like

๑۩۞۩๑๑۩۞۩๑๑۩۞۩๑๑۩۞۩๑๑۩۞۩๑

blog b. on Dipity.

Sphere: Related Content

Iran inaugrates 1st unmanned bomber

BEIJING, Aug. 23 (Xinhuanet) -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has inaugurated the country's first domestically built unmanned bomber aircraft, named Karrar or striker in the Farsi language.

Sunday, August 22rd was the national day for Iran's defense industry.

State TV showed the inauguration ceremony live and later released video footage of the plane taking off from a launching pad.

The four-meter-long drone aircraft can carry up to four cruise missiles and a payload of either two 113-kilogram bombs or one 204-kilogram guided bomb.

The drone aircraft has a range of one thousand kilometers. It travels at a speed of nine hundred kilometers an hour.

At the inauguration ceremony, the Iranian President said the aircraft is "an ambassador of death for the enemies," but also "has a main message of peace and friendship."

Ahmadinejad also says his country is determined to send its first astronaut into space by 2025.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iranian President, said, "Our next step is 700 kilometers, and the next one 1000 kilometers against gravity. If we succeed, then with developing the same 1000 kilometer rocket we can reach as far as 35 thousand kilometers. Afterwards it will be an easy task. We hope to reach there in two or three years."

The Iranian president championed the country's military self-sufficiency programme, saying it will continue "until the enemies of humanity lose hope of ever attacking the Iranian nation."

On Friday, Iran also test-fired a new liquid fuel surface-to-surface missile, the Qiam-1, with advanced guidance systems.

With the US and Israel warning they do not rule

out a military strike to stop Iran getting a nuclear bomb, the Islamic Republic has recently showed off a series of new weapons for strengthening its national defense.

๑۩۞۩๑๑۩۞۩๑๑۩۞۩๑๑۩۞۩๑๑۩۞۩๑

blog b. on Dipity.

Sphere: Related Content

Iran Unveils 'Ambassador of Death'

Iran Inaugurates Nation's First Unmanned Bomber

Nasser Karimi

AP

TEHRAN, Iran (Aug. 22) -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Sunday inaugurated the country's first domestically built unmanned bomber aircraft, calling it an "ambassador of death" to Iran's enemies.

The 4-meter-long drone aircraft can carry up to four cruise missiles and will have a range of 620 miles (1,000 kilometers), according to a state TV report - not far enough to reach archenemy Israel.

"The jet, as well as being an ambassador of death for the enemies of humanity, has a main message of peace and friendship," said Ahmadinejad at the inauguration ceremony, which fell on the country's national day for its defense industries.

The goal of the aircraft, named Karrar or striker, is to "keep the enemy paralyzed in its bases," he said, adding that the aircraft is for deterrence and defensive purposes.

The president championed the country's military self-sufficiency program, and said it will continue "until the enemies of humanity lose hope of ever attacking the Iranian nation."

Iran launched an arms development program during its 1980-88 war with Iraq to compensate for a U.S. weapons embargo and now produces its own tanks, armored personnel carries, missiles and even a fighter plane.

Iran frequently makes announcements about new advances in military technology that cannot be independently verified.

State TV later showed video footage of the plane taking off from a launching pad and reported that the craft traveled at speeds of 560 miles per hour (900 kilometers) and could alternatively be armed with two 250-pound bombs or a 450-pound guided bomb.

Iran has been producing its own light, unmanned surveillance aircraft since the late 1980s.

The ceremony came a day after Iran began to fuel its first nuclear power reactor, with the help of Russia, amid international concerns over the possibility of a military dimension to its nuclear program.

Iran insists it is only interested in generating electricity.

Referring to Israel's occasional threats against Iran's nuclear facilities, Ahmadinejad called any attack unlikely, but he said if Israel did, the reaction would be overwhelming.

"The scope of Iran's reaction will include the entire the earth," said Ahmadinejad. "We also tell you - the West - that all options are on the table."

Ahmadinejad appeared to be consciously echoing the terminology used by the U.S. and Israel in their statements not ruling out a military option against Iran's nuclear facilities.

On Friday, Iran also test-fired a new liquid fuel surface-to-surface missile, the Qiam-1, with advanced guidance systems.

๑۩۞۩๑๑۩۞۩๑๑۩۞۩๑๑۩۞۩๑๑۩۞۩๑

blog b. on Dipity.

