Tel Aviv - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is "the best present Israel has received" because of his anti-Israel statements, the former head of Israel's Mossad intelligence agency said Wednesday.

"He unites the world against Iran," Ephraim Halevy told the US-backed al-Hurra Arabic-language television station.

"Everything he says proves to that the Iran of today is an Iran you cannot live with," he said in the interview, which was broadcast Tuesday, but excerpts of which were quoted in the Israeli media Wednesday.

Tehran- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is to finance a pilgrimage trip inside the country as a reward for selected local reporters, a deputy of the president said Saturday.

Mohammad-Jafar Mohammadzadeh, the president's deputy for communications and press affairs, told official news agency IRNA that on the occasion of "Reporter's Day" in Iran, the president will grant reporters a gift in the form of cash to travel to the religious city of Mashad.

Tehran - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said it would take 20 years to correct mistakes made by US President George W Bush's administration, the Fars news agency reported Wednesday.

"The US is currently going through its worst phase in history: They have an economic crisis, politically they have reached a dead end and even European nations hate the US thoughts and approaches," Ahmadinejad said.

Tehran - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Tuesday that the world was entering a "new phase" in which the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) could turn into an alternative to the United Nations Security Council.

Speaking at the 15th NAM foreign ministers' meeting in Tehran, Ahmadinejad once again criticized the UN Security Council for serving the interests of world powers rather than all of its member states.

Washington  - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Monday he sees a chance for "common ground" in resolving the dispute with the West over the Islamic state's nuclear activities.

Ahmadinejad said on NBC television the United States has exhibited "new behavior" in its approach toward his country that could be an opportunity for better relations.

Tehran - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad claimed Saturday that the world powers have agreed that Iran could have up to 6000 centrifuges at the Natanz nuclear plant in the centre of the country.

State media quoted Ahmadinejad as saying the five United Nations veto powers plus Germany have said that the operation of 5000 to 6000 centrifuges would be "no problem" and basis for continuing nuclear talks.

According to Ahmadinejad, Iran last April started installation of 6,000 new centrifuges of which, he said Saturday, 5,000 have in the meantime become operational.