An equipped first human cell production factory was opened in West Asia in the in the presence of First Vice President Es’hagh Jahangiri.

Minister of Health and Medical Education Dr. Seyyed Hassan Qazizadeh Hashemi and Sorena Sattari Vice President for Science and Technology, Hamid-Reza Tayyebi Head of Academic Center for Education, Culture and Research Activities and Mohammad Mokhber Head of Execution of Imam Khomeini’s Order (EIKO) also attended the inaugural ceremony of this giant project.

Jahangiri was briefed on the activities and performance of this equipped center. First Human Cell Production Plant was set up jointly between Barakat Pharmaceutical Company and Royan Research Institute which is tasked with producing products including Monocell, Ricollersal, Rhinooderm cell, etc. which are used to treat various cardiovascular, skin and skeletal diseases.

Technology for the production of fibroplast cells will be launched as of the third year of operation of this equipped factory.

Construction operation of this industrial and production unit began in June 2013 in a way that this factory has generated new employment opportunities for job-seeking people in the country. About 500 billion rials has been spent for launching pilot project of this industrial unit which is located on a land area with 1,300 sq.m built-up area. / Mehr news/

An exhibition, which will be organized at the Bahar Gallery of the Iranian Artists Forum (IAF) from May 18 to 23, will showcase a collection of photos featuring the daily lives of Iranian nomads living in the Kohkiluyeh-Boyer Ahmad region.

The exhibition titled “Something Like Life” will be organized in collaboration with the Rade No-Andish Art and Cultural Institute and the Yasuj branch of the Art Bureau, the IAF announced on Monday.

The photos are from a collection by Es’haq Aqai, an Iranian photographer who was raised in a nomad family in the region.

In a catalog published for the exhibit, the organizers wrote, “Kohkiluyeh-Boyer Ahmad is a part of the central Zagros region, which, due to its two different types of climate, has provided a suitable habitat for nomads over history.”

“Migration of the nomads begins in mid-autumn and mid-spring every year. The collective relocation is done every year, but there has been a major decline in the nomad population over the past few decades so that   half of the nomads have given up the nomadic lifestyle.”

According to the catalog, Iran has a nomad population of 1.2 million, which is declining as they gradually stop living as nomads and choose to live in permanent residences in villages and cities.

“This change will have serious repercussions for the country: Many subcultures, rituals, traditions and the beauty of this lifestyle will be consigned to oblivion,” read the catalog.

In his brief comments published in the catalog, Aqai said, “Photography of nomads is a cultural obsession for me, and in a time when modernity has infected all the structures of society, nomadic life is also not safe from it.” / Tehran times /

President Hassan Rouhani on Monday inaugurated five projects via video conferencing as part of a government initiative aimed at promoting tourism across the northeastern Khorasan Razavi province.

A total of 3,240 billion rials (some $80 million) has been invested in the projects that have generated jobs for 570 people, CHTN reported.

Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization Director Ali-Asghar Mounesan and several provincial officials attended the inauguration ceremony, which was held at the Park Hayat Grand Hotel.

Saken Hotel and the Park Hayat Grand Hotel being renovated during the scheme that also included construction of some eco-lodges and a museum.

“Khorasan Razavi province has diverse tourist attraction capacities in terms of religious, historical, cultural and natural arenas… and it plays host to over 20 million domestic and foreign pilgrims and travelers so that it is considered as one of the most fertile provinces in implementing tourism projects,” the official explained.

Over 900 hotels, apartment hotels and guest houses are catering to travelers across Khorasan Razavi province, according to data announced by Abolfazl Mokarramifard, the provincial tourism chief.

In January, the administration approved a bill allocating 24 trillion rials (some $600 million) to empowering rural areas and small towns in arenas of handicraft-associated jobs, ecotourism and hospitality industry. / Tehran times /

The 7th edition of Iran’s International Exhibition of Automobile (Iran Auto Show 2018) is due to be held from May 19 to 24 at Tehran Permanent International Fairground, IRIB news reported. As reported, over 100 Iranian companies will be taking part in the six-day event.

The participating companies plan to unveil their latest products including passenger cars, pickups, buses, minivans, trucks and motorcycles along with their latest services.

