Labor ministry to stand up for rights of working children

TEHRAN – The Ministry of Cooperatives, Labor and Social Welfare is tasked with defending the rights of working and street children, especially those living in Tehran, IRIB reported on Tuesday.

Iran’s 9-month handicraft export rises 70% yr/yr

TEHRAN – The value of Iranian handicrafts exports, excluding suitcase trade, has witnessed some 70 percent hike in the first nine months of the current Iranian calendar year compared to the same period last year, an official said on Tuesday.

APDIM raises hopes of addressing sand and dust storms in Iran

TEHRAN — The Asian and Pacific Centre for the Development of Disaster Information Management (APDIM) can bring hopes for tackling sand and dust storms in Iran.

Believe it, we are water-bankrupt, says deputy environment chief

TEHRAN – “I don’t know how to put this into words: we are living in a dry region, we are water-bankrupt and we should change our water consumption pattern accordingly,” deputy environment chief for human environment has said.

University of Tehran among Webometrics world top universities

TEHRAN — The University of Tehran is among the top 500 higher education institutes worldwide in the Webometrics Ranking.

Fajr festival to put spotlight on fashion, clothing

TEHRAN – Different aspects of fashion and clothing industry will be discussed during a series of sessions, which will be held at the 7th Fajr International Fashion and Clothing Festival.

Life in the mountains: Skiing in Iran

TEHRAN – Iran has long been an international destination for avid powder chasers during winter, while - in total contrast - its arid and semi-arid climate reaches sweltering levels in summer.

NGOs assist government in addressing women’s social problems: Ebtekar

TEHRAN – Since the government is concentrating on the major problems of the society, the NGOs can study the hidden face of the social problems of women and families, said Masoumeh Ebtekar, vice president for women’s and family affairs.

‘Only 10% of Tehraners ready for earthquake’

TEHRAN – Just around 10 percent of citizens in Tehran are prepared for earthquakes, the director of Tehran’s Disaster Mitigation and Management Organization said on Saturday.

Generous sky blankets Iran with heavy snow

TEHRAN — Heavy snow has covered the Iranian capital, Tehran, and other cities in 17 provinces across the country.

Environment being sacrificed for auto industry: Kalantari

TEHRAN — “Using job creation and domestic production as excuses no one can stop home grown, substandard car manufacturing in Iran and we are giving up citizens’ health and the environment for that,” Iran’s environment chief said.

Ramsar to host World Wetlands Day ceremony

TEHRAN — Iran will mark the World Wetlands Day in a ceremony which is scheduled to be held in the northern city of Ramsar on the shores of the Caspian Sea.

By Farnaz Heidari

Dimming the light of sharks' life

Sharks are hunters par excellence. They frequent a wide range of habitats. Most of sharks are magnificently designed. Multiple rows of replaceable triangular teeth, and also a battery of receptors that almost defy human comprehension, considered as the best tools for a precedent apex predator.

By Maryam Qarehgozlou

Air pollution from a different viewpoint: ‘Cars need clean air’

Air pollution is a knotty problem of the metropolises of Iran. Currently seeing the azure sky is a dream that seldom comes true.

Tehran’s air pollution: auto industry’s noncompliance twists the knife

TEHRAN – Tehran is fed up with air pollution and both domestic and foreign car manufacturers refuse to accept the installation of diesel particulate filter on their products, the director of Tehran’s Air Quality Control Company has said.

Iranian researchers to breed scorpion, milk venom for medical purposes

TEHRAN — A group of Iranian researchers at the Islamic Azad University of Najafabad, central province of Isfahan, succeeded in coming up with plans to maintain scorpions in captivity for venom extraction purposes, IRIB reported on Wednesday.

Produced and gone straight to waste

TEHRAN — According to the United Nations the current world population of 7.3 billion is expected to reach 8.5 billion by 2030, 9.7 billion in 2050 and 11.2 billion in 2100 and the question is how to produce sufficient food for everyone?

By Farnaz Heidari

Vague, imprecise ecosystem, wildlife management approaches in Iran

In the early 1800s, bird expert Alexander Wilson watched a single migrating flock of passenger pigeons darken the sky for over 4 hours. He estimated that this flock was more than 2 billion birds strong, some 386 kilometers long, and 1.6 kilometers wide.

‘Caspian Sea water transfer more disastrous than nuclear explosion’

TEHRAN – The detrimental impacts of transferring water from the Caspian Sea to the central province of Semnan can be more catastrophic than a nuclear explosion, Mohammad Darvish, a faculty member of the Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands said on Monday.

Iran’s environmental body asserts its right to green tax

TEHRAN — Once again Iran’s environmental body has demanded its right to the green tax imposed on polluting industries and allocated to municipalities.

Russian tour operators weighing Iran destinations

TEHRAN – A cluster of Russian tour operators and travel marketers have commenced tours across Iran to weigh its diverse destinations in a bid to deepen tourism cooperation with the southern neighbor.

JICA helps drafting Tabriz tourism development plan

TEHRAN – Japan International Cooperation Agency will assist Iran formulating a comprehensive plan for tourism development of its northwestern city of Tabriz, IRNA reported on Monday.

Iran’s environmental body takes unprecedented step in fight against plastic pollution

TEHRAN — In a bid for public engagement Iran’s Department of Environment (DOE) has banned bottled water at the DOE offices and all other organizations affiliated with it nationwide.

Majlis cuts Khuzestan’s sand and dust storms budget

TEHRAN – The budget proposed for fighting sand and dust storms in the southwestern province of Khuzestan in the next year’s budget bill is facing a big “no” by the special committee of Majlis [the Iranian parliament].

Tehran Municipality planning to boost waste-to-energy capacity

TEHRAN – Tehran Municipality is trying to encourage domestic and foreign investment to expand the capacity of waste-to-energy units, said the head of waste management organization of Tehran Municipality.

By Maryam Qarehgozlou

TOD may be a way round air pollution, traffic jam

While air pollution and torturous traffic jam are plaguing city dwellers, especially people residing in the Iranian capital, the government is mulling over implementing transit-oriented development (TOD) programs.

IAU plans to establish universities in Iraq, Syria

TEHRAN – The Islamic Azad University (IAU) is planning on expanding overseas branches through setting up units in Iraq and Syria, Khabaronline reported on Tuesday.

German ambassador enjoys ‘Ab Gusht cooking lesson’

TEHRAN — Michael Klor-Berchtold, German ambassador to Tehran, posted a photo on his Twitter account on Thursday depicting him stirring Ab Gusht (Iranian stew made with lamb, chickpeas, white beans, onion, potatoes, and tomatoes, and dried lime) in a big pot.