Each year, the Vank Church, a historic and sacred site in Jolfa, is decorated on the birthday anniversary of Jesus Christ and the New Year’s Eve.
Here are Tasnim’s photos of the Christian celebrations in this neighbourhood:
Two More ATR Planes Land in Tehran
Civil Aviation Organisation of Iran has issued the registration licence and flight permit for the two 70-seat jets. With this delivery, the number of airplanes received by Iran after the nuclear deal will reach 11.
Iran Air, the country’s flag carrier, signed a contract with ATR back in April to purchase 20 ATR 72-600 planes worth $400 million based on list prices.
Six of the turboprop short-haul regional airliners have already been delivered to Iran so far, according to the Mehr News Agency.
The nuclear deal—otherwise known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action—led to the removal of international nuclear-related sanctions against Iran on January 2016. In exchange, Tehran has committed to limit the scope of its nuclear program.
Iran has taken major steps in boosting its aviation sector post sanctions. To renew its fleet, Iranian airlines have ordered a total of 323 (with the option of adding 50 more) new jets worth tens of billions of dollars from the world’s giant aircraft makers, namely Airbus, Boeing and ATR.
So far, Iran Air has received nine airplanes (one Airbus A321, two Airbus A330 and six ATR 72-600), Financial Tribune reported.
Some Iranian airlines are opting for secondhand aircraft to renew their fleet. Iran’s fourth largest airline, ATA, took delivery of its first Embraer ERJ 145 jet in mid-December. The 50-seat jet is the first of 15 aircraft, which has been purchased by the airline.
Mohammad Reza Zonnouri, the owner of the airline, said ATA expects to take delivery of all of the planes by the end of the current Iranian year (March 2018), noting that his firm might purchase more Brazilian planes in the future if they help raise profitability.
US Preventing Iran from Reaping Benefits of Nuclear Deal: First VP
Speaking in a ceremony in Tehran, Jahangiri cited the JCPOA as one of the main achievements of the administration of President Hassan Rouhani and said the nuclear deal was expected to create an appropriate and positive opportunity for Iran to develop.
“However, the US is seeking to hamper any efforts to create an appropriate ground for Iran’s growth,” he was quoted as saying in a Farsi report by Khabar Online.
He also noted Iran needs to turn the current threats it is facing into opportunities. “We are facing some big challenges like unemployment and regional and international threats which should be turned into opportunities.”
Jahangiri also said, to resolve economic problems, the Iranian government needs to establish international communications with the world and to take advantage of its current domestic capacities.
Jahangiri called on the Iranian elites to reach consensus on the main problems that the country is facing today and added “to resolve the problems we need to allocate the required resources to bridge the current gap of social division and create consensus on the main issues.”
He then expressed hope that the elites would provide the government with new and creative solutions to the current problems.
Elsewhere in his address, the first vice president said if Iran wants to become a law-oriented country, it needs to create an appropriate ground for establishing civilian institutions and free political parties.
Jahangiri noted democratic principles should be applied to all social and economic fields as well.
He finally called on the political parties and factions inside the country to join hands to remove the problems of the country.
Iran Condemns Terror Attack on Cultural Centre in Afghanistan
In a statement on Thursday, Qassemi denounced the attack on the cultural centre and the office of the Afghan Voice Agency (AVA) in Kabul, which killed and wounded dozens of Afghan scholars, intellectuals and university students and professors, who had come together in a cultural-religious gathering.
Qassemi also expressed condolences to the Afghan government and nation as well as the survivors of the victims of the tragedy, especially the reporters and intellectuals’ communities.
“Launching attacks on cultural and information centres as well as institutions of intellectuals, whose thoughts and words shed light on extremist and violence-oriented ideologies, shows the great extent of terrorist masterminds and elements’ hatred of, and grudge against freedom of expression, awareness, cognition, thinking and unity of Afghan people,” he said.
“Following their heavy defeats, bird-brained ill-wishers and hate-mongers see, more than ever before, that regional chaos and unrest as well as killing innocent people will serve their petty interests.”
“Vigilance by the Afghan government and people as well as unity among all ethnic groups together with cooperation among all regional countries holds the key to overcoming hardships and merciless terrorists’ endless grudges and enmities,” he said.
