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Payvand Iran News Archive

Home News News Archive Sports News Interesting Sites Directory Persian Calendar Bookstore Archive	November 2005 US Willing To Discuss Iraq With Iran The United States has confirmed plans by Zalmay Khalilzad, the U.S. ambassador to Iraq, to hold talks with Iranian officials about helping restore security to Iraq. The U.S. State Department said any such contacts would have not affect ruptured bilateral relations, and an Iranian official has said that talks with the United States are not on the agenda of the Islamic Republic. -RFE - 11/30/05 Qeshm's Earthquake Damaged Historical Portuguese Fortress An earthquake measuring 5.9 on the Richter scale struck Qeshm Island on November 27, destroying the eastern wall of the historical Portuguese fortress before excavations were carried out on that section of the site. -CHN - 11/30/05 Iran Trying to Bolster Its Space Program Iran's space agency is trying to snap up technology from abroad as fast as possible for its satellite program, fearing the West will seek to impose restrictions like those put on the Iranian nuclear program. -AP - 11/30/05 Sunni group regrets Tehran jobs 'bias' Zahedan Mohammad-Reza Bakhshi-Mohebbi has twice climbed mount Taftan, at 4,042m the highest peak in Iran's Sistan-Baluchestan province. "Taftan is volcanic - like much of this region - but it emits only steam," says the geology professor. "We can say it's half active." -Financial Times - 11/30/05 Sivand Dam's Inundation Postponed for 6 Months Head of the Cultural Heritage and Tourism Committee in Iran's parliament, Hassan Abbasi, announced the postponement of the inundation of Sivand Dam for at least two seasons. -CHN - 11/30/05 Iranian journalist Akbar Ganji wins first Dialogue of Cultures award in UK Akbar Ganji has been been honored by the Foreign Press Association (FPA) in London by making the Iranian investigative journalist the first recipient of its `Dialogue of Cultures' Award. - 11/30/05 'Tehrangeles' Rising -- Iranian-Americans Make Their Mark in Hollywood One day Hollywood will make an Iranian-American "Gone With the Wind." All the epic elements are there. -PNS - 11/30/05 Britain certain Iran developing long-range weapons British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said it was an "incontrovertible" fact that Iran was developing long-range missiles. But he stopped short of asserting that Tehran was using its fledgling nuclear programme to develop nuclear weapons.-AFP - 11/30/05 Iran, U.S.: Going Public Before Getting Together A leading Iranian newspaper Nov. 29 called on Tehran to accept Washington's offer to meet U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad, who one day earlier announced his authorization by U.S. President George W. Bush to hold talks with Iran about Iraqi security. -Stratfor - 11/30/05 Khatami: Alliance of Civilizations meaningless without dialogue Former Iranian president Mohammad Khatami on Tuesday evening stressed that the idea behind the `Alliance of Civilizations' proposed by the United Nations is different from his concept of `Dialogue among Civilizations'. -IRNA - 11/30/05 Atomic hypocrisy Neither Bush nor Blair is in a position to take a high moral line on Iran's nuclear programme -Guardian - 11/30/05 Morteza Momayez, prominent Iranian artist was buried today: Yet Another Great Loss! When I was riding in the one of the many buses which were provided to go to Kordan, a young lady journalist said to me: "It is a great pity that many young people learn about our great names, which are part of our modern heritage, only after they die and leave us". -Syma Sayyah, Tehran - 11/30/05 Iran's President Says Light Surrounded Him During UN Speech Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad says that when he delivered his speech at the UN General Assembly in September, he felt there was a light around him and that the attention of the world leaders in the audience was unblinkingly focused upon him. -RFE - 11/30/05 Iranian newspaper urges Iran to consider proposal to hold talks with US An Iranian morning daily on Tuesday urged the Iranian officials to positively consider the recent proposal of the US Ambassador in Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad to talk with Tehran in a calm and rational manner. -IRNA - 11/29/05 SNSC spokesman: Entire enrichment process to be conducted in Iran Speaking to IRNA Political Desk, Entezami reiterated, "The country's high ranking officials intend to have the full cycle of nuclear fuel production in our own soil, in other words, they want Iran to join the world nuclear club." -IRNA - 11/29/05 Quake jolts Iran's northern provinces of Mazandaran and Golestan A relatively strong earthquake measuring 5 on the Richter scale hit certain areas of the northern provinces of Mazandaran and Golestan Tuesday morning. -IRNA - 11/29/05 Iran: Zoroastrian Lawmaker Faces Slander Charges Iranian parlamentarian Kurosh Niknam, a member of Iran's Zoroastrian religious minority has been summoned to appear before the country's Revolutionary Tribunal after being accused of spreading false news and showing lack of respect for the authorities. -AKI - 11/29/05 Iranian pilgrims seized in Iraq A group of Iranian pilgrims have been kidnapped in the town of Balad north of the Iraqi capital Baghdad. -BBC - 11/29/05 Iran war on weblogs, new voice of rebels Iran is fighting a constant battle against dissenters who are using the Internet to voice criticism of the Islamic Republic and to push for freedom and democracy. -Telegraph, India - 11/29/05 Mercedes Benz authorized dealership will open in Iran soon Mercedes Benz authorized dealership will begin to work in Iran within the coming days, the Persian service of Iranian Students News Agency ISNA reported here on Tuesday. -Mehr - 11/29/05 Inside Iran Part VII: The Ties That Bind Iran, Iraq Iran has been accused by Britain and America of helping fuel the Iraq insurgency to keep secular democracy from taking hold on Iran's doorstep. -Fox - 11/29/05 Iran: Wife of jailed journalist says he received death threats The wife of jailed Iranian journalist Akbar Ganji has revealed that her husband's life has been threatened while in jail. "My husband, in our last visit, has revealed to me that he has received death threats," Massoumeh Shafii said. -AKI - 11/29/05 Iran FM wraps up Azerbaijan visit Talking to reporters at the Mehrabad International Airport here, Mottaki assessed his meetings with Azeri President Ilham Aliyev, Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov and Parliament Speaker Murtuz Alesqerov as "good and friendly." -IRNA - 11/29/05 IRAN: UNICEF ready to assist Qeshm quake victims The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) is ready to provide assistance after a moderate-sized earthquake struck the Persian Gulf island of Qeshm in southern Iran over the weekend. -IRIN - 11/29/05 Peace activists to travel to Iran Participants in the Fellowship of Reconciliation's first peace mission to Iran said increasing tensions between the United States and the Middle Eastern nation had only strengthened their resolve. -Journal News - 11/29/05 New quake hits Qeshm island, southern Iran An earthquake measuring 3.9 on the Richter scale hit surrounding areas of Qeshm in the Persian Gulf in southern Iran on Monday evening following two killer quakes that hit the coastal area and its neighboring villages on Sunday. -IRNA - 11/29/05 US Envoy to Contact Iran Over Iraqi Issues The State Department confirmed Monday that U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad has been authorized to hold talks with Iranian officials on issues related to Iraq. But U.S. officials are downplaying the broader significance of such contacts. -VOA - 11/29/05 Iran president had ‘religious vision’ during UN speech A leading website in Iran has published a transcript and video recording of President Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad claiming to have felt “a light” while addressing world leaders at the United Nations in New York in September. -Financial Times - 11/29/05 Neither regime change nor a deal with US: support the protest movements Amitai Etzioni's recent suggestion of "no nukes, no regime change" [1] is improbable and unrealistic for two reasons. First, because it ignores the essential causes of the "crisis" it proposes to contain. Second, because he bases the solution on false assumptions. -Ardeshir Mehrdad - 11/29/05 NEWSWEEK: U.S. Ambassador Khalilzad Says He's Received Permission to Talk to Iran to Help Secure Iraq After U.S. Troop Drawdown U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad tells Newsweek that he has received explicit permission from President Bush to begin a diplomatic dialogue with Iran, which has meddled politically in Iraq, to help secure Iraq after U.S. troop phased drawdown. - 11/28/05 Aftershocks jolt Iran's Qeshm island, death toll rises to 10 The sixth aftershock shook this southern Iranian island in the Persian Gulf on Monday as death toll from a strong earthquake a day before rose to 10. -IRNA - 11/28/05 UK confirms EU nuclear talks offer with Iran The British government confirmed Monday that the European Union had delivered a letter to Iran over the weekend offering to renew nuclear talks with Iran. -IRNA - 11/28/05 Iran Leader's Radicalism Angering Allies Critics say the 1980s-style radicalism of ultraconservative President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is hurting Iran at home and abroad — to the point that even his natural allies in parliament have rejected his three choices to run the all-important oil ministry. -AP - 11/28/05 Iran Seeks Guarantees on Nuclear Fuel Iran said Sunday that a meeting with European negotiators should include a guarantee that its nuclear fuel cycle remain in Iran, seemingly rejecting a proposal to move the process to Russia to prevent the production of weapons-grade uranium. -AP - 11/28/05 Ahwazi refugees in Iraq overlooked by government Hundreds of Ahwazi refugees in southern Iraq are living in deteriorating conditions, with little access to basic services such as education and healthcare, say UN officials. -IRIN - 11/28/05 U.S. Allegations Of North Korean Counterfeiting Emerge Years of investigation recently resulted in a formal accusation by the United States that the government of North Korea counterfeits $100 bills, or "supernotes," as they are sometimes known. -RFE - 11/28/05 Iranian FM arrives in Baku Mottaki is also to pay a similar visit to Turkey on Wednesday as part of the new government of President Ahmadinejad's policy to expand "regional cooperation", Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi said Sunday. -IRNA - 11/28/05 Reports Of Gays Being Executed in Iran Raise Concern On 13 November, Tehran's hard-line daily "Kayhan" reported that two young men were hung in a public square in the northern town of Gorgan for the crime of having homosexual relations. -RFE - 11/28/05 Iran Film News: "Goodbye Ernesto" to be screened in U.S. Iranian director Puyan Shahrokhi's documentary "Goodbye Ernesto" is currently being screened in the United States. The film describes the humanitarian thoughts of Ernesto Che Guevara -Mehr - 11/28/05 Iran to tender construction of 2 nuclear plants by March Iran will tender by March 2006 the construction of two more nuclear power plants, a key parliament member said in the northeastern holy city of Mashhad on Sunday. -IRNA - 11/28/05 Film festival in Iran to put AIDS in spotlight first AIDS Film Festival will be held at the Qanun Cultural Center and Tehran University's Andisheh Hall on December 2, the Persian service of the Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA) reported on Monday. -Mehr - 11/28/05 A Revolutionary Channels His Inner Michael Moore FOR years, Massoud Dehnamaki was known widely as the feared enforcer of conservative rules that restricted freedom for women and society. -New York Times - 11/28/05 Iran: Breaking The Will Of Political Prisoners Activists say Iran has adopted a tactic of housing political prisoners together with common criminals as a way of breaking them down. Iranian officials deny the charges and even maintain that the country has no political prisoners at all. -RFE - 11/28/05 Iran: At least 8 killed in powerful quake in Persian Gulf island of Qeshm At least eight people were killed and tens of others wounded in a strong earthquake which hit the biggest island in the Persian Gulf. -IRNA - 11/27/05 A Rush to Excavate Ancient Iranian Sites from around the world have been rushing to excavate scores of newly identified ancient sites in southern Iran before the area is flooded by a new dam. -New York Times - 11/27/05 First Samples of Prehistoric Flint Stones Discovered in Iran The first samples of flint stones in Iran belonging to 9000 years ago have been identified in Yeri City historical site. -CHN - 11/27/05 Khatami arrives in Spain to attend UN meeting on civilizations Former Iranian President Mohammad Khatami, commissioned by UN Chief Kofi Annan as a member of the UN group "Alliance of Civilization", arrived in Spain's Mallorca Island Saturday night to participate in the first meeting of high ranking UN group's first session. -IRNA - 11/27/05 Iraqi VIP heading high-ranking delegation arrives in Tehran Iraq's First Vice President Adel Abdul Mahdi, heading a high-ranking political and economic delegation, arrived here on Sunday on an official visit. -IRNA - 11/27/05 Shiite Urges U.S. to Give Iraqis Leeway In Rebel Fight The leader of Iraq's most powerful political party has called on the United States to let Iraqi fighters take a more aggressive role against insurgents, saying his country will only be able to defeat the insurgency when the United States lets Iraqis get tough. -Washington Post - 11/27/05 Iran-North Korea talks may harden U.S. stance An apparent improvement in ties between Iran and North Korea could lead to a hardened U.S. stance in the stalled Korean nuclear talks, analysts said here Sunday. -IHT - 11/27/05 U.S. Starts Laying Groundwork for Significant Troop Pullout From Iraq Even as debate over the Iraq war continues to rage, signs are emerging of a convergence of opinion on how the Bush administration might begin to exit the conflict. -LA Times - 11/27/05 Canadian envoy meets Iran's Parliament rapporteur Canadian Ambassador to Tehran Gordon Venner and Rapporteur of Majlis Special Commission on National Security and Foreign Policy Kazem Jalali in a meeting on Sunday discussed matters of bilateral concern. -IRNA - 11/27/05 The Staged Terror Is Set (For War With Iran) The latest globalist mouthpiece to jump on the Iran nuke threat bandwagon is Newt Gingrich. A regular attendee of the annual Summer camp at the Bohemian Grove, and long term CFR member, Gingrich has commented that the Iran threat is like that of Nazi Germany in the 1930s. -InfoWars - 11/27/05 Prominent Iranian graphist Morteza Momayez passes away The prominent Iranian graphist, Morteza Momayez, known as the father of national graphic arts, passed away at Tehran's Aban Hospital on Friday night after suffering from lung and respiratory disorders for a long time. -IRNA - 11/27/05 EU3 accepts Iran's invitation to resume nuclear talks next month Iran has received a letter from foreign ministers of the so-called EU3, announcing their readiness to take up nuclear negotiations from where they were left in August, the country's top security body said on Sunday. -IRNA - 11/27/05 America and Europe should listen to a whispered message from Isfahan Visiting Iran, I found a regime wedded to violence and a society eager for peaceful change. We must address both -Guardian - 11/26/05 India, Pakistan, Iran to Launch Negotiations on Natural Gas Pipeline India, Pakistan and Iran have launched joint negotiations on a proposed multi-billion dollar natural gas pipeline that will cross all three countries -VOA - 11/26/05 Some 10 passenger planes to join Iran Air fleet by March 2006 Some 10 passenger planes will join national air fleet by the end of the current Iranian year (March 2006), Managing Director of national airliner, Iran Air, Saeed Hessami said on Saturday. He said that the passenger planes have been leased, because, US economic sanction has created obstacles for purchase of planes for Iran. -IRNA - 11/26/05 Iran, France ready to resume nuclear talks High-ranking Iranian and French Foreign Ministry officials in a meeting on Friday night said that they are ready to resume Iran-EU nuclear negotiations. -IRNA - 11/26/05 Iran president under pressure to name new oil minister Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad must name a new oil minister as soon as possible, the hardline Guardians Council has said, after parliament rejected his third nominee for the crucial post. -AFP - 11/26/05 Global Warming: Scientists Argue About Need For Urgent Action Some participants at next week's conference say they will use recent data on melting Arctic ice to urge tougher efforts against global warming by the United States and developing countries like China and India. -RFE - 11/26/05 Iranian border guards arrest three armed men crossing border from Iraq Three armed infiltrators entering Iran were arrested by border guards at Chazabeh border point in southern Iran on Friday night. -IRNA - 11/26/05 Iran Officials Said to Meet, Talk Nukes Top Iranian officials met less than two months ago to weigh whether to restart their country's uranium enrichment program — a possible pathway to nuclear arms, according to a confidential report cited by diplomats Friday. -AP - 11/26/05 Weeping dog in pilgrimage journey Unprecedented enough, a mourning shepherd dog made its way into the holy shrine of Imam Reza (A.S.), in the northeastern city of Mashad, the Iranian daily Entekhab reported Sunday on its website. -IRIB - 11/26/05 Diplomatic dance over nuclear Iran Iran is still managing to avoid being reported to the Security Council over its nuclear activity and the diplomatic entanglement is likely to continue for some time to come. -BBC - 11/26/05 Russia wants to be partner in Iran-Pakistan-India pipeline The Russian firm Gazprom wants to be a partner in the construction, operation and maintenance of the 2,500-km pipeline that will transport natural gas from the gigantic South Pars field in the Persian Gulf to India via Pakistan. -IRNA - 11/26/05 Iran president defiant on nuclear program Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has defiantly brushed off Western concerns about its nuclear program in a feisty speech marking the 25th anniversary of a revolutionary militia. -AFP - 11/26/05 Iran offered N. Korea oil for weapons help - magazine Iran has offered North Korea oil and natural gas as payment for help in developing nuclear missiles, German weekly magazine Der Spiegel reported on Saturday, citing unidentified Western intelligence sources. -Reuters - 11/26/05 Universities in fury at plan to curb 'Chinese espionage' The US Commerce Department called for public comments last March on a proposal to expand restrictions on the sharing of advanced research and technology with foreign nationals. The result was an outpouring of opposition, particularly from universities, which have already seen the enrolment of foreign students shrink because of new visa requirements adopted after September 11 2001. -Financial Times - 11/26/05 Iran to establish joint oil brokerages with leading stock markets worldwide Iran is to form joint oil brokerages at reputable international stock exchanges like London, New York and Singapore. The plan is to allow the country to have a role in oil price determination which is more or less a monopoly of the West, commissioner of the plan Mohammad Javad Asemipur said on Friday. -Mehr - 11/26/05 Tehran Art Report: The interesting works of Alireza Mir-Asadola I was delighted to walk down to the lower saloon to observe the works of Alireza Mir-Asadola. I found them quite interesting in a corny way, and I may even use the word delightful. I think it takes a lot of hard work to make something ugly look so nice and interesting. -Syma Sayyah, Tehran - 11/25/05 U.S., EU Say Iran Proceeding With Uranium Plans Diplomats and analysts say Iran is pushing ahead with plans to enrich uranium in defiance of international pressure to give up sensitive nuclear technology. -RFE - 11/25/05 Alzheimer Research Fundraising Gala Presided By Shahbanou Farah Pahlavi Former Empress Farah Pahlavi of Iran presided the annual Gala of IFRAD ( International Fund Raising for Alzheimer Disease) on Monday November 14th, 2005 at the Palais de Chaillot in Paris. -Darius Kadivar, Paris - 11/25/05 Analysis: EU fails to dent Iran's nuclear ambition Despite the world's worries about its intentions, Iran is doggedly pursuing its nuclear program and U.S.