Tehran’s Daily Newspaper Review

18 August 2010 | 19:23 Code : 8401 Tehran’s Daily Newspaper Review

Tehran’s newspapers on Monday, 25th of Mordad, August 16, 2010,

In twenty-four hours, more than ten thousand Iranians joined a Facebook page created to support Ali Karimi, after he was sacked from the wealthy Steel-Azin football club for alleged public drinking of water in the month of Ramadan, when Muslims fast from dawn to dusk. Last year, Ali Karimi sparked controversy and excitement when—as demonstrators poured into the streets of Iranian cities to protest the result of the presidential elections—he wore a green wristband during a World Cup 2010 qualifying match against South Korea (and convinced half the Iranian squad to follow him in the symbolic protest). Yesterday was a day for the “Greens” to return his favor; evidence that in Iran, everything has the opportunity to turn political.

Hamshahri

Majles Responds to the Government’s Arguments

New Trains to Join the Metro [Network] by Mehr [late December]

Conditional Issuance of Bill for 20% Decrease of Internet Fees

Iran

Newsweek: US and EU sanctions against Iran ineffective; Oil Giants Break anti-Iran Sanctions

Ali Karimi Sacked from Steel-Azin

Yesterday Afternoon in Baharestan (1): Joint Meeting Held between Heads of the Three Power Centers

Jomhouri-ye Eslami

Their Excellencies Ayatollah Safi and Ayatollah Musavi Ardebili Call on Muslims to Aid Pakistan’s Flood-Ridden

150 Irish Cultural Figures Boycott Israel

Majles Speaker [Ali Larijani]: Bills by Council of Expediency Discernment Are Absolutely Legal

Kayhan

More Scandals for the Zionist Regime; Hezbollah of Lebanon: We will reveal the names of more Mossad Spies

[Principlist Patriarch] Ayatollah Mahdavi Kani: Don’t lose genuine supporters of the [Islamic] Revolution in order to attract the dissidents

Financial Cooperation of Saudi Arabia and Qatar with the Zionist Regime Revealed

Khabar

American Arms Sales to Arabs Boosted: The new phase of the Iranophobia project

New Plans for the Young: Interior Minister facilitates marriage

Minister of Housing Admits: Tenants can’t reach the rent ceiling

Resalat

Ayatollah Mahdavi Kani Puts Forth in an Interview with Mashregh News: Ways to Reach Unity between the Principlists

[Majles Speaker Ali] Larijani in the Parliament’s Open Session: We do not share the same paths with the US for negotiations

Russia Rejects US Claims regarding the Bushehr [Nuclear] Power Plant

Shargh

Pro-Government MPs Demand: President [Ahmadinejad] disassociate himself from [Head of the Presidential Office Esfandiar Rahim] Masha’ee

Meeting of the Heads of the Three Power Centers (without Details) Publicized

Head of the General Inspection Organization Announces: Reducing the Working Hours of Public Offices Illegal

Tehran-e Emrooz

In Reaction to Non-Enforcement of the Metro [Budget] Bill by the Government: Majles Speaker Defends the Council’s [of Expediency Discernment] Bills

Warnings of Ayatollah Mahdavi Kani: Principlists Need to Revise Principles

The Rebel [Ali Karimi] Sacked from Steel-Azin

Vatan-e Emrooz

[Head of Judiciary] Ayatollah [Sadegh] Amoli Larijani: The Iranian nation will turn sanctions into an opportunity

Ali Karimi Removed from Steel-Azin after the National Team: The Rebel 8 Sacked

Harder Days for Flood Victims: 20 Million Pakistanis Homeless

(1) Baharestan is the site of Iran’s Majles (Parliament).

Briefing

(2) 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.

(3) Iran is the official organ of the administration.

(4) Jomhuri-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.

(5) 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.

(6) Khabar (News) is a principlist daily newspaper which adopts a critical stance towards Ahmadinejad’s policies.

(7) Resalat (Mission) belongs to the moderate wing of the principlist camp. Resalat’s best known anlayst is Amir Mohebbian, its political editor.

(8) Tehran-e Emrooz (Tehran Today) is a ‘principlist reformist’ newspaper, connected to Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf.

(9) 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.

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.