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☆ Honoring Tradition, and Personal Choice, With a Persian Wedding Custom
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-15 | by ( Jenny Block | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Weddings are steeped in tradition, but where do those rituals come from? “Traditions,” a new column, explores the origins of various wedding customs from around the world. Ever since Mandana Ansari was a little girl, she knew she wanted to recognize her Iranian heritage by having a “Sofreh Aghd” on her wedding day. “I’ve always loved the symbolism and the meaning of the Sofreh — new life, new beginnings, fertility,” Ms. Ansari said. The word “Aghd,” Ms. Ghahramani added, means “to connect, to tie together,” like a knot.

Persons: Mandana Ansari, ”, “ I’ve, Ms, Ansari, Mitra Ghahramani, Mitra, Ghahramani Organizations: Designs

☆ A Quick One-Pot Pasta to Make the Most of Summer Zucchini and Basil
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Melissa Clark | More About Melissa Clark | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Speaking of which, have you baked up a loaf of zucchini bread yet this summer? Or for something unexpected and savory, how about Zuni Café’s zucchini pickles with turmeric and mustard seeds? David Tanis adapted the recipe, which the restaurant serves with its burgers; the pickles will be a hit with yours, too. Today is day two of Amazon’s Prime Day sales, and our colleagues at Wirecutter have collected the best kitchen deals for you. If you’re splashing out on that pizza oven you’ve been coveting, then we have the recipes ready for you.

Persons: David Tanis, Rebekah Peppler, Krysten Chambrot, you’ll, Naz Deravian’s Organizations: cham, New York Times, Amazon’s

☆ Iran accuses U.S. Navy of defending fuel smuggling in Gulf incident
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

DUBAI, July 10 (Reuters) - An Iranian Revolutionary Guards Commander accused the U.S. Navy on Monday of defending fuel smuggling in the Gulf by trying to interfere when Iran intercepted a ship last week. On July 7th, Iran's Fars news agency reported that the Revolutionary Guards had seized a vessel carrying 900 tons of smuggled fuel with 12 crew members, following a court order. The incident was one of several involving Iranian forces and Gulf shipping last week. Chevron denied the tanker was involved in a collision and said it had not been notified of legal proceedings or court orders by Iran regarding the ship. Reporting by Dubai Newsroom Editing by Peter GraffOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Ramazan Zirrahi, Iran's, Tim Hawkins, Peter Graff Organizations: Iranian Revolutionary Guards, U.S . Navy, Revolutionary Guards, Navy, NADA, . 5th Fleet, Iranian, Richmond, Chevron, Dubai, Thomson Locations: DUBAI, Iranian, Gulf, Iran, Persian, Fars, Bushehr, Bahamas, U.S, Chevron

☆ Cheap oil from Iran is filling the hole left by Saudi Arabia and Russia's productions cuts
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Jennifer Sor | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Iran has been selling more of its crude as Saudi Arabia and Russia dial back oil production. The nation sold 1.6 million barrels a day on average in May and June, notching a five-year record. The surge comes as Saudi Arabia, Russia, and other OPEC+ producers take major steps to dial back oil production, with Saudi Arabia extending its 1 million barrel-a-day production cut through August, and Russia recently vowing to slash its oil production by another half million barrels a day. Iranian suppliers have also offered steep discounts on crude relative to Saudi Arabia and even Russia, which has discounted its oil heavily since beginning its invasion of Ukraine. Iranian oil is sold around a $30 discount per barrel compared to competitors in the Persian Gulf, officials told the Journal.

Persons: — Organizations: Service, Petro, Logistics, Wall Street Locations: Iran, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Persian, China, Syria, Venezuela, OPEC, Ukraine

☆ Investors can get a 7% yield with this 'hidden gem' bond fund
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Michelle Fox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Vanguard's Emerging Markets Bond fund (VEMBX) is a "hidden gem" and Vanguard's best foreign bond fund, according to Jeff DeMaso, founder and editor of the newsletter "The Independent Vanguard Adviser." "It's a well-run emerging markets bond fund that has topped its index (and the Morningstar peer group)," DeMaso said. The actively managed fund was up 43% from April 2016 through May 2023, compared with an 11% return for Vanguard's Emerging Markets Government Bond Index Fund (VGAVX) during the same time frame, according to DeMaso's calculations. The VGAVX seeks to track the performance of the Bloomberg USD Emerging Markets Government RIC Capped Index. Not only does VEMBX fly under the radar, but it has a stellar portfolio manager in Daniel Shaykevich, DeMaso said.

