Social and Political

Al-Arabia – The head of an Iranian parliament committee to combat economic corruption, Amir Khojasteh, has called for the public execution of those found guilty of corruption. 

Iran-HRM – Iranian Legal Medicine Organization announced that 12,261 people were killed in car accidents in the first eight months of Persian year beginning since March 21, the state-run ISNA news agency reported on January 5. 

Radiofarda – Russia and Iran are planning joint naval exercises in the Caspian Sea “in the near future,” an Iranian naval official has said.

VOA – President Donald Trump’s national security advisor says the U.S. will not abruptly withdraw its military from Syria.

aljazeera -Former presidential candidate Ebrahim Raisi is expected to replace Ayatollah Sadeq Amoli Larijani as head of the country’s judiciary in the summer of 2019.

Radiofarda – Prominent Iranian labor activist Esmail Bakhshi has called on the intelligence minister for a debate concerning torture, persecution, and maltreatment at the country’s prisons.

Radiofarda – U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and national security adviser John Bolton have set trips to the Middle East as Washington looks to boost relations to help it deal with mounting hotspots in the region.

Radiofarda – Ahmad Alamolhoda, the ultraconservative Friday Prayer leader of Mashahd in northeatern Iran, says some people are trying to undermine the importance of compulsory hijab, the head to toe cover for women.

Al-Arabia – January is the first anniversary of Iran’s protests. Massive demonstrations shock Iran to the core. A year passed and the Iranian regime’s officials are celebrating their survival. Although supreme leader Ali Khamenei told his followers not to go overboard with joy because in his words” The enemy may have big plans for next year.”

Al-Arabia – The United States has no timeline to withdraw troops from Syria but does not plan to stay indefinitely, a senior State Department official said on Friday, a strong signal that forces could stay until the fight against ISIS militants ends.