Middle Orient

RAFAH, Gaza Strip – Tens of thousands of Palestinians poured into Egypt from the Gaza Strip on Wednesday after militants blew up a border wall, and stocked up on food and fuel in short supply because of an Israeli blockade.

BAGHDAD – The police chief of Mosul was seriously wounded in an explosion on Thursday as he toured the scene of a huge blast a day earlier which had killed at least 20 people in the northern Iraqi city, police said.

TEHRAN (FNA) Russia dispatched the sixth batch of nuclear fuel on Thursday to Iran’s first nuclear power plant in the southern port city of Bushehr, leaving just two more to complete the total consignment.

TEHRAN (FNA) Iran’s incoming Ambassador to Armenia Seyed Ali Saghaiyan submitted his credentials to Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian in a meeting in Yerevan on Wednesday.

TEHRAN (FNA) An Iranian governmental delegation started a visit to Bolivia on Wednesday to analyze the development of bilateral agreements in the energy sector.

TEHRAN (FNA) A group of gas-exporting states led by Iran and Russia is moving towards creating a formal body similar to the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries.

TEHRAN (FNA) The opening of new checkpoints between Iran and Azerbaijan is realized in the level of state bodies, Iranian ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to Azerbaijan Nasser Hamidi Zare said.

TEHRAN (FNA) South Zagros Oil and Gas Exploitation Co. managing director said his company was producing 55 percent of Iran’s gas.

TEHRAN (FNA) The United States has been “trying to block” the Indo-Iran gas pipeline via Pakistan, as it did not want Iran to expand its contacts in the region, New Delhi’s former Foreign Secretary Salman Haider said on Wednesday.

TEHRAN (FNA) Iranian government is predicting it will need about $3.2 bln for gasoline and petroleum imports in the budget for the Iranian year that starts in March.