** IRAN DAILY
-- Iran prays for president missing in chopper crash
A helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi made a “hard landing” on Sunday as it was crossing a mountainous area through a heavy fog. The president and his entourage were flying back from a visit to a border area in the northwestern province of East Azarbaijan. The incident happened in the mountainous protected forest area of Dizmar near the town of Varzaghan. Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi told state TV that 40 search teams had been dispatched to the region but poor weather made it difficult for them to reach the crash site.
-- 35th TIBF sees 25% sales increase
The 35th Tehran International Book Fair (TIBF) concluded, achieving significant success with over three million books sold. This year’s fair, held from May 8 to 19 at the Imam Khomeini Mosalla, saw a 25% increase in sales compared to the previous year, IRNA wrote.
The event, themed “Let’s Read and Create,” featured 2,700 domestic and international publishers and booksellers. Among the participants were 60 foreign publishers showcasing 50,000 titles. Yemen was honored as the special guest of the fair.
-- Deputy minister: Over 1,600 tourism projects launched in Iran since 2021
Iran has inaugurated 1,610 tourism projects since August 2021, according to the Deputy Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts.
Ali-Asghar Shalbafian announced the milestone at the reopening ceremony of the historic Risbaf Factory in Isfahan, which is being restored and redesigned to serve as a regional museum
** KAYHAN INTERNATIONAL
-- World in Prayer for President Raisi
Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khemenei on Sunday expressed sympathies to the Iranian nation after the helicopter carrying President Ebrahim Raisi went missing in a mountainous region in northwest Iran.
“We hope that the Almighty God returns the respected and esteemed President and his companions to the embrace of the nation,” Ayatollah Khamenei said in a message.
-- Iran to Reactivate Cancer Treatment Equipment in Venezuela
Iran on Saturday said it will send experts to its ally Venezuela to help with medical accelerators in hospitals it said had been stopped due to Western sanctions.
Venezuela requested Iran’s help, according to a message on the social media platform X by the Iranian government attributed to the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran.
-- Iran Unveils 16 Knowledge-Based Products in Medical Equipment Field
Sixteen knowledge-based and technological products in the health sector including medical equipment and machinery were unveiled at a ceremony attended by Iran’s Vice-President for Science and Technology Rouhollah Dehqani and the head of Iranian Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
** TEHRAN TIMES
-- Helicopter carrying President Raisi faces incident in northwest Iran
A helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi made a “hard landing” on Sunday during a visit to the country’s northwest, the national TV reported.
The incident occurred as a result of dense fog in the region, which is making conditions difficult for search and rescue teams, the TV said.
Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian, the governor of East Azarbaijan province, and the Friday prayer leader of Tabriz were also aboard the copter.
Meanwhile, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ali Khamenei expressed worry about the incident and wished health for the president. He also called on the Iranian people not to be worried about the incident, saying no disruption would be created in the management of the country.
Also, former President Hassan Rouhani, in a post on X, wished health for President Raisi and his accompanying delegation, saying he sincerely hopes that the president will "return to the nation's arms".
-- Fitzwilliam Museum adds Abbas Akbari’s artworks to its collection
The Fitzwilliam Museum of the University of Cambridge has added seven artworks by the Iranian ceramic artist Abbas Akbari to its rich collection.
The museum contains different works from ancient times to the contemporary period and from different civilizations and countries. An important part of the collection of works of the museum is related to the Islamic period, especially Iran, and especially the ceramics of the middle century.
-- Annual gas supply to power plants rises 11% yr/yr
Head of the National Iranian Gas Company (NIGC) Dispatching Department Saeed Aghili has said gas supply to the country’s power plants increased by 11 percent in the previous Iranian calendar year (ended on March 19) compared to the year before.
According to Aghili, the NIGC supplied 79 billion cubic meters of natural gas to the power plants across the country in the previous year.
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