Lexus RX

Foreign automakers are supporting the regime in Iran by offering state-owned companies access to advanced technologies that are often used for the Islamic Republic’s military and security apparatus, a US-based pressure group has warned. United Against a Nuclear Iran (UANI), which this month ramped up its campaign to get foreign automakers out of Iran, says that Fiat, Isuzu, Kia, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Peugeot, Renault, Suzuki, Toyota and Volvo either export to the Islamic Republic or have manufacturing agreements with car companies controlled by the regime.

Iran’s domestic auto industry is the regime’s second most lucrative after oil and gas, and has boomed over the past decade-and-a-half, as the Islamic Republic deemed it a priority industry. According to a report published this month by Business Monitor International, the Iranian government has placed increased emphasis on its auto business in an effort to create revenue in the wake of increasing US and European sanctions. European and Asian automakers, including Renault and Fiat, have a large presence in the country, mostly through joint ventures with state-owned Iranian companies, who manufacture vehicles under license, usually by assembling imported ready made car parts. However, UANI has accused foreign car manufacturers of aiding the regime by partnering with the Islamic Republic’s auto sector, by providing an enormous source of revenue, including directly to companies controlled by both the Revolutionary Guards and the Iranian Development and Renovation Organization (IDRO), both of which are sanctioned by the US and EU. IDRO, the government body responsible for accelerating Iran’s industrialization, controls companies linked to Iran’s nuclear and missile programs including foreign procurement of technologies to aid them, according to Swiss sanctions legislation

Dubai with Emiratis

As she merrily posted photos on Instagram announcing she was leaving London Heathrow on the next leg of her flight, fans were already consulting timetables, scouring the arrivals terminal and mapping out a plan of attack.
They started arriving at Dubai International Airport at 7pm on Monday. By 10pm, there was a crowd of about 30. By the time she finally appeared in public two hours later, the crowd had more than doubled behind a police cordon, with many spontaneously erupting into renditions of GUY and Just Dance.
Before she braved meeting her Little Monsters – many of whom were beside themselves with excitement – Lady Gaga spoke for 10 minutes in the airport’s VIP majlis about her delight at finally making it to Dubai for her concert tonight, her first in the Arabian Gulf. Dressed in a flesh-coloured and bejewelled sheer jalabiya by an unnamed UAE designer, with a skin-­coloured leotard underneath, coupled with a blue sequinned headband and long, platinum-blonde locks, she trod a fine line between revealing and demure.
“I am here for four days,” she said. “I’d like to see as much of Dubai as possible. I have heard amazing things about it and I am really looking forward to seeing my fans. I have had a strong heartache about not being able to be near them.”

But the burning question was whether she would be getting naked on stage during a costume change, as she has done during previous shows on the ArtRAVE: ARTPOP Ball tour.
“No, I will not be,” she said. “I respect the culture here. The show will be appropriate for all the fans here in Dubai. I was told there were some restrictions. I know some artists are very strict about their policies, that they cannot adhere to their art by compromising, but I actually believe it is important to respect other cultures and not force them to adhere to the beliefs of your own country. In fact, it is a better way to connect with the ­ ­people.
“Most importantly, while I’m here, I would like to leave a message of light, happiness, creativity and freedom with the fans and that is more important than my clothes.” She added that while she was in Dubai she hoped to “support art and creativity” by visiting local fashion designers – some of whom will be involved in working on the wardrobe for her show – listening to regional music and getting a feel for the art scene in the UAE.

Young dictator

Dictator of the Month: Ali Khamenei of Iran
To hear some commentators, you would think that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the president of Iran, was the most dangerous man in the world. In reality, he has almost no power whatsoever. He does not control Iran’s nuclear program. He does not control Iran’s military. If the Iranian parliament passes a bill and Ahmadinejad signs it, it does not become law because it can still be vetoed by the real powers-that-be…the Guardian Council of religious leaders and the head of the Guardian Council, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Pundits who demonize Ahmadinejad are falling into a trap set by the true dictators of Iran, who use him as a lightning rod to divert attention away from themselves. In my book Tyrants: The World's 20 Worst Living Dictators, I included a chapter about Khamenei, which I reprint below. Those who are only interested in the period when Americans entered the scene can scroll down to the paragraph before the heading “THE SHAH.” For those who are only interested in Iran’s current leadership, you can scroll down to the heading “THE MAN.” However, Iran has a rich and fascinating history, and learning about this history makes it easier to understand how Iran reached its current position at odds with the Western world and ruled by a theocracy that does not enjoy the support of the majority of the population. THE NATION—Strategically located with borders on the Caspian Sea, the Persian Gulf, the Indian Ocean and seven nations, Iran is one of the only countries in the world with an extensive history of both invading other countries and being invaded and occupied by foreign powers.  It was the first Middle Eastern nation in which commercial quantities of oil were discovered (1908); the first in the region to have a revolution demanding a constitution (1905-1911); the first to have a parliament and the first to have a multiparty system (1941).  It was also the first nation in the world to be the victim of a CIA-sponsored coup (1953) and the first Islamic nation to have a mass revolution in which millions of people took part (1979).