Sphere: Related Content

Ônibus com 3G e GPS está em teste no Brasil

Fabio Reynol, da Agência FAPESP Domingo, 22 de agosto de 2010 - 10h38

SÃO PAULO - Antes de sair para o trabalho, uma pessoa consulta o celular e verifica que seu ônibus está a 20 minutos de sua casa. Dá tempo de terminar o café e caminhar tranquilamente até o ponto no qual o circular passará exatamente no momento indicado.

A cena ilustra um dos objetivos do projeto “Sistema embarcado de informação ao usuário de transportes coletivos”, desenvolvido com apoio do Programa FAPESP Pesquisa Inovativa em Pequenas Empresas (PIPE).

Inspirado em uma experiência europeia, a versão brasileira do sistema inteligente de transporte (ITS, na sigla em inglês) procura ampliar os serviços eletrônicos fornecidos a passageiros, motoristas e empresas de transporte coletivo.

Equipados com monitores de cristal líquido, coletivos na Europa e na Ásia fornecem aos passageiros programação televisiva educativa e informativa, gravada previamente em disco rígido de computador.

“Nosso objetivo é adaptar essa tecnologia à realidade brasileira e ampliar a quantidade de serviços oferecida”, explicou o coordenador do projeto, Paulo Roberto Tavares, da Transdata Smart, empresa especializada em terminais de leitura de cartões eletrônicos.

Tavares conta que a tecnologia usada na Europa seria difícil de ser aplicada no Brasil devido ao custo elevado, cerca de R$ 17 mil por ônibus. São computadores convencionais instalados nos veículos e que são previamente reforçados para suportar as condições severas inerentes a uma viagem, como trepidações, calor e poluição.

A solução para o Brasil foi optar por um conjunto mais enxuto: um hardware dedicado que usa uma plataforma utilizada em aparelhos de celular do tipo smartphone e dispõe de entradas para dispositivos de memória sólida, que pode ser do tipo USB, chip ou cartão. Por meio deles são carregados os conteúdos da programação exibidos na tela.

O equipamento também pode contar com tecnologia de comunicação 3G, o que permitiria atualização de conteúdo em tempo real, e GPS (sistema de posicionamento global), para acompanhar o trajeto do veículo.

Em conjunto, esses dispositivos forneceriam variados tipos de serviços. “Em uma viagem de São Paulo ao Rio de Janeiro, por exemplo, o equipamento poderia exibir informações turísticas, durante o percurso, sobre a cidade de Aparecida do Norte, assim que o GPS detectasse a aproximação da cidade”, disse Tavares.

Informações sobre as condições e previsão do tempo seriam atualizadas constantemente por meio do sistema 3G e sempre associadas aos lugares por onde o veículo estaria passando, cuja informação viria do GPS.

No caso de ônibus circulares, a localização do veículo poderia ser acompanhada pela internet em computadores e aparelhos de celular, o que permitiria aos usuários acompanhar o trajeto da linha que deseja e se dirigir ao ponto no horário certo. “A precisão seria grande e o usuário não perderia tempo esperando no ponto de ônibus”, disse.

Para as companhias de ônibus o equipamento também teria muitas utilidades. Além de poder acompanhar a localização de toda a frota em tempo real, por exemplo, a companhia poderia enviar mensagens de texto em um painel que ficaria à frente do motorista.

Informações sobre enchentes, vias congestionadas, acidentes e outras ocorrências de trânsito seriam fornecidas em tempo real ao motorista. Em caso de assaltos, um botão de pânico poderia ser acionado informando a central sobre a ocorrência.

Protótipo em campo

Tavares explica que o equipamento seria composto de três partes: a unidade de processamento (do tamanho aproximado de um rádio automotivo e que ficaria instalada atrás do motorista), o painel de controle com o display de mensagens (que ficaria em um ponto à frente do motorista) e os monitores de cristal líquido, que seriam espalhados na cabine dos passageiros.

“Ainda não fechamos o custo total do equipamento, mas calculamos que não passe de R$ 5 mil por unidade”, estimou Tavares, que também prevê um ganho em escala no caso da produção em massa do produto.

Segundo ele, o menor custo é o principal diferencial do produto brasileiro em comparação aos similares europeus e asiáticos. Já os diversos equipamentos atuando em conjunto é a vantagem em comparação aos serviços desse tipo disponíveis no Brasil, os quais não possuem inteligência embutida – são geralmente monitores com mensagens publicitárias que se repetem durante toda a viagem.

