Dam building in Afghanistan threatens Hamoun Wetlands in Iran

TEHRAN – Construction of Kamal Khan Dam in Afghanistan has caused Hamoun Wetlands to dry up and generate sand and dust hotspots, Masoud Tajrishi, deputy head of the Department of Environment (DOE) for the human environment, has said.

Biodiversity museum to offer free admission tomorrow

TEHRAN – On March 3, which marks World Wildlife Day, the entry will be free to the biodiversity museum of Tehran located in the Department of Environment (DOE).

Iran targets Syrian market for technological, knowledge-based products

TEHRAN – Iran will open its third house of innovation and technology in the Syrian capital of Damascus with the aim of finding new markets for domestic technological and knowledge-based products, IRNA reported on Tuesday.

Floods cause annual loss of $595m, FRWO says

TEHRAN – Annual floods bring Iran an average loss of 25 trillion rials (nearly $595 million at the official rate of 42,000 rials), head of the Forest, Rangeland and Watershed Organization (FRWO) has announced.

EURORDIS praises Iran’s national document on rare diseases

TEHRAN – Yann Le Cam, the chief executive officer of the European Organization for Rare Diseases (EURORDIS), has praised Iran for preparing a national document on rare diseases, saying that it will change the lives of one million rare disease patients in the country.

Iranian Covid-19 vaccine platform among world’s most successful: WHO

TEHRAN – Iran has one of the most successful platforms in the world for Covid-19 vaccine production, Christoph Hamelmann, the representative of the World Health Organization in Iran, said.

Annual sales of nano companies rise by 100%

TEHRAN – Iranian nanotechnology companies have increased sales by 100 percent over the past year, Vice President for Science and Technology, Sourena Sattari, has announced.

Charity foundation opens up 180,000 jobs for the deprived

TEHRAN – Barekat Charity Foundation, affiliated to Headquarters for Executing the Order of the Imam, has generated 180,000 jobs for the people residing in deprived areas since the beginning of this year (March 20, 2020), the foundation’s head has said.

Rapid COVID-19 testing in Ahvaz as virus roars back

TEHRAN – A COVID-19 rapid testing program is being implemented across the city of Ahvaz, southwestern Khuzestan province, as a new wave of the virus has pushed the city into a high-risk red zone.

Second Iranian COVID-19 vaccine enters clinical trial

TEHRAN – Iran started the human trial of its second coronavirus vaccine, Razi Cov Pars, by injecting it into two volunteers during a ceremony on Sunday.

‘Martyrs of health’ honored

TEHRAN – A ceremony was held in Tehran on Saturday to honor 100 healthcare workers who lost their lives in the fight against coronavirus.

Magnitude 4.4 quake rattles northwestern Iran

TEHRAN – A 4.4-magnitude earthquake struck near the city of Sarab, northwestern East Azarbaijan province, on Sunday morning.

Pfizer, a vaccine with endless problems and controversy

The Pfizer vaccine has caused a great deal of controversy and problems since its distribution, and the side effects of injecting this vaccine have caused fear and panic in different cases.

Conservation plan for Gorgan Bay approved

TEHRAN – A seven-year plan to revive Gorgan Bay in the Caspian Sea has been approved by the government at the suggestion of the Department of Environment (DOE), First Vice-President Is’haq Jahangiri announced on Saturday.

57 nanotechnology projects inaugurated

TEHRAN – Vice President for Science and Technology, Sourena Sattari, inaugurated 40 industrial and 17 development projects in the field of nanotechnology during a ceremony on Saturday, IRNA reported.

The elderly, war-disabled getting COVID-19 vaccine

TEHRAN – The vaccination against COVID-19 of the elderly and the disabled war veterans being kept in nursing homes across Iran began on Thursday, ISNA reported.

Poaching drops thanks to coronavirus lockdown: DOE official

TEHRAN – The number of animals killed by poachers has decreased by 15 percent over the past 11 months compared to the same period last year, helped by the nationwide coronavirus lockdown and a halt in wildlife tourism, Jamshid Mohabbat-Khani, commander of the protection unit of the Department of Environment (DOE) said.

Some $3.4m of smuggled goods seized in week

TEHRAN – Goods worth 146 billion rials (nearly $3.4 million at the official rate of 42,000 rials) have been seized from smugglers in the country over the past week, police chief Mohammad Reza Moghimi has announced.

Japan, WFP support refugees in Iran

TEHRAN – The Government of Japan has contributed $875,000 to support refugees in Iran through the United Nations World Food Program (WFP).

Over 6,700 nomadic schools operating across Iran

TEHRAN – Some 6,700 mobile, semi-mobile and fixed nomadic schools are providing education in 27 provinces of the country, the director of the office for the development of educational justice and nomadic education, has stated.

Botulism kills 10,000 birds in Miankaleh peninsula, Gorgan Bay

TEHRAN – Some 10,000 bodies of lifeless migratory birds died as a result of botulism poisoning have been found so far around the Miankaleh peninsula and Gorgan Bay, located in the extreme south-eastern part of the Caspian Sea.

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Fake News Poses a Threat to National Product

Naderi cookies (Koloocheh) were reported to be carcinogenic in the foreign (international) Persian-language media, according to a German publication. After the necessary examinations and tests, the health of this product was reaffirmed.

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Why is it difficult to make a vaccine for the coronavirus?

In the human body, hereditary traits are transmitted by a ladder-shaped, twisted molecule called DNA. During cell division, the two strands of DNA separate, and a new copy is made from each strand. In this way, each new cell will have a single strand of DNA molecule in the nucleus. During the fabrication of DNA strands, a modifying agent confirms the accuracy of the molecule made. If the genetic mutations are produced incorrectly in the DNA, what is produced will fail. However, many viruses, such as coronaviruses, have a single-stranded molecule called RNA instead of DNA. These viruses transmit hereditary traits to new viruses by the same RNA.

Iran closes Iraq border points to contain UK mutant coronavirus

TEHRAN – Iran has closed five crossing points with Iraq to prevent the spread of the UK variant of coronavirus, ISNA reported.

Iran proposes creating intl. fund for climate change

TEHRAN – Iran has proposed setting up an international fund to tackle climate change and taxing all countries in proportion to their share of environmental pollution, IRNA reported on Monday.

Tehran to host online intl. congress on social work

TEHRAN – The 3rd international social work congress and the 35th national social work conference will be held virtually in Tehran on March 8.