In an interview with IBNA, Dariush Mohajer, the author of Nowruz in the Four Corners of the World, acknowledged Iranian culture as a global culture and stated, “We come across many Iranian cultural elements in regions which have never been ruled by the Persian Empire.”
Dariush Mohajer, author of “Nowruz in the Four Corners of the World”
This author said: “Nowruz is a beautiful phenomenon and despite all persisting problems, will remain forever. There are about twenty regions in the world which are impressed by Nowruz, and in the year 2010, the Assembly of the United Nations International recognized Nowruz as a global day.
He added some points about the Mozabites and said: “The first Islamic government was formed in this region by someone of Iranian descent called Abdolrahman Ibn Rostam. He and his followers were among the Khawarij and after they came to the area, they were called ‘Rostamian’ or ‘Rostamouyeh’.”
Stating that the Mozabites had inherited some of their fathers’ features, he said: “They used to clean their houses and streets and alleys on the eve of spring and wore new clothes and visited their relatives. Therefore, despite the changes happening in the region in more than a thousand years, climatic changes have not forced them to give up some of their traditions.
In another part of his speech, Mohajer pointed to a group of people living in the Western provinces of China named Uyghurs who celebrate Nowruz. Some scholars believe that the Uyghurs were Manichaeists before they adopted Islam.
He continued, saying that it is interesting to know that this group of people use Persian vocabulary and pray in Persian. This is despite the fact that since 1947 (the time of Mao), Persian language has been banned, but these people are still using it in China. Moreover, this area has never been ruled by the Persian Empire.
It is the oldest in Yazd Province and the largest in the country, said Mohammad-Mehdi Sherafat according to Iran Daily.
Water mills are among the historical sites of Yazd Province. They were established near villages and along the aqueducts, Sherafat added.
Ashkezar Water Mill, which dates back to the Ilkhanid era, reaches a depth of seven meters, he said.
Located 20 km from the provincial capital Yazd, it was renovated by Yazd Cultural Heritage Department, and is ready to receive visitors, he said.
The brick water mill is one of the 18 water mills in the province registered on the National Heritage List, he said.
Yazd is one of the most well-known desert cities of Iran.
Many Iranians and foreign tourists are interested in visiting Yazd to see the architecture which is typical of desert areas.
It is known as the city of wind-towers, Zoroastrians, ‘termeh’ (traditional brocade), silk weaving and sweets (such as ‘baqlava’ and ‘qotab’).
A trip to Yazd will make one familiar with life in desert towns and how people adjust to it. You learn about ‘qanat’ (underground water supply system) for which Iranians are well-known.
The water reservoirs, icehouses, wind-towers and pigeon towers make it worthwhile to visit Yazd, as tourists explore the uniqueness of this ancient city.
Yazd, located 270 km southeast of Isfahan, has a population of approximately 560,000. It attracts a growing number of tourists each year.
The city is hot and dry in summer due to its location, which is between the two main deserts of Dasht-e Kavir and the Kavir-e Lut.
Administration may tackle general budget deficit using reserve accounts
Iran non-oil exports greater than imports: Rouhani
Defense Ministers of Iran and Azerbaijan discuss Karabakh crisis on phone
Brussels attacks and nuclear security concerns
Arman-e Emrouz:
Hashemi, a real reformist: MP Motahari
Black box of Ahmadinejad’s return
Ex-vice president indicted
23 suspects in Do-Gonbadan municipal corruption case
No oil exports without nuclear deal: Rouhani
Ebtekar:
The Big Reveal: Panama Papers
An unprecedented global investigation into a massive leak of secret documents from the Panamanian law firm, Mossack Fonseca & Co. opens a virtual Pandora’s Box into the shadowy world of offshore companies.
Parliament deliberating resistive budget bill
Hashemi’s real approach on Iran’s missile strength
Ettela’at:
Teacher sacrifices his life for students
Government submits 10-article bill to curb violence against women
Idlib air raid kills al-Nusra Front spokesman
Bolstering missile power crucial: Rafsanjani
Iran trade balance positive for first time since Islamic Revolution: Rouhani
Heavy snow grips East Azerbaijan and Ardebil provinces
Etemad:
Today’s Watergate
The Panama Papers revelation has shaken the world’s media, as the leak from the Panamanian law firm, Mossack Fonseca, continues to be investigated. It involves more than 11.5 million documents, nearly 215,000 companies and 14,153 clients of the firm, according to the German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung, which obtained the information and shared it with other media outlets and the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, a nonprofit group.
