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Iran to complete Pakistan gas pipeline ahead of schedule

EU Times — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:49:40 +0000

Iran is ready to complete and inaugurate the proposed Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project ahead of the due date, the vice president for international affairs said in Islamabad today.

In a meeting with Pakistani finance officials, Ali Saeedlou said that Iran is prepared to help Pakistan establish the pipeline ahead of the date the two sides have agreed upon, IRNA news agency reported.

Despite the threat of sanctions from the United States, Pakistan refused to abandon the multibillion-dollar Iran gas pipeline project, saying the project between the neighboring states was beyond the scope of U.S. sanctions imposed against Tehran.

“Pakistan is committed to the Pak-Iran gas pipeline and sanctions do not cover this project. There is no change in our stance and we are working to complete the project by 2014. We believe that this project is beyond the scope of the relevant UN resolutions which we are obliged to comply with like all other member states,” said Pakistani Foreign Office Spokesman Abdul Basit on January 27.

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India to send business delegation to Iran

EU Times — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 12:23:39 +0000

Indian business delegation will visit Tehran in the end of February to boost oil imports from the Islamic Republic.

India plans to send a business delegation to Iran to hold talks aimed at increasing the volume of Tehran’s oil exports to New Delhi, a report says.

“We will need to lead a business delegation there, taking potential exporters across a range of sectors, and go out there and talk to their counterparts,” Reuters reported an anonymous Indian official as saying on Thursday.

According to the official, India could set up exports in a range of goods in return for wheat, industrial goods and jewelry.

“Traditional exports on the food category, which have always gone to Iran, have been orthodox tea and basmati rice. So those will continue.”

The Indian official added that the delegation would visit Tehran at the end of February.

India, the world’s fourth-largest petroleum consumer, is Iran’s second largest oil customer after China and purchases around $12 billion worth of Iranian crude every year, about 12 percent of its consumption.

After imposing sanctions against Iran’s oil and Central Bank on December 31, 2011, Washington has been trying to persuade emerging economies in Asia — Iran’s biggest oil market — to cut imports of petroleum from the country.

US sanctions require foreign financial firms to make a choice between doing business with Iran’s Central Bank and oil sector or with the US financial sector.

Earlier this week, however, Indian Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee refuted US call for putting a ban on Iran oil, saying India would continue to buy Tehran’s oil despite sanctions.

“It is not possible for India to take any decision to reduce the imports from Iran drastically, because among the countries which can provide the requirement of the emerging economies, Iran is an important country amongst them.”

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Merkel to sway China against Iran

EU Times — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 22:12:05 +0000

German Chancellor Angela Merkel

Despite Beijing’s outright refusal to join the EU and US-sponsored unilateral sanctions on Iran’s oil industry, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has arranged a visit to China to convince the country to reduce Iranian oil import.

A German government source told a news briefing on Tuesday that “It is in German interests that China does not raise its imports [from Iran]. It would be good if China would reduce its imports.”

According to the source, Merkel will begin her trip to China on Wednesday.

This comes while China has criticized the European Union’s new unilateral sanctions against the Islamic Republic, considering them as blind pressure and unconstructive.

“To blindly pressure and impose sanctions on Iran are not constructive approaches,” the Chinese foreign ministry said on January 26 in reaction to the measures adopted by the EU over Iran’s nuclear program.

US President Barack Obama signed into law new sanctions against Iran which seek to penalize other countries for importing Iran’s oil or doing transactions with the country’s central bank. The European Union also approved new sanctions against Iran’s oil and financial sectors on January 23, which will cut off crude oil imports from Iran on July 1.

The United States, Israel and their European allies accuse Tehran of pursuing military objectives in its nuclear program and have used this pretext to impose four rounds of international and a series of unilateral sanctions against the Islamic Republic.

Iran has refuted the allegations, arguing that as a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Tehran is entitled to use nuclear technology for peaceful use.

