Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs plans to give Persian lessons to its diplomats in 2015. The Israeli news channel i24news, which airs its programs in Arabic, English and French, announced the news on December 26. ynetnews reorted that the Foreign Ministry officials were not sure if the workers would be interesting in learning Persian, considering that at most they would ... Read More »
Politics
A day in the bread lines
Queuing for bread offers a good opportunity for Iranians to vent political frustrations and exchange rumors with strangers. Such conversations are common in Iran’s bakeries, where people from all walks of life spend long periods of time crushed close together in long, tight lines. The intimate surroundings offer a rare opportunity to vent political frustrations and exchange rumors with strangers. Although ... Read More »
IRI Advanced Rocket Launchers on Iraqi battlefield
A recap of Iranian Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) types fielded on the Iraqi battlefield against ISIL. Photo appearing on social media week of 09DEC14 claiming to depict Iranian-built SBIG/DIO Hadid HM-20 122 mm MLRS in use with Peshmerga forces in Iraqi Kurdistan. Forty-tube launcher system fires Arash-series rockets. Older platform at left utilizes Mercedes-Benz NG 2626; right platform the newer MAN HX series. ... Read More »
Rouhani to increase defense spending by over 30%
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani will hike military spending by more than a third in the next fiscal year despite presenting a “cautious, tight” budget to parliament on Sunday in response to falling oil prices and punishing sanctions arising from the country’s disputed nuclear program. According to Tasnim News Agency, dated 07DEC14: Iranian President Hassan Rouhani submitted to the parliament the ... Read More »
North Korea Launches Tourism Website
North Korea launched a travel website on Monday that is decidedly more strange than it is inviting — particularly since the country currently has a ban on international tourists entering the country due to fears of the Ebola virus! The site, dprktoday.com, offers an animated tour through the customs and culture available in the so-called hermit kingdom. A short film ... Read More »
Iran’s Oil Export to Asia Fell Below 1 Million bpd
Iran’s oil exports to Asia fell below 1 million barrels per day in October to the lowest level in a year. Iran exported 877,888 bpd to China, India, Japan and South Korea, its biggest buyers, Reuters reported today. Iran exported an average of 1.1 million bpd to Asia in January-September this year. Seasonal demand fluctuations could have been the cause ... Read More »
Leader of the Quds Force on Cover of Newsweek
Newsweek writes… To help Iraq fight ISIS Iran sent their military mastermind, Qasem Soleimani, leader of the Quds Force, whom many military leaders regard as an excellent, and highly strategic commander. While usually secretive, Soleimani allowed himself to be photographed last September on the battlefields of Amerli, clearly sending a message to the West that Tehran was very present. [Read ... Read More »
Muslim substitute teacher charged with assaulting student
North Jersey website reported today that a substitute teacher at Manchester Regional High School was arrested and charged with assaulting a 16-year-old male student, authorities said. Linda Hardan, 21, was arrested Friday for an incident that allegedly occurred in Wayne on Thursday, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes said in a news release. Hardan apparently transported the juvenile – not ... Read More »
Erdogan: Muslims found Americas before Columbus!
Muslims discovered the Americas more than three centuries before Christopher Columbus, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said. He made the claim during a conference of Latin American Muslim leaders in Istanbul, pointing to a diary entry in which Columbus mentioned a mosque on a hill in Cuba. BBC reports that Mr Erdogan also said “Muslim sailors arrived in America ... Read More »
China censors clip of Putin draping coat over their first lady
What seemed to be an innocent moment during the APEC summit in Beijing has grown into a topic of debate, after China’s censors moved to erase Russian President Vladimir Putin’s act of placing a shawl over the shoulders of Peng Liyuan, the wife of China’s President Xi Jinping. NPR reports, the gesture at a fireworks show Monday night was soon ... Read More »