Persons: Jeff DeMaso, Morningstar, DeMaso, Daniel Shaykevich, Shaykevich Organizations: Vanguard's, Independent Vanguard, SEC, Morningstar, Vanguard's Emerging, Government, Index, Bloomberg, Markets Government RIC, Vanguard, BlackRock Locations: United States, Peru, Saudi Arabia, Columbia, Persian, Saharan Africa

☆ Is lab-grown meat kosher or halal? Can religious vegetarians eat it? It’s complicated
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Danielle Wiener-Bronner | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

But first, the practical perspective: Neither company has yet had its US-approved cultivated chicken product certified as halal or kosher. Religious and ethical vegetariansBecause cell-cultured meat is developed from animal cells, it’s not considered vegetarian by Upside Foods or Good Meat. But people who don’t eat meat for animal welfare or environmental reasons may want to give cultivated meat a try. In this case, the question of whether cultivated meat is considered meat, from a religious perspective, is significant. For cultivated meat to be considered kosher, it “would require that it came from a kosher slaughtered animal.” Chicken that is grown from cells taken from a kosher, unfertilized egg would be considered kosher, he said.

Persons: it’s, Mat McDermott, ”, McDermott, Hare Krishnas, Lord Krishna, Anuttama Dasa, Mohammad Hussaini, Hussaini, kashrut, Menachem Genack, ” Genack, David Lau, Didier Toubia, Toubia, “, There’s Organizations: New, New York CNN, USDA, Inc, Foods, Hindu American Foundation, ISKCON, International Society, Krishna, American Halal Foundation, OU, CNN Locations: New York, United States, Israel, Persian Gulf, Southeast Asia

☆ How a dysfunctional mission in the Caribbean became 'the pivotal point' for the creation of US Special Operations Command
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Those problems helped spur the creation of US Special Operations Command several years later. According to Maj. Gen. Richard Scholtes, the first commander of Joint Special Operations Command, US military officers involved in the planning soon butted heads. A task force of Delta Force operators, Rangers, and helicopters from the elite 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment also attacked Fort Rupert and Richmond Hill Prison. Bettmann/Getty Images"The Pentagon was waging a frontal and rear assault in opposition to the creation of a special operations command," William Cohen said in the mid-2000s, according to Kukielski's article. Stavros Atlamazoglou is a defense journalist specializing in special operations, a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ), and a Johns Hopkins University graduate.

Persons: —, Peter Carrette, Eagle, JSOC, Reagan, Richard Scholtes, butted, jean, Louis Atlan, Scholtes, Philip Kukielski, frogmen, Fort, Paul Scoon, Bettmann, Formally, William Cohen, Cohen, Nunn, Eric BOUVET, SOCOM, Chance, Stavros Atlamazoglou Organizations: Operations Command, Service, Fury, Pentagon, Delta Force, Soviet Union, Getty, US Atlantic Command, Atlantic Command, US Marine Corps, CIA, State Department, Team, Air Commando, US Defense, Rangers, 2nd Ranger, Porto Salines, Marines, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, Radio Free, US, Dover Air Force Base, Special Warfare, Craft, 160th, American, Hellenic Army, 575th Marine Battalion, Army, Johns Hopkins University, Johns Hopkins, School, International Locations: Grenada, Caribbean, Tehran, Cuba, Soviet, Richmond, Porto, Fort Rupert, Rupert, Radio Free Grenada, Grenada's, Point Salinas, Scholtes, Beirut, Grenada —, Persian, Johns

☆ This is the one question the Microsoft CEO asks to test AI's smarts
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Steven Tweedie | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella likes to test AI using a poetry prompt. Imagine you're the CEO of Microsoft, and you're testing out an early version of OpenAI's most powerful AI model, GPT-4. Well, now we know, thanks to a new interview Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella recently gave to Wired. Jalaluddin Rumi, or Rumi as he's most commonly referred to, was a Persian poet who lived during the early 13th century. The Microsoft CEO told Wired that seeing GPT-4 accomplish this early on was a "mind-blowing experience."

