INTERNATIONAL Iran: Multi-billion investment could halve jobless rate

The Iranian government has unveiled plans to nearly halve its unemployment rate by 2015 with a package of investment worth around 1.96 trillion rials (£103bn).

The joblessness rate currently stands at 12.3% and would drop to 7% under the plans to create 1.1m new jobs in this year alone, with further jobs coming over the course of the programme.