Iran Live: At Least 37 Killed in Earthquake in Bushehr Province

1 GMT: Cyber-Watch. The Guardian has picked up on the story --- reported by EA on Tuesday --- that the Government intends to introduce an Islamic version of Google Earth within four months.

1844 GMT: Culture Watch. Basij official Hossein Qanadian has said that the militia want to launch an Academy of Fine Arts.

1537 GMT: Energy Watch. Iran increased fuel oil exports by 12.5% in the first quarter of 2012, shipping nearly 18 million barrels.

The first-quarter total exports of fuel oil rose around 74% from the corresponding period in the previous year and were up nearly 79% over the same quarter in 2011.

A report in The National does not put a cash figure on the increase and how much it makes up for the loss of about $50 billion in oil revenue in 2012, with a halving of Iran's exports of crude.

1530 GMT: Political Prisoner Watch. In an unexpected move, about 35 political detainees were released from Evin Prison on Tuesday.

Most of the prisoners were arrested in 2009 during mass protests after the disputed Presidential election. They were free with no explanation or clarification about whether they were being granted temporary or permanent release.

1528 GMT: Reformist Watch. The reformist Mujahedin of Islamic Revolution Party, banned by the regime since 2010, has put out a statement declaring that there are no signs for for free and democratic elections in June.

1525 GMT: Economy Watch. Peyke Iran claims that one of Iran's biggest aluminium companies, Alumroll Novin, has been shut down since Iranian New Year in late March, with the loss of 450 jobs.

0608 GMT: Nuclear Watch. President Ahmadinejad has declared that Iran plans to cooperate with Russia, which constructed the Islamic Republic's first nuclear power plant, in building two more reactors.

>There is no news of any cooperation in the Russian media, however.

Instead, Interfax reports that Iran will be able to take control of the Bushehr nuclear reactor in May. Tehran had previously announced the handover would take place in April.

Russia's Atomstroyexport took over construction of Iran's Bushehr in 1992, after the original contractor, Germany's Kraftwerk Union, pulled out in 1980.

One of the reasons the project has taken so long to complete is because Atomstroyexport have had to integrate Russian nuclear technology with 1970s German technology, a challenge compounded by Bushehr's hot and humid climate.

0600 GMT: Earthquake. At least 37 people have been killed and 850 injured in an earthquake in Bushehr Province in southern Iran.

A tremor measuring 6.1 on the Richter scale struck the town of Kaki, 90 kilometres (56 miles) southeast of the city of Bushehr. It was followed by at least four aftershocks.

Iranian officials and the Russian company that constructed the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, 18 kilometres (11 miles) south of Bushehr, said the earthquake had not caused damage or affected operations.

The Supreme Leader has put out a message of condolence, calling on provincial officials to “do their utmost” to save as many lives as possible and to provide support to the survivors.