-backed European Union diplomacy has failed to stop it. -Reuters - 11/25/05 Iranian President reappoints Vaziri Hamaneh as oil ministry caretaker President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Wednesday reappointed Kazem Vaziri Hamaneh as caretaker of the oil ministry in the wake of Majlis' no-confidence vote Wednesday on his third appointee, Mohsen Tasalloti. -IRNA - 11/25/05 UN nuclear watchdog ends meeting in Vienna The UN nuclear watchdog wrapped up a meeting in Vienna with non-aligned countries protesting a call by Britain to hand over key Iranian nuclear documents to the world's five main atomic powers for analysis. -AFP - 11/25/05 What Else Can Be Done about Iran’s Nuclear Program? On November 18, 2005, Michael Eisenstadt, Patrick Clawson, and Henry Sokolski discussed policy options regarding Iran’s nuclear program in light of the November 24 meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the publication of Getting Ready for a Nuclear Ready Iran (U.S. Army War College Strategic Studies Institute), edited by Henry Sokolski and Patrick Clawson. -Washington Institute - 11/25/05 How to Think About War and Peace For the ideologues and civilian militarists in Washington DC 'peace' can be secured with the consolidation of a world empire, which in turn implies perpetual wars throughout the world. -CounterPunch - 11/25/05 Iran: Quake jolts Sarbisheh in eastern province of South Khorassan A mild earthquake measuring 3.8 on the Richter scale hit the city of Sarbisheh in the eastern province of South Khorassan Thursday night. -IRNA - 11/25/05 EU accuses Israel over Jerusalem A confidential report written for European Union foreign ministers has criticised Israel's policy on East Jerusalem, newspaper reports say. -BBC - 11/25/05 Violence Against Women Emerging As Major Social Issue Domestic violence claims the life of one woman every four days in France. The situation is worse in many Asian and African countries. In 1999, the UN declared 25 November the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and invited governments, international organizations, and NGOs to organize activities to raise public awareness of the problem on that day. -RFE - 11/25/05 Iran to develop oilfield in Venezuela soon Golam-Reza Manuchehri, the managing director of Petropars Company told the Mehr News Agency that Iran will soon launch the construction operations of developing an oilfield in Venezuela. -Mehr - 11/25/05 Iran Has Nuke Warheads! Not A year ago, Colin Powell – then secretary of state – told reporters about new, scary intelligence on Iran. Something about Iran having a "nuke-capable" ballistic missile that could threaten "our allies." Several "U.S. officials" immediately said Powell shouldn't have said anything; the intelligence was too sensitive. -Antiwar - 11/25/05 Iran: Minorities Protest Khamenei Aide's "Sinful Animal" Slur Iran's religious minorities have slammed recent controversial remarks by a top aide to the country's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, describing non-Muslims as "sinful animals who roam the earth and engage in corruption." -AKI - 11/25/05 Inside Iran Part II: The Younger Generation Iran's under-30 crowd makes up 70 percent of the population. Too young to remember the shah — Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, who reined from 1941 to 1979 — or for that matter, the Iranian Revolution, they didn't lose their youth in the Iran-Iraq war. This crowd says they like Americans but not U.S. policy. They love their country but also wish it were more free. -Fox News - 11/25/05 India's tremendous diplomatic efforts helped avert a vote on Iran Official sources said on Friday tremendous diplomatic efforts by India had helped avert a vote on the Iran nuclear issue at the IAEA meeting in Vienna, stayed off a possible confrontation and opened the door for negotiations to resolve it within the nuclear watchdog. -IRNA - 11/25/05 EU delegate to visit Iran to discuss Iran's pistachio hygiene A delegation from the European Union is planning to pay a visit to Iran to discuss with Iranian officials their concern about the possible contamination of Iran's pistachios with the toxic substance Aflatoxin B1. -Mehr - 11/25/05 Full text of Iranian official's address to IAEA Board meeting Iran's ambassador and resident representative Mohammad M. Akhondzadeh delivered a speech before the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) Board of Governors in Vienna, Austria, on Thursday. -IRNA - 11/25/05 Rafsanjani: "We need to interact rationally and seriously with the world in dealing with any affair" Interim Friday Prayer Leader of Tehran Hojatoleslam Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani said here on Friday Tehran needs to interact rationally and seriously with the world in dealing with any affair. -IRNA - 11/25/05 Black month for Iran's journalists Reporters Without Borders today condemned a wave of summonses being issued to journalists at the intelligence ministry's behest as well as other press freedom violations in the course of a month that has been especially tough for the Iranian media. - 11/24/05 EU agrees to back off from taking Iran to Security Council The European Union has agreed to give Iran more time to negotiate on its nuclear program in a move that postpones taking Tehran to the UN Security Council for violating non-proliferation safeguards. -AFP - 11/24/05 Interview with UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women Yakýn Ertürk, a sociology professor at the Middle East Technical University in the Turkish capital, Ankara, was appointed United Nations Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women, its Causes and Consequences, in August 2003. -IRIN - 11/24/05 Amid US Troop Debate, Iraq's Neighbors Fear Wave of Terrorism Amid unrelenting violence in Iraq, debate over the future withdrawal of American forces from the country is increasing - among Iraqi political factions as well as in the United States. At the same time, there is growing concern among Iraq's neighbors about the broader regional implications of that violence and instability. -VOA - 11/24/05 UN: Afghans Grow Less Opium Poppy, but Use More Opium cultivation in Afghanistan has decreased for the first time since 2001, according to Antonio Maria Costa, the head of the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime. But there have been alarming changes in narco-trafficking patterns. -VOA - 11/24/05 Iran's president urged to compromise over oil post Government supporters and critics alike on Thursday urged Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to compromise over an unprecedented standoff which has seen him fail to fill the key post of oil minister after three attempts. -Reuters - 11/24/05 EU Accuses Iran of Having Nuke Documents The European Union accused Iran on Thursday of having documents that serve no other purpose than showing how to produce nuclear warheads. It and the United States warned of U.N. Security Council action, even while Iran suggested it was considering a compromise meant to reduce tensions. -AP - 11/24/05 Secrecy Gag Prompted by Fear of New Bush-Blair Revelations Fears that fresh revelations about disputes between Tony Blair and George Bush on the Iraq conflict could damage Downing Street's intimate relationship with the White House prompted this week's unprecedented threat by the attorney general to use the Official Secrets Act against national newspapers. -Guardian - 11/24/05 Iran: Ministerial Rejection Belies Emergence Of New Elite The Iranian parliament rejected President Mahmud Ahmadinejad's third nominee to head the Petroleum Ministry on 23 November, leaving the ministry responsible for the main source of Iranian revenues leaderless and signaling the difficulties facing Ahmadinejad's administration. -RFE - 11/24/05 Iran-Iraq Bilateral Ties Improving Despite U.S. Worries Iraqi President Jalal Talabani yesterday called Iran "a brother country" and said that he has come to Tehran to deepen strategic relations and get help in rooting out terrorism in Iraq. -RFE - 11/23/05 US Says IAEA Report Shows Iran Has Plans for Nuclear Weapons The U.S. envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency says the latest information on Iran's nuclear ambitions shows that there are clear indications of a weapons' program. The ambassador, Gregory Schulte, spoke to reporters before the upcoming IAEA executive meeting. -VOA - 11/23/05 Iran cracks down on cinema, theater and newspapers considered to be un-Islamic Iran's new culture minister has said he is purging his ministry of officials he views as having failed to protect Islamic values, the student news agency ISNA reported. "Books published in Iran should not attack our religious values," said Mohammad-Hossein Saffar-Harandi. He also complained that under Iran's former pro-reform government, the regime's team of literary censors had lacked the "will" to block offending texts. -AFP - 11/23/05 Tehran’s Renewed War on Culture After a period of some tolerance under former president Mohammad Khatami, Iran is now experiencing a cultural clampdown. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is implementing the hardest of hardline ideological tendencies in the cultural arena, consistent with his belief that his administration should prepare the country for the reappearance of the hidden imam -Mehdi Khalaji, Washington Institute - 11/23/05 Iran-China trade exchanges to hit 8 billion dollars by early 2006 Assadollah Asgarowladi, the chairman of Sino-Iranian Joint Chamber of Commerce described the economic ties of Iran and China as positive, announcing that the bilateral trade exchanges will hit over $8 billion by the end of the current Iranian year, falling on March 19, 2006. -Mehr - 11/23/05 Iranian MPs reject oil minister Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has suffered further embarrassment after his third nominee for the key post oil minister was rejected by MPs. -BBC - 11/23/05 Feminine Breeze “Feminine Breeze: Arts and Freedom in Iran” is an independent documentary focusing on how Iranian women artists use their artistic medium for autonomy and self-expression in a society dominated by political Islam. -2005 Global Peace Film Festival - 11/23/05 Inside Iran Part I: A Country at a Crossroads News' Amy Kellogg recently visited Iran, where she interviewed journalists, students and others on life inside the Islamic Republic. This is the first in a series of eight installments about that trip, which will be aired every night on FOX News Channel. - 11/23/05 Was US Press in "Coma" During Drive to War with Iraq? : New Book Asks US media organisations are now skewering President George W. Bush over his case for ousting Saddam Hussein, but few questioned the pro-war juggernaut in the run-up to battle. -AFP - 11/23/05 Blair outlines his Iran concerns Tony Blair has warned that if Iran develops a nuclear capability it would pose a "serious threat to world stability and peace". -BBC - 11/23/05 Seoul Checking Iran's Ad Ban The South Korean government Tuesday started to verify whether the Iranian government actually banned local newspapers from advertising South Korean goods, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said. -Korea Times - 11/23/05 Quake jolts Chelgerd in southwest of Iran A tremor measuring 3.7 on the open-ended Richter scale hit the city of Chelgerd of Chaharmahal Bakhtiari Wednesday afternoon. -IRNA - 11/23/05 Iran, First to Plant GMO Rice, Hopes to Cut Imports Iran, which says it was the first country to commercialise genetically modified rice in 2004, hopes to cut its imports of about 1 million tonnes each year by developing higher-yielding varieties, a senior scientist said. -Reuters - 11/23/05 Iran to export up to 200 megawatts of power to Iraq in a month Iran's power exports to Iraq will rise to 200 megawatts by next one month from 150 megawatts, said Energy Minister Parviz Fattah on Tuesday. -IRNA - 11/23/05 Iran: New Stock Exchange Head Named A 27-year-old economics graduate has been named as the new director of the Tehran stock exchange in a move which has provoked consternation among Iranian investors. Ali Salehabadi, who used to work in the finance department of the Khomeini Foundation, takes the place of the former director-general, Hossein Abdoh Tabrizi, who resigned recently. -AKI - 11/23/05 Iran sees new EU nuclear talks Iran expects its nuclear talks with the European Union, which broke down in August, to resume after this week's board meeting of the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog, Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said on Wednesday -Reuters - 11/23/05 Talabani says Iran promises support against insurgents Iraqi President Jalal Talabani wrapped up a landmark visit to neighbouring Iran saying he had won promises of support for his bid to end the insurgency ravaging his country. -AFP - 11/23/05 Iran's Majlis Speaker: It is up to GC/EC to decide on oil minister nominee Majlis Speaker Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel said on Wednesday that based on Article 135 of the Constitution, the affairs of no ministry should be handled by a caretaker longer than three months, it is up to the Guardians Council (GC) and Expediency Council (EC) make a decision on the nominee for the post of oil minister. -IRNA - 11/23/05 Iraq's Oil: The Spoils of War Iraqis face the dire prospect of losing up to $200bn (£116bn) of the wealth of their country if an American-inspired plan to hand over development of its oil reserves to US and British multinationals comes into force next year. -Independent - 11/23/05 Iran in confusion over cabinet post Parliament's failure to endorse President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's third nominee for the post oil minister has come as a shock in Iran. -BBC - 11/23/05 Climactic Political Battle between Hardliners and Pragmatists Looms in Iran A window opened on Iran’s normally murky political process when the country’s foremost pragmatist politician, Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, issued a scathing attack against President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s administration. -Eurasianet - 11/23/05 Weighing compromise on Iran's nukes The diplomatic tussle over Iran's controversial atomic program has heated up in advance of a meeting Thursday of the UN's nuclear watchdog. -CSM - 11/23/05 'Easy to remember, hard to forget': Fatemeh Keshavarz explores a colorful mosaic of cultures, ethnicities and languages For Fatemeh Keshavarz, Ph.D., associate professor of Persian and of comparative literature, both in Arts & Sciences, poetry is much more than an academic discipline. It is a profoundly personal experience that requires both the poet and the reader to be fully involved in its consummation. -Washington University Record - 11/23/05 Iran's Oil Stabilization Fund: A Misnomer In Iran’s presidential election last June, a factor that was deemed to have clinched the victory for Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was undoubtedly his seductive and crowd pleasing promise “to put the oil manna on everyone’s sofreh (dinner table).” -Jahangir Amuzegar - 11/23/05 Response to Committee on Homeland Defense: Iran's Nuclear Program Messrs. Gingrich, Takeyh, Samore, Berman, Woolsey, and D'Amato: If indeed Iran's true intentions were to acquire nuclear bombs, as you charge, it would not place itself in the international spotlight – it would simply pursue bombs without the 'energy' program. -Soraya Sepahpour-Ulrich - 11/23/05 An Unnecessary Crisis: Setting the Record Straight about Iran's Nuclear Program In a region already suffering from upheaval and uncertainty, a crisis is being manufactured in which there will be no winners. Worse yet, the hysteria about the dangers of an alleged Iran nuclear weapon program rest solely and intentionally on misperceptions and outright lies. In the avalanche of anti-Iran media commentaries, conspicuously absent is any reference to important facts, coupled with a twisted representation of the developments over the past 25 years. -Iran's Permanent Mission to United Nations - 11/22/05 Experts Question Latest U.S. Charges On Iran's Nuclear Program The "New York Times" reported on 13 November that information purportedly found on an Iranian laptop computer secured by a U.S. intelligence agency reveals a "long effort to design a nuclear warhead." The newspaper goes on to charge that the information on the laptop is evidence that Iran is trying to design a "compact warhead" for use on the 1,300-kilometer-range Shahab-3 missile. -RFE - 11/22/05 Iran: Foreign companies invest in building power plant in Fars Two private sector companies from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will soon begin the construction operations of a gas power plant in Fars Province. The companies' investment would be on the Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) basis. -Mehr - 11/22/05 More time for Iran in nuclear row The US and three major European nations are to postpone moves to refer Iran to the UN Security Council over its nuclear programme, diplomats have said. -BBC - 11/22/05 ICC to try Dutch businessman over Iraq's chemical attack against Iran The Iraqi State Television reported Monday the trial of a Dutch national accused of supplying chemical weapons to the Saddam Hussein regime over its attack on Iran started at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Hauge. -IRNA - 11/22/05 EU Ministers To Discuss Ties With Iraq, Situation In Iran, Mideast Border Mission EU foreign ministers meet in Brussels on Monday to discuss a wide range of current issues. Their external relations agenda is topped by Iraq, Iran, and the Middle East. -RFE - 11/22/05 Poetry, pistachio, power What is it about Iran? How is it that conventional modes of international engagement do not suffice? This summer, days after Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s election as president, a tour of the country obtained some clues — from the lay of its pilgrimages and the civilisational memory of its people. -Indian Express - 11/22/05 The clash of civilizations that today defines our world Robert Fisk's book is not simply about 9/11 and its repercussions. It's an account that takes readers from the breakup of the Ottoman Empire through the relentless terrorism and wars that have plagued the region ever since. It's a hefty, thorough anthology of a career that has chronicled this clash of civilization in which Muslims have battled Western invaders, Islamist radicals have fought secular Arab regimes, -CSM - 11/22/05 Iran judiciary pledges new probe into Kazemi killing Iran's judiciary pledged there would be a new investigation into the murder in custody of Iranian-Canadian