Tehran  - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Tuesday deplored what he called "intolerance by the West" at the United Nations Durban Review Conference on racism in Geneva.

The conference opened on Monday and quickly descended into controversy as Ahmadinejad launched an impassioned attack on Israel, prompting a European walk-out in retaliation.

Geneva  - Following opening events dominated by boycotts, walkouts and a divisive speech by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the United Nations conference against racism began its second day Tuesday, trying to refocus on the core issues.

Government officials and diplomats from various countries continued the delivery of their statements on progress accomplished since the first racism conference in 2001 in Durban, South Africa.

Brussels - The European Union rejects the claim by Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad that Israel is a racist state, but most members will not abandon the UN conference where he made the claim, a joint statement said on Tuesday.

The EU "rejects in the strongest terms" Ahmadinejad's accusation, made at the opening of the so-called Durban II conference on racism in Geneva on Monday, that Israel is a racist regime, the statement, drawn up by the Czech government, which currently holds the EU's rotating presidency, said.

Jerusalem, Apr. 18 : Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has said that his country is in favour of a dialogue with the West over the nuclear stand-off.

He said he would soon give an official response to an offer of negotiations by the five permanent UN Security Council members and Germany.

"We are leaning toward dialogue," The Jerusalem Post quoted Ahmadinejad, as telling Iran's Army Radio.

Tehran - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said during a military ceremony Saturday in Tehran that no country would dare to attack Iran.

"With Iran's military might, the enemies would not dare anymore to even threaten Iran," Ahmadinejad said on National Army Day in Tehran.

The president's comments came after renewed speculation that the new Israeli government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would attack Iran to stop its alleged efforts to create an atomic bomb.

Israeli President Shimon Peres denied those rumors and said there was no military option to deal with Iran's nuclear programme.

Isfahan, Iran - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is to disclose the country's new atomic developments on Iran's so-called Nuclear Day on Thursday in the central Iranian city of Isfahan.

Ahmadinejad is to inspect the Natanz plant near Isfahan, where currently 6,000 centrifuges are operative and according to Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, at least 4,000 more centrifuges are planned to be installed during the current year.