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12602
W W W . T E H R A Iran opens talks with Siemens, Rolls-Royce on energy investment N T I M E S . C O M 11 Iran to send 63 athletes to Rio 2016 A R T & C U L T U R E 4 S P O R T S E C O N O M Y N A T I O N 2 No threats from Turkish, Armenian events, Iran says 12 “Immortal” honored at Yerevan Golden Apricot film festival I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y Iran calls Ban report ‘biased’ and ‘unbalanced’ 2 12 Pages Price 10,000 Rials 38th year No.12602 Tuesday JULY 19, 2016 Tir 29, 1395 Shawwal 14, 1437 Iran to name international oil companies eligible to take part in tenders U.S. gets ‘low mark’ in JCPOA: Zarif POLITICAL TEHRAN — Iranian Foreign Minister Mod e s k hammad Javad Zarif has said that the U.S. gets a “low mark” in implementing the nuclear deal, officially called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. However, in an interview with the IRIB aired on Monday, Zarif said generally the JCPOA gets a “good mark” given the international atmosphere. Iran and the 5+1 group - the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany) finalized the text of the JCPOA in Vienna on 14 July, 2015. 2 DUBAI (Reuters) — Iran will issue a preliminary list of international energy companies eligible to take part in tenders to develop its oil and gas fields within the next two weeks, a senior Iranian oil official said on Monday. “Not all foreign companies active in the oil industry can participate in Iran’s tenders,” Ali Kardor, managing director of the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC), was quoted as saying by the oil ministry’s news agency SHANA on Monday. “Only those international companies that meet the standards of NIOC will be chosen.” Kardor said that, apart from U.S. companies, there were only around 37 companies in the world that might meet Iran’s standards. He said companies would only be eligible that are registered as exploration and production or international oil companies and are also rated by Standard & Poor’s, Moody’s or Fitch credit rating agencies. “After creating the first list of international companies, a limited tender will be held,” Kardor added. The tenders will be based on Iran’s new oil and gas contracts (IPCs) which have yet to be unveiled after some amendments. Clashes in Kashmir: 40 killed, 2000 injured At least 40 people are now confirmed dead and over 2,000 others injured following days of violent clashes between protesters in Kashmir and Indian forces, but the government has put the number of fatalities at 36. Clashes erupted after Burhan Wani, a top figure in the pro-independence Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) group, was killed along with two others in a shootout with Indian troops on July 8. With a curfew entering its eleventh straight day, medical sources have expressed serious concern that a severe lack of blood donations and life-saving medicines could cause more deaths. Anti-riot troops have used live ammunition, pellet guns and tear gas to disperse the crowds and calm down the outrage over the past few days. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi sought its cooperation in ensuring the passage of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill and commended all parties for speaking in “one voice” on Kashmir which has been rocked by protests over the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani. 9 4 Iran seeks more aircraft as questions linger over earlier deals Iran has expanded its search for aircraft and is looking to order dozens more jets while it continues to try to overcome hurdles to deals worth some $50 billion with Airbus and Boeing, Iranian officials and Western industry sources said. Iranian airline executives attended the Farnborough Airshow in Britain over the past week and held preliminary discussions with several potential sellers including Japan’s Mitsubishi, which is developing a new regional jet, they said. “Iran is planning to buy some 50 more airplanes of various types soon,” an Iranian official said. At the same time, Iran is continuing to meet Airbus and Boeing to try to resolve headaches surrounding the financing of existing deals to buy some 200 jetliners, needed to renew its fleet. Earlier this year, the world’s two largest plane-makers struck provisional deals with Iran Air under an agreement between Tehran and world powers to ease sanctions in exchange for curbs on Iran’s nuclear activities. “Yes, there are problems, financial and political, but there have been several meetings with Boeing and Airbus top authorities particularly in the past few weeks in order to resolve the issue and to find a way to overcome the remaining obstacles,” an Iranian official close to the talks said. Boeing representatives are expected to visit Iran before the end of the month to discuss the mechanics of their tentative deal to sell or lease 109 jets to Iran Air. The U.S. House of Representatives this month passed a measure that could, if confirmed by the Senate and barring a presidential veto, block sales of Boeing and Airbus aircraft to Iran because they use a large number of U.S. components. 4 Iranian-made solar car to take north-south trip Evidence suggests World’s first farmers originated from Iran PERSPECTIVE By Heydar Soheyli Isfahani Children riding on elephant back S O C I E T Y TEHRAN — d e s k The Ghazal-3, an Iranian-made solar car, will take a trip extending 2700 kilometers from north of Iran to south, IRNA news agency reported. The journey will start from Anzali free zone, neighboring the Caspian Sea, and will culminate in Kish Island in the Persian Gulf. According to Karen Abrinia, a professor at Tehran University School of Mechanical Engineering and the Ghazal solar car project manager, the car will take the route passing the cities of Rasht, Qazvin, Tehran, Qom, Kashan, Isfahan, Yazd, Shiraz, Bandar-Abbas, and ending in Kish Island. The Ghazal-3 is the most recent edition of an the Ghazal-1 which was first designed and built by a group of university students in 2004 and received Kharazmi International Award in 2005, Abrinia explained, adding, the Ghazal-2 was built in 2009 and took part in a solar car race held in Australia. The four-wheel Ghazal-3 with two seats which was designed and built by 40 students of electrical, mechanical and industrial engineering can ultimately reach the speed of 130 kilometers per hour, he added. Abrinia also noted that it took a year to provide finance for the Ghazal-3 project. Developing such cars will make a great difference in protecting the environment and cutting back on the fossil fuel usage which is the primary reason for metropolises air pollution, he highlighted. New evidence reveals skeletal remnants and teeth excavated from the mountains of Zagros, Iran, from four prehistoric individuals provides clues how these humans had a regular diet of native grown crops, as early as 9,000 years ago. More specifically, these human bones found inside the Wezmeh Cave in Zagros are very well preserved where the others are discovered from a site known as Tepe Abdul Hosein which is also located in Iran, dating back to 10,000 years old, according to an international team of scientists from the University College of London and Johannes Gutenberg University. Researchers confirmed that these four individuals possessed very similar genomic signatures, as this new group is now dubbed as Zagros Neolithics.According to anthropologist and population geneticist Joachim Burger from the Johannes Gutenberg University, their genetic makeup was very distinct from modern Europeans and farmer ancestors from Anatolia and Greece. Researchers also estimated that these two populations separated into two some 46,000 to 77,000 years ago. Even if these two ancient farming cultures did not integrate with each other, Burger adds that there was a chance that they exchanged farming knowledge among the two populations. Past studies have suggested how a group of hunter gatherers in the Middle East have first established the concept of agriculture and farmlands some 10,000 years ago, as they migrated to Europe, Asia and Africa as they integrated themselves to local groups. (Source: yibada.com) Turkey realigning foreign policy with a look to the East: expert INTERVIEW By Javad Heirannia TEHRAN — A professor of international politics from the University of Birmingham says Turkey is reviewing its foreign policy with a look to the East and Middle East. “Turkey is realigning its foreign policy to pursue the pre-2011 approach of cooperation for “strategic depth”, in this case, looking to the East and Middle East,” Scott Lucas told the Tehran Times in an interview before the attempted military coup in Turkey. Following is the text of the interview: Q: What did motivate the ruling AKP party in Turkey to drop some of its preconditions to reconcile with Israel? And why did Turkey reconcile with Russia too? A: Turkey is realigning its foreign policy to pursue the pre-2011 approach of cooperation for “strategic depth”, in this case, looking to the East and Middle East. This explains both its reconsideration of relations with Israel, strained by the Gaza Flotilla affair, and with Russia, damaged by the Syrian conflict. Turkey is hoping both for economic benefits from more settled trading relationships and a possible political resolution over issues such as the Syrian crisis. Q: Turkey’s “zero problems” foreign policy practically changed into tensions with its neighbors. Why? A: Turkey’s foreign policy was unsettled primarily --- as was the case with many countries --- by the effects of the Syrian conflict. It is not possible to have “zero problems” given the problems unleashed by the Assad regime’s response to the protests in 2011. Q: What will be the effect of these changes on Turkey itself? Are the terrorist attacks inside Turkey linked to AKP’s foreign policy? A: It is too early to tell how the reconsideration of relations with Israel and Russia will shape foreign policy beyond the near-future. This will turn in large part on whether the situation eases in Syria. The terrorist attacks by the Islamic State inside Turkey are linked to the Syrian crisis and the Islamic State’s belief that its position in the country is under threat. Some 20 years ago when I first translated to Persian a book about the activities of Israeli lobbies in various state bodies in the United States, including Congress, many readers found it amazing and unbelievable the devotion of many congressmen to Tel Aviv’s policies and interests. The ones that could not even digest a phenomenon called lobby in the legislative body were in disbelief when they realized that sometimes some American congressmen put all their effort in ratifying a bill or amending a law that obviously is not in the interest of the United States and even can cause irreparable damages to their country. With the continuation of this trend, the vast and eye catching influence of the Israeli lobby, now the situation is even much worse. The red carpet welcome that congressmen give to the Israeli lobbyists while trying to satisfy their demands, is for being reelected to the Congress for next term; and maybe I can bravely use the vulgar sentence that all these congressmen do such acts in order to get paid and reelected. To make it more clear, at a time of economic depression and meltdown and while the United States needs more income and resources, for some congressmen, blocking a 25-billion dollar deal between Iran and Boeing Company, based on childish excuses is very easy. They only seek to put a smile of pleasure on the face of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. They do not care if such a big business deal benefits a rival country. The significance of Netanyahu’s smile is so important that some congressmen, who actually appear American, order the U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry to come to Congress to ask him: “Mr. Kerry! Did you call the Israeli Prime Minister naive?” And when Mr. Secretary, puzzled and astoundingly mutters, the congressman once again, with an imperious tone that the congressmen used to ask about the “Pearl Harbor” dossier, reiterates: “Did you or did not?” To avoid impeachment the minister, with a fallen head, replies: “No! I did not!” 9 2 I NTE R NATI O NAL DAI LY MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS ILNA Attackers to Saudi diplomatic posts stand trial TEHRAN — A court hearing was held on Monday in Tehran for 21 of the Iranian citizens accused of being engaged in the attacks on diplomatic posts of Saudi Arabia in Tehran and Mashahd, according to ISNA. The Saudis’ missions were put to torch in a public mob triggered by the hanging of prominent Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr in January. A few weeks ago President Hassan Rouhani had urged the judiciary to take action. Saudi Arabia used the attacks as a pretext to severe political ties with Tehran. IRNA Judiciary chief calls for ‘fair’ critique of nuclear deal TEHRAN — The Iranian Judiciary Chief Sadeq Amoli Larijani on Monday called for a “fair” criticism of the nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Amoli Larijani’s call comes days after the first anniversary of the deal and the Foreign Ministry’s briefing of the parliament on the process of the implementation of the agreement. Opponents say the pact has resulted in almost no economic gains, while Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi has labeled the opponent voices as “sanctions beneficiaries.” TA S N I M Majlis security committee members meet chief of staff commander TEHRAN — Members of the Parliament National Security and Foreign Policy Committee met on Monday with Major General Mohammad Baqeri, the newly appointed Armed Forces chief of staff. In the session, the latest regional and domestic developments were discussed. Most likely on agenda should have been the recent border clashes between Iranian forces and militant groups in western and eastern borders Iran shares with Iraq and Pakistan. Also, the failed military coup in Turkey should have been analyzed, following which Iranian forces were on guard. TA S N I M Iran reprimands dissolution of Bahraini opposition bloc TEHRAN — Iran’s Foreign Ministry on Monday deplored a ruling by a Bahraini court which has dissolved Al-Wefaq National Islamic Society, the main opposition bloc in the country, saying such unconstructive measures will only add complexity to the already tumultuous situation in the tiny Arab caliphate. “Such measures (dissolution of opposition group) by the Bahraini government indicate that they (Manama rulers) are not after settling the existing dilemmas and problems, and such conducts will further complicate the situation,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi said on Sunday. I R A N Protecting environment impossible without peace: Ebtekar TEHRAN — Masoumeh Ebtekar, head of the Environment Protection Organization, said on Sunday that it is not possible to protect the environment without prevalence of peace. Ebtekar made the remarks during a conference in Tehran at the presence of Klaus Topfer, a German federal minister for environment, nature conservation and nuclear safety, was present. “One of the strategies to increase environmental cooperation in the world is formation of dialogue among the religions in this area and study various religions’ view on the issue of environment and focus on commonalities in this sphere,” she said, according to the Iran newspaper. F A R S Commander: Iran to sue Western companies for selling faulty cyber war tools TEHRAN — The commander of Iran’s Civil Defense Organization has said cases have been filed and submitted to the Foreign Ministry against faulty devices in cyber war tools that Iran has purchased from Western manufacturers. According to Brigadier General Gholam Reza Jalali, this is while there is domestic capacity to manufacture such equipment. Jalali also described the recent cyber-attacks on Iranian websites as “primitive.” Learning from the Stuxnet virus that ravaged Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility, the country has been beefing up its cyber-attack infrastructure. N A T I O N JULY19, 2016 h t t p : / / w w w . t e h r a n t i m e s . c o m / i n t e r n a t i o n a l No threats from Turkish, Armenian events, Iran says POLITICAL TEHRAN — The depd e s k uty interior minister for security affairs clarified on Monday that the recent developments in Turkey and Armenia had mounted no threats to Iran though security forces were on high alert. As Turkey was emerging securely from a military coup, gunmen seized a police station in Yerevan, Armenia’s capital, taking an unknown number of hostages on Sunday morning. “Domestic developments in Turkey and Armenia posed no threats to our country as we had expected … and from the very beginning of the Turkey developments, borderline provinces were prepared for border controls,” Hossein Zolfaqari told a press conference. Hours after the abortive coup in Turkey late on Friday there were rumors that all Iranian fighter jets had been scrambled to northwestern provinces where Iran share borders Turkey. On extraordinary measures taken by Iran immediately after the coup in Turkey, Zolfaqari said travelling to Turkey was constrained and eased up on Sunday again as of 4 p.m. No Iranian nationals were reportedly among hundreds of people who were killed, wounded, or arrested during the event. Kermanshah attack still under investigation On the recent attack on a lawmaker in Kermanshah province, Zolfaqari said while a lot has been done, no arrest has been made. “No one has been apprehended in this regard yet, but appropriate actions have been taken and some clues have been found…” However he discouraged any speculation about the incident. The official was referring to a recent assassination attack on an MP in the village of Rijab, western Iran. The vehicle carrying Heshmatollah Falahatpisheh, the representative of Eslamabad-e Gharb in Majlis, came under attack