News in Brief
Lula: Iran ‘important partner’
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva underlined the crucial role of Iran as a significant trade partner for his country, emphasizing the importance of maintaining this commercial partnership in the years ahead.
“For the first time, I met with Ebrahim Raeisi, the president of Iran, one of the countries that will join the BRICS as of 2024,” Lula wrote in a post published on his X (formerly known as X) page, after a summit of the bloc in Johannesburg.
“Iran was the largest importer of Brazilian products in the Middle East in 2022, having imported almost $4.3b worth of commodities, and should continue to be an important commercial partner for Brazil in the coming years.”
Minibus plunge
kills 10 in
E Azarbaijan
IRNA – A minibus carrying mountaineers in northwestern Iran plunged into a ravine on Friday, killing 10 people and injuring eight others.
The accident occurred near the city of Varzaqan, East Azarbaijan Province, said the provincial emergency services spokesman Vahid Shadinia.
The minibus was heading towards a tourist village in the mountainous region when it overturned for an undetermined reason and fell into the ravine, Shadinia added.
“If the seat belts had been buckled, the number of victims would have been lower,” the official said.
photographer released from Taliban custody
PRESS TV – An Iranian photojournalist recently taken into custody by the Taliban-run government in Afghanistan has been released and handed over to officials at the Iranian Embassy in Kabul.
Taliban deputy spokesman Bilal Karimi confirmed on Saturday the release of Mohammad Hossein Velayati, who works for the Tehran-based Tasnim news agency.