The Iranian short documentary “Nomad Girl” was selected as best short at the OKO – International Ethnographic Film Festival in Poland.

Directed by Ruhollah Akbari, “Nomad Girl” follows the daughter of one of the nomadic tribes, who, despite all the problems caused by the traditions and common beliefs about girls exercising, achieves much success in kickboxing. She tries to persuade the families of the girls in the area to encourage them to attend training classes in a nomad “black tent”.

The documentary was also screened at the Kazan International Muslim Film Festival, which took place in September in the capital of Tatarstan, a semi-autonomous region in southwest Russia.

The OKO – International Ethnographic Film Festival is annually organized in Bolgrad, Ukraine, but due to the outbreak of war in the country, the third edition of the event was organized under the motto of “Look at Ukraine with New Eyes!” in Torun, Poland from November 13 to 18.

“The Wormwood Star” directed by Adelina Borets from Ukraine and “Brave” by French director Wilmarc Val were awarded honorable mentions.

The short documentary “The Wormwood Star” shows the village of Mali Klischi, which has existed since 1790. In 1972, there were 200 houses and 530 inhabitants. Residents of the village have been displaced due to radioactive contamination. The Regional Council removed the village from the register on June 21, 1991. Today, Nina, a 79-year-old woman, and her 62-year-old son, Alexander, are the sole inhabitants remain in what used to be the village of Mali Klischi. There is a great misunderstanding between them, despite the fact that they have lived together for many years. In order to remain in their houses, they have paid the highest price: loneliness.

In “Brave”, the director follows his mother Cébé, a modest housekeeper living in France. She decides to return to Haiti to finally perform a ceremony she should have performed 24 years ago, following the death of her mother, a Vodou priestess. She hopes to put an end to the misfortunes that have befallen the family.

The best feature film award went to “I Am Chance” by Wajnberg Marc-Henri from Belgium.

The film is about the microcosm of a group of street-savvy girls in the surprisingly bright, pop and artistic megacity of Kinshasa. Astute, sassy and resilient, Chancelvie and her friends take on the world, fighting and nurturing, stealing and sharing, turning tricks and making art. Vibrant and exuberant, Kinshasa itself becomes a character in the film, combining its voice with that of the girls. /T.T/

Iran taekwondo athletes have received three medals in the 2022 World Taekwondo Championships in Mexico. Reza Kalhor and Sajjad Mardani ranked third in the weight category of -68kg and +87kg, respectively.

Also, Mehran Barkhordari received a bronze medal in the weight category of +80 kg in the event.

In the tournament, 755 contenders from 120 countries competed for world titles.

The 25th edition of the World Taekwondo Championships was held in Guadalajara, Mexico from November 13 to 20.  / MNA/

 

Iranian reciter Seyed Mostafa Hosseini has ranked third at the 20th edition of the Moscow international Quran competition held in Russia.

Representatives from 21 countries competed at the competition in which the Iranian qari Seyed Mostafa Hosseini ranked third in the event.

The participants from Turkey and Egypt come first and second in the contest.

The competition was held after a two-year hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Qari or reciter in Islamic terminology refers to one who recites the Qur’an according to the tajwid, or proper rules of recitation. /MNA/

According to the QS Asia University Rankings 2023, the Sharif University of Technology and the University of Tehran are among the top 100 universities.

Published annually since 2009, the QS Asia University Rankings highlight the top universities in Asia each year. Universities are evaluated according to the following metrics: academic reputation, employer reputation, faculty/student ratio, international research network, citations per faculty, staff with a Ph.D., international faculty ratio, and international student ratio, and proportion of inbound and outbound exchange students.

The Sharif University of Technology and the University of Tehran rank 84 and 92, respectively.Some 12 Iranian universities are listed among the top 760 Asian universities. The Sharif University of Technology and the University of Tehran rank 84 and 92, respectively, which are also among the top 100 institutions.

Peking University takes the top spot this year, with last year’s number one university, the National University of Singapore, taking second place.

The rest of the top ten is rounded out by a diverse selection of institutions from across East and South East Asia – including Malaysia, Mainland China, and South Korea.

