Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Iran

Iran Appoints Hard-Liners To Monitor Elections

(RFE/RL)

August 12, 2007 -- Iran's state news agency IRNA reported today that four "ultra-hard-liners" have been appointed to a panel monitoring the country's parliamentary elections scheduled for next year.

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August 12, 2007

IRNA reported the Guardians Council appointed Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati and three other conservatives.

Some fear the appointments herald a repeat of the 2004 parliamentary elections when there was a mass disqualification of reformist candidates.

(AP)

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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Iran has stepped up its pressure on activists using the Internet

Iranian Activists, Journalists Receive Threatening E-mails

A number of Iranian activists and journalists based inside and outside the country have told RFE/RL’s Radio Farda they have been threatened in anonymous e-mails. More

A vendor in the central Bosnian town of Zenica sells heart-shaped cushions with proclamations of love for 1 euro each.

Love It (Or Hate It), It's Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day, the Western holiday celebrating love, has become a global phenomenon over the past two decades. The fall of communism and the emergence of the Internet have helped February 14 become something of an unofficial international day of romance. However, not all the passions the holiday stirs are related to love. While some countries have openly embraced the holiday, others are attempting to ban it or replace it with local customs. More

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