*** IRAN DAILY
— FM: Syria welcomes closer Iran-Arab ties, not afraid of Israel
Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad welcomed any move to foster closer relations between Iran and Arab countries, reiterating that Damascus is not afraid of the Israeli regime and its backers.
In an interview with pan-Arab satellite television channel Al Mayadeen on Sunday, Syria’s top diplomat said his government supports efforts aimed at integration among regional countries, according to Press TV.
He added the Islamic Republic of Iran has always supported the Arabs and sided with the people of Syria and Palestine, welcoming any move toward rapprochement between Tehran and the Arab world. “We must respond well to the good behavior of the Iranian side.”
— Iran’s six-month non-oil trade increases 47%: Customs head
The value of Iran’s non-oil trade rose 47 percent during the six months to September 22, compared to the same period of time in the past year, announced the head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA).
Mehdi Mir-Ashrafi said that Iran traded 79.1 million tons of non-oil products worth $45 billion during March 21-September 22, IRNA reported.
The official put the six-month non-oil exports at 60 million tons valued at $21.8 billion, with a 61 percent rise in value and a 30 percent growth in weight.
— Dozens of Houston couples celebrate 50 years of marriage
It was a special moment for many couples of Houston in Texas, the US, on Sunday as they celebrated a special milestone. The brides and grooms have been together for five decades.
“Before you know it, it’s already here. Fifty years,” Philip Suarez said, khou.com reported. For Philip and Linda Suarez, Sunday’s mass was a chance to relive their love story.
“I was very young. I was 18 and he was 21,” Linda Suarez said. They were pen pals while Philip Suarez served in the war. They met in person when he came back and got married. It was love at first sight.
*** KAYHAN INTERNATIONAL
— Iran Hails Algeria’s Stance on Zionist Regime
The foreign minister of Iran lauded has Algeria’s stances against the Zionist regime of Israel.
In a meeting with his Algerian counterpart on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, Hussein Amir-Abdollahian praised Algeria’s stances on the regional developments, especially against the Israeli regime’s policies. He also expressed satisfaction with the level of relations between Tehran and Algiers, stressed the need for the implementation of their previous agreements.
— Two IRGC Members Martyred After Fire at Center
Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) said Monday two of its members have succumbed to injuries in a fire that broke out at one of its research centers in the capital, Tehran.
In a statement on Monday, the IRGC said a number of employees at a self-sufficiency research center used by the force west of Tehran were injured in the fire that had erupted in the center’s warehouse the previous day. It added that two of the injured lost their lives “due to the grave injuries” they had sustained, naming them as Morteza Karimi and Hussein Abedi.
— Iran Home Appliance Output Rises 8.7%
Figures by Iran’s ministry of industries (MIMT) shows home appliances production in the country kept growing at a robust rate in the first five months of the current calendar year to reach over 2.61 million units.
MIMT figures cited in a Sunday report by the official IRNA news agency showed that home appliance output had increased by 8.7% in the five months to August 22 compared to the similar period in 2020.
*** TEHRAN TIMES
— Iran bid farewell to 2021 Futsal World Cup
Iran suffered a late 3-2 loss against Kazakhstan and failed to book a place in the 2021 FIFA Futsal World Cup semi-finals Monday night. Moslem Oladghobad finished Saeid Ahmad Abbasi’s pass into the area in the eighth minute at the Kaunas Arena.
Ahmad Esmaeilpour displayed individual brilliance in the 15th minute when he collected Mahdi Javid’s long-range cross before dribbling past Kazakhstan goalkeeper Leo Higuita to make it 2-0. Dauren Tursagulov pulled a goal back in the 25th minute and Arnold Knaub levelled the score four minutes later.
Taynan then completed Kazakhstan’s amazing comeback when he scored off a corner as Iran’s hopes of making a third FIFA Futsal World Cup semi-final were dashed.
— “Patriarch” actor Siamak Atlasi dies from COVID-19
Siamak Atlasi, the actor of the popular 1990s Iranian TV series “The Patriarch”, died from COVID-19 at a Tehran hospital on Sunday. He was at 85.
Speaking to the Persian service of ISNA, his daughter Sahar said that he had most likely been infected while working for “Epidemic”, a TV series on Iranian health workers’ efforts during the early days of the coronavirus pandemic.
She said she had seen that the health protocols for the pandemic were not observed on the project as she was in company with her father.
— Historic neighborhoods of Soltanieh to be equipped for tourism
Soltanieh, which is home to a UNESCO-designated monument of the same name, has undergone an intensive urban study intended to equip the ancient city for tourism.
Meaning “Town of the Sultans”, Soltanieh was briefly the capital of Persia’s Ilkhanid dynasty (a branch of the Mongol dynasty) during the 14th century. It is situated in Zanjan province, northwest Iran.
The Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Department of Zanjan seeks to improve the historic texture of Soltanieh and the cohesion of its urban buildings, provincial tourism chief Amir Arjmand said on Sunday.