Page 10 - ARUBA TODAY

A10 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 11 april 2018

Iran seeks to pin rial to the dollar as it hits record low

By NASSER KARIMI turned off their currency same time, $80 billion are
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran display boards. spent on imports.
moved on Tuesday to en- Mojtaba Habibi, a judiciary Iran remains largely cut off
force a single exchange employee from the north- from international financial
rate to the dollar, banning eastern city of Mashhad, networks because of U.S.
all unregulated trading af- said he came to Tehran sanctions. The rial's slide is
ter the rial hit an all-time three days ago to buy up driven in part by fears the
low. hard currency so he could Trump administration will
The country's senior vice take his child abroad for withdraw from the nuclear
president, Eshaq Jahangiri, medical treatment. deal between Iran and
was quoted by state TV Reza Haj Esmaili, a re- world powers and impose
as saying that the official tired government worker new sanctions.
rate will be 42,000 rials to passing by the line, said The head of Iran's cen-
the dollar as of Tuesday. "the country's economic tral bank, Valiollah Seif,
He said that trading at any strength is dwindling away appeared before parlia-
other price was forbidden and people feel it is risky to ment Tuesday to explain
and would be considered keep their rials." the measure, the semi-
"smuggling." Pedestrians walk past a currency exchange shop with current Government spokesman official Fars news agency
rates for the U.S. dollar and the euro not displayed, in downtown
The decision came late Tehran, Iran, Tuesday, April 10, 2018. Mohammad Bagher No- reported. He was met with
Monday after a two-day Associated Press bakht said Iran brings in angry objections and in-
hike in prices of foreign cur- some $95 billion a year in terruptions from a group
rencies that saw the rial In downtown Tehran, peo- fixed rate but many com- foreign currency, mostly of lawmakers who briefly
trading at 62,000 to the dol- ple lined up to buy hard plained there were not from crude oil exports, pushed him around on the
lar — an 18 percent drop currency outside an ex- enough dollars available. which resumed after the podium and demanded his
since Saturday. change office at the new, Some exchange offices 2015 nuclear deal. At the resignation.q

Turkey: 3 wanted for ties to U.S.-based cleric seized in Gabon

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — The "Gabon has handed over from Kosovo of six Turkish
African nation of Gabon three important members men — five teachers and a
has arrested and handed of (Gulen's organization)," doctor — accused of sup-
over three men wanted in Erdogan said during a porting the coup attempt.
Turkey for ties to U.S.-based speech to his ruling par- The move angered Koso-
cleric Fethullah Gulen, ty's lawmakers in Ankara. vo's prime minister, who
President Recep Tayyip Er- "They can run to wherever fired the country's interior
dogan said Tuesday, vow- they want; they'll run, we'll minister and intelligence
ing to press ahead with ef- chase." chief for not telling him
forts to chase the cleric's Turkey accuses Gulen of about it, and drew sharp
followers abroad. The three masterminding the coup criticism from human rights
Turkish nationals, who were attempt in July 2016 and groups.
directors of schools linked has branded his movement Anadolu said the three
to Gulen in Gabon, were a "terror organization." The who were arrested in Ga-
arrested by authorities in cleric has denied involve- Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses the mem- bon used an encrypted
Gabon's capital, Libreville, ment in the failed attempt. bers of his ruling Justice and Development Party, in Denizli, Tur- messaging app which the
on March 23, the state-run Since the coup, Turkey has key, Saturday, April 7, 2018. government says was used
Anadolu Agency reported. arrested more than 38,000 Associated Press by Gulen's supporters to
They were returned to Tur- people for alleged links communicate secretly with
key in an operation led to Gulen and fired some Last week, Turkish Deputy up and returned" to Turkey each other. The three were
by the Turkish intelligence 110,000 public servants. Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag in operations conducted wanted in Turkey for "mem-
agency, Anadolu reported Many of those arrested or said as many as 80 suspect- by the intelligence agency. bership in an armed terror
Tuesday, citing unnamed fired have proclaimed their ed Gulen supporters in 18 Last month, Turkey secretly organization," the agency
security sources. innocence. countries were "bundled arranged the deportation said.q