by four terrorists as he was travelling to the village of Rijab on July 10. While Falahatpisheh and two more survived the assassination unscathed, sustaining injuries, the driver and head of the Veterinary Department of Dalahou Zolfaqari says: “Domestic developments in Turkey and Armenia posed no threats to our country as we had expected … and from the very beginning of the Turkey developments, borderline provinces were prepared for border controls.” County lost their lives in the shooting. Iran has pointed an accusing finger at the Party of Free Life of Kurdistan (PJAK) over the attempt. Takfiri moves closely watched amid sabotage plots It is now two years Iran has been observing Takfiri groups, Zolfaqari said elsewhere in his remarks. “They are looking for sabotage inside Iran, but our intelligence and military superiority has neutralized all their attempts.” Due to the superiority, terrorist groups have failed to carry out missions inside Iran, while almost all regional countries, including Turkey, have not been secure from blasts. Particularly, this level of security has been possible due to 24/7 patrolling by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) intelligence officers. Over the past two months they have thrashed terrorist cells in eastern areas of the country. In this regard, Zalfaqari blamed terrorist groups for links with regional intelligence services. Iran calls Ban report ‘biased’ and ‘unbalanced’ POLITICAL TEHRAN — The Iranid e s k an Foreign Ministry said on Monday that a draft report prepared by Ban Ki-moon, the UN secretary general, about the observation of the UN 2231 resolution is “biased” and “unbalanced”. The UN resolution, approved on July 20, 2105, endorsed the nuclear deal between Iran and great powers and cancelled all the Security Council resolutions against Iran. “The report has been prepared under the U.S. pressure and its charges against Iran are unfounded,” ministry spokesman Bahram Ghassemi pointed out. The comments came as Reuters quoted Ban as saying in a copy of the report that Iran’s ballistic missile launches “are not consistent with the constructive spirit” of the nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers. Ghassemi said that the report is contrary to spirit of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and even the 2231 resolution. He regretted that the report has avoided demanding the 5+1 group to abide by their commitments to the nuclear deal. The international community expects the UN secretary general to report about the failure of the U.S. and some other 5+1 group states in meeting their obligations, he added. He also said that Iran’s ballistic missiles are not designed to carry nuclear warheads and no one is authorized to comment on Tehran’s defense system. Ghassemi said the JCPOA was a product of “lengthy collective effort” to resolve a “fabricated and unwanted crisis”. All signatories to the JCPOA should meet their obligations and the UN should take supportive actions in order to make it permanent, he added. Elsewhere, he said that Iran has been fulfilling its commitments based on the deal but will take counter action if the other side violates it. Iran and the 5+1 group - the United States, Britain, France, China and Russia plus Germany - finalized the text of the JCPOA in Vienna in July 2015. The agreement took effect in January 2016. Tehran takes first delivery of S-300 air defense system POLITICAL TEHRAN — Iran has received the first d e s k batch of the S-300 air defense system, the Tasnim news agency announced on Monday. Reportedly, Tehran has purchased the S300-PMU2 model, one of the most advanced models of the S-300 family. Although Iran has already installed armed eyes and missile sites in upwards of 3700 point across its mainland, the S-300 system makes the country’s air space most costly for flying objects to penetrate into. Iran paraded parts of the advanced missile battery in Tehran on April 17, ending speculation over Russians’ hesitation to ship the system to Iran. In May, Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan formally confirmed the news, saying Khatam-ol-Anbia Air Defense Base had received the first delivery of S-300. The sale of the S-300, originally concluded in 2007, was repeatedly delayed due to the Western pressure on Russia. In 2010, Dmitry Medvedev, then the Russian president, canceled the deal, citing UN sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program. In addition to the UN arms embargo, the U.S. and Israel heavily lobbied Russia to block the deliver y of the system to Iran, saying it could be used to shield Iran’s nuclear facilities from possible future air strikes. New Foreign Ministry spokesman meets the press By Marjan Golpira TEHRAN — On Monday, the newly appointed Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman had an initial meeting over luncheon with journalists from national media. In the working lunch, held at the Foreign Ministry, Bahram Ghassemi, who replaced Hossein Jaberi Ansari on June 19, expressed hope to continue close cooperation, as was set by his predecessor, with the local media on regional and international affairs. “I hope to be a good colleague to you all during my incumbency.” About a month ago, Ghassemi received his mandate from Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif as the Foreign Ministry press secretary. Ghassemi had been Iran’s ambassador to the Republic of Ireland, Italy, and Spain. He also held posts at the Foreign Ministry departments dealing with the Commonwealth and Western European affairs. He also served as international research deputy chief at the Strategic Research Center of the Expediency Council. Angry by Moscow’s lack of commitment to the pact, Iran sued Russia in the International Court of Arbitration, asking for $950 million of compensation for the contract cancelled by Russia arms export agency Rosoboronexport. Later in 2015 the two sides buried the hatchet as Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree lifting a ban on the deliver y of the S-300 systems to Iran. Since that time, there were conflicting reports as to when Iran would actually receive the system. While it is not clear where battalions of the air defender will be installed, it seems security of sensitive locations, including nuclear sites, are a priority. Govt. quick to clamp down on financial corruption: intelligence chief POLITICAL TEHRAN — Inteld e s k ligence Minister tion,” Alavi said during a meeting with Hojatoleslam Seyyed Ahmad Alamolhoda, the Friday prayer leader of Mashhad. It is necessary to fight corruption if the public trust in the performance of officials is not going to be undermined, Alavi noted. So far, he said, the Intelligence Ministry has fulfilled its duties in the best way in this regard. Alamolhoda praised efforts being made by the Intelligence Ministry in line with maintaining the country’s security. Seyyed Mahmoud Alavi said on Monday that the Rouhani government shows no hesitation in cracking down on financial corruption immediately af ter noticing it. “We (at the Intelligence Ministry) have the responsibility to fight massive economic corruption based on the Leader ’s remarks and the minor issues are upon the other bodies such as the Supreme Auditing Court and the State Inspectorate Organiza- U.S. gets ‘low mark’ in JCPOA: Zarif 1 On July 20, 2015, the UN Security Council turned the JCPOA into international law by endorsing a resolution, setting the stage for the lifting of the Security Council sanctions against Iran. The deal went into effect on January 16, 2016. The Iranian foreign minister also said that a “national consensus” is required to gain benefits from the nuclear deal. He said that the JCPOA “maintained the people’s dignity, recognized their rights, canceled resolutions of the UN Security Council and prevented imposition of new sanctions against the country”. The greatest achievement of the nuclear deal was that the Iranian people proved that nothing can be imposed on them through pressure, the chief diplomat noted. On implementation of the JCPOA, he said that Iran is “serious” in meeting its obligations under the deal and preventing the other side from violating it. Elsewhere, he said that the JCPOA is a “defendable document”. “On the anniversary of reaching the JCPOA, we can tell the Iranian people that the agreement has made them proud at the international arena. The world knows the Iranian people as a nation that resist against pressure and simultaneously is ready to negotiate and meet its obligations and do not allow the other side to renege on its promises,” he stated. h t t p : / / w w w. t e h r a n t i m e s . c o m / i n t e r n a t i o n a l JULY 19, 2016 INTERNATIONAL Suspected militants kill four in attacks in Kazakhstan Suspected extremist militants killed at least three policemen and a civilian in Kazakhstan’s financial capital Almaty on Monday, security sources and witnesses said, and authorities said one gunman was still at large. The attackers targeted a district police station and an office of the KNB (Kazakh National Security Service) state security service. Another shootout occurred on a busy central street where police wounded and detained one of the attackers. President Nursultan Nazarbayev convened an emergency meeting of his security council to discuss the attacks, his office said. The attacks will stoke fears of a growing extremist threat to the oil-producing nation of 18 million. Last month men the authorities described as the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Daesh) terrorist group sympathizers attacked gun stores and a National Guard facility, killing seven people. One security source told Reuters the authorities believed extremist militants were behind Monday’s attacks. Hundreds of nationals from Kazakhstan and other Central Asian nations are known to be fighting alongside the ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq and the authorities have long warned they could return and carry out attacks on home soil. Kazakhstan is far more prosperous than its post-Soviet neighbors and has been ruled with a firm hand by Nazarbayev since 1989. But the fall in global oil prices has hit its economy hard and there have been rare outbreaks of violence and public protests since April, initially caused by discontent over proposed land reforms but swiftly attracting others unhappy about wider issues. Five witnesses told Reuters they heard gunshots in three parts of Almaty, the mainly Muslim nation’s largest city, on Monday. “We saw a man with a rifle,” one shop worker said by phone. Footage uploaded to the internet showed a man pointing an assault rifle at a car he tried and failed to stop. The Interior Ministry said one attacker shot a policeman guarding a police station and then took his automatic rifle. He then shot two more policemen who chased him. The same man then tried to hijack a car, killing its civilian driver. He shot and wounded two more police officers before being wounded himself and detained on a busy street. The ministry did not name the gunman but said the 27-year-old was also suspected of murdering a woman last weekend and had an accomplice who remained at large. A Reuters reporter saw a car that had been rammed by another vehicle in the area where the detention was reported to have taken place. The scene was cordoned off by police carrying assault rifles. Last month, the KNB, successor to the Soviet-era KGB (Komitet gosudarstvennoy bezopasnosti/Committee for State Security), said it had detained several members of a group planning “terrorist acts using improvised explosive devices.” (Source: Reuters) Mosul residents revolt against ISIL Sadr says U.S. troops are targets Residents in several neighborhoods in the Iraqi city of Mosul have reportedly staged an uprising against the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Daesh) terrorist group — which holds the city — killing at least five terrorists. Armed clashes erupted between the residents of the Bab al-Jadid neighborhood in central Mosul and ISIL terrorists late on Sunday, a local source told Iraq’s al-Sumaria news website on Sunday. The uprising has led to the expulsion of the ISIL terrorists from their positions in the area and the death of two terrorists. Two vehicles belonging to the terrorists were also burned, according to the report. The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, further said that the residents of Mosul’s southern district of Hammam al-Alil also clashed with ISIL in the center of the district, killing three terrorists. The source added that the residents seek to take full control of the district and to purge it of the terrorists. According to the report, the residents have already raised the Iraqi flag over a number of the district’s buildings. The northern and western parts of Iraq have been plagued by gruesome violence ever since ISIL terrorists began a campaign of terror in the country in June 2014, when they overran Mosul and declared it their so-called headquarters in Iraq. ISIL terrorists have gained notoriety for their barbarity, heinous atrocities and sacrilegious acts. The militants have been accused of committing gross human rights violations and war crimes in the areas they control in Iraq as well as in neighboring Syria. U.S. troops are targets Meanwhile, Iraqi Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr has told his followers to target United States troops who are to be deployed in Iraq as part of Washington’s alleged fight against the ISIL terrorist group. On Monday, U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter announced that 560 more U.S. troops will be sent to Iraq as part of an upcoming operation aimed at retaking the key city of Mosul from ISIL. A comment was posted on Sadr’s official website after one of his followers asked for the cleric’s response to the announcement. “They are a target for us,” replied Sadr, without further elaborating, Reuters reported on Sunday. The move to increase the number of U.S. troops comes despite growing concerns among the Iraqi public that the U.S. is planning to use battle against ISIL as a pretext to return to Iraq. U.S. forces invaded Iraq in 2003 to topple long-time dictator Saddam Hussein but the large-scale military operation deteriorated security in the country and gave birth to various militant groups. The increase announced on Monday will bring the number of U.S. troops in Iraq to more than 4,647. The U.S. and allies formed a so-called international coalition against ISIL in late 2014, with the ostensible aim of targeting positions of the group in northern and western Iraq. The coalition air strikes were later expanded to purported ISIL-held territories in neighboring Syria, despite criticism by Damascus that the attacks violate the Arab country’s sovereignty. (Source: agencies) African Union fails to elect new leader Morocco asks to rejoin the union after 32 years African heads of state meeting in Kigali failed on Monday to elect a new head of the African Union and will try again in January, an official said. Current AU Commission President Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma was due to stand down but leaders were unable to agree on a successor to lead the executive branch of the continental body during its 27th summit meeting, being held in the Rwandan capital, AFP reported. “Black smoke billows from the 27th AU Summit as no winner emerges ... Commission elections postponed till next summit,” Dlamini-Zuma’s spokesman, Jacob Enoh Eben, said on Twitter, referencing the smoke signal that precedes the naming of a new pope. None of the three candidates was able to muster the two-thirds majority required to win in the secret ballot. Ahead of the vote many states had expressed dismay at the “lack of stature” among the little known candidates from Botswana, Equatorial-Guinea and Uganda and, in the end, 28 of the 54 member states abstained from the final round of voting thus forcing a postponement of the election and an extension of Dlamini-Zuma’s term. Morocco request Elsewhere, Morocco has asked to rejoin the African Union (AU), 32 years after it quit the bloc in protest over a decision to make the disputed territory of Western Sahara a member, AP reported. In a message sent to an AU summit in the Rwandan capital Kigali on Sunday, King Mohammed VI said it was time for Morocco to retake its place. “For a long time our friends have been asking us to return to them so that Morocco can take up its natural place within its institutional family,” he said in a speech to African leaders as they began a twoday meeting. “The moment has now come.” According to MAP, the official Moroccan news agency, the monarch said that although his country had left the organization, “it never quit Africa”. Morroco considers Western Sahara an important part of the kingdom. The Sahrawi people’s Polisario Front movement, which demands self-determination for Western Sahara, wants a referendum on independence. Earlier this year, Morocco ordered the United Nsations to pull out several of its staff members and to close down a military liaison office for the MINURSO peacekeeping mission in response to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s use of the term “occupation” to describe Morocco’s presence in Western Sahara. In his message, King Mohammed urged the AU to reconsider its stance on what he called the “phantom state”, saying that a political solution was being worked on under the supervision of the UN. Western Sahara is not a member of either the UN or the Arab League, he said, adding that “at least 34 countries do not recognize it”. “On the Sahara issue, institutional Africa can no longer bear the burden of a historical error and a cumbersome legacy,” the King said. “Through this historic act and return, Morocco wants to work within the AU to transcend divisions.” Morocco’s return to the AU would need to be validated by a vote. (Source: agencies) Baton Rouge: Three U.S. police officers shot dead Three police officers have been killed and three injured in a shooting in the southern U.S. city of Baton Rouge. A suspect shot dead at the scene was thought to be the only gunman involved, police said. Reports earlier suggested there was more than one gunman. President Barack Obama said nothing justified attacks on police officers. It is not clear what the motive is, or whether there is any link to the killing by police of a black man in the city nearly two weeks ago. The shooting of Alton Sterling and another killing of a black man in Minnesota, led to widespread protests across the U.S. It also triggered a revenge attack by a black army veteran who shot dead five officers in the city of Dallas. Law enforcement officers have converged on a house in Kansas City, Missouri, that is listed for a man named Gavin Long - the man U.S. media named earlier as the suspect in Sunday’s Baton Rouge shootings. In a live broadcast from the White House, President Obama called upon all Americans to unite and refrain from divisive language. “Regardless of motive, the death of these three brave officers underscores the danger that police across the country confront every single day, and we as a nation have to be loud and clear that nothing justifies violence against law enforcement,” he said. Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards told a news conference it was an “absolutely unspeakable, heinous attack.” Mobile phone footage from Baton Rouge showed police cars arriving at a road intersection. Several shots were then heard. Officers were responding to a report of a man carrying a rifle along a major motorway, Colonel Mike Edmonson told a news conference. He said the gunman was dressed all in black. Witnesses reported a man firing indiscriminately. “We believe that the person who shot and killed our officers, that he was the person that was shot and killed at the scene,” Col Edmonson said. U.S. media outlets are naming the gunman as Gavin Long, 29, of Kansas City, Missouri. (Source: BBC) INTERNATIONAL DAILY 3 Turkey widens purges to police after coup bid, Europe warns on rule of law 8,000 police removed from posts Turkey suspended thousands of police officers on Monday, widening a purge of the armed forces and judiciary after a failed military coup, and raising concern among European allies that it was abandoning the rule of law. A senior security official told Reuters 8,000 police officers, including in the capital Ankara and the biggest city Istanbul, had been removed from their posts on suspicion of links to Friday’s coup bid by a faction in the army. Thirty regional governors and more than 50 high-ranking civil servants have also been dismissed, CNN Turk said. Thousands of members of the armed forces, from foot soldiers to commanders, were rounded up on Sunday, some shown in photographs stripped to their underpants and handcuffed on the floors of police buses and a sports hall. Several thousand prosecutors and judges have also been removed. More than 290 people were killed and around 1,400 wounded in the violence on Friday night, as soldiers commandeered tanks, attack helicopters and fighter jets in a bid to seize power, strafing parliament and the intelligence headquarters and trying to seize the main airport and bridges in Istanbul. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday told crowds of supporters, called to the streets by the government and by mosques across the country, that parliament must consider their demands to apply the death penalty for the plotters. “We cannot ignore this demand,” he told a chanting crowd outside his house in Istanbul late on Sunday. “In democracies, whatever the people say has to happen.” He called on Turks to stay on the streets until Friday, and late into Sunday night his supporters thronged squares and streets, honking horns and waving flags. The bloodshed shocked the nation of almost 80 million, where the army last used force to stage a successful coup more than 30 years ago, and shattered fragile confidence in the stability of a NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) member state already rocked by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Daesh) terrorist group suicide bombings and an insurgency by Kurdish militants. European Union Foreign Policy Chief Federica Mogherini warned the Turkish government on Monday against taking steps that would damage the constitutional order. “We were the first... during that tragic night to say that the legitimate institutions needed to be protected,” she told reporters on arrival at an EU foreign ministers meeting, which was also to be attended by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry. “We are the ones saying today rule of law has to be protected in the countr y,” she said in Brussels. “ There is no excuse for any steps that take the countr y away from that.” Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz said it would be unacceptable for Turkey to reintroduce the death penalty, which it abolished in 2004. Abolishing capital punishment was a prerequisite for talks with Turkey on membership of the European Union, to which it still aspires. Turkey’s pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP/ Halklar?n Demokratik Partisi)opposition, parliament’s third largest party, said it would not support any government proposal to reintroduce the death penalty. The main Republican People’s Party (CHP/Cumhuriyet Halk Partisi) opposition said the response to the coup attempt must be conducted within the rule of law and that the plotters should face trial. Saudi arrests Turkish military attaché to Kuwait over coup plot Elsewhere, the House of Saud regime officials have reportedly detained the Turkish military attaché to Kuwait at Ankara’s request for his alleged involvement in a recent attempted coup in Turkey. The attaché, identified as Mikail Gullu, was arrested at an airport in the eastern Saudi city of Dammam on Sunday as he was taking a transit flight to Amsterdam, reports said. “Saudi authorities are holding the military attaché for the Turkish Embassy in Kuwait,” Saudi daily Asharq al-Awsat reported, quoting what it described as a foreign diplomatic source. “He was stopped based on a Turkish request and was detained during his attempt to flee over his likely links to the coup in Turkey,” it said. The Saudi-owned al-Arabiya news channel confirmed the report from “Saudi sources” adding that Gullu was heading to Dusseldorf in Germany via Amsterdam. Kuwait’s al-Qabas daily said that Gullu had fled Kuwait by land to Saudi Arabia. Turkey’s Ambassador in Kuwait Salih Morat Tamer told al-Qabas that the attaché is suspected of involvement in the coup attempt but stressed that “accusations against him are yet to be investigated once he is handed over to Turkey.” (Source: agencies) 4 I NTE R NATI O NAL DAI LY NEWS Trade between Iran, EU witnesses 42% growth in May E CO N O M Y TEHRAN — Trade between Iran and Eurod e s k pean Union (EU) member states witnessed a major leap in the fifth month of 2016 compared with the same month in the preceding year, Tasnim news agency reported on Monday according to the latest figures from EU's statistical office, Eurostat. The report indicated that Iran-EU trade stood at €929 million in the said month, registering a 42 percent-rise from its previous €653 million in May 2015. Iran's imports from EU countries in the said time reached €626 million showing an 11 percent-increase from its previous €562 million in May 2015, while its exports to EU increased three folds from the previous €91 million and stood at €303 million. The report further said that in May 2016, Iran’s imports from Germany was €204 million, from Spain was €36 million, from France reached €49 million, from England stood at €11 million, from Italy touched €123 million, and from the Netherlands was €37 million. In the named month, Germany imported more than €20 million of goods from the Islamic Republic, while Spain, France, England, Italy, and the Netherlands imported €12.7 million, €65 million, €21 million, €24 million, and €42 million respectively. Tehran hosting 2 international exhibitions E C O N O M Y Central bank official says China has room to increase fiscal deficit to 5% of GDP China has room to increase its fiscal deficit ratio to between 4 and 5 percent to more effectively boost the economy, official media quoted a central bank official as saying. China's current fiscal deficit target is 3 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), up from an actual 2.4 percent in 2015. But there is room for a slight increase, the Shanghai Securities News quoted Sheng Songcheng, director of the Survey and Statistics Department at the People's Bank of China (PBOC), as saying at a forum on Saturday. While monetary policy is effective, it is limited and requires coordination with a proactive fiscal policy, Sheng was quoted as saying at the forum, where he also suggested that China increases its government bond issuance. Sheng also reportedly warned that China already fallen into a "liquidity trap", where increased money supply is being absorbed by firms that are not in turn investing the cash. Data on Friday showed that China's economy grew 6.7 percent from a year earlier in the second quarter, slightly faster than expected as higher government spending and a housing boom boosted industrial output and construction-related activity and services. But the numbers also fueled concerns that China's growth is becoming ever more dependent on government spending and debt. First-half bank lending hit a record and government spending jumped 20 percent in June. (Source: Reuters) Iran is stepping up the search for overseas investment in its energy infrastructure after talks with Siemens and RollsRoyce that point to the gradual opening of the country’s economy following the lifting of international sanctions. Hamid Chitchian, Iran’s energy minister, met representatives of both companies in London last week to discuss collaboration in power generation technology. The talks were focused on so-called decentralized power generators that can provide more localized and flexible supplies of electricity than big power stations. No deals were struck but Chitchian told the Financial Times that Siemens and Rolls-Royce were interested and he hoped to “reach a result” soon. Rolls-Royce said last week’s talks with Chitchian involved the potential use of piston engines made by the group’s power systems business in Germany. “The minister requested a meeting with Rolls-Royce to discuss the renewal of Iran’s energy infrastructure and whether our diesel and gas power generation systems have a role to play,” it said. Siemens said: “We have a close dialogue with the Iranian government and local partners in the area of infrastructure, energy and technology. We have been active in Iran for about 150 years and we have never left the country.” Any deals would add to a provisional E CO N O M Y TEHRAN — Iran’s d e s k Saipa Group CEO and Executive Member of the Board Mehdi Jamali told IRNA on Monday that his company will conclude an agreement with the major French automobile manufacture, Citroën, soon. He underscored that the contract Iran has promised IPCs will offer more flexible terms and end a system known as buy-back contracts that foreign companies say give them a limited return on investment while denying them any rights to the oil, with the Iranian government taking the bulk of the profits. However Kardor reiterated on Monday that alongside IPCs, oil fields could still be developed through buy-backs, engineering, procurement, and construction and engineering, procurement, construction and financing contracts. fully accords with ‘Resistance Economy’, a set of policies outlined by the Supreme Leader, calling on the government to secure the utilization of the country’s resources, struggle to promote a knowledge-based economy, take efforts to increase energy consumption efficiency, and finally, boost domestic production. infrastructure companies have been quicker to move in. Turkey’s Unit International last month struck a $4.2bn agreement with Iran’s energy ministry to build seven gas power plants. Chitchian said he expected more deals in future. “We have received various proposals for investment inside our country; some for building power stations and some to manufacture power plant equipment.” Many companies and banks remain wary of Iran. While international sanc- As Jamali told Tasnim news agency in early March, the Iranian car company has had some plans for cooperation with the world’s major automakers and it has been in talks with France’s Citroen but not with Peugeot. He also informed that Saipa has also entered in negotiations with Kia Motors Corporation headquartered in South Korea. “In addition to the two companies, we are also in talks with Renault,” he said at the time, adding that Renault was not going to work in joint production with Iran Khodro, Saipa’s rival company in Iran. Iran targets oil sales to China teapots via Trafigura: sources SINGAPORE/BEIJING (Reuters) — An Iranian crude cargo loaded by trading house Trafigura is set to arrive in east China this week, heating up the race among oil suppliers to meet the rise in demand for imports from China's independent refineries, trade sources said. Only last year, China's independent oil refiners, known as teapots, were granted licenses to import crude in line with Beijing's efforts to boost competition in a sector dominated by state-run groups. Frenzied buying by the teapots followed, drawing in rare supplies from both Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. Now, Iran is eyeing the new group of Chinese buyers, located mainly in eastern Shandong province, as it rebuilds its global market share after western sanctions were lifted in January. The National Iranian Oil Co (NIOC) sold a 2-million barrel Iranian Heavy crude cargo to Trafigura, which was loaded in late June onboard supertanker Olympic Target. Trade sources with knowledge of the deal say this cargo is heading to Shandong, putting Trafigura ahead of other major trading firms in being the first to sell Iranian oil to teapots. Trafigura, the world's second-biggest independent oil trader, declined to comment on this, while NIOC could not be immediately reached for comment. But sources told Reuters the sale was agreed on condition Trafigura would market the crude to Chinese teapots, which are outside NIOC's usual Chinese clients - state refiners Sinopec and PetroChina, and that the oil would be offloaded at Shandong. Iran, OPEC's No.3 producer, needed to sell through a trader given logistical constraints and credit risks involved when dealing with small non-state buyers, the sources said. "No single teapot could absorb a VLCC (Very Large Crude Carrier) cargo. Without crude storage operation in China, it is hard for NIOC to sell into teapots," said a Beijing-based trading official with knowledge of Iran's Chinese oil sales. Saudi Aramco for instance sold its first spot cargo to a teapot from its storage in Okinawa, while Kuwait supplied oil to privately-controlled Shandong Hongrun Petrochemicals, via state-run oil trader Sinochem Corp. NIOC's sale via Trafigura will help Iran to also avoid demurrage costs at congested Shandong ports, the sources said. Demand from the teapots have accounted for more than half of China's incremental crude purchases this year and have led to long lines of tankers waiting to unload at ports. The Olympic Target, carrying Iranian crude, is expected to arrive later this week, shipping data on Thomson Reuters Eikon showed. Trafigura is expected to move the cargo into storage tanks and then sell it in smaller parcels to teapots, the sources said. Iran seeks more aircraft as questions linger over earlier deals 1 The latest contacts between Iran and Western plane-makers come as questions hover over part of the $27 billion deal between Airbus and Iran, signed in January. People familiar with the matter said recently that Iran was cooling towards the purchase of 12 A380 superjumbos that were part of the provisional deal. Airbus subsequently announced a cut in A380 production. "Some Iranian critics of the deal argue that we don't need big planes that will only be used by those traveling to America or similar destinations," a senior Iranian official said. "We will evaluate that part when the time SoftBank to buy UK chip designer ARM in $32 billion cash deal NEWS IN BRIEF 1 licensing agreement in March to allow Mapna Group, an Iranian energy and infrastructure conglomerate, to manufacture Siemens’ F-class turbines in Iran for use in gas-fired power stations. The lifting of international sanctions related to Iran’s nuclear activities in January has removed many barriers to foreign investment in the country, with its energy sector one of the areas of greatest interest. Deals with western oil and gas groups are yet to fully materialize but energy tions have been lifted, some unilateral U.S. sanctions remain. Chitchian acknowledged there were “still some problems” because of the “slowness” of banks in resuming relations with Iran but he said the “trend is positive”. “Those companies and countries that can immediately adapt to the new situation will be the winners,” he added. Iran needs investment to modernize and expand its power network to ensure the country has enough electricity to support economic growth. It plans to add 26,500 megawatts of generating capacity in the next five years on top of the current 75,000MW, according to Chitchian. Almost a fifth of the new capacity will come from renewable sources such as wind turbines as part of carbon-reduction commitments at the UN climate talks in Paris last year. Dalga Khatinoglu, an expert on the Iranian energy market for the Natural Gas Europe news service, said Iran would need $15 billion of investment in new generating capacity in the next five years and a further $5 billion in the transmission network. “Iran strongly needs immediate foreign investment because the country has no choice but to boost rapidly its power generation capacity,” said Khatinoglu. “Iran’s