** IRAN DAILY
-- Minister: Petro-refineries could help cut sales of unprocessed commodity
The minister of oil announced plans to reduce crude oil exports as he emphasized the importance of petrochemical refineries and mini-refineries.
Mohsen Paknejad noted that these initiatives are part of a framework outlined in the Seventh Development Plan (2024-28), saying that, “Efforts are underway to maximize the activation of these capacities.
-- Aref highlights FTA role in expansion of Iran’s exports
Iranian Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref said that free trade agreement (FTA) would play a crucial role in expanding the country’s exports.
Speaking at the High Council for Non-Oil Exports meeting on Wednesday, Aref said that non-oil exports are a priority for the current government, which is committed to strengthening trade ties with neighboring countries.
-- Iran-E3 to hold fresh round of nuclear talks on January 13
Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Kazem Gharibabadi said Iran will hold a new round of nuclear talks with France, Britain, and Germany on January 13 in Switzerland. Gharibabadi said on Wednesday that the talks were only “consultations, not negotiations.”
According to him, the pending talks would feature defining of the standing issues and further consultations “so we get to know within which frameworks and through which method we should conduct any [potential] negotiations if there were going to be any.”
** KAYHAN INTERNATIONAL
-- New Year Israeli Carnage in Gaza
Gaza’s civil defense agency said an Israeli airstrike killed at least 15 people in the territory’s north on Wednesday, in what it called the first deadly attack of the New Year.
“The world welcomed the New Year with celebrations and festivities, while we witnessed 2025 begin with the first Israeli massacre in the town of Jabalia just after midnight,” agency spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP. Nearly all of Gaza’s 2.4 million people have been displaced at least once since the war began on October 7 last year.
-- Resistance Film Festival Receives Over 3,400 Entries
The Resistance Int’l Film Festival (RIFF) has received over 3,400 submissions, including 2,400 domestic entries and 1,000 international works in various formats, according to Deputy Secretary Muhammad-Ali Shojaeefard.
During a press conference held by the festival’s international committee in the Iranian city of Qom, Shojaeefard outlined the scope of the 18th edition of the festival.
-- Fajr Festival Represents Essence of Sublime Iranian Cinema
Thirteen years ago, the Fajr Film Festival, which marks the celebration over the victory of Iran’s Islamic Revolution, began including international productions alongside domestic films, leading to the creation of the international festival segment.
By 2014, the volume of international film productions had grown significantly, prompting the festival organizers to hold a separate event.
In 2021, after seven years of development and fine-tuning, the International Fajr Film Festival was recognized by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations (FIAPF) as a Class A global festival, joining the ranks of the world’s top 15 competitive film festivals.
** TEHRAN TIMES
-- Persepolis too strong for rock-bottom Havadar: PGPL
Persepolis football team defeated rock-bottom Havadar 5-0 on Matchweek 15 of 2024/25 Iran’s Persian Gulf Professional League (PGPL) on Wednesday.
Ali Alipour netted a hat-trick as well as goals from Issa Aleksaeir and Oston Urunov. Alipour opened the scoring for Persepolis in the 17th minute in Tehran’s Shahr-e Qods Stadium and doubled the advantage in the 52nd minute.
-- Portrait of Martyr General Soleimani unveiled
A portrait of esteemed Martyr General Qassem Soleimani has been unveiled and made available to the public, coinciding with the fifth anniversary of his martyrdom.
The artwork, created by Tahmoures Ashnagar, will be preserved in the collection of the Association of Visual Arts of the Islamic Revolution and Sacred Defense, Mehr reported on Wednesday.
The Association of Visual Arts of the Islamic Revolution and Sacred Defense operates as a specialized division under the Cultural Foundation of Revayat Fat’h, engaging in professional activities across various fields of visual arts. This association also spearheads the World Resistance Art Festival, dictating its policies and direction.
-- Iran exports non-oil goods worth $1.2b to India in 8 months
Iran exported non-oil commodities valued at $1.2 billion to India 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 India was Iran’s seventh top export destination in the mentioned eight-month period.
Exporting commodities valued at $1 billion to Iran, India was Iran’s sixth top source of import in the first eight months of the present year, the official further added.
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