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Social and political issues in Iran are the focus of our first report today on cnn 10, wherever and however you're watching, thank you for doing it. I'm Carl Azuz at the cnn Center. When we produced this show, the internet had been shut down in Iran. The government of the theocratic republic is trying to put out the fire of nationwide protests that flared up last Friday and taking the country offline could make it harder for protesters to organize their demonstrations. The Oracle Computer Software Company says the blackout is the largest internet shutdown ever observed in the Middle Eastern country.
For several years now, Iran's economy has been getting worse. Its currency, the rial, doesn't buy as much as it used to. Prices are going up. Certain kinds of food and medical equipment are in short supply and it's getting harder for many Iranians to find a job. For these reasons, protests across Iran broke out two years ago and they welled up, again, over the weekend after the government announced it would increase gas prices by 50 to 300 percent, meaning they could triple.
Gas is relatively cheap in Iran. But with lower incomes and economic problems, the higher prices make it less affordable. Iran's government says several protesters have been killed in the demonstrations and it blames them on other countries. Iran's government says its enemies support actions like sabotage and breaking the law. But many protesters blame Iran's leaders whom they criticize for being corrupt.
