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Iran promises answers on
atomic work
16 killed in Bangladesh building collapse
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N-deal: some clarifications needed, says US
7 US soldiers charged with Internet sex scam
Guru Granth Sahib to be translated into Urdu in Pak
Pak to raise cartoon issue at UN: Pervez
Top award for Deepa’s “Water”
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Iran promises answers on
atomic work
Tehran, February 25 Separately, two diplomats said Tehran had begun operating 10 uranium enrichment centrifuges at its Natanz plant in central Iran, meaning the Islamic Republic has made good on its threats to resume the small-scale production of uranium fuel. On Thursday, a senior diplomat in Vienna said the Iranians had promised Deputy Director General of the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency Olli Heinonen information about a shadowy uranium-processing project that Western intelligence has linked to possible atomic bomb work. In addition to this uranium project — ‘’Green Salt Project’’ — an EU diplomat in Vienna briefed on the IAEA’s probe of Iran’s nuclear programme said Tehran had also promised information related to possible work on nuclear ‘’weaponisation’’. ‘’This trip is related to the entire issue of weaponisation, one of the major unresolved issues,’’ said a European Union diplomat who follows Iran. ‘’The Iranians have promised answers but it’s unclear whether the answers will be sufficient to clear up all the IAEA’s questions about Iranian weaponisation work.’’ The two Vienna diplomats said they doubted the Iranians were ready to finally come clean after decades of covering up work that the United States, the European Union and their allies believe has been part of a covert plan to develop atomic weapons.
— Reuters |
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16 killed in Bangladesh building collapse
Dhaka, February 25 Soldiers, police, fire officials and volunteers rushed to the scene to pull out victims trapped under the caved-in Phoenix Building in the city's congested industrial area. "We have got 16 persons dead and 45 injured so far," army General Nizam Ahmed, who was supervising the rescue operations, told AFP. Rescuers were using bulldozers and cutters to break through and reach those trapped by heavy slabs of concrete which were being shifted by cranes. The building housed a garment-making outlet and street-level shops and construction labourers were working on upper floors to turn them into a private hospital. The police said many workers were inside the building at the time of the collapse but had no exact tally. "I was working on the third floor when I suddenly heard a loud noise and the floor starting to collapse beneath me in a storm of dust," said construction labourer Bhopal Hawlader.
— AFP |
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N-deal: some clarifications needed, says US
Washington, February 25 Previewing President George W Bush’s three-day visit to India from March 1, US National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley rejected the notion that “success” of the American leader’s trip depended on finalisation of the civilian nuclear deal. Asked about Under Secretary of State Nicholas Burns’ talks in New Delhi on the nuclear deal, he said “there have been good consultations. He is now coming back to Washington to report on where we are on those discussions. We’re making progress, but we’re not yet there. “The Indians, hopefully, will have an opportunity from there end to see where we are. And we would expect those negotiations will continue by phone, document and the like, probably up through the President’s ...visit.” Pressed on what the holdup on the deal is all about, Hadley argued that “it’s just getting some clarifications from the Indian side about what’s in the civil side and what’s on the military side, not only in terms of what exists now, at this time, but what are going to be the ground rules going forward. There’s a lot of technical aspects to it.” “And the challenge, from the Indian side, of course, is this came up as an integrated programme, and now they’re having to make the kind of separation that we’ve made and other countries have made. And it’s hard. It’s an issue about facilities, about people, about organisation...it’s taken time to work through. “Again, we’re trying to see if we can use the visit (of Bush) as a forcing function. If we can, great. If not, we’ll continue to work on it after the visit is over,” Hadley remarked. “We would, obviously, like, and the Indians would like to use the occasion of this visit (of Bush) to reach agreement on this separation agreement, so-called. We think that would be a good thing. But it’s important to have a good agreement that works for the Indians, works for the United States, will be acceptable to our Congress and to the Nuclear Suppliers Group,” he said. He dismissed the notion that the “success” of Bush’s trip depended on finalisation of the deal. Hadley also rejected the contention that the nuclear deal with India is rewarding that country for “bad behaviour. “I think what the nuclear agreement does is it brings India into, and has India accepting the kinds of proliferation restrictions that the rest of the international community has accepted. Because the US-India civil nuclear (deal) is premised on India and the United States getting on the same page with respect to proliferation.” — PTI
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7 US soldiers charged with Internet sex scam
Washington, February 25 Three of the soldiers were charged with pandering, sodomy and "wrongfully engaging in sexual acts with another person while being filmed, with the purpose of broadcasting over the Internet for money," the army said in a statement yesterday. The three face possible court-martial while four other soldiers received administrative punishment for lesser violations of military law. The four were reduced in rank to private, given 45 days extra duty, fined one half month's pay for two months, and recommended for discharge. — AFP
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Guru Granth Sahib to be translated into Urdu in Pak
Lahore, February 25 The Academy President, Dr Harbans Lal, said that a research section would soon be opened at the Dyal Singh Library here, where research material would be donated to the proposed sections. The steps, he said, were being aimed at improving the understanding between the Sikh and Muslim communities. Historians, he said, often committed blunders while reporting on Sikh history, reports the Dawn. He also denied that there was any enmity between the Mughal rulers and Sikhs. Emperor Akbar the Great had donated land for constructing the city of Amritsar whose foundation stone was laid by Hazrat Mian Mir of Lahore, he said. He also condemned the blasphemous cartoons of Prophet Mohammed in Danish and other European papers, saying that religions were not for spreading hatred among mankind, but for spreading love and respect for each other.
— ANI
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Pak to raise cartoon issue at UN: Pervez
Islamabad, February 25 “The government has issued directives to Pakistan’s permanent representative at the United Nations Munir Akram for moving the issue at the UN,” President Musharraf told a meeting of Islamic scholars at the presidential camp office in Rawalpindi. “Muslims around the world have protested vehemently against the offending sketches,” Musharraf said, adding that no blasphemous attitude against the Holy Prophet could be permitted in the name of freedom of expression. He said the government would not allow burning of public property on the pretext of protest against the drawings, adding that the cartoon issue should not be politicised.
— PTI |
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Bangkok, February 25 Set around a widow’s ashram in Varanasi in the late 1930s, "Water" was screened to a full house last week. Thai Princess Ubolratana presented the award to Ms Mehta at the awards ceremony at the Conrad Hotel here yesterday. — UNI
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