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Majid Chegini made the remarks on the sidelines of a press conference in Tehran on Sunday.

"We have been in talks with Turkey and they are interested in extending the contract and are requesting an increase in gas import capacity from Iran,"Chegini said.

He continued, "Considering the possibilities that exist, we will use our efforts to increase the capacity."

Chegini said also said, "This issue is being discussed in the negotiations, a working group has been formed for this issue, which, while increasing the capacity, will also seek to extend the contract."

TheNIGC chairman who is the deputy oil minister as well, further said that the first meeting of the working group will focus on extending the contract.

As regards the gas exports to Iraq, he said that Iraq had also requested an extension of the previous contract.

Chegini added that the export contract to Iraq will expire next year whilethey have requested an extension.

During the recent visit, a working group was set up to extend the contract to look into the matter, the deputy oil minister continued.

TheNIGC chairman continued that he will make the necessary efforts to resume the country'sgas trade with other countries and the necessary follow-ups will be made for gas exports to Azerbaijan, Armenia, Turkey and Iraq.

KI/IRN84754012

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Turkey, Iraq ask for increase in imported gas from Iran - Mehr News Agency - English Version

An Ericsson logo is pictured at Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Shanghai, China June 28, 2019. REUTERS/Aly Song

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STOCKHOLM, April 14 (Reuters) - Swedish telecom provider Ericsson (ERICb.ST) said on Thursday it would likely be fined by U.S. regulators for its handling of a bribery investigation in Iraq and reported a slide in quarterly earnings due to its suspension of business in Russia.

The company disclosed in February that an internal investigation had found it may have made payments to the Islamic State militant group in Iraq - misconduct it said "started at least back in 2011".

Shares in Ericsson tumbled 7% in early Thursday trade, bringing the stock's losses since news of the scandal broke to around 30%.

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The U.S. Department of Justice could take a range of actions, it said. These "may likely include additional monetary payments," Chief Executive Borje Ekholm said in a statement, adding that the company could not reliably estimate the size of the fine.

Ericsson reported an 11% drop in adjusted operating earnings for the first quarter to 4.7 billion Swedish crowns ($500 million). It was hurt by a $95 million provision for its indefinite suspension of business in Russia over the invasion of Ukraine. read more

Ongoing patent litigation with Apple Inc and a delay in the renewal of a 1 billion crown annual software contract to the current quarter also weighed on the results.

But revenue rose 11% to 55.1 billion crowns on higher demand for 5G telecom equipment, beating estimates of 53.36 billion crowns.

A fine would come on top of a $1 billion fine paid to the DOJ in 2019 to settle bribery cases in several countries. At the time, Ericsson also agreed to supervision by the regulators for three years.

"A fine is, in our view, the best Ericsson can hope for, as much worse scenarios have been discussed in the market recently," said Mads Rosendal, analyst at Danske Bank Credit Research.

Market speculation about possible penalties has ranged from sanctions on the company to a ban on selling in the United States to legal action being taken against top Ericsson executives.

In a public rebuke for the scandal, last week shareholders representing more than 10% of Ericsson shares voted against discharging board members of liability for the previous year. That means Ekholm and other board members could be held personally liable for their actions. read more

Ericsson has also been spending heavily to boost inventory for critical parts in the face of a global chip shortage.

"We do see that certain vital components need extra attention... we have decided to invest in buffer inventory for some of those vital components," Chief Financial Officer Carl Mellander said.

($1=9.4483 Swedish crowns)

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Reporting by Supantha Mukherjee in Stockholm, Editing by Helena Soderpalm and Edwina Gibbs

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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Ericsson warns likely to be fined over Iraq scandal, reports profit slump - Reuters

BAGHDAD, IRAQAccording to an Ars Technica report, a team of researchers from the Iraqi State Board of Antiquities and the German Archaeological Institute has removed a block of sediment containing traces of a 4,000-year-old boat from a site that was once a river flowing on the outskirts of the ancient city of Uruk, in what is now southern Iraq. When erosion of the riverbed first revealed the outline of the boat in 2018, archaeologists documented the vessel, which measures about 22 feet long and five feet wide. The recent increasing rate of erosion at the site and nearby traffic prompted the researchers to remove the delicate imprints of bitumen that once covered the reeds, palm leaves, or wood of the craft. Archaeologists at the Iraq Museum will study and conserve what is left of the hull for eventual display. To read about the Mesopotamian ruler whose reign marked the end of the Neo-Babylonian Empire, go to "The Last King of Babylon."

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Traces of 4,000-Year-Old Boat Excavated in Iraq - Archaeology

The formal education system in Iraq has been significantly disrupted over the last several years as a result of conflict and displacement. Damaged infrastructure, limited investment in teachers and curriculum, ongoing waves of displacement, and nationwide Covid-19 school closures have had a detrimental impact on access to and quality of education. Learning levels in Iraq are among the lowest in the region and a lack of education is consistently the top protection risk for Iraqi children.

A generation of young people now face an increasingly uncertain future in Iraq, particularly among the most vulnerable that include refugee children, displaced children, and children with disabilities.

