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 /

The 31st edition of Tehran International Book Fair (TIBF) has kicked off at Imam Khomeini Musalla without the presence of President Rouhani who is ritually in charge of inaugurating the event.

Tehran International Book Fair has turned into a landmark book fair in Middle East and Asia after holding 30 editions in a row. Every year in May, an average of 2,500 domestic and 600 foreign publishers participate in the event. The foreign publishers substantially offer their materials in English or Arabic however titles in French, German, Chinese, Korean or Japanese are also available.

In the TIBF event last year, nearly $38 million worth of books were sold.

The 31st TIBF was inaugurated today at Imam Khomeini Musalla in Tehran in the presence of Iranian Culture Minister Abbas Salehi and Serbian Minister of Culture and Information Vladan Vukosavljević.

Serbia is this year’s Guest of Honor and Tunis is the guest city; publishers from Germany, China, Italy, Oman, Hungary, Austria, Russia and Iraq will have their stands at the book fair.

Iran was the guest of honor at the 61st Belgrade International Book Fair in 2016. 100 Persian titles have so far been translated into the Serbian language. Serbia publishes 7 to 8 million titles each year.

Covering an area of 130,000 square meters, over 2,000 domestic publishers and 132 foreign publications will put as many as 515,000 book titles on display in this year’s edition of TIBF.

The 31st edition of the event will officially open to the public on Wednesday and last for two weeks, wrapping up on May 12. / Mehr news /

Varied collections of Iranian handicrafts are on display at the 82nd International Handicrafts Trade Fair, which is currently underway at the Fortezza da Basso, Florence.

32 skilled artisans — natives of different provinces — are promoting their works at the event, ILNA reported on Sunday.

Covering 120 square meters, Iran’s pavilion has been set up by the Touring and Automobile Club in collaboration with the Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization, the report said.

The pavilion holds workshops and local musical performances as well.

Over the past couple of years, dozens of Iranian handicrafts have gained the UNESCO Seal of Excellence.

Some 800 handicrafts-associated businesses as well as hundreds of craftspeople from about 50 countries are attending the event that runs through May 1. / Tehran times /

Mehdi Karbasian, Iranian Deputy Minister of Industry, Mine and Trade, said on Wednesday in London that the volume of Iran’s steel export has increased 9 times in 2017 vis-à-vis the volume in 2013.
“Iran’s steel output was around 20 million tons out of which one million ton was exported in 2013, but last year the export amount rose to 9 million tons,” said Mehdi Karbasian, Iranian Deputy Minister of Industry, Mine and Trade, on Wednesday in London.

He made the remarks while addressing the CRU World Aluminum Conference 2018 underway in British capital city. / Mehr news /