Iran’s gas export volume registered a 26 percent hike in the past Iranian calendar year [ended March 20, 2020] as compared to the last year’s corresponding period.

The latest official statistics showed that 17.5 billion cubic meters of gas were exported from the country from March 21, 2019 to March 20, 2020, the rate of which recorded a 26 percent increase as compared to the same period of last year.

According to the available information, cumulative sweet gas production volume of the country in last year hit 267 billion cubic meters, 112 billion cubic meter of which was consumed in household and commercial sectors while 42.5 billion cubic meters of which was allocated to major industries of the country.

Domestic power plants accounted for 60.6 billion cubic meters of total gas volume produced in the country last year [ended Mar. 20, 2020].

Presently, 80 power plants of the country are connected to the national gas network.

MNA/

Three Italian coaches have been shortlisted to lead Iran national volleyball team.

Trentino coach Angelo Lorenzetti, Volley Lube trainer Ferdinando De Giorgi and Allianz Powervolley Milano coach Roberto Piazza are three coaches who have been nominated to lead Team Melli.

The Islamic Republic of Iran Volleyball Federation (IRIVF) parted ways with Igor Kolakovic in late March following the cancelation of the 2020 Olympic Games due to the pandemic coronavirus (COVID-19).

The 2020 FIVB Volleyball Nations League (VNL) had been also postponed because of coronavirus risk.

The Montenegrin coach was under contract with the Iranian federation until 2020 Tokyo but the Iranian federation opted to part company with him after the postponement of the Games.

“After the IOC decided to reschedule the Olympic Games, Mr. Davarzani (IRIVF president) decided to stop cooperation with Kolakovic,” Iran volleyball team director Amir Khoshkhabar said.

“Iran are determined to make a splash at the Games, so the Iranian federation would prefer a foreign coach, however, an Iranian coach could be chosen,” he added.

Team Melli will meet Japan, Poland, Italy, Canada and Venezuela in Pool A at the Olympic Games.

Pool B consists of Brazil, the U.S., Russia, Argentina, France, and Tunisia.

Kolakovic had replaced Raul Lozano as Team Melli coach in February 2017. /T.T/

Iranian short ‘Braceball’, written and directed by Reyhane Mortezaeinia, has been accepted into the competition program of three international film festivals in Canada, Italy and India.

‘Braceball’ will compete with other titles from around the world at the 10th edition of Lakeshorts International Short Film Festival in Canada. The event is slated for 26 September 2020 in Toronto.

The Iranian short has also been accepted into the competition category of the 5th edition of Rare Disease Film Festival in Italy. The festival has been postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak in Italy.

Mortezaeinia’s film will then take part at the 4th edition of Kalaburagi International Short Film Festival in India. The event will be held after the coronavirus has been contained in the country.

‘Braceball’ narrates the story of a young boy with disability, who loves soccer and makes every effort to have his dream come true in spite of his disability./MNA/

The Director General of Department on Promotion of International Businesses at the Iranian Vice Presidency for Science and Technology Rouhollah Estiri said on Mon. that knowledge-based companies exported over $600 million worth of products from March 21, 2019 to March 20, 2020.

Turning to the activity of knowledge-based companies in the field of export, he added, “the department has focused on promoting export of products of knowledge-based companies as one of its main missions and in this way, it has taken considerable steps.”

For this purpose, the department has thus far presented high-quality services to a number of 2,500 knowledge-based companies for empowering and developing market, he emphasized.

To date, more than 450 knowledge-based companies have exported their products to other countries, he said, adding, “medical equipment and medicines are the main products exported by knowledge-based firms to abroad.”

Given the measures taken by knowledge-based companies, export market of Iranian knowledge-based companies is satisfactory, he said, adding, “effective steps have been taken to develop export market of these companies despite sanctions imposed against the country and existence of obstacles such as outbreak of coronavirus.”

Efforts are underway to export products of knowledge-based companies in Central Asian and neighboring countries’ markets, he stressed.

Focusing on international markets is one of the long-term objectives of all knowledge-based companies, he added.

MNA/I

Lionel Messi broke social networks after responding to the video of Arat Hosseini, who showed off his skills in a Barcelona shirt.

It was in Instagram where the Argentine star surprised Arat thanking the gesture he had.

“Thanks Arat!! I see a lot of class there, impressive! Hug!!”.

Six-year-old Hosseini, who was born in northern Iran but now lives in Liverpool, has become an internet sensation due to a series of videos highlighting his incredible skills.

His Instagram account has accrued an astonishing 2.7million followers, including boxer Anthony Joshua, former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand and Liverpool Champions League winner Luis Garcia.

Arat’s favorite sport is soccer, but also he has boasted of being very good in disciplines such as gymnastic, basketball and taekwondo. /T.T/

Iranian short film ‘Don’t Touch Anything’, directed by Arghavan Heidar Eslam, will be screened at 17th edition of the Vienna International Short Film Festival in Austria.

‘Don’t Touch Anything’ narrates the story of a woman who suffers from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD).

The Vienna Shorts Festival is a major international film festival celebrating short-form movies. It promotes, presents and discusses the short-form version of film making, with a huge lineup of Austrian and international films. The festival followed the motto “Courage!” and featured some 305 films from 55 countries, with particularly strong representation from female directors. Particular highlights were:

The 17th edition of the Vienna International Short Film Festival will be held from May 28 – Jun 2. Due to the coronavirus, the event will take place online only.

MNA/

Iran’s We Defeat Coronavirus International Cartoon Contest has received 4200 submissions from cartoonists from 88 countries.

“Out of all the submissions, about 2000 cartoons were showcased for 28 days at irancartoon.ir, which has been visited by 1,340,000 people,” said Masud Shojaei-Tabatabai, the director of the Art Bureau’s Visual Arts Office that launched the competition 40 days ago.

The cartoons are also on view on the website of the Institute of Contemporary Visual Arts.

Iran participated in the contest with 436 cartoonists standing on the top. Turkey came next with 82 artists, and then India with 75, Indonesia with 70, Brazil with 48, and Russia with 30.

The contest was organized by Iran’s Art Bureau in collaboration with the Health Ministry. /T.T/

Statistical Center of Iran (SCI) has announced that the country’s gross domestic product (GDP), excluding the oil sector, has registered a growth rate of 0.9 percent in the autumn of the past Iranian calendar year, Mehr news agency reported.

It is while last month the Central Bank of Iran (CBI) Governor Abdolnaser Hemmati had put the GDP growth at 1.2 percent for the mentioned season, which is the third quarter of the Iranian year.

“The country’s economic performance shows that despite maximum pressure imposed by the U.S. sanctions, Iran’s economy has achieved good results in the framework of the production boom strategy outlined by the leader of the Islamic Revolution”, Hemmati wrote in an Instagram post at that time.

CBI put the growth for the country’s agriculture, industry, construction, and services sectors at 7.8 percent, 7 percent, and 1.2 percent, respectively for the mentioned quarter. /T.T/