electricity export plunged during the past two years due to the rapid increase of domestic demand.” (Source: Financial Times) Iranian auto maker Saipa to finalize deal with Citroën soon JUMP Iran to name international oil companies eligible to take part in tenders h t t p : / / w w w . t e h r a n t i m e s . c o m / e c o n o m y Iran opens talks with Siemens, Rolls-Royce on energy investment E CO N O M Y TEHRAN — The 8th Iran Stone Exhibition d e s k (IRSE 2016) on natural stones, mine, machin- ery and equipment and the 14th Kitchen, Bath, Sauna and Pool Industries and Equipment International Exhibition of Iran kicked off at Tehran’s International Permanent Fairgrounds on Monday. As IRIB news reported, the four-day IRSE (2016), which started operation in the presence of the Iranian Labor Minister Ali Rabiee, hosts 210 Iranian and 40 foreign companies from nine countries namely Italy, Germany, India, Spain, Portugal, Russia, South Korea, China, and Turkey. Also, according to Trade Promotion Organization of Iran’s (TPO) Public Relations Department, some 162 Iranian and 76 foreign companies from 14 countries including Turkey, China, Spain, Greece, Germany, Czech Republic, Italy, England, Finland, Switzerland, the United States, Russia, the Netherlands, and the United Arab Emirates are taking part in the 14th Kitchen, Bath, Sauna and Pool Industries and Equipment International Exhibition. JULY 19, 2016 SoftBank Group Corp. has agreed to buy UK chip designer ARM Holdings PLC. in a 24.3 billion pound ($32.2 billion) deal, the two companies said on Monday, in an ambitious bet on mobile internet that will transform the Japanese tech group. ARM, the most valuable tech company listed in London by market value, is a major presence in mobile processing, with its processor and graphics technology used by Samsung, Huawei and Apple in their in-house designed microchips. The Cambridge-based group also stands to be central to the tech industry's shift to the 'internet of things’, a focus for SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son. comes ... One solution is to buy around 50 other planes instead." The official urged Western governments and manufacturers to help "resolve their side of problem, including the financing issue". Asked what types of aircraft Iran could buy, he said, "It will be similar, but on a smaller scale, to what we have bought so far". ExxonMobil launches bidding war for InterOil in PNG gas push ExxonMobil Corp has made a bid worth at least $2.2 billion for InterOil Corp and its stake in a rich Papua New Guinea gas field, winning the support of its target and topping an offer from Australia's Oil Search Ltd. The bid pits ExxonMobil, the world's biggest oil company, against Total SA, which is backing Oil Search, as the French giant looks to push forward with its planned Papua LNG project to rival ExxonMobil's existing PNG LNG project. Oil Search, which owns a stake in both projects, bid for InterOil in the hopes of tying the two LNG projects together to help cut costs and speed up development of the new gas field. Many Western banks are reluctant to back the aircraft deals, fearing their money could be at risk if sanctions are restored. The senior Iranian official said Italian and German banks had expressed interest in taking part, while aircraft industry sources say financiers in the UAE and China could play a role. (Source: Reuters) Chinese $1.2 billion takeover of Norway's Opera fails, but alternative deal set A $1.24 billion agreed takeover of Norwegian online browser and advertising company Opera Software by a Chinese consortium of internet firms has failed, Opera said on Monday, after warning last week the deal had yet to win regulatory approval. As an alternative, the consortium, which includes search and security business Qihoo 360 Technology Co. and Beijing Kunlun Tech Co., a distributor of online and mobile games, will take over certain parts of Opera's consumer business for $600 million, Opera said in a statement. The Norwegian firm did not specify the reasons on Monday for the scuttling of the deal other than to say that conditions to close the public offer were not met. h t t p : / / w w w . t e h r a n t i m e s . c o m HISTORY & HERITAGE JULY 19, 2016 Iran’s Lut Desert inscribed on UNESCO World Heritage List T O U R I S M TEHRAN — The World d e s k Heritage Committee of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) registered Iran’s Lut Desert on World Heritage List during 40th session of the World Heritage Committee on Sunday. “The Lut Desert is located in the south-east of Iran. Between June and October, this arid subtropical area is swept by strong winds, which transport sediment and cause aeolian erosion on a colossal scale. Consequently, the site presents some of the most spectacular examples of aeolian yardang landforms (massive corrugated ridges). It also contains extensive stony deserts and dune fields,” the UNESCO website described. Earlier on Friday, the committee inscribed eleven Persian qanats, gently sloping underground channels with a series of vertical access shafts, used to transport water from an aquifer under a hill, on the World Heritage List. The session was opened on July 10 in Istanbul and closed on Sunday. The session was suspended yesterday due to the attempt on Friday to overthrow the Government of Turkey. Lut Desert and its universal records The big desert of Lut with the area of 5,400 square kilometers is situated in the east and southeast of Iran .In a major part of this desert, there is no animal and vegetable life of any kind. The very beautiful and typical phenomena abound in this desert. This desert has a few universally unique specifications. Due to its vastness only a part of this area (in the vicinity of the historical city of Shahdad), that includes the most of its phenomena is taken in to consideration. Due to the rough environmental conditions and the limited facilities of life is almost deserted. Also, because of limited number er doubles as a kickstand case for watching videos on the plane, and is on sale (at time of publication) for just $14.99. It also comes in an array of colors and sizes. Bury your beach items Beach safes aren’t always the most discrete way to hide your wallet and other valuables, but one that you can bury right beneath you will put all your items out of sight. The Beach Vault is meant to be hand-drilled into the sand under your blanket, so even the most observant thieves won’t be able to locate any of your personal items. SlotFlops If the age-old trick of hiding emergency money in shoes is more your style, stop stashing cash in your smelly socks and get some summer-friendly SlotFlops. These travel flip flops have a built-in section big enough for your cards and Turkey’s military coup attempt overthrows tourism revival hopes of roads passing through, the problems and difficulties of urban development resulting from civil industrial activities do not face it and it is perfectly intact and virgin. Its natural and various phenomena have remained intact since far years and it is the only natural changes which lives their usual effect on this desert. It enjoys three probably four universal records; the place has the longest widespread system of yardangs in the world (120 km long in 80 km wide), it has the tallest sand pyramid of the world (nearly 500 m high) and it is the hottest point of the world, based on the studies on the satellite images and data and it has the biggest nebkas in the world. Communities are limited to its edges; a writer for Telegraph Travel once described it as one of Iran’s last homes to big cats, including lynx and cheetah. Summer temperatures exceed 50C. There are not many places to stay - it is one corner of the world Telegraph Travel has yet to venture to - but travelers could try Ateshooni, a guest house in the oasis of Garmeh, which offers trekking and camping tours into the desert! money, and come in an array of colors for about $25. As an added bonus, you can get a card-sized travel tool that includes a metal wrench, saw, ruler, bottle opener, and sun compass. Just be careful about where you take this—the TSA could confiscate it from your shoe or carry-on, but it’s perfect for fishing trips and camping. KangaROOS For a sturdier shoe with compartments, try the original sneaker made with an outer money pocket: KangaROOS. The hidden compartment is big enough for some emergency bills and a spare key, and thieves won’t notice the tiny outer pouch beneath the ROOS logo. On sale (at time of publication) for $73, these durable walking sneakers will last long enough to prove their worth. (Source: Smarter Travel) Amira Gharib booked a three-week family trip to Turkey months ago, excited about seeing Ottoman mosques and the lush green landscapes of Bursa. Then she saw the images of Turkish soldiers trying to wrestle power from the government. “It’s like they’re saying ‘don’t come’,” Gharib, a seasoned traveler from Dubai, said by phone. “I didn’t see this coming. I heard about the bombs but the coup was a surprise.” The unsuccessful uprising within Turkey’s military over the weekend dashed hopes of reviving travel bookings for what remains of the peak mid-year travel season, following a 10 percent decline in visitors to the country in the first quarter of this year. The number of international visitors to Turkey this year is expected to decline 5.2 percent this year to 32.9 million, according to Euromonitor International. Tourism is an essential source of foreign currency to finance Turkey’s current-account deficit and employs 8 percent of the nation’s workforce. The industry had looked for an improvement in bookings from efforts to mend relations with Russia and Israel, but those were sabotaged by a series of terrorist bombings from Ankara to Istanbul and then the insurrection over the weekend that left more than 200 people dead before the government regained control. “The main impact of the coup attempt, taken together with the last attacks, means Turkey’s efforts to revitalize tourism will become largely ineffective,” Ali Sokmen, a London-based associate analyst for the European Union and Turkey at consultancy Control Risks, said by phone. “We are in the middle of the tourism season. The expected pick-up in tourism is from last-minute bookings and that’s highly sensitive to such events. The expectation for improvement from last-minute bookings is largely over.” Questions about the safety of traveling to Turkey “could continue mid to long term if adequate security measures are not taken by the Turkish government,” Diana Jarmalaite, research analyst at Euromonitor, said by e-mail. (Source: Bloomberg) TAJ MAHAL HOTEL Proudly introduces the First class luxurious hotel apartment located in the heart of the city Tehran. The newly constructed section has an enormous segments of rooms with all the amenities, Experience the TAJ MAHAL advantage & Hospitality 24/7 TAJ MAHAL INDIAN RESTAURANT Enjoy the authentic North Iranian unique culinary, Experience the home made country style recipes!! Enjoy the original taste of India !! The professional chef prepares the amazing varieties of kebabs , Tandoori nans, Biryani, veg or non-veg curries and the famous Indian desserts. ak Sq. 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Stash cards in a phone case Consolidating your phone and credit cards into one easy-to-hide case will lighten your load and keep your most important cards out of sight. Incipio’s Wallet Cov- INTERNATIONAL DAILY TAJ MAHAL ANNOUNCES ITS SECOND RESTAURANT MAHI – MAHI 6 I NTE R NATI O NAL DAI LY INTERNATIONAL JULY 19, 2016 h t t p : / / w w w . t e h r a n t i m e s . c o m The America he knows - Obama on the nation’s fractured racial landscape By Peniel E. Joseph P resident Barack Obama proclaimed to the nation, “We are not as divided as we seem,” in a soaring and mournful address in Dallas, Texas, to honor the lives of five police officers killed by sniper fire Thursday night when a peaceful protest went horribly awry. “This is the America I know,” said Obama, pointing out the way in which the Dallas Police Department has been on the cutting edge of criminal justice reform and community-polic- ing initiatives nationally. Adopting his role as the nation’s chief eulogizer, Obama elegantly touched on contentious truths about race, class and violence in America that exploded into national tragedy last week. The deaths of Officers Brent Thompson, Patrick Zamariripa, Michael Krol, Lorne Ahren and Michael Smith threw into sharp relief patterns of racial injustice, poverty, violence and bias in our criminal justice system, historic trends that continue into the post-civil rights era. 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Black people who are routinely harassed, profiled and brutalized by police in major cities and smaller hamlets reside on the outskirts of the “one American family,” Obama eloquently noted in his speech. Black communities In too many cases, law enforcement ap- proaches poor black communities as if entering another country, one that stands far apart from the unified family Obama imagines America, at its best, to be. In Dallas, Obama suggested that, rather than viewing each other as enemies, Black Lives Matter activists and police would do better to see each other as allies in the larger fight against social injustice. 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BETWEEN NAFT ST.& MODARES HIGH WAY FOR OFFICE OR HOME OFFICE w w w . t e h r a n t i m e s . c o m TEL: +98 912 12 14 103 Since: 1969 Address: No No.52, 52 5 2 Darya-Noorani Darya-Nooran ni Blv.Crossroad, Blv C Farahzadi Blv, Shahrak-e-Gharb Tel: 88562040 - 88562050 h t t p : / / w w w . t e h r a n t i m e s . c o m / e c o n o m y JULY 19, 2016 WORLD ECONOMY Coups don't depress economic growth As the chaos in Turkey is starting to clear, investors are asking what the failed coup might mean for the country’s economic future. The news stories show many conflicting elements in play, and right now it is hard to make specific verifiable claims about what the country can expect. We can, however, turn to the broader historical record, and that suggests failed coup attempts against democratic governments don’t much lower subsequent rates of economic growth in those countries. Assistant Professor and economist Erik Meyersson of the Stockholm Institute for Transition Economics has produced the most comprehensive look at this question, in a 2016 working paper titled Political Man on Horseback Coups and Development. His data allow us to look at autocratic versus democratic coups, and also at successful versus failed coups from 1955 to 2001. The early cut-off point is necessary to estimate the subsequent growth effects of coups. In autocracies, successful coups often improve economic performance, perhaps by replacing an incompetent or malevolent leader. In democratic countries, however, a successful coup is associated with lower per capita growth rates by an average of 1 to 1.3 percentage points per year over the following decade. On average, these coups reverse beneficial economic reforms, especially for the financial sector. When a coup does overthrow a democratically elected government, it tends to bring a military leader and significant changes in policy, and not usually for the better. There are long-run correlations of such successful coups against democracies with lower investment, lower schooling and higher infant mortality. The recent coup in Turkey failed in less than 24 hours, and for failed coups in democracies the more general historical results are quite different. In fact, they are difficult to distinguish from no economic growth effects at all. Given the various imprecisions of statistics, this does not prove that failed coups will have no growth effects, but it can be said that the numbers give us no clear reason to be worried, at least not over the 10-year time horizon chosen by Meyersson. This may be one reason why asset markets do not seem to be panicking over the failed Turkish coup attempt. To be sure, there are some possible or even likely short run effects of the recent turmoil, such as declines in tourism or foreign investment. Still, the data as a whole are showing that the long-run fundamentals of democracies with failed coups tend to reassert themselves within the 10-year time horizon, and those short-run disruptions end up mattering less than we might think. Coups in democracies and coups in autocracies have different consequences on average. In an autocracy, a coup is sometimes a normal or an accepted way of INTERNATIONAL DAILY 7 NEWS IN BRIEF ADB trims 2016 growth forecast for developing Asia on weak global outlook The Asian Development Bank lowered its 2016 growth forecast for developing Asia on Monday, citing the slowing U.S. economy and near-term shocks from Britain's decision to leave the European Union. Developing Asia, which groups 45 countries in the Asia Pacific region, is now expected to expand 5.6 percent this year, slightly weaker than a March forecast of 5.7 percent, the ADB said in a supplement to its Asian Development Outlook 2016. The ADB believes China is still on track to grow 6.5 percent this year and 6.3 percent in 2017, with government plans to cut excess industrial capacity in the world's second-largest economy expected to weigh on growth next year. China's economy expanded slightly faster than expected in the second quarter but private investment growth shrank to a record low, suggesting future weakness which could pressure the government to roll out more support measures. India's economy is still forecast to grow 7.4 percent this year and 7.8 percent in 2017, the ADB said. (Source: Reuters) changing power from one set of hands to another. But when a coup succeeds in a democracy, it is a signal that the normal institutions for transitions of power are dysfunctional, and the coup is also a sign they cannot be repaired simply. A coup in a democracy is therefore a more significant event, at least for economic growth, and so it is especially