Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Iran

China Calls On Iran To Suspend Uranium Enrichment

Inside Iran's uranium-enrichment plant in Isfahan (file photo) (epa)

21 February 2006 -- China today called on Iran to restore a moratorium on uranium enrichment to facilitate a negotiated resolution of the dispute over its nuclear program.

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February 21, 2006

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said China hopes that talks in Moscow on a Russian proposal aimed to help resolve the standoff will be successful.

Iranian and Russian negotiators are discussing Russia's offer to enrich uranium for Iranian power plants on its soil to allay international fears Iran may be seeking to develop nuclear weapons.

The talks are seen as a last chance to resolve the crisis before Western governments seek UN sanctions.

China, which has increasingly lucrative energy ties with Iran, is seeking a negotiated solution to the standoff.

(Reuters, AFP)

Security Guarantees For Iran?

Hans Blix (CTK)

SECURITY GUARANTEES On January 26, RFE/RL Radio Farda correspondent Fatemeh Aman spoke with former UN chief weapons inspector HANS BLIX about the confrontation between Iran and the international community over Tehran's nuclear ambitions. Blix urged the United States to participate in direct negotiations with Tehran and to offer Iran security guarantees that are similar to those being discussed with North Korea...(more)

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Listen to the complete interview (about five minutes):

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THE COMPLETE STORY: RFE/RL's complete coverage of controversy surrounding Iran's nuclear program.

CHRONOLOGY

An annotated timeline of Iran's nuclear program.

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