Tochal Ski Resort in northern Tehran opened on Thursday.
The snow-covered slopes of Tochal are used by a large number of skiers in the capital every winter.
The following are snapshots of the piste released by different websites:
Highlights of Ettela’at newspaper on Nov. 21
♦ Iran and Russia will hold talks on energy and the future of the Middle East.
The Russian president is due in Tehran. On Monday he will meet with the Supreme Leader and President Rouhani.
♦ The Iranian economy does have the potential to register eight percent growth.
The governor of the Central Bank, who was in Germany, said that Iran seeks to expand its banking cooperation with the international community in the post-sanctions era.
♦ The Syrian president has said as long as terrorism exists, the crisis his country is facing remains unresolved.
The Russian foreign minister said in the absence of Assad a solution to the Syrian crisis will remain elusive.
♦ Grand Ayatollah Nasser Makarem Shirazi has said that hardliners are a problem for the country.
As soon as the question of foreign investment is raised, hardliners introduce restrictive regulations, the source of emulation said.
♦ A contract on the reconfiguration of Arak nuclear facility has been signed, said the director of the Atomic Energy Organization.
The deal features diplomatic commitments at an international level, Ali Akbar Salehi said.
♦ Extending the issues that hold true in one period in history to another is fallacy, said the grandson of the late Imam Khomeini.
Seyyed Hassan Khomeini further said that in developing an understanding of the problems of society one should not be swayed by sloganeering.
♦ A second phase of “Toward Beit ul-Muqaddas Maneuvers” has been held.
♦ A sincere account of the stellar track record of Ata Ahmadi, a philanthropist who has implemented more than 250 education projects in Kerman Province
Iranian forces have foiled all enemy plots: IRGC commander
A senior commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) has said the country’s security forces have managed to foil all attempts by enemies aimed at destabilizing the country.
IRGC Commander Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari said Friday that the country’s enemies have sought to create instability in Iran like the recent deadly terrorist attacks in France, but they failed.
“Enemies made great efforts to render our country insecure as well but all such plots have been thwarted thanks to strength and efforts of our security forces,” he said.
[…]
The IRGC commander further said enemies mainly intend to target the Islamic Revolution and the Islamic Republic, but they have come to an understanding that they cannot use a language of force against Iranians.
“They admit that the Islamic Iran is currently a regional superpower,” Jafari added.
The Iranian commander made the comments during major military drills attended by 120 battalions from Iran’s volunteer forces, Basij, on the outskirts of the central city of Qom.
He said that safeguarding the Islamic Revolution is one of the messages of the large-scale maneuvers.
“We should update our power” as the nature of threats against the Islamic Ummah is changing, the commander said, adding that the ongoing maneuver is an exercise to counter possible “extra-regional threats and proxy wars against our country.”
Iran has conducted several drills to enhance the defense capabilities of its armed forces and to test modern military tactics and equipment.
The Islamic Republic has repeatedly said that its military might poses no threat to other countries, reiterating that its defense doctrine is based on deterrence.
Resolution against Iran, Russia to discredit UN: Envoy
Iran has deplored a resolution adopted by the UN General Assembly’s Human Rights Committee against Tehran and Moscow, saying the move will only discredit the international body.
The non-binding resolution is aimed at undermining the campaign against terrorism and extremism and will only discredit the UN and its General Assembly, Iran’s Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Gholamhossein Dehghani said on Friday.
The resolution, authored by Saudi Arabia and co-sponsored by Qatar and other Arab countries, the United States and other Western powers, was adopted by the 193-nation General Assembly’s Third Committee on Thursday. There were 115 votes in favor, 15 against and 51 abstentions.
The resolution condemns and calls for an immediate end to all attacks against what it describes as the Syrian moderate opposition. It claims that such attacks benefit IS and other terrorist groups, including al-Nusra Front.
Dehghani further said Iran is active in Syria upon an official request made by the Syrian government to provide consultations to the war-hit country.
“Therefore, the adoption of such a text is violation of international regulations and a breach of governments’ right to establish peace in their own territory,” the envoy said.
