Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Iran

Russia, Iran Agree That IAEA Should Resolve Nuclear Crisis

Russian Security Council Secretary Igor Ivanov wants the IAEA to handle the crisis (file photo) (CTK)

24 January 2006 -- Russian Security Council Secretary Igor Ivanov and his Iranian counterpart say Tehran's nuclear dispute must be resolved by diplomatic means within the International Atomic Energy Agency.

TEXT SIZE - +

January 24, 2006

The declaration was issued in a brief statement tonight in Moscow following talks between Ivanov and Iranian Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani.

The statement followed discussions between Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Mehdi Safari and the head of Russia's Atomic Energy Agency (Rosatom), Sergei Kiriyenko. The talks focused on Russia's participation in building Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant.

The United States and the European Union are concerned about Iran's recent resumption of its nuclear program. They want the matter to be referred to the UN Security Council for possible sanctions.

Iran has denied charges that it is seeking to develop nuclear weapons, saying its program is for peaceful purposes.

(ITAR-TASS, Interfax, AP)

Who's Got The Bomb?

DECLARED NUCLEAR-WEAPONS COUNTRIES:

country warheads (est.) date of first test

United States 10,500 1945

Russia 18,000 1949

United Kingdom 200 1952

France 350 1960

China 400 1964

India 60-90 1974

Pakistan 28-48 1998

North Korea 0-18 2006

Notes:

Israel is widely believed to possess nuclear weapons, but it has not declared itself a nuclear-armed country.

South Africa constructed six uranium bombs but voluntarily dismantled them.

Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine all gave up the nuclear weapons that were on their territory when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991.

A vendor in the central Bosnian town of Zenica sells heart-shaped cushions with proclamations of love for 1 euro each.

Love It (Or Hate It), It's Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day, the Western holiday celebrating love, has become a global phenomenon over the past two decades. The fall of communism and the emergence of the Internet have helped February 14 become something of an unofficial international day of romance. However, not all the passions the holiday stirs are related to love. While some countries have openly embraced the holiday, others are attempting to ban it or replace it with local customs. More

Many Iranians have been claiming that their access to social networks and Internet-based e-mail sites has been blocked in recent days.

Iran Tightens Internet Control

Iranians are reporting that their access to Facebook and Internet-based e-mail sites like Gmail has been blocked, without any explanation from the government. Not even the strongest antifiltering programs have penetrated the firewall, they say. Some speculate the move is related to Iran's plan to launch a national internet, which might sever Iranians' ability to access the World Wide Web. More

Web-savvy Iranian oppositionists are renowned for their ability to use proxies and other means to circumvent Tehran

Explainer: Iran's National Internet

Reports that Iran has stepped up its Internet censorship in recent days -- as evidenced by a general slowdown of the web, Internet blackouts, and the blocking of sites such as Google -- has raised speculation that the country might be testing its controversial "national Internet." More