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USA warns Iran on atomic fuel research
Pak denies seeking Chinese N-reactors
Hand over LoC to police: Aziz
Pak panel for intelligence on
Indian, Afghan water plans |
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5 die of cold in quake-hit Pak: WHO
Rushdie out of race for Whitbread award
Dubai ruler Maktoum dead
Suicide bomber kills 30 in Iraq
Russia, Ukraine settle dispute over natural gas price
4 blasts rock Nepal
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USA warns Iran on atomic fuel research
Washington, January 4 “If Iran takes any further enrichment-related steps, the international community will have to consider additional measures to restrain Iran’s nuclear ambitions,” State Department Spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters. He did not specify what actions the Bush administration will be taking. His reaction came after the Vienna-based nuclear watchdog IAEA’s said it had received a letter from Tehran saying it would resume nuclear fuel research next week and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Iran would not “step back” on its decision to resume nuclear fuel work. “In terms of trying to draw a line around something being pure research with respect to enrichment activities, (that) is not something that we’re going to buy, and I don’t think the international community will either”, Mr McCormack said, adding “The Iranians have really done, sort of, a bob-and-weave on this issue.” “They have been seeking to extend out discussions, not really commit to whether or not they are going to negotiate in a serious manner. And, frankly, the patience of the international community is not infinite on this issue because it’s a serious issue,” Mr McCormack noted. “Iran is trying to pursue nuclear weapons under the cover of a peaceful nuclear programme. We don’t think that it should be allowed to happen and I think you won’t find any disagreement on the fact that Iran’s obtaining a nuclear weapon would be destabilising, destabilising to the region and destabilising to the world,” he added.
— PTI |
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Pak denies seeking Chinese N-reactors
Islamabad, January 4 Foreign Office spokesperson Tasneen Aslam told BBC yesterday that Pakistan stood in need of safe nuclear energy in the wake of its fast growing economy. The Financial Times report that Pakistan was holding talks with China to purchase eight nuclear reactors was “not correct,” she said. The FT said these reactors would be used to produce over 4,000 MW electricity.
— UNI
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Islamabad, January 4 "Our suggestion is that both countries should pull back their troops and the security could still be maintained in the area through the police and other organisations," Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said in an interview to ARY TV telecast yesterday. He also said that the atmosphere between the two neighbours was improving, but progress on disputes resolution was not up to what it should have been. While opening of five crossing points on the LoC, which was aimed at fostering contacts and interaction among Kashmiris, was a positive development, these points were not functioning as effectively as they could have, Aziz said. He referred to his as well as President Musharraf's meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh last year and said various ideas were being discussed through back channel diplomacy which included proposals like self- governance and demilitarisation. Pakistan has been reiterating self-governance and demilitarisation as its ideas to ease tension along the LoC, specially in the aftermath of the October 8 earthquake, but declined to elaborate and put forward them as proposals. Indian officials continue to maintain that while Aziz mentioned these two "ideas" in his talks with Dr Singh in Dhaka during the SAARC summit in November last year, Pakistan has not given a detailed proposal on it. He said Pakistan had presented the suggestions with an open mind, adding both Pakistan and India would have to exhibit magnanimity, flexibility and courage. "It is our desire to improve our ties with India so that there may be peace in South Asia which will lead to development and prosperity." He said Pakistan wanted the "core issue" of Kashmir should be resolved in accordance with the aspirations of the people of Kashmir in order to establish lasting peace. Pakistan desires headway on all issues, including Kashmir, he added. — PTI
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Pak panel for intelligence on
Indian, Islamabad, January 4 The Nation today quoted PCIW Chairman Syed Jamaat Ali Shah as saying that more information and intelligence gathering was needed on Indian role/plans in Afghanistan and additional information for validating current information on data about water availability to Pakistan on Western and Eastern Indus rivers. Pakistan has already a weak case as far as India’s Baglihar and Kishanganga projects are concerned and that is mainly because of delayed intelligence information conveyed to the authorities concerned to take action like moving neutral expert under the Indus Waters Treaty, 1960. “This information will be helpful in bringing all the provinces to a common understanding on water availability data and consequently moving towards a consensus,” Mr Shah said in his reply submitted to the Parliamentary Committee on Water Resources. Pakistan is currently facing water threat from its eastern and western borders at a time when it needs to increase its storage capacity with building of new reservoirs and cater the growing irrigation requirement. The Baglihar and Kishanganga projects of India are a direct threat to water flows to Pakistan and a sheer violation of the bilateral pact between the two countries, said the paper, adding that Pakistan is set to move neutral expert also on Kishanganga after Baglihar project. On the other hand Afghanistan is also planning to construct a mega dam on Kabul River ultimately reducing water flows to Pakistan.
