As many as 77 works of art by pre-school and school students drawn for as many unparented children were put on show at the exhibit.
The event was organized at Eshraq Culture House in cooperation with a charity organization earlier this month.
What follows are Honar Online’s photos of the exhibition:
Khusf is host to many historical monuments that have remained in place for centuries thanks to the location of the city, which has made it immune to earthquakes.
Among the monuments are mosques, underground water reservoirs, schools, castles, historic houses of Alavi and Maliki, and the tomb of Ibn Hessam.
The city has been used as a resting place for businessman travelling to and from India, particularly Georgian and Russian merchants.
The city is said to have been built by Georgians before the advent of Islam, and its strange name seems to be of Georgian origin.
What follows are IRNA’s photos of the ancient city:
Hossein-Ali Haji-Deligani said in the Parliament that the years of Hassan Rouhani’s presidency spent on reaching a nuclear deal with the West known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) were a waste of time.
He criticized Rouhani and his administration for failing to get the necessary guarantees from other signatories to the nuclear deal.
The legislator argued that Rouhani had pledged during his election campaign that he would improve the country’s economy, but failed to do so.
The MP said time was wasted, which led to losses for the Iranian nation, and hence, the president should apologize to Iranian people, Khabar Online said in a Sunday report.
The remarks come as Washington’s withdrawal from the JCPOA, and the US’ breach of promises under the deal even before pulling out of it have caused the deal to have no benefits for the Iranian economy and brought about negative social effects such as a rise in the divorce rate, the discontent of patients suffering from hard to treat diseases because of rising drug prices, etc.
This has turned into a lever to pressure Rouhani’s moderate administration today.
Time Ripe for Conservatives to Win Iran Elections
The developments have paved the way for Rouhani’s political rivals to accuse him and his reformist associates of naivety and describe him as a person who fell for the West’s ostensibly flexible attitude.
Now, Rouhani’s rivals regard him as a signatory to a deal which was a “win-lose” agreement, not a “win-win” deal as he had promised during his election campaign.
These days, conservatives have the upper hand. Meanwhile, those in the conservative camp and those who believe in “constructive engagement with the world” are waiting for the outcome of intense talks between Tehran and the European Troika, hoping they will be able to extricate themselves from the predicament caused by the US government’s non-compliance with the JCPOA. It seems that the ground is prepared, more than ever before, for conservatives to emerge victorious in forthcoming elections.
In a Monday statement, Qassemi said unfortunately following Taliban’s attack on Afghanistan’s Farah province last week, some people in the country began to accuse neighbouring states of sponsoring the militant group.
“After years of military presence in Afghanistan and shedding the blood of thousands of innocent Afghans, today the US commanders who have failed to establish security in the country are attempting to divert the attention of Afghan people from the main causes of the continuation of war in the country by accusing Iran of supporting Taliban,” he noted.
The spokesman also underlined that the Taliban attacks on Afghan cities and their retaking by government forces are not a new subject and have nothing to do with the good relations underway between Tehran and Kabul.
Over the past four decades, he said, the Islamic Republic of Iran has stood firmly behind the government and nation of friendly and brotherly country of Afghanistan to defend their independence and sovereignty.
“Therefore, remarks made to appease foreigners and aggressors stand in contradiction with the friendly ties.”
The spokesman said talks are underway between Iranian and Afghan governments to resolve an ongoing water dispute through diplomatic channels. “Linking the water dispute to Afghanistan’s domestic issues has no reasonable and logical basis.”
Qassemi once again condemned violence in Afghanistan and said as in the past, the Islamic Republic throws its weight behind the peace process in Afghanistan to lead Afghan government and other conflicting sides in the country to the negotiating table for tackling the current problems.
Afghanistan’s western Farah province was the scene of fierce fighting between the Taliban and the Afghan government in recent days. Some Afghan officials blame Iran for the unrest.
General Fazl Ahmad Shirzad, provincial police chief of western Farah province claimed last week that Iran is supporting the Taliban in the province.
“Iran is directly funding and equipping the Taliban in Farah, and the country is involved in the recent unrest in the province.. Farah is very important for Iran, and the country sees its interests in continued unrest in the province,” he added.
