In Brief

Iran Focus:
Iraqi Defence Minster: Proof of Iran’s meddling shatters reinforced concrete
2 young men to be executed
Woman, 74, two sisters commit suicide
Iraq tightening border security with Iran
Ironmongers protest government takeover of shops
New security apparatus set up in Qom
Unemployment on the rise in Khorassan province Iran Focus

Iraqi Defence Minster: Proof of Iran’s meddling shatters reinforced concrete
Kuwait – Iraqi Minister of Defense Hazim Shaalan in an interview with Al-Ray Al-Am daily on Sunday expressed the disapproval and anger of Iraqi officials at what he called Iran’s interference in Iraq’s internal affairs. On the Kuwaiti newspaper’s question that “(Iranian foreign minister) Kamal Kharrazi last week in Kuwait denied charges of Iranian interference in Iraq’s internal affairs and asked for proof”, Shaalan responded by saying, “The evidence we have is so hard that it shatters reinforced concrete to pieces.”

2 young men to be executed
Tehran – Iran’s Supreme Court upheld the death sentence for a 24-year-old man by the name of Moussa. The Etema’ad daily reported yesterday that this young man would soon be taken to the gallows. A young worker was also sentenced to execution by an Islamic court judge.

Woman, 74, two sisters commit suicide
Tehran – A 74-year-old woman committed suicide by throwing herself from the fifth floor of an apartment in Shahriar. On Sunday, two sisters attempted suicide in the district of Navab. The younger sister died after she threw herself from the seventh floor of a building while the other sister is said to be in critical condition.

Iraq tightening border security with Iran
Basra – The head of Iraq’s border security yesterday announced that 300 new posts will soon be operational on Iraq’s border with Iran in the provinces of Diyala, Basra, Vasat and Missan. Wael Abdol-Latif, the minister for Iraq’s provincial affaires, last week announced that establishing tightened security on the border with Iran was high on the agenda.

Ironmongers protest government takeover of shops
Tehran – Ironmongers in Tehran’s main iron production site staged a protest accusing the government of annexing a number of their factories and shops. One protester claimed that five years after authorities ordered the ironmongers to settle in Ahan Makan (Iron House), so as not disturb residents in other districts, the regime has now started to close down iron factories and warehouses in that area. Protesters said that they cannot face the financial burden of moving to another location.

New security apparatus set up in Qom
Qom – The Iranian judiciary in the holy city of Qom announced the introduction of a new Public Security Organisation. The cleric in charge of the judiciary in Qom province, Ali Talebi announced that the new organisation would combat social corruption on the streets. Iran experts have called the organ another measure to counter public anger and disaffection at the regime.

Unemployment on the rise in Khorassan province
Khorassan – The director of the department of work and social affairs in Khorassan province (northeastern Iran) stated that the unemployment rate in there has reached 18 percent. The province in facing an unemployment figure of 300,000, he added. He went on to say that actual figures are much higher than those announced by Iran’s Interior Ministry and that the majority of those unemployed are youths and a considerable number are from the middle social classes with university degrees. He accused government institutions of not putting resources to use to combat this rise.