Shabtabnews In this dark night, I have lost my way – Arise from a corner, oh you the star of guidance.

CHRI – Narges Mohammadi, a prominent human rights activist serving a 16-year prison sentence for her peaceful advocacy efforts, is publicly urging newly re-elected President Hassan Rouhani to build the foundations for civil society in Iran. In an open letter from the Women’s Ward of Evin Prison in Tehran published on June 21, 2017, Mohammadi explained why she and other …

CHRI – President Hassan Rouhani should honor his campaign pledges to women and nominate them to serve in his second-term cabinet, a scholar of the Quran and women’s rights activist told the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI). “Social conditions are ripe for female ministers,” said Jila Movahed Shariat Panahi, the author of “A New Interpretation of Women’s Rights from the Quran’s Point of View,” in a …

Al-monitor – The power constellations in the Middle East are growing ever more complex. On June 5, Saudi Arabia along with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt broke off ties with Qatar, accusing it of a slew of trespasses, including support for terrorism. At first, Riyadh assumed that it could quickly forge a unified regional front against Doha and was …

PayvandNews – The International Coordinating Council of the UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme has named Amirhosein Mosavi as one recipient of the 2017 Young Scientists Awards The MAB Program has been granting awards of up to $5,000 each since 1989 to encourage young researchers to undertake work on ecosystems, natural resources and biodiversity. This prestigious award goes to 4-7 young scientists every year. Seven young …

PayvandNews – Iran is organizing a three-day international conference on combating sand and dust storms in July, with participation of representatives from over 30 countries across the world. The International Conference on Combating Sand and Dust Storms is to be held in Tehran on 3-5 July 2017. International conference on combating sand and dust storms The International Conference will be hosted by …