The Marines again

Talks have begun about the release of the UK marines held in Iran (Daily Telegraph, Guardian, Independent), but Margaret Beckett has cautioned not to be unduly optimistic (Times), especially in the wake of the freed Iranian envoy (Independent). The coverage of the hostage situation also extended to commentaries, as Jonathan Freedland of The Guardian discusses how the current conflict is very revealing of the natures of the countries involved. There is also a commentary by Mark Steel in The Independent about how the Iranians have used television in their handling of the situation. The Guardian reveals the pro-Tehran stance of much of the media in Iran, while The Times reports on the prevalence of criticism among the blogging community.