Iranian president's special envoy for Afghanistan inaugurated

TEHRAN – The new Iranian envoy for Afghanistan started discharging his duty on Tuesday after being inaugurated at a handover ceremony held at the Iranian foreign ministry.

Ambassador says travel visas for Iranian pilgrims to Iraq canceled

TEHRAN — The Iranian ambassador to Baghdad has announced cancellation of air travel visas for Iranian pilgrims to Iraq.

Persian publisher makes debut with “A Farewell to Gabo and Mercedes”

TEHRAN – Iranian publisher Khish has come on stream with the release of a Persian translation of “A Farewell to Gabo and Mercedes: A Son’s Memoir of Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Mercedes Barcha”.

“Peoples’ lives still matter”: Cinema Vérité again online over COVID-19 concerns 

TEHRAN – Peoples’ lives still matter for the organizers of Iran’s Cinema Vérité festival as they have announced their plans to organize the upcoming edition of the event online once again due to the ongoing pandemic.

Fajr national, international filmfests to reunite in 2022 

TEHRAN – The Cinema Organization of Iran announced on Tuesday that the Fajr national and international film festivals will be combined again for 2022.

Interview by Farrokh Hesabi

Shahrdari Urmia have a challenging season ahead: coach

TEHRAN - Mohammadreza Tondravan, Shahrdari Urmia Volleyball team head coach, believes that his side have a difficult task ahead in the new season of Iran's Volleyball Super League (VSL).

Turkish lira at new low after Ankara’s tensions with West

TEHRAN - Turkey's national currency lira has plunged to a new record low following President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s comments amid rising tensions between Ankara and the West.

Permanent handicrafts markets to open in Kermanshah

TEHRAN –A number of permanent markets for handicrafts are planned to be established across the western province of Kermanshah, the provincial tourism chief has announced.

Restoration completed on Sassanid arch bridge

TEHRAN –A restoration project has recently been completed on a historical arch bridge in Kuhdasht county, western Lorestan province, the provincial tourism chief has announced.

Tehran, Berlin universities to enhance health, academic co-op

TEHRAN – Tehran University of Medical Sciences and the Charité University of Berlin inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to expand cooperation in the field of education and health.

Thousands of migratory birds wintering in Mighan wetland

TEHRAN – Mighan wetland in the central province of Markazi is hosting over 6,000 migratory birds which have come to spend the winter, Zohreh Mousavi, head of the provincial department of environment, has said.

Benefactors donate $98m to support deprived students

TEHRAN – People across the country have donated a sum of 4.1 trillion rials (around $98 million at the official rate of 42,000 rials) for the financially struggling students through a charity event prior to the upcoming school year (starting September 23).

Iran’s women’s basketball team to hold camp in Turkey

TEHRAN – Iran’s women’s basketball team intend to hold a training camp in Ankara, Turkey as part of preparation for the FIBA Women’s Asia Cup 2021 Division B.

Iran plans to double non-oil exports in 4 years

TEHRAN – Head of Iran’s Trade Promotion Organization (TPO) Alireza Peyman Pak has said plans are underway for doubling the country’s non-oil exports over the next four years, the TPO portal reported.

Raisi receives credentials of six new ambassadors

‘Europeans shouldn’t act in a way that U.S. would feel Europe is its sphere of influence’

TEHRAN — President Ebrahim Raisi had a busy day on Monday when he received the credentials of six new ambassadors.

Beirut has good ties with Iran, Lebanon FM says

TEHRAN — The Lebanese foreign minister says that his country has good relations with Iran and is taking steps to strengthen these relations.

‘Iran-Armenia economic relations have not kept pace with political proximity’

Ambassador: Forcing Iranian trucks to pay tolls is against tripartite agreement

TEHRAN- "According to the tripartite talks between Russia, Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan in the ceasefire agreement, the transit road was supposed to have its former status in order to complete the new road," the Iranian ambassador in Armenia, Abbas Badakhshan Zohuri, has said in an interview with Tasnim published on Monday.

Akbar Misaghian takes charge of Padideh

TEHRAN - Akbar Misaghian has been named as Padideh football team coach.

Yamga’s brace leads Esteghlal to win over Zob Ahan

TEHRAN – Arthur Yamga stood up for his team Esteghlal by scoring a brace in his first match and took the Blues to a 2-0 win over Zob Ahan in round two of Iran Professional League (IPL) on Monday.

Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival picks “Killing the Eunuch Khan”, “The Fourth Wall”

TEHRAN – Iranian movies “Killing the Eunuch Khan” and “The Fourth Wall” will be competing in the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival in Estonia.

“Malakout”, “Atabai”, “Spotted Yellow” to compete in Cambridge Film Festival

TEHRAN – Iranian movies “Malakout”, “Atabai” and “Spotted Yellow” will be screened at the 40th edition of the Cambridge Film Festival in England.

By Seyyed Mostafa Mousavi Sabet

“Cylinder” qualifies for Oscars at Tehran festival amid claims of “extravagance”

TEHRAN – Iranian drama “Cylinder” qualified for Academy Awards consideration by winning the 38th Tehran International Short Film Festival’s grand prix Sunday evening as the Cinema Organization of Iran’s director sharply criticized organizers for “promoting extravagance and aristocracy.”

Travelers entering Iran should provide vaccination evidence

TEHRAN – All passengers who come back to the country should provide evidence that they have received two doses of coronavirus vaccine, otherwise they have to undergo a PCR test, Health Ministry official Mohammad Mehdi Gooya has said.

Demographic indicators at ‘alarming’ levels

TEHRAN – Iran's demographic indicators demonstrate alarming records, as the population growth rate is about 0.6 percent, and it is predicted to reach zero in the next 10-15 years, and then record a negative growth rate, Saleh Ghasemi, a demographic researcher, has said.

3 Asian countries top export destinations for Iranian nanoproducts

TEHRAN – Among the 41 countries buying Iranian nanoproducts, three Asian countries, namely Iraq, Turkey, and Afghanistan, have the highest imports, IRNA reported on Monday.

Handicrafts sector offers Uramanat unique opportunity for economic development

TEHRAN –The development of the handicrafts sector would be a good opportunity for economic growth in the UNESCO-tagged Uramanat cultural landscape in western Iran.