photographer Zahra Kazemi after the sole person accused of the crime was cleared -AFP - 11/22/05 Iran's third oilmin nominee faces opposition If Mohsen Tasalloti is rejected by parliamentarians in a vote on Wednesday, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will be hurled into an unprecedented political crisis and the energy policy of OPEC's second biggest exporter will remain in limbo. -Reuters - 11/22/05 Talabani 'trusts in Iran support' Iraq's President Jalal Talabani has said he is confident of Iran's support in fighting terrorism and helping secure a stable future for his country. -BBC - 11/22/05 EU and Iran to meet in December on nuclear issue Britain, France, Germany and Russia have set a tentative date in December to meet with Iran to discuss the Islamic Republic's disputed nuclear program, diplomats told AFP. - 11/22/05 Dissident Watch: Arash Sigarchi On January 17, 2005, Iranian security forces arrested 28-year-old Iranian journalist and weblogger Arash Sigarchi for espionage and insulting leaders of the Islamic Republic. Sigarchi, editor of the daily Gilan Emrooz (Gilan[1] Today), had antagonized regime officials with outspoken dissent on two blogs -AEI - 11/22/05 Tehran's Museum of Contemporary Art to Host Iran's Modern Art Movement Following the foreign Modern Art Movement Exhibition, art enthusiasts will now have the chance to see Iranian modern arts gathered in MoCA. -CHN - 11/22/05 Russia: Putin Says Oil Pipeline Will Reach Far East Coast Russian President Vladimir Putin today announced plans to build a pipeline that links the oil-rich region of Siberia to the Pacific coast. Putin says the pipeline eventually will supply some 80 million tons of oil per year to world markets -- including Japan. -RFE - 11/22/05 Plame, Pakistan, a Nuclear Turkey, and the Neocons While it's well known that the war party's fateful "outing" of CIA agent Valerie Plame was partly revenge against her husband, Joseph Wilson, for his 2003 New York Times article, it may have also been motivated by a desire to neutralize Plame's investigations into rogue nuclear trafficking. -Antiwar - 11/22/05 Iraqi FM describes ties with Iran "excellent, constructive" Visiting Iraqi Minister of Foreign Affairs Hoshyar Zebari said in Moscow on Monday, "Iraq enjoys excellent and constructive ties with Iran today." -IRNA - 11/22/05 An Iran Trap? The Middle East, never a region of the world known for calm, is now experiencing especially unusual turmoil. There is the ongoing struggle between Israel and the Palestinians, and the new conflict for control of Iraq. Syria is under UN investigation for alleged involvement in the assassination of Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. And Iran is the subject of international concern because of its nuclear program. -Cato Institute - 11/22/05 Farhat, Tjeknavorian To Record "Iran Symphony" In Armenia Iranian musicians Shahin Farhat and Loris Tjeknavorian left Tehran for Armenia today to record the "Iran Symphony" with the Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra. -Mehr - 11/22/05 Iran: Two More Executions for Homosexual Conduct Iran's execution of two men last week for homosexual conduct highlights a pattern of persecution of gay men that stands in stark violation of the rights to life and privacy, Human Rights Watch said today. - 11/22/05 Iranian inventors win medals at Belgium's innovation fair Danosh Vahdat and Alireza Setayeshgar, both from Sharif University of Technology in Tehran, won the awards for their inventions in the mechanical engineering sector. -IRNA - 11/22/05 Iran and Iraq presidents emphasize expansion of ties Visiting Iraqi President Jalal Talabani and Iranian President Mahmood Ahmadinejad emphasized the two countries' intention to deepen and expand strategic mutual ties. -IRNA - 11/22/05 Iran's Parliament approves bill to end voluntary cooperation with IAEA if case referred to UNSC Majlis on Tuesday passed a bill that would entail the government to suspend all voluntary cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) if Iran's nuclear case is reported to the UN Security Council. -IRNA - 11/22/05 UNAIDS: Advance of AIDS in Middle East and North Africa continues The advance of AIDS in the Middle East and North Africa has continued with latest estimates showing that 67,000 people became infected with HIV in 2005. Approximately 510,000 people are living with HIV in the region. An estimated 58,000 adults and children died of AIDS-related illnesses in 2005. - 11/22/05 Middle East Scholars Cite Iranian Dissident Writer for Academic Freedom Award The Middle East Studies Association of North America (MESA) awarded its 2005 academic freedom prize to Akbar Ganji, the Iranian writer imprisoned since April 2000 for writings critical of the government's systematic violations of freedom of expression and other basic rights. - 11/22/05 Iranian nukes: When bullying is not enough, try disinformation The serendipitous discovery of an Iranian laptop full of incriminating details about a nuclear warhead will eventually take its place in the same intel hall of BS as the yellowcake from Niger, Saddam's aluminium tubes and those funny vials Colin Powell held up before the Security Council in January 2003. -Siddharth Varadarajan, The Hindu - 11/22/05 Iran's national arts falling into oblivion: artist Iranian veteran painter Mahmud Javadipur believes that the art of painting in Iran and the national arts in general are being relegated to oblivion due to the domination of modern art. -Mehr - 11/21/05 India favors resolution of Iran nuclear issue within IAEA The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, in its meeting with Left parties today, has agreed to support a proposal to settle the Iran nuclear issue within the framework of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). -IRNA - 11/21/05 Japanese return to complete studies at Gilan's ancient sites After a four-month hiatus, the team of Japanese experts, who had previously worked on the ancient sites of northern Iran's Gilan Province along with a number of Iranian archaeologists, has recently returned to Iran to resume their studies on December 29. -Mehr - 11/21/05 Pakistan expects draft accord on Iran gas sales by December Pakistan is hopeful that the draft accord on gas sales from the proposed Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI) gas pipeline will be ready by second week of next month. -IRNA - 11/21/05 EU Foreign Policy Chief Hopes For Progress On Iran The EU's foreign policy chief says he still hopes for progress in negotiations on Iran's nuclear program ahead of key UN talks this week despite an Iranian threat to block atomic inspections. -RFe - 11/21/05 Talabani looks to Iran, not to Arabs Iraqi President Jalal Talabani is taking two trips within a single week. In the first, this weekend, he flew west to Cairo, and said a lot less than he appeared to; in the second, starting Monday, he is flying east to Tehran and will almost certainly say a lot less than he will do. -UPI - 11/21/05 Bush: No Withdrawal From Iraq President Bush says opposition Democrats calling for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq are wrong because that would make America less secure. -VOA - 11/21/05 SYRIA: For many Kurds, statelessness remains a way of life Syria's "Kurdish question" has long been one of the most sensitive issues facing the ruling Ba'ath party. In 1962, a year before the party came to power, a survey of Syria's north-eastern Hassake governorate deprived some 120,000 Kurds of citizenship on the grounds that they had not been born in Syria. -IRIN - 11/21/05 Adonis Travels to Iran Ali Ahmad Saeid, known as Adonis, the famous Syrian poet and one of the most well-known figures of world's contemporary literature, alongside Venus Khoury-Ghata, poet and translator of his works into French, will come to Iran from 2nd to 9th of December. -CHN - 11/21/05 Iran may have handed over nuclear core plan by accident Iran may have handed over a document which describes how to make what could be the explosive core of an atom bomb by accident to UN inspectors, diplomats said, giving more details about its contents. -AFP - 11/21/05 Britain presses Iran over nuke sites Britain insisted on Monday that Iran meets obligations under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty after Iranian lawmakers voted to block snap U.N. checks of nuclear sites if it is referred to the Security Council. -Reuters - 11/21/05 Quake jolts southeastern Iran A mild earthquake measuring 4.1 on the Richter scale hit the city of Zarand in the southeastern province of Kerman Sunday night. -IRNA - 11/21/05 Iraqi president arrives in Tehran Iraqi President Jalal Talabani arrived in Tehran on Monday at the head of a high-ranking political and economic delegation for an official visit. -IRNA - 11/21/05 Under U.S. Design, Iraq's New Army Looks a Good Deal Like the Old One Clad in the olive-green uniform of old, his heart rising to the sound of the lilting march to which he once went to war for President Saddam Hussein, Sgt. Bashar Fathi, a veteran of Iraq's once-elite Republican Guard, watched Iraqi tanks trundle across a parade ground recently -- just as they once swept across the sands of Kuwait. -Washington Post - 11/21/05 Tehran symphony conductor quits, leaves for Vienna The permanent conductor of the Tehran Symphony Orchestra, Ali Rahbari, quit the orchestra and left Tehran for Vienna today morning, the Persian service of CHN announced on Saturday. He said he would not return unless all the musicians of the Tehran orchestra gain their rights and get appropriate salaries. -Mehr - 11/20/05 The rise of Prof 'Crocodile' - a hardliner to terrify hardliners With his fierce anti-Western rhetoric and ever-ready quotes from the Koran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was widely seen as the authentic mouthpiece of Iran's theocracy when he swept to power in last summer's elections. Yet while his hardline attitudes have horrified Iran's defeated reformists, they have also unnerved the all-powerful mullahs who backed him in the first place. -Telegraph, UK - 11/20/05 Russians Taking Advantage of Iran's Aerial Sanctions U.S. sanctions against Iran has given Russian dealers the opportunity to sell their worn-out airplanes to Iran. -CHN - 11/20/05 Iran's Parliament votes to suspend all voluntary steps in case of UNSC referral Majlis on Sunday obliged the government to suspend all the voluntary steps Iran has taken in the past three years for confidence-building if International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors opted to refer Iran's case to UN Security Council on November 24. -IRNA - 11/20/05 Iran says military site off-limits to UN nuclear probe Iran has said it will not bow to UN nuclear agency demands to visit a suspect military site in Tehran unless it provides "concrete proof" to justify an inspection. -AFP - 11/20/05 Iran and Syria reiterate 'solidarity' - report The two met on the sidelines of an Iraqi reconciliation conference held in the Egyptian capital Cairo, in which they discussed Iraq as well as the UN investigation into the killing of the former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq al-Hariri -IRNA - 11/20/05 Iran: Workers stage protest rally outside Majlis premises A group of workers staged rally outside the Majlis (Parliament) on Sunday to protest the enforcement of the law on employment on temporary basis. -IRNA - 11/20/05 "Globalization and Art: Iran and Asia Minor" seminar to open in Tehran The seminar "Globalization and Art: Iran and Asia Minor" will open on November 21 at the Niavaran Artistic Creations Foundation. -Mehr - 11/20/05 Uproar in House as Parties Clash on Iraq Pullout Republicans and Democrats shouted, howled and slung insults on the House floor on Friday as a debate over whether to withdraw American troops from Iraq descended into a fury over President Bush's handling of the war and a leading Democrat's call to bring the troops home. -NY Times - 11/20/05 New Iran oil ministry nominee fends off attacks Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's new nominee for the crucial post of oil minister has moved to fight off a smear campaign against him, hoping not to become the third candidate to be rejected. -AFP - 11/20/05 Iranian activists say Rajavi must be extradited If the terrorist Mujahideen Khalq Organization is proven guilty of having committed atrocities against the people of Iraq, MKO leader Masud Rajavi can also be prosecuted alongside former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, Iranian professor Sadegh Zibakalam said on Saturday. -Mehr - 11/20/05 A Demonizing Call: This Time, Bashing Israel May Backfire When Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called last month for Israel to be wiped off the map of the world, he displayed a disregard for the international community that proved he is a genuine disciple of the late Ayatollah Khomeini. But his proposal also showed that he hasn't learned any lessons from recent Iranian history. -Roya Hakakian, Washington Post - 11/20/05 Iranian FM meets President Mubarak in Cairo Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki met with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in Cairo Saturday where the two discussed common grounds for cooperation on regional and international issues. -IRNA - 11/20/05 Iran: Bill on reducing women's working time, retirement age being prepared, paper "Kayhan" quoted Head of the Majlis Committee for Women and Family Affairs Ms Fatemeh Alia as saying that the government is to forward a number of bills to the Majlis in this regard. -IRNA - 11/20/05 French and Canadians to Explore Mazandaran Caves in Iran Scholars from Lyon and Toronto Universities have asked to carry out excavations in the ancient caves of Mazandaran province in Iran. -CHN - 11/20/05 2006 FIFA World Cup final draw to be broadcast in 145 countries; 320 million people expected to watch The list of 32 qualified countries for the 2006 FIFA World Cup™ is now complete. The eyes of the footballing world will now be turning to Leipzig, which will host the draw for the final phase on 9 December 2005, setting the course for how the tournament will unfold in sporting terms. -OC 2006 FIFA World Cup - 11/19/05 Reporters Without Borders Calls for Zahra Kazemi murder case to be reopened Reporters Without Borders today called for the reopening of the investigation into the murder of photojournalist Zahra Kazemi after a Tehran appeal court on 16 November upheld the acquittal of Reza Aghdam Ahmadi, the only person accused of killing her while she was in the custody of the Tehran authorities in 2003. - 11/19/05 A million martyrs await the call Iraq is a mess but widening the conflict by attacking Iran would be an act of madness. That little stream on the western edge of Mehran is a Rubicon we must never cross. -Times Online - 11/19/05 Iran dismisses Canadian-sponsored resolution against human rights record as political Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid-Reza Asefi said on Saturday Canadian-sponsored resolution with UN General Assembly Third Committee against Iran's human rights record was political. -IRNA - 11/19/05 US House Panel Probes Religious Freedom in Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan Washington -- A congressional hearing examined the State Department's annual report on religious freedom November 15, questioning the absence of the Central Asian nations of Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan from the list of the worst violators. -Washington Files - 11/19/05 Iran given 'nuclear weapon' data Iran has passed on to United Nations inspectors documents on how to build a crucial part of a nuclear bomb, the UN's atomic agency says. -BBC - 11/19/05 Mine victim cycles Death Valley A BBC journalist who lost a leg in a landmine explosion in Iraq has cycled through Death Valley in California to raise cash for other mine victims. -BBC - 11/19/05 Quake jolts Yassouj in southeastern Iran A mild earthquake measuring 4 on the Richter scale hit the provincial capital of Yassouj in southeastern Kohgilouyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province in the wee hours of Saturday. -IRNA - 11/19/05 Iranian toddler steals show at World Cyber Games A three-year-old Iranian boy is stealing the spotlight at the ongoing World Cyber Games -DPA - 11/19/05 British MP George Galloway praises Syrian president "I still think that it would have been better if we had not allowed [US President] George Bush to re-write our foreign policy towards Syria, and Iran for that matter." -BBC - 11/19/05 German business delegation to visit Iran A German business delegation, comprised of representatives from firms in the area of energy, water, sewage treatment and waste management, will embark on a five-day visit to Iran on Saturday, the official portal of the Near and Middle East Association (NUMOV) announced Friday. -IRNA - 11/19/05 Iran's crude traded for 50.43 dollars per barrel on average Average price for each barrel of Iran's exported crude declined to 50.43 dollars a barrel on November 16 from dlrs 50.79 a barrel on November 14. -IRNA - 11/19/05 Khatami, Iran's former President, seeks to open cultural dialogue office in Europe The Tehran-based Center for Dialogue Among Civilizations will open a branch office in Europe "within the next few months", former Iranian president Seyyed Mohammad Khatami told IRNA in Berlin. -IRNA - 11/19/05 EU-3 to brief EU FMs on Iran's nuclear dossier European Union foreign ministers will be briefed by their colleagues from France, Germany and the UK (EU-3) on Iran's nuclear program during their regular monthly meeting in Brussels on Monday. -IRNA - 11/19/05 Iran's FM arrives in Cairo to attend Iraq conference The Arab League-sponsored meeting titled `Iraq National Reconciliation Conference' began Saturday morning in Cairo, Egypt. -IRNA - 11/19/05 Iran: A glance at world 7th largest marshland in Sistan The drought-hit Hamoun Lake near the provincial city of Zabol considered as the world seventh international marshland and habitat in Sistan area is being refilled. -IRNA - 11/19/05 UN Concerned About Iran Human Rights A United Nations committee has expressed serious concern about human rights abuses in Iran. A resolution adopted Friday calls on Tehran to halt practices such as public executions and torture. -VOA - 11/19/05 A Radio Talk Show Host's Logic To Dennis Prager, one and a quarter billion Moslems are the source of all evil. He cloaks this view in a politically more palatable way by claiming that not all Moslems are evil, only the militant ones. The problem is, he believes, Islam itself is prone to breed militancy; ergo, Islam must be evil! -Kam Zarrabi - 11/18/05 Polemic and purges pile up troubles for Iran's leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad faces a range of critical problems with the west, ranging from Iran's nuclear ambitions to its deep hostility to Israel. But the Iranian president's handling of these flashpoints is also creating internal problems - reaching the highest levels in Tehran. -Guardian - 11/18/05 Iran's Rezazadeh retains world weightlifting title Olympic record holder Hossein Rezazadeh defended his world +105 kg weightlifting title at the 74th edition in Doha, capital of Qatar, Thursday. -IRNA - 11/18/05 Iran president's religious views arouse interest His call for the destruction of Israel may have grabbed headlines abroad, but it is President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's devotion to a mystical religious figure that is arousing greater interest inside Iran. -Reuters - 11/18/05 Iran Reportedly To Start New Round Of Uranium Conversion A diplomat close to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is