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Russia on Friday called the latest round of talks on the Iranian nuclear standoff "constructive" despite big differences that remain as the parties head for more negotiations in Moscow next month.

However, Russia outlined no new initiatives that could be discussed following a bruising session in Baghdad that ended with Iran declaring its "absolute right" to enrich uranium despite fears it was actually building a nuclear bomb.

"The round was held in a constructive and business-like atmosphere despite the significant differences in approaches that remain," the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement.

Iran and the six big world powers held what negotiators called open and intense talks that produced no breakthroughs and almost ended with Iran walking away in fury at Western offers on the table.

But the parties did salvage an agreement to meet again in Moscow on June 18-19 as the July 1 deadline for the enforcement of an EU embargo on Iranian oil looms.

Russia said world powers offered Iran a set of "concrete proposals" in Baghdad concerning its controversial enrichment of uranium to 20 percent.

Moscow's statement did not specify what the offer included amid reports that it concerned providing Tehran better access to aviation parts and agricultural assistance but not the lifting of UN Security Council and unilateral sanctions.

The six world powers "also designated specific initiatives that provide positive incentives for Iran as a reciprocal measure," the Russian statement said.

The wording suggested these sweeteners would be delivered to Iran only after it took the initial step of halting its controversial enrichment programme and shipping the fuel already produced abroad.

"For its part, Iran declared its readiness to hold further discussions about the 20-percent enrichment issue, together with the discussion of an entire range of other issues of interest to Tehran, including the recognition of its right to enrich (uranium)," the Russian statement said.

Moscow has promoted a "step-by-step" solution to the crisis that involves gradually lifting four rounds of UN Security Council sanctions against its trading partner in exchange for Tehran's cooperation over its nuclear programme.

It outlined the initiative to Iran's visiting foreign minister Ali Akbar Salehi in Moscow in August and has since promoted it with sceptical officials in Washington.

But Iran has yet to formally accept the Russian formula and insisted that unilateral and UN sanctions be lifted before it makes any concessions on its part.

Moscow's statement said Russian negotiator Sergei Ryabkov held separate talks in Baghdad with his Chinese and Iranian counterparts in an attempt to find common ground.

Both Russia and China have condemned the EU oil embargo and been far more supportive of Iran than the United States or the European team comprised of Britain and France along with Germany.

Russia has defended its close military and trade ties with Iran as well as its decision to construct the Islamic state's first nuclear power plant.

But it has also been more critical of Tehran's behaviour in the past year and decided to shelve the deal to sell its advanced warhead system to Iran that was opposed by the United States and Israel.

The Moscow statement said world powers were still seeking to "completely restore trust" in Iran's nuclear work.

HARARE  - Zimbabwe's central bank has ordered the country's banks to stop processing mineral exports by Impala Platinum's local unit, which it accuses of failing to comply with an order to bank locally, a state newspaper said on Friday.

 A spokeswoman for Zimplats, which is 87 percent owned by the South African miner, told the state-controlled Herald that the directive was unnecessary because the company had complied with the instructions.

 Central bank governor Gideon Gono said Zimplats had defied his directive, issued in February, to transfer funds from its offshore accounts to Zimbabwean banks, the newspaper reported.

 "Due to failure by Zimplats to adhere with the provisions of this directive ... exchange control has taken corrective measures to enforce compliance," the central bank said in a letter quoted by the newspaper.

 "In this regard, authorised dealers (banks) are hereby advised to stop processing and facilitating international or any cross-border payments on behalf of Zimplats... and to stop facilitating any exports ... on behalf of Zimplats."

 Zimplats was not immediately available to comment, but its spokeswoman Busi Chindove told the paper: "We must say we were surprised because in reality Zimplats had no objection to the initial communication by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe."

 "To this end, the company is now paying for 75 percent of its expenditure in Zimbabwe. The remaining 25 percent relates to ... foreign loans that were raised with the knowledge, support and approval of the monetary authorities."

 If implemented, the central bank move would paralyse Zimplats' exports, which account for 25 percent of Zimbabwe's total mineral exports, according to official figures.

 Zimplats contributes 10 percent to its parent's annual output.

 Zimbabwe ordered foreign mining firms to deposit their export earnings with local banks as the government aimed to address a dollar crunch afflicting its economy.

 Foreign firms have come under pressure from President Robert Mugabe's government, which is championing an empowerment drive to transfer majority stakes to locals.

 In March, Impala Platinum, the world's second largest platinum miner, bowed to pressure and said it would surrender a 51 percent stake in Zimplats to local black investors.

 The world's largest platinum producer, Anglo American Platinum, and Rio Tinto, which runs a diamond mine, are among the major international firms operating in Zimbabwe.

