AFP: Young French academic Clotilde Reiss flew home from Iran on Sunday, 10 months after she was arrested and accused of spying, as France denied striking a secret deal with Tehran.
French researcher home after Iran trial ordeal
Essex home raided over Iran dirty bomb threat
The Sunday Times: A British chemicals firm is involved in a secret MI5 inquiry into the illegal export to Iran of material that could make a radioactive “dirty bomb”.
The sleaze factor in Ahmadinejad’s private budget
Iran Focus: Tehran, May 16 – It is an open secret that huge sums of money go missing from the Iranian budget each year, much of it lining the pockets of senior officials and top institutes that back hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. However, enormous funding has also officially been allocated in the budget to Ahmadinejad’s personal office. The official budget has allocated funds for the following entities and individuals:
Iranian cleric wants creation of ‘Greater Iran’
AP: A radical cleric called Saturday for the creation of a “Greater Iran” that would rule over the entire Middle East and Central Asia, in an event that he said would herald the coming of Islam’s expected messiah.
Maliki ‘hijacking’ Iraq elections: top Saudi prince
AFP: Former Saudi intelligence chief Prince Turki al-Faisal accused Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki on Saturday of trying to “hijack” the results of the general election held in Iraq in March.
Lawyer: Iran to let French academic leave
AP: A French academic arrested in Iran following last year’s disputed presidential elections will be allowed to leave the country after paying a $300,000 fine, her lawyer said Saturday.
Quake measuring 5.1 hits south of Iran – agency
Reuters: A magnitude 5.1 earthquake hit southern Iran late on Friday, official news agency IRNA said.
US condemns Iran for imprisoning Bahai
AFP: The United States denounced Iran on Friday over its detention of seven leaders of the Bahai religious minority who have been held for two years.
Money well spent?
Iran Focus: Tehran, May 15 – Iran Focus has carried out an investigation into Iran’s annual budget and has learnt that huge sums of money are allocated to senior officials and top institutes that back hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Iran Focus will on Sunday publish a list of key entities receiving the funds.
Iran confirms death sentence for opposition activists
AFP: The death sentence for six opposition activists arrested in protests after last year’s disputed presidential election in Iran have been confirmed, Tehran prosecutor Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi said Saturday.