important that such an attempt fail. When a coup in a democracy fails, there are two conflicting signals. The negative news is that such a coup was thought possible at all. The more positive news, at One myth about coups is that they follow long periods of economic decline. This is often true for coups in autocracies, but not in democracies. If anything, coups in democracies often follow periods of significant economic growth. least for stability, is that the democratic government was in fact able to beat back the rebellion, as indeed was the case in Turkey. At least on average, there seems to be a balancing effect here. One myth about coups is that they follow long periods of economic decline. This is often true for coups in autocracies, but not in democracies. If anything, coups in democracies often follow periods of significant economic growth, though sometimes with a crisis at the very end of the positive run. That was the case for the Chilean coup of 1973 and also the Turkish coup of 1980. As of late, Turkey has been growing at rates in the neighborhood of 4 percent, hardly a miserable performance. The economic angle does not capture all of the social and political effects of coups, including for instance on religion, gender, legal systems, international standing, and many other variables. Furthermore, what is true for other countries with coups, viewed on average, won’t necessarily be true for Turkey today. Still, if we are looking for a reason to feel some smidgen of reassurance, Meyersson’s study can give us some comfort in what is otherwise a troubling time for both Turkey and its region more generally. (Source: Bloomberg) EU to invest €263 million in energy infrastructure European Commission (EC) announced Friday that member states agreed on commission’s proposal to invest €263 million in key trans-European energy infrastructure projects. In total, nine projects were selected under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), an EU funding program for infrastructure, according to a statement by EC. The lion's share of the money will go to the building of gas infrastructure in the Baltic Sea region and electricity infrastructure through the union. Of the 9 proposals selected for funding, five are in the gas sector (EU support worth €210 million) and four in the electricity sector (EU support worth €53 million) while three of the projects relate to construction works (€236 million) and 6 to studies (€27 million). European Commission proposal to select these projects was supported by the CEF Coordination Committee, which consists of representatives from all Member States. According to the commission's web site, a total of €5.35 billion has been allocated to trans-European energy infrastructure for the period of 2014-2020 under CEF. (Source: Today.az) 8 I NTE R NATI O NAL DAI LY NEWS IN BRIEF Super telescope finds hundreds of previously undetectable galaxies A South African radio telescope has revealed hundreds of galaxies in a tiny corner of the universe where only 70 had been seen before. The images, taken by MeerKAT telescope, are an indication of the detail the southern hemisphere's most powerful radio telescope may be able to provide when it is fully operational later this year. At present, 16 of MeerKAT's 64 dishes are scanning the skies. As well as its scientific goals, the project serves as a technological demonstration of South Africa's capability to host the Square Kilometer Array, a huge multiradiotelescope project to be built in Australia and South Africa comprising dozens of dishes. "Based on the results being shown today, we are confident that after all 64 dishes are in place, MeerKAT will be the world's leading telescope of its kind until the advent of SKA," Professor Justin Jonas, SKA South Africa chief technologist, said in a statement. The SKA, intended to be operational by the 2020s, will consist of around 3,000 dishes spread across a one square kilometer (0.4 square mile) area and will allow astronomers to peer deeper into space than ever before. SKA says it will have a discovery potential 10,000 times that of the most advanced modern instruments and will explore black holes, supernovae, dark energy and look into the origins of the universe. More than 20 countries are members of SKA, with Australia and South Africa being the main bases of operation. (Source: The CNN) Cell research could help with heart tissue transplants A new technique developed by a UBC researcher could make tissue regeneration cheaper and safer for health-care systems and their patients. A study, conducted by UBC researcher Keekyoung Kim while at Harvard University, has identified new ways in which proteins and various biological molecules -- known as growth factors -can work together to turn cells on the surface into cells that form the middle layer of the heart valve. "Science has long been working towards ways to minimize or eliminate the rejection risks faced by tissue transplant patient," says Keekyoung Kim, assistant professor of engineering at UBC's Okanagan campus. "While the goal of using a patient's own genetic material to grow a body tissue is still a long way off, this study has moved us further towards that goal. "This new technique essentially allows us to use less material to study heart-valve regeneration process more quickly and at a lower cost."As part of his study, Kim used a microarray (technology that allows various groups of microscopic materials to be "printed" on a slide) to place proteins, growth-influencing biological molecules and simple cells in various combinations on top of a gel-like substance, known as hydrogel. Kim then looked at which combinations influenced the transition of a simple cell into a more complex cell used in heart-valve growth. He found there were specific patterns of proteins and molecules that promoted growth. "We're confident this process can be used for other types of tissue, so we are currently in the process of building a microarray in the Okanagan so we can continue testing," he says. (Source: EurekAlert) Europe’s largest 3D-printed metal pieces are bound for space Europe’s two largest qualified 3D-printed metal parts have been successfully created thanks to a collaboration between French aerospace company Thales Alenia Space and Poly-Shape SAS. The massive pieces are aluminum antenna supports for two South Korean satellites, which between them will provide communications for South Korea, the Philippines, Indonesia, India, Japan, Indochina, Korea, and the Middle East. Both satellites, the Koreasat-5A and 7, are set to launch into orbit next year. The 3D-printed antenna supports measure around 45 x 40 x 21 cm each. They were printed using a technique called “powder bed-based laser melting,” on a 3D printer called the Concept Laser X line 1000R. Boasting a build volume of 630 x 400 x 500 mm, this printer was considered the only one big enough to allow the parts to be printed. “There are currently no other alternatives, unless you use smaller build envelopes and then join the parts together,” said Stéphane Abed, CEO of Poly-Shape. The size isn’t the only impressive thing about the pieces, though. They also weigh less than 2.5 lbs — which is a whole 22 percent lighter than previous comparable pieces, not printed with additive manufacturing. “As a rule of thumb, the actual costs of putting 1 kg (2.2 lbs) into orbit are around 20,000 euros ($22,000),” said Florence Montredon, Head of AM at Thales Alenia Space. “So every gram really does count.” (Source: DT) M E D & S C I JULY 19, 2016 h t t p : / / w w w . t e h r a n t i m e s . c o m Soyuz-U successfully sends Progress MS spacecraft en route to ISS A Soyuz-U rocket soared into the sky on Saturday, carrying the third Progress MS spacecraft loaded with supplies for the International Space Station (ISS). Liftoff took place at 05:41 P.M. EDT (21:41 GMT) from Site 31/6 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. After launch, the rocket started its routine short vertical ascent before turning northeasterly, heading toward the KazakhRussian border. Powered by four strap-on boosters fitted with RD-117 engines and its core stage with one RD-118 engine, the launch vehicle flew for nearly two minutes until the boosters were jettisoned. Then the core stage continued the flight for about three minutes. This phase of the mission was concluded at about four minutes and 47 seconds after liftoff when the core stage separated from the launch vehicle. At approximately five minutes after launch, the payload fairing was jettisoned, exposing the Progress MS cargo vessel. With its payload revealed, the launch vehicle continued the flight for about four minutes. Then, at eight minutes and 47 seconds after liftoff, the spacecraft was deployed into space. Shortly after separation, the Progress MS vehicle deployed its two power-generating solar arrays and navigation antennas, commencing its two-day trek to the ISS. Solar arrays Shortly after separation, the Progress MS vehicle deployed its two power-generating solar arrays and navigation antennas, commencing its two-day trek to the ISS. A series of engine burns is planned to be conducted in order to correct the craft’s course and align it with the orbital laboratory. On its way to the ISS, the vehicle will complete 34 Earth orbits. The spacecraft is expected to dock with the space station’s Pirs module at 08:22 P.M. EDT July 18 (00:22 GMT July 19). It will remain at the ISS for more than six months before departing in mid-January. After departure, it is expected to burn up on reentry over the Pacific Ocean. The mission, designated Progress MS03 (Progress 64P in NASA’s numbering system), was initially planned for April 30. However, it was delayed due to the postponement of the manned Soyuz MS-01 mission to the ISS that eventually took place last week. The spacecraft was shipped to the Baikonur Space Center on Jan. 25. After a series of tests and checkouts in February and March, it was ready for integration with the launch vehicle. However, due to rescheduling in the ISS launch manifest, the spacecraft was kept in storage longer than expected. (Source: Spaceflight Insider) Scientists take another step towards creating an invisibility cloak First, it’s worth pointing out that this invisibility cloak isn’t like the one made famous in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter novels. Sadly, recent research found that a human-sized invisibility cloak is theoretically impossible. Still, researchers at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) managed to make an object disappear with a composite material with nano-size particles that enhance certain properties on the object’s surface — demonstrating for the first time that a practical cloaking device can make curved surfaces appear flat to electromagnetic waves. Publishing their work in Scientific Reports, the researchers coated a curved surface with a nano composite medium that contains seven distinct layers. The electric property of each layer varies depending on its position, and the effect “cloaks” an object which would have normally caused a wave to be scattered. The "design is based upon transformation optics, a con- cept behind the idea of the invisibility cloak,” study co-author Professor Yang Hao, from QMUL’s School of Electronic Engineering and Computer Science, said in a press release. Previous research "Previous research has shown this technique working at one frequency. However, we can demonstrate that it works at a greater range of frequencies making it more useful for other engineering applications, such as nano-antennas and the aerospace industry.” Further, the researchers say the underlying design approach has even wider applications, from microwave to using optics to control any kind of electromagnetic surface waves. "We demonstrated a practical possibility to use nanocomposites to control surface wave propagation through advanced additive manufacturing,” first author Dr. Luigi La Spada, also from QMUL's School of Electronic Engineering and Computer Science, said in the release. “Perhaps most importantly, the approach used can be applied to other physical phenomena that are described by wave equations, such as acoustics. For this reason, we believe that this work has a great industrial impact." (Source: The Science Explorer) Fish venom unveiled: Toxins evolved many times, study shows How NASA's Pluto mission 'revolutionized' planetary science The research, which analyzed the evolution of venom and its delivery mechanisms among freshwater and saltwater fish, also found that venom glands arose 18 separate times among fish. (In contrast, snake venom arose just once during snake evolution, in an animal that was an ancestor to all of today's snakes. Since then, snake venom has changed over time in different snake lineages.) This means that more research on the relatively vast array of fish venoms may one day help scientists figure out how to use fish venom in treatments for certain medical conditions, the researchers said. "For the first time ever, we looked at the evolution of venom across all fishes," lead author William Leo Smith, assistant curator at the University of Kansas Biodiversity Institute, said in a statement. Fish venom is known to cause "incredible pain and swelling" in humans, but it may also break down tissue, prevent blood from clotting, cause blood cells to burst, and affect blood pressure and neurons, he said. Medical reports In the study, the researchers looked at medical reports of people who had been exposed to the venom of certain fish species. The researchers then assembled and examined the family trees of these fish species, based on specimens from natural history museums, and looked at how their abilities to inject venom might have evolved over time. The scientists found that venom and One year ago this week, NASA’s New Horizon’s mission made its closest approach to Pluto, nine years after the mission’s launch in 2006. That mission shattered any misconceptions that scientists or the public might have had about dwarf planets, revealing an immensely interesting and complex world. Although Pluto was demoted from full planetary status (it has been considered a dwarf planet since 2006), NASA said that exploring Pluto and its neighborhood, the Kuiper Belt, remained one of their highest priorities. The “data that New Horizons sent back about Pluto and its system of moons has revolutionized planetary science and inspired people of all ages across the world about space exploration,” said Alan Stern, New Horizons principal investigator, in a NASA press release. “It’s been a real privilege to be able to do that, for which I’ll be forever indebted to our team and our nation.” The New Horizons mission was the capstone to NASA’s decades-long effort to explore the Solar System, as The Christian Science Monitor's Pete Spotts has highlighted. For 53 years, between Mariner 2’s Venus flyby in 1962, and New Horizon’s Pluto approach last summer, NASA has been gathering information on the planets of the Solar System. Life on the planet “It’s of fundamental importance for the survival of life on this planet that we know what our neighborhood is,” Jim its delivery mechanisms evolved four times among cartilaginous fishes (those, such as sharks and rays, whose skeletons are made of cartilage rather than bone). It also arose once in eels, once in catfishes and 12 times in spiny-rayed fishes, a group of fish with sharp and rigid fin spines, the researchers found. About 95 percent of venomous fishes use their venom to defend themselves when other animals attempt to swallow them, rather than to attack other animals, the researchers said. Moreover, about 95 percent of fish gather their venom within their dorsal spines, the researchers found. While many other animals, such as lizards and snakes, have venomous fangs, only about 2 percent of venomous fishes have evolved such teeth, the researchers found. (Source: Live Science) Green, who heads NASA’s Planetary Science Division, told the Monitor last year. From the beginning of its Pluto flyby last summer, New Horizons shocked scientists with images that revealed a more complex planet than they had expected. Pluto featured massive mountains and a dynamic geological past and present. On Pluto, New Horizons discovered evidence that the dwarf planet’s atmosphere underwent great pressure changes over time, and that there may have once been some sort of liquid on the planet’s surface. Images captured by New Horizons show an equatorial tectonic belt on Pluto’s moon, Charon that indicates that Charon’s now-icy core was liquid long ago. Charon also has a red polar cap that may have been formed by escaped atmospheric gases on Pluto. (Source: The CSM) Artificial light exposure risks becoming global health problem by causing 'frailty' Constant exposure to artificial light may have a number of negative health consequences, scientists have warned. They say that to be in good shape, switching off the lights at regular intervals may be as important as eating healthy food or exercising frequently. Previous studies have indicated that light pollution and the use of artificial lighting around the world at night disrupts our circadian rhythm our 24-hour cycle of physiological processes and is a risk factor for bone deterioration. This recent study, published in Current Biology and conducted on mice, comes up with similar findings, suggesting that prolonged exposure to artificial light can lead to proinflammatory activation of the immune system, muscle loss and early signs of osteoporosis. "Our study shows that the environmental light-dark cy- cle is important for health," says lead author Johanna Meijer of Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands. “We showed that the absence of environmental rhythms leads to severe disruption of a wide variety of health parameters." Health parameters The scientists worked with mice in their lab, exposing them to light around the clock for 24 weeks and then assessing several major health parameters. They