BAGHDAD (Reuters) – Iraq’s presidential council paved the way for provincial elections on Wednesday when it signed a law seen by Washington as crucial to helping reconcile the nation’s factions.

TEHRAN (FNA)- Iran reported it will sign a final agreement to export natural gas via pipeline to Pakistan in April.

TEHRAN (FNA)- The outcome of the regular parliament elections in Iran will not affect the foreign policy of the government, regarding the nuclear plans, a political analyst said.

TEHRAN (FNA)- Iran’s budget for the new Iranian year, which starts on 21 March, will be 20 per cent bigger than last year, at $304bn compared with $253bn.

TEHRAN (FNA)- Similar to other years, Iranians all across the country celebrated the ancient Persian tradition of Last-Wednesday-of-the-Year Fireworks (Chaharshanbeh Souri) as a prelude to Nowruz (the start of the new year).

TEHRAN (FNA)- Switzerland and Iran signed a huge deal on Monday for the supply of Iranian natural gas to Europe, sparking harsh criticism from the United States.

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (AFP) — NATO war planes killed a dozen Taliban rebels in southern Afghanistan after bombing the vehicle in which they were travelling, the alliance said Tuesday, rejecting claims several civilians were killed.

OTTAWA (Reuters) – Canada will formally recognize the breakaway ethnic republic of Kosovo later on Tuesday and the Serb ambassador will return temporarily to Belgrade for consultations, the Serb embassy in Ottawa said.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said he had agreed with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice after six hours of talks in Moscow to study further U.S. proposals aimed at allaying Russian concerns about the shield.

KABUL (Reuters) – An air strike by foreign forces has killed more than 30 people, including civilians, in Afghanistan’s southern province of Helmand, two members of parliament from the area said on Tuesday.