People in Zardui village in western Iranian province of Kermanshah on Friday held the Pomegranate Harvest Thanksgiving ceremony.
Many foreign tourists and Iranian people attended the happy celebrations.
Here are IRNA’s photos of the ceremony:
Mosul Civilians Release Inmates after Storming ISIS Prison
Iraq’s al-Sumaria satellite television quoted an unnamed security source that claimed Mosul residents on Friday evening killed ISIS terrorists serving as security for the city’s main prison, resulting in the liberation of at least 45 prisoners.
This comes as Iraqi forces and their allies close in on the ISIS stronghold after launching full-scale operations October 17 to liberate the city, as reported by Entekhab and translated by IFP.
Simultaneous operations are aimed at liberating the city, particularly from the east, while securing Iraq’s borders with Syria.
Majidi’s Biopic on Prophet Muhammad’s Life Warmly Received in Turkey
According to a report by Fars, as translated by IFP, Mohammad Reza Saberi, the head of Noor Taban Company, the distributor of ‘Muhammad, the Messenger of God’, said that 330,000 people have already watched Majid Majidi’s latest film in Turkish cinemas until Thursday, November 3.
“Audiences are very pleased with the film. Turkish people from all walks of life have watched the movie and left the theatres with satisfaction. Turkish newspapers have also praised the technique, content, and structure of the film, and described it as an excellent movie,” he noted.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Reza Salehi Amiri also hailed the Iranian cinema’s potential for being the best in the Middle East, and referred to the huge success of ‘Muhammad, the Messenger of God’ movie as a clear example.
“The film can be exported to 50 Islamic countries. Besides its cultural-religious values, it also brings economic profit to Iran’s cinema. We have lots of these examples in our country,” the minister added.
Majidi’s film is scheduled to premiere at the republic of Dagestan on the Caspian Sea on November 10 in a ceremony attended by the filmmaker, the cast and crew, and the President of Dagestan.
The biopic’s premiere in Iraq is also scheduled for November 17 in Al-Watan cinema in Baghdad.
Muhammad, the Messenger of God, which is the first part of Iran’s big-budget trilogy on the life of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), premiered in cinemas across Iran on August 26, 2015, and attracted a large number of audiences.
A number of internationally-acclaimed professionals, including Academy Award winning visual effects supervisor and filmmaker Scott E. Anderson, three-time Oscar-winning Italian director of photography Vittorio Storaro and renowned Croat production designer Milijen Kreka Kljakovic collaborated in making the film.
Academy Award-winning Indian music composer Allah-Rakha Rahman has written music for the movie.
Majid Majidi is an internationally and critically acclaimed Iranian film director, film producer, and screen writer whose films have touched on many themes and genres and has won many international awards.
A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on November 5
A top story today was the nationwide rallies held on Thursday across the country on the National Day of Fight against Global Arrogance and the ‘death to America’ slogans chanted in the demonstrations.
The beginning of 22nd edition of Press Exhibition in Tehran also received great coverage today. The exhibition was officially inaugurated on Saturday morning in a ceremony attended by President Hassan Rouhani.
Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif was also on newspaper front pages with his remarks about the restoration of Iran’s strategic power in the region.
The above issues, as well as many more, are highlighted in the following headlines:
Abrar:
1- Hariri Officially Urged to Form New Cabinet
2- Toner: ‘Death to America’ Slogan Is No Barrier to Tehran-Washington Cooperation
3- Inquiry into Political Espionage in Iran Talks Hotel Halted
4- Government Spokesman: Iran’s Development Hindered by a Lack of Long-Term View
Abrar-e Eqtesadi:
1- Deputy Oil Minister: European Companies’ Offer to Develop Iran’s Risky Oilfields
2- Iran’s Imports from Turkey Doubled
3- Major European Companies Want to Make Investment in Iran’s Insurance Industry
Afkar:
1- Leader: Negotiation with the US Won’t Resolve Iran’s Problems
2- Deputy Health Minister: Nutrition Problems Is the Root Cause of 50% of Deaths in Iran
Aftab-e Yazd:
1- Melania Trump Caught Plagiarising Again: This Time from One of Donald Trump’s Ex-Wives
2- Public Pharmacies Making Huge Profits; Private Ones Going Bankrupt
Arman-e Emrooz:
1- Education Ministru: 136,000 Students Exposed to Drug Addiction
