Headlines

* Women: Tradition meets today
* Khatami: First year in power
* Terrorism: Saudis don't implicate Iran
* Iran-EU: New era
* Film: Baizaie allowed to film
* Soccer: Iran stuns Inter-Milan
* The Web: Danish embassy in Tehran
* Music: Delkash
* Dollar: Up four tomans

THE WEB

* Embassy of Denmark -- ... in Tehran

* Iranian Left Oral History Project - A feast for anyone who loves history. Project Director: Hamid Ahmadi, member of International Oral History Association.

* The Caleb Project - Quite fascinating: Christian profiles of Iranian nationalities. "Mobilizing Christians to Complete World Evangelization."

* Ankaboot -- There are many search engines and directories on the net. Ankaboot aims to incorportae the best and provide the most comprehensive search engine to the Iranian community. This project is a collaboration between Karim Ardalan's MIS Inc and Bruce Bahmani's BTC Consultants in association with The Iranian. Your suggestions, criticisms and especially your web sites are welcome. We look forward to hearing from you. See you at Ankaboot!

Any interesting web sites you would like to suggest?
Email us at Times@iranian.com

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IRAN-U.S.

* Saudi absolves Iran of 1996 bombing that killed 19 U.S. soldiers, (Washington Post) - For the first time, a senior Saudi security official today publicly absolved Iran of involvement in the June 1996 bombing of a U.S. military housing complex that killed 19 American service personnel, blaming the attack on homegrown Saudi dissidents. Prince Nayef bin Abdul-Aziz, the Saudi interior minister, told a Kuwaiti newspaper that the bombing "took place at Saudi hands," adding, "No foreign party had any role in it." ... full text

* Russia says Iran sanctions may hit Russian-US ties, (Reuters) - Russia accused the U.S. Senate on Monday of trying to hinder its trade with Iran and complicate U.S.-Russian ties by approving a bill to impose sanctions on firms that sell missile technology to Tehran. The bill, approved on Friday, followed U.S. accusations that projects in which Russia is involved could help Iran develop a nuclear arsenal. Moscow denies the charges... full text

* U.S. Senate clears Iran sanctions, veto threatened, (Reuters) - Angered by Russian Friday overwhelmingly approved a tough sanctions bill on firms that sell missile technology to Tehran. The Senate approved the sanctions on a bipartisan vote of 90 to 4 over the strong objections of President Bill Clinton's foreign policy advisers who said they will recommend it be vetoed. The House of Representatives has approved the bill but must vote on changes made in the Senate before it can go to Clinton's desk... full text

* Editorial: Make sanctions waivers permanent, (Chicago Tribune) - The welcome announcement this week by the Clinton administration that it will waive certain economic sanctions against countries that trade or invest in Iran, Libya or Cuba effectively defuses a potentially damaging, and pointless, confrontation with European allies of the U.S. It's also a measured but tangible acknowledgement by the U.S. of the conciliatory gestures during the past several months by President Mohammad Khatami, which suggest Iran may be ready for a rapprochement with the Great Satan after a 20-year standoff... full text

THE IRANIAN Newsroom

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FEATURES

* Iran president marks first year, (AP) - Iran's president told tens of thousands of cheering supporters Saturday they had a right to freedom from their government, but ``within the law.'' The crowd greeted the president with a 15-minute ovation. Chants of ``Khatami, we love you,'' and ``Long live Khatami'' repeatedly interrupted his 90-minute speech, in which he called for Iranians to respect free expression and the rule of law... full text

* Khatami's speech to tens of thousands in ceremony marking his first year in power, (Hamshahri) ...full text in Persian... Get Persian fonts from Hamshahri or Payvand.

* People's slogans and other notes taken during Khatami's speech, (Hamshahri) ...full text in Persian... Get Persian fonts from Hamshahri or Payvand.

* Khatami tells revolutionary guards to stay out of politics, (Hamshahri) ...full text in Persian... Get Persian fonts from Hamshahri or Payvand.

