Iran on Wednesday assured of its continued efforts to set a kidnapped Japanese student free, but meantime, called on Tokyo to refrain from direct intervention in the case

An earthquake measuring 4.1 on the Richter scale jolted the town of Taybad in Iran’s northeastern province of Khorassan Razawi on Wednesday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin blamed technical problems for the delays in completing Iran’s first nuclear power plant, being built with Russian help.