Iran Focus: Tehran, Oct. 21 A fist-fight broke out yesterday between a current and a former member of Irans parliament (Majlis), ILNA news agency reported. Mayhem prevailed in the Majlis building as deputies, staff members and journalists crowded the corridor where the fighting was taking place.
Fist-fight at Irans Majlis
The Iran Problem Awaiting Bush or Kerry
Time Magazine: While Tehran’s unprecedented “endorsement” of President Bush raised some eyebrows this week, Iran hasnt been much of an issue in the Presidential campaign. But as international efforts to confront the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program enter a critical phase, there’s little doubt Iran will be at the top of a new administration’s agenda. And as the exchange between President Bush and Senator Kerry in the first presidential debate showed, there are not many good options.
Tehran shows defiance on eve of crucial nuclear arms talks by test-firing missile
The Guardian: The Iranian government carried out a missile test yesterday, 24 hours before a make-or-break meeting with Britain, France and Germany on its suspected nuclear weapons programme. The test may have been intended as a warning to the US, Israel and the Europeans on the eve of the meeting in Vienna with the European troika.
Iran Moving Methodically Toward Nuclear Capability
Los Angeles Times: Iran has made steady progress toward producing nuclear fuel and could make significant quantities
of enriched uranium in less than a year, according to new estimates by diplomats, scientists and intelligence officials.
Mastering enrichment will move Tehran a big step closer to being able to build an atomic bomb. Iran’s progress already has intensified its confrontation with the United States and other countries that fear it is trying to develop nuclear weapons.
Khatami: Kerry, Bush both hostile to Iran
UPI: Iranian President Mohammed Khatami charged Wednesday that President George Bush and his election rival Sen. John Kerry are both hostile to Iran.
The Iranian News Agency, IRNA, quoted Khatami as saying “Kerry and Bush are both wrong if they think they can deprive Iran of its legitimate right to acquire nuclear technology.”
UK parliamentarians debate EU-Iran dialogue
Iran Focus: London, Oct. 20 Several members of Britains House of Commons strongly criticized Tony Blairs government yesterday for its economic ties with Iran, at a time of growing concern over the clerical states human rights violations and nuclear program.
US frowns on reported European nuclear offer to Iran
AFP: The United States said it would be “concerned” by Iran’s acquisition of any new nuclear technology, signalling opposition to a reported European offer to give Tehran a light-water reactor it proves it is not secretly developing atomic weapons. The State Department said the transfer of such technology would be problematic given Iran’s past …
Report indicates increased social corruption
Iran Focus: Paris, Oct 20. – According to the latest report released by Transparency International shows that corruption among Iranian government officials has increased.
Iran now ranks 88 in the Corruption Perceptions Index compared to 78 last year. The figures reflect the increasing economical haul that is plaguing Iran.
Student union leader sentenced to flogging, prison time
Iran Focus: Tehran, Oct. 20 – The secretary of the student
union of Azad University in Irans Central province was sentenced to 40 lashes, one year in prison and fined one million rials in the town of Arak.
Soroush Farhadian was charged with spreading false propaganda against the regime.
Five more people executed in northern Iran
Iran Focus: Tehran, Oct. 20 Four men were hanged in the town of Sari in the northern province of Mazandaran on
charges of armed violence. The men, identified only by their first names, Mohammad-Reza, Hamid-Reza, Hassan and Reza, were executed after the Supreme Islamic Court upheld the original judges verdict.
