 2018.

The Iranian team have been drawn with Vietnam, Indonesia and India in Group C of the competition.

Iran are going to hold a training camp in Milan in August and will reportedly play two friendly matches with Inter Milan and AC Milan youth teams.

The AFC U16 Championship Malaysia is on September 20 - October 7 with participation of 16 teams.

The top four teams of the tournament will qualify for the 2019 FIFA U17 World Cup in Peru as the AFC representatives.

Algeria lists Carlos Queiroz as Madjer’s replacement

PLDC — Iran national football team coach Carlos Que-iroz has been listed as one of the nominees to replace Rabah Madjer.

The Algeria Football Federation recently dismissed Rabah Madjer following a poor run of results that saw the national team lose to Iran, Saudi Arabia, Cape Verde and Portugal in their last four friendlies.

Queiroz has yet to agree to extend his stay as Team Melli coach despite claims by the president of the coun-try’s football federation that the Portuguese would lead the team at January’s Asian Cup finals.

The ex-Real Madrid coach has been also linked with a move to South Africa and Egypt.

Nearly 24m watch England penalty win

England’s World Cup penalty shootout victory over Co-lombia on July 3rd was watched by 23.6 million viewers on ITV, according to overnight figures.

More people tuned in for the nail-biting climax be-tween 9:50-9:55pm than at any other time since the 2012 Olympic closing ceremony. At this point in the game, 81 per cent of people watching TV in the UK were tuned into ITV.

An average audience of 20.1 million watched the game in its entirety, A record 3.3 million people also watched online via the ITV Hub, ITV said.

England will now face Sweden in the quarter-finals. The game will air on BBC1 on the afternoon of July 7th.

The victory over Colombia ended the “curse of ITV” – which had seen England lose every one of their World Cup matches broadcast on the commercial network (with just one exception) over the last 20 years.

(Source: BBC)

Rostov-on-Don: Japan midfielder Makoto Hasebe said the Samurai Blue have made clear progress under his captain-cy over three FIFA World Cups and that it will be on his successor to take the team to the next level

Hasebe, 34, has skippered Japan since the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, where Takeshi Okada’s side went out in the Round of 16 on penalties to Paraguay following a 0-0 draw in 120 minutes.

On Monday, Japan again failed to clear the last 16 hurdle against Belgium, who came back from two goals down midway through the second half to win 3-2, elimi-nating Akira Nishino’s charges from the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

Hasebe, though, said Japan’s performance on Monday against one of the tournament favorites spoke volumes about the strides his team has taken since he first wore the armband eight years ago.

“To be honest, the Belgian team we went up against today were really, really good,” Hasebe admitted. “Especially in the last 20, 25 minutes when they brought on their big guys, it was tough for us.

“Eight years ago, we played very defensively but today, we talked about how we needed to be the ones to take the initiative, be it when we attack or defend. We didn’t exactly go for broke, but I thought we were clearly a lot more ag-

gressive than we were eight years ago.“It’s difficult to say how far ahead Belgium are at the

moment, but we took the game to them. I’m proud of our team. I was reminded once again how the small mistakes can make a big difference on a stage like this.

“It’s not an easy game to look back and analyse on but, at the end of the day, I think we have to admit that we did not have what it takes to reach the next round.

“We still had some chances when it was 2-2. We felt good about ourselves but, given the way the game ended, I feel more frustrated than disappointed.”

Hasebe revealed that when Nishino took over in April for Vahid Halilhodzic, the first thing the Eintracht Frankfurt man did was to offer to stand down, but Nishino wasn’t

having any of it.Hasebe said he was glad to see Japan have the run they

had at this FIFA World Cup under the former Gamba Osaka coach.

“The coach changed two months ago and we didn’t have a whole lot of time to work with,” Hasebe said. “I told him at the very beginning I personally felt responsible for what had happened under the previous coach so I offered to pass on the captaincy to someone younger, and that I would be fully supportive of whoever he chose as the new captain.

“But he had no such plans. I don’t think I did anything in particular to captain the side; the team sort of naturally came together, which made my job easy. I was blessed by great teammates.

“Before the tournament started, we weren’t living up to the standards of our fans. Now that it’s all over, I think the people of Japan can be proud of us. The worst thing that can happen to Japanese football is for the public to be disinterested.

“Even if the reaction is harsh, I want the public to always be interested in the game and that’s what hardens Japanese football. So to have played the way we did at this World Cup is great for our game and the important thing now is to build on this.”