Persons: Satya Nadella, Rumi, GPT, Nadella, Jalaluddin Rumi, it's, I'd, Coldplay, Chris Martin, Madonna, Tilda Swinton, Hossein Behzad, Robert Frost Organizations: Microsoft, Wired, BBC, Google Locations: Hyderabad, India, Persian

☆ When Will Gas Prices Go Down?
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-10 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: +10 min

Gas price outlook for 2023When you venture out during the summer travel season, expect gas prices to remain steady through September—mostly due to overseas economic pressures. “When per-barrel prices go up, gas prices go up. By that time, the EIA estimates gas prices will drop to roughly $3.09 per gallon—a near-50-cent price break from today’s prices. Other factors affecting gas pricesWhile supply and demand are the leading factors that dictate oil and gas prices, they aren’t the only players. The Google Maps app also has a gas pump icon under the main search bar that will highlight local gas prices.

Persons: ”, Stuart Katz, Robertson Stephens, “, we’ve, John LaForge, Barack Obama, Biden, Katz, — you’ll Organizations: U.S . Energy Information Administration, Organization of, Petroleum, Energy, Wells, Wells Fargo Investment Institute, Strategic Petroleum Reserve, Bush, Hurricane, International Energy Agency, Treasury Department, State Tax Gas, of, PayPal, Google, Gas, Shell, Exxon, Mobil, Consumer, Lexus, Ford, University of California Locations: Ukraine, Russia, China, Wells Fargo, Persian, West Coast, California, Arizona, Pennsylvania, Mississippi, Washington, Hawaii, Illinois, Alaska, New Jersey, Connecticut, Los Angeles

Hypersonic missiles are those that can travel at a speed beyond Mach 5, or five times the speed of sound. Iran unveils its first hypersonic missile 06:13 - Source: CNNIsrael’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant was quick to dismiss the potential threat posed to his country. Uzi Rubin, founder and former director of the Israel Missile Defense Organization at the Israeli defense ministry has no reason to believe the missile is not real and functional. Has Iran made it to the A-list among countries that can produce hypersonic missiles? Israel has several missile defense systems.

Persons: Jerusalem CNN — It’s, ”, Amir Ali Hajizadeh, Yoav Gallant, ” Iran’s, Uzi Rubin, it’s, Alex Vatanka, Iran’s, John Krzyzaniak, ’, “, Rubin, Israel doesn’t, we’d Organizations: Jerusalem CNN, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Aerospace, CNN Israel’s, Israel Missile Defense Organization, CNN, Iran, ”, Middle East Institute, Wisconsin, Control, ISIS, United Arab Emirates, Patriot, Area Defense, UAE, Patriots, Iran’s Locations: Abu Dhabi, Jerusalem, Tehran, Tel Aviv, Israel, Iran, Washington ,, United States, Washington , DC, Syria, Iraq, Kurdish, East, Gaza, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Ukraine, Yemen, Gulf, Islamic Republic, Persian

☆ Why Iran keeps seizing oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Brad Howard | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Over the last decade, Iran has been causing more and more headaches for oil tanker operators in the Strait of Hormuz, a central artery of global trade. In the last two years alone, Iran has harassed, attacked or interfered with 15 internationally flagged merchant vessels. This critical waterway separates the Persian Gulf from the Arabian Sea, which makes it an important conduit for millions of barrels of oil that flow through the region. In response to Iranian ship seizures, the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet, which is responsible for security in the region, announced an increase in patrols. That included the guided-missile destroyer USS Paul Hamilton transiting the strait in late May.

Persons: Trump, Arona Baigal, Paul Hamilton, Victoria Coates Organizations: Middle East Security, Center, New, Navy's, Heritage Foundation, U.S Locations: Iran, Strait, Hormuz, New American, Iranian, U.S

☆ As Iran Seizes Tankers in Gulf, U.A.E. Pulls Back From U.S.-Led Maritime Force
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Vivian Nereim | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The United Arab Emirates announced on Wednesday that it had stopped participating in a maritime security force led by the United States, the latest hint of tensions between Washington and key Persian Gulf allies who complain that America has not done enough to protect them from Iranian threats. The unusual public statement came after Iran seized two commercial tankers in waterways near the Emirates in quick succession over the past two months. Emirati and Saudi officials have repeatedly expressed frustration with U.S. policy toward Iran. “They were unhappy with the Americans, and when the U.A.E. is not happy, they are very decisive,” said Abdulkhaleq Abdulla, an Emirati political scientist.