Meanwhile, General Gul Nabi Ahmadzai, the former Afghan border police chief, told VOA that Iran’s support for the Taliban is not a secret. “Iran is directly involved, and its Revolution Guards commanders are leading the fire-fight in Farah,” Ahmadzai said.
Some other Afghan officials charge that Iran is ratcheting up its support for the Taliban to disrupt developmental projects in Afghanistan, including water dams, which if completed would slow down the flow of water to Iran.
In a letter to his Montenegrin counterpart Filip Vujanovic on Monday, President Rouhani offered congratulations on the anniversary of Montenegro’s 2006 independence referendum.
He also expressed hope for closer cooperation between the two countries and expansion of bilateral ties in various fields.
The Iranian president also wished health and success for Vujanovic, and prosperity for the people of the Republic of Montenegro.
Montenegro’s Independence Day is a national holiday celebrated annually on May 21 to mark the anniversary of its independence referendum back in 2006.
In the 16th century, Montenegro emerged as a semi-autonomous region within the Ottoman Empire. The name ‘Montenegro’ which refers to the black mountains that cover large parts of the region was first used in the 15th century.
The independence referendum was held on May 21, 2006, with an 85% turnout. The Montenegro Parliament declared independence on 3 June 2006 and became the 192nd member of the United Nations on 26 June 2006.
During the Sunday meeting, President Rouhani thanked the national team members as well as its head coach Carlos Queiroz for their hard efforts to be qualified for the world cup.
The meeting was also attended by the Iranian referees’ delegation to the world showpiece.
Earlier Sunday, Queiroz named his provisional 24-man squad for the world cup, choosing the players out of the preliminary 35-member squad. The final squad will be announced to the FIFA by June 4.
Team Melli is set to travel to Istanbul on Monday to hold a training camp in the country. The team will face Turkey football team on May 29 in a friendly match as part of its preparation for the 2018 World Cup.
Iran has been drawn in Group B of the 2018 World Cup along with Morocco, Spain and Portugal.
The Iran national football team will open the campaign with a match against Morocco at Saint Petersburg on June 15.
Team Melli, will later face Spain in Kazan on 20 June before meeting Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal in Saransk five days later.
The matches of the 2018 World Cup will be held between June 14 and July 15 at 12 stadiums.
Since the establishment of the Blood Money Headquarters in 2002, Iran’s Leader has donated IRR 18.27 billion ($435,000) to the headquarters for release of non-delinquent prisoners under the umbrella of the Blood Money Headquarters.
The donation was made on the occasion of a national day in Iran on which people aid needy prisoners by providing them with the blood money they owe to the victims of their offences, a report by IRNA said.
The day, called Golrizan, is held annually across the country and is participated by officials and donors in Tehran and other cities who assist those inmates in need of money to be released from jail.
The official website of Iran’s leader (www.leader.ir) has a special section for allocating parts of the religious donations to campaigns to release some prisoners under the umbrella of the Blood Money Headquarters. This is aimed at providing the needy inmates with the chance of enjoying the taste of freedom and getting back to their families.
Under Iran’s Islamic law, death penalty convicts can be spared if they pay restitution to the victim’s family in exchange for a pardon. It is an alternative punishment to equal retaliation.
Qassemi on Sunday dismissed “baseless” reports by certain Western media which quoted anonymous diplomatic sources as saying the EU has offered new packages of incentives to Iran in return for clinching a new nuclear deal
In response to reporters’ questions, the spokesman said such absurd reports come from the Zionists’ media, international chaos seekers’ think-tanks and the enemies of the Iranian nation.
“The reports are aimed at creating a smear campaign against Iran and undermining the ongoing negotiations between the Islamic Republic and the remaining parties to the Iran nuclear deal,” he said.
The spokesman went on to say that as a committed party to the JCPOA, following the unilateral, illegal and scandalous withdrawal of the US from the multi-national agreement, the Islamic Republic of Iran will remain in the deal as long as the remaining sides acknowledge Iran’s rights under the accord.
“In response to the requests of the other sides to remain in the nuclear deal, the Islamic republic has made it clear that it will remain in the deal only if the other sides explicitly acknowledge and protect Iran’s full right under the JCPOA,” he said.