Based on the 2023 QS World University Rankings for Sustainability, three Iranian institutions are also among the top sustainable ones in the world.

Performance in 2022

According to the latest edition of the best global universities ranking released by U. S. News, 52 Iranian institutions were ranked among the best institutions worldwide.

Fifty-eight universities from Iran were listed among the top universities in Asia, according to the 2022 Asia University Rankings of the Times Higher Education.

The 2022 edition of the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings, based on universities’ contributions to delivering the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), listed 27 Iranian universities.

The Webometrics Ranking of World Universities 2022 has ranked 694 Iranian institutions among 30,000 top universities across the world.

Also, 59 Iranian universities have been listed among the top 3,000 institutions in the world in terms of academic quality, according to the 2021-2022 report released by University Ranking by Academic Performance (URAP).

The Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) Graduate Employability Rankings 2022 list has been released, which included three Iranian universities out of a total of 550 institutes worldwide that highlighted graduate employment processes. /T.T/

 

A vast flower carpet, which is said to be the largest of its kind in West Asia, will be unveiled in Mahallat, a hectic hub of flower gardens in central Markazi province on Wednesday, an official with Mahallat Municipality has said.

Flowers from 200,000 varieties will be used in the carpet, which will cover some 800 square meters, ISNA quoted Marjan Khosravani as saying on Tuesday.

The project will be carried out by the city’s Municipality and the City Council in collaboration with the citizens who are interested in flowers, the official added.

The project aims at promoting Mahallat’s capacities in the tourism field as well as introducing the city as the center of cultivation of flowers and ornamental plants in the country, she noted.

The oldest and perhaps most beautiful evidence of flower bouquets in Iran is found in the stone carvings of the UNESCO-registered Persepolis. Over 2500 years old, the stone carvings show Darius I (550– 486 BC), holding the scepter of authority in one hand and a lotus flower with two buds in his right hand, a symbol of royalty.

Flowers have also thrived in the Persian language. Many girls are named after flowers: Ra’na (Blanket Flowers), Shaghayegh (Anemone), Banafsheh (Violet), Yaasaman (Jasmine), Niloofar (Lotus flower), Nastaran (Eglantine), Laleh (Tulip), Narges (Daffodil), etc.

Mahallat is famous for its large flower gardens. Some even it the ‘Holland of Iran’ likening it to the Netherlands in terms of the diversity of flowers. /T.T/

Iran and Thailand discussed ways to expand cooperation on traditional herbal medicine.In a meeting on Wednesday, Arman Zargaran, an advisor to the Iranian health minister, met with Thailand health ministry official Tongchai Lertwilairatanapong.
The two sides considered similarities between the models of Persian and Thai medicines as a very interesting point for this cooperation, suggesting holding short-term courses, helping to transfer professors and students, as well as supporting the visiting professor program, and research projects as fields of cooperation.

Zargaran suggested sharing and transferring management experience in the integration of traditional medicine in the health system of the two countries as another field of cooperation.

It was also decided that a joint memorandum of understanding should be prepared for signing by the two sides, and at the same time, a roadmap for the implementation of this memorandum should be drawn according to the potential of both parties and related scientific centers.

Iranian traditional medicine

Iranian traditional medicine strongly focuses on prioritizing health maintenance and disease prevention over treatment.

It is one of the most ancient forms of traditional medicine. It is grounded in the concept of four senses of humor: phlegm (Balgham), blood (Dam), yellow bile (Safra’), and black bile (Sauda’). The concept of the four senses of humor is based on the teachings of Rhazes and Avicenna in an elaborate medical system.

So far, about 30,000 plant species have been identified in the world, with Iran’s share of about 8,000 species which is more than the whole of species found in Europe.

Some 2,300 species of medicinal plants have been identified in the country, accounting for one-third of the medicines used in human societies.

The per capita consumption of medicinal plants in Iran is about one kilogram of dried plants, in other words, 83,000 tons of medicinal plants worth 1.2 trillion rials (around $4 million) are consumed in the country, while in Europe this amount is 900 grams and in the United States is 2.5 kilograms.