Asrar:
1- Zarif: We Should Keep Our Defence Capabilities at Highest Level
2- Britain Seeks to Create a Channel in Baking Ties with Iran
3- Environment Department Chief: Air Pollution Conditions Improving
4- Culture Minister: We Can’t Ignore the Concept and Value of Music
Amin:
1- 22nd Press Exhibition Kicks Off in Tehran
2- Iran Ranks Second in World’s Unhappiest Countries
3- Government Spokesman: We Never Rely on Americans’ Promises
4- Culture Minister: We Shouldn’t Talk to Culture Professionals Imperiously
Ebtekar:
1- IRGC Lieutenant Commander: If Americans Fail to Fulfil Their Commitments, We’ll Send JCPOA to Museum
2- Stroke Is Second Cause of Death among Iranians
Emtiaz:
1- End of the Father: Mansour Pourheydari, Former Coach of Team Melli and Esteghlal FC, Dies
2- FIFA Extends Condolences over Death of ‘Father of Esteghlal’
Ettela’at:
1- Rouhani: Iran Is Moving towards Economic Prosperity
2- Nationwide Demonstrations against Global Arrogance Held across Iran
3- Iran to Join Petrol Exporting Countries
4- Zarif: Iran’s Power Is Based on Not Believing US Strength
Hemayat:
1- Judiciary Chief: US Has a Role Wherever There’s a Fire in Muslim World
2- Iranian Nation Voices Its Hatred towards the Promise-Breaking US
3- Obama Extends National Emergency on Iran
Iran:
1- People Come to Visit Press Exhibition before Official Inauguration
Javan:
1- ‘Death to America’ Slogan Turns 37 Years Old
2- Friday Prayer Leader: Some Government Officials Are Inclined towards US, and This Should Be Resolved
Jomhouri Eslami:
1- Biggest Line of Railway Making in Middle East Opened in Iran’s Isfahan
2- Tunisian Minister of Religious Affairs: Saudi Arabia Is Root Cause of Terrorism and Extremism
3- Mogherini: It Is European Citizens’ Right to Boycott Israel
Kayhan:
1- On National Day of Fight against Arrogance: People Shouted at the US
2- Two Preconditions Set by Iraqi Popular Forces for Helping Syrian People: Syrian President Assad Calls for It, Iraqi PM Abadi Allows Us to Go
Khorasan:
1- Iran’s Strategic Power in Zarif’s Words: I Don’t Claim Nuclear Negotiations Created Power for Iran; Iran’s Power Existed Long before the Talks
Resalat:
1- Senior Cleric: We Should Beware of USA’s Return to Iran
2- US Is Still Number One Enemy of Human Kind: Final Resolution Declared after Nationwide Anti-Arrogance Demonstrations
3- City Council Chief: Some Cars in Tehran Don’t Even Have Euro II Standard
Shargh:
1- Zarif: JCPOA Is the Result of a Political Give-and-Take
2- Assad in Interview with Iranian Journal: We Need Strategic Relations with Iran
Vaghaye Ettefaghieh:
1- Zarif in an Address to Military Attachés and Defence Envoys: JCPOA Brought Back Iran’s Strategic Power
2- Egyptian Strategist Highlights Iran’s Exceptional Success: Region’s Map Will Be Changed by 2020
22nd Press Exhibition Officially Inaugurated in Tehran
Known as one of Iran’s most important cultural events, the 22nd edition of the Press Exhibition got underway in capital Tehran on Friday, while President Hassan Rouhani inaugurated the fair officially on Saturday morning.
A number of high ranking Iranian officials, including new Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Seyyed Reza Salehi Amiri, managing directors of various news agencies and publications, as well as domestic and foreign guests participated in the opening ceremony, Tasnim reported.
The annual event is attended by representatives of more than 900 newspapers, news agencies and media outlets, showing a 30 percent increase compared to the previous exhibition.
Here are photos of the opening ceremony taken from different Iranian news agencies:
Iran’s Top Judge Hails ‘Constructive’ Visit to Iraq
Speaking to reporters in Tehran upon his arrival from Baghdad on Friday evening, Ayatollah Amoli Larijani said he conducted good negotiations with his Iraqi counterpart, with the Arab country’s president, prime minister and parliament speaker.
He also hailed meetings with top Iraqi clerics and religious leaders, expressing the hope for growing ties between Tehran and Baghdad.
During Ayatollah Larijani’s trip to Iraq, the two countries signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation in various judicial fields.
Based on the MoU, Tehran and Baghdad will collaborate on judicial, legal and human rights issues, rights of women and children, joint action against contrabands, as well as training courses for the Iraqi judiciary personnel.
According to the document, the two neighboring countries agreed to join hands in the fight against terrorism and in defending its victims, and to share experience and technical expertise in battling terrorist crimes, extremism, corruption, narcotic and arms trafficking, organized crimes and offences that could threaten their national security.
