AFP: A bloc of 200 conservative Iranian MPs have thrown their weight behind incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in his bid for a second term in office, the official IRNA news agency reported Monday.

Reuters: National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) has set up its first Beijing office to push for crude sales in China, but the world's No.4 crude exporter will have a tough job boosting volumes sharply in the absence of a refinery.

AP: A 2005 claim by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad that a "light" surrounded him during a U.N. address was mocked Monday by his main pro-reform opponents in the latest barrage against the president's competence and another sign of the bitter tone dominating the election campaign in its final days.

AFP: Iranian state television has denied ex-president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani an immediate platform to respond to allegations made by incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in a live debate, the ISNA news agency reported on Sunday.

The Times: Hillary Clinton refused yesterday to rule out a pre-emptive Israeli military strike on Iran. It was the first time that a senior member of the Obama Administration had openly discussed such a possibility.

Reuters: China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC) is to take over French oil firm Total SA's stake in the Iranian South Pars field, Malaysia's Petronas, itself a stakeholder in the field, said on Monday.

Reuters: U.S. President Barack Obama underlined on Saturday the need for "tough diplomacy" in dealing with Iran's nuclear program and said he would be firm with North Korea as well after its second atomic bomb explosion.

Reuters: Iran has started production of a new ground-to-air missile system, Iranian media reported on Saturday, amid persistent speculation that Israel might attack the Islamic Republic's nuclear facilities.

AP: A powerful former president said Saturday he will sue hard-line leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for slander over remarks he made during an election debate.