Reuters: Iran will re-tender operatorship of its second private mobile phone network, if Turkcell quits the deal because lawmakers changed the Turkish firm’s terms, an official said on Wednesday. Masoum Fardis, running the tender for Iran’s telecommunications ministry, said his ministry had returned the bid-bond of South Africa’s MTN which came second in the tender after Turkcell paid its licence fee.
Iran will re-tender mobile deal if Turkcell quits
220 women in Iran province committed suicide
Iran Focus: Tehran, Feb. 16 Women and teenage girls comprise the majority of people in Iran’s Ilam province (western Iran) who committed suicide throughout this year, according to the province’s Councillor for Women’s Affairs. At least 220 cases of women committing suicide in Ilam have been recorded out of an estimated 400 suicides, Heyran Pournajaf said to a state-run news agency.
220 women in Iran province committed suicide
Iran Focus: Tehran, Feb. 16 Women and teenage girls comprise the majority of people in Iran’s Ilam province (western Iran) who committed suicide throughout this year, according to the province’s Councillor for Women’s Affairs. At least 220 cases of women committing suicide in Ilam have been recorded out of an estimated 400 suicides, Heyran Pournajaf said to a state-run news agency.
Iran intelligence chief warns U.S.
Reuters: Washington is using satellites to spy on Iran’s
nuclear sites, Iran’s Intelligence Minister Ali Yunesi was quoted as saying on Wednesday.
“We believe the United States has been spying against Iran for some time using satellites and other tools,” he was quoted as saying on the official IRNA news agency, when asked about U.S. denials that it was using drones over Iran.
WTO accepts Serbia, Montenegro application, rejects Iran
AFP: The World Trade Organisation accepted Tuesday the separate membership applications of Serbia and Montenegro, but again rejected that of Iran because of US opposition. A General Council session of the 148 member-states unanimously accepted the separate applications by Serbia and Montenegro, which previously had made one single application.
Allawi party warns Iraq PM favourite over Iran ties, Islam
AFP: The secular party of Iraq’s outgoing prime minister Iyad Allawi on Wednesday warned the religious Shiite now tipped to succeed him over his ties to Iran and the role of Islam in the state.
On Tuesday, sources in the coalition that won the January 30 elections and that is backed by Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani said interim vice president and Dawa party leader Ibrahim Jaafari had been chosen as the list’s premiership candidate.
Iran Minister Warns EU on Nuke Activities
AP: Iran’s foreign minister on Tuesday warned Britain, France and Germany that they must make more economic and technological concessions to meet a deadline next month for agreement on Tehran’s nuclear activities. The three European Union powers are trying to persuade Iran to abandon its uranium enrichment program, which Washington fears could be used to manufacture nuclear weapons.
Appeal court confirms prison for cyber-dissident while blogger is reimprisoned
Reporters Without Borders: Condemning the imprisonment of two Iranian Internet users in the past 10 days, Reporters Without Borders said Iran was undergoing the Middle East’s biggest-ever crackdown on online free expression. Cyber-dissident Mojtaba Lotfi was imprisoned on 5 February after an appeal court confirmed a sentence of three years and 10 months in prison for posting “lies” on the Internet.
Iran’s fire survivors say help came too slow
Reuters: Survivors of a mosque fire that killed 59 people accused authorities in the Iranian capital Tehran of responding too slowly to save many of the victims.
At least 230 people remained hospitalised on Tuesday, one day after
a faulty kerosene heater ignited a massive blaze at Tehran’s Arg mosque, which was packed with worshippers for a major Shi’ite Muslim festival. Men, women and children were killed trying to
escape.
Governor tries to quell unrest after blackout in Iran city
Iran Focus: Tehran, Feb. 15 The governor of Mahabad (northwest Iranian Kurdistan province) tried to restrain public anger, admitting to serious interruptions in gas, power, and water services, amidst clashes between people and State Security Forces. Seyed Marouf Samadi, speaking to a state-run news agency, ILNA, said “Under normal circumstances gas …