(Source: the-afc)

Hasebe: We took the game to them, I’m proud of our team

TEHRAN — Hossein Zare from Iran took a gold medal in the United World

Wrestling (UWW) Cadet World Championships in men’s freestyle in Zagreb, Croatia on Tuesday.

In a surprising result, 2018 Cadet Asian champi-on Zare took out 2017 Cadet World champion Daniel Kerkvliet from the U.S. in the 110 kg final.

The combination of three step outs and two takedowns gave Zare a 7-4 edge and his first Cadet World title.

Furthermore, 2018 Cadet Asian champion Moham-

madreza Ghiyasi from Iran lost to Dmitrii Elkanov from Russia 6-2 at 80 kg.

With just four seconds left, Elkanov threw Ghiyasi with double overhooks to take the lead on criteria. Iran’s corner challenged but it failed, resulting in a 7-6 win for Elkanov and a World title.

Iran’s Mohammad Karimi also won a bronze medal at 65kg.

The gold medal went to Azerbaijan’s Turan Bayramov who beat Russian Inalbek Sheriev 4-1 in final.

Zare wins gold at UWW Cadet World Championships

S P O R T Sd e s k

JULY 5, 2018

Rezaeian, Pouraliganji in Asian XI

S P O R T Sd e s k

Ramin Rezaeian and Morteza Pouraliganji

have been picked in the Asian Team of the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

With Asia now out of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, FOX Sports Asia picks the Asian Team of the Tournament from Russia 2018.

Despite facing a monumental obstacle to overcome in its path the Round of 16, having been pitted against European

giants Spain and Portugal, as well as Morocco, in Group B, Team Melli certainly looked up for the challenge.

It helped having players like Ramin Rezaeian, who never shied away from pitting himself against some famous opponents.

The right-back’s take-no-prisoners approach, as well as his energy in pushing forward, saw him emerge as one of Iran’s top performers.

Furthermore, Morteza Pouraliganji has been named in the World Cup Asian Team.

He currently plays in Qatar with Al Sadd but, if the scouts from Europe were paying any attention to Iran, it should not take long for Pouraliganji to earn a move to the continent.

Pouraliganji is always up for a one-on-one duel and, while not the tallest of center-backs, is excellent

in the air as well.Still, it is his reading of the game

that is arguably his strongest asset and his composure and confidence was a key factor behind an organized and disciplined Iran defense.

Iran goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand, Omid Ebrahimi, who plays as defensive midfielder, and Team Melli striker Sardar Azmoun are among the seven substitutes.

Hong Kong, Jul 4 (AFP) Asian teams weren’t expected to make an impact at the World Cup but a record points haul and some stunning performances against top sides have lifted their hopes for Qatar 2022.

South Korea’s 2-0 dethroning of defending champions Germany could have been viewed as a one-off, if not for Japan’s heartbreaking defeat to star-studded Belgium days later in the last 16.

Iran also came desperately close to beating Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal, the European title-holders, in another sign that smaller teams may be closing the gap on the game’s traditional powers.

None of the Asian Football Confederation teams reached the quarter-finals, extending a barren run which stretches back to the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea.

But Japan, South Korea and Iran departed Russia with their heads held high and posi-

tive expectations for Qatar 2022, when the World Cup returns to AFC territory for the first time in 20 years.

“The AFC nations can take great encour-agement from this year’s World Cup,” Andy Jackson of FourFourTwo magazine told AFP.

“(They) can look forward to 2022 and an AFC-hosted World Cup in Qatar with the hope of being one of the nations causing some of the famous upsets we’ve seen so far in Russia.” AFC teams amassed 15 points in Russia, their best showing yet -- and over-shadowing Africa’s representatives Egypt, Morocco, Nigeria, Tunisia and Senegal, who went home after the group stage with 11 points between them.

However, Saudi Arabia, another AFC side, never recovered from their 5-0 spanking by Russia in the tournament’s opening game, and Australia -- the Asian champions -- also had a World Cup to forget.

Despite looking competitive in their group games against France, Denmark and Peru, the Socceroos failed to win a game and they went home without scoring a goal from open play.

Out of the Asian teams, Japan emerged with the most credit after they reached the last 16 and were 2-0 up against Belgium with 21 minutes to go -- before the Belgians launched one of the great World Cup come-backs, clinching a 3-2 win in injury time.