Qassemi then denounced any report on discussions between Iran and the EU on issues beyond the JCPOA as baseless, stressing that such allegations don’t deserve any serious attention.
“The significant point here is whether or not the other sides will be able to fulfill their pledges under the JCPOA, and this will become clear in the upcoming intensive negotiations,” he said.
The spokesman went on to say that within the framework of the first joint commission of the JCPOA, which is expected to be held without the US presence in the coming days at Iran’s request, Tehran and the remaining sides will only discuss the JCPOA and the issues related to the deal.
Following the US withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal on May 8, Iran and other remaining sides of the deal have begun intense negotiations to salvage the multi-national nuclear deal.
In a Sunday meeting with EU Commissioner for Energy and Climate Miguel Arias Canete in Tehran, Zarif underlined that after the US pullout from the Iran nuclear deal, the EU is expected to preserve the JCPOA’s achievements mote than ever.
“Under the current circumstances, the EU’s political will is not enough to preserve the nuclear deal. The EU needs to take more practical strides and increase its investments in Iran if it is to continue its economic cooperation with the Islamic Republic,” he said.
For his part, the EU Commissioner said today the European states’ unity to keep the achievements of the Iran nuclear deal has gained significant importance in the wake of the US withdrawal from the 2015 deal.
He further noted that the EU is resolved to keep the Iran nuclear deal and help European companies maintain their cooperation with the Islamic Republic.
“The US withdrawal from the JCPOA has created problems for the EU but the message of the bloc to Iran is that it is seeking to continue cooperation with Iran and preserve the nuclear deal,” he noted.
Iran’s trade with the European Union is around 20 billion euros, which is evenly split between imports and exports.
The EU on Friday started implementing the “blocking statute” process to shield EU companies doing business with Iran. The statute aims to neutralise the extraterritorial effects of US sanctions in the EU.
Despite the tough diplomatic efforts, the chances of the Iran nuclear deal surviving the impact of US sanctions were dealt a blow when the Danish shipping group A P Moller-Maersk said it was joining an exodus of companies ceasing commercial activity in Iran.
In a rare incident, Riyadh’s ruler Faisal Bin Bandar Bin Abdulaziz attended a cadet ceremony of Malik Abdulaziz Officer Academy instead of Bin Salman, the crown prince and defence minister of the Arab country.
No reason has been given yet by Saudi Arabia on the absence of the crown prince from the ceremony which should normally be held with defence minister in attendance.
The unusual disappearance has once again raised doubts and speculations on the health conditions of the Crown Prince, Fars News Agency said.
Earlier, the Tehran-based newspaper Kayhan said it has obtained a copy of a report by an Arab intelligence apparatus that claims bin Salman could be killed in a shooting incident late April.
“This intelligence service in a confidential report to the country’s top official insists that at least two bullets have hit bin Salman in April 21 clashes in Riyadh and it is even possible that he is dead,” said Hossein Shariatmadari, the daily’s editor-in-chief, in an editorial published on Thursday.
The editorial came following a similar report by Fars News Agency on Wednesday which raised questions about the whereabouts of the 32-year-old heir to the Saudi throne, known to be highly active on the political scene.
The report said Bin Salman hadn’t appeared in public since April 21, when videos were posted online in social media purporting to show areas around royal palaces ringing with heavy gunfire.
Saudi authorities firmly denied any major security breach, saying Saudi forces had “dealt with” an unauthorised toy drone near the royal palaces.
But footage circulating on social media showed heavy gunfire, tanks and armed vehicles around palaces, raised speculations about a possible coup attempt or retaliation by the House of Saud’s adversaries.
As a proof, Fars News Agency pointed to the fact that bin Salman made no media appearance during the April 28 visit of the newly-appointed US Foreign Secretary Mike Pompeo to Riyadh, his first foreign trip as the top US diplomat.
This is while the state-run outlets used to publish images of meetings in Riyadh between bin Salman and former US secretary of state Rex Tillerson.
Meanwhile, certain figures close to the Saudi royal family have tried in the past few days to publish photos of the Crown Prince, claiming that they are new images and reject the speculations surrounding his disappearance. However, such photos could have been taken before the April shooting, and thus cannot prove the rumours false.
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