Iran Daily
 
President Urges West to Choose Path of Interaction
Iran’s president used his final moments before leaving for New York on Monday to urge Western leaders to heed his appeals for greater dialog and take steps to ease economic sanctions as a path to “reach joint interests.”

 
Leader Pardons Security-Related Prisoners
Leader of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei granted amnesty for 80 prisoners charged with security-related issues including those who had been arrested after the 2009 presidential election unrest.

 
Zarif, Ashton Hold ‘Good, Constructive’ Talks
European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said on Monday that the foreign ministers of the P5+1 (five permanent members of the UN Security Council Plus Germany) and Iran will meet this week to discuss reviving long-stalled negotiations to rein in Iran’s nuclear program.

 
Assad Criticizes US Threat of Strikes
Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad criticized the United States for threatening to attack Syria over its chemical weapons program, saying it was finding “excuses for war”, China’s state television said on Monday.

 
Iranian Technicians Take Control Of Bushehr Reactor
Iran on Monday finally took control of its civilian nuclear reactor at Bushehr on the Persian Gulf coast, a project begun 35 years ago by Germany, wracked by setbacks, and finished by Russia.

 
Interpol Laud Capture Of Fixing Mastermind 
Law enforcement agency Interpol lauded the work of Singapore authorities on Monday for arresting the ‘mastermind’ of the world’s largest soccer match-fixing syndicate thought to be worth millions of dollars.

 
Merkel’s Win Impacts EU
The euro was 0.3 percent from a seven-month high against the dollar after Angela Merkel won an overwhelming endorsement from German voters, putting her on course for the biggest election tally since Helmut Kohl’s post-reunification victory of 1990.

 
Leader Pardons Security-Related Prisoners
Leader of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei granted amnesty for 80 prisoners charged with security-related issues including those who had been arrested after the 2009 presidential election unrest.

 
Navy Will Launch Indigenous Destroyer in Caspian
The Navy plans to launch one of its advanced home-made destroyers, named Damavand, in the Caspian Sea in the near future, a commander said on Monday.

 
Iran Influential Power In Int’l Equations 
A senior military official says Iran’s indigenous long-range missiles have turned the Islamic Republic into an “influential power” in the world.

 
Turkey Grills Pilgrims After Mashhad Trip 
A group of 35 young Turkish pilgrims returning from the holy city of Mashhad were reportedly subjected to illegal interrogations upon arrival in Turkey.

 
Iraqi Defense Minister in Tehran for Talks 
Iraqi Defense Minister Saadoun Al-Dulaimi arrived in Tehran on Monday at the invitation of his Iranian counterpart Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan.

 
India to Import More Iranian Oil 
India’s oil ministry wants to raise imports of Iranian crude - even though US sanctions call for a cut - and has argued its case in a memorandum ahead of US President Barack Obama’s meeting with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh next week.