A total of 11 agent banks have allocated 200,000 marriage loans in the past 24 days, in line with the Central Bank of Iran’s recent measure to extend 550,000 marriage loans, Ali Asghar Mirmohammad Sadeqi, CBI’s deputy for credit affairs, announced. According to the official, 50,000 of the total loans were given to applicants in less developed provinces, CBI’s website quoted him as saying on Monday. Up until 2015, 30 million rials ($800) were given as interest-free marriage loan per person. The government increased the amount to 100 million rials ($2,600) per person and also earmarked the same amount in the current year’s budget, which was passed by the parliament. Lenders charge a 4% interest on the loan, which has to be repaid in four years. / Financial tribune /

A survey by the Information Sciences Institute (ISI) reveals that 24 Iranian universities are among the world’s most effective academic centers and institutes, an Iranian academic official said.

The ISI list includes universities in the top one percent of the world’s academic centers. It is updated every two months, said the head of the Islamic World Science Citation Center (ISC), Mohammad Javad Dehqani, on Sunday, IRNA reported.

Tehran University of Medical Sciences and Iran Polymer and Petrochemical Institute are among the world’s top one percent, he added.

Most of these universities are categorized in the field of chemistry, Dehqani said.

“In the field of geology, Tehran University is among the world’s top universities. In mathematics, Amirkabir University of Technology and Islamic Azad University are ranked among the world’s top one percent academic centers.”

In physics, the Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences, Sharif University of Technology, Isfahan University of Technology and Islamic Azad University are listed among the world’s bests, ISC head said.

/ Iran daily /

Young Iranian volleyball players managed to claim the title at 2017 FIVB Volleyball Boy’s U19 World Championship following a stunning win over Russian rivals.

Held at Isa City Sports Hall of Bahrain on Sunday, the final showdown saw Iran defeating Russia 3-1 (25-20, 25-23, 21-25, 25-20) in a bid to hunt the gold medal at the international sportive debut.

Iran’s Pouria Yali, Morteza Sharifi and Amirhossein Esfandiar managed to conduct 54 of the total 59 attacks by the Persian side.

Japan settled for bronze medal after thrashing South Korea 3-0 (25-22, 25-22, 25-18).

Amirhosseini Esfandiar of Iran was named as the ‘Most Valuable Player’ while ‘Best Outside Spikers’ title was jointly given to Esfandiar again and Russia’s Pavel Tetyukhin. Best Middle Blockers of the tournament were Artem Melnikov from Russia and Iran’s Amir Hossein Toukhteh.

The tournament was hosted by Bahrain in the cities of Riffa and Isa Town from 18 to 27 August 2017. A total of 20 teams were competing in the tournament. / Meher news /

T he folk music ensemble ‘Dilmun,’ led by musician, singer, theater director and actor Mahmoud Farzinejad, 39, will hold a concert in Rasht, capital of the northern Gilan Province.

Dilmun will perform ethnic music pieces from Gilan on August 30 at 6 and 9 pm  according to Haftsaz (haftsaz.com) a website on cultural programs that sells the tickets.

Ansari auditorium of Khatam-ol-Anbia cultural complex will host the concerts. It is located on Sa’di Street, near Shahrdari Square.

The pieces to be covered are arranged by composer and player of setar and tonbak, Arash Eshqi, 38. Fazinejad will sing.

Other members of the ensemble include Saber Gholamipour on tonbak, Sobhan Sarabi on setar, percussionists Navid Lahiji and Houman Eshqi, Ali At’hari on dayereh, Reza Fakouri on kamancheh and Samira Vahed playing naqareh drum. / Financial tribune /

I ran’s maritime businesses are to receive loans worth 2 trillion rials ($52.5 million) during the current fiscal year (ending March 20, 2018), the head of the Fund for Development of Marine Industries announced. “Up until now, 1.2 trillion rials ($31.5 million) have been allocated to marine Industries,” Mehrdad Mozaffari was also quoted as saying by IRNA. Interest on the loans is between 10-12%, but knowledge-based firms could anticipate a single-digit interest rate. The official also unveiled two agreements with China National Machinery Industry Corporation and a Singaporean company.”The Singaporean firm is ready to finance projects valued at €400 million ($477 million),” he said, without naming the company. Mozaffari elaborated on another agreement and said the Chinese Company would finance 85% of the cost of viable projects specified by Iran. / Financial tribune /

Four Iranian films were honored during the closing ceremony of the 2nd Kargil International Film Festival in the Indian city on August 23.

Yusef Jafari received the award for best director for his documentary “Chocolate Story”, while Milad Jarmuz was picked as best director for his short film “Numbness”.

“Light Sight” directed by Seyyed Moslem Tabatabai was selected as best animation and Marzieh Kheirkhah received the award for best director for her animation, “In the Crosshairs”.

Movies from other countries also received awards at the event.

The award for best documentary went to “Moonlight Princess” by Elke Margarete Lehrenkrauss from Israel, while “17 Years Together” by Javier Fesser from Spain was crowned best short film.

/ Tehran times /

An official at Ministry of Agriculture said Iran produces over 830 thousand tons of red meat every year.

Head of the Agriculture Ministry’s Animal Breeding Center Mohammad Reza Mollasalehi, while pointing to annual production of 830 thousand tons of red meat in the country, said 53% of the overall amount pertained beef while 47% belonged to lamb and goat meat.

The official noted that volume of buffalo and camel meat production in Iran was inconsiderable stating “the large portion of meat production comes from indigenous and industrial cattle.”

“currently, nearly 90% of the country’s demand for red meat is being supplied domestically with only 10 percent of the product coming from overseas,” continued the official adding “2.5 million tons of raw milk is produced annually in the country, of which 94 per cent is for cattle.”

Mollasalehi said cow population in the country was estimated at eight million noting that main priority was to produce milk with meat production landing second.

Referring to the estimation of producing 11.5 million tons of raw milk in the country within the Sixth Development Plan, he said “to this end, dairy cow units and raising per capita of milk production seem to be highly necessary.”

Mohammad Reza Mollasalehi also underscored that the overall figure for annual red meat production needs to climb from the current 830 thousand to one million tons.

/ Meher news /