He said such claims are aimed at taking revenge against forces that have so far played the most effective role in the battle against terrorism and extremism, adding that the IS terrorists would have overran more areas in the Middle East in the absence of such forces.
The Iranian diplomat reiterated that the resolution would act as an award for extremists and terrorists as well as all those who use financial and logistical resources to spread extremist and terrorist ideologies.
Dehghani emphasized that the adoption of such resolutions was the outcome of the structurally flawed UN human rights mechanism.
Iran rejects UN human rights resolution as politically-motivated
Iran has dismissed as “politically-motivated” a UN resolution critical of the country’s human rights record, saying Tehran attaches no value to any resolution adopted based on ulterior political motives.
Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hossein Jaberi Ansari made the remarks Friday a day after the Third Committee of the United Nations General Assembly passed a Canada-drafted resolution critical of the human rights situation in Iran.
The resolution, which was approved with 76 votes in favor, 35 against and 68 abstentions, accuses Iran of human rights violations. However, support for the measure has declined compared to a similar resolution last year.
“Iran, based on its principled policy, opposes any instrumental and political use of human rights against independent countries,” he said.
He added that Iran regrets that the UN human rights mechanisms have once again turned into a tool to help advance “selective policies” of certain countries.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran, like many other countries in the world, regards pursuing the approach of dialogue and constructive interaction as the best way to truly promote and support human rights,” Ansari said.
Iran also believes that the best mechanism for studying human rights situation in all countries is through the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of the UN Human Rights Council which is based on the principles of equality, respect, universality, dialogue and constructive cooperation among all countries without any discrimination, the spokesperson added.
He emphasized that in accordance with Islamic teachings and the country’s Constitution, Iran regards efforts to promote human rights as one of its most important duties vis-à-vis its citizens.
Senior Iranian cleric slams terrorist attacks in Paris
A senior Iranian cleric has condemned the recent bloody terrorist attacks in France, urging a genuine international campaign against the menace of terrorism.
“Terrorist incidents are strongly condemned in France and other parts of the world,” said Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami during a sermon to worshipers at the weekly Friday Prayers in Tehran.
At least 130 people were killed and 352 others injured when assailants struck at least six different venues in and around Paris on November 13.
In a statement the day after, the IS Takfiri terrorist group claimed responsibility for the attacks.
Khatami further said that the IS terrorists and other Takfiri groups have been formed as part of the campaign against Islam and said, “It seems that IS has no mission but to undermine Islam because it has not so far breathed a single word against the Zionist regime [of Israel].”
New details about two of the suspects in the attacks on the French capital last week indicate that despite the generalized characterization of the duo as Muslims, they not only did not follow Islam but also grossly strayed from Islamic teachings.
Reports on Thursday showed that the Abdeslam brothers, Brahim and Salah, ran a bar in Brussels and used a lot of drugs and drank alcohol, which are forbidden in Islam.
The Iranian cleric added that the US and Europe are nurturing Takfiri terrorist groups, including IS, and urged Washington and its European allies to stop their support for terrorists and fight terrorism sincerely.
He said Iran is the only country that has been firmly fighting terrorism, adding that all countries in the world need to unite in the battle against savage terrorists.
The deadly incidents in Paris came in the wake of another terrorist attack which killed 44 people and wounded 240 others in a southern suburb of Beirut on November 12 after two large explosions claimed by IS militants rocked a security post in Hussaineya Street in the crowded Borj al-Barajneh neighborhood.
Remarkable desert formations in southeastern Iran
Shahdad Desert, located on the western edge of Lut Desert, is home to unique natural structures which display the scenic beauty of the desert.
It is 24,000 square km in area and is regarded as an archeological site of Kerman Province. Impressive desert formations which are
scattered in an expanse of 11,000 square km across the Desert have come into being about 20,000 years ago as a result of water and wind erosion.
Every corner of the desert is home to archeological sites such as graveyards, castles and caravanserais which date back to the fourth millennium B.C. and the Islamic era.
