** IRAN DAILY
-- 65 tons of Iranian saffron smuggled in nine months
About 65 tons of saffron were smuggled from Iran during the first nine months of the current Iranian year (March 21-December 21, 2023), of which 90 percent were destined to Afghanistan as the remaining 10 percent were smuggled to Arab countries.
Announcing the above, Mohammadali Rezaei, the head of the Union of Exporters of Medicinal Plants, Food Products and Saffron of Iran added that most of the saffron that is sold in the world markets as Spanish saffron goes from Iran to Spain in bulk.
-- Annual grain output up 3%
Grain production in Iran topped 23 million tons in 2023, registering a more than three-percent growth compared to a year earlier, according to the statistics of the US Department of Agriculture.
In a report on the situation of agricultural production in the world in 2023, the production of wheat in Iran was estimated at 14 million tons, showing a six-percent hike compared to a year before.
-- Iran exports 10.5m tons of cement to 25 countries in nine months
Iran exported 10.5 million tons of cement to 25 countries, including Iraq, Kuwait, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Syria, over the nine months, to November 21, 2023, an industry source announced.
Secretary of Iran’s Cement Industry Producers Association Ali Akbar Alvandian said that some 60 million tons of cement were consumed domestically during the nine months.
** KAYHAN INTERNATIONAL
-- Iran, Uzbekistan Emphasize Developing Relations in Trade, Economic, Energy Fields
Iran’s Minister of Industry, Mine and Trade Abbas Aliabadi and his accompanying delegation, during a visit to the Uzbek capital of Tashkent, held talks with the ministers of industry and energy of Uzbekistan to broaden bilateral ties in trade, economic and energy fields.
Officials from Iran and Uzbekistan stressed the need to expand cooperation in the fields of trade, economy and energy.
-- Tehran to Host 21st WOODEX Expo Next Week
The 21st Iran International Exhibition of Wood, Raw Materials, Accessories, and Fitting Machinery & Related Industries for Furniture dubbed “WOODEX Expo 2024” will open at the Tehran Permanent International Fairgrounds on Thursday, February 1.
The secretary of the Iranian Wood Industry Employers’ Association said the exhibition’s objective is to provide the participants and exhibitors with information on the latest developments in Iran’s wood industry and provide a chance for business relationships between domestic and international businesses and market players.
-- BRICS Nations Buying Large Amounts of Gold to Topple U.S. Dollar in Transactions
The BRICS countries, including Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, are buying massive amounts of gold to topple the dominance of the U.S. dollar in transactions on the global stage.
Throughout 2023, the BRICS alliance has acquired gold at a remarkable rate.
** TEHRAN TIMES
-- Iran, Pakistan will never allow adversaries to undermine relations: Tehran
Following a tragic incident within Iran that targeted Pakistani nationals, the Islamic Republic of Iran has declared that Tehran and Islamabad would not allow harm to be done to their ties. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani declared on Saturday that “Iran and Pakistan will not allow enemies to wreak havoc on the countries’ brotherly relations.”
His comments were made just hours after unidentified gunmen shot and killed at least nine Pakistani citizens in the Saravan district of the province of Sistan-Baluchestan in southeast Iran, injuring three more.
-- Two Iranian movies win at Jaipur International Film Festival
Two films from Iran have won awards at the 16th Jaipur International Film Festival (JIFF) in Jaipur, India.
“The Last Birthday” directed by Navid Mahmoudi and “The Last Year’s Story” by Mehdi Jabinshenas are the Iranian movies whose names are among the winners of this year’s edition of the Indian festival announced on January 25, ILNA reported on Sunday. A joint production of Iran and Afghanistan, Mahmoudi’s latest feature fiction won the Golden Camel award for the best director.
-- Loading, unloading of goods in ports up 8% in 10 months on year
The loading and unloading of goods in the ports of Iran increased by eight percent in the first ten months of the present Iranian calendar year (March 21, 2023-January 20, 2024), as compared to the same period in the past year, the country’s Ports and Maritime Organization (PMO) announced.
As the PMO reported, 194,078,457 tons of commodities were loaded and unloaded in the ports during the ten-month period. During the mentioned period, loading and unloading operations in the container sector also rose six percent year on year.
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