Iran Focus: Tehran, Iran, Jan. 02 – Iran’s State Supreme Court upheld a death sentence for a man in the city of Shiraz, central Iran, according to a report in the state-run daily Qods.

Iran Focus: Tehran, Iran, Jan. 02 – Iran’s State Security Forces (SSF) have arrested hundreds of individuals in the north-eastern province of Khorrasan Razavi as part of a crackdown
of “trouble-makers”, Fars news agency, which is close to the Office of the Supreme Leader, reported.

AFP: Kuwait plans to start exploration for natural gas in what it calls “undisputed” parts of the offshore Dorra field also claimed by neighboring Iran, a senior official said in comments published Monday.

AFP: Greek authorities have arrested three Iranians attempting to sell three ancient Greek coins for 17,000 euros (20,000 dollars), the finance ministry inspection squad said on Monday.

Reuters: Turkey said on Monday that newspaper reports which say the United States has asked Ankara for permission to use military bases in Turkey for possible attacks on neighbouring Iran are not connected with reality.

Reuters: The Iranian government on Monday ordered the closure of a daily newspaper and banned a planned women’s publication in the first media crackdown since President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad took office in August.