If Tuvalu’s seat in regional and international forums are becoming more vacant these days, then blame it on the island’s new Prime Minister Apisai Ielemia, who will in turn point a figure at his predecessor, Maatia Toafa.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Thursday (November 2nd) that her country may insist Bulgaria and Romania take additional steps in the areas of justice and home affairs, if they fail to adequately address problems highlighted in the European Commission’s (EC) latest report on the two countries.

TEHRAN (Fars News Agency)- Iranian Parliament Speaker Gholam Ali Haddad Adel in a phone conversation with his Lebanese counterpart Nabih Berri on Sunday voiced Tehran’s strong support for all types of efforts leading to national unity and ascending to power of an integrated government in Lebanon.

TEHRAN (Fars News Agency)- Commander of Iran’s Basij (mobilized) Force Brigadier General Mohammad Hejazi Sunday voiced his troops’ preparedness to defend the country against enemies’ threats.

TEHRAN (Fars News Agency)- Pakistani Foreign Minister Mian Khurshid Mahmood Kasuri is due to pay a visit to Iran in December to continue previous talks about the gas transfer project from Iran to India via Pakistan, Pak media reported.

TEHRAN (Fars News Agency)- Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Seyed Mohammad Ali Hoseini said Tehran would study any official request for attending negotiations with the United States on the Iraqi issue.

TEHRAN (Fars News Agency)- Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko is due to arrive here in Tehran Sunday night.

TEHRAN (Fars News Agency)- Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman Seyed Mohammad Ali Hoseini said the 5+1 choice of dealing with Iran’s nuclear issue via the UN Security Council is inappropriate and delays attainment of mutual understanding and agreement by the two sides.

TEHRAN (Fars News Agency)- Thousands of Iranians, including university and school students, chanted anti-US and anti-Israel slogans to celebrate the 27th anniversary of the US embassy takeover by a group of university students in 1979.

TEHRAN (Fars News Agency)- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov Saturday stressed that Moscow will not bargain at the UN Security Council over its construction of Iran’s first nuclear power station at Bushehr.