TEHERAN - AN Iranian warship has entered the Gulf of Aden to protect Iranian vessels against pirates off the coast of Somalia, state radio said on Saturday.

'After travelling more than 4,000 maritime miles ... an Iranian warship entered the Gulf of Aden to protect Iranian ships against pirates,' the radio said, without further details.

WASHINGTON - US president-elect Barack Obama on Saturday signaled climate change and genetic research will be among his top priorities when he takes office as he named four key members of his administration.

'It's time we once again put science at the top of our agenda and worked to restore America's place as the world leader in science and technology,' said Mr Obama in a weekly radio address.

PARIS - A FRENCH ship on Saturday took experts to repair broken undersea Mediterranean cables that caused severe disruption to telephone and Internet services across the Middle East and Asia, France Telecom said.

But many operators said communications services had improved as alternative routes had been used to carry calls and Internet information.