BANGALORE  - NBCUniversal is in talks with technology group Microsoft to buy back MSNBC.com, Adweek reported, quoting sources.

 Several sources said negotiations have progressed to the stage where NBCU parent company Comcast was conducting due diligence, the report said.

 A possible deal would help MSNBC have its own website with its own brand, the story said, quoting one person with knowledge of the talks.

 The companies were likely to negotiate a deal ensuring MSNBC.com secures real estate on MSN.com, similar to the treatment Fox Sports receives, the report quoted one source as saying.

 NBC and Microsoft were not available for comment.

SAN FRANCISCO  - Apple Inc Chief Executive Tim Cook will not be earning dividend income on the more than 1 million shares to which he is entitled, which will cost him about $75 million.

 Apple said in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Thursday that Cook had asked to be excluded from a recently instituted company program through which employees can accumulate dividends on their restricted stock units that are still vesting.

 Asked why Cook was doing this, Apple declined to comment beyond the filing.

 Cook, who took over as chief executive from late co-founder Steve Jobs in August, has 1.125 million outstanding restricted Apple shares that are vesting over the next 10 years.

 In January, Apple's board granted Cook 1 million restricted stock units (RSUs) for running the company during Jobs' medical leaves and as a retention tool. Half of those units are due to vest in 2016 and the remainder are due to vest in 2021.

 Apple said in March that it would pay a cash dividend of $2.65 per share to its shareholders.

CAIRO  - The Muslim Brotherhood said on Friday its candidate in Egypt's first free presidential vote had won through to a run-off next month against ex-air force chief Ahmed Shafiq, who was deposed leader Hosni Mubarak's last prime minister.

 This week's first-round vote has polarised Egyptians between those determined to avoid handing the presidency back to a man from Mubarak's era and those fearing an Islamist monopoly of ruling institutions. The run-off is planned for June 16 and 17.

 The election marks a crucial step in a messy and often bloody transition to democracy, overseen by a military council that has pledged to hand power to a new president by July 1.

 The second round threatens further turbulence. Opponents of Shafiq have vowed to take to the streets if he is elected.

 But to supporters, Shafiq's military background offers reassurance that he can restore order on the streets, a major demand of the population 15 months after Mubarak's ouster.

 A Shafiq presidency would also mean smoother relations between the head of state and the powerful military.

 "It is clear that the run-off will be between (the Brotherhood's) Mohamed Mursi and Ahmed Shafiq," a Brotherhood election official, who asked not to be named, told Reuters.

The Brotherhood's Guidance Office, its top body, was meeting to mull a campaign "to galvanise Islamists and Egyptian voters to face the bloc of the 'feloul'," he said, using a scornful Arabic term for "remnants" of Mubarak's order.

 Official results are not due to be announced until next week, but representatives of the candidates are allowed to watch the count, enabling them to compile their own tally.

 The Brotherhood official said that with votes counted from about 12,800 of the roughly 13,100 polling stations, Mursi had 25 percent, Shafiq 23 percent, a rival Islamist Abdel Moneim Abol Fotouh 20 percent and leftist Hamdeen Sabahy 19 percent.

 No comments from any of the dozen candidates or state election officials were immediately available.

 Election committee officials had said late on Thursday as counting began that turnout was about 50 percent of Egypt's 50 million eligible voters. The Brotherhood official, however, said about 20 million votes were cast, or about 40 percent.

 EGYPTIANS FRET

 The Brotherhood, Egypt's most organised political group, has already secured the biggest bloc for its party in parliament after an earlier vote. Long repressed and banned under Mubarak, the 84-year-old Islamist group has a broad grassroots base.

 Many Egyptians, including those who saw the revolt against Mubarak as a matter of national pride not religion, fret about Islamist gains since his fall. Christians, who form a tenth of the population and who already complain of discrimination, worry that Islamists in power could marginalise them further.

 "We are confident that the next president of Egypt is Mohamed Mursi," said Essam el-Erian, a senior official in the Muslim Brotherhood's party, said after early counting.

 If Mursi becomes president, Islamists will control most ruling institutions - but not the military - in Egypt, the most populous Arab nation, consolidating electoral gains made by fellow-Islamists in other Arab countries in the past year.

 The powers of Egypt's next president remain undefined because of a tussle over who will write the new constitution. He could be restricted by generals determined to retain their privileges and influence, even after the promised handover.

 First-round voting was held in a calm atmosphere over two days with polls closing late on Thursday. Monitors did not report any major infringements that would invalidate the vote, although some candidates grumbled about their rivals' conduct.

 A page on Facebook, a medium used to devastating effect in the revolt against Mubarak, was launched on Thursday and threatened a "revolution" if Shafiq or another former minister under Mubarak, Amr Moussa, was elected.