Iran's president said he is ready for talks on his country's nuclear program with the P5 plus one -- the world powers spearheading the negotiations. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told reporters at the United Nations on September 24 such talks would be along the same lines of the meetings last October. The countries include Germany, and the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council -- the United States, Britain, France, China, and Russia. He has said an Iranian representative would meet with the group. He said that if European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton contacts his representative at the International Atomic Energy Agency, a date can be set. "We are prepared to have talks on a swap (a fuel swap deal) at anytime and with the P5 plus one. We hope by October we will be prepared" to meet. He also said Iran is ready to meet with the United States for talks about Afghanistan, the war-torn country that borders Iran. U.S. and other forces have been battling the … [Read more...] about Ahmadinejad ready for nuclear meeting with world powers
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Swiss complete world’s longest tunnel
Engineers have drilled through the last remaining rock to complete the world's longest tunnel, under the Swiss Alps. The 10m-diameter drill-head tore through the rock to cheers and applause from watching workers. The 57km (35 mile) Gotthard rail tunnel has taken 14 years to build and is not likely to open before the end of 2016. But it is expected to revolutionise transport across Europe, providing a high-speed link between the north and south of the continent. Eventually, trains will travel through it at speeds of up to 250km/h (155mph). Journey times between Zurich and Milan are likely to be slashed by as much as one-and-a-half hours. The event, which took place shortly after 1415 (1215 GMT), was broadcast live on Swiss TV and watched by transport ministers across Europe. The 9.8bn Swiss franc (£6.4bn; $10.3bn) project will take up to 300 trains each day underneath the Alps. The length of the Gotthard tunnel exceeds the 53.8km Seikan rail tunnel linking the … [Read more...] about Swiss complete world’s longest tunnel
UN calls for united front against hunger on World Food Day
With nearly one billion people still suffering from food shortages around the globe, the world must take a united stand against hunger, the United Nations said here Friday, marking World Food Day. The number of the world's hungry has dipped slightly from its record high last year, but "we are continually reminded that the world's food systems are not working in ways that ensure food security for the most vulnerable members of our societies," UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in his message on the Day, which falls on Saturday. World Food Day is celebrated every year around the world on Oct. 16 in honor of the date of the founding of the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) in 1945. The Millennium Development Goal (MDG) of halving the proportion of hungry people in the world is a pillar for achieving all eight of the globally-agreed targets with a 2015 deadline, Ban said. "When people are hungry, they cannot break the crippling chains of poverty, and are vulnerable to … [Read more...] about UN calls for united front against hunger on World Food Day
Spain win World Cup trophy
Spain won the World Cup for the first time in their history as an extra-time goal from midfielder Andres Iniesta gave them a last-gasp 1-0 victory over the Netherlands in the final at Soccer City on July 12. The showpiece game of the South Africa-hosted tournament was littered with no less than 13 yellow cards and one red but was settled by a moment of magic by the Barcelona man after he was played in by substitute Cesc Fabregas. His 116th-minute strike was the goal all Spaniards were waiting for and spared both sides the agony of deciding the new world champions by penalties. The breakthrough came after the Dutch had been reduced to 10 men, following Johnny Heitinga dismissal in the second half of extra time by referee Howard Webb for a foul on Iniesta. Two second-half chances went begging for star player Arjen Robben, as the flying winger was sent clear by Wesley Sneijder, only to be denied by a superb save from Spain captain Iker Casillas, who stuck out a leg to send … [Read more...] about Spain win World Cup trophy
World Bank applauds Vietnam’s rural finance project
Vietnam's Rural Finance Project II (RFP II) has helped reduce the poverty rate by 20 - 30 percent in northern mountainous provinces and has brought a number of improvements to these localities. A delegation from the World Bank supervising the project gave this assessment at a meeting with the Deputy Governor of Vietnam's State Bank Nguyen Van Binh in Hanoi on May 15. The RFP II has also introduced several measures to manage the environment and raise people's living standards. The project manager, the Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam (BIDV), reported that RFP II's capital has risen from US$200 million to US$235 million due to fluctuations in the price of SDR/USD and by March 31, 99 percent of the total capital had been disbursed. The project financed more than 409,000 small projects in 60 provinces and cities nationwide. The same day, WB and BIDV and eight other financial institutions signed a sub-loan contract to launch the third phase of the Rural Finance … [Read more...] about World Bank applauds Vietnam’s rural finance project