The United States’ new sanctions against Iran show that Americans are not at all interested in the prevalence of peace and tranquility in the region and world, Iranian Parliament Speaker Gholam Ali Haddad Adel said.

Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency started a second day of their last round of talks on issues related to the Islamic Republic’s P1 and P2 centrifuges here on Tuesday.

Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki denied Washington’s charges that Iran provides ammunition for insurgents’ attack on US convoys in Iraq, stressing that Iran plays no role in the killing of the US soldiers.

Iran, the world’s number four crude producer, is aiming for oil export revenues of about $70 billion in the year to March, after it received about $35 billion in the first half of the year, an Iranian oil official said on Monday.

Tehran on Tuesday praised the stance of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) head Mohammed ElBaradei in the ongoing nuclear dispute between the West and Iran.

Demonstrations in support of a third term for President Vladimir Putin were held across Russia, including Chechnya, on October 24. As Kommersant noted on October 25, while both the Kremlin and the pro-Kremlin United Russia party claimed the demonstrations were spontaneous actions “from below,” members of Russia’s political opposition claim …

As oil prices surged to another record ($93.56 per barrel), energy analysts said Russia has become a critical player in the world oil and gas market. Richard Herold is director of international affairs of the London-based oil multinational, BP, which has large investments in Russia.

The freedom of religion and consciousness and the role of religious organizations in Kyrgyzstan were discussed at an OSCE conference in Bishkek on 29 October. 

The UAE and Uzbekistan signed three agreements on investment promotion and protection, avoidance of double taxation and political consultations to extend cooperation.

The head of the U.N. nuclear agency says Iran’s refusal to suspend uranium enrichment is “regrettable,” but said its willingness to cooperate with U.N. investigators is a step in the right direction. From VOA’s New York Bureau, Mona Ghuneim reports on the agency’s efforts to work on a diplomatic solution …