Cyber Strike Empowered Iran: Nuclear Chief
The head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), Ali Akbar Salehi, said the deployment that year of a malware dubbed Stuxnet against Iran’s nuclear facilities made the country realize how it should prepare against such attempts, Tasnim reported on Saturday.
He said Iran can fill “an entire exhibition room with the West’s acts of industrial sabotage [against Iran], things like this very Stuxnet virus.”
“They give us equipment in which they have planted explosives so that it would blow up sometime later, or they interfere with the equipment so that… it later damages the whole system.”
He explained that as an act of precaution, Iran has been checking the pieces of equipment it buys for any potential interference.
“We don’t immediately put to use whatever equipment that we buy; rather, we do all kinds of tests on it, and we don’t use it before there is complete assurance” that it is safe, Salehi said.
“In fact, before the Stuxnet, we were not this careful, and the attack opened up a new science to us. Just by testing different equipment for [potential] industrial sabotage, we learn a lot,” he said.
“We owe them a thank you, of course,” he said jokingly, referring to the US and Israel.
The Washington Post reported in June 2012 that the US National Security Agency (NSA), its spy service CIA, and Israel’s military had worked together to launch Stuxnet against Iran’s nuclear facilities.
Salehi also said Iranian officials are taking the necessary measures to pursue litigation against the perpetrators of the cyber attacks against Iran.
World’s Most Expensive Dates Come to Fruition in Iran
According to a report by IRIB News Agency, as translated by IFP, Hamid Zargari, the head of Agricultural Research, Education, and Extension Organization of Iran’s southern city of Jahrom, said that Iran’s Ministry of Agriculture brought the medjool date from Africa 10 years ago.
The date, he said, was then cultivated in agricultural research centres on a trial basis.
“Thanks to the attempts made in Jahrom’s agricultural centre, this fruit came to fruition and was introduced as an adaptable variety to the growers throughout the country,” he added.
Zargari hailed the active participation of the researchers in Jahrom centre and said, “Researchers managed to reproduce and improve the quality of this cultivar through quarantine tests and pollination.”
He further mentioned that the medjool date is worth $20 per kilo in the world market and pointed to the features of this cultivar that puts it in a superior position, “Medjool date is semi-dry and has high productivity, thin skin, high ratio of flesh to skin and reasonable price in the global market.”
Escalation of Violence against Afghan Journalists
According to a report by IRNA, as translated by IFP, Sediqullah Tawhidi, the head of Nai Supporting Open Media Agency in Afghanistan, said in a press conference that this year, 377 cases of violence, including the killing of 13 journalists have been recorded in this country. He regretted that 229 journalists have been forced to leave their jobs and quit as well.
“Despite all the attempts to prevent it, unfortunately the violence against journalists is still growing bigger,” he said, stressing that it is traced back to terrorist groups, government-affiliated individuals, oppressive and irresponsible armed individuals and the private sector.
Tawhidi added that journalists in the provinces of Kunduz, Helmand, Farah and Urozgan have been forced to quit their jobs.
“An annual average of 48 cases of violence against journalists has been recorded in the past 15 years; however, records of this year are appalling,” he said.
Tawhidi called on the international community and the government of Afghanistan to take action to stop the aggression.
He announced that the act of Reporter’s Privilege has been approved by the National Security Council and the President, and also a Coordination Committee has been formed between journalists, the Federation of Journalists and the government.
“Despite all these, we have not witnessed any decrease in violence against the media professionals so far and this means that the situation of journalists and the media in Afghanistan has deteriorated with each day passing by,” he regretted.
Meanwhile, Ahmad Sarhadi, the head of journalists club in Afghanistan’s Zabul Province, referred to the local officials as the main reason behind the violence and said, “It’s a shame that violence has been seen mostly from government officials.”
Former Coach of Iran’s National Football Team Passes Away
The legendary coach died at Iranmehr Hospital in Tehran after a long battle with diabetes and lung cancer.
He began his football career at the age of 17 in Daraei but was transferred to Taj (now Esteghlal) in 1965 and played as a right defender for 10 years and won the Asian Championship in 1970.
Pourheydari also played for Iran national football team and made three caps for Team Melli. He announced his retirement in 1977, Tasnim reported.
Pourheydari led Esteghlal to its second Asian trophy in 1991 as a coach.
He managed Team Melli from 1998 through 2000 and won the Asian Games’ title in 1998.
Pourheydari was also appointed as Team Melli manager in 2009 to prepare the team along with head coach Afshin Ghotbi for their three crucial upcoming matches against Korea DPR, UAE, and Korea Republic.
