So you do need badges after all!

IRNA - the official Iran's news agency - reported that the achievements of Iran in scientific research are lauded by UNESCO.

The UNESCO Chief Koichiro Matsuura in a message to the Third Isfahan Sheikh-Bahaei Job Creation Festival lauded Iran's peaceful activities aiming to promote science and culture.

The message, which was read at the festival's closing ceremony by the Head of UNESCO representative office in Tehran Abedin Saleh on Friday, appreciated the efforts of the Iranian government and its successful cooperation with UNESCO in all fields, particularly in the domains of science and technology.

Unfortunately, we must disappoint the Iranian folks in general and IRNA in particular. You see, the cavalier attitude of UNESCO toward the security issue is at the root of the whole story. That, and the phenomenon according to which every Oriental person looks the same to every Occidental person.

And the result - a prank video call from UNESCO offices by a Japanese stand-up comedian to Abedin Saleh. And the whole ensuing confusion.

So, UNESCO really must rethink their "we don't need no steenking badges" policy...

Further on the subject of pranks:

EU starts releasing statements on Iran in Persian

"We know that a big majority of Iranians can read English, but the aim is to be able to reach out easier to the Iranian people,'' Cristina Gallach, spokesperson for EU High Representative Javier Solana, told IRNA in Brussels.

On Thursday for the first time, the EU issued the conclusions adopted on Iran by the EU foreign ministers during their meeting in Brussels on Monday in Persian.

For all the good it will do, these conclusions may as well be released in Sanskrit...