first measured the brain activity and found out that constant light exposure had an impact on the suprachiasmatic nuclei – the brain cells that control the circadian cycles. The normal rhythmic patterns in the suprachiasmatic nuclei were indeed reduced by 70% after prolonged light exposure. Light pollution seen on the horizon is created by artifi- cial lights that cause 75% of the world's population not to experience full darkness at night. Such a disruption to the circadian rhythm was correlated to a reduction in the animals' skeletal muscle function. Their bones showed signs of deterioration and the animals started developing osteoporosis. The animals also entered a pro-inflammatory state normally observed only in the presence of pathogens or other harmful stimuli. This frailty is normally only observed in ageing animals. The scientists thus say light exposure matters when it comes to thinking about the global health of populations. They will now investigate the influence of distorted lightdark cycles on the immune system. (Source: ibtimes.co.uk) h t t p : / / w w w . t e h r a n t i m e s . c o m / i n t e r n a t i o n a l JULY 19, 2016 WORLD IN FOCUS Erdogan likely using recent coup bid to eliminate enemies: Assad Syrian President Bashar al-Assad says the Turkish president may be using the recent coup attempt in Turkey to eliminate his opponents in government institutions. Assad was speaking at a meeting with a visiting delegation of Lebanese politicians headed by Najah Wakim, the president of the Lebanese People’s Movement, in the Syrian capital, Damascus, according to Lebanese daily Al-Akhbar. Referring to the recent developments in Turkey, Assad said there is no clear picture of what is going on in Turkey yet and there are many speculations about the coup attempt. First comes a coup and then a purge? The attempted putsch in Turkey began on Friday night and the violence and fighting between the rebel soldiers and government loyalists dragged into Saturday, when the coup was largely defeated. Following the coup attempt, the Turkish government has arrested thousands of people on suspicion of involvement in the putsch, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has hinted that the country may modify the Turkish constitution so as to allow the execution of those involved in the coup bid. Capital punishment is banned under the current Turkish constitution. “One cannot ignore the possibility that Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish president, is using these developments to eliminate his opponents in Turkey’s military, judicial and political institutions,” Assad said in his Sunday remarks, according to Al-Akhbar. Various Turkish officials, including Erdogan, have said those deemed to have played a role in the coup attempt will pay a heavy price. The crackdown that has been launched in Turkey following the coup, including the mass arrests of suspects, has raised international concern. France on Sunday warned Erdogan not to use the coup attempt as a “blank check” to silence opponents. “There cannot be purges… Those who tried to violate Turkish democracy must be pursued within the framework of the rule of law. It’s not for an arbitrary power to carry it out,” said French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault. ‘No compromise on the battlefield’ Elsewhere in his remarks, Assad referred to the armed conflict in his own country and said the fate of Syria will have to be determined on the battlefield. “In the ongoing battle on Syrian soil, no compromise can be made because armed groups that are being managed by foreign parties can only be handled with the military,” the Syrian president said. He also expressed gratitude for Iran as well as the Lebanese resistance movement of Hezbollah for their assistance to the Syrian government and people in the fight against terror. Iran has been offering Damascus advisory military help, and Hezbollah fighters have been assisting the Syrian military in areas close to the Syrian-Lebanese border. Russia, another Syrian ally, has been conducting an aerial military campaign against militant groups in Syria on an official Syrian request since September 2015. Assad said political, diplomatic, military and security cooperation continues firmly between his government and that of Russia. West in contact with Syria behind the scenes The Syrian president also said Western governments have had secret contacts with his government seeking security cooperation and even the opening of security missions in Damascus. He said Syria has informed them that it will accept security cooperation with those governments only if they restore normal ties with Damascus. “Some countries and Arab parties have secret contacts with us and say explicitly that they do not publicize their stances toward the Syrian developments lest the US and Saudi Arabia are angered,” President Assad said. He had said previously too that Western countries seek to secretly cooperate with Syria on security matters. “They attack us politically and then they send officials to deal with us under the table, especially [on] security,” he said in previous remarks in early July. Western countries have supported the militants fighting to overthrow Assad in a war now in its sixth year, which has claimed some 400,000 Syrian lives, according to estimations by the United Nations special envoy to Syria. The Syrian government is fighting militants, including from scores of countries. Western calls for Assad’s ouster have become relatively muted as they become preoccupied with the rise of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/ Daesh) terrorist group and other Takfiri groups striking at the heart of Europe and as they realize the importance of Damascus’ fight against terrorism. (Source: Press TV) Israeli forces shoot Palestinian in West Bank over alleged stabbing attack The Israeli regime forces have shot and injured a Palestinian for an alleged stabbing attempt in the occupied West Bank. The incident took place on Monday when Israeli military forces claimed that the Palestinian man wielding a knife had planned to carry out a stabbing attack against two Israeli forces that were patrolling an area near the al-Arroub refugee camp, located south of Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank. An army statement released by the Israeli military said the Tel Aviv forces shot and detained the assailant, adding that the wounds of the two Israeli troopers were not serious. Reports said ambulances transferred the two Israeli troopers to the hospital, but the medics were prevented from approaching the Palestinian whose health condition is still unknown. The Palestinian Health Ministry identified the man as Mustafa Baradeah, whose brother, Ibrahim Baradeah, was also shot and killed in a similar incident in southern West Bank in April. Ibrahim Baradeah was shot after he allegedly tried to attack an Israeli trooper with an axe. He succumbed to his injuries after Israeli forces prevented ambulances from reaching the scene of the incident. Israeli forces demolish Palestinian house in West Bank Meantime, Israeli troops have razed the house of a Palestinian in the occupied West Bank despite international condemnation of the regime’s demolition campaign. Witnesses and local residents said that Israeli soldiers and bulldozers rolled into in Qabatiyah town, south of Jenin, in the northern West Bank and leveled the house of Bilal Abu Zeid to the ground during the pre-dawn hours of Monday. Kamal Abu al-Rub, the deputy governor of the city of Jenin said at least five young men were wounded by live ammunition during clashes with Israeli forces, with one in serious condition. Tel Aviv accuses the owner of the house of being involved in a deadly attack on an Israeli paramilitary police officer back in February. The Tel Aviv regime routinely demolishes the houses of Palestinians it accuses of assaults against Israelis. Tel Aviv has stepped up its demolitions of Palestinian homes over the past months. In a report in April, the United Nations said the Israeli military has tripled its demolitions of Palestinian-owned structures in the occupied territories since January. There has been a monthly average of 165 demolitions since January. The demolished structures include houses and schools.The demolitions have raised alarm among diplomats and human rights groups over the Tel Aviv regime’s sustained violation of international law. Israeli rights group B’Tselem has condemned the practice as “court sanctioned revenge” and collective punishment. The occupied territories have witnessed heightened tensions since August 2015, when Israel imposed restrictions on the entry of Palestinian worshipers into the al-Aqsa Mosque compound in East al-Quds. More than 220 Palestinians have lost their lives at the hands of Israeli forces since the beginning of last October amid the tensions. The provocative demolitions by the Israeli regime, as well as its refusal to stop illegal settlement construction on occupied Palestinian territories, have dimmed hopes for any attempts aimed at bringing peace to Palestinians. Over half a million Israelis live in more than 230 illegal settlements built since the 1967 Israeli occupation of the West Bank, including East al-Quds. The settlements are considered by the international community as illegal. (Source: Press TV) Children riding on elephant back 1 The story doesn’t end with these romantic gestures. A large portion of people across the world find it hard to believe when they notice Congress ratifies major financial, economic and military aid to a regime that is smaller than many American cities. While a large number of people in many U.S. cities are unemployed or live in poverty the government has not been able to gain the unconditional agreement of Congress to provide social welfare for cit- izens. However when it comes to fundraising and collecting money for Israel, the same Congress acts completely in a different manner and collects money for Israel. It brings excuses for its own nation and raises the issue of lack of budget to help the needy. And again the same Congress, with a hint from Tel Aviv, seeks to create chaos and crises in the Middle East. The crises that have cost the U.S. dearly, putting 700 billion dollars on the shoulders of the American taxpayers, jeopardizing the U.S. economy and putting it on the verge of collapse. Again the move has no winner except Tel Aviv. The same Congress is blocking the way of implementing the nuclear accord that was reached between Iran and the E3+3 group of states last year. It is worth mentioning that it was the Congress that had initiated and put forward the case to compromise with Iran in a peaceful manner in order to resolve the issue. Congress is now trying to satisfy Israel by neglecting the nuclear agreement. The surprising issue is that it does not mind if the reputation of the U.S. is damaged in case the agreement fails. For them the most important thing is to keep the Israeli lobby satisfied and collect money for future campaigns. For many people across the globe it is very hard to realize that issues that could be referred to as treason and can cause indictment of a person in his own country, is just a deal for election and whenever and wherever anything relates to money, then it turns to be legal! Clashes in Kashmir: 40 killed, 2000 injured At an all-party meeting on Sunday, Modi wel1 comed remarks by Ghulam Nabi Azad, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, who said no issue was more topical today than that of Kashmir. Agreeing with calls for a discussion on the Kashmir situation, the Prime Minister said: “Various parties have given statements on Kashmir events which benefited the country. This has sent a right message and I thank all the parties for the same.” Noting that important Bills including the GST will be taken up during the session, Modi expressed the hope that there will be meaningful discussions and outcomes. Around 2,000 more Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were being sent to Kashmir, a government official said. About 2,800 troops of the CRPF were sent to assist the state police last week. Internet and mobile networks have already been suspended in the region, and authorities have halted cable television broadcasting. The state government has ordered restrictions on the movement of people and traffic in several parts of the valley. It said in a statement that only people involved in medical emergencies would be allowed to travel across the troubled region. Kashmir has been at the heart of a bitter territorial dispute since India and Pakistan became independent in 1947. New Delhi and Islamabad both claim the Himalayan region in full, but rule parts of it. The two countries have fought two wars over the disputed territory. India is blinding young Kashmiri protesters Meantime, two sets of images have haunted me these last few days. One is a series of photos of people splashing bucket loads of water to wash away blood from the streets of Kashmir, where Indian forces have shot dead at least 45 people since 9 July. Thousands came out to protest and mourn the death of a rebel leader who was killed in an encounter with the Indian army and police. The other set of images is that of scores of young men with bandages on their eyes, before or after undergoing surgery to remove tiny steel pellets from their retinas. Indian forces deployed in Kashmir now routinely use pellet guns to stymie roadside demonstrations. The second set of images is relatively new, as it’s the fruit of “non-lethal” weapons introduced in Kashmir in 2010. But the pictures haunt you nonetheless, as you peer into the bloodied, plum-sized eyes of those who suspect they may never see again. I N T E R NAT I O NALDAI LY 9 JUMP The America he knows - Obama on the nation’s fractured racial landscape Obama acknowledged the presence in Dallas of so6 cial-justice advocates, who grieved alongside law enforcement officials. He cited this display of unity as a national example for all Americans in what has been a mean season of racial tension, violence and recrimination, one that echoes the political and social turmoil associated with the 1960s. The president recognized the limits of rhetoric: “I’ve seen how inadequate words can be in bringing about lasting change.” Insurmountable divide Obama’s speech demanded accountability from both sides of the seemingly insurmountable divide between law enforcement and poor and working-class black communities. “We know that an overwhelming majority of police officers do an incredibly hard and dangerous job fairly and professionally,” the president observed. “They are deserving of our respect and not our scorn.” He discussed how the legacies of slavery, racism and Jim Crow continue to haunt American society. “If we’re honest perhaps we’ve heard prejudice in our own heads and felt it in our own hearts,” said Obama. “None of us is innocent and no institution is entirely immune.” Shifting to his professor-in-chief mode, Obama cited ways in which the criminal-justice system continues to discriminate against people of color. “We can’t simply dismiss” protests and demonstrations as “political correctness or reverse racism.” Such denials by “white friends and co-workers,” and larger democratic institutions, is painful and wrong. The president observed that society asks “police to do too much and asks too little of ourselves,” while refusing to invest in good schools, mental health care and social services required to build thriving communities. Obama placed the Dallas violence within the larger context of a divided political system that lacks the will to change the conditions of abject poverty, institutional racism, easy access to guns and racial tensions, which contributes to a seemingly endless cycle of violence, resentment and anxiety. (Source: Reuters) PROMOTIONAL ITEM Golgohar Mining & Industrial Co. distributes Rls.220 DPS Golgohar Mining & Industrial Company distributed Rls.200 rials Dividend per Share (DPS). The company has approx. 170,000 billion rials worth of projects at hand, construction operation of which is underway. Announcing the above in an interview with our reporter, Chief Executive of Golgohar Mining & Industrial Company Eng. Naser Taghizadeh said: “Balance sheet of the company was approved by the majority of its shareholders unanimously.” After reading the financial statements of the company for the fiscal year closing on March 19, 2016, Rls.220 rials dividend was distributed among its shareholders, he maintained. In the Annual Ordinary General Assembly of Golgohar Mining & Industrial Company (P.J.S), which was held in the presence of approx. 85 percent of its shareholders, it was decided to increase capital of the company amounting to 1,080 billion rials out of cumulative dividend. With having rich iron ore mines, Golgohar Mining & Industrial Company is considered as one of the most salient industrial and mineral hubs in the Middle East region which enjoys high capabilities for being turned into a large and competitive industrial company both in national and international levels. Khatam University hosts 8th “Resistance Economy” Seminar The 8th Joint Seminar of Iran Management Association and Khatam University was held on July 17 at the venue of the university entitled “Scientific an Applied Seminar of Resistance Economy” in the presence of distinguished and prominent university lectures, economists, members of scientific associations and a number of university students. The prestigious seminar was first addressed by Member of Expediency Council and Head of Commission to Supervise Secretariat of Expediency Council Dr. Davood Danesh-Ja’fari. In the beginning, he said: “The adopted decisions will turn out to be successful when all decision makers have positive approach on the decisions.” “Resistance Economy” is defined as follows: “How can economy resist against unpredicted or unanticipated shocks?” When an irregular shock is incurred in a resistance economy, suitable way should be paved for showing rapid reaction, he maintained. In the end, senior advisor to the Ministry of Health and Medical Education pointed to the approaches of estimating probability of occurrence of impact and improvement of resistance [which include “risk management and “resistance engineering” approaches] and stated: “As far as “risk management” is concerned, it is tried to minimize the probability of occurrence of impact while in “resistance engineering” approach, it is tried to minimize damage incurred as a result of impact.” 