TEHRAN (Fars News Agency)- Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Seyed Mohammad Ali Hosseini here on Thursday lashed out at the recent statements made by the UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-Moon, saying that his remarks are in contradiction to the Article 4 of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

TEHRAN (Fars News Agency)- Visiting Sudanese Defense Minister Field Marshal Abdel Rahim Mohammed Hussein stressed that Iran’s defensive power and progress is a source of pride and glory for the world Muslim states.

TEHRAN (Fars News Agency)- Proposed by Foreign Minister and approved by President, Mohammad Taqi Moayyed was appointed as Iran’s new ambassador to Tunisia on Wednesday.

TEHRAN (Fars News Agency)- Following their second round of talks here on Wednesday, Iranian and Sudanese defense ministers endorsed a memorandum of understanding on defense cooperation.

TEHRAN (Fars News Agency)- Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Larijani said that the United States and Britain are seeking to forge an imaginary enemy in order to justify their presence in the region.

TEHRAN (Fars News Agency)- Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki stressed that Tehran views the Iraqi government as responsible for the immediate release of the Iranian diplomats kidnapped during an earlier raid by the US troops in the northern Iraqi city of Erbil.

BAGHDAD (Reuters) — Six car bombs killed at least 19 people across Baghdad on Thursday as Iraq’s prime minister urged the United States to give Iraqi forces more weapons and said he could bring security in three to six months if they did.

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel said it would free $100 million in frozen tax funds later Thursday to boost moderate Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas — the first Israeli payment since Hamas won legislative elections and took office last year.

MOGADISHU (Reuters) — The top UN envoy to Somalia, making his first visit since a war last month, said on Thursday the Horn of Africa nation now had its best chance to end 16 years of anarchy and bloodshed.

NAIROBI — A US air strike on Somalia this month sparked widespread condemnation and predictions it would both worsen violence inside the country and hurt US interests across east Africa.