To address these gaps, the Education Consortium of Iraq (ECI) - comprising the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), Save the Children (Save), Mercy Corps (MC), and Nonviolent Peaceforce (NP) - conducted a research study to better understand the barriers in the provision of inclusive and equitable formal education. Data collection encompassed a school infrastructure assessment, 39 key informant interviews with local and international NGO and UN staff, community leaders and Ministry of Education (MoE) and Departments of Education (DoE) staff, as well as 41 focus group discussions with teachers, parents and children across Anbar, Diyala, Dohuk, Kirkuk, Ninewa, and Salah ad-Din governorates.

The report found that teacher training has been insufficient as teachers have not had any training in pedagogy or lesson planning in more than 60 percent of schools in Anbar, Duhok, and Kirkuk. Teacher recruitment has also lulled as the student to teacher ratio averages 32 to 1 across governorates. In Ninewa, there is one teacher for every 57 students, which greatly impacts the quality of learning.

The report also found:

More than half of schools surveyed need to be rehabilitated to meet basic hygiene and safety standards

More than 90 percent of schools surveyed in Kirkuk lack drinking water

92 per cent of schools lacked ramps or elevators for children with disabilities

3.6 per cent of students dropped out of the 2020-2021 school year, which amounts to thousands leaving their education

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Gaps in Formal Education in Iraq - Education Consortium of Iraq (December 2021) - Iraq - ReliefWeb

Lee Wolfgram (center) in Ukraine (Supplied)

(FOX 9) - A Twin Cities attorney and retired military veteran recently returned from the trip of a lifetime to assist a fellow soldier in Ukraine. The two served side-by-side in Iraq. This time around, the Minnesotan flew into a war zone to help the Ukrainian get his critical life possessions out of harms way.

"I was using my military training to assist a military friend. I guess that's how I would characterize it," Lee Wolfgram explained to FOX 9s Paul Blume. "You know that the mission was playing like a military operation. It was coordinated like a military operation, had objectives, like a military operation. So we just executed like we would if we were on official duty with the benefit of having the freedom of on being my own commander."

A Twin Cities attorney and retired military veteran recently returned from the trip of a lifetime to assist a fellow soldier in Ukraine. The two served side-by-side in Iraq. And this Minnesotan just flew into a war zone to help the Ukrainian get his critical life possessions out of harms way.

Wolfgram documented his mission on his Facebook page with various video clips from the journey. In one video, air raid sirens can be heard with explosions going off within a couple miles of their location.

Wolfgram is seen with a couple of Ukrainian soldiers over dinner, trying to keep the moment light, "I think if we werent soldiers, wed be running for the basement."

While serving with a multinational force in Iraq nearly 20 years ago, Wolfgram formed a lifelong bond with several fellow soldiers including a Ukrainian Wolfgram will only identify by his rank and first name for security reasons, Lieutenant Colonel Borys. He reports that Borys served as his interpreter.

"Yeah, my battle buddy, you know. The same guy that stood by me in Iraq. You know, I was really emotional about the fact that when I went to Iraq, this guy showing up next to me and now he's in trouble and he needs help. And he had just mentioned to me his concerns, and I'm like, I think we could develop a plan. I think we could do this. And so that's where the concept of the operation came from."

Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Wolfgram said Borys was able to get his family including a wife and young son out of danger, via train to the Netherlands in northwestern Europe.

But only with what they could pack in a couple of suitcases.

Borys, who is from Odessa, the major port city in the south of Ukraine, remained behind to do his part and defend the country.

"These people are like anybody else that you would meet a friend. You know, they've got jobs, they've got children's school, you know, all that stuff. They're just like us, you know, so they get up in the morning, go to work like everybody else. And then one day the whole country is being attacked, you know? So it's yeah, it's terribly sad to see all of that," Wolfgram said.

While Odessa has remained relatively safe from the deadly onslaught playing out elsewhere across Ukraine, Borys wanted to get his car and critical valuables to his loved ones some 1,500 miles away given the unpredictability of the war.

And thats where Wolfgram came in.

He found an open week in his schedule after a court case settled and mapped out the operation. He took off from MSP, eventually finding his way to Moldova, and a bus journey across fortified borders and armed checkpoints, before reconnecting with his long-time friend in Odessa for a quick overnight.

They then packed up Borys car and made a 40-plus hour trek across the heart of Europe.

Wolfgram described the reunion near the Dutch city of Utrecht as priceless.

"It was a wrap your arms and twirl around kind of thing," said Wolfgram. "Really great to see. And they were very happy, of course."

In one final touching twist, Borys loved ones are staying with another fellow soldier from the joint-multinational deployment in Iraq, a Dutch family.

Wolfgram flew home to Minneapolis on Wednesday. Borys apparently had a 10-day pass to make this reunion with his family and take care of personal affairs. At last report, he was on his way back to Ukraine and his military duties.

"I do realize it was a pretty bold move," concluded Wolfgram, about his whirlwind trek to help a fellow soldier and friend. "But it was the timing. That's when it had to happen. It wasn't really all we had planned for that, and it had to happen, and it went off well."

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Twin Cities man flies to Ukraine to help fellow soldier he fought with in Iraq - FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul