Iran moves to restore Internet services in stages: spokesperson

Iran has begun a phased restoration of global Internet access, a National Cyber Center spokesperson announced Tuesday.

The restoration progress will be advanced in phases based on predetermined priorities, said the spokesperson.

Several local instant messaging software applications in Iran were restored for use early Tuesday morning, according to a reporter of China Media Group.

Users can access various interactive functions, including group chat, dynamic posting, and multimedia transmission.

Iran imposed severe restrictions on access to the global Internet and suspended short message service on Jan 8, citing riots and terrorist attacks targeting civilians, security forces and public buildings.

The authorities have pledged to address economic challenges and have vowed to crack down on violence and sabotage.

The U.S. dollar increased in late trading on Friday.

The dollar index, which measures the greenback against six major peers, went up 0.19 percent to 100.218 at 03:00 (1900 GMT).

In late New York trading, the euro lost to 1.1515 dollars from 1.1544 dollars in the previous session, and the British pound was down to 1.3192 dollars from 1.3227 dollars in the previous session.

The U.S. dollar bought 159.65 Japanese yen, higher than 159.34 Japanese yen of the previous session. The U.S. dollar was up to 0.8008 Swiss francs from 0.7984 Swiss francs, and it rose to 1.3944 Canadian dollars from 1.3921 Canadian dollars. The U.S. dollar added to 9.4828 Swedish kronor from 9.4234 Swedish kronor.