Deputy Minister of Agricultural Jihad Hassan Rokni said talks are underway with the Iraqi officials to remove the obstacles ahead of tariff levied on dairy and dairies’ products.

Rokni put the export growth of dairies in the nine month of the current Iranian calendar year in 1396 (from March 21 to Dec. 22) at more than 30 percent.

He also put the export value of poultry products in the same period at $843 million and said, “statistics show that the trade balance in livestock and poultry sector turned positive in the nine months of the current year.”

Over 750,000 tons of milk and various types of dairies were exported from the country in the same period, expandable to one million tons before termination of the current Iranian calendar year in 1396 (to end March 20, 2018), Rokni maintained.

In response to a question in the field of tariff levied for export of dairies to neighboring Iraq, he reiterated, “the Iraqi government has relatively considered some restrictions for all countries in this respect but country’s export of dairies to Iraq is still underway.”

The responsible officials at the Ministry of Agricultural Jihad are making their utmost efforts to convince Iraqi side to reconsider this issue meticulously, the deputy minister of Agriculture observed.

To conclude his remarks, he emphasized, “under such circumstances, it is expected that consumption of dairies will experience a considerable decline in Iraq.”  / Mehr News /

Head of Plan and Budget Organization Mohammad-Bagher Nobakht put the country’s economic growth in the next Iranian calendar year in 1397 (to start March 21, 2018) at eight percent.

Achieving eight percent economic growth, generation of employment opportunities for more than one million job-seeking people in the next year and also planning to accelerate semi-finished projects have been taken into serious consideration in the next Iranian year (to start March 21, 2018), he maintained.

Speaking in the introduction and valediction ceremony of former and new heads of National Development Fund of Iran, he expressed his special thanks to the unflinching and unsparing efforts of former head of NDFI Ahmad Doost-Hosseini in line with materializing most economic objectives of the Fund.

He pointed to the restriction of financial and economic resources of the country and added, “it is necessary that effective and constructive measures should be taken in order to manage financial resources optimally.”

To conclude his remarks, he said, “National Development Fund of Iran (NDFI) is a national wealth and its managers are trustees of these resources. It is our duty to deliver these resources to the next generation in the best form possible optimally.” / Mehr news /

Academy award-winning film ‘The Salesman’ directed by Asghar Farhadi has been nominated for 2018 BAFTA Awards in the Best Film Not in the English Language category.

‘The Salesman’, which won acclaimed director Asghar Farhadi his second Oscar, has now been nominated by 2018 BAFTAs for Best Film Not in the English Language, along with ‘Elle’, ‘First They Killed My Father’, ‘The Handmaiden’, and ‘Loveless’.

‘The Salesman’ won the Best Actor award, for star Shahab Hosseini, and the Best Screenplay award at the Cannes Film Festival in 2016. It also garnered the Satellite Award for Best Foreign Language Film given by the International Press Academy.

The Iranian drama tells the story of Emad (Shahab Hosseini) and Rana (Taraneh Alidoosti), a couple who are part-time actors playing Willy and Linda Loman in a Tehran production of Arthur Miller’s ‘Death of a Salesman’, when an intruder in their new home shakes this marriage to its core.

The 71st British Academy Film Awards, known as the BAFTAs, will be held on 18 February 2018 at the Royal Albert Hall in London.

Full list of nominees:

Best film

Call Me By Your Name

Darkest Hour

Dunkirk (Christopher Nolan, Emma Thomas)

The Shape of Water (Guillermo del Toro, J. Miles Dale)

Three billboard outside Ebbing, Missouri (Graham Broadbent, Pete Czernin, Martin McDonagh)

Outstanding British film

Darkest Hour

The Death of Stalin

God’s Own Country

Paddington 2

Three billboard outside Ebbing, Missouri

Outstanding debut by a British writer, director or producer

The Ghoul (Gareth Tunley [Writer/Director/Producer], Jack Healy Guttman & Tom Meeten [Producers])

I Am Not A Witch (Rungano Nyoni [Writer/Director], Emily Morgan (Producer)

Jawbone (Johnny Harris [Writer/Producer], Thomas Napper [Director])

Lady Macbeth (Alice Birch [Writer], William Oldroyd [Director], Fodhla Cronin O’Reilly [Producer])

Film not in the English language

Elle (Paul Verhoeven, Saïd Ben Saïd)

First They Killed My Father (Angelina Jolie, Rithy Panh)

The Handmaiden (Park Chan-wook, Syd Lim)

Loveless (Andrey Zvyagintsev, Alexander Rodnyansky)

The Salesman (Asghar Farhadi, Alexandre Mallet-Guy)

Documentary

City of Ghosts (Matthew Heineman)

