Fidel Castro has criticised the Iranian President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, for denying the Holocaust and promoting anti-Semitism. The former Cuban leader also warned that an escalating conflict between Iran and the West could lead to nuclear war.

The United States' top military officer stressed today the need for Turkey to help enforce United Nations sanctions against Iran aimed at deterring it from obtaining a nuclear bomb.

Iran sought to distance itself yesterday from harsh remarks by a hardline newspaper , which called France's First Lady a "prostitute" for condemning the stoning sentence against an Iranian woman convicted of adultery.

Iran sought to distance itself yesterday from harsh remarks by a hardline newspaper , which called France's First Lady a "prostitute" for condemning the stoning sentence against an Iranian woman convicted of adultery.

Iran sought to distance itself yesterday from harsh remarks by a hardline newspaper , which called France's First Lady a "prostitute" for condemning the stoning sentence against an Iranian woman convicted of adultery.

Iran said today that it has successfully test-fired a new generation of a short-range surface-to-surface missile.

For Laura Fattal, one of the mothers of the three American hikers held in an Iranian prison without trial for more than a year, the hardest thing is the silence. She writes to him daily, and believes the letters get through. But her son, Josh Fattal, isn't allowed to write back.

For Laura Fattal, one of the mothers of the three American hikers held in an Iranian prison without trial for more than a year, the hardest thing is the silence. She writes to him daily, and believes the letters get through. But her son, Josh Fattal, isn't allowed to write back.

Israel named a new army chief yesterday, choosing a general who led troops in its Gaza war to face future challenges that could include a nuclear Iran and missile threats from Islamist militants.

For Laura Fattal, one of the mothers of the three American hikers held in an Iranian prison without trial for more than a year, the hardest thing is the silence. She writes to him daily, and believes the letters get through. But her son, Josh Fattal, isn't allowed to write back.

For Laura Fattal, one of the mothers of the three American hikers held in an Iranian prison without trial for more than a year, the hardest thing is the silence. She writes to him daily, and believes the letters get through. But her son, Josh Fattal, isn't allowed to write back.

Iran's ambitions to become a nuclear superpower edged closer to realisation yesterday, with the opening of the country's first energy-producing nuclear reactor.