Shakeup in Iran’s presidential office after leaked FM tape

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran's president on Thursday replaced the head of a government think tank after a recording of a conversation with the country’s foreign minister leaked out this week. The tape, meant for government records, provided a rare glimpse into the theocracy’s power struggles and set off a firestorm in Iran.

The conversation took place as an interview with Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif by Saeed Leilaz, an economist. The tape was to be kept by the Strategic Studies Center, the think tank associated with Iran’s presidency.

In the recording, Zarif offers a blunt appraisal of diplomacy and his constricted role in the Islamic Republic.

Iran's presidency announced Thursday that Hessameddin Ashena, head of the Strategic Studies Center, had resigned and that Cabinet spokesman Ali Rabiei replaces him. Ashena was also reportedly present during the interview with Zarif.

AMIR VAHDAT

Thu, April 29, 2021, 3:50 AM

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran's president on Thursday replaced the head of a government think tank after a recording of a conversation with the country’s foreign minister leaked out this week. The tape, meant for government records, provided a rare glimpse into the theocracy’s power struggles and set off a firestorm in Iran.

The conversation took place as an interview with Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif by Saeed Leilaz, an economist. The tape was to be kept by the Strategic Studies Center, the think tank associated with Iran’s presidency.

In the recording, Zarif offers a blunt appraisal of diplomacy and his constricted role in the Islamic Republic.

Iran's presidency announced Thursday that Hessameddin Ashena, head of the Strategic Studies Center, had resigned and that Cabinet spokesman Ali Rabiei replaces him. Ashena was also reportedly present during the interview with Zarif.

The audio tape, leaked earlier this week to London-based, Farsi-language news channel Iran International, set off political controversy across Iran ahead of the country’s June 18 presidential election. While Zarif has said he does not want to run in the election, some have suggested him as a potential candidate to stand against hard-liners in the vote.

On Wednesday, President Hassan Rouhani, who after eight years in office is restricted by term limits from running in the June election, lashed out over the recording's release. He said the interview was part of a wider project with government officials and also urged for an investigation into how the tape was leaked.

Zarif can be heard saying at various points in the tape that it was not meant for release. The recording runs a total of some seven hours.

Also Thursday, the semi-official ISNA news agency reported, citing an informed source in the judiciary, that 15 people connected to the interview have been banned from leaving the country.

Zarif’s leaked remarks included cutting references to the limits of his power and those of Gen. Qassem Soleimani, a top commander in Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard who was killed in a drone strike in Baghdad.

Earlier this week, Zarif expressed regret over the affair, saying his remarks had been misinterpreted. Rouhani portrayed the breach as intended to derail ongoing talks over the return to Iran's tattered nuclear deal with world powers.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/shakeup-iran-presidential-office-leaked-105002639.html

lb >>13540788

>without consent

No, they consent. It's a consent form they sign. Also says 3rd parties can have access.

China launches first module of permanent space station as Beijing aims to become major space power by 2030

China on Thursday launched the core module for its first permanent space station as the country pursues its ambitious space programme.

The Tianhe, or “Heavenly Harmony” module, blasted into space on the Long March-5B Y2 rocket from Hainan, an island in southern China, according to state media.

The module will become the management and control hub of China’s Tiangong space station, which could be operational by the end of next year, state media said.

China is planning for astronauts to live in the core module of the station for up to six months at a time; at least 12 astronauts are training now for such missions.

China has invested heavily in its space programme, a source of national pride and touted as a symbol of the country’s growing technological expertise and strength. Beijing aims to become a major space power by 2030.

On Thursday, Chinese premier Li Keqiang and other civilian and military leaders watched the launch live from a control center in the capital of Beijing.

The Tianhe launch is the first of 11 planned missions to construct and supply the Tiangong station with materials, spare parts and equipment.

One feature will be a node that can dock up to three spacecraft for shorter stays or two for longer stays. It will also have a life support system, recycling urine and carbon dioxide, to lighten the cargo supply load needed to sustain a crew on board for longer periods of time, state media said.