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Japan finds 14 water leaks at stricken nuclear plant

EU Times — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 22:02:02 +0000

Water leaks from 14 points at the stricken Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant’s facilities have been found, leading the operator to suspend the cooling of the spent fuel pool at its No. 4 reactor for two hours, Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) was quoted by local media as reporting on Monday.

The leakage is believed to have been caused by the freezing cold weather, and the leaked water included purified radioactively contaminated water, TEPCO said on Sunday, adding that the contamination level is low.

Water temperature in the pool remained almost stable at 21 degrees Celsius, it said.

TEPCO said around 40 liters of real water leaked from the pool- cooling system of the No. 4 reactor Sunday morning, while probably 600 liters of purified water were found to have leaked from another facility. But TEPCO said it is believed that the water did not flow into the ocean.

The temperature in Namie, Fukushima Prefecture where the nuclear power plant locates, fell to below minus 8 degrees Celsius recently.

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West could target Russia, China next

EU Times — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 21:12:27 +0000

A senior political analyst says Moscow and Beijing should not just sit by and watch the current anti-Iran threats and moves by the West as they are bound to be the next targets, Press TV reports.

“People like Russia and China had better figure out that if they just sit there and let these things happen, eventually they’ll be next,” Webster Griffin Tarpley, author and historian, said in an exclusive interview with Press TV.

“And by the time they (Russia and China) are next, there’ll be nobody else left standing,” Tarpley stressed.

The political analyst further warned that the US and UK are currently reenacting their agenda in the run up to the Iraq War, this time against Iran.

“We now also have the same thing going on: the misuse, the essentially ‘hijacking’ of the UN Security Council,” he said.

The United States and its allies accuse the Islamic Republic of potentially pursuing a militarized nuclear program and have accordingly used the allegation to push for four rounds of Security Council sanctions and a series of additional unilateral embargoes against Tehran.

The US and EU recently stepped up the pressure on Iran to unprecedented levels by imposing sanctions on the country’s crude and Central Bank in a bid to ultimately deprive Islamic Republic of its oil revenue. The US-led sanctions have further been accompanied by repeated threats of a military strike against the Islamic Republic.

Iran, meanwhile, has categorically denied the charges, asserting that its nuclear program is geared towards civilian ends, such as generating electricity and medical usages, to which it has a right as an IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) member and an NPT (Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty) signatory.

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Watching Bird Flu

EU Times — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 22:40:08 +0000

Avian Influenza, or A H5N1, has a mortality rate among humans of twenty to thirty times that of Spanish Flu which killed up to fifth million people in 1918/1919 and would be far, far worse than even the Black Death which assailed Europe in the fourteenth century. The spread of new cases is alarming, constant and deadly. Humankind must watch bird flu like a hawk…and not only.

We saw what the World Health Organization did during the Swine Flu or A H1N1 outbreak in 2009. In fact, it was more than an outbreak, it was a worldwide pandemic. The WHO limited itself to doing nothing except inform us as to what was happening as the virus swept the globe.

So what more can we expect this time as something called Avian Influenza, or A H5N1, starts to take on alarming proportions, having a hugely superior mortality rate: 344 out of 683 cases so far in 15 countries? That is a global mortality rate of over 50 per cent. If a pandemic swept the world and one third of the population became infected, then 1.15 billion people would die, according to these statistics.

The most recent case has been confirmed by the Chinese Ministry of Health, a 39-year-old male from Guiyan City, Province of Guizhou, who fell ill on January 6 and died on January 22. This followed a case in Vietnam, where 60 patients out of 120 cases have died from the disease, Indonesia, where 152 of 183 bird flu cases have been fatal (82% mortality rate), Cambodia (17 deaths out of 19 cases) and Egypt (55 deaths out of 159 cases) all in January.

The countries affected so far are Bangladesh, Cambodia, PR China, Djibouti, Egypt, Indonesia, Iraq, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Nigeria, Pakistan, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam.