At least 40 people died and 30 more were injured in a terrorist attack in Kabul, Afghanistan, the deputy spokesman of the Interior Ministry said.
Benevolent Iranian Draws up Plan to Provide Needy with Free Bread
Hossein Bonyadi has been asking bakeries in the city of Zabol to contribute to the program. So far, he has managed to get 87 bakeries on board.
“Most of the 87 bakeries, which are members of the plan, have been able to build confidence and advance the program,” says Bonyadi.
According to a Farsi report by Mehr, he says the needy families who live in the vicinity of each bakery take priority.
“The more contributions are made by the people, the more [needy] individuals will be covered [by the plan],” he says.
He has also explained how the bakeries are picked and how the plan is implemented.
“We choose all the bakeries in the city as well as in satellite towns and villages for the plan, talk to them one by one and tell them how the job is done. Based on the statistics we have received from the Bakeries’ Union, there are around 160 bakeries in Zabol and we intend to take all of them on board with the plan,” he notes.
Based on the plan, he says, arrangements are made to use public contributions to pay for the bread that needy families buy from bakeries.
A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on December 28
The top story in all Iranian newspapers today was the remarks made by the Leader of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei in a meeting with a group of Iranian officials on Wednesday.
During the address, the Leader said the enemy tries to make the Iranian nation frustrated and sceptical of the Islamic Establishment. He also urged certain Iranian figures who have once been in power not to play the role of an opposition figure.
Other top stories today included the controversies over a surge in price of certain consumer goods, the issue of Palestine and Jerusalem al-Quds, and the earthquakes happening in various parts of Iran.
The above issues, as well as many more, are highlighted in the following headlines and top stories:
Aftab-e Yazd:
1- Iran Leader: Enemy’s Most Important Goal Is to Make People Frustrated
2- Economists Who Know Nothing about Economy
3- This Woman Echoes Voice of Trump’s Thoughts
- What Role Does Nikki Haley Play in US President’s Foreign Policy?
Ebtekar:
1- Iran to Establish National Body of Woman, Family
2- Iran First VP: We Won’t Let Prices Surge
3- MPs to Probe into Tehran Municipality’s Financial Records
4- Iran Judiciary Has Its Own Deficits, but One Should Also See Its Strengths: Leader
5- A Look at Impacts of Nateq Noori’s Return to Politics
- The Sheikh Who Is beyond Parties
Ettela’at:
1- Iran Leader: Raising Accusations, Nonsense Claims Forbidden
2- Iran Judiciary Chief Criticizes Poor Supervision over Constructions
3- Nothing Worse than Frustration: Imam Khomeini’s Grandson
4- One Killed, 57 Wounded in Alborz Aftershock
5- Labour Minister: 40 Million People Eligible to Receive Cash Subsidies
Hamshahri:
1- Living with Earth’s Tremors
2- Iran Leader: Criticism Necessary, Accusation Forbidden
3- Foreign Nationals to Become Literate in Iran
4- 130% Increase in Official Import of Mobile Phones
Iran:
1- First VP Calls on People Not to Worry about Increase in Prices
2- Rouhani’s Ultimatum for Real Privatization
3- Iran Leader: You Can’t Start Opposing Establishment after Being in Power for 10 Years
4- Tehran Mayor Urges People Not to Get Out of Their Neighbourhood during Quake
5- Limits on Car Imports to Be Lifted
Javan:
1- Iran Leader: Instead of Playing Role of Opposition Figure, Say What You Did in Power
2- Getting Out of Population Crisis
3- Lebanese, Palestinian Sources: Resistance Front to Form Joint Command to Defend Quds
Jomhouri Eslami:
1- 50% Increase in Number of Real Estate Contracts, 15% Growth in Price
2- Iran’s Biggest Natural Gas Transfer Project Inaugurated in Khorasan Razavi
3- Health Minister: 24,000 Beds Added to Public Hospitals in 5 Years
4- Palestinians Call on Muslim States to Cut Ties with Supporters of Trump Decision
Kayhan:
1- Egyptian MPs: Al Saud More Dangerous to Arab Society than Israel Is
2- Parliament: Iran Gov’t Takes Money from People’s Pockets Whenever It Fails
3- Iran Leader: Those Who Were, or Are, in Power Not Allowed to Play Role of Opposition
4- Iran Parliament Obliges Gov’t to Recognize Quds as Eternal Capital of Palestine
5- Al Jazeera: Iran to Become Hero of Muslim World If Arabs Normalize Ties with Israel
Khorasan:
1- Oil-Free Economic Growth Rate More than Oil-Dependent Rate
China Calls for Transit Link between Pakistan’s Gwadar, Iran’s Chabahar
Abdolrahim Kordi, the managing director of Chabahar Free Trade Zone, was quoted by Iran’s media as saying that China had informed Iran that it was interested in using Chabahr to transit goods from Gwadar to regional and extra-regional destination points.