SWIFT is open [for Iran]
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Afkar:
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Emtiaz:
Tehran mayor calls for moving railway center outside of capital
Official says smuggled fruits are inadvertently tainted
3,000 homeless addicts arrested in Tehran
Persepolis tops world tourist destinations
Iran:
Iranian bank ends allegations that SWIFT is not open for Iran banks
It was rumored that the SWIFT international money transfer system was not operational in Iran. To disprove the allegations, the Central Bank of Iran invited reporters to its SWIFT room to let them see how the system is working.
10% drop in Iranian visits to Turkey during Nowruz
Visits to Dubai also fell by 18% during the New Year holidays.
Payam Zaman:
MPs issue statement in support of Iran’s missile program
Italy PM in Tehran on April 12
No freeze in Iran oil exports
SWIFT fully operational for Iran: CBI
Rouhani: No one has any right to violate people’s privacy
Jamejam:
Turkey, UAE visits no longer in vogue
Education ministry earns IRR130bn during Nowruz
Iran lifts ban on import of luxurious items
Cyberspace addiction
Jomhouri Islami:
European firm to invest $7bn in Iran petrochemical industry
I have and will always stress necessity of bolstering missile power: Rafsanjani
Badr: ISIS to become history by year-end
300 SWIFT links with foreign banks
EU parliament knocks Erdogan
Javan:
Swift open, but not functional
2,600GB world corruption shock
Government lifts ban on import of luxurious goods
US road map for realization of the ‘spirit of the deal’
Hemayat:
Weakening missile and security strength is a betrayal: Top judge
Revealed: CIA master-plan for toppling Assad
JCPOA an unbalanced document: Javad Larijani
Khorasan:
Corrupt banking managers charged with “corruption on earth”
History’s biggest financial corruption revelation
SWIFT up and running
Iran sends commandos to Syria as advisors
Rah-e Mardom:
Leader’s condolences to General Salami for mother’s death
JCPOA paves way for country’s progress: Rouhani
$20bn capital trapped in luxury houses
Resalat:
Buying foreign goods causes domestic unemployment
Yahya Ale Eshagh, an economist, decries the purchasing of goods from overseas
Why Iran exceeded commitments in nuclear deal
Rouhani: Year 1395 [started March 20] is the year of management of practice and action in line with resistive economy
No person better than Ayatollah Khamenei: Rafsanjani
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Rooyesh Mellat:
Century’s biggest financial scam revealed
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Shargh:
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Iran deploys commandos in Syria
MP Motahari: Establishment endorsed JCPOA with all pros and cons
The nanosensor, which fits in the palm of a hand, acts like a biological sieve, isolating a small protein molecule weighing less than 800 quadrillionths of a nanogram from an extremely dilute solution.
“This biosensing platform may help to unlock the next era of initial cancer detection,” said lead researcher Giuseppe Strangi, professor of physics at Case Western Reserve University in the US.
The research was published online in the journal Nature Materials.
“The prognosis of many cancers depends on the stage of the cancer at diagnosis” Strangi said.
“Very early, most circulating tumour cells express proteins of a very low molecular weight, less than 500 Daltons (standard unit for atomic mass),” Strangi explained.
These proteins are usually too small and in too low a concentration to detect with current test methods, yielding false negative results.
“With this platform, we’ve detected proteins of 244 Daltons, which should enable doctors to detect cancers earlier–we don’t know how much earlier yet,” he said.
The researchers believe the sensing technology will also be useful in diagnosing and monitoring other diseases as well.
Strangi and Nima Sharifi, also from Case Western Reserve University, have begun testing the sensor with proteins related to prostate cancers.
“High sensitivity detection of cancer-specific proteins in blood should enable detection of tumors when they are at an earlier disease stage,” Sharifi said.
“This new sensing technology may help us not only detect cancers, but what subset of cancer, what’s driving its growth and spread and what it’s sensitive to,” he said.
“The sensor, for example, may help us determine markers of aggressive prostate cancers, which require treatments, or indolent forms that don’t,” Sharifi explained.
Strangi’s lab is working with other oncologists worldwide to test the device and begin moving the sensor toward clinical use.
“We consider this just the beginning of our research,” he said.
During the meeting which took place in Japan’s capital, Tokyo, the two sides also reached an agreement on boosting consular cooperation, expanding interactions among their peoples, and offering better accommodations for the nationals of the two countries, particularly businessmen, investors, tourists, students and academics.
