Reuters: Cyclone Gonu left the coast of Oman and swept out into a major oil shipping route towards Iran on Friday, killing at least 32 people and leaving a trail of destruction that halted oil and gas exports for a fourth day.
Cyclone Gonu leaves Oman, heads towards Iran
Iran’s big brother for bloggers
The Guardian: Respectful comments on the president’s blog are in sharp contrast to the censorship of ordinary web users in the Islamic republic.
Syria ceded part of Golan to Israel in peace talks: Netanyahu
AFP: Former Syrian president Hafez al-Assad said during secret peace talks in the 1990s he was ready to leave a strategic Golan Heights stronghold under Israeli control, ex-prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday.
Iran hopes to start petrol rationing in two weeks
AFP: Iran hopes to begin a much-delayed plan to ration petrol in the next two weeks amid continued uncertainty over its launch date, officials said on Wednesday.
US-Iranians charged with spying after ‘admissions’
AFP: Tehran’s hardline prosecutors have formally charged two detained US-Iranians with spying after they made “admissions” during interrogation, the ISNA news agency reported on Wednesday.
Iran moderates cry foul over vote date
AFP: A decision to hold Iran’s parliamentary vote just a week before its main annual holiday has sparked protests from moderates who fear the timing could impede their chances, media reported on Wednesday.
Navy works to keep lines open to Iran
AP: Even as Iran and the U.S. face off bitterly, Navy commanders in the Persian Gulf are working quietly to keep communications open with Iran’s military, hoping the contact will avert an accidental stumble into armed confrontation.
Cyclone Gonu weakens to a storm on way to Iran
Reuters: Cyclone Gonu waned into a storm as it passed into a major oil shipping route toward Iran on Thursday, but killed 28 people and left a trail of destruction that halted Oman’s oil and gas exports for a third day.
Three Finns held for entering Iranian waters released
AFP: Three Finnish nationals arrested by Iran at the weekend after entering Iranian waters by mistake during a fishing trip in the Gulf have been released, Finland’s foreign ministry said on Wednesday.
Iran evacuates thousands as cyclone strikes
AFP: Cyclone Gonu, the worst tropical storm to hit the Gulf in decades, made landfall in Iran on Wednesday afternoon, packing winds of 200 kilometres an hour and forcing the evacuation of tens of thousands of people, officials said.