“Japan showed great quality and character to battle bravely with one of the best teams in the tournament,” said AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa.

“Their success exemplifies the great pro-gress of Asian teams to stand proud with the world’s elite.” Japan’s image was also burnished by images of their fans tidying up stadiums after games -- while a picture of Japan’s spotless changing room, with a thank you note in Russian, went viral after

the Belgium defeat.“This Japanese team and its support-

ers left with their heads held high and their standing and respect in world football greatly enhanced,” Jackson said

Roll on 2022: Asia seeks more World Cup shocks in Qatar

TEHRAN – Persian literature aficionados and experts on Per-sian mathematician, astronomer and poet Omar Khayyam will

come together at Tehran’s Niavaran Cultural Center today to celebrate the Khayyam millennium.

This is one of the numerous meetings arranged to mark the millennium, the Iranian Society of Cultural Works and Luminaries that is the organizer of the meetings said in a press release on Wednesday.

Serbian professor Darko Tanaskovic, who is also the permanent delegate of Serbia to UNESCO, is among the foreign scholars that will attend the first meeting.

In addition, Hungarian sculptor András Sándor Kocsis, whose statue of Khayyam is set up in a Hungarian city, will attend the meeting.

A Hungarian translation of the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam by Sándor Kocsis was previously published with illustrations by Gizella Varga Sinai, a Hungar-ian artist who lives in Iran. Varga Sinai has also been invited to the meeting.

Experts from Russia and Qatar are among the guests and Iranian experts, including Gholamhossein Dinani, Abdollah Anvar, Gholamreza Avani, Ahmad Tamimdari and Yunes Keramati, will deliver speeches.

Iranian musician Christophe Rezai is scheduled to give a performance based on the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam.

Khayyam is chiefly known to English-speaking readers through the trans-lation by the English writer Edward Fitzgerald of a collection of his rubaiyat (quatrains) in the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam (1859).

“Khayyam, Geometry, Mathematics”, “Khayyam, Iranian Islamic Philoso-phy”, “Khayyam and Wisdom” and “Khayyam and Music” are among the topics to be discussed at the meeting.

TEHRAN – An organizer of the 3rd International American Human Rights

Festival, an Iranian event that honors artistic creations focusing on cases of human rights violations by the U.S., has predicted that the country will disintegrate in ten years.

Hojjatoleslam Ali Mehrabi, the deputy director of the Basij Organization of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), made the comment during the closing ceremony of the festival in Tehran on Tuesday.

“The U.S. government violates human rights in some of its states and opposition groups are badly treated in the country,” he said.

“Blacks and Indians are provided with minimal services; they need support and we will support them inshallah,”

he added.He pointed to some case of human rights violations by

the U.S. and said, “Hollywood has so far produced over 180 movies against the Indians, which are the earliest inhabitants of the country.”

He also added, “The U.S. government also provided services for members of the MKO, which has killed over 17,000 Iranians in their terrorist attacks.”

The IRGC, the Art Bureau of the Islamic Ideology Dissemination Organization, Fars News Agency and Imam Sadiq University are among the organizers of the International American Human Rights Festival, which is held in categories such as poetry, short story, poster and cartoon.

No. 18, Bimeh Alley, Nejatollahi St., Tehran, IranP.o. Box: 14155-4843

Zip Code: 1599814713

Prayer Times Noon:13:09 Evening: 20:45 Dawn: 4:09 (tomorrow) Sunrise: 5:54 (tomorrow) JULY 5, 2018

Managing Director: Ali Asgari Editor-in-Chief: Mohammad Ghaderi

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Graceful but lethal ‘Wasp’ joins Marvel forces in new film adventure

Need a World Cup mural? Russian paints giant portrait of his wife on Moscow wallMOSCOW (Reuters) — The head of a Russian advertising agency tasked with decorating Moscow facades ahead of the soccer World Cup used the opportunity to commission a 12-storey high mural of his wife.

The portrait shows Novatek Art director Ivan Panteleev’s wife Daria in a gym kit holding a football against the backdrop of a bright blue sky. Cartoon birds fly around her.

“This is the mural with which we are welcoming all foreigners to Russia and inviting them to the soccer games!” Novatek Art wrote in a description of the picture on social media.

The funding for the facade in Zhulebino district came from the Moscow city budget, Panteleev told Reuters. It is one of four World Cup murals co-sponsored by the city’s public relations committee.

