ASTANA  – Kazakhstan announced plans on Monday to effectively nationalize two of its leading banks as the global financial crisis tightened its grip on Central Asia’s biggest economy. The government said it will buy 78.14 percent of shares in the biggest bank, BTA, which has assets of $28 billion. BTA, …

TEHRAN (FNA)- A senior Iranian diplomat underlined his country’s continued activity in the field of civilian nuclear technology, and said that that United States did not have the courage to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities. Speaking to reporters at the Iranian Consulate in Karachi, Pakistan on Sunday, Director General of the …

TEHRAN (FNA)- UN atomic watchdog chief Mohamed ElBaradei in an interview published on Sunday welcomed recent overtures by US President Barack Obama to engage Iran in talks on its nuclear program. ElBaradei called in an interview with the Washington Post for “a direct dialogue” between Iran and the United States, …

TEHRAN (FNA)- A Dubai Police navy rescue team on Saturday managed to rescue seven crew members on an Iranian ship before it sank off Al Hamriya Port in Dubai. The vessel, carrying 30 tons of vegetables, was located about 20 nautical miles off Al Hamriya port. The crew radioed an …

TEHRAN (FNA)- The international community and the Islamic world should restore the Gaza Strip destroyed by Israel’s recent three-week military offensive, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said. The Israeli assault, which lasted from December 27 to January 18, killed some 1,400 Palestinians, injured more than 5,500, and caused widespread damage …

TEHRAN (FNA)- The Iranian Navy plans to establish new bases in the Sea of Oman by 2015. The naval bases are currently under construction and they will be completed by the end of the fifth five year Socio-Economic Development Plan (2010-2015), said Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari, commander of the Iranian …

TEHRAN (FNA)- Iranian Oil Minister Gholam Hossein Nozari officially inaugurated three new units of the Lavan refinery on Sunday. A dual-purpose jetty, a sour gas sweetening unit, and an LNG recovery, refining and storage unit are the three mentioned projects which came on stream, MNA agency reported. Referring to the …

TEHRAN (FNA)- Iran’s “Loneliness”, an animation directed by Mehrdad Sheikhan is to be screened in Zoom Film Festival, Ankara Film Festival and Stuttgart Festival of Animated Films respectively in Poland, Turkey and Germany. The film will be first screened in Poland from February 17-22 and then travels to Ankara from …

TEHRAN (FNA)- Thanks God no power can deal a blow to the Islamic Republic of Iran, a lawmaker said. Chairman of Parliament National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, Alaeddin Boroujerdi made the remarks in his address to a ceremony to commemorate the 30th anniversary of victory of the Islamic Revolution …

TEHRAN (FNA)- Oil prices rallied to near $42 a barrel over threats of wildcat strikes by refinery workers on both sides of the Atlantic. US sweet crude for March delivery jumped 22 cents to $41.90 a barrel while London Brent crude increased 42 cents to $46.30. Dealers say a possible …