** Iran Daily
– Member of Assembly of Experts shot dead in northern Iran
A member of Iran’s Assembly of Experts was assassinated in an armed attack in the country’s northern province of Mazandaran.
Ayatollah Abbasali Soleimani, a former representative of Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei in the southeastern Iranian province of Sistan and Baluchistan, died in hospital on Wednesday after being shot in a bank in the city of Babolsar in the northern province of Mazandaran.
– Iran, Russia pursue independent foreign policy: Duma chief
Chairman of the State Duma of Russia, Vyacheslav Volodin, said that Moscow and Tehran pursue an independent foreign policy in the world amid the growing pressure on both countries by the West.
Volodin said that Russia and Iran have close cooperation regarding countries that have a sense of superiority over others and only try to obtain their interests.
The Russian official made the remarks in a message to an international conference entitled “Russian-Iranian Cooperation in a Changing World,” which was held in the Russian capital, Moscow, on Wednesday.
– Iran, Kazakhstan eye $3b trade level
Kazakhstan’s Prime Minister Alikhan Smailov arrived in Tehran on Wednesday to meet Iran’s First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber.
Smailov is in Tehran to review the latest status of bilateral relations between Tehran and Astana, as well as co-chairing the Iran-Kazakhstan Joint Economic Commission with Mokhber.
After his meeting with Smailov, Mokhber said, “It was decided to increase the economic relations between the two countries to three billion dollars annually.”
** Kayhan International
– Iran Reiterates Support for Peace in Yemen
Foreign Minister Hussein Amir-Abdollahian has reaffirmed Iran’s stance on preserving Yemen’s territorial integrity and support for a political solution to the Yemeni crisis, emphasizing the need for a ceasefire and an end to the Saudi-led war and siege on the impoverished Arab nation.
Amir-Abdollahian made the remarks at a meeting with Muhammad Abdul-Salam, spokesman for Yemen’s Ansarullah resistance movement and the chief negotiator of Yemen’s National Salvation Government, here where the two sides discussed the latest developments in Yemen.
– Norway Prohibits Import of Goods Produced in Zionist Settlements
Norway has announced a ban on importing goods and services of companies that contribute directly or indirectly to the illegal Zionist settlements in the occupied territories, as they constitute a flagrant violation of international law.
The Palestinian BDS National Committee welcomed Oslo’s announcement. It noted that the decision “followed the decision of the Mayor of Barcelona to freeze relations with the Israeli colonial and apartheid regime.”
– Those Fleeing Sudan Say Situation ‘Horrible’
Sudan’s army and a paramilitary force battled on the outskirts of the capital on Wednesday, undermining a truce in an 11-day conflict that civilian groups fear could revive the influence of ousted president Omar al-Bashir and his loyalists.
Fueling those concerns, the army confirmed the transfer of 79-year-old Bashir from Khartoum’s Kober prison to a military hospital, along with at least five of his former officials, before hostilities started on April 15.
Foreigners fleeing Khartoum have described bodies littering streets, buildings on fire, residential areas turned into battlefields and youths roaming with large knives.
** Tehran Times
– Russia cautions against ‘huge mistake’ of sparing opportunity to resurrect JCPOA
Sergey Lavrov, the Foreign Minister of Russia, has urged the West to take advantage of the chance to salvage Iran’s nuclear program, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
“It would be a huge mistake to pass up the chance of resuming this deal,” Lavrov told reporters in New York.
– Erdogan awards IRCS “For Dedication” to help quake-hit people
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has awarded the Iranian Red Crescent Society with the “For Dedication” medal for its support in the aftermath of the February 6 earthquake.
In a ceremony that was held on Tuesday, Erdogan conferred the medal on Pir-Hossein Kolivand for his efforts to provide quake-hit people with rescue and relief services.
– Hamid Motahari added to Iran football coaching staff
Former Nassaji head coach Hamid Motahari was added to Iran national football team coaching staff on Wednesday.
Gol Gohar head coach Saeid Alhoei and ex-Iran midfielder Andranik Teymourian had been previously added to the coaching staff.
The 49-year-old coach has already worked as assistant coach in Rah Ahan, Saba, Saipa and Persepolis. Motahari was sacked as head coach of Nassaji in early April following poor results in the Iran football league.
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