China has been preparing for its own space station for decades after being barred from the International Space Station, the only space station in orbit, largely due to US concerns of espionage.

In March, China and Russia announced plans to build a lunar space station together.

China first sent an astronaut into space on its own rocket in 2003, becoming the third country to do so after the former Soviet Union and the US.

Since then, China has focused on hitting new milestones, matching American and Russian space achievements.

A Chinese probe is due to land on Mars this month, which would make China the second country ever to do so after the US.

The Tianwen-1 space probe launched in July 2020, and began orbiting Mars this February. Its Zhurong rover could soon touch down on Mars; once there, it will be looking for evidence of life on the red planet.

Last year, China successfully landed a rover on the far side of the Moon. That probe, the Chang’e 5, returned to Earth in December 2020, with lunar rocks and soil – the first moon samples to be retrieved since US missions four decades ago.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/china-launches-permanent-space-station-072220329.html

First coronavirus vaccine for children could be approved in June

The first coronavirus vaccine for children could be approved as soon as June, according to the chief scientist behind the Pfizer jab.

Pfizer has already submitted a modified dose of the vaccine for approval for children aged 12 and over in the US, and plans to submit it to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for approval in the European Union next week.

“Things can move very quickly now,” Prof Sahin, chief executive and founder of BioNTech, the German company that developed the Pfizer vaccine, told Spiegel magazine.

“It is very important to enable children to return to everyday school life and to meet family and friends.”

Prof Sahin said US test studies have shown that the vaccine is well tolerated in children aged 12 and over and generates a high antibody response, offering 100 per cent protection from Covid-19.

“These encouraging results indicate that children are particularly well protected by the vaccine,” he said.

While the vaccine is currently only authorised for adults in the UK and EU, it is already approved from the age of 16 in the US.

BioNTech has already submitted the new version for over-12s for approval in the US and hopes to submit it to the EMA as soon as next Wednesday.

There is no date yet for when Pfizer plans to submit it to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) for approval in the UK, but it is expected to do so in the coming weeks.

The approval process typically takes a few weeks, and if all runs smoothly the first jabs could be given to children in the US and EU as soon as June.

However, approval is not guaranteed. Testing is particularly rigorous before vaccines are approved for children, who can react differently because their bodies are still developing.

The makers of all four vaccines currently approved in the EU - Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson -have agreed plans on the extensive testing that would be necessary before they can be approved for children.

Vaccines are typically approved cautiously by age, with the effects in over-12s monitored before they are given to younger children.

Tests are already underway on the effects of the Pfizer vaccine on younger children, with initial results expected in the 5-12 age group in July, and in children aged from six months to four in September.

“If all goes well, as soon as the data have been evaluated we can submit applications for approval of the vaccine for children of the relevant age group,” said Prof Sahin.

The Pfizer vaccine was the first to be approved in the UK, US and EU, and Prof Sahin and his wife, Özlem Türeci, who also worked on its development, have been hailed as heroes in Germany.

Both of Turkish descent - Prof Sahin was born in Turkey and moved to Germany at the age of four - they have been feted as an immigrant success story.

In January, weeks after the vaccine was approved for adults, Prof Sahin and Dr Türeci set their team a new goal: to develop and test a safe version of the vaccine for children before next winter.

While herd immunity among adults may be enough to contain the virus, Prof Sahin was concerned about the risk that a variant dangerous to children could develop.

Recent studies in Germany have suggested children could suffer long-term psychological effects from the coronavirus lockdown.

A study by Hamburg University found a third of children between the ages of 11 and 17 suffered from depression during lockdown, and 44 per cent suffered from insomnia.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/first-coronavirus-vaccine-children-could-115257133.html

>>13541514

>panic???

Why would there be? They are doing such a great job of making fun of the audit, making sure to get their bs narrative, that this audit is not legit, that the ones who NEED to wake up, will not believe the truth.

>>13541584

You do not get to pass go. You are part of the problem.

Any alleged anon understands THIS is a program of Satan. You're no better than "Uncle Joe" or the girls who put it out there to lure weak minds.