TEHRAN (FNA) – Iran has delayed signing a contract with China National Offshore Oil Company (CNOOC) for the development of its northern Pars gas field.

TEHRAN (FNA) – Governor of the southern Iraqi province of Basra has distanced himself from anti-Iran allegations attributed to him by malicious elements.

TEHRAN (FNA) – Iran and Morocco have signed 5 MoUs on bilateral economic and trade cooperation.

TEHRAN (FNA) – Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem al-Thani held talks with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad here Wednesday on a visit aimed at boosting strong energy links with the Islamic republic.

LONDON – Iraqi refugees who are running out of money in Syria may head for Europe if the international community fails to supply sufficient relief funding, the United Nations said on Thursday.

KERBALA, Iraq – Iraqi officials said on Thursday they had defused three car bombs aimed at some of the 7 million pilgrims visiting Kerbala for one of Shi’ite Islam’s most important rituals.

CAIRO – Egypt will send a team to assess security in Baghdad with a view to upgrading its diplomatic representation, reduced after the 2005 killing of an Egyptian diplomat, Egypt’s foreign minister was quoted as saying.

Following are security developments in Iraq at 9:30 a.m. EST on Thursday.AMARA – Gunmen in two cars kidnapped a senior official of Iraq’s electricity ministry after he left work in Amara, 365 km (230 miles) southeast of Baghdad, police said. The official was identified as Mutar Thamer, director of electricity …

TBILISI – Several thousand Georgians paid their last respects on Thursday to the country’s richest man, Badri Patarkatsishvili, in a low key funeral ceremony which his most well-known business partner did not attend.

KABUL – Afghan police have killed 25 Taliban fighters including an insurgent commander in a clash in the south of the country, the Interior Ministry said on Thursday.