The Washington Post published an article headlined "Iran tests missile in display before nuclear talks." Iran says it has test-fired an anti-aircraft missile near a nuclear site in a military display before talks resume with world powers over Tehran's uranium enrichment program. The test appeared to be designed to show Iran's resolve to defend its nuclear sites. Talks with the United States and five other world powers resume in Istanbul on Friday.
Another theme concerning Iran touched on by the Washington Post is patrolling cyberspace. The first web watchdog squads are planned in Tehran this month - another step in Iran's rapidly expanding focus on the digital world as cyber warfare and online sleuthing take greater prominence with the Pentagon's new Cyber Command and the secrets spilled to WikiLeaks. For Iranian authorities, mastering the intricacies of the web is seen as critical on two fronts: an offensive weapon against political opposition and a defensive shield to thwart cyber-attacks such as the Stuxnet computer worm that Iran said was aimed at sabotaging its uranium enrichment program.
Reuters reported that Iran has no fresh offer to make for a nuclear fuel swap at talks with world powers due to begin on Friday in Istanbul. The Saudi-owned Al Arabiya TV news channel had reported Iran would propose a revised version of a deal which was agreed in principle at a previous round of talks in 2009 but then fell apart, but Iranian officials said there were no such plans.
Today in Azerbaijan is Day of National Grief. The Turkish information agency Hurriyet published an article on this topic. "The last persecution by the Soviets: the massacre of Baku on Jan. 20, 1990" tells about the developments took place that black day. The author makes a conclusion that Of course the recognition of the January 1990 massacre only by Azerbaijan is not enough. When the event is examined in terms of international law, it would be a good call that the said massacre must be included under the scope of crimes against humanity and those who are responsible must be subjected to investigation. That's because all that was done includes all symptoms of a crime against humanity.
Meanwhile, Hurriyet reports on Opposition rally in Armenia's capital. About 7,000 supporters of an opposition party rallied in Armenia's capital on Wednesday, urging the government to improve economic and social conditions. The rally in Yerevan was organized by the People's Party led by Tigran Karapetian, a millionaire media tycoon. His party isn't represented in the national parliament but has some following in the provinces. Speaking at the rally, Karapetian urged the government to increase wages and pensions, compensate the public for their bank savings lost in the post-Soviet economic meltdown and free jailed opposition supporters.
"Iran, Syria sign gas pipeline deal" is an article published by the Iranian news agency Press TV. Syrian Oil Minister Sufian Allaw says Tehran and Damascus have inked an agreement to build a gas pipeline for transferring Iran's natural gas to Syria. Iraq agreed to participate in the gas project in August and experts from the three countries will begin researching the details to implement the project. Allaw further explained that the two sides also discussed the transfer of three million cubic meters of Iran's gas to Syria per day via Turkey. The Iranian oil minister arrived in Damascus on Wednesday to discuss boosting energy relations between the two neighboring states. Syria has the smallest gas deposits in the Middle East after Bahrain and its oil will run out within 18 years. Iran has the world's second-largest natural gas reserves after Russia.