O projeto do sistema foi realizado com sucesso, de acordo com Tavares. A equipe da Transdata Smart pretende agora montar um protótipo e testá-lo em campo.

๑۩۞۩๑๑۩۞۩๑๑۩۞۩๑๑۩۞۩๑๑۩۞۩๑

blog b. on Dipity.

Sphere: Related Content

Devil wears Prada, Virgin Mary wears Louis Vuitton

Christian icon latest “fashion victim” to wear iconic label

By

• AFP

Published Thursday, July 29, 2010

Christian icon latest “fashion victim” to wear iconic label. (AFP)

The devil may well wear Prada, but at a biennial exhibition of sacred art in Italy, a statue of the Virgin Mary is donning Louis Vuitton, local newspaper Il Centro reported on Thursday.
The veil traditionally covering the Virgin's head bears the French luxury brand's trademark "LV" logo in golden letters decorating bags -- many of them counterfeit -- around the world.

Francesco De Molfetta, 31, said he created the work to "denounce a society based on the cult of appearance through the use of a brand that represents the search for ephemeral happiness."

"This new way of interpreting sacred art is along the lines of the famous work presented (in 1999 in Venice by Maurizio) Cattelan that showed a wax icon depicting Pope John Paul II being crushed by a meteor," the curator of the biennial Giuseppe Bacci told Il Centro.
"It is a way to hit the visitors' unconscious," he added.

The biennial is held at Isola del Gran Sasso in the central region of Abruzzo.

Milan native De Molfetta's works have been on show in Tokyo, at the T20 contemporary art gallery of Murcia Spain and at the museum of Besancon in France.

๑۩۞۩๑๑۩۞۩๑๑۩۞۩๑๑۩۞۩๑๑۩۞۩๑

blog b. on Dipity.

Sphere: Related Content

Extortion via Facebook on the rise in the UAE

Over 50 cases recorded by Dubai Police alone so far this year – so take these steps to remain safe online

By

• Rachel McArthur

Published Saturday, August 21, 2010

Personal information is at increasing risk on the internet. (FILE)

There is not a week that passes by without a story about an online crime or court case being reported on the news. From individuals being jailed for blackmailing a ‘friend’ on Facebook, to millions of users’ information being hacked into, it’s safe to say that the world of online social media isn’t, well, as safe as you think.

And despite the UAE having more control over the World Wide Web than other parts of the world, users in this country still are not 100 per cent safe. Basically, if you post information or a photograph of yourself online, there is a chance of that content reaching someone you did not expect.

Even Dubai Police have raised the alarm regarding the situation. Last week, the General Department of Forensic Sciences and Criminology announced that the number of criminal cases involving online abuse has already passed 50 this year, of which nine involved defamation cases from social networking websites. Forty-two involved extortion, threats or insults.

Captain Rashid Ahmed Lootah, Head of the Department, told Arabic media: “People are using blogs and social networking websites to collect information and defame people for revenge purposes. Facebook has a technical fault that allows it to be hacked into easily and used for extortion.”

Compared to last year, a total of 62 cases of defamation were recorded by Dubai Police. Seventy-four cases were recorded in 2008.

According to Alexa.com, the top 20 websites in the UAE include eight websites that are social networks or incorporates a social media element.

They are Facebook (the second most popular website in the UAE; number one being Google); YouTube (ranked number four); Yahoo! (fifth); Windows Live (sixth); Blogger.com (eighth); Twitter (number 15); LinkedIn (16th); and Dubizzle.com (17th).

Not surprisingly, most of the online crimes reported to police in the UAE have involved Facebook.

One man admitted before the Dubai Court of Misdemeanours that he uploaded several pictures on Facebook of the victim, an Arab lady, and posted libellous comments. And in another case, a woman claimed that a man she did not know was forcing her to send him compromising pictures of her and her friends.

In another recent incident, a women described how she kept on receiving sexually explicit messages on her Facebook wall from an alleged stalker.

Meanwhile, other cases noted involved men hacking into computers of female friends/co-workers and stealing personal photographs for revenge purposes.

Out of all the cases reported in the past year, most users that were targeted were women of Arab or Asian origin; making it highly probable that many do not even report such incidents out of fear of ruining their family’s reputation or causing them trouble, for example.

The key, therefore, is to avoid landing in these situations from the beginning.