THE IRANIAN Newsroom

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NEWS

* Iran opens door to new era of European detente, (The Times. London) - A NEW era of relations between Iran and the European Union has been opened after the first positive talks between a senior British Foreign Office official and his counterpart from Tehran. If other planned substantive talks between officials in the next few weeks produce equally positive results, Derek Fatchett, the Foreign Office Minister responsible for the Middle East, could head a delegation to Tehran, the first such visit since the Iranian revolution in 1979... full text

* Child is victim of suicidal Iranian mother, (AP) - A suicidal Iranian mother leaps from a window with her small daughter in Los Angeles. The child dies; the mother lives on in a shattered body and is tried for murder. At her trial in a courtroom, Farinoosh ``Roya'' Dalili lies prone in a hospital bed facing her jury, a box of tissues at hand to wipe her copious tears. ... full text

* Iran pro-democracy rally attacked, (AP) - Islamic militants wielding sticks, stones and chains attacked a pro-democracy rally of about 2,000 students Monday in Tehran. At least 20 people were injured, mostly students. The Islamic Students Association organized the rally to protest the influence of the hard-line clergy in Iran. About a third of the participants were women in traditional black veils... full text

* Iran, UAE to continue talks on islands dispute, (Reuters) - The Iranian Foreign Minister ended a visit to the United Arab Emirates on Sunday apparently without finally resolving a dispute over three Persian Gulf islands... full text

* UAE to buy 80 fighter jets from U.S., (AFP) - Emirati Air Force Commander Khaled ibn Abdallah al-Mazrui said Friday that an order placed with the United States for 80 F-16 fighter planes would cost the United Arab Emirates six billion dollars... full text

* Ten years after the war, Khorramshahr's population up to 130,000, (Hamshahri) ...full text in Persian... Get Persian fonts from Hamshahri or Payvand.

* Karrubi: "Members of Experts Coucnil (Khobregaan) should not distance themselves rm the masses," (Hamshahri) ...full text in Persian... Get Persian fonts from Hamshahri or Payvand.

THE IRANIAN Newsroom

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HUMAN RIGHTS

* Interview with Khatami's aide on women's affairs, (Hamshahri) ...full text in Persian... Get Persian fonts from Hamshahri or Payvand.

* Letter to President Khatami regarding Morteza Firouzi's case, (PEN) - PEN American Center is writing to express our concern about the death sentence handed down to Morteza Firouzi, the founder and editor of the English-language daily Iran News... We urge you [President Khatami] to afford Mr. Firouzi a free and fair trial that is open to the public and international media. Further, we call on you to allow him his fundamental right to legal representation of his choice... full text

* Speaker of Iranian Parliament asked to condemn comments endangering woman lawyers, (Human Rights Watch) - Three international human rights organizations today expressed concern to the speaker of the Iranian parliament over comments made by one parliamentarian about women lawyers in Iran. The three organizations -- Human Rights Watch, the Lawyers Committee for Human Rights, and the International Federation of Human Rights (FIDH) -- warned that two prominent women lawyers, Shirin Ebadi and Mehrangiz Kar, could now be at risk of attack by religious vigilantes... full text

THE IRANIAN Newsroom

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BUSINESS

* Iran, Saudi officials sign economic pact-newspaper, (Reuters) - Saudi Arabian industry official have signed an agreement on technical and industrial cooperation, a newspaper reported on Sunday, in the latest sign of a thawing of relations between the two Gulf states. Under the accord, the two countries will cooperate in the copper and power generating sectors along other joint investment projects, the English-language daily Iran News said... full text

* Great debates series: Sanctions against rouge state: Do they Work? (Senator Robert Torricelli and Dr. C. Fred Bergsten; Council on Foreign Relations), ... full text

THE IRANIAN Newsroom

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DOLLAR RATE

Up four tomans

* To send money to Iran, today's rate is 550-562 tomans per dollar, depending on how much you wish to send.

* To send money out of Iran, the rate is 568 tomans per dollar.

Source: Sehaty Foreign Exchange. Preferntial rates for readers of The Iranian Times. Call in U.S.: 602-595-0777 or 500-288-8881. Address: PO Box 3230, Carefree, AZ 85377, USA. Mention this code: BAJ 07

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SPORTS

* Iran stun Inter with four-goal burst (Reuters) - New Iran coach Jalal Talebi watched his team bounce back from a 7-1 midweek drubbing by AS Roma to beat Inter Milan 4-1 on Saturday. Iran trailed 1-0 at halftime but hit four goals in 16 minutes late in the second half for a much-needed boost ahead of the World Cup finals... full text

* Our team can be successful if their morale is up, (Hamshahri)... full text in Persian... Get Persian fonts from Hamshahri or Payvand.