I Am Not Your Negro (Raoul Peck)

Icarus (Bryan Fogel, Dan Cogan)

An Inconvenient Sequel (Bonni Cohen, Jon Shenk)

Jane (Brett Morgen)

Animated Film

Coco (Lee Unkrich, Darla K. Anderson)

Loving Vincent (Dorota Kobiela, Hugh Welchman, Ivan Mactaggart)

My Life As A Courgette (Claude Barras, Max Karli)

Director

Blade Runner 2049 (Denis Villeneuve)

Call Me By Your Name (Luca Guadagnino)

Dunkirk (Christopher Nolan)

The Shape of Water (Guillermo del Toro)

Three billboard outside Ebbing, Missouri (Martin McDonagh)

Original screenplay

Get Out (Jordan Peele)

I, Tonya (Steven Rogers)

Lady Bird (Greta Gerwig)

The Shape of Water (Guillermo del Toro, Vanessa Taylor)

Three billboard outside Ebbing, Missouri (Martin McDonagh)

Adapted Screenplay

Caall Me By Your Name (James Ivory)

The Death of Stalin (Armando Iannucci, Ian Martin, David Schneider)

Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool (Matt Greenhalgh)

Molly’s Game (Aaron Sorkin)

Paddington 2 (Simon Farnaby, Paul King)

Leading Actress

Annette Bening (Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool)

Frances McDormand (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri)

Margot Robbie (I, Tonya)

Sally Hawkins (The Shape of Water)

Saoirse Ronan (Lady Bird)

Leading Actor

Daniel Day-Lewis (Phantom Thread)

Daniel Kaluuya (Get Out)

Gary Oldman (Darkest Hour)

Jamie Bell (Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool)

Timothée Chalamet (Call Me by Your Name)

/ Mehr news /

The statistics show that following the implementation of Iran’s nuclear deal, the hydroelectricity sector of Iran’s economy has attracted %8.2 billion foreign investments.

Signing and the implementation of Iran’s nuclear deal with the world powers and lifting the imposed sanctions against Iran paved the way for attracting foreign investment in Iran’s economy. In this vein, water and electricity sector has attracted more than 8 billion worth of foreign investment.

The statistics of Iran’s energy ministry indicate that from the beginning the 11th administration to the end of last summer, more than $4 billion worth of projects were put in operation and 5, 138 MW electricity were added to the national grid

Moreover, $13.726 billion worth of domestic and foreign investment is being negotiated and the related contracts are going to be finalized soon.

When these contracts are put into operation, more than 3,000 MW will be added to the country’s power plants. / Mehr news /

Chief Executive of CinnaGen Pharmaceutical Group Dr. Haleh Hamedifar said Islamic Republic of Iran was turned into the largest exporter of technology in the pharmaceutical industry.

Hamedifar made the remarks on Tuesday saying, “for the first time in the country, this pharmaceutical group was introduced as leading exporter of technology in pharmaceutical industry.”

Speaking in 34th meeting of Representatives Board of Tehran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (TCCIMA), she maintained, “technologies of this pharmaceutical group have been exported to Malaysia and Argentine for the first time.”

Turning to the activities of this pharmaceutical group in the field of supplying “high-tech” drugs and also medicines for special and hard-to-cure diseases, Hamedifar added, “there are only one or two manufacturing companies in the world for producing these special drugs, so that technical knowhow of these drugs has been indigenized and are produced without technological dependency.”

Currently, CinnaGen Pharmaceutical Group accounts for 40 percent export share of pharmaceuticals in the country, she said, adding, “accordingly, employment opportunities have been created for 2,500 people in pharmaceutical industry of the country.”

As the sole receiver of Amin al-Zarb Pharmaceutical Badge in the country, she said, “drug is a strategic product which can guarantee health in the society, so that responsible officials in the country should pay due attention to this important issue.”

Elsewhere in her remarks, she called on government officials to allocate sufficient budget in pharmaceutical industry of the country.

Currently, Food and Drug Organization (FDO) is responsible for regulating operations in pharmaceutical sector of the country but this body also is supplier of drugs and medicines as well as main body for the allocation of foreign exchange to this sector.

In conclusion, she urged government officials to support those pharmaceutical companies which can produce and supply high-tech drugs for patients suffering from special diseases.

Mohammad-Ali Rejali a veteran economic activist who has more than four decades of industrial experience and founder of Zarif Mosavar Company was the next speaker who said, “suitable ways should be provided for entrepreneurs in the country in order to spur production in the best way possible.”