Here are some tips on how to stay safe online:

- When you sign up with a social networking website, make sure you know how your information is going to be used and how it is going to be shared. Read the terms and conditions carefully. At the end of the day, social media is business, so more info equals more money for the owners!

- Make sure you are on top of any privacy settings. On Facebook, only share some information (including wall posts) with friends. Don’t share your e-mail, street address, and phone number with anyone. Avoid joining networks.

- Avoid uploading each and every single photo of you – keep it simple. Don’t feature photos of you with people you don’t necessarily want friends/employers seeing or that crooks could use to their advantage.

- But it’s not just about protection against crime. Think of your normal life too. Imagine calling in sick on Monday, only for your boss to see an album entitled “Dubai Monday Madness” uploaded on Tuesday? Chances are that will be your last day in the office.

- If you are job-hunting, remember that potential employers will want to check you out. If they see a Facebook or Twitter profile picture of you looking worse for wear being carried by a friend who looks even worse, they’ll probably think twice before inviting you for an interview.

- Unless you’re a major celebrity or politician, chances are you don’t really want to be found on Google.com. On most social networking websites, there is an option for your profile to be publicly available in Google’s search results. Disable that option.

- Do you work for a bank or an insurance company? Make sure this is not mentioned anywhere in public forum – or you could be targeted by criminals interested in making some illegal money.

- Give false (but memorable) answers to “reminder questions” – who’d guess that your mum’s maiden name is MohamedAhmed06?

- If you are unhappy with the service or privacy, change your details on it and delete the account.

- And finally, if you suspect someone is using your photos or information or you are being blackmailed or threatened, report it to the police immediately.

๑۩۞۩๑๑۩۞۩๑๑۩۞۩๑๑۩۞۩๑๑۩۞۩๑

blog b. on Dipity.

Sphere: Related Content

Earthquake off western Greek island of Zakynthos

By

• AP

Published Sunday, August 22, 2010

Athens Geodynamic Institute reported a magnitude 5.4 earthquake 65 km (off the island of Zakynthos.

No damage was reported from the earthquake that struck on Sunday afternoon on the island, local firefighters said, noting that buildings there have been built under especially strict standards following a damaging series of earthquakes in 1953.

Earthquakes of magnitude 5.0 and over are fairly common in Greece.

๑۩۞۩๑๑۩۞۩๑๑۩۞۩๑๑۩۞۩๑๑۩۞۩๑

blog b. on Dipity.

Sphere: Related Content

Thai court rules to extradite alleged Russian arms dealer to stand trial in U.S.

by Nutthathirataa Withitwinyuchon

BANGKOK, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's Appeals Court on Friday decided to extradite Victor Bout, a Russian national and alleged world's premier weapons dealer, to stand trial in the United States on charge of terrorism and selling weapons to Colombian guerrillas within three months.

Thai Criminal Court in August last year rejected the extradition bid by the U.S. saying that it considered the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia (FARC), to whom Bout allegedly supplied weapons, was a political movement, not a terrorist group as classified by the U.S. government. One year later, however, the Appeals Court turned down the criminal court's ruling.

Under Thai-U.S. treaty, an extradition could not be granted for a political offense.

According to a report from the website of MCOT (the Mass Communication Organization of Thailand ), Philip Crowley, spokesman of U.S. State Department said they had called in Thai Ambassador Don Pramudwinai earlier this week "to emphasize that this is of the highest priority to the United States."

"We believe that we've presented significant evidence to justify his extradition to the United States," Crowley told reporters on Thursday.

Moreover, a group of U.S. lawmakers had urged the ambassador to make authorities in Bangkok know that rejecting the request would harm ties with Washington and said the kingdom's judicial handling of the case had not been "fair and transparent", Bangkok Post reported.

However, when asked whether the U.S. pressure had influenced the Appeals Court's decision to extradite the suspect, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said on Saturday that there was no impact and there was nothing better than dealing with the matter straightforwardly.

On the other hand, soon after the Appeals Court's ruling, there were fierce responses from Russian government.

The Russian Foreign Ministry summoned Thailand's ambassador to Russia, Chalermpol Thanchitt, to protest against the ruling.

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Friday that the decision is politically motivated. Lavrov said the ruling was influenced by "very strong outside pressure'' but stopped short of mentioning the U.S.

"We regret the, in my opinion, illegal and politically motivated decision, made today by the Thai appeals court," he was quoted by the RIA Novosti news agency as saying.

