Iran

Inflation, rising unemployment and an irresponsible economic policy seems to be the Ahmadinejad administration's political legacy. The next president will face severe challenges, writes financial journalist, Sara Damavandan, in an analysis of the country's economic situation.

What happens to a country where many writers have shelved writing or have given up trying to get published? The author and publisher, Arash Hejazi, writes about self-censorship, which has taken root among many Iranian writers. Is Iranian literature fading away?

The Islamic Republic does not allow alcohol. In the wake of other social problems, alcohol abuse has increased, even in Iran. Under an ideologically shiny surface, one can find the same social problems as in other parts of the world—and as long as no one can speak of them, they only become worse.