Los Angeles Times: Iranian officials say international sanctions haven’t kept them from continuing to do business with much of the world. At the Tehran International Industry Fair this month, leaders boasted in a brochure that 25 countries were taking part.
Iran sidesteps trade sanctions with help from Chinese firms
Bolivian president in Iran to seek investments
AFP: Bolivian President Evo Morales was in Tehran on Monday on a three-day visit aimed at securing Iranian investment in the South American country, the English-language Press TV reported.
Iran says some academic courses too “Western”
Reuters: Iran will not allow its universities to begin teaching certain disciplines it deems too “Western,” and existing courses will be revised, a senior Education Ministry was quoted as saying Sunday.
Activists call for continued protests in Iran
Iran Focus: Tehran, Oct. 24 – From the Grapevine… Reports from the southern Tehran districts of Shoush and Khazaneh as well as Edam (Execution) Square say that leaflets have been distributed urging people to challenge Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei by taking part in anti-government protests on the Shiite holy day of Ashura (27 December).
Thief hand cut off ‘before inmates’
Press Association: Authorities in Iran have amputated the hand of a convicted thief in front of other prisoners, state radio is reporting.
Iran is said to give top aide to Karzai cash by the bagful
New York Times: One evening last August, as President Hamid Karzai wrapped up an official visit to Iran, his personal plane sat on the airport tarmac, waiting for a late-running passenger: Iran’s ambassador to Afghanistan.
U.S. is concerned about Iran’s Afghan role after bribery report
Bloomberg: The U.S. said Iran shouldn’t interfere with Afghanistan’s internal affairs following a report that an Iranian official gave an aide of President Hamid Karzai a bag filled with packets of euro bills.
Tony Blair’s sister-in-law Lauren Booth converts to Islam after a ‘holy experience’ in Iran
The Mail on Sunday: Tony Blair’s sister-in-law has converted to Islam after having a ‘holy experience’ in Iran.
Leaked reports stir political disputes in Iraq
New York Times: Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki denounced the release of thousands of classified Iraq war records on Saturday as a move to derail his pursuit of another term, while his political opponents called the documents an indictment of Mr. Maliki’s administration.
US shot down Iranian drone in Iraq, WikiLeaks confirms
Mother Jones: The US shot down and captured an almost-completely intact Iranian surveillance drone in Iraqi territory in early 2009, not far from a refugee camp for dissident Iranians, WikiLeaks’ new Iraq logs confirm.