Persons: ”, Abdulkhaleq Abdulla Organizations: United Arab Emirates, Emirates, Emirati Foreign Ministry, Combined Maritime Forces, Saudi Locations: United States, Washington, America, Iran, Persian

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Persons: Dow Jones Locations: iran

The apparent alteration of a mosque belonging to the Hui ethnic group in Najiaying village, Yunnan province comes amid a sweeping campaign unleashed by China’s leader Xi Jinping to “sinicize” religion. Ma Ju, a prominent Hui activist who now lives in the United States and has kept close contact with Najiaying residents, said about 30 people were arrested. Clashes broke out between police officers and Najiaying residents outside the mosque. In 2018, thousands of Hui residents in Ningxia, in the country’s northwest, staged a sit-in protest for three days to prevent authorities from demolishing a newly constructed mosque. “After they trampled on your dignity, they will suppress you step by step, and assimilate the Hui ethnic group completely into the Han, generation by generation.

☆ What Is the F-16 Fighter Jet and Why Does Ukraine Want It?
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Lara Jakes | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

British and Dutch plans to help Ukraine obtain F-16 fighter jets have put the United States and some of its closest European allies at odds — yet again — over what weapons the West should send Kyiv to defend against Russia’s invasion. Even if the Biden administration overcomes its long-held reluctance to give Ukraine the American-made planes, the F-16 would not be used in combat for months at the earliest, officials and military analysts say. Here is a look at the F-16, why Ukraine wants it and why the Biden administration is hesitant to supply it. First flown in 1976, the F-16 “Fighting Falcon” is a supersonic fighter jet used by militaries in 25 countries for air-to-air combat and air-to-ground strikes. It has flown in American conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq, Kosovo, the Persian Gulf and on homeland defense missions in U.S. airspace.

Here is a look at the F-16, why Ukraine wants it and why the Biden administration is hesitant to supply it. It has flown in American conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq, Kosovo, the Persian Gulf and on homeland defense missions in U.S. airspace. There are approximately 3,000 currently in active military service worldwide, including hundreds in the U.S. Air Force and Navy. Without modern fighter jets, “no air defense system will be perfect,” President Volodymyr Zelensky told European leaders gathered at a summit in Reykjavik, Iceland, this week. He also said it would be unlikely for Britain, with its “special relationship” with America, to push ahead with trying to provide F-16s if the Biden administration was not at least somewhat on board.

☆ Çanakkale: Where ancient Troy sits beside the modern city
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Nick Hilden | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —An enormous wooden horse presides over the marina in Çanakkale, a small port city southwest of Istanbul. The clapboard animal is a mock-up of the Trojan Horse of mythological fame. Çanakkale (pronounced cha-na-call-ay) stands adjacent to the archaeological site that was once the ancient city of Troy, best known as the setting of the Trojan War in Homer’s “Iliad.”A giant wooden horse watches over Çanakkale. Today when you visit Truva – either via car or a short bus ride from Çanakkale – a second model of the Trojan Horse looms at the entrance. “We know that there were many wars that occurred at Troy,” Rose explains.

☆ You can earn up to $25 an hour training AI to write better in other languages
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Britney Nguyen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Data-labeling company Scale AI is looking for writers to train AI models to become better writers. Scale AI has job listings for training AI in languages including Spanish, Mandarin, and German. Scale AI, a data-labeling company, has job listings for writers to train generative AI models to become better writers in different languages. For example, on the listing for a Spanish writer, the job description says Spanish-experts in Spain can make $18.50 an hour, but US-based candidates can make $25 an hour based on experience. The position involves contracting with a Scale AI affiliate, the listing says.

☆ Best rice dishes: 20 delicious specialties from around the world
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Terry Ward | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +16 min

And while famous rice dishes such as sushi, fried rice and paella are among the most prominent in the global spotlight, there are so many more rice recipes out there to put on your radar – and seek out on your travels. Wali wa kukaanga, KenyaWali wa kukaanga is Kenya’s answer to fried rice, and translates to just that in Swahili. So it’s no surprise that the Polynesian island country’s most popular rice dish, alaisa fa’apopo, has ties to the coconut, too. Thai fried rice (Khao Pad), ThailandThai fried rice uses the layering of flavors that's characteristic of the country's cuisine. ArenaCreative/Adobe StockWhen it comes to fried rice, the Chinese version tends to steal the spotlight.