Moreover, Russian foreign minister also vowed that Russian government will continue to do anything they can to repatriate Bout.

Bout, a 43-year-old Russian ex-air force pilot, was said to have inspired the Hollywood film "Lord of War" starring Nicolas Cage. He was arrested at a Bangkok luxury hotel in March 2008 in a sting operation orchestrated by the U.S. agents posing as arms buyers of Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).

Bout, dubbed the Merchant of Death, allegedly supplied weapons to some of the world's worst conflicts including Afghanistan, Angola, Congo, Liberia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone and Sudan, according to the United Nations.

Bout was subsequently indicted in the U.S. for conspiring to sell millions of dollars worth of weapons to FARC, conspiring to kill Americans, conspiring to kill U.S. officers or employees as well as conspiring to provide material support to terrorists. The Russian could face maximum penalty of life in prison if convicted.

His wife, Alla Bout, said on Friday after Thai Appeals Court's sentence that the decision is unjust and obviously political case and that the American government put a lot of pressure on the Thai court, Voice of America reported.

Knowing well that the matter draws high interest from both U.S. and Russian sides, Prime Minister Abhisit is trying to convince both countries that Thailand will handle it in a straightforward manner. He also admitted that Thai government felt the heat.

"We must admit that Thailand is in the middle. With this kind of situation, pressure naturally occurs all the time and what we have to do is to handle it in a transparent way," he was quoted by MCOT as saying on Saturday.

๑۩۞۩๑๑۩۞۩๑๑۩۞۩๑๑۩۞۩๑๑۩۞۩๑

blog b. on Dipity.

Sphere: Related Content

Hubble Telescope captures photo of spooky nebula in deep space

This spooky image of a tiny nebula known as IRAS 05437+2502 was recently released by the Hubble Space Telescope, but perhaps even more eerie than the wispy, ghost-like appearance of the little-studied star forming region is the boomerang-like light crowning the nebula. Though the Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS) first discovered the nebula in 1983, astronomers have no clue what is lighting up this glowing object. (Photo Source: sci.sina.com)

๑۩۞۩๑๑۩۞۩๑๑۩۞۩๑๑۩۞۩๑๑۩۞۩๑

blog b. on Dipity.

Sphere: Related Content

Finland adopts new tobacco act to completely ban smoking

HELSINKI, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- Finnish President Tarja Halonen approved Friday a new tobacco act proposed by the Finnish government on Aug. 18, aiming to totally end smoking in Finland, the first country to write the aim of completely banning smoking in a law.

The purpose of a new tobacco act is to prevent in particular children and youngsters from smoking. The new act restricts selling and supplying tobacco especially to children and youngsters under 18 years old. Neither shops nor private persons are allowed to sell or provide tobacco products to persons under 18. According to the act, person who sell single cigarette or buy a packet of cigarette from a shop to a minor person should be fined or sentenced to prison for a maximum of 6 months. It is also forbidden to supply tobacco to minor persons for free.

According to the new act, persons under 18 years old are banned to import and possess tobacco products, importing tobacco products can be fined. In addition, sellers of tobacco products must be aged at least 18 years in the future. The new act also prohibits tobacco products and their trademarks being displayed in retail stores in the future. In addition, the sale of tobacco products from vending machines will be banned.

The total ban on the sale of snuff in Finland will continue. Ordering snuff through the Internet will also be forbidden.

The bans on smoking will be extended also in places used by children and youngsters, the public venues of residential areas, outdoor public places and hotel rooms.

The new act comes into effect from Oct. 1 this year. The ban on display of tobacco products and their trademarks, as well as the restrictions on smoking in hotel rooms become effective at the beginning of 2012. Sale of tobacco products in vending machines will be prohibited from the beginning of 2015.

๑۩۞۩๑๑۩۞۩๑๑۩۞۩๑๑۩۞۩๑๑۩۞۩๑

blog b. on Dipity.

Sphere: Related Content

Iran starts up first nuclear plant amid fuel enrichment halt signal

A general view shows the Bushehr nuclear power plant in southern Iran, Aug. 20, 2010. (Xinhua/Ahmad Halabisaz)

BUSHEHR, Iran, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- Iran and Russia started on Saturday to load fuel rods to a reactor at the Bushehr power plant, the first nuclear power plant in Iran.

