Short News Summary for Friday, August 10, 2018. Read the most important news from Iran and the world on the nineteenth day of Mordad 97 here moment by moment.
UNICEF: Conflicts in Idlib Will Affect the Lives of Over One Million Children. UNICEF, the United Nations Children's Fund, states that the conflicts between rebels and government forces in Idlib province, Syria, will impact the lives of over one million children. According to UNICEF, rural areas in northwest Syria lack sufficient food, medical supplies, and drinking water, and are currently hosting over one million displaced Syrians who have fled from other provinces due to the war. UNICEF warns that the conflicts in Idlib will worsen the humanitarian situation in Syria, leading to the displacement of nearly 400,000 children. Idlib is the last major province in Syria largely controlled by rebel forces and opponents of Bashar al-Assad.
Regarding Lifting the Twitter Ban: "We Are Waiting for the Filtering Committee Meeting." Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi, the Minister of Communications, stated about efforts to lift the Twitter ban: "We still need to wait for the filtering committee meeting to be held." He also mentioned the Telegram ban, noting that the judiciary issued a ruling prohibiting access to and activity on the Telegram messaging app in Iran based on a complaint, although there were doubts about this issue. He emphasized that a legal principle states that no judge can issue a general ruling affecting all citizens; such a ruling and the imposition of restrictions on all citizens can only be done through law and parliament.
"Death to the Dictator" Chants at Azadi Stadium and "Severe Clashes" with Security Forces. A video has been circulated on social media, dated today (August 10, 2018), showing the football match between Esteghlal Tehran and Tractor Sazi Tabriz at Azadi Stadium in Tehran. The match started at 20:30 tonight as part of the third week of the Premier League. The Mehr News Agency reported severe physical clashes between Tractor Sazi fans and security forces due to insufficient seating capacity for their supporters. Some fans reportedly vandalized seats and threw them at each other, and the throwing of objects such as stones and water bottles onto the field led to cleaning staff having to collect them.
The First Minister of Culture and Art of Iran Passes Away. Mehrdad Pahlbod, the first Minister of Culture and Art of Iran, passed away on Thursday, August 9, in Los Angeles at the age of 101. He served as Minister of Culture for about 14 years from December 1964 until the end of Jamsheed Amouzgar's premiership in September 1978. He was married to Princess Shams Pahlavi, the daughter of Reza Shah and the elder sister of Mohammad Reza Shah. Before marrying Shams Pahlavi, he was known as Ezzatollah Minbashian. His father, Nasrollah Minbashian, was a renowned musician during the Qajar era and head of the music department, and his grandfather composed the first national anthem of Iran after the Constitutional Revolution. Cultural and art houses in Iran were established during his tenure, and various orchestras became active. He worked to promote the term "artist" instead of "musician" in the Ministry of Culture and Art.
Arrest of a Suspect in a Fatal Shooting Incident in Canada. Canadian police reported on Friday the arrest of a "suspect" following a shooting incident in Fredericton, eastern Canada, which left four dead. Details regarding the motives and identity of the shooter(s) remain unclear.
Ali Daei Threatens to Sue a Representative and a Revolutionary Guard Official. In response to criticism of "celebrities" who raised funds for earthquake victims in Kermanshah, the newspaper Shargh reported on Thursday that Ali Daei intends to sue a member of parliament and a Revolutionary Guard general. Daei, a football player and coach, threatened to file a lawsuit on Saturday due to "slander and dissemination of falsehoods" against these individuals. His threat comes in reaction to criticisms from several parliament members and other officials regarding well-known individuals who collected money for the earthquake-affected people. Critics claim that Iranian "celebrities" have collected money under the pretext of helping the people, but it is now unclear where these funds have been allocated. In a sharp response to these individuals, Daei stated, "I should not report to these gentlemen. They should report to the nation;... in this economic and livelihood situation that society is grappling with, this gentleman is talking about celebrities and athletes who came forward with good intentions and spent their own resources instead of addressing the people's problems... On Saturday, I will sue this gentleman and another person who is a Revolutionary Guard general for slander and dissemination of falsehoods."
Delegations from Rouhani to Visit "Neighboring Oil-Producing Countries." Majid Takht-Ravanchi, the political deputy of the Iranian President's office, announced on Friday, August 10, the importance of oil sanctions and that delegations will travel to "neighboring oil-producing countries" to deliver a message from President Hassan Rouhani. This official did not mention the content of Rouhani's message but emphasized that if sanctions on Iran's oil sales affect the oil market, OPEC member countries "do not have the right" to increase their production. Takht-Ravanchi described oil sales and banking transactions sanctions as the most significant sanctions.
Caspian Sea Leaders' Summit to Be Held in Kazakhstan. The Kremlin announced on Friday that leaders of the five Caspian Sea bordering countries will sign a statement regarding the legal regime of the sea on Sunday, August 12. Earlier, the IRNA news agency reported that President Hassan Rouhani will travel to Aktau, Kazakhstan, to participate in the summit of the Caspian Sea coastal states. According to IRNA, in addition to the joint statement, several important strategic cooperation documents related to the Caspian Sea will be signed by officials from the five coastal countries.
Response to the "No Entry for Instruments" Sign in Parks. The Director General of the Music Office in the Ministry of Culture of Iran stated on Friday that the installation of the "No Entry for Instruments" sign in Tehran parks is illegal and termed this action as "only regrettable." According to ISNA, Ali Torabi stated, "Such actions have no legal value and are simply regrettable." He also considered the follow-up to remove these signs as outside the jurisdiction of the Music Office. ISNA reported that these signs were installed by park police. The signs read: "Please refrain from bringing musical instruments, hookahs, animals (dogs, etc.), and setting up tents in the park area." After ISNA's follow-up, the phrase "musical instruments" was removed from the sign shown in the news agency's report, while other signs containing the same message at different park entrances remained unchanged.
New Zealand Government Ultimatum to End Use of Plastic Bags. The New Zealand government announced on Friday that it will ban the use of plastic bags in shops and stores next year. Accordingly, retailers in the country will have six months to stop providing plastic bags to their customers. Non-compliance with this law will result in a fine of up to 100,000 New Zealand dollars, approximately 57,000 euros. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern referred to a 65,000-signature petition from the public requesting a ban on plastic bags. Currently, each person in the country discards 154 plastic bags annually.