BEIJING (Reuters) – Islamabad wants to talk to the next U.S. administration about boosting investment in border regions hit by Islamist militant violence, Chinese state media quoted Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari as saying.

Supporters of Shia cleric Moqtada Sadr have staged a mass demonstration in Baghdad in protest against plans to extend the US mandate in Iraq.

TEHRAN (FNA)- Russia will soon ship around 1,000 tons of equipment necessary to complete the construction of the Bushehr nuclear power plant, a top Iranian nuclear official said on Friday.

TEHRAN (FNA)- The Iranian Air Force (IAF) began large-scale combat maneuvers in northwestern Iran on Friday.

TEHRAN (FNA)- Iran’s Ambassador to Lebanon Mohammad Reza Sheybani denied reports that Tehran had appointed an Iranian successor to slain Hezbollah commander Imad Mughniyeh, who was killed by a car bombing in Damascus last February.

TEHRAN (FNA)- Secretary General of the Armenian National Security Council Arthur Baghdasarian is due to pay an official visit to Iran in near future.

TEHRAN (FNA)- Zambia’s Acting President Rupiah Banda invited Iranian investors to consider partnering with Zambians in the various business opportunities available locally and help better the lives of the people in the African country.

TEHRAN (FNA)- The mayor of Tehran, a possible contender for the Iranian presidency, said Friday his country would welcome talks with the United States as supported by White House contender Barack Obama, but meantime stressed that such talks should be fair and on equal standing.

TEHRAN (FNA)- Iraq’s prime minister slammed America’s top military commander in the country in remarks aired Friday, saying he “risked his position” when he said Iran sought to bribe lawmakers to vote against a US-Iraq security agreement.

TEHRAN (FNA)- A delegation from six US and Canadian Mennonite universities visited Iran from Oct. 4 to 10 to explore opportunities for academic collaboration with Iranian universities.