The following images released online by Mehr News Agency feature the natural, beautiful structures of the desert:
Tabriz is home to one of the world’s most ancient Bibles
The most ancient handwritten edition of Acts of the Apostles is kept at Tabriz Central Public Library.
Because the book is priceless, both in terms of material and spiritual value, Iran’s national currency was once backed by it.
The book was written on fish skin in ancient Syriac language [Assyrian language] which is among the world’s endangered handwritings.
What appears next is the translation of a report filed by Farhikhtegan daily on the ancient book:
It’s not clear when and how the book ended up in Iran, but about eight decades ago, its last owner sought to sell it overseas. The then government, however, did not allow the sale to go through after it found out about the owner’s decision.
The book was restored about 800 years ago in a village in West Azerbaijan Province. It was initially assumed to be the Scripture which encompassed the Bible, Torah, Zabur and Solomon’s letters.
Later studies by European experts on Syriac language showed that it is one of the most credible and ancient Bibles in the world.
Head of the Organization of Public Libraries in East Azerbaijan Province Manuchehr Jafari said, “Representatives of the Vatican proposed on several occasions to buy it from Tabriz Library and were ready to offer a blank check in return.”
One of the concerns about the translation of the ancient book is loyalty to its original text, because there are hardly a handful of experts who are familiar with ancient Syriac language in the world.
Frankfurt hosts a conference on investment in Iran
A high-profile conference has opened in Frankfurt, Germany to review the trade opportunities in post-sanctions Iran.
The Business Forum Iran Europe, a two-day conference, opened on Wednesday (November 18), bringing together top delegations of Iranian and European officials as well as Iran’s business leaders.
The Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) on November 18 published a report on the Business Forum, Iran Europe and remarks by a German trade expert on the prospect of trade ties between Berlin and Tehran.
The following is the translation of that report:
The Iranian participants will explain the new business climate in Iran for the representatives of the Europeans firms who are interested in learning about new and first-hand information about the projects the private and public sectors will carry out in Iran in coming years.
The European companies are willing to know about [and invest in] Iran’s major infrastructural projects in different sectors such as industries, mining, petrochemistry, energy, water, transportation and urban development.
Since the conclusion of a historic nuclear deal between Iran and P5+1 on July 14, the representatives of the German companies have rushed to Iran in the hope of inking profitable trade agreements with Iran.
The Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce (DIHK) has set a target of € 10b exports to Iran in the next four years as a result of the termination of sanctions against Iran.
DIHK chief foreign trade expert Volker Treier [the chief economist and managing director of the economic policy division at the DIHK] has said that Germany’s exports to Iran are likely to more than double to reach € 5b in the next two years.
Germany and Iran have held multiple trade conferences and meetings between business delegations in the past few weeks.
The volume of trade transactions between Iran and Germany hit the $ 2.8b mark in 2014, with Iran claiming a share of $ 336m.
Iran and Germany have had a long record of trade cooperation. Over the years, Germany has been Tehran’s largest trade partner, but in 2001 Germany stood second after Italy which became Iran’s main business partner.
Iran’s President Highlights Constructive Interaction with World
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani reiterated his administration’s policy to have “constructive interaction” with the world, saying international ties are necessary for the Islamic Republic’s development.
“Good relations with the world and basing international relations on constructive interaction are essential for the country’s progress and development,” Rouhani said at a cabinet meeting in Tehran on Wednesday.
“Of course,” he said, “this does not mean that we do not have problems with any country.”
The Iranian chief executive underlined that the country’s principled policy is to interact with the world and forge good relations with other countries.
He further pointed to the two upcoming elections in the country, saying his administration is making efforts to provide the grounds for the presence of all factions and parties in the votes.
The Iranian people are scheduled to cast their votes in the parliamentary and Assembly of Experts elections on February 26, 2016.
There are currently 290 seats in the Iranian parliament elected by direct vote of people in nationwide election for four years.
The Assembly of Experts is also a high-ranking body that elects and oversees the activities of the leader of the Islamic Revolution.
Members of the assembly are directly elected to office by people for an eight-year term. It holds biannual meetings to appoint a new chairman.
