--BBC: After the controversial presidential election, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who is under pressure from different sides, has given faithfulness more importance than experience in picking the minister nominees. Some nominees are young and less-known. Others are accused of not having sufficient knowledge or expertise for their respective ministries. Their nomination is done despite Parliament's repeated demands for a more efficient cabinet.

--Radio Farda: Tehran's Friday Prayer Imam criticized not arresting those who are "heads of the unrest and roots of the problem." Ahmad Jannati, who is also the secretary of Guardian Council, said that several people have been arrested, but those who started and led the protests are still at large.  Another Friday Prayer Imam, Ahmad Khatami, had previously pointed indirectly to Mousavi and Karroubi and demanded that the Judiciary should ruthlessly press charges against "the heads of unrest who are associates of the US and Israel."

--Radio Farda: In an open letter addressed on August 20 to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ms. Pillay, the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the Iranian League for the Defence of Human Rights (LDDHI) invited the High Commissioner to conduct an official personal visit to the Islamic Republic of Iran to investigate the "crimes committed" by the regime.

--Radio Farda: While Ahmadinejad was introducing his cabinet nominees in a live televised interview, some Tehrani citizens held demonstrations.  Some residents of Apadana apartment complex spontaneously took it to the streets and chanted slogans objecting to the results of the election.

--BBC: Iran has allowed the IAEA inspectors into a reactor under construction. In the past year, Iran had not allowed such inspections. But today, according to Reuters, the inspectors were given permission to visit the nuclear reactor site in Arak.

 

--BBC: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, for the first time, made comments on the controversial dismissal of Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, the former minister of intelligence. He has indirectly alluded to the fact that this dismissal was connected to the mishandling of the post-election crisis. Shortly after Mr. Ahmadinejad was announced the winner in that election and following the massive demonstrations protesting against this result, he dismissed Mr. Ejei, just a few days before the cabinet was to end its four year period.

 

--BBC: Germany has requested for tougher sanctions against Iran if the nuclear talks fail to make optimal progress. Angela Merkel, the chancellor of Germany, has stated in an interview with Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung that if the nuclear talks between 5+1 and Iran fail to give results, more sanctions should be imposed on Iran.

NEWS OF THE ARRESTED, MISSING, AND DECEASED

--BBC: The relatives of the three American tourists who are currently detained in Iran have created a website, in which they have asked for their release. Shane Bauer, Sarah Shourd and Joshua Fattal had made a "regrettable mistake" when they crossed into Iran from Halabje, in Iraqi Kurdistan, in July, relatives said. They were "totally harmless" and "cared deeply about the world", they said.

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