The Guardian: As the Iranian New Year holiday comes to an end, it is estimated that between 500 and 700 Iranians lost their lives in road accidents during the two weeks’ holiday, from 20 March to early April.
Iranians count the cost of Nowruz traffic carnage
Iran sanctions biting; cut North Korea food aid, Richardson says
Bloomberg: Bill Richardson, former U.S. Energy Secretary, comments on the rising price of oil, China’s role in sanctions against Iran and North Korea’s plan to launch a rocket. He spoke in a Bloomberg Television interview today at the Boao Forum for Asia in China.
No date, place yet for Iran nuclear talks: Russia
AFP: Russia said Monday that the date and place for talks with Iran on its controversial nuclear programme have not been set, despite a US announcement over the first such meeting in more than a year.
Iran: Hyundai Motor ends operations
New York Times: The Hyundai Motor Company, the automaking subsidiary of Hyundai, the South Korean conglomerate, has quietly ended its business dealings with Iran, where it had extensive operations, including a joint venture to make cars.
Egypt halts tanker with Syrian oil for payment fees
Reuters: An Iranian tanker carrying Syrian crude oil is being held in Egyptian waters because it has not paid the Suez Canal Authority the fees required for passage, the Egyptian authority said on Monday.
Iran suspends Reuters news bureau ‘indefinitely’
AFP: The Tehran bureau of international news agency Reuters has been “suspended indefinitely” because of a report it issued mischaracterising Iranian female ninjas as “terrorists,” authorities said on Monday.
Iran shakes fist at Riyadh over Syria
UPI: Iran won’t allow Saudi Arabia to carry out Western-backed plots in Syria, the head of the Iranian Parliament’s defense subcommittee said Monday.
Russian FM warns against strike on Iran
AP: Russia’s foreign minister has strongly warned against a military attack on Iran, saying that a pre-emptive strike would violate international law.
Iran vows to stick to nuclear ‘path’
AFP: Iran declared on Monday it will not be swayed from its nuclear “path” by sanctions, a week before talks with world powers that are increasingly seen as a last chance for diplomacy in its showdown with the West.
Turkey opts to back away from Iranian oil
UPI: U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said she was encouraged by Turkish officials’ decision to reduce the amount of crude oil the country imports from Iran.