The highly pathogenic H5N1 virus subtype first appeared among humans in 1997 in Hong Kong SAR, China, reappearing in 2003 and 2004. The incubation period is considered to be at least seven days, maybe as long as 17 for H5N1. Symptoms are a high fever, sometimes nausea, diarrea and vomiting, abdominal pain, chest pain, bleeding from the nose and gums and the development of acute respiratory distress five days into the disease, a crackling sound when breathing in and sometimes, bloody sputum.

WHO: The importance of monitoring Influenza variants
The World Health Organization this week reported “several human infections with variant influenza viruses currently thought to be circulating in swine populations” which have so far been contained to small clusters. The WHO also refers to the incidence of bird-to-human transmission of Bird Flu, or A H5N1, which is also contained inside clusters.

However, claims the WHO, “because influenza viruses are unpredictable, they have the possibility to change and become more transmissible among humans as shown by the emergence of the influenza pandemic H1N1 virus in 2009″. The WHO therefore urges all health authorities to be vigilant and reminds them it is compulsory to report all new strains of flu observed.

Scientists create H5N1: Bird Flu – Twice as deadly as the Black Death
If A H1N1 (Swine Flu) had a high incidence rate and a mortality rate at the higher end of the normal parameters, then A H5N1 (Bird Flu) is entirely different, having a global mortality rate of around 60%. That is why scientists, for purposes of studying this strain further, have performed genetic alterations on the H5N1 virus in a laboratory environment (5 alterations) and have managed to create an airborne strain which would provide human-to-human transmission. In plain language, it would be twice as virulent and deadly as the Black Death.

The new strain produced eventually proved to be highly transmissible among laboratory ferrets, generally considered to be a good indication as to what would happen among humans, something that has the biosecurity community hearing alarm bells ringing because of a potential leak or the threat of the secret falling into the wrong hands.

The researchers made five changes to the genetic composition of the virus and observed how it interacted with the respiratory tract, so as to better understand the mechanisms which might be involved in a human-to-human transmissible H5N1 outbreak. The alterations allowed the virus to attack to nasal and tracheal cells, however it was still initially difficult to spread through close contact. Therefore, the research team decided to make it easier.

Exposing ferrets to infected material from other ferrets injected with the virus, and repeating the process ten times, they managed to develop a strain of H5N1 as transmissible as seasonal flu. This latest research has horrified some sections of the medical community, which consider that is is not a good idea to turn a deadly virus into a highly contagious one, much less publish the results. For this reason the details of the research are as yet unavailable.

1918 Spanish Flu
This would not be the first time a deadly Influenza virus has been created, however. In 2005, scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reconstructed the H1N1 1918 Pandemic Influenza virus (Spanish Flu), which killed between 50 and 100million people worldwide. The entire gene sequence of this virus was deciphered and the scientists were able to recreate viruses with similar characteristics.

The H1N1 Pandemic Influenza virus was the worst outbreak in history and genetically, it was different from any other flu viruses that had hitherto attack humans. The US-based researcher and scientist Jeffery Taubenberger has described the 1918 virus as “the most bird-like of all mammalian flu viruses”.
Food for thought. It is evident that with the constant mutations occurring to the Influenza virus, sooner or later a species leap may occur. Until it does, let us all remember a few basic steps we can take to avoid contagion.

* If you are sick, stay at home;
* Cough or sneeze into a tissue or the bend of your arm. Dispose of the tissue down a flush toilet;
* Wash the hands frequently;
* Use a sanitising hand gel regularly;
* Wipe all surfaces you touch upon arriving home with a tissue soaked in an alcohol-based substance or sanitising hand gel, namely door handles, keys, light switches and taps;
* When outside, avoid touching surfaces where the flu virus can collect, such as door handles, elevator buttons, etc. Wear gloves, use sanitizing hand gel upon arrival in a building. Avoid touching the mouth or eyes.

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Sumatran Elephant on brink of Extinction

EU Times — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 21:59:32 +0000

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has warned that the Sumatran elephant could be extinct in less than 30 years as half of the species’ population has been lost in one generation.