Iranian Foreign Ministry’s Director-General for Consular Affairs Ali Chegini who headed the Iranian delegation on this visit, said talks with his Japanese counterpart, Masaki Noke, Deputy Director General for International Cooperation with Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, revolved around the Islamic Republic’s policies for increasing accommodations for its foreign businessmen, investors and tourists, particularly Japanese nationals, in the post-sanctions era aimed at expanding relations in various fields.
The Japanese side, for his part, stressed his country’s resolve in expanding relations with the Islamic Republic, particularly in the areas of economy, investment and tourism. He further attached great significance to holding regular consular meetings between the two countries.
Other topics that were discussed during the meeting included transfer of sentenced persons, the conditions of the two countries’ nationals, police cooperation, expansion of academic ties and stock exchange.
Facilitating visa issuance, health cooperation, tourism expansion, as well as residence accommodations for the nationals of both sides were also discussed in an atmosphere of agreement between the two countries’ consular delegations.
Talking to IRNA, Kazemi said Brazil and Spain have voiced the willingness to cooperate with Iran in constructing oil refineries.
‘Once the contract is finalized and Iran makes 50-percent investment in Spain and Brazil, they would buy all of their required crude oil from Iran,’ he added.
Kazemi reiterated that a consortium will be established by Iranian private section aimed at making investment in oil refineries.
Touching upon Iran’s participation in renovation of South African refineries, he said they have presented their proposals but the Iranian side has not done any measures yet.
On Iran’s participation in buying several refineries in Greece and India, Kazemi added the petroleum ministry would follow up such plans, but he is not aware the details of the plans.
Several months ago, Kazemi said Iran is mulling a plan to build or buy refineries in other countries in order to guarantee long-term sale of its crude oil.
He noted that investing in overseas refineries is one of the most common ways used by oil producing countries to boost crude exports, saying, “Therefore, the Iranian Petroleum Ministry is planning to invest in refineries in countries whose crude oil is being supplied by Iran.”
At present, some littoral states of the Persian Gulf, which are among world’s major oil exporters, own a remarkable number of oil refineries in American, European and Asian countries, which have greatly increased their clout in global energy markets.
Iran has likewise received proposals for buying or building overseas refineries in Asian, European, African and American countries, none of which have been finalized yet.
Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) said Monday that Mahan Air was banned due to violations of local safety rules.
The GACA said in a statement that several violations related to airline safety had been committed by Mahan Air, “prompting the suspension of licenses granted to the company.”
“This decision comes in the context of the GACA (regarding) the safety of passengers and to preserve their lives,” Reuters reported.
Trade between Iran and Saudi Arabia has mostly been small and each year only Iranian pilgrims travel to the kingdom for the hajj pilgrimage.
Saudi Arabia severed diplomatic relations with Iran on January 3 following demonstrations held in front of the Saudi embassy in Tehran and its consulate in the northeastern city of Mashhad by angry protesters censuring the Al Saud family for the execution of prominent Shia cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr in Riyadh on January 2.
Nimr’s execution caused international outrage and sparked anti-Saudi demonstrations in many countries.
Several countries, including Pakistan, Russia and China, have voiced readiness to mediate between Iran and Saudi Arabia to ease up their tensions.
‘The administration has not been and is not planning to grant Iran access to the US financial system,’ State Department spokesman told reporters at a briefing on Monday, Reuters reported.
On Friday, President Barack Obama said the United States was not looking to permit the use of its financial system for dollar-denominated transactions with Iran, and said foreign companies could work through European banks.
CBI officials have declared that cutoff of Iran’s ability to access the US international financial system happened before imposition of sanctions against Iran under the pretext of its peaceful nuclear program.
The Italian premier’s office released a statement on Monday, saying Renzi will “make an official visit to Iran on April 12 and 13″, Gazzetta del Sud news website reported.
Renzi’s visit will come after Iranian President Hassan Rouhani’s trip to Rome in late January.
Iran and Italy signed deals worth up to 17 billion euros ($18.42 billion) during Rouhani’s 48-hour stay in Italy.
Italy was one of Iran’s leading economic and trade partners before sanctions when annual exchanges amounted to 7 billion euros compared with $1.6 billion euros now.
All nuclear-related sanctions imposed on Iran were lifted after Tehran and the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany) reached a nuclear deal on July 14, 2015 and started implementing it on January 16.
Heavy snowfall on Monday broke down some of the trees in the streets and in various parts of the city of Tabriz, in East Azerbaijan province, and caused damage to power lines leaving them without heat or electricity.
