TEHRAN, Dec. 3--The Institute for Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults has published a book featuring the photos displayed in the Second Children's Photo Festival concurrent with the third round of the event, announced the institute in a press release.
The book features 93 photos which were featured in last year's event. A total of 2,767 pictures by 869 children were submitted to the secretariat of the second round of the event, of which 93 were selected for display. Nine children were awarded while 12 others received plaques of honor.
The book, which was published in 3,000 copies, contains chapters including a report by the festival's secretary, statement of the panel of jury, names of selected children photographers, facts about the participants at the festival based on gender, age group, city as well as the pictures.
The third round of the festival was also held at the IIDCYA. The festival's secretariat has also issued a CD featuring the photos displayed in the Third Children's Photo Festival, concurrent with the exhibition.

TEHRAN, Dec. 3--An exhibit of caricatures by journalist Mohammad Ali Rajabi opened here at Shahed Gallery on Wednesday and will continue for 10 days.
The caricatures featured in the exhibit focus on international events such as those in the Middle East, US invasion of Iraq, terrorism as well as domestic political developments.
This is the second solo exhibition of Rajabi's works. The first exhibition was well received by the visitors and commanded extensive press coverage.
Rajabi has been a routine contributor to Iran Daily since 1998 and his caricatures are featured regularly on the last page of the daily as 'Tongue in Cheek'.
Shahed Gallery is located on Vali-e Asr Avenue near Taleghani Street.

ZANJAN, Dec. 3--Director general of Cultural Heritage and Tourism Department in Zanjan province has announced the discovery of the second human remains preserved in salt in the province.
Speaking to IRNA, Yahya Rahmati said that the latest find was discovered in Hamzehloo Salt Mines near Chehrabad Village in Zanjan.
The antiquity of the skeleton, he said can be determined by conducting special tests and analysis, he said, adding that discovery of the second salt man indicates the richness of the province from the historical aspect.
"Part of the skin and hair on hand and ankle of the second salt man is still visible," he said.
Stating that the location in which the two salt men were discovered had a prominent historical status, he noted that the area is under special protection and will be explored.
The first salt man dating back to 1,700 years ago was discovered in Hamzehloo Mine in 1996, he recalled.
The latest discovery, which was made in a short distance from the previous one, give rise to the fact that the find may be of equal historical importance.

Morteza Momayyez

TEHRAN, Dec. 3--Although the technical capabilities of Iranian artists have improved in recent years, the country still has a long way to go before it can boast of its own distinct style in graphics.
Expressing this view, the father of Iran's modern graphics, Morteza Momayyez, told Mehr news agency that Iranian graphics will attain maturity after passing this stage.
Commenting on the quality of the Iranian graphics and the First Biennale of Posters from the Islamic World, he contended that it is not easy to promote the quality in a short span and a special identity can only be attained through years of experience.
"Given that in our country everything is experienced for the first time, we should not have high expectations from the first biennale or even from the tenth round of this event since we are now laying the foundation for a group move," he noted.
"Therefore it is obvious that we cannot reach the same level as other countries including France in the beginning," he added. Momayyez further stated that intense efforts are needed to reach such levels and Iranian graphists have taken steps to this end, he said, adding, "Now, our objective is to organize more events like the first poster biennale."
He continued, "We are now trying to attain the capability of inviting the others to participate in a biennale in the country and win the invitees' acceptance," he said.
The graphic designer further observed that the presence of international graphists in Iran is considered a success.
The ideal position should be put off for 20 or 25 years later.
"Now, we have embarked on a path of gaining the capability of organizing international events," he concluded.