According to a statement issued by WWF, an estimated number of 2,400 to 2,800 Sumatran elephants are alive that is down about 50 percent from a 1985 estimate.

“The Sumatran elephant joins a growing list of Indonesian species that are critically endangered, including the Sumatran orangutan, the Javan and Sumatran rhinos and the Sumatran tiger,” added Carlos Drews director of WWF’s Global Species Program in the statement.

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has recently raised its listing of the Sumatran elephant subspecies from ‘endangered’ to ‘critically endangered’.

Experts say the major cause of the situation is the deforestation of the species’ habitat in order to use it for agriculture.

In central Sumatra’s Riau Province only, the rapid deforestation has cut the number of the elephants by 80 percent in less than 25 years.

The organization has called on the Indonesian government to ban any kind of deforestation in the elephants’ habitats until a conservation strategy is devised.

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India to buy Iran oil in Gold not Dollars

EU Times — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 22:23:28 +0000

New Western sanctions seek to prevent other countries from importing Iran's crude oil.

India has agreed to pay the price of crude oil it imports from Iran in gold, which makes it the first country to drop the US dollar for purchasing the Iranian oil.

According to a report published by DEBKAfile news website, unnamed sources have stressed that China is also expected to follow suit.

India and China take about one million barrels per day (bpd), or 40 percent of Iran’s total exports of 2.5 million bpd and both of them have huge reserves of gold.

The report added that by trading in gold, New Delhi and Beijing enable Tehran to bypass the upcoming freeze on its Central Bank’s assets and the oil embargo which the European Union’s foreign ministers agreed to impose on Monday, January 23.

The EU currently buys around 20 percent of Iran’s oil exports.

On the other hand, experts say the vast sums involved in these transactions are expected to boost the price of gold and depress the value of the dollar on world markets.

“An Indian delegation visited Tehran last week to discuss payment options in view of the new sanctions. The two sides were reported to have agreed that payment for the oil purchased would be partly in yen and partly in rupees. The switch to gold was kept [in the] dark,” the report stated.

India is Iran’s second largest customer after China, and purchases around USD 12-billion-a-year worth of Iranian crude, or about 12 percent of its consumption.

Delhi is to execute its transactions, the report said, through two state-owned banks: the Calcutta-based UCO Bank, whose board of directors is made up of the Indian government, the Reserve Bank of India representatives, and Halk Bankasi (Peoples Bank) — Turkey’s seventh largest bank which is owned by the government.

US President Barack Obama signed into law, on December 31, 2011, new sanctions which seek to penalize other countries for importing Iran’s oil or doing transaction with Islamic Republic’s Central Bank.

Foreign ministers of the European Union also imposed sanctions on Iran’s oil imports over the country’s peaceful nuclear program during their Monday meeting in Brussels.

The sanctions involve an immediate ban on all new oil contracts with Iran and a freeze on the assets of the country’s Central Bank within the EU.

Tehran has warned that the embargo will have negative consequences, such as increasing the oil price.

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Samsung unveils Transparent Smart Windows

EU Times — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 22:45:12 +0000

Samsung unveiled its transparent 46-inch LCD Smart Window panels at CES 2012 show, Vesti.Ru reports.

The lighting, which is an inseparable part of any LCD display is only used during the dark time of the day. During the daytime, the panel uses the light that comes from the sun or from the room illumination.

The South Korean electronic giant promised to establish the production of such transparent panels until the end of January 2012. In the future, the Transparent Smart Windows will change the common way of looking at things. It may act as a fridge door, a sensor shop-window and as the virtual blinds that regulate the flow of light into the room. The panel may work as an electronic sign, an information display or the screen of a medical device.

The panel fully functions like a touch screen. The screen supports the resolution of 1366х768 pixels, has the contrast coefficient of 4500:1. More importantly, the new gadget uses only one-tenth of the power consumed by a common LCD panel of the same size.

The prices for the new transparent 46-inch Smart Windows have not been unveiled yet. According to Display Bank, the market of transparent displays will grow to $900 million by 2015 and to 87 billion – by 2025.

