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 …

A World Bank project meant to safeguard Albania’s coastal zones was used to selectively demolish parts of a village in southern Albania and leave many families homeless, according to an internal report , which additionally notes allegations of corruption and efforts by World Bank officials to cover up the events …

Every Sunday, the Illegal Cinema puts on a movie that has never been regularly distributed. But, although the screenings are free, there are strings attached. Six o’clock had already come and gone while people were still piling in and taking their seats in the small 25-square-metre room that no one …

The European Union is trying to convince Belgrade not to pursue its plan for parallel structures in Serb areas of Kosovo, said the head of Kosovo’s International Civilian Office, Pieter Feith. Belgrade has vowed to never recognise Kosovo’s secession in February last year and is keeping a firm hold on …

Serbia is worried that Kosovo’s Security Forces (KSF) will not only be the starting point for a bigger armed force, but could participate in peacekeeping missions abroad before Serbia itself does, said Serbia’s Defense Minister Dragan Sutanovac. Last week Kosovo inaugurated a NATO-sponsored security force that is an army in …

BAGHDAD  – Iraqis held their most peaceful election since the fall of Saddam Hussein on Saturday, voting for provincial councils without a single major attack in a poll that demonstrated the country’s dramatic security gains. U.S. President Barack Obama hailed the poll as an important step toward Iraqis taking responsibility …

BASRA, Iraq  – Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki’s candidates look set for sweeping victories in provincial polls, a result that could overturn the post-Saddam political order and strengthen the hand of a leader once seen as weak. Although official preliminary results will not be published for days, leaders of rival …