**IRAN DAILY
-- Telecom 2024 kicked off in Tehran
The 25th International Exhibition of Telecommunications, Information Technology and Digital Economy, known as Telecom 2024 opened in Tehran on Monday, featuring 148 domestic and foreign companies. Speaking at the opening ceremony, Vice President Mohammadreza Aref highlighted the advantages of the information technology sector in the country, particularly the presence of motivated and intelligent personnel with strong scientific capabilities.
Aref referred to certain challenges, noting that efforts to involve the private sector in the information technology domain were met with legal barriers in the third development plan.
-- Hemmati: Forex rate cannot be fixed amid 30% inflation
Iran’s Economy Minister Abdolnaser Hemmati said fixing the forex rate can lead to corruption while maintaining a stable exchange rate under a 30% inflation is impossible.
Speaking during a session of the Parliament’s Economic Committee on Monday, Hemmati also said it is estimated that people hold about $20 billion to $40 billion in cash, explaining that this accumulation of cash is aimed at preserving their assets against inflation.
-- Iran achieves know-how to extract shale oil from reservoirs
Researchers from the Technical Faculties Campus of University of Tehran, in collaboration with the Exploration Department of the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC), developed a technology to extract shale oil from reservoirs.
For the first time in Iran, a research project has developed the necessary technology for extracting shale oil from reserves using toxic coke technology at the laboratory and in semi-industrial scales.
** KAYHAN INTERNATIONAL
-- Pilgrims From Madagascar Visit Imam Reza (AS) Shrine
A group of Shia Muslims from Madagascar visited the holy shrine of Imam Reza (AS) in Mashhad in northeast Iran on Sunday. They visited the mausoleum on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Hazrat Zahra (SA).
The non-Iranian pilgrims department of the Astan Quds Razavi which is the custodianship of the holy shrine hosted the pilgrims. After participating in the congregational prayers and reciting the Holy Qur’an, the pilgrims numbering 150 became familiar with the teachings and traits of Hazrat Zahra (SA).
-- Cultural Attache Visits Historic Mosque in Beijing
Iran’s cultural attaché in China has paid a visit to a historic mosque in the Chinese capital, discussing ways to enhance cooperation on preservation of manuscripts.
Nematollah Iran-Zadeh visited the historic Dongsi Mosque in Beijing, where he explored the mosque’s rich cultural heritage, including its extensive collection of Qur’anic manuscripts and historical texts housed in its library and museum.
Accompanied by cultural experts Emadeddin Sheikhulhokamai and Zeinab Piri, Iran-Zadeh held discussions with mosque officials on the potential of collaboration between Iranian manuscript specialists and the mosque’s library team.
-- Official: U.S. Hostage-Taking of Iranians Violates Int’l Law
The U.S. hostage-taking of Iranian nationals on charge of breaching illegal and unilateral sanctions is in breach of international law, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for expatriate affairs Vahid Jalalzadeh wrote on X.
“Unilateral and inhumane U.S. sanctions, along with any actions stemming from these illegal measures such as hostage-taking of Iranian nationals under pretenses like circumventing illegal and illegitimate sanctions, constitute a violation of international law,” he said. “It is our duty to pursue the rights of Iranians in every part of the world.”
** TEHRAN TIMES
-- Iran's culture ministry denies claims of TRT Persian Channel license
Iran’s Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance has announced that, contrary to published reports, the TRT Persian channel does not possess an operating license. In a statement published on Monday, the ministry clarified its position regarding a recent newspaper article that discussed the issuance of an operating license for the Persian section of Turkey's TRT television network.
The ministry asserted that it has not granted any such license, and the claims regarding authorized activities by this network are inaccurate.
-- Iran exports non-oil goods worth $4.8b to UAE in 8 months
Iran exported non-oil commodities valued at $4.8 billion to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) during the first eight months of the current Iranian calendar year (March 20-November 20), the head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA) announced.
Foroud Asgari said that the UAE was Iran’s third top export destination in the mentioned eight-month period.
Exporting commodities valued at $13.6 billion to Iran, the United Arab Emirates was Iran’s top source of import in the first eight months of the present year, the official further added.
As previously announced by the former head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA), the value of non-oil trade between Iran and the United Arab Emirates stood at $16.2 billion in the first seven months of the current Iranian calendar year (March 20-October 21).
-- Electricity generated by solar farms up 38% in a month on year
Generation of electricity by solar farms in Iran increased by 38 percent during the ninth Iranian calendar month Azar (November 21 – December 20), as compared to the same period of time in the past year.
As reported, the solar farms generated over 81 million kilowatt/hours of electricity in the mentioned month of the present year. This amount of electricity generated by the solar farms prevented the emission of 56,000 tons of Green House Gases (GHG). The capacity of Iran's solar farms is going to increase by 4,000 megawatts (MW) by the end of the next Iranian calendar year (March 20, 2026), the country’s energy minister announced.
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