Monday, February 13, 2012

Iran

UN Official Praises Iran's Counternarcotics Effort

A 50-ton batch of seized drugs burns in Iran (epa)

May 13, 2007 -- Senior UN antidrug official Roberto Arbitrio has praised Iran's efforts to prevent the transit of narcotics across its territory.

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May 14, 2007

Reuters quoted Arbitrio as saying that drug control is one of the "positive stories" from Iran.

Arbitrio, representative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), called Iran the leading country in the world in terms of opiate seizures.

In 2006, 300 tons of opium, morphine, and heroin were seized by Iranian authorities.

(Reuter)

The Iranian Economy

Buses being produced at a factory in Tehran (Fars)

IN NEED OF DIVERSIFICATION. Populist Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad is having trouble fulfilling his promises to put the country's petrodollars on the plates of average citizens. Inflation and unemployment remain high and the economy is dominated by the energy sector.

Foes Challenge President's Economic Rhetoric

Power Cuts In An Energy-Rich Land Spark Protests

Government Balks At Gasoline Rationing

Weak Economy Challenges Populist President

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RFE/RL's coverage of Iran.

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Many Iranians have been claiming that their access to social networks and Internet-based e-mail sites has been blocked in recent days.

Iran Tightens Internet Control

Iranians are reporting that their access to Facebook and Internet-based e-mail sites like Gmail has been blocked, without any explanation from the government. Not even the strongest antifiltering programs have penetrated the firewall, they say. Some speculate the move is related to Iran's plan to launch a national internet, which might sever Iranians' ability to access the World Wide Web. More

Web-savvy Iranian oppositionists are renowned for their ability to use proxies and other means to circumvent Tehran

Explainer: Iran's National Internet

Reports that Iran has stepped up its Internet censorship in recent days -- as evidenced by a general slowdown of the web, Internet blackouts, and the blocking of sites such as Google -- has raised speculation that the country might be testing its controversial "national Internet." More

A cardboard Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini arrives in Tehran to mark the 33rd anniversary of his triumphant return to Iran following the Islamic Revolution.

Iran's 'Cardboard Khomeini' Faces Criticism, Condemnation

Iran's "Cardboard Khomeini" is fueling a firestorm of criticism in the Middle Eastern country after cutouts of the Islamic republic's founder appeared at a number of events, and photos mocking the mock-up went viral. More