TEHRAN (Fars News Agency)- Iran has accused the United States of kidnapping five of its citizens who were working as consular officials in the northern Iraqi city of Erbil.

TEHRAN (Fars News Agency)- Iran said it would soon lodge a complaint with the UN Security Council about the kidnapping of five Iranians diplomats by the US troops during a raid on Iranian consulate general in the northern Iraqi city of Erbil.

TEHRAN (Fars News Agency)- The construction of the Bid-Boland 2 Refinery kicked off through an amending contract signed with two Iranian consortiums.

TEHRAN (Fars News Agency)- The war of words between Iran and the United States has intensified, with a senior official pointedly accusing Washington of trying to drive a wedge between Tehran and Baghdad and of fanning tensions between Sunnis and Shiites.

TEHRAN (Fars News Agency)- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in a phone talk with his Pakistani counterpart Pervez Musharraf discussed the latest developments of the world.

TEHRAN (Fars News Agency)- Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Secretary Ali Larijani described US invasion of Iran’s nuclear sites as impossible, stressing that the US build-up in the Persian Gulf and Washington’s threats serve as a part of a psychological war on Iran.

BAGHDAD (Reuters) — A US military helicopter crashed northeast of Baghdad on Saturday, killing all 13 military personnel on board, but US officials gave no immediate details on the cause.

RAMALLAH — Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas was due to meet exiled Hamas leader Khaled Mishaal in Damascus last night amid hopes that the months-long negotiations over a unity government might finally be nearing resolution.

CAIRO — Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice made a deal with Arab leaders this week: Washington will show an interest in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the Arabs will say they support the new US strategy for Iraq.

MOGADISHU (AP) — Somalia’s fledgling government received a boost Saturday when the last major warlord turned over his weapons and militia, but it faced a renewed threat from Islamists, who took credit for a string of attacks and promised to continue fighting until the government agrees to talks.