— UNI |
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5 die of cold in quake-hit Pak: WHO
Muzaffarabad, Pakistan Khalif Bile, acting country director for WHO, said the rate of acute respiratory infections among some of the 3.5 million people left homeless by the quake had gone up by as much as 19 per cent, mostly among children, in the past week. He said five or six deaths had been reported since last week. "There could be a further increase in the coming days. We need to keep children warm by heating, warm clothes and giving them sufficient food," he said. "Our main concern is to prevent an outbreak of disease and save lives so that there is no other disaster after the earthquake in the form of people, especially children, dying of cold," he said. UN official Zulifquar Wasim said helicopter relief flights resumed today after being grounded for three days by bad weather.
— AP |
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Rushdie out of race for Whitbread award
London, January 4 Those chosen include novelists Ali Smith and Taiwan-born Tash Aw, the biographer Hilary Spurling, Christopher Logue, the veteran poet and iconoclast Kate Thompson. Respectively, they each won £ 5,000 for the best novel, best first novel, best biography, best poetry and best children’s book sub-sections of the prize last night and must now fight it out for the main prize on January 24. Ali Smith ousted Salman Rushdie, Nick Hornby and Christopher Wilson in the best novel category. Rushdie’s latest novel, ‘Shalimar the Clown,’ a love story set against a background of Islamic terrorism, failed to progress further than the long-list for the rival Man Booker Prize this year. He was given another chance when it was short-listed for the Whitbread best novel category but it has fallen again, to Ali Smith’s ‘The Accidental,’ named by leading betting house William Hill as 5-4 favourite. — PTI
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Dubai, January 4 Diplomats said Sheikh Maktoum, who was also the ruler of Dubai, suffered heart problems and was in his mid-60s. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, who is the UAE’s defence minister, is Maktoum’s brother and heir who will take over as ruler of Dubai. Officials said UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahayan will appoint a new premier and vice president for the Gulf Arab state that is a federation of seven emirates. Sheikh Maktoum maintained a low profile, preferring to allow his younger brothers, including the globally renowned entrepreneur Sheikh Mohammed, to run the day-to-day affairs of Dubai. Sheikh Maktoum is best known as co-owner of Dubai’s Godolphin stables which competes in major horse races. Dubai’s main stock market halted trading after the news. The UAE has declared 40 days of mourning and government institutions will be closed for a week. — Reuters
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Suicide bomber kills 30 in Iraq
Iraq, January 4 Mourners took cover in the cemetery, under fire from mortars and automatic weapons. Then a bomber wearing an
explosive vest blew up among them. The death toll was provisional. If confirmed it would be the bloodiest attack since a largely peaceful election on December 15. The funeral was for a victim or victims of an assassination attempt on Tuesday on a local leader of the Dawa party of Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari. The leader
was badly wounded in that attack and his son and a bodyguard were killed. It was not entirely clear who was being buried during today’s assault.
— Reuters |
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Russia, Ukraine settle dispute over natural gas price Moscow, January 4 Russian gas major Gazprom and Ukraine’s national natural gas company Naftogaz came to terms on the supplies of Russian natural gas to Ukraine, the CEOs of the two companies today announced at the end of negotiations. Gazprom had halted natural gas deliveries to Ukraine on the morning of January 1 as they failed to sign a contract by that date. Kiev in turn was siphoning off the gas meant for Europe passing through its territory. Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller and Ukrainian Naftogaz chief Alexei Ivchenko announced at joint news conference that they had signed a five-year contract, for the supply of the Russian natural gas to Ukraine.
— PTI
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4 blasts rock Nepal
Kathmandu, January 4 The explosions occurred a day after Maoists announced an end to their four-month unilateral ceasefire blaming the army for continued operations against them. Meanwhile, Maoists allegedly looted cash and valuables from six motorcyclists in Nuwakot district, 25 km west of Kathmandu, yesterday.
— PTI |
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