New York Times: The lead negotiator for the six-nation group bargaining with Iran over its contentious uranium enrichment program said Friday that she hoped to achieve “the beginnings of the end” of the dispute at the next meeting, to be held in Baghdad on May 23.

AP: One Turkish journalist detained in Syria is a devout Muslim who was on a Gaza-bound aid ship targeted in an Israeli raid in 2010, and reported being wounded by American bombing on a trip to Afghanistan.

Reuters: The European Union’s foreign policy chief said on Friday she hoped upcoming talks with Iran would form the basis for Tehran to eventually abandon its alleged nuclear weapons project.

UPI: The Iranian Energy Ministry said it expects to secure export contracts for electricity with the Syrian and Lebanese governments in the near future.

AFP: The IEA raised slightly its outlook for growth of oil demand this year but warned on Friday that risks of a shock from Iran persisted despite easing prices and a supply boost by OPEC.

UPI: The Iranian Oil Ministry said the private sector can now sell as much as 400,000 barrels of oil per day on the international market to get around sanctions.

Bloomberg: Japan’s government may insure the nation’s tankers that are unable to obtain coverage for shipments of Iranian crude because of European Union sanctions, the International Oil Daily reported.

UPI: With renewed investments in green energy technology, Tehran is well suited to export electricity to India, the Iranian energy minister said.