Tehran’s Daily Newspaper Review
The struggle between the powerful gold merchants guild and the government over VAT is still going on. Like many of the other trades in Tehran’s powerful Bazaar (the basic fundraiser for the Islamic Revolution), gold merchants are unwilling to pay taxes to the government and prefer to carry on with their traditional trading style, one which is non-transparent and keeps the government at elbows length.
The date of long-frozen nuclear talks between Iran and the P5+1 is set, that is, for December 5, 2010, though no agreement on the location has been made so far: Iran prefers its new friend Turkey while the U.S. and EU prefer Austria –the IAEA’s site- or Switzerland, as location of the first meeting.
Hamshahri
Javadieh Bridge in South Tehran Comes into Operation Today: The world’s first three-layered bridge
The First Stage of Subsidies [Plan] Finalized by the Government
Iran
[President of the Guardian Council] Ayatollah [Ahmad] Jannati Underscores in Friday Prayers Speech [in Tehran]: Seizure and trial of fugitive Fetneh-perpetrators upon return [to the country]
Head of the Judiciary [Sadegh Larijani]: Ahmadinejad’s discourse should continue
Head of the Gold and Jewel Traders Guild: Gold traders will enforce VAT bill
Jomhouri-ye Eslami
Stated in the Meeting of Vatican Pontification Council Members and Qom’s Maraaje’ and [Seminary] Scholars: Expectations of two Shi’a marja’s from Vatican and Pope
As Crediting of the Liquid Subsidies Ends: Public opinion concerned over amendment of the prices
Head of the Judiciary Criticizes Officials’ Invitation of Some Figures to the Country
End of the Political Impasse in Iraq: Nuri Maliki appointed for formation of the Iraqi cabinet
Kayhan
End of 8 Months of Political Deadlock: U.S. plots fail in Iraq; Talebani president, Maliki PM
Anti-Government Demonstrations in London Turn Violent: Chain street riots in Europe, Fetneh-perpetrators hoisted by their own petard
Kayhan’s Report: December 5th, Switzerland; possible date and location of Iran-P5+1 negotiations
Khabar
Deputy Head of the Counter-Cyberspace Crime Circle [Colonel Omidi] States in an Interview with Khabar: Police patrol the Internet
Exclusive Report by Khabar’s Correspondent at Guangzhou [Asian Games] Opening Ceremony: China apologizes to Iran for using a fabricated name [Arabian Gulf] instead of the Persian Gulf
Significant Rise in Bounced Checks: 13000 Billion Tomans [approx. 13 billion USD] in the first half of the year
Resalat
Seyyed Hassan Nasrullah: Hezbollah prepared for the final battle with Israel
[Friday Prayer Leader of Mashad] Ayatollah Alam-ol-Hoda in the Convention of Secretaries of Provincial and Urban Bureaus of the [Principlist] Mo’talefeh Party: The great achievement of Emam [Khomeini] was eradication of the secularism system of thought in our political community
Minister of Intelligence: The headquarters of all anti-Iranian groups in Britain
Nuclear Derby [between Iran-P5+1] to be Held in Istanbul
Shargh
Hillary Clinton’s Pressures Futile; Meeting on Tehran’s [Preferred] Date
Ayatollah Jannati Referring to Those Engaged in Recent [Post-Election] Events: They are the fire under the ash [latent threat]
Ayatollah Sadegh Larijani Reacts to Invitation of [Richard] Frye; Head of the Judiciary Criticizes Invitation of American Guests for the [Expatriate] Iranian Convention
Tehran-e Emrooz
Vatican’s Response, Qom’s Message: Pope’s envoys meet maraaje’
Agreement on the Date of Nuclear Negotiations: Iran and West still disagree over the composition and location of the talks
Ayad Allawi and Allies Leave the Parliamentary Session: Talebani assignment for Nuri Maliki [to form a cabinet]
Vatan-e Emrooz
With the Vote of the Iraqi Parliament Maliki Remains Prime Minister: End of the 8-month American Fetneh in Iraq
Members of the Gold Merchants Guild Should Register on National Tax Administration’s Website: 10-Day ultimatum for gold merchants
President: We will never become Westernized; Government Approves 200 Bills for Development of Qazvin Province
* Note: Khabar and Vatan-e Emrooz do not publish on Thursdays.
Trouble with understanding some terms? Check our Glossary of Iranian Political Terms.
Briefing
Hamshahri (Citizen) is the official daily newspaper of Tehran’s Municipality. Its general directions in politics, culture and economy are determined by the mayor of Tehran, currently Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf.
Iran is the official organ of the administration.
Jomhouri-ye Eslami (The Islamic Republic) was known as the official organ of the Party of the Islamic Republic, founded in 1979 and disbanded in 1987. Currently, it is an open critique of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s policies and is known to be a mouthpiece of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani.
Kayhan (Universe) is a hard-line conservative newspaper. Its editor-in-chief –currently Hossein Shari’atmadari- is appointed by Iran’s Supreme Leader. Shari’atmadari’s editorials often spark off controversy and debate inside Iranian political circles.
Khabar (News) is a principlist daily newspaper which adopts a critical stance towards Ahmadinejad’s policies.
Resalat (Mission) belongs to the moderate wing of the principlist camp. Resalat’s best known analyst is Amir Mohebbian, its political editor.
Shargh (East) is a moderate reformist newspaper. It was the most popular and influential reformist newspaper in its first period of publication which lasted from August 2003 until September 2006.
Tehran-e Emrooz (Tehran Today) is a ‘principlist reformist’ newspaper, connected to Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf.
Vatan-e Emrooz (Motherland Today) -which started its publication in November 2008-, belongs to Mehrdad Bazrpash, the thirty-old pro-Ahmadinejad politician who is also head of Iran’s second largest auto manufacturer company, Saipa. Vatan-e Emrooz is a supporter of the president’s policies.