* Puma signs Iran for World Cup France 98, (IranSoccer98) - Puma has become the official kit and equipment supplier to Iran. This is the first time the Iranian Football Association has signed a contract with an official supplier of branded sports wear and sports equipment... full text

* Iranian climbers reach top of Mount Everest, (AFP) - A team of Iranian mountain climbers reached the summit of Mount Everest and unfurled the Iranian flag there on Wednesday, the official Iranian news agency IRNA reported... full text

THE IRANIAN Newsroom

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SATIRE

* Smile! Iran's international TV program is for expatriates... full image

Got something to make us smile?
Send it to Times@iranian.com

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ARTS & LITERATURE

* Bahram Baizaie will get a permit to make a new film - official, (Hamshahri)... full text in Persian... Get Persian fonts from Hamshahri or Payvand.

* Madonna does Rumi: Last night while I was driving back from work, I heard an interview with Madonna on the radio. It was about one of her songs ("Frozen") from her new album. Not being a Madonna fan at all, I reached to change the radio channel. Then I heard the interviewer asking Madonna about the strong message in "Frozen". I got curious. She said her song is based on a poem by Rumi. She continued by explaining who Rumi is, and the actual poem is about the love of God. But she never mentioned that Rumi is a Persian Sufi poet, whose poetry is all in Farsi. It is amazing that Molavi's poems could even affect Madonna. To listen to her song, go to... click here... Ali Minachi ali@swri.edu

* "Titanic" a hit in Tehran, (AFP) - "Titanic," the Hollywood blockbuster about the doomed luxury liner, has sailed into thousands of homes in the Iranian capital, where the film's star Leonardo DiCaprio has become a teenagers' idol... full text

* Young Iranian woman director (Makhmalbaf's daughter) tells of women's plight, (Reuters) - An Iranian woman in a headscarf might seem out of place at the Cannes Film Festival, where starlets are exhibited in transparent gowns and sunbathers go topless. But 18-year-old Samira Makhmalbaf, the youngest director ever invited to show a film at the French Riviera cinematic gathering, does not seem perturbed... full text

* Mahboubeh Nozari's antique fabric designs, (Golestan Online Art Gallery, Tehran). ... click here

* "Taste of Cherry" U.S. screen schedules from the official Zeitgeist Film site... click here...Thanks to Payman Arabshahi <payman@fermi.jpl.nasa.gov>

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THE IRANIAN

* Tradition meets today

Photodocumentary on women in Iran. By Sasan Afsoosi... go to feature

THE IRANIAN Cover Stories

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PERFORMANCES / FESTIVALS / SHOWS

* Shaparak Khanom (The Butterfly): A play written by Bijan Mofid and directed by Zara Houshmand, performing in Berkeley. This exciting and entertaining play is bilingual (Farsi and English) and great for children ages 5 to 95! Shaparak Khanom was first performed in San Francisco in October of 1997, and then in Davis in February of 1998. It will be going up in Berkeley for two weekends in May.  Don't miss it! Place: Darvag Theater, Best Printing, 3280 Adeline, On the corner of Adeline and Alcatraz (parking lot in the rear), Berkeley. Dates:  May 15, 16, 17, 29, 30, 31. (Fridays & Saturdays 8 PM, Saturdays & Sundays 3 PM). Tickets: $7  children, $12 adults. Reservations: 510-466-5299. 

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PHOTO OF THE DAY

* A Qashaie testing his gun ... full image

Got any interesting photos?
Send them to Times@iranian.com

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FESTIVAL

Iranian festival in New York

The city of New York for the first time, has allocated the 37th street between 5th and 6th Avenues to an Iranian festival on Sunday July 26, 1998. This festival presents the Iranian culture by the way of displaying the work of:

Artists, Musicians, Folk dancers, Gourmet food, Carpet & Rug merchants, Fabric merchants, Gold merchants, Handcrafts, Books, Newspapers, Builders, Films, Antique dealers, etc.