10 I NTE R NATI O NAL DAI LY FOOD FOR THOUGHT W O M E N JULY 19, 2016 h t t p : / / w w w . t e h r a n t i m e s . c o m / s o c i e t y Conference held on women’s role in resistance economy W O M E N TEHRAN — The first d e s k conference on wom- “No matter how old you are, you always want your mother ’s love and acceptance. I guess I’m hoping one day I’ll get it back.” Hilary Grossman NEWS Gender inequality continues as women numbers low in parliament, Bendigo It would be easy to think the recent federal election was a watershed moment for women in public office. The vote saw West Australian Labor candidate Anne Aly become the country’s only female Muslim federal MP, while Linda Burney’s lower house win was unprecedented for an indigenous woman. In Bendigo, the three highest-tallying parties were all represented by women. But as the final few victors fall across the line, an examination of parliament’s gender make-up sees inequality set to pervade Canberra for at least another three years. Just 13 women will occupy seats on the government’s side of the lower house, five fewer than when Tony Abbott took the prime ministership in 2013. Twenty-seven Labor women might sit in the House of Representatives this term, but that figure is still a long way from the party’s goal of 50-50 representation by 2025. Even with two female independents, the new parliament has about the same proportion of women as Afghanistan’s national assembly. It is an alarming fact and one worth considering as Bendigo residents prepare to vote in council elections later this year. Women make up just one-third of the current nine-person council. But bridging the gender divide is easier said than done and requires both candidates and their constituents to overcome deeply entrenched attitudes about gender. For a start, the perception that parliaments and councils are places in which a boys’ club culture prevails might be enough to deter a woman from launching a campaign. Women who still choose to run for office must then steel themselves against an almost inevitable wave of misogynist derision which has little to do with their policies and everything to do with their gender. Some of those successful candidates will have to balance their work with pregnancy and motherhood in a workplace historically ill-equipped to handle such matters. There are women in Bendigo who have successfully navigated this treacherous route. Elise Chapman and Helen Leach will re-contest their council seats in 2016, while newcomers Jennifer Alden and Yvonne Wrigglesworth have also thrown their hat into the ring. Only time will tell if they are able to win enough seats for the council to accurately reflect the number of women living under its jurisdiction. (Source: Bendigo Advertiser) RECIPE OF THE WEEK production and creating added value have always played a main role, though unappreciated, in the economy, he noted. Enriching the concept of resistance economy is essential, said Farshad Mo’meni, a faculty member of Allame Tabatabayee University, adding, a pivotal factor in resistance economy is having the ability of proper reaction to inside and outside changes or shocks. However, women who are one of the main groups of the society are subjected to loss at the time of these shocks, if they are not empowered, Mo’meni added. Vice-president for women and family affairs Shahindokht Molaverdi, for her part, hoped that these gatherings would bring about enriched theories in resistance economy considering the pivotal role of women. en’s role in resistance economy was held in Tehran on July 13. Resistance economy calls on the government to secure the utilization of the country’s resources, struggle to promote a knowledge-based economy, take efforts to increase energy consumption efficiency, and finally, boost domestic production. The term was introduced into the political rhetoric of the country after international sanctions brought it to the attention of Iranian officials the importance of self-sufficiency. Creating equality in women’s share as production factors was an important issue raised by Hossein Raghfar, a faculty member of the women-only Alzahra University. Women, as one of the main factors in 10 percent of drug addicts in Iran are women: official W O M E N TEHRAN — Women make up 10 d e s k percent of drug addicts in Iran, the chairman of State Welfare Organization of Iran said here on Saturday. The statistics is worrying, Anoushiravan Mohseni-Bandpei said, adding, rehabilitating female addicts is one of the priorities of the organization. If a man is addict, his wife can control the family properly, but if a woman is addicted the foundation of the family will be ruined, IRNA quoted Mohseni-Bandpei as saying. The official put emphasis on keeping women away from addiction rather than rehabilitating them. The society should be informed of consequences of addiction, he noted. ‘Direct discrimination’: EU court advocate backs Muslim woman fired for wearing headscarf A Muslim woman in France who was fired for refusing to remove her headscarf should have been allowed to cover her head at work, a legal advisor to the EU’s top court has stated, adding that the request amounts to “unlawful direct discrimination.” “There is nothing to suggest she was unable to perform her duties as a design engineer because she wore an Islamic headscarf,” Advocate General Eleanor Sharpston said in a written opinion on Wednesday, as quoted by Reuters. The case arose in 2009, when Asma Bougnaoui was asked by her employer, Micropole SA, to remove her headscarf when dealing with clients. When she refused, she was fired. The worker took the case before a French court, which referred it to the European Court of Justice (ECJ). Although companies can impose strict rules for appearance if it is a “genuine and determining occupational requirement,” Sharpston said it was hard to see why the restriction was valid in this particular case. While opinions offered by advocates general are advisory, the ECJ generally follows their advice in drawing up its final ruling. An ECJ ruling is binding on member states. Sharpston’s statements come just one week after a Muslim law trainee in Germany won the right to wear a headscarf at work when a court ruled that there was no legal basis for the state of Bavaria to prevent her from doing so. However, State Justice Minister Winfried Bausback has said the regional government will appeal the decision. Meanwhile, Austria’s Supreme Court has ruled that employers are allowed to ban face veils if they prevent communication and interaction between employers, employees, and clients. The Austrian ruling came after a Muslim woman was sacked from her job for telling her bosses that she want- ed to wear a full face veil in the future. She also accused her boss of making discriminatory comments, including a remark joking that she was carrying out an “experiment in ethnic clothing,” The Local reported. Although the Supreme Court agreed that her boss’ comments were likely discriminatory, it upheld the employer’s right to ban face veils, stating that leaving the face uncovered is one of the “undisputed basic rules of communication” in Austria. The court also ruled that the woman’s “stubborn” refusal to comply with her employer’s rules meant it was not discriminatory to dismiss her. She was awarded €1,200 (US$1,329) of the €7,000 ($7,758) that she had been seeking. The debate surrounding female Muslim clothing has been ongoing in Europe for some time now. In May, a Danish education center told six students that they could no longer attend classes unless they removed their face veils. Burqas and face veils have also been banned in parts of Switzerland and Italy, and both Belgium and France have placed nationwide bans on wearing face veils and burqas in public. (Soure: RT) UN women’s rights committee reviews status of women in Turkey Turkey’s performance in implementing the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) was reviewed by a United Nations committee on Wednesday, as a Turkish delegation provided official figures and answered the committee’s questions on a wide range of women’s issues in the country. In an opening address at the committee meeting, the Turkish delegation, which was comprised of representatives from Turkey’s permanent representation in addition to the family, foreign affairs, interior, justice, labor, education, health and agriculture ministries, provided a brief account on recent developments on the status of women in Turkey. IN FOCUS Women are now able to solely use their maiden name after they get married, said delegation head Gülser Ustaoğlu, who is also the general manager of the Family and Social Planning Ministry’s status of women program, adding changes were being made to the Turkish criminal code to introduce penalties against discrimination and hate crimes. “Turkey has been one of the countries that supported ‘gender equality’ as a standalone goal,” she stressed, although the term “gender justice” was being employed increasingly more commonly in the country. She added that the budget of the Family and Social Planning Ministry had increased 15-fold and now included social services for women as part of its work. Reports suggested, however, that the CEDAW committee criticized changing the name of the Women and Family Affairs Ministry into its current title following the 2011 general elections and questioned the delegation on a number of thorny issues including child brides, femicides, girls’ education, equal pay and abortions. Members of the committee also questioned women’s representation in politics, according to reports, to which Ustaoğlu responded by saying that some 15 percent of the Turkish parliament were women – corre- Mehr/ Leila Ghodratollahi Fard Chocolate chip cookie ice cream cake “Vary this dessert by using different flavors of ice cream.” Ingredients: 1 (18 ounce) package small chocolate chip cookies 1/4 cup margarine, melted 1 cup hot fudge topping 2 quarts vanilla ice cream 1 cup whipped cream 12 cherries Directions: Crush half the cookies (about 20) to make crumbs. Combine crumbs with melted margarine and press into the bottom of a 9-inch spring form pan or pie plate. Stand remaining cookies around edge of pan. Spread 3/4 cup fudge topping over crust. Freeze 15 minutes. Meanwhile, soften 1 quart of ice cream in microwave or on countertop. After crust has chilled, spread softened ice cream over fudge layer. Freeze 30 minutes. Scoop remaining quart of ice cream into balls and arrange over spread ice cream layer. Freeze until firm, 4 hours or overnight. To serve, garnish with remainder of fudge topping, whipped cream and cherries. Northern province of Golestan is economically dependent on agriculture and women play a key role in running the industry though in a traditional way. sponding to a total of 81 lawmakers. “A 10 percent increase in these numbers since the year 2002 is a significant development,” the delegation said in a written response. The CEDAW committee also listed a number of issues related to the seventh periodic report of Turkey to be answered by the Turkish delegation, including matters related to the legislative framework, violence against women and women’s participation in education, the job market and political affairs. “As of February 2016, 101 shelters with a capacity of 2,656 in 79 provinces serve under the coordination of the ministry,” the delegation said in response to a question on violence against women, saying that an amendment to the municipalities law now rendered it mandatory for all municipalities with a population of over 100,000 citizens to open shelters for women and children. The delegation’s answers also provided striking figures on the extent of violence, as they said 36 percent of women were reportedly subject to violence from their partners or spouses at some point in their lives while 44 percent of women were victims of psychological or emotional violence. Turkey also defended the increase in the number of religious vocational schools for contributing to girls’ schooling. “The establishment of girls’ imam hatip [religious vocational] high schools and dormitories in some areas in order to prevent prejudices from keeping girls away from enrolment are contributing towards the enrolment rates of girls in these areas,” it said. The committee was set to announce its officially-termed concluding observations on July 25, which will be an important indicator of the status of women’s rights in Turkey, Prof. Feride Acar, former chairperson and current member of CEDAW, told Turkey’s state-run Anadolu Agency. “The evaluation by the CEDAW committee will provide hints regarding how well our state complies with our international undertakings on women’s rights policies,” Acar said. (Source: hurriyetdailynews.com) h t t p : / / w w w . t e h r a n t i m e s . c o m / s p o r t s S P O R T S JULY 19, 2016 Iran to send 63 athletes to Rio 2016 INTERNATIONAL DAILY 11 FOOTBALL FIFA says Russia’a Alfa Bank is first regional World Cup sponsor S P O R T S The Iranian Olympic mission comprises 63 d e s k athletes representing 14 sports federations including the Athletics, Archery, Boxing, Cycling, Fencing, Judo, Rowing, Shooting, Swimming, Table Tennis, Taekwondo, Volleyball, Weightlifting, and Wrestling federations. The Iranian delegation looks forward to outdo its performance at London 2012, when it won four gold medals, five silvers and three bronzes. Iran left London finishing seventeenth in the overall medal standings. This was also the most successful Olympics for the Middle East, winning the largest number of medals at a single games, and surpassing by just double the record from Athens.Notable accomplishments included the nation’s first gold medals in men’s Greco-Roman wrestling, and the nation’s first ever medal in athletics, won by discus thrower Ehsan Haddadi. The 2016 Summer Olympic Games will begin on August 5 and runs until August 21. Archery: Zahra Nemati Athletic: H a s s a n Ta f ti a n , M o h a m m a d Ja f a r M o r a d i , H amid Rez a Zo uravand, Mahmo ud Samimi, E h s a n H a d d a d i , L e y l a R a j a b i , Pej m a n G h a l e noei, Reza Ghasemi, Kaveh Mousavi, Mohammad Ar z andeh Boxing: Ehsan Rouzbahani Cycling: Ghader Mizbani, Arvin Moazami Goudarzi, Mirsamad Pourseyedi Fencing: Ali Pakdaman, Mojtaba Abedini Judo: Alireza Khojasteh, Javad Mahjoub, Saeed Molaei Rowing: Mahsa Javar Shooting: Najmeh Khedmati, Mahlagha Jambozorg, Pouya Norouzian, Golnoush Sebghatollahi, Elaheh Ahmadi Swimming: Aria Nasimi-Shad Table Tennis: Nima Alamiyan, Noshad Alamiyan, Neda Shahsavari Taekwondo: Kimia Alizadeh, Farzan Ashourzadeh, Mehdi Khodabakhsh, Sajjad Mardani Volleyball: Saeid Marouf, Mehdi Mahdavi (setter), Amir Ghafour, Shahram Mahmoudi (opposite), Mohammad Mousavi, Adel Gholami, Mostafa Sharifat (middle blockers), Milad Ebadipour, Farhad Ghaemi, Hamzeh Zarrini, Mojtaba Mirzajanpour (wing spikers), Mehdi Marandi (libero) Weightlifting: Behdad Salimi, Kiasnoush Rostami, Sohrab Moradi (the fourth and fifth weightlifters will be selected from Mohammadreza Barari, Bahador Molaei and Ali Hashemi) Wrestling: Freestyle: Hassan Yazdani, Alireza Karimi, Meysam Nasiri, Hassan Rahimi, Komeil Ghasemi, Reza Yazdani (Amir Mohammadi) Greco Roman: Saeid Abdevali, Bashir Babajanzadeh, Hamid Sourian, Omid Norouzi, Ghasem Rezaei, Habibollah Akhlaghi (Ramin Taheri) I’ll try my best to earn a place on FIFA Council, says Ali Kafashian S P O R T S Former Iran Football d e s k Federation President Ali Kafashian stated that he will make every effort to book a place on the new FIFA Council. “After more than eight years as the president I need rest. Actually I’m more focused on my duties at AFC now as I’m currently Vice President of the Asian Football Confederation from the Central Region. I’ll try my best to be selected as one of Asian candidates on FIFA Council. If I’m selected I will try to benefit from that for Asia and also my country,” Kaf- ashian said. Kafashian, who is currently Iran Football Federation Vice President, served as Iran Football Federation President for more than eight years from 1 March 2008 to 7 May 2016. Zhang Jian (China PR), Ali Kafashian (Islamic Republic of Iran), Mong Gyu Chung (Korea Republic), Saoud A.Aziz Al-Mohannadi (Qatar) and Zainudin Nordin (Singapore) are five male candidates who will compete for two Asia places on the new FIFA Council. Asia has three places on the Thousands arrested in global football gambling raids: Interpol new FIFA Council but at least one of those three places must be filled by a woman. The election will be held at the AFC Extraordinary Congress on September 27 in Goa, India. I have 18 reasons to select these 12 players, says Raul Lozano S P O R T S Iran national team volleyball head d e s k coach Raul Lozano stated that he has Iran has been pitted against London 2012 gold medalist Russia, World Championship 2014 winner Poland, Argentina, Cuba and Egypt in Pool B of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. The Rio 2016 Olympic Games men’s volleyball tournament runs from August 6 until August 20. Iran national volleyball team final squad for 2016 Olympic Games in Rio is as follows: Saeid Marouf, Mehdi Mahdavi (setter), Amir Ghafour, Shahram Mahmoudi (opposite), Mohammad Mousavi, Adel Gholami, Mostafa Sharifat (middle blockers), Milad Ebadipour, Farhad Ghaemi, Hamzeh Zarrini, Mojtaba Mirzajanpour (wing spikers), Mehdi Marandi (libero) a lot of reason to select the final 12 players for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio. “I