“It’s true that the model for this painting was my wife,” Panteleev said, adding that with such large paintings artists need to rely on a photograph and in this case the model was his wife.

He said one of the two painters is Thai graffiti artist Mue Bon, whose visit to Russia was sponsored by a government department for another Novatek Art project related to the World Cup.

The portrait, unveiled before the World Cup began on June 14, has drawn the ire of many in Russia’s street art community.

“Usually (Ivan) says his critics

are just jealous. In this case – we’re definitely jealous. Don’t we all wish we had husbands like that, right ladies?” gallery director Anna Nistratova wrote in a sarcastic post on her Facebook page.

Daria Panteleeva defended her portrait.

“If an artist or an organizer is commissioned to paint a ‘blonde Russian woman with a ball’... why should anyone care if the artist paints a woman they know or a stranger?” Panteleeva replied to the public social media post.

A filmed trailer for the World Cup series of facades, showing how Panteleeva was spray-painted onto the building, was a news item on Russia’s state-controlled Channel 1 television network.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) — Long before filming began, actress Evangeline Lilly had an idea of the fighting style she wanted to display with her Marvel superhero char-acter, the Wasp.

Lilly, known for her role on science-fic-tion television series “Lost”, said she worked with stunt women to distinguish the Wasp’s moves from those of Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow or Marvel’s male superheroes.

“I wanted her to move in a way that honored the comic book, which meant she would move in a very elegant, femi-nine, graceful way, and still look lethal,” Lilly said in an interview ahead of the re-lease of “Ant-Man and the Wasp,” which starts rolling out in worldwide theaters on Wednesday.

The movie is Marvel’s 20th feature film and the first to spotlight a female character in the title.

“It’s about time, right?” said Paul Rudd, who plays Ant-Man and was also one of the film’s writers. The pair modeled their relationship after on-screen crime-fighting duos with “this charged, kind of playful and mildly annoyed at one another dynamic,” he said, adding: “She’s as bad ass as it gets.”

Lilly also wanted audiences to see her sweat as she and Rudd raced to rescue vitally important stolen technology, according to director Peyton Reed, who worked with the actress even before the script was written to develop the character.

“Evangeline was very specific,” Reed said, “like ‘I don’t want to be glam. I want to sweat after I fight’ ... and ‘I want it to

feel real like what a woman would feel like in this suit.”

“Ant-Man and the Wasp” is a sequel to 2015 movie “Ant-Man.” In that film, Lilly’s character, Hope van Dyne, does not learn until the movie’s end that her father has built a suit that gives her power to transform to various sizes and fly. The characters often shrink to insect-like proportions to avoid obstacles and detection.

After April’s over-the-top epic “Aveng-ers: Infinity War”, Marvel also downsized the story for “Ant-Man and the Wasp”, focusing on a small group of characters and a quest to reunite with Hope’s mother.

“In some sense, this is an old-fashioned family movie,” said Michael Douglas, who plays Hope’s father, Hank Pym.

The movie does give a clue as to how Ant-Man and the Wasp fit into the events of “Infinity War”.

“Definitely stick around for the end credits,” Reed said.

ZURICH (Reuters) — A Swiss museum will retain ownership of a Paul Cezanne painting in a Nazi-era collection after agreeing to exhibit the work regularly at a museum in the French artist’s hometown of Aix-en-Provence, the artist’s heirs said on Tuesday.

La Montagne Sainte-Victoire, a landscape from 1897, is among works amassed by German art dealer Hildebrand Gurlitt after he was enlisted by the Nazis to sell so-called “degenerate” modern art they had seized from German museums.

His son, Cornelius Gurlitt, kept the trove stored in his Munich apartment for decades, before leaving it to the Bern Museum of Fine Arts when he died at 81 in 2014.

In a statement, Cezanne’s heirs acknowledged the painting had not been stolen by the Nazis, at least according to available information, but said there was a gap in its provenance before it became part of the Gurlitt collection after 1940.

They held discussions with the museum in the Swiss capital that resulted in the agreement announced on Tuesday.

“This solution in the spirit of the Swiss-

French friendship and partnership allows two great museums, Bern Museum of Fine Art and the Musee Granet in Aix-en-Provence, to show a masterpiece by our grandfather Paul

Cezanne for the benefit and enjoyment of a great audience,” Philippe Cezanne said in the statement.

“It is a work that until 1940 was owned by the Cezanne family,” the Bern museum said. “When and under which circumstances Hildebrand Gurlitt acquired the work remains unclear.”

