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** IRAN DAILY
-- Anti-US chants as Iraqis mark martyrdom anniversary of commanders Soleimani, Muhandis
Chanting “Revenge” against American “occupiers”, tens of thousands of Iraqis converged on a landmark square in central Baghdad on Sunday to commemorate the anniversary of the assassination of Iran’s revered Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the deputy commander of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Units (PMU).
Roads leading to Tahrir Square were closed off and security was tight as the crowds gathered in response to a call by the PMU for a rally marking the occasion and demanding the expulsion of US troops from Iraq. “No, no to America!” shouted the crowd. “You killed our guest. There is no place here for your embassy,” read some of the banners.
-- CBI net foreign assets increase 4.5%
Net foreign assets held by the Central Bank of Iran (CBI) on September 21, 2020, stood at 3.6 quadrillion rials (about $ 86.4 billion), 4.5 percent more than the figure for the end of the previous Iranian year (ending March 19, 2020).
According to the quarterly report of the Statistical Center of Iran (SCI), the bank’s foreign assets amounted to 3.4 quadrillion rials (about $ 82.7 billion) at the end of the previous Iranian year.
-- Iran approves 104 FDI projects worth some $ 1.5b in nine months
The Ministry of Industry, Mine and Trade approved 104 foreign direct investment (FDI) projects valued at nearly $ 1.5 billion in the nine months to December 20, 2020, up 128 percent compared to the last year’s same period.
Of the total value of investment made in the said period, 87.5 percent was the share of industry, 5.7 percent was the share of mining, while trade-related projects accounted for 6.8 percent of the total figure.
** KAYHAN INTERNATIONAL
-- Zarif: Daesh ‘Only Beneficiary’ of U.S. Assassination
Iran’s Foreign Minister Muhammad Javad Zarif said Sunday the Daesh terrorist group was the "only beneficiary” of the cowardly assassination of General Qassem Soleimani by the United States.
"A year ago today, Enemy #1 of extremist terrorists was cowardly assassinated by the terrorist-in-chief,” he tweeted, in an apparent reference to U.S. President Donald Trump. "As our region solemnly commemorates his one year passing, a reminder that the only beneficiary of his murder is Daesh (ISIS), which has only increased its activity since.”
-- Iranian Firms Sign $ 1.2 Billion to Raise Crude Output
Iranian energy companies have agreed deals worth $ 1.2 billion to raise the nation’s crude output, state-run National Iranian Oil Co. said Sunday.
The signings were initially meant to take place on Monday in Tehran in the presence of Minister of Petroleum Bijan Zanganeh, but have been delayed, NIOC said in a statement. The company didn’t disclose the reason for or length of the delay.
-- Hamed Lak a Nominee for Best 2020 ACL Team
Persepolis goalkeeper Hamed Lak has been shortlisted for the best goalkeeper of the 2020 AFC Champions League Team.
Fans of Asian football have voted for their Best XI at each edition of the AFC Champions League between 2016 and 2019, so now the-AFC.com turns to the most recently concluded chapter, the 2020 competition, to determine the top 11 players.
** TEHRAN TIMES
-- 100% sure about 20% enrichment
In the latest sign that time is running out for the West to save the Iran nuclear deal, the UN nuclear watchdog has formally announced that it is informed by Tehran that Iran has decided to start enriching uranium to 20%, a major development that could spell the end of a deal that has long been on life support.
Following the leakage of an Iranian letter to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) outlining Iran’s intention to resume 20% uranium enrichment, the UN nuclear body put out a statement confirming that Iran has actually informed it of its decision to substantially raise the level of uranium enrichment up to 20 percent, which is well beyond the 3.67% purity limit set by the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
-- Medical tourists to Mashhad at record low due to coronavirus curbs
The coronavirus pandemic is hitting hard at medical tourism of Mashhad, which used to be a thriving destination for health-care seekers in pre-pandemic times.
The number of international medical tourists to Mashhad has plunged 95 percent over the past months since the coronavirus pandemic started, IRNA quoted Esmaeil Khayyami, the health tourism manager of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, as saying on Sunday.
-- Iran-Tajikistan trade committee holds follow-up meeting
Iran and Tajikistan have held an online trade committee meeting to follow up on the agreements reached during the 13th Joint Economic Committee meeting, an official with Iran’s Trade Promotion Organization (TPO) said.
According to Behrouz Olfat, TPO director of the Europe and America Department, the meeting was held on December 30, 2020 by TPO in collaboration with the Foreign Affairs Department of the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of Tajikistan.
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