have 18 reasons behind selecting these 12 players as the final squad for 2016 Olympics in Rio. I would like to thank Farhad Zarif, Alireza Mobasheri, Armin Tashakori and Mohammad Javad Manavinejad who were fantastic at the trainings but unfortunately we have to take just 12 players for Rio. We will definitely use them again after Olympics. I believe that the Iranian team will have something to say at the Olympics with Amir Ghafour and Farhad Ghaemi,” Lozano told reporters. Leicester City 6,000-1 to win 2016-17 Premier League title - Claudio Ranieri Leicester City’s primary target this season is to avoid relegation, according to their coach Claudio Ranieri. Leicester defied odds of 5000-1 by claiming a shock Premier League title last season, finishing 10 points ahead of their nearest rivals Arsenal. Ranieri says it is even more unlikely that they will emerge on top in 2016-17 and is therefore setting safety as the No. 1 objective, although he is not ruling out delivering more success for the Foxes while keeping a low profile. “The fundamental concept is to start from scratch,” Ranieri told Italy’s La Gazzetta dello Sport. “We’ve won the title and it was beautiful and fantastic, it was maybe an unrepeatable achievement, but now we turn the page. “If at the start of last season the bookmakers had us down as 5000-1 shots, then this time we start at 6000-1. Our objective to start the season with is to reach 40 points and stay up. “Then, once we’ve reached that objective, we can raise the bar: finish in the top 10, [qualify for] the Europa League, a place in the Champions League. And maybe we can win one of the five trophies will be challenging for: Community Shield, Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup and Champions League. That is our running order, step by step.” Ranieri is aware of how difficult the season will be, though, not only with every- body keen on deposing his team from their throne. And then there is the added burden of Champions League football which his squad have got to get used to. “The Champions League is a fascinating adventure, but it burns copious amounts of energy, particularly psychologically,” the 64-year-old said. “Were going to have to learn to live with this extra distribution of strength and be good at lifting ourselves up again. “We might therefore lose a few more games and that’s where we will see how capable we are of reacting.” (Source: ESPN) Man City target Leroy Sane still eyed by Bayern Munich, Real Madrid - father Bayern Munich and Real Madrid are still in the race to sign Leroy Sane, the young Schalke star›s father has said amid reports that Manchester City are close to sealing a move for the Germany attacker. Sane, 20, has been strongly linked with a switch to the Premier League club this summer, with Bild reporting late last week that he has already agreed terms on a four-year contract to join new boss Pep Guardiola at the Etihad Stadium. The German tabloid added that only the transfer fee still needs to be negotiated, with Schalke hoping to at least get €50 million for their biggest asset. But at the weekend, Sane›s father, Souleymane, told Sky News in Germany his son›s future could still lie elsewhere. FIFA, which has struggled to find commercial partners since it was battered by a corruption scandal last year, named a Russian bank as its first regional World Cup sponsor on Monday. The global soccer body said Alfa Bank would “activate sponsorship initiatives” around the 2018 World Cup, which is being hosted by Russia. FIFA said that, under a new commercial strategy for the World Cup, up to four packages were being offered for regional sponsors in each of five regions it listed as Europe, North America, South America, Middle East and Africa, and Asia. It said there was a growing interest in the approach. FIFA was thrown into turmoil last year after criminal investigations were launched into the sport in the United States, where several dozen former soccer officials have been indicted, and Switzerland. It was also forced to reform its bidding process after a December 2010 vote awarded the 2018 and 2022 tournaments to Russia and Qatar respectively. Gianni Infantino was elected to the FIFA presidency in February after promising greater funding for FIFA’s 211 member associations during his campaign. He said increasing sponsorship revenue would be a priority for his presidency. FIFA sources have said the federation faces a shortfall of about $500 million in its predictions if it fails to reach sponsorship revenue targets. (Source: Reuters) «Real Madrid and Bayern are also still in mix,» Sane Snr., a former Bundesliga forward, said. Bayern Munich have been3 interested in the Germany winger for some time, but previous reports had the defending Bundesliga champions considering triggering a €37m release clause in Sane›s contract which becomes valid next summer. Speaking to Bild, Bayern CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge did not comment on the latest rumour, saying only: «I don›t want to stir speculations.» However, Bayern may step up their interest after winger Arjen Robben suffered a new injury blow at the weekend which is expected to keep him out for around six weeks. (Source: ESPN) More than 4,000 people have been arrested worldwide and more than $13 million seized across Asia in operations targeting illegal gambling during the Euro 2016 football tournament, Interpol said on Monday. The global police cooperation agency, which called the operation the “most significant in recent years”, said more than 4,000 raids were carried out across China, France, Greece, Italy, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam during Operation SOGA VI (short for soccer gambling) on dens estimated to have handled $649 million worth of bets. “The number of seizures is the highest and most significant amongst similar operations in recent years. The SOGA operations are important for tackling not just illegal gambling, but also the organised networks behind this and other types of crime,” said Chief Superintendent Chan Lokwing, Head of Hong Kong’s Organised Crime and Triad Bureau. A second operation targeted transnational networks behind illegal websites and call-center type operations, Interpol said in a statement from Bangkok. Reuters was not able to immediately reach Thailand’s Interpol director for comment. The arrests come amid a record spike in illegal online gambling in China with millions of yuan placed in bets on Euro 2016, a side-effect of a surge in Chinese interest in global soccer. Portugal were crowned the Euro 2016 champions on July 10, defeating host nation France 1-0 to win their first major championship. (Source: Reuters) Ronaldinho open to Indian Super League transfer Former Barcelona forward Ronaldinho has not ruled out playing in the Indian Super League. Ronaldinho, 36, is currently without a club following a two-month loan spell at Brazilian side Fluminense last year. The two-time FIFA World Player of the Year plays in India’s Premier Futsal League for Goa, and he is open to joining an Indian Super League outfit. “I am uncertain but I will go to a place where I feel very comfortable and will consider this possibility [the Indian Super League],” he said. In March, Ronaldinho’s brother and agent, Roberto Assis, said the playmaker will not play in Brazil and is likely to join Major League Soccer or the Chinese Super League. (Source: Soccernet) b Poem of the day I N T E R N AT I O N A L D A I L Y http://www.tehrantimes.com/culture NEWS 100 Works, 100 Artists exhibit to open Friday A d e R s T TEHRAN — Golestan Gallery in Tehran k will once again be hosting the exhibit “100 Works, 100 Artists”, which will open on Friday. The 24th edition will be hosting about 200 artists with about 220 artworks including paintings, sculptures and calligraphic paintings, gallery director Leili Golestan said in a press release published on Monday. The highest-priced item belongs to Sohrab Sepehri, she said, adding that works by younger artists at lower prices will be offered at the exhibit to encourage the youth. The exhibit will be running until August 17 at the venue of the gallery located at 42 Kamasaii St. in the Darus neighborhood. Franco-Iranian comedy “Les Pieds dans le Tapis” ready to premiere A d e R s T TEHRAN — Franco-Iranian comedy k “Les Pieds dans le Tapis” is ready for its Iranian premiere, the Persian median announced on Monday. The movie was directed by the France-based Iranian filmmaker Nader Takmil-Homayun who also co-wrote it with Philippe Blasband from Belgium. Majid Barzegar produced “Les Pieds dans le Tapis” with the ARTE TV network. The film tells the story of an Iranian carpet salesman who dies in France after which his family in Iran puts in a great deal of effort to bring his body back. “Oblivion Season”, “Hotchpotch” win awards at U.S. festival A d e A flower endures but five or six days But this rose-garden is always delightful. Sadi No. 18, Bimeh Lane, Nejatollahi St., Tehran, Iran P.o. Box: 14155-4843 Zip Code: 1599814713 SINCE 1979 R s T TEHRAN — Iranian directors Ebrahim k Foruzesh’ “Hotchpotch” and Abbas Rafei’s “Oblivion Season” won awards in various categories at the Love International Film Festival, the organizers announced on Sunday. “Oblivion season” received nominations in seven categories while it won the best actress award for Sareh Bayat and the award for best director of photography for Alireza Barazandeh. “Oblivion Season” tells the stor y of Fariba, an ex-prostitute who starts a new life by marr ying her lover but leaving the shadow of her dark past turns out not to be as easy as it had seemed beforehand. “Hotchpotch”, which received eight nominations, was honored in three categories as it brought the award for best actress to Leila Otadi, the award for the best youth actor to Hossein Qasemi-Honar and the award for best screenwriter to Foruzesh and Mohammad MiraliAkbari. Starring Hedayat Hashemi and Otadi, “Hotchpotch” is about the challenges of a man who lost his wife in her first childbirth. Iranian director Hassan Najmabadi’s short film “Copper Wire” was also screened at the international short film section of the festival. NEWS IN BRIEF New director selected for Iran’s House of Cinema A d e R s T TEHRAN – Iranian producer k Manuchehr Shahsavari has been selected as the new managing director of Iran’s House of Cinema. Reza Mirkarimi, the director of acclaimed drama “ Today”, held the position for over a year. Managing Director: Ali Asgari Editor-in-Chief: Hassan Lasjerdi Editorial Dept.: Fax: (+98(21) 88808214 [email protected] Switchboard Operator: Tel: (+98 21) 43051000 Advertisements Dept.: Telefax: (+98 21) 43051450 [email protected] Public Relations Office: Tel: (+98 21) 88805807 Subscription & Distribution Dept.: Tel: (+98 21) 43051603 www.eshterak.ir Distributor: Padideh Novin Co. Tel: 88911433 Webmaster: [email protected] Prayer Times Noon:13:11 Evening: 20:39 Dawn: 4:22 (tomorrow) Sunrise: 6:03 (tomorrow) Printed at: Kayhan - ISSN: 1017-94 Ayenedar Regional Music Festival honors winners A d e R s T TEHRAN — Winners of the Third k Ayenedar Regional Music Festival were honored during a ceremony held at Tehran’s Vahdat Hall on Sunday. Musicians Parvin Bahmani, Hemmat-Ali Rezai, Shokr-Ali Rezai, Aziz Bastaq, Asadollah Musavi, Feizollah Arefi, Gholam-Shah Qanbari, Abolqasem Dehqan, Ebrahim Salmansur and Ali-Mardan Asgari were the winners who received the plaque of the festival at the ceremony. Artistic secretary of the festival, Ali Maghazei, in his short speech talked about the high potential of Iranian regional music. “We tried to introduce the respected musicians of regional music to people”, Maghazei said, asking the officials to support and help promote regional music. Kamancheh virtuoso Ali-Akbar Shekarchi was also called upon stage to speak, where he paid his respects to the organizers of the festival. “Nothing like music can polish the spirit of mankind. Music is very precious and can provide the element of creativity in the industrial world of today. Music can make people feel proud, among which the regional music is one of the highlights,” he added. The director of the festival, Ehsan Rasulov, in his brief words paid tribute to musician and expert on Iran’s regional music Mohammadreza Darvishi for his help and support. Mohammad Ansari, Alidust Falahati, Heidar Parniyan, Qodratollah Fat’hi, Mohammad Behdarvand, Alireza Shahbazi, Sohrab Shafiei and Ahmad Ahmadi Musician Parvin Bahmani (C) holds the award that she received for her lifetime achievements during the Third Ayenedar Regional Music Festival at Tehran’s Vahdat Hall on July 17, 2016. (Mehr/Asghar Khamseh) were also honored at the program. The ceremony was brought to an end with live performances by several groups, which were warmly received by the participants. “Immortal” honored at Yerevan Golden Apricot film festival A d e R s T TEHRAN — Iranian director k Hadi Mohaqeq’s acclaimed movie “Immortal” won the Silver Apricot for best feature at the 13th Golden Apricot -- Yerevan International Film Festival, the organizers announced on Saturday. Mohaqeq and producer Majid Barzegar dedicated the award to the legendary Iranian filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami who died earlier this month. The film also received the Ecumenical Jury Prize at the event. “Immortal” is about Ayaz, a sixty-year-old man who detests his life. He feels guilty about the death of his family and is constantly in search of ways for ending his life. The film and Kazakh director Yerlan Nurmukhambetov’s “Walnut Tree” shared the best film PICTURE OF THE DAY A scene from “Immortal” award in the New Currents section at the 20th Busan International Film Festival in last October. The Golden Apricot for best film went to “Ungiven” by Branko Schmidt from Croatia while “The Prosecutor, the Defender, the Father and the Son”, a joint production of Bulgaria, the Netherlands and Sweden by Iglika Triffonova received a special mention in this section. The Golden Apricot for best documentary was presented to “Across the Don” by Evgeny Grigorev from Russia while “Don Juan”, a joint production of Sweden and Finland by Jerzy Sladkowski, won the Silver Apricot in this section. This year, the Golden Apricot Yerevan International Film Festival (GAIFF) paid tribute to Kiarostami by organizing an exhibition of his photos from the series “The Road” at the Dalan Art Gallery on July 12. Honaronline/Alireza Farahani Adaptation of “A Lover’s Discourse” coming to Tehran theater A d Members of a troupe led by director Ali Pilevar performs English playwright Sir Peter Shaffer’s “Black Comedy” at Tehran’s Pendar Theater on July 17, 2016. The play takes a humorous look at the antics of a group of characters feeling their way around a pitch black room. R T TEHRAN k adaptation — An of French essayist Roland Barthes’ “A Lover’s Discourse” (1977, “Fragments d’un discours amoureux”) will go on stage at the House for Dialogue Between City and Architecture on Friday. A cast of four actors will perform the play titled “Turn to See Me”, which will be co-directed by Shirin Farshbaf, Nasim Riazi and Saeid Behnam. It will run for 30 nights. Banipal Shomon, Maral Ebadi, Nilufar Nedai and Mohsen Rastegar are the members of the cast, and parts of the play will be narrated by veteran actor Reza Kianian. An account of a painful love affair, “A Lover’s Discourse” was so popular in France that it quickly sold more than 60,000 copies. Barthes was also a social and literary critic whose writings on semiotics, the formal study of symbols and signs pioneered by Ferdinand de Saussure, helped establish structuralism and the New Criticism as leading intellectual movements. e s “Ghostbusters” holds its own, but “Life of Pets” still no. 1 NEW YORK (AP) — After months of prerelease debate, Sony Picture’s femaleled "Ghostbusters" reboot arrived in theaters as neither a massive success nor the bomb some predicted, as the muchscrutinized film opened with an estimated $46 million in North American theaters, second to the holdover hit "The Secret Life of Pets." "The Secret Life of Pets" stayed on top with $50.6 million in its second week, according to studio estimates Sunday. But all eyes were on Paul Feig’s "Ghostbusters," which resurrects the 1984 original with a cast of Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Leslie Jones and Kate McKinnon. Sony, noting it was the best opening for a live-action comedy in more than a year, called the result "a triumph." Audiences, which broke down 46 percent male and 54 percent female, gave it a solid B-plus CinemaScore. "There was a lot of scrutiny on the film going up to release, but the movie in the opening delivered," said Josh Greenstein, president of marketing and distribution for Sony. "We’ve successfully restarted a very important brand and we’re just ecstatic at the results." Yet given its hefty price tag - the film cost $144 million to make, after rebates, plus more than $100 million to market - it’s a relatively tepid start for "Ghostbusters" that will put pressure on the film to perform well overseas. And that could be a challenge in some territories that don’t have the same familiarity with the original "Ghostbusters" films. It began with $19.1 million internationally. A release in China, the world’s second-largest film market, is also in question. China has regulations against depictions of the supernatural in movies. Greenstein said Sony will submit the film for release "and we’ll see if we get accepted or not." Among new releases, "Ghostbusters" had the weekend largely to itself. The true-story crime drama "The Infiltrator," starring Bryan Cranston, supplied a counterprogramming option from the usual summer fare, and took in $5.3 million. Woody Allen’s 1930s Hollywood drama "Cafe Society" opened in limited release with $355,000 in five theaters. For Sony, the stakes for "Ghostbusters" were extremely high. Greenlit by the sincedeparted Amy Pascal, the film is intended to kick off several future "Ghostbusters" installments.