GAZA (Reuters) – U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, voicing shock and anger at the “heartbreaking” devastation, visited the Gaza Strip on Tuesday to pledge aid for Palestinians after Israeli attacks killed 1,300 and made thousands homeless. Israel had withdrawn most of its force before U.S. President Barack Obama was inaugurated — …

SOFIA (Reuters) – Bulgaria has received the first quantities of Russian gas on Tuesday and normal daily supplies to domestic consumers could resume in 24 hours, the Economy and Energy Ministry said. Sofia has requested at least 8.6 million cubic meters of gas a day, the ministry said in a …

MOSCOW/KIEV (Reuters) – Russian gas reached Europe via Ukraine for the first time in two weeks on Tuesday after Moscow and Kiev ended a contract row that cut supplies to about 20 European countries. Austria, Slovakia and Hungary said they had started to receive gas though pipeline operators said it …

TEHRAN (FNA)- Iranian Vice President Parviz Davoudi said in a meeting with Turkey’s Ambassador to Tehran Salim Kara Osmanoglu here on Tuesday that regional equations will change following the recent developments in Gaza. Noting that presentation of road maps and international solutions for managing affairs of different countries and the …

TEHRAN (FNA)- Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Saeed Jalili, in a meeting with his Iraqi counterpart Muwafaq Al-Rubaie here in Tehran on Tuesday, called for coordinated efforts by regional countries to develop joint security infrastructures. “Ways and means required for enhancing and consolidating high level joint security …

TEHRAN (FNA)- The issue of Palestine and Gaza is a proper test for Obama, Iranian Supreme Leader’s representative at the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Hassan Rouhani said here on Tuesday. “We should see what Obama does when declaring his policies and taking action. I think there is a test …

TEHRAN (FNA)- EU is ready to monitor implementation of ceasefire in Gaza, EU Foreign Policy Chief Javier Solana said in a meeting with Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Mehdi Safari. At the meeting held in Brussels on Monday, the two diplomats discussed Gaza, Afghanistan, Caucasia and the Central Asia and other …

TEHRAN (FNA)- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, in separate letters to independent heads of state, praised them for boycotting Israel and supporting the oppressed people in Gaza. The Iranian president called cut of commercial and political ties with Israel a “revolutionary and valuable stance”. Ahmadinejad in his letters expressed his confidence …

TEHRAN (FNA)- Saudi Health Minister Hamad Al-Manea, in a meeting with Iran’s Ambassador to Riyadh Seyed Mohammad Hosseini, described Iran as a permanent supporter of oppressed nations. “Iran always assists the oppressed nations around the globe,” the minister said on Monday. “Iran as a powerful nation within the Islamic world …

TEHRAN (FNA)- Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Mostafa Mohammad Najjar voiced Tehran’s preparedness to transfer military technology to Tanzania. Najjar and his Tanzanian counterpart Hussein Ali Mwinyi, in their first round of negotiations, stressed on bilateral defense relations, a statement by the defense ministry said. Najjar welcomed expanding of all-out …