Introducing the country’s automotive industry, introducing new job opportunities, familiarity with other countries’ automotive industry achievements, improving the quality of domestic products for exporting to world markets and attracting foreign investment are reported to be among the exhibition’s goals. / Tehran times /

Iran traded $1.15 billion worth of non-oil goods with the UK during the last Iranian year (ended March 20, 2018), 153.82% more compared to the year before, making the European country Iran’s 14th biggest trading partner. As per the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration’s data, Iran exported 17,952 tons of commodities worth $48.15 million to the UK last year, posting a 9.16% and 16.24% increase in tonnage and in value respectively year-on-year. The exports mainly included floorings, carpets and polyethylene compounds. The UK exported 3.04 million tons of goods worth $1.10 billion to Iran during the period under review, up 200.36% and 167.64% in tonnage and value respectively YOY. Iran mainly imported oilcake, field corn and soybeans, from the UK during the period.

/ Financial tribune /

“The Distance” by Yusef Kargar won the Grand Prix for Best Picture in the 35th Busan International Short Film Festival, the organizers announced on Wednesday.

The film was an entry to the international competition section of the festival, which ran in the South Korean city from April 24 to 29.

“A simple, delicate, profound story about the pain of love, and how sometimes we must hide the truth to protect the ones we love,” the festival jury said in a statement.

“The Distance” is about Yashar who returns to Iran after several years to give news to his friend’s family, but is unaware of the news he would be hearing from that family.

The jury handed the Excellence Award for Best Picture to “The Kitman” by Andres Cornejo Pinto from Ecuador.

The Jury Prize was given to “High Way” by Chia Chee Sum from Malaysia. “Tweet-Tweet” by Zhanna Bekmambetova from Russia also received a Special Mention. /  Tehran times /

For the first time in history, Iran will send a female triathlete to the Asian Games. Shirin Gerami will represent Iran in the 2018 Asian Games in triathlon event.

On 15 September 2013, Gerami raced the triathlon championship in London while garbed in full Islamic dress. She has designed a range of sportswear to inspire other Iranian women to participate in sports.

The 29-year-old athlete was born in Iran but lives in England at the moment. In 2016, Gerami was chosen as one of the BBC 100 Women.

In 2013, she has made history by becoming the country’s first female triathlete to have taken part in the sport’s world championship.

Iran’s president, Hassan Rouhani, greeted her achievement by tweeting: “Shirin Gerami,1st female triathlete to have participated in world championship wearing Iran’s colors #GenderEquality.”

Head of Iran’s Triathlon Federation (ITF) Mohammad Ali Sabour is reportedly negotiating with National Olympic Committee President, Reza Salehi Amiri, to send also a male triathlete to the Asian Games.

The 18th Asian Games 2018, to be attended by 45 countries, will feature 462 events of 40 sports of which 32 are Olympic sports and eight are non-Olympic sports.

The Games will be held in Jakarta and Palembang, South Sumatra, on August 18-September 2, 2018. / Tehran times /

Iranian knowledge enterprises exported products valued at 450 million dollars during the past Iranian calendar year which ended on March 20, the vice president for science and technology announced on Saturday.

Sourena Sattari made the announcement on the sidelines of a ceremony arranged to sign an agreement between the Presidential Office for Science and Technology and Iran Airports and Air Navigation Company.

Talking about the achievements of Iranian startups and knowledge enterprises, Sattari said that the Iranian knowledge enterprises, despite being young, have achieved global standards for exporting drugs to Russia and European countries.

“We should consider international standards in the field of knowledge-based products and encourage novel ideas in this field,” he suggested.

Highlighting the importance of human resources and entrepreneurs as precious properties of the country, the vice president criticized dependence on oil money.

“Oil-based economy” makes people to think that they can “buy” everything by “money”, he lamented.

Sattari, a graduate of the Sharif University of Technology, added, “We cannot buy entrepreneurs and scientists but we should build them.”  /  Tehran times /

Experts and technical staff at Mehrabad’s Shahid Lashkari Air Force Base have overhauled a grounded F-4 fighter jet.

The F-4 fighter jet had been grounded for several years. The overhaul process took one year and six months and 18,000 man-hours to be fit to return to the operational phase.

The jet joined the operational fleet of the Army’s Air Force after a successful final test.

Back in February, Iran overhauled three jets including an F-14 and F-7 fighter aircraft, as well as a PC7 Turbo Trainer.

According to commander of Shahid Babaei Airbase, Mohammad Jafar Tak, the efforts put into the overhauling process of the grounded aircraft shows that the enemy’s attempts at imposing sanctions in a bid to undermine the country’s defense capabilities have been futile.

The efforts are also in line with ‘resistance economy’ and cutting down on expenses, he added. / Mehr news /