Non-oil trade between Iran and Thailand grew to $410 million in the first half of this year, up 75 per cent over the comparable 2006 figure of $234.60m, the Iranian ambassador to Thailand said on Saturday.

The Bush administration wants India to help get Iran to curtail its nuclear progress, while many in India are resisting what they see as the US meddling in Indian foreign affairs.

   Even if the Kazak government succeeds in winning greater control of Kashagan, the country’s largest oilfield, NBCentralAsia analysts say it remains unclear when commercial extraction might get under way as the economics of this giant project are uncertain.

At last, after two years of argument about the constitution, President Bakiev is pushing through a quick solution – although not everyone is happy with his vision of how Kyrgyzstan should be governed.

After days of negotiations, on Friday Ankara and Baghdad eventually signed a counterterrorism agreement targeting members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK)

Kurdish rebels ambushed a minibus carrying pro-government village guards and civilians in southeastern Turkey and killed 12 people on Saturday, a local official said.

KABUL, Afghanistan – President Hamid Karzai offered to meet with the Taliban leader and give militants a government position, but a spokesman for the militant group on Sunday said it will “never” negotiate with Afghan authorities until U.S. and NATO forces leave the country.

KABUL (AFP) — Afghanistan’s Taliban have released four Red Cross workers, including two foreign nationals, captured near the capital four days ago, officials said Saturday.

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Seyed Mohammad Ali Hosseini here on Saturday voiced Tehran’s opposition to the US Senate approval for creating three federal regions in Iraq, and described the measure as a blatant intervention in Iraq’s domestic affairs.

Iran’s first Vice-President Parviz Davoudi noted Iran’s efforts to develop relations with Kyrgyzstan, and expressed the hope that the two countries’ friendly ties would further expand in all the different areas in future.