The new Smart Windows will continue the line of 22-inch transparent LCD panels, which Samsung launched in production in March 2011.

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China, India brush aside Iran oil ban

EU Times — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 14:56:54 +0000

India's Ambassador to the UN Hardeep Singh Puri

The permanent representatives of China and India to the United Nations say the US-led sanctions on Iranian oil sector are neither logical nor economically viable.

Chinese Ambassador to the UN, Li Baodong said that US officials should reconsider their move on sanctioning Iran’s oil sector since these requests are irrational and contrary to other nations’ interests.

Li added that the US should not expect any country to act against diplomatic and commercial rules and put Washington’s interests ahead of its own.

He emphasized that an embargo on Iranian oil will not be constructive and will only have a negative impact on negotiations between Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council: Russia, China, Britain, France and the US plus Germany (P5+1).

Meanwhile, India’s Ambassador to the UN, Hardeep Singh Puri praised friendly and all-out political and commercial relations between Iran and India and said such sanctions cannot affect Tehran-New Delhi ties, especially the duo’s economic relations.

Singh Puri added that India is determined to expand political and economic ties with its allies including the Islamic Republic of Iran.

On December 31, US President Barack Obama signed into law fresh economic sanctions against Iran’s Central Bank in an apparent bid to punish foreign companies and banks that conduct business with the Iranian financial institution.

The bill requires foreign financial firms to make a choice between doing business with Iran’s Central Bank and oil sector or with the US financial sector. The legislation will not go into effect for six months to allow buyers of Iran’s oil to find alternative suppliers.

The US and EU accuse Iran of pursuing a military nuclear program and have used this as an excuse to get the UN Security Council to impose four rounds of sanctions against the country.

Tehran insists that as a signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency, it is entitled to utilize nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.

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Japanese airline named world’s safest

EU Times — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 16:28:03 +0000

Russia’s Transaero and Aeroflot airlines took the 15th and the 35th positions respectively on the list of world’s 60 safest airlines, Ayda.ru website said.

The research to analyze the security level took account of all incidents that took place to jetliners during the recent decade. At the same time, Russia became the most dangerous state for those who like to travel by air. The low level of air safety is connected with small airlines, which do not observe necessary rules.

The title of the world’s safest airline was awarded to All Nippon Airways, Japan, TurNavigator.ru said. The second place was taken by Finnair. Cathay Pacific Airways is ranked third. The list continues with Ethiad Airways (UAE), Hainan Airlines, Jet Blue Airways, Emirates, Virgin Blue, Airberlin.

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Economic freedom worst in Russia, best in Hong Kong

EU Times — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 10:09:16 +0000

Hong Kong

The country with the freest economy on the planet is Hong Kong. Such a statement was made by Heritage Foundation, a US-based NGO. The “Index of Economic Freedom” made by the organization is based on the degree of openness of markets, the effectiveness of the legal framework for business activities and the apparatus of government officials and regulatory authorities.

Hong Kong, which until 1997 was a British colony, and then became a Special Administrative Region of China, has been taking the first place on the list of the freest economies in the world for the 18th consecutive year, Vesti FM said. The second place on the list is taken by Singapore, the third – Australia, the fourth – New Zealand, and the fifth – Switzerland.

The United States went one position down in the current rankings as compared with last year’s data. The country slid from the 9th to the 10th position. Britain, by contrast, has climbed from the 16th to the 14th place.

As for the countries of the former USSR, the very top line – the 16th – is taken by Estonia. The country has thus left behind the economies of Finland, Sweden and Germany.

Russia is ranked 144th on the list of 179 countries of economic freedom. Compared to last year, the country has lost one position. The chairwoman of Business Solidarity Non-Profit Partnership, Yana Yakovleva, said that she was not surprised about Russia’s place in this ranking, reports Finam FM. Everything is logical, the expert believes.

“Russia is at the bottom of all ratings – between Gambia and Zimbabwe, as a rule. They place us on this position from the point of view of the level of economic freedom, entrepreneurship and competition. We are at the bottom of all rankings,” she said.