The painting is part of the museum’s exhibition “Gurlitt: Status Report; Part 2 Nazi Art Theft and Its Consequences”, which runs until July 15.

At an unspecified future date, it will be lent to the Musee Granet.

The Bern museum said the agreement had been reached without money changing hands.

“Instead, the agreement was carried by mutual trust and the spirit of partnership and cooperation,” it said.

The painting is among more than 80 works Cezanne painted of the Montagne Sainte-Victoire, a limestone ridge in southern France.

A man walks past an apartment building decorated with a mural showing Daria Panteleeva, wife of the owner of Novatek Art, a Russian advertising agency whose World Cup themed facades are co-funded by the Russian government, on the out-skirts of Moscow, Russia June 30, 2018. (Reuters/Tatyana Makeyeva)

“Ant-Man and The Wasp” star Evangeline Lilly

Scholars to celebrate Khayyam millennium in Tehran

A marble statue of the Persian poet and scientist Omar Khayyam by Iranian sculptor Hossein Fakhimi is seen after being unveiled during a special ceremony at the David L. Boren College of International Studies at the University of Oklahoma on March 30, 2016. (The Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans)

“Weavers of Imagination” goes to American festival

TEHRAN – Iranian filmmaker Sadeq Jafari’s acclaimed documentary “Weavers of Imagina-

tion” will be competing at the American Psychological Association Film Festival during August.

The documentary is about the work of a group of carpet weavers in Iran who weave in an unconventional way: using Braille to guide their work. These weavers are sightless, and their work has brought additional purpose to their lives, which have become interwoven as well, as they celebrate triumphs and milestones together.

The festival will take place in Washington from August 9 to 12.Produced at Iran’s Documentary and Experimental Film

Center, “Weavers of Imagination” has been acclaimed at sev-eral international events.

The film won the best foreign-language documentary award at the Cardiff International Film Festival in Wales in October 2017. It also won the best short film award at the Derby Film Festival in the UK in May 2018.

Ischia festival to screen “Kupal”, “Limit”

TEHRAN – Kazem Mollai’s drama “Kupal” and Javad Darai’s acclaimed short film “Limit”,

both from Iran, are competing in the 16th Ischia Film Festival now underway on the Italian volcanic island, the organizers have announced.

Starring Levon Haftvan who died of a heart attack in March, “Kupal” tells the story of a hunter and a taxidermist called “Dr. Ahmad Kupal”. On the last day of the year, just moments before the arrival of the New Year, he faces an unexpected challenge.

“Limit” tells the story of a desperate man who frantically pleads with strangers to accom-pany him to his home, without being clear on his intentions.

The two Iranian films are competing with films from Russia, Bulgaria, Hungary, Italy, Canada and several others.

The winners will be announced on Saturday.

A scene from “Weavers of Imagination” by Iranian filmmaker Sadeq Jafari

Iranian musician to perform at SF World Percussion Arts Festival

TEHRAN – Iranian musician Pezhham Akha-vass will give a performance at the 2018 San

Francisco World Percussion Arts Festival, the organizers have announced.

Akhavass is scheduled to play daf and tonbak, two Iranian percussion instruments, at the festival, which will be running on July 21 and 22.

Japanese legendary taiko drummers Yoshikazu Fujimoto and Yoko Fujimoto will be the special guests of the festival.

Abbas Kasimov from Uzbekistan and percussionist Faisal Zedan from Syria are among other musicians invited to the festival.

A poster for “Kupal” by Kazem Mollai

Pezhham Akhavass in an undated photo

Festival organizer forecasts collapse of U.S. in 10 years

Deputy director of IRGC Basij Organization Hojjatoleslam Ali Mehrabi speaks during the closing ceremony of the 3rd International American Human Rights Festival at Andisheh Hall in Tehran on July 3, 2018. (Fars/Zoheir Seidanlu)

Swiss museum, Cezanne heirs reach deal over painting in Nazi-era trove

Director Nina Zimmer (center L) and head of provenance research Nikola Doll (center R) of the Kunstmuseum Bern art museum at a news conference after the arrival of the first artworks from the Dossier Gurlitt in Bern, Switzerland July 7, 2017. (Reuters/Arnd Wiegmann)

2 Austria says U.S. sanctions violate human rightsa website running under Iran Trade Promotion Organization), Seif informed. According to the governor, the second - ary market will

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