Tehran - Iran on Wednesday reiterated its willingness to resume nuclear talks with world powers.

In a statement by the National Security Council, Iran once again declared its readiness to resume a dialogue with the five permanent UN Security Council member states - the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France - plus Germany.

Iran, however, noted that it would continue its nuclear programmes within the framework of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Tehran  - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Wednesday termed the UN anti-racism conference in Geneva a defeat for Israel, Fars news agency reported.

"They [the Israelis] wanted to make a new interpretation of racism but for the first time [at an international conference], the freedom spirit of the nations and governments neutralized the Zionists' [Israel's] evil plans and became victorious," Ahmadinejad said.

Tehran, Apr. 22 : Iranian filmmaker Bahman Ghobadi has written a public love letter to his fiancée Roxana Saberi, the American-Iranian journalist sentenced by Iran on spying charges.

Ghobadi, whose love letter proclaims Saberi’s innocence and denounces her imprisonment, hopes his words can succeed where Barack Obama’s have failed.

In a move that has become the latest standoff between Tehran and Washington, Saberi was given an eight-year jail sentence.

Tehran - Iran's newly-appointed coach Mohammad Mayelikohan resigned Tuesday after only two weeks in a fresh blow to the national team as it struggles to qualify for the 2010 World Cup finals.

ISNA news agency reported that Mayelikohan sent a resignation letter to the Iranian Football Federation (FFI) after quarrelling with a Tehran club coach.

The FFI appointed Mayelikohan two weeks ago as successor to Ali Daei who was dismissed following a 2-1 home defeat against Saudi Arabia in a World Cup qualifier on March 28.

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.