Kordi emphasized that there was no competition between Iran’s Chabahar and Pakistan’s Gawadr, stressing that the two could complement each other in terms of market access potentials.
Nevertheless, the official emphasized that the advantages of Chabahar were better than Gwadar in terms of road and rail connection facilities to key transportation points in regions as far as Central Asia and Europe.
Iran started an ambitious project to develop Chabahar port in 2007 through an investment that officials previously said already amounted to $1 billion.
The annual cargo tonnage of the port has now almost tripled to reach as high as 8.5 million tonnes.
It can also accommodate 100,000-tonne ships – what officials say can help promote the country’s international trade activities.
The overall development project is planned in four phases and is expected to bring the port’s total annual cargo capacity to 82 million tonnes.
The development of Chabahr port is being carried out by India. The country has committed $500 million to Chabahar which lies on the Gulf of Oman, aiming to join an increasingly important transport corridor to the resource-rich regional countries.
Massive investment plans are already on the cards, with the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi offering to build a sprawling artery of roads and railways which is estimated to cost $15 billion.
When development is complete, Chabahar will link with the International North-South Transportation Corridor (INSTC) which is currently stretches from the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas in the Persian Gulf to Russia, Eurasia and Europe.
Tehran Condemns Killing of Iranian Expat by Canadian Police
“Unfortunately, we’ve learned that an Iranian citizen named Babak Saeedi, who lived in Canada and who was ill, was gunned down by the [Canadian] police,” said Qassemi in a Wednesday statement.
“We are reviewing the details of the issue and will call on official and relevant bodies to look into the issue to shed light on its dimensions and will demand an explanation from the Canadian government,” he said.
Qassemi further noted that Iranians residing in Canada face numerous problems practicing their consular rights.
“Over the past two years, extensive efforts have been made to create more favourable conditions to offer consular services to Iranian expats living in Canada, but the desirable result has not been achieved yet,” the spokesman said.
Iran’s Beauties in Photos: Ovan Lake
The only tributary that flows into the lake is a stream with the same name, Ovan, coming down from northern mounts. The north of the lake is also surrounded by three small villages, namely from east to west: Varbon, Ovan and Zar-abaad.
The lake is located in an altitude of 1,800 metres above sea level. The deepest section of the lake is 7.5 metres and extends over 70,000 square meters. Ovan Lake is suitable for fishing, swimming and riding boats in summer while in fall it hosts migratory birds and such species as swan, goose and duck. In winter, the lake can be used for sports such as skiing and ice skating while its surface becomes slippery with ice in winter.
Here are Mashregh News Agency’s photos of this beautiful lake:
Italian Paper Praises Beauty of Shah Cheragh Mosque
Italian paper La Stampa has said in its recent report that Shah Cheragh mosque, with its thousands of small mirror works, is a unique ancient piece of art.
“The sky is depicted on the ceiling of the mosque so professionally and artistically that any visitor feels at first blush that the sky dome is held in the ceiling of the mosque,” the paper was quoted as saying in a Farsi report by IRNA.
According to La Stampa, in Shah Cheragh Mosque there is a unique reflection of lights on the walls, ceiling and dome.
Shah Cheragh is a funerary monument and mosque in the southern province of Shiraz housing the tomb of the brothers Ahmad and Muhammad, sons of Imam Mūsā al-Kādhim and brothers of Imam Reza, who is himself buried in Mashhad. The two took refuge in Shiraz during the Abbasid persecution of Shiite Muslims.
The tombs became celebrated pilgrimage centres in the 14th century; when Queen Tashi Khatun erected a mosque with interior decoration and theological school in the vicinity.
Shah Cheragh is the Persian equivalent of “King of the Light”.