“The question is how our authorities approach economic issues. Our government believes that economy is their own pocket, in which they can put their hands whenever they want to. They think that they can cut economic ties with a criminal axe and destroy enterprises – do anything except for developing the economy,” she added.

Russia took the worst position on the corruption ranking of Transparency International. The research analyzed 28 largest economies of the world. The last but one position on the list was taken by China.

As for the world ranking of corruption, Russia was placed 143rd – between Nigeria and Uganda. In Moldova, corruption is the lowest among the countries of the CIS. The republic took the 112th place.

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Japan will Ignore US Oil Sanctions on Iran

EU Times — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 21:43:04 +0000

South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak (L) igreets Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda. Both countries have expressed their intentions to disregard US-led sanctions on Iranian oil.

Japan has become the latest country to hint at its intention to ignore US-led oil sanctions on Iran, after South Korea’s recent dismissal of Washington’s bid to boycott the Iranian crude.

“We are not considering banning imports,” Japan Times quoted a Japanese Foreign Ministry official as saying on Friday.

On New Year’s Eve, US President Barack Obama signed into law fresh economic sanctions against Iran’s Central Bank in an apparent bid to punish foreign companies and banks that do business with the Iranian financial institution.

The bill aims to prevent refiners across the world from paying for Iran’s oil. The European Union is also considering measures that would forbid its member states from importing the crude.

Iran’s Central Bank has accounts at major Japanese banks for oil trade settlements. If US sanctions are implemented, the Japanese government may have to freeze those accounts. It means Japan’s oil imports from Iran would “completely stop,” a Finance Ministry official said, suggesting this is a situation the government wants to avoid.

Japan’s Finance Minister Jun Azumi, who is due to meet with US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner during an upcoming Tokyo visit, is now expected to call for the exemption of Japanese banks from US penalties.

On Thursday, Japanese officials also expressed their concern about the possible negative global economic impact of increasing US and European pressure on Iran over its nuclear program.

An official at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said an embargo on Iranian oil would lead to a sharp rise in crude oil prices, adding that the US must consider the negative impact of such a development on the global economy.

Tokyo’s wariness over any escalation of pressure on the Islamic Republic echoes South Korea’s earlier announcement that it would purchase around 10 percent of its needed crude from Iran in 2012, exceeding Seoul’s oil imports from Iran in 2011.

South Korea, which is the world’s fifth largest oil importer, announced plans to buy 200,000 barrels per day (bpd) of Iranian crude this year, a little more than the 190,000 bpd in 2011.

US sanctions, as well as unilateral embargoes imposed on Iran’s energy and financial sectors by Britain and Canada came after the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) issued a report on the Iranian nuclear program early in November, accusing Tehran of seeking to weaponize its nuclear technology.

Despite the widely publicized claims by the US, Israel and some of their European allies that Iran’s nuclear program may include a military diversion, Iran insists on its civilian nature, arguing that as a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and an IAEA member it has the right to develop and acquire nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.

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South Korea disregards US oil sanctions on Iran

EU Times — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 22:57:49 +0000

Energy experts believe the new US sanctions on Iran could lead to a major hike in crude oil prices.

South Korea has announced that it will buy around 10 percent of its needed crude from Iran in 2012, which will be slightly higher than last year.

Seoul’s demand for more Iranian oil follows the approval of a new act by the US Senate for imposing tougher sanctions on Iran’s financial and energy sectors.

Ignoring the sanctions, South Korea, which is the world’s fifth largest oil importer, is planning to buy 200,000 barrels per day (bpd) of Iranian crude this year, a little more than the 190,000 bpd in 2011.

According to Reuters, South Korean authorities are going to meet with US officials to lobby for an exemption to US sanctions which will enable the country to buy and pay for Iran’s oil.

SK Energy Company will buy the additional amount of Iran’s crude by increasing its Iran oil import 10,000 bpd compared to last year’s figure.

