TEHRAN (Fars News Agency)- Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Friday said Islamabad valued its relationship with Iran, and emphasized strengthening the existing affinity between the two countries by expanding economic ties.

TEHRAN (Fars News Agency)- In the early hours of Thursday morning, US forces raided the Iranian consulate in the northern Iraqi city of Erbil, detaining at least five employees. The arrests were clearly aimed at reinforcing the bellicose message contained in President Bush’s speech.

BAGHDAD (Reuters) — US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Washington would hold Iraq’s Prime Minister Nouri Maliki to his promises to reduce sectarian violence and that it was now time to see results.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President George W. Bush on Saturday challenged lawmakers sceptical of his new Iraq plan to propose their own strategy for stopping the violence in Baghdad.

RAMALLAH (AP) — Significant progress has been made in secret coalition talks between the supreme Hamas leader and envoys of moderate Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, officials from both sides said Saturday, signalling a sudden shift in atmosphere after several weeks of deadly internal fighting.

BAIDOA (Reuters) — Somalia’s parliament declared on Saturday a three-month state of emergency amid fears of a return of clan violence after weeks of war ousted Islamists.

CARACAS (AFP) — Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who is locked in a tense standoff with the United States, arrived Saturday in Venezuela for talks with his ideological “brother,” President Hugo Chavez.

CAIRO (AFP) — Pushy bazaar merchants and poor waiter service are a bigger threat to Egypt’s tourism industry than the bombs of “militants”, Tourism Minister Zoheir Garranah told AFP in an interview.

BAGHDAD (Reuters) — Iraqi Vice President Tariq Hashemi said his fellow Sunni Arabs account for the majority of the thousands of Iraqis killed last year and are the victims of ethnic “cleansing” by gunmen driving them from Baghdad.

Statement by Islamic Republic of Iran Embassy On Security Council Resolution 1737   On 23 December 2006 Security Council passed Resolution 1737 against a member of the NPT that not only has never attacked or threatened to use force against any member of the United Nations but also has taken …