☆ 10 Things in Tech: Free Apple AirTags, EV resistance, and ChatGPT Plus for all
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Diamond Naga Siu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

I attended my first rodeo, woke up early for a farmers' market, visited different pickleball venues, and tried other new things. Researchers examined 1,600 conversations (850 hours and 7 million words total) and measured how people reacted to the interactions. Firstly, IRL conversations involve a degree of back-and-forth that is hard to replicate digitally because of lag and missed cues. Elon Musk pays $10,000 to settle a defamation lawsuit. Elon Musk has cut around 90% of the company within half a year of taking over.

☆ Iranian Insider and British Spy: How a Double Life Ended on the Gallows
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Farnaz Fassihi | Ronen Bergman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

But later, in an audio message broadcast by BBC Persian — it had been obtained through his family, according to Mr. Akbari’s brother — Mr. Akbari said the confessions were coerced. Iran says Mr. Akbari betrayed the country and traded state secrets for money. In the videos, Mr. Akbari said he was recruited in 2004 and told he and his family would be given visas for Britain. Iran has said that MI6 paid Mr. Akbari nearly 2 million pounds, currently about $2.4 million. Mr. Akbari met with the British ambassador in Tehran as part of his official job, and traveled to Europe often for business, Mehdi Akbari said.

☆ For only the second time in its history, the US Navy is beginning the slow, tricky process of taking apart a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

In April, the Navy published a notice announcing the beginning of planning to scrap the USS Nimitz. But Nimitz will be only the second nuclear-powered carrier to go through deactivation and defueling. The Nimitz would only be the second American nuclear-powered carrier scheduled to be scrapped. The first is the USS Enterprise, which was commissioned in 1961 and was also the world's first nuclear-powered carrier. The private shipyard will probably be in Alabama, Texas, or Virginia, according to a draft environmental impact statement posted on a special Navy carrier disposal website.

☆ Rome, Sacred Ground for Nearly 3,000 Years, and Counting
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( David Laskin | Martin Pauer | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

“There is not a corner of it that is not full of our cults and our gods.”Rome, in a sense, has been sacred ground right from the start. To many, Rome is the epicenter of Catholicism, the seat of the Vatican and home to a seemingly infinite number of churches. Rome has sheltered polytheistic pagans and monotheistic Jews, adherents of Middle Eastern cults, and, in more recent times, a sizable multinational Muslim community. All have left traces — altars, temples, shrines, mosques, inscriptions — some hauntingly beautiful, others erased to stubs. But Rome and its environs conceal many holy places beyond the ken of the Bible.

☆ How to know if your leadership style is more like Elon Musk or Steve Jobs — and what each of their strengths and weaknesses are
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( Christopher Myers | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Isaiah Berlin, a prominent 20th-century philosopher and historian, popularized the foxes and hedgehogs metaphor in his 1953 essay "The Hedgehog and the Fox." By understanding this metaphor, modern business leaders can harness the strengths of both foxes and hedgehogs to navigate an increasingly complex and rapidly changing world. Leadership lessons from history: Xerxes and ThemistoclesExamining historical figures through the lens of the foxes and hedgehogs metaphor can provide valuable insights into the strengths and weaknesses of different leadership styles. Modern business titans: Steve Jobs and Elon MuskIn the world of technology and entrepreneurship, Steve Jobs and Elon Musk represent the quintessential hedgehog and fox, respectively. Isaiah Berlin's foxes and hedgehogs metaphor provides modern business leaders with a valuable framework for understanding and implementing effective leadership styles.

☆ Iran says there were no school poisonings, blames foreign 'enemies'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

April 28 (Reuters) - Iran's intelligence ministry on Friday accused foreign "enemies" and dissidents of fomenting fears over suspected poisonings of schoolgirls, saying its investigation found no actual poisoning. The report accused unnamed dissidents of provoking fears to produce propaganda videos and warned of "prosecution of individuals, groups, media who accused the government ... and aligned themselves with enemies". Authorities have accused the Islamic Republic's "enemies" of using the suspected attacks to undermine the clerical establishment. The suspected poisonings began in November in the holy Shi'ite Muslim city of Qom and spread to 28 of Iran's 31 provinces, according to activist HRANA news agency, prompting some parents to take children out of school and protest. For the first time since the Islamic Revolution in 1979, schoolgirls have joined the protests that spiralled after Mahsa Amini's death in morality police custody.

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