Iran's Rouhani urges clerics to be more tolerant of internetSeptember 1, 2014 - 15:12 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Iran's President Monday, Sept 1, urged the country's clerics to be more tolerant of the Internet and new technologies, which are often the target of criticism by influential hard-liners in the Islamic Republic, the Associated Press reports. Hassan Rouhani made the appeal during a meeting with clerics in Tehran, where he said that the Internet is important for aspiring students and experts trying to access new knowledge and science. "In today's world, one who does not know the internet and does not apply it is not called an expert even a student... We cannot close the gates of the world for the younger generation," he said in a speech broadcast on state TV. Rouhani, a relative moderate elected last year, has vowed to expand media and Internet freedoms but has faced resistance from hard-liners, who oppose third generation cellular-phone network technology for example, saying that it paves the way for immoral images. In recent weeks, however, the government has allowed more Iranian operators to provide 3G service. Authorities have banned many social networks such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube after the opposition used them during post-election protests in 2009. But youth and technology-savvy Iranians use proxy servers or other workarounds to bypass the controls. Related links: Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Czech-Armenian military cooperation discussed in Yerevan A delegation led by the Director General for the Industrial Cooperation Division of the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic visited Armenia. U.S. welcomes efforts to define Armenia-Azerbaijan border The United States welcomes efforts to define the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, says Vedant Patel. Biden honors resilience of Armenian people on April 24 U.S. President Joe Biden has issued a statement on the 109th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. Ex-Karabakh leader moved to solitary confinement cell in Baku, his son says David Vardanyan is the son of former Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan who who is currently imprisoned in Azerbaijan. |