For the first time the successful Iranian professionals will have the opportunity to present their work and profession to the American public.

The occasion will be televised by CNN, NBC and other networks nationwide. Radio Sedayeh Iran, a 24-hour Iranian radio channel based in U.S., will broadcast the event throughout the day.

The objective is to present the true Iranian culture to the American public in contrast to the unpleasant portrait the media has portrayed in the past 20 years. Your participation and assistanceare much needed for the success of this event.

Those interested in space allocations should contact:

IRANIAN T.V, NEW YORK INC.
279 Main Street
Port Washington, New York 11050
Tel: (516) 944 - 8580 Fax: (516) 747-4941

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LETTERS

* Iran Air: Doing our best

What a surprise to find this information on the Internet ["Balloons to Boeings"]. All my colleagues (Iran Air, London Heathrow) would like to say hello and tell you that we are still flying and doing our best to uphold the best and old traditions of Iran Air.

Brian Smith
DISPMGR@IRANAIR.btinternet.com

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BOOKSTORE

The Persian Garden: Echoes of Paradise
By Mehdi Khansari, M. R. Moghtader, Minouch Yavari
Hardcover, 240 illustrations in full color

This book was meticulously researched and created over a period of six years in, Paris, Tehran and Washington by photographer, Mehdi Khansari and architect Minouch Yavari, together with the renowned Persian architect and architectural historian Reza Moghtader. It explains the philosophy behind Persian garden design and offers an authoritative account of its developmentintroducing new historical material in the process. This extraordinary story is enhanced by vivid descriptions of Persian gardens as seen through the eyes of travelers to Iran during the past five hundred years. Over 240 illustrations in full color, complement the text. Available from Mage Publishers

THE IRANIAN Bookstore

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ACADEMIC

* One day seminar at the Middle East Centre-St.Antony's college, Oxford, on : "THE COMING OF MODERNITY IN QAJAR IRAN". Date Saturday, 20 June 1998, (10.30am - 5.30pm) 6pm - 7.30pm Reception. Venue: New Lecture Theatre, St Antony's College, Oxford.

For further details please contact: Prof. R. Sheikholeslami: orin0005@ermine.ox.ac.uk OR Prof.M.Tavakoli-Targhi: mohammad.tavakoli-targhi@sant.ox.ac.uk

* The Center for Middle Eastern Studies at Harvard University invites applications for the Ehsan Yarshater Visiting Fellowship in Iranian Studies with stipend for the 1998-99 academic year. The Fellowship was established to promote research in Iranian languages, literatures, religions, history, sociology, anthropology, art history and archaeology. The deadline for the receipt of applications is August 31, 1998. Please fax applications and all further inquires to (617) 496-8584 to the attention of the Committee on Yarshater Fellowship at the Center for Middle Eastern Studies, Coolidge Hall, 1737 Cambridge Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138.

* The Society for Iranian Studies is hosting its Second Biennial Conference on Iranian Studies May 22-24 in Bethesda, Md. The Society is eager for a good attendance, and anyone who can make it is very welcome. Conference details at: //www.iranian-studies.org/confProg.html ... forwarded by Mahvash Shahegh <mshahegh@skipjack.soc.lib.md.us>

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NOSTALGIA

* "Not a Serious matter"

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MUSIC

* Delkash, "Safar kardeh"

(Get RealAudio)

Greatest pop CDs ON SALE!

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QUOTE UNQUOTE

Long live America?

I prefer that we talk about life, not death.

President Khatami
Hushing crowd at Tehran University when it began chanting ``Death to America''
"Iran's president marks first year "
Associated Press
May 23, 1998

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STAFF

A lot of people have provided links and other content for the Times. And we encourage everyone's input. But here are some of the people who help us a great deal, especially in forwarding the news items and web sites. Thank them once in a while on my behalf :-) -- Jahanshah Javid

* Reza Farahani -- davood@ix.netcom.com
* Payman Arabshahi -- payman@neda.com
* Pedram Missaghi, webmaster "Iran Media" -- pmissagh@ucsd.edu

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