The export revenue of medicinal plants is estimated at $700 million, the caretaker of the Vice Presidency for Science and Technology, Rouhollah Dehghani, said.

Iran ranks fourth worldwide in the production of science in the field of traditional medicine, and the remarkable achievement will improve in the coming years, Hosseini Yekta announced.

Over 17,000 books have so far been published about Persian traditional medicine, which has been recognized by the World Health Organization, she noted. /T.T/

The Caves of Karaftu, situated in the Kordestan province of Iran, have been put on the temporary World Heritage List of UNESCO, a local official said.

The Director General of the Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Department of Kordestan said that the quotas of the countries to inscribe their national properties on UNESCO’s World Heritage List are limited.

That is why Iran’s officials decided to put the Caves of Karaftu on the temporary list of the world body, Yaghoub Guilian noted.

Once a country signs the World Heritage Convention, and has sites inscribed on the World Heritage List, the resulting prestige often helps raise awareness among citizens and governments for heritage preservation, according to unesco.org.

Greater awareness leads to a general rise in the level of protection and conservation given to heritage properties. A country may also receive financial assistance and expert advice from the World Heritage Committee to support activities for the preservation of its sites, the source added.

Studies have shown that the region had been underwater during the Cretaceous period and that the mountains emerged out of the waters during the late part of this geologic period.

The Caves of Karaftu are only accessible via a common entrance found on the southern side of the mountain. On this side, the cliff is said to rise almost vertically, and the entrance to the caves is said to be around 9 m (29 ft.) above the ground.

In times past, the caves could only be reached by using ladders or ropes. Today, there is a long staircase leading up to the entrance. /MNA/

Iranian short film ‘Adjustment’ will take part in the 39th edition of the Chicago International Children’s Film Festival in the US.

Directed by Mehrdad Hassani and produced by Hassan Mohammadi, the Iranian short film is scheduled to vie at the competition section of the Chicago International Children’s Film Festival.

The film is about Shahrokh, a nine-year-old effeminate boy humiliated and pushed away by his family and friends, who makes up his mind to assume a new identity and comes out to the people of his village. Having been through a series of ordeals, Shahrokh, dressed in girl’s clothes, shows up at school and confronts his classmates.

The film has previously won the Grand Prix at the Busan International Short Film Festival in South Korea.

Mansour Nassiri, Fatemeh Moradi, Maryam Goldouz, and Jamshid Bahadori are among the cast of the film.

The Chicago International Children’s Film Festival is the largest annual festival of films for children (ages 2–16) in the world, programming 250 films and videos from 40 countries. With 25,000 children, adults, and educators and over 100 filmmakers, programmers and celebrities each year, the Festival is one of the only Academy Award-qualifying children’s film festivals. /MNA/

Nasrin Shahi of Iran secured berth for the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. Turkey’s Aysel Ozgan won the gold medal in the thrilling P2 – women’s 10m air pistol SH1 finals held at the Al Ain 2022 World Championships.

Ozgan finished with 233.1 for the gold medal followed by Shahi on 230.9 points.

Hungary’s Krisztina David settled for a bronze with 211.6 points.

MNA/

Venezuelan Minister of Transport Ramon Velasquez said that Islamic Republic of Iran started exporting its high-quality manufactured cars to the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela on Sunday.

Some 80,000 requests have been registered in Venezuela for the products of an Iranian car manufacturer, he said, adding that the executive process of exporting car to this country has started, so that 1,000 of these cars were exported to Venezuela on Sunday at the first stage.

Speaking on the sidelines of exporting 1,000 cars manufactured by a leading car manufacturer to Venezuela on Sunday, Velasquez stated that start of exporting Iranian products with high quality and also with reasonable price cause satisfaction of Venezuelan customers.

He then pointed to the high requests for purchasing products of a leading Iranian car manufacturer in Venezuela, and said that about 80,000 requests were registered in this country at the first stage.

It is a source of satisfaction and pride to be able to materialize the views of Iranian and Venezuelan presidents Nicolas Maduro and Ebrahim Raeisi in the joint commission for economic cooperation between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, he emphasized. /MNA/