World press on Putin's conservative values and new sanctions against Iran (December 12, 2013)

"Putin defends Russian conservative values" is an article prepared by the Associated Press and published today by the USA Today. "Putin's 70-minute speech marked a determined effort to burnish Russia's image that has been dented by Western criticism of an anti-gay law which has stoked calls for a boycott of the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Putin's pet project. 'Many countries today are reviewing moral norms and erasing national traditions and distinctions between nationalities and cultures," Putin said. "The society is now required to demonstrate not only the sensible recognition of everyone's right to freedom of conscience, political outlook and private life, but also the mandatory recognition of the equivalence of good and evil, no matter how odd that may seem,'" the article reads."Without directly referring to the anti-gay law, Putin focused on upholding traditional family values, which he said were the foundation of Russia's greatness and a bulwark against 'so-called tolerance — genderless and infertile.'""Vladimir Putin defends anti-gay laws as bastion of global conservatism" is an article published today by the Guardian."In an apparent reference to the laws banning "propaganda of non-traditional relations", the Russian president said that on the international arena Russia sees itself as a defender of conservative values against what it considers an assault of "genderless and fruitless so-called tolerance" which he said "equals good and evil". He said Russia will oppose attempts to impose foreign political ideology on sovereign countries. Such attempts, Putin stressed, often lead to destruction and bloodshed, citing events in the Middle East and North Africa as an example. In a typically wide-ranging speech, Putin portrayed Russia as a force for peace and morality that had no desire to be a global superpower," the Guardian reports."U.S. targets more companies, individuals for evading Iran sanctions" is an article published today by the Los Angeles Times."The Obama administration on Thursday blacklisted more than a dozen companies and individuals for allegedly helping Iran evade international sanctions, in a move aimed at showing it would maintain pressure on Tehran even after an interim nuclear deal reached last month in Geneva.Administration officials described the addition of 17 companies and individuals to the federal blacklist as a sign it would vigorously enforce existing sanctions, which President Obama says were crucial in bringing the Iranian regime to the negotiating table. At the same time, the administration has been trying to persuade members of Congress who back new sanctions that such a move could torpedo chances for a long-term, comprehensive deal to curb Iran’s disputed nuclear program," the article reads.The New York Times published today an article entitled "White House Announces New Sanctions to Block Iran’s Trading Activities." Recognizing the pressure from Congress to adopt new sanction against Iran, the newspaper also notes that "the administration has also been eager to show that it is continuing to apply pressure on the nuclear program, on banks violating sanctions on financial transactions, and on front companies that are helping Iran evade oil sanctions. 'There is no way Iran is open for business,' a senior administration official told reporters in a conference call Thursday morning, announcing the new targets of sanctions. He added that when it came to the core sanctions, 'we haven’t let up, and we aren’t letting up.'”