Heez Boy

If you’re looking for long, empty stretches of sand, with only the quiet lapping of waves for company, you’ve definitely come to the wrong place. Dubai’s beaches are buzzing, all-action hotspots during peak season, crowded with people playing beach games, picnicking, jet-skiing, jogging, swimming in the warm Gulf waters or lying oil-slicked in the sun, determinedly topping up their tans. Many of the beaches along the Jumeirah stretch belong to hotels and are only accessible to their guests or those happy to pay a hefty day fee – definitely something to consider when booking your accommodation. There are also public beaches, some of which are free and others which charge a small entrance fee, but offer decent facilities that are kept relatively clean and patrolled by lifeguards. It’s perfectly acceptable to wear swimwear at the seaside in Dubai but some women report harassment and ogling on the free beaches, particularly on Fridays when they tend to fill up with off-duty single men. The entry fee beaches have a more family-friendly atmosphere, and some have women-and-children-only days.

Old Iranian Chevy

Iran developed a significant automotive industry with annual production of up to 200 thousand units under the Shah's regime. But after the Islamic revolution of 1979 production drastically decreased. Since the early 2000, automobile production in Iran has grown exponentially. Iran's automobile production crossed the 1 million mark in 2007/2008. Today, Iran is the 18th largest automaker in the world and one of the largest in Asia, with annual production of more than 1.6 million. In 2009 Iran ranked fifth in car production growth standing next to China, Taiwan, Romania and India.
As of 2001, there were 13 public and privately owned automakers in Iran, of which two - Iran Khodro and Saipa - accounted for 94% of the total domestic production. Iran Khodro, which produced the most prevalent car brand in the country - the Paykan, which has been replaced in 2005 by the Samand -, was still the larger with 61% of the market in 2001, while Saipa contributed 33% of Iran’s total production in the same year. Iran Khodro is one of the largest car manufacturers in Asia. It has established joint-ventures with foreign partners on 4 continents.
The Iranian manufacturers currently produce six different types of vehicle, including passenger cars, 4WD, trucks, buses, minibuses, and pickup trucks. The sector directly employs about 500,000 people (roughly 2.3% of the workforce), and many more in related industries. About 75% of local output is passenger cars, with pick-ups the next largest category, accounting for around 15%.

Iranian women against islamic outfit

Perhaps the most visible mark of Iran's Islamic leanings is the conservative dress expected of its citizens. Although normal, Western style clothing is acceptable in private homes, when in public women are required to cover everything but their face, hands and feet.
The most common uniform consists of a head scarf (roo-sari, to conceal the head and neck, a formless, knee-length coat known as a roo-poosh and a long dress or pair of pants. In and around holy sites, you will be expected to dress even more modestly in a chādor, a full-length swathe of black cloth designed to cloak everything but your face from view.
The dress code can be daunting during your preparation, but roo-saris, roo-pooshes and chādors can be bought chea ply in Iran. Watch or ask friendly Iranian women for guidance and marvel at how young women are pushing the boundaries of modesty with colourful head scarves that cover only a fraction of their hair and figure-hugging roo-pooshes that reveal every curve of their bodies.
Men have a slightly easier time of things. Short-sleeved shirts and t-shirts are acceptable for daily wear. Shorts and three-quarter length pants are only acceptable on the beach.
Although no trip to Iran would be complete without a glimpse at the stunning architecture and sombre environments of its mosques or holy shrines, many travellers are daunted by the prospect of walking into the foreign world of a mosque. Don't let these fears stop you, Iranians are welcoming and will understand any unintended breach of protocol.

Rich man's final home

Behesht-e Zahra (The Paradise of Zahara), is the largest cemetery in Iran. Located in the southern part of metropolitan Tehran, it is connected to the city by metro line No. 1. The cemetery has been one of the inspirations for the popular webcomic, Zahra's Paradise.
In the early 1950s, all the cemeteries in Tehran were supposed to be replaced by several large new ones outside the then precincts of the capital. Behesht-e Zahra was built in late 1960s on the southern side of Teheran towards the direction of the city of Qom and opened in 1970. The first person that buried in Behesht-e Zahra was Mohammad-Taghi Khial. The graveyard was the first place where Ayatollah Khomeini visited soon after his return to Iran on 1 February 1979 to honor the people who had been killed by the ousted Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi's forces.
Many of the deceased soldiers of the Iran–Iraq War were buried in the martyr's section of the graveyard.