TEHRAN, Dec. 3--Following the destruction of one of the most beautiful gardens in Tajrish in northern Tehran as a result of environmental degradation in the past decade, the bells are tolling to herald the end of Shemiran--a the beauty spot of the capital.
The garden in which an old building is situated on one corner sprawls over an area of one hectare and is surrounded by a chain of vast gardens which were ruined in the process of urban development.
Razeqi, a resident of Tabesh Street in Shemiran told the Persian daily Iran that a group of people with vague affiliations has made intense efforts to ruin the garden in the past several years. "They had obstructed the flow of water to the trees. Residents of Tabesh Street went to remove the obstructions which prevented the flow of water and stop the trees from but the flow of water was again obstructed further upstream. They have succeeded in their nefarious designs to get the trees of the garden dried up."
He said that the suspicious group has also deliberately set the garden on fire, but the firefighters extinguished it after it destroyed a 30-meter high tree and at least one-meter caliber plane tree. The owner of the garden who lived in the building on the corner of the garden left Iran before the Islamic Revolution and the custodian was forced to leave the building by the suspicious group after the flood hit Tajrish several years ago.
Inhabitants of the area have asked for the assistance of the City Council to rebuild the walls of the garden and protect the trees.
The municipality's District One had decided to purchase the garden and turn it to Green Area, but has done nothing so far.
"The men once again set to fire the garden and many trees were destroyed in the latest fire which was put out by the firefighters," he said.
A reporter for the Persian daily Iran called at the municipality District One to ask about their plan for the garden, but, they refused to give details of the plan.
Meanwhile, the head of Shemiran Environment Department, Firooz Akbari Fallahi said that the high price of land has caused the executive directors (of the municipality) to lose their incentive to protect the green areas in northern Tehran. "For example, they sometimes cut down a 50-meter high tree to build a tower," he said.
The official said that they do not follow legal channels for construction of buildings in the gardens. They, first of all, create obstacles to irrigation of the gardens to make the trees dried up and then set the garden on fire and after its destruction, there is no excuse for building a tower.

TEHRAN, Dec. 3--A two-day seminar titled 'Contemporary Persian Narrative' was held on December 2-3, ISNA reported.
The seminar was sponsored by the Council for Promotion of Persian Language and Literature, Literature and Philosophy Monthly Book and Book City Company.
Iranian literary scholars who delivered papers at the seminar included Ahmad Samiee Gilani, Ali Mohammad Haqshenas, Hossein Payandeh, Ali Asghar Shirzadi, Hossein Mir-Abedini, Fathollah Biniaz, Enayat Samiee, Reza Seyyed Hosseini, Elmira Dadvar, Abdollah Kosari, Mostafa Mastour, Kamran Sepehran, Mohsen Soleimani, Mohammad Javad Jazini, Hamid Abdollahian, Shahram Bahrami-Nejad and Jamshid Khanian.
Foreign scholars who lectured at the seminar were Azam Rahnavard Zaryab (Afghanistan), Mohammad Hossein Mohammadi (Afghanistan), Eshaq Shojaei (Afghanistan), Keramatollah Mirza (Tajikistan), Joni Beik Akaberof (Tajikistan) and Beik Nazar (Uzbekistan).
Topics discussed in the seminar included surveys of Persian narrative literature in Iran, Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Uzbekistan, narrative and Persian language (services of narrative literature to Persian language and linguistic genres of contemporary Persian prose), influence of narrative educational books and narrative workshops on story-writing and providing strategies for globalization of Persian narrative literature.
Meanwhile, secretary of the seminar noted that other programs of the event included play-writing and Persian satire.
Ali Asghar Mohammad-Khani told ISNA the main purpose for holding the seminar was to introduce contemporary Persian literature.

ATHENS, Greece, Dec. 3--A group of Greek lawyers will have a sneak preview of Oliver Stone's movie about Alexander the Great Thursday to decide whether to take legal action over scenes suggesting Greece's ancient ruler was bisexual, said Reuters.
Warner Bros.' 'Alexander' has angered 25 lawyers in Athens who say there is no official document to prove the warrior king acclaimed as one of the greatest military leaders of all time had sexual relations with men.
They threaten to file a blocking order with the courts before the movie's Greek premiere Friday if the disputed scenes about the Macedonian king--played by young Hollywood leading man Colin Farrell--offend them.
The film, hailed by US homosexual groups for breaking new ground in the way it depicts Alexander and his relationship with his friend Hephaestion, includes several references to the lead character's bisexuality.
The lawyers, two of whom will watch the preview to form an opinion, say if the $160-million movie digresses from 'academic truths' about the leader's sexuality they would file the order Friday morning.
"If there are these scenes referring to homosexual tendencies then we will meet and decide to file a blocking order so that these scenes are removed," lawyer Kostas Koutsoulelos told Reuters Television.
The film is expected to open across 80 screens in Greece on Friday but if the blocking order is upheld on the same day by the courts the premiere could be delayed.