The Washington Post reports that Iran’s government has raised bread prices by 25 percent, the second hike in four months, as the authorities try to cut subsidies to ease pressure on the economy, which is straining under international sanctions. Bread prices first tripled after the subsidy cuts came into effect in December, as President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad moved to reduce the massive drain on the state budget from subsidies on foodstuffs and energy. Every Iranian receives the equivalent of about $45 per month to compensate for the subsidy cuts.
The Guardian reported on a second computer virus targeting Iran. The commander of Iran's civil defence said the new virus, called Stars, was being investigated by experts. The Stuxnet worm, discovered in computers at Iran's Bushehr nuclear plant last year, still posed a potential risk. Some experts described it as the world's first "guided cyber missile", aimed at Iran's atomic programme. Iranian officials said they had neutralised Stuxnet before it caused the intended damage to its nuclear facilities. They blamed Israel and the US – which believe Iran is seeking nuclear weapons – for the virus.
The New York Times published an article on the same theme. It is headlined “Iran Discovers New Cyberattack.” The author says that Iran has discovered a new hostile computer virus, designed to damage government systems, an Iranian official who heads a cyber-defence agency said, in comments reported on Monday. After the virus was discovered last year, Iran reported delays in parts of its nuclear program.
The Iranian information agency Press TV published an article subtitled “Caspian Sea states discuss convention.” It says that representatives from the Caspian Sea littoral states have come together in the Azeri capital Baku to discuss a convention on the legal status of the sea. They will exchange views on the draft convention on the legal regime of the Caspian Sea. The maritime and seabed boundaries of the Caspian Sea have yet to be demarcated among the five countries bordering the sea. The littoral states have yet to come up with a final convention on the Caspian Sea which will determine the territorial rights of the littoral states, as well as other matters related to the sea.
Hurriyet reports that Turkey’s utility helicopter program has been designed for maximum local industry contribution. As a result, Turkish Aerospace Industries, or TAI, the programs’ prime contractor, and other Turkish companies will manufacture 50 percent of the platform in financial terms. This means, half of the $3.5 billion price tag will remain in Turkey. Turkey is taking part in the Lockheed Martin-led, multinational program for new-generation and stealth F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Lightning II fighter aircraft, and plans to buy around 100 aircraft.
