Washington - Iran and North Korea remain part of the "axis of evil" despite diplomatic overtures by the United States aimed at resolving disputes over both regime's nuclear programmes, the White House said Monday.

"Until they give up their nuclear weapons programmes completely and verifiably, I think that we would keep them in the same category," spokeswoman Dana Perino said.

US President George W Bush coined the phrase "axis of evil" during his 2002 State of the Union address to character the two countries along with Saddam Hussein's Iraq, all of which had links to terrorism while being suspected of pursuing weapons of mass destruction. Over the years, US officials have stopped using the terminology.

Tehran - Iran's chief nuclear negotiator said Monday that Iran wanted no confrontation in the dispute over its nuclear programme and was optimistic about the future course of the nuclear talks with world powers. 

"We have a forward-looking and constructive approach and believe that we can move forward towards an agreement with understanding," Saeid Jalili said after returning to Tehran from talks in Europe. 

He was referring to remarks by US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack who said Tehran should either chose cooperation or confrontation. 

"These are indeed the two options but for all relevant sides: either an approach based on cooperation and constructive willingness or the opposite," Jalili said. 

Geneva - World powers and Iran are set to engage in a new round of negotiations over Iran's nuclear programme in Geneva on Saturday.

Tehran - Iran on Friday said it was hoping for constructive nuclear talks in Geneva but reiterated again that it would make no concessions with regards to suspension of uranium enrichment, ISNA news agency reported.

"If we enter the talks with a constructive approach and avoid previous mistakes then we could definitely hold suitable negotiations," chief nuclear negotiator Saeid Jalili said before leaving for Geneva for Saturday's talks.

Jalili is to meet with European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana and representatives from the five veto powers plus Germany (5+1).

For the first time also, the United States will attend the talks after Washington decided to dispatch Undersecretary of State William Burns to Geneva.

Vienna  - French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner has only low expectations for upc

Tehran  - Iran welcomed Thursday the release of Lebanese prisoners freed by Israel Wednesday as part of a prisoner swap deal with the Hezbollah guerrilla group, the Khaber news network has reported.

"The happy news of the release of Lebanese prisoners by the Zionist regime (Israel) was part of the achievements of the Islamic resistance of the Hezbollah group and dear nation of Lebanon," Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said in a press statement.

"This is the result of long and courageous resistance by Lebanon and regional states and we congratulate this great victory," he added.