It is worth mentioning that Plaque of Honor and Amin al-Zarb Badge were awarded to top entrepreneurs and exemplary units in pharmaceutical industry of the country in the presence of ministries of industry and agriculture. / Mehr news /

A s per the budget bill of the next fiscal year (starting March 21), the government will allocate a total of 3,270 trillion rials ($76 billion) to create more than 1.03 million jobs, the government spokesman said.

“Out of the total sum, 734 trillion rials ($17.06 billion) will be spent on job-generating manufacturing projects and 2,543 trillion rials ($59.13 billion) will be spent on development projects,” Mehr News Agency also quoted Mohammad Baqer Nobakht as saying.

Nobakht added that 174 trillion rials ($4.04 billion) of the budget for the manufacturing projects are to be provided from public budget resources by increasing fuel prices, 150 trillion rials ($3.48 billion) out of the National Development Fund of Iran, 350 trillion rials ($8.13 billion) from bank loans and 60 trillion rials ($1.39 billion) from the resources of “Rural Employment Support and Expansion”. /  Financial tribune /

DesignMENA, Middle East’s premier website for architecture and interior design, has released a list of top 50 Middle East’s most influential architects, among which are five Iranians.

In its first publication in 2018, Middle East Architect has rounded up 50 of the Middle East’s most influential established and emerging architects. From Lebanon to Iran, this list highlights the architects that have positively contributed to the growing development of the region.

The list, entitled ‘Who’s Who’ consists of 45 established architects and five up-and-comers that the website recommends to be on your radar for 2018. Among the 50 most influential architects there are the names of five architects from Iran:

Amir Hossein Hajizadeh; his projects include the Tokyo Music Center, which won MEA Awards’ Public Sector Project of the Year in 2015 and the Chabahar Free Zone Complex that was awarded MEA Awards’ Concept Design of Year in 2017.

Arash G Tehrani; founder and principal at Arash G Tehrani Design Studio.

Behzad Atabaki; founder and CEO of Behzad Atabaki Studio. Atabaki has been nominated for many awards including the Aga Khan Award for Architects and a World Architecture Festival Award in 2017.

Mohammad Khavarian; his studio worked on a number of projects this year including Chamestan House in northern Iran and a residential project in Yazd. For 2018, the firm looks to complete residential projects across Iran and K Mall in Baghdad.

Kourosh Hajizadeh; founder of the award-winning Tehran-based architecture firm Hajizadeh & Associates as MEA Awards’ Architect of the Year in 2013. / Mehr news /

A bout 230 million ornamental fish were produced in Iran in the last Iranian year (ended March 20, 2017), of which 66 million worth $2.2 million were exported, registering a twofold increase compared with the year before, the chairman of Iran Fisheries Organization told Financial Tribune.

“The exports were mainly made to Turkey, Azerbaijan, the UAE and Iraq. There were also two shipments to East Asia last year,” Hassan Salehi, who is also a deputy agriculture minister, added.

Isfahan, Tehran and Gilan, according to the official, top the list of Iranian provinces producing ornamental fish. Close to 8,700 people earn their living through ornamental fish farming in Iran.

To expand the lucrative industry, Salehi said, Iran Fisheries Organization plans to launch specialized parks and complexes across the country for producing ornamental fish.

/ Financial tribune /

The head of Iranian Space Agency said that Iran ranks top in space science in the region and holds the 11th world ranking.

Deputy ICT Minister Morteza Barari highlighted the fact that Iran holds the first ranking in space science in the region and said that Iran was the ninth country that was able to launch satellites to the space.

Deputy ICT Minister stressed the necessity of improving space economy and added “launching satellites with the focus laid upon space authority was a very effective measure. At present, however, we need change in space economy.”

“We have managed to design, produce and launch research satellites, but have not been able to develop the right use for them,” he added.

“We now hold the first rank in space science production in region, but when it comes to functional space technology, we need transformation and change; this is because space science can provide job opportunities as well,” he asserted.

The Head of Iranian Space Agency Morteza Barari said that Iranian youth can contribute to this field of study immensely and said that Iranian Startups can be formed in the field of space technology. “Global Positions Systems and Navigation Applications some of which have achieved global renown use such space data and information.” /  Mehr news /

Iranian experts at an airbase in Shiraz have overhauled a Sukhoi Su-24 attack aircraft, which has now joined the operational fleet of Army’s air force.

The Sukhoi Su-24 fighter jet had been grounded for many years, and remained in the overhaul facility of Shahid Doran Airbase in Shiraz ever since.

On January 14, Iranian experts and specialized technicians succeeded in overhauling the grounded aircraft after spending over 35,000 manpower, working hours and constant efforts.

The aircraft has now joined the operational fleet of the Army’s Air Force after having passed all the necessary flight, combat and landing tests. / Mehr news /