Sergei Kiriyenko, head of Russian state nuclear energy corporation Rosatom, and chief of Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali-Akbar Salehi attended a ceremony to initiate the transfer of fuel to the plant in southern Iran.

The fuel-loading operation by Iranian and Russian engineers was carried out under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

At a joint press conference after the start-up ceremony, the Russian atomic official said that Bushehr was a great and unique international project which was implemented by Russia.

Implicitly rejecting the claims that Russia was responsible for the constant postponements of the plant launch, Kiriyenko said that Russia has always been committed to its international contracts and his country has, also, fulfilled its commitments to Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant.

He added that Bushehr power plant operates under IAEA supervision and any country which performs under the supervision of IAEA has the right to peaceful nuclear energy.

Asked about cooperations between Iran and Russia for constructing further nuclear power plants in Iran, Kiriyenko said that "At the moment no talks over constructing other power plants is underway. We are, now, focusing on the project (of Bushehr power plant) at hand."

"Transparent cooperations with IAEA are important and if this point is observed, we will cooperate with Iran and other countries, " he added.

Salehi said that despite the sanctions against Iran, "we are now seeing the startup of the nuclear power plant."

This is a "direct lesson" to those who wanted to hinder Iran's progress by imposing sanctions, he stressed.

The startup of Bushehr power plant is an embodiment of Iran's steady persistence to achieve its legitimate goals, said Salehi.

Also in the day, Iran and Russia signed three Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) on nuclear cooperation in the presence of Sergei Kiriyenko and Ali-Akbar Salehi.

On the basis of the agreement, the two sides agreed to establish a joint company to observe the safe use of the facilities in Bushehr power plant.

They also agreed to recognize Bushehr establishments as unclear facilities from the load of fuel, starting from August 21, to the launch of the facility which will almost last for two months.

According to the agreement, both side will take necessary measures before the launch of the plant.

According to the earlier reports, 163 fuel rods will be transferred into the core of the reactor by September 5 after the required inspections.

Rosatom corporation announced earlier in August that Russia is set to activate the reactor at Bushehr nuclear power plant on Aug. 21.

The construction of the nuclear plant began in 1975 by German companies, but was halted after the United States imposed embargo on hi-tech supplies to Iran following Iran's 1979 revolution. Russia signed a contract with Tehran in 1995 to complete the construction.

An Iranian man stands after swimming at seaside near the Bushehr nuclear power plant in southern Iran, Aug. 20, 2010. Nuclear fuel is going be loaded to Bushehr nuclear power plant the first one in Iran on Aug. 21. Bushehr nuclear power plant draws great attention after the U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mike Mullen said earlier this month that the United States has a plan in place to attack Iran, if it is necessary.(xinhua/Ahmad Halabisaz)

What worries the West most is Iran's refusal to halt uranium enrichment, a process that can be used to make fuel for nuclear weapons.

Adding to the fear is Tehran's move in February to start enriching uranium to 20 percent purity form 3.5 percent, making it closer to weapons-grade level.

Major powers have offered a fuel exchange deal in exchange for Tehran's suspension of its move.

Despite Ahmadinejad's signal, Iran's nuclear chief Saleh said on Friday Iran will continue enriching uranium to make fuel for the Bushehr plant as Tehran may not always buy it from Moscow.

"The Bushehr plant has a lifespan of 60 years and we plan to use it for 40 years. Suppose we will buy fuel (for Bushehr power plant) for 10 years from the Russians, what are we going to do for the rest 30 to 50 years?" Saleh was quoted by state news agency IRNA as saying.

Russia, which has walked a fine line on Iran for years, has welcomed Ahmadinejad's offer and called for a meeting as soon as possible to discuss a fuel replacement scheme for the Iranian research reactor.

"We believe that this meeting should be held as soon as possible. The meeting format is a minor matter, while the agenda of the meeting is an essential issue. We should launch this dialogue as quickly as possible," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told Itar-Tass on Friday.

He said Russia would like to invite officials from Turkey and Brazil to participate in this meeting, as these countries signed the Tehran Declaration with Iran on May 17.

Under the deal, Iran agreed to transfer 1,200 kg of low-enriched uranium to Turkey and get within a year 120 kg of 20-percent enriched uranium in return, to keep Tehran's medical research reactor running.

๑۩۞۩๑๑۩۞۩๑๑۩۞۩๑๑۩۞۩๑๑۩۞۩๑

blog b. on Dipity.

