Tehran, IRNA – The following headlines appeared in English-language newspapers in the Iranian capital on Monday, May 27, 2024:

** IRAN DAILY

Minister inaugurates Yazd-Eqlid railway

Iran’s Minister of Roads and Urban Development Mehrdad Bazrpash inaugurated the project of the Yazd-Eqlid railway on Sunday in the central province of Yazd.
The Yazd-Eqlid railway, a connecting route along the North East-South West and South East-South West rail corridors in Iran, is 270 km long and has 49 km station lines for 12 stations, Tasnim reported.  
Some 245 km of this long project is in Yazd Province and 25 km in Fars Province.

-- CBI: Producer inflation falls to 23%; consumer price index to 31%

The head of the Central Bank of Iran said that the producer inflation rate in the country has dropped by 23 percent, while the consumer inflation rate has decreased to 31 percent.
In an interview with IRNA, Mohammad Reza Farzin said that due to the positive economic measures taken by the government, “the producer inflation, which had reached very high triple-digit numbers, has decreased to 23 percent”.

-- Iran plans to boost oil production to 4 mb/d

Iran has approved to increase its crude oil production to 4 million barrels per day (mb/d), IRNA reported.
The plan was approved during the second session of the Economic Council, chaired by the acting president, Mohammad Mokhber, in Tehran on Saturday.
Achieving a 7-billion-dollar income for the country by implementing a plan to increase crude oil production and providing an overview of the latest status of projects proposed for utilizing foreign financial facilities were among the plans approved in the meeting on Saturday.

** KAYHAN INTERNATIONAL

-- Sudan Says to Accelerate Reopening Embassies With Iran

Iran and Sudan have agreed to accelerate the opening of embassies in their capitals, the Sudanese foreign ministry has announced.
The agreement was reached during a meeting between Sudan’s Foreign Minister Hussein Ayvaz and Iran’s acting foreign minister Ali Bagheri Kani on Saturday, Al Arabiya cited a statement by the Sudanese foreign ministry.

-- Spokesman: CBI Earmarks Over $10bn for Importing Basic Goods

The Central Bank of Iran (CBI) has provided $10.185 billion in foreign currency for importing basic goods and commodities, medicines, and commercial goods since the beginning of the current Iranian calendar year (started March 19, 2024).
Spokesman for Iran Exchange Center of Gold and Currency Asghar Balsini said $2.557 billion and $5.514 billion were supplied for importing medicines and trade-commercial products respectively.

-- IRICA: Transit of Goods Through Iran Grows 56%

The Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA)  has reported that the transit of foreign goods through Iran has increased by 56.5% in the calendar month to late May. 
The IRICA reported on Sunday that over 3.6 million metric tons (mt) of goods were transited through Iran in the first two months of the Iranian calendar year (March 20-May 20), marking a 56.5% hike compared to the same period last year.

** TEHRAN TIMES

-- Iran warns of Israeli nuclear threat, calls for regime’s disarmament

Abbas Araghchi, the Secretary of the Strategic Council for Foreign Relations of Iran, has issued a warning, stating that the nuclear threat posed by the Israeli regime will alter the security landscape in the region, compelling other nations to reassess their nuclear stance.

Araghchi emphasized Iran's core principles of unwavering support for the people and Resistance of Palestine during a panel discussion titled “Transformations in the Middle East after Tufan Al-Aqsa,” held within the framework of a forum by Al Jazeera network in Doha, Qatar.

-- Filmmakers, actors shine light on Gaza at 77th Cannes Film Festival

-The 77th Cannes Film Festival, held from May 14 to 25 against the backdrop of ongoing Israeli-Hamas tensions, became a platform for filmmakers, actors, and activists to raise awareness about the plight of Gaza’s population. Despite the festival’s efforts to avoid controversy, artists found creative ways to express solidarity with Palestinians and draw attention to the war-ravaged enclave.

While festival organizers discouraged protests, discreet acts of solidarity have emerged. Palestinian filmmaker Rashid Masharawi set up a tent on a Cannes beach, showcasing short films made in Gaza since the conflict began. The films provided a window into the lives of those affected by the war and highlighted the resilience of Gaza’s creative community.

-- Iran among top 20 countries for journals in medicine

According to the latest data released by Scopus and Web of Science (WoS), Iran is placed among the top twenty nations in terms of medical science publications.

The country is ranked 16 in Scopus and 17 in WoS. China and the United States are ranked first and second by both databases, respectively.

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