quoted by agencies as saying that Iran has started a new round of uranium conversion. The move comes despite international pressure on the Islamic republic to halt all its sensitive nuclear activities. -RFE - 11/18/05 Bush Backs Russia on Iran Nuclear Issue President Bush is backing an initiative to resolve the dispute over Iran's nuclear program by having Iran enrich uranium inside Russia. VOA White House Correspondent Scott Stearns reports President Bush discussed the issue with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of an Asian economic summit in South Korea. -VOA - 11/18/05 Iran: Justice must be served in Zahra Kazemi case Amnesty International welcomes the announcement of a new investigation, but renews its calls for a fully independent investigation. - 11/18/05 The New York Times, Nuclear Weapons and Iran: Stupidity, Laziness or Déjà vu All Over Again? You would think that after the fiasco of non-existent weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in Iraq, the New York Times would be more careful in its reporting on alleged WMD development programs, especially anything of a nuclear weapons nature, in other countries in the Middle East. -Common Dreams - 11/18/05 Iran's Nuclear Maneuverings Irk Russia Russia's growing anger at Iran's reluctance to compromise on its nuclear activities could help the United States and other nations seeking to refer Tehran to the U.N. Security Council, diplomats said Thursday. -AP - 11/18/05 Turkey: Headscarf Ruling Denies Women Education and Career The European Court of Human Rights decision to uphold the Turkish government’s headscarf ban will deny thousands of women access to higher education and a professional life in Turkey, said Human Rights Watch today. - 11/18/05 Turkey, Russia Open Black Sea Gas Pipeline The Russian President Vladimir Putin joined the Turkish and Italian prime ministers in Turkey's Black Sea Port of Samsun Thursday to officially inaugurate the world's deepest undersea pipeline. The line has carried Russian gas to Northern Turkey for the past two years. Known as Blue Stream the pipeline crowns Russia's efforts to extend its influence in Turkey. -VOA - 11/18/05 Iran gave IAEA instructions for A-bomb part: diplomat Iran turned over to U.N. inspectors instructions for assembling a key part of an atomic weapon, a diplomat familiar with a confidential report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said on Friday. -Reuters - 11/18/05 Incendiary Weapons: The Big White Lie The Iraqi government is to investigate the United States military's use of white phosphorus shells during the battle of Fallujah - an inquiry that could reveal whether American forces breached a fundamental international weapons treaty. -Independent - 11/18/05 Questions Remain Over US Internet Dominance at Tunis Summit Despite an agreement at a United Nations Information Technology Summit in Tunis to allow the United States to continue exercising oversight of the Internet, complaints about Washington's dominant role over the network still linger. -VOA - 11/18/05 Iran still blocking access to crucial military sites: IAEA "Iran's full transparency is indispensable and overdue," Mohamed Elbaradei, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said in a report released here Friday. -AFP - 11/18/05 Israeli Says Rockets Shipped to Hezbollah Iran has supplied Hezbollah with more than 10,000 short-range rockets, most of which are deployed in southern Lebanon within reach of Israel, an Israeli diplomat said Thursday. -AP - 11/18/05 Guests of Siraf International Congress stumble upon ancient grave A grave with a distinct burial style was inadvertently discovered on Wednesday by a group of foreign and Iranian guests of the Siraf International Congress during their visit to an ancient site in the port of Siraf in Bushehr Province. -Mehr - 11/18/05 Diplomats to meet in London as Iran resumes nuclear activities The United States confirmed that an informal meeting on Iran's nuclear program would be held in London on Friday, after Tehran resumed nuclear fuel processing work. -AFP - 11/18/05 US Hopes Russia Can Help Bring Iran Out of Nuclear Isolation US ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) says countries like Russia have a growing concern about Iran's nuclear program. The envoy, Gregory Schulte, told the Diplomatic Academy in Vienna Thursday Russia's involvement in talks to curb Iran's nuclear ambitions is important. -VOA - 11/18/05 Internet Repression Casts Pall on Web Summit in Tunisia As the World Summit on the Information Society opens today in Tunis, Tunisia continues to jail individuals for expressing their opinions on the Internet and suppress Web sites critical of the government, Human Rights Watch said in a comprehensive new report on the repression of Internet users in the Middle East and North Africa. - 11/18/05 Rejuvenated Iran wins Asian futsal title Asian seven-time futsal champion Iran whitewashed Thailand 3-0 before more than 5,000 boisterous home fans in the final showdown in the first Asian Indoor Games in Bangkok on Thursday. -IRNA - 11/18/05 Koran Artistic Exhibition in Tehran The Niavaran Creative Art Center, formerly known as the Cultural Center is always a delight to visit. It is located in the front of the Niavaran Palace, part of which in itself is beautifully designed and can be enjoyed easily. -Syma Sayyah, Tehran - 11/18/05 Ideological Tyranny in Iranian Women's Studies: A Response to Shahrzad Mojab Feminist research or women's studies is a methodological perspective that criticises societal inequalities, with an emphasis on gender disparities. As a secular feminist I initiated a re-debate over the crisis in Iranian women's studies/activism[1] (intertwined) so that our scholarship and activism embraces more lives inside Iran. -Golbarg Bashi, United Kingdom - 11/17/05 Sa'adat Abad The Mr. Driver started, as from sleep, and the minibus traveled twenty meters more before coming to a stop properly. Four passengers got off. Eleven more got on. The driver turned round to the standing passengers: "let these ladies and gentlemen get on." -Alireza Mahdipour, Urmia, Iran - 11/17/05 Iran: Tehran Seems Unmoved As IAEA Meeting Approaches The Iranian nuclear file will come before the board of governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on 24 November. Nuclear experts widely agree that this is a highly sensitive time, and they say it is very much up to Iran to avoid referral to the UN Security Council. Such a referral could lead to a range of sanctions. Yet Tehran seems unmoved and unwilling to bend. -RFE - 11/17/05 A War For Karl After Syria, the ongoing imbroglio over Iran's nuclear activities represents the most promising option for a "wag the dog" scenario. This dispute has approached moments of acute crisis before, only to subside following a concession by one side or another—and this could certainly happen again. At present, however, a very serious confrontation appears to be in the offing. -TomPaine - 11/17/05 Iran oil minister nominee denies Green Card rumors Mohsen Tasalloti, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's third nominee for the post of oil minister, has been forced to deny rumors he has U.S. residency after some lawmakers said they may veto him if true. -Reuters - 11/17/05 Tech Summit Delegates Agree on US Management of Internet Several countries, including China and Iran, had demanded that an international body under U.N. auspices oversee the net. But the United States argued that any such body would stifle innovation and increase the risk of censorship of the Internet by undemocratic regimes. -VOA - 11/17/05 Kerman Dwarf Turned out Premature Baby Anthropologists found that the 400-year-old dwarf of Kerman is actually a premature baby mummified under natural processes. -CHN - 11/17/05 Chalabi pushes Iran card in last ditch self-promotion offensive According to senior associates of the Iraqi official, who have accompanied him to meetings with Bush administration officials, Mr. Chalabi has been threatening his friends in the Bush administration that if they do not support his candidacy to become the next prime minister of Iraq that there will be no way to contain Iran. He has told them in no uncertain terms that he is the only one who can make the Iranians behave. -Columbus Free Press - 11/17/05 Iran 'resumes uranium processing' Iran has begun to process a new batch of uranium to convert it to a gas that can be enriched into the material for nuclear bombs, diplomats say. - 11/17/05 Iran Now Says Satellite Can Spy on Israel "Sina-1 is a research satellite. It's not possible to use it for military purposes," said Deputy Telecom Minister Ahmad Talebzadeh, who heads the space program. But he agreed it could spy on Israel. -AP - 11/17/05 Evidence Mounts That Bush Wants New Wars In this his time of troubles, Bush seems to be moving deliberately and rapidly toward new wars of aggression in an unforgivable gamble to overcome his troubles. -CounterPunch - 11/17/05 Iranian Hercules Rezazadeh wins world heavy weight weightlifting title Iranian Hercules Hossein Rezazadeh became Champion of combined and snatch in 105 kg category in the 74th World Weightlifting Championships in Doha, Qatar on Thursday. -IRNA - 11/17/05 EU foreign ministers to discuss Iran ahead of IAEA meeting EU foreign ministers are set again to discuss relations with Iran at their next General Affairs and External Relations Council (GAERC) meeting in Brussels on Monday, disclosed Britain's Europe Minister Douglas Alexander. -IRNA - 11/17/05 British woman who survived Bam quake wins lifesaving award for rescue efforts A British woman, who dug her way out of a collapsed hotel after the 2003 devastating earthquake in the ancient Iranian city of Bam, is being honored for the third time for rescuing seven people. -IRNA - 11/17/05 Rafsanjani slams Iran president Former Iranian President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani has implicitly criticised the new president for conducting a purge of government officials. -BBC - 11/17/05 Acer: Strong growth expected in Iran’s display market Acer, one of the world’s top branded electronics vendors, is predicting significant growth in Iran’s display market, and is targeting a 25 percent share of the market by the second half of 2006. -Al-Bawaba - 11/17/05 Well-heeled Iranians fall by the wayside They are well-heeled, sophisticated and full of energy. And, yet, since last August they have faced a growing sense of boredom because, for the first time in years, they have plenty of time on their hands with nothing to do. -Amir Taheri, Gulf News - 11/17/05 Iran strongly backs security, progress in Iraq: President Ahmadinejad made the remark at a meeting with the visiting Iraqi National Security Advisor Mowafaq al-Rubai, who arrived in Tehran on Tuesday for a three-day official visit at the head of a political delegation. -IRNA - 11/17/05 Interview with Unveiled Director Angelina Maccarone German director Angelina Maccarone recently took some time to speak with AfterEllen.com via email about her latest film, Unveiled, about an Iranian woman who flees to Germany to escape persecution for being a lesbian. -AfterEllen.com - 11/17/05 The Journalist who went to jail for a crocodile An Iranian cartoonist tells of the harrowing experience of press censorship in his country as Reporters Without Borders kicks off a campaign to highlight the plight of jailed journalists around the world. -Embassy, Canada - 11/17/05 Conservatists Lead the Presidential Critics While protests and criticism over president Ahmadinejad’s administration performance are on the rise even by ideologues of the Islamic Republic, sources close to the president speak of the existence of a secret group to overthrow the president. -Rooz Online - 11/17/05 International seminar on aqueducts to be held in Kerman The third international seminar on traditional aqueducts (qanat)will be held on 23 and 24th of November in Kerman City. -CHN - 11/17/05 Vienna Conference on Islam Ends With Appeals For Understanding, Tolerance "Salaam" -- meaning "peace" -- was the key word of the three-day conference, titled "Islam in a Pluralistic World." -RFE - 11/17/05 Who are we the Persians? We are from the ancient land of Persia, where one of most ancient organized cult-religions of the world, Mithraism or as Persians say the Cult of Mehr (Love) arose. And as everything in the world has its high and low days, once pushed back by the new religion "Zoroastrianism," Mithraism was preserved in parts in Free Masonry, Christianity and Persian Shiism. -Roya Monajem, Tehran - 11/17/05 Basketball in the 'axis of evil' Insults bounce back and forth between Iran and the United States on an almost daily basis but on the basketball court it is a different story. A growing number of Americans are now plying their trade in the Iranian basketball league. -BBC - 11/17/05 Rights Group Lists 'Enemies Of Internet' At UN Summit One NGO -- the Paris-based Reporters Without Borders -- has created a list of countries it considers "enemies of the Internet." Heading that list are China and Iran. Regimes in Belarus, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan also are singled out as repressive governments who are trying to control the Internet in order to silence the political opposition. -RFE - 11/16/05 Iran warns UN nuclear watchdog ahead of key meeting Iran's top nuclear negotiator issued a blunt warning to the UN atomic watchdog, saying more pressure on the Tehran over its controversial nuclear activities would have "consequences". -AFP - 11/16/05 Iranian agent cleared of Kazemi killing Iran's hardline judiciary has upheld its acquittal of an intelligence agent accused of the murder in custody of Iranian-Canadian photographer Zahra Kazemi but has recommended a new investigation, the agent's lawyer said. -AFP - 11/16/05 Terror 'distorts' image of Islam Mullahs, muftis and Christian clergy, as well as high-ranking Muslim leaders including the Afghan President, Hamid Karzai, and former Iranian President Mohammed Khatami are meeting in the baroque splendours of Vienna's Hofburg Palace. -BBC - 11/16/05 Pakistan won't abandon Iran gas pipeline project under pressure Pakistan has declared in categorical terms that it will not abandon the proposed gas pipeline from Iran to India via Pakistan under pressure from any country. -IRNA - 11/16/05 Iran ready to carry out economic projects in Armenia: President Making the remark in a meeting with Head of the Armenian presidential administration, Artashes Tumanian, Ahmadinejad said Iran is also ready to exchange experiences in all economic fields with Armenia. -IRNA - 11/16/05 Regime purge damaging Iran: Rafsanjani A massive purge of regime officials by Iran's new hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is badly damaging the Islamic republic, his political rival and top official Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani said. -AFP - 11/16/05 IRAN: Late FIAT Loner Becomes 'Islamic Martyr' A demonstration in front of the Italian embassy in Tehran, more than 100 university events marking the anniversary of his death and a 'documentary' about his life to be aired on Iranian state television. The subject of such obsessive interest in Iran is the late Edoardo Agnelli, heir to Italy's most famous industrial family, the Agnellis, who own the FIAT motoring empire. -AKI - 11/16/05 A Detour in The Corridor Of Power Before he was indicted on five felony counts of lying to investigators, David H. Safavian was positioned to break out of the pack of Republican operatives working in Washington. -Washington Post - 11/16/05 Khamenei backs Iranian president Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, has said it is too early for Iranians to judge the government of Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad. -Financial Times - 11/16/05 ElBaradei could visit Iran to sew up nuclear deal The U.N. nuclear watchdog chief could go to Tehran soon to try to nail down a deal over activities the West suspect could be Iran's preliminary steps to making nuclear arms, diplomats said on Tuesday. -Reuters - 11/16/05 Iran's former president Khatami and Austrian chancellor Schuessel meet Former president of Iran Mohammad Khatami and Austria's Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel met in Vienna on Tuesday on the sidelines of the conference `Islam in a Pluralistic World'. -IRNA - 11/16/05 Internet Governance: Who's in Command of the Information Superhighway? "But the problem is who is criticizing the U.S. position? Mainly the most repressive regimes on earth: China, Iran and Cuba are sticking together to get the management of the Internet back to the U.N. and we believe that would be a terrible mistake." -VOA - 11/16/05 Iranian Official: Laptop scenario, another US-Israel ploy ahead of IAEA meeting The laptop scenario is another ploy of US and Israel to spoil atmosphere ahead of the forthcoming meeting of Board of Governors of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) scheduled slated for November 24, Under-Secretary of Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Javad Vaidi said on Tuesday. -IRNA - 11/16/05 US Congressional Panel Focuses on Religious Freedom Restrictions The State Department's annual report on religious freedom names China, North Korea, Vietnam, and Burma, along with Saudi Arabia and Iran in the Middle East, Sudan and Eritrea in Africa. -VOA - 11/16/05 UK drops to 51st in world table of women MPs, Iran lingers at 127th The UK is listed at 51 in the Inter-Parliamentary Union's (IPU) latest world table, with women making up less than 20 per cent of MPs in the 646-seat House of Commons. Iraq is placed 17th with 31.5 per cent, while Iran lingers at 127th with 4.1 per cent, ahead of Egypt, Oman, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE. -IRNA - 11/16/05 India's Left toughens stand on Iran vote Toughening their posture on the Iran nuclear issue, the Left parties Tuesday told the Manmohan Singh government to make clear India's stand and threatened that another vote against Tehran at the November 24 IAEA meeting would have 'consequences for the UPA government'. -IRNA - 11/16/05 Encyclopedia Iranica to honor Tanavoli and 4 other Iranian artists on November 25 in Toronto The Iranian famous sculpture Parviz Tanavoli should leave Tehran for Toronto in the following days to attend the ceremony in which he will be honored by the Encyclopedia Iranica on 25th of November. -CHN - 11/16/05 The Wonderful Tehran Friday Market Tehran may be quiet on Fridays for many, but there is so much that people can enjoy and find interesting despite it all! One such feature is the Tehran Friday Market which is held on three floors of a multi-storey car park in center of Tehran, what was used to be called 'Charaheh Estamboul' as it is near the Turkish embassy, on the east side of Joumbouri Avenue. -Syma Sayyah, Tehran - 11/15/05 Your Brain on Persian OK, it works in English, but can you scramble words and still recognize them as a whole in Persian (a.k.a. Farsi)? After all, Persian has a semi-cursive alphabet. If you re-order the letters, the shape of the letters within the words may change as they take on a different cursive form. And don't forget the missing vowels. -Rezwan Razani - 11/15/05 French-Iranian director Robert Hossein to revive Epic Tale of Ben Hur in 2006 It is a life long passion for great epics that drove Robert Hossein to undertake a career as an actor in Films in the early 50’s often playing bad guys or passionate lovers. Robert Hosseinov was born in Paris, to Iranian music composer Andre Aminollah Hossein (a converted Zoroastrian) and a Russian pianist mother. -Darius Kadivar - 11/15/05 UC Davis and Iranian Alumni Association Are Building Bridges to Promote