Eurasia

MINSK (Reuters) – The Supreme Court in Belarus on Friday upheld a three-year sentence on a U.S. lawyer convicted of industrial espionage, one of several irritants in Washington’s relations with the ex-Soviet state.

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (Reuters) – A suicide bomber killed nine people on Friday in an attack on police in the northwestern Pakistani town of Mardan.

MOSCOW (Reuters) – Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, starting his first visit to post-Soviet Russia on Friday, will discuss opening a Russian naval base in Libya to counterbalance U.S. interests in the region, a paper reported.

KARACHI (Reuters) – Pakistani police raided a child marriage ceremony in the city of Karachi and arrested a cleric who was presiding over the wedding of a 4-year-old girl and a 7-year-old boy, police and residents said on Friday.

Time’s up for the president of Ingushetia, who has been sacked by President Medvedev.

TEHRAN (FNA)- Russia has agreed to commence cooperation with Iran on mass producing semi-heavy choppers in the country, an Iranian official said.

TEHRAN (FNA)- Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani condemned Washington’s raids on Syria and Pakistan which left several civilians dead, warning that the United States’ aggressive policies toward the two Middle-Eastern states would have dire consequences.

TEHRAN (FNA)- Iranian gas export officials announced plans to develop a natural gas pipeline to Europe set to go online within the next six years.

TEHRAN (FNA)- Azerbaijan has completely covered its electricity arrears owed to Iran.

Zagreb – Croatia has launched special courts, pledged improved witness protection and to rebuild the police force in an offensive against organised crime after last week’s murder of a journalist.