Hyundai Oilbank, the only other South Korean refiner that buys Iranian crude, will import 70,000 bpd in 2012, unchanged from 2011, a Hyundai spokesman said on Wednesday. He added that Hyundai is also making contingency plans for any disruption in oil flow.

“We are planning for various scenarios, including diversifying supply lines, if the situation changes,” the spokesman said.

On Saturday, US President Barack Obama signed into law fresh economic sanctions against Iran’s Central Bank in an apparent bid to punish foreign companies and banks that do business with the Iranian financial institution.

The bill aims to prevent refiners across the world from paying for Iran’s oil, while the European Union is considering measures that would ban its member states from importing the crude.

The legislation will not go into effect for six months in a bid to provide oil markets with time to adjust.

It also includes a “waiver,” allowing the president to suspend the sanctions in case he decides that the anti-Iran attempt will adversely impact the national security interests of the US.

The inclusion of the “waiver” in the bill reflects major concerns among American lawmakers that the bullying approach of the US to the Islamic Republic will backfire.

Meanwhile, energy experts say the sanctions could lead to a major hike in crude oil prices and disrupt the interests of the US and its allies that depend on oil imports from Iran.

US sanctions, as well as unilateral embargoes imposed on Iran’s energy and financial sectors by Britain and Canada came after the International Atomic Energy Agency issued a report on the Iranian nuclear program early in November, accusing Tehran of seeking to weaponize its nuclear technology.

Despite the widely publicized claims by the US, Israel and some of their European allies that Iran’s nuclear program may include a military diversion, Iran insists on its civilian nature, arguing that as a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), it has the right to develop and acquire nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.

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Kim Jong-il to be embalmed by Russian specialists

EU Times — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 21:48:11 +0000

On Wednesday, December 28, North Korea holds the funeral service for its leader Kim Jong-il, who died on December 17. The first stage of the funeral will be held in Kymsusan memorial complex in Pyongyang – the official residence of Kim Jong-Il’s father, Kim Il Sung.

According to North Korean media, Kim Jong-Il died from a heart attack as he was traveling by train across the country. His younger son, Kim Jong Un, has been named the successor.

According to RIA Novosti, the sarcophagus will be carried along the streets of Pyongyang prior to the ceremony. The people of North Korea will thus be able to bid farewell to the leader, who ruled the 24-million-strong country for over 17 years. According to South Korean media, Kim Jong-Il’s body will rest in a glass coffin with the body of his father at Kymsusan palace.

Russian experts were invited to Pyongyang to embalm Kim Jong-Il, Yonhap agency said. The experts with Vladislav Kozeltsev at the head arrived from the Moscow Center for Biomedical Technologies. The specialists of the center preserve the body of Vladimir Lenin in the Mausoleum. Kim Jong-Il’s car, a carriage of his legendary armored train, his clothes and his desk will be on display in the tomb of the “dear leader.”

A mass meeting of mourning is to take place at the central square in Pyongyang on Thursday morning. Up to 100,000 people are expected to take part in the meeting. They will swear an oath to Kim Jong Un, who still formally serves as Deputy State Defense Committee of the DPRK. Kim Jong Un has already been named the leader of the state, party and armed forces. The information about it has been published in the official publications of the country.

The funeral committee said that the ceremony would be marked with cannon volleys in memory of the deceased leader in Pyongyang and other cities. All locomotives and vessels will sound their sirens, whereas the citizens of North Korea will bow our heads during a three-minute moment of silence.

The DPRK authorities have decided not to welcome foreign delegations for the ceremony. However, a private delegation from South Korea arrived in Pyongyang to bid farewell the North Korean leader. The delegation is headed by the widow of former South Korean President Kim Dae-jung, who conducted the policy of “sunshine” towards the DPRK and visited Pyongyang, RIA Novosti said.

North Korea’s main party newspaper Rodong Sinmun published a special article on the front page about the visit of the South Korean delegation. During the visit, Kim Jong Un thanked the guests for condolences, but there was no special meeting with him.

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