Educational and Cultural Exchange The Iranian Alumni Association, a Chapter of the Cal Aggie Alumni Association cordially invites you to the 3rd Iranian Scholarship Gala. Enjoy an evening of fabulous food and entertainment to benefit the Iranian Scholarship Endowment Fund, with featured guest Chancellor Larry N. Vanderhoef, UC Davis. - 11/15/05 Jailed Iranian Journalist Akbar Ganji Wins WAN Golden Pen of Freedom Award Akbar Ganji, a leading investigative journalist who is now one of Iran's most renowned political prisoners, has been awarded the 2006 Golden Pen of Freedom, the annual press freedom prize of the World Association of Newspapers. - 11/15/05 Iranian sprinter Akefian breaks Asian indoor 400m record Sprinter Mohammad Akefian Monday handed Iran the 400m gold of the first Asian Indoor Games in Thailand as he broke his own and the continent's record. The runner clocked 47.83sec to improve his previous mark of 48.71sec. -Mehr - 11/15/05 US envoy says India should vote on Iran nuclear issue according to its assessment Ignoring the recent comments of former external affairs minister Natwar Singh on a possible revision of India's policy on the IAEA vote on the Iran nuclear issue, US Ambassador David C. Mulford today said his country expected India to vote accoding to its assessment of national interest. -IRNA - 11/15/05 'Living In Hell,' A True Odyssey of an Iranian Woman "Living In Hell" is a captivating account of an Iranian woman's mean life in Islamic Iran where she fought against the social, political and religious injustice being practiced as Islamic law. -Park Avenue Publishers - 11/15/05 Iraq's top security official in Iran for security talks Iraq's National Security Advisor Mowafaq al-Rubai, heading a political delegation, arrived in Tehran Tuesday for a three-day official visit. -IRNA - 11/15/05 Minister: 90% of TB patients successfully treated in Iran Ninety percent of TB patients are successfully treated in Iran and Health Ministry is making efforts to identify all patients afflicted with this disease in order to fully eradicate it, Minister of Health Kamran Baqeri Lankarani said on Tuesday. -IRNA - 11/15/05 Austria Hosts International Conference on Islam Attendees include former Iranian president Mohammed Khatami and Iranian human rights attorney Shirin Ebadi, who won the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize. -VOA - 11/15/05 No case of H5-type bird flu virus observed in Iran No case of an H5-type bird flu virus in chickens has yet been identified in Iran, said Iran's Veterinary Organization (IVO) in Tehran on Tuesday. -IRNA - 11/15/05 Filmmaker: Prostitution Addiction About Anger More Than Sex Caveh Zahedi's addiction to prostitution was more about anger than sex, the filmmaker says. Like many of his films, Zahedi's latest film "I Am A Sex Addict" is about himself. -AP - 11/15/05 Bill Clinton to Israel: Iran No Threat Ex-president Bill Clinton urged Israelis over the weekend not to overreact to comments by newly elected Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad recommending that Israel be "wiped off the map." -NewsMax - 11/15/05 Afghanistan: The War With No End The insurgency in Afghanistan has been largely confined to the Pashtun area in the south and east. Until now, British troops have operated in Kabul and the north, where international forces have been largely welcomed by Afghans who suffered persecution under Taliban rule. -Independent - 11/15/05 Former Iran President Speaks Against Nukes The former president of Iran urged all religious leaders Monday to fight to abolish atomic and chemical weapons — an apparent attempt to support Tehran's position as it nears another key showdown with U.N. nuclear inspectors. -AP - 11/15/05 Other Parties? Whoops! Well, Judith Miller is no longer spreading neo-crazy lies and misleading statements on the front page of the New York Times. However, David Sanger is still on the job -Antiwar - 11/15/05 Former Russian Nuclear Official Fighting Extradition to the United States "I am sure it is a foreign policy maneuver and it is connected to American pressure over Iran. The Americans are trying to make Russia stop its nuclear cooperation with Iran and also, make Russia more cooperative on the issue of Syria as well," said Mr. Mitrofanov. -VOA - 11/15/05 Jimmy Carter: This Isn't The Real America In recent years, I have become increasingly concerned by a host of radical government policies that now threaten many basic principles espoused by all previous administrations, Democratic and Republican. These include the rudimentary American commitment to peace, economic and social justice, civil liberties, our environment and human rights. -LA Times - 11/15/05 Iran's Ahmadinejad presents new oil ministry nominee The new choice is Seyed Mohsen Tassaloti, 51, currently the director general of Iran's largest petrochemical zone, situated in the southwestern region of Mahshahr. -AFP - 11/15/05 Iran's judiciary plans amnesty for jailed students Iran's judiciary said on Tuesday it would ask Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to pardon 18 pro-reform students arrested during protests in previous years. -Reuters - 11/15/05 Iran: Nuclear Expert Expresses Worry Over Political Developments Joseph Cirincione, senior associate and director for nonproliferation at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and author of "Deadly Arsenals: Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Threats," visited Iran in March to attend a conference on nuclear cooperation and sustainable development. During that trip, Cirincione and other visitors went to the Isfahan uranium-conversion facility. -RFE - 11/15/05 Lean times for Iran caviar fishermen It is a rosy-tinted dawn and Nazagha Razania is out on his fishing boat on the Caspian Sea checking the nets. -BBC - 11/15/05 Asian futsal king Iran pulverizes Qatar 11-0 Asian seven-time futsal champion Iran thrashed Qatar 11-0 in the first Asian Indoor Games in Bangkok on Monday. - 11/14/05 An Economist's Case Against an Interventionist Foreign Policy I've been an economist over half my life. The more I've learned, the more I've seen what a powerful insight economist Ludwig von Mises had over 60 years ago when he pointed out that virtually every government intervention leads to unintended consequences that then lead to further interventions. -Antiwar - 11/14/05 The Idea of A Common Military Force In the Caspian Sea The Russian Federation has proposed formation of a common military force or a kind of rapid deployment force in the Caspian Sea with participation of all littoral countries (Iran, Russian Federation, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan) in order to combat terrorism, proliferation of the weapons of the mass destruction (WMD), prevention of pollution and control of the fishing. -Bahman Aghai Diba - 11/14/05 Central Asia: Holding On To Power While the upheavals that ushered in new heads of state in Georgia, Ukraine, and Kyrgyzstan in recent years resist easy definitions, they share a characteristic that has sent shockwaves rippling across the post-Soviet world. Amid varying levels of commitment to democratic reform, post-Soviet ruling elites have developed a number of mechanisms for maintaining, extending, and transferring power. -RFE - 11/14/05 Left steps up pressure on UPA on Iran issue Bonding with the Samajwadi Party and the Janata Dal(S), the Left parties began a countdown to the winter session of Parliament on the Iran nuclear issue, warning that their combined strength of 100 MPs was enough to make the UPA government “see reason'' and “change its stand'' before the November 24 meeting in Vienna on Tehran's nuclear programme. -Newindpress - 11/14/05 Iran elected member of IFRCRCS governing board Iran's Red Crescent Society (IRCS) on Sunday was elected a member of the governing board of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRCRCS). -IRNA - 11/14/05 Khatami hits out at extremists Iran's moderate former president Mohammad Khatami has hit out at Iranian extremists he says give "enemies the best excuse to attack Islam and Iran", the student ISNA news agency reported on Monday. -SA - 11/14/05 Red Cross Red Crescent General Assembly adopts Global Agenda The Agenda's four goals are meant to contribute to the UN's Millennium Development Goals. They are: to reduce the deaths, injuries and impact of disasters on people's lives, improve methods of dealing with public health crises, combating intolerance and discrimination, and building Red Cross and Red Crescent capacity at the community level to prepare for and cope with threats to lives and livelihoods. -IFRCRCS - 11/14/05 Cambodia All Over Again? As in Vietnam, the American and British line in Iraq is that the war is fueled by foreign fanatics infiltrating from Syria and Iran. In an October talk to the National Endowment for Democracy, President George W. Bush told the audience that "Iran and Syria" have allied themselves with Islamic terrorist groups -Antiwar - 11/14/05 U.S.-Saudi Plan Aims To Expand Relations With skepticism still deep on both sides four years after the Sept. 11 attacks, the United States and Saudi Arabia on Sunday inaugurated a new "strategic dialogue" to expand cooperation on six key issues, including terrorism and energy. -Washington Post - 11/14/05 Tehran's laker district I WANT YOU TO READ THE LEAD-IN TO a major sports story and afterwards, before continuing, have a guess from which publication it was taken. -Times Online - 11/14/05 Debate About Iraq War Intelligence Escalates The debate over information used by the Bush administration to justify the war in Iraq is escalating. Supporters and critics of the president's Iraq policy spoke out on the news interview programs that dominate Sunday morning television in the United States. -VOA - 11/14/05 Behind the headlines, UN labs test for nuclear violations While headlines scream about Iran's nuclear program, UN scientists in white coats are quietly doing the high-tech laboratory work that may tell whether Tehran is secretly making atomic weapons. -AFP - 11/14/05 Middle East Scholars Strike Out in Washington The president of the Middle East Studies Association (MESA), America's leading academic organization concerned with matters Middle Eastern, recently lamented the lack of influence exerted by its membership on Washington. In the words of Rashid Khalidi: "Expertise on the Middle East is simply ignored by governments and to a lesser degree the media and other institutions of civil society." -Middle East Forum - 11/14/05 Farmers accused of plunder at ancient site To the naked eye, they look like mounds of soil on a plain of flat farmland. But to archaeologists, the network of small hills represents a treasure trove of ancient Persian culture now endangered by organised plunder and intensive agriculture. -Guardian - 11/14/05 Protect the middle ground on the Iranian nuclear issue Mahyar, the breadwinner and the eldest son of his family, volunteered for the Iran-Iraq war when he was only 17. After the war he died in the streets of Tehran, where he came for the treatments of injuries caused by Saddam Hussein's chemical weapons. His mother, who was waiting to see him well again after four years, never had the chance to say goodbye. -Emadeddin Baghi - 11/14/05 Rice, Sharon, Blast Iran for Threat to Israel U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice Sunday renewed her criticism of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for saying last month that Israel should be "wiped off the map." Ms. Rice, in an address in Jerusalem before talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders, said "no civilized nation" should make such a threat. -VOA - 11/14/05 Siraf Seminar To Prove Iranian Identity of Persian Gulf Confirmation of strategic interests of Iran in the Persian Gulf and regenerating Siraf's position in trade is on top of the agenda in Siraf international conference in Bushehr. -CHN - 11/14/05 Iranian researcher Sayyed Ahang Kowsar wins world peace prize An Iranian water researcher from Fars province Agricultural and Natural Resources Research Center, Seyed Ahang Kowsar, recently won the world prize for `Large Artificial Rivers' at the UNESCO's Global Conference on Knowledge for Peace and Construction (November 11-12) in Budapest, Hungary. - 11/14/05 Iran's transexual revolution An unlikely religious ruling has made Tehran the sex-change capital of the world. Caroline Mangez went to meet the brave souls who have swapped gender in this rigidly conservative city, where women wear the chador and homosexuality is punishable by death -Independent - 11/13/05 Iranian Nuclear Plant 80 Percent Completed The head of Russia's Security Council says work to build a nuclear-power plant in Iran is more than 80 percent completed. - 11/13/05 Iran wins world youth kumite title Iran was crowned at the individual kumite event of the World Youth Karate Championships in Cyprus Saturday. -IRNA - 11/13/05 U.S. builds case of Iran bomb on laptop clues In mid-July, senior U.S. intelligence officials called the leaders of the international atomic inspection agency to the top of a skyscraper overlooking the Danube in Vienna and unveiled the contents of what they said was a stolen Iranian laptop computer. -NYT - 11/13/05 Iran rejects US claim on atomic weapons work Iran on Sunday dismissed fresh U.S. allegations about its atomic ambitions as a bid to blight a crucial meeting of the U.N. nuclear watchdog later this month. -Reuters - 11/13/05 Iran to start LNG exports to Europe by 2011 Managing director of the National Iranian Gas Company, Rokneddin Javadi said on Sunday that Iran has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to export natural gas to Italy. -Mehr - 11/13/05 IAEA Chief to Press Iran on Compromise The head of the U.N. nuclear monitoring agency has thrown his weight behind a plan calling on Iran to move its uranium enrichment program to Russia, and he may fly to Tehran within days to push for the proposal, a European official and diplomats said Sunday. -AP - 11/13/05 Iranian FM calls for stronger ties with Armenia Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki in a meeting with the Head of Armenia's Presidential Office Artashes Tumanxan here Sunday called for strengthening bilateral relations. -IRNA - 11/13/05 Penalties give Iran 2-0 win over Togo Iran scored two penalties against fellow World Cup qualifiers Togo on Sunday to claim third place in a four-nation tournament in Tehran. -Reuters - 11/13/05 Iran's NPC selects contractors for its Gachsaran Ethylene Glycol and Oxide Project The National Petrochemical Company (NPC) awarded the contract for the construction of Gachsaran ethylene glycol and ethylene oxide project to a consortium of Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding Co.(M.E.S.) of Japan and Petrochemical Industries Design & Engineering Co.(PIDEC) of Iran. -IRNA - 11/13/05 Kazemi's son disrupts Montreal filmfest The festival is screening 20 documentary films shot in Iran between 1962 and 2004. The retrospective was organized with the film magazine Hors Champ with financial contributions from the Conseil des arts de Montreal and Iran's Islamic Culture and Relations Organization. -Canada.com - 11/13/05 U.S. Fights to Remain the Ultimate Webmaster Many heads of state and technical experts from around the world are due to attend the United Nations Summit for the Information Society (WSIS) in Tunis next week, where, among other things, they will try to negotiate the legal and technical future of the internet. -IPS - 11/13/05 Official puts per capita shrimp consumption in Iran at 30 grams Head of the Shrimp Producers Guild's Board of Directors Ali-Akbar Khodaei here Sunday said that the annual per capita consumption of shrimp in Iran currently stands in the range of 29-30 grams. -IRNA - 11/13/05 Iran: Expediency Council authorizes loans from foreign banks The Expediency Council on Saturday settled two disputes between parliament and the Guardian Council authorizing government organs to take loans from foreign banks and okaying judicial accord with Algeria signed earlier by the Justice Ministry. -IRNA - 11/13/05 Jailed Journalist's Wife Cries For His Life Massoumeh Shafii, the wife of jailed Iranian journalist, Akbar Ganji, cries continuously. Her husband, a well-known writer and dissident, has been in jail for more than five yeards. -AKI - 11/12/05 NAM troika meeting with Iranian officials on nuclear issue "positive" Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki described as "positive" the meeting held here Friday by the three Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) members with Iranian officials, and said the meeting affirmed the indisputable right of all signatory countries to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) to gain access to nuclear technology. -IRNA - 11/12/05 Soccer: Macedonia outshines star-studded Iran Macedonia eclipsed Iran 2-1 at a four-sided football tournament in Azadi Stadium in western Tehran Friday, setting up the final against Paraguay. -Tehran Times - 11/12/05 Mideast reform meeting ends in confusion A Middle East reform conference promoted by the United States ended in confusion on Saturday without a final declaration after Egypt tried to introduce language which Washington said would restrict aid groups. -Reuters - 11/12/05 Mild quake hits Qir in southwestern Iran tremor measuring 3.8 on the Richter scale hit the city of Qir in the southwestern province of Fars Saturday afternoon. -IRNA - 11/12/05 Russia denies Iran nuclear deal A senior Russian envoy, Igor Ivanov, has met Iranian officials but denied reports he had given them a proposal aimed at ending the nuclear stand-off. -BBC - 11/12/05 Iranian clergyman who converted from Islam allowed to visit family Hamid Pourmand, the Iranian Protestant clergyman jailed for his faith, has been allowed to visit his family for the first time in 14 months of prison. -AsiaNews - 11/12/05 Broadcast Officials Defend US-Funded Arab Television U.S. broadcast officials have defended the American-funded Arab satellite television station, al-Hurra, against allegations of mismanagement. A House subcommittee held a hearing looking into the charges, and the impact the station is having in the Muslim world. -VOA - 11/12/05 Iran Says U.S. Caviar Ban Fuels Prices, Prompts Illegal Fishing Iran, the world's biggest exporter of caviar, says a U.S. attempt to protect Caspian Sea beluga sturgeon is driving up prices and encouraging illicit harvesting. -Bloomberg - 11/12/05 First results from Iran site show no nuclear activity: diplomats Initial results from a UN inspection of the Parchin military site in Iran have shown no signs of nuclear activity, diplomats told AFP, although final results are not yet in. -AFP - 11/12/05 UN refugee agency moves Iranian Kurds in central Iraq to safer area in north The United Nations refugee agency has begun re-housing the last 2,000 Iranian Kurds remaining in a decades-old camp in the violence-torn Fallujah region of Iraq, transferring then to a safer location in the country's northern Kurdish area. -UN News Center - 11/12/05 No new proposal on table about Iran's nuclear program: Ivanov, Larijani Iranian and Russian top security officials said on Saturday that there is no proposal on the table about Iranian nuclear program. -IRNA - 11/12/05 Iran to offer Ski training classes for Arab tourists Iran's Sport Tourism Association will be holding ski training classes for Arab tourists coming to the country. -CHN - 11/11/05 Iran warns against growth of Islamophobia in West Iran on Thursday warned against growth of Islamophobia in certain countries particularly in the European ones, saying it could entail the danger of confrontation of religions and civilizations. -IRNA - 11/11/05 Azerbaijan's Ruling Party Rallies In Baku Holding portraits of President Ilham Aliyev and waving Azerbaijani flags, thousands of Yeni Azerbaycan Party (YAP) supporters gathered on Baku's Qalaba (Victory) Square in response to yesterday's show of force by the opposition. -RFE - 11/11/05 Straw `very glad' British couple released by Iran Foreign Secretary Jack Straw Friday welcomed the release of a British couple, Rupert and Linda Wise, after being arrested in Iran for straying into Iranian waters near Abu Musa island in the Persian Gulf. -IRNA - 11/11/05 Iran's largest art expo center to open next month The Academy of Arts is to open the largest center for Iranian art exhibitions in the country, the Persian service of ISNA announced on Friday. The first exhibit will be held next month entitled "Nature". Several works by Sohrab Sepehri, Abolqassem Saeidi, and works from the Museum of Contemporary Art will be put on display. -Mehr - 11/11/05 Paraguay fight back to beat Togo 4-2 in Iran tournament Paraguay fought back from 2-1 down at half time to beat fellow World Cup qualifiers Togo 4-2 in the first game of a four-team tournament in the Iranian capital on Friday. -Reuters - 11/11/05 How Islam got political: Iran The growth of political Islam is one of the most important ideological events of the past century. - 11/11/05 Iran tries a little tenderness in fighting addiction The longed for pilgrimage to Mecca should have been enough to give Hasan, a devout Muslim, a spiritual high. But even while paying homage to the prophet Muhammad, he needed a little help from a friend. -Sydney Morning Herald - 11/11/05 Ancient Texts Could Unlock Persian Past It took Iranian Jews in the United States nearly three decades in exile from the land their ancestors called home for 2,700 years to appreciate the rich history and culture preserved in their literature. -Jewish Journal - 11/11/05 Letter to Asharq Al-Awsat - The Gulf: Persian or Arab? Greetings! I just read Mr. Al-Rabei's comment on the Iranian customs decision regarding entry of commodities labeled "Made in Arabian Gulf" into Iran (see The Gulf: Persian or Arab? in Asharq Al-Awsat, 11/6/05). I do not wish to debate the merits of this policy at this point. However, since Mr. Al-Rabei seems to be interested in cooperation and friendship among the neighboring countries, I merely wanted to mention a few points. -Ali Reza Jalili - 11/11/05 US denies Iran nuclear compromise US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has denied reports of a US-European compromise to grant Iran the right to continue a limited nuclear programme. -BBC - 11/11/05 The Iranian Diaspora doesn't care about Akbar Ganji On April 22, 2000, Akbar Ganji, the prominent Iranian journalist and writer, was imprisoned after publishing a series of articles condemning high-level officials in Iran for their participation in the murder of intellectuals during the 1990s. -Nema Milaninia - 11/11/05 Russia, EU, US Discuss Iran Nuke Dispute Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Friday that Russia, the European Union and the United States were working closely to resolve the dispute over Iran's nuclear program, but declined to comment on reports that a compromise proposal had been reached. -AP - 11/11/05 Iran: an afternoon with a hostage-taker In an exclusive excerpt from “The Soul of Iran: A Nation’s Journey to Freedom”, just published by WW Norton, Afshin Molavi recalls a 1979 event that embitters the United States-Iran relationship to this day. -Open Democracy - 11/11/05 Photos: The Fabulous Shiraz Recently with my friend we went for a short trip to fabulous Shiraz, the city of love and poetry. -Syma Sayyah, Tehran - 11/11/05 Russia offers Iran 'uranium compromise plan' Russia was reported Thursday to be proposing a compromise plan that will permit Iran to continue uranium conversion at its Isfahan plant. -IRNA - 11/10/05 Iran: Road accidents claim lives of 15,433 in first half of the year Iran Coroner Office reported here Wednesday that over 15,433 people have been killed in automobile accidents in the first half of the current Iranian year (Started March 21). The figure is 6.3 percent higher compared to the same period last year, the report added. -IRNA - 11/10/05 Iran: Festival of Gymnasiums of the World to be held in Mashad The first international festival of the gymnasiums (Zoor-khaneh) of the world will be held in Mashad from 11th to 16th of November 2005 with the attendance of 33 countries. -CHN - 11/10/05 Iran's President Wins Three Cabinet Picks, Withdraws Fourth The Iranian legislature expressed votes of confidence in three new cabinet members today, further rounding out the new administration of President Mahmud Ahmadinejad, state television and Radio Farda reported. -RFE - 11/10/05 Senior Iranian nuclear negotiator: Iran seeks cooperation not collision with international community -"The international community has been to a great extent misled with biased, politicized and exaggerated information on Iranian nuclear programs and activities," a senior Iranian nuclear negotiator told a gathering of Belgian university students in Antwerp Wednesday evening. -IRNA - 11/10/05 Dissident journalist Akbar Ganji reportedly tortured and ill-treated; serious health concerns International PEN's Writers in Prison Committee is gravely concerned at reports that leading dissident journalist and writer Akbar Ganji has been tortured by security officers in Milad hospital, Tehran, and is being ill-treated in prison. -IFEX - 11/10/05 Iraq's Deputy PM Rejects Charges of Misleading United States Iraq's Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Chalabi has denied that he intentionally misled the United States before the invasion of Iraq or passed sensitive U.S. intelligence to Iran. -VOA - 11/10/05 U.S., Europe Ready to Compromise With Iran The United States and Europe are ready to compromise with Iran over its nuclear program and have tentatively approved a plan that would allow it to make the gas used in producing enriched uranium, senior officials and diplomats said Thursday. -AP - 11/10/05 Danish editor tests right to violate Muslim taboos When Flemming Rose heard last month that Danish cartoonists were too afraid of Muslim militants to illustrate a new children's biography of Islam's Prophet Muhammad, he decided to put his nation's famous tolerance to the test. -CSM - 11/10/05 ElBaradei says hopeful of Iran atomic deal in days U.N. nuclear watchdog chief Mohamed ElBaradei said on Thursday he hopes a deal aimed at defusing a standoff over Iran's nuclear programme will be reached in days while Germany said Iran may be hiding something. -Reuters - 11/10/05 Togo in Iran for mini-tournament Togo's players have started arriving in the Iranian capital Tehran ahead of this weekend's four-nation friendly tournament. -BBC - 11/10/05 Is US planning an Iraq-style 'regime change' in Syria? While publicly Bush administration officials say they just want to see a "change in behavior" from Syria, The Boston Globe reported Tuesday that some of these officials are saying privately that there is an active debate about whether "regime change" should be a US goal. -CSM - 11/10/05 Pertamina Unit,Iran Co To Build $3B Oil Refinery-Official Indonesia's PT Elnusa, a unit of state-owned PT Pertamina (PTM.YY), and an Iranian company plan to build a $3 billion oil refinery in the country, Elnusa's chief operating officer said Thursday. -Dow Jones - 11/10/05 Arabs Receive 65% of Visas Issued in Iran's Mashad Airport The number of 7-day tourism visas issued in Hasheminejad International Airport of Mashad City has increased 100 percent compared to the first three months of this tourist service. -CHN - 11/10/05 Not without my sister: imagining a moral America in “Kandahar” Shortly after 11 September 2001, George Bush urged US citizens to watch Mohsen Makhmalbaf’s film, Kandahar, set in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan. Why? Cynthia Weber investigates the president’s and the filmmaker’s visions of Afghanistan and Afghan women. -Open Democracy - 11/10/05 For Jews, there have always been two Irans The Bible is full of praise for Persia (today's much-maligned Iran) and for its rulers. In the Book of Ezra, God speaks through the proclamations of Cyrus, the king of Persia, who declares, "The Lord God of Heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house in Jerusalem." -Abbas Milani, IHT - 11/10/05 Kaveh Golestan's once-banned works on display in Tehran A once-banned exhibition of works by the late Kaveh Golestan, an Iranian photographer who worked for the BBC, opened at the Mirmiran Gallery of the Iranian Artists Forum on Monday. -Mehr - 11/10/05 Iran: Power Shift Leaves Reformers Out In The Cold As the proverbial insult follows an injury, so the loss of public office by Iran's reformers has preceded public discord, and immediate political irrelevance, with power moving to the political right and center, into the hands of young radicals or veteran officials. -RFE - 11/10/05 The rash revolutionary Like a speed-crazed driver of a Paykan - the anachronistic Hillman Hunter prototype that remains king of Iran's roads - Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is steering his country in a reckless fashion, without due care for oncoming traffic or blind bends, and as with the ageing saloon car, there is no guarantee that the engine of the Iranian state is equipped to take such rough handling. -Guardian - 11/9/05 The Splendours of Ancient Persia - Family day at the British Museum A large number of Iranians joined the crowds for a family day at the British Museum in London on Saturday 5th November, held in association with the museums Splendors of Ancient Persia exhibition. -Paul Sanford - 11/9/05 International Religious Freedom Report 2005: Iran There was no substantive change in the status of respect for religious freedom during the reporting period. Members of the country's religious minorities--including Sunni and Sufi Muslims, Baha'is, Zoroastrians, Jews, and Christians -US State Department - 11/9/05 Iran: Still Seeking A Stable Government The Iranian legislature is scheduled to vote on four cabinet nominees on 9 November, having rejecting four of President Mahmud Ahmadinejad's choices in August. -RFE - 11/9/05 Iran is awaiting a much fairer Western nuclear offer The solution to the Iranian dilemma lies in recognition of the current power realities. Before it is too late, the asymmetry in the EU-3 offer must be shelved and a new EU-American proposal made based on the successful formula in the North Korean case: permit Iran to save face by retaining the right to enrich uranium, while agreeing not to exercise that right in return for American security guarantees, European economic incentives and a "road map" for Iran's reintegration into a regional security arrangement for the Persian Gulf. -Trita Parsi, Daily Star - 11/9/05 The Return of Chalabi As blowback from the lies that duped us into war plunges Washington into a maelstrom of investigations and counter-investigations, Ahmed Chalabi adds insult to injury by making a return trip to the Imperial City. -Antiwar - 11/9/05 Azerbaijan Flunks the Test THIS MONTH the Bush administration set a test for its democracy policy in the oil-rich Muslim nation of Azerbaijan, which lies on the Caspian Sea between Russia and Iran. President Bush had challenged the country's autocratic but pro-Western president, Ilham Aliyev, to hold a free and fair election for parliament and pledged that if he did so, it would "elevate our countries' relations to a new strategic level." -Washington Post - 11/9/05 Japan debt write-off to boost Iraq's reconstruction efforts The Japanese government has agreed to write off 80 percent of the debt it is owed by Iraq, a move that will give the local reconstruction effort a much needed boost, government officials said on Tuesday. -IRIN - 11/9/05 UN Assembly Urges US to Drop Cuba Embargo The U.N. General Assembly has overwhelmingly urged the United States to end its 44-year trade embargo against Cuba. This is the 14th consecutive year the General Assembly has passed a resolution criticizing Washington's embargo against Cuban leader Fidel Castro's government. -VOA - 11/9/05 What Happened To Turkmenistan's 'Record' Grain Harvest? Prices for flour have sky-rocketed in Turkmenistan. In some areas of the country, it is nearly impossible to obtain flour; in others, the price is half or more the average monthly wage. -RFE - 11/9/05 Iran's Petropars to develop oil in Gulf of Venezuela Iran's Petropars will participate in the development project of an oil field in the Gulf of Venezuela once the related contract is finalized, noted here Asghar Ebrahimi-Asl, an official at Iran's South Pars Oil Co. -Mehr - 11/9/05 Iran not intimidated by threats of referral to Security Council Iran's Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Larijani said threats of Iran's nuclear case being referred to the United Nations Security Council will not scare Iran. -IRNA - 11/9/05 Canada presents resolution at UN on Iran's deteriorating human rights situation Foreign Affairs Minister Pierre Pettigrew today announced that Canada has introduced a resolution at the 60th session of the UN General Assembly on the deteriorating human rights situation in Iran. - 11/9/05 Report by US State Department Renews Concern Over Iran's Religious Freedom, Sees Hope For Turkmenistan The U.S. State Department has for the seventh straight year listed Iran among the most serious abusers of religious freedoms. The department declined to include Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, or Pakistan in the most serious violator category of "countries of particular concern," as recommended by a U.S. panel. -RFE - 11/9/05 Netherlands Sponsors Iranian Radio Station, Not TV Foreign Minister Bot is not donating money to the set-up of a TV satellite that is to provide Iran with independent news. He is however prepared to fund an independent radio station and two Internet newspapers, as well as a number of other projects. -NIS - 11/9/05 Iran-China trade volume to reach 10 billion dollars in 2005 Chinese Ambassador to Tehran Lio G Tan said here on Wednesday that Iran-China trade volume is expected to reach 10 billion dollars in 2005. -IRNA - 11/9/05 Tehran Short Film Festival to kick off next week The 10th International and 22nd National Short Film Festival is to begin at Tehran's Felestin Cinema on November 15. -Mehr - 11/9/05 Iran president defied by Majlis Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has suffered a fresh blow after his nominee for oil minister withdrew in the face of criticism from MPs. Speaking in parliament after Mr Mahsuli's withdrawal, Mr Ahmadinejad said no government since the Islamic revolution in 1979 had been attacked so viciously as his. -BBC - 11/9/05 Iran: Majlis confirms 3 cabinet appointees of Ahmadinejad Majlis on Wednesday gave its vote of confidence to three ministers proposed by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The MPs gave their votes of confidence to nominees for the ministries of cooperatives, education and welfare and social security after four-and-a-half hours of debate. -IRNA - 11/9/05 Second coming for imam is first concern for Iranian president Veneration of the 12th Imam is common among Iran's 68m population, whose religious practices mix piety, respect for learned clerics and age-old mysticism. But the new president, Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad, has placed a special emphasis on the 12th Imam, even referring to him in his October United Nations speech. -Financial Times - 11/9/05 A New Online Book: PAN-TURANIANISM TAKES AIM AT AZERBAIJAN: A Geopolitical Agenda - The situation is all the more dangerous now, given the disastrous anti-Israel speech by the Iranian leadership in Tehran. Truly "fuel for the fire". That speech is a godsend to pan-Turan separatists like Rahim Shahbazi. The recent Ahmadinejad speech is detracting attention from the disastrous AEI meeting hosted by anti-Iran "scholar" Michael Ledeen. -Dr. Kaveh Farrokh - 11/8/05 EC chairman: Iran to continue nuclear confidence-building measures Iran's Expediency Council Chairman Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani in a meeting with Japanese Ambassador to Tehran Hideaki Domichi here Tuesday said that Iran would continue confidence-building measures with respect to its peaceful nuclear programs. -IRNA - 11/8/05 Coping with the rising cost of marriage, Iranian-style Marriage in Iran is not what it used to be. "In the old days there were many inter-tribal clashes, and so you could sometimes find a wife cheaply because her father needed to pay blood money and would take a low dowry," says Ghazanfar Tabassomi, a barber in Yasouj, a southern town of settled nomads from the Boyer Ahmad tribe. -Financial Times - 11/8/05 Interview: Iran's nuclear negotiator As Iran attempts to restart talks with the UK, France and Germany on its nuclear programme, BBC Tehran correspondent Frances Harrison interviewed Iran's top nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani. - 11/8/05 Indictment for MKO terrorist leader to be tried with Saddam A campaign is being launched in Britain to indict the leader of the Mojahedin-e Khalq terrorist group (MKO), Massoud Rajavi, along with the former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, whose trial started in Baghdad last month. -IRNA - 11/8/05 Tehran-Baghdad flight arrives in Iraq after long delay An Iraqi passenger plane, which took off from Tehran Sunday evening, arrived in Baghdad Monday morning after an unusually long delay. -IRNA - 11/8/05 Chalabi offers the White House an exit route from Iraqi quagmire Iraq's deputy prime minister, Ahmad Chalabi, returns to Washington today in his latest incarnation - as a secular Shia leader who could offer Washington a way out of the morass into which he helped lead it two and a half years ago. -Independent - 11/8/05 Iran-Russia cooperation in Bushehr power plant completely legal: Rumyantsev The head of Russia's Atomic Energy Agency, Alexander Rumyantsev, said in Moscow on Monday cooperation between Iran and Russia in the construction of the power plant in Iran's southern Bushehr province is completely legal. -IRNA - 11/8/05 Israel as an Extension of American Empire There are many tragic and self-destructive features of the Occupation for Israel itself. Although the country was founded on the "original sin" of exclusivity and the expulsion of the refugees, it nevertheless had (has?) the potential to develop into a normal, even progressive society. -CounterPunch - 11/8/05 Iran rebukes EU over nuclear fuel cycle issue Iran rebuked the European Union on Tuesday for calling on it to freeze all nuclear fuel work, insisting it had a clear right to develop a full civilian nuclear energy program. -Reuters - 11/8/05 Iranian MPs call on President to drop oil minister nominee A number of MPs at Majlis (Parliament) called on President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Tuesday to drop his candidate for oil minister and name another. -IRNA - 11/8/05 Britain's Reid Says Iran Might Be Smuggling Explosives into Iraq British forces stationed in southern Iraq are concerned that improvised explosive devices being used against them by foreign terrorists and Iraqi Ba'athists might be coming there from Iran, Britain's senior defense official says. -Washington File - 11/8/05 China calls for diplomatic solution to Iran nuclear issue China's Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday Beijing has always called for settlement of Iran's nuclear case through diplomatic negotiation and within the framework of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and in responsible terms. -IRNA - 11/8/05 NIAC