*** IRAN DAILY
-- Qatari emir Tehran trip carries message for regional states: Cleric
The Thursday visit by Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to Tehran had a message for regional countries that the Persian Gulf littoral states should place their trust in “powerful” Iran as it is the Islamic Republic that will come to their rescue in times of hardship, not the United States, Britain and Israel.
The remarks were made by Tehran’s interim Friday prayer leader, Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami, in an address to worshipers in Tehran.
-- Official censures U.S. for ‘lecturing others’ on human rights despite its dark record
An Iranian official slammed the United States for “daring to lecture others” on human rights, pointing to the oppression and abuse of the Native Americans in the country up until the past decades.
Kazem Gharibabadi, the Iranian Judiciary chief’s deputy for international affairs and secretary of the country’s High Council for Human Rights, made the remark in a late Thursday tweet in reaction to a federal study of Native American boarding schools that has identified more than 500 student deaths at the institutions so far.
-- Markazi Province: A land with rich tourism assets
The central Iranian province of Markazi has a great tourism potential and due to its special geographical location, it is able to host a large number of Iranian and foreign travelers, said Ali-Asghar Shalbafian, the deputy cultural heritage, tourism and handicrafts minister for tourism affairs.
Speaking on the sidelines of his visit to the province, he noted: “So far, the tourism economy has not got the attention it deserves in the province,” pointing out that efforts should be made to identify and introduce the tourism potentials of the region in the best possible manner.
*** KAYHAN INTERNATIONAL
-- Iraq Says Strikes Gas Deal With Iran
Iraq has agreed to pay $1.6 billion in debt to Iran by June 1 to secure a steady gas supply for power generation through the summer, its electricity minister said.
“We have reached agreement on supply in sufficient quantities. We have agreed on 50 million cubic metres (per day) during the four summer months,” acting electricity minister Adel Karim told state television. During winter, Iraq will import between 10 million and 20 million cubic meters per day of Iranian gas, he added.
-- Iran-Qatar Set the Trend for Regional Cooperation
Iran’s growing political, economic, and cultural ties with the Persian Gulf states of Qatar and Oman (and to a lesser extent with Kuwait), provide an excellent model for regional cooperation, if only the other three members of the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (PGCC) – Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Bahrain – summon up the courage to reconsider their flawed policies that are serving the vested interests of the US, and the illegal Zionist entity.
Friday’s visit to Tehran of the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Aal-e Thani, at the head of a large delegation and his talks with senior Iranian officials on various issues, including the chronic question of Palestine, is a firm indication in this regard.
It was his second visit, following the one in January 2020, and he was granted an audience with the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, who pointed out the need for expanding Tehran-Doha ties to their full capacity.
-- Iran, Canada Football Friendly Match to Be Held in Vancouver
Iran football team will play Canada in a warm-up game on June 5 at Vancouver’s BC Place.
In the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, Iran will be in Group B with England, the U.S. and the yet-to-be-decided UEFA Path A winner. Wales is set to take on the winner of the Ukraine-Scotland playoff.
Canada is drawn in Group F along with Belgium, Serbia, and Morocco.
*** TEHRAN TIMES
-- People won’t tolerate normalization with Israel, Iran FM says
Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian has reminded Lebanon's Culture Minister Mohammad Wissam al-Mortada that normalizing relations with Israel would never be tolerated by the people of the region.
He made the statements during a meeting of the two ministers in Tehran on Wednesday, when they reviewed the recent events in the region, the promotion of ties among Islamic nations, and the growth of bilateral cooperation.
-- Iran to celebrate Ferdowsi and Persian Language Commemoration Day
Ferdowsi and Persian Language Commemoration Day will be celebrated in Iran in a series of programs designed by different organizations on Sunday.
A major part of the programs has been arranged by the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance and the Academy of Persian Language and Literature.
Bells will ring at schools across the country for “Persian Language Period”, during which time teachers will discuss issues concerning the Persian language, Academy of Persian Language and Literature director Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel said in a press conference last week.
-- Iranian teams learn fate at 2022 IHF Beach Handball World Championships
Iran men’s and men’s youth handball teams discovered their rivals at the 2022 IHF Men’s and Youth (U18) Beach Handball World Championships.
The men’s team have been drawn in Pool C along with Denmark, Norway and Egypt. The youth team have been also drawn in Pool A along with Sweden, Qatar and the U.S.
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