MOGADISHU (Reuters) — Somali Islamists and troops defending the government’s only stronghold battled with rockets and heavy weapons on Wednesday at two frontline areas, but a top Islamist leader denied it was the start of war.

KHARTOUM (Reuters) — Attacks on Darfur aid workers’ compounds in Gereida town have forced the evacuation of 71 staff and severely restricted humanitarian aid reaching the region’s largest population of war victims, officials said on Wednesday.

DAMASCUS  (AP) — US senators John Kerry and Christopher Dodd met with Syrian President Bashar Assad on Wednesday to discuss how Damascus could help bring about stability and security to war-ravaged Iraq.

TEHRAN (Fars News Agency)- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad stressed on Wednesday that his country is just one step away from becoming an

TEHRAN (Fars News Agency)- An economic and trade delegation from Iran’s Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Mines met with Qatari commerce minister in Doha on Wednesday.

TEHRAN (Fars News Agency)- Iranian Parliament Speaker Gholam Ali Haddad Adel warned that if the UN Security Council decides to increase pressures on Iran

TEHRAN (Fars News Agency)- Deputy head of Iran’s Judiciary met with Azerbaijan’s ambassador to Tehran here on Wednesday.

TEHRAN (Fars News Agency)- Enemies should know that access to nuclear energy is a national demand in Iran and they can’t block Iran’s nuclear progress by

TEHRAN (Fars News Agency)- An earthquake measuring 4.1 on the Richter scale jolted Dasht-e Kavir in Iran’s Semnan province Tuesday afternoon.

TEHRAN (Fars News Agency)- We have achieved the nuclear technology, meaning that the case is dismissed, Iran’s Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said.