spearheads efforts to pre-empt abuse of Persian Gulf On November 8, The National Iranian American Council (www.niacouncil.org) launched a public media education campaign to raise awareness among key influential media on the history of the Persian Gulf, and politically motivated efforts to change the name of the waters. - 11/8/05 Iran Protests U.S. Aerial Drones Iran has strongly protested what it said was the United States' use of unmanned aerial drones over its territory and said two of them had crashed this summer within its borders, according to diplomatic letters circulated at the United Nations yesterday. -Washington Post - 11/8/05 Iran: A Rising Star In Party Politics Of the more than 100 registered political organizations in Iran, one that is rarely discussed is the Jamiyat-i Isargaran-i Inqilab-i Islami, roughly translated as the Islamic Revolution Devotees Society and known simply as the "Isargaran." Yet President Mahmud Ahmadinejad is a founding member, another founder is in the cabinet, and other members serve in the legislature. -RFE - 11/8/05 Report From The Second Annual Kaveh Golestan Photo Journalism Award The Second Kaveh Golestan award ceremony took place last Saturday evening at Khaneh Honarmandan (Artist's Forum). The saloon was full and by 5:30 when the official ceremony started there were no seats left and many were standing all around, among them many renowned photojournalists, young photographers and many well known faces in the art and cultural arenas in Iran. -Syma Sayyah, Tehran - 11/8/05 Bush's Iran Policy Falters Amid Futile Sanctions, Diplomacy The lawmakers' frustration reflects a central dilemma: U.S. policy on Iran contains few good options. With economic pressure largely ineffective and no credible military option because U.S. troops are tied down in an unpopular war in Iraq, the Bush administration has little direct leverage over Iran. Instead, it's relying on European-managed diplomacy to curb Iran's pursuit of nuclear technology and support for terrorism. -Bloomberg - 11/7/05 13th International Conference of Central Asia, Caucasus opens in Tehran Delegates from Iran and 22 other states are participating in the two-day confab dubbed "Regional Developments: Interaction and and Confrontation in Strategies". -IRNA - 11/7/05 Iran's Kerman Province Ready to Guide Desert Trekkers With just a phone call to the Public Relations of the Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization of Kerman province, tourists can get maps and necessary information about the deserts of Kerman. -CHN - 11/7/05 EU Foreign Ministers' Meeting To Focus On Belarus, Iran European Union foreign ministers travel to Brussels on 7 November for their monthly meeting. Diplomats say the main items on their external relations agenda are Belarus and Iran. -RFE - 11/7/05 OSCE, EU Question Azerbaijani Vote Observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said today that parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan that culminated in yesterday's voting failed to meet several international standards -RFE - 11/7/05 India's Natwar favors reversal of Iran vote External Affairs Minister K. Natwar Singh said he would favor revision of India's vote on Iran's nuclear program at the upcoming meeting of the IAEA if a resolution stronger than the one placed last time was put forward. -IRNA - 11/7/05 Iran lawmakers try to rally behind oil nominee Iran's parliament could accept an unknown as oil minister to avoid political embarrassment and end limbo in the energy policy of the world's fourth biggest oil producer, key lawmakers said on Monday. -Reuters - 11/7/05 Chávez and Maradona Lead Massive Rebuke of Bush Some aspects of George Bush's travels have become commonplace, including massive protests, sporadic violence and tight security operations. All of these usual elements--notably the imperial-style arrival of the US president with an entourage of 2,000 people and four AWACS surveillance systems--were present at the Fourth Summit of the Americas in Mar del Plata, Argentina. -Nation - 11/7/05 EU considers Iran offer of talks The European Union says it is studying a call by Iran for the resumption of nuclear talks. -BBC - 11/7/05 Blair: Iran Preventing Mideast Progress British Prime Minister Tony Blair said Monday that Iran's support of terrorism was preventing political progress being made in the Middle East and elsewhere. -AP - 11/7/05 Tension over Iran must not embroil Iraq, says Chalabi Ahmad Chalabi, Iraqi deputy prime minister, has said Iraq must play the role of regional peacemaker if it is not to fall victim to soured Iranian relations with the US and Britain. -Financial Times - 11/7/05 Head to head: Religion and politics in Iran Iranian scholars have been preoccupied for years with the stormy relationship between religion and politics. -BBC - 11/7/05 Of Madmen and Nukes Chinese Major General Zhu Chenghu told journalists last July that China is prepared to use nuclear weapons against the United States if it targets Chinese ships, aircraft, or territory in a confrontation over Taiwan. "We Chinese will prepare ourselves for the destruction of all of the cities east of Xian. Of course the Americans will have to be prepared that hundredsof cities will be destroyed by the Chinese," he warned. -CounterPunch - 11/6/05 Tony Blair to lobby China support against Iran during Hu state visit to Britain Prime Minister Tony Blair is aiming to modify China's balanced position towards Iran's nuclear program during President Hu Jintao' state visit to Britain this week. -IRNA - 11/6/05 Ahead of U.S. trip,Chalabi talks with senior Iranians Ahmad Chalabi, the former Iraqi exile who has become a deputy prime minister, has met with senior Iranian leaders in Tehran in what appeared to be an effort to distance himself from their Islamist government, just days before he visits Washington. -NYT - 11/6/05 'Unrest' in Iran Arabic province Ethnic unrest has broken out in Iran's Arabic-speaking province of Khuzestan, according to Iranian media. -BBC - 11/6/05 Iran allows U.N. inspectors into military complex Iran confirmed on Sunday it had allowed U.N. nuclear inspectors to visit a military complex as part of its efforts to counter U.S. accusations that it is secretly developing nuclear arms. -Reuters - 11/6/05 Iran's Sadra Group to build ships for German firm Iran's shipbuilding company Sadra Group will build four cargo ships, worth 100 million euros, for the north German-based Rickmers shipping lines, the monthly magazine of the German Near and Middle East Association said Saturday. -IRNA - 11/6/05 Azeri poverty fuels rise of Islam There are billions of dollars worth of oil wealth in Azerbaijan, and a potentially prosperous future. But outside the oil town of Baku, signs of poverty are more apparent. The road next to the oil rigs is full of pot holes, crumbling houses dot the landscape, and there are mosques - more and more of them every year. Islam is on the rise in Azerbaijan. -BBC - 11/6/05 Iran Offers to Expedite Iraq Pipeline Iran said Sunday it supported a stable Iraq and called for expediting the construction of an oil pipeline and railway between the two neighbors, state-run television reported. -AP - 11/6/05 In one Afghan province, mother of 6 proves unbeatable as politician HERAT, Afghanistan - Fauzia Gailani is an unlikely election winner in this conservative, western city: an aerobics instructor, a mother of six, and, most obviously, a woman. -Chicago Tribune - 11/6/05 Spending Inquiry for Top Official on Broadcasting Kenneth Y. Tomlinson, the head of the federal agency that oversees most government broadcasts to foreign countries, including the Voice of America and Radio Free Europe, is the subject of an inquiry into accusations of misuse of federal money and the use of phantom or unqualified employees, officials involved in that examination said on Friday. -NYT - 11/6/05 First Iraqi airliner for 25 years lands in Tehran The Iraqi Airways Boeing 737 is the latest harbinger of rapprochement between the neighbours who fought a war of attrition from 1980 to 1988 which killed hundreds of thousands on both sides. -Reuters - 11/6/05 Aras Free Zone to Boost Export Aras in northwest Iran is one of the newly established free zones of Iran which helps improve export-import between the country and its neighbors, Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Nakhchivan. -CHN - 11/6/05 US must give Iranian moderates a chance SINCE its launch just over a year ago, Earlywarning has forecast the steady drift to heightened conflict between the US and Iran. This goes far beyond the recent inflammatory remarks by the country’s new President Ahmadinejad about wiping Israel off the map. -The Business - 11/6/05 South Korean parliamentary group in Iran to hold talks with MPs, mend ties Aqaei conveyed Iran's grievances about South Korean vote against Iran in the Board of Governors of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and hoped that the current problem in the way of Iran-Seoul cooperation would be removed soon. -IRNA - 11/6/05 Iran calls for negotiations with EU3 on nuclear program Iran's Secretary of Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Larijani on Sunday called for negotiations with three European states on Iranian nuclear program. -IRNA - 11/6/05 IAAB presents Bam and Beyond: Building Alliances Between Iranian and Iranian Diaspora NGOs, Universities, and Private Sectors Iranian Alliances Across Borders (IAAB) will hold an international seminar on the reconstruction of Bam on November 12, 2005 at Columbia University. This seminar will be the first of its kind since the 2003 earthquake that brought devastation upon the city of Bam. - 11/5/05 Axis of Hardliners, From Tehran to Washington The huge gap between Tehran and Washington has widened in recent months. Top officials of Iran and the United States are not even within shouting distance. The styles of rhetoric differ, but the messages in both directions are filled with hostility. -Common Dreams - 11/5/05 Deliberate mistake? Why did Iran's newly elected president demand that "Israel should be wiped off the map"? Yassamine Mather (Critique editorial board) analyses the situation - 11/5/05 British General Says Technology From Iran Helps Iraqi Insurgents The British commander of coalition forces in southern Iraq says technology imported from Iran is helping Iraqi insurgents produce more sophisticated armor-piercing bombs that are killing more coalition troops. The commander spoke to reporters at the Pentagon on a video link from the southern Iraqi city of Basra. -VOA - 11/5/05 UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan Cancels Trip To Iran UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has cancelled a planned trip to Iran this month because of the controversy involving the Iranian president's comments about Israel. -RFE - 11/5/05 Iran's President Sparks Fears of New Isolation Having ignited two diplomatic confrontations in as many months, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is raising concern that he intends to steer his country back to the isolation of the early 1980s, a period of radical absolutes that he frequently invokes as an ideal. -Washington Post - 11/5/05 EU wants to return to negotiations with Iran The European Union Foreign Ministers' Council is to review the EU's engagement policy with the Islamic Republic during its regular monthly meeting in Brussels on Monday. Cristina Gallach, spokesperson for EU High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana, told reporters in Brussels Friday afternoon that the 25-member bloc has a "constructive attitude" towards Iran. -IRNA - 11/5/05 Iranian nuclear analysis may be too late for UN meeting UN nuclear inspectors will not have crucial Iranian samples analyzed in time for a meeting November 24, suggesting the UN atomic agency may be unable to rule whether to refer Iran to the UN Security Council for violating international safeguards, diplomats said. -AFP - 11/5/05 Iraq: Al-Sadr Militia Taking Law Into Own Hands Militiamen loyal to Shi'ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr have increasingly adopted a policing role in recent months. -RFE - 11/5/05 Chalabi Back to Court Washington's Favor Face-to-face meetings with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and probably other senior Bush administration officials await Ahmed Chalabi as the Iraqi deputy prime minister pursues political rehabilitation in Washington. -Washington Post - 11/5/05 US-Backed Arab TV Network to be Investigated Al-Hurra, the Arabic language satellite television network set up by the US administration to promote freedom and democracy in the Middle East, is to be investigated for possible irregularities, the state department confirmed on Thursday. -Financial Times - 11/5/05 Inside U.S. War Plans "Do Pentagon war planners game-play war against Venezuela? Of course they do," says WS, commenting on my blog saying that the Pentagon was newly eyeing Venezuela as a military threat and initiating war planning, "they probably game-play war against the Swiss!" -Washington Post - 11/5/05 Iran seeks foreign partners for uranium enrichment Iran is launching a bill to bring foreign partners into its uranium enrichment program, state radio reported on Saturday. -Reuters - 11/5/05 Weapon of mass attraction? In his memoirs, 'Not Quite the Diplomat: Home Truths About World Affairs,' Patten sadly sees the lack of U.S. global leadership leading to a new world disorder. Pre-emptive wars do not address the major problems of our era, from the challenge to the status quo by China and India, to failed and failing states, to terrorism, poverty and the environment. -Monsters and Critics - 11/5/05 Gas pipeline will turn Greece into major gas transit hub Italy and Greece will sign today an agreement for the construction of a 300-million-euro pipeline that will carry natural gas from the Caspian Sea and Iran to Western Europe when it is completed, at the end of 2009. -IHT - 11/5/05 Opposition Leader in the Interview to AIA: "Iran tries to influence the situation in Azerbaijan" In the light of speculations about plans to use the Azerbaijani territory in US operation against Iran, what were Tehran's interests in the context of the elections in your country? Are you aware of any Iranian attempts to affect the situation in Azerbaijan? -Axis - 11/5/05 Aghayeh Ahmadinejad: Wake up to the reality You are out of line. Today you have called for the annihilation of a country without realizing the consequences of such a statement for Iran. Moreover, while you speak of freedom for others, we have prisoners of conscience like Akbar Ganji who has been beaten in prison recently and was on a hunger strike because he spoke about freedom. -Fariba Amini - 11/5/05 Iran calls for ICRC help in locating whereabouts of 250 MKO members Iran on Saturday called on International Committee of the Red Cross to clarify whereabouts of 250 members of terrorist Mujahedeen Khalq Organization (MKO) who have disappeared in Iraq for the past one month. -IRNA - 11/5/05 Governments Debate What to do About Iran's Nuclear Program There have been mixed signals from Iran's hard-line government: it is removing 40 ambassadors and senior diplomats from office, some of whom support closer ties with the West. And it announced it is processing more uranium at its nuclear plant in Isfahan. -VOA - 11/5/05 Firoozeh Dumas, "Funny In Farsi" Author, Nominated For 2005 Thurber Prize For American Humor Firoozeh Dumas, author of the popular memoir, "Funny in Farsi" (Random House), is the first American author of Middle Eastern heritage to have been nominated for the annual Thurber Prize for American Humor. - 11/5/05 The Second Annual Kaveh Golestan Photo Journalism Award The Second Annual Kaveh Golestan Photo Journalism Award took place in the auditorium of the Artists Forum (Khaneh Honarmandan) in Tehran on Saturday 5th November 2005 (14th Abaan 1384). This award was initiated by his family and friends in memory of Kaveh Golestan, the internationally recognized and accomplished photojournalist, who was killed by a landmine in April 2003 while working with the BBC in northern Iraq. -Syma Sayyah, Tehran - 11/5/05 Iran: Snow white mountains overlooking Tehran mark change of season On the 42nd day of fall, Thursday, the first seasonal snowfall covered the mountains overlooking the capital city of Tehran. -IRNA - 11/4/05 Iranian President's Comments on Israel Provoke International Outcry Iranian journalist Ali-Reza Nourizadeh said many Iranians do not believe that President Ahmadinejad represents their country and think his election last June was rigged by the conservative clerics, some of whom today are distressed by Mr. Ahmadinejad's political immaturity and offensive remarks, which are reminiscent of the period of the Islamic Revolution. -VOA - 11/4/05 Iran: More hotels being built on Persian Gulf island of Kish More than 50 hotels in the Persian Gulf island of Kish in southern Iranian province of Hormuzgan provide lodging for the visiting domestic and foreign tourists all year round. -IRNA - 11/4/05 Bird Flu Sparks Mixed Reactions in Russia Outbreaks of the H5N1 bird flu virus potentially deadly for humans have been confirmed in eight Russian provinces, prompting a mass cull of poultry. But while the Western world is anxiously watching the virus spread westwards and bracing for a possible pandemic, a number of Russian politicians and officials are downplaying the threat of bird flu. -RFE - 11/4/05 Iran leader risks rebuff on nominee President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, whose first nominee for oil minister was rejected by Parliament as too inexperienced nearly three months ago, has risked another rebuff by nominating another little-known figure for the position. -NYT - 11/4/05 Italian Official Skips Anti-Iran Protest Thousands of Italians demonstrated Thursday night outside the Iranian embassy to protest against that country's president call for Israel to be "wiped off the map." But Italy's foreign minister, Gianfranco Fini, skipped the rally, saying he feared Tehran might retaliate against Italian interests, although he encouraged others to join the protest. -AP - 11/4/05 Challenges to Bush's Iraq Policy Gain Dramatic Momentum For months, the politics of the Iraq war have been frozen in place, with stalwart Republicans defending President Bush's policy and most Democrats shunning a direct challenge. Now, the ice has begun to crack. -LA Times - 11/4/05 Israel and the Neocons: The Libby Affair and the Internal War In the meantime, the neocons are not at all daunted by the trials of their colleagues in AIPAC and the Vice President's office: they are pressing straight ahead for the US to attack Syria and Iran, via economic sanctions and military bombing. -CounterPunch - 11/4/05 Doubts Persist As Azerbaijan Prepares To Vote With just days remaining to Azerbaijan's parliamentary elections on 6 November, international observers have been flying into the country to try and ensure that the poll is free and fair. But accusations of fraud and intimidation have been prevalent. -RFE - 11/4/05 How radical can Iran's president go? Iran's new President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad appears determined to pursue a radical agenda -- but analysts ask whether he will be allowed to stay on a path that risks paralysis of the state and confrontation with the West. -Reuters - 11/4/05 An Iranian Story Time stood still. Screaming fans, dressed in RED and BLUE were seated; no they were standing, waving flags and screaming. -Iran Sports Press - 11/4/05 Oakland: Novelist chronicles struggles of Iranian women to find seeds of a new life Fae Bidgoli, who grew up in rural Iran during the '60s and '70s, used her own coming-of-age story as the inspiration for her novel, "Cracked Pomegranate." -SF Chronicle - 11/4/05 No attack plans, says Iran leader On Friday, in a live broadcast to mark Eid al-Fitr, the end of Ramadan, Ayatollah Khamenei said: "We will not commit aggression towards any nations." He went on: "We will not breach any nation's rights anywhere in the world. -BBC - 11/4/05 Analysis: Time for a clear Iran policy The United States is at a crossroads over Iran. Regime change or nuclear security, action or negotiation; American strategy for countering Iranian development of nuclear weapons has long been hampered by a confusion of objectives. The time has come to formulate a clear plan to stop an Iranian bomb from becoming a reality. -UPI - 11/4/05 Stop the Next War Before It Starts It's time for the antiwar movement to take U.S. threats against Iran and Syria very, very seriously. Not only are stories of such threats appearing at an increasing rate in the media, they now seem to be a topic of concern on Capitol Hill and at the United Nations. -Antiwar - 11/4/05 Iranian-American Ramin Bahrani's film "Man Push Cart" wins critics award at London Film Festival U.S.