The Guardian reported that the Iranian oil ministry has denied that it is stopping oil exports to six European states in retaliation for EU sanctions imposed on the Islamic state's key export, shortly after the claims were made by the country's English-language Press TV. However, in reporting the halt to exports, Press TV had named the countries as the Netherlands, Greece, France, Portugal, Spain and Italy. Brent crude oil prices were up $1 a barrel to $118.35 shortly after the announcement.
According to the same news agency, the three "Bangkok bombers" suspected of attempting to carry out an attack in Bangkok are more likely to be assassins than terrorists, a senior Thai security official has said. This potentially corroborates Israel's claims that the three men were thwarted in an Iranian assassination plot similar to earlier attacks on Israeli diplomats in India and Georgia. In his turn, Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast called the allegations "baseless" and said Israel was attempting to sabotage its relations with Thailand.
The Guardian also published an article describing cultural aspects of Turkish market culture. The peace is headlined “Quiet market traders? Istanbul may as well just install vending machines”. The author states that “Markets are supposed to be noisy. They are the last unsterilised retail environment, and banning shouting, heckling, recreational foul language and casual threats would be like carpeting the Amazon. But sadly, this is exactly what authorities in Turkey have done, by introducing a law last month that bans traders from shouting and singing”. He also goes on to say that “"There is no joy in a market shrouded in silence," said one Turkish market-goer, interviewed about the change in legislation. She is entirely correct. Surely the world is already joyless enough without stopping barrow boys singing about mandarins.”
According to the Washington Post, Iran has started loading fuel rods into an aging nuclear reactor used to make medical isotopes and is set to formally declare that an underground bunker complex for uranium enrichment is now fully operational. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will unveil a total of three nuclear projects on Wednesday in a ceremony in Tehran that will be shown live on state television, the Islamic Republic News Agency reported. The third project is a line of new carbon fiber centrifuges, which state television said have more output and enrich uranium faster than older centrifuges. High-ranking officials from the IAEA are scheduled to visit Iran on Tuesday for a second round of talks, possibly signalling that Iran is ready to provide more transparency on the intentions of its nuclear program. Such transparency has been a key demand by the United Nations in recent resolutions against Iran.
Hurriyet Daily News reports that the power struggle within the Turkish state apparatus that burst into the open with the recent crackdown on intelligence officers has "horrified" the Turkish people, according to a top businesswoman. "We are moving away from the rule of law day by day. We regular people are watching the power struggle within the Turkish state with horror and an increased sense of insecurity,” Turkish Industry & Business Association (TÜSİAD) Chairwoman Ümit Boyner said at a press conference in Istanbul today, during which she announced the association's 2012 program.
