Iran established its oil bourse Sunday in a free trade zone on the Persian Gulf Island of Kish and 100 tons of polyethylene consignment was traded at the market’s opening on the island, which houses the offices of about 100 Iranian and foreign oil companies.

Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has called on all loyalists to the Islamic Revolution to maintain unity and to ignore minor and unimportant issues.

The Islamic Culture and Relations Organization Director Mahdi Mostafavi has lauded President Mahmud Ahmadinejad’s planned visit to Iraq, saying it will be “an important step towards expansion of bilateral relations”. 

Egypt boosted troop security along the volatile border with Gaza on Friday, a security official said, following an alleged threat by Hamas that the group would stage kidnappings of Egyptian troops if its operatives arrested in the Sinai were not releaseThe remarks came amid stepped-up rhetoric by Egypt against Gaza’s …

 Iran has started building a second atomic power plant, Iran’s Ambassador to Russia Gholamreza Ansari was quoted as saying on Friday by Itar-Tass news agency. 

The Taliban insurgency and terrorism has recently gained strength in Afghanistan in spite of the presence of about 50.000 US-led NATO troops in the country.

An undersea cable carrying Internet traffic was cut off the Persian Gulf emirate of Dubai, officials said Friday, the third loss of a line carrying Internet and telephone traffic in three days.

The head of Iran’s judiciary is seeking to impose limits on public executions amid a rise in death-penalty cases during President Mahmud Ahmadinejad’s 2 1/2 years in office. 

Iraqi and European Union officials have discussed plans for Iraq to supply the EU with natural gas. Iraqi Oil Minister Hussain Al-Shahristani met EU External Relations commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner and Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs in Brussels Thursday. 

The 26th Fajr International Film Festival was inaugurated here on Thursday evening at Tehran’s National Grand Hall. The ceremony was attended by Deputy Culture Minister for Cinematic Affairs Mohammadreza Jafari-Jelveh and a number of cinematic figures and artists.