-based Iranian filmmaker Ramin Bahrani's Man Push Cart won the 8th FIPRESCI International Critics Award at the 49th London Film Festival which was held from October 19 to November 3. -Mehr - 11/4/05 EU to decide how to take forward Iran relations EU Foreign Ministers are to discuss policy towards Iran at their General Affairs Council meeting in Brussels on Monday and that conclusions were expected, Britain's Europe Minister Douglas Alexander has revealed. -IRNA - 11/4/05 U.S. Concerned About Imprisoned Iranian Journalist Akbar Ganji A top U.S. official says there are new indications that the health of imprisoned Iranian journalist Akbar Ganji is at serious risk. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack says Washington has received reports in the past week that are consistent with allegations of Ganji's mistreatment by Iranian authorities. -VOA - 11/4/05 Our Allies in Iran WHEN Iran's new president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, called last week for Israel to be "wiped off the map," he raised fears not only abroad but also at home, particularly among Iran's sizeable, democratically minded middle class. -Afshin Molavi, NYT - 11/4/05 Forum Examines Advances For Women, Focuses On Muslim Societies Mahnaz Afkhami, a member of the international advisory committee that helped organize the Bangkok forum, shed light on the AWID event in an interview with Radio Farda. -RFE - 11/4/05 Blair Calls on Iran to Meet International Obligations British Prime Minister Tony Blair says military action against Iran is not contemplated, but he says the international community demands Iran meet its obligations for global security. -VOA - 11/3/05 Iran wins six medals at international astronomy olympiad in Beijing Teams from sixteen countries including Iran, China, Russia, India, Brazil, Italy, Sweden, Estonia and Lithuania participated in the competitions which were held from October 25 to November 2. -IRNA - 11/3/05 Iran oil bourse:a threat to the petrodollar? Iran's decision to set up an oil and associated derivatives market next year has generated a great deal of interest. This is primarily because of Iran’s reported intention to invoice energy contracts in euros rather than dollars. -Aljazeera - 11/3/05 Iran Continuing Purge of Reformers Iran's government announced Wednesday that 40 ambassadors and senior diplomats, including supporters of warmer ties with the West, will be fired, continuing a purge of reformers as the regime takes an increasingly tough stance at home and abroad. -AP - 11/3/05 French FM: EU to begin new round of nuclear talks with Iran French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy said in Paris on Wednesday to French Parliament members that France and the other two European countries are willing to open a new wound of nuclear talks with Iran. -IRNA - 11/3/05 United Nations: Iran blasts Canada's human rights record Irania Representative to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights Mostafa Alaee strongly criticized Ottawa's human rights record during a session of the UN General Assembly's Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian, Cultural) on Wednesday. -IRNA - 11/3/05 Iranian filmmaker crafts special project to honor mystic poet Rumi Filmmaker Puria Montazeri initially heard about the Persian mystic poet Rumi Whirling, a respected and best-selling poet, while growing up in Iran. Now a junior in the Film School at Watkins College of Art & Design, Montazeri is completing the short film Shams & Rumi: The Fragrance of Axis Mundi that’s based on the friendship between Rumi and close friend Shams during the 12th century -Nashville City Paper - 11/3/05 US Officials Seek Congressional Support For Nuclear Deal with India Bush administration officials appeared before a Senate panel Wednesday to promote a plan to share civilian nuclear technology with India. Some lawmakers are skeptical about the deal. -VOA - 11/3/05 Turkmen, Iranian Leaders Discuss Relations Turkmen state television reports the two leaders talked about ways of developing cooperation in the oil and gas sectors. Niyazov and Ahmadinejad also discussed cooperation among Turkmenistan, Iran, and Russia on developing the resources of the Caspian Sea. -RFE - 11/3/05 UN allowed in Iran 'nuclear' site UN nuclear inspectors have been given permission by Iran to enter its Parchin military complex. -BBC - 11/3/05 Iran: Ahmadinejad Blasts Stock Exchange An Iranian on-line daily has reported that the hardline president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is riled by the decline in the Tehran stock exchange and would have liked to opt for a drastic solution. “If it had been possible to hang a couple of people, the Tehran stock exchange would already have been put in order," said Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the daily rooz-on-line reports, quoting sources close to the president. -AKI - 11/3/05 Azerbaijan Under International Pressure To Conduct Fair Poll Azerbaijan goes to the polls on 6 November in the first parliamentary elections in the country since November 2000 and the first major national poll since the election of Ilham Aliyev as president in October 2003. At stake are the 125 seats in the Milli Meclis, or National Assembly, and Azerbaijan's reputation as an aspiring democracy. -RFE - 11/3/05 'Unknown' given Iran oil ministry Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad has nominated a man with little experience of the energy business to be his country's new oil minister. -BBC - 11/3/05 13 repentant MKO members return to Iran Thirteen repentant members of the terrorist group Mujahedin Khalq Organization (MKO) returned home from Iraq on Wednesday with assistance from world rescue institutions. -IRNA - 11/3/05 Rumbles of radicalism in Kurdistan Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad has nominated a man with little experience of the energy business to be his country's new oil minister. -CSM - 11/3/05 Iran wages war on Hong Kong 'scam' An online shopping craze sweeping Iran may look like harmless coin collecting but, to the Islamic republic's judiciary, GoldQuest is a dangerous pyramid scam that has to be shut down. -AFP - 11/3/05 Hitchcock In Hijab You know nothing of contemporary world cinema if you don’t know your Iranian New Wave. It is the new cinema hotspot. But what makes it so livewire? As a fascinating all-women Iranian delegation shows its work at the Asian Film Festival in Mumbai, Chandrahas Choudhury brings Iranian cinema up close -Tehelka - 11/3/05 Iran's Parliament Response to Tchogha Zanbil Explorations Iran's Parliament has asked the Ministry of Petroleum to explain about the explorations in the vicinity of Tchogha Zanbil. -CHN - 11/3/05 Iran: Cabinet approves by-law to cede shares of state companies to poor The cabinet on Wednesday approved a by-law to cede stocks of the state companies to the poor strata of the society. The cost of the share will be paid off under a 20-year installment. - 11/3/05 Might Warmer Relations With Jerusalem Cool Kabul's Relations With Tehran? In an unprecedented interview in Kabul with a reporter from Tel Aviv daily "Yedi'ot Aharonot," Afghan President Hamid Karzai hinted at a desire to establish formal relations with Israel. -RFE - 11/3/05 Khajeh mountain, biggest unbaked mud architecture of Parthian era Khajeh Mountain Complex, the biggest model of unbaked mud architecture remaining in Sistan area, is one of the most remarkable relics of the Parthian, Sassanid and Islamic eras. -IRNA - 11/3/05 Iran: President Still In Charge Of Nuclear Program, Despite Speculation To The Contrary President Mahmud Ahmadinejad's forays into foreign policy since his inauguration in August continue to elicit negative reactions from the international community and from many Iranian observers. -RFE - 11/2/05 8th Annual Schoolnet Conference a Great Success The 8th Annual SchoolNet Conference took place in the city of Neyshabour from the 13th to the 16th of September 2005. This conference was organized by the Science and Arts Foundation, the ICT Department of the Ministry of Education, the Neyshabour Mathematics House, the Isfahan Mathematics House and the Khorasan and Neyshabour Departments of Education. - 11/2/05 While You Slept: They lied us into war In the run-up to war with Iraq, Iranian intelligence was playing the U.S. like a violin – with the knowledge and full cooperation of certain major (and minor) – players in the U.S. government. -Antiwar - 11/2/05 German Weightlifting Federation denies report on Rezazadeh offer The German weightlifting federation official was referring to a report in the daily Die Welt in which the head of the German Weightlifting Federation Claus Umbach alleged that a Germany-based Iranian man had approached him regarding a possible transfer of Rezazadeh to the German national weightlifting team. -IRNA - 11/2/05 Iran: National engine to be unveiled by November The first 'national engine' is going to be unveiled in an internal combustion engine conference by November 22. -Mehr - 11/2/05 Iran's Majlis meets in closed-door session to discuss corruption issue The Iranian parliament (Majlis) met in a closed-door session on Thursday to discuss the issue of corruption in the economic and administrative sectors of society. Among those who attended the session was Judiciary Chief Ayatollah Mahmoud Shahroudi. -IRNA - 11/2/05 Iranian President's Comments on Israel Sparked by Domestic Political Struggle Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s recent statements calling for Israel’s annihilation are connected primarily to an intensifying power struggle in Tehran, in which hardliners are striving to defeat a challenge by pragmatists led by former chief executive Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani. -Eurasianet - 11/2/05 Destination America: Mahnaz Afkhami & Farah Ebrahimi Ferdows Naficy and her two daughters, Mahnaz and Farah became independent women in America. When Ferdows decided to emigrate to the U.S., she opened the door for her daughters to later join her in California. Both would later return to Iran as adults, where they would be torn apart by Iranian politics during the reign of the shah. -PBS - 11/2/05 Iran to process fresh batch of uranium: diplomats Iran will process a new batch of uranium at its Isfahan nuclear plant beginning next week, despite pressure from the United States and European Union to halt all sensitive nuclear work, diplomats said on Wednesday. -Reuters - 11/2/05 Shiite power struggle simmers in Najaf In Iraq's Shiite heartland, tensions remain high between Moqtada al Sadr and Iraq's ruling party SCIRI. -CSM - 11/2/05 Pakistan quake death toll reaches 73,276 Death toll from Pakistan's earthquake reached 73,276, the country's relief commissioner said on Wednesday. -IRNA - 11/2/05 Blast at UK firms' Tehran offices A "percussion device" has exploded outside the offices of BP and British Airways (BA) in Iran's capital, Tehran. -BBC - 11/2/05 Iran remembers US embassy siege Thousands of young Iranians have marched in the capital Tehran in honour of "national anti-global arrogance day" on 4 November. -BBC - 11/2/05 ElBaradei sees progress with Iran nuclear probe The head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog said on Tuesday the investigation into Iran's nuclear program was making progress and asked for patience from the international community before taking action. -Reuters - 11/2/05 Unknown named as Iran oil minister Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad nominated Sadeq Mahsouli, a total unkown in the energy business, as oil minister of the world's fourth biggest crude producer on Wednesday. -Reuters - 11/2/05 Iran recalls senior ambassadors Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has recalled a string of ambassadors from high-profile postings. Tehran's senior diplomats in the UK, France, Germany and at the United Nations in Geneva are being replaced. -BBC - 11/2/05 Iran Grants U.N. Access to Military Site Iran has granted U.N. nuclear inspectors new access to a high-security military site as part of efforts to avoid referral to the Security Council, diplomats said Wednesday. -AP - 11/2/05 Iranian Reza Kahouli stands second at World Inventions Competitions A student of Tabriz University majoring in mechanical engineering (design of solids), Kahouli managed to stand second at this year's World Inventions Competitions in the Swiss city of Geneva and win the special award for improvising a new method for cloud impregnation. -IRNA - 11/2/05 IAPAC to Host Washington, D.C. Fall Meet & Greet Reception The Iranian American Political Action Committee (IAPAC) will host its 2005 Fall Washington, D.C. Meet & Greet Reception on November 16, 2005. Featured guests will include Congressman Marty Meehan (D- MA), Congressman Henry Waxman (D-CA) and Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (D-NY). Representatives Meehan, - 11/2/05 British FM Jack Straw rejects call to support Iranian opposition groups British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw Tuesday rejected a call from a supporter of the MKO terrorist group to start talks with Iranian opposition groups to overthrow the country's government. -IRNA - 11/2/05 NIAC Seeks Legislative Director The Legislative Director will continuously and intently monitor legislative affairs, develop close working relationships with Congressional staffers (primarily focused on Congressional districts with large populations of Iranian Americans) and interest groups, and educate and advocate on behalf of our community. - 11/2/05 US urges UK to maintain dialogue with Iran The British government is adopting a cautious diplomatic approach towards peacefully resolving disputes with Iran that has the support of US, according Foreign Office Minister Lord Triesman. -IRNA - 11/2/05 God Is Great It's hard to know when art maven and real estate investor Nasser David Khalili first felt a craving for legitimacy. Could it have been when his teacher at a Jewish day school in Tehran, Iran ridiculed and flunked him for aspiring to genius? -Forbes - 11/2/05 Iran: Journalist Tortured to Renounce Writings The imprisoned Iranian journalist and dissident, Akbar Ganji, said that Judiciary officials have tortured him to renounce his writings. Human Rights Watch today expressed grave concern for his physical well-being and urged the Iranian government to release him immediately and unconditionally. - 11/2/05 Iran: President's Anti-Israel Remarks Spark Internal Criticism While hard-line Iranian officials have tried to play down President Ahmadinejad's anti-Israel comments, others have warned that such remarks do not serve Iran's national interests. -RFE - 11/1/05 What's behind Iranian leader's anti-Israel rant To analysts, the episode is an accurate reflection of Ahmadinejad's distaste for Israel, but also represents on-the-job training for a man without a foreign policy background, full control of his own government, or much experience in the global spotlight. -CSM - 11/1/05 Boston Museum of Fine Arts to honor Iranian director Tahmineh Milani The Boston Museum of Fine Arts is to honor Iranian director Tahmineh Milani in its 12th Annual Boston Festival of Films from Iran, the Persian service of ISNA announced on Tuesday. -Mehr - 11/1/05 Jailed Iranian writer being tortured, wife alleges The wife of jailed Iranian journalist Akbar Ganji alleged her husband was being tortured, kept in solitary confinement and denied medical care. -AFP - 11/1/05 US seeks a Syrian change-of-ways The unanimous Security Council vote demanding that Syria co-operate with the UN inquiry into the death of the former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri has added another US-led diplomatic front in the Middle East. -BBC - 11/1/05 Quake hits Kazeroun in southern Iran An earthquake measuring 3.5 on the Richter scale hit the outskirts of Kazeroun in southwestern Fars province Tuesday morning. -IRNA - 11/1/05 Quake jolts Qasr-e-Shirin in Kermanshah province A quake jolted the town of Qasr-e-Shirin in the west of Iran on Monday. -IRNA - 11/1/05 Iran's London envoy sacked as president purges officials Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has embarked on a purge of senior Iranian diplomats, with the ambassador to London among his first victims. The sackings will create further alarm in western capitals over Mr Ahmadinejad, who has made a series of hardline pronouncements since becoming president in the summer. -Guardian - 11/1/05 Energy-rich Azerbaijan bubbles with intrigue A purge was afoot in Azerbaijan before the parliamentary elections on Nov. 6. The administration of President Ilham Aliyev - who on Oct. 18 insisted in an interview with four Western journalists that his government was stable and under his control - is facing its most difficult test to date. -NYT - 11/1/05 Iran says not afraid of war, sanctions Iran is unfazed by the threat of war or sanctions over its disputed nuclear programme and mounting international pressure has only hardened its resolve, a senior official said. -AFP - 11/1/05 Defence Secretary: British troops not permitted to cross Iran border Reid made the clarification in a one-word written parliamentary reply, published Tuesday, when answering "no" to the question of whether present rules of engagement of UK forces and special forces in Iraq permit forces to operate over the border with Iran. -IRNA - 11/1/05 Iran hopes to avoid UN atomic referral Iran said on Monday it hoped to avoid being sent to the U.N. Security Council over its disputed nuclear programme after handing over more documents and allowing further checks by U.N. inspectors. -Reuters - 11/1/05 Iran wins world U-24 sitting volleyball crown Iran conceded no set during the tournament and lifted the world under-24 sitting volleyball trophy with a 3-0 victory over finalist Bosnia-Herzegovina in Slovenia Monday. -IRNA - 11/1/05 Can Iran Afford to Ignore America's Third Option Political analysts who speculate about the United States' options for stopping Iran's nuclear program often point to two alternatives: economic sanctions and surgical military strike against Iran's nuclear cites. Iran has been well aware of these alternatives and has tried to discourage them by a series of diplomatic moves and military posturing. -Nader Habibi - 11/1/05 The Real Reason for Nuking Iran: Why a nuclear attack is on the neocon agenda The strategic decision by the United States to nuke Iran was probably made long ago. Tactics adjust to unpredictable events as they unfold. -Antiwar - 11/1/05 © Copyright 2009 NetNative (All Rights Reserved)