Sphere: Related Content

Japan warns India against future nuclear test

NEW DELHI, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- Japan has warned India against any future nuclear test, saying it may prompt Tokyo to suspend cooperation with New Delhi in civil nuclear field, said local media reports on Sunday.

"Japan will have no option but to suspend our cooperation in nuclear energy if India again detonated a nuclear device," visiting Japanese Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada told the media in the national capital, after holding talks with Indian External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna late Saturday.

"I don't think we can suggest that India should refrain from conducting a nuclear test but if such a thing were to happen, Japan will have no option but to suspend cooperation," the Japanese Minister said, adding that there would be a special clause in the agreement to facilitate this move by Japan.

Japan has been hesitant to sign a deal because India is not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Okada's two-day visit came a day after India's Cabinet of Minister approved a delayed draft law that will pave the way for foreign companies to build reactors in India.

India's atomic energy market is worth 150 billion U.S. dollars.

Japan warns India against future N-test

NEW DELHI: Making it abundantly clear that any civil nuclear cooperation with India will hinge on New Delhi’s commitment to non-proliferation and disarmament, Japanese foreign minister Katsuya Okada on Saturday warned New Delhi against carrying out any further nuclear test.

Shortly after the strategic dialogue with his Indian counterpart S M Krishna, Okada said Japan "will have no option but to suspend our cooperation" in nuclear energy if India again detonated a nuclear device.

"I don’t think we can suggest that India should refrain from conducting a nuclear test but if such a thing were to happen, Japan will have no option but to suspend cooperation," he said, adding that there would be a special clause in the agreement to facilitate this move by Japan.

Okada said the decision to launch negotiations for civil nuclear cooperation agreement with India, which had not signed NPT, was the toughest decision he had taken as a foreign minister in his 10-month tenure.

The newly elected Japanese PM, Naota Kan, had recently said Tokyo would try to bring India into the NPT fold. Japan overcame intense domestic pressure to initiate negotiations with India for civil nuclear cooperation in June.

Japan warns India against nuclear tests

By

• AFP

Published Saturday, August 21, 2010

Japan’s foreign minister warned India on Saturday against conducting any new nuclear tests, saying such a move would force a halt to any civilian nuclear co-operation between the two countries.

The warning came a day after India's cabinet approved a long-delayed draft law that will clear the way for foreign nuclear groups to build reactors in the $150 billion Indian atomic energy market.

Before leaving for his two-day visit to India, Japanese Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada said any civilian nuclear deal between the two countries needed a clause to define how Tokyo would respond to any nuclear test by New Delhi.

"Japan will have no option but to suspend our co-operation" in the event of a nuclear test by India, Okada told a news conference in New Delhi

The two countries launched talks in June on signing an atomic civilian co-operation agreement which will allow Tokyo to export nuclear power generation technology and related equipment to energy-hungry India.

But survivors of the World War II US atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki have opposed the move, as India has developed nuclear arms without signing the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

India stunned the world in 1998 by staging nuclear tests, prompting a tit-for-tat response by rival Pakistan.

Okada did not mention Japanese calls for a clause in the pact dealing with any new nuclear tests by India but he earlier said in Tokyo that how the clause is incorporated will "depend on upcoming negotiations".

India's foreign minister SM Krishna told the joint news conference that "negotiations will continue quickly and that we will jointly work towards a good agreement which will result in 'win-win' for both India and Japan".

The Indian government said there was no deadline for concluding the agreement. Earlier reports had said the deal was expected to be signed next month.

India's parliament is expected to pass next week a nuclear liabilities bill which is part of a landmark atomic energy pact with the United States in 2008 that granted New Delhi access to foreign nuclear technology.

Okada earlier in the day held talks with Krishna to firm up bilateral ties.

"India-Japan relations have undergone a significant and qualitative shift in recent years," an Indian government statement said.

Both sides have expressed "resolve to enhance our mutually beneficial strategic and global partnership", the statement added.

The two sides also discussed economic cooperation, including a multi-billion-dollar Japanese loan for the Delhi-Mumbai freight corridor connecting northern cities with western ports.

Japan is the sixth-largest foreign investor in India and two-way trade totals more than 12 billion dollars.

After leaving India, Okada was slated to travel to Thailand for talks with Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and other senior leaders on Monday.

๑۩۞۩๑๑۩۞۩๑๑۩۞۩๑๑۩۞۩๑๑۩۞۩๑

blog b. on Dipity.

Sphere: Related Content